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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to appliance timers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a timer mechanism for mechanically striking a chime.
A typical prior art appliance timer has a constant rotating cam that provides a means for intermittently providing electrical contact closure for signaling processes.
In appliances such as washers and dryers, timers for controlling the operation of the appliance are essential. The timers control the operation of the appliance as well as controlling buzzers and the like for signaling a user that a cycle is complete for example.
A typical clothes dryer includes a cool down, press care, or anti wrinkle cycle at the end of the drying cycle. At the end of the drying cycle a buzzer sounds to remind the user that the cycle is complete. The dryer control will continue to remind the user until the clothes are removed or until a predetermined amount of time has elapsed.
On a typical prior art appliance, electrically activated alarms such as buzzers along with the electrical contacts required to activated them are expensive to produce. A need can therefore be seen for an effective economical mechanically driven timer signal.
A general object of the present invention is the provision of a mechanical timer mechanism.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a mechanical timer mechanism which mechanically activates an alarm signal at a desired time.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a mechanical timer mechanism which does not sound the alarm signal when the user is manually turning the timer dial.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a mechanical timer mechanism which uses two cams to mechanically activate an alarm signal.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a mechanical timer mechanism which will mechanically sound a chime at certain intervals.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a mechanical timer mechanism with a selectively on or off chime signal.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a mechanical timer mechanism that is economical to produce.
These as well as other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification and claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The timer mechanism of the present invention is operable for mechanically striking a chime to alert a user of a certain event. The timer mechanism includes a pulser cam and a timer cam. The pulser cam has a step formed on its perimeter while the timer cam has an indentation formed on its perimeter. A cam follower is biased against the two cams and has a clapper connected to it. When the indentation of the timer cam is aligned with the cam follower and the cam follower drops over the step of the pulser cam, the clapper will strike the chime.
The pulser cam may be connected to a timer motor which rotates continuously during the operation of the timer mechanism. The timer cam may also be connected to the timer motor and rotates in the opposite direction in relation to a selected operation cycle.
BRIER DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1-3 show a timer mechanism of the present invention at different time intervals.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention at different time intervals.
FIGS. 6 and 7 show the timer of the present invention with a chime that is selectively movable with respect to the clapper and with a mechanism for blocking movement of the clapper.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention will be described as it applies to its preferred embodiment. It is not intended that the present invention be limited to the described embodiment. It is intended that the invention cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalences which may be included withinthe spirit and scope of the invention.
FIG. 1 shows a mechanical timer mechanism 10 of the present invention. Two cams, a timer cam 12, and a pulser cam 14 are each rotatable about a shaft16. The cams 12 and 14 are housed within a housing 18. A cam follower 20 isaffixed to the housing by mounting means 22. The cam follower 20 is preferably comprised of a spring-like metal which biases the cam follower 20 towards the timer cam 12 and pulser cam 14. The cam follower 20 is wideenough that it is capable of contacting both cams 12 and 14. Coupled to thecam follower 20 is a clapper 24 which will strike a chime 26 under certain conditions discussed below. The cam follower 20 and clapper 24 serve a multifunctional role in the present invention. They function as a cantilever spring, a cam follower, and a clapper arm.
The pulser cam 14 includes a step 28 formed on the perimeter of cam 14. Oneside of the step has a high side 29 and a low side 31. Pulser cam 14 has a diameter that gradually increases from the diameter at the low side 31 to the diameter at the high side 29 of step 28. As viewed in FIGS. 1-3, the pulser cam 14 rotates in a counterclockwise direction preferably at a rateof 12 revolutions per hour. The pulser cam 14 is coupled to a timer motor (not shown) and constantly rotates at this rate. As the pulser cam 14 rotates counterclockwise, the cam follower 20 and clapper 24 are slowly biased towards a state of increased potential energy (FIG. 1). The cam follower 20 will remain energized in this state until the step 28 passes the cam follower 20. At this point the cam follower 20 will drop toward one of two levels on the timer cam 12. The timer cam 12 includes a notch 30 which forms an upper level 32 and a lower level 34. When the cam follower 20 drops over the step 28 it will drop toward the lower level 34 or the upper level 32 of the timer cam 12 depending on the position of thetimer cam 12 which, in this embodiment, is rotating in a clockwise direction at a rate of 1/3 revolution per hour. The upper level 32 will not permit the clapper 24 to strike the chime 26. If the lower level 34 ofthe timer cam 12 is aligned with the step 28 on the pulser cam 14 (FIG. 3),the clapper 24 will momentarily strike the chime 26. Since the pulser cam 14 completes one rotation every five minutes, this sequence will repeat infive minute intervals as long as the notch 30 in the timer cam 12 is aligned with the step 28 on the pulser cam 14.
The present invention also prevents the clapper 24 from striking the chime 26 when the user turns the timer dial (not shown) of the appliance throughthe shaft 16. When the user turns the timer dial on the appliance, the timer cam 12 rotates with the dial. The cam follower 20 and clapper 24 aredesigned such that the clapper 24 will have enough energy to strike the chime 26 only when the cam follower 20 drops over the step 28 of the pulser cam 14 towards the lower level 34 of the timer cam 12. Even if the appliance is stopped with the drop off of the step 28 of the pulser cam 14aligned with the cam follower 20 and the timer cam 12 is turned, the drop off from the upper level 32 of the timer cam 12 to the lower level 31 of the pulser cam 14 is not enough of a drop to enable the clapper 24 to strike the chime 26. As a result, the only way that the clapper 24 will strike the chime 26 is if the notch 30 of the timer cam 12 is aligned withthe cam follower 20 and the pulser cam 14 rotates and causes the cam follower 20 to drop over the step 28.
FIGS. 1-3 show the described embodiment at three different time intervals. FIG. 1 shows the timer mechanism 10 slightly before the chime is struck bythe clapper 24. As shown, the step 28 of the pulser cam 14 will pass the cam follower 20 as it rotates counterclockwise. When the cam follower 20 is dropped over the step 28 the cam follower 20 will drop towards the notch 30 of the timer cam 12 causing the clapper 24 to strike the chime 26. FIG. 2 shows the timer mechanism 10 after that cam follower 20 has passed the step 28. However, the clapper 24 will not strike the chime 26 since the cam follower 20 can only drop from the top of the step 28 to theupper level 32 of the timer cam 12. As discussed above, this drop off does not create enough energy for the clapper 24 to strike the chime 26. FIG. 3shows the timer mechanism 10 after the chime 26 has rung. As shown in FIG. 3, the cam follower 20 has already dropped over the step 28 toward the lower level 34 of the timer cam 12. Although the clapper 24 as shown is a certain distance from the chime 26, when the cam follower 20 drops, it drops with enough energy to cause the clapper 24 to strike the chime 26 since the cam follower 20 is made from a spring-like material.
If the user turns the timer dial of the appliance to rotate the timer cam 12 while the pulser cam 14 is in the position of FIG. 3, the clapper 24 will not strike the chime 26 as the cam follower 20 drops from the upper level 32 of the timer cam 12 to the lower level 31 of the pulser cam 14 since the cam follower 20 and clapper 24 are designed to only have enough energy to strike the chime 26 when the cam follower 20 is dropped from theupper side of the step 28 toward the lower level 34 of the timer cam 12.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show the preferred embodiment of a timer mechanism 10A which can be used with a clothes dryer. The timer mechanism 10A includes a timercam 12A and a pulser cam 14A which function as described above. The pulser cam 14A rotates in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the dashedline arrow at approximately 12 revolutions per hour. The timer cam 12A rotates in a clockwise direction as indicated by the solid line arrow at arate of approximately 1/3 revolutions per hour. These are the preferred rotation rates. However, any suitable rotation rate or direction of rotation may be used with the present invention. The cams 12A and 14A bothrotate about a shaft 16A and are housed in a housing 18A. A cam follower 20A is biased against the cams 12A and 14A much like the cam follower 20 in FIGS. 1-3. A clapper 24A is coupled to the cam follower 20A and will strike the chime 26A under the appropriate conditions. The pulser cam 14A includes a step 28A which forms a drop off in the pulser cam 14A. The timer cam 12A includes notch 30A formed at its perimeter. The timer cam 12A has an upper level 32A on the outside of the notch 30A on either side and a lower level 34A which is within the notch 30A. The timer mechanism 10A shown in FIG. 4 also includes a number of electrical contacts 36 whichmay be used for various functions of a clothes dryer or other appliance.
Like the timer mechanism 10 shown in FIGS. 1-3, the clapper 24A will only strike the chime 26A when the cam follower 20A drops over the step 28A andthe cam follower 20A is also aligned with the notch 30A. The notch 30 or 30A can be comprised of any form as long as a lower level and upper level is formed along the perimeter of the timer cam 12.
The present invention operates as follows. As an example, the operation of the timer mechanism 10A will be described as used with a clothes dryer. When the dryer is turned on, the pulser cam 14A will constantly rotate in a counterclockwise direction at a rate of approximately 12 revolutions perhour or once every five minutes. When the user selects a drying cycle by turning the timer dial of the dryer, the timer cam 12A will be set at the appropriate position. When the drying cycle starts, the timer cam 12A willrotate in a clockwise direction at a rate of approximately 1/3 revolution per hour. Approximately every 5 minutes the cam follower 20A will drop over the step 28A of pulser cam 14A. However, the clapper 24A will not strike the chime 26A since the drop off distance over the step 28A to the upper level 32A of the timer cam 12A is not sufficient to cause the clapper 24A to strike the chime 26A. However, when the notch 30A becomes aligned with the cam follower 20A and the cam follower 20A drops over the step 28A, the total drop off distance will be enough to cause the clapper 24A to strike the chime 26A, signaling the user that the drying cycle is over. When the user manually turns the timer dial on the dryer and the notch 30A passes the cam follower 20A, the clapper 24A will not strike thechime 26A regardless of the position of the pulser cam 14A. This prevents annoyance and confusion to the user. During the operation of the dryer, the cams may also actuate the various electrical contacts 36 to control various aspects of the dryer.
In order to provide an arrangement wherein the chime signal can be manuallyselectively turned "on" and "off", an embodiment such as that shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is utilized. In this embodiment, the chime 26 is pivotally mounted to the timer housing 18 through an offset lever 38. The lever 38 would be configured so that an operating arm 40 would extend through an adjacent wall of a control panel (not shown) and be positioned so that theappliance user can selectively operate the lever 38 with respect to the housing 18 as shown by arrow 42 to move the chime 26 into the phantom line "on" position where it can be struck by the clapper 24. Alternately, the chime 26 could be moved to the solid line "off" position.
FIG. 7 shows, at arrow 42, the lever 38 operating through an arcuate path of substantially 180 degrees between the "on" and "off" postures of the chime 26. It is readily apparent that the lever 38 can be moved through a much smaller angle or even in a straight line and accomplish the placementof chime 26 either into or out of position to be struck by clapper 24. Also, while not shown, it is envisioned that detents would be located at each position to engage and effectively hold lever 38 in position.
The selective "on-off" option can also be provided by various devices operable for blocking movement of the clapper 24 into contact with chime 26. For example, as further shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a wax motor actuator 44 may be mounted to the housing 18 and when actuated would extend a shaft46 to block movement of the clapper 24. The circuit for the wax motor actuator 44 would be manually controlled by a switch (not shown). Various other electromechanical devices may be substituted for the wax motor actuator 44 to block movement of the clapper 24 and various mechanical mechanisms and linkages may be used without detracting from the spirit andscope of the present invention.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been set forth in thedrawings and specification, and although specific terms are employed, theseare used in a generic or descriptive sense only and are not used for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and proportion of parts as well as in the substitution of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims.
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A timer mechanism for an appliance such as a clothes dryer includes a pulser cam and a timer cam. The timer cam has a notch along its perimeter while the pulser cam has a step formed in its perimeter. The cams rotate in opposite directions with a cam follower biased against the cams. A clapper is connected to the cam follower and is adapted to strike a chime if the cam follower is aligned with the notch in the timer cam and the cam follower drops off the step in the pulser cam as the pulser cam rotates past the cam follower. The pulser cam is connected to the timer motor and continuously rotates at a first speed throughout a cycle while the timer cam is connected to the timer motor and the timer dial of the appliance and rotates in the opposite direction at a second slower speed.
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BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to cryogenic pumps and, more particularly, to submerged or insulated cryogenic pumps.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Handling cryogen fluid at, or slightly below its boiling temperature, which is well below room temperature, can be cumbersome due to the creation of two-phase Condition with any heat absorbed from the environment. Liquid nitrogen, as a cryogen, has additional handling difficulties associated with the Leidenfrost effect and the 700 fold volume expansion from liquid to gas.
[0005] As is conventionally known, liquid nitrogen has characteristics that make it difficult to fill a volume. This difficulty is due to the Lindenfrost effect, by which a cushion of vapor results whenever the liquid comes into contact with a surface with a temperature higher than the boiling temperature.
[0006] The change of pressure may be another source of difficulties related to the physical state of the fluid. First, it makes it difficult to press the fluid since gaseous phase is compressible. Second, other effect is behavior of liquid nitrogen under vacuum condition. It is very difficult to suck liquid nitrogen. Under vacuum conditions, the boiling temperature decreases, which make the surface temperature higher than the boiling temperature and the above-mentioned effect, come again into play.
[0007] One approach to compensate for these issues is the strategic selection of components for fluid cryogenic system.
[0008] Applying bellows for several fluid systems components is known.
[0009] For example, bellow valves are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0067879 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,462. Dispensing fluid from a bottle or container is disclosed in International Patent Publication Nos. WO 94/07113, and WO 97/15223.
[0010] The application of a bellow for pumping liquid is disclosed in, for example, the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,598,505; 4,310,104; 4,817,688; 4,902,206; 5,165,866; 5,308,230; and 5,655,893. The application of a bellow for pumping liquid is also disclosed in, for example, the following U.S. Patent Publications: US2004/0265149 A1; US 2005/0031475 A1; 2006/0165541 A1; and 2011/0318207 A1, as well as International Patent Publication WO 01/91911 A1.
[0011] Further, submerged pumps are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,472,946, and 4,860,545. A bellow submerged pump is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,192,426 B2.
[0012] A vacuum bellows is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 6,268,995 B1.
[0013] In these examples of related art, the main emphasis was on the mechanisms for pumping force and efficiency of the motion. However the application of simple check valves for controlling the inlet and outlet fluid is common.
[0014] The foregoing is intended to be illustrative discussion rather an exhaustive one.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0015] Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach by which the inlet valve and suction condition are eliminated. Filling of a cylinder or a bellow with the pumped cryogenic liquid such as liquid nitrogen is done by creating conditions of communicating vessels, i.e. by gravitational force, without suction, or the need to lower pressure in the cylinder or the bellow, bellow the atmospheric pressure, or the pressure of the filling tank. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention reduce or eliminate the effect of the ambient temperature by vacuum insulating the cylinder or the bellow, thus eliminating the need to submerge the pumping unit into the cryogenic liquid.
[0016] An aspect of the present invention provides a cryogen pump having: a pump section that includes: a bellow with an inlet opening at a first end and an exit opening, the inlet opening in direct fluid communication with a volume of a cryogen, the exit opening at least in fluid communication with a second end of the bellow opposing the first end, a pair of plugs configured to sealingly close the opposing ends of the bellow, the pair of plugs cooperating so that when one plug sealingly closes one of the ends, the other end of the bellow is open; and a drive section configured to drive the pump section in a reciprocating manner so as to move the plugs.
[0017] Another aspect of the present invention provides a cryogen pump having: a pump section that includes a cylinder having an inlet opening in communication with a cryogen and an exit valve, a piston configured to travel reciprocally in the cylinder along a travel axis therein between a load condition in which the piston is at a position of minimum displacement and the cryogen flows into the cylinder via the inlet opening and a compressing condition in which the piston is at a position of maximum displacement, cryogen does not flow into the cylinder, and cryogen in the cylinder is compressed and pressed out of the exit valve; and a drive section configured to drive the pump section in a reciprocating manner so as to move the piston.
[0018] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is neither intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor should it be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantage noted in any part of this application.
[0019] The aforementioned and/or other features, aspects, details, utilities, and advantages of the present invention are: set forth in the detailed description which follows and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings; possibly inferable from the detailed description and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings; and/or learnable by practice of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The present invention will be more readily understood from the detailed description of embodiments thereof made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pumping unit consistent with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pumping unit consistent with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pumping unit consistent with another embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pumping unit consistent with an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0025] FIG. 4B is detailed schematic cross-section view of the piston seen in FIG. 4A ;
[0026] FIG. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pumping unit consistent with another embodiment of the present invention; and
[0027] FIG. 5B is detailed schematic cross-section view of the piston seen in FIG. 5A ;
[0028] FIG. 6A is a schematic illustration of a piston optionally usable in any of the pumping units of FIGS. 4A and 5A ; and
[0029] FIG. 6B is detailed schematic cross-section view of the piston seen in FIG. 6A ;
[0030] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an alternative driving section that is optionally usable in any of the pumping units of FIGS. 1-3 , 4 A and 5 A; and
[0031] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of yet another alternative drive section that is optionally usable in any of the pumping units of FIGS. 1-3 , 4 A and 5 A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.
[0033] The drawings are generally not to scale. For drawing clarity, non-essential elements may have been omitted from some of the drawings.
[0034] Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of at least one embodiment or implementation, it is to be understood that the legal scope of protection of this application is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this disclosure. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments and/or implementations are both contemplated and possible, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.
[0035] It is to be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this application using the sentence “As used herein, the term” is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 1 , there is shown a pumping unit 100 consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. The pumping unit 100 includes: a driving section 190 , a container 107 and pumping element 180 . Generally, pumping unit 100 is used for pumping cryogen to a cryosurgical device such as, by way of non-limiting example, a cryogenic medical treatment probe (not shown) which is connected to its outlet 110 .
[0037] The driving section 190 is a crank-follower mechanism that includes: a rotating wheel 105 connected to a link 115 via a bearing 106 at an end of the link; and a follower 111 connected to another end of the link 115 via a bearing 116 .
[0038] The pumping section 180 includes: inlet plug 104 , valve seat 102 , bellow 101 , valve seat 103 , and outlet plug 112 and is driven by the back and forth motion of follower 111 .
[0039] The bellow 101 includes an inlet valve seat 102 and is submerged in a cryogen 108 . The inlet valve seat 102 is below the surface 130 of the cryogen 108 so that when inlet plug 104 travels away from the inlet seat 102 (upward as illustrated in FIG. 1 ), cryogen 108 flows 131 into the bellow 101 . It should be noted that surface 130 of the cryogen 108 may be well above inlet plug 104 . At the other end of the bellow 101 , opposing the end with inlet opening 102 is an outlet valve seat 103 that is not in direct fluid communication with the cryogen 108 . Bellow 101 is mechanically connected to container 107 at or near outlet valve seat 103 . Relief valve 109 allows evaporation of the cryogenic fluid 108 , and maintains atmospheric pressure (or pressure slightly above atmospheric pressure) in the container 107 . Preferably, container 107 is thermally insulated as known in the art of cryogenics.
[0040] When outlet plug 112 travels away from outlet opening 103 of bellow 101 (downward as illustrated in FIG. 1 ), fluid in bellow 101 may exits through outlet opening 103 .
[0041] In operation, as the wheel 105 turns, for example in direction 117 , such that bearing 106 is moving up, for example, the link 115 which is connected to wheel 105 via bearing 106 , forces the follower 111 , which is connected to link 115 via bearing 116 , to move up. Follower 111 pulls both inlet plug 104 and outlet plug 112 upwards such that inlet opening 102 is opened and cryogen 108 enters 131 bellows 101 by gravitational force due to the condition of communicating vessels created between inner volume of bellows 101 and container 107 .
[0042] As wheel 105 continues to turn such that bearing 106 reaches its highest position and starts to descend, follower 111 pushes down inlet plug 104 and outlet plug 112 , closing inlet opening 102 and opening outlet opening 103 . As follower 111 continues to descend, bellows 101 is compressed under the pressure of inlet plug 104 and the cryogen in the bellows is forced through the now opened outlet valve seat 103 and flows 133 through outlet 110 .
[0043] As wheel 105 continues to turn such that bearing 106 reaches its lowest position and starts to ascend, the refilling of bellows 101 is repeated as disclosed above. During the ascent of inlet plug 104 bellows 101 expand due to its flexibility to accept the inflow 131 of cryogen 108 .
[0044] Keeping driving section 190 out of container 107 , and specifically keeping the motor (not seen in these figures) that rotates wheel 105 outside the cold environment may reduce heat leaks into the container and heat generation inside the container, thus reducing evaporation and waste of the cryogen.
[0045] Referring now to FIG. 2 , there is shown a pumping unit 200 consistent with an embodiment of the present invention. The pumping unit 200 includes driving section 290 , a container 207 , and pumping section 280 . Relief valve 209 allows evaporation of the cryogenic fluid 208 , and maintains atmospheric pressure (or pressure slightly above atmospheric pressure) in the container 207 .
[0046] The driving section 290 is similar or identical to driving section 190 that was depicted in FIG. 1 .
[0047] In contrast to pumping section 180 of FIG. 1 , wherein outlet plug 112 is connected to, and operated by follower 111 , controlling plug 212 which is capable of closing outlet valve seat 203 is not operated by follower 211 but instead it is responding to differences in cryogen pressures within bellows 201 and outlet 210 . Alternatively, controlling plug 212 is operated electrically in synchronization with the rotation of wheel 205 .
[0048] In operation, as the wheel 205 turns, for example in direction 217 , such that bearing 206 is moving up, the link 215 which is connected to wheel 205 via bearing 206 , forces the follower 211 , which is connected to ling 215 via bearing 216 , to move up. Follower 211 pulls inlet plug 204 upwards such that inlet opening 202 is opened and cryogen 208 having level 230 above inlet opening 202 enters 231 bellows 201 by gravitational force due to the condition of communicating vessels created between inner volume of bellows 201 and container 207 . During this refilling stage of the pumping cycle, controlling plug 212 closes exit opening 203 due to one or combination of the following:
[0049] 1) The cryogen pressure in outlet 210 is greater than the pressure in the container 207 . This may be caused by flow resistance in the path of the pumped cryoliquid exiting outlet 210 , or by evaporation of cryogen in the cryosurgical device connected to outlet 210 . The difference in pressures forces controlling plug 212 against outlet valve seat 203 ;
[0050] 2) A spring (not seen in this figure) may be used for overcoming gravity and forcing controlling plug 212 against outlet opening 203 ;
[0051] 3) Controlling plug 212 may be made such that its specific gravity is lower than the cryoliquid such that it floats on cryogen in outlet 210 and is pushed against outlet opening 203 ; and
[0052] 4) Controlling plug 212 may be electrically operated, for example using a solenoid (not shown), in synchronization with the rotation of 205 .
[0053] As wheel 205 continues to turn such that bearing 206 reaches its highest position and starts to descend, follower 211 pushes down inlet plug 204 , closing inlet valve seat 202 . As follower 211 continues to descend, bellows 201 is compressed under the pressure of inlet plug 204 and the cryogen the bellows forces open controlling plug 212 and flows 133 through outlet 210 . Alternatively, controlling plug 212 is electrically opens to allow cryogen flow 133 through outlet 210 .
[0054] As wheel 205 continues to turn such that bearing 206 reaches its lowest position and starts to ascend, the refilling of bellows 201 is repeated. During the ascent of inlet plug 204 bellows 201 expand due to its flexibility to accept the inflow 231 of cryogen 208 .
[0055] Referring now to FIG. 3 , there is illustrated a pumping unit 300 consistent with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0056] The driving section 390 , which is similar or identical to driving sections 190 and 290 disclosed above includes: a rotating wheel 305 connected to a link 315 via a bearing 306 at an end of the link; and a follower 311 connected to another end of the link 315 via a bearing 316 .
[0057] The pumping section 380 includes: an inlet plug 304 , an inner bellow 301 , an outer bellow 321 , and an outlet plug 312 and is driven by the reciprocal motion of follower 311 .
[0058] The pumping unit 300 differs from the pumping units 100 and 200 of FIGS. 1 and 2 , respectively, in that the pumping unit 300 includes a double bellows (i.e., inner bellow 301 and outer bellow 321 , with vacuum in the space 331 between them to thermally insulate the cryogen in the inner bellows 301 from the environment. In this case, the bellows 301 and 321 are not immersed in the container 307 filled with cryogen 308 . Relief valve 309 allows evaporation of the cryogenic fluid 308 , and maintains atmospheric pressure (or pressure slightly above atmospheric pressure) in the container 307 . The filling of the inner bellow by the law of communicating vessels is permitted by fluid connection 341 . The flexible connection 342 permits the relative motion of the valve seat 302 which is connected to the bellows 301 , and 321 , and the cryogen container 307 , while container 307 , and outlet 310 with outlet valve seat 303 , and driving section 390 are fixed to the body of pumping unit 300 .
[0059] In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 3 , outlet plug 312 is connected to, and operated by follower 311 to allow flow 133 of cryogen through outlet 310 . This operation is a similar to the operation of outlet plug 112 depicted in FIG. 1 . Alternatively, outlet plug 312 may operate similarly to the operation of plug 212 depicted in FIG. 2 , that is: outlet plug 312 may be operated electrically in synchronization with the rotation of wheel 305 ; or outlet plug 312 may be responding to differences in cryogen pressures within bellows 301 and outlet 310 .
[0060] FIG. 4A schematically illustrates a cross sectional view of a pumping unit 400 consistent with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0061] The pumping unit 400 includes: a driving section 490 ; a container 407 ; and a pumping section 480 . Relief valve 409 maintains atmospheric pressure in the container 407 filled with cryogenic fluid 408 , to permit the filling of the bellow by the law of communicating vessels.
[0062] The driving section 490 includes: a rotating wheel 405 connected to a link 415 via a bearing 406 at an end of the link; and a follower 411 connected to another end of the link 415 via a bearing 416 .
[0063] The pumping section 480 includes a piston 401 that travels reciprocally within a cylinder 410 and that is driven by the reciprocal motion of follower 411 .
[0064] In operation, as the wheel 405 turns in direction 417 , the link 415 forces the follower 411 to move cyclically in up and down directions. As piston 401 , which is connected to follower 411 moves down from its upmost position, it closes the opening 402 in cylinder 410 , stopping the filling of the cylinder 410 with cryogen 408 through opening 402 which is below the level 430 of cryogen 408 in container 407 , by law of communicating vessels. As the follower continues to move downwards toward a position of maximum displacement, the piston presses the cryogen in the cylinder 410 to exit through the check valve 403 .
[0065] After the follower has reached its lowest position and is moving up, valve 442 in piston 401 opens, letting air flow through tunnel 441 in piston 401 , and compensate for the low pressure created by the movement, i.e. preventing vacuum pressure to be generated in cylinder 410 under piston 401 .
[0066] Alternatively, the tunnel 442 and valve 441 may be omitted and the small gap between piston 401 and cylinder 410 may be configured to allow some gas flow into the cylinder 410 . Same small gap between piston 401 and cylinder 410 is small enough to prevent excessive escape of cryogenic liquid during the down motion of the piston due to the higher viscosity of liquid in relation to the viscosity of gas. Additionally or alternatively, partial vacuum is generated in the cylinder 410 below piston 401 when piston 401 is moving up. This partial vacuum is partially filled with vapor of cryogenic left in the bottom of cylinder 410 and near check valve 403 .
[0067] When piston 401 moves up, the inlet 402 is exposed to the cryogen 408 in the container 407 allowing the fluid to fill the cylinder through inlet opening 402 , replacing any air that enter the cylinder 410 , or vapor generated in it during the first part of the movement upwards.
[0068] FIG. 4B schematically illustrates enlarged cross sectional view of piston 401 showing tunnel 441 , valve 442 , and part of follower 411 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 4A .
[0069] FIG. 5A , schematically illustrates a pumping unit 500 consistent with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The pumping unit 500 includes driving mechanism 590 and a pumping element 580 .
[0070] The driving section 590 includes: a rotating wheel 505 connected to a link 515 via a bearing 506 at an end of the link; and a follower 511 connected to another end of the link 515 via a bearing 516 .
[0071] The pumping section 580 includes a piston 501 that travels reciprocally within a cylinder 510 and that is driven by the reciprocal motion of follower 511 . Cylinder 510 is a double walled cylinder with an outer wall 507 and an inner wall 521 . The two walls 507 and 521 of cylinder 510 are separated by vacuum space 531 for thermal insulation.
[0072] Opening 502 in cylinder 510 is connected to a container (not shown) with cryogen.
[0073] Pumping unit 500 operates the same as system 400 seen in FIG. 4A . The link 515 forces the follower 511 to move in up and down directions. A piston 501 connected to follower 511 closes the opening 502 as it moves down, stopping the filling of the cylinder 510 with cryogen through opening 502 , by law of communicating vessels. As the follower continues to move downwards, the piston presses the cryogen in the cylinder 510 to exit through the check valve 503 . When the follower is moving up, the inlet 502 is exposed to the cryogen allowing the cryogenic fluid to fill the cylinder 510 through inlet opening 502 .
[0074] After the follower has reached its lowest position and is moving up, valve 542 in piston 401 opens, letting air flow through tunnel 541 in piston 501 , and compensate for the low pressure created by the movement (i.e. preventing vacuum pressure to be generated in cylinder 510 under piston 501 ).
[0075] Alternatively tunnel 542 and valve 541 are missing. Instead, the small gap between piston 501 and cylinder 510 allows some gas flow into the cylinder 510 . Same small gap between piston 401 and cylinder 510 is small enough to prevent excessive escape of cryogenic liquid during the down motion of the piston 501 due to the higher viscosity of liquid in relation to the viscosity of gas. Additionally or alternatively, partial vacuum is generated in the cylinder 510 below piston 501 when piston 501 is moving up. This partial vacuum is partially filled with vapor of cryogenic left in the bottom of cylinder 510 and near check valve 503 .
[0076] When piston 501 moves up, the inlet 502 is exposed to the cryogen in the container (not shown) allowing the fluid to fill the cylinder 510 through inlet opening 502 , replacing any air that enter the cylinder 510 , or vapor generated in it during the first part of the movement upwards.
[0077] FIG. 5B schematically illustrates an enlarged cross sectional view of piston 501 showing optional tunnel 541 , valve 542 , and part of follower 511 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 5A .
[0078] FIG. 6A schematically illustrates a cross sectional view of a pumping unit 600 using a piston 601 with a groove 652 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0079] Pumping unit 600 using a piston 601 with a groove 652 is an optional configuration that may be used in pumping units 400 and 500 of FIGS. 4A and 5A , respectively. The piston 601 is configured to include a groove 651 that permits, by rotating the piston 601 to select position of the piston in relationship with the opening 602 , in which opening 602 is closed as the piston moves down, thus selecting the amount of the cryogen that is pressed to the exit valve 603 .
[0080] The orientation of piston 601 may be preset during manufacturing or calibrating or adjusting the pumping unit. Optionally, additionally or alternatively, the orientation of the piston may be changed by rotating follower 611 , which connected to the piston 611 . For example, follower 611 may comprise a manual or motorized actuator allowing changing the rotational orientation of the piston 601 relative to opening 602 , optionally while the pumping unit is assembled or in operation.
[0081] After the follower has reached its lowest position and is moving up, valve 642 in piston 601 opens, letting air flow through tunnel 641 in piston 601 , and compensate for the low pressure created by the movement, i.e. preventing vacuum pressure to be generated in the cylinder 610 under piston 601 .
[0082] Alternatively tunnel 642 and valve 641 are missing. Instead, the small gap between piston 601 and cylinder 620 allows some gas flow into the cylinder 510 . Same small gap between piston 401 and cylinder 610 is small enough to prevent excessive escape of cryogenic liquid during the down motion of the piston 501 due to the higher viscosity of liquid in relation to the viscosity of gas. Additionally or alternatively, partial vacuum is generated in the cylinder 610 below piston 601 when piston 601 is moving up. This partial vacuum is partially filled with vapor of cryogenic left in the bottom of cylinder 610 and near check valve 603 .
[0083] When piston 601 moves up, the inlet 602 is exposed to the cryogen in the container (not shown) allowing the fluid to fill the cylinder 610 through inlet opening 602 , replacing any air that enter the cylinder 610 , or vapor generated in it during the first part of the movement upwards.
[0084] FIG. 6B schematically illustrates enlarged cross sectional view of piston 601 showing optional tunnel 641 , valve 642 , and part of follower 611 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIG. 6A .
[0085] FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative driving section 700 that may optionally replace the driving sections in any of pumping units 100 , 200 , 300 , 400 , and 500 of FIGS. 1-3 , 4 A and 5 A, respectively. The driving section 700 includes a cam 705 instead of a wheel. The cam 705 rotates in direction 717 around its pivot 706 and, because of its shape, drives a follower 715 reciprocally toward and away from the cam resulting in translation of the rotational motion of the cam 705 into reciprocating linear motion of the follower 715 . The follower 715 is optionally connected to follower 711 via a pivot 716 . The follower 711 , in turn, may drive either a piston or a bellows. Followers 715 or 711 may act as followers 111 , 211 , 311 , 411 , 511 and 611 in FIGS. 1-3 , 4 A, 5 A, and 6 A, respectively.
[0086] FIG. 8 illustrates pneumatic system, another alternative driving section 800 , which may optionally replace driving section 190 , 290 , 390 , 490 , 590 or driving section 700 . Pneumatic driving system 800 may optionally be used in any of pumping units 100 , 200 , 300 , 400 , and 500 of FIGS. 1-3 , 4 A, and 5 A, respectively. The pneumatic driving section 800 includes a piston 850 instead of a wheel or cam. With this configuration, there is no need to translate rotational motion into reciprocating linear motion. The piston 850 moves up and down depending on the pneumatic pressure supplied at either opening 851 for motion downwards, or at opening 852 for motion upwards. In operation, a link 853 , which is attached to an end of piston 850 optionally, pushes the optional follower 811 through optional pivot 816 . Follower 811 , or link 853 in turn, drives the pumping section. Pneumatic pressure is supplied by a gas pressure source and controlling valves as known in the art, which are not seen in this figure. Alternatively, hydraulic power may be used. Follower 811 or link 853 may act as followers 111 , 211 , 311 , 411 , 511 611 and 711 (or 715 ) in FIGS. 1-3 , 4 A, 5 A, 6 A and 7 , respectively.
[0087] As described above, embodiments of the present invention provide a cryogen pump with unique control of the inlet and outlet flow. The system includes either a bellow pump or piston pump. The pump is either submerged in cryogenic fluid, or vacuum insulated. The inlet of the fluid is applying the law of communicating vessels, eliminating the need for an inlet valve.
[0088] Also, as described above, the cryogen pumps of embodiments of the present invention simplify the handling of the boiling fluid by either insulating it from the environment with vacuum insulation, or submerging the pumping unit in the bath of boiling fluid. In addition the inlet uses the natural law of communicating vessels, eliminating the need for a check valve and smoothing the operation. The motion distance of the connecting lever from the crank and the diameter of the crank position also can be used to make the pump metering pump. The pump can raise the pressure of the cryogens from atmospheric pressure or below to 40 at. The control of the pressure and the flow can be achieved by either changing the speed of the motion of the pump or change in the displacement of the pressing element.
[0089] All the elements of the disclosed systems may be made from material suitable to withstand the low temperature and the function of the elements would not be compromised by the low temperature. The lowest design temperature is negative 220 degrees Celsius.
[0090] Examples of various features/aspects/components/operations have been provided to facilitate understanding of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention. In addition, various preferences have been discussed to facilitate understanding of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that all examples and preferences disclosed herein are intended to be non-limiting.
[0091] Although selected embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described individually, it is to be understood that at least aspects of the described embodiments may be combined.
[0092] Although selected embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Instead, it is to be appreciated that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
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A cryogen pump, including: a pump section that includes: a bellow with an inlet opening at a first end and an exit opening, the inlet opening in direct fluid communication with a volume of a cryogen, the exit opening at least in fluid communication with a second end of the bellow opposing the first end, a pair of plugs configured to sealingly close the opposing ends of the bellow, the pair of plugs cooperating so that when one plug sealingly closes one of the ends, the other end of the bellow is open; and a drive section configured to drive the pump section in a reciprocating manner so as to move the plugs.
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[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. provisional applications Ser. No. 60/632,085, filed Nov. 30, 2004, entitled “Brain Balancing by Binaural Beat”, which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for balancing brain wave frequencies, and more particularly, to modification of the state of being of the human brain by use of an audio signal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The living brains exhibits electrical activity, which vary in strength and frequency over time and from one part of the brain to another. Different frequencies are associated with different moods and changing abilities. A brain wave frequency of 13 hertz or higher is known as “beta-rhythm” and is normally associated with daily activity when all five sensory organs are functioning. A brain wave frequency of 8 to 13 hertz is known as “alpha-rhythm” and is often associated with a relaxed creative state. Brain wave frequencies of 4 to 8 hertz and 0.5 to 4 hertz are known as “theta-rhythm” and “delta-rhythm” respectively. Theta-rhythm is often found in adolescents with learning disorders, and delta-rhythm is typical of normal sleep. Researchers believe that externally creating brain wave frequencies associated with normal or desired behavior, such as externally creating delta-rhythm in someone who has a problem sleeping or alpha-rhythm in someone who has trouble learning, can help bring about such behavior.
[0004] Alpha waves are those between 7.5 and thirteen (13) waves per second (Hz). Alpha is usually best seen in the posterior regions of the head on each side, being higher in amplitude on the dominant side. It is brought out by closing the eyes and by relaxation, and abolished by eye opening or alerting by any mechanism (thinking, calculating). It is the major rhythm seen in normal relaxed adults—it is present during most of life especially beyond the thirteenth year when it dominates the resting tracing.
[0005] Beta activity is ‘fast’ activity. Its frequency is 14 Hz and higher. It is usually seen on both sides in symmetrical distribution and is most evident frontally. It is accentuated by sedative-hypnotic drugs especially the benzodiazepines and the barbiturates. It may be absent or reduced in areas of cortical damage. It is generally regarded as a normal rhythm. It is the dominant rhythm in patients who are alert or anxious or who have their eyes open.
[0006] Theta activity has a frequency of 3.5 to 7.5 Hz and is classed as “slow” activity. It is abnormal in awake adults but is perfectly normal in children upto 13 years and in sleep. It can be seen as a focal disturbance in focal subcortical lesions; it can be seen in generalized distribution in diffuse in diffuse disorder or metabolic encephalopathy or deep midline disorders or some instances of hydrocephalus
[0007] Delta activity is 3 Hz or below. It tends to be the highest in amplitude and the slowest waves. It is quite normal and is the dominant rhythm in infants up to one year and in stages 3 and 4 of sleep. It may occur focally with subcortical lesions and in general distribution with diffuse lesions, metabolic encephalopathy hydrocephalus or deep midline lesions. It is usually most prominent frontally in adults and posteriorly in children.
[0008] One of the first “brain scan”, the EEG, or electroencephalograph, is still very useful in non-invasively observing the human brain activity. An EEG is a recording of electrical signals from the brain made by hooking up electrodes to the subject's scalp, typically placed on the head in the standard ten-twenty configuration. These electrodes pick up electric signals naturally produced by the brain and send them to galvanometers (amperemeter) that are in turn hooked up to pens, under which graph paper moves continuously. The pens trace the signals onto the graph paper. Modern EEG equipment now uses electronics, such as computer, to store the electric signals instead of using pens and graph papers.
[0009] EEGs allow researchers to follow electrical impulses across the surface of the brain and observe changes over split seconds of time. An EEG can show what state a person is in—asleep, awake, anaesthetized—because the characteristic patterns of current differ for each of these states. One important use of EEGs has been to show how long it takes the brain to process various stimuli.
[0010] The electrical activity, or EEG, of human brains has traditionally been used as a diagnostic marker for abnormal brain function and related symptomatic dysfunction. Often, traumatic disturbances such as mechanical injury, social stress, emotional stress and chemical exposure cause neurophysiological changes that will manifest as EEG abnormalities. However, disruption of this abnormal EEG activity by the application of external electrical energy, henceforth referred to as a neurostimulation signal, may cause yet further neurophysiological changes in traumatically disturbed brain tissues, as evidenced in an amelioration of the EEG activity, and hence are beneficial to an individual. Such therapeutic intervention has proven useful in pain therapy and in treating a number of non-painful neurological deficits such as depression, attention deficit disorder, and many others.
[0011] Therefore, the need and desire is very strong and there has been a great search for techniques and external stimuli which can vary the brain state. Much has been written about the benefits of relaxation and stress reduction. Stress has been shown to contribute to heart attacks, and is known to suppress the normal operation of the immune system, thus leaving the body vulnerable to attack from many serious illnesses. Different approaches have been made with respect to varying the brain state of a person. For example, various audio systems are commercially sold using subliminal messages in order to coax the brain into a different state.
[0012] There are known consciousness state inducing techniques. For example the use of audio generators to induce a state of consciousness known as sleep. In one type of technique exemplified in these patents, generated audio signals include pleasing and harmonious study sounds or vibrations, fixed frequency signals which are buried cyclically with respect to amplitude, and repetitive sounds such as the falling of rain on the roof and the sighing wind through the trees.
[0013] There is a method of inducing sleep by generation of an audible or tactual signal which is related to the physiological process of heartbeat and respiration. In this method, the pitch and amplitude of a pleasing audio signal are varied at a rate somewhat slower than either the rate of heartbeat or the rate of respiration. As a result, heartbeat and respiration tend to synchronize with the audio signal, thus lowering heartbeat and respiration rates and inducing sleep.
[0014] Of course, there are other naturally-occurring sounds which have been recorded, and which are not varied, but which instead induce a state of relaxation which leads to sleep for a similar reason. For example, the pounding of waves on a shore line occurs at a frequency generally lower than that of heartbeat or respiration, and induces a state of relaxation.
[0015] It is indicated that a beat frequency can be produced inside of the brain by supplying signals of different frequencies to the two ears of a person. The binaural beat phenomenon was discovered in 1839 by H. W. Dove, a German experimenter. Generally, this phenomenon works as follows. When an individual receives signals of two different frequencies, one signal to each ear, the individual's brain detects a phase difference or differences between these signals. When these signals are naturally occurring, the detected phased difference provides directional information to the higher centers of the brain. However, if these signals are provided through speakers or stereo earphones, the phase difference is detected as an anomaly. The resulting imposition of a consistent phase difference between the incoming signals causes the binaural beat in an amplitude modulated standing wave, within each superior olivary nucleus (sound processing center) of the brain. It is not possible to generate a binaural beat through an electronically mixed signal; rather, the action of both ears is required for detection of this beat.
[0016] Binaural beats are auditory brainstem responses which originate in the superior olivary nucleus of each hemisphere. They result from the interaction of two different auditory impulses, originating in opposite ears, below 1000 Hz and which differ in frequency between one and 30 Hz. For example, if a pure tone of 400 Hz is presented to the right ear and a pure tone of 410 Hz is presented simultaneously to the left ear, an amplitude modulated standing wave of 10 Hz, the difference between the two tones, is experienced as the two wave forms mesh in and out of phase within the superior olivary nuclei. This binaural beat is not heard in the ordinary sense of the word (the human range of hearing is from 20-20,000 Hz). It is perceived as an auditory beat and theoretically can be used to entrain specific neural rhythms through the frequency-following response (FFR)—the tendency for cortical potentials to entrain to or resonate at the frequency of an external stimulus. Thus, it is theoretically possible to utilize a specific binaural-beat frequency as a consciousness management technique to entrain a specific cortical rhythm.
[0017] When signals of two different frequencies are presented, one to each ear, the brain detects phase differences between these signals. Under natural circumstances a detected phase difference would provide directional information. The brain processes this anomalous information differently when these phase differences are heard with stereo headphones or speakers. A perceptual integration of the two signals takes place, producing the sensation of a third “beat” frequency. The difference between the signals waxes and wanes as the two different input frequencies mesh in and out of phase. As a result of these constantly increasing and decreasing differences, an amplitude-modulated standing wave—the binaural beat—is heard. The binaural beat is perceived as a fluctuating rhythm at the frequency of the difference between the two auditory inputs.
[0018] As a result, binaural beats are produced and are perceived by the brain as a result of the interaction of auditory signals within the brain. Such binaural beats are not produced outside of the brain as a result of the two audio signals of different frequencies. In a sense, the binaural beats are similar to beat frequency oscillations produced by a heterodyne effect, but occurring within the brain itself. However, the article discusses the use of such binaural beats in a strobe-type manner. In other words, if the brain is operating at one frequency, binaural beats of a fixed frequency are produced within the brain so as to entice the brain to change its frequency to that of the binaural beats and thereby change the brain state.
[0019] The binaural beat phenomenon described above also can create a frequency entrainment effect. If a binaural beat is within the range of brain wave frequencies, generally less than 30 cycles per second, the binaural beat will become an entrainment environment. This effect has been used to study states of consciousness, to improve therapeutic intervention techniques, and to enhance educational environments.
[0020] As the brain slows from beta to alpha to theta to delta, there is a corresponding increase in balance between the two hemispheres of the brain. This balanced brain state is called brain synchnony, or brain synchnonization. Normally, the brain waves exhibit asymmetrical patterns with one hemisphere dominant over the other. However, the balanced brain state offers deep tranquility, flashes of creative insight, euphoria, intensely focus attention, and enhanced learning abilities. Thus it is important for the creative activity of the individual to have a “correct” balance and communication between the brain halves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0021] A method and apparatus is disclosed to balance the brain left side and the brain right side by using binaural beat. The disclosed apparatus comprises an electroencephalographic (EEG) system to measure the brain left and right electrical signals, an audio generator to generate a binaural beat to compensate for the unbalanced EEG frequencies. The disclosed method includes measuring the brain wave frequency spectrum of the individual, selecting the frequency exhibiting imbalanced behavior, and generating a binaural beat of that frequency.
[0022] The procedure depends upon the particular situation. The binaural beat can be continuous or intermitten. The desired frequency can be maintained for some predetermined period of time, after which a new desired frequency can be determined. Another possibility would be to take the user to a rest frequency between sessions. Another possibility would be to generate no signal at all for a period of time. The binaural beat can start at a higher or lower frequency and then moves toward the desired frequency.
[0023] The binaural beat can be generated by applying two different frequencies to two ears. The applied frequencies can range from 50 Hz to 400 Hz. The amplitudes and waveforms of the audio frequencies can vary to achieve best results for different users.
[0024] A computer is preferably used in the present invention for controlling the equipment or to provide feedback between the brain wave measurement and the audio generation. The binaural beat can be generated through electronic synthesizer or a frequency generator. The measurement of the brain wave is preferably by the use of an EEG equipment, but any other brain scan equipment can be used.
[0025] The present invention first measures the left and right brain wave frequencies of the individual by use of electroencephalographic (EEG) to determine the brain wave imbalance, then entraining the brain wave frequency of the individual at a chosen imbalanced brain wave frequency to improve the brain wave balance at that particular frequency. The present invention uses the EEG feedback to ensure of the proper balancing treatment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] Deep relaxation technique combined with synchronized rhythms in the brain has been proven to provide the ability to learn over five times as much information with less study time per day, and with greater long term retention, and is credited to alpha wave production.
[0028] The left brain half is verbal, analytical and logical in its functioning, while the right is musical, emotional and spatially perceptive. The left brain hemisphere thinks in words and concepts, and the right thinks in pictures, feelings and perceptions. In a normal brain, a spontaneous shift in balance occurs between left and right, depending on what one is doing. When one is reading, writing and speaking, the left half will be more active than the right. On the other hand, when one is listening to music or is engaged in visual spatial perception, then the right half is most active.
[0029] By calculating the ratio between the amount of alpha waves in the right and left brain hemispheres, an expression for the balance between the brain halves is obtained, the so-called R/L ratio. If there is exactly the same amount of alpha waves in the right and left brain hemispheres, the R/L ratio will be 1.00. If there is more alpha in the right brain half, the R/L ratio will be more than 1.00, and vice versa, the R/L ratio will be less than 1.00 if there is more alpha in the left brain half.
[0030] In most people during rest with closed eyes, the R/L ratio is normally slightly above 1.00. This is probably due to our culture's emphasis on the functions of the left brain half. During deep relaxation, however, a balance of 1.00 between the brain halves is approached.
[0031] Thus the present invention discloses an apparatus and method to achieve the brain balance. The brain balance can have the R/L ratio to be around 1.00, but can be as low as 0.9 or high as 1.10, depending on the need of the users. The present invention also provides a feedback mechanism by brain signals measurements (such as by using EEG electrodes) to ensure the proper treatment. Further, the brain is a living organism, and thus is capable of self-correcting. The present invention can also provide the initial push toward brain balancing. By nudging toward brain balancing, the brain can learn to be balanced by itself without the need of any external stimuli.
[0032] Shown in FIG. 1 is the present invention apparatus, comprising a computer 10 for controlling the equipment, an EEG system 20 to measure the brain wave spectrum, and a binaural beat system 30 to generate a binaural beat. The EEG system comprises an amplifier 22 and a plurality of electrodes 24 attached to the scalp of the user. The number of electrodes 24 is even and at least 2, one for each half of the brain, but can be as many as 20 or 40. The electrodes 24 and amplifier 22 can communicate with the computer 10 . The binaural beat system 30 comprises a generator 32 to generate a first signal at a first frequency on a first channel 34 and a second signal at a second frequency on a second channel 36 . The frequency difference between the first and second signals creates the binaural beat corresponding to a chosen imbalance brain wave frequency. First channel 34 send the first signal to one ear of the user through an earphone 35 , and second channel 36 send the second signal to the other ear of the user through an earphone 37 . The binaural beat system 30 is responsive to the computer 10 . There are optional devices such keypad, keyboard, mouse and display for conventional input and output devices, and volume, waveform, and balance controls for adjusting to the individual user and the purpose of the use.
[0033] In another embodiment of the invention, either or both the electrodes 24 and the earphones 35 , 37 are wireless, and communicate with the amplifier 22 and the signal generator 32 wirelessly. The electrode 24 can be a modified eyewear handle, the cover part of the earphone, the outer part of the earphone, or the muffle of the earphone. The brain signals measurement can be any electromagnetic emission measurement device, or any electrical emission measurement device (such as EEG device). The output of the measuring device is the brain wave emission, typically a spectrum curve, which is a function of amplitude or phase with respect to frequency. A Fourrier transform to convert the emission measurement to a frequency spectrum can be added if the output of the measurement device is not in frequency spectrum form. Within the whole spectrum of the brain wave emissions, the imbalanced frequencies that exhibiting imbalanced behaviors, such as a difference in amplitude or phase between the left and right sides of the brain.
[0034] Generally, the binaural beat frequency that the brain can detect, ranges from approximately 0 to 100 Hz. The ear has the greatest sensitivity at around 1000 Hz. However, this frequency is not pleasant to listen to, and a frequency of 100 Hz is too low to provide a good modulation index. Thus the frequencies between 100 Hz and 1000 Hz are normally used for binaural beat, and preferably between 100 Hz and 400 Hz. Typically, the frequency of 200 Hz is a good compromise between sensitivity and pleasing sounds.
[0035] Thus according to the present invention, a constant frequency of 200 Hz audio signal can supplied to one ear (for example, the left ear) and another audio signal having a frequency which ranges from 300 Hz to 200 Hz is applied to the other ear (for example, the right ear). As a result, binaural beats at 0-100 Hz are produced in the brain. The audio signals can be toggled, meaning the constant frequency can be applied to the right ear and the varied frequency applied to the left ear. Further the toggle can happen at a fast rate. This toggle rate can help to maintain the attention span of the brain during the binaural beat generation and might allow the user to perceive the signal moving back and forth between the left and right ears. Further, the left and right ear signals can have different time delay or phase differences since, for low frequencies of this nature, the time delay or phase difference between the left and right signals could produce a greater effect than the relative amplitude to the brain. The time delay could be upto a few seconds and the phase difference can be anywhere from 0 to 360°.
[0036] The above audio signals can be produced in a plurality of ways. For example, an audio signal generator can be used to produce the audio signals and listened to through headphones. The audio signal can be computer generated. A computer program can be written to produce the required sound. Alternatively, analog operational amplifiers and other integrated circuitry can be provided in conjunction with a set of headphones to produce such audio signals. These signals may be recorded on a magnetic tape which the person listens to through a set of earphones. Headphones are necessary because otherwise the beat frequency would be produced in the air between the two speakers. This would produce audible beat notes, but would not produce the binaural beats within the brain.
[0037] The binaural beat can have various waveforms such as square, triangular, sinusoidal, or the various musical instruments. It is known that sound may be defined by its frequency, amplitude, and wave shape. For example, the musical note A has the frequency of 440 Hz, and the amplitude of that note is expressed as the loudness of the signal. However, the wave shape of that note is related strongly to the instrument used. An A played on a trumpet is quite different from an A played on a violin.
[0038] The present invention employs the EEG signals feedback to ensure proper application of the binaural beat. First, a brain frequency spectrum of an user is obtained through the EEG electrodes and EEG amplifier. From the spectrum, imbalanced frequencies are observed. The user then selects an imbalanced frequency to address. The brain frequencies are related to the human consciousness through various activities and enhancements such as better learning, better memory retention, better focus, better creativity, better insight, or just simply brain exercise, and thus instead of choosing a frequency, the user can just choose a desired enhancement. Then a binaural beat is applied using the selected frequency by audio inputs.
[0039] There are various brain balancing procedure. For example, the binaural beat can be continuous or intermitten. The binaural beat at the correcting or desired frequency can be maintained for some predetermined period of time, after which a new correcting or desired frequency can be determined. Another possibility would be to take the user to a rest frequency between sessions. Another possibility would be to allow the user to rest between sessions, e.g. generating no signal at all for a period of time. The amplitude and waveform of the applied frequencies can be constant, selected by the user, or vary. The binaural beat can start at the correcting or desired frequency, or can start at a higher or lower frequency and then moves toward the correcting or desired frequency. The binaural beat can phase lock onto a certain brain wave frequency of the person and to gently carry down to the desired frequency. The scanning or continuously varying frequency can be important since the different halves generally operate at different brain frequencies. This is because one brain half is generally dominant over the other brain half. Therefore, by scanning at different frequencies from a higher frequency to a lower frequency, or vice versa, each brain half is locked onto the respective frequency and carried down or up so that both brain halves are operating synchronously with each other and are moved to the desired frequency brain wave pattern corresponding to the chosen state.
[0040] Synchronized brain waves have long been associated with meditative and hypnogogic states, and audio with embedded binaural beats has the ability to induce and improve such states of consciousness. The reason for this is physiological. Each ear is “hardwired” to both hemispheres of the brain. Each hemisphere has its own olivary nucleus (sound-processing center) which receives signals from each ear. In keeping with this physiological structure, when a binaural beat is perceived there are actually two standing waves of equal amplitude and frequency present, one in each hemisphere. So, there are two separate standing waves entraining portions of each hemisphere to the same frequency. The binaural beats appear to contribute to the hemispheric synchronization evidenced in meditative and hypnogogic states of consciousness. Brain function is also enhanced through the increase of cross-collosal communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
[0041] How can audio binaural beats alters brain waves? We know that the electrical potentials of brain waves can be measured and easily quantified, such as EEG patterns. As to the second question raised in the above paragraph, audio with embedded binaural beats alters the electrochemical environment of the brain. This allows mind-consciousness to have different experiences. When the brain is entrained to lower frequencies and awareness is maintained, a unique state of consciousness emerges. This state is often referred to as hypnogogia “mind awake/body asleep.” Slightly higher-frequency entrainment can lead to hyper suggestive states of consciousness. Still higher-frequency EEG states are associated with alert and focused mental activity needed for the optimal performance of many tasks.
[0042] Synchronizing the left and right hemispheres allows the left brain to recognize the black and white words and smoothly transfer the meaning in color, motion, emotion etc. to the right brain to be converted into understandable thoughts that are easy to remember.
[0043] The present invention can affect various types of balancing brain activity.
[0044] In all of the embodiments which will be discussed hereinafter in more detail, it is essential that an audio signal be produced in which the frequency thereof or binaural beats produced thereby passes through the then operating brain-wave frequency of the person in order to lock onto and balance the brain-wave frequency. It is known that telling a stressed person to relax is rarely effective. Even when the person knows that he must try to relax, he usually cannot. Meditation and other relaxation methods seldom work with this type of person. Worrying about being stressed makes the person more stressed, producing a vicious cycle.
[0045] Another type is to raise the brain wave frequency, and particularly, to increase the performance of the person, for example, in sporting events. In this mode, both ears of the person are supplied with the same audio signal having a substantially continuously varying frequency which varies, for example, from 20 Hz to 40 Hz, although the signals are amplitude and/or phase modulated. It is believed that, if the brain wave frequency of the person is less than 20 Hz, the brain will phase lock onto audio signals of the same frequency or multiples of the same frequency. Thus, even if the brain is operating at a 10 Hz frequency rate, when an audio signal of 20 Hz is supplied, the brain will be phase locked onto such a signal and will be nudged up as the frequency is increased. Without such variation in frequency of the audio signal, the brain wave frequency will phase lock thereto, but will not be nudged up. Preferably, the audio signal changes from 20 Hz to 40 Hz in a time period of approximately 5 minutes and continuously repeats thereafter so as to nudge the brain frequency to a higher frequency during each cycle.
[0046] In view of the foregoing, it is one object of the invention to provide a method of inducing states of consciousness by generating stereo audio signals having specific wave shapes. These signals act as a carrier of a binaural beat. The resulting beat acts to entrain brain waves into unique waveforms characteristic of identified states of consciousness.
[0047] As will be discussed below, different regions of the brain produce distinct electrical waveforms during various physical, mental, and emotional states of consciousness. In the method of the invention, binaural beat audio wave shapes are made to match such particular brain waves as they occur during any mental physical, and emotional human condition of consciousness. Thus, it is possible to convert waveforms from specific brain regions, as well as complete brain surface electrical topography.
[0048] Many times the brain wave patterned is locked, and thus a disruption of the locked brain is necessary to bring the brain back to the synchnonizing state, and to re-establish the biological systems flexibility. The present method uses the EEG measurements to identify regions of the brain that need work, and the binaural beat technique to exercise the brain. The locations of the EEG electrodes can be anywhere near the center of the forehead which are near the dominant brain wave frequency.
[0049] The EEG measures the brain wave with different frequencies to establish the frequency spectrum. The frequency spectrum might also be obtained from a transformation of the brain wave frequency measurements. Such a transform may include, but not be limited to, a compression, expansion, phase difference, statistical sampling or time delay from the brain wave frequency.
[0050] It is preferred that the working time be between one second and one hour. It is more preferred that the time be between 1 and 30 minutes. It is even more preferred that the time is between 1 minute and 10 minutes.
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A method and apparatus to balance the brain left side and the brain right side by using binaural beat is disclosed. The disclosed apparatus comprises an electroencephalographic (EEG) system to measure the brain left and right electrical signals, and an audio generator to generate a binaural beat to compensate for the unbalanced EEG frequencies. The disclosed method includes measuring the brain wave frequency spectrum of the individual, selecting the frequency exhibiting imbalanced behavior, and generating a binaural beat of that frequency. The binaural beat can be continuous or intermitten.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dyeing finished textiles containing cellulose.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Treatments for fabrics composed of cellulose and mixtures of cellulose with other polymers to render them wrinkle-resistant and durable-press, or self-smoothing on laundering, consist of applying and reacting a finishing agent on cellulose. These treatments form crosslinks or bonds between the linear cellulose molecules of which the fiber is composed. These finishing agents, or crosslinking agents, are typically made from the reaction of formaldehyde with polyamide to make a polyfunctional methylolamide or hydroxymethylamide. These methylolamides are applied from water and, after drying, react readily with cellulose under the influence of mild catalysts. Because they have more than one reactive methylolamide group, they form bridges, or crosslinks, between the linear cellulose molecules.
These crosslinking treatments do increase the wrinkle resistance and durable-press properties of the cellulosic fabric but also decrease the ability of the fiber to absorb moisture. This is shown by a lower moisture content of fabric when exposed to atmospheric moisture. The decreased absorptivity is also manifested in a decreased ability to absorb and retain dyes. The dyeability of the fabric is reduced to such an extent that, when a colored fabric is desired, the fabric must be dyed before the crosslinking treatment and therefore, before the manufacture of a garment or other textile article from the fabric. The choice of color in the textile then is restricted to those colors selected before the fabric is treated.
It has been possible to crosslink cellulosic fibers for wrinkle-resistance and durable-press with less restriction of absorptivity and dyeability, but the methods used are impractical for manufacturing commercial textiles. An example of such a method is described by Reeves, Perkins and Chance, Textile Research Journal vol. 30, pp. 179-192 (1960), which employs crosslinking while the fabric remains wet with the solution of crosslinking agent. This process is impractical because it requires a long reaction time in the presence of a strongly acidic catalyst. Another method described by Pierce, Frick and Reid, Textile Research Journal vol. 34, pp. 552-558 (1964), employs a standard process with inert components to inhibit deswelling on drying. This method is also impractical because large amounts of expensive materials are needed for the inert component.
Frick and Harper, Textile Research Journal vol. 51, pp. 601-606 (1981) disclose adducts of glyoxal and amides which are used as finishing agents for cotton solely as a means of eliminating formaldehyde fumes from the agent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Previously known treatments for imparting wrinkle-resistance and durable-press properties to cellulosic fabric rendered the fabric resistant to dyeing. The decrease in dyeability occurs with the existing treatments because they restrict the absorptivity of the cellulosic fiber. Consequently, those skilled in the art of making such fabrics considered them as difficult or impossible to dye after processing. Therefore, when color was desired, the fabric needed to be dyed before treatment and before a textile article was made from the fabric. With this discovery, cellulosic fabric is treated for wrinkle-resistance and durable-press using finishing agents not made from formaldehyde, and the treated fabric retains a greater absorptivity and affinity for dyes. It can, therefore, be dyed after treatment and after a garment or other textile article is made from the fabric. These agents may be from more than one chemical class and include some alpha-hydroxyamides similar to the reaction products from formaldehyde and amides.
A fabric either entirely or in part of cellulose is treated with a formaldehyde-free crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of: an adduct from an amide and glyoxal, an acetal derived from a dialdehyde, and an aldehyde other than formaldehyde with a mildly acidic catalyst. The crosslinking agent and catalyst are of sufficient amounts and concentrations to impregnate and render the cellulosic fabric wrinkle-resistant and self-smoothing after the fabric is dried and cured for sufficient time at sufficient temperatures. The resultant fabric is then dyed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A finishing agent for use in this invention is selected from compounds that contain two or more groups reactive to hydroxy compounds such as cellulose and that are not made from formaldehyde. For ease of application the selected compound is preferably soluble in water. An example of such an agent is 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, a compound made from the reactionof 1,3-dimethylurea and glyoxal. Another example of a suitable agent is the acetal, 1,1,4,4-tetramethoxybutane.
The selected agent is applied to fabric from a solution preferably in water or a solvent composed predominantly of water. The solution will also contain a mildly acidic substance to catalyze the reaction of the agent with the cellulose. Particularly suitable as catalysts are metal salts such as magnesium chloride, zinc nitrate, and zinc fluoroborate. Concentrations in the solution will be adjusted to deposit an amount of agent equal to 5-20% of fabric weight and an amount of catalyst equal to 0.5-3.0% of fabric weight depending on the reactivity of the compounds selected. The solution is applied by any convenient means. One suitable method is by passing the fabric into the solution and then through squeeze rolls to leave a 60-100% weight gain on the fabric. The wet fabric is dried from about 3-10 min at 60°-100° C. and then heated or cured, at 120°-180° C. for 1-5 min to promote reaction of the agent with cellulose such as in cotton fabric. Preferably the fabric is then washed to remove any unreacted materials and products of side reactions.
Cellulosic fabric so treated is more absorbent than fabric treated to the same level of wrinkle resistance and durable-press with conventional agents made from formaldehyde. The greater absorbency appears not only in higher dye receptivity but in the higher moisture content of fabric exposed to air. The greater dye receptitivity of fabric treated by the process of this invention can be noted with all dye classes usually applied to cellulosic fibers. However, the effect is greatest with direct dyes where the dye receptivity approaches that of untreated fabric.
The following examples are offered to illustrate the process of the present invention. All percentages in the examples are by weight. Testing of treated fabric was by methods described in the Technical Manual of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists.
EXAMPLE 1
Cotton printcloth was impregnated by padding with an aqueous solution containing 6% 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (concentrations in the range of 5-12% can be used), a compound prepared from 1,3-dimethylurea and glyoxal, and 1.2% magesium chloride (concentrations in the range of 0.5-2% can be used) hexahydrate to give about 90% weight gain. The fabric was dried 7 min to 70° C., cured 3 min at 160° C., and then washed. For comparison, the same fabric was treated with a 2% solution of the conventional finishing agent dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea, a compound prepared from urea, glyoxal and formaldehyde. Both treated fabrics have a wrinkle-recovery angle of 240°-245°, sum of results from testing in the warp and filling directions, and a durable-press rating of 3.0-3.3 in tests for wrinkle-resistance and appearance after laundering. Portions of both treated fabrics and of untreated fabric were dyed by standard procedures with a direct dye (Direct Red 81), a vat dye (Vat Brown 3), and a reactive dye (Reactive Blue 109). The depth of color was rated on an arbitrary scale of 1 to 5 with the darkest color from each dyeing rate as 5. Results following in Table 1 show the greater dyeability that resulted from the use of the formaldehyde-free agent dihydroxydimethylimidazolidinone in place of the conventional finishing agent.
TABLE 1______________________________________ Depth of Color ReactiveAgent Applied Direct Dyeing Vat Dyeing Dyeing______________________________________None 5 5 5Dihydroxydimethyl- 5 3 3imidazolidinoneConventional Agent 3 1 2______________________________________
EXAMPLE 2
Cotton printcloth was treated with the formaldehyde-free finishing agent 1,1,4,4-tetramethoxybutane. This agent is an acetal that can be prepared from 2,5-dimethoxytetrahydrofuran and methanol. The fabric is impregnated by padding with a solution containing 10% 1,1,4,4,-tetramethoxybutane (concentrations in the range of 10-20% by weight can be used) and 1.6% magnesium chloride hexahydrate (concentrations in the range of 1.6-2.8% by weight can be used), dried 7 min at 70° C., cured 3 min at 160° C., then washed. For comparison, the same fabric was treated with a 2% solution of the conventional finishing agent dimethylolethyleneurea, a compound prepared from 2-imidazolidinone and formaldehyde. Both fabrics had a durable-press rating of 3.3-3.4 and a wrinkle recovery angle of 237°-242°, sum of values testing in the warp and filling directions. Portions of both fabrics and an untreated fabric were dyed with a reactive dye (Reactive Blue 109) using pad-bake procedure and an exhaust procedure. Depth of color after dyeing was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with a rating of 5 given to the darkest color from each dyeing. Results in Table 2 show the retention of dyeability is greater in the wrinkle-resistant fabric from treatment with tetramethoxybutane than in the wrinkle-resistant fabric from treatment with the conventional agent.
TABLE 2______________________________________ Depth of ColorAgent Applied Pad Bake Dyeing Exhaust Dyeing______________________________________None 5 5Tetramethoxybutane 3 2Conventional Agent 2 1______________________________________
EXAMPLE 3
Cotton printcloth was treated with the formaldehyde-free agent 2,5-dimethoxytetrahydrofuran by the following procedure. Fabric is impregnated by padding wth an aqueous solution containing 10% 2,5-dimethoxytetrahydrofuran (concentrations in the range of 10-20% can be used) 0.5% magnesium chloride hexahydrate (concentrations in the range of 0.2-0.8% can be used), and 0.5% citric acid (concentrations in the range of 0.2-0.8% can be used), and was then dried 7 min at 70° C., heated 3 min at 120° C., and washed. The treated fabric had a wrinkle recovery angle of 265°, sum of warp and fill values, and a durable press rating of 3.6. For comparison, another portion of the same fabric was treated with 6.0% solution of the conventional finishing agent dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea; this fabric had a wrinkle recovery angle of 267° and a durable-press rating of 4.0. Samples of both treated fabrics and an untreated fabric were dyed with Direct Red 81 and with Reactive Blue 109. The following results in Table 3 show that the fabric treated with the formaldehyde-free agent dyed to a darker color than the fabric treated with the conventional agent.
TABLE 3______________________________________ Depth of Color ReactiveAgent Applied Direct Red 81 Blue 109______________________________________None 5 5Dimethoxytetrahydrofuran 4 3Dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea 2 2______________________________________
EXAMPLE 4
Cotton printcloth was treated with glutaraldehyde as a formaldehyde-free finishing agent. The fabric was impregnated by padding with a solution containing 7.6% glutaraldehyde (concentrations in the range of 6-20% by weight can be used) and 2.0% magnesium chloride hexahydrate (concentrations in the range of 2.0-3.0% by weight can be used), dried 7 min at 70° C., cured 3 min at 160° C., and washed. The same fabric was treated with an 8.0% solution of the conventional finishing agent dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea. Both treated fabrics have a durable-press rating of 3.3-3.5 and a wrinkle recovery angle of 269-270° C., sum of warp and fill values. Portions of both treated fabrics and an untreated fabric were dyed with Direct Red 81 and Reactive Blue 109. Depth of color on the dyed fabrics is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with the results following in Table 4 showing the greater receptivity to the dyes of fabrics treated with the formaldehyde-free agents.
TABLE 4______________________________________ Depth of Color ReactiveAgent Applied Direct Red 81 Blue 109______________________________________None 5 5Glutaraldehyde 4 3Dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea 2 2______________________________________
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A cellulosic fabric is treated with a crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of: an adduct from an amide and glyoxal, an acetal derived from a dialdehyde and an aldehyde other than formaldehyde and an acidic catalyst. The catalyst and crosslinking agent is of sufficient amount and concentration to impregnate the fabric and produce wrinkle-resistance and smooth-drying finishes when dried from about 3-10 minutes at from about 60°-100° C. and then cured from about 1-5 minutes at from about 120°-180° C. The resultant fabric is then dyed.
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[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/900,192 filed on Feb. 8, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] One or more embodiments of the present invention are directed toward a packaged pad carrying a primer.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Installers of single ply roofing membranes use adhesive tape products for many purposes, such as seam splicing and for taped roof accessories around roof features. Primers are typically used to prepare roofing membranes and substrates to receive the tape adhesive products. These primers are conventionally applied by dipping a scrub pad into a container of primer material and using the scrub pad as an applicator. After a flash-off period, a sticky primed surface remains that enhances adhesion of the tape product. Further, the scrub pads dislodge and capture any dirt and debris that may be present on the surface receiving the primer and tape. Finally, the scrub pad functions to etch or scribe the membrane or substrate, which also promotes adhesion.
[0004] Currently, scrub pads are packaged dry, and the primer is transported to the roof separately in one, three, or five gallon containers. The scrub pads may be mounted on hand tools which may include elongated handles to allow a roof mechanic to stand during application. The scrub pad may then be dipped in primer so that the pad absorbs an amount of primer. The primer laden scrub pad is then pressed against a membrane or other substrate to apply the primer to areas that will receive tape adhesive products. The scrubbing action itself further prepares the membrane.
[0005] Providing primers and scrub pads in separate packaging increases the risk of roof mechanic error during application. For example, a scrub pad may be used with the incorrect primer, the roof mechanic may use the wrong primer for a given tape application, the roof mechanic may use an incorrect amount of primer, or the roof mechanic may use too much primer, which can result in prolonged flash-off periods and excessive fumes. Further, the mechanic may not have a scrub pad available, or may not have the right primer for the given membrane. Also, certain types of membranes and laps can be welded together, and consequently do not require primer for the majority of the installation. In these instances, the roof mechanic may not have primer and/or scrub pads readily available to install the smaller taped roof accessories.
[0006] Transporting primer in relatively large buckets or pails also presents unique problems. For example, typical primers are solvent based, and classified as “Flammable Liquid” when transported in one, three or five gallon containers. Shipping these volumes of flammable liquid requires the driver of the shipment to have a Haz-Mat endorsement license and also requires special labeling of the containers under Federal Regulations, which adds cost to transportation. Domestic ground shipments of smaller volumes of primers, however, do not require specially licensed drivers, and therefore may be undertaken at considerably less cost
[0007] In light of the above discussed problems, there exists a need in the art for a more convenient and safe method of packaging and transporting scrub pads and primers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a pad assembly comprising a scrub pad, a primer carried by the scrub pad, and a protective wrapper surrounding the pad and the protective wrapper including a material that is substantially impervious to the primer.
[0009] Other embodiments provide an accessory kit for use on a building roof including, a roof accessory, a pad assembly including a scrub pad, a primer carried by the scrub pad, and a protective wrapper surrounding the pad, the protective wrapper including a material that is substantially impervious to the primer, and a tape assembly including an adhesive tape and a release liner.
[0010] Other embodiments provide a method of preparing a roof surface for application of a tape adhesive including providing a pad assembly including a scrub pad carried within a protective wrapper, and a primer absorbed within the scrub pad, the protective wrapper including a wrapper material that prevents escape of the primer opening the wrapper and removing the scrub pad therefrom, and applying said scrub pad against the roof surface to remove contaminates and deposit the primer on the roof surface.
[0011] Other embodiments provide a method of installing a roof accessory on a roof surface including providing an accessory kit to the roof surface, the accessory kit including the roof accessory, a tape adhesive secured to the roof accessory and covered by a release liner, a pad assembly including a scrub pad, a primer carried by the scrub pad, and a protective wrapper surrounding the pad, opening the wrapper and removing the scrub pad therefrom, applying the scrub pad against the roof surface to form a primed and prepped area of the roof surface, removing the release liner from the tape adhesive, applying the tape adhesive to the primed area to thereby secure the roof accessory to the roof surface.
[0012] Other embodiments provide a kit for use on a roof including one or more pad assemblies, the pad assembly including a scrub pad, a primer carried by the scrub pad, and a protective wrapper surrounding the pad, the protective wrapper including a material that is substantially impervious to the primer; and at least one hand tool including a base plate and a handle, the base plate including cleats adapted to retain the scrub pad.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is an elevated view of the packaged primer pad of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an elevated view of the packaged primer pad showing the package partially open;
[0015] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the hand tool and primer pad of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an alternate hand tool for stand-up application and the primer pad of the present invention; and
[0017] FIG. 5 is an kit containing the packaged primer pad, roof accessory and instruction.
[0018] FIG. 6 is an elevated view of a roof surface showing a method of using the kit of FIG. 5 .
[0019] FIG. 7 is an elevated view of a roof accessory being installed on a roof surface.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] Single-ply roofing membranes are often formed of EPDM or TPO material. Sheets of TPO are typically extruded and sheets of composite EPDM are often formed (ie. by calendaring). In either case the membrane sheets typically include anti-stick agents on their surfaces to prevent contacting surfaces from sticking together. The membranes may then be wound into a roll for shipment. At the site of the roofing installation, the membrane is unrolled and joined together, for example, by lap seaming. Roof systems also require the installation of various roof accessories, such as drain inserts, pipe boots, pipe support systems, walkway pads, taped corners, taped T-joint patches, penetration pockets or the like. These accessories are typically secured to the membrane using an adhesive tape.
[0021] It is necessary that the anti-stick agents be removed from the portion of the membrane surface to which adhesion is desired prior to applying the adhesive tape for the lap seam or roof accessory. If the removal process is not thorough, the anti-stick agents will prevent the adhesive tape from thoroughly coating the surface area covered by the anti-stick agent. This may result in inferior adhesion, subsequent disbonding of the joint or accessory, and eventual penetration of water through the seam and/or accessory.
[0022] The anti-stick agents may be removed, or overcome simultaneously with the primer application, through employment of a primer having from about 3 to about 30 percent elastomeric solids content, used in conjunction with a mesh pad applicator. The application process entails removing a mesh pad saturated with primer stored within a protective wrapper and applying the saturated pad to the surfaces to receive tape. The contact of the mesh pad with the membrane surface scrubs and scours the surface during this process, and the anti-stick agent (or any other dirt or debris) is dislodged and caught-up and suspended in the primer-saturated pad, leaving the surface cleaned and coated with the primer.
[0023] Referring now to FIG. 1 , a pad assembly is shown, and indicated generally by the numeral 10 . Pad assembly 10 includes a protective wrapper 12 that contains and surrounds a scrub pad 14 . Scrub pad 14 is saturated with a predetermined amount of primer 15 and wrapper 12 prevents evaporation and/or leakage thereof.
[0024] Scrub pad 14 may take any shape. In one or more embodiments, scrub pad 14 may be rectangular. In other embodiments, scrub pad 14 may include a circular profile. The scrub pads contemplated by the invention may include a mesh, formed from woven or non-woven filamentary material, for example, cellulosic or plastic materials. A suitable pad for purposes of the invention is, for instance, Scotch-Brite™ General Purpose Hand Pad No. 7447, marketed by 3M Company, although other products may also be used. Scotch-Brite™ pads are typically formed from non-woven synthetic fibers to which an abrasive mineral is bonded by means of a polymer adhesive to form a web that is tough, open, chemically resistant, conformable and long-lasting. When such pads are made from a plastic, e.g., nylon, they resist tearing, splintering and shredding. In one or more embodiments scrub pad 14 may have a thickness of at least 0.25 inches, in other embodiments a thickness of at least 0.35 inches, in still other embodiments a thickness of at least 0.50 inches, and in yet other embodiments a thickness of at least 0.60 inches. In these or other embodiments scrub pad 14 may have a thickness of less than 1.0 inches, in other embodiments less than 0.90 inches, in still other embodiments a thickness of less than 0.80 inches, and in yet other embodiments a thickness of less than 0.70 inches. In one or more embodiments scrub pad 14 may have a grit of between approximately 200 and 260, in other embodiments a grit of between approximately 210 and 250, in still other embodiments a grit of between approximately 215 and 245, and in yet other embodiments a grit of between approximately 220 and 240.
[0025] In one or more embodiments, the scrub pads of the present invention may carry or absorb an advantageous amount of solvent. For example, in one embodiment, a three inch by three inch scrub pad (trade name “QuickScrubber”™ Pad) absorbs from about 25 to about 45 grams of solvent. In other embodiments, a three inch by three inch scrub pad absorbs at least about 30 grams and in other embodiments at least about 35 grams of solvent. A scrub pad carrying about 35 grams of primer adequately prepares and primes about two square feet of roof surface. A primed area of two square feet is typically all that is required to install a taped roof accessory.
[0026] Primers contemplated by the present invention may be solvent based. In one or more embodiments, solids may be suspended or dissolved in the solvent. In one or more embodiments, the primer may include at least 1% by weight, in other embodiments at least 2% by weight, in other embodiments at least 3% by weight, and in other embodiments at least 5% by weight solids. In these or other embodiments, the primer may include less than 20% by weight, in other embodiments less than 15% by weight, in other embodiments less than 12% by weight, and in other embodiments less than 10% by weight solids.
[0027] In one or more embodiments, the solids portion of the primer may include one or more polymers, oligomers, and other macromolecules. In these or other embodiments, the solids may include elastomers (i.e. polymers capable of being vulcanized into a material exhibiting the properties of a rubber). In these or other embodiments, the solids may include tackifying resins and/or hydrocarbon resins. In one or more embodiments the primer may have a Brookfield viscosity between approximately 50 and 2200 cps with a number 2 spindle at 20 RPM and at 73 degrees Fahrenheit. In other embodiments the primer may have a Brookfield viscosity between approximately 75 and 1500 cps, in still other embodiments between approximately 100 and 1200 cps, and in yet other embodiments a viscosity between 150 and 800 cps.
[0028] Suitable solvents may include organic solvents. These solvents may be polar or nonpolar, and may include aliphatic, aromatic, and naphthenic solvents. For example, the solvents may include heptane, toluene, methyl alcohol, xylene, and mixtures of two or more thereof. In one or more embodiments, the solvents may include halogenated solvents. In other embodiments, they may include aliphatic and aromatic blend solvents. In one or more embodiments the primer may include at least 90 percent solvent by weight, in other embodiments at least 80 percent solvent by weight, and in other embodiments at least 70 percent solvent by weight solvent. Commercial examples of suitable primers may include Firestone QuickPrime™ Plus, Firestone QuickPrime™ Plus LVOC, ADCO HSSP-1, Ashland PLIOSEAL™ 9705. Suitable primers and scrub pads are further disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,292; U.S. Pat. No. 5,985,981; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,761, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
[0029] In one or more embodiments, the primer contains solvents and other carrier components including those compounds that evaporate under standard roof-top conditions of temperature and pressure. The time that it takes a solvent to evaporate from a primer composition after application to a membrane may be defined as the “flash-off” period. After solvent flash off, the remaining solids portion of the primer may be in the form of a thin film. In one or more embodiments, the primed area may be tacky and substantially free from dirt, debris or other contaminates that may inhibit adhesion between adjoining membranes.
[0030] The protective wrapper 12 creates a moisture impermeable barrier around the primer saturated scrub pad 14 . Wrapper 12 is preferably composed of a solvent resistant material. In one or more embodiments wrapper 12 may be a foil material. In other embodiments, wrapper 12 may include a high density polyethylene material.
[0031] In one or more embodiments, wrapper 12 may advantageously be static dissipative. This may be achieved by providing a static dissipative inner liner or by forming the whole wrapper of a static dissipative material. The static dissipative material generally comprises any polymer or blend of polymers having suitable diffusion or permeation resistance and chemical resistance to the components comprising the particular primer which is to be contained. It may also be imbued with static dissipative properties by distributing electrically conductive carbon black therein. Such polymeric compositions having carbon black therein are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,299, which is incorporated herein by reference. Whether anti-static or not, the polymeric wrapper material desirably exhibits resistance (i.e., resistance to chemical reaction, solvent absorption and swelling, and diffusion or permeation resistance) needed to prevent escape of primer from the wrapper prior to use. Exemplary materials and methods of forming static dissipative containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,299, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
[0032] Wrapper 12 remains sealed until scrub pad 14 is needed, at which point, it may be cut, torn or otherwise opened to allow removal of scrub pad 14 (shown in FIG. 2 ). Scrub pad 14 may thereafter be applied directly to a roof surface by hand, although suitable protective gear such as solvent resistant gloves and masks should be used. Scrub pad 14 may also be used in conjunction with a variety of application tools, which will be hereinafter described.
[0033] With reference now to FIG. 3 , a hand applicator 16 includes a base plate 18 and a handle 20 . Base plate 18 includes a plurality of retaining cleats 22 upon which scrub pad 14 may be impaled and retained. Applicator 16 is held and manipulated by grasping handle 20 . When a scrub pad 14 is exhausted of its supply of primer, it is removed from cleats 22 and a new pad may be installed thereon.
[0034] In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, an alternate scrub pad applicator is illustrated in FIG. 4 . Specifically, an applicator 30 includes a bearing surface 32 including retaining cleats 34 which secure scrub pad 14 thereto. Bearing surface 32 may include a slight arch along the longitudinal direction which allows the bearing surface to be bent into the scrubbing area by the application of pressure through a handle 36 , as handle 36 bears directly upon the high point of the arch. Handle 36 may pivot relative to bearing surface 32 . Further, handle 36 may be about 4 to about 6 feet long, and made from a suitable material such as wood, plastic or metal.
[0035] A method of preparing lap seams using pad assembly 10 will now be described. In a first step, two membranes are placed in an adjacent, side-by-side relationship, the edges overlapping by the desired seam amount, for example, from about 3 to 5 inches. In a second step, a portion of the upper sheet is folded back over itself and temporarily held in that position, for instance, by the application of primer or other suitable material to form “tacking points” every 4 to 6 feet along the seam. In a third step, wrapper 12 is opened and scrub pad 14 is removed and optionally placed on a suitable applicator. In a fourth step, the primer contained within scrub pad 14 is applied to the lower surface of the folded-back membrane and to the upper surface of the other membrane, using long back-and-forth strokes with moderate to heavy pressure along the length of the splice area. A deposit of primer from about 3 to 9 wet mils thick, for example, will give satisfactory adhesion. When the supply of primer within the scrub pad 14 is exhausted, a new scrub pad is removed from its wrapper and placed on the applicator.
[0036] The primer is thereafter allowed to dry completely, usually requiring a period of less than about 10 minutes. In a fifth step, a strip of splice tape is applied to the primed upper surface of the membrane forming the lower portion of the seam. The splice tape, which is typically furnished in a roll as a laminate comprising the tape itself and a layer of release paper, is positioned with the release paper facing upwardly. Such tapes are taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,120,869, 5,888,602, 5,859,114, 5,733,621, 5,612,141, 5,563,217, 5,545,685, 5,504,136, 5,242,727, 4,932,171, 4,849,268, 4,657,958, 4,855,172, 4,588,637, 4,539,344, and 4,426,468 which are incorporated herein by reference. In a sixth step, pressure is applied to the release paper surface, for example by a roller, firmly bonding the primed surface of the lower membrane to the exposed lower surface of the tape. In a seventh step, the release paper is removed from the tape and the top membrane is unfolded, allowing it to fall over the tape. In this manner, the primed surface of the upper membrane is brought into direct contact with the now exposed upper surface of the adhesive tape. In an eighth step, pressure is applied to the upper membrane along the entire seam area, conveniently with a hand-held roller, to achieve a finished seam.
[0037] Though pad assembly 10 may be used in the manner described above, it may also be advantageously used during installation of taped roof accessories. Roof accessories are used for a variety of reasons and may include, for example, drain inserts, pipe boots, pipe support systems, walkway pads, taped corners, taped T-joint patches, penetration pockets or the like. Further examples of taped roof accessories are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,578 which is hereby incorporated by reference. Roofing accessories often include a factory applied tape with release liner. Further, installation of such items typically involves a relatively small adhesion area and thus a single scrub pad 14 may contain enough primer to prepare the entire adhesion area. Further, pad assembly 10 may be packaged with the roof accessory so that the resulting kit includes everything needed for installation.
[0038] Referring now to FIG. 5 , a kit, generally indicated by the numeral 50 , may include a container 52 or other appropriate packaging, primer pad assembly 10 , a roof accessory 54 and instructions 56 . Optionally, hand tool 16 or applicator 30 (not shown) may be provided therein. Further, protective equipment, such as solvent resistant gloves or masks may be provided within kit 50 . In other embodiments, kit 50 may simply include one or more primer pad assemblies 10 and one or more hand tools 16 or applicators 30 within a container 52 . Such a configuration may be advantageous if a roof mechanic already has one or more roof accessories.
[0039] In the present embodiment, roof accessory 54 is in the form of a pipe boot, but it should be appreciated that any roof accessory may be provided in kit 50 . Pipe boots, as is known in the art, are positioned around pipes that extend through a roof membrane and prevent leaking at the interface thereof. Accessory 54 may include a factory applied tape 58 and protective release liner 60 . Though the present embodiment shows a single roof accessory 54 and pad assembly 10 , it should be appreciated that a plurality of each may be provided in each kit. In this manner, kit 50 includes all the materials necessary to install a taped roof accessory.
[0040] Referring now to FIG. 6 , an exemplary method of using kit 50 will be described. In a first step, accessory kit 50 is provided to a roof mechanic on a flat or low slope roof. The roof includes a membrane 62 upon which the roof accessory 54 is to be installed. In a second step, pad assembly 10 is removed from kit 50 and wrapper 12 is removed from scrub pad 14 . If a hand tool 16 or applicator 30 is provided in kit 50 , then the second step may also include mounting scrub pad 14 on hand tool 16 or applicator 30 . In a third step, pad 14 is applied to the surface of membrane 62 at the area that will receive tape 58 . Using back-and-forth or circular strokes with moderate to heavy pressure the area is cleaned of any anti-stick material as well as any dirt or debris. Also, a deposit of primer is left on the membrane surface. Sufficient time is then allowed for the solvent portion of the primer to flash off. This results in a primed area 64 that is ready to receive tape 58 .
[0041] Referring now to FIG. 7 , in a fourth step, roof accessory 54 is positioned over primed area 64 and release liner 60 is removed. In a fifth step, the roof accessory is secured to membrane 62 by contacting adhesive tape 58 with primed area 64 and applying pressure thereto. Though the present embodiment includes a roof accessory having a factory applied tape 58 , it should be appreciated that tape 58 could be provided separately. In this instance, pad 14 may be used to prime membrane 62 as well as the tape receiving surface of the accessory. Thereafter, tape may be applied to accessory 54 or membrane 62 and the accessory may thereafter be installed in the manner describe above.
[0042] Including the primer assembly 10 in the same kit with the accessory 54 ensures that the correct primer and pad is used with the correct tape and tape accessory. Further, the exact required amount of primer may be included in the scrub pad, eliminating waste. Still further, roof mechanic no longer needs to carry heavy containers of primer onto the roof to install the accessories. Additionally, by providing the primer in small quantities within the primer assembly, the domestic ground shipment of the primer assembly will not fall within the Federal Regulations requiring drivers to have Haz-Mat licenses and requiring special labeling, thereby reducing shipping costs. While in accordance with the patent statutes, a preferred embodiment and best mode has been presented herein, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, but rather is measured by the scope of the attached claims.
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A pad assembly may include a scrub pad, a primer carried by the scrub pad, and a protective wrapper surrounding the pad. The protective wrapper includes a material that is substantially impervious to said primer.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of food processors, and more particularly, to a slicing mechanism and the slicer using the slicing mechanism.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] As living standards generally increase worldwide, people are demanding higher quality food. The food processor-specifically, the food slicer—has become a critical tool in every family's kitchen.
[0003] The traditional slicer operated manually, which was time-consuming and laborious. Specifically, traditional slicers were inefficient due to the unstable input force generated by the human user. To address this problem, a great deal of research was invested to develop a more efficient electrical slicer.
[0004] Several foreign patents embody this research. Specifically, Chinese Disclosure No.: CN203400062U discloses a blender with a cone-shaped slicing mechanism, replacing the original blending device by the slicing mechanism. The blender comprises a driving motor, speed reducer, coupling, input shaft, steering gears and rotating cutter shaft. A shock-absorbing device is disposed between the coupling and the input shaft, and steering gears are fixed to the input shaft and the rotating cutter shaft. However, the distance of transmission is too long, seriously affecting the validity and power of transmission. Even worse, the blender has high maintenance costs, and the food material is not sliced uniformly due to the device's low stability. Moreover, the device breaks down the food unevenly during the slicing process, producing uneven and broken food parts. Therefore, there is room for much improvement in this field.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a slicing mechanism and a slicer using this slicing mechanism, improving the transmission efficiency and stability greatly so that the uniformity of slicing process can be achieved. Meanwhile, the food does not easily break apart during the slicing process, unlike traditional slicers.
[0006] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0007] The slicing mechanism of the present invention comprises the lower cover and the cutter components. The cutter components are connected to the rotating gear located in the lower cover. The rotating gear and the cutter components are directly fixed to each other. This arrangement makes the slicer more efficient and stable than the prior art.
[0008] According to the above solution, the upper storing cylindrical cavity is formed at the inner upper part of the lower cover, and the lower storing cylindrical cavity is formed at the inner lower part of the lower cover. The upper storing cylindrical cavity is arranged coaxially with the lower storing cylindrical cavity, and the radius of the upper storing cylindrical cavity is larger than that of the lower storing cylindrical cavity. The annular stepping-part is formed at the joint between the upper storing cylindrical cavity and the lower storing cylindrical cavity. The rotating gear is disposed in the upper storing cylindrical cavity, and the cutter components are restricted by the locating device to move upwards and downwards. The upper end of the cutter components is coupled to the rotating gear, and the lower end of the cutter components extends into the lower storing cylindrical cavity. The installation structure of the rotating gear is further detailed herein.
[0009] According to the above solution, the anti-wear device is disposed between the rotating gear and the annular stepping-part so that the rotating gear can impel the cutter components better, prolonging the life-span of the present invention.
[0010] According to the above solution, a plurality of installation holes are provided along the direction of the upper circumference of the annular stepping-part. A rotating wheel, which can rotate with the rotating gear, is disposed in the installation hole. When the rotating gear rotates, the rotating wheel can rotate together with the rotating gear, reducing the friction of the rotating gear and improving the transmission efficiency.
[0011] According to the above solution, the locating device comprises an upper cover. A feeding inlet is formed inside of the upper cover. The bottom of the upper cover is engaged with the upper part of the lower cover, preventing the cutter from moving upwards or downwards and enhancing the stability of the slicing process.
[0012] According to the above solution, a plurality of locating convex parts is provided at the outer circumference of the bottom of the feeding inlet. The plurality of locating convex parts is arranged to match the cutter components correspondingly. Therefore, the locating convex parts are connected to the cutter components, confining the location of the cutter components and reducing the friction of the cutter components effectively.
[0013] According to the above solution, a plurality of sleeve pipes is disposed at the outer circumference of the bottom of the feeding inlet. The plurality of locating convex parts is correspondingly disposed inside of a plurality of sleeve pipes. A compression spring is disposed between the locating convex part and the bottom of the sleeve pipe so that the acting force between the locating convex parts and the cutter components can be further reduced.
[0014] According to above solution, a through-hole is formed in the middle part of the rotating gear, and the rotating gear of the outer circumference of the through-hole is provided with a plurality of locating slots. The cutter components comprise a flange and a cutter rack, which is fixed in the middle position of the bottom of the flange. The cutter rack is provided with cutting blades and the circumference of the bottom of the flange is provided with a plurality of locating strips. The rotating gear and the cutter components are connected in a matching manner through the interaction between the plurality of locating slots and the plurality of locating strips. This structure is more compact than the prior art, and makes for easier assembly and disassembly of the device.
[0015] According to above solution, the cutting blades comprise a cutting blade A. The cutting blade A is fixed on the cutter rack for easy slicing the food material.
[0016] According to the above solution, the cutting blades further comprise cutting blades B. The cutting edge of the cutting blade A and the cutting edges of cutting blades B are placed crosswise, which can effectively adjust the slicing shape of the food material so as to satisfy people's various requirements of foods.
[0017] According to the above solution, a detachable charging bar is inserted in the inner cavity of the feeding inlet of the upper cover. The bottom of the charging bar is provided with a rotation-stopping device A. Alternatively, the inner side wall of the feeding inlet is provided with a rotation-stopping device B, which can prevent the food material from rotating during the slicing process and enhance the stability of the slicing process.
[0018] The slicer of the present invention comprises the base components, the speed-reducing components, the storing part and the slicing mechanism. The speed-reducing components are disposed on the base components. The speed-reducing components impel the rotating gear of the slicing mechanism to rotate. The storing part is correspondingly disposed at the lower part of the slicing mechanism.
[0019] The slicing mechanism of the present invention comprises the lower cover, the rotating gear and the cutter components. The rotating gear is connected to the cutter components. The rotating gear is rotationally disposed in the lower cover, which shortens the distance between the mechanical transmission parts and improves the transmission efficiency and stability. Therefore, the slicing process has higher uniformity and quality.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a breakdown structure diagram of the slicing mechanism of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the slicing mechanism of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a part of the breakdown structure diagram of the slicing mechanism of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 4 is an overall structure diagram of the slicing mechanism of the present invention.
MARKING INSTRUCTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] 1 . Slicing Mechanism; 11 . Charging Bar; 111 . Rotation-stopping Mechanism A; 12 . Upper Cover; 121 . Sleeve Pipe; 122 . Locating Convex Part; 123 . Feeding Inlet; 124 . Rotation-stopping Mechanism B; Feeding Inlet; 13 . Rotating Gear; 131 . Locating Slot; 132 . Through-hole; 14 . Rotating Wheel; 15 . Lower Cover; 151 . Upper Storing Cylindrical Cavity; 152 . Lower Storing Cylindrical Cavity; 153 . Annular stepping-part; 154 . Installation Hole; 16 . Cutter Components; 161 . Flange; 162 . Cutter Rack; 163 . Locating Strip; 164 . Cutting Blade A; 165 . Cutting Blade B; 2 . Speed-reducing Components; 3 . Storing Part; 4 . Base Components; 41 . Supporting Part.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] FIGS. 1 through 3 , discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present invention in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present invention may be implemented in suitably arranged subscriber integrated access device.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 , the slicing mechanism of the present invention comprises the lower cover 15 and the cutter components 16 . The cutter components 16 are fixed to the rotating gear 13 , which rotates in the lower cover 15 .
[0027] More specifically, the upper storing cylindrical cavity 151 is formed at the inner upper part of the lower cover 15 , and the lower storing cylindrical cavity 152 is formed at the inner lower part of the lower cover 15 . The upper storing cylindrical cavity 151 is arranged coaxially with the lower storing cylindrical cavity 152 and the radius of the upper storing cylindrical cavity 151 is larger than that of the lower storing cylindrical cavity 152 . The annular stepping-part 153 is formed at the joint between the upper storing cylindrical cavity 151 and the lower storing cylindrical cavity 152 . The rotating gear 13 rotates in the upper storing cylindrical cavity 151 , and the cutter components 16 are restricted by the locating device to move upwards and downwards. The upper end of the cutter components 16 is coupled to the rotating gear 13 , and the lower end of the cutter components 16 extends into the lower storing cylindrical cavity 152 .
[0028] When in use, the food material is fed into the cutter components 16 through the feeding inlet. The driving device impels the rotating gear 13 and the cutter components 16 to rotate together so that the cutter components 16 can work to slice the food material. The rotating gear 13 is connected to the cutter components 16 so that the transmission distance is short, improving the transmission efficiency and stability. The uniformity of the slicing process is improved and the food material is not easily broken.
[0029] An anti-wear device is disposed between the rotating gear 13 and the annular stepping-part 153 so that the transmission efficiency and stability can be further improved. More specifically, a plurality of installation holes 154 is disposed along the direction of the upper circumference of the annular stepping-part 153 . A rotating wheel 14 , which can rotate with the rotating gear 13 , is disposed in the installation hole 154 . When the rotating gear 13 is disposed in the upper storing cylindrical cavity 151 , it is also disposed on the rotating wheel 14 . Meanwhile, when the driving device impels the rotating wheel 13 , the rotating wheel 14 rotates together with the rotating gear 13 , reducing the friction between the rotating gear 13 and the annular stepping-part 153 effectively.
[0030] The locating device comprises an upper cover 12 . A feeding inlet 123 is formed inside of the upper cover 12 . The bottom of the upper cover 12 is engaged with the upper part of the lower cover 15 , confining the moving location of the cutter components 16 and the rotating gear 13 in an upward and downward direction through the upper cover 12 and enhancing the stability of the slicing process.
[0031] A plurality of locating convex parts 122 are disposed at the outer circumference of the bottom of the feeding inlet 123 . The plurality of locating convex parts 122 is arranged to match the cutter components 16 correspondingly. When in use, the plurality of locating convex parts 122 is contacted with the cutter components 16 . Therefore, when confining the upward and downward location of the cutter components 16 and the rotating gear 13 , the friction between them can also be reduced. Preferably, a plurality of sleeve pipes 123 are disposed at the outer circumference of the feeding inlet 123 . The plurality of locating convex parts 122 are disposed in the plurality of sleeve pipes 121 correspondingly. A compression spring is disposed between the locating convex part 122 and the bottom of the sleeve pipe 121 . The compression spring enables the locating convex part 122 to contact with the cutter components 16 , and further reduce the friction between the locating convex part 122 and the cutter components 16 .
[0032] A through-hole 132 is formed in the middle part of the rotating gear 13 , and the rotating gear 13 of the outer circumference of the through-hole 132 is provided with a plurality of locating slots 131 . The cutter components 16 comprise a flange 161 and a cutter rack 162 , which is fixed in the middle position of the bottom of the flange 161 . The cutter rack 162 is provided with cutting blades and the circumference of the bottom of the flange 161 is provided with a plurality of locating strips 163 . The rotating gear 13 and the cutter components 16 are connected correspondingly through the interaction between the plurality of locating slots 131 and the plurality of locating strips 163 . This structure facilitates the assembly and disassembly and is more compact. This arrangement also provides greater stability between the rotating gear 13 and the cutter components 16 , creating a uniform slicing process.
[0033] Regarding the concrete structure of the cutting blades, the present invention has two embodiments. In the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cutting blades comprise the cutting blade A 164 , and the cutting blade 164 is fixed on the cutter rack 162 for cutting the food material into slices.
[0034] In the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cutting blades comprise the cutting blade A 164 and a plurality of cutting blades B 165 ; the cutting edge of the cutting blade A 164 and the cutting edges of the plurality of cutting blades A 165 are placed crosswise. Therefore, the angle, height and width of the crosswise-placed cutting edges of the cutting blade A 164 and the plurality of cutting blades A 165 can be adjusted to produce different shapes of the cross section of the shredded food. For instance, the cross-section can be prismatic or triangular. Through adjusting the cutting blade A 164 and the plurality of cutting blades B 165 , the shredded food material can be formed in a round or elliptical shape, etc. Further, the height and width of the cutting blade A 164 and the plurality of cutting blades B 165 can be adjusted to produce a cross-section of the shredded food with varying thickness. And the device can slice the food material without adding cutting blades B 165 , so as to satisfy the people's various requirements of food materials.
[0035] A detachable charging bar 11 is inserted in the feeding inlet 123 of the upper cover 12 . It should be emphasized that the bottom of the charging bar 11 is provide with a rotation-stopping device A 111 , or, the inner wall of the feeding inlet 123 is provided with a rotation-stopping device B 124 . More specifically, the rotation-stopping device is a fin-shaped structure disposed at the bottom of the charging bar 11 , or on the inner wall of the feeding inlet 123 . When the food material is fed from the feeding inlet 123 of the upper cover 12 , the charging bar 11 can be used to push the food material into the rotating cutter components 16 . Further, the rotation-stopping device A or the rotation-stopping device B can prevent the food material from rotating with the cutter components 16 to ensure a more stable slicing process.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 4 , the slicer of the present invention comprises the base components 4 , the speed-reducing components 2 , the storing part 3 and the slicing mechanism 1 . The speed reducing components 2 are disposed on the base components 4 , and the slicing mechanism 1 is impelled by the speed-reducing components 2 . The storing part 3 is disposed at the lower part of the slicing mechanism 1 . More specifically, the speed-reducing components 2 are gear components. The gear components correspond to the rotating gear 13 so as to impel the rotating gear 13 to rotate.
[0037] The base components 4 are provided with a supporting part 41 , and the storing part 3 is disposed on the supporting part 41 . The food material sliced by the slicing mechanism 1 can be stored in the storing part 3 .
[0038] The present invention has the advantages of high transmission efficiency, strong stability, high uniformity and durability.
[0039] Although the present invention has been described in detail, those skilled in the art should understand that they can make various changes, substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
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The present invention relates to the field of food processors, and more particularly, to a slicing mechanism and the slicer using the slicing mechanism, wherein the slicing mechanism comprises the lower cover and the cutter components; wherein the cutter components are fixed to the rotating gear, which rotates in the lower cover; wherein the rotating gear and the cutter components are directly fixed, improving transmission efficiency and stability so that the slicing process has higher uniformity and quality.
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BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of object detection, tracking, and counting. In specific, the present invention is a computer-implemented detection and tracking system and process for detecting and tracking human objects of interest that appear in camera images taken, for example, at an entrance or entrances to a facility, as well as counting the number of human objects of interest entering or exiting the facility for a given time period.
2. Related Prior Art
Traditionally, various methods for detecting and counting the passing of an object have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 7,161,482 describes an integrated electronic article surveillance (EAS) and people counting system. The EAS component establishes an interrogatory zone by an antenna positioned adjacent to the interrogation zone at an exit point of a protected area. The people counting component includes one people detection device to detect the passage of people through an associated passageway and provide a people detection signal, and another people detection device placed at a predefined distance from the first device and configured to detect another people detection signal. The two signals are then processed into an output representative of a direction of travel in response to the signals.
Basically, there are two classes of systems employing video images for locating and tracking human objects of interest. One class uses monocular video streams or image sequences to extract, recognize, and track objects of interest [1] [2] [3] [4]. The other class makes use of two or more video sensors to derive range or height maps from multiple intensity images and uses the range or height maps as a major data source [5][6][7].
In monocular systems, objects of interest are detected and tracked by applying background differencing [1], or by adaptive template matching [4], or by contour tracking [2][3]. The major problem with approaches using background differencing is the presence of background clutters, which negatively affect robustness and reliability of the system performance. Another problem is that the background updating rate is hard to adjust in real applications. The problems with approaches using adaptive template matching are: (1) object detections tend to drift from true locations of the objects, or get fixed to strong features in the background; and (2) the detections are prone to occlusion. Approaches using the contour tracking suffer from difficulty in overcoming degradation by intensity gradients in the background near contours of the objects. In addition, all the previously mentioned methods are susceptible to changes in lighting conditions, shadows, and sunlight.
In stereo or multi-sensor systems, intensity images taken by sensors are converted to range or height maps, and the conversion is not affected by adverse factors such as lighting condition changes, strong shadow, or sunlight [5][6][7]. Therefore, performances of stereo systems are still very robust and reliable in the presence of adverse factors such as hostile lighting conditions. In addition, it is easier to use range or height information for segmenting, detecting, and tracking objects than to use intensity information.
Most state-of-the-art stereo systems use range background differencing to detect objects of interest. Range background differencing suffers from the same problems such as background clutter, as the monocular background differencing approaches, and presents difficulty in differentiating between multiple closely positioned objects.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,771,818 describes a system and process of identifying and locating people and objects of interest in a scene by selectively clustering blobs to generate “candidate blob clusters” within the scene and comparing the blob clusters to a model representing the people or objects of interest. The comparison of candidate blob clusters to the model identifies the blob clusters that is the closest match or matches to the model. Sequential live depth images may be captured and analyzed in real-time to provide for continuous identification and location of people or objects as a function of time.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,952,496 and 7,092,566 are directed to a system and process employing color images, color histograms, techniques for compensating variations, and a sum of match qualities approach to best identify each of a group of people and objects in the image of a scene. An image is segmented to extract regions which likely correspond to people and objects of interest and a histogram is computed for each of the extracted regions. The histogram is compared with pre-computed model histograms and is designated as corresponding to a person or object if the degree of similarity exceeds a prescribed threshold. The designated histogram can also be stored as an additional model histogram.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,176,441 describes a counting system for counting the number of persons passing a monitor line set in the width direction of a path. A laser is installed for irradiating the monitor line with a slit ray and an image capturing device is deployed for photographing an area including the monitor line. The number of passing persons is counted on the basis of one dimensional data generated from an image obtained from the photographing when the slit ray is interrupted on the monitor line when a person passes the monitor line.
Despite all the prior art in this field, no invention has developed a technology that enables unobtrusive detection and tracking of moving human objects, requiring low budget and maintenance while providing precise traffic counting results with the ability to distinguish between incoming and outgoing traffic, moving and static objects, and between objects of different heights. Thus, it is a primary objective of this invention to provide an unobtrusive traffic detection, tracking, and counting system that involves low cost, easy and low maintenance, high-speed processing, and capable of providing time-stamped results that can be further analyzed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a system and process for detecting, tracking, and counting human objects of interest entering or exiting an entrance or entrances of a facility.
According to the present invention, the system includes: at least one image capturing device at the entrance to obtain images; a processor for extracting objects of interest from the images and generating tracks for each object of interest; and a counter for counting the number of objects of interest entering or exiting the entrance.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of achieving a reasonable computation load and providing real-time detection, tracking, and counting results.
Another objective is to provide easy and unobtrusive tracking and monitoring of the facility.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a technique to determine the ratio of the number of human objects entering the facility over the number of human objects of interest passing within a certain distance from the facility.
In accordance with these and other objectives that will become apparent hereafter, the present invention will be described with particular references to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a facility in which the system of the present invention is installed;
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the image capturing device connected to an exemplary counting system of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the sequence of converting one or more stereo image pairs captured by the system of the present invention into the height maps, which are analyzed to track and count human objects;
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram describing the flow of processes for a system performing human object detection, tracking, and counting according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram describing the flow of processes for object tracking;
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram describing the flow of processes for track analysis;
FIG. 7 is a first part of a flow diagram describing the flow of processes for suboptimal localization of unpaired tracks;
FIG. 8 is a second part of the flow diagram of FIG. 7 describing the flow of processes for suboptimal localization of unpaired tracks;
FIG. 9 is a flow diagram describing the flow of processes for second pass matching of tracks and object detects;
FIG. 10 is a flow diagram describing the flow of processes for track updating or creation;
FIG. 11 is a flow diagram describing the flow of processes for track merging; and
FIG. 12 is a flow diagram describing the flow of processes for track updates.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This detailed description is presented in terms of programs, data structures or procedures executed on a computer or a network of computers. The software programs implemented by the system may be written in languages such as JAVA, C, C++, C#, Assembly language, Python, PHP, or HTML. However, one of skill in the art will appreciate that other languages may be used instead, or in combination with the foregoing.
1. System Components
Referring to FIGS. 1 , 2 and 3 , the present invention is a system 10 comprising at least one image capturing device 20 electronically or wirelessly connected to a counting system 30 . In the illustrated embodiment, the at least one image capturing device 20 is mounted above an entrance or entrances 21 to a facility 23 for capturing images from the entrance or entrances 21 . Facilities such as malls or stores with wide entrances often require more than one image capturing device to completely cover the entrances. The area captured by the image capturing device 20 is field of view 44 . Each image, along with the time when the image is captured, is a frame 48 ( FIG. 3 ).
Typically, the image capturing device includes at least one stereo camera with two or more video sensors 46 ( FIG. 2 ), which allows the camera to simulate human binocular vision. A pair of stereo images comprises frames 48 taken by each video sensor 46 of the camera. A height map 56 is then constructed from the pair of stereo images through computations involving finding corresponding pixels in rectified frames 52 , 53 of the stereo image pair.
Door zone 84 is an area in the height map 56 marking the start position of an incoming track and end position of an outgoing track. Interior zone 86 is an area marking the end position of the incoming track and the start position of the outgoing track. Dead zone 90 is an area in the field of view 44 that is not processed by the counting system 30 .
Video sensors 46 ( FIG. 2 ) receive photons through lenses, and photons cause electrons in the image capturing device 20 to react and form light images. The image capturing device 20 then converts the light images to digital signals through which the device 20 obtains digital raw frames 48 ( FIG. 3 ) comprising pixels. A pixel is a single point in a raw frame 48 . The raw frame 48 generally comprises several hundred thousands or millions of pixels arranged in rows and columns.
Examples of video sensors 46 used in the present invention include CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) sensors and/or CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) sensors. However, the types of video sensors 46 should not be considered limiting, and any video sensor 46 compatible with the present system may be adopted.
The counting system 30 comprises three main components: (1) boot loader 32 ; (2) system management and communication component 34 ; and (3) counting component 36 .
The boot loader 32 is executed when the system is powered up and loads the main application program into memory 38 for execution.
The system management and communication component 34 includes task schedulers, database interface, recording functions, and TCP/IP or PPP communication protocols. The database interface includes modules for pushing and storing data generated from the counting component 36 to a database at a remote site. The recording functions provide operations such as writing user defined events to a database, sending emails, and video recording.
The counting component 36 is a key component of the system 10 and is described in further detail as follows.
2. The Counting Component.
In an illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the at least one image capturing device 20 and the counting system 30 are integrated in a single image capturing and processing device. The single image capturing and processing device can be installed anywhere above the entrance or entrances to the facility 23 . Data output from the single image capturing and processing device can be transmitted through the system management and communication component 34 to the database for storage and further analysis.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of processes of the counting component 36 . The processes are: (1) obtaining raw frames (block 100 ); (2) rectification (block 102 ); (3) disparity map generation (block 104 ); (4) height map generation (block 106 ); (5) object detection (block 108 ); and (6) object tracking (block 110 ).
Referring to FIGS. 1-4 , in block 100 , the image capturing device 20 obtains raw image frames 48 ( FIG. 3 ) at a given rate (such as for every 1/15 second) of the field of view 44 from the video sensors 46 . Each pixel in the raw frame 48 records color and light intensity of a position in the field of view 44 . When the image capturing device 20 takes a snapshot, each video sensor 46 of the device 20 produces a different raw frame 48 simultaneously. One or more pairs of raw frames 48 taken simultaneously are then used to generate the height maps 56 for the field of view 44 , as will be described.
When multiple image capturing devices 20 are used, tracks 88 generated by each image capturing device 20 are merged before proceeding to block 102 .
Block 102 uses calibration data of the stereo cameras (not shown) stored in the image capturing device 20 to rectify raw stereo frames 48 . The rectification operation corrects lens distortion effects on the raw frames 48 . The calibration data include each sensor's optical center, lens distortion information, focal lengths, and the relative pose of one sensor with respect to the other. After the rectification, straight lines in the real world that have been distorted to curved lines in the raw stereo frames 48 are corrected and restored to straight lines. The resulting frames from rectification are called rectified frames 52 , 53 ( FIG. 3 ).
Block 104 creates a disparity map 50 ( FIG. 3 ) from each pair of rectified frames 52 , 53 . A disparity map 50 is an image map where each pixel comprises a disparity value. The term disparity was originally used to describe a 2-D vector between positions of corresponding features seen by the left and right eyes. Rectified frames 52 , 53 in a pair are compared to each other for matching features. The disparity is computed as the difference between positions of the same feature in frame 52 and frame 53 .
Block 106 converts the disparity map 50 to the height map 56 . Each pixel of the height map 56 comprises a height value and x-y coordinates, where the height value is represented by the greatest ground height of all the points in the same location in the field of view 44 . The height map 56 is sometimes referred to as a frame in the rest of the description.
2.1 Object Detection
Object detection (block 108 ) is a process of locating candidate objects 58 in the height map 56 . One objective of the present invention is to detect human objects standing or walking in relatively flat areas. Because human objects of interest are much higher than the ground, local maxima of the height map 56 often represent heads of human objects or occasionally raised hands or other objects carried on the shoulders of human objects walking in counting zone 84 , 86 ( FIG. 1 ). Therefore, local maxima of the height map 56 are identified as positions of potential human object 58 detects. Each potential human object 58 detect is represented in the height map 56 by a local maximum with a height greater than a predefined threshold and all distances from other local maxima above a predefined range.
Occasionally, some human objects of interest do not appear as local maxima for reasons such as that the height map 56 is affected by false detection due to snow blindness effect in the process of generating the disparity map 50 , or that human objects of interests are standing close to taller objects such as walls or doors. To overcome this problem, the current invention searches in the neighborhood of the most recent local maxima for a suboptimal location as candidate positions for human objects of interest, as will be described later.
A run is a contiguous set of pixels on the same row of the height map 56 with the same non-zero height values. Each run is represented by a four-tuple (row, start-column, end-column, height). In practice, height map 56 is often represented by a set of runs in order to boost processing performance and object detection is also performed on the runs instead of the pixels.
Object detection comprises four stages: 1) background reconstruction; 2) first pass component detection; 3) second pass object detection; and 4) merging of closely located detects.
2.1.1 Component Definition and Properties
Pixel q is an eight-neighbor of pixel p if q and p share an edge or a vertex in the height map 56 , and both p and q have non-zero height values. A pixel can have as many as eight eight-neighbors.
A set of pixels E is an eight-connected component if for every pair of pixels p i and p j in E, there exists a sequence of pixels p i , . . . , p j such that all pixels in the sequence belong to the set E, and every pair of two adjacent pixels are eight-neighbors to each other. Without further noting, an eight-connected component is simply referred to as a connected component hereafter.
The connected component is a data structure representing a set of eight-connected pixels in the height map 56 . A connected component may represent one or more human objects of interest. Properties of a connected component include height, position, size, etc. Table 1 provides a list of properties associated with a connected component. Each property has an abbreviated name enclosed in a pair of parentheses and a description. Properties will be referenced by their abbreviated names hereafter.
TABLE 1
Variable Name
Number
(abbreviated name)
Description
1
component ID (det_ID)
Identification of a component. In the first pass,
componentID represents the component. In the
second pass, componentID represents the parent
component from which the current component is
derived.
2
peak position (det_maxX,
Mass center of the pixels in the component having
det_maxY)
the greatest height value.
3
peak area (det_maxArea)
Number of pixels in the component having the
greatest height value.
4
center (det_X, det_Y)
Mass center of all pixels of the component.
5
minimum size
Size of the shortest side of two minimum
(det_minSize)
rectangles that enclose the component at 0 and 45
degrees.
6
maximum size
Size of the longest side of two minimum
(det_maxSize)
rectangles that enclose the component at 0 and 45
degrees.
7
area (det_area)
Number of pixels of the component.
8
minimum height
Minimum height of all pixels of the component.
(det_minHeight)
9
maximum height
Maximum height of all pixels of the component.
(det_maxHeight)
10
height sum (det_htSum)
Sum of heights of pixels in a small square window
centered at the center position of the component,
the window having a configurable size.
11
Grouping flag
A flag indicating whether the subcomponent still
needs grouping.
(det_grouped)
12
background
A flag indicating whether the mass center of the
(det_inBackground)
component is in the background
13
the closest detection
Identifies a second pass component closest to the
(det_closestDet)
component but remaining separate after operation
of “merging close detections”.
Several predicate operators are applied to a sunset of properties of the connected component to check if the subset of properties satisfies a certain condition. Component predicate operators include:
IsNoisy, which checks whether a connected component is too small to be considered a valid object detect 58 . A connected component is considered as “noise” if at least two of the following three conditions hold: 1) its det_minSize is less than two thirds of a specified minimum human body size, which is configurable in the range of [9, 36] inches; 2) its det_area is less than four ninths of the area of a circle with its diameter equal to a specified minimum body size; and 3) the product of its det_minSize and det_area is less than product of the specified minimum human body size and a specified minimum body area. IsPointAtBoundaries, which checks whether a square window centered at the current point with its side equal to a specified local maximum search window size is intersecting boundaries of the height map 56 , or whether the connected component has more than a specific number of pixels in the dead zone 90 . If this operation returns true, the point being checked is considered as within the boundaries of the height map 56 . NotSmallSubComponent, which checks if a subcomponent in the second pass component detection is not small. It returns true if its det_minSize is greater than a specified minimum human head size or its det_area is greater than a specified minimum human head area. BigSubComponentSeed, which checks if a subcomponent seed in the second pass component detection is big enough to stop the grouping operation. It returns true if its det_minSize is greater than the specified maximum human head size or its det_area is greater than the specified maximum human head area. SmallSubComponent, which checks if a subcomponent in the second pass component detection is small. It returns true if its det_minSize is less than the specified minimum human head size or its det_area is less than the specified minimum human head area.
2.1.2 Background Reconstruction
The background represents static scenery in the field view 44 of the image capturing device 20 and is constructed from the height map 56 . The background building process monitors every pixel of every height map 56 and updates a background height map. A pixel may be considered as part of the static scenery if the pixel has the same non-zero height value for a specified percentage of time (e.g., 70%).
2.1.3 First-Pass Component Detection
First pass components are computed by applying a variant of an eight-connected image labeling algorithm on the runs of the height map 56 . Properties of first pass components are calculated according to the definitions in Table 1. Predicate operators are also applied to the first pass components. Those first pass components whose “IsNoise” predicate operator returns “true” are ignored without being passed on to the second pass component detection phase of the object detection.
2.1.4 Second Pass Object Detection
In this phase, height map local maxima, to be considered as candidate human detects, are derived from the first pass components in the following steps.
First, for each first pass component, find all eight-connected subcomponents whose pixels have the same height. The det_grouped property of all subcomponents is cleared to prepare for subcomponent grouping and the det_ID property of each subcomponent is set to the ID of the corresponding first pass component.
Second, try to find the highest ungrouped local maximal subcomponent satisfying the following two conditions: (1) the subcomponent has the highest height among all of the ungrouped subcomponents of the given first pass component, or the largest area among all of the ungrouped subcomponents of the given first pass component if several ungrouped subcomponents with the same highest height exist; and (2) the subcomponent is higher than all of its neighboring subcomponents. If such a subcomponent exists, use it as the current seed and proceed to the next step for further subcomponent grouping. Otherwise, return to step 1 to process the next first pass component in line.
Third, if BigSubComponentSeed test returns true on the current seed, the subcomponent is then considered as a potential human object detect. Set the det_grouped flag of the subcomponent to mark it as grouped and proceed to step 2 to look for a new seed. If the test returns false, proceed to the next step.
Fourth, try to find a subcomponent next to the current seed that has the highest height and meets all of the following three conditions: (1) it is eight-connected to the current seed; (2) its height is smaller than that of the current seed; and (3) it is not connected to a third subcomponent that is higher and it passes the NotSmallSubComponent test. If more than one subcomponent meets all of above conditions, choose the one with the largest area. When no subcomponent meets the criteria, set the det_grouped property of the current seed to “grouped” and go to step 2. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
Fifth, calculate the distance between centers of the current seed and the subcomponent found in the previous step. If the distance is less than the specified detection search range or the current seed passes the SmallSubComponent test, group the current seed and the subcomponent together and update the properties of the current seed accordingly. Otherwise, set the det_grouped property of the current seed as “grouped”. Return to step 2 to continue the grouping process until no further grouping can be done.
2.1.5 Merging Closely Located Detections
Because the image capturing device 20 is mounted on the ceiling of the facility entrance ( FIG. 1 ), a human object of interest is identified by a local maximum in the height map. Sometimes more than one local maxima detection is generated from the same human object of interest. For example, when a human object raises both of his hands at the same time, two closely located local maxima may be detected. Therefore, it is necessary to merge closely located local maxima.
The steps of this phase are as follows.
First, search for the closest pair of local maxima detections. If the distance between the two closest detections is greater than the specified detection merging distance, stop and exit the process. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
Second, check and process the two detections according to the following conditions in the given order. Once one condition is met, ignore the remaining conditions and proceed to the next step:
a) if either but not all detection is in the background, ignore the one in the background since it is most likely a static object (the local maximum in the foreground has higher priority over the one in the background); b) if either but not all detection is touching edges of the height map 56 or dead zones, delete the one that is touching edges of the height map 56 or dead zones (a complete local maximum has higher priority over an incomplete one); c) if the difference between det_maxHeights of detections is smaller than a specified person height variation threshold, delete the detection with significantly less 3-D volume (e.g., the product of det_maxHeight and det_masArea for one connected component is less than two thirds of the product for the other connected component) (a strong local maximum has higher priority over a weak one); d) if the difference between maximum heights of detections is more than one foot, delete the detection with smaller det_maxHeight if the detection with greater height among the two is less than the specified maximum person height, or delete the detection with greater det_maxHeight if the maximum height of that detection is greater than the specified maximum person height (a local maxima with a reasonable height has higher priority over a local maximum with an unlikely height); e) delete the detection whose det_area is twice as small as the other (a small local maximum close to a large local maximum is more likely a pepper noise); f) if the distance between the two detections is smaller than the specified detection search range, merge the two detections into one (both local maxima are equally good and close to each other); g) keep both detections if the distance between the two detections is larger than or equal to the specified detection search range (both local maxima are equally good and not too close to each other). Update the det_closestDet attribute for each detection with the other detection's ID.
Then, return to step 1 to look for the next closest pair of detections.
The remaining local maxima detections after the above merging process are defined as candidate object detects 58 , which are then matched with a set of existing tracks 74 for track extension, or new track initiation if no match is found.
2.2 Object Tracking
Object tracking (block 110 in FIG. 1 ) uses objects detected in the object detection process (block 108 ) to extend existing tracks 74 or create new tracks 80 . Some short, broken tracks are also analyzed for possible track repair operations.
To count human objects using object tracks, zones 82 are delineated in the height map 56 . Door zones 84 represent door areas around the facility 23 to the entrance. Interior zones 86 represent interior areas of the facility. A track 76 traversing from the door zone 84 to the interior zone 86 has a potential “in” count. A track 76 traversing to the door zone 84 from the interior zone 86 has a potential “out” count. If a track 76 traverses across zones 82 multiple times, there can be only one potential “in” or “out” count depending on the direction of the latest zone crossing.
As illustrated in FIG. 5 , the process of object tracking 110 comprises the following phases: 1) analysis and processing of old tracks (block 120 ); 2) first pass matching between tracks and object detects (block 122 ); 3) suboptimal localization of unpaired tracks (block 124 ); 4) second pass matching between tracks and object detects (block 126 ); and 5) track updating or creation (block 128 ).
An object track 76 can be used to determine whether a human object is entering or leaving the facility, or to derive properties such as moving speed and direction for human objects being tracked.
Object tracks 76 can also be used to eliminate false human object detections, such as static signs around the entrance area. If an object detect 58 has not moved and its associated track 76 has been static for a relatively long time, the object detect 58 will be considered as part of the background and its track 76 will be processed differently than normal tracks (e.g., the counts created by the track will be ignored).
Object tracking 110 also makes use of color or gray level intensity information in the frames 52 , 53 to search for best match between tracks 76 and object detects 58 . Note that the color or the intensity information is not carried to disparity maps 50 or height maps 56 .
The same technique used in the object tracking can also be used to determine how long a person stands in a checkout line.
2.2.1 Properties of Object Track
Each track 76 is a data structure generated from the same object being tracked in both temporal and spatial domains and contains a list of 4-tuples (x, y, t, h) in addition to a set of related properties, where h, x and y present the height and the position of the object in the field of view 44 at time t. (x, y, h) is defined in a world coordinate system with the plane formed by x and y parallel to the ground and the h axis vertical to the ground. Each track can only have one position at any time. In addition to the list of 4-tuples, track 76 also has a set of properties as defined in Table 2 and the properties will be referred to later by their abbreviated names in the parentheses:
TABLE 2
Number
Variable Name
Description
1
ID number (trk_ID)
A unique number identifying the track.
2
track state (trk_state)
A track could be in one of three states: active, inactive
and deleted. Being active means the track is extended in
a previous frame, being inactive means the track is not
paired with a detect in a previous frame, and being
deleted means the track is marked for deletion.
3
start point (trk_start)
The initial position of the track (Xs, Ys, Ts, Hs).
4
end point (trk_end)
The end position of the track (Xe, Ye, Te, He).
5
positive Step Numbers
Number of steps moving in the same direction as the
(trk_posNum)
previous step.
6
positive Distance
Total distance by positive steps.
(trk_posDist)
7
negative Step Numbers
Number of steps moving in the opposite direction to the
(trk_negNum)
previous step.
8
negative Distance
Total distance by negative steps.
(trk_negDist)
9
background count
The accumulative duration of the track in background.
(trk_backgroundCount)
10
track range (trk_range)
The length of the diagonal of the minimal rectangle
covering all of the track's points.
11
start zone (trk_startZone)
A zone number representing either door zone or interior
zone when the track is created.
12
last zone (trk_lastZone)
A zone number representing the last zone the track was
in.
13
enters (trk_enters)
Number of times the track goes from a door zone to an
interior zone.
14
exits (trk_exits)
Number of times the track goes from an interior zone to a
door zone.
15
total steps (trk_totalSteps)
The total non-stationary steps of the track.
16
high point steps
The number of non-stationary steps that the track has
(trk_highPtSteps)
above a maximum person height (e.g. 85 inches).
17
low point steps
The number of non-stationary steps below a specified
(trk_lowPtSteps)
minimum person height.
18
maximum track height
The maximum height of the track.
(trk_maxTrackHt)
19
non-local maximum
The accumulative duration of the time that the track has
detection point
from non-local maximum point in the height map and
(trk_nonMaxDetNum)
that is closest to any active track.
20
moving vector
The direction and offset from the closest point in time to
(trk_movingVec)
the current point with the offset greater than the
minimum body size.
21
following track
The ID of the track that is following closely. If there is a
(trk_followingTrack)
track following closely, the distance between these two
tracks don't change a lot, and the maximum height of the
front track is less than a specified height for shopping
carts, then the track in the front may be considered as
made by a shopping cart.
22
minimum following
The minimum distance from this track to the following
distance
track at a point of time.
(trk_minFollowingDist)
23
maximum following
The maximum distance from this track to the following
distance
track at a point of time.
(trk_maxFollowingDist)
24
following duration
The time in frames that the track is followed by the track
(trk_voteFollowing)
specified in trk_followingTrack.
25
most recent track
The id of a track whose detection t was once very close
(trk_lastCollidingTrack)
to this track's non-local minimum candidate extending
position.
26
number of merged tracks
The number of small tracks that this track is made of
(trk_mergedTracks)
through connection of broken tracks.
27
number of small track
The number of small track search ranges used in merging
searches
tracks.
(trk_smallSearches)
28
Mirror track
The ID of the track that is very close to this track and
(trk_mirrorTrack)
that might be the cause of this track. This track itself has
to be from a non-local maximum detection created by a
blind search, or its height has to be less than or equal to
the specified minimum person height in order to be
qualified as a candidate for false tracks.
29
Mirror track duration
The time in frames that the track is a candidate for false
(trk_voteMirrorTrack)
tracks and is closely accompanied by the track specified
in trk_mirrorTrack within a distance of the specified
maximum person width.
30
Maximum mirror track
The maximum distance between the track and the track
distance
specified in trk_mirrorTrack.
(trk_maxMirrorDist)
2.2.2 Track-Related Predicative Operations
Several predicate operators are defined in order to obtain the current status of the tracks 76 . The predicate operators are applied to a subset of properties of a track 76 to check if the subset of properties satisfies a certain condition. The predicate operators include:
IsNoisyNow, which checks if a track bouncing back and forth locally at the current time. Specifically, a track 76 is considered noisy if the track points with a fixed number of frames in the past (specified as noisy track duration) satisfies one of the following conditions:
(a) the range of track 76 (trk_range) is less than the specified noisy track range, and either the negative distance (trk_negDist) is larger than two thirds of the positive distance (trk_posDist) or the negative steps (trk_negNum) are more than two thirds of the positive steps (trk_posNum); (b) the range of track 76 (trk_range) is less than half of the specified noisy track range, and either the negative distance (trk_negDist) is larger than one third of the positive distance (trk_posDist) or the negative steps (trk_negNum) are more than one third of the positive steps (trk_posNum). WholeTrackIsNoisy: a track 76 may be noisy at one time and not noisy at another time. This check is used when the track 76 was created a short time ago, and the whole track 76 is considered noisy if one of the following conditions holds: (a) the range of track 76 (trk_range) is less than the specified noisy track range, and either the negative distance (trk_negDist) is larger than two thirds of the positive distance (trk_posDist) or the negative steps (trk_negNum) are more than two thirds of the positive steps (trk_posNum); (b) the range of track 76 (trk_range) is less than half the specified noisy track range, and either the negative distance trk_negDist) is larger than one third of the positive distance (trk_posDist) or the negative steps (trk_negNum) are more than one third of the positive steps (trk_posNum).
IsSameTrack, which check if two tracks 76 , 77 are likely caused by the same human object. All of the following three conditions have to be met for this test to return true: (a) the two tracks 76 , 77 overlap in time for a minimum number of frames specified as the maximum track timeout; (b) the ranges of both tracks 76 , 77 are above a threshold specified as the valid counting track span; and (c) the distance between the two tracks 76 , 77 at any moment must be less than the specified minimum person width.
IsCountIgnored: when the track 76 crosses the counting zones, it may not be created by a human object of interest. The counts of a track are ignored if one of the following conditions is met:
Invalid Tracks: the absolute difference between trk_exits and trk_enters is not equal to one.
Small Tracks: trk_range is less than the specified minimum counting track length.
Unreliable Merged Tracks: trk_range is less than the specified minimum background counting track length as well as one of the following: trk_mergedTracks is equal to trk_smallSearches, or trk_backgroundCount is more than 80% of the life time of the track 76 , or the track 76 crosses the zone boundaries more than once.
High Object Test: trk_highPtSteps is larger than half of trk_totalSteps.
Small Child Test: trk_lowPtSteps is greater than ¾ of trk_totalSteps, and trk_maxTrackHt is less than or equal to the specified minimum person height.
Shopping Cart Test: trk_voteFollowing is greater than 3, trk_minFollowingDist is more than or equal to 80% of trk_maxFollowingDist, and trk_maxTrackHt is less than or equal to the specified shopping cart height.
False Track test: trk_voteMirrorTrack is more than 60% of the life time of the track 76 , and trk_maxMirrorTrackDist is less than two thirds of the specified maximum person width or trk_totalVoteMirrorTrack is more than 80% of the life time of the track 76 .
2.2.3 Track Updating Operation
Referring to FIG. 12 , each track 76 is updated with new information on its position, time, and height when there is a best matching human object detect 58 in the current height map 56 for the track 76 . This operation updates the properties of the track 76 in the following steps.
First, set trk_state of the track 76 to 1 (block 360 ).
Second, for the current frame, obtain the height by using median filter on the most recent three heights of the track 76 and calculate the new position 56 by averaging on the most recent three positions of the track 76 (block 362 ).
Third, for the current frame, check the noise status using track predicate operator IsNoisyNow. If true, mark a specified number of frames in the past as noisy. In addition, update noise related properties of the track 76 (block 364 ).
Fourth, update the span of the track 76 (block 366 ).
Fifth, if one of the following conditions is met, collect the count carried by track 76 (block 374 ):
(1) the track 76 is not noisy at the beginning, but it has been noisy for longer than the specified stationary track timeout (block 368 ); or (2) the track 76 is not in the background at the beginning, but it has been in the background for longer than the specified stationary track timeout (block 370 ).
Finally, update the current zone information (block 372 ).
2.2.4 Track Prediction Calculation
It helps to use a predicted position of the track 76 when looking for best matching detect 58 . The predicted position is calculated by linear extrapolation on positions of the track 76 in the past three seconds.
2.2.5 Analysis and Processing of Old Track
This is the first phase of object tracking. Active tracks 88 are tracks 76 that are either created or extended with human object detects 58 in the previous frame. When there is no best matching human object detect 58 for the track 76 , the track 76 is considered as inactive.
This phase mainly deals with tracks 76 that are inactive for a certain period of time or are marked for deletion in previous frame 56 . Track analysis is performed on tracks 76 that have been inactive for a long time to decide whether to group them with existing tracks 74 or to mark them for deletion in the next frame 56 . Tracks 76 are deleted if the tracks 76 have been marked for deletion in the previous frame 56 , or the tracks 76 are inactive and were created a very short period of time before. If the counts of the soon-to-be deleted tracks 76 shall not be ignored according to the IsCountIgnored predicate operator, collect the counts of the tracks 76 .
2.2.6 First Pass Matching Between Tracks and Detects
After all tracks 76 are analyzed for grouping or deletion, this phase searches for optimal matches between the human object detects 58 (i.e. the set of local maxima found in the object detection phase) and tracks 76 that have not been deleted.
First, check every possible pair of track 76 and detect 58 and put the pair into a candidate list if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The track 76 is active, or it must be long enough (e.g. with more than three points), or it just became inactive a short period of time ago (e.g. it has less than three frames);
(2) The smaller of the distances from center of the detect 58 to the last two points of the track 76 is less than two thirds of the specified detection search range when the track 76 hasn't moved very far (e.g. the span of the track 76 is less than the specified minimum human head size and the track 76 has more than 3 points);
(3) If the detect 58 is in the background, the maximum height of the detect 58 must be greater than or equal to the specified minimum person height;
(4) If the detect 58 is neither in the background nor close to dead zones or height map boundaries, and the track 76 is neither in the background nor is noisy in the previous frame, and a first distance from the detect 58 to the predicted position of the track 76 is less than a second distance from the detect 58 to the end position of the track 76 , use the first distance as the matching distance. Otherwise, use the second distance as the matching distance. The matching distance has to be less than the specified detection search range;
(5) The difference between the maximum height of the detect 58 and the height of last point of the track 76 must be less than the specified maximum height difference; and
(6) If either the last point of track 76 or the detect 58 is in the background, or the detect 58 is close to dead zones or height map boundaries, the distance from the track 76 to the detect 58 must be less than the specified background detection search range, which is generally smaller than the threshold used in condition (4).
Sort the candidate list in terms of the distance from the detect 58 to the track 76 or the height difference between the detect 58 and the track 76 (if the distance is the same) in ascending order.
The sorted list contains pairs of detects 58 and tracks 76 that are not paired. Run through the whole sorted list from the beginning and check each pair. If either the detect 58 or the track 76 of the pair is marked “paired” already, ignore the pair. Otherwise, mark the detect 58 and the track 76 of the pair as “paired”.
2.2.7 Search of Suboptimal Location For Unpaired Tracks
Due to sparseness nature of the disparity map 50 and the height map 56 , some human objects may not generate local maxima in the height map 56 and therefore may be missed in the object detection process 108 . In addition, the desired local maxima might get suppressed by a neighboring higher local maximum from a taller object. Thus, some human object tracks 76 may not always have a corresponding local maximum in the height map 56 . This phase tries to resolve this issue by searching for a suboptimal location for a track 76 that has no corresponding local maximum in the height map 56 at the current time. Tracks 76 that have already been paired with a detect 58 in the previous phase might go through this phase too to adjust their locations if the distance between from end of those tracks to their paired detects is much larger than their steps in the past. In the following description, the track 76 currently undergoing this phase is called Track A. The search is performed in the following steps.
First, referring to FIG. 7 , if Track A is deemed not suitable for the suboptimal location search operation (i.e., it is inactive, or it's in the background, or it's close to the boundary of the height map 56 or dead zones, or its height in last frame was less than the minimum person height (block 184 )), stop the search process and exit. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
Second, if Track A has moved a few steps (block 200 ) (e.g., three steps) and is paired with a detection (called Detection A) (block 186 ) that is not in the background and whose current step is much larger than its maximum moving step within a period of time in the past specified by a track time out parameter (block 202 , 204 ), proceed to the next step. Otherwise, stop the search process and exit.
Third, search around the end point of Track A in a range defined by its maximum moving steps for a location with the largest height sum in a predefined window and call this location Best Spot A (block 188 ). If there are some detects 58 deleted in the process of merging of closely located detects in the object detection phase and Track A is long in either the spatial domain or the temporal domain (e.g. the span of Track A is greater than the specified noisy track span threshold, or Track A has more than three frames) (block 190 ), find the closest one to the end point of Track A too. If its distance to the end point of Track A is less than the specified detection search range (block 206 ), search around the deleted component for the position with the largest height sum and call it Best Spot A′ (block 208 ). If neither Best Spot A nor Best Spot A′ exists, stop the search process and exit. If both Best Spot A and Best Spot A′ exist, choose the one with larger height sum. The best spot selected is called suboptimal location for Track A. If the maximum height at the suboptimal location is greater than the predefined maximum person height (block 192 ), stop the search and exit. If there is no current detection around the suboptimal location (block 194 ), create a new detect 58 (block 214 ) at the suboptimal location and stop the search. Otherwise, find the closest detect 58 to the suboptimal location and call it Detection B (block 196 ). If Detection B is the same detection as Detection A in step 2 (block 198 ), update Detection A's position with the suboptimal location (block 216 ) and exit the search. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
Fourth, referring to FIG. 8 , if Detection B is not already paired with a track 76 (block 220 ), proceed to the next step. Otherwise, call the paired track of the Detection B as Track B and perform one of the following operations in the given order before exiting the search:
(1) When the suboptimal location for Track A and Detection B are from the same parent component (e.g. in the support of the same first pass component) and the distance between Track A and Detection B is less than half of the specified maximum person width, create a new detect 58 at the suboptimal location (block 238 ) if all of the following three conditions are met: (i) the difference between the maximum heights at the suboptimal location and Detection B is less than a specified person height error range; (ii) the difference between the height sums at the two locations is less than half of the greater one; (iii) the distance between them is greater than the specified detection search range and the trk_range values of both Track A and Track B are greater than the specified noisy track offset. Otherwise, ignore the suboptimal location and exit; (2) If the distance between the suboptimal location and Detection B is greater than the specified detection search range, create a new detect 58 at the suboptimal location and exit; (3) If Track A is not sizable in both temporal and spatial domains (block 226 ), ignore the suboptimal location; (4) If Track B is not sizable in both temporal and spatial domain (block 228 ), detach Track B from Detection B and update Detection B's position with the suboptimal location (block 246 ). Mark Detection B as Track A's closest detection; (5) Look for best spot for Track B around its end position (block 230 ). If the distance between the best spot for Track B and the suboptimal location is less than the specified detection search range (block 232 ) and the best spot for Track B has a larger height sum, replace the suboptimal location with the best spot for Track B (block 233 ). If the distance between is larger than the specified detection search range, create a detect 58 at the best spot for Track B (block 250 ). Update Detection A's location with the suboptimal location if Detection A exists.
Fifth, if the suboptimal location and Detection B are not in the support of the same first pass component, proceed to the next step. Otherwise create a new detection at the suboptimal location if their distance is larger than half of the specified maximum person width, or ignore the suboptimal location and mark Detection B as Track A's closest detection otherwise.
Finally, create a new detect 58 at suboptimal location and mark Detection B as Track A's closest detection (block 252 ) if their distance is larger than the specified detection search range. Otherwise, update Track A's end position with the suboptimal location (block 254 ) if the height sum at the suboptimal location is greater than the height sum at Detection B, or mark Detection B as Track A's closest detection otherwise.
2.2.8 Second Pass Matching Between Tracks and Detects
After the previous phase, a few new detections may be added and some paired detects 72 and tracks 76 become unpaired again. This phase looks for the optimal match between current unpaired detects 72 and tracks 76 as in the following steps.
For every pair of track 76 and detect 58 that remain unpaired, put the pair into a candidate list if all of the following five conditions are met:
(1) the track 76 is active (block 262 in FIG. 9 ); (2) the distance from detect 58 to the end point of the track 76 (block 274 ) is smaller than two thirds of the specified detection search range (block 278 ) when the track doesn't move too far (e.g. the span of the track 76 is less than the minimal head size and the track 76 has more than three points (block 276 )); (3) if the detect 58 is in the background (block 280 ), the maximum height of the detect 58 must be larger than or equal to the specified minimum person height (block 282 ); (4) the difference between the maximum height and the height of the last point of the track 76 is less than the specified maximum height difference (block 284 ); (5) the distance from the detect 58 to the track 76 must be smaller than the specified background detection search range, if either the last point of the track 76 or the detect 58 is in background (block 286 ), or the detect 58 is close to dead zones or height map boundaries (block 288 ); or if not, the distance from the detect 58 to the track 76 must be smaller than the specified detection search range (block 292 ).
Sort the candidate list in terms of the distance from the detect 58 to the track 76 or the height difference between the two (if distance is the same) in ascending order (block 264 ).
The sorted list contains pairs of detects 58 and tracks 76 which are not paired at all at the beginning. Then run through the whole sorted list from the beginning and check each pair. If either the detect 58 or the track 76 of the pair is marked “paired” already, ignore the pair. Otherwise, mark the detect 58 and the track 76 of the pair as “paired” (block 270 ).
2.2.9 Track Update or Creation
After the second pass of matching, the following steps are performed to update old tracks or to create new tracks:
First, referring to FIG. 10 , for each paired set of track 76 and detect 58 the track 76 is updated with the information of the detect 58 (block 300 , 302 ).
Second, create a new track 80 for every detect 58 that is not matched to the track 76 if the maximum height of the detect 58 is greater than the specified minimum person height, and the distance between the detect 58 and the closest track 76 of the detect 58 is greater than the specified detection search range (block 306 , 308 ). When the distance is less than the specified detection merge range and the detect 58 and the closest track 76 are in the support of the same first pass component (i.e., the detect 58 and the track 76 come from the same first pass component), set the trk_lastCollidingTrack of the closest track 76 to the ID of the newly created track 80 if there is one (block 310 , 320 ).
Third, mark each unpaired track 77 as inactive (block 324 ). If that track 77 has a marked closest detect and the detect 58 has a paired track 76 , set the trk_lastCollidingTrack property of the current track 77 to the track ID of the paired track 76 (block 330 ).
Fourth, for each active track 88 , search for the closest track 89 moving in directions that are at most thirty degrees from the direction of the active track 88 . If the closest track 89 exists, the track 88 is considered as closely followed by another track, and “Shopping Cart Test” related properties of the track 88 are updated to prepare for “Shopping Cart Test” when the track 88 is going to be deleted later (block 334 ).
Finally, for each active track 88 , search for the closest track 89 . If the distance between the two is less than the specified maximum person width and either the track 88 has a marked closest detect or its height is less than the specified minimum person height, the track 88 is considered as a less reliable false track. Update “False Track” related properties to prepare for the “False Track” test later when the track 88 is going to be deleted later (block 338 ).
As a result, all of the existing tracks 74 are either extended or marked as inactive, and new tracks 80 are created.
2.2.10 Track Analysis
Track analysis is applied whenever the track 76 is going to be deleted. The track 76 will be deleted when it is not paired with any detect for a specified time period. This could happen when a human object moves out of the field view 44 , or when the track 76 is disrupted due to poor disparity map reconstruction conditions such as very low contrast between the human object and the background.
The goal of track analysis is to find those tracks that are likely continuations of some soon-to-be deleted tracks, and merge them. Track analysis starts from the oldest track and may be applied recursively on newly merged tracks until no tracks can be further merged. In the following description, the track that is going to be deleted is called a seed track, while other tracks are referred to as current tracks. The steps of track analysis are as followings:
First, if the seed track was noisy when it was active (block 130 in FIG. 6 ), or its trk_range is less than a specified merging track span (block 132 ), or its trk_lastCollidingTrack does not contain a valid track ID and it was created in less than a specified merging track time period before (block 134 ), stop and exit the track analysis process.
Second, examine each active track that was created before the specified merging track time period and merge an active track with the seed track if the “Is the Same Track” predicate operation on the active track (block 140 ) returns true.
Third, if the current track satisfies all of the following three initial testing conditions, proceed to the next step. Otherwise, if there exists a best fit track (definition and search criteria for the best fit track will be described in forthcoming steps), merge the best fit track with the seed track (block 172 , 176 ). If there is no best fit track, keep the seed track if the seed track has been merged with at least one track in this operation (block 178 ), or delete the seed track (block 182 ) otherwise. Then, exit the track analysis.
The initial testing conditions used in this step are: (1) the current track is not marked for deletion and is active long enough (e.g. more than three frames) (block 142 ); (2) the current track is continuous with the seed track (e.g. it is created within a specified maximum track timeout of the end point of the seed track) (block 144 ); (3) if both tracks are short in space (e.g., the trk_ranges properties of both tracks are less than the noisy track length threshold), then both tracks should move in the same direction according to the relative offset of the trk_start and trk_end properties of each track (block 146 ).
Fourth, merge the seed track and the current track (block 152 ). Return to the last step if the current track has collided with the seed track (i.e., the trk_lastCollidingTrack of the current track is the trk_ID of the seed track). Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
Fifth, proceed to the next step if the following two conditions are met at the same time, otherwise return to step 3: (1) if either track is at the boundaries according to the “is at the boundary” checking (block 148 ), both tracks should move in the same direction; and (2) at least one track is not noisy at the time of merging (block 150 ). The noisy condition is determined by the “is noisy” predicate operator.
Sixth, one of two thresholds coming up is used in distance checking. A first threshold (block 162 ) is specified for normal and clean tracks, and a second threshold is specified for noisy tracks or tracks in the background. The second threshold (block 164 ) is used if either the seed track or the current track is unreliable (e.g. at the boundaries, or either track is noisy, or trk_ranges of both tracks are less than the specified noisy track length threshold and at least one track is in the background) (block 160 ), otherwise the first threshold is used. If the shortest distance between the two tracks during their overlapping time is less than the threshold (block 166 ), mark the current track as the best fit track for the seed track (block 172 ) and if the seed track does not have best fit track yet or the current track is closer to the seed track than the existing best fit track (block 170 ). Go to step 3.
2.2.11 Merging of Tracks
This operation merges two tracks into one track and assigns the merged track with properties derived from the two tracks. Most properties of the merged track are the sum of the corresponding properties of the two tracks but with the following exceptions:
Referring to FIG. 11 , trk_enters and trk_exits properties of the merged track are the sum of the corresponding properties of the tracks plus the counts caused by zone crossing from the end point of one track to the start point of another track, which compensates the missing zone crossing in the time gap between the two tracks (block 350 ).
If a point in time has multiple positions after the merge, the final position is the average (block 352 ).
The trk_start property of the merged track has the same trk_start value as the newer track among the two tracks being merged, and the trk_end property of the merged track has the same trk_end value as the older track among the two (block 354 ).
The buffered raw heights and raw positions of the merged track are the buffered raw heights and raw positions of the older track among the two tracks being merged (block 356 ).
The invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed herein and it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that the following claims cover all such embodiments and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
REFERENCES
[1] C. Wren, A. Azarbayejani, T. Darrel and A. Pentland. Pfinder: Real-time tracking of the human body. In IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence , July 1997, Vol 19, No. 7, Page 780-785.
[2] I. Haritaoglu, D. Harwood and L. Davis. W4: Who? When? Where? What? A real time system for detecting and tracking people. Proceedings of the Third IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition , Nara, Japan, April 1998.
[3] M. Isard and A. Blake, Contour tracking by stochastic propagation of conditional density. Proc ECCV 1996.
[4] P. Remagnino, P. Brand and R. Mohr, Correlation techniques in adaptive template matching with uncalibrated cameras. In Vision Geometry III, SPIE Proceedings vol. 2356, Boston, Mass., 2-3 Nov. 1994
[5] C. Eveland, K. Konolige, R. C. Bolles, Background modeling for segmentation of video-rate stereo sequence. In Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition , page 226, 1998.
[6] J. Krumm and S. Harris, System and process for identifying and locating people or objects in scene by selectively slustering three-dimensional region. U.S. Pat. No. 6,771,818 B1, August 2004.
[7] T. Darrel, G. Gordon, M. Harville and J. Woodfill, Integrated person tracking using stereo, color, and pattern detection. In Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition , page 601-609, Santa Barbara, June 1998.
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A method of identifying, tracking, and counting human objects of interest based upon at least one pair of stereo image frames taken by at least one image capturing device, comprising the steps of: obtaining said stereo image frames and converting each said stereo image frame to a rectified image frame using calibration data obtained for said at least one image capturing device; generating a disparity map based upon a pair of said rectified image frames; generating a depth map based upon said disparity map and said calibration data; identifying the presence or absence of said objects of interest from said depth map and comparing each of said objects of interest to existing tracks comprising previously identified objects of interest; for each said presence of an object of interest, adding said object of interest to one of said existing tracks if said object of interest matches said one existing track, or creating a new track comprising said object of interest if said object of interest does not match any of said existing tracks; updating each said existing track; and maintaining a count of said objects of interest in a given time period based upon said existing tracks created or modified during said given time period.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to water treatment/purification processes and, specifically, to softening processes which are effective in treating highly contaminated surface waters, well waters, waste waters, and process effluent waste streams.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A Critically Important Need: An Efficient Water-Softening Process
To understand what is commonly referred to as a water “softening” process, one need only understand the etymology of the classic definition of water “hardness.” Traditionally, “hard” water was water that featured high levels of certain common impurities such as calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Water purification processes which facilitated the removal of these offensive “hard” cations were therefore quickly referred to as “softening” processes, a term that has prevailed even as purification processes have advanced and expanded in scope.
Various approaches have been adopted in the search for an industrially robust, high-efficiency water softening process that could address a broad range of impure waters. Many of these approaches feature important shortcomings.
Conventional Water-Softening Processes.
For example, most of the conventional water-softening processes are designed for relatively low levels of hardness (and, specifically, hardness of a sort consisting mostly of Ca and Mg). The novel softening process disclosed herein is designed for a broad range of contaminants. Specifically, it is particularly well-suited for removing a broad (but, unfortunately, common) array of contamination agents (namely, Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, aluminum, silica, TOC, oil, and grease).
Unlike many conventional softening processes that use lime and soda ash as the primary chemical agents to deliver bicarbonate and carbonate alkalinities, the novel softening process can utilize carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide in alkaline solution, thus creating bicarbonate or carbonate ions by chemical reaction.
Unlike conventional cold lime softening, hot lime softening or lime-soda ash softening, reverse osmosis membrane, or electro-dialysis reversal processes, all of which are conducted at a pH level of at or about 10.5, the novel softening process disclosed herein works at elevated pH levels, and not uncommonly at pH levels of between at or about 10.5 and at or about 14.0.
Unlike conventional cold lime softening, hot lime softening, or lime-soda ash softening processes that rely on the use of lime and soda ash as the primary softening agents, the novel softening process disclosed herein can work with soda-ash, potassium hydroxide, or sodium hydroxide as the chemical agents.
Unlike hot-lime softening processes, which must be conducted at elevated temperatures in order to be effective, the novel softening process disclosed herein can be carried out at ambient temperatures, although the rate of reaction will be faster at elevated temperatures.
In the conventional lime softening process, hot lime softening process, or lime-soda ash process, it is sometimes difficult to ensure that the lime (CaO) or hydrated lime (CaOH 2 ) goes effectively into solution. The novel softening process disclosed herein does not feature this particular problem, as soda ash can readily go into solution and sodium hydroxide is soluble in all concentrations.
In conventional lime softening processes, hot lime softening processes, lime-soda ash processes, processes that use softening membranes, and/or processes that use electro-dialysis membranes, the treated water will nearly always contain some level of calcium impurities, as well as magnesium, Ba, Sr, and other metals. The novel softening process disclosed herein works extremely efficiently in terms of removing these impurities to negligible levels.
Some prior art approaches, such as the approach described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,904, utilize a process frequently referred to as a seeded slurry process; however, the novel softening process disclosed herein does not feature or require such an approach. Similarly, some seeded slurry processes are critically dependent upon the size of the crystal; once again, the novel softening process disclosed herein features no such crystal size dependency.
Energy-Driven Processes.
Unlike energy-driven processes such as reverse osmosis, electro-dialysis, or electro-deionization, the novel softening process disclosed herein utilizes very little energy; in fact, in most cases, the energy consumption comes from mixing devices and transfer pumps. Furthermore, the novel softening process can be carried out under atmospheric pressure or at elevated pressures.
Unlike most competitive processes, such as reverse osmosis, the novel softening process disclosed herein does not require expensive materials of construction such as high-quality alloys. In most cases, inexpensive materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (hereinafter “PVC”), fiberglass, carbon steel, or stainless steel, can be used. In some applications that contain extremely high levels of chlorides, it may be advantageous to use super-stainless steel or duplex stainless steel materials.
In the conventional processes that utilize reverse osmosis membrane technologies, electro-dialysis membrane technologies, or electro-deionization membranes, it is extremely critical to remove sparingly soluble species (such as calcium, magnesium, silica, barium and strontium) in the pretreatment process; otherwise, the calcium, magnesium, silica, barium or strontium deposits could form a devastating scale on the process components. The novel softening process disclosed herein has no limits with respect to the levels of these scaling agents.
Unlike the membrane based softening processes that generally get fouled in the presence of excess amounts of certain coagulation aid chemicals (such as alum or ferric salts or polymers), the novel softening process disclosed herein can be carried out in presence of excess amounts of coagulation aid chemicals.
Some prior art efforts in this area, such as, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,569, utilize cross flow filtration membranes; however, the instant novel softening process does not require the use of such membranes.
In addition, unlike the Green and Behrman process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,653,272, which is mostly intended for hardness based upon Ca and Mg impurities, and which mostly uses a lime and soda-type process (again, used for mostly low-hardness surface waters), the novel softening process is intended for a broad range of contaminations. It uses a high-pH mode of operation by using chemicals such as soda ash and/or sodium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, or potassium hydroxide and is intended to treat surface waters, seawater, produced waters from oil and gas drilling operations and wastewaters from municipal as well as industrial applications.
Ion Exchange Processes.
The novel softening process disclosed herein is not an ion exchange process.
Ion exchange processes are mostly batch processes; they generally achieve softening by exchanging ions on an ion exchange resin. Once the ion exchange resin is fully exhausted (i.e., it has no further capability for exchanging hardness for, e.g., the sodium ion or the hydrogen ion), it has to be regenerated, typically, by either salt or acid.
Conventional ion exchange processes are very inefficient in terms of chemicals usage for the removal of specific impurities. Also, note that ion exchange systems simply do not work for highly contaminated streams, because the throughput capacities become very small (i.e., the ion exchange systems in such applications tend to require almost constant regeneration). Furthermore, spent regeneration chemicals have to be disposed of which presents a further managerial/technical problem.
The novel softening process disclosed herein is extremely efficient in terms of producing high-quality effluent while simultaneously generating a minimum volume disposal stream. In fact, a typical sludge/waste stream from the novel softening process can be reprocessed to recover the water stream, thus making the novel softening process an important part of any zero liquid discharge (hereinafter “ZLD”) process.
Conventional ion exchange water softeners require use of a sodium chloride solution for regeneration. These processes are mostly effective in exchanging Ca and Mg species, but are not terribly effective at all with regard to Ba and Sr. Furthermore, any presence of iron, manganese, oil, grease, and/or organic matter tends to create serious fouling of the ion exchange resin. The novel softening process disclosed herein does not feature these kinds of process limitations.
Finally, the conventional ion exchange water softeners of the prior art commonly require removal of suspended solids; otherwise, once again, the ion exchange resin can get plugged up and/or foul. The novel softening process disclosed herein does not feature these limitations.
Zero Liquid Discharge Technologies.
Zero liquid discharge (hereinafter “ZLD”) technologies utilize a combination of pretreatment processes such as those described in the sections hereinabove.
In the conventional ZLD systems that utilize either lime, lime/soda ash, or hot lime, the resultant process stream must be further treated with acid or scale inhibitors to lower scale-forming tendencies and/or to prevent further precipitation of silica, calcium, magnesium, barium and/or strontium salts. The novel softening process disclosed herein does not feature these kinds of requirements.
In a typical ZLD system, the effluent pH from the pretreatment is lowered so as to reduce the scaling potential due to the presence of calcium, magnesium, strontium and/or barium. The lower pH effluent is typically highly aggressive and requires the use of exotic (and expensive) metallurgy such as titanium alloys, Hastalloy C, and/or Alloy 20.
The novel softening process effluent may be accepted without requiring the lowering of pH; thus, the metallurgy of the equipment downstream of the novel softening process can be fabricated from lower-cost alloys such as carbon steel, grade three zero four stainless steel (hereinafter “304 SS”), three hundred sixteen stainless steel (hereinafter “316 SS”), or Duplex stainless steel or Super duplex stainless steel or SMO 254. In certain situations, it is possible to fabricate the equipment downstream of the novel softening process from non-metallic materials such as polyvinyl chloride (hereinafter “PVC”), chlorinated PVC (hereinafter “CPVC”), polypropylene (hereinafter “PPL”), Teflon (hereinafter “PTFE”), or fiberglass reinforced plastic (hereinafter “FRP”).
If the process stream is known to contain high levels of sodium, chlorides, sulfates, or carbonates and bicarbonates, the treated effluent from the novel softening process can be further treated by concentration processes or ZLD processes such as reverse osmosis, electro-dialysis, evaporators, or crystallizers. Concentrated streams from these processes can be highly pure, sterile, and could be recycled for further industrial or non-industrial uses (such as, for example, dry salt or chemicals manufacturing processes).
It is in light of the shortcomings mentioned above that the instant patent application has been prepared.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A water-purification or water “softening” process is disclosed. The process is particularly effective for the treatment of water process streams containing a broad array of contaminants, such as Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, silica, TOC, oil, and grease.
In brief, the process comprises the steps of:
(a) adding carbonate ions and hydroxide ions to said water process stream until the process stream pH is raised to between at or about 10.5 and at or about 14.0; (b) adding a coagulation aid chemical so as to facilitate the creation of separated (i.e., the coagulation of suspended) solids comprising a substantial portion of the contaminants; (c) adding a polyelectrolyte so as to facilitate the creation of separated (i.e., coagulation of suspended) solids comprising a substantial portion of the contaminants; and (d) phase-separating the separated solids (i.e., mechanically separating the coagulated suspended solids) so as to remove the contaminants and produce a highly purified water process stream.
Various alternatives and options in the practice of the process are disclosed and will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A and 1B exemplify a piping/instrumentation drawing showing several aspects of one embodiment of the novel process disclosed herein.
FIG. 2 exemplifies a piping/instrumentation drawing showing several aspects of an alternate embodiment of the novel process disclosed herein, the alternate embodiment comprising a reactor clarifier for performing the processes T- 201 , T- 202 , T- 203 , T- 204 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B .
FIG. 3 exemplifies a piping/instrumentation drawing showing several aspects of a rotary drum vacuum filter of the novel process disclosed herein, the rotary drum vacuum filter being adaptable for replacing or supplementing the process T- 204 of FIGS. 1A and 1B .
FIG. 4 exemplifies a piping/instrumentation drawing showing several aspects of a carbon dioxide unit embodying features of the novel process disclosed herein.
FIG. 5 exemplifies a flow chart illustrating steps for performing a water purification process embodying features of the novel process disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Benefit of the Invention
The novel, high-efficiency softening process disclosed herein is a process that is extremely effective in treating highly contaminated surface waters, well waters, waste water and process effluent streams. Specifically, the process disclosed facilitates the effective removal and/or reduction of certain inorganic species such as calcium, magnesium, barium, strontium, iron, manganese, zinc, and silica, as well as certain species such as oil, grease, total organic carbon (hereinafter “TOC”), biochemical oxygen demand (hereinafter “BOD”), total suspended solids (hereinafter “TSS”), and colloidal material.
These species (or, contaminants) can be found in naturally occurring waters from almost all sources, including rivers, lakes, and the ocean. They can also be found in industrial, as well as municipal, wastewater streams, such as those waters produced from oil and gas drilling operations. In fact, these species can be found in very low levels (e.g., less than 100 ppm measured as CaCO 3 ) to very high levels (e.g., as high as 15,000 ppm measured as CaCO 3 ).
The presence of cations such as Ca, Mg, Sr and Ba, when combined with anions such as CO 3 , HCO 3 and SO 4 , can cause scaling and fouling to equipment such as cooling towers, boilers, hot water heaters and heat exchange equipment. In advanced water treatment processes, such as reverse osmosis, electro-deionization, or electro dialysis, the presence of these materials can cause fouling or scaling, thus increasing the cost of maintenance and/or operation. The presence of these species in certain process streams, such as, for example, sodium chloride (brine), can cause interference with the production of select chemicals such as caustic.
Disposal of waste streams that contain moderate to high levels of these species can also be a problem. In many parts of the world, industries and municipal agencies are required to eliminate the disposal of such streams. In certain parts of the world, the waste streams can be disposed off by means of deep-well injection; however, those streams must be pretreated in order to remove certain objectionable species such as iron, manganese, suspended solids, and TOC.
For advanced treatment processes, such as evaporators and crystallizers, the presence of high levels of species such as Ca, Ba, Sr, iron, manganese, aluminum and silica can be a real problem. The scaling or fouling of these materials on heating surfaces can cause a substantial loss of heat transfer and even accelerate the rate of corrosion.
Based on the evidence to this date, the novel softening process disclosed herein works extraordinarily well under extremely difficult process conditions, including, for example, aqueous solutions that contain very high loads of Ca, Mg, Sr, Ba, TOC, Fe, Mn, Al, SiO 2 , oil, and grease. In fact, in a recent study, the calcium and magnesium hardness level exceeded 10,500 mg/l, expressed as CaCO 3 . Presence of such high levels of impurities can be found in highly concentrated waste streams, such as produced waters from oil and gas drilling operations, concentrated cooling tower blow-downs, reject streams from waste water RO applications, landfill leacheate, and superfund sites.
Understanding the Process: Relevant Chemical Reactions.
It is believed that the novel softening process is effective, in part, because it introduces either bicarbonate (HCO 3 ) or carbonate (CO 3 ) species to form precipitates under high-pH conditions, typically between pH range of 10.5-14.0.
Certain species such as silica, oil and grease can be co-precipitated or adsorbed on the carbonate, bicarbonate, or sulfate precipitates.
In most cases, the presence of coagulating aid chemicals (such as alum, ferric chloride, ferric sulfate, cationic or anion polymers, and polyelectrolyte chemicals) will enhance the coagulation process, making particles heavier, so as to facilitate quicker settling and enhance the speed of the reaction.
Carbonate and bicarbonate species can be derived from naturally occurring chemical compounds such as quick lime (CaO), hydrated lime, or soda ash.
In some cases, it may be more advantageous to consider reaction of carbon dioxide with alkali solution to create carbonate ions.
The novel softening process also allows for the addition of selected cations, such as Ca or Ba, to precipitate excess amounts of anions such as SO 4 and CO 3 under pH levels of 10.5-14.0.
In most cases, intimate mixing, contact time, and temperature of the process streams will play a critical role in enhancing the efficiency of the novel softening process.
Once the reaction is completed, the precipitated materials should be removed from the treated water stream by utilizing treatment processes such as settling, clarification, filtration, and/or advanced membrane separation.
Some of the chemical reactions which are believed to be important contributors to the overall mechanism of the novel sofiening process disclosed herein are:
(1) CaCl 2 +Na 2 CO 3 ═CaCO 3 +2 NaCl
(2) CaCl 2 +K 2 CO 3 ═CaCO 3 +2 KCl
(3) BaCl 2 +Na 2 SO 4 ═BaSO 4 +2 NaCl
(4) SrCl 2 +Na 2 SO 4 ═SrSO 4 +2 NaCl
(5) CO 2 +2NaOH═Na 2 CO 3 +H 2 O
(6) Fe (+3) +(OH)═Fe(OH) 3
(7) Al (+3) +(OH)═Al(OH) 3
Understanding the Process: Step-by-Step.
Step 1: Collection of Process Streams.
With reference to FIG. 1A , water process stream sources A, B, C, and D, a collection equalization basin tank T- 101 , an oil skimmer and collection tank T- 103 , and an oil recovery tank T- 103 , and with reference to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 2 , Tank T- 101 , and with reference to FIG. 5 , step 502 , all of the contaminated process streams are collected in a storage tank or a pond. If the feed water composition is known to vary, better results are obtained if mixing, either via mechanical mixers, aeration blowers, or close recirculation of the liquid waste streams, is effected so as to create as homogeneous a solution as possible.
With reference to FIG. 5 , step 504 , it is helpful to analyze the composition of the process stream, including Ca, Mg, Na, Ba, Sr, K, HCO 3 , SO 4 , Cl, SiO 2 , NO 3 , Fe, Mn, oil and grease, TOC, pH, total dissolved solids (hereinafter “TDS”), conductivity, and TSS. The effect of variations on the process stream upon various process variations is discussed further herein.
Step 2: Addition of Alkalinity.
With reference to FIG. 1A , tank T- 201 , mixer M- 201 , chemical feed systems CF- 201 A and CF- 201 B for adding barium chloride, lime, hydrated lime, and/or soda ash, and with reference to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 2 , CO 3 addition tank T- 201 at reactor clarifier T- 201 , and with reference to FIG. 5 , step 506 , a calculated amount of carbonate or bicarbonate alkalinity is added in an amount at least equivalent to the incoming amount of Ca, Mg, Sr, Ba and other impurities.
In most cases, twenty percent (20%) excess alkalinity is added, so as to provide complete reaction and to speed the reaction process.
Calcium hydroxide slurries can be employed at this stage with the caveat that they do not always completely dissolve at lower pH levels; thus, while they can be used to effectuate an elevation of pH, they are more effective as the pH increases.
Carbonate ions may also be created by reaction of pure carbon dioxide or waste carbon dioxide. For example, exhaust from a natural gas burning machine may be combined with a strongly basic solution such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. In most such cases, carbonate ions are then formed at a pH higher than 8.2.
The use of waste carbon dioxide is advantageous for several reasons of course. Putting any waste component to work is of course environmentally friendly and prudent; however, in light of recent concerns raised by some scientists that excess waste carbon dioxide potentially contributes to the greenhouse effect and/or global warming, the additional benefits of this approach towards implementation/execution of the invention become obvious.
Step 3: Elevation of pH.
With reference to FIG. 1A , tank T- 202 , mixer M- 202 , chemical feed system CF- 202 for adding NaOH, or KOH or other strong base, and with reference to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 2 , chemical feed system CF- 202 for adding OH at reactor clarifier T- 201 , and with reference to FIG. 5 , step 508 , a basic solution such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide is added so as to raise the operating pH to between at or about 10.5 and at or about 14.0. Homogeneous solutions are created by mixing.
It is noteworthy that, frequently, step two and three are combined, because, if, for example, only soda ash is added, the pH is rarely expected to go much higher than at or about 10.5, because of the nature of the chemical itself. To super-elevate the pH (i.e., to raise it higher than 10.5), the addition of an agent such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide is required.
This is a key reason why other processes feature an elevation of pH to at or about only 10.5. Partial softening occurs at a pH below 10.5, but complete softening of the type desired here occurs only at higher pH levels.
The desired pH range is 12-14 as it is in this range that complete softening/purification of the type desired occurs; however, it has also been observed that suboptimal, but nonetheless very good, results are observed in the pH range of 10.5-12.0.
Step 4: Coagulation.
With reference to FIG. 1A , tank T- 203 , mixer M- 203 , chemical feed system CF- 203 for adding alum, ferric chloride, ferric sulfate, and/or polymer, and with reference to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 2 , chemical feed system CF- 203 for adding a coagulation aid chemical at reactor clarifier T- 201 , and with reference to FIG. 5 , step 510 , the required amount of coagulation aid chemical (such as ferric chloride, alum, or polymer) is added so as to create a floe. A homogeneous solution is created by mixing.
Note: alum, ferric chloride, ferric sulfate, polymers, and polyelectrolyte chemicals represent, as a class, the most commercially important coagulation aid chemicals in use today. In some commercial trials, even a low-cost waste caustic soda (25% NaOH), which was used in an aluminum extrusion process to etch out aluminum metal from extrusion dyes, has been used effectively as a coagulation aid agent. This provides a commercial benefit to aluminum fabricators (who would now not have to bear as heavy a burden in terms of (a) neutralizing the waste caustic, a common state law regulatory requirement, and (b) precipitating aluminum (via a filter press) and hauling same to a waste site.
In some cases, the process stream itself may contain flocculation aid chemicals. In other cases, the waste alkali solution may contain flocculation aid chemicals. In such cases, external dosing of coagulation aid chemicals may not be required or, at a minimum, could be minimized. An example of such a stream is a waste caustic stream, such as that referenced above, from an aluminum fabrication plant; often, such caustic streams contain a substantial level of aluminum.
Step 5: Addition of Polyelectrolyte.
With reference to FIG. 1A , chemical feed system CF- 205 for adding polyelectrolyte, and with reference to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 2 , polyelectrolyte addition at tank T- 205 , and with reference to FIG. 5 , step 512 , a measured amount of polyelectrolyte is added so as to aid the filtration and solids-settling process. Once again, a homogeneous solution is created by adding mixing energy.
For the benefit of those not skilled in the art, the term “polyelectrolyte” is a generic term known in the water treatment industry (analogous to the term “PVC” to the non-metallic fabricator). Polyelectrolyte chemicals are generally high-molecular weight, long-chain organic chemicals with either positive or negative charge (the type being selected based on the nature of the charge found on precipitate).
Sometimes, contrasting approaches are used with respect to the coagulation aid polymers and the polyelectrolyte chemicals in the water treatment process. For example, one might employ alum and a cationic polymer to make solids heavier and settle down. Then, one might end up with a small level of excess polymer that will tend to float away or bypass the system. However, by adding a polyelectrolyte of opposite charge, one can capture the small floating materials, still representing suspended solids, and make a secondary precipitation to achieve greater clarification.
Publicly available resources describe the polyelectrolyte chemical structure as follows:
The above representations represent chemical structures of two synthetic polyelectrolytes as examples. The left hand structure is poly(sodium styrene sulfonate) (PSS); the right hand structure is poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Both are negatively charged polyelectrolytes when dissociated. PSS is a ‘strong’ polyelectrolyte (fully charged in solution), whereas PAA is ‘weak’ (partially charged).
Polyelectrolytes are polymers whose repeating units bear an electrolyte group. These groups will dissociate in aqueous solutions (water), making the polymers charged. Polyelectrolyte properties are thus similar to both electrolytes (salts) and polymers (high molecular weight compounds), and are sometimes called polysalts. Like salts, their solutions are electrically conductive. Like polymers, their solutions are often viscous. Many biological molecules are polyelectrolytes. For instance, polypeptides (thus all proteins) and DNA are polyelectrolytes. Both natural and synthetic polyelectrolytes are used in a variety of industries.
Step 6: Solids Settling.
With reference to step 514 of FIG. 5 , settling of solids is exemplified by FIG. 1A , which depicts removal of most of settled solids, and in tank T- 204 where sludge is removed, though some small level of lighter solids can escape, the treatment of which is discussed in further detail below. In the alternative embodiment of FIG. 2 , settled solids are depicted going from tank T- 201 to FP- 301 . Removal of suspended solids is exemplified by FIG. 1B , which depicts mechanical separation by media filter and cartridge filter. In an alternative embodiment, FIG. 2 depicts the removal of settled solids by filter press and, in FIG. 3 , the removal of suspended solids by rotary drum vacuum filter. FIG. 1A , T- 103 , exemplifies removal of oil and lighter floc.
In step six, the solids are allowed to settle down in a process that is commonly known as settling or clarification. Heavier solids, mostly carbonate or bicarbonate precipitates and metal hydroxide precipitates, settle down, and some of the lighter suspended solids, such as oil and grease, light organic matter, silica and colloidal material, get adsorbed onto the carbonate and hydroxide precipitates, and settle down with other solids.
In some processes, a lighter floc is created which will tend to rise above the process solution. In those cases, solids can be removed from the top by using equipment such as oil skimmers or dissolved air flotation.
Reaction time for steps two through six may vary depending on the nature of process fluid. In most cases, utilizing typical commercial mechanisms, a thirty-minute contact time is sufficient although, in select applications, the reaction may continue for several hours or days.
For example, in a wastewater that contained 10,500 ppm calcium and magnesium hardness, very high efficiency softening, at or about the 99.99% level, has been observed with less than 0.1 ppm hardness levels by using longer contact times; nearly 99% level softening, with less than 100 ppm hardness level, has been observed by using 30 minute contact times.
In some cases, it may be preferable to keep the precipitated solids in suspension. In those cases, precipitated solids, along with other suspended solids and colloidal solids, can be removed from the bulk stream by using a mechanical, solid-liquid separator, such as a filter (e.g., a rotary drum vacuum filter, filter press, media filter, membrane filter, ultra-filter system, or micro-filter system).
Step 7: Solids Separation.
With reference to FIG. 1A , tank T- 204 , and with reference to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 2 , reactor clarifier T- 201 , and with reference to FIG. 5 , step 516 , settled solids are separated from the supernatant process solution. Solids can be removed from the bottom of a reactor vessel by means of a reaction clarifier or sludge thickener. In some cases, a scraper mechanism may be added to facilitate the removal of suspended solids. The clarified stream is collected in a storage vessel or other container for further processing.
As an option, a portion of the sludge can be re-circulated to further aid settling of the precipitated and suspended solids.
Step 8: Solids Separation.
With reference to FIG. 1B , filter press FP 301 , and with reference to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 2 , filter press FP- 301 , and with reference to FIG. 5 , step 518 , solids are separated from the thickened sludge by using a mechanical device such as filter press, vacuum press, rotary drum vacuum filter, membrane filter, ultrafilter, or microfilter. Clear liquid is recycled for further use, and solids are recovered as a filter cake.
The filter cake can be dried to recover the precipitated solids. The solids can be recycled for further use.
Variations on the Foundational Process.
A person of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains will immediately recognize a number of alternative design components/variations which would be appropriate to utilize in the face of various process stream exigencies; some of these are described hereinbelow.
In some cases, the number of process/reaction steps, as described above, may be reduced by combining several steps. For example, steps two, three, four and five may, in some instances, be carried out in a single reactor.
In some cases, the desired chemical reaction associated with a particular step will be sufficiently fast so that in-line addition of chemicals (rather than addition of chemicals directly to a reactor) is possible.
In some cases, the chemical reaction will be sufficiently fast, and reaction time sufficiently short, that minimizing the size of the reactor unit may be possible.
In some designs, it may well be possible to eliminate mechanical mixers and still achieve satisfactory results.
In some designs, it may be advantageous to consider the use of skimmers to collect lighter particles, such as oil and grease.
In some designs, it may be advantageous to first remove lighter particles, such as oil and grease, via dissolved air flotation and/or particle settlers, and then follow this process stream pre-treatment with the novel softening process described herein.
In some designs, it may be advantageous to use enhanced particle settling devices such as inclined plate clarifiers or tube settlers. The effluent from these processes can be further treated by using mechanical filters such as sand filters, multi media filters, mixed-media filters, carbon filters, string-wound or blow-molded cartridge filters, or membrane filters such as ultra-filtration or micro-filtration.
In some cases, the seeded slurry process can provide effective results. In this process, a known amount of salts (example: CaSO 4 ) are added to the reactor vessel to promote fast chemical reaction.
Inversely, the novel softening process disclosed herein can be usefully employed for the recovery of precious minerals such as calcium, magnesium, barium, strontium, iron, and manganese.
Alternative/Substitute Chemicals.
In some cases, waste chemicals such as waste alkali from industrial operations, demineralizer regeneration operations, waste alkali from aluminum or iron fabrication processes, waste potash (potassium carbonate), or waste potassium hydroxide could be used in place of pure chemicals.
The use of these waste chemical streams presents a two-fold advantage to the commercial operator: first, one reduces the burden on the environment by not disposing waste chemicals which would have to be neutralized prior to discharge in most countries; and, second, one can minimize the raw direct chemical costs for the process, since fresh, high-purity chemicals can be very expensive.
In some cases, as described hereinabove, waste gases such as carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide could be combined with an alkaline solution such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide to form bicarbonate or carbonate ions. These bicarbonate or carbonate ions can then react with the incoming Ca, Mg, Ba or Sr to form the precipitate.
In some cases, sulfate ions can be added to form a precipitate. Sulfate ions can be derived from the use of certain inorganic salts such as barium sulfate.
In some cases, crushed lime, hydrated lime, or pulverized soda ash can be considered.
On-Site Generation of Bicarbonate or Carbonate Species.
One way to create a sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate solution is to react carbon dioxide with sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide in a reactor column. Specifically, a sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide solution is sprayed in an absorption column that consists of a reactor vessel, internal distributors, and a mass-transfer packing (structured packing or thimped packing).
Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas is introduced at the bottom of the reactor vessel in a counter-current manner. After reaction, either the sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate solution is collected in the receiver vessel, ready for use. At a pH above 8.2, one expects to find mostly carbonate species. At a pH below 8.2, one expects to find an equilibrium of bicarbonate and carbon dioxide.
Case Study
In a recent case study the novel softening process was found to be effective for the reduction of Ca and Mg from the levels of 10,500 ppm (Expressed as CaCO 3 ) to less than 0.01 ppm, Ba reduction from 12 ppm to 0.4 ppm, Sr reduction from 382 ppm to 16.9 ppm Silica from 61 ppm to 8.6 ppm, TOC reduction from 30 ppm to 4.7 ppm, oil and grease from 21 ppm to less than 1 ppm, iron from 27 ppm to 2.7 ppm Copper from 4.9 ppm to less than 0.01 ppm, zinc from 2.76 to less than 0.01 ppm.
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A method for purifying a water process stream whereby a precipitating agent is added to the water process stream to elevate the process stream pH to at least 10.5 to drop out precipitates which form separated solids comprising at least one of calcium precipitate, magnesium precipitate, barium precipitate, strontium precipitate, and silica precipitate. The separated solids are then coagulated and removed from the water process stream so as to yield a purified water process stream.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for, inserting weft yarn in jet looms in which the weft yarn is inserted into the shed by means of a primary or inserting fluid jet and secondary or entraining fluid jets downstream of the primary jet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
At present, generally two kinds of weft inserting methods and apparatus in jet looms are known. In accordance with the first such method and apparatus, the weft yarn is inserted into the shed by a single fluid jet. However, this is disadvantageous for the insertion of weft threads over large weaving widths, since the fluid velocity, by which the weft thread is being inserted into the shed, is reduced as it flows freely into the shed space approximately exponentially in dependence upon the distance from the orifice of the inserting nozzle. The use of a confusor, that is, a jet guiding means, improves weft insertion since along the guiding means the velocity of the fluid jet is reduced in upon the distance from the nozzle orifice approximately linearly. In spite of this, weaving widths up to two meters remain a classical limit to weft insertion by means of a single fluid jet.
The second manner of weft insertion employs, beside the inserting fluid jet, secondary, weft entraining fluid jets which, either simultaneously, or successively, aid in the insertion of the weft yarn into the shed. A plurality of successive weft insertion means such as nozzles situated within the shed of the loom are known; by means of such secondary nozzles, the insertion of the weft yarn throughout the whole weaving width is assured.
The secondary nozzles are arranged e.g. on a beam in either the upper or lower part of the shed. In the course of weft yarn insertion, fluid flows from the secondary nozzle orifices, such fluid entraining weft and causing it to be fed through the shed. An assembly of secondary or auxiliary nozzles is used, arranged near one another in a varying geometrical arrangement. The secondary nozzles can be either firmly connected to the reed of the loom, or driven by means of a mechanism which controls their penetration into the shed. An arrangement of secondary nozzles in the form of a asymmetrical saw-shaped bar is also known, which is pressed into the open shed against the warp threads. In the shorter walls of the saw-shaped bar, which are approximately vertical, drain openings of the nozzles are arranged, the direction of the drain openings being approximately in the direction of weft insertion. The nozzle thus arranged can be situated at the lower side or on both sides of the weaving shed.
However, the above-described known methods and apparatus have not proved to be entirely satisfactory from the viewpoint of weft yarn insertion. In reliable weft yarn insertion, the weft yarn must be fed in it insertion throughout the entire weaving width without loops, breakages and short picks. When eliminating loops in the weft caused by the warp, by trapping them in an uneven shed, then the motion of the weft thread, particularly that of its front end, is decisive from the view point of the proper insertion of the weft yarn. The weft yarn should move, if possible, without oscillations to reduce the possibility of its being trapped in the warp threads, to prevent its escape from the shed, etc.
In the insertion of weft yarn by means of a primary, inserting fluid jet and secondary, entraining fluid jets hitherto known, the tip of the weft yarn to be inserted is deflected from the direction of weft insertion. The geometrical arrangement of the secondary, entraining nozzle is, therefore, in addition to its primary action, i.e. the supporting of the weft insertion, simultaneously directed to a determination of a narrow weft passage space. There are known prior methods in which half of the weft yarn passage is determined by a plurality of plate-like guide members of various cross section, which are connected to the reed either fixedly, or movably. Upon weft insertion, such plate-like guide members are disposed in the shed and perform, together with the entraining nozzles, the directing of the weft yarn carrying fluid jet. The spacing between successive plate-like guide members varies from 10 -1 to 10 -4 m, and their shape varies from an open one up to a closed cross section with an unthreading groove for the weft yarn. The entraining nozzles either form part of the plate-like guiding members, or are made separate from them.
It is also known that weft yarn insertion into a shed wherein the planes of the shed-forming threads are covered, both from above and from below by plates which are deflected upon beat-up. By covering the shed, an air channel is formed. This arrangement can be integrated with plate-like guide members and nozzles. For the purpose of stabilizing the weft yarn, air is sometimes sucked off from between the plates.
The above-described known arrangement are intended for stabilizing the position of the weft yarn by an aerodynamic action of the air jet in the center of the shed or in its proximity in such manner that no contact of the weft thread takes place either with the upper or the lower shed, as well as with the reed.
In another known arrangement, the plate-like guiding members are integrated into the reed in the form of shaped reed dents. In this arrangement, it is intended that the weft yarn be guided between two nose-shaped projections of the shaped reed dents.
Only some of the above-described known weft yarn inserting arrangements are in practical use because the others have either one or more practical disadvantages. Weft insertion through a confusor, that is, a plurality of plate-like guide members, constitutes no more than half of the weft inserting arrangement in use, since the confusor, upon penetrating the shed, scuffs and/or fibrillates the warp threads and damages them in various other manners. An acceptable reliability is achieved only with shorter insertion lengths. By using an entraining fluid jet system, however, one of the main advantages, low air consumption, of the confusor is lost.
The known inventions, which aim at maintaining the weft yarn in proximity to the shed by means of directing nozzles are disadvantageous because weft insertion takes place far from the first heddle, supporting shaft at such points, which might bring about a considerable risk of an uneven shed and of insertion failure resulting therefrom. The directing of nozzles and the stabilization of pressure in front thereof must be exactly defined. The application of guiding gliders, together with an increasing density, to a profile reed, which might be preferable, is secured mechanically. This is done by defining the path; however, this arrangement is extremely susceptible to changes in the adjustment of the direction of the outflow of the fluid and its pressure inside the nozzles. The profile reeds are expensive, vulnerable to wear and impairment, and must be frequently exchanged when changing the nature of goods being woven. The formation of a channel from plate-like members within the proximity of the shed, its interconnection with both the gliders and nozzles is clumsy, makes for increase attendance, and requires and additive mechanism.
The present invention has among its objects the removal to an extend hitherto unknown of the disadvantages of the prior art, without using a guiding channel, whether formed by a system of gliders, a profile reed, or a plurality of plate-like guide members.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, weft yarn is inserted by means of a primary, inserting fluid jet, the weft yarn being inserted by an insertion fluid jet into carrying jet fields of at least two systems of entraining fluid jets, the weft yarn being discontinuously supported within the carrying jet field and the carrying jet field being simultaneously stabilized by carrying a part of the fluid from the boundary layer of the fluid field. The two or more systems of entraining jets are disposed opposite each other in parallel relationship with the weft thread located centrally between them.
For the purpose of achieving economy of pressure fluid and assuring the drawing through the shed of the weft yarn, it is advantageous to act upon the front section of the weft yarn to be inserted by the carrying jet field by the successive activation of the entraining air jets.
It is advantageous for certain types of weft yarn, e.g. thick wefts, when draining the part of the fluid from the entraining jets in the boundary layer of the jet field, to blow with further additional fluid jets, enhancing the ejection effect.
A simple apparatus for performing the method according to the present invention has the weft inserting nozzle arranged immediately in front of the plane of the reed, the entraining nozzles being distributed in at least two systems in front of the plane of the reed with the axes of the the discharge jets adjusted to be directed toward the reed at an acute angle relative to the plane where the reed dents constitute the support for the weft yarn and the gaps between the reed dents constitute a duct for discharging fluid from the boundary layer of the jet field. This is advantageous, because a flat, unprofiled reed can be used.
From the view point of efficiency, it is advantageous when the system is of the entraining nozzles spaced from the plane of the reed at a distance on the order of magnitude 10 -3 m, the diameter of the discharged opening of the entraining nozzles lying within the order of magnitude 10 -3 to 10 -4 m, and the distances of the entraining nozzles of one system are elective to the training nozzles of the other system, lying within the order of magnitude 10 -2 to 10 -3 m.
For the purpose of achieving economy of pressure fluid, it is advantageous to connect the entraining nozzles to the pressure fluid container by control valves.
For the purpose of improving the discharge of fluid from the boundary layer, it is advantageous to distribute a further system of additive nozzles along the rear wall of the reed, such additive nozzles being directed away from the plane of the reed at an acute angle with respect thereto.
The advantage of the method of and the apparatus for inserting a weft yarn according to the present invention consists particularly in that by the action of the carrying jet field, the weft yarn is carried along a planar, non-shaped reed in the defined shed space of a very small cross section. One of the main advantages consists in that the weft yarn is inserted by a carrying jet field, such field having a low degree of turbulence. The reliability and velocity of inserting weft yarn can be advantageously controlled by a mere geometrical arrangement and directing of the entraining nozzles. Weft insertion failures, which are caused by an insufficiently open shed of the warp yarns, are substantially reduced as the weft moves along the reed. The low air consumption produced by the invention is also advantageous, since the discharge openings of the nozzles are located at a minimum distance from the reed and their diameters are also of minimum dimension.
The method of and apparatus for inserting weft yarn according to the present invention is also advantageous in view of its simplicity, insensitivity to the quality of the weft yarn to be inserted, and the change of the reed dents, as well as making possible a successive control of entraining nozzles and the requirement of a minimum size of the open shed, which makes possible a reduction of the shaft lift and the trajectory reduction of the reed motion. Thus, reduction of forces in the shed mechanism is obtained, as well as a reduction of noise and vibration; all of these factors make possible an increase in the weaving speed of the loom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention, which is shown by example only, will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is an axonometric view of a first preferred embodiment of the apparatus;
FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of both the inserting and entraining nozzles of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a view in plan of the reed and both the inserting and entraining nozzles are shown in the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a front elevation of a second embodiment of the invention, such figure showing an alternative arrangement of the entraining nozzles;
FIG. 5 is a view in plan of the embodiment of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a view in plan of a third embodiment of the invention, such embodiment providing additional nozzles disposed at the rear of the reed for improving the discharging of the boundary layer of the jet field, and
FIG. 7 is a diagram of the pressure distribution in the fluid emerging from an entraining nozzle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning first to the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the apparatus thereshown includes, in a simple embodiment, a reed 1, in front of which there are arranged on a bar 6 two systems of entraining nozzle openings 12. Immediately in front of the plane reed 1 is mounted an inserting nozzle 3 of conventional design, the weft yarn b being fed from a metering device (not specifically shown). For the purpose of simplification, the metering device is indicated by the bending C of the weft yarn b upstream of the inserting nozzle 3.
The bar 6 is mounted in either the upper or lower part of the shed, either firmly connected to the reed or movable as well known in the art, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,290,460; 4,344,465; 4,244,402,; or 4,487,236. The nozzles are mounted on the bar also in a conventional way such as by a threaded mount or by passing through a bore and held with a set screw as shown in the above mentioned patents. The nozzles are supplied as shown in FIG. 1 and as described herein below.
The shed is formed by warp threads which are healded in heedle shafts 4. The heedle shafts 4 are fixed in shaft frames (not illustarted). These shaft frames are raised in a conventional shed forming device.
A plurality of entraining nozzles 2 are distributed along the whole shed width, said shed being built up in a known manner by heddle shafts 4 (FIG. 1) which are represented diagrammatically; in FIG. 1 there are also shown in the same manner a cutting device 19 for the weft and woven fabric e.
Two (upper and lower) systems of entraining nozzle openings 12 are shown connected to a pressure fluid container 9 by means of hoses 8, control valve 10, and distributing pipe 11. In a similar manner, the inserting nozzle 3 is also connected to the pressure container 9 by means of a distributing pipe 11 and a control valve 10.
The entraining nozzles 2 are made, as shown in FIG. 1, of tubes 7 which are closed at one end and are inserted into hoses 8 below the bar 6 at the other end. As shown in FIG. 2, in each nozzle 2, there are provided, one above the other, and spaced at a distance of 10 -2 to 10 -3 m, two openings 12 of a diameter within the orders from 10 -3 to 10 -4 m. The opening 12, which is nearer to the closed ends of tubes 7 (FIG. 1) form one system of the entraining nozzles 2, the remaining opening 12 forming the other system of the entraining nozzles 2. There can be more openings 12 in the tube 7, and thus also more systems of entraining nozzles 2, but it is also necessary to take into account the higher consumption of pressure fluid in such cases. In order to maintain the pressure consumption as low as possible, the openings 12, as shown in FIG. 3, are directed in such manner that the axes 13 of the entraining fluid jet emerging from the openings 12 are directed at an acute angle α with respect to the plane of the reed 1, the distance of the tubes 7 from the reed 1 is within the order of 10 -3 m.
With the system of entraining nozzles 2 as described above, it is not necessary to arrange bar 6 relative to the beat-up of weft yarn b by the reed 1 movably, e.g. in a manner similar to the bar in looms hitherto known having a confusor, said bar carrying the confusor gliders. It is possible also to arrange the entraining nozzles 2 also to move together with reed 1. Thus, e.g. as shown in the second embodiment in FIG. 4, the tubes 7 of one system of entraining nozzles 2 may be mounted at the upper part of reed 1 and the entraining nozzles 2 of the other system maybe mounted at the lower part of reed 1 and it is possible to arrange the entraining nozzles 2 of one system longitudinally offset relative to the entraining nozzles 2 of the other system along the length of the shed. The beat-up of the inserted weft yarn b is made possible by the gap between systems of entraining nozzles 2. The distance of the entraining nozzles 2 in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 from reed 1, the adjustment of their discharged opening 12 with relation to reed 1, their diameters, as well as the connections to the pressure fluid container 9, are chosen in manners similar to those in the first described embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.
In the case of the necessity of increasing the efficiency of the entraining nozzles 2, it is advantageous to employ the third illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6. This embodiment differs from the preceding embodiment in that a system of additional nozzles 5 is arranged behind reed 1, the axes 14 of the discharge of the jets 21 from such additional nozzles 5 being directed at an acute angle β with respect to the plane of the reed 1. It can be seem that the discharged jets 21 from additional nozzles 5 tend to scuttle the boundary fluid which passes through the reed 1, thereby increasing the speed and volume of the fluid escaping from the boundary layer. The additional nozzles 5 are advantageously connected to the pressure fluid container 9 via control valves 10, which thus can be common for the neighboring additional nozzle 5 and the entraining nozzle 2.
The control of the control valves 10 can be performed in various manners. In the examplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the control valves 10 are controlled mechanically by cams 15, which are adjustably mounted on cam shaft 16, shaft 16 being driven by the main shaft (not shown) of the loom in accordance with the procedure of the weaving process. It is possible to adjust the time of opening of the control valves 10 by an adjustable arrangement of cams 15.
The above-described embodiments of the apparatus of the invention operates as follows:
Upon opening the control valves 10 by cams 15, the inserting nozzle 3 connected to container 9 and thus brought into operation. The weft yarn b, which is inserted by the inserting fluid jet 17, is withdrawn from the metering device c into the carrying jet field a, formed in the open shed d by two systems of entraining fluid jets 18, emerging from the openings 12 of the entraining nozzle 2 upon their connection to the container 9 by the control valves 10. In the carrying jet field a, the weft yarn b is moved within a space defined by the plane of reed 1 and the conically expanding entraining fluid jets 18, said space being determined by the distribution of pressure in the entraining fluid jets, which expand upon emerging from the opening 12 of the entraining nozzles 2.
The distribution of pressure in the conically expanding entraining fluid jet 18, emerging from the opening 12 of the entraining nozzle 2, is depicted in FIG. 7. In such figure, P 0 denotes the pressure in the axis of the entraining jet, P 1 denotes the pressure at the boundary 19 between the entraining fluid jet and the surrounding atmosphere, and P 2 denotes the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere.
It holds true that P 0 >P 1 >P 2 . The differences of pressure are evoked by the friction effect of the jet about the stationary surrounding atmosphere, the pressure differences P 0 -P 1 , P 1 -P 2 , P 0 -P 2 , being among others, proportional to the square of axial velocity of the jet U 2 (x) which decreases approximately exponentially with the distance x from the distance of the nozzle. The weft yarn b, which approaches the conically expanding entraining fluid jet 18 from the outer side, is expelled back due to the acting pressure gradient. This effect decreases at the same velocity as the pressure gradient, i.e. approximately with the square of distance x from the opening 12 of the entraining nozzle 2. By distributing the nozzles along the reed 1 in the shed of warp yarn b and by distributing the entraining nozzles 2 into the two systems as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and 4, a stabilized carrying jet field a is formed as the result of the entraining jets 18 of both the preceding and following entraining nozzles 2. By a carrying jet field a formed in that manner, the weft yarn b is drawn along the reed 1, being discontinually supported by its dents 20, as shown in FIG. 6. The stability of the motion of weft thread b along reed 1 is secured so that it avoids the boundary layer of the carrying jet field a, which is braked by the reed dents 20 of the reed 1, but the boundary layer thus tending to grow and disturb the stability of the carrying jet field a. The growth of the boundary layer of the carrying jet field a along reed 1 is avoided by exhaustion of a part of the fluid from the boundary layer of the jet field a behind reed 1. Such exhaustion of the fluid from the boundary layer of the jet field takes place through the gaps between the dents 20 of reed 1. The thickness of the boundary layer of the jet field a can be controlled by changing the acute angle α of axes 13 of the entraining fluid jets (FIG. 3) relative to the plane of reed 1, or possibly by changing the acute angle β of the axes 13 of the outflow jets 21 (FIG. 6) of the additional nozzles 5.
FIG. 3 does not represent discontinuous support of the weft by the the reed dents. Rather, FIG. 3 shows the insertion of the weft into the carrying jet field in proximity of inserting nozzle 3, which is arranged parallely with the reed. In the proximity of the inserting nozzle 3, the weft maintains this parallel direction. At a longer distance from inserting nozzle 3, however, the weft must be discontinuously supported by, e.g. the reed dents, as represented in FIGS. 5 and 6.
From the view point of insertion and economy of the pressure fluid, it is advantageous to open, by adjustment of cams 15, the entraining nozzles 2 successively in such manner that the carrying jet field a surrounds the front part of the weft yarn b, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. Upon insertion of the weft into the shed, the weft yarn b is beaten up to the selvedge of fabric e and cut off at both ends of the fabric by a cutting device 19, whereupon the whole cycle is repeated. The reed is preferred to be a smooth reed 1, without any shape projections on the system of dents 20, or otherwise shaped dents 20 e.g. as by their being bent.
Although the invention is described and illustrated with reference to a plurality of embodiments thereof, it is to be expressly understood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such preferred embodiments but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.
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The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for inserting weft yarn in jet looms, in which the weft yarn is inserted by the action of an inserting fluid jet and entraining fluid jets. The weft yarn is projected by the inserting fluid jet into the carrying jet field made up of at least two opposite systems of entraining fluid jets disposed close to and in front of the reed of the loom; the weft yarn is discontinually supported inside the carrying jet field, and the carrying jet field is simultaneously stabilized by withdrawing a part of the fluid from the boundary layer of the jet field.
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[0001] This application is a continuation application of Ser. No. 14/269,338 filed May 5, 2014.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the data processing field, and more particularly, relates to a method, system and computer program product for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter in a computer system.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
[0003] Coherent accelerators may be utilized within the scope of a single operating system image, whether that operating system (OS) is one of a plurality on a logically partitioned server, or the sole operating system of a non-partitioned system. However, it is desirable to enable a coherent accelerator to be shared, or virtualized, across a plurality of operating system images on a logically partitioned system. A fundamental requirement to enable sharing is that Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIE or PCI-Express) transactions, including for example, direct memory accesses (DMAs), message signaled interrupts, memory-mapped Input/Output (IO), and error events, be isolated between OS images and accelerator functions.
[0004] PCI-Express (PCIE) enables virtualizing sub-functions of a PCIE device using Single Root IO Virtualization (SRIOV). Single root input/output (IO) virtualization (SRIOV) is a PCI standard, providing an adapter technology building block for I/O virtualization within the PCI-Express (PCIe) industry. The SRIOV architecture encapsulates resources within a PCI-Express IO adapter behind a Virtual Function (VF) that in many respects operates as a conventional PCI-Express device. Isolation of VFs from each other and operating system images other than those to which the VFs are individually assigned is accomplished by use of translation tables, such as Hardware Page Tables that translate processor instruction addresses to PCI-Express memory addresses or memory-mapped I/O (MMIO) and DMA translation tables that translate PCI-Express device memory read/write addresses to system memory addresses.
[0005] Utilizing either conventional PCI or SRIOV devices, MMIO and DMA domains are associated with a PCI function having a bus/device/function (requester ID, or RID) association. Additionally, DMA translation may include Message Signaled Interrupt (MSI), (DMA write) isolation, by an OS or hypervisor authorizing a particular set of MSI vectors to particular MSI or DMA addresses. For example, IBM POWER systems IO Device Architecture, (IODA) for PCI-Express, as well as Intel VT-D architecture, exemplify these techniques.
[0006] IBM POWER systems IODA provides a means to associate MMIO, DMA, and MSI addresses with a RID to facilitate isolating errors involving MMIO, DMA, or MSI transactions on the PCI-Express bus to a particular PCI-Express function, utilizing the RID and tables within POWER PCI-Express root complexes or PCI-Express host bridges (PHBs). Within the art it is understood that a PCI host bridge (PHB) is an element within a PCI root complex, and may in a particular design be in whole an instance of a root complex.
[0007] However, aspects of SRIOV complicate the design of a coherent accelerator function, or may not be compatible with the accelerator operation. For example, units within a processor communicate with an accelerator to synchronize the state of memory cache lines that may be held in common in the accelerator itself. While this communication may use PCI-Express memory read/write transactions, to communicate cache line updates, or to retrieve changed cache lines from an accelerator, the references to cache lines using PCI-Express memory read/write transactions may be structured in terms of system memory, and have no ability to relate these directly to SRIOV type virtual functions. (VFs).
[0008] A need exists for an effective method and apparatus to achieve coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization, such as to achieve isolation of MMIO, DMA, MSI, and errors at a PCI-Express transaction level, without requiring the use of other PCI-Express virtualization mechanisms, such as SRIOV. A need exists to reduce complexity in the design of the processor and accelerator to enable use of simple PCI-Express memory read/write transactions by either of them, without introducing additional and unnecessary concepts of SRIOV.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Principal aspects of the present invention are to provide a method, system and computer program product for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization. Other important aspects of the present invention are to provide such method, system and computer program product substantially without negative effects and that overcome many of the disadvantages of prior art arrangements.
[0010] In brief, a method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter in a computer system. A coherent accelerator provides accelerator function units (AFUs), each AFU is adapted to operate independent of the other AFUs to perform a computing task that can be implemented within application software on a processor. The AFU has access to system memory bound to the application software and is adapted to make copies of that memory within AFU memory-cache in the AFU. As part of this memory coherency domain, each of the AFU memory-cache and processor memory-cache is adapted to be aware of changes to data commonly in either AFU memory-cache or processor memory-cache as well as data changed in memory of which the respective cache contains a copy.
[0011] In accordance with features of the invention, to maintain synchronization between the AFU memory-cache and the processor memory-cache, the processor and accelerator communicate changes to individual memory regions, for example represented as cache lines.
[0012] In accordance with features of the invention, use of simple PCI-Express memory read/write transactions by the processor and the accelerator is enabled when using a PCI-Express interconnect, with design complexity of the processor and the accelerator advantageously reduced, without requiring additional and unnecessary concepts of SRIOV. A coherent accelerator utilizes a PCI Services Layer (PSL) endpoint function within the adapter to effect PCI transactions associated with the AFUs
[0013] In accordance with features of the invention, a hypervisor adapter driver in support of a PCI-Express interface associates each AFU with PCI host bridge (PHB) isolation facilities.
[0014] In accordance with features of the invention, when using PCI-Express interconnect between each AFU and a processor and memory, the processor and AFU utilize PCI-Express memory read/write operations. An AFU is associated with a PCI-Express requester ID (RID) for identifying that AFU during the PCI-Express memory read/write operations effecting AFU DMA to or from system memory. An AFU is associated with a RID for purposes of a PHB associating processor MMIO addresses with an AFU.
[0015] In accordance with features of the invention, requests to perform a task and result of completing that task are exchanged between an application running within an operating system (OS) and the AFU using command/response queues within system memory, the AFU, or a combination of both. The individual AFUs either respond to or originate PCI-Express memory cycles, and the accelerator adapter PSL performs the PCI-Express transactions corresponding to those memory read/write operations.
[0016] In accordance with features of the invention, the AFUs are recognized and operated by an operating system (OS) as particular types of memory-mapped AFU devices and optionally in a manner in which they are completely unassociated with PCI-Express buses or functions, within the operating system.
[0017] In accordance with features of the invention, a PCI-Express PHB optionally is used to associate Memory-mapped IO (MMIO), Direct Memory Access (DMA), Message Signaled Interrupt (MSI) address ranges with PCI-Express RIDs (Relative Identifiers) to associate these address ranges with individual accelerator function unit (AFU) that are not otherwise configured and operate on the PCI-Express bus as endpoint functions.
[0018] In accordance with features of the invention, a hypervisor or other system configuration and management software or firmware in support of PCI-Express buses and managing the coherent accelerator as a whole detects and recovers error involving the PSL or AFUs, without requiring the termination of any one OS to restore operation of its respective AFU, with the AFUs sharing a common PSL endpoint function on the PCI-Express bus.
[0019] In accordance with features of the invention, a hypervisor or other system configuration and management software or firmware in support of PCI-Express buses associates AFUs with PHB isolation facilities.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The present invention together with the above and other objects and advantages may best be understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, wherein:
[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter with a single BDF (bus/device/function) in accordance with a preferred embodiment;
[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates another example system for implementing enhanced coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter with multiple BDFs in accordance with a preferred embodiment;
[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates example operational features for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 with comparison of existing art in accordance with preferred embodiments;
[0024] FIG. 4 illustrates example operational features for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter of FIG. 1 in accordance with preferred embodiments;
[0025] FIG. 5 illustrates example operational features for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter of FIG. 2 in accordance with preferred embodiments;
[0026] FIGS. 6 , 7 , and 8 are flow charts illustrating example system operations of the systems of FIGS. 1 and 2 for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation in accordance with preferred embodiments; and
[0027] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a computer program product in accordance with the preferred embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] In the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate example embodiments by which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0029] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
[0030] In accordance with features of the invention, a method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter.
[0031] Having reference now to the drawings, in FIG. 1 , there is shown an example computer system generally designated by the reference character 100 for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter in accordance with the preferred embodiment. Computer system 100 includes one or more processors, such as processor # 1 , 102 through processor #N, 104 or central processor units (CPUs) 102 , 104 coupled by a system bus 106 to a memory 108 , a respective host operating system (OS) 110 , 112 , and a hypervisor adapter driver 114 . The hypervisor adapter driver 114 is a part of the system firmware and manages the allocation of resources to each operating system 110 , 112 .
[0032] Computer system 100 can be utilized within the scope of a single operating system image, whether that operating system (OS) is one of a plurality on a logically partitioned server, or the sole operating system of a non-partitioned system. Computer system 100 enables a coherent accelerator to be shared, or virtualized, across a plurality of operating system (OS) images on a logically partitioned system.
[0033] Computer system 100 includes an I/O hub, processor host bridge or PCIE host bridge (PHB) 120 providing coherent accelerator PE (Partitionable Endpoint) support in accordance with the preferred embodiment. PHB 120 includes an adapter PE 122 coupled to the hypervisor adapter driver 114 , and an AFU PE 124 coupled to each respective host operating system (OS) 110 , 112 . PHB 120 includes isolation facilities 126 provided with AFU PE 124 .
[0034] Computer system 100 includes an Input/Output (I/O) adapter 130 providing a coherent accelerator with transaction layer functions including for example, a PCI Services Layer (PSL) 132 , and a plurality of AFUs 1 - 3 , 134 , 136 , 138 , with the PSL 132 , and each AFUs 1 - 3 , 134 , 136 , 138 coupled to the adapter PE 122 . AFUs 1 - 3 , 134 , 136 , 138 are logic units within the accelerator that perform specific application tasks.
[0035] In accordance with features of the invention, isolation facilities 126 within the PCI-Express PHB 120 are used particularly including error isolation without requiring the use of a PCI-Express endpoint function. Methods of the invention detect and recover from PCI-Express error conditions involving individual AFUs, the AFUs as a collective, and the PSL. The operating system and application are enabled to continue to function through interacting with the error recovery methods, so that a reboot of the operating system is not required, and so that individual operating systems may individually recover operation of their respective AFUs even though the accelerator device is shared at a single PCI-Express endpoint function.
[0036] In a particular embodiment requests to perform a task and result of completing that task are exchanged between the application running within OS 110 , or OS 112 and the respective AFUs 1 - 3 , 134 , 136 , 138 using command/response queues within system memory 108 , the AFU, or a combination of both. Each of the individual AFUs 1 - 3 , 134 , 136 , 138 either respond to or originate PCI-Express memory cycles, and the PSL 132 performs the PCI-Express transactions corresponding to those memory read/write operations. However, the AFUs 1 - 3 , 134 , 136 , 138 are not themselves PCI-Express endpoint devices or functions and may not be recognized by an operating system as PCI-Express devices. Instead, the AFUs are recognized and operated by OS 110 , or OS 112 as particular types of memory-mapped AFU devices and possibly in a manner in which they are completely unassociated with PCI-Express buses or functions, within the respective operating system.
[0037] Computer system 100 enables coherent accelerator adapter functionality with the additional AFU PE 124 that is associated with all AFUs 1 - 3 , 134 , 136 , 138 , collectively. Host OS MMIO activities are governed by the AFU PE 124 . The AFU PE 124 can be frozen such that the host OSs 110 , 112 are blocked from accessing the adapter 130 . The AFU PE 124 allows the hypervisor 114 to complete recovery or maintenance actions without the possibility of a host OS user impacting the adapter 130 . Transactions of adapter 130 , both those associated with the PSL 132 as well those associated with the AFUs - 3 , 134 , 136 , 138 , utilize the adapter PE 122 . Any failure from the adapter PE 122 still impacts all OS partitions using the coherent accelerator adapter 130 .
[0038] Computer system 100 is shown in simplified form sufficient for understanding the present invention. The illustrated computer system 100 is not intended to imply architectural or functional limitations. The present invention can be used with various hardware implementations and systems and various other internal hardware devices.
[0039] Referring to FIG. 2 , there is shown another example system generally designated by the reference character 200 for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter 230 with multiple BDFs in accordance with a preferred embodiment. Computer system 200 similarly includes one or more processors, such as processor # 1 , 102 through processor #N, 104 or central processor units (CPUs) 102 , 104 coupled by a system bus 106 to a memory 108 , a respective host operating system (OS) 110 , 112 , and a hypervisor adapter driver 114 .
[0040] Computer system 200 includes an I/O hub, processor host bridge or PCIE host bridge (PHB) 220 providing coherent accelerator PE (Partitionable Endpoint) support in accordance with the preferred embodiment. PHB 220 includes an adapter PE 222 coupled to the hypervisor adapter driver 114 , and a plurality of AFU PE 1 - 3 , 224 , 226 , 228 with AFU PE 1 - 2 , 224 , 226 coupled to host OS 110 and AFU PE 3 , 228 coupled to host OS 112 , as shown. PHB 220 includes isolation facilities 226 provided with AFU PE 1 - 3 , 224 , 226 , 228 .
[0041] Computer system 200 includes an Input/Output (I/O) adapter 230 providing a coherent accelerator with transaction layer functions including for example, a PCI Services Layer (PSL) 232 providing all functions and facilities consistent with a PCIE endpoint function, and a plurality of AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 , with the PSL 232 coupled to the adapter PE 222 , and each AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 coupled to a respective AFU PE 1 - 3 , 224 , 226 , 228 .
[0042] Computer system 200 enables coherent accelerator adapter enhanced functionality with the additional AFU PEs 1 - 3 , 224 , 226 , 228 , each associated with the respective AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 . When the adapter 230 does DMA transactions it encodes the respective one of AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 performing the transaction, for example, using Alternative Routing-ID Interpretation (ARI) techniques into the DMA packets. This allows for fault isolation down to a single one of AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 while still only implementing a single PCI function with a single configuration space. This is an increasingly important and valuable feature as the number of AFUs on an adapter 230 increases.
[0043] Host OS MMIO activities are governed by the respective AFU PEs 1 - 3 , 224 , 226 , 228 . Each respective AFU PEs 1 - 3 , 224 , 226 , 228 advantageously can be frozen such that the host OSs 110 , 112 are blocked from accessing the adapter 230 . Each of the respective AFU PEs 1 - 3 , 224 , 226 , 228 allows the hypervisor 114 to complete recovery or maintenance actions without the possibility of a host OS user impacting the adapter 230 . Transactions associated with the PSL 232 of adapter 230 utilize the adapter PE 222 . Any failure from the adapter PE 222 still impacts all OS partitions using the coherent accelerator adapter 230 .
[0044] In accordance with features of the invention, PCI-Express PHB 120 apparatus is used to associate Memory-mapped IO (MMIO), Direct Memory Access (DMA), Message Signaled Interrupt (MSI) address ranges with PCI-Express RIDs (Relative Identifier) to associate these address ranges with each of the individual Accelerator function units AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 that are not otherwise configured and operate on the PCI-Express bus as endpoint functions.
[0045] In accordance with features of the invention, the hypervisor adapter driver 114 in support of a PCI-Express interface associates each of the AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 with PHB isolation facilities 226 . The hypervisor adapter driver 114 , managing the coherent accelerator as a whole, detects and recovers error involving the PSL 232 or AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 , without requiring the termination of any one OS 110 , 112 to restore operation of its respective AFU, with the AFUs sharing a common PCI Services Layer (PSL) endpoint function on the PCI-Express bus. The hypervisor adapter driver 114 in support of PCI-Express buses associates AFUs with PHB isolation facilities 226 .
[0046] In accordance with features of the invention, the PSL 232 of a coherent accelerator RID is associated with the MMIO, DMA, MSI, and error state facilities 226 of a PCI-Express PHB 220 , and the PCI-Express RID is associated with a collective of AFUs AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 and further associating AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 residing behind the respective PSL 232 with the PCI-Express PHB 220 without the AFU RID being itself an individual PCI-Express endpoint or SRIOV virtual functions and having all the facilities and behaviors of such functions.
[0047] In accordance with features of the invention, when using PCI-Express interconnect between each AFU of AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 and processor 102 , 104 and memory 108 , the processor and AFU utilize PCI-Express memory read/write operations. An AFU of AFUs 1 - 3 , 234 , 236 , 238 is associated with a PCI-Express requester ID (RID) for identifying that AFU during the PCI-Express memory read/write operations.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 3 , there are shown example operational features generally designated by the reference character 300 for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in the input/output (IO) adapter 130 in system 100 of FIG. 1 and input/output (IO) adapter 230 in system 200 of FIG. 2 with comparison of existing art in accordance with preferred embodiments, without relying upon facilities or operations of PCIE SRIOV.
[0049] Multiple features 302 are shown for comparison of known existing art, with IO adapter 130 in system 100 of FIG. 1 and IO adapter 230 in system 200 of FIG. 2 . One endpoint function 304 is included in the known existing art, IO adapter 130 in system 100 and IO adapter 230 in system 200 . A single configuration space region 306 is included in the known existing art, IO adapter 130 in system 100 and IO adapter 230 in system 200 . An additional PCIE RID 308 is included in the IO adapter 230 in system 200 , with zero included in the known existing art, and in the IO adapter 130 in system 100 . A single adapter PE 310 is included in the known existing art, IO adapter 130 in system 100 and IO adapter 230 in system 200 . One AFU PE 312 is included in the IO adapter 130 in system 100 and one AFU PE 312 per AFU is included in the IO adapter 230 in system 200 , with zero AFU PE 312 included in the known existing art. Error recovery 314 is not possible in the known existing art with the host OS reboot required. Error recovery 314 is possible in the IO adapter 130 in system 100 with all host OS instances impacted. Improved error recovery 314 is possible in the IO adapter 230 in system 200 with a finer grain and a single host OS instances impacted.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 4 , there are shown example operational features generally designated by the reference character 400 for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter 130 in system 100 of FIG. 1 in accordance with preferred embodiments without relying upon facilities or operations of PCIE SRIOV. Multiple traffic types 402 are shown with a respective PE used 404 , error action 406 , and error impact 408 . With traffic type 402 of MMIO initiated by the hypervisor adapter driver, the PE used 404 is the adapter PE, error action 406 causes the PHB isolation facilities 126 to freeze adapter PE plus AFU PE, and the error impact 408 includes the hypervisor adapter driver and all host OS instances. With traffic type 402 of MMIO initiated by the host OS to a particular AFU n, the PE used 404 is the AFU PE, error action 406 causes the PHB isolation facilities 126 to freeze the AFU PEs, and the error impact 408 includes all host OS instances. With traffic type 402 of DMA initiated by adapter PSL, the PE used 404 is the adapter PE, error action 406 causes the PHB isolation facilities 126 to freeze the adapter PE and the AFU PE, and the error impact 408 includes the hypervisor adapter driver and all host OS instances. With traffic type 402 of DMA initiated by a particular AFU n, the PE used 404 is the adapter PE, error 406 freezes the adapter PE and the AFU PE, and the error impact 408 includes the hypervisor adapter driver and all host OS instances.
[0051] Referring to FIG. 5 , there are shown example operational features generally designated by the reference character 500 for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter 230 in system 200 of FIG. 2 in accordance with preferred embodiments. Multiple traffic types 502 are shown with a respective PE used 504 , error action 506 , and error impact 508 . With traffic type 502 of MMIO initiated by the hypervisor adapter driver, the PE used 504 is the adapter PE, error action 506 causes the PHB isolation facilities 226 to freeze adapter PE plus AFU PEs, and the error impact 508 includes the hypervisor adapter driver and all host OS instances. With traffic type 502 of MMIO initiated by the host OS to a particular AFU n, the PE used 504 is the particular AFU PE n, error action 506 causes the PHB isolation facilities 226 to freeze the AFU PE n, and the error impact 508 includes the single host OS instances. With traffic type 502 of DMA initiated by adapter PSL, the PE used 504 is the adapter PE, error action 506 causes the PHB isolation facilities 226 to freeze the adapter PE and the AFU PEs, and the error impact 508 includes the hypervisor adapter driver and all host OS instances. With traffic type 502 of DMA initiated by a particular AFU n, the PE used 504 is the AFU PE n, error action 506 causes the PHB isolation facilities 226 to freeze the AFU PE n, and the error impact 508 includes a single host OS instances.
[0052] FIGS. 6 , 7 , and 8 are flow charts illustrating example system operations of the systems of FIGS. 1 and 2 for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation in accordance with preferred embodiments.
[0053] Referring to FIG. 6 , there are shown example high level system operations of the systems of FIGS. 1 and 2 starting with PHB or root complex hardware or hypervisor adapter driver detects failure and freezes the adapter PE as indicated in a block 600 . As indicated in a block 602 , other PEs associated with the adapter PE are frozen including all AFU PEs. In the event that the PHB hardware detects the failure the hardware informs hypervisor of the frozen PEs as indicated in a block 604 . The hypervisor informs PE owners of the frozen PEs including both adapter driver and host OS for each AFU as indicated in a block 606 . The adapter driver and each host OS asynchronously begin recovery as indicated in a block 608 .
[0054] Referring also to FIG. 7 , there are shown example hypervisor driver operations of the systems of FIGS. 1 and 2 starting when the adapter driver receives notification of error as indicated in a block 700 . The adapter driver commences PE recovery as indicated in a block 702 . The adapter driver unfreezes the adapter PE with other PEs remaining frozen, collects error data, and commences recover as indicated in a block 704 . The adapter driver recovers the adapter and restores the adapter to a default state as indicated in a block 706 . The adapter driver performs AFU configuration to the adapter as indicated in a block 708 . The adapter driver logs error and communicates a PCI error log identifier (PLID) for the error logged by the adapter driver to the hypervisor as indicated in a block 710 . The adapter drives gives the hypervisor permission to unfreeze AFU PE(s) and resumes normal operation as indicated in a block 712 .
[0055] Referring to FIG. 8 , there are shown example host OS operations of the systems of FIGS. 1 and 2 starting with host OS receives notification of AFU error as indicated in a block 800 . The host OS commences recovery as indicated in a block 802 . The host OS loops attempting to unfreeze AFU PE, and the unfreeze is unsuccessful until the adapter driver completes recovery as indicated in a block 804 . As indicated in a block 806 , the adapter driver completes recovery. Then the host OS unfreezes the AFU PE, retrieves error data and commences recovery as indicated in a block 808 . The host OS completes recovery, and logs error data as indicated in a block 810 . Normal AFU operations resume as indicated in a block 812 .
[0056] Referring now to FIG. 9 , an article of manufacture or a computer program product 900 of the invention is illustrated. The computer program product 900 is tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that includes a recording medium 902 , such as, a floppy disk, a high capacity read only memory in the form of an optically read compact disk or CD-ROM, a tape, or another similar computer program product. Recording medium 902 stores program means 904 , 906 , 908 , and 910 on the medium 902 for carrying out the methods for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter 130 , 230 of preferred embodiments in the system 100 of FIG. 1 , or system 200 of FIG. 2 .
[0057] A sequence of program instructions or a logical assembly of one or more interrelated modules defined by the recorded program means 909 , 906 , 908 , and 910 , direct the computer system 900 for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter 130 , 230 of preferred embodiments.
[0058] While the present invention has been described with reference to the details of the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing, these details are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed in the appended claims.
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A method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing coherent accelerator function isolation for virtualization in an input/output (IO) adapter in a computer system. A coherent accelerator provides accelerator function units (AFUs), each AFU is adapted to operate independently of the other AFUs to perform a computing task that can be implemented within application software on a processor. The AFU has access to system memory bound to the application software and is adapted to make copies of that memory within AFU memory-cache in the AFU. As part of this memory coherency domain, each of the AFU memory-cache and processor memory-cache is adapted to be aware of changes to data commonly in either cache as well as data changed in memory of which the respective cache contains a copy.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to methods and apparatuses for actuating fuel trim valves in a gas turbine to tune each combustion chamber. Additionally, this invention relates to a method of tuning each combustion chamber in a gas turbine such that combustor pressure oscillations, nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide, and unburned hydrocarbons are minimized.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Fuel trim units are commonly used to control the fuel entering a combustion chamber in a multi-chamber combustor of an industrial turbine, for example a gas turbine. Generally, these units match the combustion airflow entering each combustion chamber such that the fuel-air mixture minimally produces, upon burning, nitrous oxides (NO x ), carbon monoxide (CO), and unburned hydrocarbons (UHC). In order to minimize CO and UHC, and achieve overall greater efficiency, it is desirable to increase the combustion temperature within the turbine. However, the oxidation of NO x in turbines increases dramatically with the increase in combustion temperatures.
[0003] One common method for reducing NO x is to lower the combustion temperature in a turbine system, or make the fuel-air ratio lean. However, if the fuel-air mixture is too lean, then ‘lean-burn-out’ occurs, and undesirable emissions increase dramatically. Therefore, a careful balance must be struck between (1) increasing the efficiency (minimizing UHC and CO) by increasing combustion temperature, and (2) decreasing the combustion temperature to minimize NO x , or thinning the fuel-air ratio such that lean-burn-out occurs versus maximizing power output by increasing the fuel-air ratio.
[0004] It is extraordinarily difficult to achieve uniform temperature and pressure distribution in multiple combustion chambers of an industrial gas turbine. Variations in the airflow in each combustion chamber make it difficult to maintain constant fuel-air ratios in all combustion chambers.
[0005] These various teachings known to those skilled in the art are described in the following patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,801 to Wilkes et al. discloses a 2-stage gas turbine capable of reduced emissions of nitrous oxides. U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,931 to Beebe et al. discloses a fuel trim system for a multi-chamber gas turbine engine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,175 to Beebe et al. discloses a fuel trim system for a multi-chamber gas turbine system in which sensor inputs with a fuel flow rate as well as the dynamic pressure in each combustion chamber and the turbine exhaust temperature are measured and accounted for in varying the fuel-air mixture.
[0006] Although these patents disclose fuel trim systems including multiple manifolds for supplying fuel nozzles with fuel in each combustion chamber of a multi-chamber gas turbine, none of these references teaches, suggests, or discloses to one skilled in the art a fuel trim valve for controlling each fuel nozzle in each combustion chamber. Furthermore, it is not obvious to provide each fuel nozzle in each combustion chamber with a fuel trim valve as this is extraordinarily difficult because: 1) there is limited piping room in a gas turbine engine to incorporate a fuel trim valve for each fuel nozzle; 2) in order to increase efficiency it is necessary to incorporate multiple fuel manifolds so that the pressure drop across each fuel trim valve is within a small uniform range; and 3) adjusting each of the fuel trim valves in each combustion chamber is a Herculean task.
[0007] Therefore, what are needed are systems and methods to control the fuel-air ratio of a multi-chamber gas turbine by employing a fuel trim valve with each fuel nozzle.
[0008] What are also needed are systems and methods to control the fuel-air mixture in each combustion chamber of a multi-chamber gas turbine such that the combustion chamber pressure oscillations, NO x , UHC, and CO are minimized for a given energy output for the gas turbine.
[0009] What are further needed are simple systems and methods for adjusting each fuel valve in each combustion chamber, such that the fuel-air ratio in each combustion chamber can be optimized to minimize combustion chamber pressure oscillations, NO x , UHC, and CO for the gas turbine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Accordingly, the above-identified shortcomings of existing systems and methods for actuating fuel trim valves in gas turbines are overcome by embodiments of the present invention, which relates to systems and methods for tuning a gas turbine. The gas turbines of the present invention have multiple combustion chambers, and within each chamber are multiple fuel nozzles. Each nozzle has its own fuel control valve to control the fuel flowing to the nozzles. To minimize the pressure drop through the fuel control valves, multiple manifolds are employed. Each manifold supplies at least one fuel nozzle in multiple combustion chambers with fuel. The fuel control valves are mounted on the manifolds such that the weight of the fuel control valves and the nozzles are carried by the manifolds, not the multiple combustion chambers.
[0011] In one sense the present invention comprises a gas turbine having multiple combustion chambers, multiple fuel nozzles for each of the combustion chambers, multiple manifolds for supplying fuel to at least one fuel nozzle in multiple combustion chambers, each of said multiple manifolds having fuel control valves for each of said fuel nozzles said manifold supplies fuel to, wherein said fuel control valves are mounted on said multiple manifolds for controlling said fuel to said fuel nozzles in each of said combustion chambers.
[0012] In another sense, the present invention also comprises a gas turbine having multiple combustion chambers; multiple fuel nozzles for each of said combustion chambers; multiple manifolds for supplying fuel to at least one fuel nozzle in each of said combustion chambers; each of said multiple manifolds having fuel control valves for each of said fuel nozzles said manifold supplies fuel to; and a plurality of thermocouples for measuring exhaust gas from said multiple combustion chambers.
[0013] In carrying out the methods of the present invention for tuning a gas turbine, it is important to understand that the most efficient gas turbine is one which has the least nitrous oxides, the least amount of unburned hydrocarbons, and the least amount of carbon monoxide for a specified energy output. In order to tune the gas turbine to accomplish these objectives, it is desirable that each combustion chamber in the gas turbine be well balanced relative to the remaining combustion chambers.
[0014] Specifically, the present invention tunes each of the multiple combustion chambers such that no specific combustion chamber is rich or lean, and all are operating within about 1% of the remaining combustion chambers. In order to accomplish this, one skilled in the art must adjust those combustion chambers that are too rich, or too lean by tuning them more toward the average of all of the combustion chambers. To determine whether the combustion chambers are rich, lean, or average, one can make the calculation based on the amount of fuel delivered to each combustion chamber, or the fuel pressure delivered to each combustion chamber, or the temperature of the exhaust of each combustion chamber, compared to all the other combustion chambers. For example, if one of the combustion chambers is hotter than the remaining combustion chambers, the amount of fuel delivered to the nozzle per unit of time is higher than the remaining combustion chambers, and thus must be adjusted through the fuel control valve such that it is more average. Likewise, if one of the combustion chambers is running lean, the fuel control valve could be adjusted to increase the amount of fuel more toward the average of the remaining combustion chambers.
[0015] In the broadest sense, these methods of tuning gas turbines having multiple combustion chambers comprises constructing a swirl chart that relates the location of the exhaust from each combustion chamber to the location of exhaust from the entire gas turbine at a specified fuel load; identifying each of the combustion chambers as being rich, lean, or average; increasing said fuel load to each of said combustion chambers identified as lean and decreasing the fuel load to each of the combustion chambers identified as rich, and repeating the identifying and increasing/decreasing steps until all of said combustion chambers are within about say, 1% of average, thus minimizing the variation between each combustion chamber.
[0016] Further features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of the following description, wherein references are made to the accompanying figures which illustrate some preferred forms of the present invention, and wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The systems and methods of the present invention are described herein below with reference to various figures, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of combustion chambers in a gas turbine showing multiple manifolds as well as exhaust thermocouples;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic end view through a combustion chamber illustrating a potential arrangement of fuel nozzles;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a schematic end view of the gas turbine illustrating fourteen combustion chambers with 27 thermocouples; and
[0021] FIG. 4 is a swirl chart that relates the swirl angle in degrees to the percent of gas turbine output.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the invention, reference will now be made to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 and specific language used to describe the same. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of description, not limitation. Specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. Any modifications or variations in the depicted structures and methods, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, as would normally occur to one skilled in the art, are considered to be within the spirit of this invention.
[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a gas turbine 10 . FIG. 1 does not show the air compressor or any details about the supply of combustion air to the gas turbine, as these details are known and conventional in the art. The exhaust outlet of the gas turbine is schematically indicated by reference numeral 12 . Contained within the gas turbine 10 are multiple combustion chambers 14 , which, for purposes of illustration, are shown as combustion chamber number 1 (CC 1 ), combustion chamber number 2 (CC 2 ), combustion chamber number 3 (CC 3 ), combustion chamber number 4 (CC 4 ), and combustion chamber number X. Depending on the energy output desired for the gas turbine 10 , the number of combustion chambers 14 varies. A typical industrial gas turbine has fourteen combustion chambers. While the number of combustion chambers is a matter of design for the energy output desired, for purposes of the present invention, fourteen combustions chambers will be discussed and illustrated, in FIG. 3 , for example. However, the present invention is not limited to fourteen combustion chambers.
[0024] Each combustion chamber 14 has multiple fuel nozzles for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber. In FIG. 1 , these fuel nozzles are schematically illustrated by reference numeral 16 , 18 , and 20 in each of the combustion chambers 14 . The number of fuel nozzles and their placement within each combustion chamber 14 is a matter of design. Generally, sufficient fuel nozzles are employed to obtain a uniform flow of fuel and air across each combustion chamber. Multiple manifolds 22 , 24 , and 26 supply each fuel nozzle 16 , 18 , and 20 with fuel, respectively. Multiple manifolds are employed to minimize the pressure drop from the manifold to the fuel nozzle. The number of manifolds employed is a matter of design.
[0025] Each manifold 22 , 24 , and 26 supports, and is fluidly connected with, fuel control valves 28 , 30 , and 32 , respectively. Specifically, manifold 22 supports multiple fuel control valves 28 , and each combustion chamber 14 is associated with at least one fuel control valve 28 that is coupled directly to manifold 22 . As illustrated in FIG. 1 , each fuel control valve 28 regulates the amount of fuel flowing from the manifold 22 to its associated fuel nozzle 18 .
[0026] Likewise, fuel manifold 24 supports multiple fuel control valves 30 , and each combustion chamber 14 is associated with at least one fuel control valve 30 . Each fuel valve 30 regulates the amount of fuel flowing from the manifold 24 to its associated fuel nozzle(s) 16 .
[0027] Further, manifold 26 has multiple fuel control valves 32 , supported by the manifold and fluidly coupled with each combustion chamber 14 . The fuel control valves 32 are directly coupled with the manifold 26 , and with the associated fuel nozzles 20 in each combustion chamber 14 , whereby the fuel valve 32 controls the amount of fuel flowing from the manifold 26 to the fuel nozzles 20 . Each manifold may connect to each associated fuel control valve, or alternatively, each manifold may connect to less than all the associated fuel control valves. It is a design choice dependent on piping space in and around the gas turbine as well as the pressure drop through the fuel control valves.
[0028] Multiple supply lines 34 actually couple each fuel nozzle 16 to the fuel control valve 30 . Likewise, each supply line 36 couples each fuel nozzle 18 with its corresponding and associated fuel control valve 28 . Lastly, each supply line 38 couples each fuel nozzle 20 to the fuel control valve 32 , which is fluidly connected with the manifold 26 .
[0029] Although FIG. 1 illustrates three manifolds, any number of manifolds could be employed. As a practical engineering consideration, the cost of multiple manifolds must be balanced against an excessive pressure drop as the fuel flows from the manifold through the fuel control valve, through each supply line to each fuel nozzle in each combustion chamber 14 . It can easily be determines when too many fuel control valves and associated fuel nozzles stem from a manifold such that the pressure drop across each fuel control valve is not consistent, and is deemed an excessive pressure drop.
[0030] At the exhaust outlet 12 of the gas turbine 10 are multiple thermocouples 40 based about the periphery of the gas turbine 10 , as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 . The number of thermocouples (TC 1 , TC 2 , TC 3 . . . ) provided is a practical design choice. For an industrial gas turbine having fourteen combustion chambers, twenty-seven thermocouples are not unusual and are illustrated in FIG. 3 . However, the number of combustions chambers, manifolds, nozzles, and thermocouples can vary depending on the desired energy output from the gas turbine.
[0031] FIG. 2 shows an exhaust end cross section of a combustion chamber 14 in which three fuel nozzles 20 are illustrated, along with two fuel nozzles 16 and one fuel nozzle 18 . It is contemplated that each combustion chamber would have one central fuel nozzle 18 and any specified number of further fuel nozzles associated with one or more manifolds. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the arrangement in FIG. 2 , which, relative to the number of fuel nozzles shown, is for illustrative and understanding purposes only. FIG. 2 also demonstrates that the manifolds 22 , 24 , and 26 are not necessarily the same size. If manifold 22 , is supplying only fuel nozzle 18 , it does not need to be as large as manifold 26 , which supplies three fuel nozzles 20 in each combustion chamber 14 . The size of the manifolds 22 , 24 , and 26 , as well as the number of fuel nozzles 16 , 18 , and 20 , all depend on the size of the combustion chambers 14 , the number of combustion chambers, and the desired energy output from the gas turbine 10 .
[0032] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the exhaust outlet 12 of a gas turbine 10 illustrating 14 combustion chambers 14 (CC 1 , CC 2 , CC 3 . . . CC 14 ) and twenty-seven thermocouples 40 (TC 1 , TC 2 , TC 3 . . . TC 27 ).
[0033] FIG. 4 is a typical swirl chart showing gas turbine output as a percent (0-100%) of capacity versus various swirl angles in degrees (1-90°). At low output, the swirl angle is larger. At high output, where the fuel-air volume is high, the angle is low (i.e., the fuel-air has a smaller residence time in the turbine, and it reaches the outlet 12 very quickly). At low output, the fuel-air residence time is one second, for example, while at high output the fuel-air residence time is perhaps 0.1 seconds. Therefore, the chart indicates the angle between any combustion chamber and the point where the exhaust from the combustion chamber crosses the outlet 12 of the gas turbine 10 . In the arrangement described in FIG. 3 , which shows fourteen combustion chambers, each combustion chamber occupies a segment equal to 360/14, or approximately 25.7 degrees. The swirl angle is measured with reference to the center of the segment that each combustion chamber occupies. The angle would increase as the load on the gas turbine 10 decreases. For example, if the load on the turbine is at 90% of the capacity, and the exhaust from combustion chamber # 3 crosses thermocouple # 8 as viewed in FIG. 3 , (a clockwise rotation) then operating the gas turbine 10 at 50% of nameplate capacity may mean, for example, the exhaust exiting combustion chamber # 3 now crosses thermocouple # 10 . Likewise, if the gas turbine 10 is reduced to 25% of nameplate capacity, for example, then the exhaust from combustion chamber # 3 might cross thermocouple # 12 . Thus the swirl chart in FIG. 4 is merely a correlation between a specific combustion chamber and where its exhaust crosses the outlet 12 of the gas chamber 10 at specified loads. Thus, a swirl angle at 90% of nameplate capacity will be different than a swirl angle at 50% nameplate capacity. A swirl chart showing the rotation of the turbine flows at many different percentages of nameplate capacity, for example, would allow one skilled in the art to be able to tune the gas turbine 10 at any specified level (i.e., between 50% to 100% of nameplate capacity) and tune each and every combustion chamber so that the variation between each combustion chamber is now minimized. Once the swirl data is determined, a computer could then be employed to efficiently run the gas turbine at any level of nameplate capacity.
[0034] More specifically, the methods of the present invention of tuning the gas turbine would require construction of a swirl chart that relates the location of the exhaust from a specified combustion chamber to the location of the exhaust as it crosses the outlet of the gas turbine at specified fuel loads. In viewing FIG. 1 , suppose that the specified fuel load is 80% of nameplate capacity. One skilled in the art would then move all the fuel trim valves mounted on manifolds 22 , 24 and 26 to a mid-stroke position, thereby allowing one skilled in the art to either increase or decrease the flow into each fuel nozzle 16 , 18 and 20 independently. One skilled in the art will then operate the gas turbine at 80% of nameplate capacity and increase the fuel in say, combustion chamber # 3 , thus creating a “hot spot” compared to the remaining combustion chambers. One skilled in the art notes what thermocouple(s) has/have the corresponding higher exhaust temperature. Thereafter, one skilled in the art will slowly decrease (and increase, if applicable) the nameplate capacity of the gas turbine 10 such that the “hot spot” can be monitored over the entire load range over which the gas turbine is to be tuned. The engineer can compare the experimental record of all thermocouples 40 (TC 1 , TC 2 . . . TC 27 ) with a similar record obtained when the fuel trim valves are all fully open. The artisan can then correlate the thermocouple that has shown the higher exhaust temperature (or the “hot spot”) with the known location of the center of the combustion chamber that created the “hot spot” at every nameplate capacity. With this information on hand, one skilled in the art can construct a swirl chart like that shown in FIG. 4 . The swirl chart can also be constructed by creating a “cold spot” in the gas turbine by decreasing flow to any combustion chamber using the fuel trim valve controlling flow to that chamber.
[0035] After determining the average exhaust temperature, taking into consideration all the thermocouples (in FIG. 3 all 27 thermocouples), one skilled in the art can then classify each combustion chamber as being rich, lean, or average. A rich combustion chamber creates a hot spot, while a lean combustion chamber would be indicated by a cooler temperature (i.e., a less than the average exhaust temperature). Due to the rotation of the combustor exhaust flows through the turbine and the minimal number of exhaust thermocouples at the turbine exit, it will be impossible to determine variations between combustion chambers by operating the unit at any one nameplate capacity. One skilled in the art will recognize that the process of classifying the combustion chambers 14 as rich or lean will be facilitated by monitoring the exhaust thermocouple record from the turbine exhaust 12 when the gas turbine 10 is slowly unloaded from 100% nameplate capacity to say, 50% nameplate capacity. Together with the swirl chart developed previously, the engineer can then correlate each combustion chamber with a specific thermocouple in the turbine exhaust outlet 12 and compare it with the average exhaust temperature at that nameplate capacity. With this analysis in hand, one skilled in the art could classify each combustion chamber as being rich (or lean) if the exhaust from said combustion chamber is always hotter (or cooler) than the average exhaust temperature across the range of nameplate capacity which the unit would be operated.
[0036] The engineer will then recognize that tuning any one combustion chamber would involve operating the unit at a nameplate capacity such that the exit from said combustion chamber can be directly monitored with an exhaust thermocouple at the exit of the gas turbine 10 . All of the rich combustion chambers could be modulated by decreasing the fuel load, thereby dropping its exhaust temperature toward the average exhaust temperature calculated previously. While decreasing the fuel load to any rich combustion chamber, one skilled in the art will actuate all the fuel trim valves controlling fuel flow to the said combustion chamber simultaneously such that the relative flow to each fuel nozzle in said combustion chamber remains undisturbed; while the overall fuel flow to said combustion chamber is adjusted downwards. All of the lean combustion chambers are similarly tuned by increasing the fuel load, thus increasing the exhaust temperature toward the average calculated exhaust temperature. This tuning process will be carried out incrementally, with no need to decrease (or increase) the flow to a rich (or lean) combustion chamber to such a magnitude that it now becomes a lean (or rich) combustion chamber. The engineer will therefore, at all times, be cognizant of the exhaust temperature measurement from the thermocouple corresponding to the chamber being tuned and the average exhaust temperature from all combustion chambers at the nameplate capacity at which the gas turbine is being tuned.
[0037] Now, one skilled in the art can operate the gas turbine at any fuel load with these settings, knowing that the variation between the combustion chambers remains within the desired range at any fuel load, generally within 1%.
[0038] Once gas turbine 10 has been globally tuned, i.e. tuning each of the combustion chambers such that the variation between the overall fuel-air ratio between combustion chambers is within the specified or desired range, the last step remaining is to adjust the individual combustion chamber fuel splits between the multiple fuel nozzles in each combustion can. Once global tuning has been completed, an engineer can obtain a record of the combustor pressure oscillations in each combustion chamber and overall emissions from the gas turbine and determine if they are all within acceptable limits. Those skilled in the art will compare the relative magnitudes of the combustor pressure oscillations and determine if there is a significant variation between combustion chambers (say, the worst combustion chamber has a pressure oscillation of twice or thrice that of an average combustion chamber). Those skilled in the art will recognize that the combustor pressure oscillations are strongly dependent on the relative fuel flow between the multiple fuel nozzles mounted on each combustion chamber. If there is significant variation between combustion chambers, it is indicative that the fuel splits in some combustion chambers may be too “rich” or “lean” compared to the average combustion chamber. The objective of tuning the outlying combustion chambers (i.e., those that are significantly different when compared to an average combustion chamber) would be to increase or decrease the fuel split in order to balance the fuel splits amongst all combustion chambers. The engineer can now actuate the fuel trim valves mounted on each outlying combustion chamber so as to minimize the combustor pressure oscillation measured from said chamber. Those skilled in the art will recognize that this tuning process will be carried out incrementally, with no need to decrease (or increase) the fuel split to an outlying combustion chamber that is already lean (or rich); thereby increasing the combustor pressure oscillation instead of decreasing it.
[0039] Various embodiments of this invention have been described in fulfillment of the various needs that the invention meets. It should be recognized that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of various embodiments of the present invention. Numerous modifications and adaptations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover all suitable modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
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The gas turbines of the present invention have multiple combustion chambers, and within each chamber are multiple fuel nozzles. Each nozzle has its own fuel control valve to control the fuel flowing to the nozzles. To minimize the pressure drop through the fuel control valves, multiple manifolds are employed. Each manifold supplies at least one fuel nozzle in multiple combustion chambers with fuel. The fuel control valves are mounted on the manifolds such that the weight of the fuel control valves and nozzles are carried by the manifolds, not the multiple combustion chambers. A plurality of thermocouples for measuring exhaust gas from said multiple combustion chambers are employed to sense gas exhaust temperature. In carrying out the methods of the present invention for tuning a gas turbine, it is essential to note that the most efficient gas turbine is one which has the least nitrous oxides, the least amount of unburned hydrocarbons, and the least amount of carbon monoxide for a specified energy output. In order to tune the gas turbine to accomplish these objectives, it is desirable that each combustion chamber in the gas turbine be well balanced relative to the remaining combustion chambers. It is an aim of the present invention to tune each of the multiple combustion chambers such that no specific combustion chamber is rich or lean, and all are operating within about 1% of the remaining combustion chambers.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various types of humidity sensing elements, or so-called humidity elements, have been used as the tranducers of hygrometers for quantitatively sensing the water vapor content of gaseous atmospheres. Paper, or horsehair, sensing elements which respond by relatively slow changes in length dimension to changes in atmospheric moisture content have been used for many years. More sophisticated humidity sensors such as the Dunmore cell have used layers of hygroscopic chemicals such as lithium chloride as variable resistors between the electrodes of the sensors, the electrical resistance of the lithium chloride being a function of the amount of moisture absorbed from the surrounding atmosphere and measurable by electrical instrumentation. A moisture sensing element disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,748,625 has a pair of electrodes spaced apart by a crystal lattice which permits molecules of the atmosphere being monitored to randomly drift in and out of the crystal interstices due to vapor pressure changes, and the volumetric resistance of the sensor changes as a function of the percent of water vapor present in the molecules of atmosphere within the interstitial spaces.
The paper or horsehair sensing elements are slow to react to moisture changes, and their reactions must be mechanically measured with the attendant problems of stickslip friction, damage possibilities, adjustment requirements, and mechanical wear problems, and do not provide the accuracy of humidity measurement which is desired in many applications. The Dunmore cell type sensors are delicate to the extent that they can be decalibrated by a fingerprint, and in that their hygroscopic nature gathers moisture from the atmosphere which may create a high humidity zone around the sensor with resultant inaccuracies in measurements. The sensor of U.S. Pat. No. 3,748,625 requires long and involved processes and results in a sensor which would appear to require special housing for physical protection.
In contrast, the present invention provides a relative humidity sensing element that may be energized or excited by low voltage microscopic currents from solid state electronic instrumentation, does not depend on mechanical movements, is physically sturdy and requires no special physical protection, is not affected by fingerprints or reasonably dirty environments, is non-hygroscopic so that moisture only permeates the element and is not attracted by it nor collected in it, has a response time on the order of one second, and is manufactured by a method comprised by a novel combination of familiar and non-exotic manufacturing methods.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The humidity sensing element for gaseous fluids of the present invention comprises a first electron conductive electrode, a porous coating of dielectric thereon, minute particles of electron conductive material deposited in the interstices of the porosity of the dielectric, a second electron conductive electrode pervious to moisture vapor and disposed on the dielectric coating on the opposite side thereof from the first electrode, an ion-forming material in the dielectric commonly contacting the particles and the second electrode and reducing the porosity of the dielectric, the impedance between the electrodes varying generally linearly with relation to the relative humidity of the surrounding gaseous atmosphere in a suitable range of interest when excited by a suitable alternating current voltage.
Briefly described, the humidity element of the present invention has the first electrode formed from commercially pure anodizable metal, an anodized layer thereof forms the dielectric coating, the minute particles deposited therein are metal and the ion-forming material contacting them reduces the porosity of the dielectric, the impedance between the electrodes is a capacitance-resistance combination, and the second electrode is formed by vacuum deposition of metal from a plated hot filament onto the anodized layer.
Preferably the humidity sensing element of the present invention has had the dielectric beneath the second electrode formed by oxalic acid anodizing on a portion of the sensing element having an initial surface finish roughness of about 8 micro inches root means square, minute particles of nickel have been deposited in the porosity of the dielectric, the anodized dielectric has been hydrolized and sealed to contact the nickel particles with ion-forming material, and the second electrode is formed by a deposit of nickel in quantity equivalent to an amount calculated for deposition of a layer approximately 100 Angstrom units thick on a smooth non-porous surface.
In the preferred embodiment, the humidity element of this invention has the first electrode formed from 99.4% pure aluminum which is anodized to a thickness in the range of about 0.02 to 0.08 millimeters, atom-sized nickel particles are deposited in the interstices of the anodized dielectric while it is dry and unsealed by vacuum deposition from a hot nickel-plated filament in a quantity equivalent to an amount calculated to deposit on a smooth non-porous surface a layer between 5 and 10 Angstrom units thick, and the element is suitable for excitating for sensing by an alternating current sine wave voltage in the order of 10 Hertz for optimizing the temperature effects on the linearity of the decreasing impedance with increasing relative humidity relationship of the element. It is preferred to make electrical contact with the second electrode by a coating of electrically conductive material covering a portion of the second electrode and also covering an otherwise exposed portion of an insulating and cushioning element adhered to the sensing element so that a pressure contact electrical connection to the conductive material and thereby to the second electrode may be made by pressure on the cushioning element without shorting the second electrode to the first electrode by inadvertently crushing the dielectric between them.
Briefly described, the method of manufacturing the humidity sensing element of the present invention comprises the steps of coating at least a portion of a first electron conductive electrode with a porous coating of dielectric, depositing minute particles of electron conductive material in the interstices of the porosity of the dielectric, commonly contacting the particles in the interstices by means of an ion-forming material, and forming a second electron conductive electrode contacting the ion-forming material and pervious to moisture vapor and disposed on the dielectric coating on the opposite side thereof from the first electrode whereby the impedance between the electrodes varies generally linearly with relation to the relative humidity of the surrounding gaseous atmosphere in a suitable range of interest when excited by a suitable alternating current voltage.
Preferably, the method of manufacturing for the present humidity element includes forming the first electrode from commercially pure aluminum and anodizing the aluminum to form the dielectric coating, vacuum depositing atomic particles of nickel from a hot filament into the interstices of the porosity of the dielectric in a quantity equivalent to an amount calculated to deposit a layer of thickness between 5 and 10 Angstrom units on a smooth non-porous surface, contacting the particles in the interstices by hydrolizing and sealing the anodized coating, and vacuum depositing nickel onto the sealed anodized coating to form the second electrode.
The preferred method of manufacturing the present humidity element includes oxalic acid anodizing the aluminum to a thickness of about 0.02 to 0.08 millimeters, and depositing nickel for the second electrode in a quantity equivalent to an amount calculated to deposit a layer about 100 Angstrom units thick on a smooth non-porous surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an axial view of a typical cylindrical sensing element according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and showing in phantom typical mounting and electrical connection arrangements for the sensing element; and
FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic cross sectional view taken generally within the circular area designated 3--3 in FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The humidity element, or humidity sensing element, of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is suitable for excitation by a ten Hertz sine wave alternating current electrical voltage impressed across its electrodes by a solid state electronic measurement circuit and consists essentially of a tubular aluminum first electrode member whose bore has been anodized, the anodized layer impregnated in its porosity with nickel particles by vacuum deposition, the anodized layer sealed, and the sealed anodized layer overlaid with a porous vacuum deposition of nickel to form a second electrode.
The sensing element 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is typically a small, hollow cylinder of commercially pure (99.4%) aluminum, such as Alloy 1100, having an outer flange 12 for mounting purposes at one end. The hollow bore 14 of the sensing element 10 is typically machined to a very fine finish and then roller burnished to a very smooth, about 8 micro inch, surface finish. A typical element 10 has a bore of about 15 millimeter diameter, 32 millimeter length, and a wall thickness of about 15 millimeters.
The entire element 10 is initially anodized by conventional methods in a 3 percent solution by weight of oxalic acid in distilled water at ambient temperature at a current density of 12 amperes per square foot for 60 to 70 minutes to achieve an anodized coating or layer of aluminum oxide or alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) of about 0.02 to 0.08 millimeters thickness. This anodized layer is then thoroughly rinsed to remove the acid and is then dried at about 38 degrees C. for 24 hours.
The anodized layer has an open pore structure probably similar to a miniaturized layer of rocks, probably formed by amorphous agglomerations of aluminum oxide molecules which grow bouldered-up from the essentially pure aluminum base metal during the anodizing process, and it is nearly impervious at the metal base and ever more porous toward the surface of the layer. In the preferred embodiment disclosed here, the hollow bore 14 of the sensing element 10 forms the moisture sensing portion of the element, and it is therefore suitably treated to deposit minute particles 16 of a suitable metal such as nickel into the interstices 19 (as schematically represented in FIG. 3) of the porosity of the anodized layer 18 inside the bore 14.
In the preferred method of manufacture of the present sensor, the anodized layer 18 within the hollow bore 14, having been rinsed and dried, is exposed to vacuum deposition bombardment by atoms of nickel by heating a solid tungsten wire centered axially within the bore 14, the tungsten wire having been previously electroplated with a quantity of nickel equivalent to an amount calculated at 95% plating efficiency to be sufficient to form a layer of nickel 5 to 10 Angstrom units thick at 95% deposition efficiency if the surface of the bore 14 were smooth and solid. However, since the surface of the bore 14 is microscopically highly porous, the atoms of nickel will be randomly deposited within the interstices of the porosity of the anodized layer 18, in decreasing quantities down into the layer 18 toward the base metal, and the atoms of nickel will adhere to the interstitial surfaces of the anodized layer 18 as is typical of vacuum deposition. The preferred method of vacuum deposition is at a calculated tungsten wire temperature of 2600° F. for 15 seconds in a 10 -5 to 10 -6 torr vacuum.
Following deposition of the nickel particles 16 on the unsealed anodized layer 18, the sensing element or sensor 10 is placed in a boiling water bath to hydrolize and seal the anodized layer 18 as is common in anodizing practice. Thereafter, the sensor 10 should be thoroughly dried at about 150° F. before the next step. Sealing partially converts the as-anodized alumina of the anodized layer 18 to an aluminum monohydrate, and this reduces the porosity of the anodized layer 18 somewhat, as well as leaving the nickel particles 16 in contact with the ion-forming aluminum monohydrate probably containing residual traces of oxalic acid and layer 18 vapor pervious.
It is next desirable to form a thin, water vapor pervious electrode over the nickel-impregnated sealed anodized layer 18 which lies within the bore 14, and this is again preferably accomplished by vacuum deposition of nickel atoms on the surface of the bore from a nickel-plated axially centered tungsten wire for 15 seconds at a temperature of 2600° F. in a 10 -5 to 10 -6 torr vacuum. The amount of nickel in this deposition is calculated at 95% plating efficiency to be equivalent to that amount which would form a layer 100 Angstrom units thick at 95% deposition efficiency if the surface of the bore 14 were smooth and solid. However, due to the porosity of the sealed anodized layer 18 and the thinness of the nickel deposition, a probably lacy deposit of nickel is formed which is pervious to atmospheric molecules while being electrically conductive to form a second electrode 20 separated from the first electrode formed by the aluminum body 22 of the sensor 10 by the doped dielectric layer 24 formed by the nickel impregnated sealed portion of the anodized layer 18.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sensor 10 may be suitably mounted in a mounting bracket 25 suitably provided with a bore 28 and a counterbore 30 for receiving the cylindrical portion and the flange 12 of the sensor 10, and a clamping ring 32 of non-conductive or insulating material equipped with suitable screws for engagement with threaded holes in the bracket 26 for firmly mounting the sensor 10. To facilitate a suitable pressure electrical contact with the second electrode 20 without inadvertent crushing of the doped dielectric layer 24 that could effectively short circuit the two electrodes, a thin plastic insulating ring 34 is adhesively fastened to the flanged outer end of the sensor 10, the ring 34 having the same inside diameter as the sensor 10 and an outside diameter slightly less than that of the flange 12, and a layer 35 of electrically conductive material, such as conductive paint or metallic ink, is applied as shown in FIG. 2 to cover the second electrode 20 for a short distance within the bore 14 and to extend unbroken over the inside diameter of the plastic ring 34 and over its exposed flat surface. A suitable metal ring 36 of approximately the same diameter dimensions as the ring 34 and having an electrical conductor 37 connected thereto, may then be clamped over the conductive layer 35 by the insulating clamping ring 32. Electrical connection to the first electrode formed by the aluminum body 22 is suitably made by machining the anodized layer 18 from the underside 38 of the flange 12 for pressure contact with the mounting bracket 26 which is suitably at ground potential for eliminating stray current effects on the sensor 10. Thus, the sensor 10 is self-contained and forms its own protection for the humidity-sensitive portion in its bore, while the surrounding atmosphere may circulate freely through the bore (which is normally mounted vertically) for free exchange of atmospheric molecules with the dielectric layer 24.
The exact means by which the sensor of this invention functions to have an impedance which decreases generally linearly proportionally to the relative humidity of the atmosphere to which it is exposed must be a subject for theorizing. However, the invention of the present sensor was based on the theory that while the capacitance of a porous dielectric between electrodes will increase linearly with the number of water vapor molecules present in the dielectric, the resistance of many materials increases as the temperature increases, so that in theory, a suitable combination of capacitance and resistance in a humidity sensing element should result in a humidity element which responds essentially linearly proportionally to the relative humidity of the atmosphere to which it is exposed. This may be explained by the facts that relative humidity is essentially defined as the ratio of the specific quantity of water vapor in a given volume of air at a given temperature, compared to the maximum specific quantity of water vapor which the same volume of air could hold in vapor form at that temperature, and that a rise in the temperature of air containing a specific quantitiy of moisture vapor causes the relative humidity to go down, and vice versa, and that an increase in the specific amount of moisture vapor in a volume of air held at constant temperature causes the relative humidity to rise, and vice versa. Thus, in theory, the ideal humidity sensing element should combine capacitance and electrical resistance in a suitable manner such that its total impedance will vary essentially linearly proportionally with the relative humidity; that is, when the temperature rises while the moisture vapor molecules in the atmosphere remain constant, the resistance should rise, while the capacitance remains constant, resulting in an increasing total impedance with rising temperature, and vice versa. Also, when the atmospheric temperature remains constant, and the number of water vapor molecules therein is increased, then the capacitance of the sensor should increase, and its impedance thereby decrease, while its resistivity remains constant and its total impedance thereby decreases, and vice versa. Such a combination results in a sensor whose impedance varies inversely proportionally to the relative humidity of the atmosphere, and when such a sensor is connected in series with a resistance and excited by a suitable alternating current voltage, the voltage drop across the series resistor will vary directly as the relative humidity of the atmosphere.
In theory, again, water vapor molecules within the dielectric of a capacitance become polarized, but are non-conductive and only serve to increase the capacitance of the dielectric. In the present sensing element, water vapor molecules in the presence of the ion-forming aluminum monohydrate in contact with the nickel particles in the anodized layer 18 will form conductive ionization paths between the nickel particles and lower the resistance in the path between the electrodes, yet and resistance paths are affected by temperature increases to increase their resistance. The end result of the preferred embodiment disclosed herein is that the combination of resistance, which is responsive both to water molecules and to temperature changes, combined with the capacitance, which is essentially responsive to the presence of water vapor molecules, forms a sensor whose impedance is essentially linearly inversely proportional to the relative humidity of the atmosphere to which it is exposed, and the impedance changes almost instantly in response to relative humidity changes (response time in the order of 1 second) due to the thin and molecularly porous dielectric and second electrode.
While it has not been determined what specific conditions would give a perfectly linear relation between sensor impedance and relative humidity, it has been determined that the relation is sufficiently linear in the present sensor for effective performance in a suitable range of temperatures and humidities as normally must be controlled in typical textile mills, which may typically require temperatures between 75° F. and 85° F. and relative humidities between 40% and 85%. It has been found that the present sensor varies notably from a linear response when excited by 60 Hertz AC voltage, but that linearity is improved when it is excited with 20 Hertz AC voltage, and that it is improved still further when excited by 10 Hertz AC voltage, to the extent that 10 Hertz excitation provides substantial linearity for the commercial humidity controls for which the present sensor is designed.
Among other limiting conditions to the present sensor, it has been found that excessive impurities in the aluminum will result in an anodized layer 18 containing unanodized alloying particles which will effectively short circuit between the two electrodes, but the commercially available electrical conductor Alloy 1100 functions suitably. Likewise, if the calculated thickness of nickel deposited in the porosity of the anodized layer 18 exceeds 10 Angstrom units, the two electrodes again tend to become shorted out, while a calculated thickness of less than 5 Angstrom units fails to supply the resistive component of impedance between the two electrodes which is desired. Also, the anodized layer 18 achieved in the bore 14 after it has been fine machined and roller burnished to a surface finish approximating 8 micro inches by an anodizing bath consisting of a 3% solution by weight of oxalic acid in distilled water at room temperature for 60 to 70 minutes at a current density reaching 12 amperes per square foot has been found satisfactory, and is believed to lie in the range of 0.02 to 0.08 millimeters thickness. Hydrolizing and sealing the anodized layer 18 decreases the porosity of the anodized layer such that the deposited second electrode 20 on the anodized layer 18 does not get down into the porosity of the anodization enought to short out the nickel atoms already deposited therein. It has been found that sulfuric acid or nitric acid anodized layers, when sealed, apparently contain so much residual ion-forming material that they effectively short circuit the two electrodes and are therefore unsatisfactory, and oxalic acid, which is an organic acid, has been found to give suitable results. Similarly, when the second electrode 20 was deposited with a calculated thickness of 25 Angstrom units, it was found to be non-conductive, 50 Angstrom units was conductive, but 100 Angstrom units appears to be best for conductance and porosity, while 200 Angstrom units is not sufficiently porous and permeable.
It is recognized that there may be variables in the dimensions, materials, and processes for manufacturing humidity elements according to the concepts of the present invention, and this preferred embodiment presents a workable element and method of manufacture therefor, which is disclosed in full detail and illustrated in the drawings for disclosure purposes only, but it is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is to be determined by the scope of the appended claims.
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A doped capacitance humidity sensing element and method of manufacture thereof is provided. The element has a response time in the order of one second and has one electrode formed by an anodizable metal, an anodized layer thereon, conductive, metal atoms deposited in non-short-circuiting mutual relation in the interstices of the anodized layer, the anodized coating layer sealed to contact the particles with an ion-forming material and reduce the porosity of the coating, and a second electrode formed by a moisture-vapor-pervious, electron-conductive layer of metal deposited on the sealed anodized coating on the opposite side from the first electrode, the anodized coating layer being generally pervious to the surrounding gaseous atmosphere and the moisture vapor thereof and the capacitance element presenting an impedance to low frequency sine wave electrical excitation varying inversely and generally proportionally to the relative humidity of the surrounding gaseous atmosphere.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
[0001] The present invention relates to an improved jacket for sealing a liquid container, which is for sealing a liquid container for storing recording liquid, for example, ink, supplied to the ink jet head of an ink jet recording apparatus, and which is removably connectable to the liquid supply path to the ink jet head. It also relates to a method for unsealing a liquid container fitted with such a liquid container sealing jacket. More specifically, it relates to a liquid container sealing jacket structured so that it is unlikely to allow such a problem as ink splash to occur, and a method for removing such a liquid container sealing jacket.
[0002] Conventionally, an ink jet recording head which ejects ink onto recording medium to form an image on the recording medium employs an ink container from which ink is supplied to the recording head through an ink supply tube or the like. There have been proposed various types of replaceable ink containers, which are independent from an ink jet recording head. Many of these replaceable ink containers comprise a shell, and a piece of ink absorbing member contained in the shell in order to retain ink. They are connected to the ink supply tube leading to an ink Jet recording head. In order to facilitate the ink supply to the ink jet recording head, and also to prevent the ink leakage from the air vent of the ink container, through which the internal space of the ink container is connected to the ambient air, some of the containers have been known to be structured so that the ink content of the ink absorbing member is greater in the adjacencies of the ink outlet of the ink container than in the rest of the ink container, and smallest in the adjacencies of the air vent than in the rest of the ink container.
[0003] There is a possibility that ink will leak from an ink container of the above described replaceable type, through its ink outlet and/or air vent. Thus, it is a common practice to place a sealing jacket capable of sealing the ink outlet and air vent, around the ink container, in order to prevent the ink leakage. According to the prior art, a sealing jacket is placed around an ink container so that the ink outlet and air vent of the ink container are covered with the sealing jacket. Then, in order to keep the ink container hermetically sealed, the sealing jacket is glued, or thermally welded, to the ink container along the portions around the ink outlet and the portion around the air vent. A sealing jacket is inexpensive, and yet, is capable of reliably keeping an ink container hermetically sealed. Therefore, it is widely used to seal an ink container. All that is required of a user to unseal an ink container fitted with a sealing jacket, more specifically, to unseal the ink outlet and air vent sealed with the sealing jacket, is to peel the sealing jacket away from the adjacencies of the ink outlet and air vent, by directly pulling the sealing jacket.
[0004] There is a possibility that during the shipment of an ink container, a sealing jacket becomes partially undone due to the increase in the internal pressure of the ink container caused by the changes in the ambient factors. Thus, in order to prevent such an accident, a conventional sealing jacket has been very firmly glued, or thermally welded, to the ink container along the portions around the ink outlet and air vent; in other words, the adhesive strength between the sealing jacket and ink container is made substantial, around the ink outlet and air vent. Therefore, a user has to apply a substantial amount of muscular force, in-order to remove the sealing jacket.
[0005] This creates the following problem. That is, in order to peel the sealing jacket from around the ink outlet and air vent, a user has to pull the sealing jacket with a substantial amount of muscular force, as described above. However, the substantial resistance coming from the adhesive strength between the sealing jacket and ink container suddenly disappears the moment the sealing jacket becomes completely separated from the portions of the ink container around the ink outlet or air vent. As a result, the user's hand is suddenly let go in the direction in which it was pulling the sealing jacket, yanking the sealing jacket away from the ink container. Therefore, there is the possibility that the ink remaining sealed by the sealing jacket will be splashed, in particular, from the ink outlet, soiling the user's hand as well as the surroundings.
[0006] There are two bodies of ink which are splashed: the first body of ink which is thought to be between the ink absorbent member and sealing jacket, and the second body of ink adhering to the sealing jacket itself.
[0007] Referring to FIGS. 9 ( a ), 9 ( b ), and 9 ( c ), the first body of ink is subjected to the pressure which acts in the direction in which the internal volume of the ink container 51 increases, that is, in the direction in which the ink within the ink container is drawn out. The first body of ink is also affected by the inertia generated by the movement of the sealing jacket 52 being abruptly peeled. As a result, the body of ink 54 between the ink absorbent member 53 and the sealing jacket 52 is abruptly stretched by the sealing jacket 52 . As a result, the body of ink 54 will abruptly split. However, as it abruptly splits, specks of ink which fail to remain on either the ink absorbent member 53 or sealing jacket 52 , splash.
[0008] Referring to FIGS. 10 ( a ), 10 ( b ), and 10 ( c ), the moment the sealing jacket 52 becomes completely separated from the ink outlet 55 , the sealing-jacket 52 is briefly yanked by the above described sudden movement of the user's hand. As a result, the second body of ink 54 a, or the body of ink adhering to the surface of the sealing Jacket, is sometimes shot out by the impact from the sudden movement of the sealing jacket 52 , being splashed.
[0009] In the case of some ink containers, the cap 62 is welded to the ink outlet 61 at the welding seam 64 in order to assure that the ink outlet 61 remains sealed, for the purpose of preventing these bodies of ink from being splashed. This type of ink container 63 is to be unsealed in the following manner. First, in order to break the welding seam 64 between the cap 62 and ink outlet 61 , the cap 62 is to be rotated in the direction opposite to the direction in which the cap 62 is to be rotated in the final stage of its removal. Then, the cap 62 is to be removed. Therefore, the internal pressure of the ink container 63 is not released while the cap 62 becomes literally separated from the ink outlet. Further, the cap 62 is removed after the breaking of the welding seam 64 , eliminating the problem that the cap 62 is abruptly moved away from the ink outlet. In other words, the type of ink splashing, which sometimes occurs to an ink container employing the sealing Jacket shown in FIG. 10 , does not occur to these types of ink container, since the cap 62 of this type of ink container is opened by rotating the cap 62 .
[0010] In the case of the ink containers with a cap structured as described above, the cap must be “twisted” to open it. “Twisting” means “turning the wrist while holding the cap”, which is an operation rather difficult for children, older people, or people having troubles with their hands or wrists, to perform. Moreover, the cap of this type of ink container is firmly welded to assure that the ink container remains sealed with the cap, adding to the level of the difficulty in the twisting the cap. Thus, a sealing jacket for an ink container, which is structured so that an ink container can be easily unsealed by anybody, has been desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention is made in consideration of the above described problems, and its primary object is to provide a highly reliable sealing jacket for a liquid container, which is capable of preventing ink from splashing from the ink outlet of an ink container during the unsealing of the ink container, and yet can be easily removed by anybody, and also to provide a method for unsealing a liquid container fitted with such a sealing jacket.
[0012] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a packaging structure for a liquid container including a liquid containing portion accommodating liquid, a liquid supply portion for supplying the liquid to an outside and an air vent for fluid communication with an ambience, comprising a covering member for covering and sealing said liquid supply portion and said air vent; said covering member including an air vent sealing portion for sealing said air vent and a liquid supply portion sealing portion for sealing said liquid supply portion, and a connecting region for covering a connecting side of said liquid container which connects said air vent sealing portion and said liquid supply portion sealing portion, wherein said liquid supply portion sealing portion effects non-adhering sealing for said liquid supply portion, and said connecting region provides a resistance against unsealing of said liquid supply portion.
[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an unsealing method for unsealing a packaging structure for a liquid container including a liquid containing portion accommodating liquid, a liquid supply portion for supplying the liquid to an outside and an air vent for fluid communication with an ambience, said packaging structure including a covering member for covering and sealing said liquid supply portion and said air vent; said covering member including; an air vent sealing portion for sealing said air vent and a liquid supply portion sealing portion for sealing said liquid supply portion, and a connecting region for covering a connecting side of said liquid container which connects said air vent sealing portion and said liquid supply portion sealing portion, wherein said liquid supply portion sealing portion effects non-adhering sealing for said liquid supply portion, and said connecting region provides a resistance against unsealing of said liquid supply portion, said method comprising a step of unsealing said air vent at said air vent sealing portion; a step of separating said first resistance generating portion from the side of said liquid container where said first resistance generating portion is provided; a step of unsealing said liquid supply portion at said liquid supply portion sealing portion where said liquid supply portion is sealed by the non-adhering sealing; and a step of separating said second resistance generating portion from the side of said liquid container where said second resistance generating portion is provided.
[0014] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a packaging structure for a liquid container having a liquid containing portion for containing liquid and a liquid supply opening for supplying the liquid, wherein said liquid supply opening is covered by a covering member, wherein said covering member has at least two independent adhered regions where said covering member is adhered to said liquid container at positions such that liquid supply opening is interposed between said two adhered regions.
[0015] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a packaging structure for a liquid container having a liquid containing portion for containing liquid and a liquid supply opening for supplying the liquid, wherein said liquid supply opening is covered by a covering member, wherein said covering member has independent adhered regions where said covering member is adhered to said liquid container and tearing means for tearing said covering member at respective positions such that liquid supply opening is interposed between said regions.
[0016] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a packaging structure for a liquid container including a liquid containing portion accommodating liquid, a liquid supply portion for supplying the liquid to an outside and an air vent for fluid communication with an ambience, the packing structure includes a covering member for covering and sealing the liquid supply portion and the air vent; the covering member including; an air vent sealing portion for sealing the air vent and a liquid supply portion sealing portion for sealing the liquid supply portion, and a connecting region for covering a connecting side of the liquid container which connects the air vent sealing portion and the liquid supply portion sealing portion, wherein the liquid supply portion sealing portion effects non-adhering sealing for the liquid supply portion, and the connecting region provides a resistance against unsealing of the liquid supply portion.
[0017] A liquid container fitted with the above described sealing jacket can be unsealed following the steps described next. First, a user is to peel the sealing jacket by grasping one end of the sealing jacket on the liquid container. The sealing jacket is adhered to the liquid container by its two adherent portions positioned one for one on both sides of the liquid outlet in terms of the direction in which the sealing jacket is to be removed. Thus, first, one (first) of the adherent portions of the sealing jacket is peeled. While this portion is peeled, the length of the first adherent portion, in terms of the direction in which it is peeled, makes it possible for a user to realize the amount of muscular force necessary to be exerted to peel the sealing jacket, preventing therefore the sealing jacket from being peeled too fast by the application of an excessive amount of force.
[0018] At the end of the peeling of the first adherent portion, the amount of the force necessary to peel the sealing jacket suddenly reduces to virtually zero. However, the user has not been applying an excessive amount of muscular force, as described above. Therefore, it does not occur that the user's hand grasping the sealing jacket jerkingly moves due to the sudden reduction in the resistance.
[0019] The portion of the sealing jacket corresponding to the liquid outlet of the liquid container is not adherent. Thus, at the end of the peeling of the first adherent portion, the liquid outlet becomes unsealed. As described above, during this process of peeling the first adherent portion, the sealing jacket is not abruptly peeled. Therefore, the liquid in, or adhering to, the liquid outlet is not splashed the moment the liquid outlet becomes unsealed. In addition, the sudden reduction, to virtually zero, of the resistance, against which the force necessary to peel the sealing jacket is being applied the user, gives the user the “sense of completion” that the liquid outlet has just been unsealed.
[0020] Moreover, this sealing jacket structured as described above can also prevent the liquid on the sealing jacket itself from splashing because, the second adherent portion of the sealing jacket functions as the stopper for preventing the rest of the sealing jacket from being abruptly peeled away in “one quick stroke”.
[0021] Further, it is desired that this sealing jacket structured as described above has a sealing means positioned to hermetically seal the liquid storage portion as the sealing jacked is placed around an ink container, and also that in terms of the specific direction in which the sealing jacket is to be peeled, the first and second adherent portions of the sealing jacket are in front, and after, this sealing means, respectively.
[0022] Further, in the case of a liquid container having an air vent which connects the liquid storage portion to the ambient air, the air vent is desired to be in front of the sealing member, in terms of the specific direction in which the sealing jacket is to be peeled. With the provision of this structural arrangement, the air vent will open before the liquid outlet becomes unsealed during the peeling of the sealing jacket. Therefore, even if the internal pressure of the liquid container happen to have become higher, due to changes in the ambient temperature, than the ambient pressure, liquid can be prevented from being splashed from the liquid outlet the moment the liquid outlet becomes unsealed.
[0023] Further, the liquid container to be fitted with the sealing jacket structured as described above may be in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped. When giving the liquid container a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the shape is desired to be flat, and the liquid outlet is placed on the surface other than the largest surfaces. Such a liquid container is advantageous in terms of spatial efficiency, because when it is disposed in parallel by two or more, it occupies a smaller amount of space compared to a liquid container which is not in the above described form.
[0024] A liquid container shaped as described above is desired to be covered with the above described sealing jacket, at least across the surface having the ink outlet and the pair of surfaces contiguous to the surface having the ink outlet. Further, the first and second adherent portions of the sealing jacket for covering this liquid container correspond in position to the pair of liquid container surfaces contiguous to the surface with the liquid outlet, one for one.
[0025] Further, the sealing jacket is desired to be fitted around the ink container so that the second adherent portion of the sealing jacket, that is, the adherent portion positioned after the liquid outlet in terms of the specific direction in which the sealing jacket is to be peeled, covers the edge at which the liquid container surface with the liquid outlet intersects with the liquid container surface contiguous thereto. With the provision of this structural arrangement, it is possible to make the second adherent portion function as the above described stopper immediately after the unsealing of the ink outlet. Further, for the purpose of making the second adherent portion function as the stopper as soon as possible after the unsealing of the liquid outlet, the liquid outlet is desired to be disposed close to the liquid container surface corresponding in position to the second adherent portion of the sealing jacket.
[0026] Further, the liquid container is desired to have a sealing member for sealing the air vent connecting the internal space of the liquid container to the ambient air. This sealing member may be an integral part of the sealing jacket. When it is formed as an integral part of the sealing jacket, the sealing jacket is desired to be provided with a pair of perforations cut in parallel on the two sides of the sealing member, one for one, in terms of the direction in the sealing Jacket is peeled.
[0027] As for the material for the sealing jacket, a sheet of film, preferably, a sheet of thermally shrinkable film, can used. The sealing jacket may be completely wrapped around a liquid container; it may be in the form of an endless belt. Further, it may be form of elastic material.
[0028] As for the means for attaching the sealing jacket to a liquid container, gluing or thermal welding may be employed.
[0029] As the above described sealing means, a cap may be employed. When a cap is used as the sealing means, the sealing portion of the cap is formed of elastic substance or elastomer.
[0030] The adherent portion of a sealing Jacket, which is adhered to a liquid container, and the means for cutting the sealing jacket, may be independently disposed on the opposite sides with respect to the ink outlet. Such a design can also accomplish the above described objects of the present invention.
[0031] These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0032] FIG. 1 is a drawing for describing the overall structure of the first embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention, FIGS. 1 ( a ) and l( b ) being a perspective and front plan views thereof, respectively.
[0033] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the ink container in FIG. 1 , at a plane parallel to the largest wall of the ink container.
[0034] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sealing jacket for sealing the ink container in FIG. 1 .
[0035] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the ink outlet of the ink container, and the cap therefor, for showing the relationship between the ink outlet and the cap on the ink outlet.
[0036] FIG. 5 is a perspective drawing of the ink container in FIG. 1 , for showing the method for peeling the sealing jacket from the ink container in FIG. 1 , FIG. 1 ( a ) corresponding to the ink container prior to the unsealing of the ink outlet of the ink container; FIG. 1 ( b ) corresponding to the ink container after the removal of the sealing Jacket; FIG. 1 ( c ) corresponding to the ink container immediately after the beginning of the peeling of the first adhesive portion shown in FIG. 1 ; and FIG. 1 ( d ) corresponding to the ink container during the advanced stage of the peeling of the adherent portion of the sealing Jacket.
[0037] FIG. 6 is a frontal plan view of the ink container in FIG. 1 , during the unsealing of the ink outlet thereof.
[0038] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention, FIG. 7 ( a ) showing the ink container after the unsealing thereof, and FIG. 7 ( b ) showing the ink container, the ink outlet of which is sealed with the sealing Jacket.
[0039] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention, the ink outlet of which is sealed with the sealing jacket.
[0040] FIG. 9 is a sectional drawing of the ink outlet of an ink container in accordance with the prior art, for describing the causes of the ink splash which occurs when the ink container is unsealed.
[0041] FIG. 10 is a sectional drawing of the ink outlet of an ink container in accordance with the prior art, for describing the causes of the ink splash which occurs when the ink container is unsealed.
[0042] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the cap, and its adjacencies, of an example of an ink container in accordance with the prior art, for showing a structural arrangement in which the cap is utilized as the means for unsealing the ink container.
[0043] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the ink container in FIG. 1 , for showing the adherent portion of the sealing Jacket.
[0044] FIG. 13 is a frontal plan view of the ink container in FIG. 1 , FIG. 13 ( a ) showing the ink container after the first adherent portion of the sealing Jacket has been peeled, as far as it could be, in the direction parallel to and FIG. 13 ( b ) showing the ink container after the sealing Jacket has been peeled in the direction which is not parallel to the liquid container surface corresponding in position to the first adherent portion.
[0045] FIG. 14 is a drawing of the fourth embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention, FIGS. 14 ( a ) and 14 ( b ) being perspective and frontal plan views, respectively.
[0046] FIG. 15 is a drawing of the fifth embodiment of the present invention in accordance with the present invention, FIGS. 15 ( a ), 15 ( b ), 15 ( c ), and 15 ( d ) being perspective view, side view, front view, and enlarged view of the cut interval change point, and its adjacencies, of one of the two perforations, at which the cut interval of the perforation is changed, respectively.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Embodiment 1
[0047] FIG. 1 is a drawing for describing the overall structure of the first embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention, FIGS. 1 ( a ) and 1 ( b ) being perspective and front views the container, respectively.
[0048] The ink container 100 in FIG. 1 comprises: an ink container proper 101 for holding ink; an ink outlet 102 through which ink is supplied outward (for example, toward ink jet recording head); an air vent 104 through which air is introduced or expelled; a sealing member 105 for sealing the air vent 104 ; and a sealing jacket 103 for covering the entirety of the ink container proper 101 as well as the ink outlet 102 . The sealing jacket 103 comprises a cap 121 for sealing the ink outlet 102 ; and a wrapping member 120 which wraps the ink container proper 101 as well as the cap 121 . The sealing member 105 may be an integral part of the wrapping member 120 . Further, the wrapping member 120 has first and second portions 110 and 111 , respectively, coated with adhesive, which hereinafter will be referred to as first and second adherent portions ( FIG. 1 ( b )).
[0049] Incidentally, in FIG. 11 , in order to show the structure of the ink container 100 , the wrapping member 120 is pictured as a transparent member, and the adherent portions 110 and 111 are hatched.
[0050] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the ink container proper 101 at a plane parallel to the largest wall thereof. As is evident from this drawing, the ink container proper 101 is in the form of a parallelepiped, and is relatively flat. The internal space (liquid storage portion) comprises two chambers: a chamber 130 in which a negative pressure generating member is held, and ink storage chamber 131 located next to the negative-pressure generating member holding chamber 130 . The negative pressure generating member absorbs and retains ink by generating negative pressure, and the ink storage chamber 131 holds ink.
[0051] The partition wall partitioning the negative pressure generating member holding chamber 130 from the ink storage chamber 131 has a passage through which the two chambers are in connection with each other, and which is located at the edge of the negative pressure generating member holding chamber 130 next to the bottom wall of the ink container proper 101 . The negative pressure generating member holding chamber 130 has the ink outlet 120 and air vent 104 . The ink outlet 120 is attached to the bottom wall thereof. The air vent 104 is the passage between the internal space of the ink container proper 101 and the ambience, and is in the ceiling portion of the negative pressure generating member holding chamber 130 . The ink outlet 102 is filled with a compressed member 133 , as an ink drawing member, for efficiently drawing ink into the ink supply tube leading to the ink jet recording head.
[0052] Next, referring to FIG. 2 ( b ), the ink delivery system of the ink container 100 will be described.
[0053] As the ink container 100 is mounted into an ink jet recording apparatus (unshown), the ink drawing tube 200 of the main assembly of the image forming apparatus enters the ink outlet 102 , pressing on the compressed member 133 . Some of the ink drawing tubes 200 have a filter 201 , which is attached to the opening of the ink drawing tube 200 as shown in the drawing. Then, as the ink jet recording apparatus is operated, ink is ejected from the ink jet recording head (unshown), generating such force that suctions the ink from the ink container proper 101 . As a result, the ink in the ink storage chamber 131 is drawn into the negative pressure generating member holding chamber 130 , and then, is further drawn into the ink supply tube 200 through the negative pressure generating member 132 , being thereby supplied to the ink jet recording head. Consequently, the internal pressure of the ink storage chamber 131 drops, creating pressure difference between the ink storage chamber 131 and negative pressure generating member holding chamber 130 . This pressure difference temporarily increases as the ink is continuously supplied to the ink jet recording head due to its recording operation. However, since the negative pressure generating member holding chamber 130 has the air vent 104 , through which the negative pressure generating member holding chamber 130 is open to the ambience, the ambient air enters the ink storage chamber 131 through the negative pressure generating member holding chamber 130 , neutralizing the pressure difference between the ink storage chamber 131 and negative pressure generating member holding chamber 130 . During the image forming operation, this creation and neutralizing of the pressure difference is repeated, making it possible for the ink to be smoothly supplied to the ink jet recording head.
[0054] Next, the sealing member 105 for sealing the air vent 104 will be described.
[0055] The air vent 104 is in the wall of the ink container proper 101 , which opposes the wall of the ink container proper 101 having the ink outlet 102 . It is open immediately adjacent to the negative pressure generating member 132 . The sealing member 105 for sealing the air vent 104 is in the form of a piece of film, and is on the wall of the ink container proper 101 , which has the air vent 104 , being glued thereto in a manner to seal the air vent 104 . The sealing member 105 should be off the ink container proper 101 when mounting the ink container 100 into the ink jet recording apparatus (unshown). Therefore, the sealing member 105 is attached to the ink container proper 101 using such an adhesive, or welding method, that allows it to be peeled away from the ink container proper 101 when necessary.
[0056] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sealing jacket 103 for sealing the ink container proper 101 as shown in FIG. 1 . The hatched portions in the drawing represent the portions of the sealing jacket 103 by which the sealing jacket 103 is attached to the ink container proper 101 . The sealing jacket 103 is in the form of an endless belt or band as shown in FIG. 3 . As described before, the sealing jacket 103 comprises the cap 121 and wrapping belt portion 120 . Referring to FIG. 1 , the cap 121 is positioned so that it fits around the ink outlet 102 of the ink container proper 101 as the ink container proper 101 is wrapped with the sealing jacket 103 . The material for the cap 121 is different from the material for the wrapping belt portion 120 . The cap 121 is a member to be pressed on the ink outlet 102 to seal the ink container proper 101 . Therefore, an easily pliable elastomer is desirable as the material for the cap 121 .
[0057] The cap 121 of this embodiment is formed of two materials. That is, the portion of the cap 121 which is placed in contact with the ink outlet 102 to seal the ink container proper 101 is formed of elastomer, whereas the portion of the cap 121 surrounding the portion formed of elastomer is formed of polypropylene ( FIG. 4 ).
[0058] Referring to FIG. 3 , the cap 121 is fixed to the wrapping belt portion 120 . As for the method to attach the cap 121 to the wrapping belt portion 120 , the polypropylene portion of the cap 121 surrounding the elastomer portion of the cap 121 is glued, or welded, to the wrapping belt portion 120 . Although the wrapping belt portion 120 and cap 121 of this embodiment are held together by welding, or with the use of adhesive, there is absolutely no problem even if a means other than welding or adhesive may be employed to hold the wrapping belt portion 120 and cap 121 together, as long as it assures that the cap 121 remains securely held by the wrapping belt portion 120 .
[0059] Not only must the wrapping belt portion 120 be able to compactly wrap the entirety of the ink container proper 101 while being able to keep the cap 121 pressed against the ink outlet 102 , as shown in FIG. 1 , but also it must be able to keep the cap 121 against the ink outlet 102 . In consideration of this fact, the material for the wrapping belt portion 120 is desired to be such film that can be thermally shrunk to conform to the external contour of the ink container proper 101 . Obviously, the wrapping belt portion 120 may be a belt of film, one end of which can be welded to the other in a manner to form an endless belt after being wrapped around the ink container proper 101 so that the cap 121 is covered and retained by the wrapping belt portion 120 .
[0060] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 , the sealing member 105 is an integral part of the wrapping belt portion 120 , which faces the wall of the ink container proper 101 having the air vent 104 . The sealing member 105 is differentiated from the rest of the wrapping belt portion 120 by two straight lines of perforation 115 parallel to each other. With the provision of this structural arrangement, the wrapping belt portion 120 can be easily torn off by simply lifting the sealing member 105 , exposing the air vent 104 as well as the ink outlet. In other words, the air vent 104 and ink outlet 102 can be exposed by a single action.
[0061] The wrapping belt portion 120 is fixed to the ink container proper 101 by the two adherent portions, that is, first and second adherent portions, of the wrapping belt portion 120 corresponding, one for one, to the two lateral surfaces of the ink container proper 101 which sandwich the surface of the ink container 101 having the ink outlet 102 (surfaces contiguous to the surface having ink outlet). Since these first and second adherent portions must be peelable from the ink container proper 101 when removing the wrapping belt portion 120 , they are glued, or welded, to the ink container proper 101 .
[0062] Next, the method for covering the ink container proper 101 , inclusive of the ink outlet, with the sealing jacket 103 will be described.
[0063] The wrapping belt portion 120 of the sealing jacket 103 is in the form of a cylinder, which is greater in circumference than the portion of the ink container proper 101 to be wrapped by the wrapping belt portion 120 . In order to the wrap the ink container proper 101 with the sealing jacket 103 , the ink container proper 101 is placed inward of the wrapping belt portion 120 . Then, the ink container proper 101 and sealing jacket 103 are positioned relative each other so that the cap 121 is placed in contact with the ink outlet 102 . Then, the cap 121 is kept pressed on the ink outlet 102 with the use of a retaining jig (unshown), the structure of which is optional as long as it does not damage the elastomer portion 121 a of the cap 121 .
[0064] Next, the first and second adherent portions 110 and 111 coated with adhesive are pressed on the corresponding lateral surfaces of the ink container proper 101 to adhere thereto the first and second adherent portions 110 and 111 . During this process, attention must be paid so that no air is left-between the adherent portions 110 and 111 and corresponding surfaces of the ink container proper 101 . Next, the wrapping belt portion 120 formed of shrinkable film, is thermally shrunk, while keeping the cap 121 pressed on the ink outlet 102 with the above described retaining jig, until the sealing jacket 103 conforms to the external contour of the ink container proper 101 tightly enough for the resultant tensile force of the sealing jacket 103 to keep the ink outlet sealed by the cap 121 . Thereafter, the ink container proper 101 is released from the retaining jig, ending the process for covering the ink container proper 101 with the sealing jacket 103 . FIG. 1 shows the ink container 100 after the completion of this process.
[0065] Next, referring to FIG. 4 , the relationship between the ink outlet 102 and cap 121 after the thermal shrinking of the sealing Jacket 103 will be described. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the ink outlet 102 , and the cap 121 on the ink outlet 102 , for showing how the ink outlet 102 is kept sealed by the cap 121 . In this drawing, the ink container proper 101 has a cylindrical portion 150 , which projects from the edge of the ink outlet 102 in a manner to surround the ink outlet. The internal diameter of the cylindrical portion 150 is roughly the same as the diameter of the ink outlet 102 . The end surface of the cylindrical portion 150 has a projection 151 , and the elastomer portion 121 a of the cap 121 , with which the collar rib 150 makes contact, has a groove 125 with a V-shaped cross section (which hereinafter may simply be referred to as V-shaped groove), into which the projection 151 of the cylindrical portion 150 fits.
[0066] Referring to FIG. 4 , as the projection 151 is pressed into the V-shaped groove 125 , the projection enters the V-shaped groove 125 , pressing on the elastomer portion 121 as if widening the groove 125 . Thus, as the projection 151 enters the V-shaped groove 125 , the slanted surface of the V-shaped groove 125 conforms to the contour of the projection 151 , airtightly sealing between the projection 151 and the slanted surface of the V-shaped groove 125 . As a result, the ink outlet 102 is airtightly sealed.
[0067] Next, referring to FIGS. 5 ( a )- 5 ( d ), and FIG. 6 , one of the primary objects of the present invention, that is, a method for unsealing an ink container in accordance with the present invention, will be described. FIG. 5 ( a ) is a perspective view of an ink container 100 in accordance with the present invention prior to the unsealing of the ink outlet 102 ; FIG. 5 ( b ), a perspective view of the same during the removal of the sealing member 105 ; FIG. 5 ( c ), a perspective view of the ink container shortly after the beginning of the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 of the wrapping belt portion 120 ; and FIG. 5 ( d ) is a perspective view of the same during the advanced stage of the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 of the wrapping belt portion 120 . FIG. 6 is a frontal plan view of the ink container 100 in accordance with the present invention during the unsealing of the ink-outlet 102 .
[0068] This embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention is to be unsealed in the following order. First, the sealing member 105 covering the air vent 104 is to be removed to expose the air vent 104 . This process should be carried out first for the following reason. The internal pressure of the ink container proper 101 sometimes becomes higher than the ambient pressure due to the changes in the ambient factors, for example, temperature. Thus, it is possible that ink will splash out of the unsealed openings of the ink container proper 101 as the ink container proper 101 is unsealed. This possibility is greater when the ink outlet side of the ink container proper 101 , where the ink content in the negative pressure generating member 132 in the ink container proper 101 is greater than in the rest of the negative pressure generating member 132 , is unsealed first than when the air vent side of the ink container proper 101 , where the ink content in the negative pressure generating member 132 ( FIG. 2 ) in the ink container proper 101 is less than in the rest of the negative pressure generating member 132 is unsealed first. This is why the sealing member 105 covering the air vent 104 should be removed first.
[0069] First, a user is to remove the sealing member 105 by grasping the tab 112 ( FIG. 5 ( a )) of the sealing jacket 103 extending beyond the corresponding lateral surface of the ink container proper 101 . Since the pair of straight perforations 115 for making it easier for the sealing member 105 to be removed border between the sealing member 105 and the rest of the sealing jacket 103 , it is easy for the user to tear the sealing jacket 103 to remove the sealing member 105 . The user can confirm, by finding these perforations, whether the direction in which the user is about to peel the sealing member 105 is right or wrong. As the sealing member 105 is pulled by the user in the direction-indicated by an arrow mark A in the drawing, not only does the sealing member 105 become separated from the ink container proper 101 , but also, the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations 115 is removed. As the sealing member 105 is removed, the air vent 104 is exposed. Further, the removal of the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations 115 gives the sealing jacket 103 a U-shaped cross section as seen from the direction parallel to its surface.
[0070] Incidentally, it is desired that the tab 112 of the sealing member 105 is provided with a clear marking for allowing a user to recognize the presence of the tab 112 .
[0071] Next, the peeling of the sealing jacket 103 will be described. After the removal of the sealing member 105 , the sealing jacket 103 remains attached to the ink container proper 101 , being in conformation to the external contour of the ink container proper 101 , and therefore, maintaining the aforementioned U-shaped cross section ( FIG. 5 ( b )). The user is to peel the sealing jacket 103 by grasping one of the ends of the sealing jacket 103 remaining adhered to the two surfaces of the ink container proper 101 which oppose each other with the presence of the surface of the ink container proper 101 with the ink outlet 102 between them. In terms of the widthwise direction of the sealing jacket 103 , the first adherent portion 110 of the sealing jacket 103 ( FIG. 1 ( b )), and the second adherent portion 110 of the sealing jacket 103 on the opposite side with respect to the ink container proper 101 ( FIG. 1 ( b )), are adhered to the ink container proper 101 from one edges to the others. However, in terms of the lengthwise direction of the sealing Jacket 103 , the portions of the sealing Jacket 103 next to the aforementioned perforations 115 , were not made adherent. These portions of the sealing Jacket 103 constitute the tab 116 for grasping the sealing Jacket in order to peel the sealing Jacket 103 . This embodiment of an ink container, that is, the ink container 100 , is structured so that it is unnecessary to clearly indicate the direction in which the sealing jacket 103 is to be peeled; the sealing Jacket 103 can be peeled from either end. For the sake of convenience in description, the clockwise direction is assumed to be the right direction in which the sealing jacket 103 is to be peeled.
[0072] The first adherent portion 110 ( FIG. 1 ( b )), and the second adherent portion 111 on the opposite side with respect to the ink container proper 101 ( FIG. 1 ( b )), are adhered from one edge to the other in terms of the widthwise direction of the sealing jacket 103 , making it difficult to peel the sealing jacket 103 without using the tab 112 , and therefore, compelling the user to remove the sealing jacket 103 primarily using the tab 112 defined by the present invention.
[0073] In order to peel the sealing jacket 103 , first, the adherent portion 110 is to be pulled in the direction indicated by an arrow mark B as shown in FIG. 5 ( c ). A user should know that the sealing jacket 103 should be gradually peeled, instead of abruptly, because the first adherent portion 110 is pasted to the surface of the ink container proper 101 by a substantial length in terms of the lengthwise direction of the sealing jacket 103 . As the user gradually peels the first adherent portion 110 , the user can realize the proper amount of force (stress) necessary to peel the sealing Jacket 103 , refraining from applying an excessive amount of force to abruptly peel the sealing jacket 103 .
[0074] As the first adherent portion 110 is gradually peeled to its bottom edges, the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 ends. The moment the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 ends, the adhesive strength, between the first adherent portion. 110 and corresponding surface of the ink container proper 101 , against which force is applied by the user to peel the sealing jacket 103 becomes zero. Therefore, without the anticipation of the end of the peeling of the sealing jacket 103 , the hand of the user may be let go suddenly in the direction indicated by the arrow mark B the moment the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 ends. This problem that the hand of the user grasping the sealing Jacket 103 is let go abruptly in the arrow direction can be prevented by regulating the amount of the adhesive strength between the first adherent portion 110 and the corresponding wall of the ink container proper 101 .
[0075] Referring to FIG. 6 , after the completion of the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 , the cap 121 which was kept by the sealing Jacket 103 , in the position in which it seals the ink outlet 102 , is removed from the ink outlet 102 in a manner to rotate about the edge (rotational center C in FIG. 6 ) of the second adherent portion 111 closest to the ink outlet 102 , unsealing the ink outlet 102 . As described above, during this process of removing the cap 121 , the movement of the hand of the user remains well controlled, that is, the user's hand does not move jerkingly. Therefore, the phenomenon that the ink between the ink outlet 102 and cap 121 splashes, instead of remaining adhered to the ink outlet 102 and/or cap 121 , as it is accelerated by the sudden movement of the sealing Jacket 103 caused by the Jerky movement of the user's hand, does not occur. Further, the sudden reduction of the force necessary to peel the sealing Jacket 103 to zero makes it possible for the user to sense the completion of the unsealing of the ink outlet 102 .
[0076] Further, when this unsealing method is used, the second adherent portion 111 functions as the stopper for preventing the abrupt peeling of the sealing Jacket 103 , that is, the cause of the splashing of the ink on the sealing surface of the cap 121 , preventing therefore the ink on the sealing surface of the cap 121 from being splashed. Referring to FIG. 6 , for the purpose of making the stopper, or the second adherent portion 111 , function as soon as the ink outlet is unsealed, it is desired that the bottom edge of the adherent portion 111 coincides with the edge between the surface of the ink container proper 101 to which the second adherent portion 111 is adhered, and the surface of the ink container proper 101 having the ink outlet 102 . Further, for the purpose of making the second adherent portion 111 function as the stopper as quickly as possible after the unsealing of the ink outlet 102 , the ink outlet 102 should be disposed adjacent to the surface of the ink container proper 101 to which the adherent portion 111 is adhered. Further, in order to ensure that the second adherent portion 111 stops the peeling action, the adhesive strength between the second adherent portion 111 and the corresponding surface of the ink container proper 101 should be greater than that between the first adherent portion 110 and the corresponding surface of the ink container proper 101 . As long as the second adherent portion 111 reliably functions as the stopper quickly after the completion of the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 , the cap 121 will be held close to the ink outlet 102 , almost directly facing the opening of the ink outlet 102 . Therefore, should the ink be splashed from the cap 121 , the splashed ink flies into the cap 121 , being trapped therein, and therefore, being prevented from being splashed beyond the cap 121 and sealing jacket 103 . In order to make the second adherent portion 111 more effectively function as the stopper, this embodiment of an ink container, or the ink container 100 , has been designed so that the direction, in which the sealing jacket 103 will be pulled just before the ink outlet 102 begins to be unsealed, becomes virtually perpendicular to the surface of the ink container proper 101 having the ink outlet 102 . This is for the following reason. The moment the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 of the sealing jacket 103 is completed, the force applied to peel the first adherent portion 110 turns into such force that works in the direction to shear the second adherent portion 111 . Thus, the above described design is employed to make it rather difficult to remove the second adherent portion 111 . Next, referring to FIGS. 13 ( a ) and 13 ( b ), what will occur as the first adherent portion 110 is peeled in various manners by a user will be described. FIG. 13 ( a ) shows the ink container 100 , the sealing jacket 103 of which is extended as far as it can be extended, in the direction indicated by an arrow mark E, which is parallel to the surface of the ink container proper 101 to which the first adherent portion 110 had once been adhered. FIG. 13 ( b ) shows the ink container 100 , the sealing jacket 103 of which is being pulled in the direction indicated by an arrow mark F, which is not parallel to the surface of the ink container proper 101 , to which the first adherent portion 110 had once been adhered. Even if the sealing jacket 103 is peeled as shown in FIG. 13 ( a ) or 13 ( b ), the presence of the second adherent portion 111 , which functions as the stopper, regulates the distance ( 1 ) from the cap 121 to the ink outlet 102 . When a conventional sealing jacket (tape) as the sealing means was employed, the distance between the cap 121 and ink outlet 102 was not regulated after the unsealing of the ink outlet 102 . In comparison, when a sealing jacket 103 in accordance with the present invention is employed, the distance ( 1 /t) the cap 121 is moved from the ink outlet 102 per unit of time (t) can be substantially smaller, making it possible to prevent the ink splash
[0077] With the provision of the structural arrangement in this embodiment, should ink splash, the sealing jacket 103 itself functions as an ink catcher, minimizing the contamination traceable to the ink splash.
[0078] The second adherent portion 111 of the sealing jacket 103 is to be peeled after the unsealing of the ink outlet 102 . The second adherent portion 111 is also adhered to the ink container proper 101 across a substantial range, as is the first adherent portion 110 , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the sealing jacket 103 . Thus, the user is to gradually peel the sealing jacket 103 , while sensing the force necessary for peeling the second adherent portion 111 of the sealing Jacket 103 . During this process of peeling the second adherent portion 111 , the sealing surface of the cap 121 , on which ink is present, can be seen. Therefore, the user is reminded that the adherent portion 111 of the sealing jacket 103 must also be cautiously peeled until the sealing jacket 103 is completely removed.
[0079] In this embodiment, the first and second adherent portions 110 and 111 are adhered to the ink container proper 101 across the entire range in term of the widthwise direction of the sealing jacket 103 . However, in order to reduce the amount of the force necessary at the initial stage of the peeling of the sealing jacket 103 , they may be adhered in a different pattern such as the one shown in FIG. 12 ; the employment of such a pattern causes no problem at all.
[0080] The actions required of a user in order to unseal the ink outlet 102 of this embodiment of the present invention, that is, the ink container 100 , are only to peel the sealing member 105 and to peel the sealing jacket 103 as shown in FIGS. 5 ( a )- 5 ( d ). In both actions, all that is required to peel them Is to grasp the tab, or the tab-like portion, and pull it; in other words, anyone can easily unseal the ink outlet 102 .
Embodiment 2
[0081] Next, referring to FIG. 7 , the second embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention will be described.
[0082] FIG. 7 shows the second embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 7 ( a ) is a perspective view of the ink container in the unsealed state, and FIG. 7 ( b ) is a perspective view of the ink container, the ink outlet of which is sealed with the sealing jacket.
[0083] The ink container 100 structured as depicted in FIG. 7 is a liquid container capable of holding three inks different in color in its ink container proper 101 , having three ink outlets 102 . The ink container 100 has three chambers partitioned by ribs. Each chamber is filled with a negative pressure generating member ( FIG. 2 ), holding an ink different in color from the inks in the other chambers. The ink container proper 101 is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, and is greater in the vertical dimension than in the horizontal dimension as shown in FIG. 7 .
[0084] The sealing jacket 103 is formed of rubber, and is U-shaped. This embodiment of an ink container 100 is relatively flat, and the sealing jacket 103 covers the ink container 100 across the three surfaces: the surface with the ink outlet 102 , and the largest pair of surfaces sandwiching the surface having the ink outlet 102 (surfaces contiguous to surface with ink outlet). The direction in which the sealing jacket 103 is laid does not need to be limited to the direction in which the sealing jacket 103 of this embodiment is laid; for example, the sealing jacket 103 may be placed across the surface with the ink outlet, and the pair of surfaces contiguous to the surface with the ink outlet, other than the largest pair of surfaces. The sealing jacket 103 has first and second adherent portions 110 and 111 , which are positioned so that as the sealing jacket 103 is placed on the ink container 100 , they will be on the pair (largest pair) of the surfaces of the ink container proper 101 contiguous to the surface of the ink container proper 101 with the ink outlet 102 . The first and second adherent portions 110 and 111 are glued to the corresponding surfaces of the ink container proper 101 . The sealing jacket 103 is formed of elastic rubber. Therefore, the sealing jacket 103 can be glued to the ink container proper 101 , in the stretched state, so that the ink outlet 102 is airtightly sealed by the cap 121 . Even through this ink container 100 has three ink outlets, all three ink outlets 102 can be sealed with a single cap 121 without causing any problem. The method for unsealing the ink outlets 102 is the same as the method for unsealing the ink outlet of the first embodiment of the present invention; the sealing Jacket 103 is to peeled in the direction indicated by an arrow mark D in FIG. 7 ( b ).
[0085] Like the first embodiment, this embodiment can prevent the phenomenon that the ink between the ink outlet 102 and cap 121 splashes, instead of remaining adhered to the ink outlet 102 and/or cap 121 , as it is accelerated by the sudden movement of the sealing Jacket 103 caused by the jerky movement of the hand of the user. Further, the second adherent portion 111 functions as the stopper for temporarily halting the peeling action of the user, preventing therefore the ink on the sealing surface of the cap 121 from being splashed.
Embodiment 3
[0086] Next, referring to FIG. 8 , the third embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention will be described.
[0087] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the present invention, the ink outlet of which is sealed with the sealing jacket.
[0088] The ink container 100 shown in FIG. 8 has two chambers: an ink storage chamber, and a negative pressure generating member storage chamber filled with a negative pressure generating member. The wall of the ink storage chamber has an ink outlet (unshown), the opening of which is filled with a filter (unshown).
[0089] The sealing Jacket 103 is formed of film, and is U-shaped. This embodiment of an ink container 100 is relatively flat, and the sealing jacket 103 covers the ink container 100 across the three surfaces: the surface with the ink outlet 102 , and the largest pair of surfaces sandwiching the surface having the ink outlet 102 (surfaces contiguous to surface with ink outlet). Each of the largest pairs of surfaces has a step. The direction in which the sealing jacket 103 is placed on the ink container proper 101 does not need to be limited to the direction in which the sealing jacket 103 of this embodiment is placed; for example, the sealing jacket 103 may be placed across the surface with the ink outlet, and the pair of surfaces contiguous to the surface with the ink outlet, other than the largest pair of surfaces. The sealing jacket 103 has first and second adherent portions 110 and 111 , which are positioned so that as the sealing Jacket 103 is placed on the ink container 100 , they will be on the pair (largest pair) of the surfaces of the ink container proper 101 contiguous to the surface of the ink container proper 101 with the ink outlet 102 . The first adherent portion 110 , and the second adherent portion 111 which opposes across the ink container proper 101 , ate spot-welded to the corresponding surfaces of the ink container proper 101 . The method for unsealing the ink outlets 102 is the same as the method for unsealing the ink outlet of the first and second embodiments of the present invention; the sealing jacket 103 is to be peeled in the direction indicated by an arrow mark E in FIG. 8 .
[0090] The sealing Jacket 103 is to be peeled in the following manner. Referring to FIG. 8 , first, the adherent portion 110 is to be pulled in the direction indicated by the arrow mark E. A user should know that the sealing jacket 103 should be gradually peeled, instead of abruptly, because the first adherent portion 110 is spot-welded to the surface of the ink container proper 101 at plural spots 110 a in a straight line in the lengthwise direction of the sealing jacket 103 . As the user gradually peels the first adherent portion 110 , the user can realize the proper amount of force (stress) necessary to peel the sealing jacket 103 , being enabled to refrain from applying an excessive amount of force which will result in the abrupt peeling the sealing jacket 103 .
[0091] As the first adherent portion 110 is gradually and continually peeled to its bottom edges, which coincide with the bottom edge of the ink container proper 101 , the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 ends. At the same time as the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 ends, the adhesive strength, between the first adherent portion and the corresponding surface of the ink container proper 101 , against which force is applied to the sealing jacket 103 to peel the sealing Jacket 103 becomes zero. Therefore, without the anticipation of the loss of the resistance from the adhesive strength between the first adherent portion 110 and the corresponding wall of the ink container proper 101 at the end of the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 of the sealing jacket 103 , the hand of the user may be suddenly let go in the direction indicated by the arrow mark E due to the loss of resistance, at the same time as the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 ends. This problem that the hand of the user grasping the sealing jacket 103 is suddenly let go in the arrow direction can be avoided by setting the adhesive strength between the first adherent portion 110 and the corresponding wall of the ink container proper 101 to a level at which an excessive amount of force is not necessary to peel the first adherent portion 110 .
[0092] Referring to FIG. 6 , after the completion of the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 , the cap 121 which was kept, by the sealing Jacket 103 , in the position in which it seals the ink outlet 102 , is removed from the ink outlet 102 in a manner to rotate about the welding spot (unshown) of the second adherent portion 111 closest to the ink outlet 102 , unsealing the ink outlet 102 . As described above, during this process of removing the cap 121 , the movement of the hand of the user remains well controlled, and therefore, it does not occur that the ink outlet 102 is abruptly unsealed. Therefore, the phenomenon that the ink between the ink outlet 102 and cap 121 is accelerated by the abrupt movement of the sealing jacket 103 caused by the jerky movement of the user's hand, and splashes, instead of remaining adhered to the ink outlet 102 and/or cap 121 , does not occur. Further, the sudden loss of the resistance coming from the adhesive strength between the first adherent portion 110 and ink container proper 101 makes it possible for the user to sense the completion of the unsealing of the ink outlet 102 .
[0093] Like the first and second embodiments, this embodiment can also prevent the sealing jacket 103 from being jerked at the end of the peeling of the first adherent portion 110 during the unsealing of the ink outlet 102 , preventing therefore the phenomenon that the ink between the ink outlet 102 and cap 121 is accelerated by the jerking of the user's hand, and splashes, instead of remaining adhered to the ink outlet 102 and/or cap 121 . Further, this embodiment is also capable of preventing the ink on the sealing surface of the cap 121 from splashing.
Embodiment 4
[0094] Next, referring to FIG. 14 , the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention is similar to the first embodiment, except for the sealing jacket 103 and sealing member 105 . Thus, this embodiment will be described regarding only the sealing jacket 103 and sealing member 105 , and the method for unsealing the portions sealed by the sealing jacket 103 and sealing member 105 . FIG. 14 ( a ) is a perspective view of this embodiment, and FIG. 14 ( b ) is a side view of this embodiment. FIG. 14 ( c ) is a frontal plan view of this embodiment.
[0095] First, referring to FIG. 14 , the sealing jacket 103 of the ink container 100 will be described. The sealing jacket 103 comprises a wrapping belt portion 120 and a sealing jacket 103 formed of the same materials as the materials for the wrapping belt portion 120 and sealing jacket 103 of the first embodiment. It is wrapped around the ink container proper 101 . It is long enough to be extendable a certain length from the ink container proper 101 roughly in parallel to the surface of the ink container proper 101 , that is, perpendicular to the pair of the largest surfaces of the ink container proper 101 , after being wrapped once around the ink container proper 101 . It is formed by cutting a part of the sealing jacket 103 in the form of a tab. Further, this sealing jacket 103 is provided with two straight perforations 510 , which extend one for one from the two ends (tear start points 510 ) of the base portions of the tab 500 in such a manner that as the sealing jacket 103 is wrapped around the ink container proper 101 , the two perforations reach the virtually the bottom edge (tear stop points 512 ) of the ink container proper 101 . The first and second adherent portion 110 and 111 of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment; they are positioned so that as the sealing jacket 103 is wrapped around the ink container proper 101 , they will be on the two lateral surfaces (two surfaces contiguous to surface with ink outlet 102 ) of the ink container proper 101 , which oppose each other, sandwiching the surface with the ink outlet 102 .
[0096] Next, the sealing member 105 will be described. The sealing member 105 is square and is formed of film. It is adhered to the ink container proper 101 so that it seals the air vent 104 . The sealing member 105 should be peeled before the ink container 100 is mounted into an ink jet recording apparatus (unshown). Therefore, semipermanent adhesive or thermal welding is used as the means for attaching the sealing jacket 103 to the ink container proper 101 . The sealing member 105 is attached to the sealing jacket 103 with the use of such an adhesive, or a thermal welding method, that makes the adhesive strength between the sealing member 105 and sealing jacket 103 greater than the force necessary to remove the sealing member 105 from the air vent 104 . This is done in order to accomplish two objectives, that is, the unsealing of the ink container 100 and the unsealing of the air vent, by a single action, that is, by simply peeling the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations. The details, of the unsealing of this embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention will be described later.
[0097] Next, the method for unsealing this embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention will be described. The unsealing method will be described up to the stage at which the air vent is unsealed, and the processes thereafter will be not be described because they are the same as those for the first embodiment.
[0098] The ink container is to be unsealed in the following manner. First, a user is to grasp the tab 500 of the sealing jacket 103 , and pull it to sever the sealing jacket 103 , while peeling the sealing jacket 103 in the direction in which the sealing jacket 103 is wrapped around the ink container proper 101 . The sealing jacket 103 is provided with the two perforations 510 along which the sealing jacket 103 is easily severable. The two perforations 510 extend from the two ends (tear start points) of the base portion of the tab 500 . Thus, as the user grasps the tab 500 and pulls it in the direction in which the sealing jacket 103 is wrapped, the sealing jacket 103 will easily tear along the perforations 510 , allowing the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations to be easily peeled. During this process, the user can assure him/herself, by finding the perforations, that the sealing jacket 103 is being peeled in the correct direction.
[0099] As the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations is peeled to the position of the sealing member 105 , the sealing member 105 begins to be peeled away from the ink container proper 101 along with the sealing jacket 103 , exposing the air vent 104 . This occurs because the adhesive strength between the sealing member 105 and sealing jacket 103 is greater than that between the sealing member 105 and ink container proper 101 , and therefore, the sealing member 105 remains stuck to the sealing jacket 103 as the sealing jacket 103 is peeled. The sealing member 105 is glued to the ink container proper 101 firmly enough to keep the air vent 104 sealed. Thus, as the sealing jacket 103 is peeled to the position of the sealing member 105 , the force being applied to the sealing jacket 103 to peel the sealing jacket 103 must be increased. Therefore, unless a certain measure is taken, the hand of the user pulling the tab 500 will be let go jerkingly and uncontrollably, abruptly peeling the portion of the sealing jacket 103 which comes after the sealing member 105 , as the same time as the sealing member 105 is completely peeled. In the case of this embodiment, however, there is the first adherent portion 110 close to the ends 512 of the perforations 510 , and the first adherent portion 110 functions as the stopper for controlling the jerky movement of the user's hand. In other words, the first adherent portion 110 can temporarily halt the peeling of the sealing jacket 103 to prevent the following problem. That is, if the ink outlet 102 is unsealed, with the user's hand moving at the same velocity as the velocity at which it began to move due to the sudden reduction in the resistance to the force applied by the user's hand to the tab 500 to peel the portion of the sealing jacket 103 having the sealing member 105 , ink will be splashed. With the presence of the first adherent portion 110 , the jerky movement of the user's hand is prevented from continuing.
[0100] Up to the above described stage, this unsealing method can be easily carried out by anybody, because all that has to be done is to grasp and pull the tab 500 to peel the sealing jacket 103 .
[0101] Next, the process of peeling of the first adherent portion 110 , process of unsealing of the ink outlet 102 , and process of peeling of the second adherent portion 111 , are carried out. These processes and the effects thereof are the same as those for the first embodiment; in other words, the ink container 100 can be easily unsealed without splashing ink.
[0102] Incidentally, the employment of the sealing member 105 is not mandatory. In other words, the air vent 105 may be directly sealed by the sealing jacket 103 .
Embodiment 5
[0103] Next, referring to FIG. 15 , the fifth embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention will be described. This ink container 100 is similar to the first and fourth embodiments of the present invention, except that the sealing jacket 103 of this ink container 100 is different from that of the fourth embodiment. Thus, this embodiment will be described regarding only the portion of the unsealing method involving the sealing jacket 103 and the portion of the ink container proper 101 covered with the sealing jacket 103 . FIG. 15 ( a ) is a perspective view of this embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 15 ( b ), a side view of the same; FIG. 15 ( c ), the frontal plan view of the same; and FIG. 15 ( d ) is an enlarged view of the cut interval change point, and its adjacencies, of the perforations of this embodiment of a sealing jacket 103 .
[0104] First, referring to FIG. 15 , the sealing jacket 103 itself will be described. The sealing jacket 103 comprises a wrapping belt portion 120 and a cap 121 formed of the same material as those for the first and fourth embodiments. It is similar to the fourth embodiment in shape, inclusive of its tab 500 . The sealing jacket 103 is provided with a pair of perforations 519 , which extend from the ends (starting points of perforation 511 ) of the base line of the tab 500 , in the direction parallel to the direction in which the sealing jacket 103 is wrapped around the ink container proper 101 , long enough to reach the adjacencies (ends points of perforations 512 ) of the bottom edge of the surface of the ink container proper 101 contiguous to the surface of the ink container proper 101 having the air vent 104 , extending across the two surfaces. Each perforation 510 is has two sections different in the cut interval. The two sections are separated at a cut interval change point 513 . In other words, the section between the tear starting point 511 and cut interval change point 513 , and the section between the cut interval change point 513 and the tear end point 512 , are different in the cut interval, as shown in FIG. 15 ( d ). That is, each cut interval 514 of the section of the perforation between the starting point 511 and cut interval change point is shorter and each cut interval 515 of the rest of the perforation, that is, the section of the perforation between the cut interval change point 513 and tear end point 512 . Therefore, the sealing jacket 103 is easier to tear along the former than the latter. The sealing member 105 is attached to the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations, with the use of such an adhesive, or thermal welding method, that makes the adhesive strength between the sealing member 105 and sealing jacket 103 greater than the adhesive strength between the sealing member 105 and the ink container proper 101 (more specifically, portion which surrounds air vent 104 ). The adherent portion 600 is positioned so that the rear edge of the adherent portion 600 , in terms of the direction in which the sealing jacket 103 is to be peeled, approximately coincides with the end point 512 of each perforation. Since the adherent portion 600 is also to be peeled when unsealing the ink container 100 , it is glued to the ink container proper 101 with the use of such an adhesive, or thermal welding method, that allows the adherent portion 600 to be easily peeled.
[0105] Next, the method for unsealing this embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention will be described. Herein, the method will be described up to the stage in which the tearing of the sealing jacket 103 along the perforations is completed. Since the processes thereafter for unsealing the ink container 100 are the same as those for the first embodiment, they will not be described.
[0106] The ink container 100 is unsealed in the following manner. First, in order to begin unsealing the sealing jacket 103 , a user is to grasp the tab 500 of the sealing jacket 103 and pull it in the direction parallel to the direction in which the sealing jacket 103 is wrapped around the ink container proper 101 ; the sealing jacket 103 is peeled by tearing the sealing jacket 103 along the two perforations 510 , which extend from the base portion (tear start point 511 ) of the tab 500 . As the tab 500 is pulled in the direction parallel to the direction in which the sealing jacket 103 is wrapped, the sealing jacket 103 easily tears along the two perforations 510 , allowing the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations to be easily peeled. During this process, the user should confirm the presence of the perforations at the points at which the sealing jacket 103 is being torn, because this confirmation assures the user that the sealing jacket 103 is being properly torn.
[0107] Once the peeling of the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations progresses to the location of the sealing member 105 , the sealing member 105 begins to be peeled from the ink container proper 101 along with the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations, exposing the air vent 104 . This occurs because the sealing member 105 is adhered to the sealing jacket 103 and ink container proper 101 in such a manner that the adhesive strength between the sealing member 105 and sealing jacket 103 becomes greater than that between the sealing member 105 and ink container proper 101 (more specifically, portion around air vent 104 ), and therefore, the sealing member 105 remains attached to the sealing jacket 103 .
[0108] The amount of force necessary to peel the sealing member 105 from the ink container proper 101 is greater than the amount of force necessary to tear the sealing jacket 103 along the two perforations. Therefore, the user will exert a greater amount of muscular force while peeling the sealing member 105 . Then, as soon as the sealing member 105 is completely peeled, the amount of force necessary to peel the sealing jacket 103 suddenly reduces, even through the user is still exerting muscular force by the amount necessary to peel the sealing member 105 . Thus, unless a certain measure is taken, the user's hand jerkingly moves while pulling the sealing jacket 103 . Consequently, the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations after the sealing member 105 will be yanked away. In the case of this embodiment, however, each perforation has two sections different in cut interval. Further, the cut interval change point 513 , which divides the perforation into the two sections different in cut interval, is positioned so that it will be on the surface of the ink container proper 101 contiguous to the surface of the ink container proper 101 having the air vent 104 . Therefore, the portion of the sealing jacket 103 corresponding to the cut interval change point 513 functions as the stopper for temporarily halting the unsealing of the ink container 100 , preventing therefore the yanking of the sealing jacket 103 resulting from above described the jerky movement of the user's hand. More specifically, the cut intervals 514 in the section of each perforation between the tear start point 511 and cut interval change point 513 are relatively short, making it relatively easy to tear the sealing jacket 103 along the perforation, whereas the cut intervals 515 in the section of the perforation between the cut interval change point 513 and end point 512 are relatively long, increasing the amount of the force necessary to tear the sealing jacket 103 along this section of the perforation. Thus, the abrupt peeling of the sealing jacket 103 by the above described jerky movement of the user's hand is stopped by the difference in the amount of force necessary to tear the sealing jacket 103 along the perforation between the two sections of the perforation. In other words, the jerky movement of the user's hand never lasts long enough to peel even the portion of the sealing jacket 103 corresponding to the ink outlet 102 . Therefore, the problem that ink is splashed by the abrupt unsealing of the ink outlet 102 does not occur.
[0109] After the abrupt tearing of the sealing jacket 103 is stopped by the portion of the sealing jacket 103 having the cut interval change points 513 of the perforations, the user is to start again to peel the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations while tearing the sealing jacket 103 along the perforations, to the end points of the perforations 510 . As described above, a relatively larger amount of force is required to tear the sealing jacket 103 along the section of the perforation between the cut interval change point 513 and the end point 512 , and this section is made long enough, in terms of the direction in which the sealing jacket 103 is wrapped around the ink container proper 101 , to make the user realize that this portion of the sealing jacket 103 should be extra carefully peeled, that is, without yanking. Then, while the user is gradually peeling this portion of the sealing jacket 103 , the user will accurately sense the amount of force necessary to peel the rest of the sealing jacket 103 , being therefore prevented from applying an excessive amount of force; in other words, the user is prevented from jerkingly peeling the remaining portion of the sealing jacket 103 .
[0110] As the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations is gradually peeled to the end points of the 512 of the perforations, the sealing member 103 loses it endless form. Thus, the resistance to the force applied to the sealing jacket 103 by the user to peel it suddenly disappears, which would have caused the user's hand to jerkingly accelerate in the direction in which the user was pulled the sealing jacket 103 . In the case of this embodiment, as described above, the user is not applying an excessive amount of force to the sealing jacket 103 . Therefore, even when the resistance disappear, the user's hand does not jerkingly accelerate. After the completion of the peeling of the portion of the sealing jacket 103 between the two perforations, the ink outlet 102 is to be unsealed.
[0111] As is evident from the above description, all that is necessary up to this point of the method for unsealing this embodiment of an ink container in accordance with the present invention is to grasp the tab 500 and pull it to peel away the sealing jacket 103 . Therefore, anybody can easily perform the task.
[0112] Thereafter, the process for unsealing of the ink outlet 102 , and the process for peeling the adherent portion 600 , are to be carried out. These processes and the effects thereof are the same as those for the first embodiment; in other words, the ink container 100 can be easily unsealed without splashing ink.
[0113] As described above, the present invention relates to a liquid container jacket for sealing the liquid outlet of a liquid container. According to one of the characteristic aspects of the present invention, a liquid container sealing jacket is provided with a minimum of two portions (first to fourth embodiments) by which it is attached to the liquid container, or a combination of an adherent portion and a tearing means (fifth embodiment) requiring a predetermined amount of force to tear it, which are independently disposed in a manner to sandwich the liquid outlet of the liquid container in terms of the direction in which the sealing jacket is to be peeled. Therefore, the length of the adherent portion to be peeled first (first to fourth embodiments), or the length of the tearing means (first embodiment), makes it possible for the user to recognize the amount of force necessary to peel the sealing jackets preventing thereby the sealing jacket from being abruptly peeled away by the application of an excessive amount of force.
[0114] According to another aspect of the present invention, the portion of the sealing jacket corresponding in position to the liquid outlet is not adhered to the surface of the liquid container. Therefore, as soon as the peeling of the first adherent portion of the sealing jacket (first to fourth embodiments) or the tearing means (fifth embodiment), is completed, the liquid outlet can be unsealed. As described above, during this process, it does not occur that the sealing jacket is abruptly peeled. Therefore, the phenomenon that liquid in or around the liquid outlet is splashed does not occur. Further, the liquid outlet becomes open as the amount of force necessary to peel suddenly reduces to zero, giving the user the sense of completion that the liquid outlet has just been unsealed.
[0115] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the case of this sealing jacket, the second adherent portion of the sealing jacket (first to fourth embodiments), or the sole adherent portion of the sealing jacket (fifth embodiment), functions as the stopper for temporarily halting the peeling movement of the user, preventing the sealing member from being abruptly peeled in a single quick stroke, preventing therefore the ink adhering to the sealing jacket from being splashed.
[0116] According to another aspect of the present invention, the sealing jacket can be peeled away simply by grasping the tab and pulling it. Therefore, an ink container fitted with the sealing jacked in accordance with the present invention can be easily unsealed by anybody.
[0117] While the invention has been described with reference to the structures disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following claims.
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A packaging structure for a liquid container including a liquid containing portion accommodating liquid, a liquid supply portion for supplying the liquid to an outside and an air vent for fluid communication with an ambience, the packing structure includes a covering member for covering and sealing the liquid supply portion and the air vent; the covering member including; an air vent sealing portion for sealing the air vent and a liquid supply portion sealing portion for sealing the liquid supply portion and a connecting region for covering a connecting side of the liquid container which connects the air vent sealing portion and the liquid supply portion sealing portion, wherein the liquid supply portion sealing portion effects non-adhering sealing for the liquid supply portion, and the connecting region provides a resistance against unsealing of the liquid supply portion.
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RELATED APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to EP Patent Application No. 13154608.7, filed on Feb. 8, 2013, which the entirety thereof is herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The disclosure relates to a rock drilling unit, and particularly to an arrangement for changing drill rods in the rock drilling unit. The rock drilling unit includes a feed beam and a rock drilling machine arranged movably on the feed beam. The rock drilling machine has a shank for connecting drill rods to the drilling axis. Further, at least one retainer device is arranged on the feed beam.
[0003] The disclosure further relates to a method of changing drill rods in the rock drilling unit.
[0004] In mines and other work sites rock drilling rigs are used for drilling bore holes on rock surfaces. Typically the rock drilling rig includes one or more drilling booms which are provided with drilling units. In many cases drill holes having a greater length than one drill rod need to be drilled. Then two or more drill rods need to be connected to each other in order to form an extension rod. This is called extension rod drilling. Typically several drill rods are stored in a rod magazine which is arranged in the drilling unit. However, the rod magazine is large and heavy, whereby it may hamper the drilling.
SUMMARY
[0005] An aspect of the invention is to provide a novel and improved rock drilling unit provided with change means and a method of changing drill rods.
[0006] The rock drilling unit is provided with at least one clamp allowing one single drill rod at a time to be retained at a predetermined side position, which is parallel to the drilling axis and is located at a transverse distance from the drilling axis; and the retaining feature of the clamp is independent of the driving force external to the clamp.
[0007] The method is characterized by supporting one single drill rod at a time at the side position by means of at least one clamp.
[0008] The present rock drilling unit has at least one clamp device allowing one single drill rod at a time to be retained at a predetermined side position, which is parallel to the drilling axis defined by a drilling machine and is located at a transverse distance from the drilling axis. The clamp device includes at least one clamp for holding the drill rod. Further, the retaining feature of the clamp is operable without any driving force external to the clamp. Thus the clamp may be without any connection to a pressure fluid or electric circuit.
[0009] An advantage of the disclosed solution is that the clamp is simple in structure and operation, whereby it is reliable and inexpensive. Since the clamp does not need any external driving power, it is operable while the drilling unit is shut down. Thereby it is safe to place a drill rod manually in the clamp or to remove it.
[0010] According to an embodiment, the rock drilling unit is without any drill rod magazine or storage device for storing more than one single drill rod. Instead, the present solution relates to a holder which influences only one single drill rod at a time. Thanks to the disclosed solution, more than one drill rods can be drilled successively, and still, there is no need to provide the rock drilling unit with any conventional rod magazine. Thus, the rock drilling unit may be lightweight. The reach of a drilling boom may be dimensioned extensive when a lightweight rock drilling unit does not limit the range of the boom.
[0011] According to an embodiment, the clamp is provided with an inside space for receiving a drill rod. The shape of the inside space may be substantially cylindrical, which is beneficial since the outer surfaces of the drill rods are typically cylindrical, too. The dimensions of the space enlarge when a drill rod is placed inside the space. Thus, the space has initial first dimensions and second dimensions when a drill rod is placed inside the space, the second dimensions being larger than the first dimensions.
[0012] According to an embodiment, the clamp includes contact surfaces which are pressed against an outer surface of a retained drill rod when the rod is placed between the contact surfaces. Thanks to the continuous press force, the retained drill rod holds its position firmly and does not vibrate and cause noise. A further advantage is that outer dimensions of the drill rod may vary and the clamp still holds drill rods properly.
[0013] According to an embodiment, the clamp is spring-actuated, comprising one or more spring elements for producing the needed press force. Because of the spring element, the clamp is independent and operable without any driving force external to the clamp. Further, the clamp adjusts itself automatically according to the outer dimensions of the retained drill rod. The spring may be spiral spring, leaf spring or any other suitable spring type. Alternatively, the spring actuation may be formed by a pressure-medium-operated actuator, such as a pressure air cylinder.
[0014] According to an embodiment, the clamp is made of resilient material for producing the needed press force. Because of the spring actuation achieved by the resilient material, the clamp is independent and operable without any driving force external to the clamp. The resilient material may comprise polyurethane (PUR) or other plastic material, for example. Alternatively, the resilient material may comprise rubber or polymeric material.
[0015] According to an embodiment, changing drill rods includes the following actions: connecting the drilling unit to an inoperational state; feeding the drill rod manually to the clamp when the drilling unit is off; and retaining the drill rod in the clamp by an internal spring force.
[0016] According to an embodiment, at least two clamps are arranged at a distance from each other as seen in the longitudinal direction of the feed beam. This embodiment enables secure and stabile support for a retained drill rod. A first clamp and a second clamp may be located at distances from the distal ends of a feed beam.
[0017] According to an embodiment, the clamp has a relatively large axial extent in the direction of the drill rod to be handled, whereby one single clamp may be sufficient to support and retain the drill rod. The clamp may be dimensioned to be relatively wide. This embodiment may be beneficial in situations when there is no space for several clamps.
[0018] According to an embodiment, the clamp is supported to the feed beam by means of at least one support element. The support element may be solid or movable.
[0019] According to an embodiment, the clamp is immovably supported to the feed beam by means of at least one support element. Thus, the clamp is stationary in the mentioned side position.
[0020] According to an embodiment, the clamp is movable in the transverse direction of the feed beam from the side position towards the drilling axis. Thanks to this embodiment, the clamp can be extended closer to an operator, which facilitates placing drill rods in the clamp and removing the rod from the clamp. Safety and working conditions are also improved.
[0021] According to an embodiment, the clamp is movable in the trans- verse direction of the feed beam from the side position to the drilling axis, and vice versa.
[0022] According to an embodiment, the rock drilling unit includes a support arm connected to the feed beam by means of articulation. The clamp is arranged at a distal end portion of the support arm. The support arm is provided with a turning device for turning the support arm in the transverse direction relative to the feed beam from the side position to the drilling axis and vice versa.
[0023] According to an embodiment, the rock drilling unit has at least one changing device. The changing device includes: a body connected movably to the feed beam; and gripping means allowing the drill rods to be gripped and released. Further, the changing device includes one or more transfer devices for moving the changing device in the transverse direction relative to the feed beam and positioning the gripping means at the side position and the drilling axis. The changing device may be controlled by the operator or it may execute the needed transfer operations under automatic control of one or more control units. The changing device may be connected to the feed beam by means of articulation, whereby the distal end of the changing device can be turned between the side position and the drilling axis.
[0024] According to an embodiment, the rock drilling unit includes at least one changing device provided with openable and closable gripping jaws. The gripping jaws serve as gripping means so that rotation of gripped drill rods can be prevented when opening and closing connecting threads, for example.
[0025] According to an embodiment, the clamp is arranged to support the drill rod at the side position and the changing device is arranged to move the drill rod between the side position and the drilling axis.
[0026] According to an embodiment, the clamp is supported to the changing device, whereby it is transversally movable together with the changing device. Thus, changing drill rods may comprise the following actions: moving the drill rods between the drilling axis and the side position by means of a changing device arranged movably relative to the feed beam; and moving the clamp between the drilling axis and the side position together with the changing device.
[0027] According to an embodiment, the clamp is arranged on the changing device pivotably so that the clamp can pivot relative to the body of the changing device. The clamp may have an initial position where it is kept by means of spring means. If necessary, the clamp may turn relative to the body of the changing device when the drill rod is handled. The spring means turn the clamp back to the original position after the external force directed to the clamp is terminated. An advantage of the pivoted connection is that it allows some inaccuracy in the transfer movements, and inaccuracy between the clamp and the drill rod.
[0028] According to an embodiment, the clamp serves as gripping means of the changing device.
[0029] According to an embodiment, the changing device includes the gripping jaws and the clamp. The gripping jaws serve as gripping means, whereas the clamp is mainly for holding the rod at the side position when the gripping jaws are open. The clamp allows the operator to place the drill rod in a correct position in the side position. The drill rod is held in that position until the operator leaves the vicinity of the drilling unit and switches the drilling unit to an operable state. Then the changing device is powered and the gripping jaws may be closed. The operator controls the operation of the changing device from a safe distance.
[0030] According to an embodiment, the rock drilling unit includes at least one additional support, which is rigidly fastened to a feed beam. The additional support may serve as an aid to guide a drill rod. The additional support is located in such a way that it is at a distal end of the drill rod. The additional support may include a protrusion so that a tubular drill rod can be first pushed around the protrusion. Secondly, the drill rod can be pushed laterally towards the one or more clamps for retaining the drill rod. The additional support facilitates handling of long drill rods.
[0031] According to an embodiment, the drilling unit includes several clamps arranged in such a way that at least two drill rods can be retained. However, each clamp influences one drill rod only. This embodiment allows placing 2 to 4 drill rods in the vicinity of drilling axis without a need to provide the drilling unit with a complicated, large-sized and heavy rod magazine.
[0032] Above-disclosed embodiments can be combined in order to form suitable solutions provided with necessary features.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0033] Some embodiments are described in more detail in the accompany- ing drawings, in which:
[0034] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a rock drilling unit.
[0035] FIGS. 2 a and 2 b are schematic views showing two alternative rock drilling units at position A-A.
[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing a clamp formed of resilient material.
[0037] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a clamp provided with a spring element.
[0038] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a rock drilling unit and two transfer devices arranged on a feed beam.
[0039] FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a transfer device which is provided with a clamp.
[0040] FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a drill rod supported to the drilling axis by means of a clamp and gripping jaws of a transfer device.
[0041] FIG. 8 is a simplified chart showing features relating to changing of drill rods according to principles disclosed above.
[0042] For the sake of clarity, the figures show some embodiments of the disclosed solution in a simplified manner. In the figures, like reference numerals identify like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0043] FIG. 1 shows a rock drilling unit 1 which may be connected by means of a boom 3 to a movable carrier, which is not shown. The drilling unit 1 includes a feed beam 2 provided with a rock drilling machine 4 that can be moved on the feed beam 2 by means of a feed device 5 . The rock drilling machine 4 has a percussion device 6 for generating impact pulses on a tool 7 , and a rotating device 8 for rotating the tool 7 .
[0044] At a drilling site, one or more drill holes are drilled with the drilling unit 1 . The drill holes may be drilled in the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 1 .
[0045] When a drill hole having a length longer than one single rod needs to be drilled, then an extension rod system is formed by connecting two or more drill rods successively. Typically the extension system formed of two drill rods is sufficient. Then, the tool 7 includes a drill bit 9 , a first drill rod 10 and a second drill rod 11 . At the beginning of drilling the drill bit 9 is connected to the distal end of the first drill rod 10 , and the opposite end of the first drill rod 10 is connected to a shank 12 of the drilling machine 4 . After the drilling of the first drill rod 10 is completed, the second drill rod 11 is connected to the shank 12 and the first drill rod 10 . Between the first and second rods 10 , 11 , between the first rod 10 and the drill bit 9 , and between the second rod and the shank 12 , there are connecting means, such as connecting screws 13 . The connecting screws 13 can be closed and opened by means of the rotating device 8 . When connecting and disconnecting components of the tool 7 , a retaining device 14 may be utilized for preventing rotation of tool components. The retaining device 14 is mounted on the feed beam 3 so that it is located on the drilling axis D. The retaining device 14 has retaining jaws or corresponding means for gripping the tool component. The retaining device 14 further includes one or more actuators for generating the needed retaining force.
[0046] The rock drilling unit 1 is provided with one or more clamps 15 , which are arranged at the transverse direction from the drilling axis D. As it is shown in FIG. 1 , one single clamp 15 may be adequate to hold a drill rod 11 a at a side position 16 in a parallel direction relative to the drilling axis D. The clamp 15 is dimensioned relatively wide, whereby sufficient support is achieved for the second drill rod 11 a placed in the clamp 15 . Alternatively, two or more clamps may be arranged at a selected distance from each other for supporting the same drill rod 11 a in the side position 16 . The second drill rod 11 a can be placed in the clamp 15 manually. During the manual operation, the rock drilling unit 1 may be shut down for safety reasons. The clamp 15 can operate independently of the drilling unit 1 , whereby the drill rod 11 a may be left in the clamp 15 . Thereafter the operator may close a feasible safety cage and switch on the rock drilling unit 1 by means of a control unit 17 . The operator controls the drill rod change operations manually by means of the control unit 17 , or alternatively the control unit 17 may have one or more automatic control programs for controlling the drill rod changing measures.
[0047] FIGS. 2 a and 2 b illustrate two alternative rock drilling units seen from their front sides. The clamp 15 may be supported on the feed beam 2 by means of a support element 18 . In FIG. 2 a the support element 18 is solid. For clarity reasons, FIG. 2 a does not show a transfer device by means of which the second drill rod 11 a can be moved from the side position 16 to the drilling axis D. However, the transfer device may be an articulated manipulator, robot arm or any other suitable device. In FIG. 2 b the support element 18 can be turned T from the side position 16 towards the drilling axis D, and vice versa. It is possible to transfer the second drill rod 11 a to the drilling axis D, or alternatively, it is possible to turn T the support element 18 only by a desired distance towards the drilling axis D and simultaneously closer to the operator 19 on the opposite side of the feed beam 2 . In the latter case, the clamp 15 is moved within the reach of the operator, whereby handling of the drill rod is facilitated. The support element 18 is connected to the feed beam 2 by means of one or more pivots 20 .
[0048] FIG. 3 discloses a clamp 15 manufactured of resilient material, such as polymeric material. The clamp 15 has a space 21 where a drill rod 11 can be pushed through an inlet opening or slot 22 . Surfaces of the space 21 serve as contact surfaces against the drill rod 11 . When the rod 11 is inserted into the clamp 15 , the resilient material will allow the clamp 15 to form according to the drill rod 11 , as illustrated by arrows.
[0049] FIG. 4 discloses an alternative clamp 15 which includes two clamp arms 23 a and 23 b connected to each other by means of a pivot 24 . The clamp arms 23 a , 23 b are pressed towards each other by means of one or more spring elements 25 . The clamp arms 23 a , 23 b are provided with curved contact surfaces which form together a space 21 for a drill rod 11 . When the rod 11 is inserted into the clamp 15 , the clamp arms 23 a , 23 b will part from each other under the influence of the spring element 25 , as illustrated by arrows.
[0050] FIG. 5 shows a rock drilling unit 1 provided with two changing devices 26 arranged on a feed beam 2 and located at an axial distance from each other. The changing device 26 may be arranged pivotably on the feed beam 2 , whereby it can be turned between the drilling axis D and the side position 16 . The changing device 26 may comprise gripping means or jaws 27 for gripping drill rods 11 . Further, a clamp 15 may be arranged on the changing device 26 , whereby the clamp 15 is arranged to move together with the changing device 26 between the drilling axis D and the side position 16 .
[0051] The rock drilling unit 1 may further include an additional support 28 , which may be mounted on the feed beam 2 . The additional support 28 may be a solid object which may facilitate manual handling of the drill rod and especially serve as a suitable guide for the drill rod when it is placed in the clamp 15 .
[0052] FIG. 5 further shows an example of a structure of a retaining device 14 . The retaining device 14 may comprise retaining jaws 29 a , 29 b which are moved by a hydraulic cylinder 30 .
[0053] FIG. 6 discloses a changing device 26 on a side position 16 . Gripping jaws 27 a , 27 b are open and a drill rod 11 is in a clamp 15 . A body 31 of the changing device 26 may be turned relative to a pivot 32 by means of a turning cylinder 33 . Further, the clamp 15 may be arranged to the body 31 via a turning member 34 . The turning member 34 has a spring element 35 keeping the clamp 15 in the initial position. The spring element 35 can be seen in FIG. 7 .
[0054] In FIG. 7 the changing device 26 is turned to the drilling axis D and a drill rod 11 is supported by gripping jaws 27 a , 27 b . Also, the clamp 15 is still around the drill rod 11 . After the drill rod 11 has been coupled to a shank of a drilling machine, the gripping jaws 27 a , 27 b are opened and the changing device 26 is turned back to a side position. As the changing device 26 is turned back, the clamp 15 releases the drill rod 11 . Similarly, when the changing device 26 is turned towards a drill rod situated in the drilling axis D, the clamp 15 becomes automatically positioned around the drill rod.
[0055] In FIG. 8 , it is shown a simplified chart of steps relating to changing of drill rods, as discussed above.
[0056] Although the present embodiment(s) has been described in relation to particular aspects thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred therefore, that the present embodiment(s) be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.
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A rock drilling unit and a method of changing drill rods in a rock drilling unit is disclosed. The rock drilling unit includes a feed beam, a retainer device, a rock drilling machine and at least one clamp. The clamp is operable without driving force of the drilling unit. The clamp has a space for receiving one single drill rod. The clamp is positioned at a side position, which is parallel to a drilling axis and is at a transfer distance from the drilling axis.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a circuit for implementing the IEEE 1149.1 Standard Test Access Port and Boundary-Scan Architecture (hereinafter referred to as the JTAG Architecture).
BACKGROUND ART
As shown in FIG. 1, the JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) Architecture involves providing an integrated circuit 2 with a boundary-scan cell 4 coupled between each terminal pin 6 and on-chip system logic 8, whereby signals at the boundary of the IC can be controlled and observed using scan testing principles. The cells 4 effectively provide individual stages of a shift register (as shown in FIG. 3), and other integrated circuits connected to the same board (not shown) are likewise coupled to form a very long shift register composed of the individual boundary cells. A boundary cell normally provides a sample capability of input data from the terminal pin, a sample capability of output data from the system logic, a set capability of the output data, and a transparent mode.
The JTAG Architecture is shown in FIG. 2 for implementation on the chip 2 of FIG. 1. The various pads indicated comprise the terminal pins 4 of FIG. 1 and receive the signals indicated TCK, TMS, TRSTB, TDI, and providing an output signal TDO. TAP controller logic 20 is provided which provides the gated clock signals and control signals indicated in FIG. 2 to an instruction register 22, whence instructions in the register are decoded by an instruction D code unit 24 to provide appropriate control signals to a group of registers 26 known as test data registers and comprising a boundary-scan register, a device identification register, a design specific test data register and a bypass register. The output of these registers are coupled via multiplexers 28 and a D type flip-flop 29 to provide output signal TDO.
The JTAG Architecture provides standardized approaches to: (1) testing the interconnection between IC's once they have been assembled onto a printed circuit board, (2) testing the IC itself, and (3) observing or modifying circuit operation during a component's normal operation.
A known implementation of a boundary-scan cell with sample, preload and set capability is shown in FIG. 3 as comprising a data in port DI coupled to a first input of a multiplexer 30 and a first input of a multiplexer 32. The output from multiplexer 32 provides a signal out port DO. A second input of multiplexer 30 is coupled to receive a scan in signal TDI. Multiplexer 30 has a select input coupled to receive a shift/load signal SHDR. The output of multiplexer 30 is coupled to the D input of D-type capture flip-flop 24 whose output is coupled to the D input of an D type update flip-flop 36, whose output is coupled to a second input of multiplexer 32. The output of flip-flop 34 also provides a scan out signal TDO. Multiplexer 32 has a select input coupled to receive a mode signal. Flip-flops 34 and 36 are coupled to receive gated clock signals CKDR, UDDR respectively. The various control signals and gated clock signals are generated by tap controller 20 of FIG. 2.
The implementation shown in FIG. 3 is asynchronous in the sense that the clock signals CKDR, UDDR, are clock signals produced by gating an input clock signal TCK within tap controller 20 of FIG. 2. Such gated clock signals produce problems of racing in a complex design and in practice it will not be possible to check out all race related hazards with a logic simulator. Tracing the source of such hazards (glitches, spikes) and correcting them can be extremely time consuming and expensive.
Further such problems arising from asynchronism imply that CAD tools, in particular ATPG (automatic test pattern generation) software diagnostic tools, cannot be efficiently used, since they require a synchronous environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a circuit for a boundary-scan cell for the JTAG Architecture which overcomes or at least reduces the above noted problems.
The present invention provides in a first aspect a circuit for the JTAG Architecture, the circuit including a flip-flop having a clock input for receiving a common clock signal (TCK, TCKB) and a multiplexer having a first input for receiving an input data signal, a second input coupled to an output of the flip-flop, an output coupled to a flip-flop input, and a select input for receiving a control signal (CKDR, UDDR) for selectively coupling the first or second inputs to the multiplexer output.
In a more specific aspect, the present invention provides a circuit for a boundary-scan cell for the JTAG Architecture, the circuit including a capture section coupled in cascade to an update section,
and each section comprising a flip-flop having a clock input for receiving a common clock signal (TCK, TCKB) and a multiplexer having a first input for receiving an input data signal, a second input coupled to an output of the flip-flop, an output coupled to a flip-flop input, and a select input for receiving a control signal for selectively coupling the first or second input to the multiplexer output.
Thus in accordance with the invention a synchronous implementation of the JTAG Architecture is provided, since the common clock signal is provided directly at the input to an IC and is employed to clock all the flip-flops within the boundary-scan cells of the boundary-scan register as well as the various cells of the various other registers within the architecture. Nevertheless such an arrangement is compatible with the IEEE requirements, since said control signals are desirably the required gated clock signals such as CKDR, UDDR, are employed to gate the multiplexer inputs. Thus for data to be entered into a flip-flop, it is necessary both for the common clock signal to clock the flip-flop and for the gated clock signal to select the multiplexer input providing a data in signal. If the gated clock signal is not operative to select the data in signal, then the existing data is merely circulated from the flip-flop via the multiplexer back to the input of the flip-flop in response to the common clock signal.
Such an arrangement lends itself to implementation in ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) environment, since the basic unit of flip-flop and multiplexer may be implemented as a standard cell in a cell library.
The flip-flop in the circuit of the present invention may be a D-type flip-flop; alternatively and as preferred the flip-flop may comprise a scan flip-flop having a further SCAN IN input and a further control input for selecting a scan mode of operation in which the SCAN IN input is selected to provide data to the flip-flop. In the scan mode of operation the various capture sections of individual boundary-scan cells are connected to form a scan chain (the update sections form a separate scan chain) to permit scanning of the boundary-scan cells with automatic test pattern generation tools.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the boundary-scan system;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the JTAG Architecture;
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a known implementation of a boundary-scan cell;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the JTAG Architecture incorporating a common clock signal arrangement for providing synchrony;
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a boundary-scan cell in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of a boundary-scan cell in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 7 is a schematic showing the formations of scan chains using the cells of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of a device identification register cell in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of the multiplexer of FIGS. 5 and 6.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, this is generally similar to the boundary-scan architecture shown in FIG. 2, and similar parts will be denoted by the same reference numeral. The architecture differs principally in providing direct connections 40 from the input pad receiving the common clock signal TCK to the various registers and other parts of the architecture. The signals generated by TAP controller 20, remain the same, but are employed solely as control signals.
Referring now to FIG. 5 which shows a boundary-scan cell in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, similar parts to those shown in FIG. 3 are given the same reference numeral. The cell is divided into a capture section 50 and an updated section 52, capture section 50 comprising a multiplexer 52 and flip-flop 34, and update section 52 comprising a multiplexer 56 and flip-flop 36. A common test clock signal TCK is applied to the clock inputs of flip-flop 34, 36. The output of the capture flip-flop 34 is fed back to a first input of multiplexer 54 and the output of the multiplexer 30 is coupled to the second input of multiplexer 54. The output of multiplexer 54 is coupled to the D input of flip-flop 34, and the inputs of multiplexer 50 are selected by means of the gated clock signal CKDR.
Similarly, in update section 52 the output of multiplexer 56 is coupled to the D input of flip-flop 36, the output of flip-flop 36 being fed back to a first input of multiplexer 56, and a second input of multiplexer 56 being coupled to receive the output of flip-flop 34. The inputs of multiplexer 56 are selected by control or gated clock signal UDDR.
In operation, flip-flop 34 is triggered on the positive edge of clock signal TCK and flip-flop 36 is triggered on the negative edge of flip-flop TCK. If there is no requirement to capture data in capture section 50, then data is merely circulated from the output of flip-flop 34 back via multiplexer 54 to the input of flip-flop 34. If however data clock signal CKDR is operative to select the data in signal, then new data will be captured in the flip-flop in response to clocking by the common clock signal. Similarly, for update section 56, data is circulated within the update section until such time as the gated clock signal UDDR operates to select the input of multiplexer 56 which is coupled to the output of capture section 52.
Thus is may be seen, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 that all sequential elements (D flip-flops) are driven by the single main clock TCK. No logic is placed in the sequential elements clock path. The use of D flip-flops as storage elements means that all internal events are triggered by, and sampled on the active clock edge. All transitions that were triggered by the clock edge TCK must have settled to a stable state by the time the next clock edge arrive. Race conditions which may occur in a logic path are not of any concern as long as the triggered transitions have settled to the stable state.
Referring now to FIG. 6 which shows a second and a preferred embodiment of a boundary-scan cell, similar parts to those shown in FIG. 5 are indicated by the same reference numeral. In FIG. 6, a scan D type flip-flop 60 is provided in capture section 50, and a scan D type flip-flop 62 is provided in update section 50. Multiplexer 30 is emitted. Scan flip-flop 60 has two data inputs, DSC for receiving a scan in TDI signal, and D for receiving a data in signal DI. These inputs are selected by a select signal SHDR. Similarly, scan flip-flop 62 has first and second data inputs which are selected by UPDATE select signal, input DSC receiving a scan in signal UPDATE and input D receiving the output of capture section 50.
In addition the test clock signal is provided as two separate signals TCK which is operative to clock capture section 54, and inverse signal TCKB which is operative to clock on its leading edge update section 56.
The operation of the embodiment in FIG. 6 is similar to that of FIG. 5 but in addition, the scan flip-flops permit the formation of scan chains which are of use in automatic test pattern generation. FIG. 7 shows in schematic form two separate scan chains.
To provide the highest level of automation in the design flow it is absolutely necessary to automatically generate test vectors for the complete system, the system logic and the boundary-scan. The usage of both edges of test clock violates a design rule for all known ATPG tools. These tools are only able to handle one clock edge. To use ATPG tools the following main design rules must be considered.
All flip-flops must be scan flip-flops and be elements of a scan chain.
All flip-flops in a scan chain must be clocked on the same clock edge.
Therefore a boundary-scan system must be reconfigured during ATPG mode to meet these two design rules, as indicated in FIG. 7.
All positive edge triggered scan flip-flops are connected during ATPG mode to a complete scan chain clocked by TCK and all negative edge triggered scan flip-flops are connected to a separate scan chain clocked by TCKB.
The capture part of the boundary-scan register cells build up a whole scan chain from TDI to TDO, including the capture scan flip-flop of the instruction register and positive edge triggered flip-flops in the tap-controller. These existing scan chains are used to create the positive edge triggered scan path.
The positive edge triggered scan path starts at the TDI input and ends at a separate scan path out pin, the negative edge triggered scan path starts at one input pin and ends at the TDO output. During ATPG mode there are two possibilities to connect and run these two scan chains.
A whole scan chain is built up from TDI input to TDO output by connecting both scan chains together. This scan path must be clocked on the same edge during ATPG mode. To generate a common clock a EXOR gate can be used. This EXOR gate is controlled by the ATPG enable signal and controls the TCKB. During functional mode the EXOR generates TCKB out of TCK, during ATPG mode TCKB is synchronous to TCK.
By this kind of connection of the scan chains and clock generation a clock skew problem can appear at the interface between the positive edge triggered scan path and the "negative" edge triggered scan path.
This clock skew problem can be solved by using two separate scan chains with TCK and TCKB clock signals. A multiplexer, controlled by the ATPG enable signal connects the TCKB signal to an extra clock pin.
Referring now to FIG. 8 this shows an example of a device identification register one bit cell incorporating the present invention; similar parts to those shown in preceding Figures are indicated by the same reference numeral. No further description is thought necessary.
Referring now to FIG. 9 this shows a transistor level diagram of the multiplexer 50 of FIG. 5 with two separate inputs A, B being connected to drive separate transistor pairs nn5, nn4 and nn7, nn6. A select input SL is operative to select either of the inputs A, B by switching in nn4, nn5 and nn6, nn7.
There has thus been shown and described a fully synchronous arrangement for implementing the boundary-scan architecture. Whilst all the storage cells of the architecture may be implemented in the manner show with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, it may be preferred in an ASIC environment merely to implement the boundary-scan cells in the manner shown in FIG. 6 in that the capture and the update sections are separately implemented as standard hard cells in the ASIC library. In an alternative arrangement the multiplexer as shown in FIG. 9 is implemented as a separate hard cell.
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A circuit for a boundary-scan cell for the JTAG Architecture, the circuit including a capture section(50) coupled in cascade to an update section(52),
and each section comprising a flip-flop (34,36)having a clock input for receiving a common clock signal (TCK, TCKB) and a multiplexer having a first input for receiving an input data signal, a second input coupled to an output of the flip-flop, an output coupled to a flip-flop input, and a select input for receiving a control signal for selectively coupling the first or second input to the multiplexer output.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a rigid track bed of concrete, especially made of precast concrete modules, with a slab and continuous fastenings or a multiplicity of fastenings for rails mounted thereon for track guided vehicles.
DE 198 50 617 A1 discloses cross ties for a rigid run of track. Individual ties are aligned in rows, thus forming a base substrate for rails which are subsequently laid thereon. The individual ties are separated from each other at a predetermined distance and are predominately not rigidly tied together. In order to enable the best possible disturbance-free travel of a rolling wheel of a track guided vehicle, the proposal is to place bearing elements upon the rails, which can be integrated into tie and concrete structure below. The concrete understructure is further molded with retaining grooves, wherein a derailed wheel can run. The concrete ties possess, in turn, a specified spacing from one another, so that a rail-borne wheel rolls from one tie to another. The ties and the track fastenings, as well as the bearing elements, are all subject to damage thereby.
DE 199 31 048 A1 teaches the placement of a rail for track guided vehicles on a rail bearing slab. On the slab are provided absorbent pads, which are affixed to the rail bearing slab by bolts. If derailment protection is required, then the absorption pads serve immediately to the affixing of the surface protection elements, on which the derailed wheel can roll. The absorbent pads serve, in such a case, as a noise control and as a fastening element for derailment safety equipment.
The positional arrangement of the derailment protection rails along the track has been made known by DE 44 38 397 A1, or by DE 199 41 060 A1. In a similar manner to DE 199 31 048 A1, a derailment protection rail made of iron is mounted along the track, in order, that in case of a derailment of a vehicle, the derailed wheel can be safely captured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A principal purpose of the present invention is to create a derailment protection, which safely guides a derailed wheel and thereby, to the greatest possible extent, the purpose includes avoidance of damage to the concrete slab of a rigid track bed. Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description; or may be learned through practice of the invention.
This purpose is achieved by a rigid track bed of concrete, in particular, of precast concrete components, with a slab and a continuous or a multiplicity of fastenings for rails to accommodate track guided vehicles. On the slab parallel to at least one side of at least one rail, a curb is placed as a precast concrete component for the protection of vehicle and for guidance during a derailment of the vehicle.
A rigid track bed is made of concrete, especially of precast concrete components, and possesses a slab with fastenings mounted thereon to mount rails for track guided vehicles. Normally the slabs are about 6 meters long, whereby rail fastening units must be placed, separated from one another at distances of about 60 cm. On each slab, then, a multiplicity of rail fastenings are provided. In accord with the invention, to be found on the slab, and parallel to the rail, is an upward directed, precast, curb. This curb serves for the protection of the slab, the rail and, in case of derailment, also the vehicle. The prefabricated concrete part so acts, that in the intervening space between the rail and itself, a derailed wheel of a track guided vehicle is captured and the vehicle or vehicles can be brought to a stillstand in a gradual manner. The curb, which simultaneously runs along beside the rail, exhibits no particularly large opening between its sections, in which the vehicle, i.e. the derailed wheel can be abruptly prevented from rolling to its stop. By means of the evenly guided run of the wheel, in this way damage of the rigid track bed slab and the curb is substantially avoided. Beyond this, the track guided vehicle is thereby prevented from leaving the rigid track bed, whereupon, under certain circumstances, an entire vehicle can overturn. Thereby, since the curb is designed of precast concrete, the curb is granted sufficient structural strength to retain the vehicle. The force load for such capture can reach some 10 metric tons per meter, which is resisted by a precast concrete part made in accord with modern technology.
Advantageously, the rail fastenings are placed at support points, especially on upward projections of the underlying slab of the rigid track bed. In this regard, there are specified fastening locations created for the rails, so that the rails can be laid in a very exact alignment. The bottom of the space between the rail and the longitudinal curb, in this invented design, can be raised somewhat higher, so that along this path, an even running height for the derailed wheel is created. By this elevation, an abrupt drop of a wheel from one supporting tie and a lifting to a next tie is avoided. In addition to this advantage, an appropriate design of rail fastenings position avoids damage to the fastenings under a rolling derailed wheel. Since the curb is of precast design, the casting can be easily made to include this protective feature.
Particularly advantageous, since the manufacturing costs thereof are low, is to integrate the raised curb into the slab. In this manner, with only one manufacturing step, both the slab and the curb can be made for protection during derailment. No further field mounting labor is necessary, and besides this, the structural strength of the curb is increased by this action, since a firm connection to the massive slab has been created. Derailment protection need not be made in the form of a separate, exchangeable component, since damage to curb and the rigid track bed, when made in the invented design for derailment protection, is only to be feared in very few cases. The integrated manufacture of the curb and the slab is thus advantageous.
It is particularly advantageous, if the curb is placed on that side of the rail proximal to the centerline of the track. The derailed wheel, which is diverted toward the center of the track, is then controlled. Additionally, it is obvious, that an additional curb could be provided on the outside of the rail, so that derailed wheels on both sides of the vehicle could travel securely in a guided path between the rails and the curbs.
Particularly advantageous and of an inventive nature is a situation wherein the continuity of the curb is intermittently provided with slots running transverse to the longitudinal axis of the slab. These slots can serve for the runoff of rain or melt water which collects on the slab.
It is a possibility, that the slot can extend itself through the curb to a point within the slab, then, by this means, stress points of fissures are engendered within the slab. Inevitable cracks can branch out from such slots. However, giving consideration to condition of the slab, such cracking can be controlled. Accordingly, both the fissuring of the curb and of the slab can be specifically regulated. The slotted recesses are so formed, that the over-rolling of the derailed wheel is not particularly disturbed and thus the curb is not damaged.
It is of particular advantage, if the slab itself exhibits additional fissure blocking slots, particularly when the slots of the curb find themselves proximal to the fissure protection areas. In this way, a positive control on the general fissure growth is created. An uncontrolled continuance of branching fissures is reliably avoided by the presence of these slots.
It has proven itself as particularly advantageous, when the shape of the curb is such, that the upper edge of the curb is above the top surface of the rail, by perhaps about 20 mm. In this way, a derailed wheel, which, because of the effective forces of the derailment hops along off the rail, is very reliably arrested by the curb. The derailed wheel is thus forced to roll between the rail and the curb until it is safely brought to a stillstand.
In order to maintain a sufficient spacing between the rail and the sidewall of the curb for the derailed wheel of the track guided vehicle, it is advantageous if the space has a breadth of about 180 mm. Using this dimension, a customary running wheel of a track guided vehicle can be reliably confined, with no fear that the curb or the rail would be damaged, or that the wheel jumps out of the separating space. Obviously, the effective separation can be otherwise dimensioned, if the track guided vehicle possesses wheels, which obviously are wider or narrower than customary. In any case, it is important, that the intervening distance is dimensioned to be sufficiently wide to accommodate the dimensions of a derailed wheel.
It is of particular advantage if the curb is made of high strength concrete. With such strength available, the forces to be expected by a derailment, which work against the derailment safety structures, are containable by the concrete curb, without the expectation that the curb itself will be destroyed and that the vehicle, under certain circumstances, can divert itself from the rigid track bed. With high strength concrete, the curb will exhibit such a structural strength, that the generated derailment forces are contained.
Where an integrated curb is in use, it is advantageous if the curb is further consolidated with the slab by continuous, steel reinforcement rodding. In derailment incident, this supplementary strengthening will prevent the curb from being torn away from the rigid track bed.
Another method of holding to a high structural strength for the concrete curb, is the use of fiber reinforced concrete to enhance the derailment protection of the curb.
If an especially high strength concrete is necessary for derailment protection, then it is also possible, that metal structural members can be worked into the curb. Particularly, with an angle bar embedded in the concrete, the edges of the curb are protected. With this supplementary measure, an especially better derailment protection is brought about, even though, for normal usage, a concrete curb is entirely sufficient.
If curbs with metal structural members are employed, then it is advantageous, if the continuity of the metal structural member is interrupted in proximity to the described slots. In such a case, assurance is given, that the inherent fissuring of the slab of the rigid track bed cannot bridge over and is thus made inactive.
Alternatively, provisions can be made, for metal structural members, particularly rods, to be installed so that they can “prestress” the concrete body, whether slab or curb. If this is done, it becomes possible, that the slab of the rigid track bed can endure load fissuring, without the possibility that bifurcating cracking would extend itself to other than foreseen locations.
Advantageously, the curbs are so designed, that the fastenings for the rail are protected from damage. In this matter, it is advantageous, if the bottom of the intervening space between the curb and the rail, is of such a height, that the wheel rolls therein without contacting the rail fastenings. Such a solution is very easy to realize with premixed concrete curbs.
Further advantages of the present invention are described in the following embodiments in greater detail.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a cross-section through a slab according to the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a profile view of a slab;
FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment in cross-sections, and
FIG. 4 shows a profile view of the slab of FIG. 3 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the figures. Each example is provided to explain the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. In fact, features illustrated or described as part of the embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. It is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations.
In FIG. 1 is shown a cross-section through a slab 1 of a rigid track bed in the area of a rail 3 . The slab 1 consists of a concrete precast section and carries on its surface a multiplicity of the elevated support points 2 , upon which the rail 3 and its rail fastenings 4 are affixed. This arrangement is entirely suitable for the use of conventional rail fastenings 4 . The fastening may comprise clamps or bolts, which fasten the foot of the rail to the substrate.
On the slab 1 is placed a curb 5 . The curb 5 is best integrated with the slab 1 , and thus presents, along with the slab 1 , a single precast concrete component. The curb 5 is made of high strength concrete or may be of fiber reinforced concrete, in order that the applied load in the case of derailment of a track guided vehicle may be contained without additional measures and the derailed wheel may continue a controlled rolling in an intervening space between rail 3 and curb 5 . The curb 5 in the depicted embodiment is placed toward the centerline of the tracks. The second (not shown) rail of the track can likewise be guarded by a second curb 5 , again proximal to the track centerline. By this means, the motion of a derailment of the vehicle is reliably limited in both directions. Such structuring, however, is not required in every case.
The curb 5 possesses an upper edge 6 . which is higher than an upper edge 7 of a rail 3 . This difference in elevation provides assurance, that during a derailment, under certain circumstances a hopping, derailed wheel remains safely confined in the intervening space between the rail 3 and the curb 5 . As a difference in the elevations, a dimension of some 20 mm has shown itself to be sufficient. The width of the intervening space between the head of the rail 3 and the inner wall of the curb 5 , at least for common wheels of track guided vehicles, is measured at 180 mm, which is considered sufficient. In this case, the wheel is securely caught therein with directionally controlled roll, and remains so until it is brought to a stillstand.
FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal side view of the slab 1 , with a profile of the curb 5 . Illustrated here, the curb 5 is divided by slots 10 in regular succession, approximately 650 mm apart. The slots 10 extend into the slab 1 below and transform themselves into safety slots blocking the random growth of fissures. Inevitable cracks can develop proximal to the safety slots, when the precast slab 1 is laid in place or during its curing period. Therefore, the slot 10 is placed proximal to a fissure-blocking position 11 of the slab 1 . Furthermore, a sinking of the substrate soil can lead to associated fissures, which extend themselves to the safety slots and are there brought under control. Moreover, the safety slots serve for the runoff of rain or melt water which would collect on the slab. The rain or melt water, which collects on the slab, or between the slots can drain from the outer side openings of the slab.
FIG. 3 provides an alternative embodiment of a curb 5 . The curb 5 here possesses a raised bottom 12 , which runs from one set of rail fastenings 4 to the next set of rail fastenings 4 in the longitudinal direction of the rails 3 . A wheel 13 , which normally rolls on the rail 3 , in an uncontrolled derailment, would be captured in the intervening space between the rail 3 and the curb 5 . Accordingly, the derailed wheel 13 ′ rolls on the bottom 12 of the curb 5 . In order to avoid damage to the rail fastenings 4 , the bottom 12 is so elevated in relation to the rail fastenings 4 , that the rail fastenings 4 can be rolled over by the derailed wheel 13 ′ without damage.
The curb 5 possesses in this exemplary embodiment, a metal structural member 15 on the upper edge 6 , proximal to the rail 3 . This metal structural member 15 serves as a protector of the edge 6 , in order to avoid a breaking off of the upper edge 6 of the curb 5 in a case of an abrupt impact of the wheel 13 thereagainst during a derailment. The curb 5 itself is the actual safety element against derailment damage.
FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal side view of the subject of FIG. 3 . From this illustration may be inferred, that the bottom 12 of the curb 5 is placed at such an elevation, that the derailed wheel 13 ′ rolls directly over the rail fastenings 4 , without touching these. Any damage to the rail fastening 4 , and thereby also damage to the rail 3 is thus reliably avoided. The rail fastenings 4 are respectively located in a depression in the bottom 12 and thus do not come into contact with a derailed wheel 13 ′. This is because the wheel 13 ′ rolls from the first partial level of the bottom 12 onto the second partial level of the bottom 12 without dropping so low, that it comes into contact with the fastening apparatus 4 .
The present invention is not limited to the described embodiment examples. Other formulations of the curb 5 and the rail fastenings 4 as well as the rail support points can be made at any time. For instance, the curb 5 can be designed exactly in the manner of a second curb (not shown) running parallel at the other side of the slab 1 . This even allows a platform, which could be used for salvage and rescue crews. Beyond this, an additional parallel running curb can be laid on outside of each rail 3 . In this way, an additional derailment safety measure is created. The cross-sectional shape of the curb 5 obviously, can be altered in molding from the shape here illustrated. Moreover, the curb 5 can be bolted to the slab 1 , whereby this would involve a somewhat less stable design than the above described integrated precast construction of the same.
In regard to the fastening of the rails, it is possible that one continuous fastening arrangement of the rail can be made on the slab, instead of the fastening the rail at a multitude of positions thereon. A fastening structural member clamps the rail to a provided holding means on the slab.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. It is intended that the present invention include such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
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A rigid track consisting of concrete, in particular pre-cast components, comprising a slab with traversing fixing elements, or a plurality of fixing elements arranged thereon, of rails for track-borne vehicles. The inventive rigid track is characterized by a pre-cast concrete component constituting a protuberance that is positioned on the slab, parallel to at least one rail and located on at least one side of the rail. The protuberance acts as a guard and a guide for the vehicle during derailment.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0004] The present invention is directed toward geocomposites for use in geotechnical construction sites, and particularly toward geonets usable with geotextiles in forming such geocomposites.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIOR ART
[0005] Geotechnical engineering and the usage of geosynthetic materials are very common in today's civil engineering marketplace. One of the most common geosynthetic material available today are drainage products. Drainage products are generally comprised of a geonet or material or a geonet combined with a filtration fabric which may be one of many varieties. These products are used for a broad variety of applications. Common applications include drainage/leachate collection layers in waste storage facilities, leak detection layers in waste storage facilities, the use of a geosynthetic drainage material for gas venting in water and wastewater storage and treatment facilities, the use of geosynthetic drainage layers in roadway, rail and transportation applications and many others. In all of these applications, there are generally two performance factors which determine the suitability of the drainage media. These performance factors are the transmissivity (flow capacity) of the drainage media and the maximum allowable overburden pressure which the drainage media can support and still perform the functions required of it.
[0006] Waste collection sites are, of course, one well known type of geotechnical construction site, and are unavoidably required in today's societal structures. Such sites can require large amounts of valuable land, particularly in urban areas where land is most in demand. Also, while desirable uses can be made of such lands (for example, golf courses have been built on such sites), such desirable uses typically have to wait until the land is no longer being used for collect further waste and the often high pile of waste has stabilized. While use and stabilization of such sites can take many years, there is nevertheless a desire to have that accomplished as quickly as possible, not only to increase the safety of those who might have to be at the site but also to allow for the desired use of others (for example, golfers) and to enhance the environment of those who live in the area as soon as is reasonably possible.
[0007] Toward that end, bioreactor landfills have been used to modify solid waste landfills by re-circulating and injecting leachate/liquid and air to enhance the consolidation of waste and reduce the time required for landfill stabilization. To accomplish this, generally horizontal flow of the leachate/liquid beneath the surface of the landfill is required. In some instances, vertical injection pipes and horizontal pipe fields have often been used to facilitate this leachate/liquid flow. With these structures, a liner is commonly provided at the bottom of the site, which liner may be used to trap leachate which has run through the collected waste above, with pipes in that area used to collect the leachate and draw it out for re-circulation by pumping it out and distributing/dispersing the leachate back into the upper portions of the waste site through, for example, perforated pipes and/or horizontal trenches.
[0008] Unfortunately, vertical injection pipes and horizontal pipe fields have been costly, time consuming to install and maintain, and not entirely effective for a number of reasons. U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,672 discloses an advantageous system which addresses such problems.
[0009] Moreover, geocomposites have heretofore been used with many different types of systems where it is desirable to provide for fluid flow below the surface of built up land masses. As shown in FIGS. 1-3 , such prior art geocomposites 10 have, for example, included a geonet 12 having high density polyethylene (HDPE) longitudinal strands 14 in the form of a grid 16 (see FIG. 1 ), with geotextiles 18 (such as, e.g., nonwoven needlepunched geotextiles) secured to one or both sides of the geonet (see FIG. 3 ). The geonet strands 14 have been long and oblong in cross-section, and oriented with the long dimension in a generally vertical orientation (see FIGS. 2-3 ), whereby the strands 14 provide a height for the geonet 12 which serves to facilitate flow along the plane of the geocomposite. However, while the strands 14 are themselves substantially incompressible HDPE, it has been the experience in the industry that under higher loading (which occurs, e.g., under greater depths of fill and/or pressures above the geocomposite), the rate of fluid flow along the plane of the geocomposite may be substantially reduced to undesirably low levels, which reduced flow can significantly inhibit the desired benefits of, for example, fluid drainage or recirculation.
[0010] The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, a geonet for use in a landfill is provided, including a first plurality of substantially parallel strands, and a second plurality of substantially parallel strands disposed on top of the first plurality of strands, the second plurality of strands being at an angle relative to the first plurality of strands. The first and second plurality of strands are substantially incompressible and secured to one another at crossover locations, and at least one of the first and second plurality of strands is substantially round in cross-section.
[0012] In one form of this aspect of the present invention, the strands are high density polyethylene (HDPE).
[0013] In another form of this aspect of the present invention, both of the first and second plurality of strands are substantially round in cross-section.
[0014] In still another form of this aspect of the present invention, a geotextile is bonded to at least one side of the of the geonet.
[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, a geocomposite for use in geotechnical applications is provided, including a geonet and a geotextile bonded to at least one side of the geonet. The geonet includes a first plurality of substantially parallel strands, and a second plurality of substantially parallel strands disposed on top of the first plurality of strands, the second plurality of strands being at an angle relative to the first plurality of strands. The first and second plurality of strands are substantially incompressible and secured to one another at crossover locations, and at least one of the first and second plurality of strands is substantially round in cross-section.
[0016] In one form of this aspect of the present invention, the strands are high density polyethylene (HDPE).
[0017] In another form of this aspect of the present invention, both of the first and second plurality of strands are substantially round in cross-section.
[0018] In still another form of this aspect of the present invention, a geotextile is non-woven textile heat laminated to the geonet strands. In a further form, the strands are high density polyethylene (HDPE). In another further form, the geotextile is non-woven needlepunched textile heat laminated to strands on both sides of the geonet and, in a still further form, the strands are high density polyethylene (HDPE).
[0019] In yet another form of this aspect of the present invention, the geotextile is spun-bonded or heat laminated textile heat laminated to strands on both sides of the geonet and, in a further form, the strands are high density polyethylene (HDPE).
[0020] In still another aspect of the present invention, a landfill comprising alternating layers of fill and geocomposites is provided, where the geocomposites are each disposed beneath a layer of fill to facilitate draining of liquid from the landfill. The geocomposites include a geonet and a geotextile bonded to at least one side of the geonet. The geonet includes a first plurality of substantially parallel strands, and a second plurality of substantially parallel strands disposed on top of the first plurality of strands, the second plurality of strands being at an angle relative to the first plurality of strands. The first and second plurality of strands are secured to one another at crossover locations, and at least one of the first and second plurality of strands is substantially round in cross-section.
[0021] In one form of this aspect of the present invention, the strands are high density polyethylene (HDPE).
[0022] In another form of this aspect of the present invention, both of the first and second plurality of strands are substantially round in cross-section.
[0023] In still another form of this aspect of the present invention, a geotextile is non-woven needlepunched textile heat laminated to strands on both sides of the geonet and, in a further form, the strands are high density polyethylene (HDPE).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art geonet;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the FIG. 1 prior art geonet, taken along line 2 - 2 of FIG. 1 ;
[0026] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-section view of a geocomposite including the geonet of FIGS. 1-2 ;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a geonet according to the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the geonet of the present invention, taken along line 5 - 5 of FIG. 4 ;
[0029] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-section view of a geocomposite according to the present invention including the geonet of FIGS. 4-5 ; and
[0030] FIG. 7 is a cross-section of a landfill in which the geocomposite of the present invention is used.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] A geonet 30 according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 4-5 . The geonet 30 consists of substantially incompressible longitudinal strands 34 (e.g., formed of high density polyethylene [HDPE]), including a lower set of a plurality of substantially parallel strands 34 a and an upper set of a plurality of substantially parallel strands 34 b , with the two sets of strands 34 a , 34 b being at an angle relative to one another whereby a crisscrossed grid 36 is formed (see FIG. 4 ). It should be understood that as used herein, “substantially incompressible” is meant to refer to materials such as HDPE which, though susceptible to bending, breaking, fracture and/or creep, does not appreciably compress in the vertical direction when vertical forces are applied.
[0032] At their overlapping intersection, the strands 34 a , 34 b are suitably secured together whereby a relatively rigid geonet 30 is provided in the plane of the geonet 30 (i.e., the geonet 30 is substantially rigid against compressive forces directed along the plane of the geonet 30 , while still providing some flexibility for bending when laid on uneven ground).
[0033] In accordance with the present invention, the strands 34 a , 34 b of the geonet 30 are substantially round in cross-section with connected areas 38 at the overlapping intersections. Advantageously, the diameter of the strands 34 a , 34 b may, for a given design use, be substantially the same as the longer dimension of the prior art flat strands as described with respect to FIGS. 1-3 .
[0034] As a result of this configuration, it has been found that at higher pressures such as 15,000 pounds per square foot or more, such as may be encountered in site designs involving several hundred thousand to over a million square feet and projected overburden heights of zero to over two hundred feet, significantly greater fluid flow along the generally horizontal geonet 30 may be provided than with comparable prior art geonets. It is believed that with geonets 30 configured as with the present invention, the round strands 34 a , 34 b will provide a reliable height of the geonet 30 and thereby serve to facilitate flow along the plane of the geocomposite. By contrast, with the prior art strands 14 shown in FIGS. 1-3 , even though they are themselves substantially incompressible HDPE, creep of the strands 14 of such geonets will, eventually, result in the strands 14 folding over in a relatively short amount of time once begun. For example, testing has shown that under loading of 7500 to 15,000 psi, the strands 14 of such geonets 12 may be caused to fold over flat in 10,000 hours or less. Such rollover will, of course, cause the two groups of strands 14 to present a height which is substantially less than the combined long dimension of two sets of strands and thereby significantly and undesirably reducing the transmissivity (flow capacity) provided by such prior art geocomposite 10 .
[0035] Testing has also shown that at higher loadings such as 30,000 psi, transmissivity for geonets according to the present invention is higher than it is for prior art geonets of FIGS. 1-3 having comparable material usages (i.e., transmissivity per mass per unit area is greater with the geonets of the present invention).
[0036] A geocomposite 50 incorporating the geonet 30 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 6 . In the illustrated geocomposite 50 , geotextiles 54 , 56 (such as, e.g., nonwoven needlepunched geotextiles, spun-bonded or heat laminated textiles, as are known in the art) are suitably secured to both sides of the geonet 30 , such as by heat laminating.
[0037] FIG. 7 illustrates, in cross-section, a landfill 70 in which geocomposites 50 according to the present invention may be advantageously used. As the landfill is made, a first layer of geocomposites 50 a is laid down on the surface of the area on which the landfill 70 is being formed. Of course, the area being covered may be extremely large, and therefore more than one section of geocomposite 50 a will typically be required to cover the entire area at each layer. Fill 74 a will then be placed on top of the geocomposite 50 a to a desired depth such as is known in the art, and then a second layer of geocomposites 50 b is then laid down on that area. Further layers of fill 70 b - 70 e and geocomposites 50 c - 50 e are similarly added according to the design of the landfill 70 . As is known to those skilled in the art, geocomposites 50 a - 50 e such as illustrated may be used to facilitate fluid flow through the landfill 70 . Moreover, other structures, such as pumps and vertical and horizontal pipes, may also be used in conjunction with such geocomposites 50 a - 50 e to intentionally circulate leachate through the landfill and thereby facilitate stabilization of the landfill 70 so that it may thereafter be returned to other productive uses more quickly. Further, geocomposites 50 only about 0.200 inch thick may be used, for example, in place of twelve inch layers of sand and aggregate, thereby requiring much less height and concomitantly having less environmental impact and/or allowing for more fill (e.g., waste in a landfill).
[0038] Geocomposites 50 such as described herein may be advantageously used particularly in large landfills where they are subjected to high pressures over long periods of time. However, it should further be understood that geonets 30 and geocomposites 50 according to the present invention, though advantageously usable in geotechnical construction sites such as landfills 70 as described above, may also be advantageously usable in a wide variety of geotechnical construction sites, including not only common horizontal orientations facilitating drainage over a site but also vertical orientations such as in mechanically stabilized earth walls.
[0039] Still other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention can be obtained from a study of the specification, the drawings, and the appended claims. It should be understood, however, that the present invention could be used in alternate forms where less than all of the objects and advantages of the present invention and preferred embodiment as described above would be obtained.
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A geocomposite for use in a landfill, including a geonet and a geotextile bonded to at least one side of the geonet. The geonet includes a first plurality of substantially parallel strands, and a second plurality of substantially parallel strands disposed on top of the first plurality of strands, the second plurality of strands being at an angle relative to the first plurality of strands. The first and second plurality of strands are substantially incompressible and secured to one another at crossover locations, and are substantially round in cross-section.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention generally relates to padded sleeves for vehicle lifting arms. The invention disclosed is a removable cushioned sleeve that provides a number of useful benefits to mechanics or technicians working on a vehicle utilizing an automobile lift system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It is a common practice in the automotive servicing field for a mechanic or technician to utilize an automotive lift system to raise an automobile off the ground allowing the technician to complete repairs underneath the vehicle. Automotive lift systems have various configurations, but often include four lifting arms (two on each side of the vehicle) which support the vehicle by lifting the frame of the vehicle off the ground so that the technician can walk underneath the car. Typically, the lifting arms support the vehicle in four locations, two of the arms lifting behind the front wheels and two of the arms lifting in front of the back wheels.
[0003] One common automotive lift has two upright columns, each column including two lifting arms that extend horizontally from the columns to support a vehicle. The lifting arms are generally adjustable, so as to accommodate a wide variety of vehicles. The technician or mechanic will adjust the lifting arms to extend to the proper locations underneath the vehicle. It is important for the vehicle to be properly secured to the lift allowing the technician to work safely underneath the vehicle. With some automotive lifts, the adjustment of the lifting arms requires the technician to use force to maneuver the arms into the appropriate position. Generally, the lifting arms have a powder-coated finish, providing a smooth or slick surface, which facilitates the movement of the lifting arms into the proper extension and position. However, when a lifting arm becomes wet, for example, on rainy days, water will fall off of the vehicle onto a lifting arm creating a slipping hazard. Technicians often step on a lifting arm to gain access to the inside of the vehicle. If the lifting arm is wet, the combination of the smooth lifting arm surface with water may cause the technician to slip or fall.
[0004] The automotive lift system poses another hazard. The automotive lifting arms that raise the vehicle off the ground are made of steel and it is not uncommon for a mechanic or technician to bump his or her head on a steel lifting arm often resulting in concussions or lacerations to the head. At least one patent has attempted to address this issue. U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,199 (incorporated herein by reference) provides padded end caps for the end of automotive lifting arms. Although these padded caps provide some protection from the end of the lifting arm, the padded caps cover only a minimal portion of the lifting arm. Also, the padded caps are secured by an adhesive and therefore, are not removable for cleaning. Further, the '199 patent end caps are susceptible to falling off of the lifting arms when the technicians maneuver the lifting arms to the appropriate locations underneath a vehicle. Finally, on some styles of automotive lifts, the padded end caps drag on the ground. Accordingly, a padded lifting arm cover is needed that overcomes these and other problems known in the art.
[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a protective padded cover for automotive lifting arms that is secured to the lifting arm and remains secure when the lifting arms are moved into an operable position.
[0006] Another object of the invention is to provide a surface on the top of the lifting arms that provides secure footing and minimizes the slipping caused by moisture on the lifting arms.
[0007] A further object of the invention is to provide a material to cover the lifting arms that does not rip easily, that can withstand a significant amount of contact or stress and that is resilient to the chemicals and fluids normally associated with automobiles.
[0008] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a cushioning device for the lifting arms that can be easily removed, cleaned and reattached to the lifting arm.
[0009] Another object of the invention is to provide a padded sleeve that covers a greater portion of the lifting arm than merely the end of the lifting arm.
[0010] Furthermore, an object of the invention is to provide a padded sleeve that covers both the end of the lifting arm and the portion of the lifting arm where the larger tubing adjoins the smaller tubing.
[0011] A further object of the invention is to provide a padded sleeve that can fit multiple types and styles of lifting arms.
[0012] Still another object of the invention is to provide an affordable lifting arm cover that is easily produced.
[0013] Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide a padded sleeve that does not drag on the ground when connected to various lifting arms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a padded sleeve for covering an automotive lifting arm. The padded sleeve is secured to the automotive lifting arm covering both the end of the lifting arm and the section of the lifting arm where the larger tubing adjoins the smaller tubing. The sleeve is made from a durable and resilient material and is secured to the lifting arm so that it does not shift during use, but is also removable. The sleeve can be cleaned and reattached to the lifting arm. The sleeve includes a rubber grip that covers the top of the automotive lifting arm, to prevent slipping when the lifting arm is stepped upon to gain access to the interior of a vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the outside of the padded sleeve stretched out and unattached to an automotive lifting arm.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rubber grip that covers the top of the sleeve.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the outside of the padded sleeve and the rubber grip together, showing the sleeve's ability to mold or conform to the shape of an automotive lifting arm.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the padded sleeve wherein the rubber grip is secured to the upper portion of the sleeve covering an automotive lifting arm.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an automotive lift system showing three of the lifting arms covered with the padded sleeve and one lifting arm not covered by a padded sleeve.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The present invention may be used with a wide variety of vehicle lifting arms, but those of skill in the art will recognize that the present invention is equally adaptable for use with other lifts where an individual works underneath the lift. For descriptive purposes, the present invention will be described as used on an automotive lifting arm.
[0021] FIG. 1 shows the outside of a wrap or sleeve 10 of the present invention unattached to any automotive lifting arm. In the preferred embodiment, the sleeve 10 is cut from a single sheet of closed cell foam. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that it is not necessary that the sleeve be cut from a single sheet of foam, however, for cost and durability considerations, this is desirable. Furthermore, the sleeve 10 may be produced utilizing any resilient material that provides a cushioned or padded surface.
[0022] In the preferred embodiment the sleeve 10 is made from an expanded closed cell foam that is mold resistant. The sleeve must be strong enough to avoid tearing when the lifting arms are pushed and pulled as the arms are moved into the appropriate position each time a different vehicle is placed on the automotive lift. The foam for the sleeve must also be sufficiently flexible so that it wraps securely around the lifting arm, allowing the sleeve to conform to many different types of the lifting arms. Furthermore, the foam 12 must be thick enough to provide sufficient padding to protect against head injuries, but thin enough to allow the foam to wrap around the lifting arm without interfering with the utility of the lifting arm.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 1 the foam padding 12 of the sleeve 10 includes a large rectangular portion which narrows to a smaller rectangular portion, which narrows further to a third rectangular portion. Other shapes may be utilized depending upon the shape and size of the automotive lift arm to be fitted. The size and shape shown in FIG. 1 is desirable as it provides a customized fit that can conform to most automotive lifting arms.
[0024] FIG. 1 also shows the location of seven hook and fastener straps. Straps 14 and 16 are offset from the edge of the pad and run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 10 . Similarly, straps 22 and 24 also run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve, but are located on the smaller rectangular portion of the open sleeve. Straps 18 and 20 are also located on this smaller rectangular portion of the open sleeve 10 , however, straps 18 and 20 are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis or parallel to the transverse axis of the open sleeve 10 . Strap 26 is located at the end of the smallest rectangular portion of the open sleeve 10 or the end portion of the sleeve 10 . Strap 26 is also aligned parallel to the transverse axis of the open sleeve 10 .
[0025] The inventor has found that utilizing hook and fastener straps allows the sleeve to adapt to different sizes and types of lifts. It is important that the sleeve remain secure to the lifting arm as the technicians often pull and push the sleeve when adjusting the lifting arms for each new vehicle that is placed on the lift. Additional features such as suction cups or high performance rubber may be incorporated to assist in securing the sleeve to the lifting arms. Although hook and fastener straps are preferred, it should be understood that the number of straps and the method of wrapping the straps may differ from those illustrated in the figures. For example, ratcheting connectors or the like, may be utilized to secure the straps together.
[0026] FIG. 2 shows a rubber grip 60 that secures the sleeve 10 over the top of the vehicle lifting arm. The round protrusions 62 provide a tactile surface for secure footing, preventing a technician from slipping when the lifting arm is stepped upon by a technician trying to enter a vehicle secured to an automotive lift. The rubber grip 60 provides safer footing than the bare metal or powder-coated lifting arm, especially when the arm is wet. Not shown, but present underneath the rubber grip 60 is hook and loop fastener straps for connecting to the top portions of the sleeve 10 in its operative position.
[0027] FIG. 3 shows the wrap or sleeve's ability to conform to the shape of an automotive lifting arm. The flexibility of the pad allows it to be folded to form a bottom portion, side portions, top portions and an end portion. FIG. 3 shows the end portion 32 folded vertically to form the end of the sleeve. Side portion 34 is also folded vertically allowing strap 26 to connect to strap 24 (likewise, strap 22 , not shown, is connected to strap 26 ) allowing the sleeve to conform to a tubular shape. The side portions are also held into place by straps 18 and 20 . Top portions 36 and 38 are also folded to form the top portions of the sleeve 10 . Once the top portions 36 and 38 are properly positioned, the rubber grip 60 may be secured to the straps 14 and 16 to conform the sleeve 10 to a tube-like shape.
[0028] FIG. 4 shows the sleeve 10 completely secured to a lifting arm 70 , with the rubber grip 60 secured to the top portions 36 and 38 of the sleeve 10 . The rubber grip 60 secures the top of the sleeve 10 to the lifting arm 70 , but does not cover the portion of the lifting arm that attaches or secures the lifting arm to a vehicle. FIG. 4 shows how the sleeve 10 conforms to the shape of the lifting arm providing a protective cover without limiting the functionality of the lifting arm.
[0029] FIG. 5 shows an automotive lift system with four lifting arms 70 . Three of the lifting arms are covered by the sleeve 10 and one lifting arm is uncovered as it does not include the sleeve. The uncovered lifting arm 72 shows how the lifting arms often include a section of larger tubing 74 accepting a section of smaller tubing 76 , allowing the arms to be extended and retracted. The location 80 where the larger tubing 74 meets the smaller tubing 76 is another location (the end of the lifting arm being the primary location) where technicians often bump their head, sometimes causing concussions or lacerations. As shown on the three covered lifting arms, the sleeve 10 covers the junction 80 of the larger and smaller tubing providing protection to the technician from this additional area for head injuries.
[0030] The preferred embodiment uses hook and loop fasteners to secure the sleeve to an automotive lifting arm, allowing the sleeve to be attached to multiple types and sizes of automotive lifting arms. Furthermore, using hook and loop fasteners, allows easy removal, cleaning and reattachment of the sleeve. As is known in the art, many other ways of securing the sleeve may be used, such as adhesives, stitching, magnets and other means.
[0031] Other alterations, variations and combinations are possible that fall within the scope of the present invention. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art will recognize other modifications that may be made that would nonetheless fall within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to the apparatus described. Instead, the scope of the present invention should be consistent with the invention claimed below.
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A padded sleeve made from a durable and resilient material, capable of being secured to an automobile lifting arm. The padded sleeve is removable, yet securely attachable so that it remains in place during use. The sleeve includes a rubber grip that covers the top of the automotive lifting arm, providing a tactile surface for secure footing on top of the lifting arm.
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FIELD
[0001] This invention relates to the field of systems for improving the installability of floor drains, especially drains used for concrete floors finished with a tile or the like on the surface of the concrete.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Floor drains are typically installed by plumbers on the ends of drain pipes at a certain level above grade prior to pouring a concrete slab. After a drain has been installed at the desired level, a concrete slab is poured. After the concrete slab has set, tile or other flooring is laid on top of the concrete base.
[0003] It is desirable to have the entire floor, including the grate of the drain, at a substantially uniform level. However, after the concrete sets, the grate member is fixed in position and cannot be easily adjusted to correct any differences with the level of the flooring. It is often necessary to chip away the concrete from around the grate to allow the height of the grate to be adjusted. Therefore, it is an object of this invention to allow the floor drain to remain adjustable after the concrete has set so that the level of the upper surface of the grate may be adjusted to be coextensive with the level of the flooring.
[0004] Previous attempts to remedy this problem have been made by placing plugs on top of the floor drain base when the concrete is poured. However, the drain is inoperable when these plugs are in place. As is well known, construction can often last for months or even years with long periods of inactivity possible on a job site. In floor construction, it is not uncommon for a concrete slab to be poured and then flooring to be laid several months later. Thus, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an operable height adjustable floor drain throughout construction of a floor in order to drain water and other liquids that collect.
[0005] Also, a concrete base is often ground by large grinding machines or otherwise finished prior to laying a floor. It is necessary for such finishing machines to be able to access all portions of the floor. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a height adjustable drain which does not have portions protruding above the surface of the concrete base.
SUMMARY
[0006] The above and other needs are met by an apparatus and method for installing an adjustable height drain onto a conduit in a layer of hardenable material. The drain includes a grate member adjustably connected to and in fluid communication with a base member. A spacer is disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the grate member to limit hardenable material from setting around the grate member when a layer of hardenable material is poured.
[0007] The spacer may be a loop of compressible material which is compressible generally between the grate of the grate member and the base member. The compressible material creates a void in the area around the grate member and prevents hardenable material from setting around the grate member.
[0008] The grate member may include a grate portion substantially nested in a removable concentric disc. As the grate member is elevationally adjusted towards the base member, the removable disc is biased towards the base member, thereby compressing the compressible material against the base member.
[0009] The spacer may also be the removable disc itself. The disc may be of a sufficient height that it prevents the hardenable material from setting adjacent the grate member.
[0010] After a layer of hardenable material is poured, flooring material may be installed on the upper surface of the hardenable material. The spacer may be removed from adjacent the grate member. The grate member may then be elevationally adjusted so that its upper surface is substantially flush with the upper surface of the flooring material. A second hardenable material can be placed into the void around the grate member formed by the sealing mechanism to create a base for flooring to be laid against the grate to create a coextensive floor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Further advantages of the invention are apparent by reference to the detailed description when considered in conjunction with the figures, which are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a floor drain apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of a floor drain apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of a preferred embodiment of a floor drain apparatus wherein a concrete floor base has been poured to the level of the upper surface of the grate and extension ring;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of a preferred embodiment of a floor drain apparatus installed in a concrete floor base wherein the extension ring and sealing ring have been removed;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a cutaway view of a preferred embodiment of a floor drain apparatus installed in a concrete floor base where tile has been laid on areas of the floor, the height of the grate member has been adjusted so that the upper surface of the grate will be the same level as the upper surface of the tile, and a filler material has been placed into the recess in the concrete created by the extension ring and sealing ring;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a cutaway view of a preferred embodiment of a floor drain apparatus installed in a concrete floor base wherein flooring has been installed up to the perimeter of the grate;
[0018] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a floor drain apparatus according to an alternate embodiment of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a cutaway view of a floor drain apparatus according to an alternate embodiment of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 9 is a cutaway view of an alternate embodiment of a floor drain apparatus wherein a concrete floor base has been poured to the level of the upper surface of the grate and extension ring;
[0021] FIG. 10 is a cutaway view of an alternate embodiment of a floor drain apparatus installed in a concrete floor base wherein the extension ring has been removed;
[0022] FIG. 11 is a cutaway view of an alternate embodiment of a floor drain apparatus installed in a concrete floor base where tile has been laid on areas of the floor, the height of the grate member has been adjusted so that the upper surface of the grate will be the same level as the upper surface of the tile, and a filler material has been placed into the recess in the concrete created by the extension ring; and
[0023] FIG. 12 is a cutaway view of an alternate embodiment of a floor drain apparatus installed in a concrete floor base wherein flooring has been installed up to the perimeter of the grate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] A preferred embodiment of the floor drain system 10 of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 & 2 . The system includes a drain base 12 with a central, substantially circular through opening 11 oriented on a vertical axis. The base member 12 preferably comprises an integral disc-shaped, horizontally disposed surrounding base flange 14 which forms the top part of the base member 12 and extends outwardly from generally around the central opening 11 in the base 12 . The base flange 14 is removably connected to the upper portion of the base 12 using bolts 16 or other suitable means thereby allowing access to the interior of the base for maintenance of otherwise. A substantially cylindrical base flange opening 18 is internally threaded to receive a depending cylindrical, externally threaded connector 22 integrally formed as part of an upstanding grate member 20 . The cylindrical connector 22 of the grate member 20 has a central circular opening 24 extending vertically through its length in flow communication and in vertical alignment with the opening 11 in the base member 12 when the two are threadably interconnected.
[0025] The bottom portion of the base is connectable to any of the standard conduits for draining liquid away from the area, typically disposed beneath the floor within or below concrete. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 & 2 , a PVC drain pipe 26 may be connected to the base by a pipe coupling 28 , where the pipe coupling 28 has an externally threaded end portion 30 which is threadably connected to the bottom of the base 12 . The drain pipe 26 and pipe coupling 28 have substantially cylindrical openings extending vertically through at least a portion of their lengths in flow communication and vertical alignment with the opening 11 in the base member 12 .
[0026] Also, a water inlet 19 may be disposed in the base 12 which admits a steady, slow stream of water into the floor drain system 10 to keep a trap (not shown) primed in order to prevent sewer gas from entering the floor drain.
[0027] The grate member 20 further preferably includes an upper, integrally formed outwardly projecting disc-shaped grate flange 32 disposed in substantially parallel, vertically spaced-apart relation to the base flange 14 . The upper surface of the grate flange has a narrow, upstanding circular rim 34 around its perimeter. A recessed circular grate shelf 36 just inside the rim 34 is concentrically arranged vis-à-vis the rim 34 and the grate opening 24 , and is dimensioned to fittingly receive a circular grate thereon 38 . The grate 38 is removably attached to the shelf by spaced-apart screws or other suitable connection devices so the top surface of the grate 38 is flush with the top surface of the surrounding rim 34 .
[0028] The rim area of the grate flange 32 fits onto a narrow interior, circular ledge 42 of an extension ring 40 , the outer edge of which is generally vertically aligned with the outer edge of the base flange 14 . The upper and lower surfaces of the extension ring 40 are relatively wide and flat, and the ring is preferably dimensioned so that its upper surface 44 is substantially flush with the upper surfaces of the rim 34 and the grate 38 . In alternate embodiments, the external ring 40 may be integral with the grate flange 32 .
[0029] A resiliently compressible substantially donut-shaped seal ring 46 made of a material such as Armiflex is dimensioned to fit between the base flange 14 and the extension ring 40 around the threaded, cylindrical connector 22 of the grate member 20 . The seal ring 46 may be a continuous loop. Alternately, the seal ring 46 may be a discontinuous loop or even comprise two or more separate portions so that the seal rings may be disposed around the connector 22 after the grate member 20 has been connected to the base 12 .
[0030] As the grate member 20 is advanced deeper into the base 12 via the threaded interconnection of the two parts, the seal ring 46 becomes resiliently compressed between the upper surface of the base flange and the lower surfaces of the grate flange and extension ring. In alternate embodiments, no extension ring 40 is used and the seal ring 46 may be compressed between the grate flange 32 and the base flange 14 .
[0031] The base, grate member, and extension ring are preferably a made from a suitable metallic material, such as cast iron or stainless steel, but may also be made of any other suitable material such as plastic.
[0032] In use of the system of the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2-6 , the components of the drain system 10 are assembled with the grate flange 32 resting on the ledge 42 of extension ring 40 and the seal ring 46 disposed between the base flange 14 and the extension ring 40 . The grate member 20 is then threaded down into the base member 12 until the top surface of the grate member 20 is at a height in the base 12 above grade 50 substantially corresponding to the expected height to which a concrete layer 52 will be poured. This downward movement of the grate member 20 and its flange portion 32 carries the extension ring 40 downwardly along with it, thereby compressing the seal ring 46 against the base flange 14 as described above. Concrete 52 is then poured so that its top surface is substantially flush with the top surface 44 of the extension ring 40 . The seal ring 46 in compression and the extension ring 40 above it serve to prevent concrete 52 from setting around the grate member 20 , thereby allowing the threaded connector 22 of the grate member 20 and the base member 12 to remain adjustable. Also, the drain 10 is operable before, during, and after the concrete has been laid.
[0033] After concrete 52 has been poured and sufficiently set such that it no longer exhibits substantial liquid characteristics, the grate member 20 , extension ring 40 , and seal ring 46 can be removed. Thereafter, a tile 56 or other floor may be laid on top of the surface of the concrete. Once the tile floor has been partially laid, the grate member 20 can be threaded back into the base 12 a distance and adjusted to a height substantially level with the grade of the tile. Caulking, grout, or other material 54 may then be placed in the void left by the seal ring and extension ring up to the level of the concrete 52 . Tile 56 may then be laid up to the edge of the rim 34 of the grate member 20 to finish the tile flooring. In the alternative, the extension ring 40 can be left in place and the tile 56 finished up to its edge. The drain grate 38 will then be flush or level with the surface of the tile floor.
[0034] An alternate embodiment of the apparatus and method of the drain system of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 7-12 , wherein a seal ring 46 is not used. The base 112 and grate member 120 and their components are of corresponding structure to the base 12 and grate member and their components described in the preferred embodiment above. However, rather than using the compressible seal ring, extension rings 140 of various heights may be used.
[0035] The rim area of the grate flange 132 fits onto a narrow interior, circular ledge 142 of an extension ring 140 , the outer edge of which is generally vertically aligned with the outer edge of the base 112 or base flange 114 in various embodiments. The upper surface 144 of the extension ring 140 is relatively wide and flat, and the ring is preferably dimensioned so that its upper surface 144 is substantially flush with the upper surfaces of the rim 134 and the grate 138 . The extension ring 140 has sidewalls 158 extending down from an upper disc-like portion 160 . The sidewalls generally rest on the top of the base 112 .
[0036] In use of the drain system 110 of this alternative embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8-12 , an extension ring 140 is chosen with sidewalls of a sufficient height so that when the components of the drain system 110 are assembled with the grate flange 132 resting on the ledge 142 of extension ring 140 and the grate member 20 is threaded down into the base member 112 , the top surface of the grate member 120 and the extension ring 140 are at a height in the base 112 above grade 150 substantially corresponding to a desired height to which a concrete layer 152 will be poured. A drain installer may be provided with a kit having extension rings of various heights to allow for a wide variation in heights to which the grate may be set prior to pouring the concrete layer.
[0037] After the grate member 120 is threaded into the base member 112 , concrete 152 is then poured so that its top surface is substantially flush with the top surface 144 of the extension ring 140 . The extension ring 140 serves to prevent concrete 152 from setting around the grate member 120 , thereby allowing the threaded connector 122 of the grate member 120 and the base member 112 to remain adjustable. Also, the drain 110 is operable before, during, and after the concrete has been laid.
[0038] After concrete 152 has been poured and sufficiently set such that it no longer exhibits substantial liquid characteristics, the grate member 120 and extension ring 140 can be removed. Thereafter, a tile 156 or other floor may be laid on top of the surface of the concrete. Once the tile floor has been partially laid, the grate member 120 can be threaded back into the base 112 a distance and adjusted to a height substantially level with the grade of the tile. Caulking, grout, or other material 154 may then be placed in the void left by the seal ring and extension ring up to the level of the concrete 52 . Tile 156 may then be laid up to the edge of the rim 134 of the grate member 120 to complete the tile floor. In the alternative, if desired, the extension ring 140 can be left in place and the tile 156 finished up to its edge. The drain grate 138 will be then flush or level with the surface of the tile floor.
[0039] The foregoing description of preferred embodiments for this invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, although the floor drain system is described with regard to preferred base members and grate members, adjustable drains with base members and grate members of various configurations typical in the plumbing field may be used with the invention. Further, the invention may be used in “non-floor” applications where a drain is at least partially enclosed in a solid material. The disclosed embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustrations of the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as is suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
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An apparatus and method for installing an adjustable height drain onto a conduit in a layer of hardenable material. The drain includes a grate member adjustably connected to and in fluid communication with a base member. A connection member connects the grate member and base member and is adjustable to allow the elevation of the grate member to be adjusted in relation to the base member. A sealing mechanism is disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the connection member to limit hardenable material from setting around the connection member when a layer of hardenable material is poured.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the priority to New Zealand Application No. 588307, filed Sep. 29, 2010, and New Zealand Application No. 592695, filed May 6, 2011, the entire contents of which both are hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a dental impression tray, and in particular, a reusable dental impression tray for taking an impression of the posterior teeth.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The prior art includes dental impression trays designed for taking an impression of all or some of the lower or upper teeth. Such trays are often a single piece device made of all metal or other material which is autoclavable. The prior art also includes dental instruments for taking posterior impressions. Such dental impression trays may be extremely rigid and reusable. Dental impression trays are anatomically shaped to fit over the patient's teeth. An impression material is then secured in the tray, often with an adhesive, before being placed inside the patient's mouth where they bite down on the impression material until it sets. The tray, with set impression material, is then removed from the patient's mouth and is used as a mould to form a model of the patient's dentition.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,029 discloses a dental impression frame and disposable tray. The frame is split and hinged at one end so the frame may clamp down on a gauge material, firmly, on all but one side, such as the lingual, wherein the gauge material is secured but to allow slippage as the gauge material is pulled while being clamped between the teeth. U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,372 discloses a dental impression tray. The tray includes a frame and handle member and removable impression tray.
In order to make accurate and quality impressions, moulds and dental prostheses, the stability of the bite tray is critical. Current bite trays lack this stability due to their construction material and/or design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rigid dental impression tray that overcomes the problems of the prior art dental impression trays and produces an accurate, undistorted impression.
It is a further object of the present invention to include a secure method of attaching the impression material to the dental impression tray.
It is still a further object of the present invention to offer a dental impression tray that fits almost any mouth shape.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a dental impression tray which does not require the use of an adhesive.
It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a cost effective dental impression tray.
The present invention therefore provides a reusable dental impression tray having a reusable rigid tray holder with opposing sidewalls spaced apart substantially a first distance, the opposing sidewalls extend longitudinally in a curved manner, a connector located at a distal end of the tray holder couples the sidewalls together, the sidewalls and connector define an inward facing surface, a channel formed in and extends along the inward facing surface, and a handle located at a mesial end of the tray holder, and a disposable mesh bite tray having a generally U-shaped frame having an open end and a closed end, the U-shaped frame is made of a flexible material wherein the U-shaped frame has a generally static shape having a width at the closed end substantially similar to the first distance and a width at the open end which is greater than the first distance, and wherein with the U-shaped frame received in the channel, the open end of the U-shaped frame is held in a compressed state with the open end having a compressed width substantially the same as the first distance.
The present invention further provides a corresponding kit, as well as a corresponding disposable mesh bite tray.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reusable dental impression tray in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, including the reusable tray holder and the disposable biting tray;
FIG. 2 is a back side view of the reusable dental impression tray of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a top view of the reusable dental impression tray of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a top view of the disposable biting tray of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view the disposable biting tray of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a top view of a reusable tray holder in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is an end view of the reusable tray holder of FIG. 6 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a back side view of the reusable tray holder of FIG. 6 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the span between the opposing sidewalls of the reusable tray holder of FIG. 6 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 10 is an end view of the span between the opposing sidewalls of the reusable tray holder of FIG. 6 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a perspective front view of the reusable tray holder of FIG. 6 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a side-by-side top view of the reusable tray holder and disposable mesh insert tray of FIG. 6 in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of the reusable tray holder in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 14 is a front perspective view of the reusable tray holder in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a reusable dental impression tray 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The reusable dental impression tray 10 includes a reusable tray holder 12 and a disposable bite tray 14 . The reusable tray holder 12 includes a pair of opposing sidewalls or fins 16 connected via a curved arm or connector 18 . The reusable tray holder 12 further includes a stem 20 upon which a handle 22 is secured thereto. Alternatively, the reusable tray holder 12 may be a one-piece component, including the handle. The handle includes a smooth surface. The smooth surface facilitates writing or attaching tracking details. In addition, the handle or some other part of the reusable tray holder 12 may be color coded to represent difference sizes of the reusable tray holder 12 . The slim design fits comfortably in the patient's mouth. The opposing sidewalls are anatomically designed to support impression material evenly. The solid walls of the opposing sidewalls impose a hydraulic pressure on the impression material.
The curved connector 18 is reinforced to prevent the dental impression tray 10 from twisting. The curved connector 18 may be approximately 2 mm to 3 mm high and 3-6 mm wide. In one embodiment, the connector 18 is approximately 4 mm wide.
FIG. 2 shows a back side view of the reusable dental impression tray 10 . It can be seen that the disposable bite tray 14 includes a frame 24 and a mesh 26 . It is apparent from FIG. 2 that the mesh is not taut. Rather, the mesh 26 forms a wave or ripple. FIG. 2 also shows that the lingual or palatal sidewall 30 includes a distal end 32 having a curved and blunt profile. The lingual sidewall 30 further includes a mesial end 34 having a curved and more pointed profile. It will be noted that the lingual sidewall 30 tapers from a wide distal end 32 to the narrower mesial end 34 . The lingual sidewall 30 is designed to control the tongue so as to prevent distorted impressions. In addition, the mesial end 34 of the lingual sidewall 30 provides the smaller or pointed profile in part for shallow palates.
FIGS. 1 and 2 also show that the buccal sidewall 38 includes a mesial end 40 having a curved and blunt profile. The buccal sidewall 38 further includes a distal end 42 having a curved and more pointed profile. It will be noted that the buccal sidewall 38 tapers from a wide mesial end 40 to a narrower distal end 42 . The frame 24 may be color coded to represent difference sizes of the disposable bite tray 14 , in the same manner as the handle.
FIG. 3 shows a top view of the reusable dental impression tray 10 . The opposing sidewalls 16 are readily apparent to be arched so as to conform with the posterior teeth. The disposable bite tray 14 is shown extending between the opposing sidewalls 16 within a groove or channel 50 . FIG. 4 shows the disposable bite tray 14 having the molded springy frame 24 and the mesh 26 . FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the disposable bite tray 14 . The molded springy frame 24 includes a buccal portion 52 , a lingual portion 54 , a connector portion 56 , and an open end 58 . FIG. 4 shows that the distance between the buccal portion 52 and lingual portion 54 is wider at the open end 58 in comparison to the connector portion 56 . This is the static state or position of the disposable bite tray 14 , with the buccal portion 52 and lingual portion 54 diverging from the connector portion 56 .
FIG. 6 shows a top view of a reusable tray holder 112 in accordance with a second embodiment. The reusable tray holder 112 includes opposing sidewalls or fins 116 connected via a connector 118 . A handle 122 is coupled to the reusable tray holder 112 via a stem 120 . The opposing sidewalls 116 include a pair of ledges 160 . FIG. 7 shows a back side view of the reusable tray holder 112 wherein the ledges 160 are seen on the lingual sidewall 130 and the buccal sidewall 138 . FIG. 8 shows a back side view of the reusable tray holder 112 , wherein the buccal sidewall 138 includes a mesial end 140 having a curved and blunt profile. The buccal sidewall 138 further includes a distal end 142 having a curved and more pointed profile. It will be noted that the buccal sidewall 138 tapers from a wide mesial end 140 to a narrower distal end 142 . The narrower distal end 142 of the buccal sidewall 138 prevents impingment on tissues. In contrast, the wider or taller mesial end 140 of the buccal wall 138 supports the canine teeth.
As can be seen from FIGS. 8 and 11 , the lingual or palatal sidewall 130 includes a distal end 132 having a curved and blunt profile. The lingual sidewall 130 further includes a mesial end 134 having a curved and more pointed profile. It will be noted that the lingual sidewall 130 tapers from a wide distal end 132 to a narrower mesial end 134 .
FIGS. 9-11 show the reusable holder 112 of the second embodiment, wherein a groove or channel 150 extends along the middle of the inwardly facing surface 170 of the opposing sidewalls 116 and connector 118 .
FIG. 12 shows the side-by-side comparison of the reusable tray holder 112 and the disposable bite tray 114 . It can be seen that the connector portion 156 substantially conforms to the dimensions of the groove or channel 150 at the connector 118 . However, the open end 158 as defined by at the buccal portion 152 and lingual portion 154 is wider than the holder open end defined at the mesial end 134 and mesial end 140 . It will be appreciated that with the disposable bite tray 114 is inserted into the channel 150 towards the connector 118 , the buccal portion 152 and lingual portion 154 and urged together with increasing tension as the open end 158 approaches the channel 150 . With the disposable bite tray 114 fully inserted into the reusable tray holder 112 , buccal portion 152 and lingual portion 154 maintain a constant outward tension so as to create a compression fit within the channel 150 and remain securely in place throughout the impression and mold process steps. The dimensions of the channel and frame may be selected to additionally provide an interference fit, for greater securement.
FIGS. 3 , 7 and 10 , in particular, show the flared nature of the opposing sidewalls. The flared opposing sidewalls self-lock impression material against displacement forces. FIGS. 1 , 3 , 7 and 10 , in particular, show how the curved intersection of the connector and sidewalls define a back seal 90 which prevents distal overflow of the impression material. The self-locking nature of the reusable tray holder means that an adhesive is not required, but is optional.
FIG. 13 shows a front perspective view of the reusable tray holder 212 in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention. Instead of ledges 160 , the top and bottom of the opposing sidewalls or fins 216 are provided with slots 280 . The slots 280 may extend horizontally, as shown, or at any other angle. For example, the slots may extend parallel to one another but angularly with respect to the channel. Still further, the slots may diverge from one another, in a distal direction. It will be understood that other orientations of the slots are possible as well. The slots 280 allow the impression material to flow through the slots 280 . Once the impression material sets, the impression material is held firmly in place.
The reusable tray holder may be made of a rigid material such as stainless steel or titanium. FIG. 13 is an example of a one-piece reusable tray holder. A color coded label or indicia is provided on the handle to identify the size of the reusable tray holder.
In practice, the appropriate sized reusable rigid tray holder is selected based on the color code and the particular patient. A corresponding disposable bite tray is similarly selected based on the same color code. The disposable bite tray is fitted to the reusable tray holder and is then loaded with the impression material which adheres to the tray holder and bite tray without the use of an adhesive. The reusable dental impression tray with impression material is placed inside the patient's mouth and the patient bites down on the soft impression material until the material sets. The tray and impression material is then removed from the patient's mouth and sent to the dental laboratory. Dental stone is poured into the impression to form a model of the patient's tooth dentition. Due to the rigidity of the tray holder, multiple impressions can then be cast without the impression material deforming. Once all casting is complete, the disposable bite tray is removed from the reusable rigid tray holder, along with the impression material. The reusable rigid tray holder can then be cleaned and sterilized, and a new disposable bite tray may be inserted, ready for use.
While the present invention has been described in connection with a specific application, this application is exemplary in nature and is not intended to be limiting on the possible applications of this invention. It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the present disclosure is intended as an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated and described. The disclosure is intended to cover, by the appended claims, all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.
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A reusable dental impression tray having a reusable rigid tray holder with opposing sidewalls spaced apart substantially a first distance, a connector at a distal end of the tray holder couples the sidewalls together, the sidewalls and connector define an inward facing surface, a channel formed in and extends along the inward facing surface, and a disposable mesh bite tray having a generally U-shaped frame having an open end and a closed end, the U-shaped frame is made of a flexible material wherein the U-shaped frame has a static shape having a width at the closed end substantially the first distance and a width at the open end which is greater than the first distance, wherein with the U-shaped frame received in the channel, the open and of the U-shaped frame is held with the open end having a compressed width substantially the same as the first distance.
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DIVISION OF APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/677,307 filed Mar. 29, 1991, entitled CENTRIFUGE APPARATUS FOR RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE REMOVAL FROM RECYCLABLE CONTAINER MATERIAL (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,424 with reference to an application entitled RING CENTRIFUGE APPARATUS FOR RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE REMOVAL FROM RECYCLABLE CONTAINER MATERIAL Ser. No. 07/896,626 still pending which is a continuation-in-part of the above application and was filled on Jun. 6, 1992.
BACKGROUND--FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention incorporates the centrifugal separation apparatus as claimed in two prior patent applications into a compact processing system designed to separate oil from the granulated plastic by-product of plastic oil containers. The end products of this separation process are a high purity, homogeneous motor oil and clean, granulated plastic. This processing system may be used as a stationary plant installation, or, as a mobile recovery unit servicing automotive service stations and the like.
Within this process, plastic motor oil containers with residual waste oil are placed in the feed hopper of the apparatus. From the hopper, they are conveyed to a chipper which granulates the entire container and its contents. Subsequently the granulated container is discharged into a centrifuge separating device.
The centrifuge separates the oil, passing it through a filter system and into an oil holding tank. The granulated plastic is fed into a plastic holding bin for eventual reprocessing at a central plant location.
With an understanding of the present need to protect both our natural environment and to optimize the use of natural resources, the importance of this process should be readily apparent. In a first case, a mechanical separation of the residual waste liquid (most notably, motor oil) from its granulated container assures less pollutants introduced into the waste stream from cleaning operations in the form of an emulsion of water, detergents, and the specific material in the container. In a second case, a mechanical separation assures a greater return of product into its highest value usage with the least energy expanded; that is, motor oil may be recovered in the form of pure motor oil rather than as an emulsion or solvent dilution which requires expensive reprocessing for commercial reuse. Further, this process allows a compact and economical process for reducing the plastic and residual oil waste into reusable components. A further intent of this invention is the provision of a system which is truck mounted and can periodically dispose of used one-quart oil containers at the site of their use such as service stations, automotive garages, and retail automotive oil markets which recycle the used containers.
BACKGROUND-- DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The technology of centrifugally separating residual liquid which was packaged within a container from the material proper of said container subsequent to granulating or comminution of the container has not heretofore been addressed in any patent other than those developed by this inventor, (That is to say, CENTRIFUGE APPARATUS FOR RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE REMOVAL FROM RECYCLE CONTAINER MATERIAL (Ser. No. 07/677,307) now U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,424, CONTINUOUS CENTRIFUGE APPARATUS FOR RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE REMOVAL FROM RECYCLABLE CONTAINER MATERIAL (Ser. No. 07/696,765) now abandoned, METHOD OF CONTINUOUS CENTRIFUGAL REMOVAL OF RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE FROM RECYCLABLE CONTAINER MATERIAL (Ser. No. 07/701,778) now U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,441 METHOD OF BATCH CENTRIFUGAL REMOVAL OF RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE FROM RECYCLABLE CONTAINER MATERIAL (Ser. No. 07/703,007), still pend. CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR RECLAIMING PLASTIC SCRAP (Ser. No. 07/781,085), still pending and RING CENTRIFUGE APPARATUS FOR RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE REMOVAL FROM RECYCLABLE CONTAINER MATERIAL filed on Jun. 6, 1992.) Ser. No. 596,625 still pending. This is particularly true for plastic containers in the form of blow molded bottles which have contained motor oils or similar non-water soluble liquids.
A new body of technology is growing for the purpose of reclaiming such plastic and other container materials. In most cases, however, the technology has used mechanical agitation in conjunction with washing and soaking baths to remove the contaminant from the granulated container.
Centrifugal separation of a residual liquid contaminant of a container, and the granulated material proper from the container, is a novel innovation as suggested in this series of inventions.
Numerous mechanical separation devices have been devised which use centrifugal action. Among them, are those which centrifugally separate cutting fluids and oils from metal chips, borings, and the like as encountered in machine shop operations. In this regard, the patents of Dudley et al (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,137,176 and 4,253,960), Areaux et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,096), Weininger et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,014), Rousselet (U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,135), Steimel (U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,318), and Ziherl (U.S. Pat. No. 2,878,943) deserve attention. (Note that the two patents of Dudley and the patent of Areaux are refinements of the same practice.) Prior art by Welch (U.S. Pat. No. 636,016) for the removal of liquid from garbage also merits attention. It can be shown, however, that each of these representations of the prior art are substantially different from both the function and the intended use of the present invention.
Thus, the process of incorporating such a centrifugal separation unit into a compact system applicable to both stationary and mobile use is novel.
OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION
This process was developed with an understanding of the limitations of the present methodology used to reclaim containers with residual liquid waste(most notably plastic oil filled containers). Furthermore, it was designed with a number of other objectives considering its potential application.
1. It is the general objective of this invention to provide a process of mechanically separating residual liquid waste (motor oil) contamination from a granulated plastic container.
2. Another objective of this invention is to remove this residual liquid waste (motor oil) without creating an emulsion by the addition of water or other chemicals.
3. Another objective of this invention is to salvage this residual liquid waste (motor oil) in a usable form for further use without significant product down-grading.
4. Another objective of this invention is to separate the residual liquid waste (motor oil) or other contaminant from the plastic product without introducing that contaminant into the waste water stream.
5. Another objective of this invention is to provide a compact and economical unit which could be used in either a central processing facility or as a truck or trailer mounted unit.
7. A final objective of this invention is to utilize the technology of four previous patent applications to this oil separation methodology. That is, U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,060 entitled CUTTER ENHANCEMENT FOR PLASTIC SIZE REDUCTION EQUIPMENT, the application entitled CENTRIFUGE APPARATUS FOR RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE REMOVAL FROM RECYCLABLE CONTAINER MATERIAL, Ser. No. 07/677,307 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,424, the application entitled RING CENTRIFUGE APPARATUS FOR RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE REMOVAL FROM RECYCLABLE CONTAINER MATERIAL filed on Jun. 6, 1992, Ser. No. 07/896,626 still pending and, the application entitled METHOD OF BATCH CENTRIFUGAL REMOVAL OF RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE FROM RECYCLABLE CONTAINER MATERIAL, Ser. No. 07/703,007 still pending.
These and other objectives and advantages of the present invention, and the manner in which they are achieved, will become apparent in the following specifications and claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In its preferred embodiment, the present invention is a process employing a centrifuge device for separating chips or shreds of containers from whatever liquid residue remains within these containers. (henceforth, the plastic chips or shreds resulting from size reduction of the container material will be referred to as granulate. The process of plastic size reduction will be referred to as granulation. In this process, the apparatus which produces the granulate will be referred to as a chipper rather than the more common term granulator inasmuch as the end product is a dimensionally controlled chip rather than a random segment.)
In brief, the process includes a feed section consisting of a feed hopper where the oil contaminated containers are initially loaded into the system. Subsequently, a conveyor is used to transport the containers to a chipper. During transport, the conveyor uses proximity or optical sensors to count the containers and regulate the system through-put. From the chipper, the granulated material is fed to the central centrifuge.
The centrifuge separates the granulated plastic from the oil contaminant; the oil is filtered and pumped to an oil holding tank and the granulated plastic is conveyed to a plastic holding bin.
Provision is further made for containment and salvage of any oil spilled during processing. A containment pan (most notably, a liquid-tight liner used on a truck bed) is provided which allows spills to be returned to the oil recovery cycle.
The process finally includes a means of emptying the oil and plastic for further processing. In the case of the plastic holding bin within a truck mounted unit, a bin unloading conveyor is used to discharge the bin contents into suitable containers or other means of handling for reprocessing into recycled plastic.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of the centrifuge and chipper conveyor unit.
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the complete system.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIG. 1, a centrifugal separator 2 is shown with its related apparatus consisting of a feed hopper 4, chipper conveyor 6, crammer 8, and chipper 10.
Material to be processed--most notably one-quart oil containers with residual liquid waste within--are randomly thrown into the feed hopper 4. In the preferred embodiment, the chipper conveyor 6 performs three important functions in addition to conveying the containers to the crammer 8. A first function of the chipper conveyor 6 is to orient the containers so that they pass through it in single file. This is achieved by restricting the interior dimensions of the chipper conveyor 6 unit to the nominal dimensions of the containers and in providing rotating or stationary deflection means which will orient the containers during their assent. Proper orientation of the containers is necessary for the chipper conveyor 6 to achieve its second function; with optical or proximity sensors mounted within the chipper conveyor 6 unit at the scanning station 7, the containers are counted. Counting containers allows a prospective customer to be charged for the service rendered. However, counting containers also allows the entire unit to be automatically controlled, as will be described latter. This counting function, therefore, allows the chipper conveyor 6 to be intermittently started and stopped to control the rate of movement of containers through the system
When the chipper conveyor 6 is operating with containers on its belt, a continuous container supply is fed to the crammer 8 which crushes and forces containers into the granulator 10 at a predetermined rate. Subsequent to being granulated, the oil-contaminated plastic containers exit the granulator 10 at 12 into the centrifuge hopper 14 where they pass directly into the rotating centrifugal separation vessel 16.
Several configurations may be used for the centrifugal separator 2. Irrespective of the particular apparatus used, however, the oil will be flung through a sieve screen 18. The oil is collected in a centrifuge containment housing 20, where it drains through a centrifuge oil drain pipe 22 to an oil pump and filtration unit 24.
At the completion of the spinning cycle, the remaining plastic granulate will be discharged from the discharge opening 26 of the centrifugal separation vessel 16. The granulated material will then be transported by means of a process conveyor 28 to a holding area (which will be shown in FIG. 2).
The centrifugal separator 2 is driven by a motor 30. Depending on its application, this motor will be either a hydraulic motor (in the case of a truck mounted unit) or an electric motor (in the case of a stationary installation or, if required, on a trailer unit).
Inasmuch as some oil will be lost from the contaminated containers before they reach the centrifugal separator 2, requisite drain systems are included to catch all spilled oil. A feed hopper drain 32 (which includes drainage from the entire chipper conveyor 6 system) carries spilled oil directly into the centrifuge containment housing 20.
As will be identified further in FIG. 2, an oil pipe 34 system is provided between the oil pump and filtration unit 24 and the oil holding tank.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a complete diagrammatic representation of the process is shown. Oil contaminated plastic containers are fed into the feed hopper 4 at 38. (The primary material route is designated with solid lines. Processed oil salvage routes are indicated with a broken line. Oil scavengering or spill routes are designated with a dot-and-dash line.) In a transition between the feed hopper 4 and the chipper conveyor 6 shown at 40, the containers are oriented with rotating and stationary deflectors. Upon entering the conveying system, they are transported on the chipper conveyor 6 at 42 where they are scanned with proximity or optical sensors in the scanning station 7.
As the containers pass from the chipper conveyor 6 at 44, they pass into the chipper 10. (The chipper 10 consists of the chipper proper and the feed section which is referred to as the crammer 8 in FIG. 1) The granulated material exists the chipper 10 at 12 and fails directly into the immediately adjacent centrifuge hopper 14. (In the preferred embodiment, the chipper 10 and the centrifugal separator 2 are an integral unit.)
Within the centrifuge, the contaminated granulate is subjected to sufficient gravitational force that the liquid waste oil contaminant is stripped from the granulate. Thus, the centrifugal process leaves a contaminant-free plastic which is discharged at 26 and carried by the process conveyor 28 at 46. At 48 the material is off-loaded from the process conveyor 28 into a plastic holding bin 50.
The oil separated from the granulated plastic is flung into the centrifuge containment housing 20 (as described in FIG. 1) where it is consolidated. Prior to discharge of the oil, however, provision must be made for extraneous oil collection. Some oil will escape the containers in the conveying system. Thus, a feed hopper drain 32 (which encompasses the chipper conveyor 6) carries spilled oil from the conveying apparatus to the centrifuge containment housing 20. Further, a containment pan 52 maybe used underneath the entire apparatus. (This would be the case in a truck mounted unit where the entire truck bed is equipped with a containment pan 52.) When this is the case, a sump 54 area is provided into which spilled oil can be squeegeed. Within the sump 54 area, a sump screen 56 pickup for an oil scavenger pump 58 is provided. Spilled oil can then be pumped from the containment pan 52 to the centrifuge containment housing 20.
In order to keep heavy contaminants from the feed hopper drain 32 and the containment pan 52 from entering the cleaner centrifuged oil waste, screen filters are provided in these two systems. Thus, a screen filter is located in the hopper drain line 32 at 60 in addition to the sump screen 56 previously identified.
All sources of oil are thus collected in the centrifuge containment housing 20. From this single location, the oil is drained from the centrifuge oil drain pipe 22 by means of an oil pump and filtration 24 apparatus wherein the oil is more finely filtered. The processed oil is then moved through line 34 to the oil holding tank 62.
Oil is removed from the oil holding tank 62 at 64; recyclable plastic is emptied from the plastic holding bin 50 by means of a bin unloading conveyor 66 at 68.
OPERATION
The operation of the centrifuge and related apparatus is similar whether it is configured for stationary or mobile use; the primary differences being merely in physical lay-out and in the selection of motors. (A stationary unit would use electric motors whereas a truck mounted mobile unit would most likely use hydraulic motors. A trailer mounted unit, however, may use electric motors.)
In operation, the partially drained plastic oil containers are fed into the feed hopper 4. In the automatic operation mode, the unit starts in a priority sequence with the centrifugal separator 2 first, followed by the chipper 10 (including the crammer 8). With these items running, the chipper conveyor 6 starts which will commence loading the chipper 10 and ultimately, the centrifugal separator 2. At a predetermined container count obtained in the scanning station 7 (which is determined by the optimum load for the centrifugal separator 2), the chipper conveyor 6 and the chipper 10 shut down. After a predetermined cycle time, the centrifugal separator 2 slows to its discharge speed (in the case of the U.S. patent application entitled RING CENTRIFUGE APPARATUS FOR RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE REMOVAL FROM RECYCLABLE CONTAINER MATERIAL filed on Jun. 6, 1992) or stops and opens its discharge doors (in the case of the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/677,307, entitled CENTRIFUGE APPARATUS FOR RESIDUAL LIQUID WASTE REMOVAL FROM RECYCLABLE CONTAINER MATERIAL) now U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,424. Simultaneously, the process conveyor 28 starts for a predetermined time interval.
If containers remain in the scanning station 7 sensing area, the process will restart by bringing the centrifugal separator 2 and the chipper 10 to operating speed and subsequently starting the chipper conveyor 6. This batch cycling process will continue as long as the feed hopper 4 remains full an all other controls, safety interlocks and level sensors remain in a "run" condition. (On the other hand, the controls will commence a shut down sequence when the scanning station 7 senses no passing containers for a predetermined interval of time.)
The oil pump and filtration 24 unit is usually controlled by a liquid level sensor in the centrifuge containment housing 20. Other automatic controls are used where necessary. Generally, the oil scavenger pump 58, any oil holding tank 62 valves, and the bin unloading conveyor 66 functions are manually controlled. Various high level and safety controls and indicators are used to stop or modify the process as necessary for safe and economical operation.
In the case of a unit mounted on a larger truck frame, the available power would come from the truck engine. This would include hydraulic power for most motor driven equipment and an electrical supply of 24 volts direct current for the controls and selected smaller motors. An alternate embodiment for the process may be a trailer unit such as a fifth wheel trailer towed by a pick-up. In this latter case, the entire process may be driven by electric motors powered from an external electrical receptacle. This might be the case when a oil container recycling service was provided to service stations and automotive repair facilities.
Centrifugal testing has been conducted to determine the ideal angular velocity for the centrifugal separator 2. The tests were done with high density polyethylene (HDPE) oil container material contaminated with 30-weight viscosity motor oil it was determined that acceptable stripping of the oil from the plastic commences at a centrifugal force proportional to an acceleration of 330 g. it was also determined that performance of the centrifuge is improved as the angular velocity is increased. A range of tests were conducted to a centrifugal force upper limit proportional to an acceleration of 1,225 g. (Speed tests higher than this were deemed unadvisable for safety and mechanical considerations.) Required process dwell time is reduced proportionately as the higher radial forces are applied.
While the present process has been described in limited applications, it is to be understood that various modifications and other embodiments of the present process may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein and as claimed in the appended claims.
The process in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined below.
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The present invention is a process for separating granulated plastic oil containers from the oil residue remaining within the containers after use. In this process, the plastic oil container is granulated prior to the separation of the oil from the plastic; the subsequent separation is done mechanically without washing or solvent deployment. The system comprises a conveying system, a size reduction means operating in conjunction with a centrifugal separation apparatus, and a means of segregating and storing the separated oil and the plastic granulate. In a first embodiment, the process is employed as a truck mounted unit for mobile processing of oil containers at the location of utilization. In a second embodiment, the process is employed as stationary processing facility.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/269,905 filed by the same inventor on Jun. 9, 2009 under the same title.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for applying to a surface to create a decorative appearance.
[0004] 2. Background Art
[0005] There have been many devices and methods for adding decorative appearances to surfaces of objects such as furniture, doors, walls, etc. The use of traditional composition ornaments dates back to the 1500's. Historically, hand-carved wooden or stone ornaments were used throughout European architecture and in the U.S. In later developments, composition ornaments made of plaster or clay gained popularity because of the ease of molding intricate designs as compared to carving them from wood.
[0006] Traditional stone, wood or clay ornamentations suffered from a degree of deterioration and damage due to the climate conditions on both the composition material and the wood material. Additionally, clay composition ornaments are brittle and fragile. Furthermore, they must be steamed in order to be temporarily pliable for adhering to surfaces such as furniture. Alternatively, they can be glued or set with small nails.
[0007] Thus, conventional approaches for decorative appliqués has several disadvantages and there is a need for appliqués which are easy and inexpensive to manufacture, have good strength and flexibility and can be permanently applied with little effort.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a self-adhering resin applique according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a side view of a self-adhering resin applique according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a self-adhering resin applique according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a side view of a self-adhering resin applique according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention; and
[0012] FIG. 5 is a side view of a self-adhering resin applique of the invention in use.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Self-adhering resin appliques that remains pliable and flexible after being cured without having to be steamed or processed in any other manner before applying them to a surface to be decorated. Further, the resin used in the inventive embodiments has reasonable degree of porosity which makes them very suitable for staining or painting prior to or after application to be desired.
[0014] Anyone who has ever walked through historic houses and large public buildings, visited an art gallery, picked up a picture frame in an antique shop, or even ridden an old carousel has been close to composition ornaments, but has probably not known what they were or how they were made. This is not surprising, since composition or “compo” was conceived as a substitute for more laboriously produced ornamental plaster and carved wood and stone, so was intended to fool the eye of the viewer. The confusion has been heightened over time by makers who claimed to be the sole possessors of secret recipes and by the variety of names and misnomers associated with the material, including plaster, French Stucco, and Swedish Putty, to name a few.
[0015] Many natural or man-made materials can be made soft or “plastic” by the application of heat and are called “thermoplastics”. It is soft and pliable when pressed into molds, becomes firm and flexible as it cools and becomes rigid and hardened when it is cured to room temperatures. Typically formulated with chalk, resins, glue, and linseed oil, these combination of materials gives compo ornamentations their familiar light-to-dark brown color.
[0016] Generally adhered to wood, conventional composition ornaments are most often found decorating flat surfaces such as interior cornice and chair rail moldings, door and window surrounds, mantelpieces, wainscot paneling, and staircases, anywhere that building designers and owners wanted to delight and impress the visitor, but stay within a budget. While traditional composition ornaments were less expensive than carved ornaments, they are still difficult to make and apply and thus, used only for “high style” interiors. Thus the types of structures historically decorated with composition ornaments were more democratic, encompassing residential, commercial and institutional buildings, and including specialty applications such as the social saloon of a steamship.
[0017] While various types of moldable composition date back many years, the recipes for these compositions have historically been overly complicated and often kept secret. They have been known to comprised of a few basic ingredients: animal glue, oil (usually linseed), a hard resin) pine rosin or pitch was cheapest), and a bulking or filling material, generally powdered chalk or whiting in solid form. It is a type of white, soft limestone.
[0018] Compo mixes have been the subject of a good deal of variation and there has never been a set recipe, but the ornament manufacturers of the later 18 th and early 19 th centuries understood in general terms what their material was and what it could do. In brief, compo is perhaps best understood as an early thermoplastic that allowed the rapid reproduction of complicated detail for popular use. Composition could be carved to heighten detail, correct defects, or undercut ornaments that were, of necessity, straight-sided-so that they would release from the rigid molds. This could be done in the gelled state or, with more difficulty, after it had finally hardened to stone-like solidity.
[0019] The Arts and Crafts and related styles, such as the more decorative Art Nouveau, were well rooted in America by the beginning of the century. Pitch molds made from relief-carved patterns had become common in America. A uniquely 20 th century application of composition ornament was in the lavishly decorated movie palaces of the Depression era. As interest in architectural embellishments declined, particularly as a result of the post-World War II styles, so did the composition trade. Many old firms went out of business and their molds were dispersed or destroyed. The few that remained concentrated on restoration projects or were sustained by diversification into other materials. By the 1950's and 60's composition as a material and craft had been all but forgotten. An upsurge in hand craft production that started in the late 60's and has continued to the present—as well as increasing interest in historic preservation—has led to the renewed study of old methods and materials, including composition.
[0020] According to various embodiments of the present invention, a device and process for making the same, may include forming an appliqué in a desired decorative mold using a silicon resin material and applying a self sticking adhesive surfaces to a back side of the appliqué. The result is a decorative resin appliqué which is flexible, durable readily paintable or stainable ornamentation that may be applied without heating, steaming, gluing or nailing required.
[0021] FIG. 1 is the angle view with ( 1 ) being the applique and ( 2 ) the 3M double-sided adhesive sticky tape, ( 3 ) the easy peel-away coating.
[0022] FIG. 2 is the side view showing ( 1 ) being the applique; ( 2 ) the 3M double side adhesive tape, and ( 3 ) the easy peel away coating, ( 4 ) being the mounting surface.
[0023] FIG. 3 is the top view of the applique showing only ( 1 ) which is the applique.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a side view showing ( 1 ) the applique, ( 2 ) the 3M double sided adhesive tape, ( 3 ) which is the easy peel away coating being peeled away.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a side view of a curved surface with the applique in place, showing ( 1 ) being the applique, and ( 2 ) is the 3M double sided sticky adhesive, with part ( 4 ) being the mounting surface-like the curved front of a dresser.
[0026] Generally a process of the inventive embodiments may include, building a mold for the decorative appliqué, pouring a liquid resin into the mold, and applying an adhesive to a back of the molded appliqué.
[0027] A more detailed method of building an appliqué mold according to embodiments of the present invention include building a four-sided wood laminate (or other suitable material) frame that is dimensioned for the appliqué to be molded. Place an existing appliqué, of a design that is desired to make a mold of, onto the center of the base of the laminate wood frame. Pour a liquid plastic or rubber material, such as the PlatSil 71 series mold mixture, over the original appliqué and into the laminate wood frame. It may be necessary to mix components from two separate PLatSil 71 Series RTV Liquid Silicone Rubber Part A and Part B of a pre-determined mixed ratio. It may be desirable to ensure there is at least ¾ of an inch of mixture above the highest point of the appliqué when pouring PlatSil 71 Series mixture into the frame. Cure time is approximately four to five hours. Remove the original appliqué from the newly created mold.
[0028] A decorative resin appliqué casting process may then be performed by mixing components from two separate Poly Plasti-Flex Liquids Part A and B of a pre-determined mixed ratio and pouring the mixture into the mold. It should be recognized that a similar resin or other liquid plastic/rubber material may also be used that may or may not require mixing. The Poly Pasti-Flex provides certain advantages such as: safe and easy to machine (contains no silica), reproduces fine detail, variable working time, tough and hard plastic while flexible and not brittle. When removing the cured resin appliqué from the mold, carefully pull the new appliqué casting away from the rubber mold. Inspect and trim the applique edges either with small scissors or by slightly sanding any overlaps or rough edges where needed.
[0029] They newly formed appliqué may then be coated with an adhesive for final preparation. In one embodiment, appliqués may be placed uniformly on an 8½″×11″ Acrylic Foam Tape sheet such as 3M® VHB Acrylic Foam Tape 4905. They are traced and then the patterns may be cut out individually. Remove the clear adhesive backing of the acrylic foam tape and carefully align the adhesive tape when applying to the back of the appliqué. Gently apply pressure and smooth out any air pockets that are apparent and trim any excess tape around the appliqué edges. In other embodiments, a layer of adhesive and/or plastic backing material may be applied while the appliqué is still in the mold or using a different material. Variations in the application of adhesive will depend on the manufacturing processes desired.
[0030] Some advantages of the self-adhering decorative resin appliqués of the present invention are the superior durability and flexibility over the traditional composition. This is largely due to the liquid resin material which they are made from. They further have a self-adhesive backing which makes the appliqué convenient and fast to apply to most clean dry surfaces.
[0031] Self-adhesive resin appliqués are unique to what is currently available. They are made from a mixture of liquid resin material that remains pliable and flexible after being cured without having to be steamed or processed in any other manner before applying them to a surface to be decorated. Further, the liquid resin used in the inventive embodiments has a reasonable degree of porosity which makes them very suitable for staining or painting prior to or after application to the desired surface.
[0032] Technical information for best mode uses:
PlatSil 71 Series RN Liquid Silicone Rubber-molding agent Poly Plasti-Flex Liquid Plastic Description-casting agent 3M VHB Acrylic Foam Tape 4905-adhesive backing material
[0036] PlatSil 71 Series RTV Liquid Silicone Rubber Description
[0037] PlatSil 71 Series RN Liquid Silicone Rubber is High Tear Strength and Flexible. PlatSil 71-20A is Blue in Color. Chemical Family: Organofunctional-siloxanes. PlatSil 71-20B is Pink in Color. Chemical Family: Silicone PlatSil 71 Series RN Liquid Silicone Rubber is 2 component, addition-cure, and platinum-catalyzed, flexible molds compounds. They are mold materials utilized for casting polyurethane resins.
[0038] Mixing and Curing Silicone Rubber
[0039] Carefully weigh Part B then Part A and in proper 1-1 ratio into a clean mixing container. Accurate weighing is important to obtain the optimum physical properties from the cured rubber. Mix thoroughly, scraping sides and bottom of the container. Once mixed together PlatSil 71 series Parts A and B will cure and become harder at room temperature.
[0040] Feature and Benefits
[0041] Mix ratio 1-1
[0042] Room Temperature Cure
[0043] Easy release properties
[0044] High Tear Strength
[0045] Good Chemical Resistance for longer life
[0046] Low/zero shrinkage for dimensional reproduction
[0047] Creating a Rubber Mold with PlatSil 71 Series
[0048] Build a four sided wood laminate frame that is sized for the required dimension for the appliqué casting. The inventor found use of a hot glue gun works well to secure the back of the original appliqué to the center of the base of the laminate wood frame. This helps to ensure that the appliqué does not move while pouring the PlatSil 71 Series over the appliqué. PlatSil Part A and B mixture should be poured into a laminate 4 sided wood frame that is sized for the required dimensions of the appliqué casting. It may be desirable to ensure that there is at least ¾ of an inch above the highest point of the appliqué when pouring the PlatSil 71 Series mixture into the mold. Cure time is approximately four to five hours.
[0049] Poly Plasti-Flex Liquid Plastic Description
[0050] Poly Plasti-Flex Liquid Plastic is used to produce decorative moldings, models, patterns, fixtures and more. This product reproduces minute detail from molds and can be drilled, sanded and nailed. Poly Plasti-Flex is two component, part A and Part B. Part A appearance: Clear Brown Liquid and Part B appearance: Off White Liquid. Part A Chemical Family: Methylene bis (phenylisocyanate) and Part B Chemical Family: Blend of polyos and other trade secret ingredients. Only part B needs stirring.
[0051] Mixing and Curing Plasti-Flex Liquid Resin
[0052] Gentle mixing of Part A and B is all that is required. Use metal or plastic spatulas to avoid introducing moisture with paper or wood tools. Mixing ratio by weight is approximately 35 g Part A to 100 g Part B. Combined proper amounts of A and B in a clean mixing container. Mix well thoroughly scraping sides and bottom for 1 minute. Pour into properly prepared appliqué mold as soon as possible after mixing. Leave the resin mixture in the appliqué mold until thoroughly cured. Demold may be removed 15-30 minutes at room temperature.
[0053] Feature and Benefits
[0054] Safe and easy to machine (contains no silica)
[0055] Reproduces fine detail
[0056] Variable working time
[0057] Touch and hard plastic, but not brittle
[0058] Procedures when removing Appliqué from Mold
[0059] When removing the resin appliqué from the mold, I carefully pull the appliqué casting away from rubber mold. Trim the appliqué edges by slightly sanding edges where/if needed.
[0060] 3M VHB Acrylic Foam Tape 4905 Product Description
[0061] Acrylic Foam Tape 4905 is a clear acrylic VHB Double Sided Tape. It is colorless making it ideal for bonding materials or for applications where a colored bond line is unacceptable. This tape has somewhat lower peel, tensile and shear performance than most other VHB due to their inherent softness.
[0062] Physical Properties
[0063] Adhesive Type: Acrylic
[0064] Thickness: Tape 0.50 mm
Liner 0.013 mm Total 0.63 mm
[0067] Density: 960 kg
[0068] Release Liner: Filmic (Red)
[0069] Tape Color: Clear
[0070] Performance Characteristics
[0071] Surfaces: This product bonds to high energy surfaces such as glass, acrylic and metals.
[0072] Application Techniques
[0073] Bond strength is dependent upon the amount of adhesive-to-surface contact developed. Firm application pressure develops better adhesive contact and improves bond strength. To obtain optimum adhesion, the bonding surfaces should be clean and dry. 3M Acrylic VHB Foam Tape 4905 is suitable for bonding a variety of substances, including sealed wood, many plastics, composites and metals.
[0074] It should be noted that the self-adhering resin appliqués of the present invention may be formed in substantially any desired shape or size. The processes of the inventive embodiments enable accurate reproduction of high quality, flexible and durable appliqués which are inexpensive to produce as compared with traditional techniques. While specific materials have been disclosed above, the skilled artisan will recognize that other suitable materials and processes may be used without departing from the scope of the inventive embodiments.
[0075] Unless contrary to physical possibility, the inventor envisions the components of respective embodiments may be combined in any manner.
[0076] Although there have been described preferred embodiments of this novel invention, many variations and modifications are possible and the embodiments described herein are not limited by the specific disclosure.
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An embodiment to be applied to any hard surface to create a decorative appearance, comprising of a decorative and a flat bottom surface. The application method comprised of peeling the backing paper off of an adhesive-coated bottom surface of the embodiment, and pressing the rear surface of the embodiment toward a selected area of the surface to apply. Some advantages of the self-adhering decorative resin applique in lieu of what is currently available is its superior durability and flexibility over the traditional composition due to its nature of the unique material utilized and additionally their self-adhesive backing which makes them convenient and quick to apply.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a multi-speed transmission having multiple planetary gear sets and at least six torque-transmitting mechanisms engagable in different combinations to provide seven forward speed ratios and a reverse speed ratio.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wide ratio transmissions such as seven or eight speed transmissions offer several advantages including improved vehicle acceleration performance and potentially improved fuel economy over four, five and six speed transmissions. However, increasing the number of speed ratios presents challenges in packaging additional clutches, drive mechanisms for the various gear members, and hydraulic circuit feed paths, and in ensuring an overall axial length that is acceptable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A multi-speed transmission offers seven forward speed ratios with a pleasing ratio step progression, with the seventh forward speed ratio offering a relatively large percentage of the ratio spread, relatively low pinion speeds and only light torque loading on gear members carrying torque in the seventh forward speed ratio due to a brake-type torque transmitting mechanism engaged in the seventh forward speed ratio.
More specifically, a multi-speed transmission within the scope of the invention has a first planetary gear set having a first, a second, and a third member. The first planetary gear set is representable as a three-node lever having a first, a second, and a third node corresponding with the first, the second, and the third member, respectively. The transmission also has a second, a third, and a fourth planetary gear set that have a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, and an eighth member, with at least two of the second, third and fourth planetary gear sets intermeshing as a compound planetary gear set such that the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth members rotate in fixed relation to one another and are representable by a five-node lever having a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh and an eighth node corresponding with the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth members, respectively. As used herein, gear members that “rotate in fixed relation to one another” are interconnected such that their rotational speeds relative to one another are fixed. The first through eighth members are sun gear members, carrier members and ring gear members. The first node is grounded to a stationary member, such as the transmission housing or casing. The third node is continuously connected for common rotation with the input member. The seventh node is continuously connected for common rotation with the output member. Six torque-transmitting mechanisms are selectively engagable in different combinations to establish seven forward speed ratios and a reverse speed ratio between the input member and the output member. Optionally, selective engagement of two of the torque-transmitting mechanisms establishes an additional forward speed ratio between the input member and the output member for a total of eight forward speed ratios.
The seven forward speed ratios include a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth and a seventh speed ratio between the input member and the output member. Preferably, the seventh forward speed ratio may be established by a single transition shift from the fourth, the fifth and the sixth speed ratios. Shifts between successive speed ratios also require single transition shifts. Thus, there is a simple, quick and appropriate transmission response to nearly any sudden throttle input. Only two torque-transmitting mechanisms are engaged in each speed ratio, and only one is a rotating-type torque-transmitting mechanism in any given speed ratio. Minimizing the number of rotating-type clutches required enables simpler hydraulic controls.
There are many different transmission embodiments within the scope of the invention in which the planetary gear sets may include simple planetary gear sets, dual-pinion planetary gear sets, and a compound planetary gear set made up of two or three of the four planetary gear sets included in the transmission. In some embodiments, a first and a second interconnecting member connect different members of the planetary gear sets for common rotation. In some embodiments, the third brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism is positioned closer to the output member than any of the other torque-transmitting mechanisms.
Preferably, the six torque-transmitting mechanisms include a first rotating-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to connect the second node for common rotation with the eighth node. A second rotating-type torque-transmitting mechanism is selectively engagable to connect the third node for common rotation with the sixth node. A third rotating-type torque-transmitting mechanism is selectively engagable to connect the second node for common rotation with the fourth node. A first brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism is selectively engagable to ground the fourth node to the stationary member. A second brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism is selectively engagable to ground the sixth node to the stationary member. A third brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism selectively engagable to ground the fifth node to the stationary member.
The seventh speed ratio is significantly higher than the sixth speed ratio, (with the exact percentage increase in speed ratio depending on the specific ring gear member to sun gear member speed ratios selected), and thus increases the overall speed ratio of the transmission by the same amount. The seventh speed ratio can thus be used to provide lower highway engine speeds and/or better performance at low speeds. The torque-transmitting mechanisms engaged in the seventh (top) speed ratio handle relatively low amounts of torque and can thus be sized very compactly. The specific ring gear member to sun gear member tooth ratios may be selected to ensure a good ratio progression, low sun gear torques and low pinion speeds.
The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an embodiment of a transmission in accordance with the invention shown in lever diagram form;
FIG. 2 is a truth table showing an engagement schedule for the torque-transmitting mechanisms of the transmission of FIG. 1 to establish seven forward speed ratios and a reverse speed ratio;
FIG. 3 is a first embodiment in stick diagram form of the transmission of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 4 is a second embodiment in stick diagram form of the transmission of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 5 is a third embodiment in stick diagram form of the transmission of FIG. 1 ; and
FIG. 6 is a fourth embodiment in stick diagram form of the transmission of FIG. 1 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like components, FIG. 1 illustrates a powertrain 10 , schematically in lever diagram form, mounted on and partially forming a vehicle (not shown). The powertrain 10 includes an engine 12 connected to a transmission 14 . The transmission 14 is designed to receive driving power from the engine 12 , as discussed below. The engine 12 powers an input member 16 of the transmission 14 . A final drive unit 19 is operatively connected to an output member 17 of the transmission 14 .
The transmission 14 includes a three-node lever 20 representing a first planetary gear set having a first, a second and a third member, represented by nodes A, B and C, respectively. The members may be a ring gear member, a sun gear member and a carrier member, although not necessarily in that order. Nodes, A, B and C are referred to in the claims as the first, second and third nodes, respectively. As used herein, a “node” is a component of a transmission, such as a ring gear member, a carrier member, or a sun gear member, which is characterized by a rotational speed and which can act as a junction of torques applied to that component from other components and by that component to other components. The other components which may interact with a given node include other coaxial members of the same set of planetary gears which appear as other nodes on the same lever. The other components which may interact with a given node also include interconnections to members of other planetary gear sets which appear as nodes on another lever, a stationary member such as the transmission case, and other transmission members.
The transmission 14 further includes a five-node lever 22 representing second, third and fourth planetary gear sets interconnected so as to be representable by nodes D, E, F, G and H, respectively. As those skilled in the art will readily understand, two or more planetary gear sets may be represented as a single lever in a lever diagram when two different members of one of the planetary gear sets are connected for common rotation with two different members of the other planetary gear set and/or when planetary gear sets intermesh as a compound planetary gear set. Each of the nodes D, E, F, G and H represent a ring gear member, a sun gear member, or a carrier member, although not necessarily in that order. Nodes D, E, F, G and H are referred to in the claims as the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth node, respectively.
The input member 16 is connected for common rotation with node C. The output member 17 is connected for common rotation with node G. Node A is continuously grounded to a stationary member 24 .
The transmission 14 also has selectively engagable torque-transmitting mechanisms that provide various speed ratios, as described below. Torque-transmitting mechanism 50 , a rotating-type clutch, is selectively engagable to connect node B for common rotation with node H. Torque-transmitting mechanism 52 , also a rotating-type clutch, is selectively engagable to connect node C for common rotation with node F. Another torque-transmitting mechanism 54 , a stationary clutch, also referred to as a brake-type toque-transmitting mechanism, is selectively engagable to ground node D to the stationary member 24 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 56 , a rotating-type clutch, is selectively engagable to connect node B for common rotation with node D. Torque-transmitting mechanism 57 , a stationary-type clutch, also referred to as a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism, is selectively engagable to ground node F to the stationary member 24 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 58 , a stationary-type clutch, also referred to as a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism, is selectively engagable to ground node E to the stationary member 24 .
The torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 57 and 58 are selectively engagable in the different combinations of pairs, as illustrated in FIG. 2 , to provide a reverse speed ratio (REV), and seven forward speed ratios (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th). Each speed ratio established in FIG. 2 may also be referred to as a “gear”. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the engagement of these different combinations of torque-transmitting mechanisms shown in FIG. 2 will result in seven forward speed ratios having different numerical values, as well as a reverse speed ratio.
Optionally, the transmission 14 may be operated as an eight-speed transmission if the torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 and 58 are engaged following the second speed ratio (2nd) to establish an additional forward speed ratio, not listed in the table of FIG. 2 , for a total of eight forward speed ratios.
A controller (not shown) is operatively connected with the torque-transmitting mechanisms and is programmed with an algorithm to select different ones of the speed ratios set forth in FIG. 2 to provide seven forward speed ratios (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th) and the reverse speed ratio. Alternatively, less than seven of the forward speed ratios may also be selected, such as to enable a five-speed or six-speed transmission with single-transition shifts. The speed ratios chosen or permitted by the controller may depend upon whether single-transition shifts are desired. As used herein, a “single-transition shift” in the context of speed ratios established with pairs of engaged torque-transmitting mechanisms means that one torque-transmitting mechanism remains engaged and another torque-transmitting mechanism is disengaged while a different torque-transmitting mechanism is engaged in shifting from one speed ratio to a subsequent speed ratio (whether in an upshift or a downshift). As is apparent from FIG. 2 , the seven forward speed ratios 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th, are operable in progression with single-transition shifts. Additionally, there are multiple single-transition upshifts (shifts from a lower numbered speed ratio to a higher numbered speed ratio (i.e., 1 st to 2nd), which are shifts from a higher numerical speed ratio to a lower numerical speed ratio. For example, a shift from the fourth (4th), fifth (5th) or sixth (6th) forward speed ratio to the seventh (7th) forward speed ratio is a single transition shift.
The topology and ring gear member to sun gear member tooth ratios of a specific transmission embodiment implementing the lever diagram embodiment of FIG. 1 will determine the most pleasing progression of the forward speed ratios for a given application and/or driving situation. Because each of the speed ratios established as set forth in FIG. 2 require only two torque-transmitting mechanisms to be applied, and because most utilize only one rotating clutch (i.e., only one of torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 , 52 , and 56 ), hydraulic leakage losses are minimized, as these are more commonly encountered with rotating-type than with stationary-type torque-transmitting mechanisms.
Referring to FIG. 3 , a powertrain 110 has a transmission 114 configured in accordance with and operable in like manner as the transmission 14 shown in lever diagram form in FIG. 1 . The powertrain 110 includes engine 12 powering an input member 116 of the transmission 114 . Final drive unit 19 is operatively connected to an output member 117 of the transmission 114 .
The transmission 114 includes simple planetary gear sets 130 and 140 , as well as planetary gear sets 150 and 160 interconnected to form a compound planetary gear set 150 , 160 . Planetary gear set 130 includes a sun gear member 132 , a ring gear member 134 , and a carrier member 136 that rotatably supports a plurality of pinion gears 137 that mesh with both the ring gear member 134 and the sun gear member 132 .
Planetary gear set 140 includes a sun gear member 142 , a ring gear member 144 , and a carrier member 146 that rotatably supports a plurality of pinion gears 147 that mesh with both the ring gear member 144 and the sun gear member 142 .
Compound planetary gear set 150 , 160 includes planetary gear set 150 having a sun gear member 152 , a ring gear member 154 and a carrier member 156 that rotatably supports a plurality of pinion gears 157 that mesh with both the sun gear member 152 and the ring gear member 154 . The pinion gears 157 are long pinion gears. The carrier member 156 also rotatably supports a second set of pinion gears 167 that are included in planetary gear set 160 . Gear set 160 also includes sun gear member 162 . Pinion gears 167 mesh with the pinion gears 157 and with the sun gear member 162 .
The input member 116 is continuously connected for common rotation with the ring gear member 134 . Sun gear member 132 is continuously grounded to a stationary member 124 , such as a casing of the transmission 114 . Ring gear member 154 is continuously connected for common rotation with output member 117 . An interconnecting member 170 continuously connects ring gear member 144 for common rotation with sun gear member 152 . Interconnecting member 172 continuously connects sun gear member 142 for common rotation with carrier member 156 .
The transmission 114 has six selectively engagable torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 A, 52 A, 54 A, 56 A, 57 A, and 58 A, as well as a free-wheeling one-way clutch F 1 A that is that is connected in parallel with torque-transmitting mechanism 57 A and permits rotation in only one direction. Torque-transmitting mechanism 50 A is a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect carrier member 136 for common rotation with sun gear member 162 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 52 A is a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect input member 116 and ring gear member 134 for common rotation with carrier member 156 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 54 A is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground ring gear member 144 with stationary member 124 . Free-wheeling one-way clutch F 1 A prevents rotation of carrier member 156 in a direction opposite the input member 116 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 56 A a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect carrier member 136 for common rotation with ring gear member 144 and sun gear member 152 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 57 A is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground carrier member 156 to the stationary member 124 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 58 A is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground carrier member 146 to the stationary member 124 .
The members of transmission 114 correspond with the lever diagram transmission 14 of FIG. 1 as follows: sun gear member 132 corresponds with node A; carrier member 136 corresponds with node B; ring gear member 134 corresponds with node C; interconnected ring gear member 144 and sun gear member 152 correspond with node D; carrier member 146 corresponds with node E; interconnected sun gear member 142 and carrier member 156 correspond with node F; ring gear member 154 corresponds with node G; and sun gear member 162 corresponds with node H. The torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 A, 52 A, 54 A, 56 A, 57 A, and 58 A correspond with torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 57 , and 58 , respectively, and are engagable according to the same schedule of FIG. 2 to achieve seven forward speed ratios and a reverse speed ratio (and, optionally, an eighth forward speed ratio by engaging torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 A and 58 A).
One exemplary set of gear tooth counts for the transmission 114 is as follows: ring gear member 134 : 89 teeth; sun gear member 132 : 49 teeth; ring gear member 144 : 97 teeth; sun gear member 142 : 57 teeth; ring gear member 154 : 87 teeth; sun gear member 152 : 43 teeth; and sun gear member 162 : 35 teeth. With the engagement schedule as set forth in FIG. 2 for corresponding torque-transmitting mechanisms, the following speed ratios are attained: reverse speed ratio (REV): −3.137; first forward speed ratio (1st): 3.854; second forward speed ratio (2nd): 2.313; third forward speed ratio (3rd): 1.551; fourth forward speed ratio (4th): 1.167; fifth forward speed ratio (5th): 0.851; sixth forward speed ratio (6th): 0.669; and seventh forward speed ratio (7th): 0.560. The following corresponding ratio steps are achieved: REV/1st: −0.81; 1st/2nd: 1.67; 2nd/3rd: 1.49; 3rd/4th: 1.33; 4th/5th: 1.37; 5th/6th: 1.27; and 6th/7th: 1.19. This corresponds with an overall ratio spread (1st/7th) of 6.88. Depending on the tooth ratios utilized, the seventh speed ratio (7th) may be approximately 16 to 18 percent higher than the sixth speed ratio (6th), with the sun gear member 142 handling about 15 percent of the torque on the input member 116 and the torque-transmitting mechanism 58 A only about 43 percent of the torque on the input member 116 .
The highest speed for each set of pinions in any of the speed ratios with respect to the speed of the input member is as follows: pinion gears 137 : 1.58; pinion gears 147 : 1.158; pinion gears 157 : 3.103; and pinion gears 167 : 2.968. Planetary gear set 140 is lightly loaded, with its members carrying torque only during the seventh forward speed ratio due to engagement of brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism 58 A. In the seventh forward speed ratio, the members of planetary gear set carry the following torque ratios with respect to the torque at the input member 116 : sun gear member 142 : 0.163; ring gear member 144 : 0.277; and carrier member 146 : −0.440.
Referring to FIG. 4 , a powertrain 210 has a transmission 214 configured in accordance with and operable in like manner as the transmission 14 shown in lever diagram form in FIG. 1 . The powertrain 210 includes engine 12 powering an input member 216 of the transmission 214 . Final drive unit 19 is operatively connected to an output member 217 of the transmission 214 .
The transmission 214 includes simple planetary gear set 230 , as well as planetary gear sets 240 and 250 interconnected to form a compound planetary gear set 240 , 250 , and dual-pinion planetary gear set 260 . Planetary gear set 230 includes a sun gear member 232 , a ring gear member 234 , and a carrier member 236 that rotatably supports a plurality of pinion gears 237 that mesh with both the ring gear member 234 and the sun gear member 232 .
Compound planetary gear set 240 , 250 includes planetary gear set 240 having a sun gear member 242 , a ring gear member 244 and a carrier member 246 that rotatably supports a plurality of pinion gears 247 that mesh with both the sun gear member 242 and the ring gear member 244 . The pinion gears 247 are long pinion gears. The carrier member 246 also rotatably supports a second set of pinion gears 257 that are included in planetary gear set 250 . Gear set 250 also includes sun gear member 252 . Pinion gears 257 mesh with the pinion gears 247 and with the sun gear member 252 .
Planetary gear set 260 is a dual-pinion planetary gear set that includes a sun gear member 262 , a ring gear member 264 , and a carrier member 266 . The carrier member 266 rotatably supports a first set of pinion gears 267 and a second set of pinion gears 268 . Pinion gears 267 mesh with both the sun gear member 262 and the second set of pinion gears 268 . Pinion gears 268 mesh with pinion gears 267 and ring gear member 264 .
The input member 216 is continuously connected for common rotation with the ring gear member 234 . Sun gear member 232 is continuously grounded to a stationary member 224 , such as a casing of the transmission 214 . Carrier member 266 is continuously connected for common rotation with output member 217 . An interconnecting member 270 continuously connects ring gear member 244 for common rotation with carrier member 266 . Interconnecting member 272 continuously connects carrier member 246 for common rotation with ring gear member 264 .
The transmission 214 has six selectively engagable torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 B, 52 B, 54 B, 56 B, 57 B, and 58 B, as well as a free-wheeling one-way clutch FIB that is that is connected in parallel with torque-transmitting mechanism 57 B and permits rotation in only one direction. Torque-transmitting mechanism 50 B is a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect carrier member 236 for common rotation with sun gear member 252 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 52 B is a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect input member 216 and ring gear member 234 for common rotation with carrier member 246 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 54 B is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground sun gear member 242 with stationary member 224 . Free-wheeling one-way clutch F 1 B prevents rotation of carrier member 246 in a direction opposite the input member 216 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 56 B is a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect carrier member 236 for common rotation with sun gear member 242 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 57 B is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground carrier member 246 to the stationary member 224 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 58 B is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground sun gear member 262 to the stationary member 224 .
The members of transmission 214 correspond with the lever diagram transmission 14 of FIG. 1 as follows: sun gear member 232 corresponds with node A; carrier member 236 corresponds with node B; ring gear member 234 corresponds with node C; sun gear member 242 corresponds with node D; sun gear member 262 corresponds with node E; interconnected carrier member 246 and sun gear member 264 correspond with node F; interconnected carrier member 266 and ring gear member 244 correspond with node G; and sun gear member 252 corresponds with node H. The torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 B, 52 B, 54 B, 56 B, 57 B, and 58 B correspond with torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 57 , and 58 , respectively, and are engagable according to the same schedule of FIG. 2 to achieve seven forward speed ratios and a reverse speed ratio (and, optionally, an eighth forward speed ratio by engaging torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 B and 58 B).
One exemplary set of gear tooth counts for the transmission 214 is as follows: ring gear member 234 : 89 teeth; sun gear member 232 : 49 teeth; ring gear member 244 : 87 teeth; sun gear member 242 : 43 teeth; sun gear member 252 : 35 teeth; ring gear member 264 : 79 teeth and sun gear member 262 : 35 teeth. With the engagement schedule as set forth in FIG. 2 for corresponding torque-transmitting mechanisms, the following speed ratios are attained: reverse speed ratio (REV): −3.138; first forward speed ratio (1st): 3.868; second forward speed ratio (2nd): 2.317; third forward speed ratio (3rd): 1.551; fourth forward speed ratio (4th): 1.166; fifth forward speed ratio (5th): 0.851; sixth forward speed ratio (6th): 0.669; and seventh forward speed ratio (7th): 0.557. The following corresponding ratio steps are achieved: REV/1st: −0.81; 1st/2nd: 1.67; 2nd/3rd: 1.49; 3rd/4th: 1.33; 4th/5th: 1.37; 5th/6th: 1.27; and 6th/7th: 1.20. This corresponds with an overall ratio spread (1st/7th) of 6.94.
The highest speed for each set of pinions in any of the speed ratios with respect to the speed of the input member is as follows: pinion gears 237 : 1.58; pinion gears 247 : 3.145; pinion gears 257 : 2.950; pinion gears 267 : −3.142; and pinion gears 268 : −3.142. Planetary gear set 260 is lightly loaded, with its members carrying torque only during the seventh forward speed ratio due to engagement of brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism 58 B. In the seventh forward speed ratio, the members of planetary gear set 260 carry the following torque ratios with respect to the torque at the input member 216 : sun gear member 262 : −0.443; ring gear member 264 : 1.000; and carrier member 266 : −0.557. Depending on the tooth ratios utilized, the seventh speed ratio (7th) may be approximately 18 to 23 percent higher than the sixth speed ratio (6th), with the sun gear member 262 and the torque-transmitting mechanism 58 B handling only about 44 percent of the torque on the input member 116 .
Referring to FIG. 5 , a powertrain 310 has a transmission 314 configured in accordance with and operable in like manner as the transmission 14 shown in lever diagram form in FIG. 1 . The powertrain 310 includes engine 12 powering an input member 316 of the transmission 314 . Final drive unit 19 is operatively connected to an output member 317 of the transmission 314 .
The transmission 314 includes simple planetary gear set 330 , as well as planetary gear sets 340 , 350 and 360 interconnected to form a compound planetary gear set 340 , 350 , 360 . Planetary gear set 330 includes a sun gear member 332 , a ring gear member 334 , and a carrier member 336 that rotatably supports a plurality of pinion gears 337 that mesh with both the ring gear member 334 and the sun gear member 332 .
Compound planetary gear set 340 , 350 , 360 includes planetary gear set 340 having a ring gear member 344 intermeshing with a first set of pinion gears 347 . Planetary gear set 350 has a sun gear member 352 , a ring gear member 354 and a carrier member 356 that rotatably supports a second set of pinion gears 357 that mesh with both the sun gear member 352 , the ring gear member 354 and the pinion gears 347 . Carrier member 356 also rotatably supports the pinion gears 347 . The pinion gears 357 are long pinion gears. The carrier member 356 also rotatably supports a third set of pinion gears 367 that are included in planetary gear set 360 . Gear set 360 also includes sun gear member 362 . Pinion gears 367 mesh with the pinion gears 357 and with the sun gear member 362 .
The input member 316 is continuously connected for common rotation with the ring gear member 334 . Sun gear member 332 is continuously grounded to a stationary member 324 , such as a casing of the transmission 314 . Ring gear member 354 is continuously connected for common rotation with output member 317 .
The transmission 314 has six selectively engagable torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 C, 52 C, 54 C, 56 C, 57 C, and 58 C, as well as a free-wheeling one-way clutch F 1 C that is that is connected in parallel with torque-transmitting mechanism 57 C and permits rotation in only one direction. Torque-transmitting mechanism 50 C is a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect carrier member 336 for common rotation with sun gear member 362 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 52 C is a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect input member 316 and ring gear member 334 for common rotation with carrier member 356 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 54 C is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground sun gear member 354 with stationary member 324 . Free-wheeling one-way clutch F 1 C prevents rotation of carrier member 356 in a direction opposite the input member 316 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 56 C a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect carrier member 336 for common rotation with sun gear member 352 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 57 C is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground carrier member 356 to the stationary member 324 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 58 C is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground ring gear member 344 to the stationary member 324 .
The members of transmission 314 correspond with the lever diagram transmission 14 of FIG. 1 as follows: sun gear member 332 corresponds with node A; carrier member 336 corresponds with node B; ring gear member 334 corresponds with node C; sun gear member 352 corresponds with node D; ring gear member 344 corresponds with node E; carrier member 356 corresponds with node F; ring gear member 354 corresponds with node G; and sun gear member 362 corresponds with node H. The torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 C, 52 C, 54 C, 56 C, 57 C, and 58 C correspond with torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 57 , and 58 , respectively, and are engagable according to the same schedule of FIG. 2 to achieve seven forward speed ratios and a reverse speed ratio (and, optionally, an eighth forward speed ratio by engaging torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 C and 58 C).
One exemplary set of gear tooth counts for the transmission 314 is as follows: ring gear member 334 : 89 teeth; sun gear member 332 : 49 teeth; ring gear member 344 : 79 teeth; sun gear member 352 : 39 teeth; ring gear member 354 : 79 teeth; sun gear member 352 : 39 teeth; and sun gear member 362 : 33 teeth. With the engagement schedule as set forth in FIG. 2 for corresponding torque-transmitting mechanisms, the following speed ratios are attained: reverse speed ratio (REV): −3.141; first forward speed ratio (1st): 3.712; second forward speed ratio (2nd): 2.265; third forward speed ratio (3rd): 1.551; fourth forward speed ratio (4th): 1.174; fifth forward speed ratio (5th): 0.851; sixth forward speed ratio (6th): 0.669; and seventh forward speed ratio (7th): 0.500. The following corresponding ratio steps are achieved: REV/1st: −0.85; 1st/2nd: 1.64; 2nd/3rd: 1.46; 3rd/4th: 1.32; 4th/5th: 1.38; 5th/6th: 1.27; and 6th/7th: 1.34. This corresponds with an overall ratio spread (1st/7th) of 7.42. Depending on the tooth ratios utilized, the seventh speed ratio (7th) may be approximately 29 to 38 percent higher than the sixth speed ratio (6th), with the ring gear member 344 and the torque-transmitting mechanism 58 C handling only about 50 percent of the torque on the input member 316 .
The highest speed for each set of pinions in any of the speed ratios with respect to the speed of the input member are as follows: pinion gears 337 : 1.58; pinion gears 347 : −3.950; pinion gears 357 : 3.950; and pinion gears 367 : 3.958. Planetary gear set 340 is lightly loaded, with its members carrying torque only during the seventh forward speed ratio due to engagement of brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism 58 C. In the seventh forward speed ratio, the members of planetary gear set 340 carry the following torque ratios with respect to the torque at the input member 316 : ring gear member 344 : −0.500. The sun gear member 352 of planetary gear set 350 : 0.247; and carrier member 356 of planetary gear set 350 is 0.253.
Referring to FIG. 6 , a powertrain 410 has a transmission 414 configured in accordance with and operable in like manner as the transmission 14 shown in lever diagram form in FIG. 1 . The powertrain 410 includes engine 12 powering an input member 416 of the transmission 414 . Final drive unit 19 is operatively connected to an output member 417 of the transmission 414 .
The transmission 414 includes simple planetary gear set 430 , as well as planetary gear sets 440 and 450 interconnected to form a compound planetary gear set 440 , 450 , and dual-pinion planetary gear set 460 . Planetary gear set 430 includes a sun gear member 432 , a ring gear member 434 , and a carrier member 436 that rotatably supports a plurality of pinion gears 437 that mesh with both the ring gear member 434 and the sun gear member 432 .
Compound planetary gear set 440 , 450 includes planetary gear set 440 having a sun gear member 442 , a carrier member 446 that rotatably supports a plurality of pinion gears 447 that mesh with the sun gear member 442 . The pinion gears 447 are long pinion gears. The carrier member 446 also rotatably supports a second set of pinion gears 457 that are included in planetary gear set 450 . Gear set 450 also includes a sun gear member 452 and a ring gear member 454 . Pinion gears 457 mesh with the pinion gears 447 and with the sun gear member 452 .
Planetary gear set 460 is a dual-pinion planetary gear set that includes a sun gear member 462 , a ring gear member 464 , and a carrier member 466 . The carrier member 466 rotatably supports a first set of pinion gears 467 and a second set of pinion gears 468 . Pinion gears 467 mesh with both the sun gear member 462 and the second set of pinion gears 468 . Pinion gears 468 mesh with pinion gears 467 and ring gear member 464 . The transmission 414 is very compact radially because sun gear member 462 can be incorporated directly into output member 417 , rather than spinning around it.
The input member 416 is continuously connected for common rotation with the ring gear member 434 . Sun gear member 432 is continuously grounded to a stationary member 424 , such as a casing of the transmission 414 . Ring gear member 454 and sun gear member 462 are continuously connected for common rotation with output member 417 . An interconnecting member 470 continuously connects ring gear member 464 for common rotation with carrier member 446 . Interconnecting member 472 continuously connects ring gear member 454 for common rotation with sun gear member 462 .
The transmission 414 has six selectively engagable torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 D, 52 D, 54 D, 56 D, 57 D, and 58 D, as well as a free-wheeling one-way clutch F 1 D that is that is connected in parallel with torque-transmitting mechanism 57 D and permits rotation in only one direction. Torque-transmitting mechanism 50 D is a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect carrier member 436 for common rotation with sun gear member 452 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 52 D is a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect input member 416 and ring gear member 434 for common rotation with carrier member 446 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 54 D is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground sun gear member 442 with stationary member 424 . Free-wheeling one-way clutch F 1 D prevents rotation of carrier member 446 in a direction opposite the input member 416 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 56 D is a rotating-type clutch that is selectively engagable to connect carrier member 436 for common rotation with sun gear member 442 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 57 D is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground carrier member 446 to the stationary member 424 . Torque-transmitting mechanism 58 D is a brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism that is selectively engagable to ground carrier member 466 to the stationary member 424 .
The members of transmission 414 correspond with the lever diagram transmission 14 of FIG. 1 as follows: sun gear member 432 corresponds with node A; carrier member 436 corresponds with node B; ring gear member 434 corresponds with node C; sun gear member 442 corresponds with node D; carrier member 466 corresponds with node E; interconnected carrier member 446 and ring gear member 464 correspond with node F; interconnected sun gear member 462 and ring gear member 454 correspond with node G; and sun gear member 452 corresponds with node H. The torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 D, 52 D, 54 D, 56 D, 57 D, and 58 D correspond with torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 57 , and 58 , respectively, and are engagable according to the same schedule of FIG. 2 to achieve seven forward speed ratios and a reverse speed ratio (and, optionally, an eighth forward speed ratio by engaging torque-transmitting mechanisms 50 D and 58 D).
One exemplary set of tooth ratios for the transmission 414 is as follows: ring gear member 434 to sun gear member 432 : 1.82; ring gear member 454 to sun gear member 442 : 2.06; ring gear member 454 to sun gear member 452 : 2.62; and ring gear member 464 to sun gear member 462 : 1.80. With the engagement schedule as set forth in FIG. 2 for corresponding torque-transmitting mechanisms, the following speed ratios are attained: reverse speed ratio (REV): −3.192; first forward speed ratio (1st): 4.060; second forward speed ratio (2nd): 2.370; third forward speed ratio (3rd): 1.549; fourth forward speed ratio (4th): 1.157; fifth forward speed ratio (5th): 0.853; sixth forward speed ratio (6th): 0.673; and seventh forward speed ratio (7th): 0.556. The following corresponding ratio steps are achieved: REV/1st: −0.79; 1st/2nd: 1.71; 2nd/3rd: 1.53; 3rd/4th: 1.34; 4th/5th: 1.36; 5th/6th: 1.27; and 6th/7th: 1.21. This corresponds with an overall ratio spread (1st/7th) of 7.31.
The highest speed for each set of pinions in any of the speed ratios with respect to the speed of the input member 416 are as follows: pinion gears 437 : 1.574; pinion gears 447 : 3.109; pinion gears 457 : 3.044; pinion gears 467 : 5.294; and pinion gears 468 : 5.294. Planetary gear set 460 is lightly loaded, with its members carrying torque only during the seventh forward speed ratio due to engagement of brake-type torque-transmitting mechanism 58 B. In the seventh forward speed ratio, the members of planetary gear set 460 carry the following torque ratios with respect to the torque at the input member 416 : sun gear member 462 : −0.556; ring gear member 464 : 1.000; and carrier member 466 : −0.444. Depending on the tooth ratios utilized, the seventh speed ratio (7th) may be approximately 20 to 100 percent higher than the sixth speed ratio (6th), with the sun gear member 462 and the torque-transmitting mechanism 58 D handling only about 56 and 44 percent of the torque on the input member 116 , respectively.
Thus, there are several exemplary stick-diagram embodiments of transmissions 114 , 214 , 314 and 414 corresponding with the embodiment of transmission 14 in lever diagram form in FIG. 1 . Each embodiment offers seven forward speed ratios with an evenly-spaced ratio progression, a good overall ratio spread, relatively low pinion speeds, and relatively low torque on the brake-type-torque transmitting mechanism loaded in the seventh forward speed ratio and the planetary gear set with a member grounded thereby.
While the best modes for carrying out the invention have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention within the scope of the appended claims.
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A multi-speed transmission offers seven forward speed ratios with a pleasing ratio step progression, with the seventh forward speed ratio offering a relatively large percentage of the ratio spread, relatively low pinion speeds and only light torque loading on gear members carrying torque in the seventh forward speed ratio due to a brake-type torque transmitting mechanism engaged in the seventh forward speed ratio.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for marking or drilling holes in spectacle lenses, and to a device for carrying out the method.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The nose bridge and the bows of rimless spectacles are usually screwed onto the form-ground spectacle lenses. It is therefore necessary for the bores for fastening the nose bridge and the bows to be made in a positionally accurate fashion in the form-ground spectacle lenses. The position of these bores is determined by the shape of the spectacle lenses and of the nose bridge and the bows and fixed by the manufacturer of these parts. For the purpose of selecting such rimless spectacles, the elements, screwed onto a so-called support disk, are supplied and permit the rimless spectacles to be tried without the use of optical lenses. Frequently, a pattern disk for grinding the contour of the spectacle lenses is also supplied with the rimless spectacles, and this pattern disk is likewise provided by the manufacturer with the bores for fastening the spectacle frame elements.
The optician uses the pattern disk or support disk provided with the fastening bores to mark the bores on a spectacle lens, and drills the holes by means of a suitable drilling device.
If the spectacle lenses are to be exchanged while retaining the elements of the spectacle frame, because, for example, the visual acuity of the spectacle wearer has changed, or because one of the spectacle lenses has been broken, it is possible to use an existing spectacle lens, already provided with bores, for marking the bores.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is obvious that this marking of the bores and the subsequent drilling of the holes are attended by a substantial manual outlay which requires great skill on the part of the optician and therefore gives rise to costs which can also rise by virtue of the fact that drilling the holes by means of conventional drilling devices frequently leads to breakage of the spectacle lens, which can then no longer be used.
It is the object of the invention to simplify and speed up the marking or drilling of holes in spectacle lenses, to increase the accuracy and to reduce the risk of lens breakage when drilling.
Starting from this formulation of the problem, a method is proposed for marking or drilling holes in spectacle lenses, in which, according to the invention, the position of bores in a spectacle lens or a pattern disk or a support disk is scanned with or without contact, the data acquired on the position of the bores are fed to a computer as rectangular or polar coordinates and used to control the marking or drilling by means of a CNC-controlled marking or drilling device.
The invention proceeds from the consideration that the outlay on acquiring the data on the position of the bores is small, since only one pair of values (x, y), (r, φ) is required for each bore, and these pairs of values can accurately and quickly effect control of the marking or the drilling by means of a CNC-controlled marking or drilling device.
The marking of the holes can be performed by means of an ink jet or a counterboring cutter. In this case, the actual drilling of the holes is carried out in a conventional drilling device.
The holes are preferably drilled by means of a CNC-controlled drilling device, it being necessary to adapt the drilling tool to the spectacle lens material. If, for example, silicate lenses are involved, it is preferred to use a diamond drilling tool, while drilling tools made from hard metal are suitable for drilling plastic lenses.
The scanning of the position of the bores can be carried out, for example, in a centering device for coquilles. Such centering devices serve the purpose of mounting a holding element in the form of a block or sucker on a coquille which can be detected in a viewing optics or on a screen, and on which an image of the form-ground spectacle lens is superimposed in accordance with the spectacle frame, in order to insert the coquille in a positionally accurate fashion into a spectacle lens holding shaft on a spectacle lens edging machine, after which form grinding is carried out in accordance with the prescribed spectacle lens shape.
The scanning of the position of the bores can also be carried out in a device for scanning the contour of a pattern disk. By means of such a device, the contour of a pattern disk is acquired in the form of a data record and used to control the form grinding by means of a CNC-controlled spectacle lens edging machine. Moreover, it is also possible for the position of the bores to be scanned in a device for cutting support disks for spectacle frames. Support disks are used, inter alia, for the purpose of marking the viewing points of the spectacle wearer during adaptation to the new spectacle frame. Such a device for cutting support disks is described in DE 40 03 001 C1 of the same applicant.
A further possibility for scanning the position of the bores consists in making use for this purpose of a spectacle lens edging machine in which the marking or drilling of the holes is also performed. It is advantageous in this case to make use of the same computer for acquiring the data and for controlling the marking or drilling, as well as for controlling the form grinding of the spectacle lens.
A video system with screen display of the contour of the spectacle lens or the pattern disk or the support disk and the bores can also be used for scanning the position of the bores if this video system is set up such that the acquisition of the data on the position of the bores is performed by means of automatic image evaluation.
In the case of a video system without automatic image evaluation, or if the spectacle lens, the pattern disk or the support disk are laid onto a digitizing tablet, the data on the position of the bores can be acquired by marking the bores, which are visible on the screen or the digitizing tablet, by means of a cursor which can be moved by a keyboard or a computer mouse, and are recorded by clicking on the respective bore.
The position of the holes in spectacle lenses can be input in a particularly simple way as a data record into a computer which is used for directly controlling the marking or drilling by means of a CNC-controlled marking or drilling device. This inputting of the data record can be accomplished in the form of rectangular or polar coordinates by means of a keyboard connected to the computer, or by reading in the data record, which is stored on a floppy disk, an EPROM or a magnetic strip, or is represented by means of a barcode. These stored data records can be supplied by the manufacturer of the spectacle frame, and can also comprise a data record for grinding the circumferential contour of the spectacle lens. It is likewise possible to acquire these data records by scanning a spectacle lens, a pattern disk or a support disk.
In order to solve the problem mentioned at the beginning, there is proposed a marking or drilling device for marking or drilling holes in spectacle lenses, having an input device for inputting the coordinates (X n , Y 1 ; X 2 , Y 2 ) or (r n , φ n ) of the holes into a computer and a positioning device, controlled by the computer in accordance with the input coordinates, for the marking or drilling device with reference to the spectacle lens. A laser drill may be used as the marking or drilling device.
If use is made of a drilling tool running at high speed, it is possible to use for this a drive designed as an air turbine, as a combined air-water turbine or as a high-frequency electric motor.
Particularly preferred is a marking or drilling device on a spectacle lens edging machine, having a computer for controlling the form grinding of spectacle lenses, at least one grinding wheel in a grinding chamber, a spectacle lens holding shaft which can rotate in a fashion capable of angle encoding, can be adjusted radially and axially relative to the grinding wheel and can be locked, an angle sensor for acquiring the angle of rotation (φ n ) of the spectacle lens holding shaft, a position sensor for acquiring the radial distance (X n ) of the spectacle lens holding shaft from the grinding wheel, a position sensor for acquiring the axial position (Z n ) of the spectacle lens holding shaft with reference to the grinding wheel, and an input device for inputting coordinates (X 1 , Y 1 ; X 2 , Y 2 ) of the holes into the computer.
By virtue of the fact that the marking or drilling device is arranged on the spectacle lens edging machine, it can be controlled by the same computer which is also used to control the form grinding of spectacle lenses.
The marking or drilling device can be arranged such that it can be telescoped in the X-direction either in a niche of the grinding chamber or outside the grinding chamber, in the first case the spectacle lens to be marked or drilled being held at that point in the spectacle lens holding shaft at which the form grinding is also carried out while, in the second case, a holder is to be provided for a spectacle lens, which is to be marked or drilled, outside the grinding chamber on the spectacle lens holding shaft.
When the marking or drilling device is coupled in terms of movement to the spectacle lens holding shaft or the grinding wheel in the X-direction and Z-direction, the positioning of the marking or drilling device with reference to the spectacle lens held by the spectacle lens holding shaft can be performed by the computer in a fashion controlled as a function of the input coordinates of the holes, the same movement control being used for this purpose as also serves for the form grinding of the spectacle lens.
It is also advantageously possible to arrange the scanning device for the position of the bores in a spectacle lens or a pattern disk or a support disk on the spectacle lens edging machine, and to couple it in terms of movement to the spectacle lens holding shaft or the grinding wheel in the X-direction and Z-direction. In this case, a sensing arm can project radially into the region of the spectacle lens held by the spectacle lens holding shaft, of the pattern disk or the support disk, a sensing element which acts with or without contact being arranged on the sensing arm.
When the sensing element is designed as a sensing pin, this sensing pin can guided in the X-direction and Z-direction up to the respective bore in the spectacle lens or the pattern disk or support disk, which is brought into the region of the sensing element by rotating the spectacle lens holding shaft. The coordinates of the hole are recorded in this case and fed to the computer.
The sensing element can also be designed as an optoelectronic sensing device which is capable of recording the coordinates of a hole in a spectacle lens held by the spectacle lens holding shaft, a pattern disk or a support disk.
A linear, optoelectronic sensing device, for example a charge-coupled (CCD), linear image scanner can preferably be arranged on the sensing arm which, during a revolution of the spectacle lens holding shaft detects both the position of the bores and the circumferential contour of a spectacle lens, of a pattern disk or a support disk, and feeds them to the computer for controlling the form grinding and the marking and drilling of the holes.
The scanning device can be arranged both inside and outside the grinding chamber and serves simultaneously as a marking or drilling device when, for example, the sensing pin is simultaneously the drilling tool, or when the optoelectronic sensing device is designed as a laser device which, by controlling the intensity of the laser beam, can be used both as a scanning device and as a marking or drilling device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of a plurality of exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic front view of a spectacle lens edging machine having a device for scanning the position of bores in a grinding wheel, outside the grinding-chamber,
FIG. 2 shows a cross section through a spectacle lens edging machine having a device for scanning and/or a device for marking or drilling holes in spectacle lenses, and
FIG. 3 shows a centering device set up for scanning the position of the bores in spectacle lenses, pattern disks or support disks.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The spectacle lens edging machine illustrated in FIG. 1 has a housing 1 with a grinding chamber 2 in which a pregrinding wheel 4 , which is arranged on a shaft 3 and has a cylindrical circumference, and two beveling grinding wheels 5 , 6 with different beveling grooves are arranged. Arranged with its axis parallel to the shaft 3 with the grinding wheels 4 , 5 , 6 is a spectacle lens holding shaft made from two half shafts 7 , 8 , of which the half shaft 7 can be axially displaced by means of a handle 9 , in order to clamp a rough cast lens (not illustrated). The grinding chamber 2 is closed during the grinding operation by means of a cover (not illustrated).
For the purpose of grinding, the shaft 3 with the grinding wheels 4 , 5 , 6 is set rotating rapidly, while a rough cast lens held by the spectacle lens holding shaft 7 , 8 rotates slowly. The distance of the spectacle lens holding shaft 7 , 8 from the shaft 3 with the grinding wheels 4 , 5 , 6 is controlled by a computer 10 in which control data for grinding the rough cast lens in accordance with the shape of a selected spectacle frame are stored.
Also arranged on the housing 1 are an input keyboard 11 and a screen 12 . The input keyboard 11 can be used to call spectacle lens contours stored in a known way, and to lead them to the controller of the spectacle lens edging machine for the purpose of spectacle lens machining.
It is also possible to use the input keyboard 11 to input personal data of the spectacle wearer, for example the pupil separation, the axis position of a cylindrical or prismatic cut of the spectacle lens, or the position of a reading portion.
A screen 12 is used to display the input data. It is also possible to illustrate on the screen 12 the circular rough cast lens and/or a spectacle lens which is to be form-ground in accordance with the input data.
An end 14 of the half shaft 8 is led out at the side of the housing 1 . Arranged on this end 14 is a holder in the form of pins 15 , 16 of different diameters for a pattern disk 17 . The pattern disk has corresponding holes of corresponding diameter, and so it can be mounted on the projecting end 14 of the half shaft 8 only in a specific angular position.
Arranged on a holder 19 projecting from the housing 1 is a sensing arm 18 which can be telescoped and on whose free end in the region of the pattern disk 17 there is arranged a sensing element 20 which is illustrated here as a sensing pin. The sensing arm 18 can be moved in the direction of the arrow 23 , while the holder 19 can be moved in the direction of the arrow 24 .
By rotating the spectacle lens holding shaft 7 , 8 , a bore 21 and a bore 22 are adjusted such that the sensing pin 20 can be inserted into the bore 21 or 22 by displacing the sensing arm 18 in the direction of the arrow 23 and displacing the holder 19 in the direction of the arrow 24 . The associated angle φ of the spectacle lens holding shaft 7 , 8 is recorded by an angle sensor 13 , while the distance r of the bore 21 or 22 from the axis of the spectacle lens holding shaft 7 , 8 is acquired by a position sensor (not illustrated) connected to the sensing arm 18 . The recorded coordinates of the bores 21 and 22 pass into the computer 10 and are displayed on the screen 12 in the image 17 ′ of the pattern disk 17 as images of the bores 21 ′ and 22 ′, respectively. Since the screen 12 is provided with a rectangular axis intersection 46 , the coordinates X 1 , Y 1 of the bore 22 ′ and the coordinates X 2 , Y 2 of the bore 21 ′ can be read off on the screen 12 and used to mark and/or drill appropriate holes in a spectacle lens held between the half shafts 7 , 8 when the spectacle lens edging machine has an appropriate marking or drilling device.
The coordinates X 1 , Y 1 and X 2 , Y 2 for the bores 22 ′, 21 ′ can also be used for the purpose of driving a marking or drilling device separated from the spectacle lens edging machine, or to input the coordinates into such a marking or drilling machine by means of a keyboard or in another suitable way such as, for example, by means of a floppy disk, an EPROM, a barcode or a magnetic strip.
The holder 19 can also be coupled in terms of movement in the X-direction and Z-direction to the movement controller of the grinding wheels 4 , 5 , 6 with respect to the spectacle lens holding shaft 7 , 8 , with the result that the movements of the holder 19 effect the recording of the coordinates of the holes 21 , 22 via corresponding position pickups on the movement controller for the grinding wheels 4 , 5 , 6 . In this case, the sensing arm 18 can be permanently arranged on the holder 19 , although it is also possible that it can be telescoped from a idle position into an operating position.
In conjunction with coupling the movement to the grinding wheels 4 , 5 , 6 , the arrangement of the sensing arm such that it can be telescoped is particularly advantageous when the sensing device 18 , 19 , 20 is arranged (in a way that is not illustrated) in the grinding chamber 2 , and the sensing arm 18 is located in the idle position in a niche of the grinding chamber 2 .
Instead of a pattern disk 17 , it is also possible for a spectacle lens having fastening holes, or a support disk to be fastened on the projecting end 14 of the half shaft 8 , in order to acquire the position of the holes.
Instead of a sensing pin 20 , it is also possible to arrange an optoelectronic sensing element on the sensing arm 18 , in order to record the position of the holes 21 , 22 .
When this optoelectronic sensing element is designed as a charge-coupled (CCD), linear image scanner, it is thereby possible to determine both the circumferential contour of a pattern disk 17 of a form-ground spectacle lens or of a support disk, and the position of the bores, and to use them to control the form grinding and the marking or drilling of the holes.
An already form-ground spectacle lens 25 which is held by the spectacle lens holding shaft 7 , 8 is illustrated in the spectacle lens edging machine illustrated in FIG. 2 .
A guide 45 for a telescopic arm 27 , which supports a high-speed drill drive 26 , is arranged on a bearing neck 28 of a bearing support 38 for the shaft 3 of the grinding wheels 4 , 5 , 6 . Air turbines, combined air-water turbines or high-frequency electric motors are suitable as a drill drive.
Also fastened, by means of fastening screws 30 , on the bearing neck 28 is a spray guard 29 which encompasses the grinding wheels 4 , 5 , 6 . The bearing support 38 is connected to a slide part 32 of a compound slide 31 . The slide part 32 is guided by means of guide bars 33 in bores 34 in attachments 35 of a second slide part 36 . Guide rails 37 run at right angles to the guide bars 33 of the slide part 32 , with the result that the compound slide 31 can be displaced under computer control in the X-direction, that is to say in the direction of the guide bars 33 , and in the Z-direction, that is to say in the direction of the guide rails 37 . A drive motor 40 , which acts on the slide part 32 via an electromagnetic clutch 41 , is illustrated, and a position sensor 43 serves to monitor the positional control in the X-direction. A corresponding position' sensor 44 serves to monitor the positional control in the Z-direction. Both the drives in the X-direction and Z-direction, and the corresponding position sensors 43 , 44 are connected to the computer 10 via control lines 42 .
The compound slide 31 with the drives and position sensors 43 , 44 is arranged in a machine subframe 39 which also supports the housing 1 .
The form grinding of the spectacle lens 25 is performed under the control of a computer by means of the computer 10 , with the use of a data record which is input into the computer and corresponds to the shape of the spectacle lens.
Before the form grinding, or after the form grinding, the bores 21 ″, 22 ″ can be made in the spectacle lens 25 by advancing the high-speed drill drive 26 on the telescopic arm 27 from an idle position (not illustrated), in which it is located in a niche of the grinding chamber 2 , into the operating position illustrated in FIG. 2 .
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the drill drive on the telescopic arm 27 with the guide 45 is coupled to the movement of the compound slide 31 . Consequently, the X-coordinate of the holes 21 ″, 22 ″ are set by moving the slide part 32 in accordance with the input coordinates. At the same time, the spectacle lens holding shaft 7 , 8 is rotated in accordance with the position of the bore 21 ″ or 22 ″ such that the bore is situated on the vertical connecting line of the axes of the grinding wheel shaft 3 and the spectacle lens holding shaft 7 , 8 , after which the slide part 36 is moved in the Z-direction and the drill drive 26 is set operating. A drilling tool on the drill drive 26 now drills the holes 21 ″, 22 ″ by virtue of the fact that the slide part 36 is imparted a corresponding feed movement.
When the telescopic arm 27 is arranged in a guide 45 which is not coupled in terms of movement to the compound slide 31 , but is fastened at a suitable point on the machine frame 39 , the drill drive 26 can be set to the X-coordinate 21 ″, 22 ″ by controlling the movement of the telescopic arm 27 by means of the computer 10 , without there being a need to move the compound slide 31 for this purpose. In this case, it must be possible to provide for an axial feed movement of the drilling tool on the drill drive 26 toward the spectacle lens 25 or, vice versa, for an axial movement of the spectacle lens 25 toward the drilling tool on the drill drive 26 .
It is also possible to use a laser drilling device instead of a drilling tool with a high-speed drill drive 26 . Moreover, it is possible to use the drilling device 26 , 27 as scanning device for the position of the bores 21 , 22 in a pattern disk when this pattern disk is clamped in the grinding chamber 2 between the half shafts 7 , 8 and the drilling tool is used as sensing pin for insertion into the holes 21 , 22 in a pattern disk 17 , or when, in the case of a laser drilling device, the laser beam is used to determine the position of the holes.
It is likewise possible for a spectacle lens or a support disk to be clamped between the half shafts 7 , 8 , in order to scan the corresponding bores.
Furthermore, it is also possible for the scanning device 18 , 19 , 20 described with reference to FIG. 1 to be arranged in addition to the drilling device 26 , 27 in the grinding chamber 2 of the spectacle lens edging machine when the scanning of the holes and the drilling are to be performed by means of separate devices.
Illustrated in FIG. 3 is a centering unit which has in a housing 47 a viewing optics 48 which can comprise a purely optical system or a screen. An image 17 ′ of a pattern disk 17 can be displayed in the viewing optics 48 by means of an electronic control unit 49 , which is arranged in a housing lower part 50 for ergonomic reasons, and an input keyboard 57 . This pattern disk 17 with the bores 21 , 22 is mounted on support pins 52 of a carrier 51 and is held there by means of pins 54 on a hold-down 53 . The pattern disk 17 can be aligned with the support pins 52 such that the holes for the pins 15 , 16 come to lie in a fashion illustrated with reference to the axis intersection 46 , and the bores 21 , 22 appear as images 21 ′, 22 ′ in the viewing optics 48 in a fashion positionally accurate with reference to the axis intersection 46 . A cursor 58 can now be moved relative to the images 21 ′, 22 ′ of the bores by means of the keyboard 57 , and the position or the coordinates can be recorded by clicking.
This cursor 58 can, of course, also be moved by means of a computer mouse, and the coordinates of the bores 21 , 22 can be recorded by clicking.
The coordinates X 1 , Y 1 ; X 2 , Y 2 can also be read off in the viewing optics 48 and noted down, or be recorded on suitable data media.
The centering device in accordance with FIG. 3 can be connected so as to exchange data with the spectacle lens edging machine in accordance with FIG. 2, with the result that the coordinates, determined in the centering device in accordance with FIG. 3, of the bores 21 , 22 can be transmitted to the computer 10 of the spectacle lens edging machine and used there to control the drilling of the holes 21 ″, 22 ″.
The centering device in accordance with FIG. 3 is, moreover, used for the purpose of aligning a rough cast lens in a similar way as was described with reference to the pattern disk 17 , in accordance with which a swinging arm 55 with a holding part 56 , fastened thereon, in the form of a block or sucker is lowered onto the rough cast lens, and the holding part 56 is connected to the rough cast lens such that the rough cast lens can subsequently be inserted accurately in terms of position between the half shafts 7 , 8 of the spectacle lens edging machine in accordance with FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, and can be form-ground. Such a centering device is described in DE 42 33 400 C1 of the same applicant.
The holes can then be drilled in the way described inside or outside a spectacle lens edging machine.
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To at least one of mark and drill holes in a workpiece spectacle lens, a position of bores of a lens template is scanned, in which the template includes one of a template spectacle lens, a pattern disk and a support disk. The scanning is performed by a scanning arrangement situated in one of a device for coquilles, a device to cut support disks for spectacle frames, and a spectacle lens edging machine. Data is acquired concerning the position of the bores in accordance with the scanning, and is then fed to a computer. The data includes at least one of rectangular and polar coordinates of the position of the bores. At least one of marking and drilling the holes in the workpiece spectacle lens is performed using a Computer-Numeric-Controlled device in accordance with the data concerning the position of the bores.
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This is a division of application Ser. No. 06/273,378 filed June 15, 1981.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to production of coal in situ wherein coal is set afire and consumed in place with energy values captured in surface facilities. More particularly the invention is directed to the integrity of the underground reaction zone during roof falls and subsidence, occasioned by creation of void space underground, as the coal is consumed in place.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known in the art how to produce coal in situ, such production having been accomplished on a commercial scale in Russia for more than 30 years. While not yet practiced commercially in the United States, numerous field tests in various parts of the country point to an emerging commercial industry. For production of coal in situ, wells are drilled from the surface of the earth into an underground coal seam, linkage channels are established through the coal thus connecting the wells in pairs, the coal is set afire with combustion sustained by injecting an oxidizer into one well of the pair and removing the products of reaction through the other well of the pair. Useful products recovered include carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane and condensible liquids that contain valuable coal chemicals.
In commercial practice a multiplicity of wells is drilled into the coal seam providing numerous pairs of wells. Generally each well during its useful life will be operated both as an injector well and as a producer well until a maximum amount of coal is consumed within the influence of the well. Preferably the pairs of wells are linked through the coal at the bottom of the seam. When the coal is set afire, the fire propagates along the linkage channel under pressure and thus establishes an underground reactor in the coal seam. Unlike an aboveground pressure vessel used for gasifying coal which is fixed in size by design, the underground reactor (sometimes called a georeactor) begins as a relatively small pressurized volume in the linkage channel and grows in size as coal is consumed. A properly operated georeactor grows in length from the ignition point and expands laterally and vertically as combustion proceeds. With properly placed wells and linkage channels at the bottom of the seam, it is possible to consume virtually all of the coal seam during production sequences.
In the interest of maximum resource recovery, it is important that the seam be consumed from bottom to top. In this mode fresh fuel remains above the fire and residual ash below the fire. As combustion proceeds and the georeactor grows in lateral extent, the natural structure of the coal seam weakens and fresh coal spalls into the fire, such spalling continuing on an intermittent basis until all of the coal above the fire is consumed. Continuing growth of georeactor size results in additional underground void space with loss of support for the overburden and resultant roof fall from the overlying rock strata. When the overlying rock strata becomes dislodged, spalls and falls into the georeactor, such disturbance of overlying rock is generally characterized as roof fall within a vertical distance of twice that of the coal seam thickness. For greater vertical distances disruption of the overburden is generally characterized as subsidence.
From a process efficiency point of view, it is desirable to contain the pressurized georeactor within the coal seam. From a resource recovery point of view, it is desirable to consume all of the coal within the influence of the wells. Thus an economic tradeoff is established trending toward maximum resource recovery, with attendant problems of roof fall and subsidence. Roof fall generally is a relatively minor problem that expands the pressurized georeactor into the overlying rock strata, exposing cool rocks that rob heat from the reactor. Subsidence is a more severe problem, particularly when the disturbed area intersects an overlying aquifer or propagates cracks to the ground surface. An overlying aquifer connected to a georeactor can result in quenching all useful reactions in the reactor. Cracks to the surface result in serious losses of pressure and produced gases. It is apparent that a relatively small in situ coal project will encounter the problems of roof fall. A project of commercial size will encounter problems both from roof fall and subsidence. A successful commercial project must cope with and manage the problems of subsidence.
Subsidence has been a recognized problem for conventional underground coal mines since the industry began several centuries ago. Numerous studies through the years have contributed to the understanding of the forces of subsidence, which have made possible reasonably standardized designs for mine safety, the mine plan and the sequence of operations. In virtually all cases the designs require modification to the site specific requirements of a new mine. For conventional coal mines the planned amount of void space underground can be carefully controlled. For in situ production of coal, precise control of void space is difficult to attain. To provide a plan for mining sequence in each case, it is necessary to obtain information about the rock strata overlying the coal seam. It is well known that tests on rock cores result in strengths much higher than the actual strength of the rock mass. Test results of compressive strengths may approach the actual strength of the rock mass, but tensile strengths can vary considerbly due to faults, joints and bedding planes.
Once a substantial void space is opened up by removing a portion of the underground coal, the overburden above the void must be supported by adjacent coal. The result is the establishment of a compression arch from the adjacent coal to an apex located above the center of the void. Overburden rock within the lower boundary of the compression arch thus becomes destressed and remains in place only if there is sufficient tensile strength to overcome weight of the destressed rock. Chances are good that there will be discontinuities in the destressed rock. Thus roof fall will begin with a chunk of rock falling into the void space. Later in time another chunk of rock will fall, then another and another, resulting in an upward stoping process that may continue intermittently for months or years. The vertical extent of this upward stoping may be approximated by the width of the underground void space.
When the width of the void space exceeds the depth of the overburden, upward stoping probably will continue to collapse of the surface of the ground. Arrival of upward stoping at the ground surface normally appears without warning in the forms of a depression, pit, trough, tension crack and the like. Normally any lowering of the earth surface due to subsidence also will be accompanied by compression bulges near the center of the lowered surface. Another feature commonly occuring with surface collapse is the amount of area distrubed at the surface, generally a larger area than that of the underground void that initiated the sequence. The added area is commonly called the draw, being induced by the tensile strength of the rock which has moved into the disturbed zone. When it is known that underground void space is likely to result in ground surface depression, care should be taken in locating manmade structures above the void plus the expected draw. The expected depression area should be placed under limited access control until the disturbed area becomes stabilized.
The changing size of the georeactor can be reasonably well controlled until significant subsidence is underway. It is highly desirable to maintain the pressurized space associated with the georeactor to the confines of the coal seam and immediately adjacent void space. It is apparent that upward stoping will significantly increase the vertical dimension of the reactor, thus it is highly desirable to place a pressure seal on the changing void space resulting from rock fall. Methods of accomplishing such a seal will be described hereinafter. Such a seal also is highly desirable to be in place before upward stoping encounters an overlying aquifer. A seal against water incursion serves two purposes: water is excluded from the georeactor and the processes underway, and water soluble products of reactions (phenols, ammonia and the like) are excluded from the aquifer.
As previously mentioned production of coal in situ is accomplished by operating wells in pairs. The initial group of individual georeactors (sometimes called modules) will be located between each pair of wells. As production proceeds many of the reactors will merge, and at the point of merger it is desirable that subsidence be accelerated to lower the overburden into the void space, and to place pressure seals to restrict georeactor size. Accelerated subsidence can cause substantial damage to manmade structures within the disturbed area, specifically the injector-producer wells of the project. Special protection is required for these wells as will be more fully described hereinafter. Further, accelerated subsidence is desirable when the in situ production project contains multiple seams of coal and it is planned to produce an underlying seam without undue delay. In the ideal case the original production wells will have survived the forces of subsidence and are deepened for production of the lower seam. Accelerated subsidence can be induced by widening the underground void spaces to the maximum extent of the planned production area.
A planned production area normally will be somewhat smaller than that defined by the perimeter of the property. It is common practice to leave unproduced coal within the outer boundaries of the mine property, a barrier pillar within the perimeter, for example a strip of unmined coal 150 feet wide. For conventional underground mining, the location of the barrier pillar can be positioned with accuracy. For in situ production of coal the barrier pillar will be uneven on the inside, due to imprecise dimensions of the georeactors paralleling the property line, thus leaving slightly more coal in the barrier pillar than for conventional mining. Also for in situ coal production the spans of the underground void space can be quite long, virtually assuring subsidence to the surface. In order for the ground surface immediately over the barrier pillar to remain intact, it is necessary to take steps to minimize the effect of subsidence draw in the barrier area. Likewise, a barrier pillar is established under the area of the property used for offices, shops, compressors, gas clean up facilities, and other aboveground facilities that are used in support of the project. Steps also must be taken to minimize the effect of subsidence draw on this set-aside surface area.
Generally the preferred coals for in situ production are those of lower rank, subbituminous and lignite, which are more reactive than higher rank coals. In the United States most of the reserves of reactive coals are located in western states where it is common that the coal seams are overlain and innerbedded with shale. Generally these shales are relatively soft and pliable, characteristics that facilitate minimizing the effects of subsidence in that subsidence cracks frequently will heal and seal in the pliable shale under the influence of the weight of the overburden. It is quite common in western coals that the coal seam itself is an aquifer. Wet seams require dewatering prior to in situ combustion, a circumstance that is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Water recovered from the seam can be used in the in situ production processes, a desirable feature in the arid west. On the other hand, the relatively low permeability of the wet coal seam introduces difficulties in the drawdown of flowable water. Without adequate drawdown a portion of the seam remains relatively wet while another portion, generally the upper portion in flat lying seams, is relatively dry. Once the seam is ignited, the propagating fire tends to flourish in the upper part of the seam, eventually engulfing itself in its own ashes and bypassing the coal underneath. Steps should be taken to control this flame override situation as will be further described hereinafter.
By way of example the present invention will be directed to coals in the western United States. In the prior art dealing with conventional underground coal mining and resulting subsidence, recent comprehensive reports include U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 969, Some Engineering Geological Factors Controlling Coal Mine Subsidence in Utah and Colorado (1976) and U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1164, Effects of Coal Mine Subsidence in the Sheridan, Wyo., Area (1980). Recent art involving subsidence associated with in situ coal gasification include U.S. Dept. of Energy Report UCRL-52255, Ground Subsidence Resulting from Underground Gasification of Coal (1977) and U.S. Dept. of Energy Report UCRL-50026-79-4, LLL In Situ Coal Gasification Project, Quarterly Progress Report, October through December 1979.
In establishing the georeactor in the coal seam, linkage may be accomplished between wells by any convenient method, but preferably is accomplished using the methods of U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,692 of Terry. Likewise in situ production of coal may be accomplished by any convenient method, but preferably is accomplished using the methods of U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,688 of Terry. Additional methods of sealing a georeactor are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,397 of Terry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Coal is produced in situ using a series of georeactors between pairs of wells. Georeactors enlarge as coal is consumed resulting in loss of support structure for the overburden with attendant roof fall and subsidence. A foaming mud cement is used to maintain georeactor integrity, thus minimizing product gas leakage and ground water contamination during production, and facilitating module quenching when production is terminated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical vertical section through the earth showing a series of wells in various stages of the methods of the invention, together with arrangement of aboveground equipment.
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical vertical section through the earth showing a well with conductor pipe cemented to the ground surface and a lower bob-tailed string of casing cemented to the bottom of the hole with attached bonding apparatus.
FIG. 3A is cross section side view of bonding apparatus affixed to the casing.
FIG. 3B is side view of a portion of the casing affixed with four sets of bonding apparatus.
FIG. 3C is cross section plan view of the casing with one set of bonding apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatical vertical section through the earth showing module quenching in one georeactor and production in a nearby georeactor.
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatical vertical section through the earth showing a pair of wells in a wet coal seam prior to establishing a georeactor between the wells.
FIG. 6 is a diagrammatical vertical section through the earth showing arrangement of apparatus for placing a seal above the georeactor.
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a possible well pattern for the barrier pillar.
FIG. 8A is a plan view of the barrier pillar showing location of subsidence draw protective trench.
FIG. 8B is a diagrammatical vertical section through the earth showing subsidence draw protective trench with explosive fracturing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, a series of production wells 40-46 has been drilled from the surface of the earth through overburden 13 and into upper coal seam 48. The production plan calls for producing coal seam 48 in its entirety, then deepening the wells through interburden 20 into coal seam 49 for continued production. In upper coal seam 48 production has been underway for a period of time with georeactors established between pairs of wells. Coal 1 adjacent to well 46 is virgin coal, not yet affected by heat. Coal 2 has been affected by heat to the extent that it has been dehydrated. Coal 3 is in the early stages of pyrolysis. Coal 4 is sufficiently warm for active pyrolysis. Coal 5 is undergoing combustion. Void 6 remains after coal has been reduced to ash. Fluid foaming backfill material 7 is in the process of becoming solidified. Rubble 8 is composed of residual ash and overburden roof-fall. Backfill material 47 is solidified.
By way of example, coal seam 48 is located 500 feet below the surface of the earth with an average seam thickness of 25 feet and coal seam 49 is located at an average depth of 1000 feet and has a thickness of 50 feet. As shown in FIG. 1 well 40 has produced all of coal seam 48 within its influence and has been deepened into coal seam 49 in preparation for additional production. Likewise well 41 has completed its purpose for coal seam 48 and is ready for deepening into coal seam 49, at which time a georeactor can be established between wells 40 and 41 in lower coal seam 49. Well 42 is receiving backfill material to fill the void remaining after coal has been consumed.
The georeactor is active between wells 43 and 44, with reactants 14 being injected into well 42 and products of reaction 15 being withdrawn from well 44. Preferably the reactants are alternating injections of air and steam. Products of reaction during air injection is a low BTU gas composed principally of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Products of reaction during steam injection is water gas (H 2 +CO), a useful product for synthesis into a host of useful products such as methane, methanol, naphtha, various oils and the like. Well 45 is producing at a low volume, mainly hot gases of pyrolysis with well 46 in a standby status for future production. When the georeactor between wells 43 and 44 grows to substantially the top of coal seam 48, well 43 is shut in, well 44 is converted into an injector well and well 45 becomes an active producer with products of reaction from the georeactor between wells 44 and 45. At this time backfilling operations will have been completed in well 42 and backfilling begins in well 43.
A major in situ coal production project will require a large volume of sealant material, and preferably the raw materials for such sealants are located on site or nearby. The volume of solid raw materials required can be reduced substantially by mixing the solids with water that is saturated with carbon dioxide, as will be more fully described herein. The resulting mud cement is then injected into the underground void under sufficient pressure to maintain water in the liquid phase until the mud is substantially in place as planned. Solid raw materials include lime and/or magnesium cement materials. The underground void space is relatively hot due to residual heat from coal production. Preferably only a portion of the void space is filled with mud, for example one half of the volume. Residual heat causes the water to flash to steam with the resultant release of carbon dioxide as gas, the combination causing the mud to foam and then congeal into concrete, filling the void completely. An abundance of carbon dioxide, that otherwise would be vented to the atmosphere, is available on site from the production processes. Likewise an abundance of waste heat is also available for the processes of the present invention.
Referring again to FIG. 1, raw calcareous materials 21 are delivered to a crusher 22 with the crushed material delivered to a kiln 23 for calcining into clinkers. Heat 24 is added to the kiln and carbon dioxide 25 is withdrawn from the kiln 23. Carbon dioxide 25 is then compressed and sent to heat exchanger/cooler 28 and then to absorber 30 where water 32 is introduced as the carrier liquid for absorbed carbon dioxide. Clinker from kiln 23 is directed to pulverizer 26 for sizing of the cement clinkers, with the sized material then transferred 39 to mixer 27. A suitable mud material 33, for example native clay, is directed to pulverize 34 with the sized material then directed to mixer 35 where water 36 is added to make mud, which in turn is stored in mud pit 37. At mixer 27 cement from pulverizer 26, water supersaturated with carbon dioxide from absorber 30, and native mud from pit 37 are then mixed, with the resultant mixture, sometimes called sealant mud, then injected 10 through well 42 into the underground formation 7. Such injection is made under pressure as previously described until the planned volume of sealant mud is in place underground. Underground pressure is then reduced by backing off on the pressure maintained in well 42 with the resultant foaming and congealing of mud 7, also as previously described. Thus an underground seal is established that assists in stabilizing the overburden and such seal also filling a void space that might otherwise be linked to an adjacent georeactor.
No particular novelty is claimed in making cement from calcareous materials or for making mud from native materials. It will be appreciated, however, that the resulting soil cement saturated with carbon dioxide serves several purposes underground including reduction of underground temperatures below the ignition temperature of adjacent coal thereby quenching the spent georeactor and preventing an unplanned burn in adjacent coal, the released carbon dioxide serves to expand the volume of the sealant mud and promotes rapid setting of the expanded sealant mud, and the conversion of sealant mud water to steam for further expansion of the sealant mud prior to formation of concrete. A further advantage of the congealed sealant mud is that residual ash from burned coal is sealed from water incursion should the spent georeactor become a part of an aquifer during the post production period. It will be further appreciated that all wells drilled into coal seam 48 will have proper wellhead fittings (not shown) for maintaining planned pressures underground as well as for injection and recovery of the various fluids described herein, and that each well will have suitable hermetic seals for the casing. The spacing between wells is determined by procedures common in production of coal in situ.
In drilling production wells for a project that is expected to have severe subsidence problems, it is important that each well be provided with protection from subsidence effects. Generally this means that the well column be strengthened against bending of the casing from vertical and horizontal loads. It is highly desirable that the casing survive earth shifts and that the casing remain intact during lowering of the surrounding overburden. Further the casing should be protected from excessive heat generated in georeactors. To these ends a suitable casing is selected with additional protection being provided for a proper filling material between the installed casing and the well bore.
Referring to FIG. 2, well 225 is drilled from the surface of the earth 201 through overburden 202 and 203 into coal seam 204 with the drill hole bottomed a few inches above the lower boundary of the coal seam. The drill hole diameter could be, for example, 18 inches. As illustrated two strings of casing are used, a conductor casing 205 and a bobtail string 206. Casing 205 could be, for example, 133/8 inches in diameter and casing 206 could be, for example, 103/4 inches in diameter. The casing strings are cemented 211 in place, preferably by injecting cement within the casing, and thus forcing cement to flow from bottom to the ground surface in the annulus between the casing and the well bore. Cementing procedures used are those common in the petroleum industry and in completing geothermal wells. The casing with its protective concrete lining located in coal seam 204 will be subjected to unusual stresses, therefore it is desirable to take steps beyond standard cementing practices. Apparatus 215 is added to increase the fidelity of the bond between the cement and the casing.
In preparing well 225 for production, the cement below the bottom of the casing 210 is drilled out as is the cement plug 224. This leaves a few inches of exposed coal below the original well bore, the space being used to establish a communication channel at the bottom of the seam to a nearby well that has been completed in the same manner as well 225. In bringing the well 225 on production, tubing 212 is inserted through wellhead 213 and bottomed near the interface 209 of the concrete and the coal. When well 225 is used as the reactants injection well, tubing 212 will remain relatively cool, but with the excess of oxygen available at the discharge point of the tubing, the coal immediately surrounding the well bore will burn a void space around the protective cement. This void space will cause the cement to undergo thermal stresses, hence the requirement for a good bond to the casing. When well 225 is used for a producer well, hot gases from the reactor are removed from the well through tubing 212 and it is important that the bottom joints of tubing be of heat resistant material. In severe cases it may be necessary to provide cooling to the casing and tubing, which can be accomplished by injecting water into the annulus between the two (not shown). It will be noted that bonding apparatus 215 is shown in the bonding position while bonding apparatus 217 in the overlap section of the casings is shown in the retracted position.
Referring to FIG. 3, metal projections of the bonding apparatus, identified as 215, 216 and 217 in the previous drawing, are identified as 316. The bonding apparatus is designed for installation at the ground surface prior to placing the casing in the well bore. The projection finger is designed to retract during lowering casing 206 through casing 205, then extend outwardly in a locked position once the finger clears casing 205.
The projecting fingers 316 are constructed from preferably 3/8 inch steel rod and are of one piece construction making a pair of fingers with a center bearing surface, for example, 2 inches long between the fingers, the bearing surface being retained within a bracket 315 attached to hoop 321. A multiplicity of brackets with installed fingers is suitably affixed to hoop 321 which in turn is attached to casing 320. Preferably the fingers are formed in the shape of a shallow arc that removes the tip of the finger from contact with the outer casing when the finger is in the retracted position. The number of pairs of fingers on a hoop and the number of hoops affixed to the casing are selected with due regard to providing reinforcing and bonding requirements for the type of reinforced concrete being used, for example in a typical concrete, for each foot of casing three hoops are installed containing eight pairs of fingers. Preferably the curvature of the fingers is selected so that moderate compressive force is placed on the arc when the finger is retracted and is being lowered through the conductor casing. In this manner the fingers will serve as centralizers and will snap outwardly upon clearing the conductor casing. The fingers will fall by gravity to the extended position, being restrained from further rotation by lip 318 on bracket 315. Preferably fingers 316 lock in place upon rotating from the retracted position to the extended position, in order to assure remaining in the extended position upon being engulfed with cement grout. A suitable locking device may be selected from several commercially available, but preferably is of the type that may be manually unlocked prior to lowering the casing into the well but easily locks upon snapping into place by gravity, with a lock strength sufficient to overcome the force of an ascending cement column during grouting.
In some cases it may be desirable to install the bonding apparatus arrangement to conductor casing 205 as well as to increase the size of the well bore to provide a thicker section of cement. Such arrangements are desirable when the well is planned to be deepened into one or more underlying seams whose production will cause multiple waves of subsidence forces. In some locations in western United States, production of coal from multiple seams could result in subsidence as much as 200 feet at the surface. Under this extreme circumstance it would be necessary to cut off a portion of the casing, perhaps on several occasions, to lower the well head to a convenient height.
Referring to FIG. 4, two pairs of wells are shown drilled through overburden 405 and into coal seam 406. Georeactor 407 is nearing economic exhaustion, unproduced coal between wells 402 and 403 has been left in place for future production and georeactor 408 is in the early stages of production. It is desired to quench the module of georeactor 407 in preparation for backfill as previously described. Water is injected into well 401 which reacts with remnant hot coal in reactor 407 to produce water gas which is recovered as product gas. Since the air blow/steam run procedure has been terminated, the endothermic water gas reaction will lower the temperature of the hot coal and ultimately terminate the water gas reaction. During the cooling period the components of produced fluid recovered from well 402 will shift from water gas to water gas and steam, then finally to steam at about 1200° F. In order to assure that the module is quenched, temperature must be lowered below the ignition temperature of remnant coal, that is, a temperature below about 800° F. A considerable amount of sensible heat associated with module 407 may be recovered by continuing water injection until the quality of the steam is unsuitable for commercial use. Thus the steam generated in module 407 cooldown may be made from untreated water with produced steam used for the steam run in active module 408. When used in this manner well 402 is shut in during the repetitive air blows in well 403 and opened for the repetitive steam runs of georeactor 408.
Referring to FIG. 5, wells 501 and 502 have been drilled through overburden 503 and into coal seam 504 which is an aquifer. After a considerable amount of pumping the localized water table has been lowered to the level indicated by the dashed line. Coal 504A is relatively dry in that flowable water has been removed. Coal 504B remains relatively wet with flowable water remaining in multiple angles of repose. Should linkage be attempted by a reverse burn in the coal between wells 501 and 502, conditions favor burning in the relatively dry coal 504A and thus the linkage will not be in the desired location at the bottom of the seam. If conditions are otherwise favorable for a reverse burn linkage, such as a thin shale break near the bottom of the seam, then steps must be taken to lower the water table to near the bottom of the seam. The procedure begins by opening well 501 and injecting a gas containing little or no oxygen, preferably carbon dioxide or nitrogen or a mixture thereof. With well 502 shut in, inert gas is injected into well 501 until the localized coal seam pressure comes up to near fracturing level, for example one pound per square inch of pressure for each foot of depth to coal seam 504. Injection in well 501 continues at the selected near fracturing pressure and water is produced through well 502 by holding a lesser back pressure on well 502. The procedure continues until water no longer flows out of well 502 when no back pressure is held in well 502. The remainder of water in the vicinity of well 502 may then be removed by pumping until drawdown occurs.
Referring to FIG. 6, one well of a pair of wells is shown at a time when the georeactor had been operating in an undesirable flame override mode for an extended period. Well 601 was drilled from the surface of the earth through overburden 612, aquifer 613 and overburden 614. Casing 604 was set to the top of coal 618 and cemented 606 to the surface. The well was then deepened to the bottom of coal seam 618 and linkage channel 620 was established to the nearby well which served as an injector well to the georeactor. In the course of production, the burn preferentially moved from the linkage channel 620 to a higher location in the seam, burning a cavity in the upper portion of the seam and with burn-through to well 601 occurring at the top of the seam in channel 619. In overburden 614 both roof fall and subsidence have occurred resulting in cavity 616, rubble pile 617 and subsidence crack 615. The georeactor between the wells has lost its pressurized integrity through open channel 615 to the atmosphere, and cavity 616 adds a nonproductive volume to the reactor. In addition water from aquifer 613 is free to flow into the reactor and its hot environment.
For remedial action both wells are shut in and some dirt work may be done at the surface to limit the lateral extent of the subsidence crack. Initially it is desirable to have water incursion into the reactor to quench the module, and quenching can be hastened by injection water into one or both of the wells, with steam venting through crack 615. When the georeactor is cooled to the planned temperature, well 601 is equipped with a sealant mud liner as shown in FIG. 6. The liner is composed of tubing 605, hung from flange 602 and bottomed near original linkage channel 620. Affixed to tubing 605 is mud deflector 608 composed of an upper swage connected to a lower collar, positioned near the bottom of channel 619. Affixed to mud deflector 608 is mud screen 609 which is a perforated 610 metal cylinder, positioned from a point within casing 604 to a point slightly below the bottom of tubing 605. Mud injection pipe 603 is located near the upper end of casing 604.
The sealing procedure begins by shutting in the nearby well, then injecting sealant mud via pipe 603 into annulus 607. Sealant mud may be of any suitable type but preferably is the type identified in the discussion of FIG. 1 in a foregoing section. Initially the injected mud is allowed to flow by gravity through mud screen 609 and into the bottom of well 601, thus partially plugging linkage 620.
Sealing continues with injection of mud through pipe 603 and with injection of inert gas into well 601 through tubing 605. The inert gas preferably is carbon dioxide, nitrogen or a mixture of the two. Pressure of the inert gas is established at a value preferably slightly below the pressure of the column of mud as it approaches mud deflector 608. Pressure of the georeactor, with the open vent to the atmosphere, is considerably below that of the injected mud and injected inert gas, therefore the sealant mud will flow under a gas drive into channel 619. With continued injections the mud will engulf rubble pile 617 and begin ascending into cavity 616. Mudding continues in this manner until injection pressures show a marked rise, signalling that the mud refusal point is near. Injection of mud and inert gas is terminated, and is immediately followed by injections of slugs of water both in annulus 607 and tubing 605 to flush mobile mud out of well 601. At this point tubing 605, with attached mud deflector and mud screen, is removed from well 601. The system is then shut in to allow time for the foaming mud to expand to its final position and properly set.
With the seal thus placed on the reactor, subsidence crack 615 is sealed from the bottom up, excluding aquifer 613 from the georeactor, cavity 616 is substantially filled, channel 619 is plugged, and rubble pile 617 is sealed. Well 601 is reentered and accumulated cement is drilled through to the original bottom of the hole. The drill bit is removed and a perforating gun is lowered to the bottom of the hole and fired as necessary to reopen linkage channel 620. The gun is removed, well 601 is reequipped for production, coal 618 is reignited and production resumes with a growing georeactor in channel 620.
Referring to FIG. 7, a plan view is shown of a portion of the project property limit 701, the location of the barrier pillar 708, outer water interceptor wells 702, inner water interceptor wells 703, minimum width of the barrier pillar 704, and the locations of underground georeactors 705, 706 and 707. The barrier pillar, as previously mentioned is a strip of unmined coal left at the perimeter of the property. The outside boundary of the barrier pillar can be a straight line coinciding with the property limit. The inner boundary of the barrier pillar is a theoretical straight line 704, which is the minimum planned width of the pillar, for example 150 feet. Actual inner boundary of the pillar is controlled by the shape of the georeactors for in situ production. The inner boundary is irregular with unproduced coal 709 occurring along the line.
The barrier pillar is left to provide a buffer between the project and adjacent property. Migration of water in aquifers located above the coal seam is of concern. Water flowing into the project may cause a problem with underground georeactors during subsidence disturbances. Water flowing out of the project may be contaminated and thus should not be allowed to flow untreated into neighboring properties. Thus water flowing into the project site may be intercepted by maintaining localized drawdown of the water table by producing water from wells in the barrier pillar. Likewise contaminated water flowing out of the project site can be intercepted by pumping the wells, with produced water being directed to water treating facilities prior to further use.
In some cases it may be desirable to block the flow of water through the barrier pillar area. In these cases the wells in the barrier pillar are used to inject mud in the aquifer, plugging the permeability of the formation. Such mud preferably is a slush mud slurry composed of water and fine clay, with a slurry solids content in the range of 10 to 50%. Sealant mud, as described previously, may also be used for this purpose. Plugging the aquifer is accomplished by injecting the slurry into one well, for example well 702, and opening a nearby well, for example well 703, and continuing slurry injection to refusal. This procedure continues until all wells in the pillar have been subjected to injection of the slurry to refusal. As a practical matter it is desirable to test the wells from time to time to assure that the seal remains, and if seal failure has occurred at any well such well should be re-mudded.
Referring to FIG. 8A, a plan view of the project site is shown, including site perimeter 801, barrier pillar area 802 and subsidence draw protective trench 803. Trench 803 is dug to provide a discontinuity in the surface rock to a depth designed to protect surface installations from destructive forces of subsidence draw. The depth of trench 803 may vary from place to place on the site, for example the trench should be at least as deep around plant facilities as the lowermost portion of the foundations for structures within the plant facilities. It is common to locate service roads above the barrier pillar and a fence on the property periphery, thus the trench may be somewhat shallower in these locations as compared to the trench depth around plant facilities.
FIG. 8B is a vertical section showing the ground surface 820 and trench 821 dug to depth 824. To provide additional depth to the discontinuities, explosive charges 822 are placed in the bottom of the trench. Explosive charges preferably are of the slow burning type, for example black powder, are spaced apart an appropriate distance, for example in the range of 5 to 10 feet, and of appropriate size, for example in the range of one-half to one pound. Preferably the charges are positioned, the trench is filled with excavation material and the charges are detonated. Resulting rock fracturing adds to the protection against lateral surface rock shifts during applied forces of subsidence draw.
Thus it may be seen that a system of methods may be employed to minimize the effects of subsidence during production of coal in situ. In applying such methods problems become manageable in georeactor integrity including product gas leakage, ground water contamination and module quenching. It will be appreciated that this invention is not limited to any theory of operation, but that any theory that has been advanced is merely to facilitate disclosure of the invention. While the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example and that changes in details of structure may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.
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Coal is reduced to ash in place by gasification using in situ production techniques, resulting in significant void space underground, which in turn causes roof fall and subsidence. Overburden collapse is stabilized by backfilling with foaming mud cement that hardens into an expanded solid, which quenches and fills the production module and seals residual ash. Rubble volumes and subsidence cracks are sealed against water incursions and contaminated water excursions. Surface facilities above barrier pillars are protected from destructive forces of subsidence draw.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/197,278, filed Apr. 14, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Any invasion of the skin carries with it the risk of infection. This applies to simple surface wounds, some 4-6% of which become infected. Surgical procedures use a similar range of biomaterials for wound closure and dressings, and may also involve implantable devices (catheters, vascular grafts, heart valves). Infection of these materials is of major concern despite recent advances in sterile procedures used in the clinical setting. For example, around 50-100,000 indwelling vascular catheters become infected each year in the US with concomitant human suffering and cost implications The delivery of antibiotics to wounds in general has been the subject of study, and within the larger field of slow-release drug delivery systems, implantable biodegradable materials have been used.
[0003] Inoculation of the biomaterial presumably occurs at the time of implantation or as a result of transient bacteremia in the immediate post-operative period. Perioperative parental antibiotics, while having a defined role in wound infection prophylaxis often fail to permeate the avascular spaces immediately around prosthetic grafts and the carbohydrate-rich bacterial biofilm once pathogens have adhered. Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) is responsible for 65-100% of acute infection. These infections are typically quick to develop and generate an intense response by the body's defense mechanisms. An ever increasing problem, which has been documented both in animal models and in humans is the susceptibility of vascular prostheses to late infection. Staphylococcus epidermidis ( S. epidermidis ) recently emerged as the leading isolate from infected vascular conduits (20-60%) with infection appearing late after implantation. These cases are clearly not affected by low-level antibiotic transiently present at the time of operation, which may in fact lead to the development of resistant organisms.
[0004] Numerous strategies have been attempted in order to create an infection-resistant prosthetic graft surface. The simplest and most widely used approach includes dipping the biomaterials in an antibiotic solution immediately prior to implantation. It has been suggested that prosthetic, knitted Dacron grafts could be simply coated using antibiotics (such as, nafcillin, cefazolin, cefamandole), or a suspension of silver-pefloxacin and a silver-nalidixic acid analogue at the time of implantation to obtain an infection-resistant prosthesis.
[0005] Chelating agents have also been evaluated as a release system for antibiotics from a biomaterial surface. One approach which has been the subject of numerous investigations was the ionic binding of antibiotics by surfactants. Cationic surfactants such as tridodecylmethyl ammonium chloride (TDMAC) and benzalkonium chloride were sorbed at the anionic surface potential of a polymeric material, thereby permitting weak adhesion of anionic antibiotics to the surface. The selected antibiotic was then released upon contact with blood. Later, Greco found that the custom synthesized surfactant trioctadecylmethylammonium chloride (TOMAC) was superior to TDMAC in binding to the graft surface, resulting in antibiotic binding that was twice as effective with TOMAC. Silver was also examined as a release system for various antibiotics from graft surfaces, applied either as a chelating agent or alone due to its antimicrobial properties.
[0006] Binder agents have also been employed in order to create localized concentrations of antibiotic on the graft surface. These agents, which were either protein or synthetic-based, were embedded within the biomaterial matrix thereby either “trapping” or ionically binding the antibiotic. For example, an infection-resistant arterial prosthesis has been developed using a collagen-release system to bond amikacin on uncrimped filamentous velour prostheses. In addition, the efficacy of binding an antibiotic cefoxitin to a PTFE vascular prothesis via a glucosaminoglycan-karatin luminal coating has been studied. The basement membrane protein collagen has served as a release system for rifampin, demonstrating antimicrobial efficacy in a bacteremic challenge dog model, as well as, in early European clinical trials. Fibrin, either as a pre-formed glue or in pre-clotted blood, has been utilized as a binding agent for various antibiotics including gentamycin, rifampin and tobramycin. Levofloxacin has been incorporated in an albumin matrix and gelatin has been used as the release system for the antibiotics rifampin and vancomycin, with animal studies also showing efficacy in acute bacteremic challenges.
[0007] Synthetic binders have also been evaluated for antibiotic release as a replacement for the protein binders. Some synthetic binders were incorporated directly into the biomaterial matrix, in a similar fashion as the protein binders, permitting sustained release of a selected antibiotic over time. For example, a PTFE vascular graft was treated with a suspension of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate and tobramycin powder (antibiotic glue, ANGL). This study showed that ANGL could be effective in the prevention and treatment of prosthetic graft infection. A low infection rate was reported in clinical studies using a low concentration rifampicin soaking of partly cross-linked gelatin grafts. Another study on rifampicin-soaked, fully cross-linked, gelatin dacron reported equally good, six-month follow-ups on staphylococcal infections. Recent techniques have also utilized these types of binder materials as a scaffolding to covalently bind antibiotics to the biomaterial surface. Release of the antimicrobial agent was controlled by bacterial adhesion to the surface that resulted in antibiotic cleavage. This method promotes “bacterial suicide” while maintaining antibiotic, which is not needed to prevent infection, localized on the surface. Other techniques have involved incorporating the antibiotic either into the synthesis process of the polymer (Golomb et al, J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 25:937, 1991) or by embedding the antibiotic directly into the interstices of the material (Okahara et al., Eur. J. Vasc. Endovasc. Surg. 9:408, 1995).
[0008] There are several drawbacks to the technology currently available. For the chelation agents, 50% of the antibiotic has been shown to elute from the graft surface within 48 hours, with less than 5% remaining after three weeks (Greco et al. Arch. Surg. 120:71-75, 1985). While this antibiotic coverage is adequate for small-localized contaminations, large inoculums are not addressed. For the binding agents, antibiotic release may be quite varied depending on the rate of binder degradation or binder release from a surface that is under high shear stress from blood flow. Comparably, both types of surface modifications rely on exogenous material that may effect the overall healing of the graft surface, either by releasing toxic moieties or by promoting thrombogenesis. Thus, these potential complications have accentuated the need to investigate the basic interactions between antibiotics and fibers in order to create an infection resistant graft surface that is void of exogenous materials.
[0009] Noticeably all of the above work avoids the examination of any direct material/antibiotic interaction. In contrast to proteins which can remain active when covalently bound, bacteriocidal antibiotics must be released to regain their activity. Covalently bound bacteriostatic antibiotics may, however, retain the ability to inhibit mucin production, thus, preventing the growth of bacteria. Recent work has attempted to use direct interactions using dye-fiber interactions as a model in order to provide infection resistance without exogenous binders. The process of dyeing refers to an uptake of a compound that is dramatically in excess of the amount taken up by simple imbibition (absorption) of the solution containing the compound, and which extends throughout the solid substrate, not just on the substrate surface. In dyeing, a textile substrate is immersed in a bath containing dye. During the incubation, the dye will equilibrate between the bath ant the textile substrate, considerably in favor of the latter.
[0010] Dyes are colored organic materials that are soluble during application, have substantivity/affinity for fibers, and have “fastness” (resistance to removal or destruction) in subsequent use. Typical dyes have molecular weights of 300-900, and functional groups that confer both solubility and substantivity towards fibers. Many thousands have been commercialized. Dyes will “exhaust” from a bath preferentially into a fiber. The literature on dye-fiber interactions is extensive and the theoretical basis for dyeing is well established. The subject is discussed in more detail below. Parameters such as the diffusion coefficient of dyes in fibers, and the chemical affinity of dye for fiber can be measured (Nunn, The Dyeing of Synthetic Polymers and Acetate Fibers, Dyers Publication Trust, Bradford, UK, 1979; Johnson, Theory of Coloration and Textiles, Society of Dyers and Colorists, Bradford, UK, 1989; Shore, Colorants and Auxiliaries, Society of Dyers and Colorists, Bradford, UK, 1990).
[0011] Initial efforts in this regard examined the use of commercially available dyes as anchors for antibiotic molecules, and even the determination of antibiotic activity of some dyes. This approach was unrewarding. In contrast, the direct use of antibiotics was examined. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are particularly suitable in such applications. They are stable to dry heat and to hot aqueous media; they also have structural features (solubility, molecular mass, and functional groups) that coincide with those of dyes (FIG. 1). The fluoroquinolones represent a relatively new class of antibiotics with outstanding therapeutic potential, attributable to their broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and favorable tissue distribution. They are effective at low concentrations against most Gram-negative pathogens, as well as, Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and are the drug of choice for many applications. Fluoroquinolones now extend to at least ten members, including ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, sparfloxacin, tomafloxacin, enofloxacin, lomefloxacin, pefloxacin, fleroxacin and DU6859a. The most common commercially available quinolones are ciprofloxacin (cipro) and ofloxacin (oflox). Phaneuf, LoGerfo, Quist, Bide et al. (Bide et al., Textile Chemist and Colorist 25:15-19, 1993; Phaneuf et al., J. of Biomedical Materials Res. 27:233-237, 1993; Ozaki et al., J. of Surgical Res. 55:543-547, 1993) applied cipro to Dacron graft via thermofixation, an application method founded on estabilished textile procedures. The graft was dipped in 5 g/l ciprofloxacin solution, squeezed to a wet pickup level of 65%, air dried and then heated at 210° C for two minutes. This thermofixation method was compared with the dipping method and showed superior, sustained antistaphylococcal activity.
[0012] Because none of the current techniques has resulted in a satisfactory infection-resistant biomaterial, a new biomaterial is needed that has good tissue and blood compatability and causes a lower rate of bacterial infection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] This invention features a method of applying a therapeutically active organic compound to a urethane polymer containing a functional group within the polymer backbone. This method includes incubating the polymer with the compound in solution (aqueous or organic) under conditions that result in reversible adsorption of the compound from solution by the polymer. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the adsorption of the compound by the polymer involves dyeing.
[0014] By “dyeing” is meant an uptake of a compound that is substantially (more than ten times) in excess of the amount taken up by simple imbibition (absorption) of the solution containing the compound, and which extends throughout the solid substrate, not just on the substrate surface.
[0015] In other embodiments, the compound is directly bonded to the polymer. By “directly bonded” is meant chemically bonded to the polymer without an intervening chemical moiety. For example, the compound may non-covalently bond to the polymer through an interaction such as an ion-ion force, dipole-dipole force, hydrogen-bond, van der Waals force, electrostatic interaction, or any combination of these interactions.
[0016] Preferably, the polymer and the compound are incubated at a temperature between 35 and 90° C. for at least 1 hour. For a urethane polymer containing carboxylic acid functional groups, the pH of the solution containing the polymer and the compound is greater than 7.5. For a urethane polymer containing amino functional groups, the pH of the solution containing the polymer and the compound is less than 7.5. Other preferred functional groups contained within the polymer backbone are sulfo or hydroxyl groups. In various embodiments, at least 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 95, or 100% of the carboxylic acid, amino, sulfo, or hydroxyl groups in the polymer backbone are bonded to the compound. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the concentration of the compound is at least 0.5% weighed polymer/fiber and the solution has a liquor ratio of 10 or greater. In other embodiments, the compound remains bonded to the polymer for at least one day in phosphate-buffered saline at pH 7.4 and 37° C. or in vivo. In yet other embodiments, the compound remains bonded to the polymer for less than ten days in phosphate-buffered saline at pH 7.4 and 37° C. or in vivo. In still other embodiments, the compound remains bonded to the polymer for a period between one and ten days, inclusive, in phosphate-buffered saline at pH 7.4 and 37° C. or in vivo. If desired, the period of time during which the compound is released from the polymer may be increased by increasing the percentage of functional groups in the polymer or by increasing the thickness of the polymer. The percent by weight of functional groups in the polymer (calculated by determining the weight of the functional groups divided by the total weight of the polymer) may be increased by increasing the ratio of the number of molecules of chain extender to the number of molecules of diol and diisocyanate used to synthesize the polymer. In particular embodiments, the percent by weight of the functional groups in the polymer is between 1 and 30%, inclusive. In other embodiments, the percent is contained in one of the following ranges: 1 to 5%, 5 to 10%, 10 to 15%, 15 to 20%, 20 to 25%, or 25 to 30%, inclusive. In other embodiments, the percent of carboxylic acid groups in the polymer is approximately 3.6%. In still other embodiments, the compound remains bonded to the polymer for a period of at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, or 30 weeks in phosphate-buffered saline at pH 7.4 and 37° C. In yet other embodiments, the compound remains bonded to the polymer for a period of at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, or 30 weeks in vivo, such as in the blood of a subject.
[0017] The method can be used with any biocompatible urethane polymer; preferred urethanes are polycarbonate urethanes containing carboxylic acid functional groups or other functional groups that permit bonding between the groups and acid groups on the adsolved organic compound. The therapeutically active organic compound applied to the urethane polymer is preferably a small molecule (mw<1000), and can be an antifungal agent, an antiviral agent, an antiseptic agent, an antibiotic, or a combination thereof. The antibiotic used in this method can include quinolone. Inorganic therapeutically active compounds such as silver, silver salts, gold, or gold salts may also be bonded to the polymers of the present invention. This bonding may involve an ionic interaction between the compound and the polymer.
[0018] In various embodiments, the therapeutically active organic compound includes a carboxylic acid group. In other embodiments, the therapeutically active organic compound includes an aryl group, which may enhance the interaction between the compound and the polymer. Desirable aryl groups include monovalent aromatic hydrocarbon radicals consisting of one or more rings in which at least one ring is aromatic in nature, which may optionally be substituted with one of the following substituents: hydroxy, cyano, alkyl, alkoxy, thioalkyl, halo, haloalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, nitro, amino, alkylamino, diakylamino, or acyl. Other suitable aryl groups include heteroaryl groups in which one or more carbons in a ring have been replaced with another atom, such as nitrogen, sulfur, or oxygen. Yet other suitable aryl groups include a phenyl, benzyl, or benzoyl moiety that is either unsubstituted or that contains one or more nitro, halo (e.g., chloro, fluoro, iodo, or bromo), aryl, (e.g., phenyl or benzyl), alkyl, alkoxy (e.g., methoxy), or acyl (e.g., acetyl or benzoyl) substituents.
[0019] The polymer which has adsorbed an effective amount of the therapeutic compound can be used in any medical application in which biocompatible polymers are used, and in which infection or other complications are to be avoided. Examples are used as a wound dressing or implantable device. Preferred devices are catheters, vascular grafts, artificial hearts, other artificial organs and tissues, blood filters, pacemaker leads, heart valves, and prosthetic grafts. In various embodiments, the polymer is non-toxic, does not contain an exogenous binder agent, and/or does not induce clot formation. The polymers can also be used in commercial products that are desirably antibacterial, antiviral, or antifungal, e.g. shower curtains, clothing, and foam cushions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] [0020]FIG. 1 is an illustration of the molecular structure of commonly used dyes and antibiotics. Disperse Blue 1 and Orange Disperse Dye (A and B, column 1) have characteristics comparable to the fluoroquinolone antibiotics cipro and oflox (A and B, column 2). Similarly, C.I. Direct Blue 106 (C, column 1) has chemical features similar to the antibiotic tetracycline (C, column 2).
[0021] [0021]FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of adsorption isotherms for Nernst, Langmuir, and Freudich distributions.
[0022] [0022]FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the dyeing apparatus.
[0023] [0023]FIG. 4 is a graph of absorbance versus concentration for cipro at 276 nm.
[0024] [0024]FIG. 5 is a graph of cipro concentration before and after dyeing versus dyeing pH.
[0025] [0025]FIG. 6 is a graph of cipro concentration before and after dyeing versus liquor ratio.
[0026] [0026]FIG. 7 is a graph of cipro concentration before and after dyeing versus applied cipro concentration.
[0027] [0027]FIG. 8 is a graph of the concentration of cipro on cPU (polyurethane-A) after dyeing versus applied cipro concentration.
[0028] [0028]FIG. 9 is a graph of cipro concentration versus dyeing temperature.
[0029] [0029]FIG. 10 is a graph of cipro concentration versus dyeing time.
[0030] [0030]FIG. 11 is a graph of the concentration of cipro released from dyed cPU, dyed bdPU, and dipped cipro versus time.
[0031] [0031]FIG. 12 is a picture of the zone of inhibition formed by cipro-dyed cPU segments that were embedded in agar plates streaked with a solution of S. epidermidis.
[0032] [0032]FIG. 13 is a graph of the zone of inhibition size versus time for dyed cPU, dyed bdPU, a standard cipro sensi-disc, and cipro dipped cPU.
[0033] [0033]FIG. 14 is a graph of the zone of inhibition size versus time for cipro-dyed cPU for which the wash buffer was either changed or not changed and for a standard cipro sensi-disc.
[0034] [0034]FIG. 15 is a graph of the concentration of cipro absorbed by the fiber [Cipro] f versus the concentration of cipro in solution [Cipro] s under the dyeing conditions listed in Table 7.
[0035] [0035]FIG. 16 is a graph of 1/[Cipro] f versus 1/[Cipro] s using the data from FIG. 15. This curve has an R-square value equal to 0.9229, suggesting that the absorption of cipro by cPU is based on a “site” mechanism and follows a Langmuir distribution.
[0036] [0036]FIG. 17 is a graph of log [Cipro] f versus log [Cipro] s using the data from FIG. 15.
[0037] [0037]FIG. 18 is a schematic illustration showing possible interactions between the carboxylic groups of cPU and those of cipro.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0038] This invention features a method of applying a therapeutically active organic compound to a urethane polymer, preferably are containing a functional group within the polymer backbone. This method involves incubating the polymer with the compound in solution under conditions that result in adsorption of the compound from solution by the polymer. We have shown that the fluoroquinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin (cipro) was preferentially absorbed from an aqueous solution by a medically-useful polycarbonate-based polyurethanes containing a carboxylic functional group, i.e. that dyeing took place. Because of their good tissue and blood compatibility, polyurethanes are an important family of biomaterials. They are frequently used for implantable devices, including heart valves, artificial organs, blood filters, catheters, wound dressings, pacemaker leads, and prosthetic grafts. They are segmented polymers, formed from diisocyanates and polyols. Early biomedical polyurethanes were polyether-based polymers. Although they had excellent stability in vitro, they showed surface degradation in vivo resulting from several degradative reactions. The development of polyurethanes using polycarbonate-based diols overcame these problems and they are widely used today. A typical material is formed from poly( 1,6-hexoyl-co- 1,2-ethyl-carbonate)diol and 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), with 1,4butanediol as the chain extender. This polyurethane demonstrated not only improved compatibility with blood but also maintained the biodurability of the basic polycarbonate polyurethane.
[0039] Based on this biodurable formulation, a polycarbonate urethane with carboxylic acid sites (cPU) extending from the polymer backbone to match those functional groups present on the hydrolyzed polyester has been previously synthesized. Carboxylic acid groups were incorporated into the polymer by using the chain extender 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid in place of 1,4butanediol (bdPU) (Phaneuf et al., J. of Biomatrials Applications 12:100, 1997).
[0040] The diffusion of dyes into fibers requires “access” and depends on the swelling of hydrophilic fibers in the application medium (usually aqueous) or the segmental mobility of hydrophobic polymer chains at the application temperature. Medical polyurethanes typically have a low glass transition temperature (Tg), and comparison with the only polyurethane textile fiber, spandex, suggests that these materials would be readily accessible to a dye or an antibiotic.
[0041] Commercial antibiotics do not have ideal dyeing behavior, as compared to dyes, and that is beneficial in this invention. A relatively low affinity (representing poor fastness for a dye) results in a good leaching rate of antibiotic from the cPU, thus providing sustained antimicrobial activity. Such leaching is essential for antimicrobial activity: antibiotic durably incorporated within a polymer structure would be ineffective. Additionally, antibiotic uptake can be optimized so that the dyed cPU material possesses controlled sustained antibiotic release.
[0042] When cPU was tested with a range of dyes (Example 1), cPU could be dyed with both basic dyes and disperse dyes, suggesting that Langmuir and Nernst equilibria might be involved in the dyeing of cPU (FIG. 2). A range of dyeing conditions, including pH, temperature, concentration of cipro, liquor ratio, and dyeing time, was examined in order to obtain maximum uptake of cipro by cPU. The optimum conditions for the uptake of cipro were determined to be at a liquor ratio of 20:1, a pH of 8.6, and a temperature of 55° C. (Example 2). An equilibrium uptake was established at a time of 3.5 hours (Example 2). Dyeing conditions are required for this uptake of cipro because infection-resistance is lost within 4 hours when cPU is exposed to the antibiotic under dyeing conditions minus the heat (Example 3). In contrast, cipro-dyed cPU showed a sustained zone of inhibition up to 9 days, which correlated with the spectrophotometric data (Examples 3 and 4). This ready release of cipro, albeit over a long period of time, corresponds to the low standard affinity calculated below (Example 6). Stringent washing of the cipro-dyed surface resulted in greater release of the antibiotic (9 days) as compared to segments in which the wash bath was unchanged (>9 days) (Example 5). The described procedures for optimizing cipro dyeing can be used to optimize adsorption of any other organic molecule to urethane polymer.
[0043] The optimum conditions dyeing conditions from Example 2 were used to apply a range of cipro concentrations to cPU and derive the sorption isotherm, which suggested a Langmuir distribution (Example 6). The saturation value (0.45 g/kg) corresponded closely with the known concentration of carboxylic acid groups in cPU, indicating again that the carboxylic acid groups are the “sites” for dyeing. It is postulated that the mode of interaction between cipro and these carboxylic acid groups is hydrogen-bonding between acid groups. The lack of uptake by the corresponding polyurethane lacking carboxylic acid groups is further evidence for this. Using the value for the distribution coefficient, K, obtained in Example 6 and making a number of assumptions (for example, that the interaction is nonionic, and that activities are equal to concentrations) a value for the standard affinity of cipro for this cPU of 4.69 kJ/mol was obtained. This value is the same order of magnitude as, but lower than, the usual range of quoted values for standard affinities for a wide range of dye fiber systems, and corresponds to the comparatively low exhaustion obtained here. If this calculation could be suitably refined, the attraction between antibiotic and fiber could be correlated with the rate of release, allowing the degree and time of subsequent antimicrobial activity to be predicted.
[0044] These results demonstrate that cipro can be applied to ionic polyurethane via dyeing, which does not rely on exogenous binders or agents. The dyed urethane polymer possessed a slow, sustained release of the antibiotic. This binding can be optimized and the antibiotic/material interaction characterized using standard textile principles. This novel dyed urethane polymer can be applied as a coating to established implantable devices such as catheters, vascular grafts, artificial hearts, wound dressings, sutures, catheters, artificial heart, or heart valves. Additionally the dyed polymer can be employed as the main material to design a novel infection-resistant device. Other antibiotics, antiseptic, or antifungal agents or possible combination thereof may be applied using this technology since these agents should have structural stability under dyeing conditions (temperatures below 90° C.). Additionally, this work has use in commercial products such as shower curtains, clothing or foam cushions were bacteria and fungi presence is not desired.
[0045] This method of applying a therapeutically active organic compound to a urethane polymer containing a functional group within the polymer backbone holds several key advantages over the antibiotics bound in other studies: the antibiotic attaches to the polyurethane without molecular modification, thus retaining full antimicrobial activity; no cross linking agents are needed, avoiding concerns over drug carrier toxicity, biocompatibility, and mutagenicity; antibiotic leaching is controlled and sustained, a broader spectrum of bacteria are killed using quinolone antibiotics as compared to antiseptic agents; and quinolone antibiotics are less prone to creating infection-resistance as compared to other antibiotics due to broad spectrum antimicrobial activity.
EXAMPLE 1
Application of Various Dyes to Ionic Polycarbonate Based Urethane (cPU) via Textile Dyeing Technology in Order to Characterize Dye Uptake by cPU Using Defined Interactions
[0046] An experiment was carried out to determine which, if any, classes of dye will dye cPU and bdPU. Based on these results, the type of binding forces between the dyes and polyurethane, and the dyeing properties of the polyurethanes were determined. The dyes selected for the study were: direct dyes: C.I. Direct Blue 25, C.I. Direct Blue 199; acid dyes: C.I. Acid Blue 127, C.I. Acid Blue 45, C.I. Acid Blue 83; basic dyes: C.I. Basic Blue 41, C.I. Basic Blue 45, C.I. Basic Blue 62; disperse dyes: C.I. Disperse Blue 165, C.I. Disperse Blue 172; and reactive dyes: C.I. Reactive Blue 29, C.I. Reactive Blue 225.
[0047] Dyeing was conducted with the individual polyurethane specimen in a glass tube with an antibiotic solution. The glass tube was then set in a water bath. A hot plate was used to achieve the desired temperature (FIG. 3). For all dyeing, the liquor ratio was 100:1, and the amount of dye was 10% of the weighed polymer/fiber (owf). The temperature was raised from 21° C. to 65° C. in 20 minutes and maintained at that temperature for 45 minutes (cPU deforms at higher temperatures than 65° C.). For direct dyes, dyebaths with and without 20 g/l salt were tested. For acid dyes, dyebath pH values of 6.0, 3.3 and 2.5 (pH achieved with either acetic acid or sulfuiric acid) were used.
[0048] After dyeing, the polyurethane samples were rinsed in de-ionized water. The depths of color on polyurethane A and B samples (K/S) were evaluated by Datacolor CS-5 reflectance spectrophotometer and software. Since the polyurethanes were transparent, a white backing was used for each measurement.
[0049] The K/S (equivalent to color intensity) values of different classes of dyes on the dyed polyurethanes are shown in Table 1. The K/S values of both polyurethanes dyed with direct and reactive dyes are very low, ranging from 02-0.07. There was almost no color dyed on the two materials. The presence of salt had little effect. cPU dyed with C.I. Acid Blue 83 at pH 2.5 has a K/S of 4.2588, which could be due to the protonation of urethane groups under the low pH conditions. All other acid dyes produced little color (K/S values less than 1.0) on the cPU and bdPU polyurethanes.
[0050] The two disperse dyes produced higher K/S values than shown by the acid, direct and reactive dyes on the two polyurethanes (6.0 for bdPU and 1.0 for cPU). The higher K/S for bdPU is probably due to hydrophobic property of this material. There are affinities between disperse dyes and two polyurethanes. Basic dyes produced very little color on bdPU (K/S values less than 0.2). In contrast, the highest K/S values of the study (two over 10.0) were obtained between the three basic dyes and cPU. This is understandable on the basis of ionic interaction between the cationic dye and the anionic carboxyl groups of cPU.
[0051] The above results give an overall picture of the dyeing properties of polyurethanes A and B. The ability to dye cPU with basic dyes and with disperse dyes suggests that Langmuir and Nernst equilibria might be involved in the dyeing of cPU (FIG. 2).
EXAMPLE 2
Application and Optimization of the Quinolone Antibiotic Cipro to cPU Films via Dyeing at Various Conditions such as Temperature, pH, Liquor Ratio, Cipro Concentration and Reaction Time
[0052] For each dyeing condition, both cPU and bdPU polyurethanes were evaluated. An additional control consisting of a blank dyebath (prepared as in dyeing but with no cPU added) was evaluated. This control was performed in order to check if the dyeing conditions affected the stability of cipro.
[0053] In order to obtain maximum exhaustion of cipro on polyurethane, different dyeing conditions were tested. The basic experiment used a liquor ratio of 20:1, a cipro concentration of 2% owf, a pH of 8.6, a dyeing temperature of 45° C., and a dyeing time of 3.5 hours. pH, temperature, cipro concentration, liquor ratio and dyeing time were varied individually. The polyurethane samples were removed after dyeing. The pH of the remaining dyebaths were measured and re-adjusted to 3.73 using 10% acetic acid. A dilution factor of 125 fold was used (0.2 ml cipro solution was dissolved in water and brought up to a total volume of 25 ml) for measuring the absorbance of the dyebath at 276 nm and 25° C. A range of pH values (3.73, 4.84, 5.63, 6.61, 7.63, and 8.64) was assessed. The pH of the unadjusted dyebath at liquor ratio 20:1 and 2% owf cipro concentration was 3.73. To achieve pH's of 4.84, 5.63, 6.61, 7.63, and 8.64, NH 4 OH (10%) and NH 4 Cl (10%) buffer solution (pH=9.92) was used. A series of liquor ratios from 10:1, 20:1, 40:1, 60:1, 80:1, to 100:1 were conducted to determine the ratio for maximum exhaustion of cipro. Cipro concentrations of 0.5% owf, 1.0% owf, 2.0 % owf, and 4.0% owf were evaluated. Dyeing temperatures of 25° C., 35 C., 45C., 55° C., and 65° C. dyeing times of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hours, 2 hours, 3.5 hours and 4.5 hours were examined.
[0054] To obtain the relationship between the concentration and the absorbance of cipro, a solution of cipro was made and diluted to get a series of final concentrations of 0.00025%, 0.0004%, 0.0005%, 0.0006%, 0.0008%, and 0.001%. The pH values of this series of concentrations of cipro were all adjusted to 3.73 using 10% acetic acid to prevent sedimentation of cipro at some pH values which would effect the absorbance readings. The maximum absorbance wavelength was determined to be 276 nm. The absorbance of each concentration was read at this wavelength and an extinction coefficient for the ciprofloxacin then was calculated using the Beer-Lamber equation,
A λmax =kc (g/l)
[0055] The value of the absorbance coefficient k at a given wavelength (λmax) was determined by measuring the slope of a plot of a series of absorbance (A) measurements of solutions of known concentration (c). Having determined the value of k, any concentration of ciprofloxacin in this study can be determined. FIG. 4 shows the relationship of absorbance and concentration for cipro at pH 3.73, 25° C., and λmax 276 nm. The slope of the plot is 94810, which is the absorbance coefficient of the cipro. An R-square value of 0.9969 indicates a good linear relationship between absorbance and concentration
[0056] The cipro concentration before and after dyeing with cPU and bdPU at different pH is shown in FIG. 5. In previous studies, cipro was shown to be stable to the dyeing conditions employed. There was little difference between the concentrations before dyeing and after the dyeing with no polyurethane present. The presence in the bath of bdPU did not cause a drop in cipro concentration at any pH, indicating that bdPU was not absorbing the antibiotic. cPU similarly did not absorb cipro from pH 3.7 to 7.6. However, at pH 8.6 the concentration of cipro in the bath dropped dramatically during dyeing. The change in pH can only be caused by absorption of the cipro by cPU. Approximately 32% of the cipro present was absorbed by cPU. The difference between the two polyurethanes under the same dyeing conditions is due to the presence of —COOH groups in cPU. Based on this result, a pH of 8.6 was chosen to achieve a maximum exhaustion of cipro. The pH values of the baths before and after dyeing are shown in Table 2.
[0057] At all liquor ratios examined, from 10:1 to 100:1, the concentration of cipro in baths with cPU were lower than those of bdPU and those without polyurethane, representing the uptake of cipro by cPU (FIG. 6). The greatest relative uptake occurred at a liquor ratio 20:1. Again there was no difference between the cipro concentration of baths with bdPU and without polyurethane, therefore no cipro was absorbed by bdPU. The overall pH values of the bath after dying for cPU were lower than that of bdPU and without polyurethane (Table 3).
[0058] The concentrations of cipro in the bath at the end of dyeings with cPU were lower at all applied concentrations (0.5% to 4%) than for baths with bdPU and baths without polyurethane (FIG. 7). The exhaustion of cipro is highest (about 60%) at 0.5% owf. The exhaustion is defined as the ratio of amount of dye on fiber at the end of dyeing to the amount of dye applied at the start of dyeing. A decrease in exhaustion with increase in applied concentration is unvaryingly observed in dyeings. There was no concentration change in the baths with no polyurethane or those with bdPU indicating again that bdPU does not absorb cipro. As can be seen in FIG. 8, an applied cipro concentration of 2.0% owf resulted in the maximum amount of cipro uptake by cPU. Greater applied cipro concentrations did not increase cipro uptake. The pH values of the baths before and after dyeing (Table 4) show that the pH of the bath after dying for cPU is lower than that bdPU and without polyurethane.
[0059] The concentration of cipro in dyebaths after dyeing with cPU was less than in baths bdPU and without cPU temperatures over 35° C. (FIG. 9). The largest difference occurs at a dyeing temperature of 55° C. (70% of the ciprofloxacin is taken up by cPU) which was thus chosen as the optimum. No cipro was absorbed by bdPU. Table 5 shows the pH values of the baths before and after dyeing for different dyeing temperatures.
[0060] When the dyeing time was varied, cipro concentrations in baths with cPU were lower than that dyed with bdPU and those without polyurethane (FIG. 10). The lowest absorbance was obtained at a dyeing time of 3.5 hours (about 61% exhausted) and this time was selected for optimum exhaustion. No cipro was taken up by bdPU. The pH values of the baths before and after dyeing for different dyeing times are listed in Table 6.
EXAMPLE 3
Determination of Cipro Release from cPU Film Segments as Determined by Spectrophotometric Analysis
[0061] Segments (1 cm 2 ) of bdPU, cipro-dipped, and dyed cPU were cut from 9 cm (diameter) circular pieces (3 segments tested per time interval per test condition). Time intervals of ranging from 1 hour to 11 days were evaluated for each treatment. Segments that were unwashed served as the T-0 control. All segments were placed into sterile 15 ml Falcon tubes. Phosphate-buffered saline (0.1 M monobasic sodium phosphate, 0.05 M sodium chloride, pH 7.4; PBS) was prepared and sterilized via filtration. PBS (5 ml) was then added to each time interval and tubes were placed onto an inversion mixer that rotated at 33 rpm at 37° C. At each time interval, PBS was removed from the samples and a fresh 5 ml PBS was added. A cipro standard curve was derived using cipro at pH 7.4, with antibiotic concentrations ranging from 0.010 to 80 μg/ml. Cipro absorbance versus concentration was plotted at 332 nm (linear coefficient=0.998). Using this standard curve, cipro release μg/ml) from the 3 segments at each time intervals was determined.
[0062] Cipro release from both cipro-dipped and bdPU segments dyed with the antibiotic occurred within 4 hours of washing (FIG. 11). The cipro concentration released from these segments at the 1 hour wash was significantly lower than the cipro-dyed cPU, indicating that antibiotic uptake by each control was lower than the dyed segments. Cipro uptake by cPU dipped into the antibiotic was greater than bdPU exposed to the antibiotic under dyeing conditions, demonstrating some low-level surface interaction at room temperature. The cipro-dyed cPU segments had significant levels of antibiotic released over 9 days followed by minimal release at 10 days.
EXAMPLE 4
Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity of Cipro-dyed cPU Segments Against S. epidermidis Using a Zone of Inhibition Study
[0063] An inoculum of S. epidermidis (ATCC # 33501) was thawed at 37° C. for 1 hour and 1 μl of this stock was added to 10 ml of Trypticase Soy Broth (TSB). This S. epidermidis solution was incubated overnight at 37° C. and had an approximate bacterial concentration of 10 8 colony forming units (cfu)/ml. From this solution, 10 μl was streaked onto agar plates (BBL Trypticase Soy Agar +0.5% dextrose) to create a bacterial lawn. Segments from the spectrophotometric study were then embedded into the agar (n=3 segments tested per time interval per treatment) and placed into a 37° C. incubator overnight. Standard 5(g cipro Sensi-Discs (n=2) were also embedded at each time interval. The zone of inhibition of each piece was determined, taking the average of 3 individual diameter measurements (FIG. 12). Zone size (mm) over time was then determined. These zones were compared to the spectrophotometric data to determine any correlations between these two methods. Samples with no zone of inhibition were transferred to sterile 50 ml polypropylene tubes containing 30 ml of TSB. Sonication of samples was achieved at 60 Hz for 5 minutes in an ice bath (Tollefson et al., Arch. Surg. 122:38, 1987). Sonicated solutions (100 μl) were backplated onto an agar plate and examined after 24 hours to determine the presence of adherent bacteria on the segments.
[0064] The standard cipro discs had consistent release, demonstrating the reliability of the technique. Cipro-dyed bdPU had no zone of inhibition after 1 hour of washing. Cipro-dipped cPU had antimicrobial activity that remained for less than 24 hours. In contrast, the cipro-dyed cPU possessed antimicrobial activity for 9 days, with no detectable activity at 10 days (FIG. 13). Backplates of all samples with no zone resulted in bacterial growth. These results correlated with the spectrophotometric studies that indicated cipro-dyed segments had significant antibiotic release compared to the controls, with minimal release at 10 days (0.05 μg/ml for 3 segments). Controls also had no zone of inhibition below this threshold. Thus, three segments releasing less than 0.10 μg/ml will not possess antimicrobial activity as indicated by zone of inhibition.
EXAMPLE 5
Evaluation of Cipro-dyed cPU Under Changed and Unchanged Wash Conditions
[0065] [0065] S. epidermidis streaked agar plates were used to determine the effects of varying volume exposure to the segments. Time intervals of ranging from 1 hour to 11 days were evaluated for each treatment. Segments that were unwashed served as the T=0 control. All segments were placed into sterile 15 ml Falcon tubes. Sterile PBS (5 ml) was then added to each time interval and tubes were placed onto an inversion mixer that rotated at 33 rpm at 37° C. In one set of tubes, PBS was removed from the samples at each time interval and a fresh 5 ml PBS was added. For the other set, PBS was not changed and was removed prior to embedding the segments. Standard 5 μg cipro Sensi-Discs (n=2) were embedded at each time interval. The zone of inhibition of each piece was determined, taking the average of 3 individual diameter measurements. Zone size (mm) over time was then determined. Samples with no zone of inhibition were transferred to sterile 50 ml polypropylene tubes containing 30 ml of TSB. Sonication of samples was achieved at 60 Hz for 5 minutes in an ice bath. Sonicate solutions (100 μl) were backplated onto an agar plate and examined after 24 hours to determine the presence of adherent bacteria on the segments.
[0066] Cipro-dyed cPU in which the wash buffer was changed possessed antimicrobial activity for 9 days, with no detectable activity at 10 days (FIG. 14). In contrast, Cipro-dyed cPU in which no PBS change occurred had zone sizes that remained consistent over the 11 days evaluated. Backplates of all samples with no zone resulted in bacterial growth. This study suggests that cipro release from the blood-contacting surface of a medical device will be greater because it is washed with blood than the portion of the device contained within the epidermidis and subcutaneous areas.
EXAMPLE 6
Dyeing Thermodyamic Study
[0067] Once optimum conditions for the application of cipro were established, they were used to apply a range of cipro concentrations to cPU and thereby derive a dyeing isotherm (Table 7). The absorbance of the cipro solution was measured under the same conditions each time: the pH was adjusted to 3.75, the dilution factor was 0.2/25, and the temperature was 25° C. The initial and final concentrations of cipro in solution and cipro in cPU were determined using the absorbance coefficient measured in Example 2. The amount of cipro in cPU was computed using the initial concentration minus the final concentration of cipro in the dyebath.
[0068] The adsorption isotherm plots are shown in FIGS. 15 - 17 . The curve in FIG. 15 is very much like a Langmuir distribution. In FIG. 16, the plot of 1/[cipro] f versus 1/[cipro] s , with an R-square value equal to 0.9229, again suggests that the absorption of cipro by polyurethane-A is based on a “site” mechanism and follows a Langmuir distribution. Since the only difference between cPU and bdPU is the presence of carboxylic acid groups in A, it is postulated that these groups form the “sites” to which the cipro is attached. It is possible that the carboxylic acid groups in cPU are associated with the carboxylic acid groups in cipro through hydrogen-bonds (FIG. 18).
[0069] Based on the equation for a Langmuir distribution:
1/[cipro] f =1/(K[ S] f [cipro] s )+1/ [S] f
[0070] and the equation obtained from FIG. 16:
y= 0.3844 x+ 2.2618(where y= 1/[cipro] f and x= 1/[cipro] s )
[0071] the saturation value of cipro on the cPU [S] f is 0.4421 site/kg, and Langmuir isotherm distribution coefficient K is 5.8963.
[0072] At equilibrium, the standard affinity is
−Δμ°= RT ln ( a s /a f )= RT Ln K
[0073] where R is the gas constant (8.3143 J/K mol) and T is the absolute temperature (318.15 K) and K is the Langmuir isotherm distribution coefficient (5.8963). From above calculation, the value of standard affinity is 4.69 kJ/mol.
TABLE 1 The depth of shades (K/S) of cPU and bdPU with different classes of dyes Dyeing K/S* Class of Dyes Name of Dyes Condition cPU BdPU Direct Dyes C.I. Direct Blue 25 With salt 0.0360 0.0653 Without salt 0.0286 0.0540 C.I. Direct Blue 199 With salt 0.0313 0.0336 Without salt 0.0389 0.0312 Acid Dyes C.I. Acid Blue 61 pH = 2.5 0.6457 0.5607 pH = 3.3 0.2492 0.2108 pH = 6.0 0.2057 0.1855 C.I. Acid Blue 83 pH = 2.5 4.2588 0.8942 pH = 3.3 0.8807 0.4064 pH = 6.0 0.9509 0.55 80 C.I. Acid Blue 127 pH = 2.5 0.4025 0.1413 pH = 3.3 0.7395 0.1336 pH = 6.0 0.1322 0.0759 Basic Dyes C.I. Basic Blue 41 11.805 0.1647 C.I. Basic Blue 45 6.7500 0.1647 C.I. Basic Blue 62 10.821 0.1906 Disperse Dyes C.I. Disperse Blue 165 5.1600 6.8605 C.I. Disperse Blue 172 1.1467 1.2122 Reactive Dyes C.I. Reactive Blue 109 0.0353 0.0302 C.I. Reactive Blue 160 0.0285 0.0246 C.I. Reactive Blue 163 0.0345 0.0322
[0074] [0074] TABLE 2 pH of the baths before and after dyeing Dyebath pH after dyeing pH before dyeing cPU bdPU no polyurethane 3.73 3.77 3.74 3.74 4.84 4.85 4.87 4.87 5.63 5.52 5.52 5.46 6.61 6.16 6.10 6.19 7.63 6.94 6.97 7.18 8.64 7.46 8.00 8.02
[0075] [0075] TABLE 3 pH of the baths before and after dyeing for dyeings at different liquor ratios Dyebath pH Dyeing liquor Dyebath pH after dyeing ratios before dyeing cPU bdPU no polyurethane 10:1 8.65 7.39 8.31 8.31 20:1 8.65 7.62 8.36 8.34 40:1 8.65 7.83 8.29 8.28 60:1 8.65 7.93 8.30 8.30 80:1 8.65 7.97 8.33 8.32 100:1 8.65 7.99 8.27 8.26
[0076] [0076] TABLE 4 pH of the baths before and after dyeing for dyeings at different applied ciprofloxacin concentrations Dyebath pH Applied dyeing Dyebath pH after dyeing concentrations before dyeing cPU bdPU no polyurethane 0.5% owf 8.62 7.67 8.21 8.23 1.0% owf 8.62 7.66 8.25 8.26 2.0% owf 8.62 7.55 8.26 8.29 4.0% owf 8.62 7.46 8.24 8.24
[0077] [0077] TABLE 5 pH of the baths before and after dyeing for dyeings at different temperatures Dyebath pH Dyeing Dyebath pH after dyeing temperatures before dyeing cPU bdPU no polyurethane 25° C. 8.63 7.85 8.37 8.35 35° C. 8.63 7.73 8.27 8.31 45° C. 8.63 7.75 8.26 8.26 55° C. 8.63 7.70 8.12 8.28 65° C. 8.63 7.62 7.80 7.82
[0078] [0078] TABLE 6 pH of the baths before and after dyeing for different dyeing times Dyebath pH Dyebath pH after dyeing Dyeing times before dyeing cPU bdPU no polyurethane 0.25 hr 8.63 8.15 8.38 8.39 0.50 hr 8.63 8.14 8.36 8.35 0.75 hr 8.63 8.06 8.35 8.36 1.00 hr 8.63 8.07 8.33 8.31 1.50 hr 8.63 8.05 8.30 8.31 2.00 hr 8.63 8.01 8.30 8.31 3.50 hr 8.63 7.86 8.24 8.26 4.50 hr 8.63 7.89 8.25 8.24
[0079] [0079] TABLE 7 The dyeing conditions for obtaining an adsorption isotherm PH: 8.62 Temperature: 45° C. Time: 4 hours Concentrations: 0.25 g/l 0.375 g/l 0.50 g/l 0.75 g/l 1.0 g/l 2.0 g/l
Other Embodiments
[0080] All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each independent publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
[0081] While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure that come within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains and may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and follows in the scope of the appended claims.
[0082] Other embodiments are within the claims.
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The invention provides urethane polymers bonded to therapeutically active compounds, such as antibiotics. The invention also features methods of applying therapeutically active compounds to polyurethane polymers using textile dyeing. These polymers may be used in a variety of clinical applications.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/287,647, filed Aug. 9, 1994, now abandoned, which is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 08/036,328, filed Mar. 24, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,280.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Rolls used in annealing and heat treating furnaces, even when properly designed from the stress point of view, fail due to ADHESION. Adhesion is the primary cause of failure and requires continuous maintenance of the roll surface by weekly "dragging", and bi-monthly machining the roll's surface.
Dragging the furnace consists of sliding a plate having a chain mesh, over the furnace rolls at a high temperature (1900° F. to 2000° F.) in the opposite direction of the rotation of the rolls (reverse direction of the usual operation of the furnace). This process eliminates the weekly build-up that has accumulated on the rolls. After several weeks (usually monthly), the rolls are removed and the surfaces are ground. Unfortunately, these methods are insufficient to minimize the most expensive of all the consequences: poor strip quality. The rejection rates are staggering.
The effect caused by roll adhesion in annealing furnaces, where the temperature of the strip is above 2000° F. (and the strip hardness is lower than that of the roll) is that the roll "picks up" from the strip. The accumulated build-up punctures the strip surface, producing a strip of reduced or unacceptable quality, because of poor surface finish. On the other hand, in heat treating furnaces where the temperature is below 1700° F. and, in general, the hardness of the roll surface is comparable to the hardness of the strip, the strip "picks up" from the roll producing pits, imperfections and wear of the roll. By carrying the roll particles, the strip creates a strip surface of an unacceptable quality.
Adhesion is the phenomenon which occurs when two surfaces come in contact under a pure normal load. However, at high temperatures, especially near the melting point of the materials in contact, no load is required to create adhesion because of the extremely high energy of adhesion available. (Reference: Rabinowicz, FRICTION AND WEAR OF MATERIALS, 1965)
The normal tension force that must be exerted to separate the surfaces is considered the adhesion force. Evidence of the strong tendencies of solids to adhere is found in the process of adhesive wear. This phenomenon must be addressed, since it is and has been for years the reason for the failure of annealing and heat treating furnace rolls.
Adhesive wear exists whenever one solid metallic material contacts the surface of another. The removal of material takes the form of small particles that are usually transferred from one surface to the other surface, or that may come off in loose form. Both cases occur in annealing and heat treating furnace rolls.
The wear mechanism is the consequence of the tendency of contacting surfaces to adhere, due to the attracting forces existing between the surface atoms of the two materials in contact. If two surfaces are brought together and then separated, these attractive forces attempt to pull material from one surface onto the other. This is much more severe when the two materials in contact are soluble into each other, and/or the contact takes place at high temperatures or near the melting point of one or both of the materials in contact, as in annealing furnace rolls and heat treating furnace rolls. Whenever material is removed from its original surface in this way, an adhesive wear fragment is created.
CONTACT AREA MINIMIZATION RATIONALE
When two solid metallic material surfaces are placed very close together, some areas will be in intimate contact and others will be farther apart. It is important to know which atoms interact strongly with the corresponding atoms of the surface and which do not. FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an interface, showing the apparent and real areas of contact. This interaction is important when the operating temperature is near the melting point of the two materials. It is known that atom-to-atom forces are of a very short range (a few angstroms).
To simplify the problem, assume that all the interaction between the two surfaces occurs only where there is atom-to-atom contact. These regions of contact in the adhesion theory are referred to as junctions. The sum of the areas of all the junctions constitute the "real area of contact, A R ". The total interfacial area consists of both the real area of contact, A R , and those regions which appear in contact, but where the distance between the surfaces assure us that it is not, and will be referred to as the "apparent area of contact, A.sub.α ".
Although the regions within the apparent area of contact may be far larger than the real area of contact, they play no part in determining the overall interaction of the two surfaces. Very weak long-range forces exist at points separated by distances exceeding 10 angstroms (10 A). Abrikosova and Deryagin (1957) have shown that because of the very small size of these forces, they are negligible in magnitude compared with the short range forces. FIG. 2 shows these forces exerted over a single junction. Note the resemblance to FIG. 6.
A R can be calculated assuming ideal plastic deformation. To calculate the value for A R , note that a typical junction of the surfaces in contact will appear as in FIG. 2. This shows that the interface is in a state of triaxial constraint. The largest compressive stress that such a region of material can carry without plastic yielding is known as its penetration hardness, "P". The penetration hardness, P, has been shown to be three to five times the compressive yield strength of the metallic material (see FIG. 3). This has also been shown to be true for metallic alloys and many non-metals (see FIG. 3). This demonstration has been made both theoretically and experimentally by Tabor (1951). Consequently, we can write that the real area of contact, A R is greater or equal to L/P.
FIG. 3 compares the yield stress and hardness for elemental metals.
Based on the preceding discussion, we realize the importance of establishing the minimum area of contact that will be able to carry the load, in our case, the steel strip being conveyed in the furnace. FIG. 4, shows adhesion forces created when two identical metallic materials come in contact under a constant load. When the area of contact is gradually increased, the adhesion forces diminish up to a point, past which the adhesion forces begin to increase again in opposition to the theoretical stand that as the surface unit load (L/A) is decreased, the adhesion forces should continue to decrease.
By increasing the apparent area of contact beyond the minimum area needed for carrying the load under consideration, the junctions that generate adhesion and the consequent wear and damage is increased unnecessarily (the real area of contact is increased). Consequently, the total adhesion forces increase despite the fact that the specific load per unit area has decreased (see FIG. 4)--this emphasis on minimization of contact area being the strongest supporter of my invention.
FIG. 4 also shows that by changing one of the two materials in contact for a different material, we can decrease the adhesion forces that were being created. But, the minimum area of contact remains the same since it is a function of the weaker of the two materials (the strip in our application).
MATERIAL SELECTION AND FORMULATION
Adhesive wear cannot be explained unless strong adhesive forces exist between the contacting solids. Yet, adhesive wear occurs universally. Also, in Rabinowicz, page 28, we see the importance of surface energy as a reductor of adhesion, showing the close correlation of surface energy versus hardness.
Adhesion by pure normal contact is generally small. The foremost reason is the very small value of the real area of contact that is even further reduced when the normal load is removed. When the contact between the metallic materials takes place at very high temperatures, the adhesion forces could be substantial (unless the proper mating material is selected and the area minimized), and the consequence of the adhesive wear is the damage characteristically found on furnace rolls. It is difficult to identify the most important parameters that increase or decrease adhesion. It is clear, however, that adhesion is high when:
a. Materials have high surface energy, since this will make it more difficult for a junction to be broken.
b. Adhesion will be high if the material selected in contact can store small amounts of elastic energy, since this will reduce the elastic spring-back.
c. It is significant that adhesion is far more pronounced with unlike metal pairs which form intermediate phases than with metal pairs which are insoluble. The reason is that insoluble metal pairs have smaller energy of adhesion values. (Keller, 1963)
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The broad purpose of the present invention is to provide a roll for an annealing furnace having a substantially greater fatigue life. In actual practice, since the strip material being processed cannot be changed (it is dictated by the customer), I have formulated the materials in contact with the steel strip (I call them wear rings) to contain large concentrated amounts of chromium carbide, tungsten carbide, vanadium carbide and the like on their surfaces, obtaining in this fashion a wear ring surface with a very high hardness, and simultaneously, a low surface energy that will minimize and in some instances eliminate adhesion. FIG. 5 is a plot of surface energy at the melting point against hardness at room temperature, for some metals and non-metals. In addition, this surface has an enormous resistance to micro-welding because of the high carbon content in the elements forming it, nearly eliminating their solubility with the strip material.
Any micro-weld that could take place between the roll wear ring and the steel strip surfaces must prevent the formation of alloys with metallic bonding properties (tough, flexible and strong). If alloy welds occur, they should have the characteristics of a covalent bonded alloy (weak, brittle and friable) such that upon subsequent rotation of the roll, the plane of separation will be at the formed weld, not inside the strip or the roll wear rings, since these are the types of breakage that generate roll pitting or build-up. In other words, if the wear ring material is not properly formulated at the real area of contact between the wear ring and the strip, a high adhesion force or a micro-weld will take place. When this contact is broken, the break will occur along the latter surface producing a transferred wear particle.
Experiments on adhesive wear carried out with metals that were soluble into each other (thus creating micro-welding) indicated the importance of the selection of the materials in contact and pointed to the fact used in my invention: when operating at high temperature, the inter-diffusion and re-crystallization of material near the original interface of the surface atoms of the two metals has to be eliminated if the wear and failure of annealing and heat treating furnace rolls was to be properly controlled.
Adhesive wear occurs at any temperature, and atomic inter-diffusion and re-crystallization may be absent. Nonetheless, the conditions at the interface during adhesive wear are identical to those prevailing in the "cold welding" process. It is preferable to use the term "adhesive wear" rather than "welding wear".
FIG. 6, shows the schematic form of the junction of two contacting materials being sheared. If the shear strength of the junction is much bigger than the bulk strength of the top material, shear will take place along path 2 producing fragment shaded. If the force required to break through the interface of the two materials in contact, either because of the strength of the adhesion forces or because of the compound alloy formed at the interface (see FIG. 7) is larger than the force required to break through a continuous surface inside one of the two materials, the break will occur along the latter surface producing a transferred wear particle.
Greenwood and Tabor (1957) and Bikerman (1962) demonstrated that it will be a very rare event when a junction breaks precisely along its original interface since micro-solubility (micro-welding) will always occur between metallic materials.
FIG. 7(a) shows a typical metallurgical weld; FIG. 7(b) shows a typical adhesional joint.
The previous discussion suggests that the breaks that do not take place at the interface, will occur inside the softer material (the steel strip being carried), which by definition has a lower mechanical strength than the harder material of the roll wear rings. This is not always the case, although usually more fragments of the softer material (the strip) attach to the roll (build up) than the other way around.
I have found that in the majority of cases where buildup has occurred on the rolls, pitting was also present. This suggests that either the harder materials have local regions of low strength, or that the compound formed between the two materials in contact were stronger than the roll material. This tends to indicate that no matter how hard we make the roll material, we will not be able to reduce its wear to zero. But, by modifying the type of wear ring material in contact with the strip to render a very high hardness with a concentrated amount of "pseudo metals" like metallic carbides that minimize or eliminate solubility into the steel strip being conveyed, we can reduce and nearly eliminate the annealing and heat treating furnace rolls' failure from adhesive wear (pitting or build-up).
While the roll body material can be any high strength metallic alloy material (high nickel/chrome alloy), the wear rings must have high hardness, high carbide content (undesirable in the roll body material because of low impact resistance) and the minimum nickel possible commensurate with the σy requirement and as high a carbon content as possible (eutectic or near eutectic) to aid in the carbide formation and to impart the highest possible surface hardness. I have also found that centrifugal casting these alloys enhances the concentration and densification of the carbide grains on the contact surfaces, thus further improving their anti-adhesion behavior and performance.
The wear rings' material chemical composition limits are as follows:
______________________________________% %______________________________________10.0 <N.sub.i <30.020.0 <C.sub.R <40.00.4 <C <1.82.0 <W <10.00.5 <M.sub.O <1.54.0 <C.sub.O <30.00.8 <S.sub.i <2.51.0 <Mn <2.00.0 <V <10.0______________________________________
Note that all the materials listed or their carbides in the formulation have extremely low values of coefficient of adhesion in compression (Reference Sykorski, 1963). The exact formulation depends on the application's maximum temperature and the chemical composition of the strip being processed. For example, the chemical composition for the optimum wear ring material when processing low carbon steel strip at operating temperatures up to 2200° F., assuming proper area of contact selection, will be as follows:
____________________________________________________________________________N.sub.i → 30.0 ± 1.5C.sub.R → 28.0 ± 2.0C → 0.8 ± 0.1W → 6.0 ± 1.0M.sub.O → 0.6 ± 0.1C.sub.O → 10.0 ± 2.0S.sub.i → 1.5 ± 0.2M.sub.n → 1.5 ± 0.2V → Trace______________________________________
If the maximum operating temperature were to be reduced from 2200° F. to 1800° F. (typical in a heat treating furnace) with its corresponding strip compression hardness increase and adhesion energy decrease, the amount of cobalt in the formula could be reduced and the iron or nickel increased to obtain a less expensive material that would serve as well, due to the less severe requirement. The chemical formulation of the material will take the form shown in my co-pending application.
To summarize:
A. The cause of failure (of annealing and heat treating furnace rolls) is: ADHESION.
B. The failure effect is: "pick-up" (roll surface build-up) and "pitting" (wear).
C. The consequences of these effects are:
1. Poor strip quality.
2. Low roll life, and
3. High maintenance cost.
In my co-pending application, I discussed the standard belief that adhesion is a linear phenomenon. In other words, if under a constant load (P) the area of contact is increased (the load per unit area decreased), the adhesion forces will linearly decrease. Through testing, both in the laboratory and in actual furnace practice, I have found this concept to be incorrect.
The adhesion forces decrease with a decrease of load per unit area up to a point (which I call "optimum contact area point"), below which the adhesion forces begin to increase again. In other words, adhesion is not a linear phenomenon, but a quadratic or cubic function of the following variables:
A. Load
B. Area of Contact
C. Temperature
D. Roll velocity
E. Composition of the materials in contact
My invention addresses the cause of the failure and, by doing so, eliminates high maintenance costs in annealing and heat treating furnace rolls, namely minimizing or eliminating adhesion by:
A. Optimizing the area of contact between the strip and the rolls by reducing it to the optimum area required, based on the non-linear behavior of the adhesion phenomenon.
B. Optimizing the roll materials through the formulation of:
1. Wear resistant metallic alloys, rich in hard covalent bonded particles (C RX , C X , WC, V X C X , etc.), dispersed in a cobalt-nickel-based solid solution matrix. (Reference: A. F. Underwood "Aspects of Rubbing Surfaces", Summer Conference on Friction and Surface Finish, M.I.T., Cambridge, Mass. 1940 pp. 5 to 12.)
2. By mechanical modification of the ring surface contact area, taking advantage of the centrifugal casting process that condenses and concentrates the high covalent bonded alloy particles (chromium carbide, tungsten carbide and the like) on the wear-ring/strip outer layer contact zone.
3. Utilization of near eutectic or hyper-eutectic alloys.
Water cooling is sometimes used to reduce adhesion, since adhesion is lower at lower temperatures. The effects (price paid) introduced when water cooling is used are:
A. The strip being rolled presents "chill lines", which are very difficult to roll.
B. The rolls (being cooled in every revolution) touching the hot strip develop thermal shock ("fire cracks") failure.
C. Last, but not least, an enormous energy waste (as much as 60%) is created, since water cooling the rolls removes heat from the furnace and strip.
Nonetheless, water cooling does reduce adhesion. And, in spite of the chill lines, it produces a better quality strip surface.
Still further objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, upon reference to the following description.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like pads throughout the several views, and in which:
FIGS. 1-7(b) illustrate the theory of my invention;
FIG. 8 is a view of a steel strip exiting an annealing furnace on rolls, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9 is a chart indicating the relationship between the adhesion forces on a roll and the area of contact.
FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-section through a roll, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 11 is a view of the strip test set-up.
FIG. 12 is a penetration hardness curve.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings, FIG. 9 schematically illustrates a steel strip 10 being removed from an annealing furnace 12 on a series of driven conveyor rolls 14. The general purpose is well known to those skilled in the art.
FIG. 10 illustrates the longitudinal cross-section of a typical roll 14. Roll 14 has a tubular body 16, preferably NICHRON 72, which is selected for its strength at the highest operating temperature. The reason is that a strip has substantial weight in addition to substantial width. The overall length of the roll varies with the width of the strip being carried to about 120" to 140". The body has cylindrical outside surface 18 with a diameter and thickness depending on the weight of the strip (about 101/2" as an example). Body 16 is formed about a longitudinal axis 20, and has a 3/8" vent hole 22 adjacent one end. The body has a internal diameter of 81/4" in the particular example being presented.
A pair of bell-shaped members 24 and 26 are welded to opposite ends of body 16. Each bell-shaped member has an inner end 28 welded to the end of the body for a distance of about 3". Members 24 and 26 each have a length of about 161/4", including a narrowed cylindrical section 30 about 103/4" long. A ceramic plug 32 is received in the tapered midsection of member 24. Member 24 is preferably formed of NICHRON 72 available from Alphatech, Inc., 34210 James J. Pompo Drive, Fraser, Mich. 48026. The ceramic plug of Alphatech ZRS10 is available from the same source.
The outer end of section 30 receives the end of a shaft 34. The shaft is welded to tubular section 30. About 31/2" of the shaft is received inside Section 30. The shaft has a midsection 36 about 61/2" long for seating on a bearing, and a keyed journalled end 38.
Bell-shaped section 26 has a 3" long cylindrical end received at the opposite end of tubular body 16. Section 26 is also welded to the tubular body. A second ceramic plug 27 is received in the funnel-shaped midsection of body 26. Body 26 has a cylindrical outer end 42 having a 31/2" internal diameter adapted to be seated in a bearing. The outer end 42 receives the inner end of a shaft 44 which is aligned with the longitudinal axis 20 of the roll as well as the axis of shaft 36. Shaft 44 has about a 7" keyway 46. For this particular example, five wear rings 48 are mounted on the tubular body. Each wear ring has a 12" outside diameter and a width "W," of 31/4". The rings are spaced a distance of 10" between adjacent rings with the center of ring 52 being located 35" from the end of tubular body 16. The wear rings, whose material has been selected, in this example, for its low "pick-up" characteristic when in contact with low carbon steels, are slid onto the tubular body and welded in position. The ring material, again in this example, is preferably a NICO 6-1 alloy steel, or in the alternative, NICO 10 alloy steel, both available from Alphatech, Inc. The shaft ends 44 and 36 are preferably a 304 alloy steel or in the alternative, a 17-4 alloy steel.
The ring material is selected by a comparison with the material of a steel strip so that the two materials now meet all or most of the six requirements outlined earlier. In addition, the ring material is selected for its durability and its appropriate oxidation characteristics.
The rings can be easily removed and replaced, at a fraction of the cost of a new conventional roll. Further, the rings minimize the heat radiated and transferred from the steel strip to the remainder of the roll, thus enhancing the life of the welds connecting the bell-shaped shaft members to the tubular body.
The chemical composition of the wear rings is closely controlled. The most important elements to control are as follows:
____________________________________________________________________________N.sub.i → 20.0 ± 10.00C.sub.R → 30.0 ± 10.00C → 1.0 ± 0.80W → 6.0 ± 4.00M.sub.O → 1.0 ± 0.50C.sub.O → 18.0 ± 12.0S.sub.i → 1.5 ± 0.2M.sub.O → 1.5 ± 1.0V → 5.0 ± 5.0______________________________________
Experimental testing that I have conducted has shown that these elements are related by the following empirical equation: ##EQU1## when the material of the strip in contact with the wear rings is low carbon steel.
The width of the ring is carefully chosen, recognizing the relationship and difference between the apparent area of contact and the real area of contact between the strip and the wear ring (see FIG. 9) and its impact on the adhesion or "pick-up" characteristics between the roll and the strip. For example, referring to FIG. 9, the optimal theoretical ring area is determined by the formula: ##EQU2## Where: t=Total Load
N=Number of Rings
P=Penetration Hardness
The total friction force:
F=T.sub.AU ×A.sub.R
shows the importance of minimizing the contact area A R .
Where:
T AU =Average Shear
Coefficient of Friction: ##EQU3## is independent of the area in contact and shows the importance of the selection of the materials in contact, but the total friction force is not.
In order to arrive at the optimum width of the wear rings, an experimental test must be performed utilizing a sample of the strip material to be conveyed and a metal sector with a radius identical to the radius selected for the wear rings (see FIG. 11). A compression test can be conducted with the strip material preheated to the furnace operating temperature and the value of the penetration (h s ) (see FIGS. 11 and 12) versus the compression force (F s ) recorded. If the width of the metal sector of radius "R" has a unit thickness, the values of the contact area can be easily calculated because of the geometrical relationship. The area of contact A s on the curve section of the sector due to the extremely small penetration (h s ) will be sufficiently close to the area calculated using the cord (d s ). In other words,
A.sub.s =d.sub.s (in).sup.2
From FIG. 12, it can be established that the point at which the deformations (h s ) (or d s ) are no longer proportional to the force (F s ) applied occurs approximately at a value of F s =F c . A line forming an angle α with respect to the d s axis will intercept the F s -versus-d s curve plotted at that point where: ##EQU4## or
TANGENT α=P (P.S.I.)
Where:
F c =Critical sector load
d c =Critical length of contact
P=Penetration hardness
Theoretically, at a given strip temperature this value (d c ) is unique for each strip material being processed and for each particular value of the wear ring radius (R). Testing has demonstrated, however, that the values of (d c ) are nearly identical for most carbon steel materials operating at the same temperature, thus simplifying the calculation of the optimum wear ring area in most cases.
After the number of wear rings to be used on the roll has been selected, based on the width of the strip to be conveyed (usually three to six rings will be sufficient), the total load force applied by the strip on the individual rings can be established as follows: ##EQU5## Where: L=Total Load
N=Number of rings
The width of the wear rings can then be calculated as follows: ##EQU6##
And, since F c was established for a unit width, then also ##EQU7##
The importance of obtaining the value of d c by experimental testing is that it includes the surface properties of the material being conveyed. The material surface properties are important since an energy change takes place during the motion. This is a result of the volume deformation of the strip in contact with the wear ring, brought about by its own weight. When the surface energy is taken into consideration, A r (real area of contact) will always be greater than is indicated in: ##EQU8##
This effect is especially pronounced when the surface energy is very large or the surface roughness is very small.
Thus, may it be understood that I have described an annealing roll having replaceable wear rings. The wear rings are chosen of a material having a low welding characteristic with respect to the steel strip being carried. In addition, the wear rings shape is designed to optimize wear characteristics according to the load being carried.
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A furnace roll for transferring steel strips from an annealing furnace has several spaced rings along the body of the roll. The rings have a width and diameter chosen such that the load on each ring is optimized depending upon the material of the strip and the ring material. The selected ring material is relatively insoluble with the strip material.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the prevention and treatment of tumor growth, metastasis, and cancer associated thromboembolic disorders, and more particularly to such treatment by the administration of a lyophilized formulation of an antiplatelet such as the platelet GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, and an anticoagulant such as unfractinoated heparin (UFH), low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), ultra LMWH, pentasaccharide, direct anti-Xa, anti-IX/IXa, direct anti-IIa (thrombin), anti-VIIa, anti-tissue factor or recombinant tissue factor pathway inhibitor (r-TFPI) at sub-therapeutic levels. This combined formulation could be used as a stand-alone regimen or in conjunction with other therapies (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, angiogenesis inhibitors, . . . ), and pre- & post-tumor surgery in the prevention and treatment of cancer associated metastasis, angiogenesis, tumor growth, and thrombosis.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many cancer patients reportedly have hyper-coaguable state, with recurrent thrombosis due to the impact of cancer cells and chemotherapy on the activation of the coagulation cascade. Studies have demonstrated that UFH or LMWH interferes with various processes involved in tumor growth and metastasis. These processes might include fibrin formation, binding of heparin to angiogenic growth factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), modulation of tissue factor (TF), release of endogenous TFPI, and other mechanisms. Clinical trials have indicated a clinically relevant effect of LMWH, as compared to UFH on the survival of cancer patients with deep vein thrombosis. Recent studies defined the role of the LMWH, anti-factor VIIa and r-TFPI in the modulation of angiogenesis, tumor growth, and tumor metastasis (Mousa and. Fareed, Current Opinion In investigational Drugs, 2:1077-1080, 2001; Mousa, Seminar Thrombosis & Haemostasis, 28:45-52, 2002).
Heparin and LMWH: Despite the research and development efforts in newer anticoagulants, UFH and LMWH will continue to play a pivotal role in the management of thrombotic disorders. While bleeding and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia represent major side effects of this drug, it has remained the anticoagulant of choice for the prophylaxis and treatment of arterial and venous thrombotic disorders, surgical anticoagulation and interventional usage. It is the understanding of the structure of heparin which led to the development of LMWHs, synthetic heparinomimetics, antithrombin and anti-Xa agents (Weitz, N Engl J Med, 337:688-698, 1997; Aguilar and Gldhaber, Chest, 115:1418-1423, 1999; Linhardt and Gunay, Seminar Thromb Haemost., 25:5-16, 1999; Mousa and Fareed, Exp Opin Invest Drugs, 10:157-162, 2000).
As heparin was discovered over a half of a century ago, our knowledge of the chemical structure and molecular interactions of this fascinating polycomponent was limited at the early stages of its development. Through the efforts of major multidisciplinary group of researchers and clinicians, it is now well recognized that heparin has multiple sites of actions and can be used in multiple indications. It is not too distant in the future to witness the impact of these drugs on the management of various diseases.
Tinzaparin sodium is a low molecular weight heparin produced by controlled enzymatic depolymerization of conventional, unfractionated porcine heparin (Linhardt and Gunay, Seminar Thromb Haemost., 25:5-16, 1999; Nader et al., Seminar Thromb Haemost., 25:63-72, 1999; Mousa, Thromb Haemost.,26:39-46, 2000). In clinical trials, Tinzaparin is more effective than unfractionated heparin as treatment for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), is effective in the treatment of pulmonary embolism and the prevention of DVT in abdominal surgery patients, and is superior to Warfarin as thromboembolism prophylaxis in subjects undergoing orthopedic joint (hip or knee) replacement surgery (Hull et al, New Engl J Med, 326:975-982, 1992; Simonneau et al., N Engl J Med 337, 663-669, 1997; Hull et al., N Engl J Med., 329:1370-1376, 1993; Leizorovicz et al., Br J Surgery, 78:412-416, 1991).
Anti-Xa activity has served as the primary biomarker for assessing the exposure of Tinzaparin and other low molecular weight heparin. It is used to define the in vitro potency and to monitor therapeutic response (Troy et al., Thromb Haemost 78:871-875, 1997). Given that LMWHs are polycomponent moieties with multiple biological actions each with distinct time courses, the true pharmacokinetic behavior of these agents cannot be assessed with assays developed for a single pharmacological activity. The absolute bioavailability is approximately 90% based on anti-Xa activity (Pederson et al., Thromb Res., 61:477-487, 1991) and 93% based on plasma TFPI.
Recent clinical trials in which LMWHs with distinct in vitro potency (anti-Xa: anti-IIa ratio) and ex vivo anti-Xa and anti-IIa activities were tested in DVT patients following hip replacement found no difference in efficacy or safety measures as compared to UFH (Bara et al., Br J Hematol., 104:23-240, 1999) despite distinct differences in biomarker activity profiles. However, anti-Xa activity is sensitive as an indicator of molecular weight distribution differences with various heparin fractions. LMWHs vary in their affinity for ATIII, presumably as a result of production method Brieger and Dawes, Thromb Haemost 77: 317-322, 1997). Such differences have been cited as explaining, in part, the differences in LMWH pharmacodynamics as assessed by anti-Xa activity and one reason why they cannot be used interchangeably. In contrast, TFPI, a vascular endothelial biomarker might represent a greater potential for the role of LMWH in various diseases (Mousa et al., Blood, 16 (11):59, 3929, 2000; Mousa and Mohamed, Blood, 94 (10): Suppl. 1, 22a, 82, 1999).
Thrombosis and cancer: The etiology of thrombosis in malignancy is multi-factorial, and mechanisms include release of pro-coagulants by tumor cells plus other predisposing hyper-coaguable state-mediated by chemotherapeutic and radio-therapeutic agents (Goldberg et al., Ann Intern Med 147: 251-253, 1987; Baron et al., Lancet 351: 1077-1080, 1998; Rickles and Edwards, Blood 62:14-31, 1982; Levine et al., N Engl J Med., 318: 404-407, 1998; Kakkar et al., Lancet, 346:1004-1005, 1995). Unexplained thromboembolism may be an early indicator of the presence of a malignant tumor before signs and symptoms of the tumor itself become obvious (Goldberg et al., Ann Intern Med 147: 251-253, 1987).
Haemostatic abnormalities are present in a majority of patients with metastatic cancer. These abnormalities can be categorized as 1) increased platelet aggregation and activation, 2) abnormal activation of coagulation cascade, 3) release of PAI-1, and 4) decrease hepatic synthesis of anticoagulant proteins like Protein C and antithrombin III. The abnormal activation of coagulation cascade is mediated through release of Tissue Factor, and other pro-coagulants ( FIG. 1 ) from the plasma membrane vesicles of tumor cells (Rickles and Edwards, Blood 62:14-31, 1982; Kakkar et al., Lancet, 346:1004-1005, 1995).
Increasing evidence suggests that thrombotic episodes may also precede the diagnosis of cancer by months or years thus representing a potential marker for occult malignancy (Goldberg et al., Ann Intern Med 147: 251-253, 1987). Recently, emphasis has been given to the potential risk of cancer therapy (both surgery and chemotherapy) in enhancing the risk for thromboembolic disease (Rickles and Edwards, Blood 62:14-31, 1982; Kakkar et al., Lancet, 346:1004-1005, 1995). Post-operative deep-vein thrombosis is indeed more frequent in patients operated for malignant diseases than for other disorders. On the other hand, both chemotherapy and hormone therapy are associated with an increased thrombotic risk, which can be prevented by low-dose oral anticoagulation (Kakkar and Williamson, Haemost., 27: (Suppl. 1): 32-37, 1997). In particular, pro-coagulant activities of tumor cells have been extensively studied; one of this specific tumor pro-coagulant could represent a novel marker of malignancy.
Treatment of VTE in Cancer Patients: The management of DVT and PE in patients with cancer can be a clinical dilemma. Comorbid conditions, Warfarin failure, difficult venous access, and a high bleeding risk are some of the factors that often complicate anticoagulant therapy in these patients. In addition, the use of central venous access devices is increasing but the optimal treatment of catheter-related thrombosis remains controversial. UFH is the traditional standard for the initial treatment of VTE but LMWHs have been shown to be equally safe and effective in hemodynamically stable patients. For long-term treatment or secondary prophylaxis, vitamin K antagonists remain the mainstay treatment. However, the inconvenience and narrow therapeutic window of oral anticoagulants make extended therapy unattractive and problematic. As a result, LMWHs are being evaluated as an alternative for long-term therapy. The role of inferior vena cava filters in cancer patients remains ill defined but these devices remain the treatment of choice in patients with contraindications for anticoagulant therapy.
A growing body of evidence has provided the convincing demonstration of a strong association between cancer and venous thromboembolism (Table 1). Patients with cancer are at a remarkably higher risk of venous thromboembolism than patients free from malignant disorders during prolonged immobilization from any cause, and following surgical interventions. Standard heparin in adjusted doses or a low-molecular-weight heparin in doses commonly recommended for high risk surgical patients represent the prophylactic treatment of choice for cancer patients undergoing an extensive abdominal or pelvic intervention. In cancer patients affected by deep-vein thrombosis, the treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin has been reported to lower mortality at a higher extent than the standard heparin therapy. Such an observation suggests that these agents might modify tumor growth progression directly or indirectly (Zacharski and Ornsteing, Thromb Haemost., 80: 10-23, 1998; Gillis et al., Eur J Haematol., 54: 59-60, 1995).
Recent studies provided convincing evidence for increased incidences of newly diagnosed malignancy among patients with unexplained venous thromboembolism (VTE) during the first 6-12 months after the thromboembolic event (Zacharski and Ornsteing, Thromb Haemost., 80: 10-23, 1998; Gillis et al., Eur J Haematol., 54: 59-60, 1995; Howard, Lancet, 1:650-655, 1906; Dvorak, Human Pathol., 18: 275-284, 1987). Table 1 list tumor types associated with VTE and FIG. 2 illustrate the positive feedback loop between tumor and clot in magnifying each other.
Tumor-fibrin is a consistent feature of tumor stroma and is deposited shortly after tumor cell inoculation (Dvorak et al., Cancer Metastasis rev., 2: 41-73, 1983). Since there are several ways in which fibrin may be beneficial to tumor growth, it is possible that the ability of normal or malignant tissue to generate fibrin may influence metastasis. Different normal tissues and tumor cells possess a pro-coagulant activity that is due to a complex of tissue factor and factor VII (Falanga, Haemost., 28: 50-60, 1998).
Angiogenesis: Angiogenesis is a process that is dependent upon coordinate production of angiogenesis stimulatory and inhibitory (angiostatic) molecules and any imbalance in this regulatory circuit might lead to the development of a number of angiogenesis-mediated diseases. Angiogenesis is a multistep process including: activation, adhesion, migration, proliferation and transmigration of endothelial cells across cell matrices to or form new capillaries and from existing vessels. Angiogenesis is a process involved in the formation of new vessels by sprouting from preexisting vessels. In contrast, vessel rudiments may organize in place a process termed vasculogenesis. Endothelial heterogeneity and organ specificity might contribute to differences in the response to different anti-angiogenic mechanisms (cultured EC vs. microvascular EC isolated from different tissues). Under normal physiological conditions, in mature organism endothelial cell turnover or angiogenesis is extremely slow (months to years). However, angiogenesis can be activated for a limited time in certain situations such as wound healing and ovulation. In certain pathological states, such as human metastasis and ocular neovascularization disorders including diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration there is excessive and sustained angiogenesis. Hence understanding the mechanisms involved in the regulation of angiogenesis could have a major impact in the prevention and treatment of pathological angiogenesis processes. Additionally, endothelial cells play a major role in the modeling of blood vessels. The interplay of growth factors, cell adhesion molecules and specific signal transduction pathways either in the maintenance of the quiescent state or in the reactivation of endothelial is critical in physiological and pathological angiogenesis processes. A combined defect in the overproduction of positive regulators of angiogenesis and a deficiency in endogenous angiostatic mediators are a feature documented in tumor angiogenesis, psoriasis, RA and other neovascularization-mediated disorders. Hence understanding the mechanisms involved in the regulation of angiogenesis could have a major impact in the treatment of pathological angiogenesis (Mousa, In angiogenesis inhibitors and stimulators, Ed. By Mousa, Landes Co., Tex., chapter 1:1-12, 2000).
Activation of coagulation and angiogenesis in cancer: Tissue factor has been implicated in the upregulation of pro-angiogenic factors such as VEGF by tumor cells. This is due to a complex interaction between tumor cells, macrophage, and endothelial cells leading to TF expression, fibrin formation, and tumor angiogenesis (Bell, Semin Thromb Haemost., 22:459-478, 1996; Ruf et al., Curr Opin Haematol., 3:379-384, 1996).
Anticoagulants in the modulation of angiogenesis: The effects of LMWH Tinzaparin, Warfarin, anti-VIIa and r-TFPI on the modulation of angiogenesis related processes including in vitro endothelial tube formation and in vivo angiogenesis-mediated by angiogenic factors and cancer cells were demonstrated. The in vivo effects of those different anti-coagulants on angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model were determined. Twenty-four hours after stimulating angiogenesis on the CAM with FGF2, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or colon carcinoma (HCT-116), Tinzaparin, Warfarin, anti-VIIa or r-TFPI were directly applied to the growth factor saturated filter disk or were injected intravenously into the embryonic circulation. Data demonstrated significant and comparable inhibitory effects of the LMWH Tinzaparin, anti-VIIa or r-TFPI in a concentration-dependent manner on endothelial cell tube formation. Both Tinzaparin, Warfarin, anti-VIIa and r-TFPI blocked FGF2-induced angiogenesis in the CAM model by 80-100%. Additionally, a significant inhibition of colon or lung carcinoma-induced angiogenesis, tumor growth and regression was demonstrated with Tinzaparin, anti-VIIa and r-TFPI. These studies demonstrated a significant role for Tinzaparin, Warfarin, anti-VIIa and Tinzaparin releasable TFPI on the regulation of angiogenesis and tumor growth (Mousa, Semin Thromb Haemost., 28: 45-52, 2002). Thus, modulation of tissue factor/VIIa non-coagulant activities by those different agents might be a useful therapeutic for the inhibition of angiogenesis associated with human tumor growth and inflammatory diseases.
See Table 2 for diseases associated with pathological angiogenesis.
LMWH, TFPI and Tumor Dissemination: The significance of Tissue factor (TF) in cancer biology is suggested by studies reporting its involvement in metastasis and angiogenesis. Tinzaparin is a low molecular weight heparin that is produced by heparinase depolymerization of unfractionated heparin allowing for its relatively high sulfate to carboxylate ratio. Beyond its potent plasmatic effects on ATIII-dependent coagulation factors, Tinzaparin is a very effective LMWH in causing the release of TFPI from the endothelial cells, the natural inhibitor of tissue factor pro-coagulant and non-coagulant effects. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of the LMWH, Tinzaparin as well as recombinant TFPI on experimental lung metastasis. Using the B16 melanoma injectable model of metastasis, we found that subcutaneous injection of Tinzaparin (10 mg/kg) 4 hrs before intravenous injection of 2.5×10 5 melanoma cells, reduced lung tumor formation in experimental mice by 89% (31±23 Vs 3±2, P<0.001). In a second experimental group, in addition to the initial (pre-tumor cell) dose, subcutaneous Tinzaparin (10 mg/kg) was administered daily for 14 days at which time lung seeding was assessed. In the latter group, lung tumor formation was reduced by 96% (P<0.001). No bleeding problems were observed in any of the heparinized animals. In order to determine the anticoagulant activity of Tinzaparin, 4 hrs after a single subcutaneous dose, whole blood re-calcification was measured using a Sonoclot Analyzer. Tinzaparin (10 mg/kg S.C.) prolonged the clotting time 4 fold. Furthermore, measuring the platelet count (a sensitive marker of intravascular coagulation) before and 15 minutes determined the effect of Tinzaparin on tumor cell-induced clotting activation in vivo after tumor cell injection in control and Tinzaparin-treated animals. Following I.V. injection of 2×10 6 tumor cells, a rapid and significant fall in platelet count was observed (from 939±37×10 6 /ml to 498±94×10 6 /ml, P<0.01). In Tinzaparin-treated animals, a significant reversal to normal platelet count was achieved (921±104×10 6 /ml). Intravenous injection of TFPI (700 ng) 5 minutes prior to tumor cell injection, also reduced B16 lung metastasis (85%, P<0.01) and abolished tumor cell induced thrombocytopenia. Results support the potential role of the LMWH Tinzaparin and its releasable TFPI in tumor metastasis (Amirkhosravi, et al., Thromb Haemost.,P1409, 2001; Mousa, Semin Thromb Haemost., 28:45-52,2002).Similar data were demonstrated with platelet GPIIb/IIIa antagonists in the same models, with 75-85% inhibition of tumor metastasis. However neither LMWH nor GPIIb/IIIa antagonist fully prevent tumor metastasis.
Haemostasis & Tumor Dissemination: Platelet and fibrin are key catalysts for tumor adhesion, survival, and metastasis. Tumor cell metastasis and thrombosis are the major causes of death in cancer patients (Frances, Med Lab Sci., 46: 331-346, 1989; Dvorak, Hum Pathol., 18: 275-284, 1987).
Tumors are dynamic, complex, living tissues undergoing the varied processes of tissue growth under the guidance of aberrant malignant cells. Cytotoxic anticancer therapies have focused solely on the eradication of the malignant cell, which is an absolute necessity; however, even the most heroic therapeutic strategies rarely achieve cure of many tumor types (Brewer, Nature Biotechnology,17:963-968,1999; Paku, Pathol Oncol. Res., 4: 62-75, 1998). The recognition that the growth processes of tumors are normal processes, that the invasion processes of tumors are normal processes and that it is in appropriate activation of the processes that comprises the morbidity of malignant disease allows the elucidation of a broad spectrum of new therapeutic targets in cancer. The integration of anti-angiogenic agents into existing cancer chemotherapy regimens might lead to improved efficacy and safety for many standard catatonic therapies.
The need for an anticoagulant with standard anti-angiogenesis agent might be essential since some of these anti-angiogenesis agents increase the incidence of venous thrombosis (Osman et al., N. Engl J Med., 344:1951-1952, 2001). Hence LMWH or UFH could be a better avenue in inhibiting angiogenesis and countering any increased incidences of venous thrombosis.
Antiplatelets: Platelet GPIIb/IIIa Antagonist:
The final common step in platelet aggregation, regardless of the stimulus, involves the interaction of adhesive proteins such as fibrinogen and vWf with the platelet membrane GPIIb/IIIa (Pytela et al., Science 231:1559-1562, 1986; Philips et al., Cell 65:359-362, 1991). It is now well established that the binding of fibrinogen to the GPIIb/IIIa receptor on activated platelets is considered as the final common pathway of platelet aggregation (Mousa, Drug discovery today 4: 552-561, 1999; Mousa and Bennett, Drugs of the Future 21: 1141-1154, 1996; Bennett and Mousa, Thrombosis & Haemostasis, 85:1-6, 2001).
Thus, blockade of fibrinogen binding to the GPIIb/IIIa receptor on activated platelet should inhibit platelet aggregation induced by all agonists. Peptide, peptidomimetic and non-peptide GPIIb/IIIa antagonists have been developed, and their anti-thrombotic effects have been well demonstrated (Mousa, Drug discovery today 4: 552-561, 1999; Mousa and Bennett,. Drugs of the Future 21: 1141-1154, 1996; The EPIC Investigators, N Engl J Med., 330: 956-961, 1994; Mousa and Topol, Current review of Interventional Cardiology, 3 rd edition, Current Medicine, 13: 114-129, 1997). Clinical studies with orally active GPIIb/IIIa antagonists including Xemilofiban, Orbofiban, Sibrafiban, Lotrafiban, and LeFradafiban demonstrated variable oral antiplatelet activity in man upon their administration (Mousa, Drug discovery today 4: 552-561, 1999; Simpfendorfer et al., Circulation 96: 76-81, 1997). In contrast to the success of IV GPIIb/IIIa antagonists, recent clinical trials demonstrated lack of clinical benefit for the oral delivery of GPIIb/IIIa antagonists. Additionally, a second generation oral GPIIb/IIIa antagonists with tight binding to GPIIb/IIIa receptors along with slow dissociation rate such as Roxifiban (Mousa and Bennett, Drugs of the Future 21: 1141-1154, 1996; Mousa et al., Coronary Artery Disease 7: 767-774, 1996; Mousa et al., J Pharmacol Exp Thera., 286:1277-1284,1998) might provide improved pharmacodynamic were discontinued in light of the failure of the first generation oral agents (Simpfendorfer et al., Circulation 96: 76-81, 1997; Muller et al., Circulation 96: 1130-1138, 1997; Cannon et al., Circulation 97: 340-349, 1998; Cannon et al., Circulation 102: 149-156, 2000). The success of IV GPIIb/IIIa antagonists might be dependent on the use of an anticoagulant such as heparin, which was not included in the oral formulation.
Anticoagulants: Heparin and LMWH:
Both UFH and LMWH are polyanionic glycosaminoglycan (GAG). Compared to UFH, LMWHs exhibit improved subcutaneous (SC) bioavailability; lower protein binding; longer half-life; variable number of antithrombin III binding sites; variable glycosaminoglycan contents; variable anti-serine protease activities (anti-Xa, anti-IIa); variable potency in releasing TPFPI (Young et al., Thromb Haemost 71: 300-304, 1994; Frydman, Haemost 26: 24-38, 1996; Fareed et al., Am J Cardiol 82: 3L-10L, 1988). For these reasons, over the last decade LMWHs have increasingly replaced UFH in the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolic disorders (VTE) because of its pharmacoeconomic advantages over UFH (Hull et al., Thromb Haemost 24: 21-31, 1998; Hull et al., N Engl. J Med. 329: 1370-1376, 1993; Levine et al., N Engl. J Med. 334: 677-681, 1996; Hirsh, Semin Hematol., 34: 20-25, 1999; Simonneau et al., N Engl. J Med. 337: 663-669, 1997). Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that individual LMWHs used at optimized dosages are at least as effective and probably safer than UFH. The convenient once- or twice daily SC dosing regimen without the need for monitoring has encouraged the wide use of LMWHs. It is well established that different LMWHs vary in their physical and chemical properties due to the differences in their methods of manufacturing. These differences translate into differences in their pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characteristics (Fareed et al., Ann N.Y. Acad Sci. 556: 333-353, 1989). The World Health Organization (WHO) and United States Food and drug administration (US-FDA) regard LMWHs as individual drugs that cannot be used interchangeably (Fareed et al., Ann NY Acad Sci. 556: 333-353, 1989; Simonneau et al., N Engl. J Med. 337: 663-669,1997).
Other Anticoagulant Mechanisms Beyond Heparin: Recently a synthetic pentasaccharide (indirect anti-Xa) was developed for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolic disorders and certain settings of arterial thrombosis (Hirsh and Weitz, Lancet, 93:203-241, 1999). Additionally, various direct anti-Xa were synthesized and advanced to clinical development (Phase I-II) for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolic disorders and certain settings of arterial thrombosis (Hirsh and Weitz, Lancet, 93:203-241, 1999; Nagahara et al., Drugs of the Future, 20: 564-566, 1995; Pinto et al., 44: 566-578,2001; Pruitt et al., Biorg Med Chem Lett, 10: 685-689, 2000; Quan et al., J Med Chem 42: 2752-2759, 1999; Sato et al., Eur J Pharmacol, 347: 231-236, 1998; Wong et al, J Pharmacol Exp Thera, 292: 351-357, 2000). A direct anti-IIa (thrombin) such as Xemilegtran is in Phase II-III of clinical development in venous and certain settings of arterial thrombosis (Hirsh and Weitz, Lancet, 93:203-241, 1999; Fareed et al., Current Opinion in Cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal investigational drugs, 1:40-55, 1999). Additionally, a number of anti-VIIa and anti-tissue factor are in pre-clinical and early stage of clinical development. Furthermore recombinant tissue factor pathway inhibitor (r-TFPI) is under pre-clinical and clinical investigations for a number of years (Kaiser et al, Emerging Drugs 5:73-87, 2000; G Hirsh and Weitz, Lancet, 93:203-241, 1999; Bajaj and Bajaj, Thromb Haemost, 78: 471-477, 1997; Roque et al, J Am Coll Cardiol, 36: 2303-2310, 2000).
In all of IV GPIIb/IIIa antagonist trials in arterial coronary intervention, the GPIIb/IIIa antagonists and UFH were given by IV bolus followed by IV infusion as a separate product)
Low molecular weight heparins are obtained from standard, unfractionated heparin, are as effective as standard, unfractionated heparin for prophylaxis and treatment of venous thromboembolism and have fewer side effects. The current available low molecular weight heparins include, for example, tinzaparin, certoparin, parnaparin, nadroparin, ardeparin, enoxaparin, reviparin, dalteparin and fraxiparin.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide a method of treating and preventing cancer associated tumor growth, metastasis, and thrombosis in a mammal comprising: administering the combination in a therapeutically effective amount of (i) a GPIIb/IIIa antagonist selected from the group consisting of Abciximab, XV454, XV459, DMP802, roxifiban (class I) as defined by Mousa et al., Athero Thromb Vasc Biol., 2000) and eptifibatide, tirofiban, DUP728, lefradafiban, sibrafiban, orbofiban, xemilofiban, lotrafiban (Class II) and an anticoagulant such as heparin selected from the group consisting of UFH or LMWH such as tinzaparin, certoparin, parnaparin, nadroparin, ardeparin, enoxaparin, reviparin, dalteparin, and fraxiparin or ultra LMWH, pentasaccharide, direct anti-Xa, direct anti-IIa (thrombin) or tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI). Where in the anticoagulant is administered in a reduced to sub-therapeutic amounts or amounts that provide a synergistic to additive improvement in the therapeutic index (efficacy/safety window).
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of preventing and treating thrombosis in cancer patients wherein the combination of (i) GPIIb/IIIa antagonists and (ii) anticoagulants listed above is administered in amounts to provide a synergistic effect on the efficacy and safety parameters by administering a lyophilized formulation containing a GPIIb/IIIa antagonist compound and sub-therapeutic amounts of an anticoagulant for in-hospital (intravenous) and out-hospital (subcutaneous or oral).
Safety Advantages for the Combination of GPIIb/IIIa Antagonists and Heparin:
It has been demonstrated that the platelet GPIIb/IIIa antagonist can effectively inhibit Heparin-induced platelet activation in plasma from heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) patients and in patients with HIT(Walenga et al.,Clin Appl Thromb Haemost 3: S53-63, 1997; Jeske et al., Thromb Res., 88:271-281, 1997; Walenga et al., Hamostaseologie, 19: 128-133, 1999; Mousa et al., J Am Coll Cardiol, 35: 1178, 317A, 2000), which would result in serious and fatal thrombotic thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, plasma from patients who developed thrombocytopenia after GPIIb/IIIa antagonist that result in increased platelet activation and secretion could be blocked by anticoagulants such as direct or indirect thrombin inhibitors. Hence the combination of both the platelet GPIIb/IIIa antagonist and anticoagulant such as UFH, LMWH, anti-Xa, anti-IX/IXa, anti-IIa, TFPI, ultra-LMWH, pentasaccharide, and other anticoagulants would result in a mutually safer formulation with less thrombocytopenia that could either the result of heparin, LMWH or the GPIIb/IIIa antagonist.
Formulation of zwitterionic GPIIb/IIIa antagonists with polyanionic heparin requires the addition of polycationic carbohydrate such as Chitosan or polycationic peptides in the presence of citric acid, sodium citrate, mannitol, and other non-active ingredients.
Formulation of zwitterionic GPIIb/IIIa antagonists with small molecules anti-Xa, anti-IIa, and other anticoagulants requires the addition of sodium caproate in the presence of citric acid, sodium citrate, mannitol, and other non-active ingredients.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates the abnormal activation of coagulation cascade through release of Tissue Factor and other procoagulants from the plasma membrane vesicles of tumor cells.
FIG. 2 illustrates the positive feedback loop between tumor and clot.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The combinations of a lyophilized or liquid formulation of a GPIIb/IIIa antagonist with an anticoagulant such as UFH, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), ultra LMWH, pentasaccharide, direct anti-Xa, direct anti-IIa (thrombin) or tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) at reduced amounts should have a tremendous impact in cancer. The antithrombotic benefits would include the prevention and treatment of tumor growth, metastasis, and thromboembolic complications in cancer patients.
UFH and Low molecular weight heparins such as tinzaparin or other LMWH derivatives useful in the combination of the present invention are commercially available and well known in the prior art. Preferred GPIIb/IIIa antagonist compounds useful herein, as well as their preparation, are described in WO 95/14683 (the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference). Preferred compounds described therein and their preparation have the formula: Specific examples of other useful GPIIb/IIIa antagonist compounds are abciximab, eptifibatide, tirofiban, lefradafiban, sibrafiban, Orbofiban, lotrafiban, DMP728, DMP802, XV454, DMP754 (Roxifiban), XV459, and xemilofiban described in the paper of Graul et al. and Scarborough (Graul A, Martel A M and Castaner J. Drugs of the Future 22: 508-517, 1997; Scarborough R M; Eptifibatide. Drugs of the Future 23: 585-590, 1998; Mousa and Wityak., Cardiovascular Drug reviews 16: 48-61, 1998). Of these, DUP728, DMP802, XV454, XV459, DMP754 are preferred. Others will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
“Therapeutically effective amount” is intended to include an amount of a combination of compounds claimed effective to treat thrombosis in a mammal. The combination of compounds is preferably a synergistic combination. Synergy, as described for example by Chou and Talalay, Adv. Enzyme Regul. 22:27-55 (1984), occurs when the effect (in this case, an antithrombotic effect) of the compounds when administered in combination is greater than the additive effect of the compounds when administered alone as a single agent. In general, a synergistic effect is most clearly demonstrated at sub-therapeutic amounts of one or more of the combined compounds. Synergy can be in terms of anti-thrombotic effect, anti-cancer effect, improved safety profiles or some other non-additive beneficial effect of the combination compared with the individual components in the same formulation.
By “administered in combination”, “combination”, or “combined” when referring to compounds described herein, it is meant that the compounds or components are administered together to the mammal being treated. By “sub-therapeutic amount,” it is meant that each component when administered to a mammal alone does not give the desired therapeutic effect for the disease being treated but when combined a full therapeutic benefits are achieved.
Dosage and Formulation
Combinations of GPIIb/IIIa antagonist (A) with anticoagulant (B), which might include the following: UFH or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH)or ultra LMWH, pentasaccharide or direct anti-Xa or direct anti-IIa (thrombin) or tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) are administered for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis and cancer by any means that produces contact of the agents with their site of action.
Dosage forms of compositions suitable for administration contain from about 1 mg to about 100 mg of active ingredient per unit. In these pharmaceutical compositions the active ingredient (combination of GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, A and anticoagulant, B) will ordinarily be present in an amount of about 0.5-95% by weight based on the total weight of the composition. The active ingredient can be administered orally in solid dosage forms, such as capsules, tablets and powders, or in liquid dosage forms, such as elixirs, syrups and suspensions. It can also be administered parenterally, in sterile liquid dosage forms.
Gelatin capsules contain the active ingredient and powdered carriers, such as lactose starch, cellulose derivatives, magnesium stearate, stearic acid, and the like. Similar diluents can be used to make compressed tablets. Both tablets and capsules can be manufactured as sustained release products to provide for continuous release of medication over a period of hours. Compressed tablets can be sugar coated or film coated to mask any unpleasant taste and protect the tablet from the atmosphere, or enteric coated for selective disintegration in the gastrointestinal tract. Liquid dosage forms for oral administration can contain coloring and flavoring to increase patient acceptance.
In general, water, suitable oil, saline, aqueous dextrose (glucose), and related sugar solutions and glycols such as propylene glycol or polyethylene glycols are suitable carriers for parenteral solutions. Solutions for parenteral administration preferably contain a water-soluble salt of the active ingredient, suitable stabilizing agents, and if necessary, buffer substances. Antioxidizing agents such as sodium bisulfite, sodium sulfite, or ascorbic acid, either alone or combined, are suitable stabilizing agents. Also used are citric acid and its salts, and sodium EDTA. In addition, parenteral solutions can contain preservatives, such as benzalkonium chloride, methyl- or propyl-paraben and chlorobutanol. Suitable pharmaceutical carriers are described in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 17th ed., Mack Publishing Company, Easton, Pa., 1985, a standard reference text in this field, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Useful pharmaceutical dosage-forms for administration of the compounds of this invention can be illustrated as follows:
Capsules:
A large number of unit capsules can be prepared by filling standard two-piece hard gelatin capsules each with 0.1 to 100 mg of active ingredient (GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, A and anticoagulant, B) 150 mg of lactose, 50 mg of cellulose, and 6 mg magnesium stearic. Additionally, other oral delivery enhancer might be added to improve the pharmacokinetics.
Soft Gelatin Capsules:
A mixture of active ingredient (GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, A and anticoagulant, B) in a digestible oil such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil or olive oil can be prepared and injected by means of a positive displacement pump into gelatin to form soft gelatin capsules containing 0.1 to 100 mg of the active ingredient. The capsules should then be washed and dried. Additionally, other oral delivery enhancer might be added to improve the pharmacokinetics.
Tablets:
A large number of tablets can be prepared by conventional procedures so that the dosage unit is 0.1 to 100 mg of active ingredient (GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, A and anticoagulant, B), 0.2 mg of colloidal silicon dioxide, 5 milligrams of magnesium stearate, 275 mg of microcrystalline cellulose, 11 mg of starch and 98.8 mg of lactose. Appropriate coatings may be applied to increase palatability or delay absorption. Additionally, other oral delivery enhancer might be added to improve the pharmacokinetics.
Suspension:
An aqueous suspension can be prepared for oral administration so that each 5 mL contain 0.1 to 100 mg of finely divided active ingredient (GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, A and anticoagulant, B), 200 mg of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, 5 mg of sodium benzoate, 1.0 g of sorbitol solution, U.S.P., and 0.025 mg of vanillin. Additionally, other oral delivery enhancer might be added to improve the pharmacokinetics.
Injectable:
A parenteral composition suitable for administration by injection can be prepared by stirring 0.1 to 100 mg by weight of active ingredient (GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, A and anticoagulant, B) as lypholized or soluble formulation. The solution is sterilized by commonly used techniques. The GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, A and the anticoagulant, B would be in the same vial or ampule either in contact or separated by specific coating or by using a physical membrane barrier to be removed upon administration of the combination.
The Formulation Might Include the Following:
Citric acid, anhydrous sodium citrate, mannose, lactose, sodium hydroxide, acid, polycationic carbohydrate such as Chitosan, sodium Caproate, GPIIb/IIIa antagonist (A) and anticoagulant (B). The combined formulation might contain natural antioxidants.
The combined compounds (A and B) of this invention may be formulated such that, although the active ingredients are combined in a single dosage unit, the physical contact between the active ingredients is minimized by the presence of polycationic carbohydrate. In order to minimize contact, for example, where the product is orally administered, one active ingredient may be enteric coated. By enteric coating one of the active ingredients, it is possible not only to minimize the contact between the combined active ingredients, but also, it is possible to control the release of one of these components in the gastrointestinal tract such that one of these components is not released in the stomach but rather is released in the intestines. Another embodiment of this invention where oral administration is desired provides for combined compounds wherein one of the active ingredients is coated with a sustained-release material which effects a sustained-release throughout the gastrointestinal tract and also serves to minimize physical contact between the combined active ingredients. Furthermore, the sustained-released component can be additionally enteric coated such that the release of this component occurs only in the intestine. Still another approach would involve the formulation of combined compounds in which the one compound is coated with a sustained and/or enteric release polymer, and the other compound is also coated with a polymer such as a low viscosity grade of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose or other appropriate materials as known in the art, in order to further separate the active components. The polymer coating serves to form an additional barrier to interaction with the other component.
Dosage forms of the combination products of the present invention wherein one active ingredient is enteric coated can be in the form of tablets such that the enteric-coated compound and the other active ingredient are blended together and then compressed into a tablet or such that the enteric coated component is compressed into one tablet layer and the other active ingredient is compressed into an additional layer. Optionally, in order to further separate the two layers, one or more placebo layers may be present such that the placebo layer is between the layers of active ingredients. In addition, dosage forms of the present invention can be in the form of capsules wherein one active ingredient is compressed into a tablet or in the form of a plurality of microtablets, particles, granules or non-perils, which are then enteric coated. These enteric coated microtablets, particles, granules or non-perils are then placed into a capsule or compressed into a capsule along with a granulation of the other active ingredient.
These as well as other ways of minimizing contact between the combined compounds, whether administered in a single dosage form or administered in separate forms but at the same time or concurrently by the same manner, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, based on the present disclosure.
Combination:
Each therapeutic compound (GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, A and anticoagulant, B) of this invention can be in any dosage form, such as those described above, and can also be administered in various ways, as described above. For example, the compounds may be formulated together (that is, combined together in one capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid, etc.) as a combination product.
Preferably, the route of administration of therapeutic combinations herein is intravenously, subcutaneously or orally.
As is appreciated by a medical practitioner skilled in the art, the dosage of the combination therapy of the invention may vary depending upon various factors such as the pharmacodynamic characteristics of the particular agent and its mode and route of administration, the age, health and weight of the recipient, the nature and extent of the symptoms, the kind of concurrent treatment, the frequency of treatment, and the effect desired, as described above.
The proper dosage of a GPIIb/IIIa antagonist (A) and anticoagulant (B) including either UFH, LMWH, ultra-LMWH, pentasaccharide, direct anti-Xa, anti-IIa, or TFPI combination is readily ascertainable by a medical practitioner skilled in the art, based upon the present disclosure. By way of general guidance, typically a daily dosage may be about 1 to 100 milligram of each component. By way of general guidance, when the compounds are administered in combination, the dosage amount of each component or the anticoagulant may be reduced. This reduced amount could be by about 20-80% relative to the usual dosage of the component when it is administered alone as a single agent for the treatment of thrombosis and cancer, in view of the synergistic effect of the combination.
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.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
The combination of unfractionated heparin (UFH) or LMWH ultra-LMWH, Pentasaccharide or modified heparin and a short acting GPIIb/IIIa antagonists such as Integrilin, tirofiban or DUP728 in the presence of polycationic carbohydrate such Chitosan, citric acid/sodium citrate, mannitol, and other non-active ingredients as described in the different dosage form section at pH 4-6 is a preferred formulation for intravenous administration.
Example 2
The combination of UFH or LMWH, ultra-LMWH, Pentasaccharide or modified heparin and a long acting GPIIb/IIIa antagonists such as XV454, XV459 or other long acting GPIIb/IIIa antagonists in the presence of polycationic carbohydrate such Chitosan, citric acid/sodium citrate, mannitol and other non-active ingredients as described in the different dosage form section at pH 4-6 is a preferred formulation for intravenous and subcutaneous administration.
Example 3
The combination of other anticoagulants including small molecule anti-Xa, anti-IX/IXa, anti-IIa or r-TFPI and a short acting GPIIb/IIIa antagonists such as Integrilin, tirofiban or DUP728 in the presence of citric acid/sodium citrate, mannitol, and other non-active ingredients as described in the different dosage form section at pH 4-6 is a preferred formulation for intravenous administration.
Example 4
The combination of other anticoagulants including small molecule anti-Xa, anti-IX/IXa, anti-IIa or r-TFPI and a long acting GPIIb/IIIa antagonists such as XV454, XV459 or other long acting GPIIb/IIIa antagonists in the presence of polycationic carbohydrate such Chitosan, citric acid/sodium citrate, mannitol at pH 4-6 is a preferred formulation for intravenous, subcutaneous, oral, transdermal, intranasal or any other delivery mode of administration.
TABLE 1
Tumor Type Associated with Venous Thrombosis
Pancreatic tumors
Mucin-secreting adenocarcinoma from the
gastrointestinal system
Lung carcinoma
Ovarian carcinoma
Endometrial carcinoma
Intracranial cancers
Acute promyelocytic leukemia
Myeloproliferative disorders
Breast Cancer
TABLE 2
Disease
Prevalence (or Incidence*)
Solid tumor cancer
>600,000*
Lung, breast, prostrate, colon, renal
bladder, pancreatic, gioblastomas,
Neuroblastomas and others
Ocular Ailments
Macular degeneration
650,000
Diabetic retinopathy
300,000
Corneal transplant
100,000
Myopic degeneration
200,000
Inflammatory Diseases
Arthritis
2.1 million
Psoriasis
3.0 million
IBD/other chronic IDs
>2.0 million
*New cases per year
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This invention provides for the prevention and treatment of tumor growth, metastasis, and cancer-mediated thrombosis through the administration, in combination, of a short or long acting GPIIb/IIIa antagonist (A) and anticoagulant (B) that might include the following: UFH or low molecular weight heparin, (LMWH), ultra LMWH, pentasaccharide or direct anti-Xa or direct anti-IX/IXa, direct anti-IIa (thrombin) or tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) by any means that produces contact of the agents with their site of action wherein at least one of the components of each of these combinations is given in reduced amount. This combined formulation could be used as a stand-alone regimen or in conjunction with other therapies (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, angiogenesis inhibitors, . . . ), and pre- & post-tumor surgery in the prevention and treatment of cancer associated metastasis, angiogenesis, tumor growth, and thrombosis.
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CROSS REFERENCE
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/272,491, filed on Dec. 29, 2015, U.S. provisional application No. 62/299,446, filed on Feb. 24, 2016 and U.S. provisional application No. 62/329,984, filed on Apr. 29, 2016, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND SECTION OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Bailment describes a legal relationship in common law where physical possession of personal property, or chattel, is transferred from one person (the bailor) to another person (the bailee) who subsequently has possession of the property. The disclosure herein relates to controlling inventory in any bailment situation, where one party is entrusting temporary custody of that party's personal property to another party for safekeeping. Bailment arises in a wide variety of situations, including valet parking, dry cleaning, warehousing and carriage of goods, to name just a few non-limiting examples.
[0003] It is known in the art to provide a service. either for a charge or gratuitously, whereby a person entering a business may check their coat'for safekeeping while they are on the premises of the business. The guest is generally given some form of token or ticket to identify which coat belongs to them, and the guest may retrieve the coat when they are ready to leave. Such services are popular because many guests do not want to bother with keeping track of their coat while they are on the premises. Providing a coat check attracts more customers to a business and enhances the customer experience while they are on the premises. While the concept of checking coats may seem straightforward, anyone running such a service quickly comes up against a number of well-known problems. Here are some, of the more persistent challenges:
[0004] The liability associated with checking coats is a large risk for a business providing a coat check. The expense of garment replacement, and the harm to the reputation of the business that come with losing a customer's coat, are potentially large. The expense of replacing a coat will often exceed the profit earned from the customer's visit by many multiples.
[0005] Traditional coat check services give customers a ticket or other token for their checked coat. It is not uncommon for customers, particularly those at bars or nightclubs, to then lose those tickets. This leads to customer frustration and longer check-out times while attempting to match the customer to their coat.
[0006] Coat check services in bars and nightclubs commonly wind up with a number of unclaimed coats at night's end. The establishment must then decide if they will deal with hanging on to the garments or trying to return them, or throw them out. Each answer presents its own set of drawbacks.
[0007] Customers do not want a coat checking process that slows them down unduly, and business owners do not want customers spending time at the coat check station when they could be making purchases. For some businesses, the crush of patrons all needing their coats at closing time also is a daunting prospect.
SUMMARY SECTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Provided is a method for control of bailment inventory, comprising: a) receiving a customer identifier from a customer through pairing of a customer's electronic device and an electronic reader; b) communicating the identifier from the reader to a second electronic device; c) receiving from the customer at least one customer item for bailment; d) associating the customer identifier received in the second device with the at least one customer item; e) storing the at least one customer item (can include parking automobile in a valet situation); and f) returning the at least one customer item to the customer. The method can further comprise a step of automatically determining after receipt of the identifier whether the customer is checking-in or checking out, receiving payment information from the customer's electronic device, and/or processing the payment information with the second electronic device communicating the payment information to a third party. The pairing between the reader and the electronic device of the customer can be carried out in a wireless fashion. NFC (Near Field Communication) protocol can be used for the wireless communication. The communication between the reader and the second electronic device can be carried out in -a wireless fashion with Bluetooth. The reader can comprise a first processor configured to execute instructions for wireless communication with the customer's device, a general central processor, a rechargeable battery, and one of a plug jack for wired coupling with the second electronic device or a second wireless processor configured to execute instructions for wireless communication with the second electronic device. The electronic device <can further comprise a signal amplifier, an NFC booster, and a power management unit for controlling power of the battery. The step of associating the customer identifier with the at least one customer item can include scanning a tag or'a hanger with a unique code and the step of storing the customer item comprises storing the customer item with the hanger or the tag. The code can be communicated, with a NFC chip on the tag or the hanger. The NFC chip can be embedded in the tag. The tag can be read with the same reader that receives the customer's identifier. The second device can be a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a desktop computer configured to receive the identifier and process bailment.
[0009] Provided is a method for control of bailment inventory, comprising: a) receiving a customer identifier and payment information from a customer through pairing of a first electronic device of the customer and an, electronic reader through wireless communication with a first protocol; b) communicating the identifier and payment information from the reader to a second electronic device through wireless communication with a second protocol; c) receiving from the customer at, least one customer item for bailment; d) associating the customer identifier with the at least one customer item; e) storing the at least one customer item; and f) returning the at least one customer item to the customer; and g) communicating the payment information with a gateway to confirm the payment information. The first protocol can be configured to communicate at a shorter distance than the second protocol. The first protocol can be NEC and the second protocol can be Bluetooth. The method can further comprise the step of scanning a storage identifier with a chip operating under the second protocol and storing the at least one customer item with the storage identifier. The first protocol can be configured to communicate at a distance of less than 0.5 meters and the second protocol can be configured to communicate at a distance of less than 100 meters. The associating step can include taking a picture of the item. The steps of bailment (receiving, returning, storing) can be carried out by an attendant. The camera for taking a picture can be situated on an opposite side of the display. The picture of the item and the customer can be taken in a simultaneous fashion. No ticket can be issued to the customer for the bailment. The bailment item can be'a coat.
[0010] Provided is a method for control of bailment inventory, comprising: a) receiving a customer identifier from a customer through pairing of a customer's electronic device and an electronic reader; b) communicating the identifier from the reader to a second electronic device; c) receiving from the customer at least one customer item for bailment.
[0011] Provided is a system for control of bailment inventory, comprising: a) a reader configured for wireless communication with a first and, a second protocol, the first protocol configured to receive payment and identification information at a distance of less than 0.5 meters, and the second protocol configured to communicate the received payment and identification information to a second electronic device, the reader comprising a housing with a first processor to execute instructions for communication with the first protocol, a second processor to execute instructions for communication with the second protocol, a general processor, and a rechargeable battery; b) the second electronic device configured to receive the payment and identification information from the reader, the second device further configured to communicate the payment information to a gateway and to process the payment and identification information to check-in and check-out a customer in the bailment situation, the second electronic device comprising a processor to execute instructions for the second protocol, a general central processor, a rechargeable battery, and a touch screen. The system can further comprising a storage identifier configured to be stored with a bailment item, the storage identifier comprising a chip that can be scanned with the second electronic device through the second wireless protocol. The system has one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs, are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for the steps described above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates the different components of a plug-in reader.
[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates the different components of a reader configured to communicate with Bluetooth.
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates the check-in and check-out bailment process and payment processing.
[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates processing of payment with a system that uses an NFC reader.
[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates a payment reader and its compatibility with third party platforms.
[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates either a manual or an automatic selection of the check-in and check-out process.
[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates components of a tablet computer or a smart phone that is connected with the reader.
[0019] FIG. 8A illustrates coupling of reader with a jack plug to a tablet computer.
[0020] FIG. 8B illustrates front and back of a tablet computer.
[0021] FIG. 8C illustrates a standalone reader.
[0022] FIG. 9 illustrates a graphic user interface for entering a customer identification number during the check-in process.
[0023] FIG. 10 lustrates a graphic user interface depicting a picture of the bailor, customer identification (phone number), arid the picture of item.
[0024] FIG. 11 illustrates a graphic user interface for entering a customer identification number during the check-out process.
[0025] FIG. 12 illustrates a graphic user interface showing the picture of the customer, a customer identification (phone number), tag numbers. pictures of items, and the status of each item.
[0026] FIG. 13A illustrates a tag for attaching to a hanger having an embedded NFC chip.
[0027] FIG. 13B illustrates a tag with the embedded NFC chip placed on a hanger.
[0028] FIG. 14A illustrates a tag for attaching to a strap of a bag, having embedded NFC chip.
[0029] FIG. 14B illustrates a tag with the embedded NFC chip placed on a strap of a bag.
[0030] FIG. 15 illustrates various items for bailment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Provided is an electronic device configured for contactless communication with another electronic device (such as a mobile/smart phone or watch). The communication can establish identity of the user and/or obtain authorization from the user and/or obtain payment information from the user. The communication can be used in a bailment situation to check-in/check-out bailors and/or to accept payment for bailment.
[0032] After contactless communication with a device of a user, the reader can send the information, such as payment and identification information, to the device/server of the person receiving the information, such as a payee/bailee. The payment or other information can be sent from the reader to the device of the payee via a wired communication, such as in case of a plug-in reader, or wirelessly, such as with Bluetooth. The identification information (identifier) can be one for example a name, a phone number, and/or a specific code associated with the person (an/or the person's device). The payment information can be a payment token, encrypted key, and/or other payment information (e.g., account number, account name) necessary to process a payment through a gateway in the cloud.
[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates components of a reader 100 . In this case, the reader has a jack plug 9 that is designed to be plugged into another device, such as a smart phone or a tablet computer. A driver 53 can act as an interface arid facilitate electronic communication between the reader 100 and the device of a payee/bailee. The reader can be plugged into the audio port or other port on the electronic device. The reader can have an antenna 1 to communicate with a device of a user wirelessly (through NFC). Antenna 1 can contain a 13.56 MHz antenna, matching circuit and denoising circuit. All components can work together to receive NFC signal and send analog signal. The reader can have, an NFC chip 2 , which can include a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) (such as NXP/Qualcomm NFC Chipset). The NFC chip 2 can demodulate analog signal to digital signal. The reader can have a CPU 3 (Central Processor Unit) for executing instructions of various programs. The CPU 3 can have internal/embedded memory 50 . The reader can have a Power Management Unit (PMU) 4 for regulating power from rechargeable battery 5 . The battery 5 can be a Lithium ion battery and can be coupled to a battery sensor which gives information, such as battery level. The reader can have a Micro-USB 6 or another port, which can be a female micro-USB port that is used to charge the battery 5 . The reader can have one more lights, such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) 7 , for indicating the status of the reader. The LED 7 can provide different color light depending on the status of the reader. The reader can have a speaker 8 . The speaker 8 can give information about state of scanning. The reader can have a plug jack 9 . The plug jack 9 can be a standard 3.5 mm audio jack and audio signal selector, which makes it compatible, with different types of audio port. Drivers 51 and 52 can be used to allow the CPU to communicate with LED 7 and speaker 8 respectively.
[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates components of a reader configured to communicate with a wireless protocol, such as Bluetooth. The reader can have an antenna 1 . Antenna 1 can be a 13.56 MHz antenna with matching circuit and denoising circuit. All components can work together to receive and exchange signals. The reader can have an NFC chip 2 (NXP/Qualcomm NFC Chipset). The NFC chip 2 can be a signal processor, which demodulate analog signal to digital signal. The reader can have a CPU 3 (Central Processor Unit) for executing instructions of various programs. The CPU 3 can have internal/embedded memory 50 . The reader can have a Power Management Unit (PMU) 4 for regulating power from battery 5 . The battery 5 can be a Li-ion battery and can be coupled to a battery sensor which gives information, such as battery level. The reader can have a Micro-USB 6 , which can be a female micro-USB port that is used to charge the battery. The reader can have one more lights, such as LEDs 7 , for indicating the status of the reader. The LED 7 can provide different color light depending on the status of the reader. The reader can have a speaker 8 . The speaker 8 can give information about state of scanning and receiving communication from a user. In addition this reader has can have a signal amplifier 11 that can enhance the signal to allow scanning at longer distances. NFC booster 12 can also filter the signal and makes it faster for the processor (CPU) to handle. The Bluetooth chip 10 can be used to communicate with the payee/bailee's electronic device which also has its own Bluetooth chip. The Bluetooth chip 10 can modulate the digital signal into analog signal again. Bluetooth Antenna can send the Bluetooth signal out. The Bluetooth antenna can be a double loop antenna. Drivers 51 and 52 can be used to allow the CPU to communicate with LED 7 and speaker 8 respectively.
[0035] Additional optional components for the reader include a GPS (Global Positioning System) chip 54 that informs the system where the reader is at time of communication. The reader can consist of, consist essentially of, or comprise of any of the above components.
[0036] The Bluetooth Reader ( FIG. 1 or 2 ) can be a standalone for Desks/Walls, or for desktops. The Bluetooth Reader can have a clipping mechanism for handsets/tablets, and/or a universal stand. The reader can have an aluminum top casing (housing), and an exterior shell casing and volumetric measurements to fit a 300-400 mah lithium ion battery. The housing of the reader can be made of plastics, polymer, and rubber, iron/steel mix. The circuit board in the reader can be layered board or flat board. The charging port location layout of the reader can be flush, non-flush, or contact material. The reader can have a screen, such as an OLED screen used with the Linux operating system. The reader can have no buttons, or have 1, 2, 3 or a plurality of buttons. The LEDs on the reader can light up in a sequence, be a circle of LEDs, or be a 4 phase LED. The reader can have a logo placed on it. The status of the reader, for example as indicated by one or more of the LED lights or communicated to another electronic device, can be: I/O on-off, low battery. charging, updating bios/firmware, error, no interact connection, or payment fail. The reader can have a Bluetooth light. The reader can be activated by touch/force or touch/swipe. The reader can have an On/Off switch.
[0037] The reader can be configured to communicate with a smart phone, tablet computer, or other electronic devices configured to receive communication from the reader. The reader can work on any mainstream tablet, smart phone, and Bluetooth computer (Win 10, Surface Pro, OSX).
[0038] The reader can be used for B2B/B2C transactions. The reader can be used in a process for a unified, secure, and seamless check-in and check-out experience via contactless payments.
[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates a bailment and/or payment process. The process can include the bailee/payee having an electronic device 200 with a display that the bailee uses to track customers and items. The electronic device that the bailee 200 uses can be a tablet computer, a smartphone, a laptop or a desktop, with a display, and optionally a camera 203 on the side of the display, and/or a camera 203 on the opposite side of the display. The device can be paired with an NFC reader of a bailee 20 , such as the NFC reader illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The connection of the tablet computer to the NFC reader 33 can be wired (such as with a plug-in jack) 9 or wireless 10 , such as with Bluetooth.
[0040] If the system is configured to accept payment, the NFC reader can receive payment information from the bailor. The firmware on the reader communicates with the SDK (Software Development Kit) on the electronic device of the bailee 35 to initialize the payment software (app) 34 on the device (e.g. tablet computer) of the bailee as shown in further detail in FIG. 4 .
[0041] During the check-in and the check-out process, customer identification is obtained 21 in a touch-less/contactless manner by the customer bringing her or her smart phone or other electronic device having an NFC chip in proximity to the NFC reader (of FIG. 1 or 2 ) so that an electronic communication occurs (pairing) between the two devices. The check-in or check-out service is selected, either automatically or manually 38 . The customer identification can be received directly through NFC communication, eliminating the need for the customer or the attendant to enter any additional identifying information. The customer identification can be a unique identification code that is communicated by the NFC chip on the customer's smart phone. An attendant obtains the bailment item from the customer 22 . The bailment system can then associate the customer identification that is received with a tag that is stored with the customer item 23 . The item's attributes can be stored in the system, for example, by taking a picture of the customer and the item simultaneously. The tag can have a machine readable barcode or an NFC chip, or other alternative means for identification 26 . If the tag 400 has an NFC chip 401 , the same NFC reader that is paired with the electronic device can be used to also read 52 the tag 400 . The bailment system can take a picture of the bailment item and/or the customer 25 . The Bailment item is stored with the tag 24 . The bailment system allows for carrying out the bailment process quickly in a simultaneous manner. Once the NFC, reader is paired with the customer's phone 21 , the system can take pictures of the items and/or customer 25 automatically.
[0042] During the check-out process, the customer again brings his or her smart phone in proximity to the NFC reader to pair 20 the devices for a second time. The system receives the customer identification 21 . Based on the unique identification code present in the customer's NFC chip or other identifying information, the bailment system automatically recognizes the customer 38 , and identifies the bailment item for the attendant. For example, the system may display the tag identification number for the attendant and/or make the tag light up or make a sound. The attendant then retrieves tag associated with the customer 27 and returns the bailment item 28 . The attendant may also verify pictures of the item and/or bailor before handing out the item back to the bailor 29 The device of the payee (tablet computer or other electronic device like a smart phone) then processes payment information with software on the device based on payment information received through NFC coupling 30 . The payment can be processed by payment software on the electronic device communicating to a payment gateway in the cloud 36 (internet). The gateway then communicates to a bank or a payment processor 37 .
[0043] After completion of check-in or check-out/payment, the App on the payee's electronic device 31 updates the database/server, and closes the transaction in case of check-out 31 . The App on the electronic device can then display the results 32 , such as data about the cost of the transaction, and the time of check in and check out.
[0044] Alternative contactless communications can be carried out, including scanning of a barcode, such as a 2D barcode like a QR code, or entering of information on a screen by a customer. The system can allow for both contactless and touch communication, and leaving it to the customer to choose the desired alternative.
[0045] FIG. 4 illustrates processing of payment. The customer's portable electronic device (such as a smart phone or a wearable device like a watch) pairs with the NFC reader 20 . After the pairing 20 , the reader processes information 40 (NFC signal/data processing). The payment information is then sent from the firmware on the reader to the payee's electronic device (Steps 40 and 41 are same as 35 ), which processes the information to payment function 51 . Software on the electronic device 41 instructs the payment application to initialize 34 . The payment software then sends information via a communication network, such as the cloud 43 , to the gateway in the cloud. The gateway then communicates with the payment processor 44 . The payment processor verifies information 45 (such as name, account information, payment amount). The payment processor then sends feedback to the Gateway 46 , and the Gateway communicates with the payment software and sends feedback to the software 47 . The payment application software on the tablet computer (payee's electronic device) then displays the denial or acceptance of payment 48 .
[0046] FIG. 5 illustrates various configurations of a payment reader 100 . The reader 100 , can have an NFC processor 111 , and receive customer ID and customer profile through wireless communication, such as with a phone having an NFC processor. The profile can be retrieved from Apple Wallet® 109 and Android® profile 110 through NFC communication. The payment reader 100 can have a rechargeable battery 5 that can be charged by an external battery 102 by making a connection through Micro-USB 103 (same as 6 ) or lightning 6-pin 104 . The payment reader 100 can make a wired connection through a jack 9 , or wireless through Bluetooth 10 , or other communication protocols. Payment 115 can be accepted through different methods. Payment can be read from a Magnetic Strip Card 112 with a Magnetic Strip Reader (MSR) ( 113 , 114 ). Payment 115 can be made with a chip & pin card 116 , such as EMV (Europay®, MasterCard® and Visa®) chip & pin 117 or contactless EMV 118 . Payment can be made through contactless NFC, such as Apple pay® 120 , Samsung pay® 121 , Android pay® 122 , Master bypass® 123 , Visa® VCPS 124 , Amex ExpressPay® 125 , and Discover® DPAS 126 .
[0047] The payment system can be used with a 4-step Security Flow: Tokenization, Secure Element, EMV protocol, Touch ID, or fingerprint. Commercial contactless standards to be supported can include Apple Wallet®, ApplePay®, Android Pay®, Samsung Pay®, Mastercard PayPass®, and Visa payWave®. The system also allows for Network-level Tokenization. For example Apple Pay has integrated with all gateways, processors, issuers, acquirers in current payment scheme by negotiating directly with Visa®, MasterCard®, AMEX®, BofA®, JPMorgan Chase®, Wells Fargo®.
[0048] FIG. 6 illustrates either a manual or an automatic selection of the check-in and check-out process. Either the system can prompt, a user to select the check-in or the check-out process. Alternatively the system (tablet computer app) can determine if the user has previously be checked-in 39 , and based on that determination select the check-in or the check-out process.
[0049] FIG. 7 illustrates components of a tablet computer or a smart phone or other electronic device of the bailee and/or the bailor. These components can be memory 201 , storage 202 , camera 203 , processor 204 , power source 205 , WiFi 206 (for wireless communication with a router to connect to the cloud/internet), 4G/LTE 207 (for wireless communication with a tower to connect, to the cloud/Internet), data port 208 , ID interface/touchscreen 209 , and Bluetooth 211 (for wireless communication with another device).
[0050] FIG. 8A illustrates wired connection of payee's electronic device, here >a tablet computer 200 , with the reader 100 . FIG. 8B illustrates a camera 203 on the front and back of the device 200 configured to take pictures of items/bailers/payors. FIG. 8C illustrates a standalone reader. The reader can be affixed to tablets/phones via Neodymium magnets.
[0051] FIG. 9 illustrates receiving an input on a touch screen from a user, in this case a customer identifier in form of a phone number. The customer identifier can be used to create an account for the user and associate the account with the identifier received through NFC pairing. Alternatively, the customer can be given the option to check-in with wireless pairing (NFC), entering an identification number on a touch screen, or with biometrics (facial recognition, finger print).
[0052] FIG. 10 illustrates another graphic user interface, where one item has been scanned. A picture of the item, a picture of the customer, and a customer identifier can be shown on a single page to an attendant and/or the customer.
[0053] FIG. 11 illustrates searching for an item when a customer, returns to check out. The customer enters the identifier, in this case last four digits of a phone number to retrieve the account. Alternatively, the customer can scan a smartphone to check-in with NFC, or use biometrics to check-in.
[0054] FIG. 12 illustrates another graphic user interface after which a customer has been identified during the check-out process. The interface shows the customer's picture, the customer's identifier (phone number), the customer's items (optionally their pictures), tag numbers, and which items are outstanding.
[0055] FIG. 13A illustrates a tag 400 for placing on a hanger. The tag 400 can have an identification number or a chip, in this case an embedded NFC chip 401 that can be scanned by the reader to verify that the check-out process is being carried out accurately. FIG. 13B illustrates the tag 400 of FIG. 13A on the hanger. The tag 400 of FIG. 14A is similar except that it has a larger opening that is configured to attach to the strap of a bag.
[0056] FIG. 15 illustrates various bailment items, including coat, clothing, automobile (valet), suitcase, bag, electronics, camera, ski, sports equipment, computer, boat, tablet computer, mobile phone, motorcycle, jewelry, gold, money, valuable chattel, toys. headphones, and roller skates.
[0057] The system can be used as a universal authentication system. For example, after a customer pairs its NFC configured device, the customer can log into third party websites like AirBnB®. By checking in, the customer is authenticated, and can carry transaction on third party websites.
[0058] Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enable two electronic devices, one of which is usually a portable device such as a smartphone, to establish communication by bringing them within 4 cm (1.57 in) of each other. NFC standards cover communications protocols and data exchange formats and are based on existing radio-frequency identification (RFID) standards including ISO/IEC 14443 and FeliCa. The standards include ISO/IEC 18092 and those defined by the NFC Forum. In addition to the NFC Forum, the GSMA group defined a platform for the deployment of GSMA NFC Standards within mobile handsets. GSMA's efforts include Trusted Services Manager, Single Wire Protocol, testing/certification and secure element. The Bluetooth protocol RFCOMM is a simple set of transport protocols, made on top of the L2CAP protocol, providing emulated RS-232 serial ports (up to sixty simultaneous connections to a Bluetooth device at a time). The protocol is based on the ET8I standard TS 07.10.
[0059] U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,384,462 and 8,985,440 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all their teaching of the bailment process.
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Provided is a method for control of bailment inventory, comprising: a) receiving a customer identifier from a customer through pairing of a customer's electronic device and an electronic reader; b)communicating the identifier from the reader to a second electronic device; c) receiving from the customer at least one customer item for bailment; d) associating the customer identifier received in the second device with the at least one customer item; e) storing the at least one customer item; and f) returning the at least one customer item to the customer.
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The invention was made with Government support under Contract Number FA8808-04-C-0022 awarded by the Air Force. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure may be directed to signal treating apparatuses and methods, and especially to signal treating apparatuses and methods for treating a received signal to present a resulting signal having reduced signal deviations to produce a substantially accurate representation of the received signal.
BACKGROUND
A useful employment for the apparatus and method disclosed may be to provide a telemetry signal of received power which may be linear in decibels and continuous over a large dynamic range. An inherent difficulty of obtaining a linear telemetry signal over the input power dynamic range may arise from (1) the low Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) at the low end of the dynamic range, and (2) saturation of an amplifier (such as by way of example and not by way of limitation, a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA)) at the high end of the dynamic range. Prior art approaches to overcoming this challenge may have used a processor which looks at the output power before and after a saturating stage of an LNA. The processor may make a crossover decision as to whether to use output power before or after the LNA. This prior art approach may be subject to alignment difficulties and requires a hysteresis band.
There may be a need for a method and apparatus for treating a received signal to present a resulting signal with improved signal accuracy.
SUMMARY
A signal treating apparatus for presenting an output signal representing an input signal over a signal range includes: (a) an input section receiving the input signal and presenting a first filtered signal limited to a first bandwidth at a first circuit locus; the input section presenting a second filtered signal limited to a second bandwidth at a second circuit locus; (b) an amplifying unit receiving the first filtered signal and presenting an increased gain signal at an amplifier output locus; (c) a detector coupled with the amplifier output locus and presenting third bandwidth-limited signal limited to a third bandwidth less than the first bandwidth at a third circuit locus; and (d) a combining section coupled with the second and third circuit loci and presenting a resulting signal related with the second filtered signal and the third filtered signal; said resultant signal being said output signal.
A method for treating a received signal to present a resulting signal representing the received signal with improved signal accuracy; the method including: (a) in no particular order: (1) effecting a first filtering of the received signal according to a first bandpass characteristic to present a first filtered signal at a first circuit locus; and (2) effecting a second filtering of the received signal according to a second bandpass characteristic to present a second filtered signal at a second circuit locus; (b) amplifying the first bandpass representation to present a high gain signal; (c) effecting a third bandwidth-limiting of the high gain signal to present a third bandwidth-limited signal at a third circuit locus; the third bandwidth-limited signal presenting a narrower band than the first bandpass representation; and (d) combining the second filtered signal with the third filtered signal to present the resulting signal.
It may therefore be a feature of the present disclosure to provide a method and apparatus for treating a received signal to present a resulting signal with improved signal accuracy.
Further features of the present disclosure may be apparent from the following specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements may be labeled using like reference numerals in the various figures, illustrating the preferred embodiments of the disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a graphic representation of selected signals associated with operation of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the method of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus of the present disclosure. In FIG. 1 , an apparatus 10 may include an input signal receiving section 12 , an amplifying unit 14 , a first detection portion 23 , a second detection portion 16 and a combining section 18 .
Amplifying unit 14 may have an input 32 and an output 36 . Combining unit 18 may include a logarithmic amplifier unit 40 and a summing unit 50 . Logarithmic amplifier unit 40 may have an input 42 and an output 44 . Summing unit 50 may have inputs 52 , 56 and an output 54 . Output 44 may be coupled with input 52 .
Input signal receiving section 12 may include a first bandwidth limiting device 20 and a second bandwidth limiting device 22 . First bandwidth limiting device 20 may include a plurality of first bandpass filtering units 24 1 , 24 2 , 24 n . The indicator “n” is employed to signify that there can be any number of first bandpass filtering units in apparatus 10 . The inclusion of three first bandpass filtering units 24 1 , 24 2 , 24 n in FIG. 1 is illustrative only and does not constitute any limitation regarding the number of first bandpass filtering units that may be included in the apparatus of the present disclosure.
Second bandwidth limiting device 22 may include a plurality of second bandpass filtering units 26 1 , 26 2 , 26 m . The indicator “m” is employed to signify that there can be any number of second bandpass filtering units in apparatus 10 . The inclusion of three second bandpass filtering units 26 1 , 24 2 , 26 m in FIG. 1 is illustrative only and does not constitute any limitation regarding the number of second bandpass filtering units that may be included in the apparatus of the present disclosure.
First detection portion 23 may include optical detector units 28 1 , 28 2 , 28 m . Each respective optical detector unit 28 m may be coupled with a respective second bandpass filtering unit 26 m so that optical detector unit 28 1 may be coupled with second bandpass filtering unit 26 1 , optical detector unit 28 2 may be coupled with second bandpass filtering unit 26 2 and optical detector unit 28 m may be coupled with second bandpass filtering unit 26 m .
First bandpass filtering units 24 1 , 24 2 , 24 n may be commonly coupled with a circuit locus 27 and may be presented for selective inclusion in circuitry by a selecting switch 30 . Selecting switch 30 may be coupled with input 32 of amplifying unit 14 . Locus 27 may be coupled with an input locus 29 . Input signal receiving section 12 may also include an initial amplifying unit 34 coupled between loci 27 , 29 . The optional nature of initial amplifying unit 34 may be indicated by employment of a dotted line format in representing initial amplifying unit 34 .
Second bandpass filtering units 26 1 , 26 2 , 26 m may be commonly coupled with circuit locus 27 and may be presented for selective inclusion in circuitry by a selecting switch 38 . Selecting switch 38 may selectively couple a respective second bandpass filtering unit 26 m with input 42 of logarithmic amplifier unit 40 via a respective optical detector unit 28 m .
Each respective first bandpass filtering unit 24 1 , 24 2 , 24 n may effect filtering of signals to a respective frequency band so that first bandpass filtering unit 24 1 may filter signals to a frequency band centered on a frequency f 1 . First bandpass filtering unit 24 2 may filter signals to a frequency band centered on a frequency f 2 . First bandpass filtering unit 24 n may filter signals to a frequency band centered on a frequency f n .
Each respective second bandpass filtering unit 26 1 , 26 2 , 26 m may effect filtering of signals to a respective frequency band. It may be preferred that frequency bands selectable for filtering by second bandpass filtering units 26 1 , 26 2 , 26 m may be substantially the same as frequency bands selectable for filtering by first bandpass filtering units 24 1 , 24 2 , 24 n . In such an arrangement, second bandpass filtering unit 26 1 may filter signals to a frequency band centered on frequency f 1 . Second bandpass filtering unit 26 2 may filter signals to a frequency band centered on frequency f 2 . Second bandpass filtering unit 26 m may filter signals to a frequency band centered on frequency f n . Further in such an arrangement, n may be equal with m.
When received signals provided at input locus 29 may include optical signals, each respective second bandpass filtering unit 26 1 , 26 2 , 26 m may be coupled with an optical detector unit 28 1 , 28 2 , 28 m so that second bandpass filtering unit 26 m may be coupled with an optical detector unit 28 1 , second bandpass filtering unit 26 2 may be coupled with an optical detector unit 28 2 and second bandpass filtering unit 26 m may be coupled with an optical detector unit 28 m .
Selecting switches 30 , 38 may be ganged together, as may be indicated by a dashed line 39 , to assure that similarly filtered signals may be presented at inputs 32 , 42 . That is, to ensure that bandwidth BW 1 of signals provided from first bandwidth limiting device 20 may be substantially equal with bandwidth BW 2 of signals provided from second bandwidth limiting device 22 . Thus, when selecting switch 30 may be positioned for selecting first bandpass filtering unit 24 1 , selecting switch 38 may be positioned for selecting second bandpass filtering unit 26 2 and a frequency band centered on frequency f 2 may be presented at inputs 32 , 42 . When selecting switch 30 may be positioned for selecting first bandpass filtering unit 24 2 , selecting switch 38 may be positioned for selecting second bandpass filtering unit 26 2 and a frequency band centered on frequency f 2 may be presented at inputs 32 , 42 . When selecting switch 30 may be positioned for selecting first bandpass filtering unit 24 n , selecting switch 38 may be positioned for selecting second bandpass filtering unit 26 m and a frequency band centered on frequency f n (recall that n=m) may be presented at inputs 32 , 42 .
Power into amplifying unit 14 may be expressed as:
P i =S i +N i (1)
Where P i may be power present at input 32 of amplifier unit 14 ,
S i may be signal strength present at input 32 , and N i may be noise present at input 32 .
Power into input signal detection circuit 12 may be expressed as:
P ti =S 1 det +N 1 det =f ( x ) (2)
Where, P ti may be total input power to input signal detection circuit 12 ,
S1 det may be signal strength detected at input 42 , and N1 det may be noise density detected at input 42 .
Second detection portion 16 may be coupled between output 36 of amplifying unit 14 and an input 56 of summing unit 50 . Second detection portion 16 may include a variable attenuator 60 , an optical detector unit 62 , a third bandwidth limiting device 64 and an electrical detector unit 66 . Variable attenuator 60 may be coupled with output 36 and with optical detector unit 62 . Third bandwidth limiting device 64 may be coupled between optical detector unit 62 and electrical detector unit 66 . Electrical detector unit 66 may be coupled with third bandwidth limiting device 64 , with variable attenuator 60 in a first order control loop. Electrical detector unit 66 may also be coupled with input 56 to summing unit 50 . Variable attenuator 60 may employ signals from electrical detector unit 66 to maintain signal levels at output 36 at a substantially constant level. Second detection portion 16 may be thus configured for treating a higher gain signal appearing at output 36 than may be presented at input 42 of logarithmic amplifier unit 40 . Further, when third bandwidth limiting device 64 may be configured to limit signals to a third bandwidth BW 3 that may be narrower than bandwidths to which signals may be limited by first bandwidth limiting device 20 (BW 1 ) or second bandwidth limiting device 22 (BW 2 ). Higher gain, lesser bandwidth treatment of signals may provide that signals provided from electrical detector unit 66 may exhibit a higher Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) than may be exhibited by signals provided from bandwidth limiting devices 20 , 22 .
When amplifier unit 14 may be in a saturated condition apparatus 10 may take advantage of amplifier average power saturation characteristics in a unique and subtle way to combine the input signals at input 42 with output signals at output 36 to obtain a substantially seamless continuous response signal with a simple circuit design.
Apparatus 10 , as illustrated in FIG. 1 , may be configured for use with an optical communication system. One skilled in the art of signal handling apparatuses and methods may recognize that apparatus 10 may be employed with any communication system having an average power saturation amplifier. By way of example and not by way of limitation, apparatus 10 may provide benefit to a Transformational Satellite (TSAT) Communication System and to future communication programs by providing improved performance and simplicity of design.
As may be recognized by one skilled in the art of signal treatment, when signals received at input locus 29 may be entirely embodied in radio frequency (RF) signals, second detection portion 16 may be embodied in another feedback control configuration such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, a phase locked loop.
Apparatus 10 may take particular advantage of the output Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) stage (embodied in amplifier unit 14 in FIG. 1 ) always being saturated. Saturation may be a result of noise or a result of a combination of both signal and noise power. A mathematical analysis may provide insight into the operation of apparatus 10 . FIG. 1 may illustrate a representative placement of optical filters, amplifiers and detection circuits that may be employed to determine the signal plus noise power at the saturating amplifier input and the signal power at the saturating amplifier output. As may be seen from FIG. 1 , the output total power P TO at output 36 may be substantially constant. P TO may be expressed in the relationship:
P to =S o +N o =Constant (3)
Where P to may be total output power from amplifier unit 14 ,
S o may be signal strength detected at output 36 , and N o may be noise density detected at output 36 .
Second detection portion 16 may employ a synchronous detection approach to detect an amplifier output signal received from output 36 by varying optical attenuator 60 using input signal power variation indicated at electrical detector unit 66 to hold the output signal power received by second detection portion 16 from output 36 substantially constant. The attenuator control function g(x) employed by variable attenuator 60 may be shown below in EQN (3) where x is the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR):
Attenuation
=
1
g
(
x
)
=
N
2
det
N
o
(
4
)
Where N2 det may be noise detected by second detection portion 16 .
No may make up total noise into second detection portion 16 . N2 det may make up the total noise at the input of optical detector unit 62 . For all practical purposes the SNR may be considered the same after the BW 1 filter (first bandwidth limiting device 20 ) and may be used to represent the input signal power to the LNA because N i (noise into amplifier 14 ) is substantially a constant, as may be seen in EQN (5):
Signal
=
x
=
S
i
N
i
=
S
o
N
o
=
S
2
det
N
2
det
(
5
)
Where S2 det may be signal strength detected by second detection portion 16 although S2 det may be measured at optical detector unit 62 .
Using EQNs (3), (4) and (5) the control function for variable attenuator 60 may be found using EQN (6):
P to =S o +N o =Constant= N o ( x+ 1) (6)
Both P to and S2 det may be substantially constants so g(x) may have the nonlinear relationship shown in EQN (7):
g
(
x
)
=
P
to
N
2
det
(
x
+
1
)
=
(
P
to
S
2
det
)
·
(
x
x
+
1
)
(
7
)
Because two different band limiting filters may be used, noise into input signal detecting circuit 12 may be adjusted by the ratio of the two filter bandwidths BW 1 , BW 2 . The noise density, represented by nd, as shown in EQN (8) may be the same at each filter output:
n
d
=
N
i
BW
1
=
N
1
det
BW
2
=
Constant
(
8
)
EQN (8) may be rewritten as EQN (9):
N
1
det
=
α
N
i
where
α
=
(
BW
2
BW
1
)
(
9
)
The signal at input signal detection circuit 12 may be substantially the same as the input signal to amplifying unit 14 as shown in EQN (10):
S1 det =S i (10)
Using EQNs (2), (5), (9), and (10) the input detector transfer function f(x) may be calculated in EQN (11).
P ti =S 1 det +N 1 det =f ( x )= S i +αN i =N i =( x +α) (11)
The nonlinear input function f(x) (EQN(11)) and output detection circuit function g(x) (EQN(7)) may now be combined using EQN (12) to form a linear telemetry signal when α=1, as shown in EQN (13).
h ( x )= f ( x )· g ( x ) (12)
h
(
x
)
=
(
P
to
·
N
i
S
2
det
)
·
(
x
+
α
x
+
1
)
·
x
(
13
)
The first term in equation (13) may involve all constant values so h(x) may be simply a function proportional to the input signal over the entire dynamic range. The operation may be substantially seamless and nearly linear when alpha may be a value other than unity.
When EQN (12) may be converted to decibels by taking the logarithm such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, by employing logarithmic amplifier unit 40 , the two input and output functions f(x) and g(x) may be added together rather than multiplied, which simplifies the circuit design as illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in FIG. 1 using summing unit 50 . In FIG. 1 , second detection portion 16 may not need a logarithmic amplifier because voltage from second detection portion 16 is already proportional to decibels.
Apparatus 10 may be an implementation simple in design but subtle in operation. The simple design may provide a high reliability approach to improving accuracy of reproducing a received signal over a wider amplitude and signal strength ranges than may have been achieved using prior art devices, and may not be as susceptible to amplifier and circuit variation as prior art signal treating apparatuses.
FIG. 2 is a graphic representation of selected signals associated with operation of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 . In FIG. 2 , a graphic representation 80 may present a horizontal axis 82 indicating input signal strength in decibels (dB) and a vertical axis 84 indicating output signal strength in decibels (dB).
A signal response curve 86 may represent a signal appearing at input 52 of summing unit 50 ( FIG. 1 ). A signal response curve 88 may represent a signal appearing at input 56 of summing unit 50 ( FIG. 1 ). A signal response curve 86 may represent a signal appearing at input 52 of summing unit 50 ( FIG. 1 ).
Signal response curve 86 may be a signal from input signal detecting section 12 . Signal response curve 88 may be a signal from second detection portion 16 ( FIG. 1 ). When signal response curves 86 , 88 may be added, as may be effected by summing unit 50 ( FIG. 1 ), a substantially linear signal response, such as signal response curve 90 , may result.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the method of the present disclosure. In FIG. 3 , a method 100 for treating a received signal to present a resulting signal representing the received signal with improved signal accuracy may begin at a START locus 102 . Method 100 may continue with effecting a first filtering of the received signal according to a first bandpass characteristic to present a first filtered signal at a first circuit locus, as may be indicated by a block 104 .
Method 100 may continue by, substantially simultaneously with the method step represented by block 104 , amplifying the received signal to present a high gain signal, as may be indicated by a block 106 .
Method 100 may continue with effecting a second filtering of the high gain signal according to a second bandpass characteristic to present a second filtered signal at a second circuit locus, as may be indicated by a block 108 . The second bandpass characteristic may pass a narrower band than the first bandpass characteristic.
Method 100 may continue with combining the first filtered signal with the second filtered signal to present the resulting signal, as may be indicated by a block 110 .
Method 100 may terminate at an END locus 112 .
It is to be understood that, while the detailed drawings and specific examples given may describe preferred embodiments of the disclosure, they are for the purpose of illustration only, that the apparatus and method of the disclosure may not be limited to the precise details and conditions disclosed and that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the disclosure which is defined by the following claims:
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A signal treating apparatus for presenting an output signal representing an input signal over a signal range includes: (a) an input section receiving the input signal and presenting a first filtered signal limited to a first bandwidth at a first circuit locus; the input section presenting a second filtered signal limited to a second bandwidth at a second circuit locus; (b) an amplifying unit receiving the first filtered signal and presenting an increased gain signal at an amplifier output locus; (c) a detector coupled with the amplifier output locus and presenting third bandwidth-limited signal limited to a third bandwidth less than the first bandwidth at a third circuit locus; and (d) a combining section coupled with the second and third circuit loci and presenting a resulting signal related with the second filtered signal and the third filtered signal; said resultant signal being said output signal.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The use of steam or explosive decompression to disintegrate or fiberize wood fibers is well known in the art. However, due to the oxidation of wood and acid hydrolysis, steam explosion processes often result in a loss of brightness, strength and yield. Therefore, there is a need for improving the steam explosion process by minimizing one or more of these detrimental effects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It has now been discovered that a steam explosion process can be improved by combining certain chemicals with the steam such that the high temperatures associated with the steam explosion process accelerate certain desired chemical reactions. In addition, the process of this invention is applied to individual fibers, rather than paper or wood particles, which substantially improves the effectiveness of the treatment. These individual fibers can be virgin pulp fibers or deinked fibers. The resulting modified fibers are able to form handsheets with higher bulk, less brightness reduction, less or no tensile reduction and a higher porosity.
[0003] More specifically, for example, the loss of brightness associated with conventional steam explosion processes can be improved by the addition, prior to steam explosion process, of: peroxide and caustic soda (NaOH); boric acid; free sugars and alditols such as glucitol, maltose, and maltitol; antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and 1-thioglycerol; and/or nitrogen-free complexing agents such as tartaric acid and gluconolactone.
[0004] Strength degradation can be reduced by adding monochloroacetic acid and caustic soda (NaOH) to the individual fibers prior to subjecting them to steam explosion. In addition, other chemicals can be used which contain a fiber reactive group and also contain one or more anionic groups to increase the negative charge density on the fiber surface. The fiber reactive groups which are responsible to form a covalent bond to hydroxyl groups on cellulose fiber, include groups such as monohaloalkyl, monohalotriazine, dihalotriazine, trihalopyrimidine, dihalopyridazinone, dihaloquinoxaline, dihalophtalazine, halobenzothiazole, acrylamide, vinylsulfone, beta-sulfatoethylsylfonamide, beta- chloroethylsulfone, and methylol. Suitable anionic groups include, without limitation, sulfonyl, carboxyl or salts thereof. In addition, the polymeric reactive compound (PRC), comprising a monomer with carboxylic acid groups on adjacent carbon atoms that can form cyclic anhydrides in the form of a five-membered ring could be added for strength improvement. A useful commercial compound is BELCLINE®(DP 80 (FMC Corporation), which is a terpolymer of maleic acid, vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate.
[0005] In order to neutralize any acid generated in the steam explosion process of this invention, in addition to NaOH, other alkaline agents can also be applied to the fibers, such as NaHCO 3 , Na 2 CO 3 , Na 3 PO 4 and the like.
[0006] Hence, in one aspect the invention resides in a process for the treatment of cellulosic fibers comprising: (a) treating an aqueous slurry of individual cellulosic fibers containing brightness and/or strength enhancing chemicals with steam at super atmospheric temperature and pressure; and (b) explosively releasing the super atmospheric steam pressure to produce permanently curled fibers.
[0007] In another aspect, the invention resides in a paper sheet or an absorbent article comprising the curled fibers treated by the processes disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A wide variety of cellulosic fibers can be employed in the process of the present invention. Illustrative sources of individual cellulosic fibers include, but are not limited to: wood fibers, such as wood pulp fibers; non-woody paper-making fibers from cotton fibers; fibers from straws and grasses, such as rice and esparto; fibers from canes and reeds, such as bagasse; fibers from bamboos; fibers from stalks with bast fibers, such as jute, flax, kenaf, cannabis, linen and ramie; and fibers from leaf fibers, such as abaca and sisal. It is also possible to use mixtures of one or more kinds of cellulosic fibers. Suitably, the individual cellulosic fibers used are from softwood sources such as pines, spruces, and firs, and hardwood sources such as oaks, eucalyptuses, poplars, beeches, and aspens.
[0009] As used herein, the term “fiber” or “fibrous” is meant to refer to a particulate material wherein the length to diameter ratio of such particulate material is 10 or greater.
[0010] It is generally desired that the cellulosic fibers used herein be wettable. As used herein, the term “wettable” is meant to refer to a fiber or material which exhibits a water-in- air contact angle of less than 90°. Suitably, the cellulosic fibers useful in the present invention exhibit a water-in-air contact angle from about 10° to about 50° and more suitably from about 20° to about 30°. Suitably, a wettable fiber refers to a fiber which exhibits a water-in-air contact angle of less than 90°, at a temperature between about 0° C. and about 100° C., and suitably at ambient conditions, such as about 23° C.
[0011] Suitable cellulosic fibers are those which are naturally wettable. However, naturally nonwettable fibers can also be used. It is possible to treat the fiber surfaces by an appropriate method to render them more or less wettable. When surface treated fibers are employed, the surface treatment is desirably nonfugitive; that is, the surface treatment desirably does not wash off the surface of the fiber with the first liquid insult or contact. For the purposes of this application, a surface treatment on a generally nonwettable fiber will be considered to be nonfugitive when a majority of the fibers demonstrate a water in air contact angle of less than 90° for three consecutive contact angle measurements, with drying between each measurement. That is, the same fiber is subjected to three separate contact angle determinations and, if all three of the contact angle determinations indicate a contact angle of water in air of less than 90°, the surface treatment on the fiber will be considered to be nonfugitive. If the surface treatment is fugitive, the surface treatment will tend to wash off of the fiber during the first contact angle measurement, thus exposing the nonwettable surface of the underlying fiber, and will demonstrate subsequent contact angle measurements greater than 90°. Suitable wettability agents include polyalkylene glycols, such as polyethylene glycols. The wettability agent is used in an amount less than about 5 weight percent, suitably less than about 3 weight percent, and more suitably less than about 2 weight percent, of the total weight of the fiber, material, or absorbent structure being treated.
[0012] It is desired that the cellulosic fibers be used in a form wherein the cellulosic fibers have already been refined into a pulp. As such, the cellulosic fibers will be substantially in the form of individual cellulosic fibers although such individual cellulosic fibers may be in an aggregate form such as a pulp sheet. The current process, then, is in contrast to known steam explosion processes that generally treat cellulosic fibers that are typically in the form of virgin wood chips or the like. Thus, the current process is a post-pulping, or post deinking, cellulosic fiber modifying process as compared to known steam explosion processes that are generally used for high-yield pulp manufacturing or waste-recycle processes.
[0013] The cellulosic fibers used in the steam explosion process of this invention are desirably low yield cellulosic fibers. As used herein, “low yield” cellulosic fibers are those cellulosic fibers produced by pulping processes providing a yield of 85 percent or less, suitably about 80 percent or less, and more suitably about 55 percent or less. In contrast, “high yield” cellulosic fibers are those cellulosic fibers produced by pulping processes providing a yield greater than 85 percent. Such pulping processes generally leave the resulting cellulosic fibers with high levels of lignin.
[0014] In general, the cellulosic fibers may be treated with chemicals in either a dry or a wet state. However, it may be desirable to first prepare an aqueous mixture or slurry of the cellulosic fibers wherein the aqueous mixture is agitated, stirred, or blended to effectively disperse the cellulosic fibers throughout the water. Accordingly, it is desired that the aqueous mixture have a consistency of from about 10 to 100 weight percent, suitably from about 25 to about 80 weight percent and more suitably from about 55 to about 75 weight percent cellulosic fibers, based on the total weight percent of the aqueous pulp mixture. (As used herein, “consistency” refers to the concentration of the cellulosic fibers present in an aqueous mixture. As such, the consistency is a weight percent representing the weight amount of the cellulosic fibers present in an aqueous mixture divided by the total weight amount of cellulosic fibers and water present in such mixture, multiplied by 100.)
[0015] A dewatering means can be used to thicken the aqueous mixture to the desirable consistency. Dewatering means that are suitable for use in the present invention include, but are not limited to, typical equipment used to thicken pulp slurry or sludge slurry such as twin wire press, screw press, belt washer or double nip thickener. Such thickening equipment is well known and is described in various pulp and paper journals and textbooks. To dewater the pulp slurry beyond 60 weight percent consistency, thermal drying processes can be used. An example of a direct thennal drying system is a convection dryer, where hot air or flue gases flow over the pulp slurry and purge the water from the pulp slurry. Among the convection drying processes in the paper industry are drum dryers, belt dryers or rack dryers.
[0016] Chemical addition, such as the addition of brightening agents and/or strength agents, is suitably introduced to the concentrated fiber pulp slurry. A mixing means can be used to mix the brightening agent or strength agent as needed prior to feeding the fiber slurry to the steam explosion reactor. Mixing means that are suitable for this purpose include typical equipment used to mix bleaching chemicals with pulp slurries, such as medium consistency or high consistency mixers available from Ingersoll-Rand, Impco, Andriz and Sunds Defibrator. Such mixing equipment is well known and is described in various pulp and paper journals and textbooks.
[0017] The aqueous mixture of fibers and chemicals is then fed to a suitable steam explosion reactor. Such reactors are well known in the art. Suitable equipment and methods for steam explosion may be found, for example, in Canadian Patent No. 1,070,537, dated Jan. 29, 1980; Canadian Patent No. 1,070,646, dated Jan. 29, 1980;
[0018] Canadian Patent No. 1,119,033, dated Mar. 2, 1982; Canadian Patent No. 1,138,708, dated Jan. 4, 1983; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,003, issued Nov. 16, 1993, all of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
[0019] In carrying out the steam explosion process, it is desired that the cellulosic fibers and chemicals are cooked in a saturated steam environment that is substantially free of air. The presence of air in the pressurized cooking environment may result in the oxidation of the cellulosic fibers. As such, it is desired that the cellulosic fibers are cooked in a saturated steam environment that comprises less than about 5 weight percent, suitably less than about 3 weight percent, and more suitably less than about 1 weight percent of air, based on the total weight of the gaseous environment present in the pressurized cooking environment.
[0020] The individual cellulosic fibers are steam cooked at a high temperature and at a high pressure in the presence of the added chemicals. In general, any combination of high pressure, high temperature, and time which is effective in achieving a desired degree of modification, without undesirable damage to the cellulosic fibers, so that the cellulosic fibers exhibit the desired liquid absorbency properties as described herein, is suitable for use in the present invention.
[0021] Generally, if the temperature used is too low, there will not be a substantial and/or effective amount of modification of the cellulosic fibers that occurs. Also, generally, if the temperature used is too high, a substantial degradation of the cellulosic fibers may occur which will negatively affect the properties exhibited by the treated cellulosic fibers. As such, as a general rule, the cellulosic fibers will be treated at a temperature within the range from about 130° C. to about 250° C., suitably from about 150° C. to about 225° C., more suitably from about 160° C. to about 225° C., and most suitably from about 160° C. to about 200° C.
[0022] Generally, the cellulosic fibers and chemicals will be subjected to an elevated superatmospheric pressure over a time period within the range of from about 0.1 minute to about 30 minutes, beneficially from about 0.5 minute to about 20 minutes, and suitably from about 1 minute to about 10 minutes. In general, the higher the temperature employed, the shorter the period of time generally necessary to achieve a desired degree of modification of the cellulosic fibers. As such, it maybe possible to achieve essentially equivalent amounts of modification for different cellulosic fiber samples by using different combinations of high temperatures and times.
[0023] Generally, if the pressure used is too low, there will not be a substantial and/or effective amount of modification of the cellulosic fibers that occurs. Also, generally, if the pressure used is too high, a substantial degradation of the cellulosic fibers may occur which will negatively affect the properties exhibited by the crosslinked cellulosic fibers. As such, as a general rule, the cellulosic fibers will be treated at a pressure that is superatmospheric (i.e. above normal atmospheric pressure), within the range from about 40 to about 405 pounds per square inch, suitably from about 40 to about 230 pounds per square inch, and more suitably from about 90 to about 230 pounds per square inch.
[0024] After steam cooking the cellulosic fibers, the pressure is released and the cellulosic fibers are exploded into a release vessel. The steam explosion process generally causes the cellulosic fibers to become modified. Without intending to be bound hereby, it is believed that the steam explosion process causes the cellulosic fibers to undergo a curling phenomenon. The steam exploded cellulosic fibers, in addition to being modified, have been discovered to exhibit improved properties that make such steam exploded cellulosic fibers suitable for use in liquid absorption or liquid handling applications.
[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cellulosic fibers will be considered to be effectively treated by the steam explosion process when the cellulosic fibers exhibit a Wet Curl Index (hereinafter defined) of about 0.2 or greater, more specifically from about 0.2 to about 0.4, more specifically from about 0.2 to about 0.35, more specifically from about 0.22 to about 0.33, and more specifically from about 0.25 to about 0.33. In contrast, cellulosic fibers that have not been treated generally exhibit a Wet Curl Index that is less than about 0.2.
[0026] After the cellulosic fibers have been effectively steam exploded, the treated cellulosic fibers are suitable for use in a wide variety of applications. However, depending on the use intended for the treated cellulosic fibers, such treated cellulosic fibers may be washed with water. If any additional processing procedures are planned because of the specific use for which the treated cellulosic fibers are intended, other recovery and post- treatment steps are also well known.
[0027] The cellulosic fibers treated according to the process of the present invention are suited for use in disposable absorbent products such as diapers, adult incontinent products, and bed pads; in catamenial devices such as sanitary napkins, and tampons; other absorbent products such as wipes, bibs, wound dressings, and surgical capes or drapes; and tissue-based products such as facial or bathroom tissues, household towels, wipes and related products.
Test Procedures
[0028] Wet Curl Index
[0029] The curl of a fiber may be quantified by a measuring the fractional shortening of a fiber due to kink, twists, and/or bends in the fiber. For the purposes of this invention, a fiber's curl value is measured in terms of a two dimensional plane, determined by viewing the fiber in a two dimensional plane. To determine the curl value of a fiber, the projected length of a fiber, “L 1 ”, which is the longest dimension of a two-dimensional rectangle encompassing the fiber, and the actual length of the fiber, “L”, are both measured. An image analysis method may be used to measure L and L 1 . A suitable image analysis method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,642, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The curl value of a fiber can then be calculated from the following equation:
curl value=( L/L 1 )−L 1 .
[0030] Depending on the nature of the curl of a cellulosic fiber, the curl may be stable when the cellulosic fiber is dry but may be unstable when the cellulosic fiber is wet. The cellulosic fibers prepared according to the process of the present invention have been found to exhibit a substantially stable fiber curl when wet. This property of the cellulosic fibers may be quantified by a Wet Curl Index value, as measured according to the test method described herein, which is a length-weighted mean average of the curl value for a designated number of fibers, such as about 4000 fibers, from a fiber sample. As such, the Wet Curl Index is the summation of the individual wet curl values for each fiber multiplied by the fiber's actual length, L, and divided by the summation of the actual lengths of the fibers. It is hereby noted that the Wet Curl Index, as determined herein, is calculated by only using the necessary values for those fibers with a length of greater than about 0.4 millimeter.
[0031] The Wet Curl Index for fibers is determined by using an instrument which rapidly, accurately, and automatically determines the quality of fibers, the instrument being available from OpTest Equipment Inc., Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada, under the designation Fiber Quality Analyzer, OpTest Product Code DA93. Specifically, a sample of dried cellulosic fibers to be measured is poured into a 600 milliliter plastic sample beaker to be used in the Fiber Quality Analyzer. The fiber sample in the beaker is diluted with tap water until the fiber concentration in the beaker is about 10 to about 25 fibers per second for evaluation by the Fiber Quality Analyzer.
[0032] An empty plastic sample beaker is filled with tap water and placed in the Fiber Quality Analyzer test chamber. The <System Check> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer is then pushed. If the plastic sample beaker filled with tap water is properly placed in the test chamber, the <OK> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer is then pushed. The Fiber Quality Analyzer then performs a self-test. If a warning is not displayed on the screen after the self-test, the machine is ready to test the fiber sample.
[0033] The plastic sample beaker filled with tap water is removed from the test chamber and replaced with the fiber sample beaker. The <Measure> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer is then pushed. The <New Measurement> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer is then pushed. An identification of the fiber sample is then typed into the Fiber Quality Analyzer. The <OK> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer is then pushed. The <Options> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer is then pushed. The fiber count is set at 4,000. The parameters of scaling of a graph to be printed out may be set automatically or to desired values. The <Previous> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer is then pushed. The <Start> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer is then pushed. If the fiber sample beaker was properly placed in the test chamber, the <OK> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer is then pushed. The Fiber Quality Analyzer then begins testing and displays the fibers passing through the flow cell. The Fiber Quality Analyzer also displays the fiber frequency passing through the flow cell, which should be about 10 to about 25 fibers per second. If the fiber frequency is outside of this range, the <Stop> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer should be pushed and the fiber sample should be diluted or have more fibers added to bring the fiber frequency within the desired range. If the fiber frequency is sufficient, the Fiber Quality Analyzer tests the fiber sample until it has reached a count of 4000 fibers, at which time the Fiber Quality Analyzer automatically stops. The <Results> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer is then pushed. The Fiber Quality Analyzer calculates the Wet Curt value of the fiber sample, which prints out by pushing the <Done> button of the Fiber Quality Analyzer.
[0034] Preparation of Wet-Laid Handsheet
[0035] A) Handsheet Forming:
[0036] A 7½ inch by 7½ inch handsheet has a basis weight of about 60 grams per square meter and was prepared using a Valley Handsheet mold, 8×8 inches. The sheet mold forming wire is a 90×90 mesh, stainless steel wire cloth, with a wire diameter of 0.0055 inches. The backing wire is a 14″×14″ mesh with a wire diameter of 0.021 inches, plain weave bronze. Taking a sufficient quantity of the thoroughly mixed stock to produce a handsheet of about 60 grams per square meter. Clamp the stock container of the sheet mold in position on the wire and allow several inches of water to rise above the wire. Add the measured stock and then fill the mold with water up to a mark of 6 inches above the wire. Insert the perforated mixing plate into the mixture in the mold and slowly move it down and up 7 times. Immediately open the water leg drain valve. When the water and stock mixture drains down to and disappears from the wire, close the drain valve. Raise the cover of the sheet mold. Carefully place a clean, dry blotter on the formed fibers. Place the dry couch roll at the front edge of the blotter. The fibers adhering to the blotter, are couched off the wire by one passage of the couching roll, without pressure, from front to back of wire.
[0037] B) Handsheet Pressing:
[0038] Place the blotter with the fiber mat adhering to it in the hydraulic press, handsheet up, on top of tow used, re-dried blotters. Two new blotters are placed on top of the handsheet. Close the press, clamp it and apply pressure to give a gauge reading that will produce 75 PSI on the area of the blotter affected by the press. Maintain this pressure for exactly one minute. Release the pressure on the press, open the press and remove the handsheet.
[0039] C) Handsheet Drying:
[0040] Place the handsheet on the polished surface of the sheet dryer (Valley Steam hot plate). Carefully lower the canvas cover over the sheet and fasten the 131 b . dead weight to the lead filled brass tube. Allow the sheet to dry for 2 minutes. The surface temperature, with cover removed, should average 100.5 plus or minus 1 degree C. Remove the sheet from the dryer and trim to the 7½ inch×7½ inch. Weigh the sheet immediately.
[0041] Testing of Handsheets
[0042] Handsheets shall all be tested at the standard 50% humidity and 73 degree F temperature basis.
[0043] Bulk
[0044] The Bulk of the handsheets is determined according to TAPPI (Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry) test method (T220 om-88).
[0045] Brightness
[0046] The Brightness of the handsheets is determined in accordance with TAPPI test method T525 om-92.
[0047] Tensile Index
[0048] The Tensile Index of the handsheets is determined in accordance with TAPPI (Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry) test method (T220 om-88).
[0049] Dry Tensile Strength
[0050] The Dry Tensile Strength is determined by in accordance with TAPPI test method T220 om-88, but reported in the unit of grams/in.
[0051] Wet Tensile Strength
[0052] The Wet Tensile Strength is determined by the same procedures for dry tensile strength test as described above, but with the following modifications:
[0053] 1. Pour distilled water to about {fraction (1/2)}- ¾ inch depth in the container. Maintain this depth when testing numerous specimens.
[0054] 2. When testing handsheets, from an open loop by holding each end of the test strip and carefully lowering the specimen until the lowermost curve of the loop touches the surface of the water without allowing the inner side of the loop to come together.
[0055] 3. Touch the lowermost point of the curve on the handsheet to the surface of the distilled water in such a way that the wetted area on the inside of the loop extends at least 1 inch and not more than 1.5 inches lengthwise on the strip and is uniformed across the width of the strip. Do not wet the strip twice. Do not allow the opposite sides of the loop to touch each other or the sides of the container.
[0056] 4. Remove the excess water from the test specimen by touching the wetted area to a blotter. Blot the specimen only once. Blotting more than once will cause fiber damage and too much moisture to be removed.
[0057] 5. To avoid excess wicking, immediately insert the test specimen into the tensile tester so the jaws are clamped to the dry areas of the strip with the wet area about midway between the jaws. +
EXAMPLES
Example 1
[0058] (Prior Art).
[0059] A dried northern softwood kraft pulp (available from Kimberly-Clark Corporation under the designation LL-19) was made into a slurry and dewatering to form a mixture having a consistency of about 30% weight percent cellulosic fibers with a laboratory centrifuge. The said fibers were dried to 75% consistency using an oven set at 50 degree C. Samples of about 200 grams, based on a dry basis of cellulosic fibers, were added to a laboratory steam explosion reactor, available from Stake Tech., Canada. The reactor had a capacity of 2 liters. After closing the top valve, saturate steam at 200 degree C. was injected into the reactor. The pulp fibers were directly contacted with the steam for 2 minutes. The cellulosic fibers were then explosively decompressed and discharged to a container by opening the bottom valve. The steam-exploded fibers were collected for evaluation.
[0060] The cellulosic fiber samples of steam-explosion treated fibers and untreated control fiber samples were formed into handsheet according to procedure described herein and the formed handsheets were evaluated for Bulk and Tensile Index. The Wet Curl Index of the steam-explosion treated and untreated fibers were also measured. The results of these evaluations are summarized in Table 1.
TABLE 1 Bulk Tensile Index Wet Curl (cm^ 3/gram) (Nm/grams) Brightness Index control 2.39 20.97 88.6 0.11 Steam- 2.73 12.87 84.4 0.22 explosion treated
[0061] This example demonstrates that the conventional steam explosion treatment increases bulk, decreases tensile strength and decreases brightness.
Example 2
[0062] (Invention).
[0063] A wet lap of de-ink fibers (available from Ponderosa Recycle Fiber) was dried to 80% consistency using an oven set at 80 degree C. Samples of about 200 grams, based on a dry basis of cellulosic fibers, were mixed with 0.5% peroxide (H2O2) and 0.2% caustic soda (NaOH) [based on a dry basis of fibers] and resulting a mixture of fibers and chemicals at 50% consistency. The said mixture was added to a laboratory steam explosion reactor, available from Stake Tech., Canada. The reactor had a capacity of 2 liters. After closing the top valve, saturate steam at 200 degree C. was injected into the reactor. The pulp fibers were directly contacted with the steam for 2 minutes. The cellulosic fibers were then explosively decompressed and discharged to a container by opening the bottom valve. The steam-exploded fibers were collected for evaluation.
[0064] Additional samples mixtures having peroxide addition from 1% to 3% and caustic soda addition from 0.4% to 0.8%were prepared.
[0065] The cellulosic fiber samples of steam-explosion treated fibers and untreated control fiber samples were formed into handsheet according to procedure described herein and the formed handsheets were evaluated for Bulk and Tensile Index. The results of these evaluations are summarized in Table 2.
TABLE 2 Steam Steam Steam Steam explosion explosion explosion explosion Steam with with with with control explosion chemicals chemicals chemicals chemicals Peroxide, 0 0 0.5 1 2 3 % Caustic 0 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 Soda, % Bulk, 2.23 2.47 2.38 2.39 2.37 2.39 (cm^ 3/g) Tensile 32.01 22.72 28.33 23.94 22.79 23.83 Index, (NM/g) Brightness 81.93 72.7 80.35 80.75 80.06 80.47
[0066] This example shows reduced brightness reduction.
Example 3
[0067] (Invention).
[0068] A wet lap of de-ink fibers (available from Ponderosa Recycle Fiber) were mixed with 2% and 4% boric acid, based on a dry basis of fibers, and resulting a mixture of fibers and chemicals at 30% consistency. Samples of about 200 grams, based on a dry basis of cellulosic fibers, Then the said mixture was added to a laboratory steam explosion reactor, available from Stake Tech., Canada. The reactor had a capacity of 2 liters. After closing the top valve, saturate steam at 200 degree C. was injected into the reactor. The pulp fibers were directly contacted with the steam for 4 minutes. The cellulosic fibers were then explosively decompressed and discharged to a container by opening the bottom valve. The steam-exploded fibers were collected for evaluation. The results are summarized in Table 3.
TABLE 3 Code 1 Code 2 Code 3 Code 3 Steam No (as control) yes Yes yes explosion Boric acid, % 0 0 2 4 Brightness, % 84.94 78.49 81.3 81.05
[0069] This example shows improved brightness with the addition of boric acid compared to the steam-exploded sample without boric acid addition.
Example 4
[0070] (Invention).
[0071] A dried northern softwood kraft pulp (available from Kimberly-Clark Corporation under the designation LL-19) was made into a slurry and dewatering to form a mixture having a consistency of about 30% weight percent cellulosic fibers with a laboratory centrifuge. Samples of about 200 grams, based on a dry basis of cellulosic fibers, were mixed with 8.6% monochloroacetic acid sodium salt and 2.2% caustic soda [based on a dry basis of fibers] and resulting a mixture of fibers and chemicals at 20% consistency. The mixture was retained in a container for 2 hours at room temperature. Then the said mixture was added to a laboratory steam explosion reactor, available from Stake Tech., Canada. The reactor had a capacity of 2 liters. After closing the top valve, saturate steam at 160 degree C. was injected into the reactor. The pulp fibers were directly contacted with the steam for 2 minutes. The cellulosic fibers were then explosively decompressed and discharged to a container by opening the bottom valve. The steam-exploded fibers were collected for evaluation. One percent of Kymene (wet strength agent available from Hercules Corp.) based on dry weight of fiber was added to the fiber before handsheets were made. The results are summarized in Table 4.
TABLE 4 Control* Code 1 Code 2 Code 3 Code 4 Code 4 Code 5 NaOH 0 2.2 3 4.4 5.9 6.7 8.9 ClCH2C 0 8.6 8.6 17.2 17.2 25.8 25.8 OONa Bulk 2.25 2.84 2.84 2.88 2.84 2.8 2.8 (cm 3/g) Dry 4754 4716 4488 4772 4732 4870 5028 Tensile strength, (g/in) Wet 1179 1396 1431 1422 1410 1534 1604 Tensile strength, (g/in) Ratio of 24.8 29.6 31.9 29.8 31.2 31.5 31.9 Wet/Dry tensile, %
[0072] This example shows maintenance of strength and increased bulk, as well as an increase in the ratio of the Wet Tensile Strength to the Dry Tensile Strength.
[0073] The foregoing examples, given for purposes of illustration, are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention which is defined by the following claims and all equivalents thereto. +
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Virgin fibers or de-inked recycled fibers modified by steam explosion in the presence of certain chemicals are able to form handsheets with higher bulk while substantially retaining strength and brightness.
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RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of prior U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/783,711 filed Mar. 17, 2006, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to closed loop MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) techniques, more specifically closed loop MIMO techniques involving pre-coding.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Closed-loop MIMO aims to significantly improve throughput and reliability of nomadic user equipment (UEs).
[0004] Pre-coding is proposed in UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) LTE (Long Term Evolution) as one of the main approaches for closed-loop MIMO. Systems that employ pre-coding multiply a data symbol vector s containing one element per transmit antenna by a pre-coding matrix F prior to transmission. The received signal is defined by r=HFs+n, where H is the channel matrix, and n noise. For a system with two transmit antennas and two receive antennas, r, s, n are vectors with two elements each, H is a 2×2 matrix, and F is a 2×2 matrix. The pre-coding matrix F is chosen from a group of predefined matrixes that is called a codebook {F}. In some cases the receiver tells the transmitter which pre-coding matrix to use. For FDD (frequency division duplex) air interfaces the information identifying a pre-coding matrix may be fed back through either channel sounding approaches or codebook index approaches. TDD (time division systems) may also use the codebook based approach. A detailed example of an approach to pre-coding for MIMO transmission is described in D. J. Love, et al, “Limited Feedback Unitary Pre-coding for Spatial Multiplexing Systems”, IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, vol. 51, no. 8, pp. 2967-2976, August 2005.
[0005] Codebook index feedback involves the receiver signalling to the transmitter an index of which pre-coding matrix to use (so-called codeword index). There are a plurality of indexes each corresponding to a respective pre-coding matrix. One problem, however, is that codebook index feedback approaches use a large amount of uplink radio resources.
[0006] Another problem occurs for common pilot based pre-coding schemes. In a common pilot based scheme, the pilots are not pre-coded, and hence have different channel matrices from the data. If the receiver knows the pre-coding matrices used by the transmitter in such scenarios, it can reconstruct the channel matrix with pre-coding effects. When the data channel matrix can be correctly reconstructed, data can be correctly decoded. If, however, the receiver uses a different pre-coding matrix from the transmitter, the constructed effective data channel matrix will be wrong. As a result detected data will be useless due to incorrect channel references. In this case the incorrectly detected data cannot be used for H-ARQ purposes either.
[0007] An example of the common pilot approach is shown in FIG. 1 for a two transmit antenna case. In FIG. 1 (and other Figures described below), the horizontal axis 210 is frequency (OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) sub-carriers) and the vertical axis 212 is time (OFDM symbols). Each small circle represents a transmission on a particular sub-carrier over a particular OFDM symbol duration. In locations 214 , pilots are transmitted by a first transmit antenna Tx-1, and in locations 216 , pilots are transmitted by a second transmit antenna Tx-2. Remaining locations are available for data transmission by both antennas. In the illustrated example, data includes pre-coded data 218 for a first UE (UE-1), and pre-coded data 220 for a second UE (UE-2). Typically, the pre-coding applied for pre-coded data 218 will be different from that applied for pre-coded data 220 . With the common pilot approach, the same pilots are used for both UEs and hence they cannot be pre-coded.
[0008] In some existing approaches, the codeword index is fed back in a differential manner. In other words the difference between a current index and a previous index is fed back rather than the codeword index per se. Another problem with common pilot based closed-loop MIMO schemes relates to errors that occur in the transmission of the differential codeword index. Closed-loop MIMO is typically intended for nomadic UEs for whom channel conditions will not change very quickly. For each given currently used pre-coding matrix, a small subset of possible next codewords is defined, for example those that would most likely be selected from the full set due to slow channel variation. This subset of codewords can be determined in several ways, such as spatial correlation and matrix correlation. If an index associated with this subset is fed back rather than an index from the entire set of codewords, fewer bits are needed. However, if a feedback error occurs the transmitter will keep using the wrong subsets for subsequent pre-coding updates. That is to say feedback error propagates in differential codeword index feedback. Consider the following example. Suppose that the transmitter and receiver are synchronized at the beginning, and both use codeword V 0 . Now with the differential codebook index feedback, the new codeword would be V 1 , which is in the small differential codebook associated with V 0 . Since an error occurred, the transmitter thinks that it should use V 0 , which is also from the small codebook associated with V 0 . For the next feedback, the receiver will feed back a differential index associated with V 1 , but the transmitter will get the new codeword from the differential codebook associated with V 2 , and this goes on and on. This is how error gets propagated.
[0009] To address this error propagation problem, it has been proposed to periodically reset by transmitting a whole codeword index to correct possible feedback errors. However, this raises more problems than it solves. To begin, the whole codeword can be wrong, and hence error propagates. The resetting is a random process: the reset can begin despite no errors occurring, and may not be done when an error does occur. To, make the probability of error propagation low, a large number of resets is required and this quickly diminishes the benefit of differential codeword index feedback. To completely eliminate error propagation, a reset is performed each time, in which case it will cease to be a differential index feedback approach.
[0010] Dedicated pilot based schemes suffer shortcomings as well. In a dedicated pilot based scheme, pilots can be pre-coded, and hence have the same channel matrices as data. One problem, however, is that since each UE trying to communicate with a base transceiver station (BTS) does not know what pre-coding matrix is being used by other UEs, the UE is unable to monitor the channel. More specifically, they do not know which pre-coding matrix is being used, do not know the rank of the current channel, cannot estimate per-layer based signal to interference noise ratio (SINR), and are unable to do channel dependent scheduling, to name a few examples.
[0011] An example of the dedicated pilot approach is shown in FIG. 2 for a two transmit antenna case. In locations 222 , 224 , dedicated pilots specific to the first UE are transmitted by a first transmit antenna Tx-1 and second antenna Tx-2 respectively. In locations 226 , 228 , dedicated pilots specific to the second UE are transmitted by a first transmit antenna Tx-1 and second antenna Tx-2 respectively. Remaining locations are available for data transmission by both antennas. In the illustrated example, data includes pre-coded data 230 for a first UE (UE-1), and pre-coded data 232 for a second UE (UE-2). Typically, the pre-coding applied for pre-coded data 230 will be different from that applied for pre-coded data 230 . With the dedicated pilot approach, different pilots are used for each UE in the sense that they are pre-coded using the same pre-coding matrix as used for the data for each user.
[0012] Since both pilot and data go through the same channel, a dedicated pilot scheme is more resilient to codeword index feedback error than common pilot based schemes. Feedback causes performance degradation, but the decoded data can still be used for H-ARQ.
[0013] As indicated above, for dedicated pilot based approaches differential feedback error propagates, but the consequences are less severe than in the common pilot case for the UE of interest. However, some of the benefit of pre-coding with all the uplink feedback is lost. Since now the pre-coding matrix is wrong, which is equivalent to a random matrix, HF will have the same properties as H. This means pre-coding is equivalent to no pre-coding, and hence the benefit is lost. When the pre-coding matrix becomes random, the system behaves like an open loop system. Finally, a wrong per-layer based power allocation can further hamper system performance.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0014] According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of transmitting comprising: pre-coding each of at least two data symbols using a respective pre-coding codeword to produce a corresponding plurality of pre-coded data symbols; transmitting a respective signal from each of a plurality of antennas, the respective signal comprising one of the pre-coded signals and at least one pilot for use in channel estimation; the signals collectively further comprising at least one beacon pilot vector consisting of a respective beacon pilot per antenna, the beacon pilot vector containing contents known to a receiver for use by the receiver in determining the codeword used to pre-code the at least one data signal.
[0015] In some embodiments, each transmitted signal is an OFDM signal, and wherein for each antenna the respective signal comprises a null in each sub-carrier and time location used to transmit the at least one pilot in the respective signal of each other antenna.
[0016] In some embodiments, the method further comprises pre-coding the pilots for use in channel estimation for transmission; wherein the at least one beacon pilot vector is transmitted without pre-coding.
[0017] In some embodiments, the pilots for use in channel estimation are transmitted without pre-coding; the at least one beacon pilot vector is transmitted with pre-coding.
[0018] In some embodiments, the method further comprises receiving feedback indicating which pre-coding codeword to use.
[0019] In some embodiments, the feedback comprises a differential codeword index.
[0020] In some embodiments, the method comprises transmitting to a plurality of receivers with frequency division duplex (FDD) or time division duplex (TDD) separation between content of different receivers; wherein pre-coding comprises using a respective pre-coding codeword for each receiver; the at least one pilot comprises a respective at least one pilot dedicated to each receiver that is pre-coded using the same codeword as the data for that receiver.
[0021] In some embodiments, the method comprises transmitting to a plurality of receivers with FDD or TDD separation between content of different receivers; wherein pre-coding comprises using a respective pre-coding codeword for each receiver; the at least one pilot comprise pilots that are for use by all receivers.
[0022] In some embodiments, the method is performed for each of a plurality of FDD or TDD MIMO radio resources.
[0023] In some embodiments, the FDD or TDD MIMO radio resources are OFDM resources.
[0024] In some embodiments, said FDD or TDD MIMO radio resource is single carrier based.
[0025] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of receiving comprising: receiving a MIMO signal containing data symbols pre-coded with a codeword, the MIMO signal including pilots, and including at least one beacon pilot vector containing contents known to a receiver, each beacon pilot vector containing one symbol from each transmit antenna; processing the at least one beacon pilot vector to determine which codeword was used to pre-code the data symbols.
[0026] In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining if the determined codeword was a codeword expected to be used.
[0027] In some embodiments, the method further comprises comparing the determined codeword with an expected codeword; if there is a match between the determined codeword and the expected codeword, determining there is no error in codeword feedback, and performing decoding.
[0028] In some embodiments, the pilots are not pre-coded and the at least one beacon pilot vector is pre-coded, and wherein processing the at least one beacon pilot vector to determine which codeword was used to pre-code the data comprises: performing channel estimation using the pilots to produce channel estimates; using the known contents of the at least one beacon pilot vector, and the channel estimates to determine which codeword was used.
[0029] In some embodiments, the pilots are also pre-coded and the at least one beacon pilot vector is not pre-coded, and wherein processing at least one beacon pilot vector to determine which codeword was used to pre-code the data comprises: performing channel estimation using the pre-coded pilots to produce channel estimates; using the known contents of the at least one beacon pilot vector, and the channel estimates to determine which codeword was used.
[0030] In some embodiments, the method further comprises transmitting feedback indicating which codeword to use.
[0031] In some embodiments, the method further comprises comparing the determined codeword with the codeword indicated by the feedback to determine if there has been a pre-coding codeword feedback error.
[0032] In some embodiments, the feedback comprises a differential codeword index.
[0033] In some embodiments, the method further comprises tracking a channel of other receivers by processing the at least one un-precoded beacon pilot vector and pre-coded pilots of other receivers.
[0034] In some embodiments, the method further comprises upon detecting that there is no pre-coding codeword feedback error, using received data for H-ARQ purposes; upon detecting that there is a pre-coding codeword feedback error, using the determined codeword in place of the codeword indicated by the feedback.
[0035] In some embodiments, transmitting the differential codeword feedback based on the codeword determined using the at least one beacon pilot vector.
[0036] In some embodiments, the method comprises in a transmitter, executing the method of transmitting as described in embodiments above; in a receiver: receiving a MIMO signal containing data symbols pre-coded with a codeword, the MIMO signal including pilots, and including at least one beacon pilot vector containing contents known to a receiver, each beacon pilot vector containing one symbol from each transmit antenna; processing the at least one beacon pilot vector to determine which codeword was used to pre-code the data symbols.
[0037] According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a transmitter that executes methods of transmitting a described above.
[0038] According to yet a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a receiver that executes methods of receiving as described above.
[0039] According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method comprising: provisioning a frequency division duplex MIMO radio resource for facilitating detection of feedback errors; where said resource includes at least one pilot for each transmit antenna; and where said provisioning includes pre-coding a known signal vector when said pilots are not pre-coded.
[0040] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a system comprising: a controller operable to: provision a frequency division duplex MIMO radio resource for facilitating detection of feedback errors; where said resource includes at least one pilot for each transmit antenna; and where said controller is further operable to pre-code a known signal vector when said pilots are not pre-coded.
[0041] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a system comprising: a controller operable to: provision a frequency division duplex MIMO radio resource for facilitating detection of feedback errors; where said resource includes at least one pilot for each transmit antenna; and where said controller is further operable to provision a non-pre-coded known signal vectors when said pilots are pre-coded.
[0042] In some embodiments, said FDD MIMO radio resource is OFDM based.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0043] Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings in which:
[0044] FIG. 1 is an OFDM signal layout diagram for transmit signals that include common pilots;
[0045] FIG. 2 is an OFDM signal layout diagram for OFDM signals containing dedicated pilots;
[0046] FIG. 3 is an OFDM signal layout diagram for an OFDM signal containing common pilots and pre-coded beacon pilots;
[0047] FIG. 4 is an example of equations for performing a pre-coding check;
[0048] FIG. 5 is an OFDM signal layout diagram showing an OFDM signal with dedicated pilots and non-pre-coded beacon pilots;
[0049] FIG. 6 is an example of equations for performing a pre-coding codeword check;
[0050] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a cellular communication system;
[0051] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example base station that might be used to implement some embodiments of the present invention;
[0052] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an example wireless terminal that might be used to implement some embodiments of the present invention;
[0053] FIGS. 10A and 10B are block diagrams of a logical breakdown of example OFDM transmitter architectures that might be used to implement some embodiments of the present invention; and
[0054] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a logical breakdown of an example OFDM receiver architecture that might be used to implement some embodiments of the present invention.
[0055] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an example OFDM receiver architecture.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0056] In accordance with embodiments of the invention various closed-loop MIMO systems and methods that may involve pre-coding index feedback are described. Specifically the embodiments presented below are intended for use in future 3GPP, 3GPP2 and IEEE 802.16 based wireless standards. The broader inventions set out in the summary, however, are not limited in this regard. Furthermore, while embodiments of the invention are described in the context of an OFDM air interface, the broader concepts are not limited in this regard and are equally applicable to other air interfaces such as the single carrier uplink air interface used for UMTS LTE, or any other FDD air interface adopting a frequency domain MIMO detection approach.
Common Pilot Embodiment
[0057] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a closed-loop MI MO scheme is provided that uses common pilots in which “beacon pilot vectors” are introduced to enable a receiver to determine a pre-coding codeword used at the transmitter, for example to enable a pre-coding codeword check. Details of such a pre-coding check are provided below. Practically speaking this check can occur nearly instantaneously. For purposes of the common pilot scheme, the beacon pilot vectors are pre-coded whereas the common pilots are not.
[0058] Referring now to the detailed example of FIG. 3 , the frequency axis is indicated at 210 and the time axis is indicated at 212 . The figure uses a shorthand notation to show what is transmitted on two different antennas. In locations 240 , common pilots are transmitted by a first transmit antenna Tx-1, and in locations 241 , common pilots are transmitted by a second transmit antenna Tx-2. In the locations used for pilots by one antenna, nulls are transmitted on the other antenna. In each location 246 , a beacon pilot vector for UE-1 is transmitted, and in each location 248 , a beacon pilot vector for UE-2 is transmitted. Each beacon pilot vector location includes a vector with one element per antenna transmitted simultaneously on the same sub-carrier frequency. This is contrast to the other pilot locations, in which one pilot signal is transmitted at a given time on a given sub-carrier frequency on one antenna with other antennas transmitting nulls. Remaining locations are available for data to be transmitted by both antennas. In the illustrated example, data includes pre-coded data 242 for a first UE (UE-1), and pre-coded data 244 for a second UE (UE-2). Typically, the pre-coding applied for pre-coded data 242 will be different from that applied for pre-coded data 244 . With the common pilot approach, the same pilots are used for both UEs and hence they cannot be pre-coded.
[0059] In the illustrated example, the beacon pilot vectors are embedded within the area used to transmit data for each of two users. The beacon pilot vectors within area 243 are pre-coded with the same pre-coding used for the pre-coded data 242 for UE-1, and the beacon pilot vectors within area 245 are pre-coded with the same pre-coding used for the pre-coded data 244 for UE-2.
[0060] FIG. 3 shows a very specific example in which OFDM resources are used for two different UEs. Of course the number of UEs that can be handled in this manner is implementation specific. The number and location of the pilots for each of the UEs are implementation specific. While the example has focused on a two transmit antenna case, more generally, this is extendable to an N transmit antenna case. In some such embodiments, the pilots include respective pilots for each of the antennas. While groups of two pilots (one for each transmit chain) are shown in FIG. 3 , those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that more than two pilots could be used without departing from the scope of the broader concepts. Similarly, the number and location of beacon pilot vectors shown in FIG. 3 are not limiting. If more beacon pilot vectors are used, additional resources are required though better results may be achieved.
[0061] FIG. 4 shows an example of equations that can be used to determine what codeword was used in the transmitter, for example so as to perform a pre-coding codeword check. The equations pertain to each beacon pilot vector location, where it is assumed that the receiver knows which pre-coding codebook it is expecting to be used for its data. In FIG. 4 , H c represents the channel matrix corresponding to the location of a particular beacon pilot vector. An estimate of this can be derived from common pilots. s is the transmitted beacon pilot vector that includes one component per antenna. V p is the pre-coding matrix, and n is additive noise. V k =,k=1, . . . L is the pre-coding codebook. An expression for the received beacon pilots F beacon — pilot is given by the first equation 250 . The second equation 252 is used to determine which pre-coding matrix was used in the transmitter from a set of L possible pre-coding matrices. Specifically, the expression inside the “argmin” operator in the right hand side of Equation 252 is evaluated for each of the L pre-coding matrices and the pre-coding matrix V p that results in the minimum of this value is identified. Assuming this matches what the receiver is expecting, then the pre-coding codeword check succeeds. If this does not match what the receiver is expecting, then there is an error.
[0062] The approach described above is applied for each of the UE, to independently verify the respective pre-coding matrix used. Each UE needs to verify all the pre-coding matrices intended for it. Note that a TIE can have several pre-coding matrices, due to channel differences in its occupied bandwidth.
[0063] Multiple beacon pilot vectors within a feedback period can be used jointly for the pre-coding codeword check purposes. However, a minimum of one beacon pilot in a given feedback period is needed.
[0064] Where content for multiple users is contained in received signals, the pre-coding codeword check described above is performed at each receiver.
Dedicated Pilot Embodiment
[0065] In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a closed-loop MIMO scheme using dedicated pilots is provided in which beacon pilot vectors are introduced to enable a pre-coding codeword check. For purposes of the dedicated pilot scenario, the beacon pilot vectors are not pre-coded and the pilots are pre-coded. This enables discernment of the pre-coding being used by the transmitter.
[0066] Referring now to the detailed example of FIG. 5 , in locations 260 , 262 , dedicated pilots are transmitted by a first transmit antenna Tx-1 and a second antenna Tx-2 respectively that are specific to a first UE. In locations 264 , 266 , dedicated pilots are transmitted by the first transmit antenna Tx-1 and the second antenna Tx-2 respectively that are specific to a second UE. In locations 272 , beacon pilot vectors are transmitted. As in the previous example, the beacon pilot vectors in a given location consist of a vector with one element per antenna. Remaining locations are available for data to be transmitted by both antennas. In the illustrated example, data includes pre-coded data 268 for the first UE, and pre-coded data 270 for the second UE. Typically, the pre-coding applied for pre-coded data 268 will be different from that applied for pre-coded data 270 . With the dedicated pilot approach, different pilots are used for each UE in the sense that they are pre-coded using the same pre-coding matrix as used for the data for each user. More specifically, the dedicated pilots 260 , 262 that are embedded within the area 261 used to transmit pre-coded data 268 for UE 1 are pre-coded with the same pre-coding as was used for the pre-coded data 268 . Similarly, the dedicated pilots 264 , 266 for the second UE are located within the area 265 used to transmit pre-coded data 270 to the second UE, and the same pre-coding is applied to both the dedicated pilots and the pre-coded data. No pre-coding is applied to the beacon pilot vectors 272 .
[0067] FIG. 5 shows a very specific example in which OFDM resources are used for two different UEs. Of course the number of UEs that can be handled in this manner is implementation specific. The number and location of the pilots for each of the UEs are implementation specific. While the example has focused on a two transmit antenna case, more generally, this is extendable to an N transmit antenna case. In some such embodiments, the pilots include respective pilots for each of the antennas. While groups of two pilots (one for each transmit chain) are shown in FIG. 5 , those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that more than two pilots could be used without departing from the scope of the broader concepts. Similarly, the number and location of beacon pilot vectors shown in FIG. 5 are not limiting. If more beacon pilot vectors are used, additional resources are required though better results may be achieved.
[0068] FIG. 6 shows an example of a set of equations that can be used to perform a pre-coding check for the example of FIG. 5 , all of which pertain to a particular beacon pilot location. In FIG. 6 , H c represents the channel matrix without pre-coding. “G” is an effective channel matrix including both the effects of the channel (estimated from dedicated pilots) and the pre-coding matrix, and s beacon — pilot is the transmitted beacon pilot vector. The effective channel matrix will thus be different for each user given that different pre-coding has been applied. V p is the pre-coding matrix and n is additive noise. An expression for the received beacon pilot vectors r beacon — pilot is given by the first equation 280 . The second equation 282 gives G as a function of H c and V p and the fourth equation 286 gives H c as a function of V p′ and G. The third equation 284 is used to determine which pre-coding matrix was used in the transmitter from a set of L possible pre-coding matrixes. More specifically, the expression inside the “argmin” operator in Equation 284 is evaluated for each of the possible pre-coding matrices V k , for k=1 to L and the expression that results in the minimum value is selected as {circumflex over (V)} p . Assuming this matches what the receiver is expecting, then the pre-coding codeword check succeeds. If this does not match what the receiver is expecting, then there is an error.
[0069] The approach described above is applied for each of the UE, to independently verify the respective pre-coding matrix used. Each UE needs to verify all the pre-coding matrices intended for it. Note that a UE can have several pre-coding matrices, due to channel differences in its occupied bandwidth.
[0070] Once again multiple beacon pilot vectors within a feedback period can be used jointly for the pre-coding codeword check purposes. However, a minimum of one beacon pilot vector in a given feedback period is needed.
[0071] When estimation noise power is larger than the codeword quantization distances, an estimation error can occur. The larger the distance between codebook entries the smaller the probability of error. Several methods can be employed to make detection more reliable:
use more than one beacon pilot vector for each user (for each sub-band for the example of FIG. 5 ); track the codeword error—if the same wrong codeword is detected twice, then it is safe to assume that this specific codeword was used as an earlier pre-coding codeword; or when in doubt, use the whole index feedback approach.
[0075] With the dedicated pilot approach, other UEs in the system can track the channel by looking at the dedicated pilots and the unpre-coded beacons so that they can use proper closed-loop schemes and be scheduled properly. Since other UEs do not know V p , they cannot track the channel used by pre-coding. This makes scheduling difficult, because a scheduler has no way to know in advance which UE this resource should be allocated to. To solve this problem, the other UEs can examine the non-pre-coded beacon pilot vectors. Since the number of codewords is limited, this provides an efficient way for channel tracking.
[0076] Denoting s pilot as a known pilot vector, then the received signal on that particular pilot tone is given by
[0000]
r
pilot
=H
c
s
pilot
+ n
[0000] From dedicated pilots, we have G=H c V p . Let {V k ,k=1, . . . , L} be the pre-coding codebook; then the pre-coding codeword V p used by the BTS can be estimated as
[0000]
V
^
p
=
argmin
k
=
1
,
…
,
L
r
_
?
-
GV
k
′
s
_
?
2
?
indicates text missing or illegible when filed
[0000] where we assume that a channel matrix is U c D c V c′ in its SVD form. After knowing V p , a UE will be able to estimate the current channel easily by computing
[0000]
Ĥ
c
=Ĝ{circumflex over (V)}
p
[0077] With both the dedicated pilot and common pilot embodiments described above feedback errors can be detected very quickly. If a received packet is still in error but the packet data error was not caused by pre-coding codeword feedback error, the received data can be used for H-ARQ purposes. In the dedicated pilot case, even when pre-coding feedback is wrong, the received data can still be used for H-ARQ purpose. The reason is that with dedicated pilots, the pilot channel is the same as the data channel, and hence the reference is still correct for coherent detection. In the common pilot case, when pre-coding feedback is wrong, and if the receiver does not know what pre-coding matrix is being used by the transmitter, the data channel cannot be correctly reconstructed. In this case the received data will need to be discarded. However, when a feedback error occurs, if the pre-coding matrix used by the transmitter can be detected successfully notwithstanding the error, then the data channel can still be correctly reconstructed. In other words, if the receiver knows what pre-coding matrix is being used by the transmitter, regardless of whether the feedback is correct or wrong, the received data can still be used. Of course, in this case, as explained above, the benefit of pre-coding is reduced.
[0078] In addition, in some embodiments, differential feedback is employed, and the subsequent differential codeword index feedback is based on the codeword currently used by the transmitter (as verified by the check), and this eliminates any error propagation instantly. That is to say, when a codeword feedback error has been determined, the index that was used by the transmitter is known from the check, and the next differential codeword feedback will be based on this index.
[0079] With reference to FIG. 7 , a base station controller (BSC) 10 controls wireless communications within multiple cells 12 , which are served by corresponding base stations (BS) 14 . In general, each base station 14 facilitates communications using OFDM with mobile terminals 16 , which are within the cell 12 associated with the corresponding base station 14 . The movement of the mobile terminals 16 in relation to the base stations 14 results in significant fluctuation in channel conditions. As illustrated, the base stations 14 and mobile terminals 16 may include multiple antennas to provide spatial diversity for communications.
[0080] A high level overview of the mobile terminals 16 and base stations 14 of the present invention is provided prior to delving into the structural and functional details. With reference to FIG. 8 , a base station 14 configured according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The base station 14 generally includes a control system 20 , a baseband processor 22 , transmit circuitry 24 , receive circuitry 26 , multiple antennas 28 , and a network interface 30 . The receive circuitry 26 receives radio frequency signals bearing information from one or more remote transmitters provided by mobile terminals 16 (illustrated in FIG. 9 ). A low noise amplifier and a filter (not shown) may be provided that cooperate to amplify and remove out-of-band interference from the signal for processing. Down conversion and digitization circuitry (not shown) will then down convert the filtered, received signal to an intermediate or baseband frequency signal, which is then digitized into one or more digital streams.
[0081] The baseband processor 22 processes the digitized received signal to extract the information or data bits conveyed in the received signal. This processing typically comprises demodulation, decoding, and error correction operations. As such, the baseband processor 22 is generally implemented in one or more digital signal processors (DSPs) or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The received information is then sent across a wireless network via the network interface 30 or transmitted to another mobile terminal 16 serviced by the base station 14 .
[0082] On the transmit side, the baseband processor 22 receives digitized data, which may represent voice, data, or control information, from the network interface 30 under the control of control system 20 , and encodes the data for transmission. The encoded data is output to the transmit circuitry 24 , where it is modulated by a carrier signal having a desired transmit frequency or frequencies. A power amplifier (not shown) will amplify the modulated carrier signal to a level appropriate for transmission, and deliver the modulated carrier signal to the antennas 28 through a matching network not shown). Modulation and processing details are described in greater detail below.
[0083] With reference to FIG. 9 , a mobile terminal 16 configured according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Similarly to the base station 14 , the mobile terminal 16 will include a control system 32 , a baseband processor 34 , transmit circuitry 36 , receive circuitry 38 , multiple antennas 40 , and user interface circuitry 42 . The receive circuitry 38 receives radio frequency signals bearing information from one or more base stations 14 . Preferably, a low noise amplifier and a filter (not shown) cooperate to amplify and remove out-of-band interference from the signal for processing. Down conversion and digitization circuitry (not shown) will then down convert the filtered, received signal to an intermediate or baseband frequency signal, which, is then digitized into one or more digital streams.
[0084] The baseband processor 34 processes the digitized received signal to extract the information or data bits conveyed in the received signal. This processing typically comprises demodulation, decoding, and error correction operations, as will be discussed on greater detail below. The baseband processor 34 is generally implemented in one or more digital signal processors (DSPs) and application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).
[0085] For transmission, the baseband processor 34 receives digitized data, which may represent voice, data, or control information, from the control system 32 , which it encodes for transmission. The encoded data is output to the transmit circuitry 36 , where it is used by a modulator to modulate a carrier signal that is at a desired transmit frequency or frequencies. A power amplifier (not shown) will amplify the modulated carrier signal to a level appropriate for transmission, and deliver the modulated carrier signal to the antennas 40 through a matching network (not shown). Various modulation and processing techniques available to those skilled in the art are applicable to the present invention.
[0086] In OFDM modulation, the transmission band is divided into multiple, orthogonal carrier waves. Each carrier wave is modulated according to the digital data to be transmitted. Because OFDM divides the transmission band into multiple carriers, the bandwidth per carrier decreases and the modulation time per carrier increases. Since the multiple carriers are transmitted in parallel, the transmission rate for the digital data, or symbols, on any given carrier is lower than when a single carrier is used.
[0087] OFDM modulation requires the performance of an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) on the information to be transmitted. For demodulation, the performance of a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the received signal is required to recover the transmitted information. In practice, the IFFT and FFT are provided by digital signal processing carrying out an Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) and Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT), respectively. Accordingly, the characterizing feature of OFDM modulation is that orthogonal carrier waves are generated for multiple bands within a transmission channel. The modulated signals are digital signals having a relatively low transmission rate and capable of staying within their respective bands. The individual carrier waves are not modulated directly by the digital signals. Instead, all carrier waves are modulated at once by IFFT processing.
[0088] In some embodiments, OFDM is used for at least the downlink transmission from the base stations 14 to the mobile terminals 16 . Each base station 14 is equipped with n transmit antennas 28 , and each mobile terminal 16 is equipped with m receive antennas 40 . Notably, the respective antennas can be used for reception and transmission using appropriate duplexers or switches and are so labeled only for clarity.
[0089] With reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B , a logical OFDM transmission architecture is provided according to one embodiment. FIG. 10A is an example of a dedicated pilot embodiment. FIG. 10B is an example of a common pilot embodiment. In both cases, initially, the base station controller 10 ( FIG. 7 ) will send data to be transmitted to various mobile terminals 16 to the base station 14 . The base station 14 may use the channel quality indicators (CQIs) associated with the mobile terminals to schedule the data for transmission as well as select appropriate coding and modulation for transmitting the scheduled data. The CQIs may be directly from the mobile terminals 16 or determined at the base station 14 based on information provided by the mobile terminals 16 . In either case, the CQI for each mobile terminal 16 is a function of the degree to which the channel amplitude (or response) varies across the OFDM frequency band.
[0090] The scheduled data 44 , which is a stream of bits, is scrambled in a manner reducing the peak-to-average power ratio associated with the data using data scrambling logic 46 . A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for the scrambled data is determined and appended to the scrambled data using CRC adding logic 48 . Next, channel coding is performed using channel encoder logic 50 to effectively add redundancy to the data to facilitate recovery and error correction at the mobile terminal 16 . Again, the channel coding for a particular mobiles terminal 16 is based on the CQI. The channel encoder logic 50 uses known Turbo encoding techniques in one embodiment. The encoded data is then processed by rate matching logic 52 to compensate for the data expansion associated with encoding.
[0091] Bit interleaver logic 54 systematically reorders the bits in the encoded data to minimize the loss of consecutive data bits. The resultant data bits are systematically mapped into corresponding symbols depending on the chosen baseband modulation by mapping logic 56 . Preferably, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) or Quadrature Phase Shift Key (QPSK) modulation is used. The degree of modulation is preferably chosen based on the CQI for the particular mobile terminal. The symbols may be systematically reordered to further bolster the immunity of the transmitted signal to periodic data loss caused by frequency selective fading using symbol interleaver logic 58 .
[0092] At this point, groups of bits have been mapped into symbols representing locations in an amplitude and phase constellation.
[0093] Now referring specifically to FIG. 10A , for the dedicated pilot embodiment, the symbols are processed by S/P, SM layer mapping function 63 which performs serial to parallel (S/P) conversion, and spatial multiplexing (SM) layer mapping. The output of this process is multiplied by the pre-coding matrix multiplier 65 . A pilot sequence 69 is also multiplied by the pre-coding matrix multiplier 65 using the same pre-coding matrix. The output of the pre-coding matrix multiplier 65 is input to pilot and beacon pilot vectors insertion function 67 . Non-pre-coded beacon pilot vectors 71 are also input to the pilot and beacon pilot vectors insertion function 67 . The pilots and beacon pilot vectors and data are then organized into two output streams, one per antenna.
[0094] Now referring specifically to FIG. 10B , for the common pilot embodiment, the symbols are processed by S/P, SM layer mapping function 63 which performs serial to parallel conversion, and spatial multiplexing layer mapping. The output of this process is multiplied by the pre-coding matrix multiplier 73 . Beacon pilot vectors 77 are also multiplied by the pre-coding matrix multiplier 73 using the same pre-coding matrix. The output of the pre-coding matrix multiplier 73 is input to pilot and beacon pilot vectors insertion function 75 . A non-pre-coded pilot sequence 79 is also input to the pilot and beacon pilot vectors insertion function 75 . The pilots and beacon pilot vectors and data are then organized into two output streams, one per antenna.
[0095] Referring again to both FIGS. 10A and 10B , each output stream is sent to a corresponding IFFT processor 62 , illustrated separately for ease of understanding. Those skilled in the art will recognize that one or more processors may be used to provide such digital signal processing, alone or in combination with other processing described herein. The IFFT processors 62 will operate on the respective symbols to provide an inverse Fourier Transform. The output of the IFFT processors 62 provides symbols in the time domain. The time domain symbols are grouped into frames, which are associated with a prefix by prefix insertion logic 64 . Each of the resultant signals is up-converted in the digital domain to an intermediate frequency and converted to an analog signal via the corresponding digital up-conversion (DUC) and digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion circuitry 66 . The resultant (analog) signals are then simultaneously modulated at the desired RF frequency, amplified, and transmitted via the RF circuitry 68 and antennas 28 . Notably, pilot signals known by the intended mobile terminal 16 are scattered among the sub-carriers. The mobile terminal 16 , which is discussed in detail below, will use the pilot signals for channel estimation.
[0096] Reference is now made to FIG. 11 to illustrate reception of the transmitted signals by a mobile terminal 16 . Upon arrival of the transmitted signals at each of the antennas 40 of the mobile terminal 16 , the respective signals are demodulated and amplified by corresponding RF circuitry 70 . For the sake of conciseness and clarity, only one of the two receive paths is described and illustrated in detail. Analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and down-conversion circuitry 72 digitizes and downconverts the analog signal for digital processing. The resultant digitized signal may be used by automatic gain control circuitry (AGC) 74 to control thee gain of the amplifiers in the RF circuitry 70 based on the received signal level.
[0097] Initially, the digitized signal is provided to synchronization logic 76 , which includes coarse synchronization logic 78 , which buffers several OFDM symbols and calculates an auto-correlation between the two successive OFDM symbols. A resultant time index corresponding to the maximum of the correlation result determines a fine synchronization search window, which is used by fine synchronization logic 80 to determine a precise framing starting position based on the headers. The output of the fine synchronization logic 80 facilitates frame acquisition by frame alignment logic 84 . Proper framing alignment is important so that subsequent FFT processing provides an accurate conversion from the time to the frequency domain. The fine synchronization algorithm is based on the correlation between the received pilot signals carried by the headers and a local copy of the known pilot data. Once frame alignment acquisition occurs, the prefix of the OFDM symbol is removed with prefix removal logic 86 and resultant samples are sent to frequency offset correction logic 88 , which compensates for the system frequency offset caused by the unmatched local oscillators in the transmitter and the receiver. Preferably, the synchronization logic 76 includes frequency offset and clock estimation logic 82 , which is based on the headers to help estimate such effects on the transmitted signal and provide those estimations to the correction logic 88 to properly process OFDM symbols.
[0098] At this point, the OFDM symbols in the time domain are ready for conversion to the frequency domain using FFT processing logic 90 . The results are frequency domain symbols, which are sent to processing logic 92 . The processing logic 92 extracts the scattered pilot signal using scattered pilot extraction logic 94 , determines a channel estimate based on the extracted pilot signal using channel estimation logic 96 , and provides channel responses for all sub-carriers using channel reconstruction logic 98 . In order to determine a channel response for each of the sub-carriers, the pilot signal is essentially multiple pilot symbols that are scattered among the data symbols throughout the OFDM sub-carriers in a known pattern in both time and frequency. FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary scattering of pilot symbols among available sub-carriers over a given time and frequency plot in an OFDM environment. Continuing with FIG. 11 , the processing logic compares the received pilot symbols with the pilot symbols that are expected in certain sub-carriers at certain times to determine a channel response for the sub-carriers in which pilot symbols were transmitted. The results are interpolated to estimate a channel response for most, if not all, of the remaining sub-carriers for which pilot symbols were not provided. The actual and interpolated channel responses are used to estimate an overall channel response, which includes the channel responses for most, if not all, of the sub-carriers in the OFDM channel.
[0099] The frequency domain symbols and channel reconstruction information, which are derived from the channel responses for each receive path are provided to an STC decoder 100 , which provides STC decoding on both received paths to recover the transmitted symbols. The channel reconstruction information provides equalization information to the STC decoder 100 sufficient to remove the effects of the transmission channel when processing the respective frequency domain symbols.
[0100] The recovered symbols are placed back in order using symbol de-interleaver logic 102 , which corresponds to the symbol interleaver logic 58 of the transmitter. The de-interleaved symbols are then demodulated or de-mapped to a corresponding bitstream using de-mapping logic 104 . The bits are then de-interleaved using bit de-interleaver logic 106 , which corresponds to the bit interleaver logic 54 of the transmitter architecture. The de-interleaved bits are then processed by rate de-matching logic 108 and presented to channel decoder logic 110 to recover the initially scrambled data and the CRC checksum. Accordingly, CRC logic 112 removes the CRC checksum, checks the scrambled data in traditional fashion, and provides it to the de-scrambling logic 114 for de-scrambling using the known base station de-scrambling code to recover the originally transmitted data 116 .
[0101] FIG. 12 shows a block diagram of receiver components for performing beacon pilot extraction, and pre-coding matrix detection. These components can be added to a receiver such as shown in FIG. 11 , and in fact some components are shown in FIG. 12 that are in common with those of FIG. 11 . The output of FFT 90 is processed by scattered pilot extraction 94 , channel estimation and channel reconstruction 98 . The output of FFT 90 is also processed by beacon pilot extraction 400 . Based on the extracted beacon pilots, the pre-coding codeword matrix detection is performed at 402 . For the common pilots embodiment, this is fed back to the channel reconstruction function 98 . Outputs of the channel estimation 96 and the pre-coding matrix detection 402 are input to a differential codebook index search 404 which generates feedback that is sent back to the transmitter.
[0102] What has been described is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Other arrangements and methods can be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0103] 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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Methods, devices and systems are provided for transmitting and receiving MIMO signals. In one embodiment, transmitting of the MIMO signals involves pre-coding each of at least two data symbols using a respective pre-coding codeword to preclude a corresponding plurality of pre-coded data symbols. A respective signal is transmitted from each of a plurality of antennas, the respective signal including one of the pre-coded signals and at least one pilot for use in channel estimation. The signals collectively further include at least one beacon pilot vector consisting of a respective beacon pilot per antenna, the beacon pilot vector containing contents known to a receiver for use by the receiver in determining the codeword used to pre-code the at least one data signal.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to elevated temperature, gas phase, catalyzed processes for preparing HCN in which induction heating is used as a source of energy, and novel apparatus for carrying out said processes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Induction heating is a non-contact method of selectively heating electrically-conductive materials by applying an alternating magnetic field to induce an electric current, known as an eddy current, in the material, known as a susceptor, thereby heating the susceptor. Induction heating has been used in the metallurgical industry for many years for the purpose of heating metals, e.g. melting, refining, heat treating, welding, and soldering. Induction heating is practiced over a wide range of frequencies, from AC powerline frequencies as low as 50 Hz up to frequencies of tens of MHz.
[0003] At a given induction frequency the heating efficiency of the induction field increases when a longer conduction path is present in an object. Large solid work pieces may be heated with lower frequencies, while small objects require higher frequencies. For a given size object to be heated, too low a frequency provides inefficient heating since the energy in the induction field does not generate the desired intensity of eddy currents in the object. Too high a frequency, on the other hand, causes non-uniform heating since the energy in the induction field does not penetrate into the object and eddy currents are only induced at or near the surface. However, induction heating of gas-permeable metallic structures is not known in the prior art.
[0004] Prior art processes for gas phase catalytic reactions require that the catalyst have a high surface area in order for the reactant gas molecules to have maximum contact with the catalyst surface. The prior art processes typically use either a porous catalyst material or many small catalytic particles, suitably supported, to achieve the required surface area. These prior art processes rely on conduction, radiation or convection to provide the necessary heat to the catalyst. To achieve good selectivity of chemical reaction all portions of the reactants should experience uniform temperature and catalytic environment. For an endothermic reaction, the rate of heat delivery therefore needs to be as uniform as possible over the entire volume of the catalytic bed. Both conduction, and convection, as well as radiation, are inherently limited in their ability to provide the necessary rate and uniformity of heat delivery.
[0005] GB Patent 2,210,286 (GB '286), which is typical of the prior art, teaches mounting small catalyst particles that are not electrically conductive on a metallic support or doping the catalyst to render it electrically conductive. The metallic support or the doping material is induction heated and in turn heats the catalyst. This patent teaches the use of a ferromagnetic core passing centrally through the catalyst bed. The preferred material for the ferromagnetic core is silicon iron. Although useful for reactions up to about 600 degrees C., the apparatus of GB Patent 2,210,286 suffers from severe limitations at higher temperatures. The magnetic permeability of the ferromagnetic core would degrade significantly at higher temperatures. According to Erickson, C. J., “Handbook of Heating for Industry”, pp 84-85, the magnetic permeability of iron starts to degrade at 600 C. and is effectively gone by 750 C. Since, in the arrangement of GB '286, the magnetic field in the catalyst bed depends upon the magnetic permeability of the ferromagnetic core, such an arrangement would not effectively heat a catalyst to temperatures in excess of 750 C., let alone reach the greater than 1000 C. required for the production of HCN.
[0006] The apparatus of GB Patent 2,210,286 is also believed chemically unsuitable for the preparation of HCN. HCN is made by reacting ammonia and a hydrocarbon gas. It is known that iron causes the decomposition of ammonia at elevated temperatures. It is believed that the iron present in the ferromagnetic core and in the catalyst support within the reaction chamber of GB '286 would cause decomposition of the ammonia and would inhibit, rather than promote, the desired reaction of ammonia with a hydrocarbon to form HCN.
[0007] Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is an important chemical with many uses in the chemical and mining industries. For example, HCN is a raw material for the manufacture of adiponitrile, acetone cyanohydrin, sodium cyanide, and intermediates in the manufacture of pesticides, agricultural products, chelating agents, and animal feed. HCN is a highly toxic liquid which boils at 26 degrees C., and as such, is subject to stringent packaging and transportation regulations. In some applications, HCN is needed at remote locations distant from large scale HCN manufacturing facilities. Shipment of HCN to such locations involves major hazards. Production of the HCN at sites at which it is to be used would avoid hazards encountered in its transportation, storage, and handling. Small scale on-site production of HCN, using prior art processes, would not be economically feasible. However, small scale, as well as large scale, on-site production of HCN is technically and economically feasible using the processes and apparatus of the present invention.
[0008] HCN can be produced when compounds containing hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon are brought together at high temperatures, with or without a catalyst. For example, HCN is typically made by the reaction of ammonia and a hydrocarbon, a reaction which is highly endothermic. The three commercial processes for making HCN are the Blausaure aus Methan und Ammoniak (BMA), the Andrussow, and the Shawinigan processes. These processes can be distinguished by the method of heat generation and transfer, and by whether a catalyst is employed.
[0009] The Andrussow process uses the heat generated by combustion of a hydrocarbon gas and oxygen within the reactor volume to provide the heat of reaction. The BMA process uses the heat generated by an external combustion process to heat the outer surface of the reactor walls, which in turn heats the inner surface of the reactor walls and thus provides the heat of reaction. The Shawinigan process uses an electric current flowing through electrodes in a fluidized bed to provide the heat of reaction.
[0010] In the Andrussow process, a mixture of natural gas (a hydrocarbon gas mixture high in methane), ammonia, and oxygen or air are reacted in the presence of a platinum catalyst. The catalyst typically comprises a number of layers of platinum/rhodium wire gauze. The quantity of oxygen is such that the partial combustion of the reactants provides sufficient energy to preheat the reactants to an operating temperature in excess of 1000° C. as well as the required heat of reaction for HCN formation. The reaction products are HCN, H 2 , H 2 O, CO, CO 2 , and trace amounts of higher nitrites, which must then be separated.
[0011] In the BMA process, a mixture of ammonia and methane flows inside non-porous ceramic tubes made of a high temperature refractory material. The inside of each tube is lined or coated with platinum particles. The tubes are placed in a high temperature furnace and externally heated. The heat is conducted through the ceramic wall to the catalyst surface, which is an integral part of the wall. The reaction is typically carried out at 1300° C. as the reactants contact the catalyst. The heat flux required is high due to the elevated reaction temperature, the large heat of reaction, and the fact that coking of the catalyst surface can occur below the reaction temperature, which deactivates the catalyst. Since each tube is typically about 1″ in diameter, a large number of tubes are needed to meet production requirements. Reaction products are HCN and hydrogen.
[0012] In the Shawinigan process, the energy required for reaction of a mixture consisting of propane and ammonia is provided by an electric current flowing between electrodes immersed in a fluidized bed of non-catalytic coke particles. The absence of a catalyst, as well as the absence of oxygen or air, in the Shawinigan process means that the reaction must be run at very high temperatures, typically in excess of 1500 degrees C. The higher temperatures required place even greater constraints on the materials of construction for the process.
[0013] While, as disclosed above, it is known that HCN can be produced by the reaction of NH 3 and a hydrocarbon gas, such as CH 4 or C 3 H 8 , in the presence of a Pt group metal catalyst, there is still a need to improve the efficiency of such processes, and related ones, so as to improve the economics of HCN production, especially for small scale production. It is particularly important to minimize energy use and ammonia breakthrough while maximizing the HCN production rate in comparison to the amount of precious metal catalyst used. Moreover, the catalyst should not detrimentally affect production of HCN by promoting undesirable reactions such as coking. Furthermore, it is desired to improve activity and life of catalysts used in this process. Significantly, a large part of the investment in production of HCN is in the platinum group catalyst. The present invention heats the catalyst directly, rather than indirectly as in the prior art, and thus accomplishes these desiderata.
[0014] As previously discussed, relatively low frequency induction heating is known to provide good uniformity of heat delivery at high power levels to objects that have relatively long electrical conduction paths. When providing the reaction energy to an endothermic gas phase catalytic reaction, the heat needs to be directly delivered to the catalyst with minimum energy loss. The requirements of uniform and efficient heat delivery to a high-surface-area, gas-permeable catalyst mass seem to conflict with the capabilities of induction heating. The present invention is based on unexpected results obtained with a reactor configuration wherein the catalyst has a novel structural form. This structural form combines the features of: 1) an effectively long electrical conduction path length, which facilitates efficient direct induction heating of the catalyst in a uniform manner, and 2) a catalyst having a high surface area; these features cooperate to facilitate endothermic chemical reactions. The complete lack of iron in the reaction chamber facilitates the production of HCN by the reaction of NH 3 and a hydrocarbon gas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] This invention relates to an apparatus, a catalyst arrangement, referred to hereinafter as a “catalyst/susceptor”, and a process for preparing HCN by reacting ammonia and a lower alkane in the gas phase in the presence of a platinum group metal catalyst. In accordance with the invention, the catalyst/susceptor, comprised of one or more platinum group metals in the form of a gas-permeable cylinder, performs the dual function of being a susceptor for induction heating and serving as a catalyst for preparation of HCN. Thus the catalyst/susceptor is heated by induction heating, whereby the heated catalyst provides the reactants with the heat necessary for the production of HCN. The cylindrical catalyst/susceptor may be comprised of a gas-permeable solid, such as a porous foam, or may be comprised of multiple layers of a gas-permeable filamentary structure. Not only does the catalyst/susceptor of the present invention possess catalytic activity, but it possesses the characteristics of having an electrical conduction path long enough to be inductively heated at lower frequency while, and at the same time, having a sufficient surface area per reactor volume. By relying on inductive heating of the catalyst, rather than the prior art processes which heat the reaction vessel or a portion thereof or the like and thereby heat the catalyst by conduction, radiation and/or convection, considerable advantages are realized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] [0016]FIG. 1 illustrates the principles underlying the induction heating technique embodied in the present invention, while various specific embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by FIGS. 2 through 8.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 2 shows an axial flow reactor wherein the catalyst/susceptor is comprised of layers of a filamentary structure.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 3 shows a radial flow reactor wherein the catalyst/susceptor is comprised of layers of a filamentary structure.
[0019] [0019]FIG. 4 shows a radial flow reactor wherein the catalyst/susceptor is comprised of a stack of gas-permeable rings.
[0020] [0020]FIG. 5 shows an axial flow reactor wherein the gas-permeable rings are self-supporting.
[0021] [0021]FIG. 6 shows an axial flow reactor wherein the catalyst/susceptor is comprised of a metal foam.
[0022] [0022]FIG. 7 shows a radial flow arrangement wherein the catalyst/susceptor is comprised of two annular regions each having a different electrical conductivity.
[0023] [0023]FIG. 8A shows an axial flow arrangement wherein the induction coil is comprised of two sections, each section having a different coil spacing.
[0024] [0024]FIG. 8B shows an axial flow arrangement wherein the induction coil is comprised of two separate coils, each coil carrying current of a different magnitude.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] In accordance with the present invention, the process and reactor are designed so as to increase the effective length of the conduction path in the platinum group metal object which serves as the catalyst/susceptor. It is also an object of the present invention to exploit this increased effective conduction path length to permit the use of induction heating at the lowest possible induction frequency. It is a further object of this invention to minimize the variation of temperature across the catalyst/susceptor and to minimize the variation in the gas flow across the catalyst/susceptor. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a process and apparatus which require lower capital costs, as well as lower manufacturing costs. Still other objects of this invention are to provide for lower residence times, higher yields of HCN, and reduction in or elimination of by-products, including coke, N 2 , H 2 O, CO, and CO 2 . All of the foregoing objects are realized by this invention.
[0026] In the process of the present invention, an alkane containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms is reacted with ammonia over the catalyst/susceptor that is heated by induction heating. Preferably, natural gas high in methane should be used; propane also may be used, particularly in areas where natural gas is not available. The reaction temperature ranges between 950 and 1400 degrees C., preferably between 1000 and 1200 degrees C., and most preferably between 1050 and 1150 degrees C. Such temperatures are provided by induction heating at frequencies generally of 50 Hz to 30 MHz, preferably 50 Hz to 300 kHz, and most preferably 50 Hz to 3 kHz. The HCN production rate is limited by kinetics below 1050 degrees C. and at temperatures below 1,000 degrees C. the hydrocarbon may form coke over the catalyst surface. The reaction rate is higher at higher temperatures; however, the temperature is limited by the softening point of the catalyst/susceptor and the support structure. Moreover, at temperatures above 1200° C., rather than reacting with methane, ammonia can preferentially decompose to nitrogen and hydrogen. Reactor materials, such as alumina or quartz, are selected to withstand the high reaction temperatures and steep thermal gradients.
[0027] The present invention utilizes a catalyst/susceptor in the form of a cylinder surrounded by an induction coil. The outer diameter of the catalyst/susceptor is preferably as large as possible. Although the ratio of the outer diameter of the catalyst/susceptor to the inner diameter of the induction coil can be as small as 0.05, this ratio is preferably greater than 0.5, and most preferably as close to 1.0 as practical. The eddy current path within the catalyst/susceptor is thus as long as possible, thereby permitting the use of the lowest possible induction frequency for a given size reactor.
[0028] The innermost region of a solid cylindrical catalyst/susceptor is less efficiently induction heated than the outer region. This reduction in heating efficiency is caused by: (1) a shorter current path length in the inner portion of the cylinder and (2) shielding effects of the outer portion of the cylinder. A hollow cylinder shape, having an annular cross-section, is therefore preferred for the catalyst/susceptor. The thickness of the wall of the hollow cylindrical catalyst/susceptor is typically no more than about one-fourth its outer diameter since the inner portion of the wall of the cylinder is induction heated less efficiently. The inner portions of the cylindrical catalyst/susceptor may be optionally comprised of a material having higher electrical conductivity than the outer portions of the cylinder to partially compensate for the reduced induction heating efficiency.
[0029] The cylindrical catalyst/susceptor of the present invention addresses the need for the lowest possible induction frequency, high catalytic activity per reactor volume, and high power efficiency. The reactor configurations and the process of the present invention result in improved economics at all production scales, both large and small. So that the lowest possible induction frequency may be used, the eddy current path within the catalyst/susceptor should be as long as possible. Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, a catalyst/susceptor that is large in comparison to the size of the reactor is used. The ratio of the outer dimension of the catalyst/susceptor to the inner dimension of the reactor should be as high as possible.
[0030] The structure of the cylindrical catalyst/susceptor of this invention may take several forms. The cylindrical catalyst/susceptor may be comprised of a gas-permeable solid, such as a porous foam, or may be comprised of multiple layers of a gas-permeable filamentary structure. The filamentary structure may be a braided, woven or knitted fabric (e.g., gauze), or bobbin-wound filaments. The multiple gas-permeable layers may be in the form of rings stacked on one another, in the form of concentric cylinders, or they may take the form of multiple catalyst/susceptor layers that are wound around one another. Multiple wound layers should have good inter-layer electrical conductivity for efficient inductive heating to occur. The cylindrical catalyst/susceptor thus has eddy current paths comparable in dimension to the circumference of the reactor.
[0031] When placed in an inductive field, the cylindrical catalyst/susceptor is directly heated and its temperature can be readily controlled by controlling the intensity of the inductive field. By controlling the temperature of the catalyst/susceptor a desired chemical reaction may be selectively promoted and the rate of undesirable reactions may be suppressed. The cylindrical catalyst/susceptor comprises a platinum group metal, such as platinum itself or an alloy of platinum, such as platinum/rhodium or platinum/iridium. The temperature of the catalyst/susceptor may be accurately controlled by controlling the intensity of the inductive field and controlling the flow rates of the reactant gases. The formation of HCN may thus be achieved at high yields while avoiding the problems of prior art processes, such as formation of coke on the catalyst, spontaneous decomposition of the ammonia gas, or the formation of undesired products that have to be separated later.
[0032] In the chemical process of interest in the present invention, the requirements for power level are intense. A typical medium scale HCN plant with the production rate of 10 million pounds per year would require an induction source with a power level of at least 3.0 megawatts (MW). At this power level, only low frequency systems of 3 kHz or below are economical and commercially available.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] [0033]FIG. 1 is a schematic representation which illustrates the principle involved in the present invention. Substantially cylindrical catalyst/susceptor 1 is positioned within a reactor wall 2 which is substantially electrically non-conductive. Said cylindrical catalyst/susceptor 1 is gas-permeable, and has electrical properties (bulk conductivity and continuous conduction paths around the circumference of the cylinder) required to induce eddy currents which can flow in circular paths around and within the annular catalyst/susceptor. An induction coil 3 (typically fluid-cooled) surrounds the catalyst/susceptor 1 and the reactor wall 2 . Alternating current I c in coil 3 induces an alternating magnetic field B which in turn induces an eddy current I e in the catalyst/susceptor 1 in a plane substantially parallel to alternating current I c . Induced current I e causes heating; larger eddy currents generating more heat. As the radius of the catalyst/susceptor 1 increases larger eddy currents are generated. As the outer diameter of the catalyst/susceptor annulus 1 approaches the diameter of reactor 2 , a lower frequency may be used to effectively heat the catalyst/susceptor annulus.
[0034] In FIG. 2, gas-permeable catalyst/susceptor 1 comprises bobbin-wound wire, knitted wire mesh, woven wire mesh, spirally-wound sock or sleeve, or braided wire. The wire is comprised of platinum group metal or alloy, e.g. platinum or a platinum/rhodium metal alloy. The catalyst/susceptor 1 is positioned between annular gas-impermeable, electrically non-conductive, high temperature resistant cylinders 4 and 5 , such as quartz or ceramic. Cylinder 4 is open at both ends, whereas cylinder 5 is closed at the top end. Cylinders 4 and 5 are positioned and cooperate so as to guide reaction gasses 6 so that they can flow through catalyst/susceptor 1 . The alternating magnetic field induced by water-cooled induction coil 3 induces an electric current in catalyst/susceptor 1 , thereby heating it. Reactants 6 enter the top of containment vessel 7 and pass between cylinders 4 and 5 in an axial direction, thereby contacting hot catalyst/susceptor 1 , and the desired reaction takes place. Product gasses 8 comprising HCN and hydrogen exit containment vessel 7 . Because walls 4 and 5 are electrically non-conductive, the induction field heats the catalyst/susceptor and not the walls.
[0035] [0035]FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the invention. Catalyst/susceptor 1 is gas-permeable and comprises bobbin-wound wire, knitted wire mesh, woven wire mesh, spirally-wound sock or sleeve, or braided wire. Catalyst/susceptor 1 is located between gas-impermeable cylinder 9 and gas-permeable cylinder 10 . Gas-impermeable cylinder 9 is open at its upper end and connected to a gas-impermeable annular shoulder 11 . Cylinder 10 is closed at its top by gas-impermeable lid 12 . The outer diameter of catalyst/susceptor 1 is less than the inner diameter of cylinder 9 , thereby providing an annular passage 13 . Reactants 6 enter passage 13 , and pass radially through gas-permeable catalyst/susceptor 1 as it is being induction heated. Thereafter product HCN and hydrogen 8 exit through the gas-permeable wall of cylinder 10 into central passage 14 . The properties of the gas-permeable cylinder 10 are selected to insure uniform flow of reactant gasses through the catalyst/susceptor 1 .
[0036] [0036]FIG. 4 shows a reactor similar in arrangement and operation to the reactor of FIG. 3. However in FIG. 4, the catalyst/susceptor 1 comprises gas-permeable rings 15 of catalyst/susceptor material stacked on one another. The rings may be comprised of the types of filamentary structures described above in conjunction with FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0037] [0037]FIG. 5 shows a reactor similar in arrangement and operation to the reactor of FIG. 4. However in FIG. 5, there is no gas-permeable cylinder 10 since the stacked rings 15 are self-supporting.
[0038] [0038]FIG. 6 shows a reactor similar in arrangement and operation to the reactors of FIGS. 3 through 5. However in FIG. 6, the catalyst/susceptor 1 comprises a gas-permeable platinum group metal foam 16 .
[0039] [0039]FIG. 7 shows a radial flow reactor similar in arrangement and operation to the reactor of FIG. 3 wherein the catalyst/susceptor is comprised of an outer region 1 A and an inner region 1 B. The inner region 1 B has a higher electrical conductivity than the conductivity of region 1 A. In one embodiment this is achieved by making the cylindrical layers of gauze of the inner region 1 B of a higher count mesh (i.e., more wires per unit area) than the layers of the outer region 1 A. In another embodiment, this is achieved by making the layers of the inner region 1 B of a heavier wire gage.
[0040] [0040]FIGS. 8A and 8B show an axial flow reactor similar in arrangement and operation to the reactor of FIG. 2, wherein induction coil 3 has a first region 3 A adjacent to the reactor inlet and a second region 3 B adjacent to the reactor outlet. These arrangements produce an induction field that delivers a higher heat flux adjacent the reactor inlet so as to compensate for the cooling effect of the reactant gases and thus create a more uniform temperature in the catalyst/susceptor. In a first embodiment, as seen in FIG. 8A, a single induction coil 3 is provided and the turns of the coil in region 3 A are spaced closer to each other than are the turns of the coil in region 3 B. In a second embodiment, as seen in FIG. 8B, two separate induction coils 3 A′ and 3 B′ are provided. Each coil is separately energized, with coil 3 A′ carrying more current and thus producing more heat in the region of the catalyst/susceptor adjacent the reactor inlet.
[0041] In the reactors of FIGS. 2 - 6 , the outermost portions of the catalyst/susceptor, i.e., region 1 , 15 and 16 , are preferentially induction heated as compared to the inner portions near the central portion of the cylindrical catalyst/susceptor. Successful implementation of a reactor having an induction heated catalyst/susceptor requires that the catalyst at the reactor inlet be hot enough to facilitate catalysis and to minimize coking reactions when contacted by the cool reactant gases. FIGS. 7 and 8 show arrangements which better control the uniformity of the temperature of the catalyst/susceptor by modifying the properties of the catalyst/susceptor (FIG. 7) or the induction coil (FIG. 8).
[0042] In the case of the radial flow reactor arrangement of FIGS. 3 - 7 , to further enhance chemical reaction efficiency of the reactor, the interior of the hollow cylinder catalyst/susceptor 1 optionally may be filled with gas-permeable catalyst material, which need not be electrically conductive.
[0043] The following Examples serve as further illustrations, but not limitations, of the invention.
EXAMPLE 1
[0044] This Example demonstrates that the catalyst/susceptor of the present invention can be heated uniformly and with high efficiency by induction heating at low induction frequency. In a manner similar to that of FIG. 2, a cylindrical catalyst/susceptor was constructed by wrapping a strip of platinum alloy gauze thirty-six (36) times around a quartz tube. The platinum alloy comprised 90% platinum and 10% rhodium. The gauze was of an 80 mesh weave and a width of 40.6 cm (16 inches), and had a wire size of 0.076 mm (0.003 inch). The bulk resistivity of platinum gauze was measured to be 85×10 −6 ohm-cm. Therefore the maximum induction heating efficiency can be obtained at the frequency of 425 Hz, which is among the lowest frequencies used in induction heating industry. The quartz tube had an outer diameter of 30.5 cm (12″). The resulting catalyst/susceptor had an inner radius of 15.24 cm and a thickness of about 0.6 cm. The catalyst/susceptor structure was placed in a water-cooled induction coil, comprised of seventeen (17) turns of 1.9 cm (0.75 inch) diameter copper tubing, the coil having a height of 55.9 cm (22″) and an inner diameter of 43 cm. The induction coil was connected to an induction power source, Model VIP Power-Trak, manufactured by Inductotherm Corporation, Rancocas, N.J. (maximum power of 170 kW) operating at a frequency of 3 kHz at a power level of thirty-five kilowatts (35 kW). The induction heating efficiency was approximately 89%. A calculation of the so-called “reference depth” (the distance from the outside surface of the cylinder to a depth where the induced eddy current is reduced to 37% of its surface value) for this example is 2.1 cm, which is substantially larger than the total thickness of 0.6 cm. This Example shows that the induction heating across the thickness of the annulus is substantially uniform. Thus heating at the inner surface of the cylindrical catalyst/susceptor is only 11 percent lower than the heating at the outer surface.
EXAMPLE 2-8
[0045] HCN was prepared by reacting a slight molar excess of ammonia with methane in an inductively heated continuous radial flow fixed bed reactor system as illustrated in FIG. 3. The catalyst/susceptor used in this experiment was a single cylinder of 90/10 Pt/Rh wire of diameter 0.003 inch, 80 mesh gauze. The cylinder measured 1.25 inches outside diameter and 1.5 inches high. The cylinder was constructed by wrapping 23 layers of the Pt/Rh gauze around a 1 inch diameter perforated quartz tube (gas-permeable tube 10 of FIG. 3) made up of about forty percent (40%) openings. The total wrapped thickness of the catalyst/susceptor was about 0.12-0.13 inches. The single cylinder of catalyst/susceptor was mounted as a concentric cylinder inside the larger induction coil cylinder. Reactants were fed to the catalyst/susceptor in a radial direction with product gases exiting through the center of the perforated quartz tube. Temperature was controlled by monitoring a single bulk exit gas temperature in the center of the perforated quartz tube and by adjusting the power input to the induction power source to maintain the desired temperature. Induction heating was supplied at a constant frequency of 97 kHz. Reaction conditions, conversions, and yields are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 HCN Exam- NH 3 CH 4 Res. CH 4 NH 3 % Yield ple Feed Feed Time Temp % Con- % Con- (on Number (sccm) (sccm) (sec) T°(C.) version version NH 3 ) 2 524 476 0.70 1100 95 96 86 3 1048 952 0.35 1100 94 95 84 4 1571 1429 0.23 1100 85 93 74 5 524 476 0.70 1150 95 97 86 6 1048 952 0.35 1150 96 97 86 7 1650 1429 0.23 1150 83 93 69 8 2140 1860 0.17 1150 79 92 66
EXAMPLES 9-16
[0046] Examples 9-16 illustrate performance of an axial flow arrangement through the single catalyst/susceptor cylinder. HCN was prepared by reacting a slight molar excess of ammonia with methane in an inductively heated continuous flow fixed bed reactor system illustrated in FIG. 2. The catalyst/susceptor used in this experiment was a single cylinder of 90/10 Pt/Rh gauze which measured 0.75 inch OD×0.50 inch ID×1.50 inches high. The catalyst/susceptor was constructed by wrapping 23 layers of Pt/Rh gauze around a 1.3 cm (0.50 inch) diameter solid quartz tube. The cylindrical catalyst/susceptor, having a cross sectional area of 0.245 in 2 , was then inserted inside a 0.75 inch ID quartz reactor tube, forming a snug fit. The reactor tube was then placed inside a slightly larger induction coil cylinder. Reactants were fed to the catalyst in an axial direction with product gases exiting through the annulus formed between the two concentric quartz tubes. Temperature was controlled by monitoring a single bulk temperature in the center of the 0.50 inch quartz tube and by adjusting the power input to the induction generator to maintain the desired temperature. Induction heating was supplied at a constant frequency of 90 KHz. Reaction conditions, conversions, and yields are shown in Table 2.
TABLE 2 HCN Exam- NH 3 CH 4 Res. CH 4 NH 3 % Yield ple Feed Feed Time Temp % Con- % Con- (on Number (sccm) (sccm) (sec) T°(C.) version version NH 3 ) 9 1048 952 0.18 1050 98 91 90 10 1571 1429 0.12 1050 91 91 87 11 2095 1905 0.09 1052 67 81 60 12 1048 952 0.18 1100 99 92 91 13 1571 1429 0.12 1100 94 94 88 14 2095 1905 0.09 1102 64 79 54 15 1048 952 0.18 1150 99 98 92 16 2095 1905 0.09 1152 65 79 56
EXAMPLES 17-26
[0047] HCN was prepared by reacting excess of ammonia with methane in an inductively heated continuous flow fixed-bed reactor, similar to the reactor configuration shown in FIG. 3. The reactor was comprised of an outer quartz cylinder, 5.08 cm in diameter and 60 cm in length with appropriate fittings to connect the feed manifold and product delivery unit (not shown). The outer reactor cylinder enclosed the catalyst/susceptor bed that comprised 20 layers of 40 mesh, 90/10 Pt-Rh gauze, having a thickness of 0.02 cm, wrapped around an 80 pores per inch (ppi) porous alumina foam tube (2.5 cm OD and 7.8 cm long) closed at the top. The reactants, methane and ammonia, entered the reactor from the top, flowed radially through the cylindrical catalyst/susceptor bed. The product stream, comprising HCN, unreacted methane and/or ammonia, and by-product(s), permeated through the porous alumina tube, and exited the reactor through the hollow cylindrical space inside the porous alumina tube. The reactor feed system was designed to allow up to two gas feeds into the reaction zone at a constant flow rate. The gases were metered and monitored using Brooks mass flow controllers. Product identification and quantification were performed by gas chromatography. The catalyst bed was heated with a water-cooled copper induction coil. Induction heating was supplied at a constant frequency of 126 kHz and the forward and reflected powers were adjusted to obtain desired total output. Reaction conditions, conversions, yields, etc. are presented in Table 3.
TABLE 3 CH 4 % HCN Exam- NH 3 CH 4 Res. Total Con- NH 3 % Yield ple Feed Feed Time Power ver- % Con- (on Number (sccm) (sccm) (sec) (watts) sion version NH 3 ) 17 2200 1800 0.30 1100 93.5 100.0 78.0 18 2200 1800 0.30 1150 92.6 100.0 77.1 19 2200 1800 0.30 1150 94.6 100.0 80.7 20 2200 1800 0.30 1150 94.1 100.0 80.5 21 3400 2800 0.19 1225 90.9 100.0 86.9 22 3400 2800 0.19 1225 91.7 100.0 86.1 23 3400 2800 0.19 1225 91.7 100.0 85.3 24 4400 3600 0.15 1400 90.6 100.0 84.9 25 4400 3600 0.15 1400 88.7 100.0 84.7 26 4400 3600 0.15 1400 85.1 100.0 83.2
EXAMPLES 27-32
[0048] HCN was prepared by reacting a slight molar excess of ammonia with methane in an inductively heated, continuous flow, fixed-bed reactor. The reactor consisted of an outer quartz cylinder, enclosing the catalyst/susceptor bed. The catalyst/susceptor bed, comprised six platinum foam disks, each 0.3 cm thick, 2.54 cm in diameter and having a 40 ppi porosity, were placed one on top of the other in a concentric cylindrical catalyst holder. The reactants, methane and ammonia, were metered and monitored with Brooks mass flow controllers and introduced in to the reactor from the top at flow rates as shown in Table 4. The gases then flowed downward through the cylindrical catalyst/susceptor bed which was heated by induction heating, and the product stream comprising HCN, unreacted methane and/or ammonia, hydrogen, and other by-product(s) left the reaction zone at the bottom of the quartz reactor. The catalyst bed was induction heated at a constant frequency of 142 kHz. The forward and reflected powers were adjusted to obtain desired total output. Reaction conditions, conversions, yields, etc. are presented in Table 4.
TABLE 4 CH 4 % HCN Exam- NH 3 CH 4 Res. Total Con- NH 3 % Yield ple Feed Feed Time Power ver- % Con- (on Number (sccm) (sccm) (sec) (watts) sion version NH 3 ) 27 2200 1750 0.138 1100 85.5 93.2 78.2 28 2200 1750 0.138 1200 90.1 94.2 79.1 29 2200 1750 0.138 1300 93.8 98.6 81.9 30 2200 1750 0.138 1400 98.2 100.0 83.5 31 2200 1850 0.135 1450 93.5 98.9 81.1 32 2200 2000 0.130 1500 95.1 100.0 85.9
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Elevated temperature, gas-phase, catalyzed processes for preparing HCN in which induction heating is used as a source of energy, and novel apparatus for carrying out said processes.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Reference is made to commonly assigned copending applications Ser. No. 07/520,309 entitled FILM CASSETTE WITH FILM EXPOSURE STATUS INDICATOR, and filed May 7, 1990 in the names of Stephen H. Miller and Daniel M. Pagano; Ser. No. 07/520,568 entitled CAMERA APPARATUS .FOR USE WITH FILM CASSETTE HAVING FILM EXPOSURE STATUS INDICATOR, and filed May 7, 1990 in the names of Stephen H. Miller and Daniel M. Pagano; Ser. No. 07/384,332 entitled FILM CASSETTE HAVING FILM EXPOSURE STATUS INDICATOR, and Filed July 24, 1989 in the names of David C. Smart et al; Ser. No. 07/390,931 entitled CAMERA FOR USE WITH FILM CASSETTE HAVING FILM EXPOSURE STATUS INDICATOR, and filed Aug. 8, 1989 in the names of David C. Smart et al; and Ser. No. 07/436,265 entitled CAMERA APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING LOAD OF EXPOSED FILM, and filed Nov. 14, 1989 in the name of David C. Smart.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of photography, and in particular to a film cassette containing roll film. More specifically, the invention relates to a film cassette having indicator means for informing the photographer that a filmstrip inside the cassette is unexposed, only partly exposed, or substantially exposed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In conventional 35 mm film manufacturers' cassettes, such as manufactured by Eastman Kodak Co. and Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd., the filmstrip is wound on a flanged spool which is rotatably supported within a cylindrical shell. A leading or forwardmost portion of the filmstrip approximately 21/3 inches long, commonly referred to as a "film leader", normally protrudes from a light-trapped slit or mouth of the cassette shell. One end of the spool has a short axial extension which projects from the shell, enabling the spool to be turned by hand. If the spool is initially rotated in an unwinding direction, the film roll inside the shell will tend to expand radially since the inner end of the filmstrip is attached to the spool, and the fogged leader portion protruding from the slit will remain stationary. The film roll can expand radially until a non-slipping relation is established between its outermost convolution and the inner curved wall of the shell. Once this nonslipping relation exists, there is a binding effect between the film roll and the shell which prevents further rotation of the spool in the unwinding direction. Thus, rotation of the spool in the unwinding direction cannot serve to advance the filmstrip out of the shell, and it is necessary in the typical 35 mm camera to engage the protruding leader portion to draw the filmstrip out of the shell.
A 35 mm film cassette has been proposed which, unlike conventional film cassettes, can be operated to automatically advance a film leader out of the cassette shell by rotating the film spool in the unwinding direction. The film leader is normally non-protruding, i.e. it is located entirely within the cassette shell. Specifically, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,943, granted Jan. 3, 1984, there is disclosed a film cassette wherein the outermost convolution of the film roll wound on the film spool is radially constrained by respective circumferential lips of two axially spaced flanges of the spool to prevent the outermost convolution from contacting an inner curved wall of the cassette shell. The trailing end of the filmstrip is secured to the film spool, and the forward or leading end of the filmstrip is slightly tapered purportedly to allow it to freely extend from between the circumferential lips and rest against the shell wall. During initial unwinding rotation of the film spool, the leading end of the filmstrip is advanced to and through a non-lighttight film passageway in order to exit the cassette shell. As a result, all that is needed to advance the filmstrip out of the cassette shell is to rotate the film spool in the unwinding direction. However, according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,943, the film cassette is intended to be loaded in a camera only after the non-protruding leader is advanced out of the cassette shell. In the patent, it is suggested that one manually rotate the film spool relative to the cassette shell until the film leader can be manually grasped and attached to a film advancing device in the camera. Thus, the camera is not used to rotate the film spool to advance the film leader from the cassette shell.
More recently, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,306, granted May 30, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,418, granted July 11, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,693, granted July 18, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,638, granted Oct. 24, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,110, granted Dec. 12, 1989, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,673, granted Jan. 16. 1990, there are disclosed other film cassettes wherein a non-protruding leader is advanced automatically out of the cassette shell responsive to rotation of the film spool in an unwinding direction. In those patents, as compared to U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,943, however, there is no suggestion to manually rotate the film spool to expel the film leader.
In conventional 35 mm film manufacturers' cassettes, after the filmstrip is completely exposed, the film spool is rotated in a winding direction to rewind the film leader into the cassette shell. Since the film leader cannot subsequently be advanced out of the cassette shell (because of the binding effect between the film roll and the shell), this usually serves as an indication that the filmstrip is completely exposed. Conversely, in the film cassettes disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,423,943, 4,834,306, 4,846,418, 4,848,693, 4,875,638, 4,887,110, and 4,894,673, the film leader can be automatically advanced out of the cassette shell by rotating the film spool in the unwinding direction. This can be done regardless of whether the filmstrip is unexposed, completely exposed, or only partly exposed. Some of the film cassettes disclosed in these patents provide no indication as to the exposure status of the filmstrip, others provide some indication of the exposure status.
THE CROSS-REFERENCED APPLICATIONS
Cross-referenced applications Serial Nos. 07/384,332 and 07/436,265 each disclose a film cassette capable of advancing a filmstrip automatically out of a light-tight cassette shell whether the filmstrip is unexposed, only partly exposed, or substantially exposed. The film cassette is characterized in that a film exposure status indicator can be disposed in any one of three unique exposure-related positions comprising an unexposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is unexposed, a partly exposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is only partly exposed, and a fully exposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is substantially exposed. However, camera apparatus such as disclosed in cross-referenced application Ser. No. 07/390,931 is required to engage the status indicator to move the indicator from its unexposed position to its partly exposed and fully exposed positions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a film cassette comprising a film spool supported inside a lighttight cassette shell for rotation in an unwinding direction to thrust a filmstrip coiled about the spool to the exterior of the shell, to expose the filmstrip, and in a winding direction to return exposed film to the interior of the shell, to protect the filmstrip from ambient light, and a film exposure status indicator supported for movement relative to the shell to an exposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is exposed, is characterized in that:
said spool and said status indicator include respective cooperating means for moving the status indicator to its exposed position automatically in response to rotation of the spool in one of the unwinding and winding directions.
More specifically, a film cassette comprising a film spool supported inside a lighttight cassette shell for rotation to thrust a filmstrip coiled about the spool to the exterior of the shell whether the filmstrip is unexposed or is only partly exposed, and a film exposure status indicator supported for movement relative to the shell from an unexposed position to respective partly exposed and fully exposed positions for providing visible indications that the filmstrip is only partly exposed or is substantially exposed, is characterized in that:
said spool and said status indicator include respective cooperating means for moving the status indicator to its fully exposed position alternately from its unexposed and partly exposed positions only in response to rotation of the spool.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a film cassette having a film exposure status indicator according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the film cassette, illustrating the cassette shell open to reveal a film roll coiled about a film spool;
FIG. 3 is an elevation view similar to FIG. 2, through in section;
FIG. 4 is an end view partly in section of the cassette shell, the film roll and the film spool, illustrating the manner in which the film roll is originally stored on the film spool;
FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 are end views similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the manner in which the film roll is unwound from the film spool;
FIGS. 8 and 9 are elevation views of the film roll and the film spool, illustrating the manner in which the film roll is originally stored on the film spool;
FIGS. 10 and 11 are elevation views similar to FIGS. 8 and 9, illustrating the manner in which the film roll is unwound from the film spool; FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the film spool without the film roll;
FIG. 13 is an elevation view partly in section of the film roll and the film spool, illustrating the manner in which one of a pair of film confining flanges of the spool may be fixed to the spool for concurrent rotation with the spool;
FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the film exposure status indicator;
FIG. 15 is an end view of the film cassette, illustrating the film exposure status indicator in an position;
FIGS. 16 and 17 are end views similar to FIG. 15, illustrating the film exposure status indicator moved to fully exposed and partly exposed positions, respectively;
FIG. 18 is a schematic view partly in section, depicting the film exposure status indicator secured in its unexposed position;
FIG. 19 is a schematic view similar to FIG. 18, depicting the film exposure status indicator released in its unexposed position;
FIGS. 20 and 21 are schematic views similar to FIG. 18, depicting the film exposure status indicator moved to its fully exposed and partly exposed positions, respectively; and
FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the film cassette and camera apparatus for releasing the film exposure status indicator in its unexposed position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The invention is disclosed as being embodied preferably in a 35 mm film cassette. Because the features of this type of film cassette are generally well known, the description which follows is directed in particular to elements forming part of or cooperating directly with the disclosed embodiment. It is to be understood, however, that other elements not specifically shown or described may take various forms known to persons of ordinary skill in the art.
THE FILM CASSETTE
Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1, 2 and 13 depict an improved 35 mm film cassette 1 comprising a light-tight cassette shell 3 and a film spool 5 which is rotatable about an axis X in film unwinding and winding directions U and W within the cassette shell. The cassette shell 3 consists of two shell halves 7 and 9 which are mated along respective grooved and stepped edge portions 11 and 13. The mated halves 7 and 9 define upper and lower aligned circular openings 15 and 17 for relatively shorter and longer opposite open-end pieces 19 and 21 of a spool core or hub 23, and they define a narrow relatively-straight film passageway 25 to the exterior of the cassette shell 3. The shorter and longer open-end pieces 19 and 21 of the spool core 23 each include an annular peripheral groove 27 which mates with a corresponding edge portion 29 of the respective openings 15 and 17 in the cassette shell 3 to rotatably support the film spool 5 for rotation about the axis X in the film unwinding and winding directions U and W. A known black velvet or plush material 31 lines the interior of the film passageway 25 to prevent ambient light from entering the film passageway.
A roll 33 of 35 mm filmstrip F is coiled about the spool core 23 to form successive film convolutions. As shown in FIG. 3, the film roll 33 includes an outermost convolution which comprises a film leader 35 having a leading or forward end 37, and it includes a next-inward convolution 39 coiled behind the outermost convolution. The inner or trailing end of an innermost convolution 40 of the film roll 33 is secured to the spool core 23 using known attachment means, not shown. See FIG. 13.
A pair of upper and lower identical, very thin, flexible film constraining flanges 41 and 43 are coaxially spaced along the spool core 23 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 8, 12 and 13. The two flanges 41 and 43 comprise respective integral disks 45 and 47 and respective integral annular lips or skirts 49 and 51 which circumferentially extend from the disks. The two disks 45 and 47 cover opposite substantially flat sides of the film roll 33 which are defined by corresponding opposite longitudinal edges 53 and 55 of each successive convolution of the film roll, and they have respective central holes 56 through which the spool core 23 coaxially extends to permit rotation of the spool core relative to the flanges 41 and 43. See FIG. 12. Respective circumferential gaps 57 are provided in the spool core 23 for supporting the flanges 41 and 43 at their disks 45 and 47 to permit the flanges to be independently rotated about the axis X. The two gaps 57 are sufficiently spaced from one another along the spool core 23 to maintain respective inner faces 45' and 47' of the disks 45 and 47 slightly spaced from the longitudinal edges 53 and 55 of each successive convolution of the film roll 33. See FIG. 13. The annular lips 49 and 51 overlap the film leader (outermost convolution) 35 of the film roll 33 radially outwardly of the longitudinal edges 53 and 55 of the leader to radially confine the leader to thus prevent it from radially expanding or clock-springing into substantial contact with an interior curved wall 58 of the cassette shell 3. A lip-receiving notch 59 is cut in the film leader (outermost convolution) 35 along its longitudinal edge 55, relatively close to its leading end 37, to receive a peripheral section 51' of the annular lip 51. This allows a relatively short edge-section 61 of the film leader (outermost convolution) 35 connecting the leading end 37 and the notch 59 to overlap the annular lip 51 radially outwardly to thus maintain the leading end spaced a radial distance D from the next-inward convolution 39 of the film roll 33. See FIGS. 4 and 9. The leading end 37 has a forward edge 63 inclined from the longitudinal edge 53 of the film leader (outermost convolution) 35 to the other longitudinal edge 55 of the leader to form a forward-most tip or tab 65 of the leader which, like the edge-section 61, overlaps the annular lip 51 radially outwardly. See FIGS. 1, 2, 8 and 9.
The two flanges 41 and 43 have a plurality of concentric arcuate slots 66 cut in their respective disks 45 and 47 to longitudinally extend in the film unwinding and film winding directions U and W. Engagement means in the form of respective hook-like members 67, located on the shorter and longer open-end pieces 19 and 21 of the spool core 23, are normally located in the concentric slots 66 for movement along the slots into engagement with the flanges 41 and 43 responsive to rotation of the spool core relative to the flanges in the unwinding direction U and for movement along the slots out of engagement with the flanges responsive to rotation of the spool core relative to the flanges in the winding direction W. See FIGS. 12 and 13. Preferably, each of the hook-like members 67 has an end face 67' that is beveled to ease the hook-like member out of one of the concentric slots 66 responsive to rotation of the spool core 23 relative to the flanges 41 and 43 in the winding direction W, in the possible event the spool core is rotated relative to the flanges far enough in the winding direction to back the hook-like member out of the slot.
A film stripper-guide 68 projecting from the interior wall 58 of the cassette half 7 is positioned immediately inward of the inner entrance to the film passageway 25 to be received between the leading end 37 of the film leader (outermost convolution) 35 and the next-inward convolution 39, close to the forward-most tip 65 of the leader, to pick up the leading end and guide it into the film passageway responsive to rotation of the spool core 23 in the unwinding direction U. See FIGS. 1 and 4-7. The leading end 37 will be advanced over the stripper-guide 68 and into the film passageway 25, rather than between the stripper-guide and the next-inward convolution 39, because it is spaced the radial distance D from the latter convolution. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the leading end 37 will be located within range of the stripper-guide 68 due to such spacing D from the next-inward convolution 39.
When the leading end 37 of the film leader (outermost convolution) 35 is advanced over the stripper-guide 68 responsive to rotation of the spool core 23 in the unwinding direction U, the longitudinal edges 53 and 55 of the leader start to gently flex respective arcuate portions of the two flanges 41 and 43 away from one another, i.e. farther apart, first to allow the notch 59 to separate from the lip section 51', and then to allow successive longitudinal sections of the leader to uncoil from between the flanges and exit to the outside of the cassette shell 3. See FIGS. 10 and 11. The flexing of the flanges 41 and 43 occurs because the film width W F between the longitudinal film edges 53 and 55 is slightly greater than the axial spacing A S between the annular lips 49 and 51. Moreover, successive convolutions of the film roll 33 have a resistance to transverse bowing that is greater than the resistance of the flanges 41 and 43 to be flexed. Two pairs of flat curved bearing members 69 project from the interior walls 58 of the respective shell halves 7 and 9 to lie flatly against successive arcuate portions of the two disks 45 and 47 as the flanges 41 and 43 are flexed away from one another, to only allow those flange portions separated from the bearing members to be flexed farther apart. See FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. The bearing members 69 are positioned relatively remote from the film passageway 25. Thus, the leader 35 is only allowed to uncoil from between the flanges 41 and 43 relatively close to the passageway 25. See FIG. 7.
A film flattening rib 71 projects from the interior wall 58 of the cassette half 9 in the vicinity of the inner entrance to the film passageway 25 and the stripper-guide 68 to support successive longitudinal sections of the film leader 35, beginning with its leading end 37, substantially flat widthwise as those sections are freed from the flanges 41 and 43, to facilitate movement of the leading end into the passageway. See FIG. 7. The light-trapping plush 31 within the film passageway 25 is elevated along the passageway slightly beyond a longitudinal center line L of the passageway. The film flattening rib 71 as shown in FIG. 4 projects almost to the center line L in order to support successive sections of the film leader 35 substantially flat at the center line. Preferably, the film-supporting tip or longitudinal edge of the flattening rib 71 is spaced 0.005"-0.030" short of the center line L.
Two substantially parallel curved film supporting ribs 75 and 76 project from the interior wall 58 of the cassette half 7 to longitudinally extend from the film flattening rib 71 to part-way between the pair of bearing members 69 which project from the same wall. See FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. The film supporting ribs 75 and 76 longitudinally extend the entire location at which the film leader (outermost convolution) 35 can escape the confinement of the flanges 41 and 43, when the leader axially flexes the flanges away from one another. The film supporting ribs 75 and 76 as shown in FIG. 3 are positioned to be slightly spaced from the film leader 35, when the leader is confined within the annular lips 49 and 51. Another film supporting rib 77 projects from the interior wall 58 of the cassette half 7, opposite the stripper-guide 68. The other rib 77 is substantially parallel to and shorter than the first-two ribs 75 and 76. All three of the ribs 75-77 longitudinally extend perpendicular to and adjoin the flattening rib 71. See FIG. 1.
When the spool core 23 is initially rotated in the film unwinding direction U, the two flanges 41 and 43 momentarily tend to remain stationary and the film roll 33, since its inner end is attached to the spool core, will expand radially or clock-spring to force the film leader (outermost convolution) 35 firmly against the annular lips 49 and 51 of the flanges. Generally however, before the film roll 33 can be expanded radially to the extent a non-slipping relation would be created between the film leader (outermost convolution) 35 and the annular lips 49 and 51 as in cited U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,406 and No. 4,848,693, the hook-like members 67 will have moved along the respective slots 66 into engagement with the two flanges 41 and 43 to fix the flanges to the spool core. Then, further rotation of the spool core 23 will similarly rotate the flanges 41 and 43. As a result, the leading end 37 of the film leader (outermost convolution) 35 will be advanced over the shorter rib 77 and the stripper-guide 68, causing successive arcuate portions of the flanges 41 and 43 to be flexed away from one another as shown in FIG. 11. This first allows the notch 59 to separate from the lip section 51', and then it allows successive longitudinal sections of the film leader 35 to exit from between the flanges to the outside of the cassette shell 3. Since the stripper-guide 68 initially picks up the leading end 37 of the film leader 35 close to its forward-most tip 65, the forward edge 63 of the leading end will move against the film flattening rib 71 as shown in FIG. 6.
When the film leader 35 is thrust through the film passageway 25 to the outside of the cassette shell 3, the passageway due to the plush material 31 presents some resistance to outward movement of the leader. This resistance causes the leader 35 to further flex the flanges 41 and 43 away from one another to, in turn, allow more of the leader to uncoil from between the flanges. If the two ribs 75 and 76 were omitted from the shell half 9, the leader 35 would uncoil against the interior wall 58 of the shell half. As a result, increased torque would be required to rotate the spool core 23 in the film unwinding direction U. However, the two ribs 75 and 76 serve to severely limit the extent to which the leader 35 can uncoil from between the flanges 41 and 43.
If the spool core 23 is rotated in the film winding direction W after some length of the filmstrip F has been advanced from the cassette shell 3, the spool core is free to rotate relative to the two flanges 41 and 43 because the hook-like members 67 can move along the respective slots 66 out of engagement with the flanges. This permits the flanges 41 and 43 to be independently rotated in the winding direction W, though at a slower speed than the spool core 23 is rotated in that direction. Each of the hook-like members 67 may back out of one of the slots 66 and into the next slot during continued rotation of the spool core 23 in the winding direction W. At the same time, the filmstrip F will be rewound onto the spool core 23 between the flanges 41 and 43. The spool core 23 is rotated in the winding direction W substantially until the slot 75 in the film leader 35 receives the free end 79 of the tooth 77 to thus engage the film leader to the tooth.
THE FILM EXPOSURE STATUS INDICATOR OF THE FILM CASSETTE
FIGS. 1-3, 13 and 14 depict a ring-like unit 101 having a sideways-elongate opening 103 aligned with the longer open-end piece 21 of the spool core 23 to allow the ring-like unit to be shifted laterally of the spool core from a normal or unexposed position shown in FIGS. 15 and 18 to a fully exposed position shown in FIGS. 16 and 20, to a partly exposed position shown in FIGS. 17 and 21, and back to the fully exposed position. The ring-like unit 101 includes a peripheral tab 105 having an indicator 107 which is aligned with respective imprints "EXP" and "PARTIAL", printed on the outside of the cassette shell 3, when the ring-like unit is in its fully exposed and partly exposed positions. A cover 109 forming part of the cassette shell 3 overlays the ring-like unit 101 and has a central opening 111 for access to the longer open-end piece 21 of the spool core 23 in order to rotate the spool core in the unwinding and winding directions U and W. The cover 109 and the ring-like unit 101 include respective engaging means for constraining the ring-like unit to movement laterally of the spool core 23 to the fully exposed and partly exposed positions. Preferably, the engaging means comprises respective pin-halves 113 and 113' projecting from opposite sides of the ring-like unit 101 into a slot or channel 115 formed in the cover 109 and a slot or channel 117 formed at an end piece 119 of the cassette shell 3, and a pin 121 projecting from one side of the ring-like unit into a groove 123 cut in the underside of the cover.
When the ring-like unit 101 is in its unexposed position, the pin 121 extends into a first hole 125 formed in the cover 109 at the groove 123, to releasably secure or arrest the ring-like unit in the unexposed position. See FIGS. 15 and 18. At this time as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the spool core 23 cannot be rotated substantially in the unwinding direction U because one of four peripheral radial teeth 127 formed on the longer open-end piece 21 of the spool core will engage a pin 129 projecting from one side of the ring-like unit 101 into the circular path of the teeth. Conversely, the spool core 23 cannot be rotated substantially in the winding direction W because one of four peripheral edge portions 131 intermediate the respective teeth 127 will engage the pin 129.
If the pin 121 is forced out of the first hole 125 and into the groove 123 as shown in FIG. 19, by pressing against the ring-like unit 101 at a push portion 133 of the ring-like unit located in a cut-out 135 in the cover 109, the ring-like unit will be freed to be shifted out of its unexposed position shown in FIGS. 15 and 18. Consequently, the spool core 23 will be freed to rotate in the unwinding direction U (and the winding direction W).
If the spool core 23 is rotated in the unwinding direction U, with the pin 121 removed from the first hole 125, one of the teeth 127 will drive the pin 129 to shift the ring-like unit 101 from its unexposed position shown in FIGS. 15 and 19 to its fully exposed position shown in FIGS. 16 and 20. During this occurrence, the pin 121 will be moved along the groove 123, coming to rest in a second hole 137 formed in the cover 109 at the groove. Simultaneously, the push portion 133 of the ring-like unit 101 will be moved out of the cut-out 135 in the cover 109, and the peripheral tab 105 of the ring-like unit will be moved from beneath the cover and into a cut-out 139 in the cover. The peripheral tab 105 will come to rest with the indicator 107 pointing to the imprint "EXP".
When the pin 121 is in the second hole 137, the ring-like unit 101 can be shifted from its fully exposed position shown in FIGS. 16 and 20 to its partly exposed position shown in FIGS. 17 and 21; however, the ring-like unit cannot be shifted back to its unexposed position shown in FIGS. 15 and 19. This is due to the fact that one side 141 of the second hole 137 is inclined and another side 143 of the second hole is vertical in FIG. 20.
The ring-like unit 101 is shifted from its fully exposed position shown in FIGS. 16 and 20 to its partly exposed position shown in FIGS. 17 and 21 by sliding the peripheral tab 105 of the ring-like unit to move the indicator 107 from alignment with the imprint "EXP" to alignment with the imprint "PARTIAL". During this occurrence, the pin 121 will be moved out of the second hole 137 and along the groove 123, coming to rest in a third hole 145 formed in the cover 109 at the groove. See FIG. 21.
When the pin 121 is in the third hole 145, the ring-like unit 101 can be shifted from its partly exposed position shown in FIGS. 17 and 21 only to its fully exposed position shown in FIGS. 16 and 20. This is due to the fact that one side 147 of the third hole 145 is inclined and another side 149 of the third hole is vertical in FIG. 21.
If the spool core 23 is rotated in the unwinding direction U, with the pin 121 in the third hole 145, one of the teeth 127 will drive a block 151 projecting from one side of the ring-like unit 101 into the circular path of the teeth to shift the ring-like unit from its partly exposed position shown in FIGS. 17 and 21 to its fully exposed position shown in FIGS. 16 and 20. During this occurrence, the pin 121 will be moved out of the third hole 145 and along the groove 123, coming to rest in the second hole 137. See FIG. 20.
As can be appreciated from comparing FIGS. 16 and 17, when the ring-like unit 101 is in its fully exposed position, the pin 129 is out of reach of the teeth 127, i.e. it is removed substantially from the circular path of the teeth, and the block 151 is in reach of the teeth, i.e. it is located along the circular path of teeth. Conversely, when the ring-like unit 101 is in its partly exposed position, the block 151 is out of reach of the teeth 127 and the pin 129 is in reach of the teeth. This arrangement permits the teeth 127 to shift the ring-like unit 101 to its fully exposed position alternately from its unexposed and partly exposed positions in response to rotation of the spool core 23 in the unwinding direction U.
CAMERA APPARATUS
Camera apparatus 201 is shown in FIG. 22 for use with the film cassette. The apparatus includes a camera body 202 having a loading chamber 203 with an entry opening 204 for receiving the film cassette 1 longitudinally, i.e. endwise, into the chamber. A release pin 205 is located at the bottom of the loading chamber 203 for receipt in the cut-out 135 in the cover 109 of the cassette shell 3 to press against the push portion 133 of the ring-like unit 101 to, in turn, force the pin 121 out of the first hole 125 and into the groove 123, when the ring-like unit is in its unexposed position. See FIGS. 15, 18 and 19.
A sensing member 207 located within a slot 209 opening into the loading chamber 203 is urged by a leaf spring 211 to pivot clockwise in FIG. 22 about a support pin 213 until a hook-like end 215 of the sensing member protrudes into the loading chamber. In this normal position, the sensing member 207 is disposed to locate its hook-like end 215 for abutment with a beveled surface 217 of the cassette shell 3 arranged within the cut-out 139 in the cover 109 of the cassette shell. If the film cassette 1 is initially inserted into the loading chamber 203, with the ring-like unit 101 in its unexposed or partly exposed positions, the beveled surface 217 will contact the hook-like end 215 of the sensing member 207 to cam or pivot the sensing member out of the way of the beveled surface to allow the film cassette to be further inserted into the loading chamber. However, should the film cassette 1 be initially inserted into the loading chamber 203, with the ring-like unit 101 in its fully exposed position, the peripheral tab 105 of the ring-like unit (since it has been moved from beneath the cover 109 into the cut-out 139 in the cover) will be caught by the hook-like end 215 of the sensing member 207 to prevent further insertion of the film cassette into the loading chamber.
An alternate embodiment of the sensing member 207 is shown in FIG. 22 to include a phantom-line extension 215' of the hook-like end 215 of the sensing member. If the film cassette 1 is initially inserted into the loading chamber 203, with the ring-like unit 101 in its partly exposed position, the peripheral tab 105 of the ring-like unit will be caught by the phantom-line extension 215' of the hook-like end 215 to prevent further insertion of the film cassette into the loading chamber. Thus, the phantom-line extension 215' is intended for use in a photographic camera that is not designed to receive the film cassette 1 containing partially exposed film.
The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected within the ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.
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A film cassette comprises a film spool rotatable inside a lighttight cassette shell to thrust a filmstrip coiled about the spool automatically to the exterior of the shell, and a film exposure status indicator movable from an unexposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is unexposed to respective partly exposed and fully exposed positions for providing visible indications that the filmstrip is only partly exposed or is substantially exposed. According to the invention, the spool and the status indicator include engagable means for moving the status indicator to its exposed position from its unexposed and partly exposed positions only in response to rotation of the spool.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 13/305,701, filed Nov. 28, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/419,288 filed Dec. 3, 2010, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to novel azetidine derivatives, processes for preparing them, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use as pharmaceuticals, as modulators of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors. The invention relates specifically to the use of these compounds and their pharmaceutical compositions to treat disorders associated with sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Sphingosine-1 phosphate is stored in relatively high concentrations in human platelets, which lack the enzymes responsible for its catabolism, and it is released into the blood stream upon activation of physiological stimuli, such as growth factors, cytokines, and receptor agonists and antigens. It may also have a critical role in platelet aggregation and thrombosis and could aggravate cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand the relatively high concentration of the metabolite in high-density lipoproteins (HDL) may have beneficial implications for atherogenesis. For example, there are recent suggestions that sphingosine-1-phosphate, together with other lysolipids such as sphingosylphosphorylcholine and lysosulfatide, are responsible for the beneficial clinical effects of HDL by stimulating the production of the potent antiatherogenic signaling molecule nitric oxide by the vascular endothelium. In addition, like lysophosphatidic acid, it is a marker for certain types of cancer, and there is evidence that its role in cell division or proliferation may have an influence on the development of cancers. These are currently topics that are attracting great interest amongst medical researchers, and the potential for therapeutic intervention in sphingosine-1-phosphate metabolism is under active investigation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] A group of novel azetidine derivatives, which are potent and selective sphingosine-1-phosphate modulators has been discovered. As such, the compounds described herein are useful in treating a wide variety of disorders associated with modulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors. The term “modulator” as used herein, includes but is not limited to: receptor agonist, antagonist, inverse agonist, inverse antagonist, partial agonist, partial antagonist.
[0005] This invention describes compounds of Formula I, which have sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor biological activity. The compounds in accordance with the present invention are thus of use in medicine, for example in the treatment of humans with diseases and conditions that are alleviated by S1P modulation.
[0000] In one aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or stereoisomeric forms thereof, or the geometrical isomers, enantiomers, diastereoisomers, tautomers, zwitterions and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof
[0000]
[0000] wherein:
“ ” represents a double bond “—CR 14 ═CR 15 —” or a triple bond “—C≡C—”;
A is C 6-10 aryl, heterocycle, C 3-8 cycloalkyl or C 3-8 cycloalkenyl;
B is C 6-10 aryl, heterocycle, C 3-8 cycloalkyl or C 3-8 cycloalkenyl;
R 1 is H, halogen, —OC 1-8 alkyl, C 1-8 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
R 2 is H, halogen, —OC 1-8 alkyl, C 1-8 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
R 3 is H, halogen, —OC 1-8 alkyl, C 1-8 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
R 4 is H, halogen, —OC 1-8 alkyl, C 1-8 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
R 5 is H, halogen, —OC 1-8 alkyl, C 1-8 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
R 6 is H, halogen, —OC 1-8 alkyl, C 1-8 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
R 7 is H, halogen, —OC 1-8 alkyl, C 1-8 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , C 6-10 aryl, heterocycle, C 3-8 cycloakyl, C 3-8 cycloalkenyl, NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
R 8 is the same or independently halogen, —OC 1-8 alkyl, C 1-8 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
L 1 is O, S, NH or CH 2 ;
[0006] R 11 is H or C 1-8 alkyl;
a is 0, 1, 2 or 3;
R 12 is H or C 1-8 alkyl;
R 13 is H or C 1-8 alkyl;
R 14 is H or C 1-8 alkyl; and
R 15 is H or C 1-8 alkyl.
[0007] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein “ ” represents a double bond “—CR 14 ═CR 15 —”.
[0008] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein “ ” represents a triple bond “—C≡C—”.
[0009] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein L 1 is CH 2 .
[0010] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein L 1 is O, S or NH.
[0011] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein
[0000]
[0012] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein
[0000]
[0013] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein
[0000]
[0014] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein “ ” represents a double bond “—CR 14 ═CR 15 —”;
[0000] A is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
B is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
R 1 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 2 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 3 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 4 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 5 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 6 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 7 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 8 is halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
L 1 is O, S, NH or CH 2 ;
[0015] R 11 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
a is 0 or 1;
R 12 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
R 13 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
R 14 is H or C 1-3 alkyl; and
R 15 is H or C 1-3 alkyl.
[0016] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein “ ” represents a double bond “—CR 14 ═CR 15 —”;
[0000] A is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
B is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
R 1 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 2 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 3 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 4 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 5 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 6 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 7 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 8 is halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
L 1 is CH 2 ;
[0017] R 11 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
a is 0 or 1;
R 12 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
R 13 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
R 14 is H or C 1-3 alkyl; and
R 15 is H or C 1-3 alkyl.
[0018] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein “ ” represents a double bond “—CR 14 ═CR 15 —”;
[0000] A is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
B is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
R 1 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 2 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 3 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 4 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 5 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 6 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 7 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 8 is halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
L 1 is O, S or NH;
[0019] R 11 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
a is 0 or 1;
R 12 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
R 13 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
R 14 is H or C 1-3 alkyl; and
R 15 is H or C 1-3 alkyl.
[0020] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein “ ” represents a double bond “—CR 14 ═CR 15 —”;
[0000]
[0000] R 1 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 2 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 3 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 4 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 5 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 6 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 7 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 8 is halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
L 1 is CH 2 ;
[0021] R 11 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
a is 0 or 1;
R 12 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
R 13 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
R 14 is H or C 1-3 alkyl; and
R 15 is H or C 1-3 alkyl.
[0022] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein “ ” represents a triple bond “—C≡C—”.
[0000] A is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
B is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
R 1 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 2 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 3 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 4 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 5 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 6 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 7 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 8 is halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
L 1 is O, S, NH or CH 2 ;
[0023] R 11 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
a is 0 or 1;
R 12 is H or C 1-3 alkyl; and
R 13 is H or C 1-3 alkyl.
[0024] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein “ ” represents a triple bond “—C≡C—”.
[0000] A is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
B is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
R 1 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 2 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 3 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 4 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 5 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 6 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 7 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 8 is halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
L 1 is O, S or NH;
[0025] R 11 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
a is 0 or 1;
R 12 is H or C 1-3 alkyl; and
R 13 is H or C 1-3 alkyl.
[0026] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein “ ” represents a triple bond “—C≡C—”.
[0000] A is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
B is C 6 aryl or heterocycle;
R 1 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 2 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 3 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 4 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 5 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 6 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 7 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 5 is halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
L 1 is CH 2 ;
[0027] R 11 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
a is 0 or 1;
R 12 is H or C 1-3 alkyl; and
R 13 is H or C 1-3 alkyl.
[0028] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein “ ” represents a triple bond “—C≡C—”.
[0000]
[0000] R 1 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 2 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 3 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 4 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 5 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 6 is H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 7 H, halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl or C 1-6 alkyl;
R 8 is halogen, —OC 1-6 alkyl, C 1-6 alkyl, CN, C(O)R 11 , NR 12 R 13 or hydroxyl;
L 1 is CH 2 ;
[0029] R 11 is H or C 1-3 alkyl;
a is 0 or 1;
R 12 is H or C 1-3 alkyl; and
R 13 is H or C 1-3 alkyl.
[0030] In another aspect, the invention provides a compound having Formula I wherein “ ” represents a triple bond “—C≡C—”.
[0000]
[0000] R 1 is H, fluoro, methyl, methoxy or chloro;
R 2 is H, fluoro, methyl, methoxy or chloro;
R 3 is H, fluoro, methyl, methoxy or chloro;
R 4 is H, methyl;
R 5 is H, methyl;
R 6 is H, methyl;
R 7 is H, chloro, methyl or bromo;
L 1 is CH 2 ;
[0031] a is 0.
[0032] The term “alkyl”, as used herein, refers to saturated, monovalent hydrocarbon moieties having linear or branched moieties or combinations thereof and containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms. One methylene (—CH 2 —) group, of the alkyl can be replaced by oxygen, sulfur, sulfoxide, nitrogen, carbonyl, carboxyl, sulfonyl, or by a divalent C 3-8 cycloalkyl. Alkyl groups can be substituted by halogen, hydroxyl, cycloalkyl, amino, non-aromatic heterocycles, carboxylic acid, phosphonic acid groups, sulphonic acid groups, phosphoric acid.
[0033] The term “cycloalkyl”, as used herein, refers to a monovalent or divalent group of 3 to 8 carbon atoms, derived from a saturated cyclic hydrocarbon. Cycloalkyl groups can be monocyclic or polycyclic. Cycloalkyl can be substituted by C 1-8 alkyl groups or halogens.
[0034] The term “cycloalkenyl”, as used herein, refers to a monovalent or divalent group of 3 to 8 carbon atoms, derived from a saturated cycloalkyl having one double bond. Cycloalkenyl groups can be monocyclic or polycyclic. Cycloalkenyl groups can be substituted by C 1-8 alkyl groups or halogens.
[0035] The term “halogen”, as used herein, refers to an atom of chlorine, bromine, fluorine, iodine.
[0036] The term “alkenyl”, as used herein, refers to a monovalent or divalent hydrocarbon radical having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, derived from a saturated alkyl, having at least one double bond. C 2-6 alkenyl can be in the E or Z configuration. Alkenyl groups can be substituted by C 1-8 alkyl.
[0037] The term “alkynyl”, as used herein, refers to a monovalent or divalent hydrocarbon radical having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, derived from a saturated alkyl, having at least one triple bond.
[0038] The term “heterocycle” as used herein, refers to a 3 to 10 membered ring, which can be aromatic or non-aromatic, saturated or non-saturated, monocyclic or polycyclic, containing at least one heteroatom selected form O or N or S or combinations of at least two thereof, interrupting the carbocyclic ring structure. The heterocyclic ring can be interrupted by a C═O; the S heteroatom can be oxidized. Heterocycles can be monocyclic or polycyclic. Heterocyclic ring moieties can be substituted by hydroxyl, C 1-8 alkyl or halogens.
[0039] The term “aryl” as used herein, refers to an organic moiety derived from an aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of a ring containing 6 to 10 carbon atoms by removal of one hydrogen. Aryl can be monocyclic or polycyclic. Aryl can be substituted by halogen atoms, —OC 1-8 alkyl, C 1-8 alkyl, CN, C(O)H, C(O)(C 1-8 alkyl), NH 2 , NH(C 1-8 alkyl), N(C 1-8 alkyl) (C 1-8 alkyl) or hydroxyl. Usually aryl is phenyl. Preferred substitution site on aryl are meta and para positions.
[0040] The group of formula “—CR 14 ═CR 15 —”, as used herein, represents an alkenyl moiety.
[0041] The group of formula “—C≡C—”, as used herein, represents an alkynyl moiety.
[0042] The term “hydroxyl” as used herein, represents a group of formula “—OH”.
[0043] The term “carbonyl” as used herein, represents a group of formula “—C(O)”.
[0044] The term “carboxyl” as used herein, represents a group of formula “—C(O)O—”.
[0045] The term “sulfonyl” as used herein, represents a group of formula “—SO 2 ”.
[0046] The term “sulfate” as used herein, represents a group of formula “—O—S(O) 2 —O—”.
[0047] The term “carboxylic acid” as used herein, represents a group of formula “—C(O)OH”.
[0048] The term “sulfoxide” as used herein, represents a group of formula “—S═O”.
[0049] The term “phosphonic acid” as used herein, represents a group of formula “—P(O)(OH) 2 ”.
[0050] The term “phosphoric acid” as used herein, represents a group of formula “—(O)P(O)(OH) 2 ”.
[0051] The term “sulphonic acid” as used herein, represents a group of formula “—S(O) 2 OH”.
[0052] The formula “H”, as used herein, represents a hydrogen atom.
[0053] The formula “O”, as used herein, represents an oxygen atom.
[0054] The formula “N”, as used herein, represents a nitrogen atom.
[0055] The formula “S”, as used herein, represents a sulfur atom.
[0056] Some compounds of the invention are:
1-{4-[3-(3-chlorophenyl)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)but-1-yn-1-yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid; 1-{4-[3-(3-Chloro-phenyl)-4-(3,4-dimethyl-phenyl)-but-1-ynyl]-3-methyl-benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid; 1-{4-[4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-3-(3-methoxyphenyl)but-1-yn-1-yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid; 1-{4-[3-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)but-1-yn-1-yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid; 1-{4-[4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-3-(3-methylphenyl)but-1-yn-1-yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid; 1-{4-[4-(3,4-Dichloro-phenyl)-3-(3-fluoro-phenyl)-but-1-ynyl]-benzyl}-azetidine-3-carboxylic acid; 1-[4-(3,4-diphenylbut-1-yn-1-yl)benzyl]azetidine-3-carboxylic acid; 1-{4-[(1E)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-3-(3-fluorophenyl)but-1-en-1-yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid.
[0065] Some compounds of Formula I and some of their intermediates have at least one stereogenic center in their structure. This stereogenic center may be present in an R or S configuration, said R and S notation is used in correspondence with the rules described in Pure Appli. Chem. (1976), 45, 11-13.
[0066] The term “pharmaceutically acceptable salts” refers to salts or complexes that retain the desired biological activity of the above identified compounds and exhibit minimal or no undesired toxicological effects. The “pharmaceutically acceptable salts” according to the invention include therapeutically active, non-toxic base or acid salt forms, which the compounds of Formula I are able to form.
[0067] The acid addition salt form of a compound of Formula I that occurs in its free form as a base can be obtained by treating the free base with an appropriate acid such as an inorganic acid, for example hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid and the like; or an organic acid such as for example, acetic, hydroxyacetic, propanoic, lactic, pyruvic, malonic, fumaric acid, maleic acid, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, benzoic acid, tannic acid, pamoic acid, citric, methylsulfonic, ethanesulfonic, benzenesulfonic, formic and the like (Handbook of Pharmaceutical Salts, P. Heinrich Stahal & Camille G. Wermuth (Eds), Verlag Helvetica Chemica Acta-Zürich, 2002, 329-345).
[0068] Compounds of Formula I and their salts can be in the form of a solvate, which is included within the scope of the present invention. Such solvates include for example hydrates, alcoholates and the like.
[0069] With respect to the present invention reference to a compound or compounds, is intended to encompass that compound in each of its possible isomeric forms and mixtures thereof unless the particular isomeric form is referred to specifically.
[0070] Compounds according to the present invention may exist in different polymorphic forms. Although not explicitly indicated in the above formula, such forms are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
[0071] The compounds of the invention are indicated for use in treating or preventing conditions in which there is likely to be a component involving the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors.
[0072] In another embodiment, there are provided pharmaceutical compositions including at least one compound of the invention in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
[0073] In a further embodiment of the invention, there are provided methods for treating disorders associated with modulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors. Such methods can be performed, for example, by administering to a subject in need thereof a pharmaceutical composition containing a therapeutically effective amount of at least one compound of the invention.
[0074] These compounds are useful for the treatment of mammals, including humans, with a range of conditions and diseases that are alleviated by S1P modulation.
Therapeutic utilities of S1P modulators are ocular diseases, such as but not limited to: Ocular Diseases: wet and dry age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, retinal edema, geographic atrophy, glaucomatous optic neuropathy, chorioretinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, ocular ischemic syndrome, prevention of inflammation-induced fibrosis in the back of the eye, various ocular inflammatory diseases including uveitis, scleritis, keratitis, and retinal vasculitis; Systemic vascular barrier related diseases: various inflammatory diseases, including acute lung injury, its prevention, sepsis, tumor metastasis, atherosclerosis, pulmonary edemas, and ventilation-induced lung injury; Autoimmune diseases and immnuosuppression: rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, Graves' disease, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, Myasthenia gravis, Psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, antoimmune uveitis, renal ischemia/perfusion injury, contact hypersensitivity, atopic dermititis, and organ transplantation; Allergies and other inflammatory diseases: urticaria, bronchial asthma, and other airway inflammations including pulmonary emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases; Cardiac functions: bradycardia, congestional heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, and ischemia/reperfusion injury; Wound Healing: scar-free healing of wounds from cosmetic skin surgery, ocular surgery, GI surgery, general surgery, oral injuries, various mechanical, heat and burn injuries, prevention and treatment of photoaging and skin ageing, and prevention of radiation-induced injuries; Bone formation: treatment of osteoporosis and various bone fractures including hip and ankles; Anti-nociceptive activity: visceral pain, pain associated with diabetic neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic knee and joint pain, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, neuropathic pains; Anti-fibrosis: ocular, cardiac, hepatic and pulmonary fibrosis, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, cicatricial pemphigoid, surgically induced fibrosis in cornea, conjunctiva and tenon; Pains and anti-inflammation: acute pain, flare-up of chronic pain, musculo-skeletal pains, visceral pain, pain associated with diabetic neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic knee and joint pain, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, bursitis, neuropathic pains; CNS neuronal injuries: Alzheimer's disease, age-related neuronal injuries; Organ transplants: renal, corneal, cardiac and adipose tissue transplants.
[0087] In still another embodiment of the invention, there are provided methods for treating disorders associated with modulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors. Such methods can be performed, for example, by administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of at least one compound of the invention, or any combination thereof, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, hydrates, solvates, crystal forms and individual isomers, enantiomers, and diastereomers thereof.
The present invention concerns the use of a compound of Formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of Ocular Diseases: wet and dry age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, retinal edema, geographic atrophy, glaucomatous optic neuropathy, chorioretinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, ocular ischemic syndrome, prevention of inflammation-induced fibrosis in the back of the eye, various ocular inflammatory diseases including uveitis, scleritis, keratitis, and retinal vasculitis; Systemic vascular barrier related diseases: various inflammatory diseases, including acute lung injury, its prevention, sepsis, tumor metastasis, atherosclerosis, pulmonary edemas, and ventilation-induced lung injury; Autoimmune diseases and immnuosuppression: rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, Graves' disease, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, Myasthenia gravis, Psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, antoimmune uveitis, renal ischemia/perfusion injury, contact hypersensitivity, atopic dermititis, and organ transplantation; Allergies and other inflammatory diseases: urticaria, bronchial asthma, and other airway inflammations including pulmonary emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases; Cardiac functions: bradycardia, congestional heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, and ischemia/reperfusion injury; Wound Healing: scar-free healing of wounds from cosmetic skin surgery, ocular surgery, GI surgery, general surgery, oral injuries, various mechanical, heat and burn injuries, prevention and treatment of photoaging and skin ageing, and prevention of radiation-induced injuries; Bone formation: treatment of osteoporosis and various bone fractures including hip and ankles; Anti-nociceptive activity: visceral pain, pain associated with diabetic neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic knee and joint pain, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, neuropathic pains; Anti-fibrosis: ocular, cardiac, hepatic and pulmonary fibrosis, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, cicatricial pemphigoid, surgically induced fibrosis in cornea, conjunctiva and tenon; Pains and anti-inflammation: acute pain, flare-up of chronic pain, musculo-skeletal pains, visceral pain, pain associated with diabetic neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic knee and joint pain, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, bursitis, neuropathic pains; CNS neuronal injuries: Alzheimer's disease, age-related neuronal injuries; Organ transplants: renal, corneal, cardiac and adipose tissue transplants.
[0100] The actual amount of the compound to be administered in any given case will be determined by a physician taking into account the relevant circumstances, such as the severity of the condition, the age and weight of the patient, the patient's general physical condition, the cause of the condition, and the route of administration.
[0101] The patient will be administered the compound orally in any acceptable form, such as a tablet, liquid, capsule, powder and the like, or other routes may be desirable or necessary, particularly if the patient suffers from nausea. Such other routes may include, without exception, transdermal, parenteral, subcutaneous, intranasal, via an implant stent, intrathecal, intravitreal, topical to the eye, back to the eye, intramuscular, intravenous, and intrarectal modes of delivery. Additionally, the formulations may be designed to delay release of the active compound over a given period of time, or to carefully control the amount of drug released at a given time during the course of therapy.
[0102] In another embodiment of the invention, there are provided pharmaceutical compositions including at least one compound of the invention in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier thereof. The phrase “pharmaceutically acceptable” means the carrier, diluent or excipient must be compatible with the other ingredients of the formulation and not deleterious to the recipient thereof.
[0103] Pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention can be used in the form of a solid, a solution, an emulsion, a dispersion, a patch, a micelle, a liposome, and the like, wherein the resulting composition contains one or more compounds of the present invention, as an active ingredient, in admixture with an organic or inorganic carrier or excipient suitable for enteral or parenteral applications. Invention compounds may be combined, for example, with the usual non-toxic, pharmaceutically acceptable carriers for tablets, pellets, capsules, suppositories, solutions, emulsions, suspensions, and any other form suitable for use. The carriers which can be used include glucose, lactose, gum acacia, gelatin, mannitol, starch paste, magnesium trisilicate, talc, corn starch, keratin, colloidal silica, potato starch, urea, medium chain length triglycerides, dextrans, and other carriers suitable for use in manufacturing preparations, in solid, semisolid, or liquid form. In addition auxiliary, stabilizing, thickening and coloring agents and perfumes may be used. Invention compounds are included in the pharmaceutical composition in an amount sufficient to produce the desired effect upon the process or disease condition.
[0104] Pharmaceutical compositions containing invention compounds may be in a form suitable for oral use, for example, as tablets, troches, lozenges, aqueous or oily suspensions, dispersible powders or granules, emulsions, hard or soft capsules, or syrups or elixirs. Compositions intended for oral use may be prepared according to any method known in the art for the manufacture of pharmaceutical compositions and such compositions may contain one or more agents selected from the group consisting of a sweetening agent such as sucrose, lactose, or saccharin, flavoring agents such as peppermint, oil of wintergreen or cherry, coloring agents and preserving agents in order to provide pharmaceutically elegant and palatable preparations. Tablets containing invention compounds in admixture with non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable excipients may also be manufactured by known methods. The excipients used may be, for example, (1) inert diluents such as calcium carbonate, lactose, calcium phosphate or sodium phosphate; (2) granulating and disintegrating agents such as corn starch, potato starch or alginic acid; (3) binding agents such as gum tragacanth, corn starch, gelatin or acacia, and (4) lubricating agents such as magnesium stearate, stearic acid or talc. The tablets may be uncoated or they may be coated by known techniques to delay disintegration and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and thereby provide a sustained action over a longer period. For example, a time delay material such as glyceryl monostearate or glyceryl distearate may be employed.
[0105] In some cases, formulations for oral use may be in the form of hard gelatin capsules wherein the invention compounds are mixed with an inert solid diluent, for example, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate or kaolin. They may also be in the form of soft gelatin capsules wherein the invention compounds are mixed with water or an oil medium, for example, peanut oil, liquid paraffin or olive oil.
[0106] The pharmaceutical compositions may be in the form of a sterile injectable suspension. This suspension may be formulated according to known methods using suitable dispersing or wetting agents and suspending agents. The sterile injectable preparation may also be a sterile injectable solution or suspension in a non-toxic parenterally-acceptable diluent or solvent, for example, as a solution in 1,3-butanediol. Sterile, fixed oils are conventionally employed as a solvent or suspending medium. For this purpose any bland fixed oil may be employed including synthetic mono- or diglycerides, fatty acids (including oleic acid), naturally occurring vegetable oils like sesame oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, cottonseed oil, etc., or synthetic fatty vehicles like ethyl oleate or the like. Buffers, preservatives, antioxidants, and the like can be incorporated as required.
[0107] Invention compounds may also be administered in the form of suppositories for rectal administration of the drug. These compositions may be prepared by mixing the invention compounds with a suitable non-irritating excipient, such as cocoa butter, synthetic glyceride esters of polyethylene glycols, which are solid at ordinary temperatures, but liquefy and/or dissolve in the rectal cavity to release the drug.
[0108] Since individual subjects may present a wide variation in severity of symptoms and each drug has its unique therapeutic characteristics, the precise mode of administration and dosage employed for each subject is left to the discretion of the practitioner.
[0109] The compounds and pharmaceutical compositions described herein are useful as medicaments in mammals, including humans, for treatment of diseases and/or alleviations of conditions which are responsive to treatment by agonists or functional antagonists of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors. Thus, in further embodiments of the invention, there are provided methods for treating a disorder associated with modulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors. Such methods can be performed, for example, by administering to a subject in need thereof a pharmaceutical composition containing a therapeutically effective amount of at least one invention compound. As used herein, the term “therapeutically effective amount” means the amount of the pharmaceutical composition that will elicit the biological or medical response of a subject in need thereof that is being sought by the researcher, veterinarian, medical doctor or other clinician. In some embodiments, the subject in need thereof is a mammal. In some embodiments, the mammal is human.
[0110] The present invention concerns also processes for preparing the compounds of Formula I. The compounds of formula I according to the invention can be prepared analogously to conventional methods as understood by the person skilled in the art of synthetic organic chemistry. The synthetic schemes set forth below, illustrate how compounds according to the invention can be made.
[0111] Those skilled in the art will be able to routinely modify and/or adapt the following scheme to synthesize any compounds of the invention covered by Formula I.
[0112] The following abbreviations are used in the general schemes and in the specific examples:
THF tetrahydrofuran MPLC medium pressure liquid chromatography NMO 4-Methylmorpholine N-oxide CH 3 CN acetonitrile CH 2 Cl 2 dichloromethane TPAP Tetrapropylammonium perruthenate MeOH methanol NaCNBH 3 sodium cyanoborohydride CD 3 OD deuterated methanol DMSO-d 6 deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide NaOMe sodium methoxyde EtOH ethanol NaBH 4 sodium borohydride MgSO 4 magnesium sulfate NH 4 Cl ammonium chloride HCl hydrochloric acid DIBAL-H Diisobutylaluminium hydride Et 2 O ether MeOH methanol K 2 CO 3 potassium carbonate DMF N,N-dimethylformamide Et 3 N triethylamine CuI cooper iodide PdCl 2 (PPh 3 ) 2 Bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) chloride NaH sodium hydride EtOAc ethylacetate AcOH acetic acid TFA trifluoroacetic acid NH 3 ammonia CDCl 3 deuterated chloroform
General Synthetic Methods
[0143] Reaction Schemes A, B and C are examples of general methods for obtaining the compounds disclosed herein.
[0000]
[0000]
[0000]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0144] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention claimed. As used herein, the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise.
[0145] It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that some of the compounds of the invention may contain one or more asymmetric centers, such that the compounds may exist in enantiomeric as well as in diastereomeric forms. Unless it is specifically noted otherwise, the scope of the present invention includes all enantiomers, diastereomers and racemic mixtures. Some of the compounds of the invention may form salts with pharmaceutically acceptable acids or bases, and such pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds described herein are also within the scope of the invention.
[0146] The present invention includes all pharmaceutically acceptable isotopically enriched compounds. Any compound of the invention may contain one or more isotopic atoms enriched or different than the natural ratio such as deuterium 2 H (or D) in place of protium 1 H (or H) or use of 13 C enriched material in place of 12 C and the like. Similar substitutions can be employed for N, O and S. The use of isotopes may assist in analytical as well as therapeutic aspects of the invention. For example, use of deuterium may increase the in vivo half-life by altering the metabolism (rate) of the compounds of the invention. These compounds can be prepared in accord with the preparations described by use of isotopically enriched reagents.
[0147] The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended, nor should they be construed as limiting the invention in any manner. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications of the following examples can be made without exceeding the spirit or scope of the invention.
[0148] As will be evident to those skilled in the art, individual isomeric forms can be obtained by separation of mixtures thereof in conventional manner. For example, in the case of diasteroisomeric isomers, chromatographic separation may be employed.
[0149] Compound names were generated with ACD version 8 and intermediates and reagent names used in the examples were generated with software such as Chem Bio Draw Ultra version 12.0 or Auto Nom 2000 from MDL ISIS Draw 2.5 SP1.
[0150] In general, characterization of the compounds is performed using NMR spectra, which were recorded on 300 and/or 600 MHz Varian and acquired at room temperature. Chemical shifts are given in ppm referenced either to internal TMS or to the solvent signal.
[0151] All the reagents, solvents, catalysts for which the synthesis is not described are purchased from chemical vendors such as Sigma Aldrich, Fluka, Bio-Blocks, Combi-blocks, TCI, VWR, Lancaster, Oakwood, Trans World Chemical, Alfa, Fisher, Maybridge, Frontier, Matrix, Ukrorgsynth, Toronto, Ryan Scientific, SiliCycle, Anaspec, Syn Chem, Chem-Impex, MIC-scientific, Ltd; however some known intermediates, were prepared according to published procedures.
[0152] Usually the compounds of the invention were purified by column chromatography (Auto-column) on an Teledyne-ISCO CombiFlash with a silica column, unless noted otherwise.
Example 1
Intermediate 1
(2E)-2-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)acrylonitrile
[0153]
[0154] To a solution of 3,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde (CAS 68844-97-3) (5.0 g, 37.3 mmol) and 3-chloro benzeneacetonitrile (CAS 1529-41-5) (5.63 g, 37.3 mmol) in absolute EtOH 27 mL (0.7 mL/mmol), was added NaOMe (0.1 equiv) portionwise, and stirred at room temperature for 2 h. Then the reaction mixture was cooled to 0° C. and filtered. The precipitate was washed with cold EtOH, and gave Intermediate 1 as a white solid (9.8 g, 98%).
[0155] 1 H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ: 7.54-7.64 (m, 3H), 7.43-7.49 (m, 1H), 7.39 (s, 1H), 7.24-7.32 (m, 2H), 7.11-7.19 (m, 1H), 2.24 (s, 6H).
Example 2
Intermediate 2
2-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)propanenitrile
[0156]
[0157] NaBH 4 (2.8 g, 73.4 mmol) was added slowly to a solution of Intermediate 1 (9.8 g, 36.7 mmol) in EtOH (100 mL) under argon. The mixture was stirred at 70° C. for 16 h. The solution was cooled to room temperature and quenched with water. The reaction mixture was diluted with 100 mL water and acidified with 6M HCl (aq.). After extraction with ether (3×100 mL), the combined organic layers were washed with water and brine, dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and concentrated and gave Intermediate 2 as a white solid (9 g, 91%).
[0158] 1 H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ: 7.25-7.34 (m, 16H), 7.24-7.35 (m, 3H), 7.13-7.20 (m, 5H), 7.07 (d, J=7.6 Hz, 2H), 6.84-6.94 (m, 2H), 3.95 (dd, J=8.2, 6.4 Hz, 1H), 3.05-3.11 (m, 2H), 2.24 (d, J=2.1 Hz, 6H).
Example 3
Intermediate 3
4-[2-(3-chlorophenyl)but-3-yn-1-yl]-1,2-dimethylbenzene
[0159]
[0160] DIBAL-H (1.5 M in toluene, 7 mL, 10.5 mmol) was added dropwise to a solution of Intermediate 2 (2.36 g, 8.78 mmol) in Toluene (36 mL) at −78° C. under argon. The mixture was stirred at −78° C. to −20° C. for 3 h and then quenched by slow addition of saturated NH 4 Cl solution (2 mL) followed by Celite (2 g) at −20° C. The mixture was diluted with Et 2 O (50 mL), warmed slowly to room temperature, and stirred till all aluminum precipitated. The solid was filtered and washed with ether (3×50 mL), and the combined organic layers were dried over MgSO 4 , filtered, concentrated and gave 2-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)propanal (2.1 g, 88%).
[0161] To a solution of 2-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)propanal (1.4 g, 5.1 mmol) in MeOH (30 ml) was added dimethyl (1-diazo-2-oxopropyl)phosphonate (CAS 90965-06-3) at 0° C. followed by K 2 CO 3 (1.4 g, 10.2 mmol). The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 16 hours. The reaction mixture was quenched with water and extracted with CH 2 Cl 2 (3×50 mL), the combined organic layers were dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and concentrated. The crude product was purified on a column (MPLC) using hexane:ethyl acetate and gave Intermediate 3 (450 mg).
[0162] 1 H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 7.4 (s, 1H), 7.3 (m, 3H), 7.1 (d, 1H), 6.9 (m, 2H), 3.85 (m, 1H), 3.0 (m, 2H), 2.35 (s, 1H), 2.25 (s, 6H).
Example 4
Intermediate 4
4-[3-(3-chlorophenyl)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)but-1-yn-1-yl]benzaldehyde
[0163]
[0164] To a solution of Intermediate 3 (445 mg, 1.63 mmol) in anhydrous DMF (10 mL) were added 4-iodobenzaldehyde (417 mg, 1.8 mmol) followed by Et 3 N (0.68 mL, 4.89 mmol) and CuI (62 mg, 0.326 mmol). The reaction mixture was bubbled with argon, followed by the addition of PdCl 2 (PPh 3 ) 2 (114 mg, 0.163 mmol) under argon. The reaction solution was stirred at room temperature for 16 h. The reaction mixture was quenched with water and extracted with EtOAc (3×50 mL), the combined organic layers were dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and concentrated. The crude product was purified on a column (MPLC) using hexane:ethyl acetate and gave Intermediate 4 (309 mg).
[0165] 1 NMR (300 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 9.99 (s, 1H), 7.78-7.85 (m, 2H), 7.52 (d, J=8.2 Hz, 2H), 7.16-7.29 (m, 3H), 6.85-7.08 (m, 4H), 4.04 (t, J=7.2 Hz, 1H), 3.04 (d, J=7.3 Hz, 2H), 2.24 (d, 6H).
Example 5
Intermediate 5
3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-2-(3-fluorophenyl)propanal
[0166]
[0167] To a solution of 3,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde (CAS 68844-97-3) (4.0 g, 29.6 mmol) and 3-fluoro-benzeneacetonitrile (CAS 501-00-8) (4.35 g, 29.6 mmol) in absolute EtOH, 30 mL, was added NaOMe (0.1 equiv), then the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h. The reaction mixture was cooled to 0° C. and filtered. The precipitate was washed with cold EtOH and gave (2E)-3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-2-(3-fluorophenyl)acrylonitrile as a white solid (6.20 g, 78%). NaBH 4 (1.8 g, 47 mmol) was added slowly to a solution of (2E)-3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-2-(3-fluorophenyl)acrylonitrile (6.17 g, 23.5 mmol) in EtOH (100 mL) under argon. The mixture was stirred at 70° C. for 16 h. The solution was cooled to room temperature and quenched with water. The reaction mixture was diluted with 100 mL water and acidified with 6M HCl (aq.). After extraction with ether (3×100 mL), the combined organic layers were washed with water and brine, dried over MgSO 4 , filtered and concentrated and gave 3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-2-(3-fluorophenyl)propanenitrile as a white solid (6 g, 96%). DIBAL-H (1.0 M in toluene, 14 mL, 14 mmol) was added dropwise to a solution of 3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-2-(3-fluorophenyl)propanenitrile (2.93 g, 11.72 mmol) in Toluene (40 mL) at −78° C. under argon. The mixture was stirred at −78° C. to −20° C. for 3 h and then quenched by slow addition of saturated NH 4 Cl solution (2 mL) followed by Celite (2 g) at −20° C. The mixture was diluted with Et 2 O (50 mL), warmed slowly to room temperature, and stirred till all aluminum precipitated. The solid was filtered and washed with ether (3×50 mL), the combined organic layers were dried over MgSO 4 , filtered, concentrated and gave Intermediate 5 (2.34 g, 74%).
[0168] 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 , 300 MHz) δ: 9.72 (d, J=1.5 Hz, 1H), 9.68-9.75 (m, 1H), 7.22-7.36 (m, 1H), 6.83-7.03 (m, 3H), 6.78 (d, J=7.6 Hz, 1H), 3.76-3.87 (m, 1H), 3.38 (dd, J=14.1, 7.0 Hz, 1H), 2.90 (dd, J=14.1, 7.9 Hz, 1H), 2.18 (d, 6H).
Example 6
Intermediate 6
{4-[(1E)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-3-(3-fluorophenyl)but-1-en-1-yl]phenyl}methanol
[0169]
[0170] A solution of methyl 4-[(dimethoxyphosphoryl)methyl]benzoate (CAS 78022-19-2) (2.61 g, 9.14 mmol) in THF 10 (mL) was added to a suspension of NaH (366 mg) in THF (20 mL) at 0° C. and the mixture was stirred at 0° C. for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes a solution of Intermediate 5 (1.8 g, 7.03 mmol) in THF (10 mL) was added to the reaction mixture at 0° C. and stirred at 0° C. for another 2 h. The reaction mixture was quenched with saturated NH 4 Cl and extracted with ether (3×100 mL), the combined organic layers were dried over MgSO 4 , filtered, concentrated and gave methyl 4-[(1E)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-3-(3-fluorophenyl)but-1-en-1-yl]benzoate (2.7 g).
[0171] DIBAL-H (1.5 M in toluene, 14 mL, 20.85 mmol) was added dropwise to a solution of 4-[(1E)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-3-(3-fluorophenyl)but-1-en-1-yl]benzoate (2.7 g, 6.95 mmol) in THF (60 mL) at −78° C. under argon. The mixture was stirred at −78° C. to room temperature for 3 h. The mixture was cooled to −20° C. and then quenched by slow addition of saturated NH 4 Cl solution (4 mL) followed by Celite (4 g) at −20° C. The mixture was diluted with Et 2 O (50 mL), warmed slowly to room temperature, and stirred till all aluminum precipitated. The solid was filtered and washed with ether (3×50 mL), and the combined organic layers were dried over MgSO 4 , filtered, concentrated and gave Intermediate 6 (1.3 g).
[0172] 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 , 300 MHz) δ: 7.19-7.33 (m, 6H), 6.75-7.01 (m, 5H), 6.23-6.42 (m, 2H), 4.65 (s, 2H), 3.71 (q, J=7.2 Hz, 1H), 3.02 (dd, J=7.5, 3.1 Hz, 2H), 2.19 (d, J=2.9 Hz, 6H).
Example 7
Intermediate 7
4-[(1E)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-3-(3-fluorophenyl)but-1-en-1-yl]benzaldehyde
[0173]
[0174] To a solution of Intermediate 6 (1.3 g, 3.6 mmol) in anhydrous CH 2 Cl 2 (20 mL), CH 3 CN (2 mL), were added molecular sieves (500 mg), NMO (845 mg, 7.2 mmol) and TPAP (50 mg) at room temperature. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h and then passed through a small pad of silicagel column chromatography and eluted in 50% EtOAc in hexane and afforded Intermediate 7 (1.07 g).
[0175] 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 , 300 MHz) δ: 9.95 (s, 1H), 7.79 (d, J=8.2 Hz, 2H), 7.43 (d, J=8.2 Hz, 2H), 6.76-7.03 (m, 7H), 6.24-6.59 (m, 2H), 3.63-3.79 (m, 1H), 3.05 (d, J=7.3 Hz, 2H), 2.19 (d, J=3.2 Hz, 6H).
Example 8
Compound 1
1-{4-[3-(3-chlorophenyl)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)but-1-yn-1 yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid
[0176]
[0177] Azetidine-3-carboxylic acid (CAS 36476-78-5) (17 mg, 0.17 mmol) was added to a solution of Intermediate 4 (43 mg, 0.113 mmol) in MeOH (8 mL) followed by AcOH (2 drops) at room temperature. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 20 minutes then NaCNBH 3 (7 mg, 0.113 mmol) was added to the reaction mixture in 2 mL MeOH. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h. The reaction mixture was then quenched with water (1 mL) and silica gel was added, concentrated to dryness, then purified on a column (MPLC) using CH 2 Cl 2 :MeOH and gave Compound 1 (30 mg).
[0178] 1 NMR (300 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 7.31-7.48 (m, 4H), 7.20-7.31 (m, 3H), 6.80-7.06 (m, 4H), 4.27 (s, 2H), 4.08-4.12 (m, 5H), 3.37 (t, J=8.4 Hz, 1H), 3.01 (dd, J=7.2, 5.1 Hz, 2H), 2.20 (d, J=4.1 Hz, 6H).
[0179] Compounds 2 through 8 were prepared in a similar manner to the procedure described in Example 1 for Compound 1. The starting materials and the results are tabulated below in Table 1.
[0000]
TABLE 1
1 NMR
Comp.
(Solvent; δ
number
IUPAC name
Starting material
ppm)
2
Intermediate 3 Benzaldehyde, 4- iodo-3-methyl- (CAS 1160924-07-1)
1 H-NMR (300 MHz, CD 3 OD) δ 7.392-7.218 (7H, m), 7.003 (1H, d, J = 7.5 Hz), 6.947 (1H, s), 6.898 (1H, d, J = 7.5 Hz), 4.203 (1H, t, J = 8.1 Hz), 3.841 (2H, s), 3.721 (2H, t), 3.591 (2H, t), 3.233 (1H, t), 3.007-3.191(2H, m), 2.321 (3H, s), 2.211 (3H, s), 2.194 (3H, s).
3
3,4- dimethylbenzaldehyde (CAS 68844-97-3) 3- methoxybenyl) acetonitrile (CAS 19924-43-7)
1 H NMR (300 MHz, CD 3 OD) δ: 7.35-7.44 (m, 4H), 7.17-7.26 (m, 1H), 6.75- 7.02 (m, 6H), 4.29 (s, 2H), 4.16-4.02 (m, 5H), 3.75 (s, 3H), 3.35-3.39 (m, 1H), 2.91- 3.07 (m, 2H), 2.20 (d, J = 3.8 Hz, 6H)
4
3,4- dimethylbenzaldehyde (CAS 68844-97-3) Benzene acetonitrile, 4-chloro- (CAS 140-53-4)
1 H NMR (300 MHz, CD 3 OD) δ: 7.40 (d, J = 2.9 Hz, 4H), 7.30 (d, J = 1.8 Hz, 4H), 6.81-7.01 (m, 3H), 4.25 (s, 2H), 4.02-4.15 (m, 5H), 3.33- 3.43 (m, 1H), 2.96-3.03 (m, 2H), 2.19 (d, 6H)
5
Benzene acetonitrile, 3-fluoro- (CAS 501-00-8) Benzaldehyde, 3,4- dichloro- (CAS 6287-38-3)
1 H-NMR (300 MHz, CD 3 OD) δ: 7.251-7.411 (7H, m), 7.003- 7.210 (3H, m), 6.981 (1H, t), 4.211 (1H, t, J = 7.8 Hz, 3.047- 3.067, 3.841 (2H, s), 3.721 (2H, t), 3.591 (2H, t), 3.233 (1H, t), 3.007- 3.191 (2H, m).
6
Intermediate 7
1 H NMR (300 MHz, CD 3 OD) δ: 7.38-7.21 (m, 5H), 6.74-7.05 (m, 6H), 6.40- 6.54 (m, 1H), 6.23-6.34 (m, 1H), 4.26 (s, 2H), 4.21-4.04 (m, 4H), 3.72 (q, J = 7.6 Hz, 1H), 3.33-3.42 (m, 1H), 2.89-3.06 (m, 2H), 2.14 (s, 6H)
7
3,4- dimethylbenzaldehyde (CAS 68844-97-3) Benzeneacetonitrile, 3-methyl- (CAS 2947-60-6)
1 H NMR (300 MHz, CD 3 OD) δ 7.32-7.43 (m, 4H), 7.08-7.21 (m, 3H), 7.03 (d, J = 7.0 Hz, 1H), 6.91-6.99 (m, 2H), 6.83-6.90 (m, 1H), 4.26 (s, 2H), 4.11 (d, J = 8.5 Hz, 4H), 4.00 (dd, J = 8.4, 6.3 Hz, 1H), 3.33-3.40 (m, 1H), 2.85-3.03 (m, 2H), 2.29 (s, 3H), 2.18 (d, 6H)
8
Benzene acetonitrile (CAS 140-29-4) Benzaldehyde (CAS 100-52-7)
1 H NMR (300 MHz, CD 3 OD) δ: 7.27-7.45 (m, 8H), 7.13-7.26 (m, 6H), 4.27 (s, 2H), 4.05-4.18 (m, 5H), 3.33- 3.42 (m, 1H), 2.98-3.17 (m, 2H)
Biological Data
[0180] Compounds were synthesized and tested for S1P1 activity using the GTP γ 35 S binding assay. These compounds may be assessed for their ability to activate or block activation of the human S1P1 receptor in cells stably expressing the S1P1 receptor. GTP γ 35 S binding was measured in the medium containing (mM) HEPES 25, pH 7.4, MgCl 2 10, NaCl 100, dithitothreitol 0.5, digitonin 0.003%, 0.2 nM GTP γ 35 S, and 5 μg membrane protein in a volume of 150 μl. Test compounds were included in the concentration range from 0.08 to 5,000 nM unless indicated otherwise. Membranes were incubated with 100 μM 5′-adenylylimmidodiphosphate for 30 min, and subsequently with 10 μM GDP for 10 min on ice. Drug solutions and membrane were mixed, and then reactions were initiated by adding GTP γ 35 S and continued for 30 min at 25° C. Reaction mixtures were filtered over Whatman GF/B filters under vacuum, and washed three times with 3 mL of ice-cold buffer (HEPES 25, pH7.4, MgCl 2 10 and NaCl 100). Filters were dried and mixed with scintillant, and counted for 35 S activity using a β-counter. Agonist-induced GTP γ 35 S binding was obtained by subtracting that in the absence of agonist. Binding data were analyzed using a non-linear regression method. In case of antagonist assay, the reaction mixture contained 10 nM S1P in the presence of test antagonist at concentrations ranging from 0.08 to 5000 nM.
[0181] Table 1 shows activity potency: S1P1 receptor from GTP γ 35 S: nM, (EC 50 )
Activity Potency:
[0182] S1P1 receptor from GTP γ 35 S: nM, (EC 50 ),
[0000]
TABLE 1
S1P1
IUPAC name
EC 50 (nM)
1-{4-[4-(3,4-Dichloro-phenyl)-3-(3-fluoro-phenyl)-but-1-
310
ynyl]-benzyl}-azetidine-3-carboxylic acid
1-{4-[3-(3-Chloro-phenyl)-4-(3,4-dimethyl-phenyl)-but-1-
607
ynyl]-3-methyl-benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid
1-{4-[4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-3-(3-methoxyphenyl)but-1-
42.3
yn-1-yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid
1-{4-[3-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)but-1-yn-
128
1-yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid
1-{4-[3-(3-chlorophenyl)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)but-1-yn-
16
1-yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid
1-{4-[(1E)-4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-3-(3-fluorophenyl)but-1-
58.7
en-1-yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid
1-{4-[4-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-3-(3-methylphenyl)but-1-yn-
91.9
1-yl]benzyl}azetidine-3-carboxylic acid
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The present invention relates to novel azetidine derivatives, processes for preparing them, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use as pharmaceuticals as modulators of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a towing device for selectively locking a towing load.
[0002] A towing tractor generally includes one of towing devices. Referring to FIGS. 8 through 10, a towing device of a towing tractor generally has a support member 3 , a shaft C, a first link member 5 , a second link member 15 , an operational member 6 , a drawbar pin 16 and a drawbar bracket 17 . The support member 3 is erected near the rear side of a vehicle body 2 and pivotably supports the shaft C. The proximal end of the first link member 5 and the proximal end of the operational member 6 are fixedly connected to the shaft C so that the shaft C, the first link member 5 and the operational member 6 integrally pivot. The second link member 15 is pivotably coupled to the distal end of the first link member 5 at its one end and is also pivotably coupled to a head 16 a of the drawbar pin 16 at the other end. The drawbar bracket 17 is fixedly connected to the rear end and lower side of the vehicle body 2 . The drawbar pin 16 is fitted in the drawbar bracket 17 to be raised or lowered. The drawbar pin 16 is coupled with a drawbar of a carriage so that the carriage is towed. The first and second link members 5 and 15 constitute a link mechanism.
[0003] A stopper or a rotation regulating member includes a stopper bracket 10 and a stopper bolt 11 . The stopper bracket 10 is fixedly connected to the support member 3 . The stopper bolt 11 is fitted into a through hole of the stopper bracket 10 and is adjustable in its level to regulate the maximum upward rotational distance of the first link member 5 . The stopper bolt 11 is supported by the stopper bracket 10 and is located under the operational member 6 so as to correspond with the rotational range of the operational member 6 . The stopper bolt 11 contacts the operational member 6 as the drawbar pin 16 is raised upward through the link mechanism.
[0004] A clevis 7 is coupled to the distal end of the operational member 6 at its one end and is connected to a cable 8 at the other end. The cable 8 travels near a rear axle of the vehicle body 2 and is ultimately coupled to a link lever 13 of a drawbar operation lever 14 that is located near an operator seat through a clevis 12 . When the drawbar operation lever 14 is manipulated to raise the drawbar pin 16 , the cable 8 is tensioned to pull the clevis 7 so that the clevis 7 pivots about a pivotal point between the clevis 7 and the operational member 6 . As a result, the clevis 7 does not contact the stopper bracket 10 .
[0005] When an operator holds a grip portion 5 a of the first link member 5 and manually lifts up the first link member 5 to raise the drawbar pin 16 , since the operation lever 14 is not manipulated, the cable 8 is not tensioned. Only the operational member 6 pivots about the shaft C in the counterclockwise direction in the drawings. Then, the operational member 6 pushes the cable 8 downward to bend the cable 8 so that the clevis 7 tends to pivot toward the stopper bracket 10 and the stopper bolt 11 . In this case, since the length of the clevis 7 is shorter than the distance between the operational member 6 and the stopper bolt 10 , the clevis 7 gets entangled with the stopper bolt 11 or the stopper bracket 10 so that a contact surface 6 a of the operational member 6 does not move to contact the upper end surface of the stopper bolt 11 . As a result, the drawbar pin 16 cannot completely be raised, and the manually raising operation is interrupted. The clevis 7 needs to be moved in the operator's hand to remove interference between the clevis 7 and the stopper bracket 10 and between the clevis 7 and the stopper bolt 11 . Thus, the operation is complicated. Therefore, it is desired that a towing device that does not interrupt the drawbar operation by overcoming the interference between the clevis 7 and the stopper bracket 10 and between the clevis 7 and the stopper bolt 11 .
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In accordance with the present invention, a towing device for selectively locking a towing load has a support member, a link member, a stopper, a joint member, a coupling member and an interference avoiding unit. The link member has a first proximal end and a first distal end and is movably pivoted by the support member at a first pivotal point near the first proximal end. The stopper is located on the support member for regulating a pivotal movement of the link member by contacting the link member between the first pivotal point and the first proximal end. The joint member has a second proximal end and a second distal end and is pivotably coupled to the link member near the first proximal end at a second pivotal point. The joint member has a tendency to pivot about the second pivotal point toward the first pivotal point to contact the stopper as the first proximal end of the link member pivots toward the stopper about the first pivotal point. The coupling member is connected to the second distal end of the joint member for controlling the pivotal movement of the link member. The interference avoiding unit is located near the joint member for guiding the joint member to maintain a certain distance from the stopper as the link member pivots about the first pivotal point.
[0007] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The features of the present invention that are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention together with objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description of the presently preferred embodiments together with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0009] [0009]FIG. 1 is a side view of a towing device according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0010] [0010]FIG. 2 is an enlarged end view of an interference avoiding unit according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] [0011]FIG. 3 is a side view of a towing device according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] [0012]FIG. 4 is an enlarged end view of an interference avoiding unit according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] [0013]FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of an interference avoiding unit according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 6 is an enlarged end view of an interference avoiding unit according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 7 is an enlarged end view of an interference avoiding unit according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] [0016]FIG. 8 is a side view of a towing tractor according to a prior art;
[0017] [0017]FIG. 9 is a side view of a towing device according to the prior art; and
[0018] [0018]FIG. 10 is a plan view of a towing device according to the prior art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] A first preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Components irrespective of a drawbar operation mechanism are substantially identical to those of the prior art. Therefore, the description of the above components will briefly be described.
[0020] Now referring to FIG. 1, a diagram illustrates a side view of a towing device according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. A support member 3 is erected on the rear side of a vehicle body 2 . A shaft C is pivotably supported near the upper end of the support member 3 . The proximal end of a first link member 5 is fixedly connected to the shaft C. The proximal end of an operational member 6 is also fixedly connected to the shaft and the proximal end of the first link member 5 . The distal end of the operational member 6 extends from the shaft C toward the front side of the vehicle body 2 or toward an operator seat. The shaft C, the first link member 5 and the operational member 6 integrally pivot.
[0021] A link mechanism includes the first link member 5 and a second link member 15 through which a drawbar pin or a locking portion 16 is raised or lowered. The first link member 5 includes a grip portion 5 a, and the distal end of the first link member 5 is coupled to the second link member 15 through an oblong hole 5 b. The second link member 15 is coupled to a head 16 a of the drawbar pin 16 . As the first link member 5 pivots about the shaft C, the drawbar pin 16 moves vertically up and down along a drawbar pin hole 17 a of a drawbar bracket 17 . The drawbar pin 16 couples a drawbar of a carriage or a towing load therewith when it is lowered so as to tow the carriage.
[0022] A stopper or a rotation regulating member includes a stopper bracket 10 and a stopper bolt 11 . The stopper bracket 10 is fixedly connected to the support member 3 . The stopper bolt 11 is fitted into a through hole of the bracket 10 and is adjustable in its level to regulate the maximum upward rotational distance of the first link member 5 . The stopper bolt 11 is supported by the stopper bracket 10 and is located under the operational member 6 so as to correspond with the rotational range of the operational member 6 . The stopper bolt 11 contacts the operational member 6 as the drawbar pin 16 is raised upward through the link mechanism. A clevis or a joint member 7 is pivotably coupled to the operational member 6 through a coupling pin 18 . A cable or a coupling member 8 is connected to the clevis 7 . The other end of the cable 8 travels near a rear axle of the vehicle body 2 and is coupled to an operation lever 14 that is located near the operator seat through a clevis 12 , as shown in FIG. 8. A guide member or an interference avoiding member 19 includes a plate bracket 19 a and a plate portion 19 b. The proximal end of the plate bracket 19 a is rotatably coupled to the coupling pin 18 . The plate portion 19 b is fixedly connected to the plate bracket 19 a and is L-shaped in side view.
[0023] Now referring to FIG. 2, a diagram illustrates an enlarged end view of a towing device according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The proximal end of the clevis 7 is pivotably coupled to the distal end of the operational member 6 through the coupling pin 18 . The distal end of the clevis 7 includes a through hole 7 a for inserting a cable or a coupling member 8 . One end of the cable 8 is inserted through the through hole 7 a and is connected to the clevis 7 by a fixing holder 20 .
[0024] Referring back to FIG. 1, when the first link member 5 is raised to rotate around the shaft C by holding the grip portion 5 a that is secured to the first link member 5 , the cable 8 tends to pliantly bend toward the support member 3 so that the clevis 7 together with the cable 8 also tends to pivot toward the support member 3 , that is, a counterclockwise direction in the drawing. Meanwhile, the plate portion 19 b of the guide member 19 is in contact with an edge 10 a of the stopper bracket 10 , and the plate portion 19 b contacts the clevis 7 to prevent the clevis 7 from further pivoting toward the stopper bracket 10 . Since the guide member 19 itself is rotatably coupled to the operational member 6 through the shaft C, the guide member 19 slides on the stopper bracket 10 as the first link member 5 pivots. In the meantime, the clevis 7 is in contact with the guide member 19 and is not caught by the stopper bolt 11 and the stopper bracket 10 . Similarly, the cable 8 that is connected to the clevis 7 is not caught by the stopper bolt 11 and the stopper bracket 10 .
[0025] According to the first preferred embodiment, the following advantageous effects are obtained.
[0026] (1) Even if the first link member 5 is directly pivoted by hand to raise the drawbar pin 16 so that the cable 8 pliantly bends, the lower end of the clevis 7 and the cable 8 are not caught by the stopper. As a result, the first link member 5 smoothly pivots without any interference.
[0027] (2) The guide member 19 and the clevis 7 slides on the stopper bracket 10 . Due to the slide, the guide member 19 not only prevents the stopper from interfering with the clevis 7 and the cable 8 but also guides the clevis 7 and the cable 8 .
[0028] (3) Since the lower end of the guide member 19 forms a rounded surface in such a manner that the lower end of the guide member 19 is bent away from the cable 8 , even if the cable contacts the lower end of the guide member 19 , the cable 8 is not damaged.
[0029] A second preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. In the first preferred embodiment, the plate portion 19 b of the guide member 19 is located between the clevis 7 and the stopper bracket 10 . Instead, in the second preferred embodiment, the shape of the clevis 7 is changed to obtain the same advantageous effects. The same reference numerals in the second preferred embodiment denote the corresponding components in the first preferred embodiment, and description of the substantially identical components is omitted.
[0030] Now referring to FIG. 3, a diagram illustrates a side view of a towing device according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The guide member 19 in the first preferred embodiment is not provided in the second preferred embodiment. Instead, the clevis 70 functions as an interference avoiding member by elongating the clevis 7 . Where h is a distance between a pivotal axis of the coupling pin 18 and the support member side edge of the lower end of the clevis 70 , and where k is the longest distance between the pivotal axis of the coupling pin 18 and the edge 10 a of the stopper bracket 10 , the distance h is longer than the distance k.
[0031] Now referring to FIG. 4, a diagram illustrates an enlarged end view of a towing device according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. Where d is a width of the stopper bracket 10 , and where f is a distance between longitudinally extending portions of the clevis 70 , the width d is longer than the distance f.
[0032] Referring back to FIG. 3, when the first link member 5 is raised by holding the grip portion 5 a, the cable 8 pliantly bends so that the clevis 70 tends to pivot about the axis of the coupling member 18 toward the support member 3 , that is, a clockwise direction in the drawing. However, since the longitudinally extending portion of the clevis 70 contacts the stopper bracket 10 , the longitudinally extending portion prevents the clevis 70 from further pivoting so that the clevis 70 slides on the stopper bracket 10 .
[0033] Incidentally, the clevis 70 is illustrated to avoid interference with the stopper bracket 10 in the drawing for easier understanding. However, interference with the clevis 70 is also avoided by changing the shape of the stopper bolt 11 .
[0034] According to the second preferred embodiment, the following advantageous effects are obtained.
[0035] (1) The lower end of the clevis 70 avoids interference with the stopper without increasing the number of components.
[0036] (2) Since the clevis 70 extends in a longitudinal direction of the cable 8 , the cable 8 is remotely located from the stopper so that the cable 8 avoids interference with them.
[0037] A third preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. In the above preferred embodiments, the guide member 19 is located between the clevis 7 and the stopper bracket 10 in the first preferred embodiment, and the shape of the clevis 7 itself is changed in the second preferred embodiment. In the third preferred embodiment, a compression spring or an urging member 25 urges the clevis 7 away from the stopper to obtain the same advantageous effects. The same reference numerals in the second preferred embodiment denote the corresponding components in the first preferred embodiment, and description of the substantially identical components is omitted.
[0038] Now referring to FIG. 5, a diagram illustrates an enlarged side view of an interference avoiding unit according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention. The compression spring or an interference avoiding member 25 winds around the coupling pin 18 that couples the clevis 7 and the operational member 6 . The compression spring 25 urges the clevis 7 away from the stopper, that is, a direction indicated by an arrow in the drawing.
[0039] Now referring to FIG. 6, a diagram illustrates an enlarged end view of the interference avoiding unit according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention. The compression spring 25 is located between the clevis 7 and the operational member 6 . One end 25 a of the compression spring 25 is secured to the operational member 6 , and the other end 25 b is secured to the clevis 7 .
[0040] Referring back to FIG. 5, when the first link member 5 is raised by holding the grip portion 5 a to loosen the tension of the cable 8 , the clevis 7 pivots about the axis of the coupling pin 18 away from the stopper due to urging force of the compression spring 25 .
[0041] According to the third preferred embodiment, the following advantageous effect is obtained.
[0042] (1) Only one simple additional component, which is the urging member such as the compression spring 25 , is merely provided to avoid interference between the lower end of the clevis 7 and the stopper.
[0043] The present invention is not limited to the above preferred embodiments but may be modified into the following alternative embodiments.
[0044] In alternative embodiments to the above preferred embodiments, a chain is employed as a coupling member instead of the cable 8 .
[0045] In alternative embodiments to the above first and third embodiments, an interference avoiding member, such as the guide member 19 and the compression spring 25 , is located on the stopper bolt 11 or the vehicle body 2 .
[0046] In alternative embodiments to the above first preferred embodiment, an interference avoiding member is integrated with a joint member. For example, referring to FIG. 7, a plate 7 b is secured to the clevis 7 .
[0047] In alternative embodiments to the above second preferred embodiment, a portion of the clevis 70 facing the stopper bracket 10 includes a sufficient length for avoiding interference.
[0048] In alternative embodiments to the above third preferred embodiment, a pair of the compression springs 25 is located on both sides of the operational member 6 , and each of the compression springs 25 couples the operational member 6 and the clevis 7 .
[0049] In alternative embodiments to the above third preferred embodiment, an urging member is not limited to the compression spring 25 . In addition, a position of the urging member is not limited. As far as the urging member urges the clevis 7 away from the stopper, any positions are applicable.
[0050] 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 given herein but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.
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A towing device for selectively locking a towing load has a support member that pivotably supports a link member at a first pivotal point near the first proximal end. A stopper is located on the support member for regulating a pivotal movement of the link member. A joint member is pivotably coupled to the link member near the first proximal end at a second pivotal point and has a tendency to pivot about the second pivotal point toward the first pivotal point to contact the stopper as the first proximal end pivots toward the stopper about the first pivotal point. A coupling member is connected to the second distal end of the joint member. An interference avoiding unit is located near the joint member for guiding the joint member to maintain a certain distance from the stopper as the link member pivots about the first pivotal point.
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[0001] This is a divisional application claiming priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/413,184, filed Mar. 27, 2009 titled “Hair Accessory Holder and Organizer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to hair accessories such as hair bands barrettes and hair clips, and more specifically, to an organizer or holder for storing and maintaining various types of hair accessories. The hair organizer of the present invention provides storage of metallic and non-metallic hair accessories, and can be placed on a countertop, in a drawer, or on a wall or door. Storage of the hair accessories allows for less clutter and more space in bathroom or bedroom drawers.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] There exists in the prior art hair accessory and bow organizers, jewelry containers and boxes, vanity racks and the like. Many of the prior art organizers have drawers and compartments, and contain several movable parts. These drawers and compartments hold excess hair accessories that otherwise are not accommodated on the organizer. As a result, elastic hair bands, barrettes and the like are thrown into these drawers, making a tangled mess of the hair accessories.
[0006] Other organizers are equipped to handle a particular type of hair accessory such as a bow or a hair band, but are not versatile to accommodate several different types of hair accessories. Still other organizers are bulky and not stowable in a drawer or on a countertop without taking up substantial space. Other prior art organizers are not attachable to a wall or door. Some prior art organizers have multiple stackable parts such that a user must remove at least one stackable part to store a hair accessory. Other prior art organizers have elaborate storage spaces to store hair bands and the like with hinged doors to hide the storage spaces.
[0007] Yet, none of the prior art devices provide a hair accessory organizer that is capable of holding and storing virtually every type of hair accessory and is easy to access and store such hair accessories without need of moving various parts, or open doors or drawers. Moreover, none of the prior art provides such a versatile organizer is easily stowable on a counter top, on a wall or door, or in a drawer.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention is different than the prior art. The hair accessory organizer of the present invention is designed to accept and hold any type of existing hair accessory available. Elastic hair bands, barrettes, hair clips, ponytail holders, bows, hair claws, and the like can easily be stored on the present invention without need for separate specially made compartments to store differing hair accessories. The preferred embodiment of the present invention rests on a vanity, a night stand, or a countertop. A base member is attached to a support member. The support member is a vertical elongated cylinder extending vertically from the base member. On the end of the vertical member opposite the base member, a first ring member is attached. The first ring member extends vertically upward away from the support member.
[0009] A second ring member is spaced from the first ring member and attached thereto by a plurality of hanging members. The second ring member and first ring member are substantially parallel to one another. The hanging members are horizontally disposed between the first ring member and second ring member. The end portions of the hanging members are attached to the first ring member and second ring member thereby attaching the second ring member to the first ring member.
[0010] The second ring member is further attached to the first ring member by a curved top member. The top member is curved downward at the appropriate curvature to receive a portion of the outer curved surfaces of the first ring member and second ring member. The top member is attached to the second ring member at an end portion such that the top member does not substantially extend beyond the second ring member. The top member extends between the first ring member and second ring member and is attached to the first ring member at an approximate middle portion of the top member relative to a longitudinal axis. Thereafter the top member extends outward, substantially horizontally from the first ring member.
[0011] In an alternative embodiment, the base member of the hair accessory organizer has a vertical portion to receive a first end of the support member. The base member has a horizontal member perpendicular to the vertical portion and ends in an attaching portion. The attaching portion likewise is perpendicular to the vertical member, and provides an attachment site to allow the organizer to be attached to a wall or door. The support member extends vertically upward from the vertical portion of the base member, and attaches to the top member at the approximate middle portion thereof relative to the longitudinal axis.
[0012] A ring member is substantially vertically oriented and spaced from the support member. The top member is attached to the ring member along an end portion of the top member. The top member extends substantially beyond the support member in the horizontal direction. However, the top member does not substantially extend beyond the ring member. A plurality of hooks are placed on the ring member and extend substantially toward the support member for hanging elastic hair bands and the like.
[0013] In another alternative embodiment, the base member is elongated and has a first support rod, a second support rod and a third support rod thereon. All three support rods are spaced from one another and substantially perpendicular to the flat top surface of the base member. A first ring member is attached to the first support rod at the end opposite the base member, and extends upward away from the base member. Likewise, a second ring member is attached to the second support rod at the end opposite the base member and extends upward away from the base member. The first ring member and the second ring member are substantially parallel to one another.
[0014] A plurality of hanging members extend between and attach to the first and second ring members. The hanging members are substantially horizontally oriented and substantially parallel to one another. A top member is attached to the first and second ring members, and extends outward from the first ring member. The first ring member is attached to the top member at the approximate middle portion thereof relative to the longitudinal axis. The second ring member is attached to an end portion of the top member, and the top member does not substantially extend beyond the second ring member.
[0015] A hanging rod is perpendicularly attached to the third support rod and extends horizontally outward there from, away from the second support rod and second ring member. The hanging rod has a plurality of hooks disposed thereon for hanging elastic hair bands and the like. The base member can be hung on a wall or door such that the top member is oriented on the top portions of the first and second ring members. However, it is not absolutely necessary that this embodiment be hung on a door or wall. It is possible to simply place the organizer on a countertop. In such a situation, the top member would be oriented on a side portion of the first and second ring member.
[0016] In another embodiment, the organizer is designed to be placed on a countertop or in a drawer. The base member is substantially square or rectangular. First and second receiving members are disposed on and attached to the top surface of the base member, substantially opposed to one another such that the first and second receiving members curve such that their end portions are oriented toward the inner portion of the base member. A plurality of rods are disposed along a side adjacent the first and second receiving members. First and second hooks are disposed along the side opposite the plurality of rods, and are spaced from the first and second receiving member. First and second pins are disposed at two adjacent corners, respectively.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the hair accessory organizer of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the hair accessory organizer of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the hair accessory organizer of the present invention; and
[0020] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the hair accessory organizer of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] Referring to FIG. 1 , the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The hair accessory organizer 10 has a base member 12 , a support member 14 , a first ring member 16 , a second ring member 18 and a top member 20 . Support member 14 is cylindrically shaped and elongated having a first end 14 a and a second end 14 b . As shown, base member 12 is substantially circular. However, base member could be any suitable shape to support the hair accessory organizer 10 on a countertop, vanity, or on a shelf. First end 14 a of support member 14 is attached to base member 12 at substantially the center portion of base member 12 . This allows for even weight distribution of the hair organizer 10 on the base member 12 .
[0022] Support member 14 is perpendicular to base member 12 extends substantially vertically from base member 12 , terminating at second end 14 b . Although shown as being elongated and cylindrically shaped, support member 14 could be of any shape such as triangularly elongated or square shaped and elongated. A pair of hooks 22 are attached to an upper portion of support member 14 , just below second end 14 b . However, as discussed herein below, the hooks 22 could be placed on first ring member 16 , second ring member 18 or hanging members 24 alternatively, or in addition to being placed on support member 14 . A cap portion 26 is attached around the circumference of second end 14 b and caps support member 14 . A receiving ball 28 is attached to cap portion 26 and extends vertically there from. A hole 30 extends through receiving ball 28 .
[0023] First ring member 16 is disposed adjacent the second end 14 b of support member 14 . A lower portion of first ring member 16 is disposed through hole 30 of receiving ball 28 . Although shown and described as being attached to support member 14 via receiving ball 28 , any suitable attachment could be used to attach first ring member 16 to support member 14 . Moreover, a hole could be placed through support member 14 along second end 14 b for first ring member 16 to pass there through, thereby eliminating the need for cap portion 26 and receiving ball 28 , or any other attachment, altogether. First ring member 16 extends substantially vertically upward from support member 14 .
[0024] Second ring member 18 is spaced from first ring member 16 and attached to first ring member 16 via a plurality of hanging members 24 . Hanging members 24 are disposed between first ring member 16 and second ring member 18 , and attach to first ring member 16 and second ring member 18 along the end portions of hanging members 24 , thereby attaching the lower portion of second ring member 18 to first ring member 16 . Although shown as having two hanging members 24 , hair accessory organizer 10 could have more than two hanging members 24 between first ring member 16 and second ring member 18 . Moreover, as previously discussed, although hooks 22 are shown as fixedly attached to support member 14 , it is possible to add hooks 22 to first ring member 16 , second ring member 18 or hanging members 24 . Moreover, hooks 22 could be “S”-shaped hooks that can be movably attached to first ring member 16 , second ring member 18 or hanging members 24 .
[0025] Top member 20 is generally curved downward and is of a curvature that corresponds to the curvature of top portions of first ring member 16 and second ring member 18 . One end portion of top member 20 is formed to receive a top portion of second ring member 18 . Likewise, top member 20 is formed at approximately the middle portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the top member 20 to receive a top portion of first ring member 16 . From first ring 16 , top member 20 extends horizontally outward, away from first ring member 16 . While top member 20 is shown and described as being of the appropriate curvature to receive first ring member 16 and second ring member 18 , it should be readily appreciated that the curvature of top member 20 is also appropriate to receive a typical substantially “U” shaped head band (not shown).
[0026] Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, top member 20 is made of a magnetized metal material. Magnetizing top member 20 allows for secure placement of metal or partially metal hair bands on the top surface of top member 20 . Furthermore, metal or partially metal hair band may be placed on the underside of top member 20 and suspended thereto due to the magnetic property of top member 20 . The formed portions of top member 20 which receive first ring member 16 and second ring member 18 further provide stops for non-metal hair bands so that such hair bands do not readily slide off of top member 20 during movement from one location of the countertop to another location of the countertop. Furthermore, base member 12 can also be made of a magnetized metal to allow smaller metal barrettes and bobby pins to be magnetically secured thereto.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 2 , an alternative embodiment of the hair accessory organizer 100 is disclosed. Base member 112 of hair accessory organizer 100 is designed to be hung on a wall or a door. Base member 112 can be secured directly to the wall or door by inserting attaching devices such as nails or screws (not shown) through two apertures (not shown) in base member 112 . Alternatively, base member 112 can be attached to a wall or door by attaching a holding bracket (not shown) to the wall or door with a nail or screw (not shown) and attaching base member 112 to the holding bracket and securing thereto by tightening a small securing screw (not shown) which is disposed on an outer rim of base member 112 and oriented to tighten inward toward the center of the circular part of base member 112 to grip base member 112 to the holding bracket in the same manner that a typical towel rod is attached to a wall.
[0028] Base member 112 has a horizontal member 116 perpendicularly attached to base member 112 and extending substantially horizontally outward. A vertical member 124 is perpendicularly attached to the horizontal member 116 and extends vertically upward. Vertical member is cylindrically shaped and open on the upper end to receive first end 114 a of support member 114 . Support member 114 is inserted into the upper end of vertical member 124 and attached thereto. Top member 120 is attached directly to the second end of support member 114 opposite first end 114 a . Top member 120 is attached to support member 114 at the approximate middle portion relative to the longitudinal axis of top member 120 .
[0029] A ring member 118 is disposed adjacent top member 120 . An end portion of top member 120 is formed to receive a top portion of ring member 118 . Like top member 20 in the preferred embodiment, top member 120 is generally curved downward and is of a curvature that corresponds to the curvature of the top portion of ring member 118 . A plurality of hooks 122 are attached to ring member 118 and extend inwardly toward support member 114 . However, hooks 122 could be oriented to extend outward, away from support member 114 . Like the preferred embodiment, top member 120 is made of a magnetized metal to magnetically attract metal hair bands or metal portions of hair bands either on top member's top surface or bottom surface, thereby magnetically securing the hair band to top member 120 .
[0030] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , it is contemplated that base member 112 of the embodiment in FIG. 2 could replace base member 12 in FIG. 1 , thereby allowing the hair accessory organizer 10 to be secured to a wall or door. Likewise, base member 12 could replace base member 112 in FIG. 2 to allow the hair accessory organizer 100 to be placed on a countertop. Moreover, rather than attaching directly to top member 120 , support member 114 could have an additional ring member attached to the end opposite first end 114 a , which then attaches to top member 120 , as shown in FIG. 1 .
[0031] Referring to FIG. 3 , another embodiment of the hair accessory organizer 200 of the present invention is disclosed. The hair accessory organizer 200 has an elongated, generally rectangular base member 212 . Base member 212 can be placed on a countertop or hung on a wall or door in the same manners described hereinabove with regard to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 .
[0032] Returning to FIG. 3 , a first support rod 214 , a second support rod 226 and a third support rod 228 are spaced from one another and perpendicularly attached to base member 212 . First ring member 216 is attached to an end portion of first rod member 214 opposite base member 212 , and extends vertically upward there from. Second ring member 218 likewise is attached to an end portion of second rod member 226 opposite base member 212 , and extends vertically upward there from. A plurality of hanging members 24 are substantially horizontally disposed between first ring member 216 and second ring member 218 , and are attached at their end portions to first ring member 216 and second ring member 218 .
[0033] A top member 220 is attached to top portions of first ring member 216 and second ring member 218 . Top member 220 is generally curved downward and is of a curvature that corresponds to the curvature of top portions of first ring member 216 and second ring member 218 . One end portion of top member 220 is formed to receive a top portion of second ring member 218 . Likewise, top member 220 is formed at approximately the middle portion relative to the longitudinal axis of the top member 220 to receive a top portion of first ring member 216 . From first ring member 216 , top member 220 extends horizontally outward, away from first ring member 216 . It should be readily understood that when base member is attached to a wall or door, top member 220 will be oriented along top portions of first ring member 216 and second ring member 218 . However, if placed on a countertop, top member 220 will be disposed sideways, as shown in FIG. 3 . Because top member 220 is made of a magnetized metal, the orientation of top member 220 will not affect the ability of top member 220 to hold metal hair bands or metal parts of hair bands, regardless of whether the hair accessory organizer 200 is placed on a countertop or hung on a wall or door.
[0034] A hanging rod 230 is perpendicularly attached to third support rod 228 , and extends substantially horizontally away from second ring member 218 . Hanging rod 230 provides an attachment site for hair clips and the like. Furthermore, a plurality of hooks 222 are disposed along hanging rod 230 to attach elastic hair bands and the like. It is further disclosed that hanging rod 230 and/or base member 212 can be made of magnetized metal to hold barrettes, bobby pins, and other metallic or partially metallic hair accessories.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 4 , another embodiment of the hair accessory organizer 300 is disclosed. Hair accessory organizer 300 is designed to be placed on a countertop or in a drawer. Hair accessory organizer 300 has a substantially rectangular or square base member 312 with a first side 314 , a second side 316 parallel and opposite the first side 14 , a third side 318 adjacent the first side 314 and second side 316 , and a fourth side 320 opposite third side 318 . A first receiving member 324 is disposed along first side 314 and curves toward the middle of base member 312 . A second receiving member 322 is disposed along second side 316 and curves toward the middle of base member 312 . As shown, first receiving member 324 and second receiving member 322 are opposite one another, but staggered so that “U” shaped hair bands can be placed on each receiving member 322 and 324 such that the ends of hair bands on opposing receiving members 322 and 324 do not touch one another. However, first receiving member 324 and second receiving member 322 could be directly opposite one another.
[0036] First receiving member 324 and second receiving member 322 are made of magnetized metal so that metallic hair bands are magnetically secured thereto to prevent movement or disengagement from receiving members 322 and 324 . A plurality of rods 330 are disposed along fourth side 320 . Preferably there are more than two rods 330 along fourth side 320 such that the distance between rods 330 is minimal. In this manner, smaller elastic hair bands (not shown) can be stored on the hair accessory organizer 300 by hooking the smaller elastic hair bands on consecutive rods 330 without over stretching the smaller elastic hair bands. Moreover, the plurality of rods 330 could be placed along third side 318 , in which case hooks 326 and pins 328 would be located along fourth side 320 .
[0037] Hooks 326 are disposed spaced from first receiving member 324 and second receiving member 322 along first side 314 and second side 316 . Hooks 326 provide attachment sits for longer elastic hair bands (not shown) in the same manner as hanging the smaller hair bands as previously described. Pins 328 are disposed at the corners of base member 312 formed by first side 314 and third side 318 , and second side 316 and third side 318 , respectively. Pins 328 provide another attachment site for longer elastic hair bands. Furthermore, pins 328 provide an attachment site for hair clips. It is further contemplated that any or all of pins 328 , hooks 326 and rods 330 could be made of magnetized metal to magnetically attach hair accessories either wholly or partially made of metal. Moreover, the entire base member 312 could be made of magnetized metal so that the entire surface of base member 312 could be used to store such hair accessories.
[0038] Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.
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A hair accessory organizer for holding many different types of hair accessories. The hair accessory organizer is magnetized to hold hair accessories either wholly or partially made of metal. In addition, the hair accessory organizer holds non-metal hair bands and hair accessories. The hair accessory organizer is capable of resting on a countertop, in a drawer or hung on a wall or door. The hair accessory organizer has a curved top member that holds substantially “U” shaped hair bands both on its top surface, and on its bottom surface. Two rings allow for attachment sites of hair clips and hooks. The hooks provide attachment sites for elastic hair bands and the like.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a contactless ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine in which an ignition coil of resin molded closed magnetic circuit type ignition coil is employed. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a structure for supressing or reducing noise generated by the ignition apparatus.
In the closed magnetic circuit (path) type ignition coil which is employed in the contactless ignition apparatus for the internal combustion engine, the magnetic circuit is implemented as the closed path by combining appropriately E- or L-shaped laminated cores each formed of a lamination of silicon steel plates or sheets. By virtue of this structure, the closed magnetic circuit type ignition coil and hence the contactless ignition apparatus can enjoy profitable features such as high efficiency, capability of miniaturizing the size of the ignition coil, improved insulation property and high vibration withstanding capability owing to the use of thermosetting resin such an epoxy resin or the like as the insulating material, and so forth. For this reason, the closed magnetic circuit type ignition coil is widely used in place of the oil-filled open magnetic circuit type ignition coil.
However, the contactless ignition apparatus in which the closed magnetic circuit type ignition coil is used has encountered a problem that upon supplying high energy to an ignition plug connected to a secondary winding of the ignition coil by interrupting a current flowing through a primary winding, noise is generated by the ignition coil itself.
The noise of concern is observed mainly in a low frequency band of several hundred kilohertzs or less, i.e. in the AM band of radio broadcasting and can not be suppressed sufficiently by the noise reducing measures adopted heretofore such as connection of a capacitor to the primary circuit of the ignition coil (as is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6464/1988). As a result, reception of radio broadcast programs in the areas where the electric field is enfeebled or the reception in the unfavorable conditions such as experienced within a motor vehicle equipped with a receiving antenna incorporated integrally in a window glass undergoes disturbance more or less.
As the result of noise measurements performed by the inventor of the present application on a variety of ignition apparatuses in a frequency band of several hundred kilohertzs or less, it has been found that
(1) noise of significant magnitude is observed even in the case of distributorless ignition apparatuses which are generally known as the low-noise device, and
(2) in the case of the contactless ignition apparatuses,
(a) some of the oil-filled iron-case type ignition coils are relatively less liable to noise generation, while
(b) some of epoxy resin filled or mold type ignition coils generate remarkable noise while the others are less prone to generate noise.
FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings show schematically arrangements of testers employed in the measurements mentioned above. In the figures, a reference numeral 1 denotes a closed magnetic path type ignition coil having a primary winding 10 and a secondary winding 11. A numeral 2 denotes an ignition plug connected to the secondary winding 11. A numeral 3 denotes an igniter which performs ON/OFF or interruption control of an electric current flowing to the primary winding 10 for thereby generating sparks at a predetermined ignition timing. Further, reference numeral 4 denotes a battery, 5 denotes a current probe for detecting the current flowing to the primary winding 10, numeral 6 denotes an oscilloscope used for allowing the current detected by current probe to be visually observed or recorded. A numeral 22 denotes an electric field probe disposed at a position distanced from the ignition coil 1 by 10 cm for detecting the field strength (intensity) of noise emitted by the ignition coil 1. A numeral 20 denotes a current probe for detecting a high-frequency current flowing through a power supply line for the ignition coil 1. Finally, a reference numeral 21 denotes a field strength indicator to serve for indicating the strength of the electric field detected by the electric field probe 22 and the high-frequency current detected by the current probe 20.
A variety of ignition coils including the molded coils and the cased coils were tested as samples or specimens by measuring noise radiation and noise current (or current noise) emitted from the ignition coils through the method illustrated in FIG. 1, the results of which are summarized in the following table 1.
TABLE 1__________________________________________________________________________Measuring Frequency 300 kHz Field StrengthSpecimen Filler Core Specification (Radiation NoiseNo. Type Material Structure of Winding Noise) Current dI/dT__________________________________________________________________________1 Molded Epoxy Closed Specification A 100 54 0.86Coil Resin Magnetic Path2 | | | Specification B 92 50 0.423 Cased Oil Opened Specification C 72 42 0.20Coil Magnetic(Iron PathSheetCasing)4 Cased | | | 96 44 0.20Coil(GlassCasing) dB μV/m dB μA A/μs__________________________________________________________________________
It is apparent from the table 1 that
(a) in the case of the molded type ignition coil, difference is found in the radiation of noise in dependence on the coil specifications (core structure and winding specifications), and
(b) in the case of the iron sheet case type ignition coil, the iron case or housing is effective as a shield for the noise radiation.
Subsequently, the ignition coil identified by the specimen No. 1 in the table 1 was modified by removing deliberately the secondary winding to prepare a specimen No. 5 which was then measured with regard to noise by the method similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1, the results of the measurement being listed in the following table 2.
TABLE 2__________________________________________________________________________ Field StrengthSpecimen Filler Core Specification (Radiation NoiseNo. Type Material Structure of Winding Noise) Current__________________________________________________________________________1 Molded Epoxy Closed Specification A 100 54Coil Resin Magnetic Path5 | | | Primary Winding A 100 53 Without Secondary Winding dB μV/m dB μA__________________________________________________________________________
As can be seen from the table 2, remarkable noise in the frequency band of several hundred kilohertzs or less (at 300 kHz in the measurement actually performed) is radiated only by turning on and off the primary winding regardless of presence or absence of the secondary winding, i.e. notwithstanding of the absence of electric discharge at the ignition plug 2 shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings shows a waveform of the primary current of the ignition coil measured synchronously with that of the noise current at 300 kHz recorded by the method illustrated in FIG. 2. From these waveforms, it could be confirmed that noise of greater magnitude is generated at the time of interrupting the primary current of the ignition coil than at the time when the coil is turned on.
Under the circumstances, the primary current falling rate dI/dt (slope of the trailing edge of the primary current making appearance upon turning-off of the ignition coil) was checked by enlarging the waveform of the primary current at the turn-off time point for each of the ignition coils of various winding specifications listed in the Table 1 through the method similar to that shown in FIG. 2. As the result of this, it has been found that noise in the frequency band of several hundred kilohertzs or lower bears a relationship to the slope of the trailing or falling edge (hereinafter referred to as falling rate) of the primary current of the ignition coil.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object to provide concrete means for reducing noise by eliminating the factors which exert influence to the falling rate of the primary current of the ignition coil upon interruption thereof.
Parenthetically, in conjunction with the oil-filled iron-cased type ignition coil used widely heretofore, the fact that the radio noise of AM band of several hundred kilohertzs or lower presents substantially no problem may be explained by that the iron case functions as a shield for reducing the radiation noise, as can be seen in the table 1.
Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to reduce effectively the generation of noise in the frequency band of several hundred kilohertzs or lower notwithstanding of the use of the molded type closed magnetic circuit ignition coil.
In view of the above and other objects which will be more apparent as description proceeds, there is provided according to an aspect of the present invention a contactless ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine which comprises a resin-molded closed magnetic circuit type ignition coil including an iron core forming a closed magnetic circuit, a primary winding and a secondary winding wound on the iron core, respectively, and mold resin for insulating the primary and secondary windings, a semiconductor switching circuit for interrupting a current flowing through the primary winding, and an ignition plug to which a high voltage induced in the secondary winding upon interruption of the current flowing through the primary winding by the semiconductor switching circuit is applied, wherein the falling rate (slope of the falling or trailing edge) of the primary current appearing at the time when the primary current is interrupted by the semiconductor switching circuit is set at a value in a range of 0.2 to 0.4 (A/μs).
With the structure described above, the primary current of the resin molded closed magnetic circuit type ignition coil can fall upon interruption thereof at the rate of a value in a range of 0.2 to 0.4 (A/μs), whereby noise in the frequency band of several hundred kilohertzs or lower can be reduced significantly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 and 2 are electric circuit diagrams showing general arrangements of tester apparatuses for measuring radiation noise and current noise, respectively;
FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are a waveform diagram showing a waveform of a primary current of an ignition coil and that of a noise current, respectively;
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a main portion of a contactless ignition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a waveform diagram for illustrating graphically a transition of a primary current upon interruption thereof as a function of time;
FIG. 6 is a view for illustrating graphically relations found between the falling rate of a primary current of the ignition coil upon interruption thereof and a radiation electric field and a secondary voltage behavior of the ignition coil, respectively;
FIGS. 7 and 8 are views for illustrating graphically the relation found between the falling rate of the primary current and capacity of a capacitor employed according to an aspect of the invention;
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an electric circuit for measuring a voltage induced in the secondary winding of the ignition coil;
FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing an example of the ignition coil employed in the contactless ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a view for illustrating graphically a relation found between the falling rate of the primary current and inductance of the ignition coil shown in FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a view for illustrating schematically the conditions for the measurement of the electric field strengths illustrated in FIG. 13;
FIGS. 13 is a view for graphically illustrating relations of electric field strengths and frequencies; and
FIG. 14 is an electric circuit diagram showing a structure of a main portion of the contactless ignition apparatus according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Now, the present invention will be described in detail in conjunction with exemplary or preferred embodiments thereof by reference to the drawings.
FIG. 4 shows a part of an igniter 3 together with a resin-molded type closed magnetic circuit ignition coil 1 which has a primary winding 10 connected in series to a transistor 31 having a capacitor 32 connected between the collector and the base in such a manner as shown in the figure. The ignition coil 1 used in the illustrated embodiment is implemented in accordance with the specifications A listed in the tables 1 and 2 mentioned hereinbefore.
Referring to FIG. 5, there is graphically illustrated on a magnified scale the falling behavior of the primary current of the ignition coil 1 detected upon interruption thereof with the aid of a current probe 5 and an oscilloscope 6. As described hereinbefore, the inventor of the present application has discovered that the falling rate of the primary current upon interruption (off) thereof given by ##EQU1## has influence to noise radiation from the ignition coil 1.
More specifically, when noise current at 300 kHz measured by the current probe 20 and the field strength indicator 21 shown in FIG. 2 is taken along the ordinate with the falling rate dI/dt of the primary current taken along the abscissa, as is shown in the characteristic diagram of FIG. 6, it can be seen that the value or magnitude of the noise current (and thus noise) is decreased as the falling rate dI/dt of the primary current is decreased (see a solid curve A in FIG. 6).
Parenthetically, it is generally known that the field strength (noise radiation) radiated from an electromagnetic wave generating source is in proportion to the noise current in the electromagnetic wave generating source.
According to the teaching of the invention incarnated in the illustrated embodiment, the capacitor 32 is inserted between the collector and the base of the transistor, as shown in FIG. 4, for the purpose of decreasing the falling rate dI/dt of the primary current.
The values of the capacitor 32 are shown in FIG. 7 and 8 for the ignition apparatuses of internal combustion engines of 1800 cc and 1600 cc, respectively, used in motor vehicles or cars. As can be seen from these figures, as the capacity of the capacitor 32 is increased, the falling rate dI/dt of the primary current is decreased. It can further be seen that the relation between the capacity of the capacitor 31 and the falling rate dI/dt varies in dependence on the types and dimensions of the ignition apparatus. Under the circumstance, it is necessary to determine the optimal value of the capacitor 32 by taking into account the type of the transistor 31 and those of the components of the igniter 3, the circuit configuration thereof as well as combination with the ignition coil, and others.
On the other hand, it has been found that the secondary voltage generated in the secondary winding of the ignition coil is lowered when the falling rate dI/dt of the primary current is decreased, as can be seen from a curve B shown in FIG. 6. The lowering of the secondary voltage is accompanied with corresponding degradation in the performance of the ignition coil. In view of this, the lower limit of the falling rate dI/dt of the primary current is selected to be 0.2 (A/μs) which corresponds to 85% of the secondary voltage of the ignition coil to which the anti-noise measure taught by the invention is not applied.
In practice, the maximum voltage required for the ignition plug 2 is generally considered to be about 30 kV in consideration of wear of the ignition plug in the course of the use thereof in the motor vehicle. Accordingly, the secondary voltage of the ignition coil should preferably be set at about 35 kV with a margin. Consequently, the lower limit to which the secondary voltage of the ignition coil 1 is allowed to be lowered while reducing the noise as aimed is considered to be 85% of the ignition plug voltage as required with the abovementioned margin being afforded to the ignition coil 1.
In this connection, it is conceivable to design previously the ignition coil 1 so that higher secondary voltage can be generated for the purpose of compensating for the lowering thereof due to the noise reduction measures. However, to this end, the number of turns for the secondary winding of the ignition coil 1 needs to be increased, which in turn means that the size and the weight of the ignition coil 1 are correspondingly increased, giving rise to problem in connection with the mounting of the coil 1, not to say of increasing in the manufacturing cost thereof.
The maximum value or upper limit of the falling rate dI/dt of the primary current of the ignition coil is experimentally determined to be 0.4 (A/μs) as the result of tests performed on the internal combustion engines of 1800 cc by evaluating acoustically the radio noise, the results of which are summarized in the table 3. It will be seen that the acoustically permissible level of noise (not lower than the evaluation score of "3") corresponds to the falling rate dI/dt equal to 0.4 (A/μs).
TABLE 3__________________________________________________________________________ dI/dt = (A/μs) 0.8 0.4 0.2 Evaluation Score 2 Evaluation Score 3 Evaluation Score 4__________________________________________________________________________ Radio Noise Result of Auditory Evaluation of Radio Noise ##STR1## ##STR2## ##STR3##__________________________________________________________________________
As the means for measuring the secondary voltage of the ignition coil 1, there are employed a high-voltage probe 100 connected to the secondary winding 11 of the ignition coil, a capacitor 120 of 50 pF and an oscilloscope 110 interconnected in such a manner as shown in FIG. 9.
In the case of the embodiment of the invention described above, the falling rate dI/dt of the primary current is decreased by inserting the capacitor 32 between the collector and the base of the transistor 31 constituting a part of the igniter 3. As a modification, the leakage inductance of the resin-molded closed magnetic circuit type ignition coil 1 may alternatively be increased to the same effect, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.
More specifically, referring to FIG. 11, the ignition coil 1 includes a laminated core 12 of a rectangular frame-like shape in which an I-like laminated center core 13 is disposed with minute air gaps, whereby a closed magnetic circuit is formed. Each of the laminated cores 12 and 13 is constituted by a laminate of silicon steel plates or sheets each having a thickness in a range of 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm. Fitted snugly onto the laminated center core 13 is a bobbin 14 formed of a resin on which a primary winding 10 is wound. A second bobbin 15 of a greater diameter than the bobbin 14 is disposed fittingly thereon which a short distance from the primary winding 10 and has a secondary winding 11 wound thereon. The components mentioned above are accommodated or cased within a housing formed of a resin, wherein the spaces among the individual components are filled with epoxy resin 17 which is thermally cured and serves for insulation.
In the ignition coil 1 shown in FIG. 10, the leakage inductance at the primary side can be expressed by ##EQU2## where N represents the number of turns of the primary winding, l represents a mean circumferential length of the primary and secondary windings 10 and 11 and μ represents the space permeability.
By taking into consideration the specifications of the individual components of the ignition coil 1, there can be obtained the leakage inductance Le of a desired value. FIG. 11 shows graphically a relation between the falling rate dI/dt of the primary current and the leakage inductances obtained by changing the specifications of the ignition coil shown in FIG. 10. As can be seen from FIG. 11, it is possible to decrease the falling rate dI/dt by increasing the leakage inductance Le.
In a concrete embodiment of the resin molded closed magnetic circuit type ignition coil 1 shown in FIG. 10, the specifications are so selected that the primary winding is constituted by winding a wire of 0.45 mm in diameter by 180 turns (T), the secondary winding is constituted by winding a wire of 0.05 mm in diameter by 12700 turns (T), the primary winding 10 has length h of 29 mm, the primary and secondary windings has widths a1 and a2 of 1.2 mm and 4 mm, respectively, the distance d between the primary winding 10 and the secondary winding 11 is 2.8 mm, and that the mean circumferential length l of the primary and secondary windings 10 and 11 is 105 mm.
On the basis of the dimensions mentioned above, the leakage inductance Le can be arithmetically determined to be 0.732 mH in accordance with the expression mentioned above. In the measurement performed actually on the ignition coil 1, the leakage inductance Le at the primary side of the ignition coil 1 was 0.780 mH which differs from the calculated value, the reason for which may be explained by the fact that the electromagnetic coupling coefficient susceptible to change under influence of the shapes of the primary winding 10, the secondary winding 11 and the cores 12 and 13, the positional relations among them and other factors exerts influence to the leakage inductance. The measurement of the leakage inductance mentioned above was carried out at a frequency of 1 kHz. It has been found that in the ignition coil according to the instant embodiment, the falling rate dI/dt of the primary current is 0.40 (A/μs).
The dimensions of the resin molded closed magnetic circuit type ignition coil of the specifications A (refer to the table 1 and 2) implemented according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 were selected such that the primary winding 10 is of 0.7 mm (in wire diameter)×135 (number of turns T), the secondary winding 11 is of 0.05 mm (in wire diameter)×12700 (number of turns T), the coil length h of the primary winding 10 is 1.8 mm, the widths 1a and 2a of the primary and secondary windings 10 and 11 are 1.8 mm and 4 mm, respectively, the distance d between the primary winding 10 and the secondary winding 11 is 2.2 mm, and that the means circumferential length l of the primary and secondary winding 10 and 11 is 105 mm.
The leakage inductance Le of the ignition coil at the primary side was calculated on the basis of the value mentioned above in accordance with the expression mentioned hereinbefore and found to be equal to 0.375 mH. The actually measured leakage inductance Le of this ignition coil 1 was 0.4 mH.
Referring to FIG. 13, there are illustrated graphically relations between the electric field strength and the frequency of noise. More specifically, a solid line curve A represents the case in which the capacitor 32 of 560 pF is connected between the collector and the base of the transistor 31 of the igniter 3 for a four-cylinder engine of 1800 cc to thereby realize the falling rate dI/dt of 0.40 (A/μs), and a broken line curve B shows the case in which the capacitor 32 of 1000 μF is inserted to thereby realize the falling rate dI/dt of 0.20 (A/μs). It can easily be understood from FIG. 13 that the ignition apparatus according to the teachings of the invention allows noise in the AM band to be significantly reduced when compared with the hitherto known apparatus (having no capacitor 32 and hence dI/dt of 0.76 [A/μs]) as indicated by a single-dot curve C (compare the curve C with A and B).
In the measurement of the radiated electric field shown in FIG. 13, the contactless ignition apparatus was mounted on a motor vehicle and the electric field strength was measured at a location distanced from the vehicle by 3 m with the aid of a loop antenna and a field strength meter 9, as shown in FIG. 12.
In the foregoing description of the illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 4, it has been assumed that the bipolar transistor is employed which is widely used at present. It goes however without saying that MOS elements (such as MOS FET, IGBT) expected to be used increasingly can equally be employed to the substantially same effect as the bipolar transistor. In that case, the capacitor 32 of an appropriate capacity is inserted between a drain and a gate of a MOS element 31A, as shown in FIG. 14.
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A contactless ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprises a resin-molded closed magnetic circuit type ignition coil including an iron core constituting a closed magnetic circuit, a primary winding and a secondary winding wound around the iron core, respectively, and mold resin for insulating the primary and secondary winding, a semiconductor switching circuit for interrupting a current flowing to the primary winding, and an ignition plug to which a high voltage generated in the secondary winding upon interruption of the primary current flow to the primary winding by the semiconductor switch circuit. The falling rate dI/dt of the primary current upon interruption thereof by the semiconductor switching circuit is set at a value in a range of 0.2 to 0.4 A/μs. Noise radiation from the ignition coil can be reduced significantly.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of electric heating, and to the particular field of electrically heated vehicle components.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Ice-covered windshields are a constant problem in many areas of the country during much of the winter. Many people must add time to a commute in order to clear their windshield. Since clearing the windshield is an important safety concern, it is imperative that such an operation be as thorough as possible. This often requires a person to scrape ice from the windshield. This can be a difficult operation, especially if it is very cold.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner.
The art contains many examples of devices intended to clear ice from a windshield. These devices include heating the windshield itself as well as heated windshield wipers. However, all of the known devices have a drawback in that the wiper itself is not adequately heated. Generally, only the flexible portion of the wiper blade that contacts the windshield is heated. This works fairly well; however, even with a heated flexible portion, the wiper may not be totally effective because the amount of heat necessary to either free the wiper or to adequately clear the windshield is not available from the single source of heat.
While it might appear that simply increasing the amount of heat generated by a windshield wiper is a solution to the above-discussed problem, such is not the case since a great deal of heat may damage the flexible wiper blade. Therefore, there is a limit to the amount of heat that can be safely and efficiently generated from known heated windshield wipers.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner, yet does not endanger the flexible wiper blade portion of the windshield wiper.
In some conditions, it is cold enough where ice continues to form on the windshield and on the wiper even after the vehicle is warmed up and the windshield has been initially cleared. Under such conditions, the windshield wiper must continually clear the windshield. The wiper must thus generate sufficient heat to prevent ice from building up on the wiper during operation.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and that can generate heat in a manner that prevents ice from building up on the windshield wiper during operation of the windshield wiper.
Since some climate conditions are so severe, it may be necessary to generate heat from a variety of directions and sources for the same windshield wiper. This requirement may result from severe cold or from a driving ice storm in which ice can accumulate on the wiper during driving and thus reduce its effectiveness. Many known heated windshield wipers have only a single source of heat and thus may not be fully effective during all conditions.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner that can be effective under nearly any climate condition.
Some known heated windshield wipers are very difficult and expensive to replace due to the circuitry associated with the wiper. In fact, some wipers must be entirely replaced, including the entire wiper blade structure, including the carrier bows, due to this problem. This can be expensive and, in some instances, require the services of a skilled mechanic thereby further increasing the costs. The cost problem has inhibited the commercial acceptance of heated windshield wipers. Since a heated windshield wiper can be such a safety factor, it is important to encourage the use of such equipment.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and which can be easily installed and changed.
Still further, since windshield wipers often must function and operate under severe weather conditions, some known heated windshield wipers may be subject to failure. Ice can become lodged in some electrical connections thereby vitiating, if not totally eliminating, the heating function of the wiper blade.
Therefore, there is a need for a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and that can continue to function and operate even if a portion of the device fails or become impaired.
PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner, yet does not endanger the flexible wiper blade portion of the windshield wiper.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and that can generate heat in a manner that prevents ice from building up on the windshield wiper during operation of the windshield wiper.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner that can be effective under nearly any climate condition.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and which can be easily installed and changed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and that can accommodate ice newly hitting a windshield as a vehicle is being operated as well as ice sticking on the windshield.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for clearing a windshield in an efficient manner and that can continue to function and operate even if a portion of the device fails or become impaired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These, and other, objects are achieved by a heated windshield wiper blade unit comprising a wiper blade back element having a first electrical resistance heater system embedded therein, a one-piece flexible windshield wiper element having a second electrical resistance heater system embedded therein and spaced from the first electrical resistance heater element, electrical connections on the first and second electrical resistance heater systems, and an electrical circuit electrically connected to the electrical connections and connecting the electrical reistance heater elements together in parallel with each other.
The dual heating elements permit the windshield wiper of the present invention to generate sufficient heat to clear a windshield of ice under nearly any condition. Still further, the dual source of heat permits the windshield wiper of the present invention to keep itself clear of ice during nearly any condition. The windshield wiper of the present invention has simple male and female jacks to connect the wiper heating elements to a control circuit so the wiper is easily installed and changed when necessary. Furthermore, because there is a dual heat source in the windshield wiper of the present invention, the heat source in the flexible wiper portion of the windshield wiper is not required to generate as much heat as would be the case if that heat source were the only source of heat for the windshield wiper. Thus, if a great deal of heat is required, the flexible wiper portion of the windshield wiper will not be subject to a great deal of heat from the inside of that wiper blade portion. Thus, even though a great deal of heat can be generated from the windshield wiper of the present invention, there is little or no danger of damaging the flexible portion of the windshield wiper due to placing too much heat directly on that portion of the wiper.
Still further, since there are a plurality of different heat sources in the windshield wiper of the present invention, the wiper can accommodate ice from a plurality of directions. That is, ice hitting the windshield can be accommodated by the windshield wiper of the present invention while the windshield wiper can also accommodate ice generated on the windshield.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view a heated windshield wiper blade unit embodying the teaching of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the heated windshield wiper blade unit of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3 — 3 of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a switch used in an electrical circuit associated with the heated windshield wiper of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic, illustrating an electrical circuit associated with the heated windshield wiper of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
Shown in FIG. 2 is a windshield wiper system 10 which can be used on most land vehicles, such as automobiles, trucks and the like. Windshield wiper system 10 includes a wiper arm 12 which is mounted at one end thereof on the vehicle and has a main pivot mount 14 on the other end thereof which is pivotally connected to a main wiper blade support structure 16 and which pivotally connects wiper arm 12 to main wiper blade support structure 16 . Two carrier bows 18 and 20 are pivotally attached to main wiper blade support structure 16 and each includes a pivot mount, such as pivot mount 22 . Wiper arm 12 and the structure so far described functions and operates in a manner usual to windshield wiper blade systems and thus will not be further discussed.
Attached to wiper blade arm 12 is a heated windshield wiper blade unit 30 embodying the present invention. Wiper blade unit 30 not only heats a windshield being cleaned, but maintains a heated environment so ice and snow can be melted off the wiper blade unit 30 itself thereby increasing the efficiency of the overall windshield cleaning operation.
As shown in FIGS. 1-3, heated windshield wiper blade unit 30 comprises a wiper blade back element 40 having a body 42 , which can be constructed of metal or like heat conducting material, a first end 44 and a second end 46 on body 42 , a first side 48 and a second side 50 on body 42 and a longitudinal axis 52 extending between first and second ends 44 and 46 of body 42 . A slot 54 is defined through body 42 and extends along longitudinal axis 52 of body 42 from adjacent to first end 44 to adjacent to second end 46 of body 42 . Slot 54 has a first side edge 56 located adjacent to first side 48 of the body 42 and a second side edge 58 located adjacent to second side 50 of body 42 .
A first electrical resistance heater element 60 is embedded in body 42 and extends in the direction of longitudinal axis 52 of the body from first end 44 of body 42 to second end 46 of body 42 and is located adjacent to slot 54 and between first side edge 56 of the slot 54 and first side 48 of body 42 . A second electrical resistance heater element 62 is embedded in body 42 and extends in the direction of longitudinal axis 54 of body 42 from first end 44 of the body 42 to second end 46 of body 42 and is located adjacent to slot 54 between second side edge 58 of slot 54 and second side 50 of body 42 . The electrical resistance heaters 60 and 62 are of the type known in the art and thus will not be further discussed.
As indicated in FIG. 5, an electrical connection 66 between the first electrical resistance heater element 60 and the second electrical resistance heater element 62 electrically connects those two electrical resistance heater elements 60 and 62 in parallel with each other. As shown in FIG. 1, a female electrical connector element 68 is located in first end 44 of body 42 , and as shown in FIG. 5, an electrical connection 70 between female electrical connector element 68 and electrical connection 66 between first electrical resistance element 60 and second electrical resistance element 62 electrically connects those elements 60 and 62 together. Body 42 of wiper blade back element 40 further includes an inside surface 72 and an outside surface 74 .
Windshield wiper blade unit 30 further includes a windshield wiper member 80 which includes a one-piece flexible body 82 which can be formed of rubber or plastics-type material as will be understood by those skilled in the art based on the teaching of the present disclosure. Body 82 has first side 84 having a distal end 86 and a proximal end 88 located near body 42 , a second side 90 having a distal end 92 and a proximal end 94 located near body 42 . An apex 96 connects distal end 86 of first side 84 to distal end 96 of second side 90 of flexible body 82 . A base 98 connects proximal end 88 of first side 84 to proximal end 94 of second side 90 of flexible body 82 . Body 82 further includes a neck element 100 having a proximal end 102 on base 98 of flexible body 82 and a distal end 104 spaced from base 98 . Neck element 100 extends through slot 54 defined through body 42 of wiper blade back element 40 with proximal end 102 of neck element 100 being located adjacent to inside surface 72 of back element 40 and distal end 104 of neck element 100 being located adjacent to outside surface 74 of wiper blade back element 40 .
Body 82 further includes an abutment element 110 on distal end 104 of neck element 100 of windshield wiper member 82 and which is located adjacent to outside surface 74 of body 42 of wiper blade back element 40 and includes a first end 112 , a second end 114 , and a longitudinal axis 116 extending between first end 112 of abutment element 110 and second end 114 of abutment element 110 in the direction of longitudinal axis 52 of windshield wiper blade unit 30 . Flexible body 82 further includes a first end 120 located adjacent to first end 44 of wiper blade back element 40 and a second end 122 located adjacent to second end 46 of wiper blade back element 40 . Abutment element 110 further has a longitudinal axis 124 which extends between first end 120 of flexible body 82 and second end 122 of flexible body 82 .
Windshield wiper blade 30 further includes a third electrical resistance heater element 130 embedded in windshield wiper body 82 and which extends in the direction of longitudinal axis 124 of flexible windshield wiper body 82 from first end 120 of the windshield wiper body to second end 124 of the windshield wiper body. A female jack element 132 is positioned in first end 120 of the windshield wiper body. Windshield wiper blade 30 further includes a fourth electrical resistance heater element 134 embedded in abutment element 110 of windshield wiper body 82 and extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the abutment element from first end 112 of the abutment element to second end 114 of abutment element 110 of windshield wiper body 82 .
As shown in FIG. 5, an electrical connection 136 between the third electrical resistance heater element 130 and the fourth electrical resistance heater element 134 electrically connects those electrical resistance heaters 130 and 134 in parallel with each other. An electrical connection 138 between female jack element 132 and electrical connection 136 between third electrical resistance heater element 130 and fourth electrical resistance heater element 134 electrically connects those heater elements 130 and 134 in parallel with first electrical resistance heater element 60 and second electrical resistance heater element 62 .
As can be understood from the foregoing, the four electrical resistance heaters of windshield wiper blade unit 30 place heat in the necessary locations on the unit 30 and can continue to operate even if one or more of the heaters fail. Since the heat sources are spaced from each other, no individual section of the unit is subject to an unduly high heat source and yet the overall unit is capable of generating a significant amount of heat.
Body 42 of wiper blade back element 40 is interposed between abutment element 110 of windshield wiper body 82 and base 98 of windshield wiper body 82 to be securely held there so the windshield wiper body is securely held on the back element.
As shown in FIG. 5, device 30 further includes an electrical circuit 150 which includes a power source 152 , an electrical switch 154 , an electrical connector 156 electrically connecting the switch 154 to the power source 152 , a first male electrical connector element 158 which connects the switch 154 to female jack connector 132 , a second male electrical connector element 160 which connects switch 154 to female jack connector 68 , a first electrical connector 164 electrically connecting the switch 154 to first male jack 158 and a second electrical connector 166 electrically connecting switch 154 to second male jack 160 .
Switch 154 can be located inside the vehicle on the dashboard or the like, and power source 152 can be the vehicle battery if desired.
It is 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 arrangements of parts described and shown.
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A windshield wiper includes a plurality of electrical resistance heater elements. Some of the heater elements are located in the flexible wiper blade body and some of the heater elements are located in a wiper blade back element. The heater elements are spaced apart from each other so heat can be evenly distributed over the entire wiper blade and significant amounts of heat can be generated.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/241,936, filed Feb. 2, 1999, and a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/343,975, filed Jun. 30, 1999. Each of the above referenced patent applications is incorporated by reference herein and the benefit of the filing date of each application is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. §1.20.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In diagnosing and treating certain medical conditions, it is often desirable to perform a biopsy, in which a specimen or sample of the suspicious tissue is removed for pathological examination, tests and analysis. As is known, obtaining a tissue sample by biopsy and the subsequent examination are typically employed in the diagnosis of cancers and other malignant tumors, or to confirm that a suspected lesion or tumor is not malignant. The information obtained from these diagnostic tests and/or examinations is frequently used to devise a therapeutic plan for the appropriate surgical procedure or other course of treatment.
[0003] In many instances, the suspicious tissue to be sampled is located in a subcutaneous site, such as inside a human breast. Such removal of tissue samples may be accomplished by open surgical technique, or through the use of a specialized biopsy instrument and techniques. To minimize surgical intrusion into patient's body, it is often desirable to insert a small instrument, such as a biopsy needle, into the body for extracting the biopsy specimen while imaging the procedure using fluoroscopy, ultrasonic imaging, x-rays, MRI or any other suitable form of imaging technique. Examination of tissue samples taken by biopsy is of particular significance in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. In the ensuing discussion, the biopsy and treatment site described will generally be the human breast, although the invention is suitable for marking biopsy sites in other parts of the human and other mammalian body as well.
[0004] Periodic physical examination of the breasts and mammography are important for early detection of potentially cancerous lesions. In mammography, the breast is compressed between two plates while specialized x-ray images are taken. If an abnormal mass in the breast is found by physical examination or mammography, ultrasound may be used to determine whether the mass is a solid tumor or a fluid-filled cyst. Solid masses are usually subjected to some type of tissue biopsy to determine if the mass is cancerous.
[0005] If a solid mass or lesion is large enough to be palpable, a tissue specimen can be removed from the mass by a variety of techniques, including but not limited to open surgical biopsy, a technique known as Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) and instruments characterized as “vacuum assisted large core biopsy devices”.
[0006] If a solid mass of the breast is small and non palpable (e.g., the type typically discovered through mammography), a relatively new biopsy procedure known as stereotactic needle biopsy may be used. In performing a stereotactic needle biopsy of a breast, the patient lies on a special biopsy table with her breast compressed between the plates of a mammography apparatus and two separate x-rays or digital video views are taken from two different points of view. A computer calculates the exact position of the lesion as well as depth of the lesion within the breast. Thereafter, a mechanical stereotactic apparatus is programmed with the coordinates and depth information calculated by the computer, and such apparatus is used to precisely advance the biopsy needle into the small lesion. Depending on the type of biopsy needle(s) used, this stereotactic technique may be used to obtain cytologic specimens, e.g., obtained through FNAB or it may be used to obtain histologic specimens e.g., obtained through coring needle biopsy. Usually at least five separate biopsy specimens are obtained from locations around the small lesion as well as one from the center of the lesion.
[0007] The available treatment options for cancerous lesions of the breast include various degrees of mastectomy or lumpectomy and radiation therapy, as well as chemotherapy and combinations of these treatments. However, radiographically visible tissue features, originally observed in a mammogram, may be removed, altered or obscured by the biopsy procedure. In order for the surgeon or radiation oncologist to direct surgical or radiation treatment to the precise location of the breast lesion several days or weeks after the biopsy procedure was performed, it is desirable that a biopsy site marker be placed in or on the patient's body to serve as a landmark for subsequent location of the lesion site. While current radiographic type markers may persist at the biopsy site, an additional mammography generally must be performed at the time of follow up treatment or surgery in order to locate the site of the previous surgery or biopsy. In addition, once the site of the previous procedure is located using mammography, the site must usually be marked with a location wire which has a barb on the end which is advanced into site of the previous procedure. The barb is meant to fix the tip of the location wire with respect to the site of the previous procedure so that the patient can then be removed from the confinement of the mammography apparatus and the follow-up procedure performed. However, as the patient is removed from the mammography apparatus, or otherwise transported the position of the location wire can change or shift in relation to the site of the previous procedure. This, in turn, can result in follow-up treatments being misdirected to an undesired portion of the patient's tissue.
[0008] As an alternative or adjunct to radiographic imaging, ultrasonic imaging and visualization techniques (herein abbreviated as “USI”) can be used to image the tissue of interest at the site of interest during a surgical or biopsy procedure or follow-up procedure. USI is capable of providing precise location and imaging of suspicious tissue, surrounding tissue and biopsy instruments within the patient's body during a procedure. Such imaging facilitates accurate and controllable removal or sampling of the suspicious tissue so as to minimize trauma to surrounding healthy tissue.
[0009] For example, during a breast biopsy procedure, the biopsy device is often imaged with USI while the device is being inserted into the patient's breast and activated to remove a sample of suspicious breast tissue. As USI is often used to image tissue during follow-up treatment, it may be desirable to have a marker, similar to the radiographic markers discussed above, which can be placed in a patient's body at the site of a surgical procedure and which are visible using USI. Such a marker enables a follow-up procedure to be performed without the need for traditional radiographic mammography imaging which, as discussed above, can be subject to inaccuracies as a result of shifting of the location wire as well as being tedious and uncomfortable for the patient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The invention is directed generally to devices and methods of marking a biopsy site, so that the location of the biopsy cavity is readily visible by ultrasonic imaging, as well as by conventional imaging methods, such as x-rays. The biopsy site marker of the invention is a persistent marker which may be identified and located by ultrasound visualization.
[0011] The biopsy site markers of the invention have a body conformation to enhance acoustical reflective signature or signal. The body conformation may include boundaries of high contrast of acoustic impedance to enhance ultrasound reflection. The markers are readily detected by USI and present a substantial acoustic signature from a marker with small physical dimensions or size. Because of the high acoustic reflectivity of the markers of the invention, the marker size may be reduced to dimensions determined by the physical limits of the imaging system itself, e.g., the ultrasound (US) beam width, without requiring a larger or excessive marker size to reflect sufficient US energy to be noticeable.
[0012] In one embodiment, the biopsy site markers of the invention have a characteristic body shape which is recognizably artificial during medical imaging, so as to be readily distinguishable from biological features within the marked tissue. In particular, the markers are readily distinguishable in the various imaging procedures from diagnostically important tissue features, such as lines of calcifications which frequently are signs for a developing malignancy. The marker body shape may have one or more distinct features which may be visualized in different marker orientations. The shape may correspond to a generally known symbol, so a to enhance recognition.
[0013] In another embodiment, the markers of the invention have a body conformation to enhance the acoustic signature or signal, so that the body has high acoustic reflectivity when situated in tissue. The acoustic reflective signature of the markers depends on a number of factors. The marker may comprise a composition which presents at least one boundary of high contrast in acoustic impedance to incident US energy, effectively reflecting the US energy to be received by the imaging system. Acoustic impedance (AI) of a material is equal to the product of the characteristic density (ρ) of the material and the acoustic velocity (c) in the material, (i.e., AI=ρ×c). As an incident US beam encounters a boundary with a large change in acoustic impedance (e.g., at the marker surface or internal to the marker), much of the US energy is effectively reflected.
[0014] Different types of tissue have a wide range of acoustical impedance, for example lung tissue with high air content having low acoustical impedance as compared to bone tissue having high mineral content. However, for uses such as biopsy site marking in typical mammalian soft tissue of high aqueous content, the typical range of tissue acoustical impedance is intermediate these extremes. The composition and body conformation of the markers of the invention may be selected so as to provide boundaries of high contrast of acoustic impedance with respect to the particular tissue site of use.
[0015] In an embodiment of the invention, the marker may have a composition in which a base or matrix substance of the marker body (e.g., stainless steel) has an acoustic impedance substantially higher than the tissue at the marked body site. For example, typical bio-compatible metal materials, such as stainless steel, titanium, platinum and the like, generally have acoustic impedance values in the range of 15 to more than 30 times that of typical soft tissue of high aqueous or fatty content. The high acoustic impedance of the marker body base material relative to the surrounding tissue presents a reflective interface to an incident US beam.
[0016] A suitable marker body composition with acoustic impedance substantially higher than the tissue at the marked body site is 316L stainless steel. Other alternative compositions, such as compositions of bio-compatible metals, ceramics, metal oxides or polymers, or composites or mixtures of these materials, may be suitable. The marker body may also be radio-opaque.
[0017] In another embodiment of the invention, the marker may have a composition in which marker body includes one or more (preferably a large plurality) of internal bounded spaces, such as voids, pores, discontinuities, inclusions, bubbles and the like. These internal spaces preferably contain or entrain air or other gases.
[0018] Air has an extremely low acoustic impedance relative to the marker body base or matrix substance. This is true even for matrix materials which themselves have acoustic impedance close to that of the surrounding tissue (e.g., some bio-compatible polymers). The marker body presents internal boundaries of high contrast in acoustic impedance, i.e., at the boundary between the matrix and each internal air-filled space. The marker body thus presents plurality of reflective interfaces to an incident US beam.
[0019] Alternatively or in combination with to the materials of high acoustic impedance described above, a marker body with internal voids or air spaces may, if desired, comprise a matrix or base composition which has an acoustic impedance close to that of the tissue at the marked body site, since the air or other gas within the internal spaces provides a dramatic contrast to the matrix material. Suitable bio-compatible materials include polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, PEBAX (made by Autochem Corp.), and the like.
[0020] The body matrix material can have a hydrophobic composition or be treated to be hydrophobic. The surface area bounding internal open-cell pores should be hydrophobic so as to resist the displacement of air or other gases in the pores by aqueous fluid from the surrounding tissue, particularly in the case of relatively large pore or space size.
[0021] In some embodiments of the invention, the markers can include surface characteristics which enhance the acoustic signature and improve visibility under US imaging, as opposed to a smooth, rounded body surface. In order to provide enhanced ultrasound imaging visibility from all directions of US impingement, the biopsy marker can have a plurality of reflective external surfaces. By making the surface of an object lobulate, multifaceted or otherwise irregular, more reflective surfaces are created, and a brighter acoustic signature is achieved.
[0022] For example, a smooth solid sphere provides at least some reflective surface oriented in each direction, but the reflection is achieved over a small portion to the area of the sphere, thus producing an unremarkable acoustic signature. In contrast, an object of the same composition and average diameter as the sphere, but with a highly irregular surface texture, a much brighter acoustic signature or signal is achieved. Thus, the by providing more reflective surfaces of differing or random orientation, the markers appears brighter in US imaging.
[0023] The signal-enhancing body conformation may include non-smooth surface texture, such as a porous, frosted, matte, pitted, peened, or scratched surface texture, and the like. The body conformation may also include a multi-element surface contour, such as a faceted, multi-planar, lobulate, coiled, grooved, folded, or inlet surface contour, and the like. Such external body conformations may be used in combination with one another and in combination with the internal discontinuities or air spaces described above.
[0024] The body length, diameter or other characteristic scale dimensions of some embodiments of the biopsy marker of the invention may be of a range of sizes. The optimum dimensions of the body will depend upon the specific selected factors which influence acoustic signature as described herein, such as material impedance, surface contours, surface texture, and internal conformation. In addition, the optimum size may depend upon such factors as the type of ultrasound imaging/visualization system used, its imaging resolution, the operating ultrasound frequency, and the biophysical nature of the tissue of interest.
[0025] The body dimensions may be selected so as to be large enough to provide a distinct, recognizable marker image within the tissue biopsy site, when visualized under the particular imaging system and operating conditions of use. The body dimensions may also be selected to be small enough to avoid masking or obscuring diagnostically important tissue features. Thus different marker dimensions may be selected to suit particular biopsy site tissue types, and to suit particular known and future medical imaging equipment.
[0026] In terms of over-all size, it is desirable that the marker have at least one dimension which is about as large as or greater than the beam width of the USI system with which it is to be visualized. Typically, for current USI systems, the marker will have at least one dimension of about 1 mm or greater, and preferably of at least about 1.5 mm.
[0027] In addition, for convenience in applying the marker to the tissue site, the specific marker dimensions and shape may be selected so as to accommodate the dimensions of a particular known or novel biopsy needle device or sampling apparatus, while still achieving a distinct and recognizable marker image under medical imaging as placed at the tissue site. By selecting a marker size and shape to fit within the internal diameter of a biopsy needle or sampling device, the marker may be implanted or applied to the biopsy cavity during the course of the biopsy procedure, following sample recovery but prior to removal of the biopsy device. For example, the marker of the invention may have a size and shape selected to permit application of the marker through the hollow interior space of a vacuum assisted large core biopsy device, such as is commercially available from Johnson and Johnson, Ethicon Endosurgery Division. The small physical size of the markers of the invention relative to their acoustic reflectivity permits fitting the markers to a wide variety of biopsy devices.
[0028] In terms of the size of features, including external or internal pores, texture features, facets and the like, it is preferable that these features have a characteristic dimension approximately equal to or exceeding the wavelength of the US beam of the imaging system. For example, with current imaging systems, for a marker with internal air-filled pores, the pore size is typically from about 1 micrometer to 100 micrometers and preferably from about 5 micrometers to 40 micrometers, to provide high reflectivity of the incident US energy.
[0029] Optionally, some embodiments of the biopsy site marker of the invention may have elements which assist in accurately fixing the marker to the biopsy site so as to resist migration from the biopsy cavity. Such migration can occur when a placement instrument is withdrawn, and when the marked tissue is subsequently moved or manipulated, as for example when a breast is decompressed and removed from the mammography apparatus. In one embodiment, one or more tissue engaging structures or haptic elements are mounted or affixed to the main marker body, so as to resist movement or migration of the marker from the biopsy site in which it has been implanted during use.
[0030] In another embodiment, the biopsy site marker may comprise a pellet-shaped element which encapsulates the high impedance marker body, and assists in resisting migration. The encapsulating pellet may be of a composition, such as gelatin, which is absorbed or dissipated over time, leaving the persistent marker body at the tissue site. In yet another embodiment, the marker body (and/or the optional encapsulating element) may include an adhesive component to cause the marker body (or encapsulating element) to adhere to adjacent tissue within the biopsy site.
[0031] A method of the invention for marking a tissue site of interest can include implanting one or more of the markers of the invention, such as one of the exemplary marker embodiments described herein, in or adjacent to a tissue site of interest, e.g., within a biopsy cavity. The marker may then be visualized in situ, such as for purposes of subsequent medical and surgical procedures. The visualization may be by various known medical imaging systems and methods, and in particular may be visualized by known USI systems.
[0032] Biopsy markers of the invention can be deposited in accordance with the various methods and techniques utilized in the state of the art. One technique of applying the biopsy markers of the invention is to place or deposit them in a biopsy cavity that is created with a vacuum assisted large core biopsy device. An applicator particularly suitable for insertion of the biopsy site markers of the invention is described below. However, it should be understood that the biopsy markers of the invention can be used without the exemplary applicator device described herein. The biopsy marker applicator disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/343,975 filed Jun. 30, 1999, may be used to apply the markers of the current invention to a biopsy site. The dimensional size of the applicator device (particularly the inside diameter) may be adjusted to correspond to a selected diameter or characteristic dimension of the biopsy site marker embodiment of the present invention.
[0033] These and other advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a human breast partially cut away having a lesion from which a biopsy specimen has been removed, and showing a marker applicator syringe and introduction cannula operatively positioned for introduction of a biopsy site marker embodying features of the present invention into the cavity created by removal of the biopsy specimen;
[0035] FIGS. 2A-2E show exemplary conformations and shapes of sintered or porous metal site marker embodiments of the invention, FIG. 2A showing a sintered body having irregular pores, FIG. 2B showing a bubble-filled marker body, FIG. 2C showing a cylindrical-shaped marker, FIG. 2D showing a cruciform-shaped marker and FIG. 2E showing a polyhedral shaped marker.
[0036] FIG. 3 shows a marker having the shape of a Greek letter.
[0037] FIG. 4 shows an example of the alternative coil-shaped embodiment of the marker of the invention;
[0038] FIG. 5 shows an example of the alternative spheriod embodiment of the marker of the invention;
[0039] FIG. 6 is a schematic view (scale exaggerated for clarity) of an exemplary biopsy tissue site, in this case a human breast, showing a biopsy cavity of the type obtained by a known type of vacuum assisted large core biopsy sampler device, into which a biopsy marker or markers embodying features of the invention are deposited by a marker applicator device inserted through the outer cannula of the large core biopsy sampler.
[0040] FIG. 7 shows schematically an embodiment of the invention including one or more haptic elements and/or an adhesive component, for resisting migration of the marker within the tissue.
[0041] FIG. 8 shows schematically an embodiment of the invention including an encapsulating element and optional adhesive component, for resisting migration of the marker within the tissue.
[0042] FIG. 9A is a schematic view of a biopsy sampler device at a tissue site with an alternative marker delivery system.
[0043] FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the petalled distal end of the delivery device shown in FIG. 9A .
[0044] FIG. 9C is a perspective view of the distal end of the delivery device shown in FIG. 9A with a marker exiting the petalled distal end.
[0045] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternative marker having a gel body with a radiopaque collar disposed about the gel body.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0046] The following detailed description, and the accompanying drawings to which it refers are provided for purposes of exemplifying and illustrating representative examples and embodiments of the invention only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way, and do not exhaustively illustrate and describe all possible embodiments and configurations in which one or more features of the present invention may take physical form.
[0047] All patents and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual patent or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
[0048] FIG. 1 shows the use and insertion into a biopsy site of any one of the biopsy site marker embodiments of the invention described herein. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a human breast 2 having a lesion 3 from which a biopsy specimen has been removed, thereby forming a biopsy cavity 4 within the lesion 3 , into which a biopsy site marker 10 of the of the present invention is implanted. The figure shows an outer cannula 12 with the distal end thereof operatively positioned within the biopsy site 4 . The outer cannula 12 has been inserted percutaneously into the lesion 3 and a biopsy needle (not shown) has been passed through the outer cannula 12 and used to remove a biopsy specimen from the center of the lesion.
[0049] Syringe-like marker application device 13 includes a marker introduction tube or inner cannula 14 . After removal of the biopsy needle (not shown), the marker introduction cannula 14 has been passed through the outer cannula 12 such that inner cannula distal end 14 d is located within the biopsy cavity 4 , the marker 10 being housed within cannula 14 . Piston 15 of marker applicator 13 has an extension 16 which passes through the interior of inner cannula 14 . Upon depressing piston 15 , extenuation 16 pushes marker 10 outward through an opening 17 in the tip 14 d of inner cannula 14 into the cavity 4 .
[0050] The outer cannula 12 may be an outer tube element of a conventional vacuum assisted large core biopsy device, which has been left in place to assist in site marker application following biopsy sample recovery. One example of a applicator syringe device 13 is described in further detail below with respect to FIG. 5 .
[0051] FIGS. 2A , 2 B, 2 C, 2 D and 2 E show exemplary internal conformations and shapes of the sintered or porous site marker embodiments of the invention 20 a - 20 e respectively.
[0052] FIGS. 2A and 2B show schematic cross sections of a alternative porous or sintered marker body embodiments. FIG. 2A is a cross section of a sintered site marker embodiment 20 a . The matrix or base material 21 encloses a plurality of irregular shaped pores 22 distributed within the body 20 a , preferably throughout the body volume. The term “sintered” will be used to describe the porous body conformation, it being noted that conventional methods of production other than sintering may be employed to produce a material containing internal voids, pores, discontinuities, inclusions, bubbles and the like.
[0053] The pores 22 may be open celled, in which the pores 22 generally intersect or communicate with one another and the marker body exterior, which may give the body surface 23 a pitted texture on the scale of the pore size. Alternatively, the pores may be closed celled, in which the pores 22 generally do not intersect one another or the exterior. In the event that the pores 22 communicate with the marker exterior 23 , the matrix material 21 is preferably hydrophobic (or treated to have hydrophobic surfaces) to resist displacement of air entrained in pores 22 .
[0054] The base or matrix composition 21 has may be of high acoustic impedance relative to the surrounding tissue (not shown). Sintered metal material may be shaped and sintered from commercially available metallic powders comprising a metal or mixtures of metals, using conventional sintering and forming techniques to produce body of selected shaped, and selected pore size and surface texture, so as to enhance acoustic reflectivity. The porosity of the sintered metal provides an irregular surface texture as well as internal voids. A suitable bio-compatible material is sintered 316L stainless steel, and suitable sintered stainless steel stock is commercially available in various forms, for example from the Mott Corporation. The sintered stock may be economically cut and shaped by conventional methods. Sintered stainless steel stock is commercially available with controlled pore size, selectable over a range of pore sizes. The pores 22 of the sintered body 20 a may vary over a range of pore sizes, and is typically from about 1 micrometer to 100 micrometers and preferably from about 5 micrometers to 40 micrometers.
[0055] In addition to sintered metal, alternative bio-compatible, impedance materials may be included or substituted, such as ceramics, metal oxides, polymers or composites/mixtures of these materials, which may be configured to have a generally distributed internal porosity and porous surface texture. Thus, the marker body 20 a may comprise a matrix or base composition 21 which has an acoustic impedance close to that of the tissue at the marked body site, since the air or other gas within the pores or internal spaces 22 provides a dramatic contrast to the matrix material 21 . Suitable bio-compatible materials include polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, PEBAX (made by Autochem Corp.), and the like. Such porous materials may be formed by conventional methods, such as heat bonding of polymer powders, extrusion and the like.
[0056] FIG. 2B is a schematic cross section of an alternative site marker embodiment 20 b . The matrix or base material 24 encloses a plurality of inclusions, suspended particles or bubbles 25 distributed within the body 20 b , preferably throughout the body volume. The inclusions 25 may be low-density or gas-filled particles, such as foamed-in-place bubbles, micro-beads, expanded beads, and the like, which have an acoustic impedance substantially lower than the matrix material 24 . The matrix material 24 may as in the example of FIG. 2A .
[0057] FIGS. 2C and 2D show exemplary shapes of the sintered or porous site marker embodiments of the invention 20 c and 20 d respectively. FIG. 2C shows schematically a cylindrical sintered marker 20 c . The marker 20 c comprises a generally cylindrical body having a diameter d and length l. The body may have diameter d of from 0.5 to 5 mm, and preferably about 1.5 mm. The length l may be from about 1 diameters to about 10 diameters, and preferably from about 5 to 7 diameters. This biopsy site marker produces a distinct, recognizable, marker image of artificial appearance when implanted at a depth of about 2 to 4 cm in human breast tissue, and visualized by a commercially available Accuson 128 US imaging system with an L7 transducer.
[0058] FIG. 2D illustrates a marker body 20 d having a polyhedral form of multiple intersecting flat surfaces 26 , 27 and 28 .
[0059] FIG. 2E shows a cruciform shaped marker 20 e having cruciform cross-section having four longitudinal fin-like portions 29 , which may be aligned at right angles to one another and joined at the longitudinal central axis 30 providing a selectable number of side facets (e.g., hexagonal cross-section). Optionally, medial web portions 31 may span laterally and join between adjacent fins 29 , the webs 31 preferably being aligned perpendicularly to the fins 29 . In the example shown, there are four such web portions 31 positioned at about mid-length of the body 20 e , so that each fin 29 is joined by a pair of webs 31 , one on each side, to each adjacent fin. Thus, the planes of the intersecting fins and webs form a pattern of eight mutually-perpendicular “corner reflectors” 32 . The length l and characteristic cross-section dimension c may be as described with respect to the embodiments of FIGS. 2C and 2D .
[0060] FIG. 3 illustrates yet another alternative where the marker body is shaped to have the form, under ultrasound or radiological visualization, preferably both, of a familiar symbol or letter, to by easily recognizable as an artificial shape which is the lower-case Greek letter Gamma (γ), which when visualized in a biopsy site bears a resemblance to a familiar breast-cancer-awareness symbol.
[0061] FIG. 4 shows schematically an alternative coil marker 30 of the invention. The marker 30 comprises a generally helical coil-like body formed from one or more lengths of fine wire and/or fiber 31 . The coil 30 has a generally cylindrical overall form. As with the other biopsy site marker embodiments of the invention, the optimum dimensions of the coil shaped marker embodiment will depend on such factors as the type of visualization system used, its imaging resolution, and the physical nature of the biopsy tissue region. The coil length l and diameter d may be of a range of sizes, selected so as to be large enough to provide a distinct, recognizable ultrasound marker image within the tissue biopsy site, and small enough to avoid masking or obscuring diagnostically important tissue features. For example, the coil diameter d may be from 0.5 to 5 mm, and preferably about 1.5 mm. The coil length l is typically from about 1 coil diameters to about 10 coil diameters, and preferably from about 5 to 7 coil diameters.
[0062] The helical turns of the coil provide a body surface contour including a outer helical groove 32 and inner helical groove 33 on the coil surfaces (more than one such groove for a multiple helix). The grooved coil body surface includes a plurality of lobes and crevices on the exterior of the coil which enhance acoustic reflectivity. In addition the similarly lobed internal surfaces of the coil provide additional reflectivity. Optionally, the coil may be given a “frosted” or textured surface, such as by particle blasting in the manner of the spheroid marker described above. A uniform coil embodiment has a shape which is markedly artificial in appearance under conventional visualization methods, and is not easily confused tissue features of biological origin.
[0063] The coil may comprise a fine wire 31 of a material of high acoustic impedance relative to the tissue of the site, and may optionally be radio-opaque. Suitable materials are biologically compatible metals, such as stainless steel, titanium, platinum, palladium, alloys thereof and the like. The coil may alternatively comprise a composite of different materials, such as a composite of metal and polymeric materials. The coil may be wound about a central core of the same or different composition. Coil stock of suitable material, helical form and diameter is available commercially, and may be cut to a selected length by conventional means. A suitable material is 316 L stainless steel surgical embolization coil currently used in arterial embolism repair procedures, e.g., Cook 4 mm diameter embolization coil MWCE-25-2.5-4 of 316L stainless steel and Dacron. Other suitable embolization coil stock is available in a range of coil diameters. This biopsy site marker produces a distinct, recognizable marker image as implanted at a depth of about 2 to 4 cm in human breast tissue, when visualized by a commercially available Accuson 128 US imaging system with an L7 transducer.
[0064] FIG. 5 shows schematically the alternative spheroid marker 40 of the invention having a generally spherical body 40 . Note that the porous or sintered marker embodiments of FIGS. 2A-2D may be spherical also. However, the embodiment of FIG. 5 is a non-porous example, and the biopsy site marker 40 comprises a high acoustic impedance, biologically compatible material, such as 316 L stainless steel and titanium, or radiopaque metals such as platinum, palladium, or the like. Non-spherical shaped bodies may be used, however, metallic spheres of suitable materials are readily commercially available, and have a shape which is markedly artificial in appearance under conventional visualization methods, i.e., not easily confused tissue features of biological origin.
[0065] The generally spherical body may have a diameter d selected so as to be large enough to provide a distinct, recognizable ultrasound marker image within the tissue biopsy site, and small enough to avoid obscuring tissue features. As with the other biopsy site marker embodiments of the invention, the optimum size of the sphere will depend on such factors as the type of visualization system used, its imaging resolution, and the physical nature of the biopsy tissue region. For example, the sphere diameter d is typically be from about 1 mm to about 4 mm, and preferably from about 1.5 mm.
[0066] The spherical body 40 may include a pitted, matte, peened or frosted surface texture 41 , which may be produced by conventional particle blasting or peening techniques. For example, the sphere may be blasted with glass beads of about 100 micrometer diameter to produce a frosted surface. In another example, the sphere may be blasted with aluminum oxide abrasive particles of about 25 micrometer diameter to produce a frosted surface. The frosted surface 41 thus produced provides enhanced acoustic reflectivity in comparison to the untreated, smooth sphere. Other conventional texturing, pitting or faceting methods may alternatively be used to produce a frosted or irregular surface texture.
[0067] This biopsy site marker produces a distinct, recognizable marker image of artificial appearance when implanted at a depth of about 2 to 4 cm in human breast tissue, and visualized by a commercially available Acuson 128 US imaging system with an L7 transducer.
[0068] FIG. 6 shows schematically in cut-away section an exemplary marker applicator device 50 configured to be operated in association with a conventional vacuum assisted large core biopsy device 6 . The dimensional size of the applicator device (particularly the inside diameter) may be adjusted to correspond to the selected diameter or characteristic dimension of the biopsy site marker to be deposited. In this connection it should be understood that the biopsy markers of the invention can be used without this applicator, and can be deposited in accordance with the various methods and techniques utilized in the state of the art.
[0069] The applicator 50 comprises an elongated cylindrical body 52 which has an outer diameter selected so that it fits, and may be inserted through, the outer cannula 7 of vacuum assisted large core biopsy device 6 . As shown in FIG. 6 , the outer cannula 7 is inserted through the biopsy incision into the biopsy cavity 4 previously formed in the patient's tissue site 8 , e.g., a human breast in the case of a breast biopsy.
[0070] The cylindrical body 52 has an interior cavity and a piston 54 that fits and slides back and forth in the elongated cylindrical body 52 . The proximal end of the outer cannula 7 may be provided with rectangularly shaped handle 56 the orientation of which indicates to the operator the orientation of the opening 9 provided in the distal end of the cannula 7 . The cylindrical body 52 may have an enlarged finger disk or handle 57 at its outer (exterior to the patient) end which permits a user (not shown) to operate or move the piston 54 within the cylinder 52 of applicator 50 . the orientation of the elongated finger disk 57 indicates the orientation of the opening 58 of body 53 adjacent its other, closed end 59 (internal within biopsy cavity). The opening 58 is configured to form a ramp in the side of the tube 52 .
[0071] In this connection it should be understood that the selected dimensions of the tube 52 are coordinated with the dimensions of the piston 54 and with the cannula 7 of the vacuum assisted large core biopsy device 6 , thus permitting the tube 52 to both fit within cannula 7 and to contain one or more markers of the invention 10 within the inside diameter of cylinder 52 . The cylinder or tube 52 and the piston 54 may be made from any appropriate medical grade plastic material, such as high density polyethylene or PEBAX, made by the Autochem Corporation.
[0072] In one method of implanting the biopsy markers 10 of the present invention, the tube 52 is loaded with one or more of markers 10 . The markers 10 may be any of the embodiments of the invention described above, and is shown schematically as a cylindrical object. Optionally, in addition to the markers 10 , pellets composed of various other materials may be inserted along with one of the embodiments of the biopsy markers of the present invention described herein. For example, gelatin pellets of the type disclosed in our above referenced co-pending application Ser. No. 09/343,975 may be inserted in conjunction with the biopsy markers 10 of the present invention.
[0073] With the markers 10 in the tube 52 and the tube 52 and cannula 7 inserted into the biopsy site 4 , the opening 58 in the cylinder 52 is moved into alignment with the opening or port 9 of the in the internal end of cannula 7 of biopsy sampler 6 . The piston 54 is pressed inward by the operator so that the marker or markers 10 are expelled from the tube 52 through the ramp shaped opening 58 as the piston 54 is pushed into the cylinder or tube 52 . The markers 10 are thereby extruded through opening 59 and port 9 into the biopsy cavity 4 . The applicator 50 and biopsy device 6 are subsequently withdrawn.
[0074] FIG. 7 shows schematically an alternative marker 60 of the invention including one or more optional tissue-engaging or haptic elements 62 for resisting migration of the marker from the biopsy site. An exemplary cylindrical marker body 10 is shown, although each embodiment of the biopsy site marker of the invention described above may optionally comprises one or more such tissue engaging structures. The haptic elements 62 may comprise an wire-like material fixed to the marker body 10 at the proximal haptic end 64 and extending outward from the marker body 10 . The haptic 62 may be looped back at its hook-like terminal end 66 .
[0075] The haptic 62 assists in resisting migration of the marker from the biopsy cavity, during initial placement, i.e., it engages the adjacent tissue to resist being sucked back towards the applicator when the applicator is withdrawn. The haptic also resists migration during later movement, flexure or manipulation of the tissue surrounding the biopsy site, such as when a patient's breast is decompressed upon removal from a mammography device. Optionally, the marker body 10 may include an adhesive component 68 coated onto its surface to cause the marker body to adhere to adjacent tissue within the biopsy site.
[0076] FIG. 8 shows schematically the alternative marker 70 of the invention including an encapsulating element 72 and optional adhesive layer or component 74 , for resisting migration of the marker within the tissue. An exemplary cylindrical marker body 10 is shown, although each of the biopsy site marker of the invention described above may optionally comprise a pellet-shaped encapsulating element.
[0077] The pellet-shaped encapsulating element 72 is disposed surrounding the marker body 10 and may fully or partially enclose the marker body. The encapsulating element 72 may be of lower impedance than the metallic marker body 10 . Suitable materials are gelatin or reconstituted collagen material, polymers, or mixtures or composites thereof. An optional adhesive component 74 is shown coating the external surface of the encapsulating element, but may be included within the composition the encapsulating element 72 .
[0078] FIG. 9A illustrates an alternative device 80 for delivering markers to a biopsy site which includes an elongated tube 81 , a handle 82 on the tubes proximal end and a closed distal end having a plurality of leafs or petals 83 as shown in more detail in FIG. 9B . As shown in FIG. 9C , the petals 83 open up to allow a marker 84 to be discharged into the biopsy site 85 as shown in FIG. 9C . The device 80 has an elongated plunger or piston 86 slidably disposed within the tube 81 for pushing one or more markers 84 through the petalled distal end by pressing on the knob 87 on the proximal end of the shaft 86 . The orientation of the body 88 on the shaft 86 gives the operator an indication of the orientation of the shaped distal end 89 .
[0079] FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative marker 90 which has an elongated cylindrically shaped body of gel 91 surrounded with a metallic band 92 which is preferably formed of radiopaque material. The band 92 may completely or only partially surround the body of gel 91 .
[0080] In any of the above-described embodiments of the invention, the marker body (and/or the optional encapsulating element) may include an adhesive component to cause the marker body (or encapsulating element) to adhere to adjacent tissue within the biopsy site. The adhesive component may comprise a biocompatible adhesive, such as a polyurethane, polyacrylic compound, polyhydroxymethacrylate, fibrin glue (e.g., Tisseal™), collagen adhesive, or mixtures thereof.
[0081] While particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated. It is therefore intended that this invention to be defined by the scope of the appended claims as broadly as the prior art will permit, and in view of the specification if need be.
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The invention is directed biopsy site markers and methods of marking a biopsy site, so that the location of the biopsy cavity is readily visible by conventional imaging methods, particularly by ultrasonic imaging. The biopsy site markers of the invention have high ultrasound reflectivity, presenting a substantial acoustic signature from a small marker, so as to avoid obscuring diagnostic tissue features in subsequent imaging studies, and can be readily distinguished from biological features. The several disclosed embodiments of the biopsy site marker of the invention have a high contrast of acoustic impedance as placed in a tissue site, so as to efficiently reflect and scatter ultrasonic energy, and preferably include gas-filled internal pores. The markers may have a non-uniform surface contour to enhance the acoustic signature. The markers have a characteristic form which is recognizably artificial during medical imaging. The biopsy site marker may be accurately fixed to the biopsy site so as to resist migration from the biopsy cavity when a placement instrument is withdrawn, and when the marked tissue is subsequently moved or manipulated.
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RELATED APPLICATION DATA
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Ser. No. 08/211,959, filed Apr. 21, 1994, now abandoned, which claimed benefit of PCT priority application number PCT/EP/02416, filed Oct. 21, 1992, and Ger. Pat. Ap. No. P4134723.4 filed Oct. 21, 1991.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a caloric nutrient solution for human parenteral nourishing, e.g. intravenous nutrition which is free of amino acids and their salts and contains at least one reducing sugar and a stabilizer for the sugar or sugars and, if desired, further conventional energizers.
The invention also relates to a multicompartmental system for human parenteral nourishing, comprising a compartment which contains an amino acid solution and a compartment which contains a nutrient solution.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known in general to apply solutions of amino acids and/or peptides in combination with reducing sugars, such as particularly glucose or fructose plus fats, electrolytes, and vitamins, if desired, in the parenteral nutrition of human beings.
A wide variety of preparations and finished drugs also have been formulated for therapeutic and/or nutritious purposes to be administered to patients suffering from liver or kidney diseases. In this context the amino acid pattern was given special attention. It is know, for instance, from DE-OS 25 56 100 to administer the individual amino acids, both essential and non-essential ones, at certain relative ratios in the form of certain amino acid patterns. In this case the amino acids usually are employed as free amino acids. Yet it is likewise known to use amino acid salts or amino acid derivatives. For example, it is known to use cysteine in the form of the hydrochloride or the N-acetyl derivative.
Furthermore, it is known in general to provide amino acid solutions, on the one hand, and solutions containing reducing sugars, on the other hand, and, if desired, further solutions comprising substances needed for human nourishment, such as fats, peptides, electrolytes, and vitamins packed in a multicompartmental system or multiple recipient, at the required quantitative ratios, as a ready drug for parenteral and intravenous human nourishing. The individual solutions are mixed prior to being administered to the patient. As a rule, the known multicompartmental system or multiple recipients are marketed in thermally sterilized form. Separate compartments or recipients taking up the amino acids, on the one hand, and the reducing sugars on the other hand, proved to be necessary in order to avoid undesirable reactions between the reducing sugars and the amino acids.
Moreover, it is generally known that highly reactive derivatives result from the thermal sterilization of solutions of reducing sugars, such as glucose and fructose.
And it is likewise known that the chemical stability of amino acid solutions suffers from thermal stress during the heat sterilization. Certain amino acids, furthermore, are susceptible of oxidizing, and their reaction products are liable to react with non-oxidized amino acids.
As stated in DE-OS 38 14 806, quantities of less than 0.5% of cysteine, N-acetyl cysteine, or their salts and esters added to amino acid solutions as anti-oxidants are intended to prevent decomposition reactions which are caused by residual oxygen or by oxygen which has entered by diffusion during storage. It is thus recommended in DE-OS 38 14 806 to add N-acetyl cysteine as an anti-oxidant to amino acid solutions.
Surprisingly, however, it has now been found that, contrary to the teaching of DE-OS 38 14 806, when oxygen enters during storage to amino acid solutions containing N-acetyl cysteine, they become much more color unstable than amino acid solutions not containing N-acetyl cysteine. Just as surprisingly it was found, on the other hand, that amino acid solutions free of N-acetyl cysteine, when mixed with solutions of reducing sugars, within hours display discoloration as a characteristic of rapidly ongoing chemical reactions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to provide solutions suitable for human parenteral and intravenous nourishment containing amino acid solutions and reducing sugars packed in a multicompartmental system or multiple recipient and characterized by optimum storage firmness and color stability.
This object is met, in accordance with the invention, in that the N-acetyl cysteine is no longer used, as before, as a component of the amino acid solution but instead is added to the solution which contains the reducing sugar or sugars.
The subject matter of the invention thus is a caloric nutrient solution and a multicompartmental system as indicated in the claims. Removing the N-acetyl cysteine from the amino acid solution which may contain peptides, too, if desired, permits the preparation of color stable solutions which have a correspondingly long shelf life. At the same time, the addition of N-acetyl cysteine to the solution of the reducing sugar, such as glucose or fructose, effectively suppresses the formation of the highly reactive derivatives which normally are obtained from the decomposition of sugar. Consequently, when admixing the amino acid solution to the sugar solution, none of these derivatives are left which might enter into color forming reactions with amino acids.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention thus is based on the general finding that N-acetyl cysteine is excellently suited for stabilizing solutions of reducing sugars which are free of amino acids but do contain not only one or more reducing sugars but also other energizers that are customary for intravenous and parenteral nourishment of human beings, such as polyols, like xylite and/or disaccharides, like maltose and/or fats and the like.
The nutrient solution according to the invention advantageously may contain from about 0.01 to about 50.0, preferably from about 0.05 to about 5.0 g/l N-acetyl cysteine. Any reducing sugars, especially pentoses and hexoses which are suitable for parenteral and intravenous human nourishment, may be used as reducing sugars. Preferably, glucose and fructose are used. The solution may comprise one sugar or a mixture of different sugars.
The amino acid solutions may comprise one of the customary known amino acid patterns which are suitable for human parenteral and intravenous nourishment. Typical patterns are known, for instance, from DE-OS 25 56 100.
Apart from a compartment or recipient for the sugar solution and a compartment or recipient for the amino acid solution, the multicompartmental system or multiple recipient may comprise further compartments or recipients, if desired, which are filled with other substances that are required or favorable for the nutrition of humans, such as fats, peptides, electrolytes and/or vitamins. The multicompartmental system or multiple recipients are of conventional known design. Accordingly, they advantageously consist of liquid-proof plastic materials. However, the multiple recipients also may be made of other materials, such as glass.
EXAMPLES
The following are presented to further illustrate and explain the present invention and should not be taken as limiting in any regard. Unless otherwise mentioned, all parts and percentages are by weight, and are based on the weight of the particularly processing step described.
Example 1
The compartments of a conventional plastic dual compartment system were filled as follows:
(1) one compartment with an amino acid solution, composed as follows:
______________________________________ g/l______________________________________ L-isoleucine 4.20 L-leucine 5.70 L-glutamic acid L-lysine salt (1:1) 2 H.sub.2 O 15.15 L-methionine 5.50 L-phenylalanine 4.10 L-threonine 5.40 L-tryptophan 2.10 L-valine 4.70 L-arginine 14.00 L-histidine 3.50 L-alanine 26.00 L-(+)-glutamic acid 12.36 amino acetic acid 15.60 L-proline 14.10 L-serine 14.10 L-acetyl-L-tyrosine 2.25 glycerol-1(2)-dihydrogen phosphate mixture 6.12 of the disodium salts (30/70-G/G) 5 H.sub.2 O sodium chloride 2.34 potassium chloride 1.49 potassium-L-hydrogen glutamate H.sub.2 O 4.07 calcium chloride 2 H.sub.2 O 0.44 magnesium chloride 6 H.sub.2 O 1.02 zinc chloride 0.0082 for injection purposes filled with water up to 1000 ml(2) the second compartment with a 40% glucose solution to which 0.7 g/l N-acetyl cysteine had been added.______________________________________
After the solutions had been filled in and the compartments closed, the compartmental system was subjected to a pharmacopeia-conform heat sterilization at 121° C. The sterilization period was 15 minutes.
Following that, the two solutions were mixed at a volume ratio of 1:1. No discoloration occurred as much as 24 hours after the mixing.
Comparative Example A
The method described in Example 1 was repeated in the same vessel with the exception, however, that the addition of N-acetyl cysteine was dispensed with which, in the example, had been added to the sugar solution. In this case, manifest discoloration, as an indication of quickly ongoing chemical reactions, could be observed 24 hours after the mixing of the two solutions.
Comparative Example B
In Friedman, M., and Molnar-Perl, J. Agric. Food Chem. 38: 1642-1647 (1990), a solution for parenteral nutrition containing both amino acids and carbohydrates is disclosed. In order to reduce this concept to practice, Friedman and Molnar-Perl further suggest to utilize N-acetyl cysteine in an amount such that the ratio glucose to N-acetyl cysteine is about 1:1. Thus, a typical solution following the teaching of the paper contains about 36 g/l glucose and 32.6 g/l N-acetyl cysteine. This approach has two drawbacks in comparison to the present invention (cf. Example 1). First of all, upon heat sterilization of the Friedman/Molnar-Perl solution at 120° C. for 15 minutes in a comparative test, a significant amount of hydrogen sulfide is produced (more than 4 mg/l). Such production of H 2 S is detrimental to the envisaged use in parenteral nutrition. The second drawback relates to the extremely high concentration of N-acetyl cysteine which on the one hand has no particular (apart from preventing browning) in a parenteral solution, and thus, the overall balance of amino acids may be jeopardized by the presence of N-acetyl cysteine, and on the other hand, upon storage further amounts of H 2 S may be produced.
In an additional experiment, though contrary to the explicit teaching of the paper, low concentrations of N-acetyl cysteine were employed in one solution. This was a comparison to test whether the addition of N-acetyl cysteine in the "two solution" concept of the present invention as opposed to the "one solution" concept of Friedman and Molnar-Perl brings about a surprising effect. A solution containing amino acids in the amounts as set forth in Example 1 and 400 g/l glucose can not be effectively stabilized by a concentration of 0.7 g/l N-acetyl cysteine. When such solution is heat sterilized as contemplated by Friedman and Molnar-Perl, a browning reaction is observed in a relatively short period of time. Again, as already evidenced in Example 1 above, the same amount of N-acetyl cysteine is effective in the "two solution" concept of the present invention. This finding is quite surprising.
Moreover, it was surprisingly found that adding N-acetyl cysteine in a "two solution" concept to the separate amino acid solution does not effectively allow the inhibition of browning. As already discussed above, it was detected that a solution containing amino acids and N-acetyl cysteine becomes colored again within a relatively short period of time. Thus, solutions of the invention exhibit advantages over that described by Friedman and Molnar-Perl.
The above description is for the purpose of teaching the person of ordinary skill in the art how to practice the present invention, and it is not intended to detail all those obvious modifications and variations of it which will become apparent to the skilled worker upon reading the description. It is intended, however, that all such obvious modifications and variations be included within the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the following claims. The claims are intended to cover the claimed components and steps in any sequence which is effective to meet the objectives there intended, unless the context specifically indicates the contrary.
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The invention relates to a caloric nutrient solution for human parenteral nourishing, containing at least one reducing sugar and a stabilizer for the sugar or sugars and, if desired, further energizers, the solution being free of amino acids and their salts and containing N-acetyl cysteine as stabilizer. The invention also relates to a multicompartmental system or multiple recipient for human parenteral nourishing, comprising at least one compartment or recipient which contains amino acids and one compartment or recipient which contains the stabilized nutrient solution. Mixing of the two solutions yields color-stable, permanent mixed solutions.
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This is a division of application Ser. No. 476,574 filed on Feb. 7, 1990 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,538, filed on Aug. 27, 1991.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for providing a dust free environment in the filling and discharge of containers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a slide gate and dust cover operator and seal assembly for use in providing a sealing arrangement for containers of solid materials such as dry powder or tablets.
Previous apparatus for providing a dust free environment for containers is described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,354,918 to Coleman; 3,729,121 to Cannon; 3,985,245 to Schulte; 4,249,679 to Dillman; 4,428,504 to Bassett et al.; 4,491,253 to Coleman; and 4,830,233 to Thelen et al.
By the present invention, there is provided an improved sealing arrangement which involves a dual seal which seals directly against the gate assembly. In addition, the present invention provides for the introduction of air between the inner and outer seal to prevent contaminants from reaching the product.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the fill station for the slide gate and dust cover operator and seal assembly of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the invention as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the invention as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a side elevation in partial cross section showing details of the slide gate and dust cover operator and seal assembly of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a cross section taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the discharge station of the invention.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the discharge station of the invention.
FIG. 8 is a front elevation of the invention as shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the invention as shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the discharge station of the invention.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the slide gate and dust cover operator and seal assembly as employed with the fill station of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS. 1 through 11, there is provided a slide gate and dust cover operator and seal assembly having inner and outer seals to prevent contaminants from reaching the product.
In FIGS. 1 through 3, there is shown a support frame assembly 18 of the fill station for a container or bin 10, including vertical members 20 having a roller conveyor assembly 22 with rollers 24 mounted at the lower end and with right and left guide roller assemblies 26, 28 mounted at the upper end of the frame assembly 18. A fill tube and seal assembly 30 is mounted at the top of the frame 18. A slide gate and dust cover operator assembly 31 is also mounted at the top of the frame 18.
The bin is transferred onto the rollers 24 by an automatically guided vehicle (AGV) or other type transfer vehicle. The bins employed herein may be of stainless steel having a height of about 3 to 8 feet, for example, and a circular, square or rectangular cross-section having a diameter or width of about 2 to 6 feet, for example. The rollers 26, 28 on the side act to guide the bin into position. As shown in FIG. 2, adjustable stops 40 for the bin are provided on the assembly frame, and a proximity sensor 42 is positioned to verify bin position. A dust cover 44, of stainless steel or similar material, is located on the fill station and the cover 44 is in the closed position while the bin is being moved into position in the fill station. In FIG. 4 all components are shown in the position as would be the case when the bin is first positioned in the fill station of FIG. 1.
In the sequence of steps as carried out while the bin is in the fill station, the vacuum 46 is turned on to clean dust from the dust cover 44. The dust cover 44 on the fill station is pulled back (to right in FIG. 2) by air cylinder 48 to expose the seals. As shown in FIG. 4, a mounting plate 62 supports the filling assembly. A seal retaining flange 57 and a gasket 59 along with a mounting flange for the seal assembly are employed to maintain a sealing environment in conjunction with inner seal 54 and outer seal 56. At the same time, a dust cover 50 on top of the bin (FIG. 11) is pulled back to the open position by cylinder 32 (FIG. 1). Inner seal 54 is then inflated (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The air supply 58 to the chamber 60 is turned on and outer seal 56 is then inflated. Seals 54 and 56 are inflated by air passing from an air supply through tubes 63 and 65. It is pointed out that the order in which the seals 54, 56 are inflated may be reversed, depending on the circumstances. Thus if a toxic product is being handled, for example, it is desirable to keep all the product in while in the case of a food product, it is more advantageous to keep contaminants out.
Continuing the sequence of steps, the slide gate 52 is opened by the use of cylinder 64 (FIG. 11). The flow of product into the bin may then commence, with product flowing through filling tube 30.
After the bin is filled, the cycle is reversed. The outer seal 56 is deflated, and the positive air supply 58 is turned off. The inner seal 54 is then deflated. Seals 54 and 56 are deflated by allowing air to pass outwardly through tubes 63 and 65.
As shown in FIG. 11, the fill station located above the bin position includes clamps 66 connected to clamp bar 68 for operation by cylinder 32 to control opening and closing of the dust cover 50 on the bin. The opening and closing of the slide gate 52 is controlled by clamps 70 connected to clamp bar 72 for operation by cylinder 64. The slide gate 52 and dust cover 50 are slidably installed with dust tight seal on the top opening of the bin.
Tension block assemblies 74 are mounted on plate 82 with operating rods 78 extending through the blocks 74 and being operatively engaged with clamps 66.
Tension block assemblies 76 are mounted on plate 82 with operating rods 80 extending through the blocks 76 and being operatively engaged with clamps 70.
The tension block assemblies 74, 76 are of conventional construction containing Teflon packings under spring tension to provide proper resistance to motion of the rods 78, 80.
With reference to FIG. 11, when the bin is in position, the dust cover 50 and slide gate 52 will be positioned in the closed position as shown in FIG. 11 adjacent the bars 68 and 72, respectively. Cylinder 32 is operated to pull bar 68. Tension blocks 74 hold rods 78 until clamps 66 have engaged dust cover 50. At that point, the entire assembly is pulled hack by cylinder 32 until dust cover 50 is in the open position, with opening 51 aligned with filling tube 30. It is noted that both dust cover 44 and dust cover 50 operate off the same valve so both will open at the same time. Also the dust cover 44 on the fill station is raised above the dust cover 50 on the bin to provide clearance. In a similar manner, cylinder 64 is operated to pull bar 72 and tension blocks 76 hold rods 80 until clamps 70 have engaged slide gate 52. The assembly is pulled back until slide gate 52 is in the open position with opening 53 aligned with opening 51 and filling tube 30. A gasket material 55 is employed in a strip on each side of the slide gate 52 between the slide gate 52 and the dust cover 50. Thus the slide gate 52 may move freely relative to the dust cover 50. This gasket material 55 may be mounted on the valve at the top of the bin.
In carrying out the closing operation for dust cover 50 and slide gate 52, cylinder 64 pushes bar 72 outwardly. Tension blocks 76 hold rods 80, disengaging clamps 70 from the slide gate 52 and bar 72 continues to push the slide gate 52 to the closed position. In a similar manner, cylinder 32 pushes bar 68 outwardly. Tension blocks 74 hold rods 78 which disengage clamps 66 from the dust cover 50. Bar 68 continues to push the dust cover 50 to the closed position.
All positions of the components may be verified by position indicators such as proximity switches mounted on the cylinders.
The main purpose of dust cover 44 is to serve as a collection area to catch residual dust falling from the filling tube. The dust cover 50 on the bin is closed at all times except during filling. The seals 54, 56 can be reinflated when the dust cover is closed to keep the filling tube sealed.
In FIGS. 6 through 10, there is shown the discharge apparatus for use in discharging solid material from the bottom end of the bin. For this procedure, the bin will be moved to a discharge station having vertical frame members 90, roller conveyors 91, left 92 and right 93 guide rollers, adjustable stops 94 and a proximity switch 95. Movement of the dust cover 97 is controlled by a cylinder 96 so as to pivot between open and closed positions as shown in FIG. 7. A vibrator 98 on the discharge station is controlled by an operator to assist in discharging of the bin.
The bin is provided on its exterior bottom surface with a slide gate and dust cover which are the same as the slide gate 52 and dust cover 50 at the upper end of the bin. The discharge station includes apparatus 10 for operating the slide gate and dust cover on the bottom of the bin which is identical to that shown in FIG. 11 except that it is inverted 180 degrees relative to that shown in FIG. 11.
As shown in FIG. 6, the discharge station is provided with inner 110 and outer 112 seals, in the same manner as for the fill station. A seal retaining flange 114 and gasket in combination with a seal assembly mounting flange 116 act to maintain a sealing environment in conjunction with inner seal 110 and outer seal 112. An air supply coupling 120 provides a source of low pressure air. The discharge tube 122 is mounted in flange 124. A vacuum 126 is provided for use in removing dust. A support block 128 is provided for the hinged dust cover and a hinge rod 130 is provided for the entire discharge tube assembly 132, with the latter being shown in FIG. 6 as tipped over for removal or cleaning.
The fill station conveyor 24 and the discharge station conveyor 91 are powered by a slave drive located on an AGV or transfer type vehicle. Also, both conveyors 24, 91 have an automatically engaged brake when this drive is not in operation. The fill and discharge stations may be located side by side or spaced apart and may be on the same or different levels.
The inner and outer seals for the fill and discharge stations are food grade inflatable rubber in one embodiment. When these seals are inflated, they extend down and engage the valve assembly on the bin.
By following the filling and discharge procedures as set forth herein, the interior of the bin is never exposed to the atmosphere.
To summarize the operation of the invention at the discharge station, a bin is loaded into the discharge station by the use of a powered conveyor. The vacuum automatically begins and cleans the discharge area. When the bin is in the discharge position, the station dust cover opens. The upper cylinder is extended and the clamps are held in place by means of a linkage assembly. The cylinder retracts and the clamps close, thus opening the dust cover on the bin. The inner seal and the outer seal will then inflate. The high volume air begins and the lower cylinder extends and the clamps are held open by means of a second linkage assembly. The cylinder then retracts and the clamps close, thus pulling the slide gate on the bin open. When the bin is empty, the entire procedure is reversed. The discharge head assembly swings out of the way for easy cleaning. The features of the present invention include the following:
The dual seal prevents product escape;
The introduction of high volume low pressure air in the cavity between the seals keeps the product in and prevents dust from entering from the outside;
The vacuum pickup cleans the dust covers automatically;
The dust cover and slide gate are opened and closed mechanically;
The dust cover and slide gate can be operated independently;
The product area is closed to outside contamination;
The discharge head swings out of the way for easy cleaning;
The device has been approved for use in a pharmaceutical operation; and
The entire assembly can be controlled either manually or by a central computer system.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.
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Apparatus for providing a dust free environment in the filling and discharge of bins and other containers includes a dual seal which seals directly against a gate assembly. The apparatus also provides for the introduction of air between inner and outer seals to prevent contaminants from reaching the product. Dust covers are employed on the fill station and discharge station and also on the fill and discharge ends of the bin.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an apparatus and method for facilitating the connection of tubulars. More particularly, the invention relates to a safety device for preventing well components from colliding. More particularly still, the invention relates to a monitoring system which prevents and/or alerts an operator when a collision between well components is imminent.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In the construction and completion of oil and gas wells, a drilling rig is constructed on the earth's surface to facilitate the insertion and removal of tubular strings into a wellbore. The drilling rig includes a platform and power tools such as a hoisting system, an aligning/stabbing tool and a spider to engage, assemble, and lower the tubulars into the wellbore. The hoisting system suspends above the platform from a pulley that is operated by a draw works that can raise or lower the hoisting system in relation to the floor of the rig. The hoisting system includes an elevator, a traveling block, bails, top drive, etc. The aligning/stabbing tool for aligning tubulars comprises a positioning head which is mounted on a telescopic arm which can be hydraulically extended and retracted and pivoted in a horizontal plane to position the tubular. The spider mounts to the platform floor. The elevator and spider both have slips that are capable of engaging and releasing a tubular, and are designed to work in tandem.
[0005] One or more operators perform the construction process on a platform of the drilling rig. The operators monitor the drilling instrumentation, the rig floor and the derrick while assembling tubular strings with the remote control power tools. The distance between an operator and the aligning/stabbing makes it difficult for the operator to judge the location of drilling tools in relation to other drilling tools. The operator's view of the drilling tools is further obstructed by the drilling tools relative to each other or impaired by adverse weather and poor lighting. These factors sometimes cause an operator to make a mistake thereby causing a collision between the power tools.
[0006] If the hoisting system is raised and lowered with the path of the hoisting system obstructed by a power tool, severe damage to the hoisting system or the power tool can occur. Falling objects from the derrick can cause damage to other equipment, personal injury, or death. Thus, a collision may cause loss of rig time, repair costs, and replacement costs.
[0007] There exists a need for an improved method and apparatus for monitoring the distance between drill rig power tools. Further, there exists a need for a monitoring system that prevents and/or alerts the operator when collisions between drilling tools is imminent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods and apparatus to prevent inadvertent collisions between one drilling tool and another drilling tool during drilling operations. One or more sensors, and/or a controller are used to detect the location of drilling tools. If the drilling tools reach a certain proximity to one another the controller takes action to prevent a collision.
[0009] In one embodiment, the apparatus for preventing well component collisions includes a first component moveable in a substantially vertical plane toward and away from a drill rig floor, a second component moveable toward and away from the well center, and a sensing member for monitoring the location of the first component and a controller.
[0010] In another embodiment, an apparatus for preventing well component collisions comprises a first component moveable along a first predetermined path; a second component moveable along a second predetermined path, wherein the first and second predetermined paths intersect in at least one location; and a sensing member for monitoring the location of the first component relative to the second component.
[0011] In another embodiment, a method for preventing a collision between a first and a second component at a well comprises moving the first component substantially along a first path; moving the second component substantially along a second path, wherein the first and second paths intersect in at least one location; sensing the location of the first component; transmitting the location of the first component to a controller; and preventing the collision between the first component and the second component.
[0012] In another embodiment, an anti-collision system comprises a first sensor for monitoring the location of a first component; a second sensor for monitoring the location of a second component; and a controller for receiving data from the first and the second sensor and controlling functions of the first and second component in order to prevent a collision.
[0013] In another embodiment, an anti-collision system comprises a calculator having a first algorithm for calculating the location of a first component and a second algorithm for calculating the location of a second component. The system also includes a controller communicatively connected with the calculator and at least one of the first and second components in order to prevent a collision.
[0014] In another embodiment, a method for preventing a collision between a first and a second component at a well comprises sensing the location of the first component relative to the second component; transmitting the location to a controller; and utilizing the information transmitted to the controller to move the first component to a predetermined location while avoiding a collision between the components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a drilling rig having an anti-collision system.
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of an anti-collision system.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a typical operation of tubular string or casing assembly with use of the safety system disclosed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] In one embodiment, a monitor system is provided for use with a drilling rig during assembly and disassembly of tubulars in the ground or subsea surface. The system may by utilized to prevent collisions of drilling rig power tools during tubular assembly and disassembly.
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a drilling rig 100 on a surface 170 above a wellbore 180 . The drilling rig 100 includes a draw-works 102 with a cable 150 attached to a pulley system 105 , for raising and lowering a hoisting system 115 . The hoisting system 115 is shown schematically and could include any type of hoisting system, such that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,596 and U.S. Patent Serial Number 2004/0003490 assigned to Weatherford/Lamb, Inc., and herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. The drilling rig 100 further includes a platform 300 with an operator 310 and a control panel 320 to operate one or more tools 350 . The platform 300 and operator 310 are located anywhere on the drilling rig 100 , or offsite if desired. Typically, another operator (not shown) operates the draw-works 102 and the hoisting system 115 , however one operator could do operate both the hoisting system 115 and the tool 350 . In one embodiment there is no operator and the system is completely automated. The draw-works 102 consists of a wheel or spool for winding and unwinding the cable 150 . The cable 150 attaches to a pulley system 105 , at the top of the drill rig 100 , for raising and lowering the hoisting system 115 . If the hoisting system 115 includes a top drive (not shown) a railing system 140 is necessary to prevent rotation of the hoisting system 115 . The center of the drill rig floor 330 includes an opening with a spider 400 . The spider 400 holds a tubular string 210 . A stack of unassembled tubulars 130 is shown on the drilling rig 100 . It should be understood that the unassembled tubulars 130 can be stacked anywhere, and in any configurations so long as the hoisting system 115 is able to lift the tubulars 130 .
[0021] The drilling rig 100 assembles or disassembles tubular strings 210 for use in the wellbore 180 . For exemplary purposes the assembly of a tubular string 210 is described. The spider 400 holds the assembled tubular string 210 so that the top end is above the drill rig floor 330 . The hoisting system 115 grips one of the unassembled tubulars 130 from the stack and positions the tubular over the spider 400 . A tool 350 aligns the tubular 130 with the tubular string 210 . The tool 350 includes a gripping end 353 , for aligning the tubular 130 . An example of an aligning tool can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,471, assigned to Weatherford/Lamb, Inc., and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The tubular 130 connects to the tubular string 210 . With the tubulars 130 and 210 connected the spider 400 disengages the tubular string 210 . With the spider 400 disengaged, the hoisting system 115 supports the tubular string 210 and prevents it from falling into the wellbore 180 . The operator 310 retracts the tool 350 and the other operator lowers the hoisting system 115 until only the end is above the drill rig floor 330 . The spider 400 reengages the tubular string 210 . The hoisting system 115 disengages the tubular string 210 and is brought back to the top of the drilling rig 100 . This process is repeated until the tubular string 210 is complete. Further, the drill rig 100 may include other tools 103 (shown schematically) such as a power tong and or a tailing in and stabbing device. An example of a power tong is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication Number 2002/0189804 assigned to Weatherford/Lamb, Inc. and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Examples of a tailing in and stabbing device are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/119,958, titled “Tailing In and Stabbing Device,” filed on May 2, 2005, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0131449, which applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
[0022] The hoisting system 115 is larger than the diameter of the tubular 130 . Therefore, the hoisting system 115 will collide with the tool 350 , if the tool 350 is not retracted to a safe location before the hoisting system 115 passes the tool 350 . In FIG. 1 , elevation A represents an arbitrary elevation, set by the user, at which the tool 350 may be retracted without damage while the hoisting system 115 is traveling down. Elevation B represents an arbitrary elevation, set by the user, at which a collision is imminent if the hoisting system 115 is not stopped and it is unsafe to retract the tool 350 . One or more sensors 500 , 502 , 503 , 504 and 505 are located on the drilling rig 100 to monitor the location of the hoisting system 115 and the tool 350 . Data collected by these sensors 500 , 502 , 503 , 504 and 505 are relayed to a controller 900 . The controller 900 is adapted to prevent collision between the hoisting system 115 and the tool 350 . Further, the system for preventing collision may be adapted to prevent a collision between any tools on the drill rig 100 , including the power tong and/or the tailing in and stabbing device 103 .
[0023] The controller 900 includes a programmable central processing unit that is operable with a memory, a mass storage device, an input control unit, and an optional display unit. Additionally, the controller 900 includes well-known support circuits such as power supplies, clocks, cache, input/output circuits and the like. The controller 900 is capable of receiving data from the sensors 500 , 502 , 503 , 504 and 505 and other devices and capable of controlling devices connected to it. One of the functions of the controller 900 is to prevent collisions between the hoisting system 115 and the tool 350 as described below.
[0024] A sensor 500 is placed near the cable 150 of the draw-works 102 . The sensor 500 monitors the amount of hoisting cable 150 being let out or pulled in by the draw-works drum 102 . The sensor 500 may comprise a wheel counter in engagement with the cable 150 , a sensor for detecting revolutions of the draw-works 102 drum, a sensor for detecting the revolutions of the drive shaft (not shown) or drive mechanism (not shown) of the draw works drum or any other type of device for measuring the amount of cable 150 extending from the draw works 102 drum. The wheel counter measures the amount of revolutions the wheel in engagement with the cable 150 makes during operation. As shown in FIG. 2 , the sensor 500 sends data to the controller 900 . The sensor 900 is programmed with information regarding the pulley ratio and start location of the hoisting system 115 . The pulley ratio determines the distance of travel toward the rig floor for a particular cable extension from the draw-works drum 102 . For example, if the pulley ratio is 10 to 1, then for every 10 feet of cable extended from the draw-works drum 102 the hoisting system 115 will travel 1 foot toward the drill rig floor 330 . Thus, the controller 900 is configured to calculate the location of the hoisting system 115 as the cable 150 is wound and unwound from the draw-works drum 102 . The sensor 500 may be used alone or in conjunction with one or more sensors described below in order to prevent a collision on the platform as discussed below.
[0025] A sensor 502 attaches to the tool 350 . The sensor 502 detects the position of the tool 350 and relays the data to the controller 900 . In one embodiment, the sensor 502 is a mechanical sensor attached to the tool 350 , as is known in the art, such as a linear potentiometer, a position transducer, a piston, etc. ( FIG. 2 ). The sensor 502 detects when the tool 350 is extended to an unsafe location and when the tool is in a safe location and relays this data to the controller 900 .
[0026] In another embodiment, the sensor 502 is a position sensor as part of a wireless positioning system. As is known in the art, wireless position sensors use signals, such as radio waves to triangulate the location of the sensor 502 . The sensor 502 is used in conjunction with location tracking components. In one embodiment, three location tags 550 , 551 and 552 attach to the drilling rig 100 at three separate locations. The location tags 550 , 551 and 552 can be placed anywhere on the drilling rig 100 although it is preferred to have them spaced apart both horizontally and vertically. The three location tags 550 , 551 and 552 can then triangulate the location of the sensor 502 thus determining the location of the tool 350 and relay the data to the controller 900 . Further, the sensor 502 can be used in conjunction with previously existing location tracking components, such as the GPS satellites, or Wi-Fi networks.
[0027] Another position sensor 503 attaches to the hoisting system 115 and is incorporated as a part of the wireless positioning system. The location tags 550 , 551 and 552 locate the sensor 503 as the hoisting system 115 moves up and down and relay this data to the controller 900 .
[0028] In another embodiment, if the hoisting system 115 has a top drive dolly (not shown), a sensor 504 placed on the rail 140 detects when the dolly moves below elevation A and/or elevation B. The sensor 504 can be any type of sensor known in the art, such as a strain gauge, a switch activated by the dolly, etc. The sensor 504 relays this data to the controller 900 .
[0029] In another embodiment, a sensor 505 is placed on the drill rig 100 . The sensor 505 consists of a camera which sends data to the controller 900 . The camera views the location of both the tool 350 and the hoisting system 115 . The controller 900 is equipped with corresponding detection software which determines the location of the hoisting system 115 and/or the tool 350 .
[0030] Regardless of the type of sensor, or if no sensor is used, the controller 900 performs the function of preventing the hoisting system 115 from colliding with the tool 350 . The sensors 500 , 503 , 504 or 505 locate the hoisting system 115 , and at least one method of locating the hoisting system 115 is used. In one embodiment, upon the hoisting system 115 reaching elevation A, the controller 900 sends a signal through hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric transmission to the tool 350 . The signal will override the tool controller 320 and retract the tool 350 . Further, the controller 900 can be designed to send a signal directly to a piston 351 which retracts tool 350 . This embodiment does not require the use of a second sensor 502 on the tool 350 , because regardless of the location of the tool 350 the controller 900 will retract the tool 350 . Additionally, if the gripping end 353 is activated and gripping a tubular, the controller 900 can be programmed to not automatically retract the tool 350 until the tubular is safely supported.
[0031] In yet another embodiment, the hoisting system 115 sensor 500 , 503 , 504 or 505 operate in conjunction with the sensor 502 on the tool. The sensors 500 , 503 , 504 or 505 relay data to the controller 900 indicating the location of the hoisting system 115 . If the sensors 500 , 503 , 504 or 505 indicate to the controller 900 that the hoisting system 115 reached the elevation B and sensor 502 indicates to the controller 900 that the tool 350 is in an unsafe position, the controller 900 will override the control to the draw-works drum 102 and stop the hoisting system 115 before a collision occurs. In this embodiment the controller 900 can also raise the hoisting system 115 to a safe location and retract the tool 350 .
[0032] In yet another embodiment, the hoisting system sensors 500 , 503 , 504 or 505 operate in conjunction with the sensor 502 on the tool 350 . The sensors 500 , 503 , 504 or 505 relay data to the controller 900 indicating the location of the hoisting system 115 . If the sensor 500 , 503 , 504 , or 505 indicate to the controller 900 that the hoisting system 115 has reached the elevation A and sensor 502 indicates to the controller 900 that the tool 350 is in an unsafe position, the controller 900 retracts the tool 350 . If the tool 350 fails to retract and the hoisting system 115 reaches elevation B, the controller 900 will stop the hoisting system 115 , as described above.
[0033] In yet another embodiment, the controller 900 prevents the extension of the tool 350 when the hoisting system 115 is in an unsafe position. When the controller 900 detects, through use of sensors 500 , 503 , 504 , or 505 , the hoisting system 115 is below elevation A, the controller 900 will override the tool controls 320 . The controller 900 prevents extension of the tool 350 until the hoisting system 115 moves above elevation A.
[0034] The sensors 500 , 501 , 502 , 503 504 and 505 are incorporatable into the drilling rig 100 at any time, making it easy to place the system on a working drilling rig 100 . Further, the anti-collision system can be incorporated to prevent moveable components from colliding with immovable components. To further communicate the unsafe position of the tool 350 to the operator 310 , the sensors 500 , 501 , 502 , 503 , 504 , and 505 may set off an alarm (not shown), consisting of an audible and/or visual signal.
[0035] In yet another embodiment, rather than using a sensor to determine the position of the hoisting system 115 and/or the tool 350 , the controller 900 may track or calculate the position without a sensor. For example, the position of the components may be determined by keeping track of expected linear movement from a known starting/stopping point as the controller 900 manipulates the hoisting system 115 and/or the tool 350 . Thus, the controller 900 knows the locations of the components at anytime during operation. The controller 900 is programmed so that the components of the drill rig 100 such as the hoisting system 115 , the tool 350 and the other tools 103 will not collide with one another. Further, the anti-collision system may work the same as the embodiments described above but the controller 900 does not need sensors.
[0036] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a typical operation of a string or casing assembly with the anti-collision system in place. At a first step 600 , the closed spider 400 holds the tubular string 210 and is thereby prevented from moving in a downward direction. At step 610 , the hoisting system 115 engages the tubular 130 from a stack of tubulars. At step 620 , the hoisting system 115 moves the tubular 130 into position above the tubular string 210 . At step 630 , tool 350 extends to engage the tubular 130 , and thereafter, aligns the tubular 130 with the tubular string 210 . At step 640 , the tubular 130 connects to the tubular string 210 by any known method, such as threading or welding the tubulars 130 and 210 together. At step 650 , the operator 310 retracts the tool 350 into a safe position. At step 660 , the spider 400 disengages the tubular string 210 , thus the weight of the string is supported by the hoisting system 115 . At step 670 , the hoisting system 115 lowers the tubular string 210 into the wellbore 180 until only a small portion of the tubular string 210 extends above the spider 400 . At step 680 , the spider 400 reengages the tubular string 210 . At step 690 , the hoisting system 115 disengages the tubular string 210 and raises up to the top of the drilling rig 100 . At step 695 , if the well is complete the method is complete, however if more tubulars 130 need to be assembled the process starts over again at step 600 .
[0037] Step 700 follows step 640 as an alternative method based on the operators 310 action. At step 700 , the spider 400 disengages the tubular string 210 . At step 705 , the operator 310 retracts tool 350 to a safe position. After step 705 the flow charts next step is step 670 described above. The alternative choice after step 700 is step 710 . At step 710 , the operator 310 lowers the hoisting system 115 and the tubular string 210 without retracting the tool 350 . At step 715 , the hoisting system 115 reaches the elevation A as detected by sensor 500 , 503 or 504 and relayed to controller 900 . One alternative after step 715 is step 720 , the controller 900 automatically retracts the tool 350 as described above. After step 720 , with the tool 350 retracted the next step is back to step 670 , lowering the hoisting system 115 . An alternative route after step 715 is step 725 , the sensor 502 detects the tool 350 is in an unsafe position and relays this data to controller 900 . In the next step 730 the controller 900 retracts the tool 350 . After step 730 , with the tool 350 retracted the next steps back to step 670 , lowering the hoisting system 115 . In yet another alternative after step 715 , in step 735 the hoisting system 115 reaches the elevation B as detected by sensor 500 , 503 or 504 and relayed to controller 900 . At step 740 the controller 900 stops the hoisting system 115 from moving down. At step 745 the controller 900 or the operator raises the hoisting system 115 to the elevation A. At step 750 the controller 900 or operator retract the tool 350 . After step 750 , with the tool 350 retracted the next step is back to step 670 , lowering the hoisting system 115 . The above-described steps may be utilized in running any drill string in a drilling operation, in running casing to reinforce the wellbore, or for assembling strings to place wellbore components in the wellbore. The steps may also be reversed in order to disassemble the tubular string.
[0038] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
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Methods and apparatus are provided to prevent collisions between one drilling tool and another drilling tool during drilling operations. If the drilling tools reach a certain proximity to one another, a controller takes action to prevent a collision.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/506,404, filed on Jul. 11, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated by this reference in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to regulators for regulating gas from a tank that contains compressed gas to a paintball gun, marker, or other application designed to utilize or be activated by gas at a controlled pressure.
BACKGROUND
Pressure regulators are commonly relied on to reduce the pressure of a gas as it is delivered from a pressurized gas reservoir, such as a portable compressed air tank, to an application device, such as a paintball marker. Paintball markers may feature a gas pressure regulator which is typically directly connected to the mouth of a portable tank designed to store gasses at very high pressures, typically between 3000-4500 psi. Commonly referred to as “tank regulators,” these gas pressure regulators may reduce the pressure of the gas delivered from the tank down to, for example, 600-800 psi before the gas enters the paintball marker for use in firing a projectile.
Conventional gas pressure regulators, such as those used in the sport of paintball, are commonly designed so that the unregulated high pressure from the reservoir applies a force which works toward disengaging the seal between the source chamber and the output chamber. As a result, such regulators can easily fail in the open position when dirt and debris become trapped between the respective valve seat and seal. Such failures may enable the unrestricted flow of unregulated pressurized gas from the pressurized gas reservoir into the application device, causing safety concerns as well as damage to the application device.
SUMMARY
Certain deficiencies of the prior art may be overcome by the provision of a pressure regulator comprising a regulator body and a capsule subassembly. The regulator body may have a source end, an application end and a main bore extending therebetween, a first portion at the source end and a second portion at the application end. The source end may be adapted to being placed in fluid communication with a source of pressurized gas.
Examples of a capsule subassembly may include a capsule body, a piston, a seat element and a pin seal. The capsule body may have a generally open distal end and a closed proximal end. The capsule body may be least partially defined by a capsule wall housing a cavity therein. The cavity may extend, for example, generally from the distal end toward the proximal end. The capsule wall may have an inner surface, an outer surface and at least one capsule port extending therethrough. The capsule subassembly may be in removable received engagement with the main bore and disposed thereat in fluid communication between a source chamber and an output chamber.
The piston may be received by the cavity for defining, at least in part, a pressurizible bias chamber within the cavity and for slidable axial movement of the piston within the cavity between a fluid release configuration, a fluid seal configuration, and in some embodiments, a charge configurations. The seat element may have a pin bore and a pin seal seat. The seat element may be, for example, press-fit or threaded into the capsule body. In certain embodiments, the seat element is threadedly moveable between a charge position and an operational position. The pin seal may have a pin shaft and a pin seal face. The pin shaft may extend through the pin bore and be in fixed connection with the piston. Embodiments may include a retainer element for, at least in part, axially retaining or securing the capsule body within the main bore.
When the piston is in its fluid release configuration, the capsule ports are in fluid communication with the distal end of the capsule body. When the piston is in its fluid seal configuration the capsule ports are sealed from fluid communication with the bias chamber and the distal end. In particular embodiments in which the piston has a charged configuration, when the piston is in its charge configuration, the capsule ports are in fluid communication with the bias chamber.
In certain embodiments having a seat element, threaded movement of the seat element into its charge position may results in movement of the piston to its charged configuration. Contrastingly, threaded movement of the seat element into its operational position may force the piston toward its fluid release configuration.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further advantages of the present invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art with the benefit of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic exploded view of a pressure regulator in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of a pin seal element;
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a seat element;
FIG. 4 is a further diagrammatic perspective view of the seat element of FIG. 3 ;
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic end view of the seat element of FIG. 3 ;
FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic side view of the seat element of FIG. 3 ;
FIG. 7 is a further diagrammatic end view of the seat element of FIG. 3 , showing the opposite end from that of FIG. 5 ;
FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along line 8 - 8 in FIG. 7 ;
FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a piston;
FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic side view of the piston shown in FIG. 9 ;
FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along line 11 - 11 in FIG. 10 ;
FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a capsule body;
FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic end view of the capsule body shown in FIG. 12 ;
FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic side view of the capsule body shown in FIG. 12 ;
FIG. 15 is a further diagrammatic end view of the capsule body shown in FIG. 12 ;
FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along line 16 - 16 in FIG. 15 ;
FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along line 17 - 17 in FIG. 13 ;
FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic view of detail 18 in FIG. 17 ;
FIG. 19 is a diagrammatic view of detail 19 in FIG. 17 ;
FIG. 20 is a diagrammatic side view of a regulator body;
FIG. 21 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along line 21 - 21 in FIG. 20 ;
FIG. 22 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a retainer element;
FIG. 23 is a diagrammatic end view of the retainer element shown in FIG. 22 ;
FIG. 24 is a further diagrammatic end view of the retainer element shown in FIG. 22 , showing the opposite end from that of FIG. 23 .
FIG. 25 is a diagrammatic side view of the retainer member shown in FIG. 22 ;
FIG. 26 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along line 26 - 26 in FIG. 25 ;
FIG. 27 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a pressure regulator, showing the seat element outwardly threaded to allow the bias chamber to be in fluid communication with the capsule ports, thereby allowing the bias chamber to be pressurized by way of the capsule ports;
FIG. 28 is a further diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a pressure regulator, showing the seat element in an intermediate threaded position whereby the pressurized bias chamber has been sealed from fluid communication with the capsule ports;
FIG. 29 is a further diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a pressure regulator, in which the seat element is fully inwardly threaded and the pressure within the output chamber is sufficient to aid in overcoming the force on the piston imposed by the pressure within the bias chamber, thereby resulting in the sealing engagement between the pin seal and the pin seal seat;
FIG. 30 is a further diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a pressure regulator, showing the pin seal in an open configuration thereby allowing gas to flow from the source chamber to the output chamber;
FIG. 31 is a further diagrammatic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a pressure regulator which incorporates alternative examples of a regulator body, and capsule subassembly;
FIG. 32 is a diagrammatic end view of an alternative poppet element;
FIG. 33 is a diagrammatic side view of the alternative poppet element of FIG. 32 ; and
FIG. 34 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along line 34 - 34 in FIG. 33 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding features throughout the several views. Shown generally at 100 are one or more embodiments of a pressure regulator in accordance with the description herein. Referring to FIG. 1 for illustration, a pressure regulator 100 may comprise, for example, a regulator body 102 and a capsule subassembly 184 .
Certain embodiment of a regulator body 102 may have a source end 144 , an application end 146 , a main bore 150 extending therebetween, a first portion 152 at the source end 144 and a second portion 154 at the application end 146 . The source end 144 may be adapted to being placed in fluid communication with a source of pressurized gas, such as the tank shown at 192 in FIG. 31 .
Particular embodiments of a capsule subassembly 184 may include a capsule body 110 and a piston 108 . The capsule body 110 may have a distal end 178 and a proximal end 176 , and may be at least partially defined by a capsule wall 210 housing a cavity 204 therein. The cavity 204 may extend generally from the distal end 178 toward the proximal end 176 . The capsule wall may have an inner surface 200 , an outer surface 202 and at least one capsule port 122 extending therethrough. The capsule subassembly 184 may be adapted to being in removable received engagement with the main bore 150 and disposed thereat in fluid communication between a source chamber 118 and an output chamber 120 such that, for example, the distal end 178 is in fluid communication with the source chamber 118 .
In particular preferred embodiments, the piston 108 may be adapted to being received by the cavity 204 for defining, at least in part, a pressurizible bias chamber 116 within the cavity 204 and for slidable axial movement of the piston 108 within the cavity 204 between a fluid release configuration, a fluid seal configuration, and in certain embodiment, a charge configuration. When the piston is in its fluid release configuration (as illustrated, for example, FIG. 30 ), the at least one capsule port 122 may be in fluid communication with the distal end 178 , and thereby the source chamber 118 . When the piston 108 is in its fluid seal configuration (as illustrated, for example, FIG. 29 ), the at least one capsule port 122 is sealed from fluid communication with the bias chamber 116 and the distal end 178 . In embodiments in which the piston 108 has a charge configuration, when the piston 108 is in its charge configuration (as illustrated, for example, FIG. 27 ), the at least one capsule port 122 may be in fluid communication with the bias chamber 116 .
In embodiments in which the piston 108 does not have a charge configuration, the bias chamber 116 may be pressurized or “charged” by way of, for example, a charge aperture at or near the proximal end. In such embodiments, the aperture may be sealed prior to the capsule subassembly 184 being used in operation of the pressure regulator.
In certain embodiments, the capsule subassembly 184 may include a seat element 106 and a pin seal 104 . The seat element 106 may have a pin bore 186 and a pin seal seat 172 . Referring initially to FIG. 28 for illustration, the seat element 106 may be adapted to be secured in connection with the capsule body 110 by way of, for example, threaded engagement, press fit or other axial securing means. Alternatively or in addition, the seat element 106 may be adapted for threaded movement between a charge position (as illustrated, for example, at FIG. 27 ) and an operational position (as illustrated, for example, at FIG. 29 . The pin seal 104 may have a pin shaft 208 and a pin seal face 174 . The pin shaft 208 may be adapted to extend through the pin bore 186 and be in fixed connection with the piston 108 . The pin seal face 174 may be adapted to move into and out of sealing engagement with the pin seal seat 172 thereby respectively preventing and allowing fluid flow through the pin bore (as illustrated, for example, between FIGS. 29 and 30 ).
As illustrated in FIG. 27 , for example, in particular embodiments so adapted, threaded movement of the seat element 106 into a charge position may result in movement of the piston 108 to its charged configuration. Contrastingly, threaded movement of the seat element 106 into its operational position (as illustrated, for example, in FIGS. 29-31 ) may force the piston 108 toward its fluid release configuration, that is, in a direction toward the proximal end 176 .
Particular embodiments may further comprise a retainer element 114 adapted to threadedly engage the main bore 150 generally within the second portion 154 , thereby axially retaining the capsule body 110 within the main bore 150 . Embodiments may also comprise a poppet element 112 , certain embodiments of which may be adapted to retain a poppet seal 148 . In such embodiments, for example, the output chamber 120 may be defined, at least in part, by a combination or interface of the regulator body 102 , the capsule body 110 , the retainer element 114 and the poppet element 112 .
In certain embodiments, the capsule body 110 includes a capsule seal groove 182 generally circumferentially disposed thereabout. The capsule seal groove 182 may be adapted to receive an outer capsule seal 130 for establishing a seal between the outer surface 202 and the main bore 150 .
Referring to FIG. 31 for example, in particular embodiments, the regulator body 102 may further include an intermediate portion 156 disposed between the first portion 152 and the second portion 154 . The intermediate portion 154 may have a plurality of generally radially extending ports, such as the illustrated high-side port 188 and the illustrated low-side port 190 . In such embodiments, at least one of the generally radially extending ports (as shown at 188 , for example) may be adapted to be in fluid communication with the source chamber 118 by way of a high-side flow channel 127 formed between the outer surface 202 and the main bore 150 when the capsule subassembly 184 is in removable received engagement with the main bore 150 . In contrast, at least one of the generally radially extending ports (as shown at 190 , for example) may be adapted to be in fluid communication with the output chamber 120 by way of a low-side flow channel 126 formed between the outer surface 202 and the main bore 150 when the capsule subassembly 184 is in removable received engagement with the main bore 150 .
In certain embodiments, such as the one illustrated in FIG. 31 the first portion 152 may include external threads for threaded engagement with a reservoir 192 for storing pressurized gas, and the second portion may adapted to threadedly engage an application fitting (such as an ASA adaptor associated with a paintball marker).
In certain embodiments, the capsule subassembly 184 may include a light compression spring 194 adapted to be axially disposed within the bias chamber 116 to contribute, at least in part, to the overcoming of static friction between the piston 108 and the inner surface 200 .
Embodiments in accordance with the description herein provide a pressure regulator 100 which may use a pre-loaded compression chamber or bias chamber 116 , as a biasing means for the pressure regulating system. As a result, in typical embodiments, no significant spring bias may be required in the regulating mechanism, and the pressure within the bias chamber 116 can be set based on the desired output pressure of the regulator 100 .
Referring to FIGS. 20 and 21 for illustration, a mounting tube or regulator body 102 may be made of, for example a metal such as aluminum 6061, and may include a source seal groove 138 . The first portion 152 may include external threads (not shown) and may be adapted to be threadedly inserted into a source of pressurized gas. A source seal groove 138 may be adapted to retain an O-ring, as illustrated in FIG. 31 , to aid in maintaining a seal between a source of pressurized gas 192 and the regulator body 102 . A second portion 154 may include external threading adapted to threadedly engage, for example, an adaptor fitting associated with an application device such as a paintball marker. The generally radially extending ports may include one or more of a pressure gauge port, a fill port, high-pressure burst disk port and a low-pressure burst disk port.
Referring to FIGS. 12 through 19 for illustration, a capsule body 110 may be made of for example, aluminum 6061 or a strong Nylon, and may include one or more low-pressure channel reliefs 158 , one or more high-pressure channel reliefs 206 , one or more capsule ports 122 , an annular groove 180 and a capsule seal groove 182 . In certain embodiments, the capsule body 110 may have a capsule length defined by the distance between the capsule proximal end 176 and the capsule distal end 178 . In particular embodiments, the capsule length may be, for example, approximately one inch.
Referring to FIGS. 9 through 11 for illustration, a piston 108 may be made of a metal, such as for example, brass, and may include a first piston surface 162 , a second piston surface 164 , one or more piston seal grooves 166 and a pin detent 160 .
Referring to FIGS. 3 through 8 for illustration, a seat element 106 may include a seat seal groove 168 , a manifold or piston seat 170 , a pin seal seat 172 and a pin bore 186 . The seat seal groove 168 may retain a seat seal 142 . Particular preferred embodiments, the seat element 106 may be comprised substantially of a polymer such as DuPont's Delrin, another Polyoxymethyline, or similar material. Such materials may provide a significant operational advantage for the disclosed regulator, in that dirt or debris trapped between the pin seal face 174 and pin seal seat 172 may be substantially absorbed (e.g., compressively) by the seat element 106 , thereby allowing an effective seal to continue to be established between the pin seal face 174 and the pin seal seat 172 . In certain embodiments, the diameter of the pin bore 186 may be, for example, between 0.040 and 0.060 inches.
Referring to FIG. 2 for illustration, a pin seal 104 may be made of a metal such as, for example, stainless steel, or a durable polymer. The pin seal 104 may include a pin seal face 174 adapted to sealingly engage a pin seal seat 172 of a seat element 106 .
Referring to FIGS. 22 through 26 for illustration, a retainer element 114 may be made of, for example, aluminum 6061 , and may include one or more retainer ports 124 , one or more bleed grooves 128 and an application seal groove 140 . A retainer element 114 is typically adapted to threadedly engage inner threading (not shown) of the second portion 154 of the regulator body 102 . As illustrated, for example, in FIG. 27 , while in this threaded engagement, the retainer element 114 may be relied upon to axially secure the capsule body 110 within the mounting tube or regulator body 102 , and to limit the axial movement of a poppet element 112 . In this configuration, the poppet element 112 may be elastically axially depressible by way of a poppet spring 196 generally disposed, for example, between the poppet element 112 and the proximal end 176 of the capsule body 110 . In particular embodiments, the poppet may be made of a molded polymer or urethane (such as the poppet element depicted in FIGS. 32 through 34 , for example). Further, in certain embodiments, the poppet element may be adapted so that the pressure within the output chamber 120 is sufficient to depressibly force the poppet into its sealing position.
As illustrated, for example, in FIG. 27 , the bias chamber 116 can be filled to a selected preload pressure when the seat element 106 is threadedly moved toward the capsule distal end 178 , otherwise referred to as a fill configuration. In certain embodiments, the selected preload pressure may be, for example, approximately 20% over the desired output pressure of the regulator. In the fill configuration the seat element 106 may hold the piston 108 in a fill position by way of the pin seal 104 . In its fill position, the piston 108 may allow the capsule ports 122 to remain in fluid communication with the bias chamber 116 in bypass of the manifold chamber 198 , thus allowing pressurized gas to enter the bias chamber 116 by way of, for example, a depressed poppet element 112 . Such a pathway is at least partially illustrated by bias chamber fill flow path 136 , which may extend through the output chamber 120 , retainer ports 124 , flow channels 126 and finally through capsule ports 122 . In certain embodiments, the capsule ports 122 may be accessed for bias chamber 116 pressurization by way of, for example, a radially-disposed capsule fill port (not shown) in the intermediate portion 156 of a regulator body 102 .
Referring now to FIG. 28 , once the bias chamber 116 is pressurized to the selected preload pressure, the seat element 106 may be threaded toward the capsule proximal end 176 , thereby moving the piston 108 axially such that the capsule ports become sealed from fluid communication with the bias chamber 116 , and enter fluid communication with the manifold chamber 198 . This seal may be provided by way of, for example, the first piston seal 132 and second piston seal 134 . A seat element 106 is shown in its fully inwardly threaded position in FIG. 29 .
As illustrated in FIGS. 29 and 30 , during operation of a pressure regulator 100 , the source chamber 118 is typically in fluid communication with a source of pressurized gas, such as a compressed Nitrogen or CO2 tank 192 , and the output chamber 120 is provided with pressure-regulated gas which originates from the source chamber 118 and is regulated by the capsule subassembly 184 .
As illustrated in particular in FIG. 29 , when the desired output pressure is reached or exceeded within the output chamber 120 , the output pressure acts against the first piston surface 162 to help move the piston 108 against the force of the bias pressure within the bias chamber 116 . As a result, the pin seal face 174 may be forced to seat against the pin seal seat 172 and cut off flow from the source chamber 118 to the output chamber 120 . Notably, preferred embodiments of the pressure regulator described herein are configured so that high pressure from the source chamber 118 works toward urging the sealing of the bore 186 rather than toward its unsealing. This provides a safety mechanism which may significantly reduce the chance that the regulator will fail in the open position, particularly when such configuration is combined with the debris-absorbing qualities of the material of which preferred seat elements 106 may be comprised.
As illustrated in particular in FIG. 30 , when the output pressure falls below the desired level, the force exerted on the first piston surface 162 is insufficient to cause movement of the piston 108 against the bias pressure within the bias chamber 116 . As a result, the piston 108 is forced toward the piston seat 170 and the pin seal face 174 becomes unseated from the pin seal seat 172 , allowing gas to flow from the source chamber 118 to the output chamber 120 through, for example, the pin bore 186 .
In certain embodiments and related methods, a bias chamber 116 may be pressurized or “charged” to the selected preload or bias pressure, as described, while the capsule subassembly 184 is temporarily disposed within a mounting or “charge” tube separate from the regulator body 102 shown, for example, in FIG. 31 . The capsule subassembly 184 with pressurized bias chamber 116 may then be removed from the separate mounting tube and placed into a regulator body as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 31 , for use, for example, in cooperation with a portable compressed air tank associated with a paintball marker.
While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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Exemplary embodiments of a gas biased pressure regulator comprise a capsule subassembly and a regulator body. The regulator body is adapted to connect to a source of pressurized gas. The capsule subassembly is removably received within the regulator body and includes a capsule body and a piston. The piston is axially slidable between fluid release and fluid seal configurations. When the piston is in its fluid release configuration, an output chamber is placed in fluid communication with the source. When the piston is in its fluid seal configuration, the output chamber is sealed from fluid communication with the source. A pressurizable bias chamber within the capsule body contains a bias pressure urging the piston toward its fluid release configuration. Pressure from the source urges the piston toward its fluid seal configuration. The piston may also have a fluid charge configuration for facilitating the pressurization of the bias chamber.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for the formation of a continuous, cylindrical, elongate body composed of a resilient tape-like material which is helically wrapped to generate the cylindrical body. The wrapping may be carried out to generate a hollow body or may be executed in conjunction with a solid continuous cylindrical or filamentous core member to cause the core member to become helically wrapped in, and therefore sheathed by, the tape-like material.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The wrapping of continuous elongate bodies, such as wires, cables and ropes, is well known and uses a wide variety of materials and wrapping geometries and techniques. For example it is well known to wrap electrical cables with paper tape for insulating purposes by employing planetary reels adapted to lay the paper tape helically, with or without overlap, so as to provide one or more layers of insulation. Generally additional agents are employed such as glues, sizes and varnishes.
However in some applications, particularly those not involving the paper tape primarily as an electrical insulator, the wrapping of a filament core with paper tape is highly desirable for a number of reasons. For example, during the past twenty years or so there have been a number of efforts made to manufacture woven fabric for wool bales from materials which would overcome the problem of contamination of wool by these materials. This objective can be achieved if these materials are either removed in the processing or do not show as faults in the finished wool fabric. Nylon is a material which accepts wool dyes and if it is in the form of a fine filament it is not visible as a fault in the wool fabric. Paper is another material which does not become a contaminant as it is removed in processing.
Wool bales have been woven from nylon multifilament yarns but they suffer from several disadvantages. A nylon pack which has just sufficient tensile strength to meet the extreme stresses encountered in dumping tends to stretch under the relatively low levels of stress which exist when it is fully loaded and hence bulges unduly. Using appreciably higher fabric weights of nylon overcomes the bulging problem but then the cost becomes prohibitive. Moreover nylon's low coefficient of friction leads to difficulties in stacking the loaded bales due to the tendency of the bales to slip and topple.
Wool bales have also been woven from twisted paper yarn, but because of its low tensile strength, it must have a high linear density with the result that a bale to meet the required strength becomes heavy and stiff. However, it does have the required stiffness characteristics for good shape retention.
Due to the perceived non-contaminating advantages in weaving bale fabrics from paper/nylon composite yarns, namely the potential to combine the high strength of nylon multifilament with the high stiffness of paper, one of the present inventors has described the results of investigations carried out to this effect; see R. E. Belin, "Wool Packs made from a Paper/Nylon Wrap Yarn", Textile Institute and Industry, (Aug. 1981), pp. 229-230. This yarn comprised a nylon core around which a paper tape was helically wrapped so that each turn overlapped the previous one to ensure complete coverage of the core. This was achieved using a standard flyer cone rover modified by the removal of the drafting units and with the addition of creels for nylon and for paper, means for moistening the paper tape and a yarn forming device. However, special provision of means to deliver the paper under constant tension was required and the yarn forming device was difficult to thread. In addition, yarn production rate/spindle was low, about 15 m/min., because of the limitation in twisting speed of this type of machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a system for helically wrapping a tape comprising, tape twisted means, and, upstream of the twisting means, means for shaping the tape, said shaping means comprising a body over which the tape passes, said body being defined by the locus of a line moved at least partially around an axis, said line comprising a first portion extending generally parallel to said axis and an arcuate portion extending from an end of the first portion in a direction away from said axis, whereby said first portion defines a first surface of at least partially cylindrical form and said second portion defines an outwardly curved edge surface extending along a side of the first surface, and tape supply means for feeding the tape onto the first surface such that the tape is inclined to a plane at right angles to the axis of the first surface whereby an edge of the tape engages the curved edge surface and is thereby shaped in order to initiate wrapping.
A preferred embodiment of the invention overcomes the difficulties discussed earlier in connection with the fabrication of paper/nylon composite yarns by providing a helically shaping means in the form of a three-dimensional curved body as defined above and a positive paper feed which together obviate the need for the complex tensioning devices as previously proposed. Continuous helical wrapping is achieved by using a ring twisting frame to insert twist and hence torque into the paper/nylon yarn. It is this torque which equates to the force required to wrap the tape around the nylon filament as the nylon and tape pass over the three dimensional curved guide surface. By this technique wrapped yarns can be produced up to or even greater than 50 m/min-the level being determined by the maximum permissible linear speed of the traveller. It must be stressed that the operation is not restricted to the use of a ring twister; a flyer or other twisting machine can alternatively be used.
The invention is readily adaptable to the production of hollow paper and like-composed small diameter continuous tubular products. It can also be used to helically wrap wires such as electrical conductors for communication purposes, in which provision must be made to prevent the twisting of the core. Thus, in general terms, the system of the invention can be used to cylindrically wrap a tape about itself or around a core of filaments, wire, cord or the like, by means of the three dimensional curved shaping body around which the tape and filament converge at a point where the tape wraps around the filament by virtue of the torque inserted into the wrapped yarn by the rotation of a spindle and a traveller which carries the yarn around the spindle.
Preferably the system includes means for feeding the core and the tape to the point of convergence on the three dimensional curved shaping body where the tape wraps around the core, core guiding means, and means for twisting and winding up of the wrapped core onto a package. To achieve the last two means a conventional downtwister may be used.
Conveniently the tape supply means may comprise a pair of rotating nip rollers, with core guiding means in the form of a ceramic eyelet. The twisting means can be a conventional ring downtwister wherein twist is inserted into the wrapped core by means of a traveller taking it around a rotating spindle carrying a tube or bobbin onto which the wrapped core is wound, wrapped tape guiding means being provided in the form of conventional ceramic pig-tail guide. It is to be understood that other tape supply means, other core guiding means, other twisting means, and other wrapped core guiding means can be used.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic elevation of a wrapping system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2a is a front elevation of a wrapping capstan of the system set up to provide an S-twist around a nylon core;
FIG. 2b is a front elevation similar to FIG. 2a but showing the wrapping capstan set up to provide a Z-twist around a nylon core;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the wrapping capstan; and
FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the wrapping capstan.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment will be described with particular reference to the continuous helical wrapping of 5 mm wide 27.5 gsm high wet strength kraft paper about a 940 dtex multifilament nylon core. In this case the paper needs to be made more pliable by applying water. This is conveniently done by allowing the lower roller of the nip roller pair to dip into water containing a wetting agent. Rotation of this roller raises water into the nip zone where some of the water is transferred to the paper. Excess water is removed from the paper by a wiper on each side of the tape and in contact with it.
In order to understand the operation, it is important to understand that the angle of lap, referred to subsequently as the helix angle, is the angle between the line parallel to the axis of the yarn and a line parallel to the edge of the wrapping tape.
In FIG. 1 two nip rollers 1 and 2 are shown, the lower one of which dips into a wetting bath 3 containing water and a wetting agent. By virtue of their rotation, as shown by the arrows 4 and 5, paper tape 6 is fed forward at a controlled rate and water is raised from the wetting bath 3 to the nip 7 of the rollers. Here the water moistens the tape 6. Excess surface moisture is removed by stationary ceramic wipers 8 and 9, each in contact with a respective side of the tape surface. The tape passes, with its transverse dimension substantially horizontal, from the wipers to shaping means in the form of a wrapping capstan 10, the tape 6 passing approximately 90° around the capstan. During this movement around the capstan 10, the tape 6 converges with a nylon core 11 at a point 12 on a cylindrical surface of the capstan. The nylon core passes under very low tension through a ceramic eyelet 13. At the point 12 the tape 6 begins to wrap helically around the nylon core 11 and wrapping is complete at point 14 at an edge of a cylindrical land 28 of the capstan 10 as will be described later. The bi-component yarn 15, consisting of the tape helically wrapped around the core, then follows a vertical downward path through a pigtail 31, which is axially situated above spindle 17, through the traveller 19 which moves on the ring 18 around the spindle 17, and finally is wound on to a package 20 to form package 21. 26 is the balloon normally formed and 27 the antiballooning ring. The force for wrapping is created by the torque generated in the yarn 15 by rotation of the spindle 17 and the traveller 19. The helix angle of wrapping is given by θ. The wrapping capstan 10 is inclined at an angle α to the horizontal, with its top to the right when, as, shown in FIG. 1, the spindle traveller combination is set for inserting S twist. The point 14 where the wrapping is complete is in line with the centre of the pigtail 31 and the axis of the spindle 17.
Now refer to FIG. 2a which is a front elevation of the wrapping capstan 10 inclined for the S twist condition referred to in the above paragraph. FIG. 2b is a front elevation of the wrapping capstan 10 but inclined--top to the left--for the Z twist condition. The description of the wrapping operation given below will be restricted to the S twist condition but applies equally to the Z twist condition. In FIG. 2a the capstan 10 is fixed to a support member 22 by a bolt 23. The ceramic eyelet 13 referred to above is held by a bracket 24 which is secured to the support member 22 by bolt 25. The capstan 10 is a fixed cylinder around which the tape 6 is drawn by the tension developed in the balloon 26, FIG. 1. The core 11 is shown passing through the ceramic eyelet 13 to converge, tangentially to the cylindrical surface of the capstan 10 at a point, 12, with the paper tape 6. The angle between the core 11 and the tape at point 12 is the helix angle of wrap θ. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bracket 22 has a hole 30 intended for mounting the bracket 22 to the twisting frame.
It will be noted from FIG. 2a, that the tape 6 is fed onto the cylindrical surface of the capstan at an angle to a plane at right angles to the axis of the cylindrical surface so that tape approaches a side edge of the cylindrical surface as the tape moves along the cylindrical surface.. This edge of the cylindrical surface merges with a surface 29 which curves outwardly from the axis of the cylindrical surface. The curved surface terminates at the cylindrical land 28, referred to earlier. The point 14 at which wrapping is complete lies at the edge between the curved surface 29 and the land 28. The edge of the tape 6 (the right-hand edge as shown in FIG. 2a) in passing from the cylindrical surface along the curved surface 29 is shaped by the curved surface 29 to initiate wrapping.
The opposite side edge of the cylindrical capstan surface merges with a similar curved surface 29. This latter curved surface does not take part in the wrapping operation when the capstan is set up as shown. The function of this second curved surface is to enable the capstan to be set up for the Z-twist condition.
Before describing the function of the capstan wrapper in further detail, we will consider first the helical wrapping of a tape of successive turns around a core with no turns overlapping. Uniform wrapping can only be achieved if differential strain between the edges of the tape is avoided, i.e. both edges wrap on to the core at the same helix angle. If successive tape turns around the core overlap each other to give a maximum of, say, two tape thickness then the inner edge will wrap onto a diameter which is two thicknesses of tape less than that which the outer edge wraps onto. This implies that for a uniform wrap with no wrinkles the outer edge will be strained relative to the inner edge and dictates that the tape must have a reasonable degree of extensibility at a low stress. By example, consider the aforementioned 940 d tex multifilament wrapped by a 5 mm wide 27.5 gsm paper at a helix angle of 16°. This results in tape overlap and a differential strain between the inner and outer tape edges. Also the inner edge wraps on at a lower helix angle than the outer edge. To achieve the differential strain condition the paper tape must be saturated with water which increases its extensibility from 2%, measured under standard conditions, to around 7%. The differential strain is usually of this order or greater and in practice is accommodated by some contraction at the inner edge and a certain degree of wrinkling. In the present example for a yarn generation rate of 40 m/min it has been found that high wet strength twisting kraft of dry strength 100 mN/tex and wet/dry strength ratio of 0.3 should have a 60 sec Cobb value (appita AS 1301) in excess of 100 and preferably higher than 300.
Now consider the situations where the angle of inclination α FIGS. 1 and 2a is zero and the tape merely laps the cylindrical surface 10 of the capstan by 90° and is affected by neither the curved surface 29, nor the land 28. In the absence of a core, a small diameter cylinder is created provided the twist level is not too high to cause collapse radially. However, due to variations in paper thickness and density and hence stiffness and lack of some form of control at the tape edges, the wrapping points are very unstable. In consequence, the cross-section of the paper cylinder is very variable. The presence of a nylon core tends to exacerbate this condition. In practice, the paper tape will not wrap evenly about the core as the point 12 of core-tape convergence 12 moves back and forth. Due to the strains involved, this outer edge has a tendency to curl back to produce an unwanted reverse fold. As the core tension is near zero, it cannot influence these conditions and consequently due to instability at the point 12 of convergence of tape and core, the core has a tendency to jump back and forth from being wrapped by the tape to itself wrapping around the paper cylinder being formed.
With a nylon core, the requirement for low tension is due to its characteristic of high extensibility at low loads. Hence, if the nylon is stressed before wrapping it extends sufficiently to cause problems when allowed to relax after the composite is unwound from the package. The nylon contracts in length and, because of the high stiffness of the paper tape and its helical wrap, unwanted paper loops are formed and the nylon is exposed. This problem is not, however, encountered for low extensibility materials such as Kevlar.
To achieve a satisfactory wrap of cylindrical cross-section and to avoid all the problems previously described, not only must the tape deform readily at low stress but also the capstan wrapper must comply with certain criteria. The necessary geometrical requirements for satisfactory wrapping will now be explained by reference to FIG. 2a.
For a nylon core tension near zero, the tension of, and the torque in, the paper-nylon yarn at the point of formation must be balanced by forces exerted on the paper tape. This situation exists when the nylon path between the ceramic guide 13 and the point 14 where the outer edge wraps onto the yarn, is essentially in line with the paper nylon yarn path. The low nylon tension barely influences conditions for wrapping, as can be demonstrated by a nylon run out which is seen to produce no noticeable effect in wrapping. Also, for the case where successive tape turns overlap it is essential to pre-strain the right hand side of the paper tape 6, FIG. 2a prior to wrapping as well as to control this edge to give stable wrapping at 14. This is achieved by means of the curved surface 29.
It follows from the preceding paragraph that the paper tape at the point 12 of convergence with the nylon core must make an angle of approximately, but no greater than, the helix angle θ to the vertical. This can be achieved by tilting the capstan axis (to the right for S twist) to make an angle α with the horizontal where α is approximately equal to the helix angle but no greater.
The forces involved, when the S-twist conditions prevail, tend to shift the tape path to the right, FIG. 2a, and up the curved surface 29 between the cylindrical surface, and the land 28, until a stable running position is reached. In so doing the right-hand edge of the paper tape, prior to wrapping, will be strained relative to the left--a necessary condition for good wrapping. A further control preventing movement of the tape to the right is the point 16 where the edge of the tape touches the edge of the land 28 as it leaves the capstan. This point 16 must be near to or at the point 14 FIG. 2a, i.e. the distance between 16 and 14 should tend to zero to ensure stability in wrapping at the outer edge. This combined with the pre-straining of the paper at the right-hand edge prevents any edge turn back as previously described. In practice, it has been found that if 16 is below 14 a twist barrier is created and wrapping is adversely affected.
For a given helix angle of wrap, the diameter of the cylindrical surface, the radius of curvature 29, the diameter of the land 28, and the angle of tilt of the capstan are all predetermined. For example, for a given helix angle of 16° corresponding to a twist insertion rate of 105 T/m and a final measured yarn diameter of approx. 0.8 mm the optimum geometrical conditions are given in FIG. 3 for a 5 mm wide tape. For any other helix angle, i.e. twist insertion/m the optimum conditions differ although it is possible still to produce a yarn but the angle of tilt must be changed as explained earlier. For example, for a twist insertion rate of 190 T/m corresponding to a helix angle of 22° the cylinder diameter of 32 mm is still acceptable but the radius of curvature, 29, must now be the 4 mm, the land diameter must be 37 mm, and the angle of tilt, α must be approximately 22°.
All the above conditions apply to a tape width of 5 mm. Quite clearly, some modifications are necessary if a different paper tape width is to be used. Also, if the paper tension is raised, conditions become less critical because the paper is more strained but can result in unacceptable levels of paper failures. In general, however, the relationship between the tape width, helix angle, diameter of the surface 10, radius of the curved surface 29, and diameter of the land 28 can be determined empirically.
In the preferred embodiment, wrapping is effected over only a part of the cylindrical surface and curved surface 29 of the capstan. It will therefore be apparent that it is not essential for the wrapping surfaces to subtend 360°. In general terms, therefore, the shaping means of which the wrapping capstan constitutes one embodiment, can be considered to be defined by the locus of a line moved at least partially around an axis, said line having a first portion extending generally parallel to the axis, and an arcuate portion extending from an end of the first portion in a direction away from the axis the first portion thus defines the cylindrical surface (or a portion of a cylindrical surface), and the arcuate portion defines the curved surface 29. The surface generated by the first portion does not need to be exactly cylindrical (or part-cylindrical); it will suffice for the surface to approximate to a cylindrical or part-cylindrical surface.
The embodiment has been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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A system for helically wrapping a tape comprises tape twisting means, and, upstream of the twisting means, means for shaping the tape. The shaping means comprises a body over which the tape passes, the body having a first surface of at least partially cylindrical form and an outwardly curved edge surface extending along a side of the first surface. Tape supply means is arranged to feed the tape onto the first surface such that the tape is inclined to a plane at right angles to the axis of the first surface whereby an edge of the tape engages the curved edge surface and is thereby shaped in order to initiate wrapping. The system is particularly suitable for wrapping a paper tape around a nylon core.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is the continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/442,470, filed May 21, 2009, which is a U.S. national phase of International Application No. PCT/EP2008/003754, filed May 9, 2008, which claims priority of German Application No. 10 2007 023 834.9, filed May 21, 2007.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a device for transporting freight, in particular freight containers in freight compartments of aircraft, in particular power drive unit (PDU) having a drive cylinder which is mounted in a frame.
[0003] Conventional devices for transporting freight are conventionally referred to as power drive units (PDU) and serve for actively and/or passively transporting freight containers in freight compartments of aircraft.
[0004] Such devices are not only subjected to intense demands during flight, since they must absorb very high loads, but rather must also operate reliably.
[0005] In particular, the drive roller of such device, in the case of an actively driven design, is subjected to a very high degree of wear, since said drive roller is provided on its outer surface and lateral surface with a coating, rubber lining or the like in order to transport the freight, in particular the freight containers, in a frictionally engaging manner.
[0006] Conventional PDUs have drive rollers, the drives of which must be dismounted in order to be able to remove the drive roller itself, which is undesirable.
[0007] Furthermore, no installation space is available for the drive unit, since the lateral bearing arrangements prevent simple disassembly.
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a device of the type specified in the introduction which eliminates the stated disadvantages and in which the drive roller can be exchanged very quickly in a simple and cost-effective manner. Furthermore, the design should be cost-effective to produce. Furthermore, an integration of the drive into the drive roller should be possible while simultaneously enabling a fast change or exchange of the drive roller.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The object is achieved by providing a device wherein the drive roller is readily exchangeable.
[0010] In the present invention, it has proven to be particularly advantageous for the drive cylinder itself to be mounted so as to be pivotable, in particular swivelable or in an articulated fashion, with respect to a frame, in particular a lateral frame part.
[0011] A drive, in particular an electric motor, and/or a gearing unit is integrated in the drive cylinder itself.
[0012] Here, it is a particular advantage of the present invention that the drive roller can be plugged coaxially and in the manner of a sleeve onto the drive cylinder itself.
[0013] A bearing element is seated on the end of the drive roller which has the outer coating, casing, rubber lining or the like in order to transport the freight container in a frictionally engaging manner, which bearing element engages into a corresponding bearing depression or support of the opposite lateral frame part.
[0014] By correspondingly swiveling the unit composed of the drive cylinder and drive roller upward and outward, it is then possible for the drive roller to be pulled axially from the drive cylinder in order to exchange said drive roller for the purpose of repair or replacement.
[0015] In this way, it is necessary merely for the drive cylinder with the attached drive roller to be pivoted upward about a bearing arrangement of the lateral frame part. The corresponding drive roller can then be pulled off axially.
[0016] A repaired or new drive roller with a corresponding, possibly exchanged bearing element is then correspondingly pushed on in the reverse sequence in a very fast, time-saving and cost-saving manner, since this can even be carried out during operation of the aircraft.
[0017] This is likewise to be encompassed by the present invention.
[0018] In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, it is possible for lateral auxiliary frames to be pivoted upward with respect to the frame itself, with a drive cylinder being fixedly connected at the end side to an auxiliary frame and being mounted there and with it being possible for a drive roller to be plugged on or pushed on coaxially in the manner of a sleeve at the other end at the end side in the above-described manner. Said drive roller is then mounted by means of corresponding auxiliary frames, with it being possible for a bearing receptacle with attached bearing element to be swiveled about a joint, in particular pivoted out of the end-side region, in order to axially pull the drive roller from the drive cylinder or push the drive roller onto the drive cylinder for the purpose of exchange and disassembly or assembly. It is possible here too for the drive roller to be removed from the drive cylinder or exchanged in a very fast, cost-effective and simple manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Further advantages, features and details of the invention can be gathered from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments and on the basis of the drawing; in which:
[0020] FIG. 1 a shows a perspective view of a device for transporting freight, in particular PDU;
[0021] FIG. 1 b shows a perspective view of the device according to Figure la in a possible assembly position;
[0022] FIG. 1 c shows a perspective view of the device according to FIGS. 1 a and 1 b in another assembly position;
[0023] FIG. 2 a shows a perspective side view of a further exemplary embodiment of a device for transporting freight, in particular PDU, in a deployed position;
[0024] FIG. 2 b shows a perspective view of the device according to FIG. 2 a in a further assembly position;
[0025] FIG. 2 c shows a perspective view of the device according to FIGS. 2 a and 2 b in a further assembly position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] According to FIG. 1 a , a device R 1 according to the invention for transporting freight, in particular freight containers in freight compartments of aircraft, which device is referred to in particular as a power drive unit (PDU), has a frame 1 which is formed in the manner of a housing.
[0027] A controller 2 for activating a drive cylinder 3 is integrated in the frame 1 , as can be seen in more detail in FIG. 1 c.
[0028] Drives, motor units and/or gearing units (not illustrated here in any more detail) are integrated in the drive cylinder 3 and drive a drive roller 4 , which is seated coaxially on the drive cylinder 3 , in rotation.
[0029] The drive roller 4 is of sleeve-like design and is provided on the outside with a coating, rubber lining or the like.
[0030] Here, the drive roller 4 can be connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the drive cylinder 3 , such that a rotational drive movement of the drive cylinder 3 can be directly transmitted to the drive roller 4 .
[0031] Lateral frame parts 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 adjoin the frame 1 , between which lateral frame parts 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 the drive cylinder 3 with coaxially attached drive roller 4 is mounted.
[0032] Furthermore, a lifting unit 6 with an integrated drive (not illustrated here) adjoins the lateral frame parts 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 at the ends, in order, by means of corresponding, in each case laterally projecting eccentrics 7 , to deploy the frame 1 , in particular the drive cylinder 3 and drive roller 4 , upward in a known way in order to convey and transport an item of freight, in particular a freight container, by means of the driven drive roller 4 .
[0033] The drive roller 4 and also the bearing element 9 thereof are subjected to a certain degree of wear, such that these must often be exchanged.
[0034] In order that the entire device R 1 need not be dismounted entirely from the aircraft, it has proven to be particularly advantageous in the present invention for the drive cylinder 3 with coaxially attached drive roller 4 to be mounted so as to be pivotable, in particular swivelable, with respect to the frame part 5 . 1 .
[0035] Here, in the present invention, it is possible for the drive cylinder 3 with attached drive roller 4 to be pivoted upward and outward about a longitudinal axis of the frame part 5 . 1 by means of a bearing arrangement 8 , as illustrated in FIGS. 1 a and 1 c by the double arrow X. The bearing element 9 adjoins the end of the drive roller 4 , which bearing element 9 can be pivoted out of an upwardly-open bearing depression 10 of the frame part 5 . 2 , which forms a half-shell-like support 11 .
[0036] When acted on with pressure, for example by means of a freight container, the drive roller 4 as illustrated in Figure la is mounted and held at one end by means of the bearing element 9 in the support 11 of the bearing depression 10 of the lateral frame part 5 . 2 .
[0037] To exchange the drive roller 4 , the latter can be pulled from the drive cylinder 3 , after the latter has been swiveled out, in the illustrated Y direction as indicated in FIG. 1 c , with an anti-twist device being released or removed if appropriate.
[0038] It is then possible, for example, to push a new drive roller 4 coaxially onto the drive cylinder 3 , if appropriate with a new bearing element 9 , in the axial direction. After the drive cylinder 3 and the drive roller 4 with bearing element 9 are correspondingly swiveled and placed into the bearing depression 10 , the device R 1 is once again ready for use.
[0039] An exchange of the drive roller 4 takes place very quickly and may be carried out without dismounting the entire device R 1 .
[0040] In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention according to FIG. 2 a , a device R 2 is shown in which the frame is formed from lateral frame parts 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , wherein in each case within a lateral frame part 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , a lateral auxiliary frame 12 . 1 , 12 . 2 can be pivoted upward and outward in an illustrated X direction.
[0041] Here, in particular as is the design in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention according to FIG. 2 c , the drive cylinder 3 with integrated electric drive, as a motor and/or gearing unit, is seated at the end side on the auxiliary frame 12 . 1 .
[0042] The drive roller 4 is seated coaxially on the drive cylinder 3 in the above-described manner, and is preferably rotationally fixedly connected to the drive cylinder 3 .
[0043] At the outside, the drive roller 4 is provided with a coating, rubber lining or the like, which comes into direct contact with an item of freight to be transported, in particular freight container.
[0044] The drive roller 4 is supported and mounted on the auxiliary frame 12 . 2 by means of a bearing element 14 .
[0045] Here, in the present invention, it has proven to be particularly advantageous for a bearing receptacle 15 to be pivotable, in particular swivelable about a joint 16 , out of the end-side region of the drive roller 4 after the removal of a retaining shaft 17 .
[0046] As illustrated in FIG. 2 c , it is possible, after the auxiliary frame 12 . 1 , 12 . 2 has been swiveled out of the frame, for the retaining shaft 17 to be removed from the drive roller 4 and the bearing receptacle 15 or from the bearing element 14 , after which it is possible for the bearing receptacle 15 with inserted bearing 14 to be subsequently swiveled away or pivoted out, as illustrated in FIG. 2 b , in order to subsequently pull the drive roller 4 coaxially from the drive cylinder 3 in the direction of the auxiliary frame 12 . 2 , in the illustrated double arrow direction Y, as per the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 c , for the purpose of exchange.
[0047] A new drive roller 4 can then be pushed coaxially onto the drive cylinder 3 again in the reverse sequence, after which merely the bearing receptacle 15 is subsequently pivoted back in front of the drive roller 4 at the end side and the drive roller 4 and/or the drive cylinder 3 are/is connected by means of the retaining shaft 17 to the auxiliary frame 12 . 2 and therefore to the bearing element 14 and the bearing receptacle 15 thereof.
[0048] Here, too, a very fast exchange of the drive roller 4 from the drive cylinder 3 takes place without it being necessary to completely exchange or dismount the device R 2 .
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A device for transporting freight, especially freight containers in the cargo compartments of aircraft, especially to a power drive unit (PDU) having a drive roller ( 3 ) received in a frame ( 1 ) wherein the at least one drive roller ( 3 ) carrying the drive roll ( 4 ) placed thereon is mounted so as to be pivoted relative to the frame for the purpose of replacing the drive roll ( 4 ).
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer system data storage, and more particularly to a fault-tolerant storage device array using a copyback cache storage unit for temporary storage.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical data processing system generally involves one or more storage units which are connected to a Central Processor Unit (CPU) either directly or through a control unit and a channel. The function of the storage units is to store data and programs which the CPU uses in performing particular data processing tasks.
Various type of storage units are used in current data processing systems. A typical system may include one or more large capacity tape units and/or disk drives (magnetic, optical, or semiconductor) connected to the system through respective control units for storing data.
However, a problem exists if one of the large capacity storage units fails such that information contained in that unit is no longer available to the system. Generally, such a failure will shut down the entire computer system.
The prior art has suggested several ways of solving the problem of providing reliable data storage. In systems where records are relatively small, it is possible to use error correcting codes which generate ECC syndrome bits that are appended to each data record within a storage unit. With such codes, it is possible to correct a small amount of data that may be read erroneously. However, such codes are generally not suitable for correcting or recreating long records which are in error, and provide no remedy at all if a complete storage unit fails. Therefore, a need exists for providing data reliability external to individual storage units.
Other approaches to such "external" reliability have been described in the art. A research group at the University of California, Berkeley, in a paper entitled "A Case for Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID)", Patterson, et al., Proc. ACM SIGMOD, June 1988, has catalogued a number of different approaches for providing such reliability when using disk drives as storage units. Arrays of disk drives are characterized in one of five architectures, under the acronym "RAID" (for Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks).
A RAID 1 architecture involves providing a duplicate set of "mirror" storage units and keeping a duplicate copy of all data on each pair of storage units. While such a solution solves the reliability problem, it doubles the cost of storage. A number of implementations of RAID 1 architectures have been made, in particular by Tandem Corporation.
A RAID 2 architecture stores each bit of each word of data, plus Error Detection and Correction (EDC) bits for each word, on separate disk drives (this is also known as "bit striping"). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,085 to Flora et al. discloses a disk drive memory using a plurality of relatively small, independently operating disk subsystems to function as a large, high capacity disk drive having an unusually high fault tolerance and a very high data transfer bandwidth. A data organizer adds 7 EDC bits (determined using the well-known Hamming code) to each 32-bit data word to provide error detection and error correction capability. The resultant 39-bit word is written, one bit per disk drive, on to 39 disk drives. If one of the 39 disk drives fails, the remaining 38 bits of each stored 39-bit word can be used to reconstruct each 32-bit data word on a word-by-word basis as each data word is read from the disk drives, thereby obtaining fault tolerance.
An obvious drawback of such a system is the large number of disk drives required for a minimum system (since most large computers use a 32-bit word), and the relatively high ratio of drives required to store the EDC bits (7 drives out of 39). A further limitation of a RAID 2 disk drive memory system is that the individual disk actuators are operated in unison to write each data block, the bits of which are distributed over all of the disk drives. This arrangement has a high data transfer bandwidth, since each individual disk transfers part of a block of data, the net effect being that the entire block is available to the computer system much faster than if a single drive were accessing the block. This is advantageous for large data blocks. However, this arrangement also effectively provides only a single read/write head actuator for the entire storage unit. This adversely affects the random access performance of the drive array when data files are small, since only one data file at a time can be accessed by the "single" actuator. Thus, RAID 2 systems are generally not considered to be suitable for computer systems designed for On-Line Transaction Processing (OLTP), such as in banking, financial, and reservation systems, where a large number of random accesses to many small data files comprises the bulk of data storage and transfer operations.
A RAID 3 architecture is based on the concept that each disk drive storage unit has internal means for detecting a fault or data error. Therefore, it is not necessary to store extra information to detect the location of an error; a simpler form of parity-based error correction can thus be used. In this approach, the contents of all storage units subject to failure are "Exclusive OR'd" (XOR'd) to generate parity information. The resulting parity information is stored in a single redundant storage unit. If a storage unit fails, the data on that unit can be reconstructed on to a replacement storage unit by XOR'ing the data from the remaining storage units with the parity information. Such an arrangement has the advantage over the mirrored disk RAID 1 architecture in that only one additional storage unit is required for "N" storage units. A further aspect of the RAID 3 architecture is that the disk drives are operated in a coupled manner, similar to a RAID 2 system, and a single disk drive is designated as the parity unit.
One implementation of a RAID 3 architecture is the Micropolis Corporation Parallel Drive Array, Model 1804 SCSI, that uses four parallel, synchronized disk drives and one redundant parity drive. The failure of one of the four data disk drives can be remedied by the use of the parity bits stored on the parity disk drive. Another example of a RAID 3 system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,732 to Ouchi.
A RAID 3 disk drive memory system has a much lower ratio of redundancy units to data units than a RAID 2 system. However, a RAID 3 system has the same performance limitation as a RAID 2 system, in that the individual disk actuators are coupled, operating in unison. This adversely affects the random access performance of the drive array when data files are small, since only one data file at a time can be accessed by the "single" actuator. Thus, RAID 3 systems are generally not considered to be suitable for computer systems designed for OLTP purposes.
A RAID 4 architecture uses the same parity error correction concept of the RAID 3 architecture, but improves on the performance of a RAID 3 system with respect to random reading of small files by "uncoupling" the operation of the individual disk drive actuators, and reading and writing a larger minimum amount of data (typically, a disk sector) to each disk (this is also known as block striping). A further aspect of the RAID 4 architecture is that a single storage unit is designated as the parity unit.
A limitation of a RAID 4 system is that Writing a data block on any of the independently operating data storage units also requires writing a new parity block on the parity unit. The parity information stored on the parity unit must be read and XOR'd with the old data (to "remove" the information content of the old data), and the resulting sum must then be XOR'd with the new data (to provide new parity information). Both the data and the parity records then must be rewritten to the disk drives. This process is commonly referred to as a "Read-Modify-Write" sequence.
Thus, a Read and a Write on the single parity unit occurs each time a record is changed on any of the data storage units covered by the parity record on the parity unit. The parity unit becomes a bottle-neck to dat writing operations since the number of changes to records which can be made per unit of time is a function of the access rate of the parity unit, as opposed to the faster access rate provided by parallel operation of the multiple data storage units. Because of this limitation, a RAID 4 system is generally not considered to be suitable for computer systems designed for OLTP purposes. Indeed, it appears that a RAID 4 system has not been implemented for any commercial purpose.
A RAID 5 architecture uses the same parity error correction concept of the RAID 4 architecture and independent actuators, but improves on the writing performance of a RAID 4 system by distributing the data and parity information across all of the available disk drives. Typically, "N+1" storage units in a set (also known as a "redundancy group") are divided into a plurality of equally sized address areas referred to as blocks. Each storage unit generally contains the same number of blocks. Blocks from each storage unit in a redundancy group having the same unit address ranges are referred to as "stripes". Each stripe has N blocks of data, plus one parity block on one storage unit containing parity for the remainder of the stripe. Further stripes each have a parity block, the parity blocks being distributed on different storage units. Parity updating activity associated with every modification of data in a redundancy group is therefore distributed over the different storage units. No single unit is burdened with all of the parity update activity.
For example, in a RAID 5 system comprising 5 disk drives, the parity information for the first stripe of blocks may be written to the fifth drive; the parity information for the second stripe of blocks may be written to the fourth drive; the parity information for the third stripe of blocks may be written to the third drive; etc. The parity block for succeeding stripes typically "precesses" around the disk drives in a helical pattern (although other patterns may be used).
Thus, no single disk drive is used for storing the parity information, and the bottleneck of the RAID 4 architecture is eliminated. An example of a RAID 5 system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,785 to Clark et al.
As in a RAID 4 system, a limitation of a RAID 5 system is that a change in a data block requires a Read-Modify-Write sequence comprising two Read and Two Write operations: the old parity block and old data block must be read and XOR'd, and the resulting sum must then be XOR'd with the new data. Both the data and the parity blocks then must be rewritten to the disk drives. While the two Read operations may be done in parallel, as can the two Write operations, modification of a block of data in a RAID 4 or a RAID 5 system still takes substantially longer then the same operation on a conventional disk. A conventional disk does not require the preliminary Read operation, and thus does have to wait for the disk drives to rotate back to the previous position in order to perform the Write operation. The rotational latency time alone can amount to about 50% of the time required for a typical data modification operation. Further, two disk storage units are involved for the duration of each data modification operation, limiting the throughput of the system as a whole.
Despite the Write performance penalty, RAID 5 type systems have become increasingly popular, since they provide high data reliability with a low overhead cost for redundancy, good Read performance, and fair Write performance. However, it would be desirable to have the benefits of a RAID 5 system without the Write performance penalty resulting from the rotational latency time imposed by the parity update operation.
The present invention provides such a system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the error-correction block bottleneck inherent in a RAID 5 architecture by recognition that storage unit accesses are intermittent. That is, at various times one or more of the storage units in a RAID 5 system are idle in terms of access requests by the CPU. This characteristic can be exploited by providing a "copyback cache" storage unit as an adjunct to a standard RAID system. The present invention provides two alternative methods of operating such a system.
In both embodiments, when a Write occurs to the RAID system, the data is immediately written to the first available location in the copyback cache storage unit. Upon completion of the Write to the copyback cache storage unit, the host CPU is immediately informed that the Write was successful. Thereafter, further storage unit accesses by the CPU can continue without waiting for an error-correction block update for the data just written.
In the first embodiment of the invention, during idle time for relevant storage units of the storage system, an error-correction block (e.g., XOR parity) is computed for each "pending" data block on the copyback cache storage unit, and the data block and corresponding error-correction block are copied to their proper location in the RAID system. Optionally, if a number of pending data blocks are to be written to the same stripe, an error-correction block can be calculated from all data blocks in the stripe at one time, thus achieving some economy of time. In this embodiment, the copyback cache storage unit in effect stores "peak load" Write data and then completes the actual Write operations to the RAID system during relatively quiescent periods of I/O accesses by the CPU.
In the second embodiment of the invention, after Write data is logged to the copyback cache storage unit, normal Read-Modify-Write operation by the RAID system controller continues in overlapped fashion with other CPU I/O accesses, using Write data in the controller's buffer memory. Performance is enhanced because the CPU can continue processing as soon as the simple Write operation to the copyback cache storage unit completes, thus eliminating the delay caused by a normal Read-Modify-Write RAID system. In this embodiment, the copyback cache storage unit acts more as a running "log" of Write data. Data integrity is preserved since the Write data is saved to the copyback cache storage unit and thus accessible even if the Read-Modify-Write operation to the RAID system never completes.
The copyback cache storage unit is preferably non-volatile, so that data will not be lost on a power failure. If the copyback cache storage unit is a disk drive, it preferably is paired with a "mirror" storage unit for fault tolerance. Optionally, the copyback cache storage unit may be a solid-state storage unit, which can achieve substantially faster Write and error-correction block update times than a disk drive.
The details of the preferred embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Once the details of the invention are known, numerous additional innovations and changes will become obvious to one skilled in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is block diagram of a copyback cache RAID system in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flow-chart of Read and Write operation in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flow-chart of Read and Write operation in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.
Like reference numbers and designations in the drawings refer to like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Throughout this description, the preferred embodiments and examples shown should be considered as exemplars, rather than limitations on the present invention.
FIG. 1 is block diagram of a copyback cache RAID system in accordance with the present invention. Shown are a CPU 1 coupled by a bus 2 to an array controller 3, which in the preferred embodiment is a fault-tolerant controller. The array controller 3 is coupled to each of the plurality of storage units S1-S5 (five being shown by way of example only) by an I/O bus (e.g., a SCSI bus). The storage units S1-S5 are failure independent, meaning that the failure of one unit does not affect the physical operation of other units. The array controller 3 is preferably includes a separately programmable processor (for example, the MIPS R3000 RISC processor, made by MIPS of Sunnyvale, Calif.) which can act independently of the CPU 1 to control the storage units.
Also attached to the controller 3 is a copyback cache storage unit CC, which in the preferred embodiment is coupled to the common I/O bus (e.g., a SCSI bus) so that data can be transferred between the copyback cache storage unit CC and the storage units S1-S5. The copyback cache storage unit CC is preferably nonvolatile, so that data will not be lost on a power failure. If the copyback cache storage unit CC is a disk drive, it preferably is paired with a "mirror" storage unit CC' for fault tolerance. The mirror storage unit CC' is coupled to the controller 3 such that all data written to the copyback cache storage unit CC is also written essentially simultaneously to the mirror storage unit CC', in known fashion. Optionally, the copyback cache storage unit CC may be a solid-state storage unit, which can achieve substantially faster Write and error-correction block update times than a disk drive. In such a case, the solid-state storage unit preferably includes error-detection and correction circuitry, and is either non-volatile or has a battery backup on the power supply.
The storage units S1-S5 can be grouped into one or more redundancy groups. In the illustrated examples described below, the redundancy group comprises all of the storage units S1-S5, for simplicity of explanation.
The present invention is preferably implemented as a computer program executed by the controller 3. FIG. 2 is a high-level flowchart representing the steps of the Read and Write processes for a first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a high-level flowchart representing the steps of the Read and Write processes for a second embodiment of the invention. The steps shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are referenced below.
The Peak Load Embodiment
The controller 3 monitors input/output requests from the CPU 1 on essentially a continuous basis (Step 20). If a Write request is pending (Step 21), the data block is immediately written to the first available location in the copyback cache storage unit CC (Step 22) (the data block is also stored on the mirror storage unit CC', if present). Preferably, writing begins at the first logical block on the copyback cache storage unit CC, and continues sequentially to the end of the logical blocks. Thereafter, writing commences again at the first block (so long as no blocks are overwritten that have not been stored in the array). This preferred method minimizes time-consuming SEEK operations (i.e., physical movements of a Read/Write head in a storage unit) in the copyback cache storage unit CC.
Each data block stored on the copyback cache storage unit CC is also flagged with the location in the array where the data block is ultimately to be stored, and a pointer is set to indicate that the data block is in the copyback cache storage unit CC (Step 23). This location and pointer information is preferably kept in a separate table in memory or on the copyback cache storage unit CC. The table preferably comprises a directory table having entries that include standard information regarding the size, attributes, and status of each data block. In addition, each entry has one or more fields indicating whether the data block is stored on the copyback cache storage unit CC or in the array (S1-S5), and the "normal" location in the array for the data blocks. Creation of such directory tables is well-known in the art.
If a data block is written to the copyback cache storage unit CC while a data block to be stored at the same location in the array is still a "pending block" (a data block that has been Written to the copyback cache storage unit CC but not transferred to the array S1-S5), the directory location pointer for the data block is changed to point to the "new" version rather than to the "old" version. The old version is thereafter ignored, and may be written over in subsequent operations.
After a Write request is processed in this fashion, the controller 3 immediately sends an acknowledgement to the CPU 1 indicating that the Write operation was successful (Step 24). The monitoring process then repeats (Step 25). Further storage unit accesses by the CPU 1 can continue without waiting for an error-correction block update for the data block just written. Thus, the Write "throughput" time of the array appears to be the same as a non-redundant system, since storage of the Write data on the copyback cache storage unit CC does not require the Read-Modify-Write sequence of a standard RAID system with respect to operation of the CPU 1.
If a Write request is not pending (Step 21), the controller 3 tests whether a Read request is pending (Step 26). If a Read request is pending, the controller 3 reads the directory table to determine the location of each requested data block (Step 27). If a requested data block is not in the array (Step 28), the controller 3 reads the block from the copyback cache storage unit CC and transfers it to the CPU 1 (Step 29). The monitoring process then repeats (Step 30). If the requested data block is in the array (Step 28), the controller 3 reads the block from the array (S1-S5) in normal fashion and transfers it to the CPU 1 (Step 31). The monitoring process then repeats (Step 32).
Some embodiments of the invention may include disk cache memory in the controller 3. Read requests may of course be "transparently" satisfied from such a cache in known fashion.
If no Write or Read operation is pending for particular storage units in the array, indicating that those storage units are "idle" with respect to CPU 1 I/O accesses, the controller 3 checks to see if any data blocks are "pending blocks" flagged to locations on the idle storage units. If no pending blocks exist (Step 33), the controller 3 begins the monitoring cycle again (Step 34).
If a pending block does exist (Step 33), the controller 3 reads a pending block from the copyback cache storage unit CC (Step 35). The controller 3 then writes the pending block to the proper location in the array, and computes and stores a new error-correction block that is computed based upon the pending block.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the error-correction blocks contain parity information. Thus, update of the error-correction block for the pending block can be accomplished by reading the old data block and old error-correction block corresponding to the array location indicated by the location information for the pending block stored in the directory (Step 36). The controller 3 then XOR's the old data block, the pending data block, and the old error-correction block to generate a new error-correction block (Step 37). The new error-correction block and the pending block are then written to the array S1-S5 at their proper locations (Step 38).
Optionally, if a number of pending blocks are to be written to the same stripe, error-correction can be calculated for all data blocks in the stripe at one time by reading all data blocks in the stripe that are not being updated, XOR'ing those data blocks with the pending blocks to generate a new error-correction block, and writing the pending blocks and the new error-correction block to the array. This may achieve some economy of time.
After the pending block is transferred from the copyback cache storage unit CC to the array, the directory entry for that block is modified to indicate that the data block is in the array rather than in the copyback cache storage unit CC (Step 39). Thereafter, the controller 3 begins the monitoring cycle again (Step 40).
Although the invention has been described in terms of a sequential branching process, the invention may also be implemented in a multi-tasking system as separate tasks executing concurrently. Thus, the Read and Write processes described above, as well as the transfer of pending data blocks, may be implemented as separate tasks executed concurrently. Accordingly, the tests indicated by Steps 21, 26, and 33 in FIG. 2 may be implicitly performed in the calling of the associated tasks for Writing and Reading data blocks, and transfer of pending blocks. Thus, for example, the transfer of a pending block from the copyback cache storage unit CC to a storage unit in the array may be performed concurrently with a Read operation to a different storage unit in the array. Further, if the array is of the type that permits the controller 3 to "stack" a number of I/O requests for each storage unit of the array (as is the case with many SCSI-based RAID systems), the operations described above may be performed "concurrently" with respect to accesses to the same storage unit.
The Data Log Embodiment
As in the embodiment describe above, the controller 3 monitors input/output requests from the CPU 1 on essentially a continuous basis (Step 50). In this embodiment, the controller 3 is provided with a relatively large (for example, one megabyte) data buffer to temporarily store data to be written to the array. If a Write request is pending (Step 51), the data block is immediately written by the controller 3 to the first available location in the copyback cache storage unit CC (Step 52) (the data block is also stored on the mirror storage unit CC', if present). Preferably, writing begins at the first logical block on the copyback cache storage unit CC, and continues sequentially to the end of the logical blocks. Thereafter, writing commences again at the first block (so long as no blocks are overwritten that have not been stored in the array). This preferred method minimizes SEEK operations in the copyback cache storage unit CC.
In the first embodiment, SEEK operations are required to retrieve pending blocks during idle times to transfer to the array. In this embodiment, the copyback cache storage unit CC acts as a running "log" of Write data. In contrast with the first embodiment, SEEK operations normally are necessary only to change to a next data-writing area (e.g., a next cylinder in a disk drive) when the current area is full, or to reset the Read/Write head back to the logical beginning of the storage unit after reaching the end, or to retrieve data blocks after a failure.
Each data block stored on the copyback cache storage unit CC is also flagged with the location in the array where the data block is ultimately to be stored and the location of the data block in the copyback cache storage unit CC, and a pointer is set to indicate that the data block is in the controller buffer (Step 53). As before, such location and pointer information is preferably kept in a directory table.
Because of the buffer in the controller 3, the definition of a "pending block" in the second embodiment differs somewhat from the definition in the first embodiment described above. A "pending block" is a data block that has been Written to the copyback cache storage unit CC but not transferred from the controller buffer to the array S1-S5.
If a data block is written to the copyback cache storage unit CC while a data block to be stored at the same location in the array is still a "pending block" in the controller buffer, the directory location pointers for the data block are changed to point to the "new" version rather than to the "old" version both in the copyback cache storage unit CC and in the buffer. The old version is thereafter ignored, and may be written over in subsequent operations.
After a Write request is processed in this fashion, the controller 3 immediately sends an acknowledgement to the CPU 1 indicating that the Write operation was successful (Step 54). The monitoring process then repeats (Step 55). Further storage unit accesses by the CPU 1 can continue without waiting for an error-correction block update for the data block just written. Thus, the Write response time of the array appears to be the same as a non-redundant system, since storage of the Write data on the copyback cache storage unit CC does not require the Read-Modify-Write sequence of a standard RAID system with respect to operation of the CPU 1.
If a Write request is not pending (Step 51), the controller 3 tests whether a Read request is pending (Step 56). If a Read request is pending, the controller 3 reads the directory table to determine the location of each requested data block (Step 57). If a requested data block is in the array (Step 58), the controller 3 reads the block from the array (S1-S5) in normal fashion and transfers it to the CPU 1 (Step 59). The monitoring process then repeats (Step 60).
If a requested data block is not in the array (Step 58), it is in the buffer of the controller 3. The controller 3 transfers the data block from its buffer to the CPU 1 (Step 61). This operation is extremely fast compared to the first embodiment, since the buffer operates at electronic speeds with no mechanically-imposed latency period. The monitoring process then repeats (Step 62).
If no Write or Read operation is pending for particular storage units in the array, indicating that those storage units are "idle" with respect to CPU 1 I/O accesses, the controller 3 checks to see if any data blocks in its buffer are "pending blocks" flagged to locations on the idle storage units. If no pending blocks exist (Step 63), the controller 3 begins the monitoring cycle again (Step 64).
If a pending block does exist (Step 63), the controller 3 accesses the pending block (Step 65), and then computes and stores a new error-correction block based upon the pending block. As before, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the error-correction blocks contain parity information. Thus, update of the error-correction block for the pending block can be accomplished by reading the old data block and old error-correction block corresponding to the array location indicated by the location information for the pending block stored in the directory (Step 66). The controller 3 then XOR's the old data block, the pending data block, and the old error-correction block to generate a new error-correction block (Step 67). The new error-correction block and the pending block are then written to the array S1-S5 (Step 68).
Optionally, if a number of pending blocks are to be written to the same stripe, error-correction can be calculated for all data blocks in the stripe at one time by reading all data blocks in the stripe that are not being updated, XOR'ing those data blocks with the pending blocks to generate a new error-correction block, and writing the pending blocks and the new error-correction block to the array. This may achieve some economy of time.
After the pending block is transferred from the buffer of the controller 3 to the array, the directory is modified to indicate that the pending block is no longer valid in the copyback cache storage unit CC or in the buffer (Step 69). The old pending block is thereafter ignored, and may be written over in subsequent operations. The controller 3 then restarts the monitoring cycle (Step 70).
If a failure to the system occurs before all pending blocks are written from the buffer to the array, the controller 3 can read the pending blocks from the copyback cache storage unit CC that were not written to the array. The controller 3 then writes the selected pending blocks to the array.
Again, although the invention has been described in terms of a sequential branching process, the invention may also be implemented in a multi-tasking system as separate tasks executing concurrently. Accordingly, the tests indicated by Steps 51, 56, and 63 in FIG. 3 may be implicitly performed in the calling of the associated tasks for Writing and Reading data blocks, and transfer of pending blocks.
The present invention therefore provides the benefits of a RAID system without the Write performance penalty resulting from the rotational latency time imposed by the standard error-correction update operation, so long as a non-loaded condition exists with respect to I/O accesses by the CPU 1. Idle time for any of the array storage units is productively used to allow data stored on the copyback cache storage unit CC to be written to the array (either from the cache itself, or from the controller buffer) during moments of relative inactivity by the CPU 1, thus improving overall performance.
A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the present invention can be used with RAID 3, RAID 4, or RAID 5 systems. Furthermore, an error-correction method in addition to or in lieu of XOR-generated parity may be used for the necessary redundancy information. One such method using Reed-Solomon codes is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 270,713, filed Nov. 14, 1988, entitled "Arrayed Disk Drive System and Method" and commonly assigned.
As another example, in many RAID systems, a "hot spare" storage unit is provided to immediately substitute for any active storage unit that fails. The present invention may be implemented by using such a "hot spare" as the copyback cache storage unit CC, thus eliminating the need for a storage unit dedicated to the copyback cache function. If the "hot spare" is needed for its primary purpose, the RAID system can fall back to a non-copyback caching mode of operation until a replacement disk is provided.
As yet another example, the copyback cache storage unit CC may be attached to the controller 3 through a dedicated bus, rather than through the preferred common I/O bus (e.g., a SCSI bus).
Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrated embodiment, but only by the scope of the appended claims.
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A fault-tolerant storage device array using a copyback cache storage unit for temporary storage. When a Write occurs to the RAID system, the data is immediately written to the first available location in the copyback cache storage unit. Upon completion of the Write to the copyback cache storage unit, the host CPU is immediately informed that the Write was successful. Thereafter, further storage unit accesses by the CPU can continue without waiting for an error-correction block update for the data just written. In a first embodiment of the invention, during idle time for relevant storage units of the storage system, an error-correction block is computed for each "pending" data block on the copyback cache storage unit, and the data block and corresponding error-correction block are copied to their proper location in the RAID system. The copyback cache storage unit in effect stores "peak load" Write data and then completes the actual Write operations to the RAID system during relatively quiescent periods of I/O accesses by the CPU. In a second embodiment of the invention, after Write data is logged to the copyback cache storage unit, normal Read-Modify-Write operation by the RAID system controller continues in overlapped fashion with other CPU I/O accesses using Write data in the controller's buffer memory. Performance is enhanced because the CPU can continue processing as soon as the simple Write operation to the copyback cache storage unit completes, thus eliminating the delay caused by a normal Read-Modify-Wrote RAID system. In this embodiment, the copyback cache storage unit acts more as a running "log" of Write data.
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CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/658,473 entitled “Roof Connecting Mechanism of Foldable Tent,” filed on Feb. 4, 2010, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a mechanism for facilitating the opening and closing of a tent, and more particularly to a hub or roof connecting mechanism of a foldable tent.
[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0005] Hubs or roof connecting mechanisms of foldable tents are often used for pivotally connecting tent poles to a central location so that the tent would be able to have a foldable function.
[0006] Roof connecting mechanisms or hubs in the conventional bell tents are only provided for purposes of connecting components of the tent such as roof strut rods or poles. In other words, those parts require assembly and disassembly when the tent is pitched and stored away, respectively.
[0007] In larger conventional tents, the roof connecting mechanism or hub is kept in hinge connection with the roof strut rods or poles such that when the tent is folded, all of the roof strut rods or poles centrally pivot around the hub and are bent down so that the poles are gathered closely together. However, the larger conventional tents also require that the poles be further supported by sub-braces which connect from the poles to a downward extended portion of the hub. As a result, not only do the connecting mechanisms of the sub-braces become intricate but the overall structure of the tent framework becomes complicated. Moreover, the volume of the tent is larger due to the number of the components of the hub assembly, and opening and closing the tent becomes more difficult.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is therefore a main object of the present invention to provide a foldable canopy tent with a relatively smaller volume having a simplified roof connecting mechanism or hub for carrying out opening and closing functions without assembly or disassembly, that can also be manufactured at a low cost. For achieving the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a roof connecting mechanism or hub of a foldable tent for pivotally connecting a plurality of radially spaced apart poles. The connecting hub comprises a base for preventing the poles from pivoting beyond the surface of the base.
[0009] A plurality of radially spaced apart slots are formed by a plurality of adjacent walls independently extending upward from the base to provide corresponding slots for receiving each pole. Each of the poles are pivotally connected to the radially inner portion of each slot such that the poles are prevented from downward pivotal movement beyond the base surface. Thus, when the tent is in an open configuration the poles rest on the top surface of the base, and when the tent is in a closed configuration the poles are pivoted upward.
[0010] Alternatively, the hub assembly can be inverted so that the plurality of adjacent walls extend downward from the base to provide corresponding slots for receiving each pole. Each of the poles are pivotally connected to the radially outer portion of each slot located at the bottom portion of the base such that the inner ends of the poles are prevented from upward pivotal movement beyond the bottom surface of the base. The base, however, is provided with an opening or void at the radially outer portions of the slots at a portion of the base opposing the pivotal connection of the poles. Thus, when the tent is in an open configuration the pole inner ends engage the bottom surface of the base, and when the tent is in a closed configuration the poles are pivoted upward through the opening of the base.
[0011] With respect to the poles, a cap having a curved outer surface is fixed to the inner end of each pole, and each pole and cap have a matching pivoting hole built upon the inner end of the pole for pivotally connecting the radially inner end of each pole to a corresponding slot. Alternatively, each of the poles could be directly pivotally connected to the walls of the slots without caps.
[0012] Each slot has a curved groove built on the inside portions of the walls for receiving the curved outer surfaces of each corresponding cap.
[0013] In operation, the tent of the present invention is opened by pivoting the poles downward and expanding the poles until the tent structure is completely spread out and the feet of the poles are fixed to the surface so that the hub above is supported. At the same time, the base of the hub prevents the poles from pivoting downward past the top surface of the base. Therefore, the hub assembly provides a balanced and simple structure when the tent is in the open configuration.
[0014] In the alternative embodiment having the inverted hub described above, the same occurs when opening the tent except that the base of the hub prevents the inner ends of the poles from pivoting upward past the bottom surface of the base, thus preventing the poles from pivoting downward past the base of the hub.
[0015] To fold or close the tent, the feet of the poles are disengaged with the surface and the poles are pivoted upward. The weight of the hub assists with this process as the hub is lowered and the poles are collectively pivoted upward into a compact configuration.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the foldable tent of the present invention with the roof connecting means of the first embodiment in an open configuration;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention in an open configuration;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the foldable tent of the present invention with the roof connection means of the first embodiment in a partially folded configuration;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of FIG. 3 ;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a partial top perspective view of the second embodiment of the present invention in an open configuration;
[0021] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 ;
[0022] FIG. 7 is a partial bottom perspective view of the second embodiment of the present invention in a folded configuration;
[0023] FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 , a roof connecting mechanism or hub of foldable tent 200 having a canopy 55 in the first embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which the hub 1 is a circular piece having a plurality of pivoting cabinets or slots 11 extending upward from a stopper or base 12 . Each slot 11 is formed by a pair of independently extending adjacent walls 51 that include a curved groove 111 built upon the inner portions of the walls 51 forming each slot 11 . The slots 11 are uniformly arranged in a radial configuration. The walls of each slot have pivoting holes 41 such that the holes are substantially aligned.
[0025] The hub assembly further comprises a plurality of roof strut rods or poles 2 , each having at least two sections coupled by a joint 21 , and each pole 2 is received by a corresponding slot 11 . Each of the poles 2 are telescoping via a telescope locking member 25 and allows for the poles 2 to compact further in the closed configuration as described in more detail below. A pivoting cap 3 having a curved lug or curved outer surface 31 is fixed on the inner end of each pole 2 such that each cap 3 is sufficiently secured or tightly fit onto each pole 2 . It is preferred that the external diameter of the pivoting cap 3 is less than or equal to the width of the inside of the slot 11 , which allows for the each pole 2 to pivotally maneuver in and out of each corresponding slot 11 . Each corresponding pole and cap have holes extending through the pole and cap such that the holes are substantially aligned.
[0026] The poles 2 extend radially outward from the hub 1 and each pole 2 is pivotally connected to a corresponding slot 11 proximate the radially inner end of each slot 11 . A pivoting pin 4 extends through each cap 3 and corresponding pole 2 at a radially inner end of each cap 3 and each end of the pivoting pin 4 extends into the pivoting holes 41 on each side of the walls 51 of each slot 11 thereby forming a pivoting axis for the poles 2 . The pivoting pin 4 can be any type of fastener such as a rod, bolt or screw as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 8 . Alternatively, the poles 2 can be directly connected to the connecting hub 1 without a pivoting cap as shown in FIG. 8 .
[0027] In the first embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIGS. 1-4 , the base 12 of each slot 11 extends to at least the portion of the poles 2 where the pivoting pins 4 are located and thus the inner ends of each pole 2 can pivot to and from the open and closed configurations within each corresponding slot 11 .
[0028] In operation, the tent of the first embodiment is opened by pulling the frame of the tent, i.e., the poles 2 , radially outward (see FIGS. 2-4 ) from the hub 1 such that the hub 1 is supported by the poles 2 and the poles 2 are telescopically extended, as shown in FIG. 1 . The feet 53 of the poles 2 are then fixed to a supporting surface and the canopy 55 of the tent is expanded. Only an outline of the canopy 55 is shown in FIG. 1 so that the overall structure of the tent 200 can be sufficiently shown. During this time, each pole 2 is secured within each corresponding slot 11 through the engagement of the curved outer surface 31 of the caps 3 and the curved grooves 111 of the slot walls 51 . Each pole 2 is further secured to each corresponding slot 11 by engaging the base 12 of the hub 1 and the tent 200 remains opened and securely erected.
[0029] Similarly, to close the tent the feet 53 of the poles 2 are first disengaged from the supporting surface. Without support from the feet of the poles 2 , the hub 1 moves downward due to its weight and assists in the closing of the tent. The bottom portions of the poles 2 are telescopically retracted and folded radially inward toward the hub 1 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) and further pivoted radially inward until the poles 2 and canopy are gathered above the hub 1 in a compact closed configuration for convenient storage and transportability. The canopy is not shown in the FIGS. 2-4 in order to show the folding function in more detail.
[0030] Referring to FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 , a roof connecting mechanism or hub 1 of the foldable canopy tent 200 in the second embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which a connecting hub 1 is a circular piece having a plurality of pivoting cabinets or slots 11 extending downward from a stopper or base 12 . The canopy of the tent is not shown in FIGS. 5-7 so that the hub 1 can be shown in more detail. Each slot 11 is formed by a pair of adjacent walls 51 which extend independently from the base 12 , and each slot 11 is uniformly arranged in a radial configuration. The walls 51 of each slot 11 have pivoting holes 41 such that the holes are substantially aligned.
[0031] The hub assembly further comprises a plurality of roof strut rods or poles 2 and, similar to the arrangement in the first embodiment, each pole 2 is received by a corresponding slot 11 .
[0032] A pivoting cap 3 is fixed on the inner end of each pole 2 such that each cap 3 is sufficiently secured or tightly fit onto each pole 2 . It is preferred that the external diameter of the pivoting cap 3 is less than or equal to the width of the inside of the slot 11 , which allows for the cap 3 of each pole 2 to pivotally maneuver in and out of each corresponding slot 11 . Each corresponding pole and cap have holes extending through the pole and cap such that the holes are substantially aligned.
[0033] The poles 2 extend radially outward from the hub 1 and each pole 2 is pivotally connected to a corresponding slot 11 proximate the radially outer end of each slot 11 . A pivoting pin 4 extends through each cap 3 and corresponding pole 2 at a radially outer end of each cap 3 and each end of the pivoting pin 4 extends into the pivoting holes 41 on each side of the walls 51 of each slot 11 , thereby forming a pivoting axis for the poles 2 . Alternatively, the poles 2 can be directly connected to the connecting hub 1 without a pivoting cap as shown in FIG. 8 .
[0034] Referring again to FIGS. 5-7 , the base 12 extends radially outward except that the base does not extend above the radially outer portions of the slots 11 where the poles 2 are pivotally connected to the walls 51 , thereby forming an opening or a void 61 . Thus, the radially inner portion of the base 12 restricts the inner end of the poles 2 from any upward pivotal movement beyond the bottom surface of the base 12 and as a result prevents the poles 2 from any downward pivotal movement beyond a position substantially parallel to the base 12 in the open configuration of the tent (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ). Moreover, the opening or void 61 provided on the radially outer portions of the slots 11 allow the poles 2 to pivotally move upward to the closed configuration of the tent (see FIG. 7 ).
[0035] In operation, similar to the operation of the tent in the first embodiment, the tent of the second embodiment is opened by pulling the frame of the tent, i.e., the poles 2 , radially outward (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ) from the hub 1 and in a downward direction such that the hub 1 is supported by the poles 2 . The feet of the poles 2 are then fixed to the ground or other surface and the tent canopy is spread out, as illustrated in FIG. 1 . During this time, the inner end of each pole 2 is secured within each corresponding slot 11 and the caps 3 of each pole 2 engages the bottom surface of the base 12 of the hub 1 . Thus, the tent remains opened and securely erected.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 7 , to close the tent, the feet of the poles 2 are first disengaged from the surface. Without support from the feet of the poles 2 , the hub 1 moves downward due to its weight and assists in the closing of the tent. The poles 2 are folded radially inward toward the hub 1 as the radially inner ends of the poles 2 are pivoted to a position below the base 12 . Thus, the poles 2 are gathered above the hub 1 in a compact closed configuration for convenient storage and transportability.
[0037] As described above, the slots 11 of the hub 1 not only restrict the poles 2 from pivoting beyond the base 12 in the open configuration but also provide for the poles 2 to pivot into a folded, compact closed configuration. Furthermore, the structure is simplified and the material cost is reduced while providing an easy and convenient opening and closing operation.
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The present invention provides a roof connecting mechanism of a foldable tent wherein a connecting hub is pivotally connected to roof strut rods so that the roof strut rods are movable in a compact manner relative to the connecting hub. The connecting hub includes pivoting cabinets in radial arrangement for pivoting the ends of each roof strut rod which has sufficient space to accommodate the ends of the roof strut rods when the tent is both in an open and folded configuration. The connecting hub also includes a stopper to limit the movement of the roof strut rods when in the open configuration. Such construction allows for a simple and compact opening and folding of the tent.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to bearing protectors and their use in rotating equipment, especially devices, which prevent the ingress or egress of a fluid or solid to a cavity, resulting in deterioration of equipment life. Such devices are also often referred to as bearing seals or bearing isolators. The use of such rotary seals extends beyond the protection of a bearing in rotating equipment. Accordingly, while reference will be made below to bearing protectors, it should be understood that this term is used, as far as the invention is concerned, in connection with such wider uses. More broadly, the term isolator device may be used.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of a bearing protector is to prevent the ingress of fluid, solids and/or debris from entering a bearing chamber. Equally, bearing protectors are employed to prevent the egress of fluid or solids from a bearing chamber. Essentially, their purpose is to prevent the premature failure of the bearing.
Bearing protectors generally fall into two categories: repeller or labyrinth bearing protectors; and mechanical seal bearing protectors. Reference is made to co-pending PCT patent publication No. WO0605950A concerned with labyrinth seal bearing protection and which discloses a substantially non-contacting bearing protector with a static shut off device.
The rotating component typically has a complex outer profile which is located adjacent and in close radial and axial proximity to a complex inner profile of the stationary component. Together these complex profiles, in theory, provide a tortuous path preventing the passage of the unwanted materials or fluids.
In conventional labyrinth devices, the close radial counter rotational members are substantially parallel to each other and run parallel to the centreline of the shaft. Unfortunately, these substantially parallel surfaces have limited effectiveness at discouraging the longitudinal movement of fluid.
STATEMENTS OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is a provided an isolator device for use in hindering fluid flow between components which are rotating relatively to each other about a longitudinal axis, said flow being in one direction parallel to said axis, the device comprising a stator for securing to a relatively fixed one of said components and a rotor for securing to a relatively rotating one of said components, the stator having a surface which extends longitudinally and adjacent to a surface of a component which rotates relative to said stator, the fluid flow being between said surfaces, the stator surface being non-parallel to the adjacent rotating component surface and being shaped to promote fluid flow in a direction opposing said one direction.
Preferably, the surface of the stator forms a least part of a recess within said stator. More preferably, the recess is non-rectangular in longitudinal section.
Typically, the recess will be located adjacent to a shaft of a pump or other rotating equipment. The shaft may be supported by bearings within a bearing housing.
The recess may have a gradually increasing depth in the direction of flow of the fluid (said one direction) and the resultant wedge-shaped longitudinal section of the recess results in fluid movement within the recess which tends to hinder the longitudinal flow in said one direction. Although not limited to any particular fluid movement within the recess, the creation of one or more fluid flow vortices can be envisaged.
Reference is made above to components of the isolator device when the device is in use, that is to say, with relative rotation between the components. It should be appreciated, however, that this is not intended to limit the scope of this invention to a device solely when it is in use but rather to enable the components of the device to be appropriately defined. The invention is directed to the device whether incorporated in rotatable equipment and whether that equipment is in a dynamic situation (in use) or is static. Furthermore, the invention extends to the device separate from, but capable of being installed in, a particular piece of equipment.
The present invention also provides rotating or rotatable equipment incorporating an isolating device of the invention.
Preferably, the gradually increasing depth of the recess is provided by a surface inclined at an angle to the longitudinal axis or from 1° to 45°.
Preferably, the maximum depth of the recess is at or closely adjacent to the upstream end of said recess, that is to say, closer to that end of the device which, in use, is entered by the flowing fluid.
Preferably, the recess is terminated by an end wall extending to the maximum depth of the recess at an angle to the longitudinal axis of from 90° to 45°.
Preferably, a velocity reducing groove is located in said stator adjacent to said recess. More preferably, the velocity reducing groove is situated upstream of the recess.
The recess may, instead of being a substantially wedge-shaped (in longitudinal section) groove, be a three-sided (in longitudinal section) groove have a substantially longitudinally extending base and substantially radially extending end walls. Preferably, each one of said end walls is inclined to the radial plane. More preferably, both of said end walls are inclined to be radial plane.
Preferably, the recess includes a rib extending from said base in a radially inwards directions.
Preferably, at least one of the edges of the recess is rounded. These edges may be the edges between the base and the end wall and/or those at the mouth of (the opening into) the recess.
Preferably, the rib is provided by smoothly curved, radially extending surfaces.
Preferably, the stator is provided with a deformable toroidal member which seals said stator to a relatively fixed one of said components.
Preferably, the rotor is provided with a deformable toroidal member to seal said rotor to a relatively rotatable one of said components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings are as follows:—
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of a labyrinth seal bearing protector of the invention mounted on a shaft;
FIG. 2 shows in detail, again in longitudinal section, a part of the stator of the bearing protector of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of another labyrinth seal bearing protector of the invention mounted on a shaft; and
FIGS. 4 to 6 show various recesses forming parts of further labyrinth seal bearing protectors of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, an isolator device, or bearing protector, 10 is fitted to an item of rotating equipment 11 . The equipment includes a rotating shaft 12 and the stationary housing 13 . The stationary housing 13 typically carried a bearing (not shown).
The area marked ‘X’ in FIG. 1 , located at one longitudinal end of the bearing protector 10 , may contain fluid and/or solids and/or foreign debris and/or atmosphere. The material in area ‘X’ may conveniently be referred to as ‘product substance’, a term used to describe either a single or a mixed medium.
Area ‘Y’ at the other longitudinal end of the bearing protector 10 can also contain a variety of fluids and solids, Typically, however, if this area is occupied by atmosphere. In general, the material occupying this area will be termed ‘atmospheric substance’ and the term is used to describe either single or mixed medium.
The bearing protector 10 comprises a rotor 14 located longitudinally adjacent to a stator 15 . A deformable toroidal member, in the form of elastomeric ring 16 , provides a radial seal between housing 13 and stator 15 . Similarly, a further deformable toroidal member, in the form of elastomer ring 17 , provides a radial seal between the shaft 12 and the rotor 14 .
Static shut-off device 18 , located within a roughly rectangular space defined on three sides by rotor 14 and one side by stator 15 , is substantially as described in PCT patent publication No. WO 0605950A.
Referring now to FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings, there is depicted detail of that part of stator 15 which lies adjacent to the shaft 12 . The stator in this region includes an annular groove 19 defined by radial walls 19 a and 19 b and inter-connecting circumferential wall 19 c . Groove 19 acts to reduce the velocity of fluid, which may be a single or mixed medium as mentioned above, entering the gap between stator 15 and shaft 12 from area ‘X’. In FIG. 2 the size of the arrows indicates the velocity of flow and it will be seen that, within groove 19 and between groove 19 and shaft 12 , the velocity is substantially reduced.
Located adjacent to 19 , and downstream thereof, is an annular recess 20 which is substantially wedge-shaped in longitudinal section. The depth of recess 20 decreases gradually, from its maximum depth, in the direction, from area ‘X’ and ‘Y’ which is the direction of flow of the fluid. The wedge-shaped longitudinal section of recess 20 is made up of a gently inclined (to the longitudinal axis) annular surface 21 and a much more steeply inclined surface 22 providing a shoulder to the recess.
The gently inclined surface 21 may be inclined at any angle between 1° and 45° to the shaft axis. Preferably, the angle of inclination to the shaft axis is from 15° to 30°, but more preferably 20°.
The more steeply inclined surface 22 is preferably inclined at an angle to the shaft axis of from 90 to 45°, preferably 60 to 80°, and more preferably 75°.
Accordingly, while the equipment is in operation, with shaft 12 rotating in the direction shown by the arrow partly encircling the shaft, the fluid 24 is subjected to centrifugal forces which propel it towards the surface 21 of recess 20 . Closer to the steeply inclined surface 22 the fluid may be caused to carry out a somewhat circular motion as indicated by the arrows in that region. The effect of recess 20 is to hinder fluid flow from region ‘X’ and region ‘Y’ with the result that the amount of fluid entering region ‘Y’ is substantially reduced or even eliminated. As described, with reference to the FIGS. 1 and 2 embodiment, the inclined surface 21 of the stator is adjacent and substantially facing the rotor surface, namely, that of the shaft 12 . In this case the rotor surface extends parallel to the shaft axis. In another embodiment of the present invention, the rotor surface may also be inclined, effectively reducing the angle between the converging surfaces of the stator and the rotor.
As indicated above the radial distance between the rotating surface 23 (shaft 12 ) and the inclined stator surface 20 preferably increases in a direction towards the fluid entry source. In this way, the fluid tends to be returned back to that source.
By having surface 22 very steeply angled (it may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis), the longitudinally travelling fluid is thrown radially inwardly against the shaft 12 at the position where the centrifugal forces are at their lowest magnitude. This position typically coincides with that of maximum depth of the recess 20 .
Although the exact movement of the fluid within recess 20 will depend on a number of factors, it may be that in a certain situation so called standing vortices 40 are created adjacent to surface 22 . These vortices 40 can be described as swirling, spiral movements of fluid within the recess. Vortices 40 provide a longitudinal fluid area, helping to prevent longitudinal movement of fluid in a direction away from the fluid source.
Referring now to FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings a second embodiment of a bearing protector 51 , in accordance with the present invention, includes a stator 53 , sealed to equipment housing 55 by elastomer ring 57 , and a rotor 59 , sealing to shaft 61 by elastomer ring 63 .
In this case, the stator is provided with a plurality of inclined surfaces located adjacent to rotor component. A first longitudinally adjacent pair of said surfaces 65 and 67 is provided adjacent to shaft 61 . A further inclined surface 69 forms part of a recess 71 , which accommodates a castellated (in cross section) arm 73 of rotor 50 . In this case the angle of inclination of surface 69 to the longitudinal axis is very low.
A further inclined surface is provided on arm 75 of stator 53 and this surfaces lies adjacent to the outer (again castellated) surface of rotor 59 .
All these arrangements of inclined surfaces act to inhibit flow (in one direction or the other) from one side of bearing protector 51 to the other side.
Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated embodiments of the present invention in which the fluid flow inhibiting component is provided by a recess 81 which may be seen as a modification of recess 19 of the FIG. 2 embodiment whether alone or together with other flow inhibiting entities such as recess 20 in the FIG. 2 embodiment.
The recesses depicted in FIGS. 4 to 6 are substantially three-sided having a base 83 and end walls 85 and 87 . In the FIGS. 4 and 5 embodiments, the end walls 85 and 87 are oppositely inclined to the radial plane such that the mouth of the recess is of shorter longitudinal length than that the base 83 .
In the cases of the FIGS. 5 and 6 embodiments, the recess 81 is provided with an integral, radially extending rib which is located substantially centrally within base 83 .
As illustrated, particularly in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the various edges of the recess, those between the base 83 and the end walls 85 and 87 and those at the mouth of the recess, are rounded.
The radially extending walls of rib 89 are, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 , gently curved in a direction radially outwardly form the ends of the rib.
The shapes of the recesses in FIGS. 4 to 6 are such as to promote fluid movement within the recess which tends to oppose the longitudinal fluid flow, indicated by arrows 91 and 93 within the device. The fluid flow within the recesses may be as indicated by the arrows 95 which indicate the creation of vortices. However, it should be understood that the actual fluid movement within the recesses may be of a different nature, but nonetheless hindering the main longitudinal flow.
In general, rotary seals in accordance with the present invention may be used not only in the case where the shaft is a rotary member and the housing is a stationary member but also the reverse situation, that is to say, in which the shaft is stationary and the housing is rotary.
Furthermore, the invention may be embodied in both rotary and stationary arrangements of cartridge and component seals with metallic components as well as non-metallic components.
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An isolator device, which may be a bearing seal or a bearing isolator, for use hindering fluid flow between components which are rotating relative to each other about a longitudinal axis, the flow being in one direction parallel to this axis, includes a stator for securing to a rotary fixed one of the components and a rotor for securing to a relatively rotating one of the components. The stator has a surface which extends longitudinally and adjacent to a surface of a component, which rotates relative to the stator. The fluid flow is between the two surfaces and the stator surface is non-parallel to the adjacent component surface and is shaped to promote fluid flow in a direction opposing the general fluid flow direction.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/681,807, filed Aug. 10, 2012, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Expandable waterproofing products have evolved into a large segment of the commercial waterproofing industry worldwide. Multiple manufacturers, distributors and applicators have been in search of the right combination of products, formulations, sheeting, and protective scrim capable of resolving variable and complicated product integrity issues arising from product damage encountered after installing expandable waterproofing products. In the days, weeks and months after initial installation, traditional expandable waterproofing products often warp or degrade.
[0003] Presently, expandable waterproofing products incorporate a method of quilting two sheets together, forming a sandwich surrounding a chosen expansive material. The quilting is a method used to prevent free expansion of the expansive material, while doubling as foot and machinery traffic surface. A needle punching method comprises a needle that punches a U-shaped tip through a lofted, polypropylene, nonwoven, expansive median (typically Bentonite Clay) and continues through another nonwoven, woven or other base sheet. The U-shaped needed elongates or straightens the once entangled polypropylene strands, attaching the top sheet, through the expansive medium material and penetrating the base sheet. Interlocking will then vary depending on the frequency of needle punches, strand tensile strength and anchoring of the strand on the other side of the base sheet material. These types of needle punched products are most common in both the commercial waterproofing and liner containment markets.
[0004] However, these products are engineered with a flaw. The continuous perforation of the base sheet required in order to achieve expansive material containment also provides avenues for water to enter the material and travel, creating elevated levels of water vapor transmission into the structure and surrounding the structure. An undamaged or unperforated base sheet membrane has 10,000 times less water vapor transmission than the use of expansive clays alone, or sandwiched between two porous sheets.
[0005] The expandables generally absorb the water and the individual granules expand, such that when the granules are traditionally assembled in layers, on sheets of waterproofing membranes, the introduction of water or other moisture causes the granules to expand and push away from one another. The result, after water or moisture introduction, is a saturated waterproofing membrane in which the expandables have pushed against each other and after saturated, typical expansion results in detachment of membranes from the granules adhered. Thus, the waterproofing membrane is no longer usable.
[0006] The existing expandable waterproofing products are prone to damage by pre-hydration from foot or machine traffic, including traffic related to preparation and installation of the waterproofing membranes. This means once installed, the waterproofing membrane is already at a limited capacity as the waterproofing products are exposed to moisture and thus water has been absorbed before the product is even installed for intended use. Once expandable waterproofing products are prematurely hydrated, blemished or rendered ineffective in sealing water with respect to original, pre-installation performance capabilities and expectations, the waterproofing materials or membranes need to be repaired or replaced all together. Further, prior to completed installation, prolonged moisture exposure or submersion of sheet waterproofing systems typically occurs over weekends or during breaks in construction work. After prolonged soaking, workers walk directly over the expanded sheets, further displacing factory manufactured thickness and further compromising the products' overall ability to consistently seal across entire surface areas with equal expandable sealant capacity. Every step on a pre-expanded waterproofing sheet extrudes the expandable material away from its pressure, resulting in displacement and reduction in overall performance and waterproofing integrity.
[0007] Many combinations of variables also contribute to the degradation of expandable sheet waterproofing products after installation. The primary post installation culprit is inclimate weather saturation. After hydration has occurred, the entire waterproofing system is compromised and often, the result is partial, if not full, removal and replacement required of the previously installed expandable waterproofing sheeting. Additional problems can arise once an expandable waterproofing sheet has been installed since the membrane is no longer easily accessible for repair and/or replacement. It is difficult and time consuming to replace waterproofing sheets that have been encased under or behind rebar, rendering it inaccessible for removal or replacement.
[0008] Standard emulsions adhesives used to adhere or set present waterproofing membranes have a typical solids content ranging from 40 to 60% by weight. The high ratio of 40-60% of water is needed to suspend its solids content during transportation and or application of emulsion adhesive to various surfaces. When emulsion adhesives are used to adhere expansive raw materials such as Bentonite Clay or Super Absorbent Polymers, the water content of the adhesive emulsion is delivered at the same time as its adhesive solids. This ratio of water and adhesive solids cannot effectively contain the expansive materials overwhelming expansive nature. The more adhesive that is applied to the expansive material, an equal or greater amount of water is also distributed at the same time.
[0009] This Dual delivery of water at the same time as the adhesive only further activates the expansive qualities of the granules. The greater the quantity of water absorbed by the expansive material, the greater its overall physical size becomes. As the expansive material is continuously fed water, the expansive granule layer is weakened and becomes less dense, while it expands to a gel or another expanded version of itself. In all cases the expansive material becomes more viscous and more prone to future displacement. The pre-expansion of expansive materials such as Bentonite clay and super absorbent polymers represents the first downward step in product sealing performance and the one which can never be reversed.
[0010] Subsequently, many expandable waterproofing sheet systems are simply left in place and covered with concrete, despite the obvious compromise in future sheet sealant performance. This conflict is usually the result of financial considerations as well as penalties associated with construction delays. The biggest challenge facing all expandable sheet waterproofing products lie in the ability of the sheet waterproofing material to maintain a consistent performance standard after job site installation when compared to original expected performance ranges, pre-installation.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present disclosure relates to a waterproofing membrane system comprising a mixture of dry rubber granules, dry expansive material granules, an adhesive and a membrane. The dry rubber granules are mixed with the dry expansive material granules, and then applied to the membrane in at least a first layer such that the rubber particles limit expansion of the expandables in the layer when the membrane is introduced to a source of moisture. An adhesive is used to adhere the mixture to the membrane. The waterproofing membrane may further limit expansion by comprising a mixture of granules containing 25-90% rubber particles by weight while the expandables may comprise Bentonite clay granules, super absorbent polymer particles or a combination of both granules.
[0012] The present disclosure also relates to a method of making an expansive sheet waterproofing system comprising determining a desired waterproofing and expansion need and pulverizing recycled rubber into granules, drying the rubber granules, and then mixing the rubber granules with dry granules of expansive material. The method further comprises applying the mixture of rubber granules and expansive materials as a layer to a substrate having an adhesive coating thereon and the rubber particles limiting expansion of the expansive granules in the layer when exposing the membrane to a source of moisture. Additional layers may be applied by applying an adhesive layer between layers of the granule mixture. In one example, to further limit expansion, the mixture of granules may contain 25-90% rubber particles by weight while the expandables may comprise Bentonite clay granules, super absorbent polymer particles or a combination of both granules.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded side view of a waterproofing membrane comprising the waterproofing composition of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention comprises an expandable waterproofing system, the system comprising a composition of recycled pulverized rubber granules mixed with granules of an expandable. The resulting composition is then adhered to a membrane or other substrate for use as a waterproofing sheet or membrane. The membrane of the present system effectively delays, and possibly prevents hydrophilic expansion of expandable material granules which increases sheet flexibility, increases foot traffic wear resistance, and as such results in overall improvements in appearance, durability, strength and waterproofing performance while inhibiting tearing and/or prehydration of the waterproofing membrane.
[0015] More specifically, the present system comprises a specific blend of recycled rubber (typically 40-mesh recycled automobile tire rubber) mixed with an expandable granular. Granular Bentonite clay (typically 30 to 16 mesh granular Bentonite) may be used. The expansive granules may also include, but are not limited to Super Absorbent Polymers including polyacrylate and/or polyacrylimide granules. The system may use any combination or blend of expandables, depending on the needs of the waterproofing system.
[0016] The system of the present invention further includes a method by which the rubber granules are coated with an emulsion adhesive or pressure sensitive adhesive. The adhesive coats a circumference of a rubber granule, and thus surrounds a preferred particle size ranging from 16 to 40 mesh sized granular recycled rubber. The adhesive coated rubber particles then assume larger mass space of coverage, while maintaining the pliability, elongation, similar tack strength and similar qualities to emulsion adhesives, while covering a much larger surface area, using a lower amount of adhesive fluid. As the overall surface and mass area of the emulsion adhesive is enlarged, the mass to water content ratio also changes. The water ratio is minimized and a diminishing water content ratio is achieved. The recycled rubber used is flexible, durable and adheres well to other particles after an emulsion adhesive is applied.
[0017] The system of the present invention also reduces the amount of water needed in preparing waterproofing membrane construction while increasing the flexibility and durability of the waterproofing membrane, such that the membrane is able to remain intact and retain waterproofing capability far beyond present systems. The system further comprises an increase in overall rubber solids, by concentration, and simultaneously reducing water typically included with the use of emulsion adhesions. The system also maintains the use of standard emulsion base additives or adhesives. The overall usage and performance ranges are expanded, while reducing costs during usage. The concentration of rubber content is expanded far beyond that of an acrylic emulsion or asphaltic emulsion capability during various sheet product manufacturing processes.
[0018] More specifically, the rubber granules when prepared with an adhesive coating may be pre-dried prior to adhesive application, and should be dry when coated with the adhesive. Thus, the granules become sticky, and able to adhere to additional granules. Dry granules of expandables are then mixed with the adhesive coated rubber granules, forming a mixture wherein the granules stick together. Heat may be added when mixing to further ensure no additional water remains, and to further eliminate pre-hydration and expansion of the expandables.
[0019] The rubber is introduced to the mixture to essentially inhibit any destruction of the waterproofing expandables from the pressure created as the expandables take on moisture and expand against each other. The rubber granules have coated and surround the expandables such that when the expandables try to expand, the expansion is prevented by the strength of the rubber emulsion combination. Wherein a raw expandable will reach full moisture capacity within hours, an expandable surrounded by the adhesive coated rubber granules may take days to reach full moisture capacity, and if the ratio of rubber and adhesive to expandables if great enough for the intended use of the waterproofing membrane, the expandables may never reach full moisture capacity.
[0020] Generally, compositions of 50-95% rubber granules by weight exhibit the highest expansion limiting characteristics. More specifically, rubber compositions of greater than 75% by weight may inhibit expansion such that the expandables within a waterproofing composition will not tear, rip or otherwise be blown apart as a result of expansion.
[0021] The waterproofing composition includes substituting parts of the emulsion adhesive, and thus reducing the percentage of initial water content of the waterproofing composition, with rubber particles. The rubber particles used may be recycled automobile tire or other rubber. However, any suitable rubber material may be used. The composition may also comprise acrylic adhesives or any suitable adhesive that is substantially tacky, or sticky. The addition of rubber particles, or granules, not only adds flexibility to the waterproofing system, but also mimics the properties of PSA or other emulsion adhesives, while reducing, if not eliminating the need for the addition of water. The rubber, when used in the waterproofing system minimizes the amount of water available to expandable materials when producing the system which also allows the system to withstand far greater submersion or contact with water or other absorbable liquids than traditional waterproofing membranes. The rubber as added to the waterproofing composition prevents or extends hydration time.
[0022] As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the system of the present invention further comprises adhering the waterproofing composition to a membrane, substrate, flexible backing or other suitable support means 120 . The composition is adhered in layers 140 , wherein a first layer of adhesive or glue is applied to a membrane 120 and a first layer of the granule waterproofing composition is applied thereon. On top of the first waterproofing composition layer a second layer of adhesive of glue may be applied and then a second layer of waterproofing composition is applied thereon. Additional layers or other combinations of the composition and adhesive may be used per the intended application needs of the waterproofing membrane. The thickness of each waterproofing composition layer will depend on the adhesive coated rubber 160 to expansive granule 180 ratio used in the composition and the desired waterproofing abilities, as well as the intended use of the manufactured waterproofing membrane 100 . Each waterproofing composition layer is approximately 30-125 mil in thickness. The granules are kept as dry as possible throughout the system assembly process, and heat or other moisture eliminating processes may also be added such that the environment is water free by evaporation prior to adhering to the membrane.
[0023] When assembling sheets of expansive materials as described above, the waterproofing composition includes the recycled rubber particulates of an adequate size to bridge the thickness of the expansive materials (Bentonite clay or other super absorbent polymer) from the substrate base sheet to the top of the assembled product with a single granular size.
[0024] The waterproofing composition serves to form a layer wherein the rubber granules and the expansive material are staggered or mixed within each single layer.
[0025] In an additional embodiment, a waterproofing membrane may be formed by layering recycled rubber granules alternately with expansive materials during the manufacturing process.
[0026] In a further embodiment, to meet enhanced desired expansion capacities of waterproofing membranes, the expansion capacity, and thus waterproofing composition, of each layer can be altered independently. As such, each layer may comprise a varied composition by rubber or expansives content or weight ratio.
[0027] The waterproofing system described herein can be used across various applications. The expansive sheet waterproofing materials can be utilized in various new products, ranging from flat or textured impermeable traffic bearing membranes, the membranes being laminated with the expansive coating composition to fabrics, to high performance slower swelling water stops, and engineered to exact expansion capability tapes. The composition as adhered to base sheets or other substrates results in enhanced performance with respect to foot traffic, machinery durability and weather resistance. Alternate selections of base sheets or substrates can further enhance performance. The waterproofing system may further incorporate the use of smooth polyethylene membranes as a base sheet for various expansive material products. Additionally, a textured base sheet may be incorporated or substituted in place of a smooth base material. The texturing of the base sheet or substrate increases the total surface area available for the expansive material to attach or adhere to, and further results in the creation of an interlocking cast pattern capable of greater prevention of expansive material displacement and increased weather resistance.
[0028] The composition can also be adhered to a flexible, adhesive backed substrate such that the result is a “peel-n-stick” expansive waterproofing sheet capable of both expansive sealing of membrane breaches with engineered appropriate percentages of rubber while able to self adhere by removal of a barrier sheet over the adhesive coated backside of the sheet waterproofing.
[0029] Additional base or substrates compatible with the waterproofing composition and variations described throughout this specification include base sheets that are woven, nonwoven, comprise netting or a release liner or any combination thereof. Both permeable base sheets and impermeable membranes are compatible for adhesion of the waterproofing composition. One an appropriate base sheet or membrane has been determined, the specifications of the waterproofing composition layers including the rubber to expansives ratio of each layer and the amount of layers, as well as adhesive are determined.
[0030] The waterproofing membrane with the hydrophilic rubber composition adhered thereto can also be used as non-slip, expandable traction sheets, compression resistant expandable waterproofing sheets used on side slopes of landfills as liners or maybe installed over, under or in between concrete that is cast in place or prefabricated. The fully adhered expansive sheet product is also easily capable of submersion in water or water based liquids, without back pressure or detachment of the composition from the surface or substrate it is attached or adhered to.
[0031] In most uses of waterproofing membranes, a termination bar is used to hold the sheet or membrane tight against a wall or other terminating point. At the wall, the membrane is not coated with any expandable materials, and only an adhesive layer remains, which is used to adhere to the wall. When the waterproofing membrane system of the present invention is used, the rubber/expandables composition may be applied to the entire sheet or membrane since the possibility of full expansion is eliminated and thus there is no threat of the membrane or sheet ripping away from a wall and allowing moisture to enter. The present system eliminates expansion in all directions on a membrane.
[0032] The present invention further includes a method for increasing and engineering to specific ratios the composition comprising the emulsion adhesive, recycled tire rubber and expansive materials. The composition allows for far greater expansion, water resistance/containment and flexibility beyond that of the capability of existing emulsion adhesives and their containment ability. The greater the ratio of rubber content in the composition, the lower the amount of expansion will result after submersion. Conversely, a greater ratio of expansive material results in greater overall swelling. Overall sheet durability, compression resistance, peel strength all follow the same logic.
EXAMPLE 1
[0033] Typical emulsion adhesive usage for expansive sheet products is approximately 1 to 2 pounds of fluid adhesive per 5 square feet of sheet coverage and contains approximately 5 pounds of expansive raw material during the manufacturing process of various waterproofing membranes. Since the emulsion adhesive consists of approximately 50% water by weight, the solids or rubber content of the emulsion adhesive ratio results in approximately 0.5 to 1 pound of adhesive rubber solids per 5 square feet and/or 5 pounds of overall expansive material processed.
[0034] Using the waterproofing composition of the present disclosure, the same proportion of 1 to 2 pounds of “fluid” emulsion adhesive can be elevated to a rubber content containing approximately 0.75 to 4.75 pounds of rubber solids (recycled rubber particles) per 5 square feet and/or 5 pounds of overall expansive material. Both examples contain the same ratio of 0.5 to 1 pound of water per 5 square feet of coverage and/or use of 5 pounds of expansive material.
[0035] The system containing 0.75 to 4.75 pounds of rubber solids per 5 square feet and/or 5 pounds of expansive material is required to engineer specific blends of expansive material capable of fully adhering to various substrates. This includes creating self-ballasted sheets for above or below grade uses, installation of expansive sheets unconfined or confined, improved durability to sustain machinery and foot traffic with minimal displacement, and engineered delayed hydration of expansive material while increasing strength, sheer, elongation and adhesion.
[0036] Typically, emulsion adhesives require water for suspension of solids. Thus, the more emulsion adhesive used in constructing a waterproofing membrane, the more water is present in the waterproofing membrane before the membrane is even installed. Thus, water has already been introduced to the expandable materials, including Bentonite clay and/or Super Absorbent Polymers, reducing the function of these materials as used in waterproofing membranes. The present invention essentially proportionately reduces this water content and increases overall function of a waterproofing membrane by adhesion of the composition to a selected membrane.
[0037] The waterproofing membranes can be manufactured using various methods of layering the waterproofing composition on a base sheet or substrate. Each method serves to provide enhanced properties to the waterproofing membrane once manufactured. Further, a waterproofing membrane may be manufactured using a single layering method or a combination of layering methods depending on the desired characteristics of the waterproofing membrane.
[0038] In a preferred method of manufacturing a waterproofing membrane, a topical coat layer is adhered to both a top and a bottom of the waterproofing composition layer. The topical coat layer is applied to add strength and structure the waterproofing composition and waterproofing membrane. A sandwich like structure is formed, wherein a base sheet or substrate is coated with a first topical coat layer. The waterproofing composition is then layered on top of the topical coat structure. A second topical coat layer is then applied thereon. The top and bottom layers are of the same general composition, but variations may be made to either topical layer depending on desired qualities or structural limitations on the base sheet or substrate. The waterproofing composition layer (also referred to as the center or middle layer), as sandwiched between the topical layers and adhered to a base sheet is specifically tailored to the expansion needs of the membrane. The ratio of rubber to expansives as determined by the selected base sheet, desired expansive specifications and an end use of the membrane comprises the middle or center layer. The middle or center layer will expand while retaining its original shape and without twisting, warping or distorting the base sheet or substrate. The middle or center layer may comprise one or more layers of waterproofing composition as discussed previously. Further, each individual layer of waterproofing material comprising the middle or center layer may be of the same or different composition depending on the desired expansive specifications.
[0039] Specifications may eliminate the need for topical layers. As such, base sheet adhesion is a method of layering the waterproofing composition on to a base sheet. An example of base sheet adhesion comprises adhesion of a layer of waterproofing composition to a top-side of a base sheet. The base sheet for example, comprising polyethylene.
[0040] Further, optimal sheet adhesion to a membrane comprises coating one to three layers of the waterproofing composition, wherein the composition may be a least expansive composition. Coating one to two layers of the waterproofing composition minimizes shear forces between the expansive granules and the rubber granules when the expansives are exposed to water or hydration. Optimal sheet adhesion and multiple layering may be used with or without topical coat layers.
[0041] In yet a further embodiment, a middle or center layer may comprise a minimally expansive waterproofing composition layer. Such layers, without topical coat layers, is useful in a product wherein the product is designed to expand in all directions and remain flexible and undistorted after hydration. Thus the membrane will pivot and expand from the center. An example would be a substrate wherein adhesive is coated on both sides.
[0042] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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A waterproofing membrane system comprising a mixture of dry rubber granules with dry expansive material granules, the mixture adhered to a membrane in a layer. The rubber particles act to limit expansion of the expansive granules in each layer when the membrane is introduced to a source of moisture. Making an expansive sheet waterproofing system comprises determining a desired waterproofing and expansion need by mixing of the rubber granules with dry expansive granules and applying the mixture as a layer to a substrate having an adhesive coating thereon. The coating resulting in the rubber particles limiting expansion of the expansive granules when exposing the prepared membrane to a source of moisture. The membrane retains flexibility and waterproofing, durability and strength of the membrane is increased.
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BACKGROUND
The present invention relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to improved frequency and phase locked loops for acquiring a carrier of a communication signal by measuring both phase and frequency.
Phase locked loops have been used for many years to provide a carrier reference for demodulation of a signal. In particular quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) signals have used the phase locked loops to generate a carrier to extract the in-phase and quadrature components of a signal to demodulate the data signals that are contained in the signal.
The structure of a typical conventional phase locked loop used in a demodulator is shown in FIG. 1 . The phase locked loop shown in FIG. 1 is a second-order phase locked loop that is able to adjust the phase of an input signal to remove any bias in the phase of the signal as it comes from the demodulator.
The conventional phase locked loop can be modeled as an infinite impulse response filter. A control loop measures the error signal, the output of the phase detector, and feeds that error signal back to correct the phase of the carrier used for demodulation. The use of the integrator makes the loop a second order loop with advantages in the operation of the circuit. A text by Floyd Gardner, entitled “Phase lock Techniques,” published by Wiley and Sons, NY, 1979 provides for a more complete discussion of phase locked loops.
The integrator forms the integral of the phase, the frequency of the error signal to be used in the correction of the carrier used in the demodulation.
Other forms of phase locked loops also form control loops that control the phase and frequency of a numerically controlled oscillator or voltage controlled oscillator used to lock to the carrier of the signal being demodulated.
The phase locked loop has problems when the initial frequency of the oscillator is not near to the frequency of the signal. The loop must “hunt” for the frequency of the signal. If the frequency of the signal is too far from the initial frequency of the oscillator, the loop will fail to lock.
The bandwidth of the loop may be increased by decreasing the gain of the loop to increase the acquisition bandwidth of the loop. The increase in the bandwidth allows more noise in the loop, increasing the phase error of the loop and contributing to errors in demodulation of the signal.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide for improved frequency and phase locked loops that acquire a carrier of a communication signal by measuring both phase and frequency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To meet the above and other objectives, the present invention provides for improved frequency and phase locked loops that are well adapted for use in communication systems. The frequency and phase locked loops are used to acquire a carrier of a communication signal by measuring both phase and frequency.
The present invention provides for the measurement of both frequency and phase error during carrier acquisition of a communication signal. The measurement uses a finite impulse response (FIR) filter as well as the usual feedback loop in the processing. The present invention is able to acquire the carrier signal much more quickly with less phase noise in the demodulation of the signal compared to conventional techniques.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The various features and advantages of the present invention may be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary conventional phase locked loop used in a demodulator;
FIG. 2 illustrates the architecture of an exemplary frequency and phase locked loop in accordance with the principles of the present invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates details regarding phase mapping of the signal in the exemplary frequency and phase locked loop shown in FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 illustrates details regarding the phase and frequency estimate performed in the exemplary frequency and phase locked loop shown in FIG. 2 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to FIG. 2, it illustrates the architecture of an exemplary frequency and phase locked loop 20 or processor 20 in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The present invention provides for a frequency and phase locked loop 20 that implements a new technique for carrier acquisition that uses a measure of phase and a measure of frequency. The technique embodied in the present invention is a finite impulse response filter technique for measuring the parameters of a carrier for a communication signal.
The loop 20 starts by shifting the frequency of an input signal to baseband by multiplying 21 , 22 by the cosine and sine of a frequency generated by a look-up table 23 coupled to a numerical controlled oscillator 24 that is near to the correct frequency of the input signal. The product yields the in-phase and quadrature components of the signal for further processing.
The in-phase and quadrature components of the signal are input to a symbol center clock 26 that drives a sampler 25 that samples the in-phase and quadrature components of the signal. The output of the sampler 25 is delayed 27 and input to a first input of a mixer 31 . The output of the sampler 25 is also phase mapped 28 and processed to generate a phase and frequency estimate 30 which generates a fine frequency adjustment signal that is input to a second input of the mixer 31 . The output of the mixer 31 is a phase locked signal.
FIG. 3 illustrates phase mapping 28 of the input signal. The phase mapping 28 raises the complex input signal to the fourth power by squaring then squaring again. The function of the phase mapping 28 is to map the quadrant from −45 degrees to +45 degrees to a full +/−180 degrees. The phase shifts of the quadrature amplitude modulation are removed, yielding a carrier signal that can move through a full 360 degrees. In applications where the carrier is generated in another way, the phase mapping 28 need not be used.
FIG. 4 illustrates details of the phase and frequency estimate 30 . The phase and frequency estimates 30 are implemented using modified finite impulse response (FIR) filters.
The first step in the estimation of phase and frequency is to push (input) the sampled complex baseband signal into a shift register 44 . The each stage of the shift register 44 is used to supply a sample to a weighting function as is done in finite impulse response (FIR) filters. The departure from simple FIR filtering is the insertion of an intermediate phase shift stage 45 where the samples are phase shifted by an amount proportional to the spacing along the shift register 44 . That is, each stage of the shift register 44 is shifted by an amount equal to
exp(jωτ k )
where τ k ranges from −T/2 to T/2 as k ranges from 1 to N, and where N is the number of stages in the shift register 44 .
This function, in effect shifts the frequency of the complex baseband signal in the shift register 44 by an amount
ω=2*π*f
where the frequency is measured in terms of cycles per sample.
The two weighting functions 46 , 47 for the phase and the frequency are the usual weighting functions for a FIR filter. The weights are real, while the phase shifted complex baseband signals from the shift register 44 are complex with in-phase and quadrature components as discussed above.
The nominal weighting function for phase is a constant. That is, the phase filter 46 measures the average value of the frequency shifted samples from the shift register 44 .
WT phase ( k ) =const.
The nominal weighting function for frequency is a signal proportional to the tap number in the shift register 44 .
WT freq ( k ) = k−N /2 for N even and k −( N +1)/2 for N odd
where k is the number of the tap of the shift register 44 and N is the number of taps in the shift register 44 .
The frequency weights go from −N/2 to +N/2 as the number of taps goes from 1 to N.
It is convenient if the number of taps in the shift register 44 is odd. In this case the frequency weights 47 go from −(N+1)/2 to (N+1)2.
A variation of these weights applies a window function to the phase and frequency weights. A typical window function that might be used is a Kaiser window. A discussion of windows may be found in a text by T. Parks and C. Burrus, entitled “Digital Filter Design, ” published by Wiley and Sons, NY, 1987.
The phase and frequency computation 49 takes a number from the phase filter 46 and a number from the frequency filter 47 and calculates a number for a phase register 42 that is used in the numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) 41 to generate the mixing signal to shift the input signal to precisely the carrier frequency of the signal. The output of the phase register 42 is input to the look-up table 43 that generates the fine frequency adjustment signal that is input to the mixer 31 . The output of the mixer 31 is a signal that is phase locked, so that demodulation of the signal can proceed.
The computation 49 starts with the complex phase number from the phase filter 46 and calculating its magnitude:
Magnitude=sqrt(Phase*conjugate(Phase)).
The reciprocal of this magnitude is calculated for purposes of normalizing the results:
Reciprocal Phase Magnitude=1/Magnitude.
The phase number is adjusted to have a magnitude of one:
Normalized Phase=Phase*Reciprocal Phase Magnitude
The output of the frequency filter 47 is a complex number that is phase shifted in accordance with the normalized phase and has the magnitude normalized in accordance with the measured amplitude of the phase signal.
Normalized Frequency =Gain*Frequency*conjugate(Normalized Phase) *Reciprocal Phase Magnitude.
The gain is adjusted by a calibration procedure so that the result measures the frequency of the offset of the frequency of the signal after the original frequency shift.
The next frequency is set:
Control Frequency( k )=Control Frequency( k −1)+GainF*imag(Normalized Frequency)
where imag( ) indicates the imaginary part of the complex value.
The phase register value that is used to set the mixing value for the next sample is:
Phase Register(k)=Phase Register( k −1)+0.25*(GainP*imag(Normalized Phase)−2*π*Control Frequency( k −1).
The gains, GainF and GainP, are used to adjust the time constant of the response to the measurements of the frequency and phase error. The constant 0.25 adjusts for the fact that the frequency has been multiplied by a factor of four in the phase mapping stage of the processing.
The control frequency is used to control the selection of a set of values of the frequency shift of the processing. The frequency shift operation, multiplying the samples from the shift register 44 by exp(jωτk), has values that depend on the frequency used in the shift operation. The values for a particular frequency can be preloaded into a memory 48 , then selected for the frequency shift operation by using the control frequency as an index to retrieve the values for multiplication.
The phase register 44 value is used with a look-up table (LUT) 43 to retrieve the appropriate cosine and sine values for the mixing operation 31 .
The estimate of the phase and frequency apply to the signal that is at the center of the shift register 44 . This signal has been delayed by one half the shift register length. By inserting a delay 27 in the signal before the mixer 31 that shifts the frequency and phase of the carrier, the adjustment to the phase and frequency can be made to match the signal. The demodulation of the signal can start with the first symbol of the signal, not waiting for the phase locked loop to lock, as is the case for a traditional phase locked loop.
The frequency and phase locked loop 20 has two parameters that control its operation, the length of the shift register 44 used in the basic filtering operation and the gains, GainF and GainP, used to modify the values of the frequency and phase in the operation. As the length of the shift register 44 is made longer, the accuracy of the estimation of the phase and frequency is more accurate. The accuracy of the estimate of the frequency error improves as N 3/2 . The gains, GainF and GainP adjust the time constant of the correction for the errors in phase and frequency measured by the phase and frequency filters 46 , 47 .
With these two controls, the operation of the frequency and phase lock loop 20 can be adjusted to achieve the desired phase error for a given signal to noise ratio and the speed of acquisition of the carrier desired. If GainF and GainP are equal to 1.0, the speed of acquisition is as rapid as possible and is equal to a number of samples equal to half the length of the shift register. If the GainF and GainP are set equal to 1/(N/2), the speed of acquisition and the speed of correction of the errors in frequency and phase is balanced. If GainF and GainP are much less than 1/(N/2), the phase error will be reduced at the cost of an increased acquisition time.
The processing requires one complex filtering operation and two real filtering operations operating on complex values fed into the shift register 44 . For short shift registers 44 , from 5 to 15 stages long, for example, the number of computations is on the order of 8*N or 8*15 =120 multiply-adds for a shift register that is 15 stages long. The implementation of processing with 15 to 120 multiply-adds in one field programmable gate array or ASIC is well within the state of the art. The multipliers can operate with multiply rate up to 100 megaHertz is many implementations. This suggests that data rates on the order of 50 mega-symbols per second can be handled by such a processor 20 .
Variations of the present invention will now be discussed. Simplifications of the processor 20 can be made at some cost in performance. The simplest version of the processor 20 is one with three taps in the shift register 44 . A longer shift register 44 may be made into a three tap equivalent shift register 44 by dividing the shift register 44 into two parts. The values of the samples in each half of the register 44 are added to form an average signal in that half of the register 44 . The phase value is the sum of the two values while the frequency value is the difference between the two values. For this approach, it is convenient if the shift register 44 has an even number of stages.
This simplification will reduce the frequency acquisition range of the processor 20 . It will reduce the number of multiplies and adds to three for frequency shift, the phase filter 46 , and the frequency filter 47 of the processor 20 , much less than the full computation rate required for a shift register 44 with more stages.
Thus, the frequency and phase locked processor 20 implemented in accordance with the present invention measures both the phase error and the frequency error in a communication receiver using finite impulse response filters, as contrasted to a conventional phase locked loop that measures only the phase error and uses the measured phase error to adjust the frequency and the phase for carrier lock.
The result of measuring both the phase error and the frequency error is a very much more rapid acquisition of the carrier. In particular, the frequency of the carrier can be acquired in a number of samples that is one half the length of the shift register 44 used in the implementation.
By delaying the input signal, the carrier can be demodulated from the first samples of the signal.
Thus improved frequency and phase locked loops or processors for acquiring a carrier of a communication signal by measuring both phase and frequency has been disclosed. It is to be understood that the described embodiments are merely illustrative of some of the many specific embodiments which represent applications of the principles of the present invention. Clearly, numerous and other arrangements can be readily devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.
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A frequency and phase locked loop having improved performance. The loop measures both frequency and phase of a modulated signal to supply a carrier for demodulation of a quadrature amplitude modulated signal (QAM) signal and for many other applications. The addition of the frequency measurement and the use of finite impulse response filters instead of infinite impulse response filters of a phase locked loop permit the loop to lock to the carrier much more rapidly and with a larger offset.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/601,943, filed Aug. 10, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,986, which is the national stage under 35 U.S.C. 371 of PCT/IL99/00080, filed 8 Feb. 1999.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for performing cycled primer extension on a DNA template, and more particularly to methods including a primer extension step such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and nucleotide sequencing comprising performing said PCR and sequencing reactions in the presence of an osmoprotectant selected from proline, 2-methyl-4-carboxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine (hereinafter “THP(B)”), 2-methyl-4-carboxy-5-hydroxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine (hereinafter “THP(A)”) and mixtures thereof, to improve yield and specificity of said reactions. The invention further relates to kits comprising proline, THP(B), THP(A), or mixtures thereof for use in PCR amplification and in cycle nucleotide sequencing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Primer extension on a DNA template is a step common to some of the most useful and powerful techniques in molecular biology. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), one of these techniques, is a rapid, inexpensive and simple means of producing microgram amounts of DNA from minute quantities of source materials. Many variations on the basic procedure have now been described and applied to a range of disciplines.
In medicine, PCR's major impact is on the diagnosis and screening of genetic diseases and cancer, the rapid detection of mycobacteria and HIV, the detection of minimal residual disease in leukemia, and HLA typing. The PCR technique is also useful in forensic pathology and evolutionary biology, plays a central role in the human genome project and is routinely used in molecular biology processes (McPherson et al., 1992).
However, the practical use of PCR technology frequently faces difficulties and limitations. The necessity to convert originally duplex source DNA and then double-stranded DNA products into single stranded templates in every cycle of amplification is normally accomplished by thermal denaturation of DNA at 93–95° C. The DNA denaturation greatly depends on its nucleic base composition. A high GC content renders DNA amplification and sequencing very difficult, due to increased melting temperature and the stable secondary structure of the expanded motif. A common result of amplifying a region containing a repeat motif with a high GC content is the presence of additional amplification products, which do not correspond to the desired product (Varadaraj and Skinner, 1994). In addition, incomplete denaturation allows DNA strands to “snap back”, leading to a decrease in product yield. Denaturation steps that are conducted for long periods of time and/or at a high temperature lead to unnecessary loss of enzyme activity and dNTP decomposition.
Taq DNA polymerase, ordinarily used in PCR protocols, can withstand repeated exposure to the high temperature (94–95° C.) required for typical DNA strand separation, and thus simplifies the PCR procedure by eliminating the need to add an enzyme in each cycle. However, Taq polymerase appears to extend a mismatched primer/template in comparison to other polymerases with proofreading exonuclease activities. e.g. Klenow and T7 DNA polymerases, which are non-thermostable.
Another very effective technique employing primer extension is the cycle sequencing technique used for determining the order of nucleic acids in a target nucleotide sequence. This procedure involves repeated cycles of primer extension while the target nucleotide sequence is sequenced.
Similar considerations, as mentioned above for the PCR method, apply for the cycle sequencing procedure. In sequencing reactions as well, the complete denaturation of the template DNA is of crucial importance for a successful reaction. Thus, regions of DNA with repeat motifs, high GC content and rigid secondary structures are difficult to sequence. In addition, sequencing of a very long stretch of nucleotides, or of a target nucleotide sequence present in a minute amount is problematic. The ability to accomplish a complete denaturation of double stranded DNA and to perform sequencing, reactions at reduced temperatures, either with Taq polymerase or with non-thermostable polymerase, is advantageous in terms of both yield and accuracy.
In an attempt to improve the yield and specificity of PCR and sequencing reactions, a number of buffer additives were employed. It was shown that certain cosolvents, such as DMSO (Pomp and Medrano, 1991; Filichkin and Gelvin, 1992), glycerol (Cheng et al., 1994; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,432,065 and 5,545,539), formamide (Corney et al., 1991) and betaine (German Patents DE 4411594 C1 and DE 4411588 C1; Mytelka et al., 1996), facilitate standard PCR and/or cycle sequencing. It has been suggested that DMSO may affect the melting temperatures (Tm) of the template DNA and of the oligonucleotide primers and/or the degree of product strand separation at a particular “denaturation” as well as improving the thermal activity of Taq DNA polymerase (Gelfand and White, 1989). Glycerol may influence long amplifications by (i) doubling the thermal stability of Taq polymerase at 95–97° C., and (ii) effectively lowering DNA melting temperatures (by 2.5–3° C. for each 10% increase in glycerol concentration) (Cheng et al., 1994). Yet, the use of these buffer additives is limited, e.g. solutions containing glycerol in effective concentrations of 20–40% are viscous and difficult to handle (U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,065), DMSO in 10% concentration inhibits Taq DNA polymerase activity by 53% and T7 DNA polymerase is completely inactive in 40% formamide.
The compounds 2-methyl-4-carboxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine [THP(B)], also known as ectoine, and its hydroxy derivative, 2-methyl-4-carboxy-5-hydroxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine [THP(A)] were previously identified in the laboratory of the inventors of the present invention as metabolites in several Streptomyces microorganisms (Inbar and Lapidot, 1988a; 1988b and 1991; Malin and Lapidot, 1996). Ectoine was also found in a variety of halophilic and halotolerant bacteria (Galinski et al., 1985). THP(B) and THP(A) are zwitterionic compounds (Inbar et al. 1993; FIG. 1) with many useful properties such as osmoprotection and thermoprotection of several organisms of the Streptomyces species and E. coli cells (Malin and Lapidot, 1996). THP(B) and THP(A) are not toxic neither to mammalian cells nor to animals (Lapidot et al., 1995). Israel Patent No. 100810 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,414 and European Patent No. EP 0553884 of the present applicants disclose that THP(A) and THP(B) interact with and protect DNA in non-tumor tissues from damage by DNA-binding drugs and thus can be used for decreasing the toxic effects of DNA-binding drugs such as adriamycin and actinomycin D.
Proline is another osmoprotectant that accumulates in plants, bacteria, algae and marine invertebrates as a response to salinity stress. Proline was shown to destabilize DNA and to partially counteract the effect of sodium chloride and spermidine on the stability of the double helix, and to lower the melting temperature of DNA in a concentration-dependent manner (Rajendrakumar et al., 1997).
None of the above references describes or suggests the use of proline, THP(A) or THP(B) or mixtures thereof as additives to PCR reaction mixtures and in reactions for nucleotide sequencing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been found, according to the present invention, that THP(B) is effective in lowering the melting temperature of double-stranded DNA, and that proline, THP(B) and THP(A) are capable of increasing the thermal stability of DNA polymerases at elevated temperatures, indicating that they can be useful in procedures involving melting of double-stranded DNA and/or polymerase-mediated DNA synthesis, such as in primer extension, in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification and in DNA sequencing.
Thus, in one aspect, the present invention provides a method for performing a cycled primer extension reaction comprising the steps of:
(i) contacting a template DNA comprising a target sequence of nucleotides with at least one primer oligonucleotide complementary to a nucleotide sequence at the 3′-end of said target sequence, under conditions allowing annealing of said primer to its complementary nucleotide sequence on said target sequence, in the presence of an osmoprotectant selected from proline, 2-methyl-4-carboxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine [THP(B)] and mixtures thereof, to lower the melting temperature of said template DNA and/or of said primer; and
(ii) carrying out a polymerase-mediated extension of said primer on said target sequence of nucleotides in the presence of an osmoprotectant selected from proline, THP(B), 2-methyl-4-carboxy-5-hydroxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine [THP(A)] and mixtures thereof, to stabilize said polymerase,
thus obtaining a high yield specific extension of the primer on said target sequence of nucleotides of the template DNA.
Steps (i) and (ii) may be repeated a plurality of times, for example 10–90 times, preferably 15–35 times, and each step (i) is preceded by DNA thermal denaturation at a temperature suitable for separating both said template DNA into its strands and the polymerase-extended primer of step (ii) from its complementary target sequence of nucleotides, said temperature being a temperature in which the polymerase used in step (ii) is stable.
In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method for determining a nucleotide sequence of a target DNA, wherein in step (i) the target sequence of the template DNA is a sequence of nucleotides to be sequenced, and the polymerase-mediated extension of the primer in step (ii) is carried out in the presence of all four dNTPs: dATP, dCTP, dGTP and dTTP, and in the presence of a minute amount of either ddATP, ddCTP, ddGTP or ddTTP, prior to the determination of the nucleotide sequence of the target DNA. The dGTP can be substituted by 7-deaza-dGTP described in EP 0212536.
According to this embodiment, the method for determining a nucleotide sequence of a target DNA comprises the steps of:
(i) heating a template DNA comprising a target sequence of nucleotides to be sequenced at a temperature suitable for separating said template DNA into its strands in the presence of an osmoprotectant selected from proline, 2-methyl-4-carboxy-3,4,5,6-tetra-hydropyrimidine [THP(B)] and mixtures thereof;
(ii) contacting said denatured template DNA of step (i) with a primer oligonucleotide complementary to a nucleotide sequence at the 3′-end of said target sequence of nucleotides under conditions allowing annealing of said primer to its complementary nucleotide sequence on the target sequence, in the presence of an osmoprotectant selected from proline, 2-methyl-4-carboxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine [THP(B)] and mixtures thereof;
(iii) carrying out a polymerase-mediated extension of said primer of step (ii) in the presence of all four natural dNTPs: dATP, dCTP, dGTP (or 7-deaza-dGTP) and dTTP, of a minute amount of either ddATP, ddCTP, ddGTP or ddTTP and of an osmoprotectant selected from proline, THP(B), 2-methyl-4-carboxy-5-hydroxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine [THP(A)] and mixtures thereof;
(iv) repeating steps (i)–(iii) a plurality of times; and
(v) determining the nucleotide sequence of the target DNA.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a method for amplifying a target sequence of nucleotides by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), wherein in step (i) the target sequence of the template DNA is a sequence of nucleotides to be amplified and the template DNA is contacted with two oligonucleotide primers complementary to the nucleotide sequences at the 3′-ends of said target sequence of nucleotides and its opposite strand; in step (ii) a polymerase-mediated extension of the annealed primers of step (i) is carried out; steps (i)–(ii) are repeated a plurality of times, the last step being step (ii), thus generating multiple copies of the target sequence of nucleotides.
According to this embodiment, the invention relates to a method for amplifying a target sequence of nucleotides by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) comprising the steps of:
(i) heating a template DNA comprising a target sequence of nucleotides to be amplified at a temperature suitable for separating said template DNA into its strands in the presence of an osmoprotectant selected from proline, 2-methyl-4-carboxy-3,4,5,6-tetra-hydropyrimidine [THP(B)] and mixtures thereof;
(ii) contacting the template DNA of step (i) with two oligonucleotide primers complementary to nucleotide sequences at the 3′-ends of said target sequence of nucleotides and its opposite strand; in the presence of an osmoprotectant selected from proline, 2-methyl-4-carboxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine [THP(B)] and mixtures thereof, under conditions allowing annealing of said oligonucleotide primers to their complementary sequences on said target sequence of nucleotides and its opposite strand;
(iii) carrying out a polymerase-mediated extension of the annealed primers of step (ii) in the presence of an osmoprotectant selected from proline, THP(B), 2-methyl-4-carboxy-5-hydroxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine [THP(A)] and mixtures thereof; and
(iv) repeating steps (i)–(iii) a plurality of times the last step being step (iii),
thus generating multiple copies of the target sequence of nucleotides.
The methods of the invention are particularly useful for reactions involving GC-rich DNAs, thus diminishing or eliminating the difficulties found in amplification and sequencing of GC-rich DNA molecules. The methods are further useful for reactions involving in step (ii) or (iii) a thermostable DNA polymerase, such as Taq polymerase Klentaq1 polymerase and Pfu polymerase, or a non-thermostable DNA polymerase such as T7 DNA polymerase, T4 DNA polymerase, Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I, reverse transcriptases, Bca polymerase, Bst polymerase and mutants of these polymerases.
In another aspect, the invention relates to the use of an osmoprotectant selected from proline, THP(B), THP(A) and mixtures thereof as an additive in a reaction for determining a nucleotide sequence or as an additive to a PCR reaction mixture, and to kits comprising in separate containers: (a) the reagents necessary for DNA sequencing or the reagents necessary for a polymerase chain reaction, and (b) proline, THP(A) or THP(B).
In a further aspect, the invention relates to a method for lowering the melting temperature of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) comprising adding to the incubation mixture of said dsDNA an effective amount of THP(B).
In a further aspect, the invention relates to a method for increasing stability of a DNA polymerase at elevated temperatures comprising adding to the incubation mixture of said polymerase an effective amount of an osmoprotectant selected from proline, THP(B), THP(A) and mixtures thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 depicts the structural formulas of THP(A) (left) and THP(B) (right).
FIG. 2 depicts thermal transition of calf thymus DNA in the absence and presence of the indicated amounts of THP(B): 0.8M, 2M, 3M and 4M. DNA melting was performed as described in Materials and Methods, section (ii).
FIG. 3 depicts the variation of melting temperature (Tm) with THP(B) concentration for DNAs of varying base compositions. DNA melting was performed and Tms determined as described in Materials and Methods, section (ii), (filled triangles)—Calf thymus DNA; (filled circles)— Micrococcus lysodeikticus DNA; (filled squares)— Clostridium perfringens DNA; (open triangles)—poly(dA-dT).
FIGS. 4A–B depict thermal transitions of the oligonucleotides [d(ATGCAT)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:1) and [d(GCTTAAGC)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:2), respectively. The chemical shifts of the C4H5 proton of [d(ATGCAT)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:1) and of the G1H8 proton of [d(GCTTAAGC)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:2) were measured as described in Materials and Methods section (iii), as a function of increasing temperatures in the absence (open squares) or presence of 0.5M (open circles) and 1M (filled squares) THP(B).
FIG. 5 depicts the time course of thermal inactivation of Taq DNA polymerase at 97° C. in the absence (filled circles) and presence of either 1M THP(B) (filled squares), 1M THP(A) (open squares) or 1M glycerol (open diamonds). The thermal inactivation was determined at different periods of time from Taq polymerase remaining activity measured as described in Materials and Methods, section (vi).
FIG. 6 depicts ethidium bromide staining of PCR-amplified DNA products run on 1.7% agarose gel. PCR was performed according to the procedure described in Materials and Methods, section (viii), for amplification of a 349 b.p. fragment (66.5% GC content) from Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA template at two different denaturation temperatures (Td), 95° C. (left) and 92° C. (right), in the absence and in the presence of 0.5M THP(B), as indicated. Two or three repetitions of each experiment are shown.
FIGS. 7A–C depict ethidium bromide staining of PCR-amplified DNA products run on 1.7% agarose gel. PCR was performed according to the procedure described in Materials and Methods, section (viii), for amplification of a 349 bp. fragment (66.5% GC content) from Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA template at three different denaturation temperatures (Td): 95° C. ( FIG. 7A ), 90° C. ( FIG. 7B ) and 89° C. ( FIG. 7C ), in the absence and presence of 1.0M THP(B). Two or three repetitions of each experiment are shown.
FIGS. 8A–8B depict thermal transition of calf thymus DNA ( FIG. 8A ) and other DNAs ( FIG. 8B ) in the presence and absence of proline. DNA melting was performed as described in Materials and Methods, section (ii). FIG. 8 A:—(filled diamonds)—no proline added; (open squares)—2.0M; (filled triangles)—3.5M; (filled squares)—5.0M; (open triangles)—5.5 M; (filled circles)—6.2M proline. FIG. 8B , in the presence of 6.2 M proline; (open triangles)— Micrococcus lysodeikticus DNA; (filled triangles)— Clostridium perfringens DNA: (filled squares)—calf thymus DNA; (filled circles)—poly(dA-dT).
FIG. 9A depicts a variation of Tm with proline concentration for DNAs of varying base compositions. DNA melting was performed as described in Materials and Methods, section (ii), (filled squares)—calf thymus DNA; (open triangles)— Micrococcus lysodeikticus DNA; (filled triangles)— Clostridium perfringens DNA; (filled circles)—poly(dA-dT). FIG. 9B depicts changes in dTm/dGC as a function of proline concentration.
FIG. 10 depicts Klenow DNA polymerase activity at 37° C. in the absence (dark bars) and in the presence of 5.0M proline (hatched bars). The activity of Klenow DNA polymerase was measured at 6.7, 10 and 15 mM MgCl 2 as described in Materials and Methods, section (iv).
FIG. 11 depicts the time course of thermal inactivation of Klenow DNA polymerase at 65° C. in the absence (filled circles) and presence of either 5M proline (open diamonds) or 5M glycerol (filled triangles). The remaining activity of Klenow DNA polymerase was measured at different periods of time as described in Materials and Methods, section (vii).
FIG. 12 depicts ethidium bromide staining of PCR-amplified DNA products ran on 2.0% agarose gel. PCR was performed according to the procedure described in Materials and Methods, section (ix), for amplification of a 349 b.p, fragment (66.5% GC) from Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA, using 10 and 15 units of Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I.
FIG. 13 depicts ethidium bromide staining of PCR-amplified DNA products run on 1.7% agarose gel. PCR was performed according to the procedure described in Materials and Methods, section (x), for amplification of a 349 b.p. fragment (66.5% GC) from Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA template catalyzed by Taq DNA polymerase at two different denaturation temperatures (Td), at 95° C. and 91° C., in the absence and in the presence of 1.0M proline. Three repetitions of each experiment are shown.
FIG. 14 depicts ethidium bromide staining of PCR-amplified DNA products run on 1.7% agarose gel. PCR was performed according to the procedure described in Materials and Methods, section (xi), for amplification of a 349 b.p. fragment (66.5% GC) from Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA template catalyzed by KlenTaq1 DNA polymerase at two different denaturation temperatures (Td), at 77° C. and 75° C., in the presence of 4.0 M proline. Two repetitions of each experiment are shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The term “primer extension” as used herein in the specification refers to a process of increasing the length of an oligonucleotide complementary to a nucleotide sequence comprised within a template DNA. The process consists of repeatedly adding to the oligonucleotide's 3′-end a single nucleotide which is dictated by the nucleotide present at the corresponding position in the complementary template DNA strand. The term “cycled primer extension” refers to a procedure which involves repeated cycles in which primer extension is alternated with periodic heating whereby separation of the extended primer from the template DNA strand occurs.
The term “melting temperature (Tm)” of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) refers to a temperature at which 50% of a dsDNA sample is separated into its two complementary DNA strands.
The term “amplifying” refers to repeated copying of a specified sequence of nucleotides resulting in an increase in the amount of said specified sequence of nucleotides.
The term “sequencing” refers to a procedure for determining the order in which nucleotides occur in a target nucleotide sequence.
The term “target nucleotide sequence” refers to a nucleotide sequence which is intended to be duplicated, amplified or sequenced.
The term “template DNA” refers to DNA molecules or fragments thereof of any source or nucleotide composition, that comprise a target nucleotide sequence as defined above.
According to the present invention, THP(B) or proline or mixtures thereof can significantly lower the melting temperature of dsDNA, and proline, THP(B) or THP(A), alone or in combination, increase the stability of DNA polymerases incubated at elevated temperatures.
THP(B) and THP(A) for use in the invention can be isolated from natural sources such as, for example, from actinomycin D-producing microorganisms of the Streptomyces species, e.g. S. parvulus, S. chrismomalus , or S. antibioticus , and separated in purified form as described in IL Patent No. 100810 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,414 and EP 0553884. THP(B) alone can be isolated and purified from halophilic and halotolerant bacteria such as bacteria of the genus Ectothiorhodospira , e.g. E. halochloris, E. halophila and mutants thereof or from heterotrophic halophilic eubacteria of the family Halomonadaceae grown in high salinity conditions. THP(A) alone can be isolated and purified from soil microorganisms of the Streptomyces species, e.g. S. clavuligerus, S. griseus and mutants thereof, under low salt stress such as 0.25–0.5M NaCl. THP(B) can also be synthetically produced as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 63-259827.
L-Proline is a common amino acid that is commercially available or can be synthetically produced and obtained in highly purified form.
According to the invention, THP(B) was found to decrease the Tm of oligonucleotides as short as 6–8 mers and of dsDNAs being either genomic DNAs, cDNAs or recombinant DNA molecules, in a concentration dependent manner in concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 4M. The melting temperature of short oligonucleotides (6 or 8 mers) were reduced by 3 to 6° C. in the presence of 0.5M and 1.0 M THP(B).
The magnitude of the Tm decrease depends on the GC content of the particular oligonucleotide or dsDNA, being more pronounced with high GC content DNAs. For example, the Tm decrease of calf thymus DNA (42% GC) and of Micrococcus lysodeikticus DNA (72% GC content) in the presence of THP(B) was significantly higher than that of Clostridium perfringens DNA (26% GC content), while no change in the Tm of the synthetic oligonucleotide poly(dA-dT) could be observed in the presence of THP(B) at concentrations as high as 4M. At 4.0 M concentration of THP(B), DNAs with different GC content melt in a very narrow temperature range (40–43° C.), while in the absence of THP(B) the melting temperature ranges from 39 to 75° C. Isostabilization of the DNA molecule by THP(B) may be explained as a result of greater destabilization of GC-rich than AT-rich DNAs. THP(B) eliminates the DNAs base pair composition-dependence on DNA melting.
Proline, known to decrease DNA melting temperature (Rajendrakumar et al., 1997), was found according to the invention to only slightly decrease Klenow polymerase enzymatic activity and to be a better stabilizer of Klenow polymerase than glycerol, with a half-life of the enzyme of 21 min at 65° C. in 5 M L-proline. These findings have enabled a successful design of a PCR protocol for a rather GC-rich genomic DNA template. The amount of Klenow polymerase in the herein presented protocol (10–15 units) can be further reduced when 7-deaza-dGTP is used instead of dGTP, due to the expected decrease of denaturation temperature. The results herein reveal that proline concentration in the range of 3–5.5 M is sufficient to confer stability to Klenow polymerase.
Proline can be used as a sole additive in the protocol or in combination with glycerol or any other DNA-destabilizing agent which the polymerase tolerates, such as THP(B) or THP(A). Proline (up to 5.0 M) decreases the melting temperature (Tm) of various DNAs and leads to DNA partial “isostabilization” (a decrease of Tm difference between GC and AT pairs, manifested by an apparent linear decrease of dTm/dGC factor (Melchior et al., 1973; Rees et al., 1993), while at higher concentrations, proline destabilizes GC and AT pairs evenly. A complete “isostabilation” of DNA, as in the case of betane (Rees et al., 1993) THP(B) (equal stability of AT and GC pairs, dTm/dGC=0), was not reached for proline. The Tm values of the tested natural DNAs (57–78° C.) decreased to a narrow range of 28–32° C. in the presence of 6.2 M prolione. The partial “isostabilization” of DNA by proline at high concentration may cause low specificity of PCR, when 20–25 b.p. primers are used.
Primers of 30–35 b.p. length, used in the herein presented PCR protocol, were found to be effective to remedy the decreased priming specificity at high concentrations of proline, and to achieve a good selectivity of amplification.
Besides standard PCR and DNA sequencing, the protocol with proline can be interesting for the following methods: a) use of Klenow polymerase in combination with contiguous hexamer primers and single-stranded DNA binding protein for a specific primer formation (Kieleczawa et al., 1992) utilizing a rather low amount of a source DNA; b) low denaturation temperature cycling might enable usage of less thermostable labels for DNA sequencing or PCR. This approach might be useful for other thermolabile polymerases in PCR and other DNA amplification methods. For example, T7 DNA polymerase and its modifications, able to amplify GC-rich DNA and regions with stable secondary structures, could provide solutions to the cases still remaining beyond today's practical PCR and DNA sequencing capabilities, such as amplification of long CGG triplet repeat sequences. Introduction of T4 polymerase to cycled PCR might be of interest for the cases requiring high fidelity, e.g. for amplification of sequences present at a very low frequency requiring many cycles of amplification to be detected.
According to the invention it was further found that proline, THP(B) and THP(A), alone or in combination, can stabilize both thermostable and non-thermostable DNA polymerases incubated at elevated temperatures, the stabilizing effect being more pronounced when the enzyme is incubated for prolonged periods of time and at a higher temperature than the temperature of their optimal activities. The thermostable Taq polymerase, after 30–35 min incubation under typical DNA denaturation temperature at 95° C., is only 50% active, and after 30 min incubation at 97° C., only 10% active in comparison to 40% in the presence of IM THP(B) and even higher, 55%, in the presence of THP(A). A much more dramatic effect is obtained at longer incubation time (60 min), where the remaining activity is less than 5% without additives and is 55% in the presence of THP(A) (by 10-fold higher). The non-thermostable polymerases are much more sensitive to thermal inactivation, for example, the half life of Klenow DNA polymerase is around 30–50 seconds at 65° C., whereas in the presence of 5M proline it is 25 min, about 30–50 fold longer.
In preferred embodiments, cycled primer extension of any template DNA is conducted with the thermostable Taq polymerase at 60–80° C. in the presence of 0.5–3.5M THP(B), optionally with 0.5–3.0M THP(A), or 1–5M proline, or with a non-thermostable polymerase at 30–65° C. in the presence of 1–3 M THP(B), optionally with 0.5–3.0M THP(A), or 1–5M proline.
Lowering the Tm of dsDNA by proline and/or THP(B) and stabilization of DNA polymerases by proline, THP(B) and/or THP(A) are beneficial for cycled primer extension procedures that comprise steps of DNA melting and of polymerase-mediated DNA synthesis, such as DNA sequencing and PCR procedures, leading to high yields of dsDNA denaturation, namely separation of dsDNA into its two complementary strands at a lower temperature, and high performance of DNA polymerases.
The concentration of the osmoprotectant to be used in a particular cycled primer extension reaction depends on the specific template DNA, the primer(s), the DNA polymerase and the reaction conditions employed. Low concentrations of THP(B) or proline, typically around 0.5–1.5M, are preferred for lowering Tm of an average GC-content DNA, while higher concentrations, typically 1–3M, are preferred for high GC-content DNA, so to further lower the Tm and hence the denaturing temperature employed. To avoid major dissociation of primer/template DNA, when high concentrations of THP(B) (3–4M) and proline (4–5M) are used to lower DNA Tm to the range of 40–55° C., primers of at least 30 nucleotides are used. These modifications improve annealing and yield of the reaction.
The use of non-thermostable DNA polymerases such as T7 DNA polymerase or Klenow is of major importance in cases where accuracy of DNA amplification is crucial such as in detection of subtle changes in a DNA sequence and in processes of PCR typing and diagnosis of some genetic diseases and cancer caused by minor mutations, due to their high fidelity in DNA replication and proofreading ability.
Performing primer extension reactions at reduced temperatures also permits the use of thermosensitive fluorescent and other labile compounds for labeling newly synthesized DNA strands for use as probes in the detection of complementary target sequences of nucleotides by sensitive assays such as, chemiluminescence detection.
Reaction conditions used in PCR are variable depending on the nature of the template DNA and primers, and optimal pH and salt and magnesium ions concentrations are usually determined empirically for each particular reaction. A typical PCR procedure involves temperature cycling to provide adequate conditions for accomplishing three steps in each PCR cycle: (i) DNA denaturation; (ii) primer annealing; and (iii) primer extension.
A standard denaturation incubation step (i) at 94–95° C. for 0.5–2 min is usually sufficient for separating DNA strands of an average GC content from the original and newly synthesized DNA. The primer annealing step (ii) is performed usually around 5° C. lower than the melting temperature of the primer-template DNA duplex. However, if non-specific PCR products are obtained in addition to the expected product, the annealing temperature should be increased. The extension (step iii) of the annealed primer at its 3′ end to synthesize a new DNA strand, complementary to the template strand, is usually carried out by the thermostable enzyme Taq polymerase at 70–75° C., which is the optimal temperature range for the enzyme activity (˜2–4 Kb/min.).
The complete denaturation of the DNA template, especially at the first amplification cycles, is of most importance in PCR procedures, otherwise its use as a template for the following reaction steps decreases and results in poor yield of the PCR product. This is especially relevant when an amplified DNA duplex has a very high GC content, rendering it difficult in strand separation, or when a target nucleotide sequence is present in a minute amount in the initial reaction mixture. Thus, PCR buffers containing solutes leading to significant lower Tms of the DNA templates are most important in PCR procedures. The addition of proline THP(B), THP(A) or mixtures thereof to PCR procedures is beneficial in three levels: (i) increased yield of the amplified DNA products; (ii) increased sensitivity and (iii) increased specificity of the reaction. The effect of proline and THP(B) in decreasing Tms of oligonucleotide primers and of template DNAs, and the effect of proline, THP(B) and THP(A) in stabilizing DNA polymerases, result in more efficient use of the template DNAs, primers and enzymes of the reaction, leading to high yield of PCR-amplified DNA product. Moreover, the increased sensitivity of PCR assays in the presence of the additive enables detection of target DNA sequences that are not detectable in its absence. This is especially significant in cases where very rare or long target sequences are to be amplified. In addition, the additives also improve the quality of PCR amplification by reducing significantly or eliminating nonspecific products. The improved accuracy of PCR in the presence of proline, THP(B) and/or THP(A) enables performing PCR protocols with increased number of cycles and longer cycle times, without impairing the quality of the reaction products.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a method for cycle DNA sequencing comprising contacting a template DNA with a primer homologous to a specific sequence on a target DNA in the presence of a DNA polymerase and an effective amount of proline, THP(B) and/or THP(A) under conditions allowing DNA sequencing.
A commonly used cycle DNA sequencing protocol known as Sanger or dideoxy sequencing method, typically includes isolating double stranded template DNA, separating it into its component single strands, adding a sequencing primer homologous to a sequence of nucleotides on the target DNA and performing a cycled primer extension of said primer on the target DNA. The cycled primer extension is performed in four paralleled reactions, each including a small amount of a dideoxynucleotide triphosphate, either ddATP, ddCTP, ddGTP or ddTTP, along with a molar excess of the four deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) normally required for DNA synthesis, i.e. dATP, dCTP, dGTP or dTTP. The growth of the extended DNA chain is stopped once a ddNTP molecule is incorporated into it, thus generating series of extension products of various lengths. When these extension products of the four extension reactions are separated side by side, for example on a polyacrylamide gel, a pattern is obtained. By using a labeled primer or labeled ddNTP, typically radioactive or fluorescent, this pattern can be monitored, for example, by autoradiography, fluorescence detectors etc, and the DNA sequence can be determined.
Cycle DNA sequencing also involves cycle primer extension, thus the sequencing outcome is influenced by similar criteria as mentioned above for PCR. The degree of template DNA and primer denaturation, as well as the polymerase performance, are of crucial importance for the sensitivity and accuracy of a sequencing reaction. The exact reaction conditions for performing a cycle DNA sequencing method and the effective concentrations of the added osmoprotectant vary depending on the template DNA, primers, target DNA to be sequenced and the DNA polymerase used in a particular reaction.
Cycle sequencing performed in accordance with the invention in the presence of proline, THP(B) and/or THP(A), is a beneficial and sensitive tool. The osmoprotectant additive permits obtaining a sequence of a longer stretch of nucleotides in a single reaction, as well as to sequence minute amounts of DNA present, for example, in limited samples of blood or tissue used in forensic pathology and in evolutionary biology. In addition, some GC-rich DNAs or other DNAs with complex or rigid secondary structure that are very difficult to sequence using conventional reaction mixtures, can thus be successfully sequenced. Since in the presence of the additives the specificity of primer annealing is increased and non-specific extended products are mostly eliminated, detection of rare mutations becomes feasible. This is especially important in diagnosis of diseases characterized by a small mutation in a gene nucleotide sequence or in identification of high CGG repeats that are indicative of many human disorders, such as Huntington's disease (Han et al., 1994).
The kits for performing DNA amplification by PCR or for DNA cycle sequencing of the invention include, respectively, the reagents necessary for PCR or DNA sequencing (e.g. appropriate buffers, dNTPs, either Taq or a non-thermostable polymerase, etc.) and, in separate containers, THP(B) optionally with THP(A) or proline.
Examples
Materials and Methods
(i) Materials
For Examples 1–4, THP(A) and THP(B) were prepared according to Malin and Lapidot (1996) and their water solutions were passed through a chelex column to remove divalent cations before use. Betaine (Sigma) was dissolved in water and passed through a chelex column before use. Taq DNA polymerase (recombinant) and Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I (10 units/μl) were purchased from MBI Fermentas, calf thymus DNA (used in the DNA melting examples) and activated calf thymus DNA (used in the polymerase activity assays), Micrococcus lysodeikticus DNA, Colstridium perfringens DNA and poly(dA-dT) from Sigma. The oligonucleotides [d(ATGCAT)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:1) and [d (GCTTAAGC)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:2) and the following 28-mer primers 1 and 2 were prepared by solid-phase phosphouramidate synthesis:
1. 5′>CGG GAT CCA TGG AAT ACG TAT ACG CTG C<3′(SEQ ID NO:3)
2. 5′>CGG AAT TCT TAG CCG AAG AGT TCG CCG A<3′(SEQ ID NO:4)
For Examples 5–9, L-proline 99+% and 99.5+% were purchased from Sigma and from Fluka, respectively, and glycerol was from BDH. Activated calf thymus DNA and calf thymus DNA was from Sigma. Taq DNA polymerase (recombinant) and Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I (10 units/μl) were purchased from MBI Fermentas. Klentaq1 DNA polymerase from AB Peptides and Pfu DNA polymerase (cloned) from Stratagene. Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA template was a generous gift of Dr. Shulamith Weinstein (Kimmelman Laboratory of Biocrystallization, Weizmann Institute of Science).
Two pairs of primers were used in Examples 7–9: two 28-mer primers 3 and 4 with 22 of complementary nucleotides each and with end restriction site: primer 3 containing BamHI restriction site and primer 4 containing EcoRI restriction site, and two 30-mer primers 5 and 6 with all 30 complementary nucleotides:
3. 5′>CGG GAT CCA TGG AAT ACG TAT ACG CTG C<3′ (SEQ ID NO:3)
4. 5′>CGG AAT TCT TAG CCG AAG AGT TCG CCG A<3′ (SEQ ID NO:4)
5. 5′>ATG GAA TAC GTA TAC GCT GCA CTC ATC CTG<3′(SEQ ID NO:5)
6. 5′>TTA GCC GAA GAG TTC GCC GAG GCC CTC ACC<3′ (SEQ ID NO:6)
All oligonucleotides and primers for Examples 1–9 were prepared by the Chemical Service Unit of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, and their solution concentrations were determined by UV absorbance at 260 nm.
(ii) DNA Melting Experiments
DNA melting studies were conducted in a buffer (1 ml) containing 5.0 mM K 2 HPO 4 and 0.1 mM Na 2 EDTA at pH 7.5. The buffer and THP(B) or pro line solutions were filtered through 0.22 μm Millipore membrane filter, prior to addition of the DNA, and then degassed with helium at room temperature. DNA samples were adjusted to O.D 260 =0.2 and incubated overnight at 37° C. before use, as previously described (Rees et al., 1993). DNAs in the above buffer with and without THP(B) or proline were measured in 1-cm path Teflon-stoppered quartz cell and incubated at the initial assay temperature for 5 min. The increase in absorbance at 260 nm was monitored in Hewlett Packard 9450A diode array spectrophotometer attached to a temperature programmer and controller. Both the sample and the reference cells were heated together at a rate of 0.5° C./min and the net absorbance was recorded after every 0.5° C. increase. The Tms were determined graphically from the midpoints of the absorbance versus temperature profile.
(iii) NMR Measurements of Chemical Shift Changes
1 H NMR measurements were carried out on a Bruker AMX 400 NMR MHZ spectrometer at 400.13 MHZ (equipped with an Aspect 300 control). For the 1 H NMR measurements, 1.0 mM DNA oligonucleotides were dissolved in 0.5 ml phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.2) in D 2 O (20 mM, for [d(ATGCAT)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:1) and 40 mM for [d(GCTTAAGC)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:2) containing 50 mM NaCl and 0.1 mM EDTA. The solutions were lyophilized and then redissolved in 0.5 ml D 2 O (99.96%), heated to 65° C. and gradually cooled to 5° C., and then degassed with argon at room temperature.
(iv) Klenow DNA Polymerase Activity Assay
The assay was performed at 37° C. in 15 μl reaction mixture containing 67 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.4), 1.0 mM β-mercaptoethanol, 5.2 nM [α- 32 P]dATP, 6.41 μM dATP and 320 μM of each dCTP, dGTP, dTTP, 0.6 mM activated calf thymus DNA, and 6.7 mM MgCl 2 for THP or 6.7, 10.0 and 15 mM MgCl 2 for proline. Klenow fragment (0.1 units) was added to the microtubes with reaction mixture pre-heated to 37° C., and following 7.5 minutes incubation at 37° C. (a time-point within the region of linear kinetics determined in a separate experiment, not shown), the reaction microtubes were placed on ice, and the reaction was stopped by addition of 12 μl of 50 mM EDTA and then applied on strips of chromatographic paper (Whatman No. 3). Strips were washed three times by cold TCA 10%, dried and the radioactivity was counted.
(v) Determination of Remaining Activities of Taq Polymerase after Incubation with THP(A) or THP(B) at Elevated Temperatures
Taq polymerase (0.5 units) was added to 50 μl buffer containing: 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.8 at 25° C.), 2.5 ng Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA template, 2 μM of each of the dNTPs: dATP, dCTP, dGTP and dTTP, 0.12 nM of each of the two 28-mer oligonucleotide primers 1 and 2 described in section (i) above, 50 mM KCl, 0.08% Nonidet P40 and 1.0 mM MgCl 2 . THP(B), THP(A) or glycerol were added from 3M stock solutions (pH 8.8 at 25° C.). The reaction mixtures were overlaid with paraffin oil and incubated at 95° C. or 97° C. Aliquotes (7.5 μl) were taken for polymerase activity assay at different periods of time.
(vi) Determination of Remaining Activity of Klenow DNA Polymerase after Incubation at 65° C. with Proline
Klenow DNA polymerase (0.5 unit) was incubated at 65° C. in 50 ml buffer containing: 67 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.4 at 25° C.), 2.5 ng Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA template, 4 μM of each of the dNTPs: dATP, dCTP, dGTP and dTTP, 0.12 nM each of the two 28-mer oligonucleotide primers 3 and 4 described in section (i) above, 6.7 mM MgCl 2 and either without or in the presence of 5.0M glycerol or proline. Tris-HCl buffer, template DNA, dNTP, primers and MgCl 2 were added to PCR microtubes, evaporated to dryness by speed-vacuum and respective volumes of water, proline (from a 5.5M stock solution) or glycerol (from a 5.5M stock solution) were added. The microtubes were vortexed and Klenow enzyme was added to the samples. Aliquots (5 μl) were taken for polymerase activity assay at different periods of time as indicated in FIG. 11 . The Klenow DNA polymerase activity assay was performed as described in section (iv) above at 6.7 mM concentration of MgCl 2 . To each aliquot (5 μl) 20 μl of stock solution containing all other components of the assay were added, making a total reaction volume of 25 μl and a 5-fold dilution of the aliquots. Thus, proline and glycerol concentrations in the polymerase assay were 1.0M, shown to be stimulative for Klenow polymerase activity in a separate experiment (data not shown).
(vii) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Procedure with THP(B)
PCR was performed in 25 μl reaction mixture containing 3 ng template DNA, 0.12 nM of each 28-mer oligonucleotide primer 1 and 2 described in section (i) above, 0.5 units Taq DNA polymerase, 200 μM of each dNTP, in PCR buffer containing: 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.8 at 25° C.), 50 mM KCl, 0.08% Nonidet P40. MgCl 2 concentrations of 1.0 mM and 1.75 mM were used in the absence and presence of THP(B), respectively, added from a 3M stock solution (pH 8.8 at 25° C.). Reaction mixtures were overlaid with paraffin oil and preheated for min at their respective denaturing temperatures except for mixtures of reactions performed at Td 95° C., that were preheated for 3 min at 94° C., and then subjected to 35 thermal cycles as follows: (i) 30 sec incubation at 89–95° C., as indicated in each experiment (denaturation step); (ii) 90 see incubation at 55° C. (annealing step); and (iii) 60 sec incubation at 72° C. (primer extension).
(viii) PCR in the Presence of Proline, Using Klenow DNA Polymerase.
PCR was performed in a 25 μl reaction mixture containing 100 ng Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA template, 0.12 nM of each 30-mer oligonucleotide primers 5 and 6 described in section (i) above, 10 or 15 units of Klenow DNA polymerase, 0.9 mM of each dNTP, in PCR buffer containing: 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.4 at 25° C.) and 15 mM Mg(OAc) 2 . Tris-HCl buffer, template DNA, dNTP, primers and Mg(OAc) 2 were added to PCR microtubes, evaporated to dryness by speed-vacuum and dissolved in 22 μl of a proline-glycerol solution (5.5M of L-proline in 12.5% w/v solution of glycerol in water). Reaction mixtures were preheated for 3 min at 75° C., and then subjected to 35 thermal cycles as follows: (i) 20 sec incubation at 70° C. (denaturation step); (ii) 4 min incubation at 37° C. (primer annealing and primer extension steps). Klenow DNA polymerase (10 or 15 units) diluted up to 3 μl volume, containing 50% w/v glycerol, was added during the first primer annealing step at 37° C.
(ix) PCR in the Presence of Proline, Using Taq DNA Polymerase.
PCR was performed in 25 μl reaction mixture containing 3 ng of Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA template, 0.12 nM of each 28-mer oligonucleotide primers 3 and 4 described in section (i) above, 0.5 units of Taq DNA polymerase, 200 μM of each dNTP in PCR buffer containing: 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.8 at 25° C.), 50 mM KCl, 0.08% Nonidet P40. MgCl2 concentrations of 1.0 mM and 1.8 mM were used in the absence and in the presence of 1.0M L-proline, respectively. L-proline was added from 5.5 M stock solution adjusted to pH 8.8 at 25° C. Reaction mixtures were preheated for 3 min at their respective denaturation temperatures, except for reactions performed at Td 95° C., that were preheated for 3 min at 94° C. and then subjected to 35 thermal cycles as follows: (I) 30 sec incubation at 91–95° C., as indicated in each experiment (denaturation step); (ii) 90 sec incubation at 55° C. (primer annealing step); and (iii) 60 sec incubation at 72° C. (primer extension).
(x) PCR in the Presence of Proline, Using a Mixture of Klentaq1 and Pfu (or Vent) DNA Polymerases.
PCR was performed in 25 μl reaction mixture containing 250 ng of Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA template, 0.12 nM of each 30-mer oligonucleotide primers 5 and 6 described in section (i) above, 0.3 μl of Klentaq1 and Pfu (or Vent) enzymes mixture, prepared as described (Barnes, 1994), 200 μM of each dNTP, in PCR buffer containing: 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.3 at 25° C.) and 50 mM KCl. Mg(OAc) 2 concentrations of 1.0 mM and 14.5 mM were used in the absence and in the presence of 4.0M L-proline, respectively. L-proline was added from 5.5 M stock solution adjusted to pH 8.3 at 25° C. Reaction mixtures were preheated for 1 min at their respective denaturation temperatures, except for reactions performed at Td 95° C., that were preheated for 1 min at 94° C., and then subjected to 35 thermal cycles as follows: (I) 30 sec incubation at 72–95° C., as indicated in each experiment (denaturation step); (ii) 90 sec incubation at 37–55° C., as indicated in each experiment (primer annealing step); and (iii) 7 min incubation at 63–69° C., as indicated in each experiment (primer extension).
Example 1
DNA Melting in the Presence of THP(B)
The effect of different concentrations of THP(B) on the melting profile of calf thymus DNA (42% GC) was studied. Melting experiments were conducted as described in Materials and Methods, section (ii), in the absence or presence of 0.8M, 2M, 3M and 4M THP(B).
As shown in FIG. 2 , the addition of THP(B) significantly lowered the DNA melting temperature and sharpened its transition profile. The DNA melting temperature in aqueous solution, 62° C., was lowered to 41° C. in the presence of 3 or 4M THP(B).
The effect of THP(B) on DNA melting temperatures was examined on other DNAs with different base compositions, such as Micrococcus lysodeikticus and Clostridium perfringens DNAs (72% and 26% GC, respectively) and on the synthetic poly(dA-dT). As shown in FIG. 3 , the melting temperatures (Tm) of the different DNAs decreased with the increase of THP(B) concentration in the incubation mixture. This effect is more pronounced for GC-rich DNAs. While the oligonucleotide poly(dA-dT) did not exhibit any change in the melting temperature in the presence of 1–4M THP(B), 3–4M THP(B) eliminated the base-pair composition dependence of DNA thermal melting. As shown in FIG. 3 , in the presence of 4M THP(B), all DNAs with a wide range of GC content melt in a very narrow temperature range (40–43° C.), while in the absence of THP(B), the melting temperatures ranged from 39 to 75° C. This isostabilization effect by THP(B) may be explained as a result of greater destabilization of GC-rich than AT-rich DNAs.
Example 2
Short Oligonucleotides Melting in the Presence of THP(B)
The thermal transitions of the short oligonucleotides [d(ATGCAT)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:1) ( FIG. 4A ) and [d(GCTTAAGC)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:2) ( FIG. 4B ) were studied in the absence (open squares) and presence of 0.5M (open circles) and 1.0M (filled squares) THP(B). NMR chemical shift changes of the C4H5 proton of [d(ATGCAT)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:1) and of the G1H8 proton of [d(GCTTAAGC)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:2) were measured as a function of increasing temperatures as described in Materials and Methods section (iii). The results of these experiments are depicted in FIGS. 4A–B and summarized in Table 1.
TABLE 1
Tm° C.
DNA-THP (B)
DNA-betaine
Oligonucleotide
DNA
0.5M
1.0M
1.0M
[d(ATGCAT)] 2 (SEQ ID NO: 1)
31.5
29.5
28.0
29.2
[d(GCTTAAGC)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:
48.0
45.0
42.0
—
2)
As shown in Table 1, the melting temperatures of [d(ATGCAT)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:1) and of [d(GCTTAAGC)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:2) decreased by 2° C. and by 3° C., respectively, in the presence of 0.5M THP(B), and by 3.5° C. and 6° C., respectively, in the presence of 1.0M THP(B). Data were compared to the melting temperature of [d(ATGCAT)] 2 (SEQ ID NO:1) in the presence of betaine. The decrease in Tm by betaine was only ˜2° C. at 1.0M concentration, about two-fold higher concentration of betaine is needed for exerting the same Tm decline caused by THP(B).
Example 3
THP(B) and THP(A) Effects on Taq DNA Polymerase Stability at Elevated Temperatures
The effects of THP(B) and THP(A) on the remaining activity of Taq DNA polymerase incubated at elevated temperatures for different periods of time were studied.
After 90 min incubation at 95° C., Taq DNA polymerase was only 30% active. The enzyme was remarkably stabilized upon addition of either THP(B) or THP(A). After incubation at 95° C. in the presence of 0.5M THP(B) or 0.5M THP(A), the half life of Taq polymerase was 70 min and 60–90 min, respectively, in comparison to the half life of 30–40 min observed in the absence of additive (not shown). Comparable protective effects were obtained when Taq DNA polymerase was incubated at 95° C. in the presence of a combination of THP(A) and THP(B) (results not shown). Thus, THP(B) and/or THP(A) present in the reaction mixture enable doubling PCR cycles without increased loss of enzyme activity.
In FIG. 5 are shown results of similar experiments measuring the thermal inactivation of Taq polymerase at 97° C. in the absence (filled circles) or presence of 1M THP(B) (filled squares), 1M THP(A) (open squares) in comparison to 1M glycerol (open diamonds). The thermal inactivation of the enzyme at the elevated temperature 97° C. was, as expected, more rapid than the inactivation at 95° C.; almost a complete loss (>95%) of enzyme activity was observed following 60 min incubation at 97° C. with no additives. However, also the protective effects by THP(B) and THP(A) were more dramatic: the remaining Taq polymerase activities, following 30 min incubation at 97° C. were 40% and 50% in the presence of 1M THP(B) or THP(A), respectively, in comparison to 10% remaining activity in the absence of additives. As a result of 60 min incubation at 97° C., the remaining Taq polymerase activity in the absence of additive was 5%, whereas in the presence of 1M THP(B) or THP(A) the remaining activities were 20% and 45%, respectively. The results shown in FIG. 5 indicate that THP(A) is more effective than THP(B) or glycerol in stabilizing Taq DNA polymerase.
Example 4
PCR in the Presence of THP(B)
The combined effect of THP(B) on DNA melting temperatures and on Taq DNA polymerase activity and stability at elevated temperatures was followed under PCR conditions.
PCR reaction was performed by Taq DNA polymerase as described in Materials and Methods, section (vii), using as a template whole genomic DNA of Halobacterium marismortui (66.5% GC) and the 28-mer primers 1 and 2 described in section (i).
In FIG. 6 are depicted the amplified DNA sequences produced by PCR performed at 95° C. and 92° C., in the absence and presence of 0.5M THP(B), respectively, showing that yield and specificity of the DNA amplification was improved by the presence of THP(B). At 92° C. amplified sequences were produced only in the presence of THP(B), but not in its absence.
The effect of 1.0M THP(B) in the PCR buffer mixture is presented in FIGS. 7A–C . A “control” assay was performed at Td 95° C. in the absence and presence of 1.0M THP(B) with two concentrations of Taq DNA polymerase, 0.5 and 0.75 units in 25 μl PCR reaction mixture. The presence of 1.0M THP(B) improved PCR specific amplification at Td 95° C. ( FIG. 7A ). However, the most significant results were obtained when denaturation temperatures of the DNA were reduced from 95° C. to 90° C. ( FIG. 7B ) in the presence of 1.0M THP(B) (either with 0.5 or 0.75 units of Taq DNA polymerase in 25 μl reaction mixture). Under these conditions, specific amplified sequence was generated only in the presence of THP(B), while no trace of amplified DNA could be detected in the absence of this additive.
When Td was further lowered to 89° C. in the presence of 0.5 units Taq DNA polymerase in 25 μl reaction mixture, amplified DNA sequence was markedly lower, even in the presence of 1.0M THP(B) but no trace of amplified DNA was detected in the absence of THP(B) ( FIG. 7C ).
Example 5
DNA Melting in the Presence of Proline
The effect of different concentrations of proline on the melting profile of calf thymus DNA (42% GC) was studied. Melting experiments were conducted as described in Materials and Methods, section (ii), in the absence or presence of 2M, 3.5M 5M and 6.2M proline.
As shown in FIG. 8A , the addition of proline significantly lowered the DNA melting temperature and sharpened its transition profile. The DNA melting temperature in aqueous solution, 62° C., was lowered to 27° C. in the presence of 6.2M proline.
The effect of proline on DNA melting temperatures was examined on different DNAs with different base compositions, such as Micrococcus lysodeikticus and Clostridium perfringens DNAs (72% and 26% GC, respectively), calf thymus DNA (42% GC) and on the synthetic poly(dA-dT). As shown in FIG. 8B , the melting temperatures (Tm) of the different DNAs decreased in the presence of 6.2M proline concentration in the incubation mixture. The range of melting DNA with GC content of 72% is about 5° C. higher than that of GC content of 42% and 26%, while poly(dA-dT) melts about 15° C. lower.
The effect of increasing concentration of proline as depicted in FIG. 9A on the four DNAs reveals that the effect was pronounced for GC-rich DNAs. While the oligonucleotide poly(dA-dT) did not exhibit any change in the melting temperature in the presence of 1–5M proline, a small effect occurred in the range of 5–6.2M proline. Proline at 6.2M almost eliminated the base-pair composition dependence of DNA thermal melting. As shown in FIG. 9A , in the presence of 6.2M proline all DNAs with a wide range of GC content melt in a very narrow temperature range (25–32° C.), while in the absence of proline the melting temperatures ranged from 38 to 78° C.
FIG. 9B depicts changes in dTm/dGC as a function of proline concentration. A linear correlation is presented for proline concentration of up to 5M.
Example 6
Klenow Polymerase Activity in the Presence of Praline
To study the effect of 5.0M L-proline on the Klenow DNA polymerase activity, experiments were conducted as described in Materials and Methods, section (iv), in the presence of different concentrations of MgCl 2 : 6.7 mM, 10.0 mM and 15.0 mM MgCl 2 .
As shown in FIG. 10 , L-proline only slightly decreased Klenow DNA polymerase activity. The activity of the enzyme remained high enough, particularly at 10.0 (hatched bar, middle) and 15.0 mM MgCl 2 (hatched bar, right).
Example 7
The Effect of 5.0M Proline on the Stability of Klenow DNA Polymerase at 65° C.
The remaining activity of Klenow DNA polymerase incubated at 65° C. in the presence of 5.0M proline, 5.0M glycerol or without any additives, was measured as described in Materials and Methods, section (vi). As shown in FIG. 11 , Klenow DNA polymerase at 65° C. has a half-life of less than one minute with no additives (filled circles), 3 minutes in the presence of 5.0M glycerol (filled triangles) and 21 minutes in the presence of 5.0M proline (open diamonds).
Example 8
PCR in the Presence of Proline, Using Klenow DNA Polymerase
The combined effects of proline on Klenow DNA polymerase stability at elevated temperatures and on DNA denaturation temperature step, permitted a successful design of cycled PCR conditions for this enzyme. PCR was performed by Klenow DNA polymerase as described in Materials and Methods, section (viii).
PCR amplification of a 349 b.p. fragment (66.5% GC) of Halobacterium marismortui genomic DNA (from position 2546 to 2843) was performed in a 25 μl reaction mixture containing 100 ng of the DNA template, 0.12 nM of each 3-mer oligonucleotide primers 5 and 6 described in section (i) above, 0.9 mM of each dNTP, 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.4 at 25° C.) and 15 mM of magnesium acetate. Tris-HCl buffer, template DNA, dNTP, primers and magnesium acetate were added to PCR microtubes from stock solutions, evaporated to dryness by speed-vacuum and dissolved in 22μl of a proline-glycerol solution, containing 5.5M of L-proline in a 12.5% w/v solution of glycerol in water. Klenow polymerase (10 units/μl, storage buffer contains 50% w/v glycerol) and, in order to keep constant glycerol concentration in the PCR mixtures, aliquots of glycerol solution in water (50% w/v glycerol) were added during the first primer annealing step.
As shown in FIG. 12 , in lanes 1. and 2. 1.0 μl of Klenow polymerase (10 units) and 2.0 μl of the glycerol solution were added, and in lanes 3. and 4. 1.5 μl of Klenow polymerase (15 units) and 1.5 μl of the glycerol were added. The final concentration of L-proline in all PCR mixtures was 4.85M and of glycerol was 17% w/v. All PCR reactions were run on a MJ Research PTC-100 machine equipped with a normal block (ramping rate is 1° C. per second). Reaction mixtures were preheated for 3 min at 75° C., and then subjected to 35 thermal cycles as follows: a) 20 sec incubation at 70° C.; b) 4 min incubation at 37° C. Reaction products were run on a 2% agarose gel and stained by ethidium bromide.
The results shown in FIG. 12 reveal that proline concentration in the range of 3–5.5M is sufficient to confer stability to Klenow DNA polymerase and to conduct a successful PCR protocol.
Example 9
PCR in the Presence of Proline, Using Taq DNA Polymerase
FIG. 13 shows PCR, using Taq DNA polymerase, performed in the absence and in the presence of 1.0M proline, as described in Materials and Methods, section (ix). Addition of 1.0M proline to the reaction mixture did not impair PCR performance at denaturation temperature 95° C. and enabled successful PCR at decreased denaturation temperature, namely 91° C.
Example 10
PCR in the Presence of Proline, Using mixture of Klentaq1 and Pfu DNA Polymerases
PCR was performed in the presence of 4.0M proline, using a mixture of Klentaq1 and Pfu DNA polymerases, as described in Materials and Methods, section (x). Reaction mixtures were preheated for 1 min at their respective denaturation temperatures (77° C. and 75° C.), and then subjected to 35 thermal cycles as follows: (i) 30 sec incubation at 77° C. or 75° C. (denaturation step); (ii) 90 sec incubation at 44° C. primer annealing step); and (iii) 7 min incubation at 65° C. (primer extension).
As shown in FIG. 14 , there is a clear correlation between the concentration of proline in the mixture and the minimal denaturation temperature. Thus, true for above mentioned conditions, 4.0M concentration of proline was enough for successful PCR at the 77° C. denaturation temperature, but not at 75° C.
REFERENCES
1. Barnes, W. M. (1994) PCR amplification of up to 35-kb DNA with high fidelity and high yield from λ bacteriophage templates, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci 91, 916–2220.
2. Cheng, S., C. Fockler, W. M. Barnes and R. Higuchi (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91, 5695–5699.
3. Corney, C. T., J. M. Jung and B. Budowle (1991) BioTechniques 10, 60–61.
4. Filichkin, S. A. and S. B. Gelvin (1992) BioTechniques 12, 828–830.
5. Galinski, E. A., H. P. Pfeifer and H. G. Truper (1985) Eur. J. Biochem. 149, 135–139.
6. Gelfand, D. H. and White (1989) in PCR Technology: Principles and Applications for DNA Amplification (Erlich, H. A., ed) pp. 17–22, Stockton Press, New York.
7. Han, J. et al. (1994) Nucleic Acids Research 22, 1735–1740.
8. Inbar, L. and A. Lapidot (1988a) J. Bacteriol. 170, 4055–4064.
9. Inbar, L. and A. Lapidot (1988b) J. Biol. Chem 263, 16014–16022.
10. Inbar, L., and A. Lapidot (1991) J. Bacteriol. 173, 7790–7801.
11. Inbar, L., F. Frolow and A. Lapidot (1993) Eur. J. of Biochem. 214, 897–906.
12. Kieleczawa, J., Dunn, J. J., and Studier, F. W. (1992) Science 258, 1787–1791.
13. Lapidot, A. Ben-Asher, E. and Eisenstein, M. (1995) FEBS Letters 367, 33–38.
14. Malin, G. M. and A. Lapidot (1996) J. Bacteriol. 178, 385–395.
15. Melchior, W. B., Von Hippel, P. H. Jr., and Von Hippel, P. H. (1973) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 70: 298–302
16. Mcpherson, M. J., P. Quirke and G. R. Taylor (1992) in PCR, A practical approach . (Mcpherson, M. J., Quirke P. and Taylor, G. R., Editors), IRL Press, Oxford University Press.
17. Mytelka, D. S. and M. J. Chamberlain (1996) Nucl. Acids Res. 24, 2774–2781.
18. Pomp, D. and J. F. Medrano (1991) BioTechniques 10, 58–59.
19. Rajendrakumar, S. V., Suryanarayana, T., and Reddy, A. R. (1997) FEBS Letters 410, 201–205.
20 Rees, W. A., T. D. Yager, J. Korte and P. H. Von Hippel (1993) Biochemistry 32, 137–144.
21. Varadaraj, K. and D. M. Skinner (1994) Gene 140, 1–5.
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The osmoprotectants proline, 2-methyl-4-carboxy-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine (“THP(B)”, and 2-methyl-4-carboxy-5-hydroxy-3,4,5,6,-tetrahydropyrimidine (“THP(A)”) are capable of increasing the thermal stability of DNA polymerases at elevated temperatures. THP(B) is further effective in lowering the melting temperature of double-stranded DNA. Proline, THP(A) and THP(B) are thus useful in procedures involving melting of double-stranded DNA and/or polymerase-mediated DNA synthesis, such as in primer extension, in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification and in DNA sequencing.
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BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
The invention is related to residual echo suppression in a microphone signal which been previously processed by an acoustic echo canceller (AEC), and more particularly to a regression-based residual echo suppression (RES) system and process for suppressing the portion of the microphone signal corresponding to a playback of a speaker audio signal that was not suppressed by the AEC.
2. Background Art
In teleconferencing applications or speech recognition, a microphone picks up sound that is being played through the speakers. In teleconferencing this leads to perceived echoes, and in speech recognition, reduction in performance. Acoustic Echo Cancellers (AECs) are used to alleviate this problem.
However, the echo reduction provided by AEC is often not sufficient for applications that require a high level of speech quality, such as speech recognition. The insufficient echo reduction is caused by, among other things, adaptive filter lengths in AEC that are much shorter that the room response. Short AEC filters are used to make AEC computationally feasible and to achieve reasonably fast convergence. Various methods have been employed to suppress the residual echo. For example, techniques such as coring (also referred to as center clipping) were used. However, this can lead to near-end speech distortion.
Other methods to remove the residual echo tried to achieve this goal by estimating its power spectral density (PSD), and consequently removing it using Weiner filtering [1,2] or spectral subtraction [3]. However, most of those methods either need prior information about the room, or make unreasonable assumptions about signal properties. For example, some methods estimate PSD based on long-term reverberation models of the room [3]. Parameters of the model are dependent on the room configuration and need to be calculated in advance based on the behavior of the room impulse response.
There are some techniques that estimate the residual echo PSD via a so-called “coherence analysis” which is based on the cross-correlation between the speaker signal (sometimes referred to as the far-end signal in teleconferencing applications) and the residual signal. In a sub-band system, only the discrete Fourier transforms (DFTs) of the windowed signals are available, so the cross-correlations can be only approximately calculated [1]. In [2], the coherence function is computed based on a block of a few frames of data; in [1] it is based on multiple blocks. The latter assumes that the frames of the speaker signal are uncorrelated, which is almost never true. The performance of these algorithms is dictated by the accuracy of the PSD estimate and their ability to track it accurately from one frame to another. The accuracy decreases when near-end speech is present or when the echo path changes.
It is noted that in the preceding paragraphs, as well as in the remainder of this specification, the description refers to various individual publications identified by a numeric designator contained within a pair of brackets. For example, such a reference may be identified by reciting, “reference [1]” or simply “[1]”. A listing of references including the publications corresponding to each designator can be found at the end of the Detailed Description section.
SUMMARY
The present invention is directed toward a system and process for suppressing the residual echo in a microphone signal which been previously processed by an acoustic echo canceller (AEC), which overcomes the problems of existing techniques. In general, the present system and process uses a regression-based approach to modeling the echo residual. In other words, a parametric model of the relationship between the speaker and the echo residual after AEC is built and then these parameters are learned online. Thus, instead of estimating the power spectral density (PSD), a prescribed signal attribute (e.g., magnitude, energy, or others) of the short-term spectrum of the AEC residual signal is directly estimated in terms of the same attribute of the short-term spectra of the speaker signal using the parameterized relations. This scheme is powerful since, regression models can easily capture complex empirical relationships while providing flexibility. Tracking the parameters can be easily done using stochastic filters. Prior knowledge about room reverberation is not needed.
In one embodiment of the present system and process, the residual echo present in the output of an acoustic echo canceller (AEC) is suppressed using linear regression between the spectral magnitudes of multiple frames of the speaker signal and the spectral magnitude of the current frame of the echo residual as found in the output of an acoustic echo canceller AEC, per sub-band. The sub-bands are computed using a frequency domain transform such as the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) or the Modulated Complex Lapped Transform (MCLT). In the tested embodiment, the MCLT is used to convert the time domain signals to the frequency domain. This model automatically takes into consideration the correlation between the frames of the speaker signal. The regression parameters are estimated and tracked using an adaptive technique.
The present regression-based echo suppression (RES) system and process is both simple and effective. Preliminary results using linear regression on magnitudes of real audio signals demonstrate an average of 8 dB of sustained echo suppression in the AEC output signal under a wide variety of real conditions with minimal artifacts and/or near-end speech distortion.
As indicated previously, in the present RES system and process, a portion of a microphone signal corresponding to a playback of a speaker audio signal sent from a remote location and played back aloud in a near-end space is suppressed. In one embodiment, this involves first processing the microphone signal using an AEC module that suppresses a first part of the speaker signal playback found in the microphone signal and generates an AEC output signal. A RES module is then employed. This module inputs the AEC output signal and the speaker signal, and suppresses at least a portion of a residual part of the speaker signal playback found in the microphone signal, which was left unsuppressed by the AEC module. The output of the RES module can be deemed the final RES output signal. However, additional suppression of the remaining portion of the speaker signal playback may be possible by employing one or more additional RES modules. In the multiple RES module embodiments, one or more additional RES modules are added, with each inputting the signal output by the preceding RES module and the speaker signal. The additional module then suppresses at least a portion of a remaining part of the speaker signal playback found in the microphone signal, which was left unsuppressed by the AEC module and all the preceding RES modules. The output of the last RES module is designated as the final RES signal.
The process used by each RES module is the same, only the input signals change. More particularly, in the case of the first (and perhaps only) RES module, the following suppression process is used for each segment of the AEC output signal, one by one, in the order in which the frame is generated. A segment can correspond to a single frame of the AEC output, as in tested embodiments of the present invention. However, in alternative embodiments, a segment can comprise multiple frames or fractions of frames, perhaps depending on external parameters, such as room size. Within each frame, a pre-defined range of sub-bands found within the overall frequency range are processed. First, a previously unprocessed sub-band within a prescribed overall frequency range is selected. The desired signal attribute of this band is calculated (e.g. magnitude, energy). The echo residual component associated with the selected sub-band as exhibited in the prescribed signal attribute is then predicted using a prescribed regression technique, based on a prescribed number of past periods of the speaker signal and a current set of regression coefficients. The result of this prediction is subtracted from a measure of the same signal attribute in the segment of the AEC output signal currently under consideration, to produce a difference. In addition, the noise floor of the segment of the AEC output signal currently under consideration is computed in terms of the prescribed signal attribute. It is next determined if the aforementioned difference is lower than the computed noise floor. If not, then the difference is designated as a RES output for sub-band pertaining to the segment of the AEC output signal currently under consideration, and otherwise the noise floor is designated as the RES output. The RES output signal component for the selected sub-band and the segment of the AEC output signal currently under consideration is generated from the designated RES output.
As mentioned previously, the regression coefficients can be adaptively updated as the suppression process continues. If so, it is next determined if the segment of the AEC output signal currently under consideration contains human speech components that originated in the near-end space. Whenever this is not the case, a smoothed speaker signal power is estimated for the same time period and selected sub-band. This is followed by computing a normalized gradient and updating the regression coefficients. If the regression coefficients have been updated or it was determined that the segment of the AEC output signal currently under consideration contains near-end speech components, the last computed regression coefficients are designated as the coefficients that are to be used for the associated sub-band to predict the AEC output signal echo residual component for the next segment of the AEC output signal to be considered.
The process continues by determining if there are any remaining previously unselected sub-bands. If so, another one of the sub-bands is selected and the foregoing process is repeated until there are no previously unselected sub-band-ranges remaining. At that point, the RES output signal components generated for each previously selected sub-band are combined and the combined signal components are designated as the RES output for the segment of the AEC output signal currently under consideration.
It is noted that the same process is used if the RES module in question is not the first, except that the output from the preceding RES module is used as an input in lieu of the AEC output signal.
The present RES system and process is also applicable to stereo residual suppression as well. Current stereo AEC techniques have problems with correlations between the right and left channels, however, the present RES approach can naturally handle these correlations by removing them in two passes. Thus, at least two RES modules are employed. Essentially, there is no difference in the processing itself, only a difference in which signals are input to the RES modules.
More particularly, in one embodiment of the present RES system and process applicable to stereo, a portion of a microphone signal corresponding to a playback of the right and left channels of a far-end stereo audio signal sent from a remote location, and each of which is played back aloud via separate loudspeakers in a near-end space, is suppressed. Alternatively, the stereo audio signal can be generated on the near end computer (e.g. playing music from a CD). This processing involves first processing the microphone signal using a stereo AEC module that suppresses a first part of the playback of the left and right channels of the speaker signal found in the microphone signal and generates an AEC output signal. A first RES module is then employed, which inputs the AEC output signal and one of the channels of the speaker signal. The first RES module suppresses at least a portion of a residual part of the speaker signal playback of the input channel found in the microphone signal which was left unsuppressed by the AEC module, to produce a first RES output signal. Then, a second RES module inputs the first RES output signal and the other channel of the speaker signal (i.e., the one not input by the first RES module). This second RES module suppresses at least a portion of a residual part of the speaker signal playback of the input channel found in the microphone signal which was left unsuppressed by the AEC module and the first RES module, to produce a final RES output signal. This method is also applicable to multi-channel playback where the number of playback channels is greater than 2 (e.g. 5.1, 7.1, and so on).
In an alternate embodiment of the present RES system and process applicable to stereo, the foregoing modules operate in the same way, except in this case, the first RES module inputs either the sum or difference of the two channels of the speaker signal and the second RES module inputs the sum or difference of the speaker signal-whichever one was not input by the first RES module.
In addition to the just described benefits, other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows hereinafter when taken in conjunction with the drawing figures which accompany it.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The specific features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
FIG. 1 is a diagram depicting a general purpose computing device constituting an exemplary system for implementing the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting an overall echo reduction scheme including a regression-based residual echo suppression (RES) module in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows a flow chart diagramming one embodiment of a RES process according to the present invention employed by the RES module of FIG. 2 for suppressing the portion of the microphone signal corresponding to a playback of the speaker audio signal that was not suppressed by the AEC module.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting an overall echo reduction scheme including a regression-based residual echo suppression (RES) technique involving two sequential RES modules in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram depicting an overall echo reduction scheme for stereo playback scenarios including a regression-based residual echo suppression (RES) technique involving two sequential RES modules in accordance with the present invention, where the first RES module handles the left channel and the second RES module handles the right channel.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram depicting an alternate overall echo reduction scheme for stereo playback scenarios including a regression-based residual echo suppression (RES) technique involving two sequential RES modules in accordance with the present invention, where the first RES module inputs a sum of the left and right stereo channels and the second RES module inputs a difference of the left and right stereo channels.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
1.0 THE COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT
Before providing a description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a brief, general description of a suitable computing environment in which portions of the invention may be implemented will be described. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a suitable computing system environment 100 . The computing system environment 100 is only one example of a suitable computing environment and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the invention. Neither should the computing environment 100 be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of components illustrated in the exemplary operating environment 100 .
The invention is operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples of well known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use with the invention include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.
The invention may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices.
With reference to FIG. 1 , an exemplary system for implementing the invention includes a general purpose computing device in the form of a computer 110 . Components of computer 110 may include, but are not limited to, a processing unit 120 , a system memory 130 , and a system bus 121 that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit 120 . The system bus 121 may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus also known as Mezzanine bus.
Computer 110 typically includes a variety of computer readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by computer 110 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by computer 110 . Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of the any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media.
The system memory 130 includes computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 131 and random access memory (RAM) 132 . A basic input/output system 133 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer 110 , such as during start-up, is typically stored in ROM 131 . RAM 132 typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit 120 . By way of example, and not limitation, FIG. 1 illustrates operating system 134 , application programs 135 , other program modules 136 , and program data 137 .
The computer 110 may also include other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only, FIG. 1 illustrates a hard disk drive 141 that reads from or writes to non-removable, nonvolatile magnetic media, a magnetic disk drive 151 that reads from or writes to a removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk 152 , and an optical disk drive 155 that reads from or writes to a removable, nonvolatile optical disk 156 such as a CD ROM or other optical media. Other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media that can be used in the exemplary operating environment include, but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards, digital versatile disks, digital video tape, solid state RAM, solid state ROM, and the like. The hard disk drive 141 is typically connected to the system bus 121 through a non-removable memory interface such as interface 140 , and magnetic disk drive 151 and optical disk drive 155 are typically connected to the system bus 121 by a removable memory interface, such as interface 150 .
The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed above and illustrated in FIG. 1 , provide storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the computer 110 . In FIG. 1 , for example, hard disk drive 141 is illustrated as storing operating system 144 , application programs 145 , other program modules 146 , and program data 147 . Note that these components can either be the same as or different from operating system 134 , application programs 135 , other program modules 136 , and program data 137 . Operating system 144 , application programs 145 , other program modules 146 , and program data 147 are given different numbers here to illustrate that, at a minimum, they are different copies. A user may enter commands and information into the computer 110 through input devices such as a keyboard 162 and pointing device 161 , commonly referred to as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 120 through a user input interface 160 that is coupled to the system bus 121 , but may be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 191 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 121 via an interface, such as a video interface 190 . In addition to the monitor, computers may also include other peripheral output devices such as speakers 197 and printer 196 , which may be connected through an output peripheral interface 195 . A camera 192 (such as a digital/electronic still or video camera, or film/photographic scanner) capable of capturing a sequence of images 193 can also be included as an input device to the personal computer 110 . Further, while just one camera is depicted, multiple cameras could be included as input devices to the personal computer 110 . The images 193 from the one or more cameras are input into the computer 110 via an appropriate camera interface 194 . This interface 194 is connected to the system bus 121 , thereby allowing the images to be routed to and stored in the RAM 132 , or one of the other data storage devices associated with the computer 110 . However, it is noted that image data can be input into the computer 110 from any of the aforementioned computer-readable media as well, without requiring the use of the camera 192 .
The computer 110 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer 180 . The remote computer 180 may be a personal computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the computer 110 , although only a memory storage device 181 has been illustrated in FIG. 1 . The logical connections depicted in FIG. 1 include a local area network (LAN) 171 and a wide area network (WAN) 173 , but may also include other networks. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets and the Internet.
When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 110 is connected to the LAN 171 through a network interface or adapter 170 . When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 110 typically includes a modem 172 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN 173 , such as the Internet. The modem 172 , which may be internal or external, may be connected to the system bus 121 via the user input interface 160 , or other appropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 110 , or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and not limitation, FIG. 1 illustrates remote application programs 185 as residing on memory device 181 . It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used.
The exemplary operating environment having now been discussed, the remaining parts of this description section will be devoted to a description of the program modules embodying the invention.
2.0 REGRESSION-BASED RESIDUAL ECHO SUPPRESSION
The role of the present regression-based residual echo suppression (RES) system in an overall echo reduction scheme is illustrated in FIG. 2 . The speaker signal x(t) 202 coming from a remote location is received and played back in the space represented by near-end block 200 via loudspeaker 204 . The far end signal playback 206 , as well as the ambient noise n(t) 208 in the near-end space and near-end speech s(t) 210 is picked up by the microphone 212 which produces a microphone signal 214 . This microphone signal 214 is fed into a conventional AEC module 216 which suppresses a part of the speaker signal playback picked up by the microphone. The output of the AEC module 216 is the AEC signal m(t) 218 , which is in turn fed into the RES module 220 . The RES module 220 uses this signal and the speaker signal 202 (which is also fed into the AEC module 216 ) to produce the final RES output signal b(t) F 222 in the manner that will be described next.
In RES it is desired to directly estimate the amount of residual echo energy in each frame of AEC output. This is achieved by modeling the empirical relationship between the speaker signal and the echo residual. The output of the AEC m(t) can be expressed as
m ( t )= x ( t )* h l ( t )+ s ( t )+ n ( t ) (1)
where s(t) is the near-end signal at the microphone, x(t) is the far-end or speaker signal, n(t) is the ambient noise, and h 1 (t) is the uncompensated part of the room impulse response. The echo residual after AEC, r(t), is
r ( t )= x ( t )* h l ( t ), (2)
where * denotes convolution. In the frequency domain, this is expressed as:
R ( f )= X ( f ) H l ( f ). (3)
This expression holds true only when infinite duration signals are considered. In reality, the signals are processed on a frame-by-frame basis (typically of 20 ms duration) and the true relationship between the short-term frames is complex. In general, the current frame of the residual signal can be expressed in terms of the current and past speaker signal frames:
R ( f,t )= g e ( X ( f,t ), X ( f,t− 1), . . . , X ( f,t−L+ 1)), (4)
where f and t represent the frequency and time index respectively, g represents an unknown function, Θ is the set of parameters of the model, and L depicts the model order. Once a good estimate of R(f,t) is obtained, it can be subtracted from the AEC signal.
Typically, a room impulse response lasts a few hundred milliseconds. Depending on the number of taps, the AEC is able to model and cancel the effect of the relatively early echoes. The AEC residual can reasonably be assumed to be a part of the early echo and most of the late-echoes, also called long-term room response, or late reverberation. The late reverberation consists of densely packed echoes that can be modeled as white noise with an exponentially decaying envelope [4]. This, combined with the belief that the AEC captures a significant part of the phase information, leads to the belief that whatever phase information is left behind will be very difficult to track. Instead, the present system and process uses attributes of the signal (e.g., magnitude, energy) of the short-term spectrum of the echo residual expressed in terms of the same attribute of the current and previous frames of the speaker signal.
The present invention can employ any appropriate regression model (e.g., linear regression, kernel regression, decision tree regression, threshold linear models, local linear regression, and so on including non-linear models). However, it has been found that a simple linear model is quite effective, especially if the RES is applied more than once, as will be discussed later. In addition, of the aforementioned signal attributes, it has been found that magnitude is particularly effective. Thus, the following description will describe the invention in terms of a linear regression magnitude model. However, it is not intended that the present invention be limited to just this embodiment. Rather any appropriate regression model and any signal attribute could be employed instead without exceeding the scope of the invention.
Given the use of a linear regression model and magnitude as the signal attribute under consideration:
R ( f , t ) ≈ ∑ i = 0 L - 1 w i X ( f , t - i ) ( 5 )
where w i are the regression coefficients for the magnitude model.
Adaptive RES
More particularly, the present RES system and process involves predicting the echo residual signal magnitude {circumflex over (R)}(f,t) in the AEC output signal for each frequency sub-band of interest, identified by a frequency index f, and for each time period identified by a time index t (which in tested embodiments was each frame of the AEC output signal), as:
R ^ ( f , t ) = ∑ i = 0 L - 1 w i ( t ) X ( f , t - i ) . ( 6 )
In tested embodiments f ranges from 2-281 (starting at band 0) with each index number representing a 25 Hz span, t ranges from 1 to the last frame of interest output by the AEC, L is the regression order, w i (t) for i=[0 . . . L−1] are the regression coefficients for time period t, and |X(f,t−i)| is the magnitude of the speaker signal for sub-band f over prior time period t−i for i=[0 . . . L−1]. The regression order L is chosen according to the room size. Since higher frequency signal components are absorbed better than lower frequency signal components [4], a relatively smaller value of L is used at higher frequencies. For example, in tested embodiments of the present RES system and process, L=10, 13 and 16 was chosen for sub-bands 2 - 73 (lower frequencies) and L=6, 8 and 10 for sub-bands 74 - 281 (higher frequencies), for small, medium, and large rooms respectively. The initial regression coefficients (i.e., w i (1)) are set to zero. These coefficients are adapted thereafter as will be described shortly. Finally, it is noted that |X(f,t)| is deemed to be 0 for t≦0.
Once {circumflex over (R)}(f,t) is predicted for the current time period t and a particular sub-band, it can be used to remove some or all of the residual echo in the AEC signal. This removal can be accomplished in a number of ways, including spectral subtraction and Weiner filtering. The spectral subtraction method is the simplest and is described herein. First, {circumflex over (R)}(f,t) is subtracted from the magnitude of the current frame of the AEC signal |M(f,t)| associated with the same time period and sub-band, to produce an error signal E(f,t), as:
E ( f,t )=| M ( f,t )|− {circumflex over (R)} ( f,t ). (7)
It is noted that whenever the difference between |M(f,t)| and {circumflex over (R)}(f,t) becomes lower than the noise floor, E(f,t) is set to the noise floor. This helps in reducing any artifacts such as musical noise in the RES output. The noise floor can be calculated using any appropriate conventional method, such as a minimum statistics noise estimation technique like the one described in [6].
The RES output signal component B(f,t) is then generated as:
B ( f,t )= E ( f,t )exp( j φ) (8)
where φ=∠M(f,t) is the current phase of the AEC output signal. This procedure is performed for the current time period t and all the remaining sub-bands, of interest, and the resulting RES output signal components B(f,t) associated with each sub-band are combined in a conventional manner to produce the RES output signal b(t). The net result is to suppress at least part of the echo residual component in the current frame of the AEC output signal.
After the initial frame of the AEC output signal is processed, the foregoing process is repeated for each new frame generated. However, the regression coefficients w i are a function of the room environment and change as the room environment changes. Thus, it is advantageous to update them on a frame-by-frame basis to ensure they more accurately reflect the current conditions. In the embodiment of the present RES system and process employing magnitude as the signal attribute of interest, a magnitude regression-based normalized least-mean squares (NLMS) adaptive algorithm is used, such as described in [5]. However, it is noted that other adaptive algorithms could be used instead, such as recursive least squares (RLS), Kalman filtering or particle filters.
More particularly, before generating the aforementioned RES output for each frame after the initial one, a decision is made as to whether to adaptively update the regression coefficients before moving on. This is done by determining if the current AEC output frame contains near end speech components, using a conventional method such as double-talk detection. If so, the regression coefficients cannot be accurately adapted and the values employed for the current frame are re-used for the next. If, however, near-end speech is absent from the current frame, then the regression coefficients are updated as follows.
First, a smoothed speaker signal power P(f,t) is estimated using a first order infinite impulse response (IIR) filter for the current frame and a particular sub-band f as:
P ( f,t )=(1−α) P ( f,t −1)+α∥ X ( f,t )∥ 2 (9)
where α is a smoothing constant which in tested embodiments was set to a small value, e.g., 0.05˜0.1, and where ∥X(f,t)∥ 2 is the energy associated with the speaker signal for the same time period t (e.g., frame) and at the same sub-band. It is noted that in order to improve convergence, P(f,t) is initialized with the energy in the initial frame of the speaker signal. Thus, P(f,0)=∥X(f,1)∥ 2 . In order to prevent the smoothed estimate from attaining a zero value (and thus causing a divide by zero in further computation), a small value can be added to the P(f,t), or if P(f,t) falls below a threshold, P(f,t) can be set to that threshold. These readjustments can be considered to be part of the first-order filter.
The smoothed speaker signal power P(f,t) is used to compute a normalized gradient for the current time period and sub-band under consideration, as:
∇ ( t ) = - 2 E ( f , t ) X ( f , t ) P ( f , t ) ( 10 )
This normalized gradient is then used to update the regression coefficients employed in the current frame for the sub-band under consideration. Namely,
w ( t+ 1)= w ( t )−μ∇( t ) (11)
where w(t) is a regression coefficient vector equal to [w 0 w 2 . . . w L−1 ] T for the current time period (e.g., frame) at the sub-band under consideration, and μ is a small step size. The value of μ is chosen so that the residual signal estimate {circumflex over (R)}(f,t) is mostly smaller than |M(f,t)|. In tested embodiments, μ was in a range of 0.0025 and 0.005. In addition, if it is determined that {circumflex over (R)}(f,t) exceeds |M(f,t)|, the step size μ is multiplied by a small factor λ, e.g., 1<λ<1.5. This is to ensure the positivity of E(f,t) as much as possible.
RES Process
Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B , the foregoing RES process can be summarized as follows. First, the current segment (e.g., frame) of the AEC output signal is selected (process action 300 ). In addition, a previously unselected one of the pre-defined sub-bands within a prescribed overall frequency range is selected (process action 302 ). The AEC output signal echo residual component as exhibited in a prescribed signal attribute (e.g., magnitude, energy, and so on) is then predicted in process action 304 using a prescribed regression model (e.g., linear, kernel based regression, and so on) based on a prescribed number of past periods (e.g., frames) of the speaker signal. Next, the prediction results are subtracted from the same attribute of the current AEC output period (e.g., frame) in process action 306 and the noise floor of the current AEC output period is computed in regards to the signal attribute under consideration (process action 308 ). It is then determined if the difference is lower than the noise floor (process action 310 ). If not, the difference is designated as the RES output for the currently selected time period (process action 312 ). However, if the difference is lower, then the noise floor is designated as the RES output for the time period (process action 314 ). A RES output signal component for the selected sub-band and time period is then generated from the designated RES output (process action 316 ).
The process continues in FIG. 3B by first determining if the AEC output associated with the currently selected time period contains near-end speech components (process action 318 ). If not, the smoothed speaker signal power is estimated for the selected time period and sub-band (process action 320 ). This is followed by computing the normalized gradient for the selected time period and sub-band (process action 322 ) and updating the regression coefficients employed in predicting the AEC output signal echo residual component for the selected time period and sub-band (process action 324 ). Once the regression coefficients are updated, or if it was determined in process action 318 that the AEC output associated with the currently selected time period contained near-end speech components, the last computed regression coefficients are designated as the coefficients that are to be used for the associated sub-band to predict the AEC output signal echo residual component for the next time period selected (process action 326 ).
It is next determined if there are any remaining previously unselected sub-bands (process action 328 ). If so, process actions 302 through 328 are repeated until there are no unselected ranges left. The RES output signal components generated for each previously selected sub-band are then combined, and the resulting signal is designated as the RES output signal for the selected period (process action 330 ). At that point, the entire process is repeated for the next time period by repeating process action 300 through 330 as appropriate.
Repeated Application of Adaptive RES
Based on the cursory analysis, it can be intuitively presumed that repeated application of RES, will lead to successive reduction in echo residual. This is borne out empirically from experimentation, with a second RES application supplying an echo reduction of about 2-5 dB beyond a first RES application. Thus, when the extra processing time and costs are acceptable it is envisioned that the forgoing RES technique would be run at least twice. This modified RES technique is illustrated in FIG. 4 in an embodiment having two RES stages. As before, the speaker signal x(t) 402 is received and played back in the space represented by near-end block 400 via loudspeaker 404 . The speaker signal playback 406 , as well as the ambient noise n(t) 408 in the near-end space and near-end speech s(t) 410 is picked up by the microphone 412 which produces a microphone signal 414 . This microphone signal 414 is fed into a conventional AEC module 416 , which suppresses a part of the speaker signal playback picked up by the microphone. The output of the AEC module 416 is the aforementioned AEC signal m(t) 418 , which is in turn fed into the first RES module 420 . The first RES module 420 uses this signal and the speaker signal 402 (which is also fed into the AEC module 416 ) to produce the initial RES output signal b(t) 422 in the manner described previously. This initial RES output signal 422 is then fed into a second RES module 424 along with the speaker signal 402 . The second RES module 424 repeats the present RES technique, except using the initial RES output signal b(t) 422 in lieu of the AEC output signal m(t) 418 . The output of the second RES module 424 is the final RES output signal b(t) F 426 . However, as indicated there could also be more than two RES stages (not shown). In that case, additional RES module(s) are added with the output of the immediately preceding RES module being fed into the next module, along with the speaker signal. The final RES output signal is then output by the last RES module in the series.
Application to Stereo AEC
The present RES system and process can also be applied to stereo AEC in two ways, both involving two passes of the regression procedure, similar to the repeated application embodiment just described. Stereo AEC has problems with correlations between the right and left channels, however, the present RES approach naturally handles these correlations by removing them in two passes. Essentially, there is no difference in the processing itself, only a difference in which signals are input to the RES modules. In the first approach illustrated in FIG. 5 , the present RES technique is applied to the AEC output based on the left channel speaker signal x L (t) 506 in the first pass, and then the right channel speaker signal x R (t) 502 in the second pass. More particularly, the right channel speaker signal x R (t) 502 is received and played back in the space represented by near-end block 500 via loudspeaker 504 , while the left channel speaker signal x L (t) 506 is received and played back in the space via loudspeaker 508 . The right and left channel far end signal playbacks 510 , 512 , as well as the ambient noise n(t) 514 in the near-end space and near-end speech s(t) 516 are picked up by the microphone 518 , which produces a microphone signal 520 . This microphone signal 520 is fed into a conventional stereo AEC module 522 , along with both the right and left channel speaker signals 502 , 506 . The stereo AEC module 522 suppresses a part of the left and right speaker signal playback picked up by the microphone 518 . The output of the AEC module 522 is the AEC signal m(t) 524 , which is in turn fed into the first RES module 526 . The first RES module 526 uses this signal and the left channel speaker signal x L (t) 506 to produce the first RES output signal b 1 (t) 528 in the manner described previously. This first RES output signal 528 is then fed into a second RES module 530 along with the right channel speaker signal 502 . The second RES module 530 repeats the present RES technique, except using the first RES output signal b 1 (t) 528 in lieu of the AEC output signal m(t) 522 . The output of the second RES module 530 is the final RES output signal b(t) F 532 . This method is also applicable to multi-channel playback where the number of playback channels is greater than 2 (e.g. 5.1, 7.1, and so on).
In the second approach illustrated in FIG. 6 , the present RES technique is applied to the stereo AEC output based on the sum of the left and right channel speaker signals in the first pass and on the difference between the left and right channel speaker signals in the second pass. More particularly, as in the first embodiment, the right channel speaker signal x R (t) 602 is received and played back in the space represented by near-end block 600 via loudspeaker 604 , while the left channel speaker signal x L (t) 606 is received and played back in the space via loudspeaker 608 . The right and left channel speaker signal playbacks 610 , 612 , as well as the ambient noise n(t) 614 in the near-end space and near-end speech s(t) 616 are picked up by the microphone 618 which produces a microphone signal 620 . This microphone signal 620 is fed into a conventional stereo AEC module 622 , along with both the right and left channel speaker signals 602 , 606 . The stereo AEC module 622 suppresses a part of the left and right speaker signal playback picked up by the microphone 618 . The output of the AEC module 622 is the AEC signal m(t) 624 , which is in turn fed into the first RES module 626 . In addition, the right and left channel speaker signals 602 , 606 are summed in summing module 634 and the resulting summed signal 636 is fed into the first RES module 626 . The first RES module 626 uses the AEC signal m(t) 624 and the summed channel signal 636 to produce the first RES output signal b 1 (t) 628 in the manner described previously. This first RES output signal 628 is then fed into a second RES module 630 . In addition, the right and left channel speaker signals 602 , 606 are subtracted in the difference module 638 and the resulting difference signal 640 is fed into the second RES module 630 . The second RES module 630 uses the first RES output signal b 1 (t) 628 and the difference signal 642 to produce the final RES output signal b(t) F 632 in the manner described previously.
It is noted that the order in which the left and right channel far end signals are processed in the RES modules in the first stereo RES embodiment or the order in which the summed and difference signals are processes in the RES modules in the second stereo RES embodiment could be reversed from that described above if desired.
3.0 REFERENCES
[1] G. Enzner, R. Martin and P. Vary, “Unbiased residual echo power estimation for hands free telephony”, ICASSP '02, pp. 1893-1896, Orlando, Fla., May 2002.
[2] M. Kallinger and K. Kammeyer, “Residual echo estimation with the help of minimum statistics”, IEEE Benelux Signal Processing Symposium, Leuven, Belgium, March 2002.
[3] K. Lebart, et. al., “A New Method Based on Spectral Subtraction for the Suppression of Late Reverberation from Speech Signals”, Audio Engineering Society Issue 4764, 1998.
[4] J-M. Jot, et. al., “Analysis and Synthesis of Room Reverberation Based on a Statistical Time-Frequency Model”, Audio Eng. Soc. 103rd Convention, New York, 1997.
[5] S. Haykin, “Adaptive Filter Theory”, Prentice Hall, 4th Edition, September 2001.
[6] R. Martin, “Spectral subtraction based on minimum statistics,” Proc. EUSIPCO-94, pp. 1182-1185, Edinburgh, 1994.
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A regression-based residual echo suppression (RES) system and process for suppressing the portion of the microphone signal corresponding to a playback of a speaker audio signal that was not suppressed by an acoustic echo canceller (AEC). In general, a prescribed regression technique is used between a prescribed spectral attribute of multiple past and present, fixed-length, periods (e.g., frames) of the speaker signal and the same spectral attribute of a current period (e.g., frame) of the echo residual in the output of the AEC. This automatically takes into consideration the correlation between the time periods of the speaker signal. The parameters of the regression can be easily tracked using adaptive methods. Multiple applications of RES can be used to produce better results and this system and process can be applied to stereo-RES as well.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a process for applying a microcapsule-containing coating composition to paper. The process is particularly useful for applying microcapsule coatings as used in pressure-sensitive copying paper, or carbonless copying paper as it is more usually referred to.
Carbonless copying paper sets typically comprise an upper sheet coated on its lower surface with microcapsules containing a solution in an oil solvent of at least one chromogenic material (alternatively termed a colour former) and a lower sheet coated on its upper surface with a colour developer composition. If more than one copy is required, one or more intermediate sheets are provided, each of which is coated on its lower surface with microcapsules and on its upper surface with colour developer composition. Imaging pressure exerted on the sheets by writing, typing or impact printing (e.g. dot matrix or daisy-wheel printing) ruptures the microcapsules thereby releasing or transferring chromogenic material solution on to the colour developer composition and giving rise to a chemical reaction which develops the colour of the chromogenic material and so produces a copy image.
In an alternative type of carbonless copying paper, the microcapsules and the colour developer are applied to the same surface of the paper, either in a single layer or in two separate layers.
Various techniques have been used for applying the microcapsule coatings required in carbonless copying papers. The technique used originally involved applying an excess of an aqueous microcapsule coating composition to the paper by means of an applicator roll, and then metering the wet coating to the desired coatweight by means of an air knife. The paper web was guided so as to kiss or contact the upper part of the applicator roll, with the lower part of the roll dipping into a bath of coating composition. The applicator roll was continuously rotated such that its surface in contact with the web moved in the same direction as the moving web (forward-roll coating). Such an arrangement is disclosed, for example, in British Patent No. 974497.
A modified form of roll/air knife coating was later introduced, and is disclosed for example in British Patent No. 1151690. In this arrangement, a rotating pick-up roll dips into a bath of coating composition and is arranged to transfer the picked up coating to an applicator roll running in contact with the paper web. A metering roll positioned at a precise spacing from the applicator roll is provided to meter off excess coating composition transferred from the pick-up roll. The spacing of the metering roll from the applicator roll is termed the metering gap, and the width of this gap is the primary determinant of the thickness, and hence the wet coatweight, of the applied coating. Fine adjustment of wet coatweight can be achieved by adjustment of the applicator roll speed relative to the web speed (adjustment of the metering roll speed to suit the applicator roll speed may also be necessary). As disclosed in British Patent No. 1151690, the pick-up roll may rotate in either the same or the opposite sense as the applicator roll. The metering roll always rotates in the same sense as the applicator roll (so that their adjacent surfaces at the metering gap move in opposite directions). The web runs counter to the direction of movement of the applicator roll surface at the point of contact of the web and the applicator roll (reverse-roll coating). An air-knife is provided for final metering to the desired coatweight.
Gravure coating (also termed "flexographic" coating) has also been widely used for applying microcapsule coatings, particularly for "on machine" coating, i.e. coating the web immediately after it has been produced on the papermachine, with no intermediate reel-up and transport to a separate coating machine. Such a technique is disclosed, for example, in British Patent No. 1253721. A further proposal for gravure application of microcapsule coatings is to be found in European Patent Application No. 37682 A.
Gravure coating is particularly suited to the application of coatings at a low wet coatweight. This means that gravure coating can only be successfully used in the production of carbonless copying papers when high solids content microcapsule coating compositions are to be applied. By "high solids" in this context is meant microcapsule coating compositions of a solids content of the order of around 40% or more, and of which the microcapsules have synthetic polymer walls rather than the more traditional gelatin coacervate walls. Not all manufacturers of pressure-sensitive copying papers are able or wish to use such high solids microcapsule coating compositions. Gravure coating also has other drawbacks which for some manufacturers outweigh its advantages, and in any case the cost of converting from non-gravure coating to gravure coating can be high.
A further microcapsule coating process which is said to be in commercial use relies on the use of a Dahlgren LAS coater. This utilises a resilient roll which dips into a bath of coating composition and also runs in nip pressure contact with a hard steel applicator roll. The resilient roll and the applicator roll rotate in opposite senses so that their surfaces run in the same direction at the nip between them. The resilient roll serves both to pick up coating composition from the bath and to meter a desired amount of the coating on to the surface of the applicator roll. The applicator roll also runs in nip pressure contact with a resilient backing roll, with the paper web running between the applicator roll and the backing roll in a direction counter to the direction of movement of the surface of the applicator roll with which it is in contact, i.e. in a reverse-roll coating mode. This means that the film split pattern produced at the metering nip between the resilient roll and the applicator roll should not be a major problem, as reverse roll coating should smooth out such a pattern.
Thus at the present time, there is no universally employed technique for applying microcapsule coatings in the production of carbonless copying paper. Non-gravure roll coating techniques based on those disclosed in British Patent No. 1151690 remain in widespread use. A number of modifications have however been made or proposed in relation to the process and apparatus disclosed in British Patent No. 1151690. For example, advances in metering roll technology have made it possible to meter very precisely the coatweight applied to the paper by the applicator roll, and thereby to dispense with the need for secondary metering by means of an air knife.
British Patent No. 1460201 proposes feeding the microcapsule coating composition direct to the metering nip of a coater working on the principles disclosed in British Patent No. 1151690. This dispenses with the need for a separate pick-up roll. British Patent No. 1460201 also discloses that the applicator roll may if desired be rotated in a sense such that its surface moves in the same direction as the web at the point of contact of the web and the applicator roll, rather than running counter to the web as disclosed in British Patent No. 1151690. This constitutes a change from reverse roll coating to forward roll coating. A three-roll coating head for forward roll application of microcapsule coatings is also disclosed in FIG. 7 of British Patent No. 1433165.
Forward roll coating has the advantage that it presents less problems of web tension control and runnability at high coating speeds than does reverse roll coating. On the other hand, forward roll coating has the drawback that film splitting occurs as the web parts company with the applicator roll, with the result that the wet coating on the web exhibits an uneven film-split pattern. This problem can be countered by the provision of reverse-turning smoothing rolls positioned downstream of the coating head. Such rolls are known in themselves, and are disclosed, for example, in British Patent No. 974497 referred to above (this patent also discloses a forward roll coating process which gives rise to a film-split pattern). The action of the smoothing rolls is to redistribute the wet coating on the web and so erase the film-split pattern. The smoothing rolls do not have a metering action, i.e. they do not remove coating composition from the web. Although beneficial in terms of producing an improved coating pattern, the use of smoothing rolls is disadvantageous in that it makes control of the web tension both more difficult and more critical than if no smoothing rolls are employed.
Whilst microcapsule-coating techniques based on the metering roll coating process disclosed in British Patent No. 1151690 have proved themselves over the years, metering gap techniques are inherently limited in relation to the minimum wet coatweight which may be applied. This is because the wet coatweight is determined primarily by the width of the metering gap, as explained earlier. The width of this gap varies slightly as the rolls rotate, owing to inevitable imperfections in the roll bearings, and in the "roundness" of the rolls. Thermal expansion of the rolls can also affect the width of the metering gap. In most cases, variations arising for the reasons just mentioned are insignificant in relation to the width of the gap, but as the coatweight diminishes, this ceases to be so. Thus attempts to apply very low coatweights using metering gap technology are likely to result in a coating of uneven thickness. There is also a risk that the metering and applicator rolls could touch. Since these rolls are conventionally of steel, contact of the rolls at high speeds would almost certainly result in serious damage.
In the past, the low coatweight limitation of metering gap coating has not been a problem in the case of microcapsule coatings, since the wet coatweights needed have been above the wet coatweight threshold at which problems of the kind outlined above become significant. However, advances in microencapsulation technology are making it possible to obtain higher solids content microcapsule coating compositions, not only in the case of microcapsules having synthetic polymer walls, but also in the case of gelatin-based microcapsules. These higher solids content microcapsule compositions require the application of a lower wet coatweight to achieve the same dry coatweight and are advantageous in two respects. Firstly, less water has to be evaporated off in the drying stage, which saves energy. Secondly, a better sheet appearance results since the paper is not wetted to the same extent (less wetting of the paper reduces the tendency of the finished paper to curl and to cockle).
Metering gap coating processes appear to be inherently unlikely to be capable of meeting the likely long term future needs for the application of high solids content microcapsule coating compositions, because of the low wet coatweight limitations discussed above. But quite apart from the limitations associated with the metering gap itself, currently known metering gap coating technology has other limitations when considered in relation to higher solids content microcapule coating compositions. Firstly, the higher viscosity of such compositions inhibits proper transfer of the microcapsule coating from the applicator roll to the web as the web passes over the applicator roll. Secondly, the wet coatweights applied when higher solids coating compositions are used are so low that reverse-turning smoothing rolls would not be fully effective to smooth out the film split pattern inevitably produced with forward roll coating. This could not simply be remedied by operating in a reverse-roll mode, as reverse roll coating is unsuited to very high coating speeds. This is because it becomes very difficult to control the web tension properly, which leads to inconsistent coating and web breakages.
A further factor is that for a given wet coatweight, reverse roll coating generally requires a smaller metering gap than does forward-roll coating. This is because in reverse roll coating, the applicator roll speed has to be equal to or greater than web speed in order to give a uniform distribution of coating composition, whereas for forward roll coating, the applicator roll runs at a fraction of the web speed. The speed of the applicator roll relative to the web speed affects the coatweight applied, and therefore the faster running applicator roll used in reverse roll coating will apply a higher coatweight at a given web speed and metering gap. Thus in order to obtain a particular coatweight, a lower metering roll gap is needed in the case of reverse roll coating. The inherent metering gap limitations therefore bear more harshly on reverse-roll coating than on forward roll coating.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least minimise the problems described above and to provide an improved high speed forward roll coating process for applying microcapsule-containing coating compositions to paper. The present invention also seeks to provide a process which can be taken up at a relatively low conversion cost by a paper mill which currently uses non-gravure roll coating for applying microcapsule coating compositions and which wishes to avoid the risk of switching to a fundamentally different type of coating process, for example a gravure coating process or the Dahlgren process, of which it has no experience.
The present invention achieves the above objectives by dispensing with metering gap metering and instead controlling coatweight by means of a metering roll which is deformable rather than hard and which rotates in pressure contact with the applicator roll. A deformable smoothing roll is also provided to run in contact with the applicator roll to smooth the metered coating, and a soft backing roll is provided at the point of contact of the applicator roll and the web so as to afford good transfer of the coating from the applicator roll to the web without significant film splitting. This dispenses with the need for smoothing rolls positioned downstream of the coating head.
The use of a rubber-covered smoothing roll in contact with a steel applicator roll was in fact first proposed over 40 years ago in U.S. Pat. No. 2398844. This patent issued on 23rd Apr. 1946 to Gerald D. Muggleton and Albert F. Piepenberg, and was assigned to Combined Locks Paper Co. The coater forming the subject of this patent became well known as the Combined Locks coater, and is referred to in a number of standard reference books, for example "Coating Equipment & Processes" by George L. Booth; Tappi Monograph No. 28 entitled "Pigment Coating Processes"; and "Pulp and Paper", by James P. Casey. The Combined Locks pigment coater design has thereby been given wide exposure. Despite this, it has not previously been appreciated that the problems described above in relation to the application of microcapsule containing coating compositions can be avoided by a process which, inter alia, utilises a deformable smoothing roll running in contact with a hard applicator roll.
According to the invention, there is provided a process for applying a microcapsule-containing coating composition to paper, comprising the steps of
feeding coating composition to a region of contact between a hard applicator roll and a deformable metering roll which rotate in opposite senses such that their surfaces at the region of contact move in the same direction and define an ingoing nip;
maintaining gentle pressure between the applicator and metering rolls and controlling their relative speeds so as to permit only a controlled amount of coating composition to pass through said nip and to leave a metered amount of coating composition on the surface of the applicator roll after it has left said region of contact;
smoothing the metered amount of coating composition remaining on the surface of the applicator roll by means of a deformable smoothing roll which rotates in the same sense as the applicator roll and in contact therewith; and
transferring the smoothed coating composition on the surface of the applicator roll to a paper web which runs in the same direction as, and no slower than, the surface of the applicator roll carrying the smoothed coating composition and which is held in temporary contact with the applicator roll by a soft backing roll which rotates in an opposite sense to the applicator roll so as to form an ingoing nip therewith.
The applicator roll surface preferably runs at least about 75 to 80% of the web speed, and may approach web speed. The optimum ratio between the applicator roll speed and the web speed may vary somewhat, depending on the web speed. By way of example, an applicator roll surface speed of about 990 to 995 m min -1 (i.e. 99 to 99.5% of web speed) has been found to be advantageous for a web running at about 1000 m min -1 . The optimum relative web and applicator roll surface speeds will also depend on other factors as well, particularly the viscosity of the microcapsule composition being applied.
Although the present invention is particularly suited to the application of high solids content high viscosity microcapsule compositions, it may of course also be used for the application of lower solids content lower viscosity microcapsule compositions.
In order to enable the invention to be more readily understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which depict diagrammatically and by way of example an embodiment thereof and data relevant thereto, and in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view (not to scale) of a coating station for continuously applying a microcapsule composition to a paper web; and
FIG. 2 is a graph to be referred to in more detail hereafter.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIG. 1, a coating head comprises a hard chrome steel applicator roll 1 in contact with a deformable metering roll 2, a deformable smoothing roll 3, and a soft backing roll 4. A paper web 5 passes between the applicator roll 1 and the backing roll 4 in the direction shown by the arrows. The rolls 2, 3 and 4 are made deformable or soft by the provision of rubber coverings, for example nitrile rubber coverings. Typical hardnesses for the rubber covering are 30° to 60° Shore A for the metering roll, 60° Shore A for the smoothing roll, and 35° Shore A for the backing roll. These hardness values are not thought to be limiting, and optimum values for a particular coating operation can be determined without difficulty by routine trial procedures. Determination of Shore hardness values, including Shore A hardness values, is described in British Standard No. 2782 available from the British Standards Institution, London.
The metering roll 2 is urged against the applicator roll 1 with pressure, and the rubber covering of the metering roll thereby deforms such that there is a nip region 6 of finite width where the metering roll 2 bears against the applicator roll 1. Strictly speaking, the applicator and metering rolls are not in contact, in use, since they are separated by a thin film of coating composition, which "lubricates" the contact. The rubber covering of the smoothing roll 3 likewise deforms where it bears against the applicator roll 1 and a nip region 7 of finite width results. Similarly, the soft rubber covering of the backing roll 4 deforms where it bears against the applicator roll 1, and a nip region 8 of finite width results. In this instance, the paper web 5 is interposed, in use, between the applicator roll 1 and the backing roll 4. The regions 6, 7 and 8 will hereafter be referred to simply as nips 6, 7 and 8, despite their finite widths. It should be noted that the extent of the deformation and the length of the nip has been exaggerated on the drawing for ease of understanding.
The rolls 1 to 4 are arranged to rotate in the direction shown by the arrows in FIG. 1. More particularly, the applicator roll 1 is arranged to rotate such that its surface in contact with the web 5 moves in the same direction as the web 5. As drawn, the rotation of the applicator roll 1 is clockwise. The backing roll 4 rotates in an opposite sense to the applicator roll, i.e. anti-clockwise, such that the surfaces of the applicator roll and the backing roll move in the same direction at the nip 8. The nip 8 is therefore an ingoing nip. The metering roll rotates in an opposite sense to the applicator roll, i.e. anti-clockwise, so that the contacting surfaces of the applicator and metering rolls move in the same direction at the nip 6. The nip is therefore an ingoing nip. The smoothing roll 3 rotates in the same sense as the applicator roll 1, so that the surfaces of the applicator and smoothing rolls move in opposite directions at the nip 7.
An inlet pipe 9 is provided for supplying coating composition to the nip 6. The coating composition collects as a small puddle 10. The manner of supply of the coating composition to the nip 6 is not critical, and instead of the arrangement shown, the metering roll 2 could dip into a bath of coating composition and function as a pick-up roll as well as a metering roll.
In operation, coating composition from the puddle 10 passes in controlled fashion through the nip 6. The amount of coating composition passing through the nip is determined primarily by two factors, namely the pressure at the nip and the relative speeds of the applicator and metering rolls. The pressure at the nip is itself influenced by two factors, namely the force with which the metering roll is urged against the applicator roll, and the hardness of the rubber covering on the metering roll, which influences the cushioning effect of the rubber covering. The surfaces of the applicator and metering rolls diverge as they leave the nip 6, and the film of coating composition which has passed through the nip is forced to split, i.e. some of the coating composition is retained on the applicator roll and the remainder on the metering roll. This gives rise to an uneven "film-split" pattern of the kind well-known in the paper coating art.
The amount of coating composition retained on the applicator roll remains constant, provided the nip pressure and the relative speeds of the metering and applicator rolls are unchanged, i.e. it is a metered amount. This amount can of course be varied by altering the nip pressure or the relative speeds of the metering and applicator rolls.
Rotation of the applicator roll brings the coating composition, still with its film-split pattern, to the nip 7 between the smoothing roll and the applicator roll. The action of the smoothing roll, the surface of which moves counter to the direction of movement of the coating composition on the applicator roll surface, is to remove the coating composition from the surface of the applicator roll and carry it round until it again contacts the applicator roll surface at the opposite side of the nip 7. The applicator roll surface at this point runs counter to the smoothing roll surface carrying the coating composition and so removes the coating composition from the surface of the smoothing roll. The double transfer of the coating composition, i.e. from the applicator roll surface to the smoothing roll surface and then back again smooths out the uneven film split pattern and leaves an even film of coating composition on the applicator roll surface. The smoothing roll does not have a metering action, i.e. it does not remove excess coating composition, but merely redistributes and smooths the coating already on the surface of the applicator roll.
The smoothed film of coating composition is then carried round towards the nip 8. The applicator roll surface moves at a slower speed than the paper web 5, and so the web "wipes" the coating composition off the surface of the applicator roll. The applicator roll 1 presses against the soft backing roll, the surface of which is preferably arranged to travel at web speed, and this facilitates substantially complete transfer of the coating composition to the web without the formation of a film-split pattern as the web and the applicator roll surface diverge after leaving the nip 8. The transfer of the coating composition by pressure of the applicator roll against the soft backing roll can be regarded as akin to that which occurs with an impression roll in a printing operation.
Cleaning doctor blades (not shown) may be arranged to scrape the edges of the applicator roll so as to control the coating deckle.
Water sprays may be provided at the edges of the backing roll to minimise wear on the roll caused by the edge of the paper web.
The roll speeds, nip pressures and other factors required to obtain optimum coating performance depend on the speed at which the web is to be coated, on the characteristics of the coating composition being applied, particularly its solids content or viscosity, and on the wet coatweight which is to be applied. A typical set of operating and other parameters is given by way of example below:
Web type: lightweight coating base (c.49 g m -2 ) as conventionally used in carbonless copying paper.
Web speed: 1000 m min -1
Coating composition: 32% solids content aqueous suspension of microcapsules plus conventional starch binder (microcapsules derived by gelatin coacervation technique). Viscosity of composition typically in the range of from 150 to 300 cps (Brookfield, Spindle No. 2, 100 r.p.m, 22° C. ±1° C.)
Target coatweight: 2.5 g m -2 (dry)
Applicator roll
surface: chrome steel
speed of surface: 995 m min -1
Metering roll
surface: nitrile rubber of 30° to 60° Shore A hardness
speed of surface: 20 m min -1
Smoothing Roll
surface: nitrile rubber of 60° Shore A hardness
speed of surface: 1025 m min -1
Backing Roll
surface: nitrile rubber of 35° Shore A hardness
speed of surface: 1000 m min -1 (i.e. web speed)
Nip width of applicator roll with
metering roll: 27 mm
smoothing roll: 7 mm
backing roll: 4 mm (as measured prior to feeding web through nip)
In general, the hardness of the rubber coverings on the metering and smoothing rolls can be regarded as affording a means of coarse adjustment of coatweight and coating pattern, whereas nip pressure and nip width adjustments afford a means of fine tuning.
The invention will now be illustrated by the following Examples:
EXAMPLE 1
This illustrates the use of the present process for coating 49 g m -2 carbonless base paper at a high web coating speed (1000 m min -1 ) with a range of different applicator roll/metering roll nip widths.
The microcapsule coating composition applied had a solids content of 32% and a viscosity of 200 cps (Brookfield RVT viscometer, Spindle No. 2, 100 r.p.m., 22° C.), and was formulated as follows (prior to the addition of sufficient dilution water to produce a 32% solids content):
______________________________________ Parts Solids Content (dry) (%)______________________________________Emulsion 100 32.6Wheatstarch (particulate) 13.8 85.4Ground cellulose fibre floc 14.0 91.0Carboxymethylcellulose 8.3 15.0Starch binder 9.6 30.0______________________________________
The coating head was as described with reference to the drawing, and the operating parameters were as specified in the passage immediately preceding this Example, except that four different applicator roll/metering roll nip widths were used, namely 27, 28, 29 and 30 mm. The metering roll covering had a hardness of 60° Shore A. It was found that there was an approximately linear relationship between nip width and coatweight applied:
______________________________________Nip Width (mm) Dry Coatweight (g m.sup.-2)______________________________________27 2.628 2.129 2.030 1.8______________________________________
EXAMPLE 2
This illustrates the use of the present process for coating 49 g m -2 carbonless base paper at a high web coating speed (1000 m min -1 ) using a metering roll having a nitrile rubber covering of 30° Shore A (i.e. softer than that used in Example 1), a range of different applicator roll speeds and smoothing roll speeds, and two different applicator roll/metering roll nip widths, namely 37 mm and 44 mm.
The microcapsule coating composition and the remaining operating parameters were as in Example 1.
Variation of the applicator roll speeds in relation to a fixed web speed produced, as would be expected, an approximately linear effect on the coatweight applied, for each of the two nip widths. Use of the higher nip width (44 mm) resulted in a lower coatweight being applied than was applied with the lower nip width, as can be seen from the following data when depicted graphically in FIG. 2:
______________________________________ Smoothing Applicator Roll Dry Roll SurfaceNip Surface Speed Coatweight SpeedWidth (mm) (m min.sup.-1) (g m.sup.-2) (m min.sup.-1)______________________________________44 394 1.0 420 608 3.0 629 700 3.8 728 804 4.5 82837 396 1.5 881 467 2.1 880 519 3.0 879 564 3.4 879 691 4.2 876 792 5.0 876 824 5.2 842 848 5.8 875______________________________________
EXAMPLE 3
This illustrates the use of the present process for coating 49 g m -2 carbonless base paper at a range of web speeds up to 1000 m min -1 . The applicator roll surface speed was kept at a constant 395 m min -1 , the smoothing roll surface speed was 420 m min -1 , and the applicator roll/metering roll nip width was 37 mm. The other operating parameters were as in Example 2, and the microcapsule coating composition was as in Examples 1 and 2.
As would be expected, it was found that the coatweight applied was in approximately linear relationship to the web speed:
______________________________________Web Speed (m min.sup.-1) Dry Coatweight (g m.sup.-2)______________________________________600 3.0700 2.5800 1.7900 1.31000 1.1______________________________________
EXAMPLE 4
This illustrates the use of additional applicator roll/metering roll nip widths and a lower web speed (400 m min -1 ). The applicator and smoothing roll speeds were kept constant at 395 and 420 m min -1 respectively. The paper and microcapsule coating composition used were as in the previous Examples, and the other operating parameters were as in Example 3.
It was found that increasing the applicator roll/metering roll nip width decreased the coatweight applied in approximately linear fashion:
______________________________________Nip Width (mm) Dry Coatweight (g m.sup.-2)______________________________________33 5.534 5.135 4.836 4.037 3.3______________________________________
EXAMPLE 5
This illustrates the use of the present process with a range of applicator roll/metering roll nip widths and a lower solids content microcapsule coating composition (24% instead of 32%). The microcapsule coating composition was otherwise as in Example 1. The web speed was 400 m min -1 . The coating composition had a viscosity of 100 cps (Contraves Rheomat 108 Viscometer, 24° C.).
The paper used and the other operating parameters were as in Example 3.
As with Example 4, it was found that increasing the applicator roll/metering roll nip width decreased the coatweight applied in approximately linear fashion:
______________________________________Nip Width (mm) Dry Coatweight (g m.sup.-2)______________________________________16 5.920 4.522 4.024 3.6______________________________________
EXAMPLE 6
This illustrates the use of the present process using the same microcapsule composition, paper and web speed as in Example 5, but at a range of applicator roll speeds. The applicator roll/metering roll nip width was kept constant at 24 mm, and the smoothing roll speed was kept constant at 420 m min -1 .
It was found, as would be expected, that the coatweight applied increased approximately linearly with the increase in applicator roll speed:
______________________________________Applicator Roll Dry CoatweightSurface Speed (m min.sup.-1) (g m.sup.-2)______________________________________394 4.0384 3.8367 3.6339 3.3316 2.9______________________________________
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Microcapsules are applied in metered quantity to a paper web passing through an ingoing nip between a hard applicator roll and a soft backing roll. Metering is achieved by means of a deformable metering roll in adjustable pressure contact with the applicator roll and rotating in an opposite sense thereto to define an ingoing nip. Coating composition is fed to this nip from a pipe or by the roll dipping into a bath of coating composition. The metered coating emerging from the metering nip is re-distributed and smoothed by a deformable smoothing roll rotating in the same sense as the applicator roll and in contact therewith. The process facilitates application of relatively high solids microcapsule compositions at low wet coatweights.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/453,146, filed Apr. 30, 2009, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/713,603, filed Mar. 5, 2007, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT/ES 2005/000456, filed Aug. 9, 2005, which in turn claims priority from Spanish Patent Application No. 200402150, filed Sep. 7, 2004. The entire disclosure of the prior applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] There are devices with permanent magnets in the rotor and in the stator that create a rotation only using the magnetic force of the magnets. The magnets are attracted to each other to create a rotation; first the rotor magnets and the stator magnets have to be attracted, then this attraction has to diminish so that the rotor can separate from the stator. JP56110483 in FIG. 7 shows the attraction between the magnetic pole of the rotor and the magnetic pole of the stator, but a problem lies in the fact that the rotor magnet cannot escape from the magnetic attraction of the stator.
SUMMARY
[0003] Devices of the present invention resolve the aforementioned problem, because the two magnetic poles of the stator magnet face the rotor, in this way the rotor magnet can escape from the magnetic attraction of the stator.
[0004] Devices of the invention comprise a rotor formed of magnets and a stator with two zones. The end zone of the stator toward which the rotor magnet approaches has two preferred variants: it can be formed either of one magnet or of a high magnetic permeability material. The other end of the stator is preferably formed of thick magnets.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 shows the pole at the end of the rotor magnet (R) that approaches the stator having the same magnetic polarity as the end of magnet (B).
[0006] FIG. 2 shows the rotor magnet (R) with an angled edge, and approaching the stator from the magnet (A) end.
[0007] FIG. 3 shows rotor magnet (R) with the same characteristics mentioned in FIGS. 1 and 2 . At the end of the stator where it approaches the rotor magnet (R) there is a high magnetic permeability material (M).
[0008] FIG. 4 shows elements of a device with the rotor positioned helicoidally.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
The Rotor
[0009] The rotor magnet is situated on an arm that can turn around a shaft in the proximity of the stator. The way of placing the magnet in the rotor will depend on the variant adopted with the stator; the magnet can have an edge forming an angle on the end nearest to the stator, but it is not necessary that the rotor magnet has an angled edge.
[0010] The magnetic polarity of the face of the rotor magnet R that approaches the stator will be the same as that of the end of magnet B of the stator. The position of the magnetic poles can vary, for example, if the rotor magnets do not have angled edges but repulsion exists between the magnetic pole on the face of the rotor magnet that approaches the stator, and the magnetic pole of the face which faces up to the ends of the magnet B of the stator.
[0011] The rotor magnets may be formed of magnets together one behind the other forming a block.
[0012] When the rotor magnet has an angled edge, this rotor magnet should form an oblique angle with a tangent to the circle defined by rotation of the rotor.
The Stator
[0013] There are two preferred variants on the stator; the stator is formed of thick magnets B, at the end that approaches the rotor magnet there is a thin magnet A or a high magnetic permeability material.
[0014] The function of the thick magnets B of the stator is to create a repulsion of the rotor magnet. They can have an angled edge on the face so that the magnetic poles on each magnet face up to the rotor. Several magnets can be added so that they form an oblique angled structure.
[0015] The two preferred variants of the stator preferably have the same positioning of the magnetic poles as on the thick magnets B, so that when the rotor magnet goes towards the thick magnet B of the stator the two ends that face up to each other are of the same polarity.
[0016] In the variant where there is a thin magnet A on the end of the stator, the function of this magnet is to block the repulsion that would take place on the magnetic pole of the rotor magnet when this approaches the thick magnet B of the stator, as mentioned before. The thin magnet A and the thick magnet B that face up to each other will have the same polarity, the other face of the thin magnet A which faces up to the rotor has a magnetic polarity that is attracted to the nearest pole of the rotor magnet. Using this configuration the rotor magnet can approach right to the end of the thin magnet; after this end the poles that interact nearest of the rotor and of the thick magnet B are of the same polarity. The subsequent repulsion will create a movement that will enable the rotor magnet to separate from the stator magnet.
[0017] A variant has at the end of the stator that approaches the rotor magnet an element that directs the magnetic field, for example, a metal plate, preferably a high magnetic permeability material (M) that directs the field at the end of the thick magnets B and that allows the attraction of the rotor magnet to the stator.
[0018] To form the device the magnets are placed on arms that can rotate around a shaft with the stator on the periphery. The position of the rotor and stator can be varied, for example, a rotor with its arms positioned helicoidally and three blocks of stator.
[0019] The rotor magnet (R) is preferably formed of magnets that have an angle at the end nearest the stator. The rotor magnet (R) is preferably placed on an arm at an oblique angle with respect to the radius of the rotor.
[0020] The stator magnet (B) has a face with two magnetic poles towards the rotor; when rotor magnet (R) goes towards magnet (B) the magnetic poles on the nearest two ends have the same polarity.
[0021] At the end of the magnet (B) in the stator where it approaches the rotor magnet (R) there is a thin magnet (A). The nearest faces that face up of the thin magnet (A) and magnet (B) have the same polarity. The face of magnet (A) of the stator which approaches the rotor will have a different polarity than the end of the rotor magnet that approaches the stator.
[0022] The rotor magnets placed on the arms can turn around the shaft (O) when a magnetic interaction is produced between the rotor and the stator. The position of the rotor and the stator can be in a circle or in three dimensions.
[0023] Devices of the invention have many uses. As a non-limiting example, they can be used to help the rotation torque that can be used on the pedal of a bicycle.
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Devices of the invention include a rotor with magnets and a stator with two magnet zones. The end zone of the stator toward which the rotor magnet first approaches has two preferred variants: it can be formed either of one magnet or of a high magnetic permeability material. The other end of the stator is preferably formed of thick magnets.
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RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 257,960, filed Apr. 27, 1981 now abandoned.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to stairs and ladders, and more particularly to a stair having alternating half treads and which can be installed at relatively steep inclinations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A ladder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,040, of the same inventor and assignee as this invention, which comprises a single stringer or central tread support disposed between upper and lower levels at a predetermined angle of inclination and having an array of half treads on each side of the stringer, each array being vertically spaced from the other along the length of the stringer. The half treads are affixed to and laterally extend from the respective sides of the stringer, and each includes an integral outwardly extending portion which terminates in a plane which is forward of a plane passing through the front edges of the treads. First and second handrails are disposed in this forward plane and are affixed to and supported by the outwardly extending tread portions. This novel ladder can be disposed at a relatively steep angle in comparison to a conventional ladder of the same tread width and riser height and provides sufficient safety and comfort to permit balanced use of the ladder, even without holding onto the handrails.
Ladders are known in which treads or rungs are alternately arranged along a single stringer or pole, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,061,202 and 4,069,892. In ascending and descending ladders of this known type, a user must face the ladder and support himself by holding onto the rungs to guide his ascent or descent. Such ladders cannot be descended facing forwardly, as with a stairway, and these ladders require a fair degree of dexterity on the part of a user and are not very comfortable to use, and are sometimes unsafe.
In most stairways, the treads extend uniformly across the width of the stairway, each tread being of the same front-to-back dimension. The treads are supported by one or more stringers. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,310,132 and 3,467,220. Stairways are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 858,199 and 4,125,175 in which the treads are set back on alternate half portions to provide foot clearance in moving from the non-set-back portion of a tread to the next non-set-back portion of a succeeding tread, for the purpose of facilitating use of the stairway which is inclined at a relatively steep angle of inclination. In the structure of U.S. Pat. No. 858,199, each tread has a set-back portion and a non-set-back portion and is disposed between and supported by a pair of side stringers. In the structure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,175, the treads are similarly constructed and are each connected to an adjacent tread by a pair of vertical supports. Neither of these disclosed stairways employs any handrails.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the type of stair shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,199,040 and 4,316,524 of the same inventor and assignee. The invention comprises a stairway which has a central stringer and two parallel, spaced side stringers, a first array of half treads disposed between the central stringer and one side stringer and a second array of half treads disposed between the central stringer and the other side stringer. The treads of the first array are disposed intermediate the treads of the second array in an alternating pattern. A handrail is associated with each side stringer and is disposed in a plane forward and parallel to a plane passing through the front edges of the treads and positioned with respect to the treads to provide support for a user. The handrails are supported by balusters which extend upwardly from each side stringer. In alternative implementation, the treads are supported or are part of a unitary structure composed of, for example, concrete.
The handrails are spaced to be near the sides of a user's body and to comfortably guide the hands and body of a user ascending or descending the stairway. The handrails are of a height in relation to the treads to lie between the hips and arms of a user while descending the stairway. The relative positioning of the handrails in relation to each other and to the treads provides a stairway with a high degree of safety as well as user comfort. The forward surface of the central stringer is flush with or slightly outward of the front edges of the treads to serve as a rest or bumper for a user descending the stairway to provide additional user support. The handrail spacing for average size persons is typically 17-20 inches.
In ascending or descending the stair, the movement of a user's foot in proceeding to the next tread is unobstructed, since there is no half tread present between the two treads which are being used by the particular foot of the user. The stair can be disposed at a relatively steep angle in comparison to a conventional stair or ladder of the same tread width and riser height, and provides sufficient safety and comfort to permit balanced use without any special care or technique on the part of a user. While the embodiments illustrated are along a straight path, it is contemplated that the invention can also be embodied in stairs disposed along a curved path.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the stairway of this invention made in wood;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the stairway of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side view of the stairway of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of an alternative embodiment of welded metal construction;
FIG. 5 is a front view of the stairway of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a side view of the stairway of FIG. 4 showing a user descending the stairway;
FIG. 6A is a side view of the stairway of FIG. 4 showing a user resting against the central stringer and with handrails behind the shoulders;
FIG. 7 is a front view of the upper support member of the stairway of FIG. 4;
FIG. 8 is a top view of the upper support member of FIG. 7;
FIG. 8A is a sectional view illustrating the raised shoe grips of the support member;
FIG. 9 is a top view of an alternative upper support member;
FIG. 9A is a sectional view illustrating the shoe gripping ribs of the support member of FIG. 9;
FIG. 10 is a top view of a tread member of the stairway of FIG. 4;
FIG. 11 is a pictorial view of a pair of spaced tread members attached to the respective supports of the stairway of FIG. 4;
FIG. 12 is a top view of the stairway of FIG. 4 illustrating an alternative anti-skid pattern;
FIGS. 13 and 14 are graphs illustrating approximate head clearances for different stair angles;
FIG. 15 is a pictorial view of a further embodiment;
FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 15;
FIGS. 17, 18, and 19 are pictorial, sectional side elevation and front views respectively, of an embodiment of cast concrete construction;
FIGS. 20, 21, and 22 are pictorial, front and top views respectively, of a further embodiment formed of concrete;
FIG. 23 is a sectional side elevation view of the embodiment of FIGS. 20-22; and
FIG. 24 is a sectional view taken along lines 24--24 of FIG. 23.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference now to FIGS. 1 through 3, the stairway 10 of this invention includes a central tread support or stringer 12, and a pair of spaced, parallel side tread supports or stringers 14 and 16. Stringers 12, 14, and 16 typically extend between a lower surface 18 and an upper surface 20. Disposed on one side of central stringer 12 is an array of equally spaced half treads 22 which extend between side stringer 14 and central stringer 12. Disposed on the other side of central stringer 12 is another array of equally spaced half treads 24 which extend between central stringer 12 and side stringer 16. Each half tread 22 is disposed between two half treads 24 along central stringer 12 so that half treads 22 and half treads 24 form an alternating array. Each half tread 22 and 24 has a lateral extent and depth sufficient to accommodate and support one foot of a person using the ladder and normal outward angling of that foot.
Handrails 26 and 28 are disposed forwardly of the treads and in a plane forward and generally parallel to a plane passing through the front edges of the treads. The handrails 26 and 28 are supported by handrail supports or balusters 30, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, or by attachment to an adjacent wall (not shown), as where stairway 10 passes along a wall or between two walls. The balusters 30 are preferably secured to side stringers 14 and 16 and extend generally perpendicularly both to handrails 26 and 28 and their associated side stringers 14 and 16. The handrails 26 and 28 are positioned at a height in relation to the treads to provide support for a person using the stairway. The handrails are of a height to comfortably provide the user with underarm support. Preferably, the handrails are of a height to be under the arms of a user while descending the stair.
A base support plate 58 is disposed at the lower end of stringers 12, 14, and 16 and rests on lower surface 18. Extending upwardly from base support plate 58 in a generally vertical direction are a pair of lower handrail support arms 36, each arm 36 joining the lower end of a respective stringer 14 and 16 to the lower end of a respective handrail. Similarly, at upper surface 20, a pair of vertical upper handrail support arms 34 join the upper ends of respective side stringers 14 and 16 with the upper ends of the respective handrails. An upper support plate 40 is secured to stringers 12, 14, and 16 and is adapted to be affixed near upper surface 20.
Side stringers 14 and 16 and handrails 26 and 28 typically are spaced a distance sufficient to allow a person to comfortably ascend or descend stairway 10 while grasping the handrails. Stairway 10 can be ascended facing forwardly and can be readily descended facing outwardly from the ladder, as in descending a conventional stairway, rather than the rearward descent required for most rung-type ladders or steep stairways. The handrails are spaced to be slightly wider than the width of persons using the stairway such that the handrails confront the sides of a user's body to comfortably guide the hands and body of a user ascending or descending the stairway. The closeness of the handrails to the user should be sufficient to allow for normal slight side-to-side motion of the body when climbing or descending the stairway. Preferably, the handrails are of a height to lie between the hip and armpit of a user while descending the stairway. The forward edge of the central stringer is flush with or slightly outward of the front edges of the foot support portions and serves as a rest or bumper for a user descending the stairway. This forward edge of the central stringer can include a resilient strip for user comfort. As shown in FIG. 6A, a user may rest his buttocks on the stringer during descent of the stairway and may slide along the stringer during descent for secure use of the stairway, even under severe conditions, as on a rolling or pitching ship.
The stairway 10 may be deployed at any desired angle between upper surface 20 and lower surface 18, the exact angle depending upon the nature of the use desired, and the length of the stairway, although the angle is preferably greater than 50°. Typically, side stringers 14 and 16 and central stringer 12 form an angle of approximately 55°-80° with respect to lower surface 18. For a stairway which terminates at its upper end in an opening in the upper level, illustrated as opening 56 in FIGS. 2 and 3, the size of the opening will depend on the angle of the associated stairway. The relationship between approximate opening size and stair angle is illustrated in the graphs of FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 illustrates the approximate opening sizes for stair angles between 55° and 80°, and shows where a person's head would hit the upper surface while standing erect. The illustration of FIG. 13 is for an upper level or floor thickness of 10". The head clearance also will vary in accordance with the thickness of the upper floor. The graph of FIG. 14 illustrates the opening sizes for corresponding stair angles, and for floor thicknesses of 10 inches and 15 inches, as examples. For greater floor thicknesses, greater opening size is needed to provide the necessary head clearance. Handrails 26 and 28 are typically spaced about two feet from the lower edge of side stringers 14 and 16 so that, for a stringer angle of 56° with respect to lower surface 18, a person would grasp handrails 26 and 28 about forty-four inches above the treads 22 and 24 upon which he is standing. Preferably, support plates 58 and 40 are secured to lower surface 18 and upper surface 20, respectively, to prevent movement of the stair during use. In FIGS. 1-3, an odd number of half treads 22 and 24 is preferably employed so that a person can ascend or descend the ladder always beginning with the same foot. To accommodate the usual range of adult sizes, the half treads 22 and 24 have a width typically of about 5 to 12 inches. The depth of treads 22 and 24 (from front to back) is typically 4 to 12 inches, and the riser height between adjacent treads typically can be 5 to 11 inches.
An embodiment of the stairway is shown in FIGS. 4-6 and which is of welded steel construction. In the illustrated embodiment, the central stringer 12a and the outer side stringers 14a and 16a are identical steel channel members. Alternatively, the outer stringers can be angle members. The central stringer 12a has a knee at the lower end with a short vertical section 13 to minimize the space occupied by the stair. The stringers are welded to a bottom mounting plate 58a and to an upper mounting plate 59 which includes an upper half tread. The intermediate half treads 22a are of identical construction. The intermediate half treads 24a are also of identical construction to each other and are complementary to that of half treads 22a. The tread members are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 and include a foot support portion 70 of generally trapezoidal outline, upwardly extending side flanges 72 and 74 and upwardly extending rear flange 76. The side flange 74 includes an end portion 78 adapted for welding to the side channel, while the other side flange 72 includes an end portion 80 adapted for welding to the central stringer. The tread member is formed of a single metal piece to provide a relatively inexpensive integral tread member which is easily attached and spot welded to the stringers. The tread also includes a downwardly extending front flange 82 (FIG. 4) which may be welded to the confronting stringers. The central and side stringers may all be identical standard structural shapes which are widely available and relatively inexpensive. Custom shapes can easily be formed as desired.
The bottom mounting plate 58a is of generally rectangular configuration having downwardly turned front and rear flanges 84 which rest on a mounting surface. Openings 86 are provided at the ends of the mounting plate and are disposed in the illustrated embodiment rearward of the side channels for acceptance of bolts or other fastening members for attachment of the mounting plate to the mounting surface.
The upper member 59 is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and includes a generally rectangular foot support portion 90 on one side and joined by a narrower rectangular section 92 to a trapezoidal section 94 on the other side thereof. The upper member includes upwardly turned side flanges 96 and downwardly turned forward flanges 98, rearward flange 100, and side flange 101. The upper ends of the central and side stringers are welded to the upper member by way of the confronting flange portions as illustrated. The rear flange is employed for mounting of the upper end of the stairway to a mounting member such as by bolts or other fastening members 102 fastened through openings provided in the rear flange. The upper tread member is affixed flush with the upper level with which the stairway is employed. The foot support portion 90 includes an array of raised dimples 91, one being illustrated more particularly in FIG. 8A, which provide gripping or anti-skid surfaces for a user's foot. Alternative gripping surfaces can be provided by raised ridges 93, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 9A, which can be formed by slitting and raising spaced portions of the foot support area. A cross hatched pattern of anti-skid ridges 95 is shown in FIG. 12.
The stairway can be readily fabricated to intended lengths with only a small number of modular components; namely, the tread members, the upper tread member and lower support plate, and central and side stringers.
The handrails 26a and 28a are substantially straight along most of their length and outwardly flair at the lower end to provide wider spacing for hip clearance of a user in entering and exiting the stairway. Each handrail includes a lower end 200 which is bent to be joined to the respective side stringer. The upper end of the handrails are also bent outwardly to provide a wider spacing for hip clearance in entering and exiting the stairway. The upper end of each handrail includes a vertical section 202 which is joined to the upper tread member as illustrated. In the embodiment shown, a back bend 206 is provided at the upper end of the handrails to minimize the space occupied by the stair. Support members 204 can be provided between the upper end of the side stringers and the respective handrails for additional support of the rails. The handrails and supports are formed of steel tubing which can be easily cut and formed to the desired configuration and length. An alternate handrail termination at the upper end is illustrated by dotted outline 208 in FIGS. 6 and 6A in which the upper end of the rails extend horizontally in approximate line with the upper tread.
A further embodiment of the stairway is shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 and wherein the treads 150 are supported by side stringers 152 and 154. Each tread 150 includes a foot support portion 156 attached to one side stringer, and a narrower portion 158 attached to the other side stringer. The treads are of alternating configuration such that the foot support portions are in alternating arrangement, as in the embodiments described above. The narrower portion 158 of each tread is integral with the foot support portion 156 of that tread. A central member 160 is disposed along the length of the stairway and is attached to the inner sides of the foot support portions 156 of the treads. The central member 160 has an outer edge 162 which is flush with or outwardly extending from the forward edges of the foot support portions 156. In this embodiment, the central member 160 need not provide structural support of the tread members. The forward edge 162 of member 160 shields the inner corners of the foot support portions 156 of the treads to prevent slippage or catching of a user's foot. The member 160 also provides a rest against which a user can lean in descending the stairway face forward. Handrails 164 and 166 are provided as illustrated and are attached to the respective side stringers, these handrails being of a height and spacing to provide support to a user's body, as described above. Handrail supports 168 can be provided to additionally strengthen the handrails. A user can rest his foot on the narrower portion 158 if the user stops on a climb up the stairway.
The novel stairway can also be employed along a wall with side support provided by the wall and one handrail. Such an embodiment can be similar to the embodiments described herein, except that the stairway is disposed along a wall and contains a single handrail on the outer side of the stairway.
An additional embodiment is shown in FIGS. 17-19 in which the treads 170 are supported by and integral with a unitary support structure 172 which is formed of reinforced concrete or terrazzo. The stairway of this embodiment can be cast as a single unitary structure to form a stairway of intended size. A central member 174 is disposed along the inner corners of the tread members and provides a shield or guard for the inner corners to prevent the foot of a user from catching or slipping on the corners. The central member 1 also acts to prevent injury to the user's tail bone in case of a fall. The central member 174 also serves as a guide for each foot of a user in ascending or descending the ladder by keeping each foot on the respective sides of the stairway. The central member can also serve as a rest against which a user can lean in descending the stairway face forward. The handrails 176 and 178 are, as in the embodiments described above, of a height and spacing to provide support to a user's body. Handrail supports 180 or balusters can be provided as required to strengthen the handrails. The base of the cast structure may include portions 182 which provide pedestals to which the lower ends of the handrails may be attached.
A further embodiment constructed of concrete is shown in FIGS. 20-24. Here, a concrete slab 190 has concrete tread members 192 fastened to the slab 190 by bolts 194 and nuts 196. The bolts are preferably cast into the concrete slab 190 at the intended positions to secure the tread members 192 in the alternating tread configuration. The tread members 192 included a tongue 198 which fits within the groove 200 provided on each side of the slabs 190. The slab 190 is secured to a base 202 and to an upper platform 204. A central member 206 is disposed along the inner corners of the tread members 192 to serve as a shield or guard for the inner corners as described above. A pair of handrails 208 and 210 is provided in the same manner and described above.
The stairway of this invention is safe and comfortable to use and is of a construction which is relatively simple and inexpensive. This stairway employs less floor space and overhead space to accommodate its horizontal run, since it is more steeply inclined than a conventional stairway while providing equivalent riser-tread relationships and therefore the same degree of comfort and safety.
The invention is not to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.
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A stair having a central stringer and two parallel side stringers. A plurality of vertically-spaced half treads is disposed on each side of the central stringer and extends between the central stringer and an adjacent side stringer. The half treads on one side of the central stringer alternate with those on the other side of the central stringer. The central stringer may or may not be a structural member depending upon the stair configuration but in all cases serves at least as a protective shielding of the inside corners of the treads, thereby minimizing user injury from the corners in case of a fall or other user mishap. A pair of handrails are disposed in a plane forward and parallel to a plane passing through the front edges of the treads and positioned with respect to the treads to provide support for a user.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates generally to non-ionic X-ray contrast agents. It further relates to an alternative process for the production of an intermediate used in the synthesis of non-ionic X-ray contrast agents. In particular, it relates to an alternative downstream process for the production of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”), a key intermediate in the production of iodixanol and iohexol, which are two of the biggest commercially available non-ionic x-ray contrast media agents.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Non-ionic X-ray contrast agents constitute a very important class of pharmaceutical compounds produced in large quantities. 5-[N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-acetamido]-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodo-isophthalamide (“iohexol”), 5-[N-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxypropyl)acetamido]-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodo-isophthalamide (“iopentol”) and 1,3-bis(acetamido)-N,N′-bis[3,5-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl-aminocarbonyl)-2,4,6-triiodophenyl]-2-hydroxypropane (“iodixanol”) are important examples of such compounds. They generally contain one or two triiodinated benzene rings.
[0003] The industrial production of non-ionic X-ray contrast agents involves a multistep chemical synthesis. To reduce the cost of the final product, it is critical to optimize the yield in each step. Even a small increase in yield can lead to significant savings in a large scale production. In particular, iodine is one of the most expensive reagent in the process. It is thus especially important to obtain a high yield with few by-products and minimal wastage for each synthetic intermediate involving an iodinated compound. Furthermore, improved purity of a reaction intermediate, especially at the latter stage of synthesis, is essential in providing a final drug substance fulfilling regulatory specification such as those expressed on US Pharmacopeia. In addition to economic and regulatory concerns, the environmental impact of an industrial process is becoming an increasingly significant consideration in the design and optimization of synthetic procedures.
[0004] One process by which iodixanol(1,3-bis(acetamido)-N,N′-bis[3,5-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropylaminocarbonyl)-2,4,6-triiodophenyl]-2-hydroxypropane) can be prepared is according to Scheme 1 below starting from 5-nitroisophthalic acid. See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,974,882. As part of the established acetylation process, intermediate 5-amino-N, N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodo-1,3-benzenedicarboxamide) (“Compound B”) is acetylated to give overacetylated 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”). Subsequently overacetylated Compound A is deacetylated to remove O-acetyl groups formed during the previous acetylation reaction to give Compound A. After deacetylation, Compound A can be purified by crystallization). The purified Compound A can then be isolated. The isolated Compound A can then be dried for storage or it may be used directly in the production of iodixanol (e.g., dimerization of Compound A in the presence of epichlorohydrin results in the formation of iodixanol).
[0000]
[0005] Consequently, the conversion of Compound B to Compound A is a key and important step in the both the small-scale and. industrial scale production of iodixanol.
[0006] There exists a need for effective and efficient processes for the industrial scale production of intermediates such as 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”). The present invention, as described below, answers such a need by providing alternative downstream semi-continuous processes for the production of Compound A that gives a significant increase in yield and significant reduction in energy consumption and process time.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates downstream continuous processing of the solution comprising crude Compound A resulting from the alternative acetylation process described herein and simple crystallization of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”).
[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates downstream continuous processing of the solution after deacetylation with alternative acetylation and no crystallization and drying of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention provides an alternative process for the acetylation of 5-amino-N, N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodo-1,3-benzenedicarboxamide) (“Compound B”) to form Compound A followed by an alternative continuous downstream process for the production of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) comprising precipitation, purification (e.g., a separation system such as microfiltration or centrifuge, a membrane filtration system (e.g., nanofiltration system)), and drying.
[0010] The present invention provides an alternative process for the acetylation of 5-amino-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodo-1,3-benzenedicarboxamide) (“Compound B”) to form Compound A followed by an alternative continuous downstream process for the production of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) comprising a membrane filtration system (e.g., nano filtration system) without the need for crystallization and drying.
[0011] The present invention provides an alternative continuous downstream process for the production of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) comprising precipitation, purification (e.g., a separation system such as microfiltration or centrifuge, a membrane filtration system (e.g., nanofiltration system)), and drying.
[0012] The present invention provides an alternative continuous downstream process for the production of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) comprising a membrane filtration system (e.g., nano filtration system without the need for crystallization and drying.
[0013] The present invention provides a process comprising the steps of:
(i) reacting 5-amino-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound B”) with a mixture of acetic anhydride/acetic acid to form a first slurry; (ii) heating said first slurry to about 60° C.; (iii) adding an acid catalyst (preferably, para-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA)) to said slurry at a rate such that the reaction temperature is maintained at a temperature range of about 65-85° C.; (iv) adding a deacetylating agent to the reaction mixture of step (iii) to form a reaction mixture comprising Compound A; (v) purifying the reaction mixture of step (iv) Compound A wherein said purifying step comprises the steps of: (vi) passing said reaction mixture of step (iv) comprising Compound A through a separation system to create a second slurry and a liquid; (vii) collecting the second slurry of step (vi) and repeating step (v); (viii) collecting the liquid of step (vi) and passing it through a membrane filtration system; (ix) collecting the retentate of step (viii) and repeating step (v); and (x) continuously repeating steps (v)-(ix).
[0024] According to the process of the invention, the process may further comprise the step of (xii) drying the reaction mixture of step (iv) comprising Compound A.
[0025] The present invention provides a process comprising the steps of:
(i) reacting 5-amino-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound B”) with a mixture of acetic anhydride/acetic acid to form a slurry; (ii) heating said slurry to about 60° C.; (iii) adding an acid catalyst (preferably, para-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA)) to said slurry at a rate such that the reaction temperature is maintained at a temperature range of about 65-85° C.; (iv) adding a deacetylating agent to the reaction mixture of step (iii) to form a reaction mixture comprising Compound A; (v) purifying the reaction mixture of step (iv)comprising Compound A wherein said purifying step comprises the steps of: (vi) passing said reaction mixture of step (iv) comprising Compound A through a membrane filtration system; (vii) collecting the retentate of step (vi) and repeating step (v); and (viii) continuously repeating steps (v)-(vii).
[0034] According to the process of the invention, the membrane filtration system comprises a nanofiltration system as described herein.
[0035] According to the process of the invention, the process may further comprise the step of: alkylating the reaction mixture of step (iv) comprising Compound A.
[0036] According to the process of the invention, the process may further comprise the step of: bis-alkylating or dimerizing the reaction mixture of step (iv) comprising Compound A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0037] In the established industrial scale process, Compound B is added to a mixture of acetic anhydride and acetic acid. The resulting slurry is then heated to approximately 60° C. When the temperature is achieved, an acid catalyst (e.g., para-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA)(s)) is added in one portion in catalytic amounts. Despite maximum cooling in the reactor jacket, the temperature of the reaction mixture increases rapidly to about 120-125° C. due to the exothermic acetylation reaction. The main part of the acetylation reaction will accordingly occur at 120-125° C. Because of the high reaction temperature, considerable levels of the following by-products I, II, and III in addition to Compound A are formed:
[0000]
[0038] According to the present invention, an alternative acetylation process is provided, According to the present invention, Compound B is added to a mixture of acetic anhydride and acetic acid. The resulting slurry is then heated to approximately 60° C., At this temperature, a catalytic amount of an acid catalyst is added, Examples of a suitable acid catalyst include, for example, a sulfonic acid such as methanesulfonic acid, para-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) and sulphuric acid. Of these, para-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) is preferred. According to the invention, the acid catalyst can be added as a solid or as a solution. Examples of suitable solvents to form such a solution include acetic acid, acetic anhydride or a mixture of acetic acid and acetic anhydride. The addition is performed carefully while the temperature is controlled. In one embodiment, the PTSA is added as a solid in several portions, In one embodiment, the PTSA is added as a solution where PTSA is dissolved in a small volume of acetic acid. In one embodiment, the PTSA is added as a solution where PTSA is dissolved in a small volume of acetic anhydride. In one embodiment, the PTSA is added as a solution where PTSA is dissolved in a small volume of a mixture of acetic acid and acetic anhydride. The rate/speed of the addition of the acid. catalyst, preferably PTSA, is such that the maximum reaction temperature is maintained at about 65-85° C.
[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the rate/speed of the addition of the acid catalyst, preferably PTSA, is such that the maximum reaction temperature is maintained at about 70-80° C.
[0040] According to the present invention, addition of the acid catalyst, preferably PTSA, over time to control temperature produces a reaction mixture comprising overacetylated Compound A with lower levels of by-products as described herein compared to the established acetylation process. The reaction mixture comprising overacetylated Compound A can then be deacetylated using a deacetylating agent. There is no particular restriction upon the nature of the deacylating, agent used, and any deacylating agent commonly used in conventional reactions may equally be used here. Examples of suitable deacylating agents include aqueous inorganic bases including alkali metal carbonates, such as sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate or lithium carbonate; and alkali metal hydroxides, such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or lithium hydroxide. Of these, the alkali metal hydroxides, particularly sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, and most preferably sodium hydroxide are preferred. For example, the reaction mixture comprising overacetylated Compound A can be deacetylated by the addition of base, such as sodium hydroxide, to form Compound A which in turn can then be purified (e.g., crystallization) and isolated by techniques known in the art.
[0041] According to the invention, as a result of the alternative acetylation process described. herein, the by-product profile is improved, which makes it possible to simplify the post deacetylation purification of the 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisoplithalamide (“Compound A”) and to isolate purified Compound A in higher yields.
[0042] As described above, by-products are formed during the acetylation of 5-amino-N, N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodo-1,3-benzenedicarboxamide) (“Compound B”). In the established acetylation process, the by-products that form are at such a level that a crystallization step is necessary to remove them from 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) prior to using Compound A in the synthesis of x-ray contrast media agents such as iodixanol and iohexol. If no crystallization step is performed, then additional purification steps need to be included later in the process which results in more production costs which is not ideal for industrial scale production.
[0043] It has now been found that the purity of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) before crystallization measured as HPLC [area%] with the original acetylation is 97.7% and with the alternative acetylation process described herein 99.2%. The alternative acetylation process reduces the formation of by-products.
[0044] In the alternative acetylation process, the process temperature is decreased from about 115-125° C. to about 65-85° C. and the ratio between acetic anhydride and acetic acid in the process solution is reduced significantly as well. Table 1 summarizes the change in by-product profile and the corresponding HPLC [area %] between the original and alternative acetylation process.
[0000]
TABLE 1
By-products prior to crystallization with
original and alternative acetylation
Original
Alternative
acetylation process
acetylation process
Compound
[HPLC area %]
[HPLC area %]
Compound A Purity
97.7
99.2
Compound B remaining
0.13
0.03
post acetylation
By-products I and II
1.25
0.25
By-product III
0.33
0.01
[0045] In the established acetylation process, salt by-products (e.g. sodium chloride and sodium acetate) are removed from 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) during a crystallization and filtration step. pH and temperature in solution is tinder strict control. Seeding to control crystallization is executed at a certain pH and temperature. The pH is adjusted to about 2.0-8.0, preferably about 5.0-8.0 and most preferably about 7. The temperature is maintained at about 10-25° C., preferably about 20° C. Then the crystallization process is allowed to run for approx. 24 hours before the slurry is carefully transferred to a pressure filter. On the pressure filter, the mother liquor is removed. Then the filter cake is carefully agitated before washing liquid is applied. The filter cake is partly dried on the filter by blowing a huge amount of hot gas through the cake. Total residence time on the pressure filter is approx. 24 hours. Partly dried filter cake is then transferred to an indirect batch dryer. Dry 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) is then milled to destroy lumps generated during drying.
[0046] The present invention now provides two alternative continuous purification processes that eliminate the need for the established crystallization step. Each of the purification processes of the present invention can be used with either the established or alternative acetylation process. In a preferred embodiment, each of the purification processes is used subsequent to the alternative acetylation process described herein.
[0047] It has now been found that purification of Compound A can be achieved by using membrane filtration where low molecular weight by-products and salts are collected in the permeate and 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) is collected in the retentate.
[0048] According to a process of the invention, the separation system can be any separation system capable of providing a liquid as particle free as possible prior to passing the liquid through the membrane filtration system, as described herein. In one embodiment of the invention, the separation system comprises a microfiltration system (e.g., crossflow microfiltration). In one embodiment of the invention, the separation system comprises a centrifuge. According to the invention, any microfiltration system known in the art may be used. According to the invention, any centrifuge capable of separating particles from the liquid may be used (e.g., a decanter centrifuge).
[0049] According to the invention, a suitable “membrane filtration system” includes any membrane filtration technique known in the art. In one embodiment of the invention, the membrane filtration system comprises a nanofiltration system. Any nanofiltration system known in the art may be used.
[0050] The alternative continuous downstream processes of the invention allows for an increase in the overall yield of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”), reduce process time and labour costs. The alternative continuous downstream processes of the invention further offer the advantage of providing a stabilized process by removing a complex and manual crystallization and isolation step used in the established acetylation process to form Compound A as described above.
Alternative Process 1:
[0051] Alternative process 1, exemplified in FIG. 1 , includes a simple precipitation step to reduce pH and viscosity in the solution comprising desired Compound A. Particle size and distribution of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) is not critical as it is in the established acetylation process because no filter cake is going to be handled.
[0052] After precipitation, the slurry can, if needed, be filtered using an appropriate particle-liquid separation technique known in the art (e.g. crossflow microfiltration or decanter centrifuge) to separate the reaction mixture into 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) solids (i.e. slurry) and liquid. The removed solids (i.e., slurry) are circulated back to the reactor, Removal of slurry is performed to protect the membrane filtration system (e.g., nanofiltration membrane) through which the liquid is passed and increase its capacity.
[0053] The liquid from the separation system contains dissolved 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”), salts and by-products. The liquid is then passed through a membrane filtration system (e.g., nanofiltration membrane of the cross flow type) that is resistant to methanol at neutral to acidic pH and has a cut-off that allows the passing of low-molecular weight by-products (<app. 300 dalton) or small molecules as salts to be collected in permeate together with only small amounts of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”). The membrane filtration system (e.g., nanofiltration membrane) reduces 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) yield loss to a minimum as it is separated into the retentate while effectively removing by-products in the permeate. The retentate produced by the membrane filtration system contains the majority of the 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) and is fed back into the reactor.
[0054] Any remaining salts and other low molecular weight by-products in the retentate can he removed with methanol, water, or a mixture thereof. Methanol, water, or a mixture thereof is added to reactor during circulation of the solution via the separation system and the membrane filtration system, each as described herein. Volume and pH in the reactor is monitored to keep suitable conditions for optimized membrane filtration. To further reduce the amount of by-products, parts of the liquid where by-products are concentrated, can optionally be removed as mother liquor from the system, see FIG. 1 .
[0055] When the levels of salts and by-products have been achieved, the product slurry may be concentrated even more by stopping the methanol addition into the reactor while the circulation of the solution via the separation system and the membrane filtration system is still going. This alternative downstream process is performed continuously until the level of salts is not more than (NMT) 1.5 wt % and the level of by-products is NMT 2.0 area % in the dry Compound A obtained.
[0056] Once Compound A has achieved a such a purity profile, it can be dried using a continuous, direct dryer to give a lump free powder of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) which can then be subsequently stored. According to the invention, this alternative process 1 can be automated.
Alternative Process 2:
[0057] In Alternative process 2, as illustrated in FIG. 2 , the crude reaction solution after deacetylation is fed into a reactor and kept at pH>11 to keep 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyI)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) dissolved. In order to prepare the solution for directly use in the syntheses of iohexol and iodixanol, the water in the solution has to be replaced by solvents such as methanol, which in turn can optionally be replaced by 2-methoxyethanol in a nanofiltration system with a membrane with appropriate cut-off that withstands solvents and high pH. The salts and low molecular weight by-products are collected in the permeate. 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) is collected in the retentate. The use of a nanofiltration system allows for concentration adjustment of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) before being fed back into the reactor. By adjusting the concentration and process time, production capacity and investments cost/operational costs can be optimized. Alternative process 2 is continuous until the level of salts is NMT 1.5 wt % and the level of by-products is NMT 2.0 area % in the Compound A solution.
[0058] Once such a purity profile of Compound A is achieved, then the Compound A can be directly used to synthesize x-ray contrast media agents such as iohexol and iodixanol via alkylation and bis-alkylation (dimerization) respectively. Alternative process 2 eliminates the need for a drying step as used in the established process and in alternative process 1. Since the drying step can be eliminated, Alternative process 2 also offers the advantage of the need for storage of Compound A. According to the invention, this alternative process 2 can be automated.
[0059] As illustrated in Table 2, Alternative process 1 and Alternative process 2, provide comparable quality and yields as compared to the established original process. In addition, the processes offer the advantage of improved energy savings and reduction in overall production time.
[0000]
TABLE 2
Changes in key parameters in the modified processes
Original
Alternative
Alternative
process
process 1
process 2
Compound A Purity
99.5%
99.2-99.5%
Ca. 99.2%
Yield
96.2%
97-99%
99.2%
Energy savings*
—
Much
Very much
Reduction of process
—
Ca. 25%
>60%
time*
*as compared to the already established process.
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Alternative continuous downstream processes for the production of 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide (“Compound A”) are described. Compound A is a key intermediate in the production of iodixanol and iohexol, which are two of the biggest commercially available non-ionic x-ray contrast media agents.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Passive collision restraint systems typically incorporate a cushion portion which is manufactured from a woven textile material. Such cushion portion is inflated during a collision event so as to provide a barrier between a vehicle occupant and the vehicle interior structures against which that occupant would otherwise be thrown. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the deployment of an air bag cushion is an extremely rapid and violent event which is initiated and completed within milliseconds. Such deployment and subsequent impact is believed to place the fabric of the cushion under substantial stresses.
A standard measure of performance for air bag fabrics is air permeability. These standards have historically been set and measured in relation to fabrics which are in a substantially non-tensioned environment such as in the procedure set forth by ASTM-D737. It has been postulated that typical fabrics which have historically made use of plain weave or ripstop weave constructions as are well known in the art will display fairly substantial increases in air permeability when subjected to tensional forces. It is an objective of the present invention to produce a fabric in which the air permeabilities will not substantially increase when subjected to tensions as may occur during deployment of an air bag cushion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above objective is accomplished according to the present invention by weaving an air bag fabric in a multiple warp harness arrangement using combinations of twill and basket weave components. Such weave constructions have been surprisingly found to not only avoid substantial increases in permeability over a range of linear tensions but to actually display a decrease in air permeability when subjected to tensions in certain ranges which may be applicable during actual air bag deployment and impact.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a weave diagram illustrating a potentially preferred repeating pick pattern formed using a four pick arrangement;
FIG. 2 is a weave diagram illustrating the multiple repeat arrangement formed by the pick pattern in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a weave diagram illustrating an alternative pick repeat pattern according to the present invention formed using a six pick structure;
FIG. 4 is a weave diagram illustrating the multiple repeat arrangement of the pick pattern illustrated in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 illustrates the relation between air permeability at a differential pressure of 124 Pascals across the fabric and uniform applied tension for a 315 denier construction air bag fabric formed according to both the prior art and the weave diagram of FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 6 is a graph similar to FIG. 5 for a 630 denier fabric;
FIG. 7 is a graph similar to FIG. 5 wherein the Y-axis represents air permeability at a differential pressure of 3 psi;
FIG. 8 is a graph similar to FIG. 7 for a 630 denier fabric.
FIG. 9 is a graph similar to FIG. 7 for a 70 denier×100 denier construction formed in accordance with FIGS. 3 and 4.
While specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and will be described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, since modifications may be made and other embodiments of the principals of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Rather, it is intended to cover all such alternative embodiments, procedures, and modifications thereto as may fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention as limited only by the claims herein and equivalents thereto.
DESCRIPTION
Turning now to the drawings, in FIG. 1 there is shown a four pick pattern 10 formable by means of a multiple harness weaving practice as is well know to those of skill in the art. In FIG. 2 the replication of this pick pattern across the surface of a woven fabric 11 is illustrated. Specifically, in the illustrated and potentially preferred embodiment, a fabric is formed from a four pick repeat pattern utilizing four body harnesses. For the first pick 12, first and third warp ends are preferably up while the second and fourth warp ends are down. As illustrated, this results in the pick yarn being passed below the first and third warp ends and above the second and fourth warp ends. For the second pick 14 the second and third warp ends are preferably up while the first and fourth warp ends are down. This results in the pick yarn passing over first and fourth warp yarns while passing beneath second and third warp ends. In the third pick 16, second and fourth warp ends are preferably up while first and third warp ends are down. This results in the pick yarn passing over first and third warp yarns and beneath second and fourth warp yarns. In the fourth pick, first and fourth warp ends are preferably up while second and third warp ends are down. This results in the pick yarn passing below first and fourth warp yarns and over second and third warp yarns. This same movement of the harnesses and resulting pick pattern is thereafter repeated time and again as the fabric is woven. It will be appreciated that while the manufacture of the preferred embodiment has been described in relation to a four harness system, any other system which permits the fabric to be formed with the configuration as described may likewise be utilized.
In FIG. 3 there is shown a six pick repeat pattern 20 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The repeating arrangement of the pick repeat pattern of FIG. 3 across a woven fabric 21 is illustrated in FIG. 4. In the illustrated pick repeat pattern, in the first pick 22 first, third and fourth warp ends are preferably up while second, fifth and sixth warp ends are down. In the 2nd pick 24 of the illustrated pick repeat pattern, first, second and fifth warp ends are preferably up while third, fourth, and sixth warp ends are down. In the 3rd pick 26 third, fifth and sixth warp ends are preferably up while first, second, and fourth warp ends are down. In the 4th pick 28 of the repeat pattern in FIG. 3, first, third, and fourth warp ends are preferably up while second, fifth, and sixth warp ends are down. In the 5th pick 30 of the illustrated repeat pattern, first, second, and fifth warp ends are preferably up while third, fourth, and sixth warp ends are down. In the 6th pick 32 of the repeat pattern, third, fifth, and sixth warp ends are preferably up while first, second, and fourth warp ends are down. A weave diagram indicating the resultant fabric structure utilizing the pick repeat pattern illustrated and described in relation to FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 4. As illustrated, utilization of the six pick repeat pattern produces a balanced and substantially symmetrical pattern wherein the warps across each pick are characterized by a repeating arrangement of 1 up, 1 down, 2 up, 2 down.
As indicated, a perceived benefit of the present invention is the production of fabrics wherein the air permeability is not substantially increased, and may actually decrease, as the fabric is subject to tensile stresses such as may occur during a collision event involving the air bag fabric. In FIG. 5 measurements of air permeability for fabric formed according to the weave diagrams of FIGS. 1 and 2 using 315 denier yarn according to the present invention and a plain weave fabric using 315 denier yarn according to the prior art at a nominal weave density of 60×60 threads per inch are compared across a range of biaxial tensions of equal magnitude in the warp and the fill directions. In FIG. 6, measurements of air permeability for fabric formed according to the weave diagrams of FIGS. 1 and 2 using 630 denier yarn according to the present invention and a plain weave fabric using 630 denier yarn according to the prior art at a nominal weave density of 41×41 threads per inch are compared across a range of biaxial tensions of equal magnitude in the warp and the fill directions. The permeabilities in FIGS. 5 and 6 were measured at a differential of 124 Pascals or approximately 0.5 inches of water across the fabric in accordance with standard testing procedures.
As is apparent, traditional prior art plain weave fabrics exhibit substantial increases in air permeability as applied tension is increased. Conversely, fabrics according to the present invention exhibit initial reductions in air permeability followed by only modest increases over a full range of tensions from zero to 150 pounds force per linear inch of fabric. As illustrated, in fact, there was substantially no increase in the permeability measured at a tension of 150 pounds force per linear inch over that measured with no tension on the fabric.
The performance curves illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 for prior art fabrics are believed to be. fully consistent with the trends identified for such fabrics in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,878 to Ellerbrok (incorporated by reference) wherein gas permeability is shown to be greatly increased when equal tensions are applied across the warp and the fill of prior fabric constructions. Specifically, FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c) of the '878 patent show dramatic increases in permeability of at least 500 percent or more when traditional fabrics are subjected to equal tensions in the warp and the fill directions in the range of from zero up to about 150 pounds force per linear inch (26.25 KN/M).
While most standard air permeability tests are carried out at relatively low pressures in the range of 124 Pascals, it is understood that during a collision event, internal air bag pressures may be much higher. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the permeability characteristics of fabrics formed according to the weave pattern of FIG. 1 are illustrated at differential pressures of three pounds force per square inch. In FIG. 7, permeability measurements for fabric using 315 denier yarn according to the weave pattern of FIG. 1 and a plain weave fabric using 315 denier yarn according to the prior art at a nominal weave density of 60×60 threads per inch are illustrated across a range of tensions of equal magnitude in the warp and the fill directions. In FIG. 8, permeability measurements for fabric using 630 denier yarn according to the weave pattern of FIG. 1 and a plain weave fabric using 630 denier yarn according to the prior art at a nominal weave density of 41×41 threads per inch are illustrated across a range of tensions of equal magnitude in the warp and the fill directions.
As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the characteristic of fabrics of the present invention whereby there is not a substantial increase in permeability over a range of applied tensions is retained even when the fabric is exposed to a high differential pressure.
In FIG. 9, the permeability measurements for fabric formed according to the weave diagram of FIGS. 3 and 4, using a low denier construction of 70 denier yarn in the warp and 100 denier yarn in the weft is illustrated over a range of applied tensions in comparison to a plain weave fabric using the same yarns at a nominal weave density of 180×180 threads per inch. As illustrated, a dramatic reduction in permeability at increased tensions was obtained. The present invention is thus believed to be equally applicable to standard weight fabrics using yarns of between about 300 and about 840 denier as well as to lightweight fabrics using yarn of 300 denier or less.
In general it is believed that any increase in the permeability of the fabric of the present invention over a range of applied tensions of equal magnitude in the warp and the fill directions of between zero and about 150 pounds force per linear inch will be substantially less than that expected from prior art fabrics, and will preferably be in the range of about fifty percent or less. In more preferred embodiments, there will be substantially no increase in permeability with applied tensions and there may actually be a decrease in such permeability of twenty percent or more. In the most preferred embodiments, the fabric of the present invention will have the above-identified permeability retention characteristics and will also exhibit initial permeabilities at no tensional loading of not more than about five SCFM/FT 2 at about 124 Pascals across the fabric and may have initial permeabilities as low as about one SCFM/FT 2 or less.
The invention may be further understood and appreciated by reference to the following examples which are not to be construed as unduly limiting but are rather provided to facilitate understanding.
EXAMPLE 1
An air bag fabric was woven from 315 denier warp yarn and 315 denier filling yarn according to a weave pattern as illustrated and described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. The yarn utilized was single ply nonhollow nylon 6,6 available from AKZO N.V. The weaving was performed on a 210 centimeter Dornier weaving machine with a 1/4 inch selvage and eight harnesses. The fabric was thereafter scoured and heatset in ordinary fashion yielding a product having physical properties as set forth in TABLE I.
TABLE 1______________________________________315 DENIER PRODUCTPROPERTY VALUE______________________________________Weight 5.85 oz./yd..sup.2End Count 63 per inchPick Count 65 per inchWarp Tensile 530 lbs./inchFilling Tensile 512 lbs./inchWarp Elongation 46 percentFilling Elongation 42 percentWarp Tear 92 poundsFilling Tear 79 poundsGauge 0.12 inchesWarp Tongue 35 poundsFilling Tongue 41 poundsWarp Cant. 281 KG/CM.sup.2Filling Cant. 318 KG/CM.sup.2King Stiffness 1.2Mullen Burst 832 PSI______________________________________
Permeability was then measured with uniform tension applied around a fabric sample. The results are as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7.
EXAMPLE 2
An air bag fabric was woven from 630 denier warp yarn and 630 denier filling yarn according to a weave pattern as illustrated and described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. The yarn utilized was single ply nonhollow nylon 6,6 available from DuPont de Nemours. The weaving was performed on a 210 centimeter Dornier weaving machine with a 1/4 inch selvage and eight harnesses. The greige fabric was thereafter scoured and heatset in ordinary fashion yielding a product having physical properties as set forth in TABLE 2.
TABLE 2______________________________________630 DENIER PRODUCTPROPERTY VALUE______________________________________Weight 8.38 oz./yd..sup.2End Count 46 per inchPick Count 48 per inchWarp Tensile 755 lbs./inchFilling Tensile 760 lbs./inchWarp Elongation 43 percentFilling Elongation 45 percentWarp Tear l79 poundsFilling Tear 200 poundsGauge 0.17 inchesWarp Tongue 61 poundsFilling Tongue 72 poundsWarp Cant. 140 KG/CM.sup.2Filling Cant. 148 KG/CM.sup.2King Stiffness 1.3Mullen Burst 1,132 PSI______________________________________
Permeability was measured with uniform stress applied around a fabric sample. The results of the permeability measurement are as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8.
EXAMPLE 3
An air bag fabric was woven from a 420 denier warp yarn and a 420 denier filling yarn according to a weave pattern as illustrated and described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. The yarn utilized was single ply nonhollow nylon 6,6 available from AKZO N.V.. The weaving was performed on a 210 centimeter Dornier weaving machine with a 1/4 inch selvage and eight harnesses. The fabric was thereafter scoured and heatset in ordinary fashion yielding a product having physical properties as set forth in TABLE 3.
TABLE 3______________________________________420 DENIER PRODUCTPROPERTY VALUE______________________________________Weight 6.93 oz./yd..sup.2End Count 56 per inchPick Count 57 per inchWarp Tensile 562 lbs./inchFilling Tensile 551 lbs./inchWarp Elongation 43 percentFilling Elongation 47 percentWarp Tear 135 poundsFilling Tear 114 poundsGauge 0.14 inchesWarp Tongue 51 poundsFilling Tongue 53 poundsWarp Cant. 187 KG/CM.sup.2Filling Cant. 164 KG/CM.sup.2King Stiffness 1Mullen Burst 898 PSI______________________________________
EXAMPLE 4
A lightweight air bag fabric was woven from a 70 denier warp yarn and a 100 denier filling yarn according to a weave pattern as illustrated and described with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4. The yarn utilized was single ply nylon 6,6 available from Du Pont de Nemours. The weaving was performed on a 190 centimeter Nissan air-jet weaving machine with a 1/4 inch selvage and six harnesses. The fabric was thereafter secured and heatset in ordinary fashion yielding a product having physical properties as set forth in TABLE 4.
TABLE 4______________________________________FABRIC TEST RESULTSPROPERTY VALUE______________________________________End Count 197 per inchPick Count 127 per inchWeight 3.73 oz./yd..sup.2Thickness 8 milsWarp Tensile 305 lbs. force/inchFilling Tensile 360 lbs. force/inchWarp Tear 10.5 lbs. forceFilling Tear 10.4 lbs. force______________________________________
Permeability was then measured with uniform stress applied around a fabric sample. The results of the permeability measurement are as shown in FIG. 9. Tests were terminated at about eighty pounds force due to the light nature of the fabric.
As can be seen, the present invention provides a fabric which has substantially improved retention of air permeability characteristics over that which is previously available in prior art fabrics. Such fabrics may be either of light weight or standard weight construction. While preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, using specific terms, such description as been for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is defined and limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereto.
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The woven structure for an air bag is designed to have an air permeability which does not increase by more than about fifty percent when the fabric is subjected to substantially equivalent tension forces in both the warp and fill. This is accomplished by a multiple warp harness arrangement using combinations of twill and basket weave pattern components. This weave construction does not only avoid substantial increases in permeability over a range of biaxial tensions but also may result in a permeability decrease when subjected to tensions which approximate those applicable during actual air bag deployment.
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This is a continuation-in-part application of co-pending application Ser. No. 07/927,015 filed Aug. 10, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,070.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention involves a recognition that there are three substantially different flow conditions or zones encountered by a finned tube and that these three different zones translate into three different heat transfer conditions; that is, assuming that a finned tube is subjected to fluid flowing from a given location and in a constant direction towards and past the finned tube, the upstream portion of the fluid flow will contact the leading edge of the fin so as to flow in an inward radial direction and at a relatively higher pressure thereby constituting a first zone; a second zone includes the areas on opposite sides of the tube where the fluid flows around the tube and across the fins substantially tangent to the side of the tube and at a pressure intermediate that of the first and third zones; a third zone is located on the trailing edge of the fin (opposite from the first zone) where the fluid moves also in a generally (outward) radial direction but with swirling vortices and relatively lower pressure.
Based upon the recognition that these three zones with their three different heat transfer conditions do indeed exist, the present invention involves enhancement (or no enhancement) of the fin in these three different zones. The fin is preferably configured differently in each zone to enhance heat transfer at the flow condition encountered in each zone. As will hereinafter appear, the fin can be serrated in a given zone, or enhanced in a given zone, or enhanced and serrated in a given zone. If it is desired to utilize an enhanced serrated fin, several different types of enhanced serrated fins are described in the above-mentioned co-pending application. One possible fin configuration to be used in one of the three zones is the elimination of the fin itself (a "no fin" configuration) if the flow rate and/or heat transfer rate is low enough and material or weight savings can be achieved.
2. The Prior Art
Heat exchange tubes are employed in a process heater or boiler. The function of the tubes is to transfer heat from spent fuel gases such as hot flue gases flowing across the outside of the tubes to a liquid, generally water or a hydrocarbon, circulating inside the finned tubes. The heated liquid is used to operate a turbine or used for other process purposes.
The transfer of thermal energy, i.e. heat, through the tube should be as efficient as possible so the amount of fuel used can be reduced. For these reasons, finned tubes are used because the fins on the tubes increase the exterior surface area of the tubes and thus increase their heat transfer capability. In reality, the recurring cost of fuel is always minimized, so the economic benefit is to reduce the cost of the equipment itself.
The exterior surface areas of prior art finned tubes have been increased by at least two means: i.e., spacing the fins closer together and providing higher fins. However, with respect to the "three zones" of the present invention, all prior art approaches towards improving the efficiency of finned tubes have involved the same style of surface in all three zones.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an enhanced finned tube comprising fins having three zones with different surfaces or surface patterns thereon to accommodate heat transfer for the three substantially different fluid flow conditions encountered by the finned tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of an enhanced serrated finned tube which can be used with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art serrated finned tube, similar to the view of the enhanced serrated finned tube shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of the enhanced serrated finned tube shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a serrated fin strip as it appears prior to being enhanced;
FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the serrated fin strip shown in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the serrated fin strip shown in FIG. 6 illustrating a method for enhancing the serrated fin strip;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged top plan view of a single enhanced segment having a long tapered indentation;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is an enlarged top plan view of a prior art segment;
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11--11 of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is an enlarged top plan view of a single enhanced segment having a broad flat indentation;
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 13--13 of FIG. 12;
FIG. 14 is an enlarged top plan view of a single enhanced segment having a central triangular indentation;
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 15--15 of FIG. 14;
FIG. 16 is an enlarged top plan view of a single enhanced segment having a long, double tapered indentation;
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 17--17 of FIG. 16;
FIG. 18 is an enlarged top plan view of a single enhanced segment having dotted indentations;
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 19--19 of FIG. 18;
FIG. 20 is an enlarged top plan view of segments having a diamond pattern indentation impressed therein;
FIG. 21 is an enlarged top plan view of segments having a pin point pattern indentation impressed therein;
FIG. 22 is an enlarged top plan view of segments having a horizontal ribbed pattern indentation impressed therein;
FIG. 23 is an enlarged top plan view of segments having a pitted pattern indentation impressed therein;
FIG. 24 is an enlarged top plan view of segments having a diagonal ribbed pattern indentation impressed therein;
FIG. 25 is an enlarged top plan view of segments having jagged, grooved indentations provided at the distal tip of the fin;
FIG. 26 is a top plan view of a unserrated enhanced fin strip with undulations impressed therein;
FIG. 27 is a front elevation of the unserrated enhanced fin strip illustrated in FIG. 26;
FIG. 28 is a front elevation of the unserrated enhanced fin strip of FIG. 27 as it appears after being serrated.
FIG. 29 is an end view of a finned tube with fins having three zones to accommodate heat transfer for three substantially different fluid flow conditions (indentation patterns are not shown).
FIG. 30 is an enlarged top plan view of segments having a vertical ribbed pattern indentation impressed therein.
FIG. 31 is an end view of a fin embossed with a pattern to improve gas flow.
FIG. 32 is a sketch of a commercial finning process accompanied by a fin material embossing machine suitable for producing the finned tube illustrated in FIG. 29.
FIG. 33 is an end view of an embossing roll of the present invention having flat spots thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 and 29 through 33, the present invention includes a finned tube 10 which is comprised of a central hollow tube 12 with a fin 14 attached thereto, usually by welding and preferably by high frequency resistance welding. The fin 14 extends outwardly from and is within 15 degrees of the perpendicular with the tube 12. The fin 14 is also wrapped helically around the tube 12 with adjacent spirals of the fin 14 spaced apart from each other. The fin 14 may be constructed of carbon steel, nickel alloys or other suitable material.
Referring now especially to FIGS. 29 and 30, the fins 14 on the tube 12 are configured to accommodate three substantially different flow conditions encountered by the finned tube 10. As best shown in FIG. 29, a first zone generally designated 90 is subjected to fluid flowing radially toward the finned tube 10 from the direction generally designated 91, or the upstream condition. A second zone generally designated 92, 92 is subjected to fluid flowing past the tube 12, or the sidestream condition and is both on the top and bottom sides of the tube 12 as it appears in FIG. 29. A third zone, generally designated 94 is subjected to fluid flowing radially away from the finned tube 10, or the downstream condition. Each flow condition is substantially different from the others, as will be more fully explained below. A fin 14 is configured differently at the above-defined zones 90, 92 and 94 to enhance heat transfer at the flow condition encountered at each zone.
In somewhat greater detail, fluid flow at zone 90, i.e., the upstream condition, is generally laminar and is at a higher pressure relative to flow at zones 92 and 94. A fin 14 in zone 90 may comprise a serrated portion 18; and the segments 24 of the serrated portion 18 can be provided with additional surface or texturization to increase heat transfer. At zone 90, the diamond pattern indentations 64, pin point pattern indentations 66, horizontal ribbed pattern indentations 68, pitted pattern indentations 70, and diagonal ribbed pattern indentations 72, as illustrated in FIGS. 20-24, are desirable. Additionally, the base portion 16 of the fin 14 at zone 90 experiences a high pressure and is texturized by toughening to improve heat transfer.
Fluid flow at zone 92 is generally in transition from substantially laminar to substantially turbulent flow. Perhaps a fin in zone 92 is desirably a plain spiral (non-serrated) fin to improve gas flow.
Fluid flow at zone 94 is generally turbulent and is at a low pressure relative to flow at zones 90 and 92. A fin 14 at zone 94 desirably comprises a serrated portion 18 with segments 24 embossed with a pattern such as vertical ribs which improve gas flow and reduce the pressure drop across the finned tube 10. Referring to FIG. 30, the top and bottom surfaces 32 and 34 of the segments 24 are impressed, respectively, with vertical pattern indentations 96, extending from the proximal area 28 of the segment 24 to the distal tip 30.
As shown in FIG. 31, a non-serrated fin 14', embossed with a pattern 98 illustrated in FIG. 31 is utilized to improve gas flow, i.e., lower pressure drop, across a finned tube 10. Alternatively, a non-circular fin (not illustrated) is utilized.
FIGS. 1 through 28 disclose various enhanced serrated tubes; whereas the present invention is not directed to serrated finned tubes which is the claimed invention of the above-mentioned co-pending application, their inclusion herein is for the main purpose of illustrating the types of enhancements available for the present invention in the three different zones thereof. It should be understood that the three zones of the present invention are preferably provided with mutually different enhancements (or lack thereof). Thus, the different enhancements of FIGS. 1 to 28 are discussed as follows:
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an enhanced serrated finned tube 10 is provided with a central hollow tube 12 with a fin 14 attached thereto, usually by welding and preferably by high frequency resistance welding. The fin 14 extends outwardly from and is within 15 degrees of perpendicular with the tube 12. The fin 14 is also wrapped helically around the tube 12 with adjacent spirals of the fin 14 spaced apart from each other. The fin 14 may be constructed of carbon steel, nickel alloys or other suitable material.
Referring now to FIG. 4, the fin 14 has a base portion 16 located adjacent to the tube 12 and a serrated portion 18 located adjacent to the base portion 16 and extending away from the tube 12. The base portion 16 is provided with a proximal edge 20 and an opposite distal area 22. The proximal edge 20 attaches to the tube 12 to secure the fin 14 thereto. The serrated portion 18 is provided with a multiplicity of segments 24, with adjacent segments 24 separated by gaps 26. Each segment 24 is provided with a proximal area 28 which is attached to the distal area 22 of the base portion 16, and with a distal tip 30 located opposite the proximal area 28. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, each segment 24 has a top surface 32 and a bottom surface 34 opposite the top surface 32, and two sides 36 located adjacent to the gaps 26 and on either side of the top and bottom surfaces 32 and 34.
Each segment 24 has a segment height 38 measured on the segment 24 from the proximal area 28 to the distal tip 30. Likewise, the fin 14 has a fin height 40 measured from the proximal edge 20 of the base portion 16 to the distal tip 30 of the segments 24.
As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, each segment 24 has at least one segment depth 42; each segment depth 42 is measured from a point 44 on the top surface 32 of the segment 24, through the segment 24, i.e. from the top surface 32 to the bottom surface 34, perpendicularly to the segment height 38.
Obviously, if the top surface 32 and the bottom surface 34 are not parallel with each other, the segment depth 42 can vary depending upon which point 44 was selected for measuring the segment depth 42. As will become apparent, certain embodiments of the enhanced serrated finned tube 10 have segments 24 with top surfaces 32 and bottom surfaces 34 which are not parallel.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the base portion 16 has at least one base portion depth 46; each base portion depth 46 is measured from a spot 48 on the base portion 16, through the base portion 16 perpendicularly to the fin height 40.
Referring now to FIG. 4, each segment 24 also has a proximal width 50 measured between the two sides 36 at the proximal area 28 of the segment 24 and a distal width 52 measured between the two sides 36 at the distal tip 30 of the segment 24.
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10, differences are illustrated between the enhanced serrated finned tube 10 and a prior art serrated fin tube, generally designated by numeral 10'. Similar to the enhanced serrated finned tube 10, the prior art serrated finned tube 10' is provided with all of the same features as previously described for the enhanced serrated finned tube 10; said features will be hereinafter referred to by designating the numeral of the same feature on the enhanced serrated finned tube 10, followed by a prime '/' symbol. For example, 12' is a central hollow tube provided on the prior art serrated finned tube 10' which corresponds with the central hollow tube 12 on the enhanced serrated finned tube 10.
First, the segments 24' of the prior art finned tube 10' have two sides 36' which are parallel with each other, and therefore, the segments 24' have distal widths 52' and proximal widths 50' which are equal to each other. This differs from the segments 24 of the enhanced serrated finned tube 10 which has distal widths 52 greater than its proximal widths 50. Widths 50 and 52 are not equal because the segments 24 have been enhanced and thus broadened.
Enhancing the segments 24 also produces a second difference in the enhanced serrated finned tube 10 with respect to the prior art serrated finned tube 10'. The second difference relates to the top and bottom surfaces 32 and 34 of the enhanced serrated finned 10 as compared to the top and bottom surfaces 32' and 34∝ of the prior art serrated finned tube 10'.
Referring now to FIG. 11, there is shown a cross-sectional view through the segment 24' of the prior art fin 14'. The top and bottom surfaces 32' and 34' are parallel with each other and the segment depth 42' is the same regardless of which point 44' on the top surface 32' is chosen. However, as illustrated in FIG. 9, for example, the same is not true for the enhanced serrated fin 14 of the enhanced serrated finned tube 10. Depending on whether point 44 or an alternate point 44A on the top surface 32 is chosen, the segment depth 42 and an alternate segment depth 42A are not the same.
The fin 14 of the enhanced serrated finned tube 10 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is provided with a long, tapered indentation 54 impressed into both the top and bottom surfaces 32 and 34. By enhancing the fin 14 with the indentation 54, the segments 24 are thus broadened and their surface area is increased. Many patterns and designs are possible as indentations 54. A few possible embodiments are illustrated and discussed below.
FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate another embodiment wherein a broad flat indentation 56 is impressed into both the top and bottom surfaces 32 and 34 at the distal tip 30 of the segment 24.
FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate another embodiment wherein a central triangular indentation 58 is impressed into both the top and bottom surfaces 32 and 34.
FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate an additional embodiment wherein a long, double tapered indentation 60 is impressed into both the top and bottom surfaces 32 and 34.
FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate another embodiment wherein dotted indentations 62 are impressed into both the top and bottom surfaces 32 and 34.
FIGS. 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 illustrate still other embodiments wherein the top and bottom surfaces 32 and 34 are impressed, respectively, with diamond pattern indentations 64, pin point pattern indentations 66, horizontal ribbed pattern indentations 68, pitted pattern indentations 70, and diagonal ribbed pattern indentations 72.
FIG. 25 illustrates another embodiment wherein the distal tips 30 of the segments 24 are impressed with jagged, grooved indentations 74.
As an example of the amount of increase in surface area attainable, the following percentages of surface area enhancement are attained utilizing a 2 inch tube 12, various fin heights 40, a base portion depth 46 of 18 gauge metal, a 0.172 inch proximal width 50, and various distal widths 52. The data listed below is attained for pie serrated fins 14 which are spaced five (5) fins 14 per inch of tube 12.
______________________________________ Distal Width Surface Area IncreaseFin Height of Segments (In Percentage)______________________________________1 inch 0.256 inches 13.97/8 inch 0.237 inches 10.23/4 inch 0.218 inches 6.7______________________________________
Referring now to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 there is illustrated one method for producing the fin 14, i.e. enhancing after serrating and prior to the fin 14 being attached to the tube 12. FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a straight piece of unenhanced serrated fin strip 76. Prior to enhancement, the base portion depth 46 and the segment depths 42 are all equal to each other. FIG. 7 shows how the unenhanced serrated fin strip 76 passes between enhancing tools 78 and 80 and emerges as enhanced serrated fin 14 which is ready to be attached to the tube 12 to form the enhanced serrated finned tube 10. If the base portion 16 is not enhanced, the base portion depth 46 will remain unaltered after enhancement. If the segments 24 are enhanced, their segment depths 42 and 42A will differ from the base portion depth 46 and possibly differ from each other, depending on which points 44 or 44A are selected.
Alternately, another method for producing the fin 14, i.e. enhancing prior to serrating, is illustrated in FIGS. 26, 27 and 28. FIGS. 26 and 27 show a straight piece of unserrated enhanced fin strip 82. FIG. 28 shows the same strip 82 after being serrated to form enhanced serrated fin 14 which is ready to be attached to the tube 12 to form the enhanced serrated finned tube 10.
Where fins 14 on a tube 12 are configured to accommodate the at least three substantially different flow conditions encountered by the finned tube 10, the fin enhancements can be added to the fins during a commercial firming process generally designated 100, as shown in FIG. 32. The finning process 100 is accompanied by a texturizing or fin material embossing machine 102.
In somewhat greater detail, a commercial finning process 100 comprises helically wrapping a strip or fin 14 around and at an angle to a tube 12 and attaching the strip 14 to the tube 12, preferably by high frequency welding, to form the fins 14 thereon.
The embossing machine 102, which comprises two embossing rolls 104, is electrically or mechanically linked to the tube 12. The rotation rates of the tube 12 and embossing rolls 104 are related by a ratio of whole numbers so that a pattern is repeated each resolution of the tube 12. For example, the tube 12 is rotated at a rate of 600 r.p.m. while the embossing rolls 104 are rotated at a rate of 300 r.p.m., a ratio of 2:1.
In a particular embodiment of this invention, the tolerance in the whole number ratio is adjusted by flat spots 106 on the embossing rolls 104. The flat spots 106 allow slippage to adjust for minimal variations in the tube 12 rotation rate due to tooling diameter wear or the effect of metal changes impacting the fin material neutral axis. FIG. 33 illustrates a specific embodiment of an embossing roll 104 having four substantially equally spaced apart flat spots 106 thereon. The aforementioned specific embodiment is provided as an example and is not intended to be limiting. The number of and spacing between flat spots 106 on an embossing roll 104 are based on strip material of composition and other engineering design considerations.
While a plurality of methods have been described above for producing the fin 14 and the finned tube 10, the present invention is not limited to these methods of production.
Whereas, the present invention has been disclosed in terms of the specific structure described above, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention.
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The present invention is based upon the recognition that three different zones of heat transfer conditions exist on a finned tube:
1. The upstream zone (portion) of the finned tube that is initially exposed to the fluid flowing from a given location;
2. Zones that include the areas on opposite sides of the finned tube where the fluid flows around the finned tube and across (through) the fins; and
3. A zone that is located on the trailing edge of the finned tube (opposite from the first zone).
The invention recognizes that the fluid flowing conditions (temperature, pressure and velocity) are different at each of the three zones. Because of this difference the invention is the use of a different fin configuration and/or geometry in each of the zones that are conducive to the heat transfer for the fluid flow condition encountered at each zone, thus increasing the heat transfer capability of the fins.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a container arrangement for a product, comprising at least two independent container parts each having at least one closable dispensing opening of its own.
[0002] Known from DE 10 2010 052 225 A1 is a container arrangement comprising a first and a second container part. Each container part has a separate dispensing opening. The container parts can be connected to one another in such a manner that the dispensing opening of the first container part points in a first direction and the dispensing opening of the second container part points in a second direction.
[0003] Known from EP 0948448 is a container arrangement which comprises two container parts which can be emptied by a common dispensing opening. The two container parts are connected to one another in a separable manner. In the connected state they form a uniform bottle. The product of the two container parts can only be emptied via a common opening where a problem consists in that the two products of the two container parts can be mixed in an undesirable manner during the dispensing process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The principal object of the present invention is to provide a container arrangement which comprises at least two container parts that can be connected to one another in a simple manner, where at the same time the products of the container parts can also be dispensed separately from one another even in the connected state.
[0005] This object, as well as other objects of the invention which will occur to those skilled in the art, are achieved by providing a container arrangement for a product which comprises at least one first independent container part with a closable dispensing opening and a second independent container part with a closable dispensing opening, where the second container part can be disposed detachably in a recess of the first container part in such a manner that the first container part and the second container part can be connected to form the container arrangement. The first dispensing opening and the second dispensing opening point in different directions. The first dispensing opening can be closed by a first closure part and the second dispensing opening can be closed by a second closure part. At least the second closure part at the same time overlaps a subregion of the second container part and the first container part in a locking manner when the first and the second container part are connected to one another.
[0006] The essential advantage of the container arrangement according to the invention consists in that the two container parts can be connected rapidly and simply to one another so that depending on application and handling, they can be transported and handled jointly together as a unit and separately from one another. In this case, for the locking it is merely necessary to insert or slide the second container part into the recess of the first container part and attach or place the closure part of the second container part thereon.
[0007] The two container parts of the present container arrangement are preferably suitable for receiving solid, liquid, gel-like, pasty or even gaseous substances. For example, the following combinations can be contained in the container parts of a container arrangement: shampoo—rinse, shampoo—shower gel, shower gel—exfoliate, baby oil—baby lotion, sun cream—after-sun cream, mustard—ketchup, mustard—mayonnaise.
[0008] According to one advantage of the present invention, it is feasible to configure differently the container parts of the present container arrangement by means of different features, e.g. by means of colour, labelling and transparency to make the products contained in the container parts visually identifiable and indicate the respective contents.
[0009] Advantageously the container parts of the present container arrangement can also have different shapes and sizes depending on the application. In this case it is possible that the interconnected container parts overall have the shape and design of a product already established on the market. In this way, a harmonious adaptation to each already-existing design can be made and it can be avoided that purchasers used to specific shapes and sizes of products must reorientate and become used to new shapes and sizes.
[0010] Since the dispensing openings of the two container parts of the present container arrangements point in different directions, in particular lie opposite along the longitudinal axis of the container arrangement, the container parts can also be compressed and emptied independently of one another when the container parts are connected to one another. In this case variously large pressures can be applied to the container parts depending on contents or product. Advantageously the container parts can consist of different materials and/or different material thicknesses so that in particular the squeezability of the material or the respective container part for dispensing the product can be different. As a result, the pressure to be exerted for dispensing can be matched individually to the product contained in a container part in each case or to its viscosity. The container parts can have different dimensions or volumes so that it is feasible to coordinate material components contained in the container parts which are to be mixed with one another in predefined ratios after dispensing. In order to facilitate a particularly easy dispensing of a particularly viscous product, the container part containing this product can be placed with its closure part on a corresponding placement surface.
[0011] Advantageously the present invention makes it possible that trademark designations, product information or advertising information on the products contained in the container parts are applied to only one side of the container so that the presentation of the products on the shelf of the reseller is visually appreciably simplified and improved.
[0012] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are obtained from the subclaims. In a particularly advantageous further development of the invention, the container arrangement has a uniformly closed cross-section, preferably a cylindrical cross-section when the first container part is connected to the second container part. Expediently the first dispensing opening and the second dispensing opening of a present particularly easy-to-handle container arrangement are disposed coaxially to one another. In order to produce an overall particularly stable container arrangement, the second container part is preferably fastened in the recess with the aid of positive and/or non-positive and/or firmly bonded locking elements.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first container part has a wall which partially delimits the recess and the second closure part comprises a locking arrangement which acts in a locking manner on a locking arrangement disposed at an end region of the wall of the first container part and on a locking arrangement disposed on the wall of the second container part when the second container part is inserted in the recess of the first container part and when the closure part is disposed on the dispensing opening of the second container part. At the same time, the locking arrangement of the second closure part particularly preferably has the form of at least one locking projection disposed on the inner side of the second closure part (or at least one locking groove) and the locking arrangement of the wall has the form of at least one locking groove disposed on the outer side of the wall (or at least one locking projection). The locking arrangement of the wall of the second container expediently has the form of at least one locking groove disposed on the outer side of the wall of the second container part (or at least one locking projection).
[0014] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the recess extends from the side of the first closure part to the side of the second closure part and the first closure part of the first container part comprises a locking arrangement which acts in a locking manner on a further locking arrangement disposed at the end region of the wall of the first container part and on a further locking arrangement disposed on the wall of the second container part when the second container part is inserted in the recess of the first container part and when the first closure part is disposed on the dispensing opening of the first container part.
[0015] In a further embodiment of the invention, the first container part comprises leg parts which delimit the recess and which are opposite in relation to the longitudinal axis of the first container and the second closure part comprises a locking arrangement which acts in a locking manner on locking arrangements disposed on the end regions of the leg parts and on a locking arrangement disposed on the second container part when the second container part is inserted in the recess of the first container part and when the second closure part is disposed on the dispensing opening of the second container part. In this case the locking arrangement of the second closure part and the locking arrangements of the leg parts as well as the locking arrangement of the second container part preferably form a snap or screw closure which is particularly easy to handle.
[0016] In a preferred further development of the invention, the first container part has an auxiliary container part between the leg parts, which partially fills the recess between the leg parts of the first container part and which engages in an indentation of the second container part which is formed between the first leg part and a second leg part which lies opposite to this in relation to the longitudinal axis of the container arrangement when the first container part is connected to the second container part.
[0017] In another further development of the invention, the second container part also has an auxiliary container part between the leg parts thereof, which partially fills the recess between the leg parts of the second container part and which engages in the recess of the first container part when the first container part is connected to the second container part.
[0018] It is particularly advantageous if in the preceding explained embodiments of the present container arrangement in which the second container part has leg parts, the first closure part possesses a locking arrangement which acts in a locking manner on the locking arrangements disposed on the end regions of the leg parts of the second container part and on the first container part when the second container part is inserted in the recess of the first container part and when the first closure part is disposed on the dispensing opening of the first container part. With corresponding configurations and dimensioning of the two container parts, both container parts can advantageously be manufactured cost-effectively using one and the same shape from a plastic material.
[0019] In a further preferred embodiment of the present container arrangement, the recess of the first container part into which the second container part can be inserted is disposed laterally next to an extension part of the first container part, and the second container part has an extension part which engages in a further recess of the first container part. The extension part of the first container part engages at the same time in a further recess of the second container part when the first container part and the second container part are connected to one another. The extension part of the first container part has a locking arrangement on its end region facing the second closure part which acts in a locking manner on the locking arrangement of the second closure part and the second container part has a locking arrangement which acts in a locking manner on the locking arrangement of the second closure part when the second closure part of the second container part is disposed on the dispensing opening of the second container part. At the same time, the extension part of the second container part has a locking arrangement on its end region facing the first closure part which acts in a locking manner on the locking arrangement of the first closure part and has a locking arrangement on the first container part which acts in a locking manner on the locking arrangement of the first closure part when the first closure part of the first container part is disposed on the dispensing opening of the first container part.
[0020] In a further preferred embodiment of the present container arrangement, the locking arrangement of the second closure part has the form of at least one locking projection disposed on the inner side of the second locking part or at least one locking groove and that the locking arrangement of the leg parts or the extension part, of the first container part has the form of at least one locking groove disposed on the outer sides of the leg parts or on the outer sides of the extension part of the first container part or of at least one locking projection. Furthermore the locking arrangement of the first closure part has the form of at least one locking projection disposed on the inner side of the first closure part or at least one locking groove and the locking arrangement of the leg parts or of the extension part of the second container part has the form of a locking groove disposed on the outer sides of the leg parts of the second container part or on the outer side of the extension part, of the second container part, or of at least one locking projection. The further recesses or the extension parts can lie opposite in relation to the longitudinal axis of the container arrangement or the extension parts ( 5 - 5 , 5 - 25 ) or they can alternatively be offset with respect to one another by 90° when the first container part is connected to the second container part. Even in these container arrangements comprising extension parts, the container parts can be dimensioned so that, they are identical and can be produced from a plastic material using one and the same mould.
[0021] In order to enable a particularly stable connection of the two container parts, the second container part can have fixing elements on its side facing the first container part and the first container part can have fixing elements on its side facing the second container part which prevent a displacement of the first and second container part transversely to the longitudinal axis of the container arrangement. These fixing elements can preferably have the form of fixing slopes which abut against one another or of axially intermeshing projections and indentations.
[0022] For a full understanding of the present invention, reference should now be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a first preferred embodiment of the container arrangement according to the invention.
[0024] FIGS. 4 a to 4 d show a second preferred embodiment of the container arrangement according to the invention in which one container part, is received substantially completely in a recess of the other container part.
[0025] FIGS. 5 a to 5 c show a third preferred embodiment of the container arrangement according to the invention in which each container part has at least one recess for receiving a subregion of the respectively other container part.
[0026] FIGS. 6 a to 6 c show a fourth preferred embodiment of the container arrangement according to the invention in which the two container parts are the same size and identical.
[0027] FIGS. 7 a to 7 c and FIGS. 8 a to 8 c show further developments of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Firstly a general embodiment of the present invention is explained in detail in connection with FIGS. 1 to 3 . Accordingly the present container arrangement 1 comprises a container part 2 and a container part 3 . Closure parts 10 or 11 are disposed on the respective faces of the container parts 2 and 3 . The closure part 10 has a lid part 21 on its face. Accordingly the closure part 11 has a lid part 12 on its face. The container part 3 is disposed in an indentation or recess 8 of the container part 2 . The two assembled container parts 2 and 3 form the container arrangement 1 which preferably has a uniform closed cross-section 5 . Preferably the container parts 2 and 3 are disposed opposite by about 180° and coaxially with respect to one another.
[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the closure part 10 and the closure part 11 each have a central opening 27 as is shown in FIG. 1 for the closure part 10 . Through this opening 27 it is possible to dispense the product from the interior of the container part 2 or 3 . The lid part 12 or 21 is preferably fastened pivotably to the closure part 10 or 11 by means of the assistance of a hinge part 27 . A peg-shaped stopper part 29 is preferably disposed in each case at the centre of the lid part 12 or 21 on the side of the lid part 12 or 21 facing the closure part 10 or 11 , which stopper part engages in the opening 27 of the closure part 10 or 11 in the closed state of the lid part 12 or 21 in order to close the container part 2 or 3 in a sealing manner.
[0030] The container arrangement 1 overall has a cylindrical, preferably circular cylindrical shape. For mounting it can be placed perpendicularly onto the face of the lid part 12 or 21 . Other cross-sectional shapes, in particular cylindrical cross-sectional shapes such as, for example, rectangular or oval cross-sectional shapes are feasible.
[0031] FIGS. 1 and 2 show the container parts 2 and 3 in the interconnected state forming the container arrangement 1 . In this case, the container part 3 is disposed in the recess 8 of the container part 2 where the wall of the container part 3 can be connected positively and/or non-positively and/or in a firmly bonded manner to the wall of the recess 8 of the container part 2 . The reference number 22 ( FIG. 3 ) merely designates as an example locking elements which are used for non-positive locking of the container part 3 on the container part 2 .
[0032] The container part 2 according to FIG. 2 has a dispensing opening 7 which is offset by 180° with respect to the dispensing opening 9 of the container part 3 . Preferably the dispensing openings 7 and 9 are disposed coaxially with respect to one another. Located on the external circumference of the container 2 is a locking arrangement which can bring about a connection between the closure part 10 and the container part 2 . The locking arrangement preferably has the form of a locking groove 13 which runs in the circumferential direction of the container part 2 . For connection of the closure part 10 to the container part 2 , locking projections (not shown) are preferably disposed on the inner side of the closure part 10 which can engage or snap into the locking groove 13 of the container part 2 . Other locking arrangements, e.g. screw or snap connections, are feasible.
[0033] The dispensing opening 9 of the container part 3 has a locking arrangement, preferably also a locking groove 14 which extends in the region of the dispensing opening 9 on the external circumference of the container arrangement 1 partially over the container part 3 and partially over the container part 2 in the circumferential direction. It is thereby achieved that when fastening the closure part 11 according to FIG. 1 , the two container parts 2 and 3 are automatically firmly connected to one another when the container part 3 is inserted into the recess 8 of the container part 2 . Other connecting arrangements, e.g. screw or snap connections are feasible if they fulfill the explained function.
[0034] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section along the longitudinal axis 17 of the container arrangement 1 . The container part 3 is disposed in the recess 8 of the container part 2 . In this case, the section or circumference 36 of the wall part 20 of the container part 2 abuts against the complementary section 37 of the wall 21 of the container part 3 . It can be identified that the closure parts 10 and 11 overlap the dispensing openings 7 or 9 of the container parts 2 or 3 and that the already explained locking grooves 13 and 14 extend radially to the longitudinal axis 17 of the container arrangement 1 along the external circumference of the container part 2 (locking groove 13 ) and on the external circumference of the container part 3 and of the container part 2 (locking groove 14 ). Since the container arrangement 1 comprises the container parts 2 and 3 in the region of the dispensing opening 9 , the locking groove 14 extends radially to the longitudinal axis 17 of the container arrangement 1 along the wail parts 20 and 21 . It is also feasible that in a further development of the invention the recess 8 extends over the entire length of the container part 2 and that the container part 3 according to the explained locking in the region of the closure part 11 is also locked in the region of the closure part 10 .
[0035] According to FIGS. 4 a to 4 d, a more special embodiment of the container arrangement 1 - 1 according to the invention comprises a first container part 1 - 2 , a second container part 1 - 3 as well as a first closure part 1 - 10 and a second closure part 1 - 11 .
[0036] The first container part 1 - 2 comprises a recess 1 - 4 in which the second container part 1 - 3 can be inserted in such a manner that the two container parts 1 - 2 and 1 - 3 form the container arrangement 1 - 1 with preferably a shaped body having a uniform cross-section. The recess 1 - 4 of the first container part 1 - 2 is in this case formed by two leg parts 1 - 5 and 1 - 6 spaced apart from one another transversely to the longitudinal direction of the first container part 1 - 2 , where the leg parts 1 - 5 and 1 - 6 are interconnected on the side facing the dispensing opening 1 - 7 ( FIG. 4 c ) of the first container part 1 - 2 by a connecting region 1 - 8 of the first container part 1 - 2 . The recess 1 - 4 is open towards the side facing away from the dispensing opening 1 - 7 in such a manner that the container part 1 - 3 can be slid into the recess 1 - 4 from this side. The second container part 1 - 3 when viewed in the direction of insertion has a dispensing opening 1 - 9 ( FIG. 4 c ) on its side facing away from the dispensing opening 1 - 7 of the first container part 1 - 2 .
[0037] On its side facing the first container part 1 - 2 , the second container part 1 - 3 preferably has fixing slopes 1 - 15 in the manner apparent in particular from FIGS. 1 b and 1 c which then, when the container part 1 - 3 is inserted completely into the recess 1 - 4 of the container part 1 - 2 , each act on a fixing slope 1 - 17 of the first container part 1 - 2 formed complementary to a fixing slope 1 - 15 . The fixing slopes 1 - 17 are in particular apparent from FIG. 1 d. The fixing slopes 1 - 15 and the associated fixing slopes 1 - 17 then prevent the two container parts in the region of the fixing slopes 1 - 15 and 1 - 17 being displaced with respect to one another transversely to the longitudinal axis of the container parts 1 - 2 and 1 - 3 when the second container part 1 - 3 is inserted completely into the first container part 1 - 2 . It is pointed out that instead of the fixing slopes 1 - 15 and 1 - 17 , other fixing devices can also be provided. For example, the end of the second container part 1 - 3 facing the first container part 1 - 2 can be configured to be conical and engage in a corresponding indentation of the first container part 1 - 2 .
[0038] The dispensing opening 1 - 7 of the first container part 1 - 2 can be closed by the closure part 1 - 10 . In corresponding manner the dispensing opening 1 - 9 of the second container part 1 - 3 can be closed by the closure part 1 - 11 .
[0039] The closure part 1 - 10 can be fastened with the aid of a connecting arrangement, preferably a snap closure on the first container part 1 - 2 . To this end the first container part 1 - 2 preferably has on its side facing the closure part 1 - 10 a locking groove 1 - 13 running in the circumferential direction ( FIG. 4 ) in which locking projections 1 - 19 located on the internal circumference of the preferably annularly configured closure part 1 - 10 can engage for locking the closure part 1 - 10 . It is pointed out that it is also possible to provide the locking projections on the container part 1 - 2 and the locking groove on the closure part 1 - 10 . Other locking devices such as, for example, screw and snap connections are also feasible in this region.
[0040] In corresponding manner locking grooves 1 - 14 running in the circumferential direction are located on the container part 1 - 3 on its side facing the closure part 1 - 11 and locking grooves 1 - 16 which also run in the circumferential direction are located on the end regions of the sides of the leg parts 1 - 5 and 1 - 6 facing the container part 1 - 3 . The locking grooves 1 - 14 and 1 - 16 are preferably configured such that when the second container part 1 - 3 is inserted completely in the first container part 1 - 2 , they overall form a circumferential groove in which locking projections 1 - 20 located on the inner side of the preferably annularly configured closure part 1 - 11 engage for locking the closure part 1 - 11 . An essential advantage of the invention consists in that the second container part 1 - 3 is automatically locked on the first container part 1 - 2 when it is completely inserted into the first container part 1 - 2 and the locking projections 1 - 20 engage in the locking grooves 1 - 14 and 1 - 16 aligned with respect to one another to form a circumferential groove upon closure of the dispensing opening 1 - 9 ( FIG. 4 c ). It is pointed out that it is also possible to provide the locking projections 1 - 20 on the leg parts 1 - 5 and 1 - 6 and the locking grooves 1 - 16 on the closure part 1 - 11 . Other locking devices such as, for example, screw and snap connections are also feasible in this region.
[0041] A further embodiment of the container arrangement 2 - 1 according to the invention is explained hereinafter in connection with FIGS. 5 a to 5 c in which the container part 2 - 2 substantially corresponds to that of the container arrangement of FIGS. 4 a to 4 c. The container part 2 - 2 only differs from the container part 1 - 2 of FIGS. 4 a to 4 c in that the recess 2 - 4 between the leg parts 2 - 5 and 2 - 6 of the container part 2 - 2 is partially filled by an auxiliary container part 2 - 22 which encloses a volume which is in communication with the volume of the container part 2 - 2 . In this way, it is achieved that the container part 2 - 2 comprises a larger total volume than that of the container part 1 - 2 of FIGS. 4 a to 1 d.
[0042] In order to enable the connection of the container parts 2 - 2 and 2 - 3 , the container part 2 - 3 has an indentation 2 - 21 in which the auxiliary container part 2 - 22 is completely received when the container parts 2 - 2 and 2 - 3 are connected to one another. The arrangement of the indentation 2 - 21 in the container part 2 - 3 has the effect that the container part 2 - 3 also has two leg parts 2 - 23 and 2 - 24 which delimit the indentation 2 - 22 on opposite sides, which abut against the outer sides of the auxiliary container part 2 - 22 when the container parts 2 - 2 and 2 - 3 are connected to one another and form the shaped body with a uniformly closed cross-section. Preferably in the connected state of the container parts 2 - 2 and 2 - 3 , the leg parts 2 - 5 and 2 - 6 of the container part 2 - 2 are offset with respect to one another by 90° with respect to the leg parts 2 - 23 and 2 - 24 of the container part 2 - 3 when viewed in the circumferential direction of the container arrangement 2 - 1 . When connecting the container parts 2 - 2 and 2 - 3 , the auxiliary container part 2 - 21 serves as a guide for the container part 2 - 3 .
[0043] It is pointed out that the configurations of the closure parts 2 - 10 , 2 - 11 , the lid parts 2 - 12 , 2 - 21 , the locking grooves 2 - 13 , 2 - 14 , 2 - 16 , the locking projections 2 - 19 , 2 - 20 and the fixing slopes 2 - 15 preferably correspond to the configurations of the corresponding elements of FIG. 4 a to 4 d. The corresponding other configurations in connection with the description of these figures are also feasible.
[0044] A further embodiment of the container arrangement 3 - 1 according to the invention which substantially corresponds to those of FIGS. 5 a to 5 c is explained hereinafter in connection with FIGS. 6 a to 6 c. The only difference from the container arrangement 2 - 1 is that each container part 3 - 2 and 3 - 3 has an auxiliary container part 3 - 22 or 3 - 25 ( FIG. 6 c ) between its leg parts 3 - 5 and 3 - 6 or 3 - 23 and 3 - 24 , each of which projects into the corresponding recess 3 - 4 or 3 - 21 between the leg parts 3 - 5 and 3 - 6 or 3 - 23 and 3 - 24 and at the same time forms the transverse parts connecting the respective leg parts 3 - 5 and 3 - 6 or 3 - 23 and 3 - 24 . In this case, the auxiliary container parts 3 - 22 and 3 - 25 are preferably the same size so that the container arrangement 3 - 1 comprises two same-size container parts 3 - 2 and 3 - 3 . In this way it is advantageously possible to produce the container parts 3 - 2 and 3 - 3 with the aid of one and the same mould, which is why appreciable costs can be saved. All the other elements which have already been explained in connection with FIGS. 5 a to 5 c (e.g. closure parts 3 - 10 , 3 - 11 , lid parts 3 - 12 , 3 - 21 , locking grooves 3 - 14 , 3 - 16 and locking projections 3 - 19 , 3 - 20 ) can be configured accordingly. The alternatives described above are also feasible. The leg parts 3 - 23 , 3 - 24 of the container part 3 - 3 preferably have locking grooves 3 - 14 (or locking projections) at their end regions facing the container part 3 - 2 , which cooperate with the locking projections (or locking grooves) of the closure part 3 - 10 . Other locks, e.g. snap or screw connections are also feasible in this region.
[0045] FIGS. 7 a to 7 d show another embodiment of the present container arrangement 4 - 1 which substantially corresponds to the embodiment of FIG. 6 a to 6 c, where however each container part 4 - 2 and 4 - 3 only has one leg part or one extension part 4 - 5 or 4 - 25 . In this case, the extension parts 4 - 5 or 4 - 25 each project beyond the actual container part 4 - 2 or 4 - 3 in the longitudinal direction of the container arrangement 4 - 1 . In addition to the extension part 4 - 5 , the container part 4 - 2 forms or comprises a recess 4 - 4 for receiving the container part 4 - 3 and a further recess 4 - 6 ( FIG. 4 d ) for receiving the extension part 4 - 25 of the container part 4 - 3 . Accordingly, in addition to the extension part 4 - 25 , the container part 4 - 3 forms or comprises a recess 4 - 26 for receiving the container part 4 - 2 and a further recess 4 - 26 ( FIG. 4 b, c ) for receiving the extension part 4 - 5 of the container part 4 - 2 . The end regions of the extension parts 4 - 5 and 4 - 25 have locking elements, preferably the locking grooves 4 - 16 or 4 - 14 , which cooperate in the manner described further above with further locking elements, preferably the locking projections 4 - 19 or 4 - 20 , All the other elements which have already been explained in connection with FIGS. 6 a to 6 c (e.g. closure parts 4 - 10 , 4 - 11 , the lid parts 4 - 12 , 4 - 21 , locking projections 4 - 19 , 4 - 20 , locking grooves 4 - 13 , 4 - 14 , 4 - 16 ) can be configured accordingly. The alternatives described above are also feasible.
[0046] Finally a container arrangement 5 - 1 similar to the preceding container arrangement 4 - 1 is explained with reference to FIG. 7 a to 7 d in which the extension parts 5 - 5 and 5 - 25 are not opposite in relation to the longitudinal axis of the container arrangement 5 - 1 but are offset by 90° with respect to one another. Details which have already been explained in connection with FIGS. 6 a to 6 d are designated in the corresponding manner where the respective reference numbers after the hyphen correspond identically.
[0047] An advantage of the further developments of the invention according to FIGS. 7 a to 7 d and 8 a to 8 d consists in that the two container parts 4 - 2 , 4 - 3 or 5 - 2 , 5 - 3 can each be configured identically so that they can be produced with one and the same mould which leads to appreciable cost savings. The leg parts and extension parts which have been explained are preferably suitable for receiving corresponding products.
[0048] The container arrangements according to the invention which have been explained preferably consist of a plastic material which can be processed by injection moulding.
[0049] There has thus been shown and described a novel container arrangement for a product which fulfills all the objects and advantages sought therefor. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and the accompanying drawings which disclose the preferred embodiments thereof. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is to be limited only by the claims which follow.
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A container arrangement for product comprises at least one first independent container part having a closable dispensing opening and a second independent container part having a closable dispensing opening. The second container part can be arranged detachably in a recess of the first container part in such a manner that the first container part and the second container part are connected to form the container arrangement, wherein the first dispensing opening and the second dispensing opening point in different directions. The first dispensing opening can be closed by a first closure part and the second dispensing opening can be closed by a second closure part. At least the second closure part overlaps a subregion of the second container part and a subregion of the first container part in a locking manner.
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BACKGROUND
The concept of a step-up coil mounted directly on each spark plug of an internal combustion engine is over 50 years old. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,624,951; 1,722,269; 2,033,745; 2,180,358; 2,266,614; 2,414,692; 2,446,888; 2,455,960; 2,459,856; 2,467,531; 2,467,725; 2,482,884; 2,635,202; 3,716,038; 3,935,852; and 4,090,125. The major advantages of such an ignition system are (a) elimination of exposed high tension leads, (b) minimization of the length of the high tension leads thereby reducing losses due to the leakage current and capacitive loading, and (c) inherent safety resulting from the impossibility of disconnecting the coil from the plug with the primary connection plugged in.
However, despite these advantages the use of individual step-up coils with each spark plug of an internal combustion engine has not seen widespread use. One substantial reason has related to heating of the coil. The proximity of the coil (and the insulating materials associated therewith) to the spark plug results in the coil and the insulating materials being subjected to heat coming off of the engine. Modern materials go some distance to overcome this disadvantage. Even so, two other substantial problems remain with integral coils. Breakdown of the spark plug seals allows combustion gases in the engine cylinder to eventually leak to the termination area between the plug and the coil. This creates very high temperatures and pressures which can destory the coil electrically or even cause mechanical disintegration. In either event, the operator must replace not only the spark plug but the coil. Secondly, there has been a lack of a simple way of vertifying that the spark plug is firing when the coil surrounds the terminal atop the spark plug. A common method used with unshielded systems is a neon bulb indicator (see for example, Peters U.S. Pat. No. 2,181,149 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,245,604).
According to this invention there is provided an integral step-up coil spark plug for an internal combustion engine which overcomes the problems of spark plug leakage and enables easy verification that the spark plug is firing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An integral spark plug step-up coil according to this invention comprises a typical aircraft-type spark plug which comprises a hollow cylindrical barrel which is threaded to the shell of the spark plug and extends away from a high voltage input terminal and which barrel is lined with a hollow cylindrical ceramic liner. The leads to the remainder of the ignitionn system are secured to the barrel of the spark plug by threads at the end of the barrel away from the terminal. The attaching leads must have an extension, preferably a spring-loaded extension, which reaches down into the barrel to contact the input terminal of the spark plug.
According to this invention, on top of the barrel is mounted a canister for containing the step-up coil, typically embedded in epoxy. A standard multiple contact electrical connector is secured to a cap over the top of the coil canister. Thus a lead with a standard multiple contact electrical connector attaches to the top of the coil canister. Extending from the coil canister into the barrel is an elongate insulated rigid lead which reaches down from the canister to engage the input terminal at the bottom of the barrel. Within the canister is a substantially coaxial bushing having the general shape of a wheel hub. The bushing has a central cylindrical bore in which the elongate insulated lead is journaled for limited axial movement. The end of the secondary output lead of the coil is attached to a disc-shaped terminal fitted to the end of the elongate lead. A coiled spring connector, for example, bridges the secondary lead terminal and the elongate lead. The canister has at least one port in the cylindrical wall. The port is alined with the ceramic bushing.
The bushing has an annular radial face that is at least in part adjacent to an annular flange at one end of the canister. The narrow gap between the radial face of the bushing and the flange comprising part of the sleeve is sized to permit the escape of gases from the barrel of the spark plug, first along the radial face of the bushing and then along the outer periphery of the bushing passing to the vicinity of the ports in the canister. The peripheral edge of the bushing which is adjacent the radial flange must have a diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the canister or else the peripheral edge must have grooves thereon to allow gases to escape to the ports. The ports further provide a location where a firing indicator may be inserted to detect the electrical activity in the secondary circuit of the ignition system associated with the particular spark plug.
THE DRAWINGS
Further features and other objects and advantages of this invention will become clear from the following detailed description made with reference to the drawings in which
FIG. 1 is a partial section through a step-up coil spark plug combination according to this invention, and
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a ceramic bushing useful in one specific embodiment of this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Rerferring now to the drawing, there is illustrated a spark plug 10 in partial section with an integral coil attached hereto. The spark plug comprises a center electrode 11 with a terminal 12 at the top end thereof. A tubular ceramic insulator 13 extends the entire length of the electrode and further as will be explained. Typically it is comprised of 96% by weight alumina (A1 2 O 3 ). A shell 14 surrounds the ceramic insulator and has threads 15 at the lower end for threadably securing the spark plug into the combustion chamber wall. The shell carries an integral hex nut 16 for tightening the plug into the combustion chamber wall. An internal annular gasket or seal 17 fills the space between the shell 14 and the ceramic insulator 13. Yet another internal gasket or seal 18 is located between the electrode and the ceramic insulator. These gaskets or seals must contain the pressure of the combustion chamber. As with all gaskets and seals, they may leak, especially after extensive usage. This slight leakage, while not desirable, does not result in engine shutdown in the normal instance and is simply corrected by the next periodic spark plug change. If spark plugs do leak, very high temperature and pressure gases escape through the spark plug. Any container sealed to the top of the spark plug is then susceptible to being damaged by the gases as by being burst open by internal pressures or simply by having the insulator and other materials thereof damaged due to high temperatures. In the latter instance, when the spark plugs are changed it is also necessary to change the step-up coils.
Referring again to the drawing, the spark gaps are defined by the central electrode 11 and the ground 19 attached to the bottom face of the shell 14. Extending up from the shell and threaded thereto is a coaxial barrel 20. The diameter of the insulator 13 widens out into a larger cylindrical portion 21 which lines the barrel 20. The large cylindrical portion 21 of the insulator serves to protect against arcing within the spark plug. At the end of the barrel opposite of the shell are external threads 22 normally used to secure the lead wires to the barrel. The above described spark plug structure is traditional for aircraft applications. The spark plug need not be altered for use with an integral coil. The threads 22 are used to threadably engage the coil assembly with the spark plug.
Threadably secured to the barrel of the spark plug is a tubular sleeve 30. The sleeve 30 has, in the embodiment illustrated, internal threads 31 for engaging the external threads 22 of the spark plug barrel 20. The tubular sleeve 30 is machined from steel or the like. At the unthreaded end on the outside of the sleeve is an annular recess for receiving a tubular coil canister 34 providing a lap joint which can be braised or welded. Also, at the unthreaded end of the sleeve is a radial flange 35 defining the lower axial end wall of the canister 34.
An electrical insulating bushing 40 having bulb-like configuration is arranged substantially coaxial with the canister 34 adjacent the radial flange 35. The insulating bushing 40, preferably comprising a ceramic material, is comprised of a central cylindrical portion and integral therewith two parallel spaced disc portion in planes perpendicular to the cylindrical axis. The disc portions have central openings coaxial with the interior of the cylindrical portion. The bushing thus has a central bore. Also the bushing thus has a more or less hub-like configuration and may partially define an annular space between the two spaced discs. A variation of the hub-like configuration of the bushing would be an annular disc with a central bore clear through from radial face to radial face and with at least one radial bore from the cylindrical edge that extends toward but does not enter the central bore. In the central bore of the bushing 40 is journaled a rigid lead 42. The lead comprises an electrically conductive wire 43 surrounded by an electrically insulating shell 44. The rigid lead 40 is biased by spring 45 against terminal 12.
Ports 38A and 38B, etc. extend outwardly through the side of the canister 34 placing the annular space between the discs of the bushing in communication with the atmosphere.
Primary and secondary windings 50 wrapped around a core 51 are positioned within the coil canister 34. Extending downwardly from the winding is a secondary coil output lead 53 which terminates in a conductive plate 54. An electrically conductive spring 55 is compressed between the plate 54 and the rigid lead 42, thus completing the circuit from the secondary of the coil to the spark plug. Extending upwardly from the coil are primary input leads 56 and secondary ground lead 57.
The top of the coil canister carries a cap 58 secured thereto by rivet and/or braising or the like. To the cap is secured a standard multiple contact electrical connector 59.
The space within the canister surrounding the coil winding and leads is preferably filled with an epoxy compound.
The quenching space between the ceramic bushing 40 and the radial flange 35 is a critical feature of this invention. The width of the annular space and the radial length of the space must be such that no flame can traverse the space before being quenched. The difference in inner diameter of the radial flange and the inner diameter of the canister 34 determines the radial length of the quench space.
As shown in FIG. 1, the bushing 40 is in an exaggerated manner spaced from the flange 35. The actual distance would most likely not exceed 0.012 inches where the radial length of the quenching space is 0.25 inches or 0.014 inches were the radial quenching space is 0.5 inches. With these specific dimensions, the quenching space will satisfy the standards for explosion-proof enclosures established by the Canadian Standard Association for Class 1, Group D, Hazardous Location Service (CSA Standard C22.2 No. 30-1970). This quenching space permits the release of hot high pressure gases leaking from the spark plug and yet insures safety in hazardous atmospheres. Thus, this leakage through the spark plug seal can be safely vented rather than building up destructive pressures and temperatures within the coil canister.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown the bottom view of a bushing for use in a alternative embodiment of this invention in which the bushing 40 abuts the radial flange 35. The bottom of the bushing is cut to form grooves 46, for example, 0.o12 inches deep on the radial surface and connected grooves 47 are cut on the periphery of the disc adjacent the flange 35.
The location of the ports 38A and 38B through the canister 34 is especially advantageous for yet another purpose. The ports enable the placement of a firing probe near the secondary output. The firing probe is simply a capacitive pick-up device which causes the illumination of a neon bulb due to the difference in the electrical potential of the hand of the person holding the firing indicator and the space adjacent the spark plug terminal. A much more complex solution to the same problem, that is, the problem of detecting the electrical activity in the secondary circuit, is illustrated in U.S. Pat.No. 4,090,125.
Having thus described this invention with the detail and particularity required by the Patent Laws, what is desired protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.
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An integral spark plug coil comprising a step-up coil within a canister which canister is mounted to an aircraft-type spark plug. The canister is secured to the barrel of the spark plug. A ceramic bushing having a hub-like shape is arranged within a metal sleeve defining part of the outer wall of the canister. The space adjacent the recessed terminal of the spark plug is in communication with ports in the metal sleeve through the small quenched space defined in part by an axial face of the ceramic bushing.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to aircraft and more specifically to aircraft with a strut-braced foldable wing, and to methods of folding the wing on such an aircraft.
[0002] There is a trend towards increasingly fuel efficient passenger aircraft, for which it is desirable to have correspondingly large wing spans. However, the maximum aircraft span is often effectively limited by airport operating rules which govern various clearances required when manoeuvring around the airport (such as the span and/or ground clearance required for gate entry and safe taxiway usage).
[0003] In some suggested designs, aircraft are provided with wings which may be folded upwardly to reduce the span of the aircraft on the ground (compared to when the aircraft is configured for flight). However, a disadvantage with such arrangements is that they tend to be unduly heavy. For example, they may require high capacity (and therefore heavy) actuators to fold the wing. Alternatively or additionally, the wing structure near the folding joint may need to be significantly reinforced in order to withstand and transfer the wing loading across the joint.
[0004] Another problem encountered on large wing span aircraft, is that the magnitude of the bending moments generated at the wing root tend to be correspondingly large. The structure at the wing root must be sufficiently strong to withstand these large bending moments, which can lead to an undesirable weight increase in the aircraft.
[0005] To address this problem, it is known to provide aircraft with strut-braced wings in which a strut structure transfers wing loadings in the outer region of the wing, away from the inner region of the wing (and thus away from the wing root). Such an arrangement does not require the wing root structure to be as strong and can lead to a weight saving, which in some cases can be sufficient to offset the weight and/or drag penalties associated with the strut structure, especially for very large wingspan aircraft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an aircraft comprising a wing, the wing comprising an inner region and an outer region, the inner and outer regions being connected by a hinge defining a hinge line about which the outer region is foldable to reduce the span of the wing, and the aircraft comprising an actuator arranged to actuate the folding of the outer region of the wing with an actuation force, wherein the wing is braced by an external strut structure for transferring some of the wing loadings in the outer region of the wing away from the inner region of the wing and characterised in that the actuator is arranged to exert the actuation force via the strut structure.
[0007] The invention recognises that the existence of a strut structure can be exploited when actuating a folding wing to reduce its span. More specifically, by exerting the actuation force (for folding the outer region of the wing) via the external strut structure, the nature of the actuation and the actuator, are no longer constrained by the geometry of the wing (for example its thickness) at the hinge, and therefore may be able to be of a lower capacity, and therefore lighter. This is especially beneficial where the wing is of relatively low thickness at the hinge. By virtue of the strut being external, it will be appreciated that the actuator is arranged to exert the actuation force to a location outside of the confines of the wing thickness.
[0008] The external strut structure is for transferring some of the wing loadings in the outer region of the wing away from the inner region of the wing. Thus, the strut structure is arranged to relieve the wing root bending moment.
[0009] The bending moment for folding the outer region of the wing is preferably effected by the actuation force acting about a moment arm that extends beyond the thickness of the wing. The invention recognises that when the aircraft comprises a strut structure external to the wing, this strut structure can be used to provide a load path that extends beyond the thickness of the wing; the moment arm need no longer be constrained by the thickness of the wing.
[0010] The actuator is preferably a linear actuator.
[0011] The actuator may be incorporated into the strut structure. For example, the actuator may be arranged to form part of the primary load path within the strut structure such that it transfers loads during flight (when the wing is unfolded). The actuator may be in the form of an extendable strut. The extendable strut may be connected at one end to the outer region of the wing, and connected at the other end to the strut structure. The extendable strut may be pivotably connected (for example via a pin joint) at one or both ends.
[0012] In some embodiments, the actuator may be ancillary to the strut structure, such that is lies off the primary load transfer path during flight. For example the actuator may be arranged to move the part of the strut structure through which the primary load path passes.
[0013] The strut structure may have an outer end. The outer end is preferably connected to the outer region of the wing. The outer end is preferably connected to the outer region of the wing at between 35% and 75% span, and more preferably between at between 40% and 70% span.
[0014] The strut structure may have an inner end. The inner end is preferably remote from the inner region of the wing. The inner end may bypass the fuselage and connect directly to the opposite wing, but more preferably it is connected to the aircraft fuselage. The inner end may be connected to the underside of the fuselage. The strut structure is preferably arranged such that some of the wing loadings, preferably the bending moments in the outer wing, are transferred to the fuselage.
[0015] The aircraft is preferably a passenger aircraft. The passenger aircraft preferably comprises a passenger cabin comprising a plurality of rows and columns of seat units for accommodating a multiplicity of passengers. The aircraft may have a capacity of at least 20, more preferably at least 50 passengers, and more preferably more than 50 passengers. The aircraft is preferably a powered aircraft. The aircraft preferably comprises an engine for propelling the aircraft. The aircraft may comprise wing-mounted, and preferably underwing, engines.
[0016] The aircraft may be in a mid-wing configuration, but is more preferably in a high-wing configuration.
[0017] The outer region of the wing may be part of the main wing. The outer region of the wing may be a wing tip device. In some embodiments, the outer region of the wing may be a part of the main wing to which a wing tip device is connected. The wing tip device may be a wing tip extension; for example the wing tip device may be a planar tip extension. In other embodiments, the wing tip device may comprise, or consist of, a non-planar device, such as a winglet.
[0018] The trailing edge of the inner region of the wing is preferably a continuation of the trailing edge of the outer region of the wing. The leading edge of the inner region of the wing is preferably a continuation of the leading edge of the outer region of the wing. The upper and the lower surfaces of the inner region of the wing are preferably continuations of the upper and lower surfaces of the outer region of the wing, such that there is a smooth transition from the inner region of the wing to the outer region of the wing.
[0019] The wing may be arranged such that the outer region is foldable downwards to reduce the span of the wing, but is more preferably arranged such that the outer region is foldable upwards to reduce the span of the wing.
[0020] The hinge line may lie substantially parallel to the plane of the wing. The hinge line preferably lies substantially within the plane of the wing.
[0021] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of folding a strut-braced wing on an aircraft, the wing comprising an inner region and an outer region, the inner and outer regions being connected by a hinge defining a hinge line about which the outer region is foldable to reduce the span of the wing, and wing being braced by an external strut structure for transferring some of the wing loadings in the outer region of the wing away from the inner region of the wing, characterised in that the method comprises the step of exerting an actuating force via the strut structure, such that the outer region of the wing folds about the hinge to reduce the span of the wing.
[0022] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a strut structure and actuator for use as the strut structure and actuator as described herein.
[0023] It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention. For example, the method of the invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the apparatus of the invention and vice versa.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:
[0025] FIGS. 1 a and 1 b are a schematic frontal views of an aircraft with a strut-braced wing according to a first embodiment of the invention, the Figures shown the wing in an unfolded and folded configuration respectively;
[0026] FIGS. 2 a and 2 b are perspective views showing part of the wing on the aircraft in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b;
[0027] FIG. 3 is a schematic frontal view of an aircraft with a strut-braced wing according to a second embodiment of the invention; and
[0028] FIG. 4 is a schematic frontal view of an aircraft with a strut-braced wing according to a third embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] FIG. 1 a is a schematic front view of a passenger aircraft 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The aircraft 1 comprises a fuselage 3 , a wing 5 , an engine 7 and a strut structure 9 . For the sake of clarity only one side of the aircraft is shown; it will be appreciated that a corresponding wing, strut structure etc. also exist on the other side of the fuselage.
[0030] The aircraft is in a high-wing configuration, and accordingly the wing 5 root joins the top of the fuselage 3 . The aircraft 1 has a large wing span, and in order to relieve the loading at the wing root, and thus facilitate a lighter structure at said root, the wing 5 is braced against the underside of the fuselage 3 by the strut structure 9 . The strut structure 9 comprises a main strut 9 a extending from the fuselage 3 to an outer region 5 b of the wing 5 , and a jury strut 9 b extending from part-way along the main strut 9 a to the end of an inner region 5 a of the wing 5 .
[0031] The aircraft has a wing span that is too large to comply with many airport operating rules which govern various clearances required when manoeuvring around the airport (such as the span and/or ground clearance required for gate entry and safe taxiway usage). Accordingly, the wing 5 is foldable about a hinge 11 between the inner region 5 a and outer region 5 b of the wing 5 . FIG. 1 b shows the wing in a folded configuration in which the outer region 5 b is folded upwardly to reduce the span. The aircraft 1 is able to adopt this folded wing configuration after it has landed, in order to comply with, for example, airport gate limits.
[0032] A problem with folding wings in the prior art is that the actuator for folding the wing tends to be very heavy. The mechanism and the supporting structure may also be relatively inefficient. This is because the actuator must necessarily be contained within the wing thickness and, for example, it may have to act on a very small lever arm (less than the wing thickness) to fold the wing.
[0033] The first embodiment of the invention recognises that the existence of a strut structure can be exploited when actuating a folding wing. More specifically, the invention recognises that by exerting an actuation force (for folding the outer region 5 b of the wing 5 ) via the strut structure 9 , the nature of the actuation and the actuator, need no longer constrained by the geometry of the wing at the hinge, and therefore may be able to be of a lower capacity, and therefore lighter. This will now be demonstrated with reference to FIG. 1 b.
[0034] FIG. 1 b shows the wing in the folded configuration. Movement to this configuration is effected by a linear actuator 13 which has been incorporated into the strut structure 9 as an extendable strut (shown as two parallel lines). As the actuator 13 extends, it pushes the outer region 5 b of the wing upwards such that it rotates about the hinge 11 (it will be appreciated that the actuator is pin jointed at either end such that it is pivotably connected at either end to the respective structures, thus allowing it to rotate. Since the actuation force acts via the strut structure 9 (i.e. along the length of the extendable strut) it is acts about a moment arm that extends beyond the thickness of the wing 5 . The actuation force may therefore be relatively low, thereby increasing mechanical efficiency and enabling a lighter actuator to be used.
[0035] FIGS. 2 a and 2 b are close up perspective views of the hinge 11 , jury strut 9 b and actuator 13 . As shown in the Figures, the strut structure has an aerodynamic fairing to minimise its friction and form drag. The actuator is an extendable piston within the fairing at the end of the main strut 9 a . The end of the actuator is exposed (i.e. not covered by a fairing) when the wing is folded. However, this is not a problem because the wing is only folded when the aircraft is on the ground and stationary (or low speed taxiing).
[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of a passenger aircraft 101 according to a second embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 3 , the wing 105 is shown both folded and unfolded (dotted lines) in the same picture to illustrate the folding movement. Features in the second embodiment of the invention that correspond to similar features in the first embodiment of the invention, are shown with the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, but with the addition of the prefix ‘1’ (or ‘10’ where appropriate).
[0037] In contrast to the first embodiment, the actuator 113 (shown as two parallel lines) is instead inboard of the jury strut 109 b and is arranged to push the distal end of the jury strut 109 b about the hinge 111 . The outer part of the strut structure 109 (including the jury strut 109 b ) is thus arranged to rotate as the wing is folded.
[0038] FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of a passenger aircraft 201 according to a third embodiment of the invention. As with FIG. 3 , the wing 205 is shown both folded and unfolded (dotted lines) in the same picture to illustrate the folding movement. Features in the third embodiment of the invention that correspond to similar features in the first embodiment of the invention, are shown with the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, but with the addition of the prefix ‘2’ (or ‘20’ where appropriate).
[0039] In contrast to the first and second embodiments, engine nacelle 215 is used as a replacement of the jury strut. This avoids the drag penalty of using a separate jury strut. It also means that the outer region 205 b of the wing is relatively large, such that only a small rotation about the hinge is required to achieve a notable span reduction (or for the same rotation, a larger span reduction is achieved).
[0040] Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example the outer region of the wing may incorporate a wing tip device. The aircraft need not necessarily be a high-wing aircraft. The strut structure need not necessarily be the configuration illustrated and may be any arrangement that braces the wing. Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.
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An aircraft ( 1 ) including a wing ( 5 ), the wing having an inner region ( 5 a ) and an outer region ( 5 b ), the inner and outer regions ( 5 a, 5 b ) being connected by a hinge ( 11 ) defining a hinge line about which the outer region ( 5 b ) is foldable to reduce the span of the wing. The aircraft ( 1 ) includes an actuator ( 13 ) arranged to actuate the folding of the outer region ( 5 b ) of the wing with an actuation force. The wing ( 5 ) is braced by an external strut structure ( 9 ) for transferring some of the wing loadings in the outer region ( 5 b ) of the wing away from the inner region of the wing ( 5 a ). The actuator ( 13 ) is arranged to exert the actuation force via the strut structure ( 9 ).
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and, more particularly, to an image forming apparatus for outputting a test pattern.
Conventionally, many kinds of image forming apparatuses such as a photo-electric printer consist of a controller for generating video signals and an engine for forming an image based on video signals generated by the controller. The engine does not generally form an image if video signals are not inputted, however, it is capable of forming images by itself, which is called a test printing. This construction makes it easy to determine which of these, the controller or the engine, is faulty when an appropriate printing is not performed by the image forming apparatus.
More particularly, the engine has an internal test pattern generating circuit for printing out predetermined test patterns even when the video signals are not inputted from the controller. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the engine is defective by checking whether or not the printing is properly done.
The engine test pattern generated in the abovementioned engine is used for categorizing the cause of a failure between the printer engine side and the controller side upon occurrence of a print abnormality, and for skew examination of paper sheets due to mechanical and mechanism factors.
Recently, it is required for the image forming apparatus to produce a color image and a high-quality image. For that purpose, video signals composed of a plurality of bits representing a half-tone image are inputted to the engine and image processing such as γ-conversion and binarization is performed on the video signals.
In this kind of image forming apparatus with a higher performance, it is often difficult to determine which of these, the controller, the engine, an image processing circuit in the controller or other portions of the apparatus, is faulty, even if the test pattern is printed out to check the condition of the image forming apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made in consideration of the above problems, and has as its object to provide an image forming apparatus which easily recognizes which of these, the printer engine or the controller, causes a print abnormality.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus which easily designates a portion that causes a failure of a printer engine.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to the invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus which includes multi-value image forming means for performing image formation by performing predetermined conversion of externally input multi-value image data, including: input means for externally inputting multi-value image data, conversion means for performing predetermined conversion on multi-value image data, first pattern generation means for generating multi-value image data representing a multi-value test pattern, selection means for selectively providing the multi-value image data input by the input means or the multi-value image data generated by the first pattern generation means to the conversion means, second pattern generation means for generating binary image data representing a binary test pattern, and output means for outputting a visual image based on image data converted by the conversion means and, or on the binary image data.
Other features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of a test pattern output by the test pattern generation circuit 204 of FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a multi-value test pattern output by the multi-value test pattern generation circuit 208 of FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the setting sequence of an image control signal used for outputting a test pattern in the first embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the internal arrangement of the test pattern generation circuit 204 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the internal arrangement of the multi-value test pattern generation circuit 208 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the internal arrangement of the multi-value test pattern generation circuit 208 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a view showing the categorization of a failed portion on the basis of an engine test pattern;
FIG. 9 is a view showing a test pattern according to the second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the setting sequence of an image control signal used for outputting a test pattern in the second embodiment;
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the construction of whole of a single-drum multi-transfer color laser-beam printer; and
FIG. 12 is a diagram for describing one example of an image exposing means equipped in the optical unit 107 shown in FIG. 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First Embodiment
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the construction of a single-drum multi-transfer color laser-beam printer. As shown in FIG. 11, paper 102 fed from a paper feeder 101 is retained on the outer circumference of a transfer drum 103 while its leading edge is held by a gripper 103f.
Latent images for respective colors formed on a photosensitive drum 1 by an optical unit 107 are developed by respective color developing devices Dy, Dc, Dm, Db and are transferred a plurality of times to the paper situated on the outer circumference of the transfer drum 103, thereby forming a multi-colored image. The paper is then separated from the transfer drum 103, fixed by a fixing unit 104 and ejected into a paper-discharge tray 106 from a paper ejecting unit 105.
Each color developing device has a rotational support shaft 110 on both sides and is held by a developing-device selecting mechanism 108 in such a manner that each color developing device is capable of rotating about its support shaft. Thus, each color developing device is revolved for selection purposes in such a manner that the attitude thereof is held constant at all times, as shown in FIG. 11.
After the selected developing device is moved to a developing position, the selecting mechanism 108 employs a solenoid 109a to move a selecting-mechanism support frame 109 together with the developing devices in the direction of the photosensitive drum 1 about a pivot point 109b. The rotational support shaft 110 is fixed to the main body of the printer.
A detector 4 detects a home position of the developing-device selecting mechanism 108 in such a manner that the detector detects a boss with a reference H in FIG. 11, which is projected from the outer circumference of the selecting mechanism 108. Accordingly, a printer controller (not shown) confirms a position of each color developing device on the basis of the boss and determines a rotation angle of the developing-device selecting mechanism 108 to select a desired developing device.
For an image exposure in the above-mentioned printer, an image exposure obtained from, say, a laser-beam scanner is utilized.
FIG. 12 is a diagram for describing one example of an image exposing means utilized in the optical unit 107 shown in FIG. 11. In FIG. 12, a semiconductor laser 41 is optically modulated in accordance with a color-resolved image of an image signal. A laser beam emitted by the semiconductor laser 41 is directed to a polygon mirror 38 via a collimator lens 31 and a cylindrical lens 32 and deflected by a polygon mirror 38. Then the laser beam is imaged by an f-θ lens which consists of a convex lens 33 and a toric lens 34, reflected in its optical path by a reflection mirror 35 and introduced to the photosensitive drum 1. Accordingly, the laser beam is scanned on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 in a prescribed direction of the arrow a at a constant speed, thus fixing an image on the drum 1 in response to the color-resolved image.
A part of the laser beam reflected by a horizontal synchronizing mirror 36 is introduced to an optical fiber 37 for detecting an index signal which indicates an initial direction a scanning line of the beam. This index signal is used as a standard for determining a write-in timing of a line an image.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement related to generation of a laser-drive signal in an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 201 denotes a CPU for controlling the processing sequence entire of the engine in the image forming apparatus. The CPU 201 supplies register values required for causing an image control signal generation circuit 203 in an image controller 206 to generate an image control signal, information indicating a test print mode and associated with the type of test pattern to be generated, and a sub-scanning mask signal TOPE to a register 202.
The CPU201 writes in an "ON data" to a register, which corresponds to the TOPE signal, in response to a VSYNC signal which is outputted when the above-mentioned transfer drum 103 has reached a predetermined rotating position. Later, the CPU 201 writes in an "OFF data" after a time collapses corresponding to a paper size in a sub-scanning direction and makes the TOPE signal inactive.
Reference numeral 203 denotes an image control signal generation circuit which generates a control signal MASK corresponding to a main scanning direction of the image size and a multi-value pattern output enable signal PATCH on the basis of the values supplied from the register 202: The image control signal generation circuit has a counter which is reset by a horizontal synchronizing signal HSYNC, turns on a MASK (PATCH) signal when the counter reaches a count equal to an MSK (PTS) value and turns off the MASK (PATCH) signal when the counter reaches a count equal to an MKE(PTE) value. Reference numeral 204 denotes a test pattern generation circuit for generating a test pattern TPAT in the test pattern mode.
Reference numeral 205 denotes a laser control circuit 1, which generates a /VDOE signal (symbol "/" indicates that the logic of the corresponding signal is active low) indicating a print enable region and a /LON signal, on the basis of the main scanning control signal MASK and the sub-scanning control signal TOPE. Upon input of the HSYNC signal, the laser control circuit 1 (205) generates an unblanking signal (not shown) to turn a laser on in a non-print region for generating the next HSYNC signal. The above-mentioned /VDOE signal becomes active while both the MASK signal and the TOPE signal are ON, and while the unblanking signal is being outputted. The /LON signal, in a normal image forming operation, becomes active while the unblanking signal is being outputted.
It should be noted that when a BD (beam detection) error occurs, the /LON signal is forcibly activated so as to determine whether a portion related to a laser control or a portion related to a scan control is at fault. After determination of the fault, the /LON becomes inactive. When other kinds of errors are detected, the /LON immediately becomes inactive. In the test pattern mode, a test pattern signal generated by the test pattern signal generation circuit 204 and the /LON signal are turned on.
Reference numeral 208 denotes a multi-value pattern generation circuit, which supplies multi-value density data (multi-value pattern) stored in the register 202 by the CPU 201 to a multiplexer (MPX; to be described later) 209 only when the multi-value pattern output enable signal PATCH output from the image control signal generation circuit 203 is enabled.
The multiplexer 209 switches data to be supplied to a γ table 210 between an external video signal /VDO and the output signal (multi-value pattern) from the multi-value pattern generation circuit 208 in response to a select signal SEL supplied from the register 202. The γ table 210 performs γ conversion on the input multi-value image data for matching the characteristics of the printer engine. Reference numeral 211 denotes a PWM (pulse-width modulation) circuit for generating a laser control signal on the basis of multi-value data supplied from the γ table 210.
Reference numeral 207 denotes a laser control circuit 2, which generates a laser drive signal on the basis of the /LON signal when the print enable signal /VDOE is output from the above-mentioned laser control circuit 1, and of a signal output from the PWM circuit 211, and supplies the generated signal to a laser driver (not shown).
The test pattern generation method and the categorization of the cause of a failure in the image forming apparatus of this embodiment is described in detail below.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a test pattern output by the test pattern generation circuit 204 (see FIG. 1) of this embodiment, and FIG. 3 shows an example of a multi-value test pattern output by the multi-value test pattern generation circuit 208 of this embodiment.
The setting sequence of the image control signal for outputting the above-mentioned test patterns in this embodiment are described below with reference to the flow chart in FIG. 4.
In step S1 in FIG. 4, the test print mode is confirmed. If it is confirmed that the test print mode is started, whether the test pattern generation circuit 204 in the image controller 206 of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment outputs a binary test pattern, or the multi-value pattern generation circuit 208 generates a multi-value test pattern is determined on the basis of the signal SEL from the register 202 in step S2.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the internal arrangement of the test pattern generation circuit 204. If generation of the binary pattern is selected in the step S2, a 4-bit counter 301 in the test pattern generation circuit 204, which operates in synchronism with the main scanning control signal MASK, generates a repetitive pattern in a print enable region in step S3, thus obtaining the test pattern shown in FIG. 2.
In the test pattern shown in FIG. 2, the intervals of the lines and spaces are n dots and m spaces (n and m are integers), and they are freely set. In this case, the sum of n and m is preferably an x-th power of 2 to realize a simple arrangement.
On the other hand, if the multi-value pattern is selected in step S2, the CPU 201 rewrites the contents of PTS and PTE registers, which are internal registers of the register 202 and are used for generating the signal PATCH, so that the signal PATCH becomes a signal PATCH(M) shown in FIG. 3 before the print enable region in the sub-scanning direction becomes a "TRUE" state, in step S4. The print operation is continuously performed on the region of the signal PATCH(M) until the print enable region in the sub-scanning direction becomes a "FALSE" state.
This arrangement enables a sequence of forming a magenta color to output the PATCH signal represented by the signal PATCH(M) which is outputted in every main scanning.
Thereafter, if image processing corresponding to the trailing end of a recording sheet is accomplished in step S5, the CPU 201 rewrites the contents of the PTS and PTE registers, so that the signal PATCH becomes a signal PATCH(C) shown in FIG. 3 before the print enable region in the sub-scanning direction becomes a "TRUE" state.
The same processing is performed for Y and Bk, and upon completion of Bk print processing, the contents of the PTS and PTE registers are rewritten to default values. In this case, the print order is M, C, Y, and Bk, and the order of color bands is Bk, M, C, and Y from the left side in FIG. 3. However, the present invention is not limited to these orders, and the orders may be changed independent of the operation of this embodiment.
FIGS. 6 and 7 are block diagrams showing examples of the internal arrangement of the multi-value pattern generation circuit 208 according to this embodiment.
When the multi-value pattern generation circuit 208 has the arrangement shown in FIG. 6, a test pattern whose density is left unchanged in the sub-scanning direction, as shown in FIG. 3, is output. On the other hand, when the multi-value pattern generation circuit 208 has the arrangement shown in FIG. 7, the density may be changed in units of lines.
FIG. 8 is a view showing the categorization of a failed portion based on the test pattern in this embodiment. In this embodiment, as described above, the test pattern generation circuits output binary and multi-value test patterns, and the cause of the failure is categorized by checking if these test patterns are normally output. More specifically, in the multi-value image forming apparatus of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the cause of a print abnormality is normally categorized between an engine failure and a controller failure on the basis of a print abnormality state which occurs in a print operation. Furthermore, when a failure is categorized as an engine failure, as shown in items b) to d) in FIG. 8, the failure is further categorized between the image control signal unit (binary unit) side and the image output unit (multi-value unit) side.
As described above, the two independent test pattern generation circuits generate binary and multi-value engine test patterns, and the cause of an abnormal state of the image forming apparatus is categorized between an engine failure and a controller failure on the basis of the print states of these patterns.
Second Embodiment
The second embodiment of the present invention is described below. Since an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment is the same as the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an illustration and description thereof is omitted.
The test pattern generation method and the categorization of the cause of a failure in the second embodiment of the present invention is explained below.
FIG. 9 shows a test pattern according to the second embodiment. The test pattern shown in FIG. 9 is an example of a test pattern output as a result of synthesis of the pattern output by the test pattern generation circuit 204 and the multi-value pattern output by the multi-value pattern generation circuit 208 by the laser control circuit 2 (207).
FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the setting sequence of an image control signal for outputting a test pattern in this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 10, if it is confirmed in step S11 that the test print mode is started, it is checked in step S12 if the sub-scanning mask signal TOPE is "OFF". If a sub-scanning print enable region is reached, it is checked in step S13 if the region corresponds to a line for generating a multi-value pattern.
If it is determined in step S13 that the line of interest is a line for generating a multi-value pattern, a signal SEL for generating a multi-value pattern is set "ON" (step S14). When the main scanning mask signal MASK becomes "OFF" (YES in step S15), a binary repetitive pattern and a multi-value pattern are generated (steps S16 and S17).
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that the line of interest is not a line for generating a multi-value pattern, the signal SEn for generating a multi-value pattern is set "OFF" in step S18. When the main scanning mask signal MASK becomes "OFF" (YES in step S19), a binary repetitive pattern is generated (steps S20 and S21).
As a result of the above-mentioned processing, upon completion of processing of each line, it is checked in step S22 if the sub-scanning mask signal TOPE is "ON". If the signal TOPE is "OFF", the flow returns to step S13; otherwise, this processing ends.
As described above, since the binary and multi-value test patterns generated by the two independent pattern generation circuits are output onto a single recording sheet, the cause of a print abnormality is categorized between an engine failure and a controller failure on the basis of a single engine test print result, thus simplifying the categorization of the causes of failures.
The present invention is applicable to either a system constituted by a plurality of devices or an apparatus consisting of a single device. The present invention is also applicable to a case wherein the invention is achieved by applying a program to the system or apparatus.
As described above, according to the present invention, since a multi-value specific pattern is subjected to the same image forming processing as that for externally input multi-value image data, when a print abnormality occurs, its cause is easily categorized between the engine side and the controller side.
According to another aspect of the invention, the cause of a print abnormality is categorized only when the image forming apparatus is in the test print mode.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the cause of an engine failure is categorized between the binary image processor side and the multi-value image processor side.
As many widely different embodiments of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims. Thus, combinations of specific embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.
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Binary and multi-value test patterns respectively generated by a test pattern generation circuit and a multi-value pattern generation circuit, which are independent from each other, are printed, and the presence/absence of an abnormality of an image forming apparatus, and the source of the abnormality, i.e., the engine side or the controller side, are categorized on the basis of the print states of the patterns.
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[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan Patent Application Serial Number 092130070 filed Oct. 29, 2003, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a lead frame package.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Because of low price and high reliability, a lead frame package has been used in the field of the ICs package for a long time. However, as ICs products are endlessly speeded and shrank, the conventional lead frame package has become unfashionable, at least for some efficiency-concerned ICs products. Therefore, the ball grid array (BGA) and chip scale package (CSP) have become a new choice for package. The BGA is widely applied to chips with large I/Os and chips that need better electronic properties and heat efficiency (for example, central processing unit and graphic chips). The CSP has also been wildly used in portable products, having main concerns for footprints, package profile and package weight.
[0004] However, for small I/Os the lead frame package still occupies the quite large market share, because it provides the solutions of the low cost efficiency. Because of having quite long inner leads and outer leads, the conventional lead frame package cannot provide the chip-scaled, small package volume solutions. Thus, the semiconductor package industry created a leadless package of which the footprint and package volumes are shrank tremendously.
[0005] FIG. 1 is the cross section of a known leadless package 10 . Compared with the known gull-wing and J-leaded type packages, a plurality of leads 11 a of the leadless package 10 is placed under the bottom of the leadless package. The chip carrier 11 b of the leadless package 10 is exposed in the package bottom to provide better heat-radiating efficiency. The chip 12 is attached to the chip carrier 11 b by using silver epoxy, and the chip 12 is electrically connected to a plurality of leads 11 a.
[0006] Eliminating the outer leads, the leadless package 10 has the features of low profile and low weight. Besides, because the lead length decrease results in the comparative decrease in resistance, inductance and capacitance, the leadless package 10 is very suitable for the high frequency package operated at several Giga Hertz to tens of Giga Hertz. Due to the current well-developed materials, the leadless package is a very price-competitive package technology. The above-mentioned properties make the leadless package very suitable for communication products (for example, mobile phone), portable products (for example, personal digital assistance, PDA), digital camera and information appliances (IA).
[0007] The package 10 is generally installed in a substrate, for example, a printed circuit board, by the surface mount technology (SMT). In details, the exposed leads 11 a in the bottom of the package 10 are mounted to the corresponding pads 18 on the printed circuit board 16 by the solders 14 . The current problem in the SMT operation of the known leadless package is that the exposed area of the lead 11 a in the bottom of the package 10 is too small so that the soldering quality and reliability are significantly decreased. Although the fillet height can be increased through increasing the thickness of the lead 11 a , the thickness of the lead 11 a is confined (generally to about 0.15 mm) because the low profile is generally necessary for the leadless package. As shown in FIG. 1 , the lead 11 a on a side of the package may provide the height of only 0.15 mm for soldering. It leads to bad soldering strength.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor package that efficiently increases the fillet height without inverse effect on the total thickness of the package so as to increase the soldering strength and overcome or at least solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior technology.
[0009] A semiconductor package of one embodiment in accordance with the present invention mainly comprises a semiconductor chip and a plurality of leads disposed in the periphery of the semiconductor chip. Each lead has a first portion, a second portion that curves upwards and opposing upper and lower surfaces. The semiconductor package has a plurality of bonding wires with one end connected to a chip-bonding pad on the active area of the semiconductor chip and the other end connected to the first portion of the lead. The semiconductor package is provided with a package body formed over the semiconductor chip and the leads, wherein the whole lead is substantially embedded in the package body with the lower surface of the leads exposed outside of the package body. It should be appreciated that the lower surface of the first portion of the lead is exposed on the lower surface of the semiconductor package and the lower surface of the second portion of the lead is exposed on a side of the semiconductor package.
[0010] The semiconductor package may also comprise a die pad that is coplanar with the first portion of the lead and is used to carry the semiconductor chip. The second portion of the lead may comprise a protrusion. Under this circumstance, preferably, the package body encloses the substantially total surface of the protrusion so as to make the package body and the leads combine with each other more stably.
[0011] The present invention also provides the method for manufacturing the semiconductor package. First, a thin metal strip is etched or pressed to form a die pad having a plurality of leads with a fist portion and second portion. Then, the die pad and the fist portion of the lead are recessed to let them be on a plane that is parallel to and below a plane of the lead frame. After attaching a semiconductor chip onto the die pad of the lead frame, the first portion of the lead is electrically connected to the semiconductor chip. Finally, a package body is formed to enclose the semiconductor chip and the lead frame so as to make the lead substantially embedded in the package body and the lower surface of the lead is exposed outside of the package body.
[0012] When the above-mentioned package is mounted onto a substrate (for example, a printed circuit board) by the surface mount technology (SMT), the first portion of the lead exposed in the bottom of the package and the second portion of the lead exposed on a side of the package are mounted to the corresponding pads over the printed circuit board. Compared to the conventional leadless package, the second portion of the lead, which curves upward, in accordance with the present invention, is exposed on a side of the package. It may efficiently increase the fillet height. However, the total thickness of the package of the present invention can still keep equivalent to the conventional leadless package. Besides, the package in accordance with the present invention merely needs to have the first portion of the lead of the conventional lead frame and the die pad recessed so as to form a lead frame with leads having a portion that curves upward. Therefore, the package in accordance with the present invention can use the current and well-developed bill of materials (BOM) to make the package of the present invention more price-competitive.
[0013] Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 shows the cross section of the known package of no outer lead, installed in an outer substrate.
[0015] FIG. 2 shows the cross section of the package, installed in an outer substrate, of one embodiment in accord with the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 3 shows part of the top view of the lead frame of one embodiment in accord with the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 4 shows part of the cross section of the lead frame unit of the lead frame of FIG. 3 .
[0018] FIG. 5 shows part of the cross section of the lead frame unit of one embodiment in accord with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] FIG. 2 discloses a semiconductor package 200 of one embodiment in accordance with the present invention. It comprises a semiconductor chip 202 that is attached to a die pad 204 by a conductive resin or non-conductive resin, for example, epoxy resin (not shown in the figure). The active area 202 a of the semiconductor chip 202 has a plurality of bonding pads 202 b . A plurality of leads 208 are placed in the periphery of the semiconductor chip 202 . Each of the leads 208 has a first portion 208 a , a second portion 208 b that curves upwards and opposing upper surface 208 c and lower surface 208 d . A plurality of bonding wires 206 each having one end connected to the first portion 208 a of the L-shaped lead 208 and the other end connected to the bonding pad 202 b of the semiconductor chip 202 . The second portion 208 b of the lead 208 may comprise a protrusion 208 e . A package body 210 encloses the semiconductor chip 202 and leads 208 , wherein the whole lead 208 is substantially embedded in the package body 210 with the lower surface 208 d of the lead 208 exposed outside of the package body 210 . Preferably, the package body 210 encloses the substantially overall surface of the protrusion 208 e so as to make the package body 210 and leads 208 combined with each other more stably. It should be noted that the lower surface of the first portion 208 a of the lead 208 is exposed on the lower surface of the semiconductor package and the lower surface 208 d of the second portion 208 b of the lead 208 is exposed on a side of the semiconductor package.
[0020] The package 200 is mounted onto an outer substrate, for example, a printed circuit board 212 , by the surface mount technology (SMT). The printed circuit board 212 may first be screen printed with the solder paste in the pattern corresponding to the first portion 208 a of the lead 208 of the bottom of the package 200 . Then, the package 200 is directly mounted onto the printed circuit board 212 and reflow by conventional surface mount technology. It is understood that the first portion 208 a of the lead 208 exposed in the bottom of the package 200 may also be printed with the solder paste and then mounted onto the substrate.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 2 , the first portion 208 a of the lead 208 exposed in the bottom of the package 200 is mounted to the corresponding bonding pad 214 on the printed circuit board 212 by the solder 213 . As shown in the figure, because the second portion 208 b of the lead 208 curves upward to efficiently increase the fillet height, therefore the soldering strength between the package 200 and the printed circuit board 212 may be increased tremendously, and the reliability of soldering is efficiently increased. Of course, it is understood that the longer the second portion 208 b of the lead 208 , the higher the fillet height. But under the consideration of the factors of cost and package thickness, the length of the second portion 208 b of the lead 208 of the present invention is preferably designed to be consistent with the package thickness.
[0022] Compared with the conventional leadless package, the second portion 208 b of the lead 208 in accordance with the present invention can efficiently increase the fillet height. However, the total thickness of the package of the present invention can still keep equivalent to the conventional leadless package.
[0023] FIG. 3 discloses a lead frame 300 of one embodiment in accordance with the present invention. The lead frame comprises a plurality of lead frame units 302 . FIG. 4 is the cross section of a lead frame unit 302 . Each lead frame unit 302 comprises a plurality of leads 208 , a die pad 204 and a plurality of tie bars 304 . The leads 208 are disposed in the peripheral of the die pad 204 . Each lead has a first portion 208 a and a second portion 208 b that curves upward. The lead frame 300 forms substantially a first plane 402 . The die pad 204 and the first portion 208 a of the lead are located in a second plane 404 . The second plane 404 is parallel to and below the plane 402 of the lead frame. In this embodiment, the first portion 208 a of the lead is substantially perpendicular to the second portion that curves upward. However, referring to FIG. 5 , the present invention provides another lead frame unit 500 . The angle between the first portion 208 a of the lead and the second portion that curves upward is an obtuse or other angle.
[0024] The present invention also provides methods for manufacturing the lead frame 300 and the semiconductor package 200 . The lead frame 300 is made through etching or pressing a thin metal strip to form a similar pattern shown in FIG. 3 , comprising a plurality of die pads 204 and a plurality of leads 208 with a first portion 208 a and a second portion 208 b . The lead frame 300 is preferably made of copper or its alloy. Besides, the lead frame 300 may also be made of iron, nickel and their alloy and then coated with a copper layer. Then, the die pad 204 and the first portion 208 a of the lead 208 are recessed by, for example, a punch operation to have the die pad 204 and the first portion 208 a of the lead 208 located on a plane 404 . The plane 404 is parallel to and below the plane 402 of the lead frame (as shown in FIG. 4 ). After having a plurality of semiconductor chips 202 respectively attached to the die pads 204 , the first portions 208 a of the leads 208 are electrically connected to the semiconductor chip 202 by, for example, a wire bonding method. Then, a plurality of package bodies 210 is respectively formed to enclose the semiconductor chip 202 and the lead frame 300 so as to have the whole leads substantially embedded in the package body 210 with the lower surface 208 d of the lead exposed outside of the package body 210 . Therefore, a plurality of packages is formed. Then, a plurality of packages in the lead frame 300 is taken off by a punching method.
[0025] The package in accordance with the present invention merely needs to have the first portion of the lead of the conventional lead frame and the die pad recessed so as to form a lead frame with leads have a portion that curves upward. Therefore, the package in accordance with the present invention can use the current and well-developed bill of materials (BOM) to make the package of the present invention more price-competitive.
[0026] FIG. 6 discloses a semiconductor package 200 ′ of one embodiment in accordance with the present invention. The package 200 ′ shown in FIG. 6 is similar to that shown in FIG. 2 , except its leads 208 ′. A plurality of leads 208 ′ are placed in the periphery of the semiconductor chip 202 . Each lead 208 ′ has a first portion 208 a ′, a second portion 208 b ′ curving upwards, a third portion 208 f over and substantially perpendicular to the second portion 208 b ′ and opposing upper surface 208 c ′ and lower surface 208 d ′. The second portion 208 b ′ of the lead may comprise a protrusion 208 e ′. A package body 210 ′ encloses the semiconductor chip 202 and leads 208 ′, wherein the whole lead 208 ′ is substantially embedded in the package body 210 ′ with the lower surface 208 d ′ of the lead 208 ′ exposed outside of the package body 210 ′. Preferably, the package body 210 ′ encloses the substantially over all surface of the protrusion 208 e ′ so as to make the package body 210 ′ and leads 208 ′ combined with each other more stably. It should be noted that the lower surface of the first portion 208 a ′ of the lead 208 ′ is exposed on the lower surface of the semiconductor package and the lower surface 208 d ′ of the second portion 208 b of the lead 208 ′ is exposed on a side of the semiconductor package as well as the upper surface of the third portion 208 f of the lead 208 ′ is exposed on the upper surface of the semiconductor package.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 6 , a second package 200 ′ can be stacked directly on a first package 200 ′ mounted on the printed circuit board 212 through soldering the first portion 208 a ′ of the second package 200 ′ to the third portion 208 f of the first package 200 ′ as we mount a package 200 ′ on a printed circuit board disclosed in the first embodiment of the present invention. They both form a stacked arrangement. Such stacked arrangements can make a printed circuit board accommodate more packages or shrink a printed circuit board.
[0028] FIG. 7 discloses a flip semiconductor chip package 700 of one embodiment in accordance with the present invention. It comprises a flip semiconductor chip 702 that is attached to leads 708 and the die pad 704 by bumps 702 c . The active area 702 a of the flip semiconductor chip 702 has a plurality of bumps 702 b . A plurality of leads 708 is placed in the periphery of the flip semiconductor chip 702 . Each of the leads has a first portion 708 a , a second portion 708 b that curves upward and opposing upper surface 708 c and lower surface 708 d . The bumps 702 b of the flip semiconductor chip 702 each attaching to the first portion 708 a of the L-shaped lead 708 . The second portion 708 b of the lead 708 may comprise a protrusion 708 e . A package body 710 encloses the flip semiconductor chip 702 and leads 708 , wherein the whole lead 708 is substantially embedded in the package body 710 with the lower surface 708 d of the lead 708 exposed outside of the package 710 . Preferably, the package body 710 enclosed the substantially overall surface of the protrusion 708 e so as to make the package body 710 and leads 708 combined with each other more stably. It should be noted that the lower surface of the first portion 708 a of the lead 708 is exposed on the lower surface of the semiconductor package and the lower surface 708 d of the second portion 708 b of the lead 708 is exposed on a side of the semiconductor package.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 7 , the first portion 708 a of the lead 708 exposed in the bottom of the package 700 is mounted to the corresponding bonding pad 714 on the printed circuit board 712 by the solder 713 .
[0030] FIG. 8 discloses a flip semiconductor chip package 700 ′ of another embodiment in accordance with the present invention. A plurality of leads 708 ′ are placed in the periphery of the flip semiconductor chip 702 . Each lead 708 ′ has a first portion 708 a ′, a second portion 708 b ′ curving upwards, a third portion 708 f over and substantially perpendicular to the second portion 708 b ′ and opposing upper surface 708 c ′ and lower surface 708 d ′. The second portion 708 b ′ of the lead may comprise a protrusion 708 e ′. A package body 710 ′ encloses the flip semiconductor chip 702 and leads 708 ′, wherein the whole lead 708 ′ is substantially embedded in the package body 710 ′ with the lower surface 708 d ′ of the lead 708 ′ exposed outside of the package body 710 ′. Preferably, the package body 710 ′ encloses the substantially over all surface of the protrusion 708 e ′ so as to make the package body 710 ′ and leads 708 ′ combined with each other more stably. It should be noted that the lower surface of the first portion 708 a ′ of the lead 708 ′ is exposed on the lower surface of the flip semiconductor chip package and the lower surface 708 d ′ of the second portion 708 b of the lead 708 ′ is exposed on a side of the flip semiconductor chip package as well as the upper surface of the third portion 708 f of the lead 708 ′ is exposed on the upper surface of the flip semiconductor chip package.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 8 , a second flip chip package 700 ′ can be stacked directly on a first flip chip package 700 ′ mounted on the printed circuit board 712 through soldering the first portion 708 a ′ of the second flip chip package 700 ′ to the third portion 708 f of the first flip chip package 700 ′. They both also form a stacked arrangement.
[0032] Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
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A semiconductor package mainly includes a semiconductor chip and a plurality of leads at the periphery of the semiconductor chip. Each of the leads has a first portion, a second portion and opposing upper and lower surfaces, wherein the second portion of the leads are bent upwards. The semiconductor package has a plurality of bonding wires with one ends connected to the bonding pads of the semiconductor chip and the other ends connected to the first portions of the leads. The semiconductor package is provided with a package body formed over the semiconductor chip and the leads, wherein each of the leads is substantially embedded in the package body with the lower surface thereof exposed from the package body. The present invention further provides a method for manufacturing the semiconductor package.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to copending application Ser. No. 321,655, filed Nov. 16, 1981, entitled "Drill Bit Extension for Sidewall Corer" for A. H. Jageler, et al., and Ser. No. 356,613, filed Mar. 9, 1982, now abandoned entitled "Bit Extension Guide for Sidewall Corer", Houston B. Mount, II, Inventor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to sidewall coring tools used to obtain samples of the formation through which a wellbore is drilled. In determining the physical properties of subterranean formations, it is of great assistance to have samples of the formation which are commonly called cores. A core is typically a cylindrical piece of the rock which has been cut from the underground formation and can vary in size and length. A typical size is 1/2 inch in diameter and 4 to 6 inches long although samples can be of larger diameter and of greater length, depending on the facilities available. One type of core cutter is the type that can be used to cut the cores from the sidewall of a borehole after the borehole has already been drilled. Such a sidewall coring tool is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,569, issued July 28, 1981 to Houston B. Mount, II, inventor, and Standard Oil Company (Indiana) assignee. This invention relates to such a sidewall coring tool.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for use in cutting a sidewall core in a borehole drilled in the earth. This includes an elongated frame or a housing (usually cylindrical) which supports a guide means along which the drill bit and motor of the apparatus can be moved to extend and retract the cutting bit and core barrel along a selected path through an opening in the housing. The path is such that it causes the coring bit to cut a core horizontally--that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing. Once the core has been cut, the core barrel is retracted inwardly into the housing and tilted into an upward position such that the outer or bit end of the core barrel is at a higher elevation than the other end of the core barrel near the motor. When the core barrel with the cut core therein is tilted to its uppermost position, the core is driven downward through the core barrel and a center opening in the motor where it is dropped into a core container. Indexing means are provided so that the depth in the borehole at which the core was cut can be determined when the coring tool is removed to the surface.
The guide means includes a fixed plate and a drive plate. The fixed plate is secured to the housing and has a guide slot means including a first substantially straight section which is horizontal when the tool is in an upright position and is in effect perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The guide slot means also includes an arcuate section which is at one end of the straight section. A drive plate is adjacent to the fixed plate and movable with respect to the housing and in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. Drive means are provided to move the drive plate and there is provided a core cutting assembly mounted in said housing and having guide means engaging the straight section and said arcuate section to extend and retract the core cutting assembly through the opening of the housing in response to the movement of the drive plate.
g,4
The drive plate has a drive plate slot means including a forward slot having a lower section and an upper straight section with an angle .0. there between, and a trailing slot having a lower straight section parallel to the lower straight section of the forward slot and an upper straight section making an angle β with said lower straight section of the trailing slot and the angle β being smaller than the angle .0..
Opposite sides of the motor which rotates the drill bit are provided with two pins or pinions which fit into the various slots on the movable and fixed plates. Means are provided to move the movable drive plate between an upper and lower position. It is this movement of this movable drive plate which causes the pins of the motor to follow the various guide means of the fixed plate and the drive plate thus causing the motor to rotate, extend, retract and rotate again as will be described further herein.
A better understanding of the invention may be had from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic view depicting a core cutting means suspended in the borehole with a core bit and core barrel fully extended and containing a cut core.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view depicting the core cutting means of FIG. 1 in a retracted position with a retained core.
FIG. 3A is a view of the fixed plate showing the horizontal section and arcuate section of the fixed slot.
FIG. 3B is a view taken along the line B--B of FIG. 3A.
FIG. 4A is a schematic view of the drive plate showing the pair of slots therein.
FIG. 4B is a section taken along the line B--B of FIG. 4A.
FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the motor, the core bit and core barrel.
FIG. 6 is an isometric view showing the guide slot means in the fixed plates.
FIG. 7 is an isometric view showing the fixed plate in relation to the drive plates and motor and cutting assembly.
FIG. 7A is an isometric view showing the guide pinions of the motor.
FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7 except that the motor and cutting assembly have been rotated and extended.
FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 8 except that the core cutting mechanism has been tilted by the break mechanism.
FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the relationship of the slots of the fixed plate and the drive plate when the core barrel is in a completely retracted and most upwardly tilted position.
FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 10 except the drive plate has been moved upwardly and the core barrel has been tilted downwardly.
FIG. 12 is similar to FIG. 10 except in this figure the core barrel is in a horizontal position.
FIG. 13 is similar to FIG. 12 except the drive plate has been moved up slightly and the core barrel is slightly more extended than in FIG. 12.
FIG. 14 is similar to FIG. 13 and shows the core barrel extended further.
FIG. 15 is similar to FIG. 14 except the core barrel is extended to approximately the full limit.
FIG. 16 is similar to FIG. 15 except that the pins of the motor have entered the break slots and the motor assembly has rotated upwardly by pivoting around the lower lip of the core head thus breaking the core loose from the rock.
FIG. 17 is a schematic view of the core cutting mechanism showing the core expulsion and indexing means.
FIG. 18 shows an enlarged exploded view of the indexing wafer retaining tube.
FIG. 19 shows the top view of the cap of the indexing wafer retaining tube of FIG. 18.
FIG. 20 is similar to FIG. 17 except the core cutting assembly is in its uppermost tilted position with push rod forcing a core from the core barrel.
FIG. 21 shows the indexing wafer tube proper rotated 90° from the view of FIG. 18.
FIG. 22 illustrates by dashed lines various positions of the core barrel and index wafer ejection means as the barrel is rotated from its horizontal position to its most upward tilt.
FIG. 23 is similar to FIG. 22 except that it illustrates various positions of the core barrel and index wafer ejection means as the core barrel is rotated from its uppermost tilted position to its horizontal position.
FIG. 24 is an enlarged view of the wafer ejection means of FIG. 23.
FIG. 25 illustrates a modification of the configuration of the slots on the drive plate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 illustrates a core retaining barrel 10 having a core bit 12 in an extended position and also containing a cut core 14. The core bit 12 is rotated by barrel 10 connected to a motor 16 which is preferably hydraulic. The motor is supported within an elongated frame member 18 which is preferably a steel cylinder having an opening 20 through which the core barrel 10 extends. Elongated member 18 is suspended by means not shown in a hole 17 having a sidewall 19. Power for rotating the hydraulic motor 16 is provided by means not shown which can be similar to that shown in said U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,569. Also shown in FIG. 1 is drive plate 22 which is slidable with respect to housing 18. Plate 22 is slidably mounted by any well-known means such as bearings from the housing 18. Drive motor 26 having ram 28 is supported from housing 18. Ram 28 is connected to movable plate 22 and is used for moving the drive plate 22 in either an up or down direction. Motor 16 has forward pinion 30 and trailing pinion 32. Drive plate 22 has a forward slot 34 and a trailing slot 36. The fixed plate has a slot means 38. As will be explained, it is the cooperation of slots 34, 36 of drive plate 22 and slot 38 of the fixed plate and pinions 30 and 32 of motor 16 which controls the extension and retraction of core barrel 14. It is thus seen that there is preferably one power source for driving the plate 22 which in turn extends and retracts the core barrel 10 and associated bit 12. There is preferably a second hydraulic system which is connected through conduits not shown to motor 16 to cause it to rotate. These two hydraulic sources can be the same as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,569.
FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 except the core barrel with the core has been retracted and is in an upwardly tilted position. It is to be noted that the core barrel is either in a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 1 or in a tilted position such as shown in FIG. 2. This is most important as it prevents the possible loss of the core if the core should be fractured which might occur if the bit end of the core barrel should be tilted downwardly upon retraction.
FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the fixed plate and the fixed slot means and FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the sliding or drive plate and the sliding slots therein. In FIG. 3A, there is shown fixed slot 38 having a horizontal straight section 38A. On the other end of the straight section opposite the opening 20 is an arcuate section 38B. Horizontal section 38A is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing 18. It also has a first break slot 42 and a second break or clearance slot 44. These two slots are the same distance apart as are pinions 30 and 32 of motor 16. Forward pinion 30, which is illustrated in FIG. 1 and more clearly in FIG. 5, has a longitudinal dimension 30A which is greater than the width of slot 42. The trailing pinion 32 is of a dimension so it can enter slot 42. The reason for this will be explained later. As shown in FIG. 3A, slot 44 has a slightly sloping surface 44A and average depth 44B which is slightly shallower than the depth of slot 42. The arcuate section 38B has a radius equal to the distance between forward pinion 30 and trailing pinion 32. As will be seen, the horizontal section 38A together with the slots of the sliding plate 22 provides for the extension and retraction in a horizontal direction of the drilling assembly including the motor 16, core barrel 10 and bit 12. The arcuate section 38B in cooperation with the slots of the sliding plate provides for the tilting or rotation of the drilling assembly between the horizontal position of FIG. 1 and the tilted position as shown in FIG. 2.
Attention is next directed to FIG. 4A and 4B which shows the sliding or drive plate 22. It has a forward slot 34 and a trailing slot 36. Forward slot 34 has a lower section 34A which has a break slot 34C at the lower end. Forward slot 34 has an upper straight section 34B which makes an angle .0. with the lower slot 34A. Trailing slot 36 has a lower section 36A which is parallel to the lower section 34A of the leading slot or forward slot and an upper section 36B which makes an angle β with the lower section 36A. Angle β is greater than the angle .0.. Angle .0. and angle β are such as to obtain the proper tilting of the drilling assembly in cooperation with the fixed slot 38. In a preferred embodiment, upper section 34B is parallel to the longitudinal axis 39 of the sliding plate 22. Thus, when in an upright position upper section 34B is vertical. In one preferred embodiment, angle .0. between the lower section 34A and upper section 34B is approximately 155° and angle β between the lower section 36A and upper section 36B is approximately 130°. Also in this preferred embodiment the angle m between section 34A and longitudinal axis 39 is approximately 30° and the angle of upper section 36B of trailing slot 36 makes an angle α with the line 39. Typically, angle .0. can be between about 140° and 170°, angle b between about 120° and 140°, angle α between about 20° and 40° and angle m between about 20° and 40°. Typically, slot 34 extends through the sliding plate 22 and is typically about 0.252 inches in width. The lower break slot 34C has a configuration which can accommodate movement of and receive forward pinion 30. Fixed slot 38 may, but need not, extend through fixed plate 37. The width of fixed slot 38 is typically about 0.252 inches. Typically, the width of pinions 30 and 32 which slide through these various slots is about 0.25 inches which gives a clearance of about 0.002 inches. The slot must be at such an angle to provide the most force on the pinion for a given direction and with the least amount of friction.
Attention is now directed to FIG. 6 which illustrates the fixed plate means shown in FIG. 3B in isometric form. Fixed plate 37 also has side members 37A which can be a part of the housing. The exterior of the housing 18 is preferably as illustrated in FIG. 1. However, this is not necessarily the case.
Attention is next directed to FIG. 7 which is similar to FIG. 6 with the exception that the two sliding plates 22 and motor 16 with pinions 30 and 32 have been indicated therein. As can be seen, when in this position, core barrel 10 is tilted in an upwardly position. FIG. 7A shows the preferred shape in enlarged view of the pinion 30 and 32 of FIG. 7. FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7 except that the plates 22 have been moved upwardly with respect to fixed plate 37 such that core barrel 10 and bit 12 are in a horizontal position. FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 8 except it shows that the pinions 30 and 32 are in the break slot positions and core barrel 10 has been tilted slightly.
FIGS. 10-16 show the relationship of various relative positions between fixed plate 37 and the movable plate 22. The various parts shown in these Figures are identical except for the relationship caused by the change in the position of the movable or drive plate 22. In FIG. 10, core barrel 10 is tilted upwardly the maximum position for the particular configuration of guide slots. As can be seen the trailing pinion 32 is in the lower extremity of arcuate section 38B of the fixed slot. In FIG. 11, forward pinion 30 is still in the same position and only trailing pinion 38 has moved around the arcuate section 38B and core barrel 10 has been rotated downwardly from the position of FIG. 10. This is accomplished by movement of drive plate 22 upwardly from that shown in FIG. 10. In FIG. 12 drive plate 22 has continued to move upwardly and is now in a position where trailing pinion 32 is in line with the horizontal section of fixed slot 38. When in this position, the core barrel 10 is horizontal or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fixed plate 37.
Additional upward movement of drive plate 22 causes the core barrel 10 to extend through opening 20 and two steps in this sequence are shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. At about the stage shown in FIG. 13, motor 16 is actuated and remains operational until the core barrel is now in the position indicated in FIG. 15. For a fuller discussion of operations of motor 16, reference is made to said U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,569.
Additional upward movement of plate 22 as indicated by its position shown in FIG. 15 causes the core barrel 10 to extend even further out to a nearly fully-extended position. The width 30A of pinion 30 is greater than the width of break slot 42 so that only trailing pinion 32 can enter break slot 42. This permits the movement illustrated in FIGS. 14, 15 and 16. FIG. 16 shows the pinions 30 and 32 in the break slots 44 and 42, respectively, of fixed slot 38. This shows that the hydraulic motor assembly has moved upward pivoting around the outer end of the core barrel 10 causing the core to break from the sidewall rock.
After the core has been cut and broken as indicated in FIG. 16, the core barrel can be retracted and returned to the position shown in FIG. 10 by merely moving the drive plate downwardly, and the sequence will be in the reverse order and will now be in the order of FIG. 16 back through FIG. 10.
Attention is next directed to FIGS. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 which shows a mechanism for pushing the retrieved core positioned inside the core barrel 10 to a core retainer tube with means for indexing the cores. At the upper end of the fixed plate and supported from housing 18 there is provided a means for pushing the core out of core barrel 10 which includes a push rod housing 78 enclosing a piston actuated flexible push rod 76. The rod can be actuated by a hydraulic cylinder or other means not shown. After rod 76 ejects the core through motor 16, it is retracted from the core barrel 10 before the motor assembly is rotated to cut the next core.
In FIG. 17, core barrel 10 is shown in its horizontally extended position in housing 18. At a lower position than the motor is core retaining tube 60 which has an enlarged mouth 61. Adjacent the core retaining tube 60 is a wafer retainer tube 62 having wafers 66A, 66B to 66N. Springs 64 urge wafers 66 toward the top of tube 62. However, as shown in FIGS. 18, 19 and 21, there is a top 68 having a lateral slot 70. Slot 70 of top 68 intersects a mouth 69 which is opened for about 180°. The wafers can be forced to slide outwardly toward the core retainer tube 60 once they are in the slot. As shown in the drawings and especially FIGS. 17 and 20, the lower side of motor 16 has provided on it a wafer ejector comprising stop 74, a tongue 72 pivoted at pivot 72A.
There is a hydraulic motor pivot point 41 on the center line of slot 38. This corresponds to the position of pinion 30 in FIG. 20. As the motor rotates about this pivot point, the pivot 72A of wafer injector tongue 72 rotates about an arc 73 having a radius R and pivot point 41 as its center, and comes in contact with the top 68 of wafer tube 62 on the extension of the core barrel and again upon its complete retraction. Attention is now directed to FIG. 20. Shown thereon is the core barrel 10 in its most upwardly tilted position. Push rod 76 is shown as forcing core 80A through the center of motor 16. The motor 16 is rotated about forward pinion 30 when it is at pivot point 41, the core barrel is being rotated from its tilted position to its horizontal position. This rotation causes wafer ejector 72 to go through pigtail slot 70 and force a wafer 66A out and into the core retainer 60. This is indicated as a lower wafer 66A' in FIG. 20. This action is clearly illustrated by the illustration in FIGS. 23 and 24 which illustrate various positions in dashed line contour of the ejector tongue 72 as core barrel 40 is rotated from its upward to the horizontal position. The stop at indicated position 74N prevents the rotation of tongue 72N and causes it to expel wafer 62A from wafer tube 62 to core retaining barrel 60. After the core has been cut, core barrel is again rotated upwardly to its tilted position as shown in FIG. 20. When this rotation occurs, wafer ejector 72 is pivoted about pivot point 72A and rides up and over cap 68 of the wafer retainer tube 62. During this rotation the wafers are not disturbed. This sequence of movement of the core barrel and motor assembly and ejector tongue 72 is illustrated in FIG. 22 by the dashed outlines of the core barrel, motor and ejection means. The return of the core barrel from its tilted position as shown in FIG. 20 to its horizontal position, is illustrated by the motion indicated in FIGS. 23 and 24. During this movement ejector 72 will force another wafer 62B out of wafer tube 62 into the core retaining tube 60. Thus, the cores 80 are each separated from the adjacent core by a numbered wafer so that the depth that each core was can be determined. If the core barrel should fail to cut a core during any cycle, there will be two wafers deposited, one immediately on top of the other, in core retaining tube 60. Thus, it is known that there is a missed depth at which no core was cut and retrieved.
FIG. 25 illustrates a modification of the configuration of the slot of drive plate 22. Slot 34D is the same as slot 34 shown in FIG. 4A. However, upper section 36B of slot 36 of FIG. 4A has been modified as indicated in FIG. 25 where upper section 36E of slot 36D is in the form of an arc which preferably has the same radius and length as arcuate section 38B illustrated in FIG. 3A. The center of arc or section 36E is at point 35 which lies on a line 35A parallel to the center line of upper section 34E of slot 34D. The center line of arcuate section 36E intersects line 35A at a point which is a distance above line 35B which is equal to the width of the slot 36D. Line 35B is perpendicular to the center line of upper section 34E and intersects the intersection of upper section 34E and lower section 34F.
While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is manifest that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the exemplified embodiments set forth herein but is to be limited only by the scope of the attached claim or claims, including the full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled.
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This relates to sidewall coring tools used to obtain samples of the formation through which the wellbore is drilled. It includes a housing which supports a guide means along which the drill bit, core barrel and motor can be moved to extend or retract the cutting bit and core barrel along a selected path. The core barrel is retracted inwardly on a horizontal path and tilted in an upward position such that the outer end of the core barrel is higher than the end near the motor. Means are provided to force the cut core from the barrel into a core container in association with indexing means.
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[0001] This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/913,678 filed on Nov. 6, 2007, which is National Stage of International Application No. PCT/US2006/20677 filed on May 30, 2006 which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/685,848 filed May 31, 2005 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/692,808 filed Jun. 22, 2005 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/746,786 filed May 9, 2006, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
[0002] The invention relates to the use of an iron chelator such as deferiprone (L1), deferitrin, and 4-[3,5-Bis-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-[1,2,4]-triazol-1-yl]benzoic acid (hereinafter referred to as “Compound I”) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, for the manufacture of pharmaceutical compositions for the prevention and/or treatment of liver diseases, e.g. in humans, in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis, including viral diseases, such as hepatitis B, C, D, G, E, chronic hepatitis C virus infection, cytomegalo virus infection, HIV infection and non viral diseases, such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and liver cancer, such as liver adenocarcinoma, e.g. hepatocellular carcinoma, also called hepatocarcinoma, and to the prevention of progression of said diseases.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Liver disease is among the top ten causes of death in the United States, responsible for over 30,000 deaths annually, see e.g. Vong S, et al. Hepatology; 2004, 39:476-483.
[0004] Chronic infection with hepatitis C is a leading cause of liver disease and is a major cause of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. It is also associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in a percentage of infected individuals. The current standard of care, treatment with interferon and ribavirin, produces virologic remissions in only about half of patients treated.
[0005] Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is a metabolic syndrome associated with fibrosis of the liver and progression to cirrhosis in about 20% of cases, see e.g. Ong et al. Am. J. Gastroenterol 2003, 98:1915-1917. The current standard of care, control of metabolic parameters and weight loss, is effective in a minority of patients. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH is a common, often “silent” liver disease. It resembles alcoholic liver disease, but occurs in people who drink little or no alcohol. The major feature in NASH is fat in the liver, along with inflammation and damage. Most people with NASH feel well and are not aware that they have a liver problem. Nevertheless, NASH can be severe and can lead to cirrhosis, in which the liver is permanently damaged and scarred and no longer able to work properly. NASH affects 2 to 5 percent of Americans.
[0006] Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common cause of elevated liver function tests and is marked histologically by deposition of fat, primarily macrovesicular, in hepatocytes. Although a benign disorder in the majority of instances, up to 20% of patients with NAFLD have nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. Several risk factors for NAFLD have been identified, including elevated body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes mellitus, advancing age and hypertriglyceridemia. The pathophysiologic basis of NAFLD is thought to be insulin resistance. Most experts consider NAFLD to be the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, which includes persons with some combination of insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia. Patients with NAFLD develop resistance to insulin.
[0007] Compound I is 4-[3,5-Bis-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-[1,2,4]-triazol-1-yl]benzoic acid having the following formula
[0000]
[0008] Compound I in the free acid form, salts thereof and its crystalline forms are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,465,504 B1. Compound I corresponds to the active moiety.
[0009] Compound I is an iron chelator that has been shown to be effective in the selective removal of iron in model systems and in humans, see e.g. Hershko C, et al. Blood. 2001, 97:1115-1122; Nisbet Brown E of al. Lancet. 2003, 361:1597-1602.
[0010] However, Compound I was not known to be efficient in the treatment of liver diseases mentioned above. Particularly, there was a need to find an alternative treatment for liver diseases, e.g. liver diseases in which iron plays a role, for example liver diseases due to viral infections, e.g. chronic hepatitis C. In addition, there was a need to find a treatment for liver diseases, e.g. chronic hepatitis C, that are refractory to, non-responsive to or not adequately treated by or non-sustained controlled by, standard therapies, e.g. interferon and ribavirin treatment.
[0011] Hereinafter by “Compound I” unless otherwise specified, is meant Compound I free acid form, pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and its crystalline forms.
[0012] Deferitrin of the following formula (4S)-2-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-4-methyl-4,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazole-4-carboxylic acid
[0000]
[0000] and its process of manufacture is disclosed in WO00/12493, published Mar. 9, 2000.
[0013] Deferiprone of the following formula 3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethyl-4-(1,4)pyridinone and its pharmaceutically acceptable preparations are disclosed in EP093498 B1.
[0014] The inventors have demonstrated that Compound I can be used to remove iron from the body and propose that removal of iron, e.g. removal of iron to states of near-deficiency or deficiency will be beneficial in certain liver diseases, e.g. viral liver disease, such as hepatitis B, C, D, G, E, chronic hepatitis C virus infection, cytomegalo virus infection, HIV infection, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the benefit demonstrated, but not limited to, prevention or reduction in hepatic fibrosis and/or cirrhosis.
[0015] The inventors have demonstrated that Compound I can be used to remove iron from the body, e.g. from the liver, and propose that removal of iron, e.g. removal of iron to states of near-deficiency or deficiency, in conjunction with the subsequent or concomitant administration of anti-viral agents, such as, but not limited to, a biologic response modifier, e.g. cytokine, e.g. interferon, e.g. alpha-interferon and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. ribavirin, will be beneficial in certain liver diseases, e.g. viral liver disease, such as hepatitis B, C, D, G, E, chronic hepatitis C virus infection, cytomegalo virus infection, HIV infection, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the benefit demonstrated, but not limited to, prevention or reduction in hepatic fibrosis and/or cirrhosis.
[0016] Iron state of near-deficiency or deficiency is meant as the liver iron content being below the normal value, especially below 0.5 mg of iron per g of liver dry weight. By normal value is meant an iron content of 0.5 to 1.5 mg of iron per g of liver dry weight. For example a liver iron content of 0.4 mg/g liver dry weight corresponds to a iron state of near-deficiency or deficiency according to the present invention. Iron state of near-deficiency or deficiency can also be monitored by measuring the ferritin level. Blood ferritin concentrations of about 10 to 30 ng per ml of blood correspond the normal ferritin levels. For example a blood ferritin concentration of 5 ng per ml of blood is considered as corresponding to an iron state of near-deficiency or deficiency.
[0017] Biological response modifiers, also referred to as cytokines, comprise a group of products that alter immune defenses to enhance, direct or restore the body's ability to fight disease. Biological response modifiers included are for example:
Colony stimulating factors (granulocyte-colony stimulating factors)—G-CSFs, Granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factors—GM-CSFs, Stem cell growth factors (SCGF), Erythropoietins, interferons, interleukins (ILs), Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, and Peptide thymosin alpha 1, also called thymalfasin, ZADAXIN®.
[0024] According to the present invention the biologic response modifier is preferably interferon.
[0025] By “nucleoside anti-metabolite” is meant a nucleoside anti-metabolite drug that interfere with duplication of viral genetic material. The “nucleoside anti-metabolites” according to the present invention are not limited to, e.g. ribavirin of the following formula 1-(β-D-Ribofuranosyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide or viramidine, i.e. ICN3142 of the following formula 1-[(2R,3R,4S,5S)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboximidamide (also commonly 1-(β-D-Ribofuranosyl)-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboximide) from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, or valopicitabine, i.e. NM283 (Indenix Pharmaceutical, Inc.).
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0026] The invention relates to the use of Compound I or deferitrin or deferiprone for the treatment of liver diseases in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis, e.g. for the treatment of liver diseases in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis leading to fibrosis and/or cirrhosis and/or the development of liver cancer, such as liver adenocarcinoma, e.g. hepatocellular carcinoma.
[0027] The present invention further pertains to the use of Compound I or deferitrin or deferiprone for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of liver diseases in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis, leading to fibrosis and/or cirrhosis and/or hepatitis, e.g. viral liver disease, such as hepatitis B, C, D, G, E, chronic hepatitis C virus infection, e.g. chronic hepatitis virus of genotype 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, cytomegalo virus infection, HIV infection.
[0028] The present invention further pertains to the use of Compound I or deferitrin or deferiprone for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of liver diseases in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis, leading to fibrosis and/or cirrhosis and/or hepatitis, e.g. non viral liver diseases, such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
[0029] The present invention further pertains to the use of Compound I or deferitrin or deferiprone for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of liver diseases in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis, leading to fibrosis and/or cirrhosis and/or hepatitis, e.g. viral liver disease, such as hepatitis B, C, D, G, E, chronic hepatitis C virus infection, cytomegalo virus infection, HIV infection in conjunction with the subsequent or concomitant administration of anti-viral agents, e.g. such as a biologic response modifier such as an interferon, e.g. IFNα, pegylated interferon, and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. ribavirin.
[0030] The pharmaceutical compositions according to the present invention can be prepared in a manner known per se and are those suitable for enteral, such as oral, and parenteral administration to warm-blooded animals, including man, comprising a therapeutically effective amount of at least one pharmacologically active ingredient, alone or in combination with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, especially suitable for enteral or parenteral application. The preferred route of administration of the dosage forms of the present invention is orally. Oral formulations of Compound I are disclosed in the following International Patent Application publication WO97/49395 and WO 2004/035026.
[0031] The invention relates to a method of treating a warm-blooded animal, e.g. human, with liver disease in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis comprising administering to said animal in need for such a treatment Compound I or deferitrin or deferiprone, in a quantity which is therapeutically effective to remove iron followed by or concomitant with the administration of antiviral agents in the case of hepatitis C, e.g. chronic hepatitis C, or with or without concomitant other therapies in the case of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
[0032] The invention relates to a method for administering to a human subject suffering from liver disease in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis, Compound I or deferitrin or deferiprone.
[0033] In one embodiment of the invention, Compound I is formulated as a dispersible tablet.
[0034] In one embodiment of the invention, Compound I is in the polymorphic form A.
[0035] In one embodiment of the invention, Compound I is in the polymorphic form A and is formulated as a dispersible tablet.
[0036] The invention relates to the use of Compound I or deferitrin or deferiprone for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of a liver disease, such as a viral liver disease, e.g. chronic hepatitis C, which is refractory to or non-responsive to or not adequately controlled by, non-sustained responsive to, a biologic response modifier treatment, e.g. IFN treatment, e.g. IFN alpha treatment or the combination of a biologic response modifier, e.g. IFN and a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. ribavirin.
[0037] The present invention relates to a commercial package comprising Compound I together with instructions for administering said compound to patients having a liver disease, e.g. a viral liver disease, e.g. chronic hepatitis C.
[0038] The present invention also pertains to a combination such as a combined preparation or a pharmaceutical composition which comprises (a) an iron chelator, and (b) a biologic response modifier and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite.
[0039] The present invention also pertains to a combination such as a combined preparation or a pharmaceutical composition which comprises (a) an iron chelator selected from the group consisting of Compound I, deferitrin and deferiprone and (b) a biologic response modifier and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite.
[0040] The present invention further pertains to a combination such as a combined preparation or a pharmaceutical composition which comprises (a) an iron chelator being Compound I or deferitrin and (b) a biologic response modifier and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite.
[0041] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a combination which comprises (a) Compound I and (b) a biologic response modifier and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite.
[0042] In a further embodiment, the present invention relates to a combination which comprises (a) Compound I and (b) an interferon selected from the group comprising Interferon alfa-2a interferon alpha-2b, interferon alfacon-1, peginterferon alpha-2b or peginterferon alpha-2a and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite selected from the group comprising ribavirin, viramidine or valopicitabine.
[0043] The term “a combined preparation”, as used herein defines especially a “kit of parts” in the sense that the combination partners (a) and (b) as defined above can be dosed independently or by use of different fixed combinations with distinguished amounts of the combination partners (a) and (b), i.e. simultaneously or at different time points. The parts of the kit of parts can then, e.g., be administered simultaneously or chronologically staggered, that is at different time points and with equal or different time intervals for any part of the kit of parts. The ratio of the total amounts of the combination partner (a) to the combination partner (b) to be administered in the combined preparation can be varied, e.g. in order to cope with the needs of a patient sub-population to be treated or the needs of the single.
[0044] The present invention further relates to the use of said combination for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of liver diseases in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis, leading to fibrosis and/or cirrhosis and/or hepatitis, e.g. viral liver disease, such as hepatitis B, C, D, G, E, chronic hepatitis C virus infection, cytornegalo virus infection, HIV infection, preferably chronic hepatitis C.
[0045] The present invention relates to a commercial package comprising Compound I together with an antiviral agent selected from the group consisting of a biologic response modifier, e.g. interferon, e.g. interferon alpha and a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. ribarivin.
[0046] The present invention relates to a commercial package comprising Compound I together with instructions to administer Compound I together with at least one antiviral agent selected from the group consisting of a biologic response modifier, e.g. interferon, e.g. interferon alpha and a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. ribarivin.
[0047] The present invention relates to the use of deferitrin for the treatment of liver diseases in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis, e.g. for the treatment of liver diseases in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis leading to fibrosis and/or cirrhosis and/or the development of liver cancer, such as liver adenocarcinoma, e.g. hepatocellular carcinoma.
[0048] The present invention relates to the use of deferitrin for the treatment of a viral liver disease, e.g. chronic hepatitis C.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0049] The person skilled in the pertinent art is fully enabled to select relevant test models to prove the beneficial effects mentioned herein of excess iron removal on liver disease. The pharmacological activity of such a compound may, for example, be demonstrated by means of the Examples described below, by in vitro tests and in vivo tests or in suitable clinical studies. Suitable clinical studies are, for example, open-label non-randomized, dose escalation studies of iron removal in patients with liver disease, as well as randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of iron removal in patients with liver disease.
[0050] The effective dosage of Compound I may vary depending on the pharmaceutical composition employed, on the mode of administration, the degree of iron excess present in the individual, the type of the liver disease being treated, or the severity of liver disease. The dosage regimen is selected in accordance with a variety of further factors including the renal and hepatic function of the individual. A physician, clinician or veterinarian of ordinary skill can readily determine and prescribe the effective amount of compound required to produce iron deficiency or near iron deficiency and thereby achieve therapeutic benefit.
[0051] Depending on age, individual condition, mode of administration, and the clinical picture in question, effective doses, for example daily doses of Compound I of 100 to 3000 mg of the active moiety are administered to warm-blooded animals, e.g. human, of about 70 kg body weight, e.g. 5 to 40 mg/kg of body weight/day. Preferably, the warm-blooded animal is a human. Compound I can be administered at the following dosage 5 to 40 mg/kg/day. In children the dosage is preferably 5 to 40 mg/kg of body weight/day. Daily doses of Compound I are for example 100 to 3000 mg of active moiety administered per day to a warm-blooded animal, e.g. a human. For patients with an inadequate response to daily doses, dose escalation can be safely considered and patients may be treated as long as they benefit from treatment and in the absence of limiting toxicities.
[0052] Ribavirin, marketed e.g. under the Trademarks, e.g. Copegus®; Rebetol®; Ribasphere®; Virazole®, can be administered according to the manufacturer's instructions, or e.g. at a dosage of about 200 mg up to about 1200 mg per day. Ribavirin is an oral medication.
[0053] Ribavirin can be given twice a day in 200-mg capsules for a total daily dose based upon body weight. The standard dose of ribavirin can be, e.g. 1,000 mg, for patients who weigh less than 75 kilograms (165 pounds) and, e.g. 1,200 mg for those who weigh more than 75 kilograms. In certain situations, an 800-mg dose (400 mg twice daily) can be recommended.
[0054] Interferon are for example, Interferon alfa-2a (Roferon-A; Hoffmann-La Roche), inteferon alpha-2b (Intron-A; Schering-Plough) and interferon alfacon-1 (Infergen; Intermune), and peginterferon alpha, sometimes called pegylated interferon, such as for example peginterferon alpha-2b (Peg-Intron; Schering-Plough) and peginterferon alpha-2a (Pegasys; Hoffmann-La Roche), Omega interferon (Intarcia), Multiferon (Viragen), Medusa Interferon (Flamel Technologies) and Albuferon (Human genome Sciences). Peginterferon alfa-2a can be given, e.g. subcutaneously, e.g. in a fixed dose, e.g. of 180 micrograms (mcg) per week. Peginterferon alfa-2b can be administered, e.g. subcutaneously weekly in a weight-based dose, e.g. of 1.5 mcg per kilogram per week, e.g. in the range of 75 to 150 mcg per week.
[0055] Interferon can be administered at a dosage of from 1 to 10 million units per day, e.g. depending on the body weight. Interferon can be administered e.g. once per day for 2 weeks followed by 3 times per week, or e.g. 3 times per week. Peginterferon alpha can be administered, e.g. once a week.
[0056] The invention relates to a method for administering to a human subject suffering from liver disease related to causes such as chronic hepatitis C infection or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis a pharmaceutically effective amount of Compound I once daily.
[0057] The invention relates to a method for administering to a human subject suffering from liver disease related to causes such as chronic hepatitis C infection or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis a pharmaceutically effective amount of Compound I and a biologic response modifier, e.g. an interferon, e.g. selected from the group comprising Interferon alfa-2a, interferon alpha-2b, interferon alfacon-1, peginterferon alpha-2b or peginterferon alpha-2a and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. selected from the group comprising ribavirin, viramidine or valopicitabine.
[0058] The invention relates especially to such method wherein a daily dose of 50 to 4000 mg of Compound I is administered to an adult or child. In the case of hepatitis C infection the administration of Compound I may be concomitant with or be followed by administration of anti-viral agents such as a biologic response modifier, e.g. an interferon, e.g. alpha-interferon and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. viramidine, valopicitabine or ribavirin.
[0059] The invention may be particularly relevant for the removal of iron from individuals who have liver disease benefiting from removal of iron who cannot be treated with phlebotomy because of accompanying anemia or other contraindications. In addition, the invention may be highly relevant for patients with hepatitis C unresponsive to standard anti-viral therapies.
[0060] The invention also relates to a method for administering to a human subject suffering from liver disease, a pharmaceutically effective amount of Compound I once daily on an intermittent basis, preferably fourteen days or two weeks out of every second or third month or seven days out of every month. The invention relates especially to such method wherein a daily dose of 50 to 4000 mg, preferably 1000 mg, of Compound I is administered to an adult or child.
[0061] The invention pertains to a:
use of Compound I of the following formula
[0000]
[0000] for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of liver disease in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis,
use of Compound I for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of liver disease in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis wherein the liver disease is chronic hepatitis C or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, use of Compound I for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of liver disease in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis, e.g. chronic hepatitis C or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, wherein the iron state achieved by the treatment is a state of deficiency or near-deficiency, a use of Compound I according for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of a liver disease in which excess iron plays a role in pathogenesis. use as mentioned above wherein Compound I is administered at a daily dose corresponding to 50 mg to 4000 mg of Compound I. method of treating a mammal suffering from liver disease in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis that comprises administering to said mammal in need of such a treatment a dose, effective in removing excess iron, of Compound I. combination comprising Compound I and a biologic response modifier, e.g. an interferon, e.g. selected from the group comprising Interferon alfa-2a, interferon alpha-2b, interferon alfacon-1, peginterferon alpha-2b or peginterferon alpha-2a, and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite. combination comprising Compound I and a biologic response modifier, e.g. an interferon, e.g. selected from the group comprising Interferon alfa-2a, interferon alpha-2b, interferon alfacon-1, peginterferon alpha-2b or peginterferon alpha-2a, and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. selected from the group comprising ribavirin, viramidine or valopicitabine. combination comprising Compound I and a biologic response modifier, e.g. an interferon, e.g. selected from the group consisting of Interferon alfa-2a, interferon alpha-2b, interferon alfacon-1, peginterferon alpha-2b and peginterferon alpha-2a, and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. selected from the group consisting of ribavirin, viramidine and valopicitabine. combination comprising Compound I and a biologic response modifier, e.g. an interferon, e.g. selected from the group comprising Interferon alfa-2a, interferon alpha-2b, interferon alfacon-1, peginterferon alpha-2b or peginterferon alpha-2a, and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. selected from the group comprising ribavirin. a use of a combination comprising Compound I and a biologic response modifier, e.g. an interferon, e.g. selected from the group comprising Interferon alfa-2a, interferon alpha-2b, interferon alfacon-1, peginterferon alpha-2b or peginterferon alpha-2a, and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. selected from the group comprising ribavirin, viramidine or valopicitabine for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C patient non responsive to standard therapy. a use of a combination comprising Compound I and a biologic response modifier, e.g. an interferon, e.g. selected from the group consisting of Interferon alfa-2a, interferon alpha-2b, interferon alfacon-1, peginterferon alpha-2b and peginterferon alpha-2a, and/or a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. selected from the group consisting of ribavirin, viramidine and valopicitabine for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C patient non responsive to standard therapy.
[0074] The following examples are given to illustrate the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the specific conditions or details described in these examples.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Clinical Study Demonstrating the Efficiency of Iron Chelation of Compound I
[0075] A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial of Compound I in 24 adult β-thalassemia patients in which the safety, tolerability, PK and cumulative iron balance of 12 days of Compound I are assessed (10 mg/kg (n=5), 20 mg/kg (n=6), 40 mg/kg (n=7), and placebo (n=6).
[0076] Compound I is rapidly absorbed and persisted in the blood over the entire interval when it is administered. Exposure (C max and AUC) to Compound I increases slightly over-proportionally with the Compound I dose after single dose administration, but is seen to be approximately proportional during steady state. At pharmacokinetic steady state C max is approximately 25% to 40% higher and the exposure to Compound I is 1.8 to 2.2 times higher than after a single dose at all dose levels. The mean elimination half-life t 1/2 of both Compound I and its iron complex tend to be longer at steady state than after a single dose. Overall, at steady state the t 1/2 of Compound I is approximately 12 to 13 hours and the t 1/2 of the iron complex is generally longer (from 12 to 21 hours). Urinary excretion of Compound I and the iron complex is very low at all collection intervals (between 0.04% and 0.15% of the Compound I dose).
[0077] Iron balance studies in this trial demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in iron excretion, almost entirely in the feces. Efficiency of chelation is based on average daily net iron excretion, and is calculated as the ratio between the amount of iron that could theoretically be chelated, and the amount of iron actually excreted, relative to body weight. The theoretical amount of iron is obtained from the consideration that two molecules of Compound I are needed to chelate a single atom of iron. The molecular weight of Compound I being 373.4, and that of iron 55.85. The efficiency is therefore calculated as:
[0000] Efficiency=(Fe excr *2*373.4)/(Dose Compound ×55.85)×100%) Dose Compound and Fe excr are given in mg/kg body weight.
[0079] Negative iron balance is achieved at all 3 doses of active drug, and averaged approximately 0.127 mg/kg/day at the 10 mg/kg dose, 0.343 mg/kg/day at the 20 mg/kg dose, and 0.564 mg/kg/day at the 40 mg/kg dose. Significant variability is seen in the 40 mg/kg dose cohort. The observed efficiencies of chelation are 16% (10 mg/kg dose group), 22% (20 mg/kg), and 15% (40 mg/kg), see e.g. Nisbet-Brown et al., Lancet. 361:1597-1602.
Example 2
Clinical Study Demonstrating the Safety and Efficacy of Iron Reduction Therapy with Compound I
[0080] This clinical study is a two part trial examining the ability of daily doses of Compound I administered at 5 to 40 mg/kg to reduce serum ferritin levels, a marker of body iron stores, to less than 100 mcg/L. In the first part of the trial an optimal safe and effective dose is selected, and in the second part of the trial this dose of Compound I in mg/kg given daily and an approximately similar dose given in mg daily is compared to the safety and efficacy of phlebotomy for iron reduction therapy.
Example 3
Compound I Relieves Spontaneous Hepatitis in LEC Rats
[0081] Long-Evans cinnamon (LEC) rat is a mutant strain displaying hereditary hepatitis and spontaneous liver cancer. Compound I has been tested for efficacy on acute hepatitis in LEC rat model.
[0082] Methods: Compound I was administered orally to male LEC rats by gavage on does of 0, 14 and 28 mg/kg/day, starting at 6-week-old and continuing till 18-week-old. Each four rats were sacrificed on 9, 12, 14, 16 and 18-week-old in Compound I—treated groups and control group.
[0083] On sacrificing, peripheral blood was collected for monitoring the biochemical markers, including the serum alanine transaminase (ALT). Liver tissue were histologically examined.
[0084] Results: In non-treated group rats (control group), serum ALT started to increase from 16-week-old and reached 250UI/L at 18-week-old. Mean±SD (standard deviation) serum ALT level at 18-week-old in the Compound I-treated groups was significantly lower than those in the control group. Hepatic iron accumulation assessed by Prussian blue staining was markedly reduced in the Compound I treated groups as compared to the control group. Compound I is effective to relive iron-induced acute hepatitis in LEC rats.
Example 4
Testing on an Rat Model of Hepatitis
[0085] Long-Evans cinnamon (LEC) rat is a mutant strain displaying hereditary hepatitis and spontaneous liver cancer. It is tested whether Compound I has a favorable effect on the development of hepatitis in LEC rat model.
Methods and Material:
1) Species & Number of Animals:
[0086] Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEG) rats (n=45/group). Each six animals will be sacrificed on 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 24th week.
2) Method of Administration: Oral
[0087] 3) Dosage and Duration of Administration: 14 and 28 mg/kg for maximum 24 weeks
Example 5
Compound I Improves the ALT Human Liver Values
[0088] ALT—(alanine aminotransferase also called SGPT, i.e. Serum Glutamic-Pyruvic Transaminase)—is a specific marker for liver damage. The ALT is an enzyme that is produced in the liver cells, i.e. hepatocytes; ALT is more specific for liver diseases than some of the other enzymes. It is generally increased in situations where there is damage to the liver, e.g. hepatitis, e.g. damage of the cell membranes. In normal patients with no liver damage, the ALT value is around zero.
[0089] Iron overloaded patients are developing liver injuries that lead to elevated ALT values. The enclosed results show that Compound I is useful to bring the ALT level back to a baseline level value in patients having elevated ALT levels.
[0090] Patients were iron-overloaded patients and were treated with different doses of Compound I for one year.
[0091] ALT was measured according to standard biomedical techniques, e.g. using the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry reference method as described in Brinkmann T, Dreier J, Diekmann J, Gotting C, Klauke R, Schumann G, Kleesiek K. Alanine aminotransferase cut-off values for blood donor screening using the new International Federation of Clinical Chemistry reference method at 37 degrees C. Vox Sang. 2003 85(3): 159-64.
[0092] The enclosed results show that an appropriate dosing of Compound I results in patients having ALT parameters kept at the baseline value of ALT. i.e. at an ALT value not than the baseline ALT value.
[0093] The baseline ALT value is defined as the patient ALT value determined for the patient at the stage of enrollment in the clinical trial, i.e. the ALT baseline value is the ALT value of the patient before starting Compound I treatment.
[0094] The patients received doses of Compound I, their iron body content decreased, at an appropriate dosing of Compound I (see below, ALT values for the following doses 20 and 30 mg/kg of body weight/day). The ALT values are kept down at around the baseline value or improved to below the baseline value.
[0000]
TABLE 1
ALT values of thalassemia patients after one year of treatment with
Compound I at different dosages (separate trial as compared to the
results in Table 1).
Compound I
Number of patients
Mean of ALT (Units/liter)
5 mg/kg/day
2
35.25
10 mg/kg/day
8
26.62
20 mg/kg/day
21
3.17
30 mg/kg/day
52
−23.56
[0000]
TABLE 2
ALT values of rare anemia patients after one year of treatment with
Compound I at different dosages
Compound I
Number of patients
Mean of ALT (Units/liter)
5 mg/kg/day
4
67.42
10 mg/kg/day
10
14.22
20 mg/kg/day
24
−3.27
30 mg/kg/day
41
−14.19
Example 6
[0095] Compound I is administered to patients with chronic viral hepatitis C, e.g. genotype 1, who are non-responders or non sustained-responders to therapy including interferon, e.g. pegylated interferon and ribavirin.
[0096] 2 to 3 different doses of Compound I are tested.
[0097] Number, of patients per group: 8-12
Example 7
[0098] Patients are administered:
combination of Compound I with a biologic response modifier, e.g. interferon alpha, combination of compound I with a biologic response modifier, e.g. interferon alpha and a nucleoside anti-metabolite, e.g. ribavirin, combination of Compound I with ribavirin.
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The invention relates to the use of 4-[3,5-Bis-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-[1,2,4]-triazol-1-yl]benzoic acid (hereinafter referred to as “Compound I”) for the manufacture of pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of liver diseases in humans in which iron plays a role in pathogenesis, including viral diseases, such as chronic hepatitis C, optionally in conjunction with antiviral agents and for the treatment of non viral diseases, such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 318,082, filed Mar. 2, 1989, abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a static bearing, more particularly a static gas bearing, with a component to be journalled, which is movable with respect to a fixedly arranged bearing part, which bearing part is provided with one or more openings for the supply of a bearing medium.
Bearings of the kind described above are well known in the technique and are also designated as full film bearings. A feature of these bearings is that in operation the surfaces of the component to be journalled and of the bearing part are constantly separated from each other by a layer of bearing medium in the gap between these surfaces. A problem in this kind of bearings is their comparatively low rigidity, i.e. the ratio between the variation of the dimension of the bearing gap and the variation of the load. With increasing load, the bearing gap dimension is reduced, which is very disadvantageous especially in precision machines.
A construction to improve the rigidity of this kind of bearings is described in DE-A-2544872. In this case, the bearing bush is provided with conically extending bearing parts, whose conicity is adapted to the pressure prevailing in the bearing gap.
A disadvantage of these known bearings with variable conicity is that they are sensitive to pneumatic instability ("pneumatic hammer") and are fairly complicated from a constructional viewpoint. A further disadvantage of these bearings is that they have a high consumption of bearing medium with low load.
It is further known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,560 for hydraulic full film bearings to increase the rigidity by causing the pressure in the bearing gap to control the passage of the supply for bearing medium. In these known bearings, the volume of the supply lead for the bearing medium is fairly large, which is not acceptable in particular for gas bearings in connection with the instability (pneumatic hammer).
Increase of rigidity by means of elastic supply openings, the passage diameter of the supply openings varying with pressure variation, is further known from ASME Transactions 9, 311-317, 1966.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has for its object to provide a static bearing of very high rigidity, which can be constructed both as axial and as well as a radial bearing and whose construction is very simple, while it can be fed both with a gaseous and a liquid bearing medium.
The bearing according to the invention is characterized in that a closure member is resiliently arranged opposite to each of the supply openings in such a manner that with increasing pressure of the medium in the bearing gap between the surfaces of the component and the bearing part the closure member is moved away from the relevant supply opening and the flow resistance between the supply and the supply opening decreases.
Due to the fact that each of the closure members is arranged immediately before the relevant supply opening, the volume of the supply lead between the closure member and the bearing gap is a minimum so that the occurrence of pneumatic hammer is substantially completely avoided. When the pressure in the bearing gap increases, this pressure also acts immediately upon the closure member, which is then moved against the spring pressure away from the supply opening, as a result of which the resistance between the supply and the supply opening decreases so that the pressure of the medium in the bearing gap increases additionally and the reduction of the bearing gap is counteracted. Thus, a high rigidity of the bearing is obtained.
A further embodiment of the bearing according to the invention, which is constructed as a radial bearing having a rotary shaft and a bearing bush supporting this shaft, which bush is provided in a centrally arranged plane with a plurality of supply openings distributed regularly along the circumference, is characterized in that the closure member is constituted by an annular bush which is arranged to surround the bearing bush and is resiliently supported in radial direction.
According to a further embodiment, the annular bush has a central part which is arranged opposite to the supply openings and is limited on both sides by a side part, the bearing bush or the annular bush being provided between each of the side parts and the central part with an annular groove, which communicates with the supply for bearing medium.
Thus, the bearing medium can flow on the one hand via the annular grooves through the gap between the central part of the annular bush and the bearing bush to the supply openings and into the bearing gap. On the other hand, a part of the medium supplied flows through the gaps between the side parts and the bearing bush. When now the load on the shaft varies, in the first instance the shaft will be displaced to one side of the bearing bush. On this side, the bearing gap consequently becomes narrower, whereas the gap becomes wider diametrically opposite thereto. In the narrower part of the bearing gap, the pressure increases, whereas the pressure decreases in the wider part. Via the supply openings, the annular bush senses this pressure difference and the bush will be displaced in the direction of this pressure difference, which results in that the supply openings on the side on which the bearing gap is narrowed are freed to a greater extent and on the other side are closed to a greater extent. This results in that on the narrowed side of the bearing gap bearing medium is supplied more readily, while this supply is effected less readily on the other side so that the shaft is pushed back towards its original central position. The flows of medium in the gap between the side parts and the bearing bush then act as springs.
In order that the desired radial distance between the central part of the annular bush and the bearing bush can be adjusted, the part of the bearing bush provided with supply openings and the central part of the annular bush located opposite thereto are conical, while means are provided by which the annular bush can be displaced axially with respect to the bearing bush.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention will be described more fully with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically in sectional view an axial bearing,
FIGS. 2 and 3 show diagrammatically in sectional view an embodiment of a radial bearing,
FIG. 4 shows in sectional view diagrammatically a further embodiment of a radial bearing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a fixedly arranged bearing part. Above this fixedly arranged bearing part 1 is provided a bearing foot 2, which is composed of a part 3 having obliquely extending bearing surfaces 4 and 5. The bearing foot 2 further consists of a part 6, in which a chamber 7 is recessed.
A diaphragm 8 is stretched between the parts 3 and 6. Via a supply duct 9, pressurized bearing medium can be supplied, which can flow between the diaphragm 8 and the bearing part 3 to a supply opening 10, which merges between the bearing surfaces 4 and 5 into the bearing gap 11 between the bearing foot 2 and the fixedly arranged bearing part 1. Due to the pressure in the bearing medium, the diaphragm 8 is pushed slightly away upwards so that in dependence upon the prevailing pressure a given supply gap is formed between the diaphragm 8 and the part 3. When now the load on the bearing foot 2 increases, in the first instance the bearing foot 2 will be pressed towards the bearing part 1. This results in that the gap 11 will become smaller. Consequently, the pressure of the bearing medium in the gap 11 increases. This increased pressure also prevails in the supply opening 10 and consequently acts upon the diaphragm 8, as a result of which the latter is pushed away further upwards, which results in that the gap between the diaphragm 8 and the part 3 becomes larger and a larger quantity of medium will flow from the supply duct 9 to the supply opening 10 and the bearing gap 11. This results in that the bearing foot 2 is pushed upwards, i.e. back towards its starting position. Therefore, the change in position of the bearing foot 2 due to the increased load is eliminated again, which means that this bearing foot is therefore insensitive to load variations, or in other words: this bearing foot has a high, if desired rigidity.
As the case may be, the part 6 of the bearing foot 2 may be provided with a supply duct 12, through which a pressurized control medium may be introduced into the chamber 7. Thus, the spring characteristic of the diaphragm 8 can be influenced. Thus, the sensitivity of the bearing foot 2 can be adapted to given conditions.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show diagrammatically in two orthogonal sectional views a radial bearing. This radial bearing comprises a shaft 21, which is journalled in a fixedly arranged bearing bush 22. The bearing bush 22 is provided with two bearing surfaces 23 and 24, between which merge a number of supply openings 25 for bearing medium distributed over the circumference. The supply openings 25 merge with their other sides into a chamber 26 in the bearing bush 22, this chamber being provided with a supply 27 for pressurized bearing medium. A loose ring 28 is arranged in the chamber 26 opposite to the supply openings 25 and this ring is radially supported by springs 29 distributed over its circumference.
The operation of this bearing is as follows. Via the supply 27, pressurized bearing medium is supplied. This bearing medium flows via the chamber 26 through the gap 30 between the ring 28 and the bearing foot to the supply openings 25 and thence through the bearing gap 31 between the bearing foot and the shaft to the environment. When no load acts upon the shaft 21, this shaft lies centrally in the bearing bush 22. This means that the gap 31 has over the whole circumference the same dimension and that the same pressure prevails over the whole circumference in this gap. Via the openings 25, this pressure also acts upon the ring 28 so that the same pressure prevails in the gap 30 also over its whole circumference and this gap has the same dimension also over its whole circumference.
When now a load is exerted on the shaft 21 in a given direction, in the first instance the shaft 21 will be pressed in this direction to the bearing bush. The consequence is that the dimension of the gap 31 will decrease towards the load, while at an area radially opposite thereto the gap dimension increases.
At the area at which the gap 31 has become narrower, the pressure in the bearing medium will increase, whereas radially opposite thereto at the area at which the gap has become wider, the pressure in the bearing medium decreases. Through the supply openings, these pressures act upon the ring 28, which results in that at the area at which the pressure has increased the ring 28 is pushed away from the relevant supply openings, while at the area at which the pressure has decreased the ring 28 will close more completely the supply openings 25. The ring 28 is consequently displaced against the action of the springs 29 in a direction opposite to that in which the load acts. This results in that at the area at which the gap 31 has become narrower the gap 30 becomes larger so that a larger quantity of bearing medium is supplied via the supply openings 25 to the bearing gap 31. Radially opposite thereto, exactly the inverse situation is obtained, that is to say that a smaller quantity of bearing medium flows to that part of the bearing gap 31 which has become wider. This results in that the bearing medium in the gap 31 exerts on the shaft 21 a force which is opposite to the load, which leads to the disturbance of the position of the shaft, so that the shaft 21 is pushed back towards its central position.
In this manner, again a journalling of the shaft 21 is therefore obtained which upon change of the load on the shaft 21 does not or substantially does not lead to a change of the position of the shaft 21 in the bearing bush; therefore, the rigidity of such a bearing is very high.
FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically in sectional view a further embodiment of a radial bearing. This bearing comprises a shaft 41, which is journalled in a fixedly arranged bearing bush 42. The bearing bush 42 is provided with two bearing surfaces 43 and 44, between which merge supply openings 45 for bearing medium distributed over the circumference. An annular bush 48 is arranged to surround the bearing bush 42 and is composed of a central part 49 and two side parts 50 and 51. The central part 49 is located opposite to the supply openings 45 and is of conical shape. The part of the bearing bush 42 cooperating with the central part 49 is also of conical shape. The side parts 50 and 51 are each separated by a groove 52 and 53, respectively, from the central part 49. The grooves 52 and 53 each communicate with a supply 54 for bearing medium. In the drawing, dotted lines indicate how the grooves and the supply for bearing medium may also be provided in the bearing bush.
In order that the annular bush 48 can be axially displaced with respect to the bearing bush 42, the bearing bush is provided with an L-shaped constructional part 55, while the bush 48 is also provided with such a constructional part 56. The part 56 is provided with an adjustment screw 57, by means of which the distance between the parts 55 and 56 can be varied. The operation of this bearing is equal to that of the bearing shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The function of the spring 29 in this bearing is taken over by the side parts 50 and 51 of the annular bush 48, which each constitute a static bearing. If in fact the position of the bush 48 with respect to the bearing bush 42 is changed, the pressure of the bearing medium in the gaps 58 and 60 will oppose like a spring to such a change and will exert a force on the bush 48 which attempts to bring the bush 48 again into a position in which the dimension of the gaps 58 and 60 throughout their circumference is the same again.
The conical shape of the central part 49 and the part of the bearing bush cooperating therewith provides the possibility to adjusting the width of the gap 61 by axial displacement of the bush 48 with respect to the bearing bush 42 by means of the adjustment screw 57. Thus, the degree of rigidity of this bearing can be adapted to the conditions in which this bearing has to be used.
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A static bearing, more particularly a static gas bearing, with a component to be journalled, which is movable with respect to a fixedly arranged bearing part. The bearing part is provided with one or more openings for the supply of a bearing medium between the bearing surfaces facing each other of the component and of the bearing part. The openings communicate with a supply of a bearing medium. A closure member is resiliently arranged opposite each of the supply openings in such a manner that with increasing pressure of the medium in the bearing gap between the surfaces of the component and the bearing part the closure member is moved away from the relevant supply openings and the flow resistance between the supply and the supply opening decreases.
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CONTINUING APPLICATION DATA
This is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 07/823,592 filed on Jan. 17, 1992, now abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/505,789 filed on Apr. 6, 1990, now abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/455,255 filed on Dec. 22, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,963.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for drilling of boreholes along a previously planned three-dimensional profile. More specifically, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for automatically controlling the direction of advance of a rotary drill to produce a borehole profile substantially as preplanned with minimal curvature while maintaining optimum drilling performance.
BACKGROUND
As the easily exploited hydrocarbon energy sources have been depleted, oil and gas wells have been drilled to ever deeper depths and have required more complex technology. Much of the current drilling activity is conducted from offshore drilling platforms which often support twenty or more wells. All but one of the wells drilled from such a platform are necessarily deviated from the vertical axis. Several methods for changing and controlling the direction of deviated or non-vertical boreholes have been developed and employed with varying levels of success and quality. One of the earlier and more successful interim methods was called a whipstock. The whipstock is basically a shaped body, generally iron or steel, placed in the existing borehole and oriented to deflect the drill into the desired direction. After the borehole is given this initial kick-off, a specially designed Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA) is used in an attempt to change the direction to the desired value. Multiple design changes are often required to get acceptable results. The BHA is then changed to a design intended to drill straight ahead. This whipstock method, as crude, inaccurate and cumbersome as it is, served the drilling for many years but is used less today. Another relatively old and useful method for changing and controlling the direction of a borehole is directional hydraulic jetting. In this method, the bit jets are arranged to produce eroding jet streams in an off-vertical direction while the drill is not rotating and the jet streams are oriented in the desired drilling direction. After a period of directional jetting, the drill is rotated to drill ahead a short distance. A series of such small steps can be used to turn to the desired direction. In soft formations, the jetting action is sufficient to cause drilling in the desired direction. This method is subject to the formation properties and prone to much trial and error.
Modern directional drilling practice generally employs downhole mud motors, a bend in the BHA or offset stabilizer, and a directional survey instrument to determine the direction of the bend. Commonly, the direction of the bend or offset is called Tool Face Orientation (TFO) and is determined either by gravity methods, or magnetic measurement. Today, this TFO information is generally provided in real time by either direct wireline or a Measurements-While-Drilling (MWD) system which most often uses mud telemetry.
There are two versions of the bend in the BHA. One is called a bent sub which is located above the drill motor. The location of the bent sub is too far from the bit to allow significant rotation of the drill string without causing undue stresses and component fatigue. Consequently, the use of the bent sub restricts drilling operations to substantially constant TFO. Thus the rate of curvature of the hole by this method is not dynamically controllable but rather is set by the BHA design and the drilling conditions. It is often necessary to make multiple trips in and out of the hole to change the BHA design until a satisfactory curvature is obtained.
The second version of the bend in the BHA is the so-called bent housing motor wherein there is a slight bend in the bottom section of the motor. This small bend in the motor causes a curvature in the hole in the direction of the bend much as in the case of the bent sub. The rate of curvature of the hole with constant TFO is a function of the bend and other BHA design factors along with borehole properties. Like the bent sub method, the rate of curvature of the bent housing method is not precisely controllable by design. However, the bent housing motor, due to its short bent section, can be rotated continuously or intermittently in the hole. By selective time sharing of the rotation and constant TFO operational modes, any value of average curvature between zero and the maximum value at constant TFO operation can be obtained. This basic capability reduces the number of trips into and out of the hole thus saving time over the bent sub method. However the quality of the hole drilled by this method suffers from the interleaving of the multiple straight sections and excessive curvature sections caused by this method.
The offset stabilizer method often used with turbine type downhole motors is similar to the bent housing system in that it will turn when a constant TFO is held and will drill straight ahead when the drill pipe is rotated. The turn is caused by the offset stabilizer putting a side force on the bit. The results are virtually identical with the bent housing motor system.
Most deviated wells drilled today are drilled basically in a two dimensional vertical plane from the surface location, most often an offshore platform, to the target location. Most such wells contain three distinct sections; a straight down vertical section, a build angle section in the desired direction, and a hold angle (inclination) straight section. Some wells also contain and additional drop angle section or a drop angle to vertical section and a bottom vertical section. Also horizontal wells are becoming popular wherein there is a long horizontal section that has near zero degrees inclination. The horizontal sections are generally in the producing zone for the purpose of enhanced production. When the producing zone is thin, very accurate directional drilling is required and almost always horizontal drilling increases the need for smooth, quality hole without excessive dogleg.
One of the most dominant features of a deviated well is the long hold section which follows the build section. The need here is to drill a quality hole straight ahead with minimal dogleg as quickly as possible. Standard rotary drilling wherein the bit is rotated by rotation of the entire drill string is the preferred method of drilling this section of the hole due to its higher penetration rate, higher quality of hole and long life of the components. The chief disadvantage of this method is that there is no directional drilling method to control the azimuth of the borehole. So called packed hole assemblies (A BHA designed to drill straight ahead) are used in attempts to minimize the walk or wandering in azimuthal direction of the borehole with minimal success. Generally, multiple corrections of the borehole direction are required during this straight section. This is done by pulling the packed hole rotary drilling assembly from the hole and replacing it with a downhole motor and bent BHA to accomplish the directional correction. Then another trip is made to replace the rotary drilling assembly. This process must be repeated each time the direction of the borehole drifts too far from the plan. The bent housing downhole motor may be alternately used in this straight section at the sacrifice of longer times, higher costs and possibly higher dogleg hole. This higher dogleg effect is documented in the paper "First Real Time Measurements of Downhole Vibrations, Forces, and Pressures Used to Monitor Directional Drilling Operations", Cook, R. L. and Nicholson, J. W., SPE/IADC 18651, SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, New Orleans, La., Feb. 28-Mar. 3, 1989.
The latest technology in this area is represented by two technical publications by Henry Delafon: "BHA Prediction Software Improves Directional Drilling, Parts 1 and 2" World Oil March and April 1989. Delafon demonstrates that in some environments sophisticated computer design of the BHA configuration can be used to reduce the number of direction corrections needed during the hold section using rotary drilling.
In view of this foregoing discussion, it is evident that a better and more efficient method of controlled directional drilling is needed. More specifically, it is apparent that there is a need to incorporate a method of directional control into standard rotary drilling which produces little or no interference with the optimal drilling efficiency of the rotary method. The directional rotary method described in greater detail below, provides a method and apparatus for continuously and automatically controlling the direction of an optimal rotary drill such that the borehole is drilled substantially along a preplanned profile with minimal dogleg in minimum time without tripping for directional purposes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the difficulties of the prior art by providing an improved method and apparatus for automatically controlling the direction of advance of a rotary drill to produce a borehole profile substantially as preplanned with minimal curvature while maintaining optimum drilling performance. The preferred embodiment of the system comprises a drill string; a drill bit; means for rotating said drill bit; means for storing a planned path; means for obtaining information for providing a profile of a drilled path of said borehole; means for comparing said drilled path with said planned path and for generating a correction signal representing the difference between said drilled path and said planned path; and means responsive to said correction signal to cause said drilling means to calculate a corrected path to cause the drilled borehole to coincide with said planned path. The means for providing information relating to said drilled path comprises means for obtaining information relating to the instantaneous depth of said drill bit within said borehole and means for obtaining information relating to the instantaneous direction of said drill bit within said formation and further comprising means for utilizing said depth information and said direction information to provide said profile of the drilled path.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a conceptual view of a drilling system employing the automated drilling system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of the high, right and ahead coordinate system used in describing downhole processes.
FIGS. 3a-3b are illustrations of controlling the direction of penetration of the bit by adding a shear force and changing the direction of the bit.
FIG. 4 is an illustration of a composite Directional Rotary Drilling system in the borehole.
FIGS. 5a -5e are illustrations of a controlled offset stabilizer using a single, non-rotating, eccentric offset with controllable direction.
FIGS. 6a-6e are illustrations of a controlled offset stabilizer using a non-rotating section comprised of a symmetrical vane element and two eccentric elements which are actively positioned to control the direction and value of eccentricity.
FIGS. 7a-7d are illustrations of a controlled offset stabilizer which uses hydraulics to control the position of the non-rotating multiple vanes resulting in full control of the magnitude and direction of the offset, size or caliper of the vanes, and force on the vanes.
FIG. 8 is an illustration of a mechanically operated vane which may be substituted for the hydraulic operation in FIGS. 7a-7d to accomplish similar functions except the control of the force on the vanes.
FIG. 9 is an illustration of a modification to the surface of a controlled vane which insures non-rotation of the vane assembly.
FIGS. 10a-10b are illustrations of a magnetic marker assembly used to magnetically mark the borehole wall at measured depth intervals thus providing a method of accurate downhole incremental depth measurement.
FIGS. 11a-11b are illustrations demonstrating the principles of operation of the magnetic marker downhole incremental depth measuring method.
FIG. 12 is an illustration of a depth measuring wheel which provides a method of measuring incremental downhole depth accurately and with high resolution.
FIGS. 13a-13c are illustrations which shows the principles of operation of the downhole depth system including surface depth download, incremental depth addition, and the combined operation of the magnetic marker and the depth wheel.
FIG. 14a-14e are illustrations of a drilling system utilizing a compliant sub instrumented to measure the ahead and shear force with TFO on the bit, the bending of the compliant sub, and the torque on the bit.
FIG. 15 is a flow chart of the automatic directional drilling system.
FIG. 16 is an illustration of the adaptive directional control system.
FIG. 17 is an illustration of the corrective connect plan method.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of the automatic directional rotary drilling system employing the non-rotating controllable stabilizers of the present invention comprising a downhole drilling system 10 which can be automatically controlled from a remote location, such as an operator's office 12. The system is capable of automatically rotary drilling a high quality borehole accurately along a three-dimensional well profile plan illustrated generally by reference number 14. The plan loaded into the system at the surface, to control the system from spud point to target 16 without any additional information, instructions or control being necessary. A complete 2-way real time communication system 18 between the downhole DRD drilling assembly 10 and the surface control center 20.
The surface control center 20 and the operator's offices 12 have real time 2-way communication via telephone, radio, or satellite providing the operator the ability to monitor and control the drilling operation from his office. Consequently, much information about the drilling operation and the formation being drilled are available real time at the surface and in the operator's offices 12. Surface managers, using this information as an aid, may, if desired, communicate 2-way real time 18 with the downhole system giving it new data or operating instructions. For example, if for any reason, a sidetrack is desirable, the surface manager could communicate downward to the system a new well profile sidetrack plan and the system would automatically drill the new plan.
The automatic self-guiding rotary drilling assembly 10 is equipped with non-rotating controlled stabilizers 22 to affect the directional control, as will be discussed in greater detail below. The drilling assembly also contains directional survey, drilling, and formation sensors 26 and a wire retrievable and replaceable package 24. The package 24 allows larger quantities of data to be exchanged between the surface and downhole than the real time system can support. The 2-way real time communications 18 is accomplished by a upward communication channel 15, commonly called MWD, and two downward communications channels 17, controlled rotary speed 21, and 19, controlled mud pump speed 23. Both the upward channel and the downward channels are well known in the art of measurements-while-drilling, MWD. U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,355 teaches a upward communications system and U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,277 teaches downward channels.
Physical Basis of Directional Drilling
In conventional rotary drilling in order to cut, the bit must be pushed against the formation. The total "push" is a vector force, f, and comes from several sources. The primary contribution is usually the "weight-on-bit", a compressional force that pushes the bit ahead, mostly in the direction of the existing path. These compressional forces normally originate in the weight of drill collars in largely vertical portions of the hole.
There are also forces that are perpendicular to the bit axis (shear forces). Many of these arise from the mechanical interaction of the BHA (bottom hole assembly) and the borehole. For example, in a non-vertical hole the weight and flex of collars can be combined with appropriately sized and spaced stabilizers to add either a "high-side" or "low-side" force. Likewise, a bent sub may produce a perpendicular force in almost any angle of rotation around the borehole axis depending on its geometrical relationship to the existing borehole and its orientation.
The net penetration-rate vector is the result of many factors including: 1) The direction of the bit and the directional cutting preferences of the bit (the bit anisotropy) 2) The force vector (direction and magnitude) 3) Formulation effects, both formation anisotropies and bedding-plane to bit-face interactions 4) Others, such as the cleaning efficiency due to the mud flow rate, etc.
If the formation can be considered isotropic over the interval of interest and the other factors (item 4) remain constant, then the penetration rate will be proportional to a bit anisotropy tensor times the force vector.
pαE·f (1)
In the bit-axis coordinate system, the bit anisotropy tensor can be expressed in the form: ##EQU1## where σ is the ratio of cutting efficiency to the side to that along the rotating axis and C is a constant.
This case is illustrated in FIG. 2. The directions are shown in the downhole coordinate system for the bit 30 itself. The axis of rotation of the bit forms the "ahead" direction 32; "high" 34 is perpendicular to the "ahead" direction and lies in the vertical plane (or the north plane if the bit axis is vertical); the "right" axis 36 is perpendicular to the other two in the fashion of a standard right-handed coordinate system. The direction of the penetration rate 38 is not in the direction of the bit axis 32, nor in the direction of the force 40, but will lie in the same plane 42 that they define; for σ<1, it will lie between them. In the general case where formation effects are included, it may not be coplanar. A tangent line 44 to the existing borehole 46 is not necessarily in the same direction as any of these.
There are at least two factors which can be controlled or modified, that have reasonably predictable consequences on the borehole path: the magnitude and orientation of a shear force on the bit 30, and the direction of the bit.
Shear Force Method of Directional Control
FIG. 3a, drawn in a plane view, shows the bit 30 in the borehole 46. The force on the bit without modification 50 plus the formation effects cause the resulting penetration vector 52 to be in a direction other than the desired one. By forcing the bit to the side of the hole, hence adding a shear force 48, the force on the bit can be modified as shown by modified force vector 54 such that the formation effects produce the desired penetration direction 56.
Steering Method of Directional Control
Similarly, as shown in FIG. 3b, the bit 30 lying normally in the borehole 46 and the force on the bit 50' result in the wrong penetration direction shown by vector 52'. By changing the direction of the axis of rotation of the bit 30 to a suitable direction 58, the final penetration 56' can be adjusted to the desired result.
Directional Rotary Drilling System
The primary advantage of the present invention is to provide complete directional control while using the conventional rotary drilling method and without restrictions to the normal high efficiency of the rotary method. High quality straight and directional drilling is accomplished without trips to change equipment for directional purposes.
FIG. 4 is an illustration of the directional rotary drilling system 10' in a curved borehole 46'. Above the dashed line standard components 1 of a rotary drilling system are shown including drill collars 62 and stabilizer 64. The special directional system components shown below the dashed line and are generally non-magnetic to avoid magnetic interference with the directional sensors. The upper portion above compliant sub 66 is basically an enhanced MWD system which is divided into two sections, 10a and 10b. The uppermost section 10a composed of stored data 68, MWD transmitter 70, and a power source 72 is retrievable by wire line without removing the drill string. The retrieval process may be carried out to obtain high quality data, repair or replace the transmitter, or repair or replace the power source. The lower section 10b, including the central system 74, is not retrievable. The central system 74 includes full data acquisition and processing capabilities, communications management, data storage such as the well plan to be drilled, processing algorithms, and data sensors. A power and data bus 76 connects between all downhole components. A necessary sensor is a full directional survey package which may also serve as magnetic sensors 78 to activate the magnetic marker 80. The distance L between the magnetic sensors 78 and the marker 80 is accurately known to provide accurate downhole incremental depth measurements.
The compliant sub 66 and below provides the mechanical control of direction of penetration of the drill. The compliant sub 66 which is preferably instrumented to measure the weight-on-bit (WOB) torque-on-bit (TORQ) and bending allows making the direction of the bit to be different than the borehole or drill string. The controllable stabilizers 82 and 84 are used primarily to control the angle of the bit and/or the shear force on the bit by controlling the adjustable eccentricity 81, either of which can control the direction of drilling of the bit 30. The near-bit sensors 86 may include formation logs such as gamma-ray, resistivity, density, and porosity. Other desirable sensors include mud resistivity, temperatures and mud pressures inside the collars and in the annulus. The depth wheel 88 and marker 80 provide downhole incremental depth important in calculating the drilled well profile.
Directional Control via Non-Rotating Controllable Stabilizers
The term "controllable" means that elements of the stabilizer can be varied such as to affect the direction of penetration of the bit, principally through modifying the direction of the bit and/or the shear force on the bit. Several different methods of achieving this control by controlling the eccentricity of the rotary drill pipe in the borehole are described below. In all cases, the eccentric portion of the stabilizer does not rotate which allows the eccentricity to be oriented and cause the drill to penetrate in the direction desired. The non-rotation feature prevents significant wear of the formations by the stabilizer, an important benefit.
The two geometric terms, curvature and tool face orientation, define the directional properties of a borehole at any given depth and are critical to the following discussions. Curvature is the degree of bending or turning of the borehole and usually has the units of degrees/100 feet or degrees/10 meters. Tool face orientation is the clockwise angle from the high side reference in the ahead, high and right downhole coordinate system, FIG. 2. The degree of curvature and its tool face orientation are functions of and can be controlled by the degree of eccentricity of the rotating drill bit in the borehole and its tool face orientation.
The various stabilizer methods will be discussed in order of their functional performance level.
Single Non-Rotating Eccentric Offset with Controllable Direction
FIG. 5a is a cross section along the borehole axis of a single eccentric controllable stabilizer in the borehole 46. The rotating drill collar assembly 90 is held in the non-rotating section 92 by bearings 94. FIGS. 5b and 5c are cross sectional views at points j and e perpendicular to the axis of the borehole. Drilling mud flows down through a conduit 96 inside the rotating collar. The large vane 98 and the smaller vane 100 position the center of rotation 102 eccentrically off the center of the borehole 101. The direction of the eccentric offset is opposite vane 98. Hydraulic fluid supplied by connection 103 from hydraulic pressure compensator 104 fills the volume between the sections 90 and 92 providing lubrication and exclusion of contaminants. Piston 106 transmits the annulus mud pressure supplied by channel 108 to the hydraulic fluid contained in the chamber of compensator 104. Compression spring 110 adds m incremental pressure above the annular mud pressure. Seals 112 prevent flow of mud in or hydraulic fluid out.
The non-rotating eccentric elements 92, 100, and 98 are a single structure which is positioned by latch 114. This is accomplished by activation of solenoid 116 driving the latch 114 into recess 118 where it rotates until it engages the eccentric driver 118a protruding into recess 118 and rotates the eccentric to the desired orientation when the solenoid power is terminated and spring 120 withdraws latch 114 leaving the eccentric in the desired orientation. The driver 118a is affixed to the eccentric in a precisely indexed position such as the point of maximum eccentricity. The solenoid is powered by power supply 122 which is controlled by the bus interface 124. Bus 76' supplies power and control signals. Connector 128 connects the bus 76' to the bus in other sections of the system. A special tool joint 130 connects the various modules of the system.
Articulated vane 132 is loaded by springs 134 forcing cutters 136 to cut small grooves into the formation thus preventing rotation of the system. This antirotation method is further described below and shown in FIG. 9. The spring loading allows the cutters to retract during the positioning process. The correct orienting information supplied in the following manner. The directional drilling algorithms in the central processor calculate the desired Tool Face Orientation (TFO) for the eccentric to drill in the desired direction. The directional sensor package measures the TFO of the rotating system continuously and, via the bus, signals the solenoid interface 124 at the exact moment to withdraw the latch 120 leaving the eccentric section 98 at the desired TFO. Because the eccentric does not rotate, this process of orienting the eccentric need be clone only infrequently.
This system allows direct control of the tool face orientation (direction) of the eccentricity of the rotating drill bit within the borehole; consequently, the tool face orientation of the curvature of the borehole being drilled is controllable.
Single Non-Rotating Eccentric with Controllable Eccentricity and Direction
FIGS. 5d-e illustrates a controllable stabilizer utilizing a single eccentric with separately controllable tool face orientation and eccentricity. Tool face orientation control is the same as described above and shown in FIGS. 5a-c. The degree of eccentricity is controlled from zero to a maximum value by means of movable vane element 206 contained in the vane cavity 204 within the larger portion 98a of the non-rotating element 92a. The vane cavity 204 is pressurized by hydraulic fluid supplied by compensator 104 in FIG. 5a via inlet 105 and is isolated from the annular drilling mud by seals 212. Power and data bus 76a which is an extension of bus 76' in FIG. 5a supplies power and control signals to interface 85 via the slip ring connector 75 between rotating clement 90 and the non-rotating element 92a. Interface 85 receives the movable vane 206 extension position from position sensor 210 via connection 87 and relays it to the central processor via bus 76a. The central processor calculates any desired change in the movable vane 206 position and relays the necessary information back to the interface 85 via bus 76a. Interface 85 then energizes the vane mover 91 via connection 89 causing the vane 206 to move to the desired position. This process of monitoring and adjusting the movable vane position to the desired value is continuous. Through this process of adjusting the movable vane position, the degree of eccentricity of the drill bit in the borehole is controlled; consequently, the degree of curvature of the borehole is controlled. Both hydraulic and mechanically operated movable vane mechanisms are described in detail below and are illustrated in FIGS. 7a-d and FIG. 8.
This single eccentric non-rotating stabilizer with controllable eccentricity and tool face orientation can effectively control the three-dimensional path of the borehole.
Dual Eccentric Stabilizer with Controllable Eccentricity and Direction
FIGS. 6a-e illustrate a dual eccentric stabilizer composed of a rotating element 90' and three non-rotating elements: a concentric outside vane assembly 92' which is supported by the borehole 46 in a non-rotating fashion, an outer eccentric 152, and an inner eccentric 150 which supports the rotating element 90' through bearings 94'. The volume around the eccentrics and bearings is pressurized with hydraulic fluid supplied by pressure compensator 104' which is supplied with mud pressure through channel 138 or 108' as controlled by valves 142. Compression spring 110' in conjunction with piston 106' creates a hydraulic fluid pressure above the inside mud or annulus mud pressure chosen by valves 142. The seals 112' isolate the hydraulic fluid and the mud.
The eccentricity of the rotating element 90' with respect the the borehole 46 is controlled solely by the orientations of the two eccentric elements 150 and 152. The orientation of outside vane element 92' has no effect on the eccentricity because it is concentric within itself, This vane element 92' is held in a non-rotating position within the borehole 46 by multiple vanes and anti-rotation devices 136' described below and shown in FIG. 9.
The outer eccentric 152 is oriented to any desired TFO by operation of gear 156 which is affixed to the outside vane element 92', as shown in FIG. 6a. Gear 156 meshes with ring gear 160 teeth not shown which is affixed to and completely around outer eccentric 152. Similarly, the inner eccentric 150 may be oriented to any TFO by operation of gear 162 which is affixed to eccentric 150. Gear 162 meshes with ring gear 164, teeth not shown, which is affixed to and completely around the inside of outer eccentric 152.
When gears 156 and 162 are not operating, the three non-rotating elements 150, 152 and 92' are locked in fixed relative orientation with respect to each other by the enmeshed gears 156, 160, 162, and 164 and, consequently, their TFOs are constant also because vane element 92' is held in non-rotation via the vanes and anti-rotation devices 136'. The resulting eccentricity can be observed in FIGS. 6b and c where the cross 101 is the center of the borehole and the center 102 of the rotating element 90 is displaced from this center 101. Gear 156 is driven by gear reduction train 168 and electric stepping motor 170. Driving pulses for motor 170 are supplied by electrical leads through slip rings 172, 174, and 176 from the bus interface 178. The information for the number of pulses to be supplied is input to the interface 178 through bus 76" and bus connector 128' from the central processor. Similarly, gear 162 is driven by gear reduction 180 and electric stepping motor 182. Driving pulses for motor 182 are supplied by electrical leads through slip ring 172 from the bus interface 178. Similarly, the number of pulses is supplied by the central processor through the bus system.
Definitions and Mathematical Relations
The following analysis applies to the case of the preferred embodiment wherein the eccentricity of the two eccentrics is equal although the invention is not so limited. The governing equations are:
TFO=(TFO.sub.o +TFO.sub.i)/2 (3)
E=E.sub.o cos((TFO.sub.i -TFO.sub.o)/2) (4)
TFO.sub.o =TFO-cos.sup.-1 (E/E.sub.o) (5)
TFO.sub.i =TFO+cos.sup.-1 (E/E.sub.o) (6)
N.sub.o =k.sub.i (TFO.sub.o -TFO.sub.o desired) (7)
N.sub.i =k.sub.o (TFO.sub.i -TFO.sub.i desired) (8)
Where:
TFO=the effective orientation of the net eccentricity
E o /2=the eccentricity of each eccentric
E=the effective net eccentricity
TFO o =the Tool Face Orientation of the outer eccentric
TFO i =the Tool Face Orientation of the inner eccentric
N o =number of pulses sent to outer drive motor
N i =the number of pulses sent to the inner drive motor
k o =the angular rotation of the outer eccentric per pulse
k i =the angular rotation of the inner eccentric per pulse
Detailed Eccentric Orientation Procedure
The starting point for this discussion is that the central processor has already determined the desired TFO o and TFO i values such that the remaining task is to set these values into the controlled stabilizer. Referring the FIG. 6a and c, Magnetic detectors 184 and 186 mounted in the rotating element 90' each produce a pulse as they are rotated by the magnets 188 and 190 mounted in the outer eccentric 152 and the inner eccentric 150 at the orientation of maximum eccentricity of each eccentric. The occurrence of each pulse is transmitted by the bus interface 178 through the bus 76" to the central processor where a comparison is made with the TFO information also coming in over the bus from the directional sensor package. The actual existing TFO i and TFO o are thus determined. The central processor compares these actual TFO values with the desired values and calculates N i and N o , the number of stepper motor pulses needed to correct the TFOs to desired values. These values of N i and N o are transmitted over the bus system to the bus interface 178 which then sends N i and N o to stepper motors 182 and 170, respectively. The motors then orient the eccentrics to their exact desired orientation as described above. The magnetic detectors 184 and 186 continuously monitor the TFOs. No further orientation action is normally required until the desired values of TFOs are changed or after long drilling has resulted in some creep in orientation of the non-rotating vane element 92' has occurred.
FIGS. 6d and 6e illustrate setting the TFOs to desired values from initial values 189 of zero illustrated in FIGS. 6a-c. FIG. 6d which illustrates the orienting magnetic pulses 191 and 193 has a linear TFO scale 187 from 0 to 360 degrees and FIG. 6e is the high 34 and right 36 plane of the high, right, ahead coordinate system described in FIG. 2 wherein TFO is measured clockwise from high which is zero. The outer eccentric is rotated to a TFO o desired 195 of 80 degrees and the inner eccentric is rotated to a TFO i desired 197 of 200 degrees. Equation (3) and (4) are used to verify an effective TFO desired 199 of 140 degrees and an effective eccentricity E=0.5E o .
Hydraulic Stabilizer with Multiple Independent Vanes
FIGS. 7a-d illustrate a multi-vane stabilizer with independent hydraulic control of each vane. This method provides full control of the following parameters: (1) magnitude of eccentricity, (2) direction of the eccentricity of the rotating element with respect the borehole, (3) setting of the size of the stabilizer to fit tightly in the borehole, (4) recording of a precision caliper log as drilled, and (5) direct control of the shear force on the bit and, alternately, the shear force to weight-on-bit ratio. FIGS. 7a-d includes a compliant sub element 66' along with allied strain measuring sensors 198 and 200 which will be discussed separately below.
Referring to FIGS. 7a-c, the non-rotating element 92" contains in chambers 204a-d movable vanes 206a-c hydraulically controlled to individually press against the borehole 46 causing element 92" to be positioned eccentrically within the borehole as desired. Rotating element 90" is held in the same eccentric position as element 92" by bearings 94". Each vane 206a-d is equipped with a position sensor 210a-d which enables exact individual placement of each vane. Seals 212a-d ensure pressure tight compartments 214a-d between vanes 206a-d and vane cavities 204a-d. Hydraulic lines 218a-d supply individually controlled hydraulic fluid to the compartments 214a-d. Tension springs 216a-d retract the vanes 206a-d to minimum extension which is within the cavities 204a-d when the hydraulic pressure in compartments 214a-d is minimized providing protection during tripping. The volume 236 between elements 92" and 90" is filled with pressurized hydraulic fluid supplied through duct 220 and sealed in by seals 112'. Incremental depth is provided by a depth wheel insert 202 into vane 206a. Magnetic detector 221 detects the depth indicating magnets in wheel 88'. Depth measurement is described separately, below.
Magnetic detector 226 detects the passing of position indexed magnet 228 providing precise orientation (TFO) of the non-rotating element 92". Pressure sensors 230 and 232 provide inside mud pressure 96 and internal compartment 236 pressure respectively, and are connected to the bus system via interface 201. Pressure sensor 234 provides the annulus mud pressure and is connected to the bus system via data acquisition system 282 and bus interface 280. Strain sensor 200 provides torque on the drill bit. Strain sensor 198 provides both weight-on-bit and bending which is convertible to both bend angle and shear force on the drill bit. Sensor 238 provides mud resistivity data. Power and data bus 76" is connected to other modules through connector 128" and between the rotating element 90" and non-rotating element 92" by interface 242 which can be common slip rings. Network 244 distributes electrical and hydraulic lines between areas of the module. Hydraulic and electronic equipment are housed in compartments 246. Sealed and pressure proof covers 248 provide environmental protection for the equipment.
FIG. 7d shows more detail of the servo controlled hydraulic operations. There are four basic units: a source of pressure compensated hydraulic fluid 250, a source of high pressure hydraulic fluid 252, a hydraulic control package 254, and a smart servo controller 256. Unit 250 consists of annulus mud 258 and spring 110" acting on sealed piston 106" produces hydraulic fluid 104" pressure compensated slightly above the annulus mud pressure. This higher fluid pressure increases seal life by reducing the entrance of mud abrasives into the seals. Conduit 266 supplies hydraulic fluid to unit 252 which consists of an electrically driven hydraulic pump 268 and a high pressure accumulator 270. Conduit 272 supplies high pressure hydraulic fluid to hydraulic control unit 254 which meters the hydraulic fluid individually to the conduits 220 and 218a-d. Conduit 276 returns surplus hydraulic fluid to the input of pump 268. Unit 256 is an electronic processor which contains three sections; a bus interface unit 280 which interfaces via bus 76" with the central processor, a local data acquisition and processing unit, and a servo controller unit 284. A bundle of conductors 286 connects servo controller 284 to the hydraulic controls. Conductor 288 supplies power to the hydraulic pump motor. A bundle of conductors 290 from the data acquisition section 282 accesses the sensors as shown by the conductor numbers. Pressure sensor 230 and 232 data are received through bus 76".
Example Control Processes
To caliper the borehole: 1) central processor instructs unit 256 to caliper via bus 76". 2) Servo controller sets modest and equal hydraulic pressure in all vane control conduits 218a-d. 3) Data acquisition unit 282 reads the vane position sensors 210a-d and transmits data to central processor via bus 76". 4) Central processor calculates the caliper (borehole size) using stored algorithms and stabilizer parameters. To drill a given curvature in a given direction using steering method: 1) The TFO of the non-rotating element 92" is measured by comparing the signal from sensor 226 as magnet 228 passes with the directional sensors. 2) The central processor calculates the required eccentricity and direction. 3) Using the TFO, eccentricity, and direction; the central processor calculates all vane positions required and transmits them via bus 76" to the electronic processor unit 256. 4) The servo controller 284 meters hydraulic fluid via conduits 218a-d until the van position sensors 210a-d read the desired values sent by the central processor. To drill a given curvature in a given direction using shear force method: 1)Determine TFO as above. 2) Central processor calculates shear force to weight-on-bit ratio required to drill desired curvature using stored bit anisotropy tensor and any available formation anisotropy information. 3) Servo controller sets vane pressures 218a-d to obtain measured shear force to weight-on-bit and TFO as calculated. Shear force is dynamically controlled to be comparable with weight-on-bit controlled from surface. To drill a long distance straight ahead in unknown formations: 1) Caliper the borehole as above. 2) Set vanes to hole size with zero eccentricity. 3) Drill ahead collecting and analyzing directional survey data. 4) If and when significant directional departure from straight is observed, central processor calculate, using either the shear force method or the steering method or a combination, vane parameters designed to drill a curvature equal and opposite the observed departure from straight ahead thus compensating for natural properties. 5) Drill and observe and as necessary reiterate the above process.
Mechanical Vanes
Mechanically operated vanes are substituted into non-rotating element 92" in place of the hydraulically operated vanes described above. The same basic functions, magnitude and direction of the offset, size or caliper of the vanes, and force on the vanes are controlled. FIG. 8 shows a cross section through a mechanical vane along the axis of the borehole the same as in FIG. 7a of the hydraulic system. Movable vane 300 is sealed to vane cavity 204' by seal 212' identical to the hydraulic system. Cavity 204' is filled with hydraulic fluid via duct 306 which is pressure compensated slightly above the pressure of the annulus mud for greater seal life and minimum interference with mechanical operation.
Heavy duty screws 308 have mating threads 310 with the vane 300 and are held with virtually no translation possible by clamps 312. The screws 308 are free to rotate about an axis parallel with threads 310 and are induced to do so by rotation of worm gear 314 which engages with ring gear 316 which is integral with screw 308. Gear 314 is rotated by means of drive train 318 when stepper motor 320 rotates shaft 322. The drive train is arranged such that gears 308 turn in the same direction when motor 320 rotates shaft 322. The mechanical vane is operated by information supplied from the central processor via bus 76"' and bus interface 324. The central processor has stored in its memory the factor relating the number of pulses required to move the vane an exact distance. The central processor also keeps track of where the vane is at all times so that to obtain any other position the central processor need only calculate the required sign, vane in or out, and number of pulses and transmit them over the bus 76"' to interface 324. The interface then sequences that number of power pulses with proper sign and power level through lead 327 to the stepper motor 320. The vane extension force is a function of pulse power level used; maximum power is used when power level is not specified.
A vane 300 position sensor 326 is also included and maybe used to check the vane position. This check is accomplished by interface 324 reading the value of the position sensor 326 through lead 328 and transmitting it over bus 240 to the central processor where it is compared with the existing processor value.
Example Control Processes
The mechanical vanes function with rather close analogy to the hydraulic vanes; consequently, the following examples illustrate processes wherein functional differences are largest. The following examples assume a controllable stabilizer similar to the hydraulic system of FIG. 7 except for the substitution of mechanical vanes. To caliper the borehole: (1) Central processor transmits caliper command and caliper pulse power level to interface 324 via bus 76"'. (2) When caliper process is finished, Interface 324 transmits vane position sensor 326 data to central processor via bus 76"'. (3) central processor calculates caliper from sensor 326 data and stored parameters and resets vane position memory to sensor 326 value. (In step 2 the caliper process used the following operations: (a) interface 324 issues a preset small number of full power retraction pulses insuring vane size less than borehole size. (b) interface 324 issues a continuous string of the specified power level extension pulses until sensor 326 reaches a constant value when caliper process is finished.) To drill a given curvature in a given direction using shear force method: (1) Determine TFO as above in hydraulic system. (2) Central processor calculates shear force to weight-on-bit ratio required to drill desired curvature using stored bit anisotropy tensor and any available formation anisotropy information. Further calculate estimated position required and issue pulse data to interface 324 via bus 76'". (3) Interface 324 issue prescribed pulses to vane motors. (4) In an on-going iterative process, central processor monitors shear force and weight-on-bit sensors and issues incremental correction pulses to interface 324 which are relayed on the vane motors in such a manner as to maintain the prescribed shear force to weight-on-bit ratio and direction. Preparation to trip out of hole. (1) Central processor issue trip command (2) Interface 324 issue continuous string of full power retraction pulses until position sensors 326 indicate full retraction of vanes.
Anti-Rotation System
The non-rotating controllable stabilizer system requires that any rotation of the non-rotating element be at a rate lower than the systems ability to update the effective orientation of the system's eccentricity. The frictional drag of smooth faced vanes is normally sufficient to create an acceptably slow rotation or creep but may be insufficient under severe drilling conditions. FIG. 9 is an illustration of an improvement to the face of the vane in contact with the borehole which provides positive control of rotation. Reference numeral 330 is the downward edge and 332 is the face which presses against the borehole wall. Line 334 on the face of the vane 332 is parallel with the axis of the borehole. Knives 136"' serve two basic functions: (1) to cut a groove in the borehole face and (2) follow in the groove. The knives are mounted on the face of the vane substantially parallel with the axis of the borehole as shown by the angle 338 between line 334 and a line 340 representing the axis of the knife. In the absence of torque, the knives should follow precisely in the groove cut by the leading edge 342 in which case the vane will rotate in proportion to angle 338. When angle 338 is zero and the torque is zero, the vane should not rotate. In the practical world of severe drilling conditions, a small angle 338 may be used to counter any creeping tendency. The actual construction of the knives can take many forms. A very simple form is to braze onto the vane face a long thin bar of tungsten carbide with a triangular cross section. In harder formations, the leading edge 342 of such a knife could be faced with a polycrystalline diamond to improve the cutting and wear characteristics. In even tougher conditions, the size of the knife could be progressively increased from a small section 344 to a maximum in a series of steps where each step in size is faced with a special cutter such as the polycrystalline diamond.
Downhole Depth
Directional survey data and the borehole depth are necessary to the process of calculating the well profile. In normal directional drilling practice using MWD, the directional survey data are taken downhole against a clock and telemetered to the surface where the surface depth is recorded against the clock. The two clock referenced measurements of depth and directional data are combined to produce depth referenced directional survey data. In this invention, the hole profile is calculated downhole; consequently, both directional survey data and corresponding depth are required downhole at the time of well profile calculation. Several methods of obtaining downhole depth are described below.
Download Surface Depth
Surface depth can be downloaded to downhole system via the surface-to-downhole communication link. To meet the requirements of downhole well profile calculation, the surface depths which correspond with the depths of the directional sensors at the time all surveys used in the well profile calculation were taken must be downloaded. A typical operation would be to stop drilling approximately every 31 feet to add a joint of drill pipe and while stopped take surveys and record the surface depth at the same time. The surface depth just recorded is the surface measurement of the bit depth and is corrected for directional sensor offset from the bit before telemetry downhole where it is matched with the appropriate directional survey data. This downloaded surface depth is equivalent in accuracy to the standard surface calculation method and is adequate for downhole well profile calculation.
Downhole Incremental Depth
Although the downloaded surface depth is adequate for the purpose of well profile calculation it has two major drawbacks as the only source of depth information downhole. The surface-to-downhole communication link has a very low channel capacity, thus it is inconvenient and expensive to send the required amount of data. Important uses for downhole depth data other than well profile calculation require much higher resolution and higher quality depth data. Higher resolution and quality is needed but the standard of surface measured depth is important to maintain. Both of these criteria are met by downloading the surface measured depth infrequently and adding to it downhole incremental depth measurements made downhole. The equation for the downhole measured depth is:
MD=MD.sub.s +ID (9)
where:
MD--downhole measured depth
MD s --downloaded surface measured depth
ID--integral downhole measured incremental depth since last MD s download
Three methods of obtaining MD are described below.
Magnetic Marker
FIG. 4 shows magnetic marker assembly 80 spaced at a precisely measured distance L from magnetic sensors located uphole.
FIGS. 10a-b illustrates the details of the marker 80. A formation magnetizer 350 is built into the marker assembly 80 which also contains a power and data bus 76"". Interface 354 receives information and power from the bus 76"" and manages the magnetizer driver 356 which supplies current to coil 358. Magnetizer 350 is constructed of high permeability magnetic material. Current flow through coil 358 causes the magnetizer 350 to be magnetized with magnetic poles at its ends which have an intensity dependent on the value of the current. The downhole mud flow is through channel 96 which diverts from the center around the magnetizer.
FIG. 11a illustrates the magnetic marking process and how precise depth increments are obtained. Reference numeral 370 represents the location of the magnetizer 350 in the downhole system 10. Mark 372 was created in the formation by a current pulse through the magnetizer when the system was in the position shown in the upper portion of the illustration and mark 374 was created later when fire system had advanced an incremental distance 376. The incremental distance is shown as L in FIG. 4 and ∂d in FIG. 13a.
Precise spacing of the distance L between the marks is accomplished by using the magnetic sensors 378, spaced a distance L from the marker, to detect the passing of mark 372 and immediately signaling via the central processor, bus 76"" and interface 354 of FIG. 10a, to produce another magnetic pulse thus producing mark 374 spaced a distance L from Mark 372. New formation marks are created at incremental distances L on a continuous basis. Rock formations generally have a high magnetic coercivity requiring high intensity magnetic fields for magnetization; consequently, the marker pulse 380 shown in FIG. 11b has a high intensity of a few thousand oersteds at the pole faces. Although there should be no other significant magnetic materials nearby in the DRD system, a demagnetizing wave 382 follows the marker which serves a magnetic cleaning function. This demagnetizing wave has an initial current magnitude substantially smaller than the marker pulse thus leaving the formation magnetized while demagnetizing the much lower coercivity magnetic materials of the marker assembly and any surrounding DRD system components. The magnetic cleaning wave 382 has a decaying amplitude function as characteristic of demagnetizing systems. The incremental depth resolution of this marker is limited to about one toot to avoid overlapping of the marks.
Depth Wheel
The depth wheel system shown in FIG. 12 is, in one embodiment, an insert 202' which fits into a vane of a non-rotating stabilizer such as shown by 202' in FIG. 7a. The depth wheel 88" in FIG. 12 is completely enclosed within insert 202' except for a small area through which the depth wheel protrudes to contact the formation 46 at point 394. The depth wheel is pressed firmly against the borehole by means of spring 396 through bearing 398 and the axle 400 of depth wheel 88". Depth wheel 88" is constrained to move only in a direction perpendicular to the borehole by caging mechanism 402. The rim 404 of the depth wheel 88" which contacts the borehole 46 is constructed to roll on the borehole surface with a constant rolling circumference; that is, without variable slippage. In the preferred embodiment of this rim 404, the surface consists of very hard, fine, sharp teeth which run parallel with the wheel axis and have a curvature which matches the borehole. These teeth embed slightly into the borehole providing a substantially constant rolling circumference of the depth wheel. Another means of accomplishing a constant rolling circumference is a sharp abrasive particle coating on rim 404.
Depth changes are measured by detecting the passing of magnets 406 by the detector 221'. Electrical leads 410 connects detector 221' to suitable circuitry or bus interface. Detector 221' is composed of multiple magnetic detectors arranged to unambiguously detect depth changes in either deeper or shallower directions. One method for such unambiguous detection is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,114,435 and 4,156,467 which contain a method of encoding borehole depth at the surface location of the well. The magnets 406 are an even number of magnets closely spaced with alternating pole signs. Magnet spacing smaller than one-half inch can be reliably detected providing a depth resolution of one-half inch or less. The depth wheel insert 202' is sealed into the stabilizer vane 412 by means of seal 414 thus maintaining isolation of the interior 416 of vane 412.
Surface Depth Download, Marker, and Depth Wheel Operations
FIGS. 13a-c illustrates the relationship of the three components of downhole depth; surface depth download and two sources of incremental downhole depth, namely, magnetic mark pulses and depth wheel pulses. The surface depth 420 is downloaded at time 422 into surface depth register 424 as indicated by the download pulse 426. In the following description, either the magnetic mark pulses 576, 578 . . . or the depth wheel pulses 428, 430 . . . are the source of the ∂d pulses 432. ∂d 434 is the known or calibrated distance between either the magnetic mark pulses 576 and 578 shown by 436 or the depth wheel pulses shown by 438. A method of calibrating ∂d for the depth wheel pulses is shown in FIG. 13c and will be described below.
The output register of summation circuit 440 increments by a depth amount plus or minus ∂d 434 when a ∂d pulse 432 is received via 442 in accordance with the sign of the ∂d pulse received. Summation circuit 440 output register is reset to zero via 446 each time the surface depth is downloaded; consequently, the current value of the incremental depth since the last surface depth download is contained in the summation circuit 440 output register. Adder 448 sums the value of the last downloaded surface depth 424 received via 450 and the value of the incremental depth since the last download of surface depth 440 received via 452 to obtain the value of the current depth which is sent to the current depth register 454 via 456. The current depth of the drill bit is contained in register 454 at all times. Maximum value circuit 456 extracts the maximum value of the current depth received via 456 which is routed to well depth register 460 as the Total Well Depth known as TD. Adder 462 accumulates incremental time by summing high speed pulses received from clock 464. ∂d pulses sent via 466 cause adder 462 to output the incremental time between ∂d pulses, ∂T, to divider 468 and reset to zero. ∂d pulses received via 460 cause divider 468 to divide the value of ∂d received from ∂d 434 via 470 and output the ratio, ∂d/∂T, via 472 to the ROP register 474 as the Rate-Of-Penetration, ROP, of the drill. This ROP is for the smallest increment of depth, ∂d, just completed.
The value of ROP in register 474 is routed via 476 to ROP adder 478. ∂d pulses via 460 cause the ROP adder 478 register to increment by the value of ROP. The summation of ROP in register 478 is routed to the ROP filter 480 via 482. The value of an adjustable integer 484, N, is set by control 486. Depth interval 488 calculates the depth interval D by multiplying the value of ∂d received via 470 by the value of N received via 489. The value of D is routed to ROP filter 480 via 492. Depth interval pulses 494 which mark the boundaries of the depth interval D are calculated by dividing ∂d pulses received via 460 by the integer N received via 490.
The depth interval pulses 494 are routed via 496 to ROP filter 480. ROP filter 480, upon receiving a depth interval pulse 494, divides the value of summed ROP received via 482 by the value of the depth interval D received via 492 to produce an average value of ROP over the depth interval D. The average ROP is output via 498 to the D interval average ROP register 500 and a pulse is sent via 502 which resets ROP adder 478 to zero. The specific technique of averaging ROP discussed in not intended to limit the method but merely illustrate the method.
FIG. 13c illustrates a method of downhole calibration, or verification, of a downhole incremental depth measuring system by another. The specific example illustrated is the calibration of the high resolution depth wheel shown in FIG. 12 by the high accuracy magnetic marker system shown in FIG. 10a-b and FIG. 11a-b. In FIG. 13c, Depth wheel pulses 510, examples shown in FIG. 13a by 428 and 430, are counted by counter 512. Magnetic mark pulses 514, examples shown in FIG. 13a by 576 and 578, cause counter 512 to forward the current pulse count to pulse count register 520 and to reset to zero. Register 522 stores the accurately known distance L between the magnetic marker and the magnetic mark sensor shown by 436 in FIG. 13a and illustrated in FIG. 4. The ∂d generator 524 calculates ∂d, the distance between ∂d pulses, by dividing the distance L received from register 522 by the number of depth wheel pulses received from count register 520. ∂d generator 524 forwards the value of ∂d to the ∂d register 526. The value of ∂d in register 526 is one source for the value of ∂d used in FIG. 13a ∂d 434.
Compliant Sub and Strain Sensors
The compliant sub is a specially engineered section of the drill collar with generally reduced cross sectional area to provide desired bending (change of direction) and measurement of mechanical strains. Measurement of the mechanical strains, combined with knowledge of the parameters of the system, allows the calculation of critical directional drilling parameters: 1) the ahead force on the bit (weight-on-the-bit), 2) the shear (side) force on the bit, 3) the total angle of bend and its direction, 4) the relative penetration rate of the bit ahead and to the side (curvature of hole) and the direction (of curvature), and 5) the rotary torque on the bit.
The compliant sub may be engineered for optimal performance at any one or combination of these measurements. The compliant sub may optionally be combined with other elements such as a non-rotating stabilizer as is shown in FIG. 7a. FIGS. 14a-e illustrates basic parameters and relations of the compliant sub, strain measurement, and calculation of the drilling parameters. FIG. 14a illustrates the mechanical layout of a borehole 46 containing rotating drill collar 11' with drill bit 30' attached. Cutout A exposes a cross sectional view of a compliant sub 66' of length 550, Lc, inner diameter 552, 2r i , and outer diameter 554 2r o . Drilling mud flows down through the channel 96 in the rotating compliant sub and collar 11'.
A non-rotating controllable stabilizer 92"" is used in conjunction with the compliant sub to provide eccentric offset of the sub 66' in the borehole 46. Strain sensor pair 562a and 562b are mounted parallel to the axis on the indexed high side and low side (180); respectively, of the compliant sub and measure the two surface axial tensional strains. In the same manner, strain sensor pair 564a and 564b, mounted at 45 degrees to the axis, measure the rotary torques. The distance 566 between the compliant sub 66' and the bit 30', L b , is a design parameter. The total force on the bit is measured and specified with three variables: 1) the force along the axis of the bit 568, F w , 2) the shear (perpendicular to axis) force on the bit 570, F s , and 3) the angle of the shear force 570, TFO B , in its high-right plane shown in FIG. 14b, d. Recall from the description of FIG. 2 that the axis of the bit (down) forms the ahead direction of the ahead, high, and right coordinate system used here. FIG. 14a is in the high, ahead plane and FIG. 14b is in the high, right plane. Looking at FIG. 14b, is equivalent to looking directly down the axis of the drill.
The TFO Domain
Tool Face Orientation, TFO, is an industry term meaning the clockwise angle from the high axis in the high, right plane as illustrated in FIG. 14b by the tool face orientation 574, TFO n-r , of the non-rotating element 92"". The TFO domain illustrated in FIG. 14c, and used in FIG. 14d and e, is generated in the local processor by means of timing pulse 580a transmitted from the central processor via the bus system described in discussion of FIG. 4, the DRD System. The timing pulse 580a is incorporated into the local processor clock system coincident with the high side reference indicator 580 on the rotating element 90"' passing the high axis which is defined as TFO=0. FIG. 14c illustrates this clock system wherein a timing pulse 580a initiates the time scale 582 and the next revolution timing pulse 580a' terminates the scale. The scale is converted to a TFO scale 584 by diving it linearly from 0 to 360 degrees. This TFO domain is used in the local processor to describe the high, right plane angles and phase relationships.
The TFO of the non-rotating element 92"" is determined by displaying the pulse 586a generated by the passing of the rotating element 90"' high side reference magnet 580 by the magnetic detector 586 mounted at its reference location in the non-rotating element 92"". The non-rotating element 92"" TFO 574, TFO n-r , of approximately 108 degrees is shown in both FIG. 14b and c. The local processor has this non-rotating controlled stabilizer 92"" TFO information which is necessary to controlling the eccentric parameters of the stabilizer previously described in conjunction with the various types of stabilizers.
The strain sensors 562ab and 564ab are mounted on the rotating element compliant sub 66' with the a sensors aligned with the high side and the b sensors aligned at 180 degrees to the high side providing a known phase relationship with the high side. The output of tensional strain sensors 562a, mounted at high side, and 562b, mounted at 180 degrees from high side, are shown in FIG. 14d. The output of torque strain sensors 564a, mounted at high side, and 564b, mounted at 180 degrees from high side, are shown in FIG. 14e. Note again that all strain signals are detected in the TFO domain. In FIG. 14b, the bit shear force 570, F s , its TFO 572, TFO B , and the causative eccentricity 575 E are shown.
The Strain Sensor Outputs and Drilling Parameter Relationships
The strain sensors are sensitive to unwanted input strains and do not directly measure wanted drilling parameters. Consequently, it is necessary to protect the sensors from certain unwanted strains, arrange the sensors to enhance some strains while eliminating others, and calculate the desired drilling parameters using mathematical relationships appropriate to the particular system design. The following description is based on the relationships shown in FIG. 14a and b and the removal of mud pressure effects as described in association with FIG. 7a.
Tension-compression sensor relations: FIG. 14d illustrates the outputs and relations for the tension-compression sensors 562a and b. Both weight-on-bit and bending forces cause output from these sensors. True weight-on-bit causes a uniform output in both the a and b sensors which is not a function of TFO. Both a and b sensors have a constant and equal output proportional to weight-on-bit. A simple bend of the compliant sub (fixed in space) causes a compressional strain in the compliant sub on the co cave side of the bend and an equal tensional strain on the convex side of the bend. Rotation of the compliant sub while keeping the bend constant in space produces the sensor outputs 562a and 562b shown in FIG. 14d. The strain due to weight-on-bit 590, S w , is obtained by adding the sensor outputs 562a and 562b. The strain due to bending 592 is obtained by subtracting 562b from 562a varies with TFO and has a positive and negative peak value 594, S B . The negative strain peak TFO 596, TFO B , is the direction of the shear force 570, F s . The three measured tension sensor parameters S w , S B , and TFO B are used with the values of the geometrical factors, material properties, and constants to calculate the drilling parameters: (1) ahead force on bit (weight), F w , (2) shear force on bit, F s , and its direction, TFO B , (3) total bend angle of the compliant sub, θ B , and its direction, TFO B +180, and a hole curvature factor, C, and its direction, TFO B . The equations for F w , F s , θ B , and C are:
F.sub.w =S.sub.w Yπ(r.sub.o.sup.2 -r.sub.i.sup.2) (10)
F.sub.s =S.sub.B Yπ(r.sub.o.sup.3 -r.sub.i.sup.3)/L.sub.b, ∠TFO.sub.B (11)
θ.sub.B =S.sub.B L.sub.c /r.sub.o, ∠TFO.sub.B +180 (12)
C=GF.sub.s /A.sub.b F.sub.w, ∠TFO.sub.B (13)
where:
Y--tensional elastic constant, Young's modulus
π--mathematical constant 3.14
r o --outer radius of compliant sub
r i --inner radius of compliant sub
L b --length between bit and compliant sub
L c --length of compliant sub
G--geometric factor for particular system configuration
Torque sensor relations:. FIG. 14e illustrates torque sensor outputs 564a and 564b. These outputs have component signals due to the weight-on-bit and bending as well as torque. The effect of weight is removed by subtracting 564b from 564a giving 564a-564b. This subtracted signal 564a-564b is averaged over one revolution of the compliant sub to yield the constant value of torque strain 598, S T , in FIG. 14e. The equation used to convert the torque strain, S T , into the rotary torque, T, is:
T=S.sub.T Yπ(r.sub.o.sup.4 -r.sub.i.sup.4)/2(1+μ)r.sub.o (14)
where: μ--poisons's ratio for the compliant sub material, ˜0.3 for steel.
A DRD assembly: FIG. 14a is a suitable assembly to utilize the shear force method of directional drilling wherein 600 is either a non-rotating or standard 11 centralizing stabilizer placed at a distance 555, L, from the bit. The eccentricity 575, E, in FIG. 14b is the causative agent for and is proportional to F s . For the assembly in FIG. 14a and b, the parametric control equation is:
E=fkCA.sub.b LF.sub.w, ∠TFO.sub.B +O (15)
where:
L--length between the bit and centralizing stabilizer, FIG. 14a 555
A b --drill bit drilling efficiency anisotropy
k--a constant such that the expected value of f in isotropic formations is one
f--the adaptive factor
O--the adaptive offset
Controlled Stabilizer Modes of Operation
The most salient function of a controlled stabilizer is to control the direction of drilling by controlling, in some manner, the eccentricity of the rotating drill within the borehole. Several non-rotating controllable stabilizers employing a variety of mechanisms to control the eccentricity to various extents have been described. Consequently, different modes of operation are possible; that is, there are different ways to interface the control mechanisms to achieve the same or different drilling results. A few of the many possible modes will be described to illustrate the concept.
Controlled F s /F w ratio mode: This is a preferred mode which requires the following elements: 1) controllable eccentricity, 2) controllable TFO of eccentricity, 3) strain measurements and calculation of F w , F s , and TFO B , and 4) a drilling assembly designed to use the shear force method only. (The desired hole curvature and direction are known from independent consideration not considered a part of this mode.) The appropriate values of F s /F w , and TFO B are calculated to drill the desired curvature and direction. The measured values of F w , F s , and TFO B are continuously monitored and adjusted to produce the desired calculated values of F s /F w , and TFO B by controlling the eccentricity and its TFO. (F w is controlled at the surface by the driller and varies significantly in time. F s and TFO B are controlled downhole via eccentricity and its direction.) The salient aspect of this mode is that one set of parameters, eccentricity and its direction, is manipulated to dynamically maintain another set of parameters, F s /F w and TFO B , at desired values.
Distributed TFO mode: This mode requires a minimum of a non-rotating stabilizer with excessive eccentric offset which has controllable TFO such as in FIG. 5a-c. The desired hole curvature and direction are given. The generic mode is to drill multiple short segments of the hole which have excessive curvature and the TFO of the segments are distributed such that the interval over a group of successive segments has an average curvature and TFO equal to the desired values. A specific and simple variant of this mode is where the TFO distribution has only two values; the desired TFO and the desired TFO plus 180 degrees.
Controlled Eccentricity and TFO: This mode requires a non-rotating stabilizer with independently controllable eccentricity and TFO such as in FIG. 6a-e. The desired hole curvature and direction are given. Calculate the eccentricity required by the particular tool parametrics to drill the desired curvature. Set the stabilizer to this calculated eccentricity in the desired TFO direction.
Controlled Vane Force and TFO: This mode requires a non-rotating stabilizer with independently adjustable vanes such as in FIG. 7a-d. The desired hole curvature and direction are given. Calculate the required individual vane force, or position required to produce that force, as a function of vane TFO required to drill the desired curvature and direction. If the vanes are hydraulically operated either the vane forces or the vane positions are set. If the vanes are mechanically operated the vane positions are set.
Other modes: Many other analytical, deterministic modes exist, too numerous to detail, and are included in the nature of the invention. All deterministic processes produce imperfect results or residual error, however small.
Adaptive mode: The adaptive mode is a supplementary mode and can be used in conjunction with any of the above deterministic modes to reduce any errors in the analytical models and correct the unaccounted for factors such as formation drillability anisotropy and can be used with any control mechanism. The basic process is to compare measured curvature and TFO of the actual drilled hole with the planned or desired values of curvature and TFO and use tiny residual differences to modify the control parameters in such a manner as to offset the residual error. This adaptive mode can be reiterated on each successive section drilled. The salient property of the adaptive mode is the correction for any error observed on the last section drilled in the section ahead.
Predictive mode: The predictive mode is the inclusion into the control settings changes to offset the effects of changing drilling variables at the depths they are predicted to occur. Such predictable changes include changes in drillability anisotropy or crossing of a fault predicted from lithological information such as well logs. The predictive mode is a adjunct to the deterministic modes.
Corrective mode.: The corrective mode is a process of drilling to offset: any deviation of the drilled well profile from the planned well profile. An effective corrective mode is to make a new planned well profile which connects the current drilled well profile to a deeper point on the original planned well profile or other more desirable deeper point.
Drilled Hole Profile
A profile of the well as drilled is calculated downhole in the central processor as directional surveys are taken. Three things are needed to calculate the drilled well profile: (1) directional survey data, (2) the measured depths at which the directional surveys are taken, and (3) a suitable algorithm. Directional survey sensors are state-of-the-art and part of the downhole data acquisition system. Multiple methods and means for acquiring measured depth downhole are a part of this invention described earlier. Several good algorithms for calculating the well profile are state-of-the-art. One or more of these is stored in the processing system. The accuracy of the well profile is enhanced by frequent directional survey data which is available on an essentially continuous basis. The well profile must be calculated with sequentially deeper data and can be current to the last data in.
Stored Well Plan Profile
A desired well plan profile to be drilled is stored in the downhole central processor system. This stored well plan profile may be updated by either of three methods during the course of drilling tile well: (1) the stored p/an may be updated at the surface whenever tile downhole system is tripped out to the surface, (2) Surface-to-downhole data communication can update the well plan, and (3) the well plan may be updated or modified by the down hole central processor. An example of downhole modification of the well plan is the corrective mode described earlier. In general, modifications to the well plan are small and are for the purpose of minimizing dog leg of the hole and improving the accuracy of hitting a desired target.
Automatic Drill Along Planned Profile
All the necessary elements required to automatically directionally rotary drill along or very close to a preplanned deviated three-dimensional well profile have been described; many of which are inventions of new methods and means. The automatic drilling system is capable of drilling non-stop from "spud" to "TD" along the stored well plan profile and through the target with high accuracy and without assistance, instruction, or interference from the surface in any manner. Oil or gas wells are not normally drilled without pulling the drilling system for various reasons such as setting casing, changing drill bits, or making needed repairs.
Hole Quality and Speed
The quality of hole drilled by this automatic rotary system is much higher than that drilled state-of-the-art directional drilling systems. The reasons for this include the following: (1) In conventional systems, the large deviations of the drilled well from the well plan during periods of no directional control which are subsequently corrected by installation of direction drilling systems cause large amounts of curvature or dog leg in the drilled hole. These macro dog leg effects which cause unwanted torque and drag in the drilling system are eliminated by the subject invention. (2) The rotating stabilizers and longer open hole times of the conventional systems cause more wear and erosion of the borehole which contributes seriously to trouble and loss of the hole. (3) In the case of conventional bent housing downhole motor systems, only one equivalent eccentricity is available; consequently, it is selected to be excessive which drills at an excessive rate of curvature at constant TFO and with no curvature when the drill is rotated. Periods of rotation and no rotation are interspersed to achieve a desired average curvature which process leads to excessive micro dog leg causing frictional torque and drag of the drill string. These micro dog legs are eliminated by the subject invention.
The speed of drilling is increased or the time to complete the well is decreased by the new system in the following ways: (1) The new system uses rotary drilling which is much faster than downhole motor drilling (2) The new system saves many trips normally required by conventional systems to change designs, exchange worn motors, etc., and (3) the directional system in no way inhibits the full optimization of rotary drilling parameters such as weight-on-bit, torque, rotary speed or mud flow rate.
DRD SYSTEM OVERVIEW
Automatic Adaptive DRD Along Plan
FIG. 15 is a flow chart of the automatic adaptive DRD process for drilling a directional well along the planned profile. The process operates at two distinct levels of automatic homing on the plan: adaptive directional control 752 and drilled profile control 750. Immediately after start 700, the well plan is located in step 702, including location, curvature, and tool face orientation is loaded into the system memory at the surface before beginning drilling in step 704. In step 706 a decision is made of whether the well plan should be updated. If the decision to update the well plan is "yes", a new plan or modification is supplied from the surface through the downward communication channel in step 708 or by direct wire replacement in step 709 of the well plan memory.
Directional survey data are input in step 716, the surface measured depth, MDs, is downloaded via downward communications from the surface in step 718, and incremental depth data are input and accumulated, ID in step 720. In step 722, the measured depth, MD=MDs+ID, is calculated and the directional data are compiled in the depth domain in step 724. In step 726, this data is used to calculate the drilled well profile including the location, curvature, and tool face orientation.
The drilled well profile control program block 750 asks whether the drilled well location is the same as the well plan location in step 728. If the plan is not the same, a connect plan is calculated in step 730 and substituted for the well plan. The connect plan is typically a relatively short, low curvature plan connecting from the end of the drilled well to a point on the well plan downhole. This connect process assures that the drilled well remains near the well plan and homes on it.
The automatic adaptive directional control process shown by block 752 consists of calculating adaptive parameters in step 732 using an adaptive control equation and then using the equation to calculate servo control parameters in step 734. These control parameters are then maintained by servo mechanisms to provide automatic servo control drilling as shown in step 736.
Drilling is continued until step 738, where a determination is made of whether the target has been reached. If it is determined that the target has not been reached, the system returns to step 704. Otherwise, the automatic DRD process ends in step 740.
The exact nature of the servo control depends on the directional drilling method used (steering method, shear force method, or combination), the geometry of the assembly, the type of controlled stabilizer used, and the actuating means used within the controlled stabilizer, etc.
Details of the adaptive directional control process 752: The following is a list of adaptive directional formulae used in the implementation of adaptive control equation (15): ##EQU2## where: C--curvature, deg./100 ft
C m --measured curvature
C p --planned curvature
σ c --standard deviation of C
d c --deviation in C
f=curvature adaptive factor
N=number of samples
i=control interval indicator
A=TFO, deg. clockwise from high
A m =measured TFO
A p =planned TFO
σ A =standard deviation of A
d A =deviation in TFO
O=TFO adaptive offset
k=response factor; typically 2 to 3
FIG. 16 illustrates the adaptive control process and is a plot of the curvature C, the TFO (tool face orientation) direction A, and lithology as a function of measured depth. The planned values of C p and TFO direction A p are shown as solid lines. The measured values of curvature and standard deviation, C m ±σ c , and the measured values of TFO direction and standard deviation, A m ±σ A , are shown as a dot representing the measured value and bars representing the ±standard deviation. The average value of C m , C m , and A m , A m , are shown as solid lines over the averaged interval of data. The adaptive factor f and adaptive offset O in equation (15) are determined as follows. At the beginning, drilling is begun using f=1 and O=0. After enough drilling to obtain data, the first values of C m ±σ c and A m ±σ A are plotted and the statistical operations described in the adaptive formulae are carried out. The primary functions are: 1) compute the average value of C and A, C m and A m , using the last n measured values of each, 2) compute the average values C p and A p , C p and A p , over the same depth interval as the measured values were averaged, 3) Calculate the deviation in C, d c , and the deviation in A, d A , as in formulae (18) and (23). 4)Determine if f and/or O should be updated using formulae (20) and (25). 5) Update f and O using equations (19) and (24) as indicated-End of operations. The basic function of formulae (20) and (25) is to cause updating of the adaptive parameters only when the data deviate significantly from the planned values. Now back to the data sequence. The first measured values of C and A deviated significantly from the planned values; consequently, new values of f=1.88 and O=-4 were computed and applied as seen in the f and O columns. The value of d A is shown. The value of d c is not shown in the this case. Another set of measured C and A are taken. The statistical tests show no need to update either f or O. A third measured data set trigger an update of f=2.01 but no O update. The value of d c is shown. Nine more sets of measured data are required before the deviation in C becomes statistically significantly to update to f=1.96. The deviation in A remains statistically insignificant. Many more measured data sets are taken with no update in either f of O. Then a change in the lithology 620 is encountered. The first measured C into the new lithology caused an update off=1.76 and a second measured A into the new lithology caused an update of O=-1. These values of the adaptive parameters hold for the rest of the data sequence. Two notable properties should be observed: 1) The adaptive system is responsive to the anisotropic drilling properties of the formation not included in the control equation except as as adaptive parameter and 2) the adaptation to the formation drilling anisotropy (or any element that causes the measured values of C and A to depart from their planned values) is swift and accurate. This speed of reaction is due to the manner in which the measured values are averaged over the last n samples.
Details of the drilled profile control 750: FIG. 17 illustrates a planned well profile 630 with a solid line, a drilled well profile 632 with a dashed line, and a connect plan profile 634. In the magnified view, the connect plan 634' begins at 640 where the drilled well profile 632' ends. The connect plan 634' ends at 642 where it becomes coincident with and in the same direction as the original planned well profile 630'. The connect plan is automatically computed in the downhole system using an algorithm selected to minimize the dogleg. The connect plan method causes the drilled well to continually home on the planned well profile in an optimum manner thus insuring that the drilled well profile always remains very near the plan.
Although the method and apparatus of the present invention has been described in connection with the prefaced embodiment, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications and equivalents as can reasonably be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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An improved method and apparatus for controlling the direction of advance of a rotary drill to produce a borehole profile substantially as preplanned with minimal curvature while maintaining optimum drilling performance. The preferred embodiment of the system comprises a drill string, a rotatable drill bit carried on said drill string, and a compliant subassembly in said drill string, said compliant subassembly facilitating changes in the direction of drilling of said borehole. The system further comprises a plurality of sensors for measuring strains within the compliant subassembly and for producing data signals corresponding to the strain measurements. A control system is operable to use the data signals to change the direction of the borehole by applying a shear force to the drill bit.
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This is a divisional of, application Ser. No. 07/528,925, filed May 25, 1990 U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,822.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to transducer head assemblies for magnetic recording on rotating disk drives, and more particularly to self-loading negative pressure air bearing sliders for use with rotary actuators.
Magnetic head assemblies that fly relative to a rotating magnetic disk have been used extensively. Typically these heads comprise a slider upon whose trailing end a transducer is mounted. Slider designers would like to have the magnetic transducer fly as close to the disk as possible, and have the flying height be uniform regardless of variable flying conditions, such as speed variation from inside track to outside, seeks, and skew caused by rotary actuators. Flying height is viewed as one of the most critical parameters of non-contact magnetic recording.
As disk drives become increasingly compact, rotary actuators with short pivot arms are increasingly employed. However, these actuators increase the difficulty of flying height control because a rotary actuator causes the geometric orientation between the slider fixed to the pivot arm, and the disk rotation tangent, to change as the actuator moves the slider over the disk surface. A measure of this orientation is given by the skew angle 14 as shown in FIG. 1, which is defined as the angle between the slider's longitudinal axis and the direction of disk's tangential velocity. (The "wind" caused by disk rotation is approximately parallel to this tangent.) With the strive towards more compact disk drive packages for applications in smaller more portable equipment, the designer is motivated to use a short actuator pivot arm and thus create rather large skew angles.
However, conventional sliders are very sensitive to skew angle. Even with moderate skew angles in the 10-15 degree range, a conventional slider's fly height and roll angle (defined as the difference in flying height between the inside and outside rails, see FIG. 1b) are adversely influenced.
Increasing the skew angle at a fixed tangential velocity causes the slider pressure distribution to become distorted. This influences the net forces and torque acting upon the slider and results in both decreased flying height and increased roll. Because a transducer is located at the trailing edge of a rail (as is conventional) roll affects transducer performance because of greater flying height variations.
The effect of flying at a skewed angle also extends slider lift off thereby increasing wear and exacerbates the negative effects of rapid seek. Furthermore, conventional sliders are very sensitive to disk surface speeds. With linear actuation (skew angle is a constant 0°), flying height is higher at outer disk radii. While this may be alleviated somewhat with optimized rotary actuator designs, the flying height is still dependent upon disk speed.
A conventional "zero load" or negative pressure air bearing ("NPAB") slider can achieve a flying height substantially independent of disk speeds. However, at skewed conditions, the NPAB exhibits excessive roll and average flying height loss because the downstream rail receives little air from the negative pressure cavity while at the same time the upstream rail is receiving air at ambient pressure.
The art needs a negative pressure air-bearing slider having a near constant, but low, flying height when used in conjunction with short arm rotary actuators and/or with high seek velocities wherein reading from a disk during seek is continued, for example, to read track addresses. Preferably, the slider will exhibit little or no roll over a wide variation in skew angles. The slider would also preferably have rapid take-off but still fly low at full speed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a negative pressure air-bearing slider having reduced skew angle effects. In one configuration isolation channels situated on the inside of the "catamaran" rails of the slider, adjacent the negative pressure cavity, provide air to the downstream rail when the slider is skewed, which increases the pressure at this rail and thereby decreases slider roll.
In one variation, the edges of the rails communicating with the channels are chamfered to provide an air "scoop" when a rail is sliding at skew and is downstream from a channel. The additional air aids in pressurization of the downstream rail.
Additionally, the upstream edges of the rails are similarly chamfered to provide the same effect when a rail is sliding at skew with its upstream edge into the "wind". Increasing pressurization at both the upstream and downstream rail at skew lessens the reduction in overall flying height caused by skew.
The loss of flying height at skew may be further lessened by partially spoiling the negative pressure in the negative pressure cavity in response to skew. In one configuration, angled air channels are provided into the cavity. Air flow into the cavity increases with skew as the channels increasingly align with the direction of slider motion or wind direction.
The use of isolation channels causes the NPAB to have greater sensitivity to flying speed because of the reduced interaction of the positive and negative pressure effects. The increase in flying height at higher disk surface speeds can be lessened either by shortening or widening the isolation channel separating rail near the trailing edge of the flyer. Further improvement can be provided by a centrally positioned island located at the trailing edge of the negative pressure cavity. This island can then be used to mount a centrally positioned transducer.
The spoiler channels may be preferably combined with a divided negative pressure cavity to more greatly reduce negative pressure effects in the downstream cavity. This raises the downstream side of the slider and reduces roll.
Fast take-off is provided by increasing lift at the forward edge of the slider and spoiling negative pressure at low speeds. In a preferred embodiment, the forward lift is provided by extending the area of the forward tapered surface. However, without compensation, a large forward taper causes the slider to fly too high at speed and further is far too responsive to speed variation from inside to outside disk tracks. Compensation is provided by a pressure reduction channel behind the leading taper and in front of the negative pressure cavity cross rail. This "anterior" pressure reduction channel reduces and flattens the response curve of overall flying height versus speed but still provides a faster take-off than conventional designs.
A low speed, negative pressure spoiler is provided by either a choke gap or a resistive flow channel in the cross rail. At low speeds, air traverse the choke or channel in volumes sufficient to spoil the negative pressure. However, at high speeds the spoiler's capacity limitations have a significantly reduced effect on negative pressure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1a is bottom plan view of a conventional H-shaped NPAB slider and an illustration of the angle defined to be skew angle.
FIG. 1b is an illustration showing, in great exaggeration, roll for a NPAB slider under influence of wind from the direction shown in 1a.
FIG. 1c is a partial side plan view showing a slider riding on an air bearing above a disk surface.
FIGS. 2a-2d are various views of the conventional H-shaped negative pressure air-bearing slider as modified with isolation channels according to the present invention, including in FIG. 2c a deep version of the isolation channel and wherein the rail edges are stepped; and FIG. 2d having a shallow version of the isolation channel and wherein the rail edges are chamfered.
FIGS. 3a-3k are bottom plan views of alternative configurations of a NPAB slider having isolation channels of the present invention.
FIGS. 4a-4f are bottom plan views of alternative embodiments of the present invention having a take-off assist spoiler and either isolation channels or a divided negative pressure cavity, (FIG. 4f has both).
FIG. 5a-5g are bottom plan views of alternative embodiments having fast take-off extended front tapers and anterior pressure reduction channels.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1a is a bottom plan view of a conventional H-shaped NPAB slider 10 flying into wind 12 at an angle θ. The source of the wind is the rotation of the disk surface below the slider, movement of the slider relative to the surface by the disk drive's actuator arm (not shown) during seek, and/or the wind from the sweeping action of the rotating disk surface.
The conventional NPAB slider 10 has two "high pressure" rails 20 and 22 (each of which has a leading taper 25, 27 respectively for funnelling air under the rails) a cross rail 24, a negative pressure cavity 28, and a leading cavity 26.
With the wind impacting the slider 10 as shown in FIG. 1a, leading (or upstream) rail 22 remains pressurized, but to a lesser extent than when the slider 10 is flying directly into the wind with a skew angle of 0°, both because of the shortened rail length relative to the direction of motion and because of the diminished effect of the forward tapers which act as "scoops" to funnel air under the rails. As the negative pressure cavity does not permit air to traverse laterally to the trailing (or downstream) rail 20, much less air reaches this rail for pressurization. The net result is that the leading rail 22 drops slightly, the trailing rail 20 drops even more and entire slider 10 flies at a reduced height.
FIG. 1b shows slider roll in great exaggeration. Normally, slider 10 will fly about eight microinches off the disk surface 11 with each rail 20, 22 about the same distance from the disk surface 11. If the slider's motion relative to a disk tangent is skewed (θ>0° or θ<0°), the conventional slider rolls. A two micro inch difference in flying height between the trailing and leading rails 20 and 22 is considered to be a large roll.
In FIG. 1b, H ROLL is the difference in flying height of the two rails 20 and 22, and H MIN is the flying height of the lowest rail (in this case rail 20). Significantly, when slider 10 rolls, H MIN also decreases from its value when there is zero roll. If H MIN decreases too much, not only is transducer performance affected, but the head could "crash", causing catastrophic failure.
FIG. 1c is a partial side plan view of the slider 10 flying close to disk surface 11. As stated above, typical flying heights are eight microinches.
The conventional H-shaped slider 10 has a leading cavity 26, which is preferably made deep, and which may be a cut through the whole slider body. This leading cavity 26 reduces the flying pitch of the slider 10 and thereby the height to which it would otherwise fly.
Just aft of the leading cavity 26 is a cross rail (or cross bar) 24. The cross rail 24 is preferably recessed slightly (by about forty microinches from the level of the rails 20, 22. This prevents small particles of debris from collecting in the leading cavity 26. The recess in the cross rail 24 slightly reduces the negative pressure effectiveness of the negative pressure cavity 28. However, it also allows some air into the negative pressure cavity 28 on take-off to reduce the negative pressure holding the slider 10 to the disk surface 11.
The use of the recessed cross rail 24 is optional. It has been included as an example in several of the embodiments that follow in the Figures. The importance of a recessed cross rail is not a requirement for obtaining the beneficial effects of the other features described.
Typically, the negative pressure cavity 28 will be a recess 350 microinches deep from the level of the rails 20 and 22. The conventional slider body is typically 0.125" wide, 0.160" long and 0.034" high. The leading tapered edges 25 and 27, taper to a depth of 200 microinches from the level of the rails 20, 22. Each rail 20, 22 is approximately 0.026" wide and the cavity 28 is 0.071" wide at the cross rail 24. Unless otherwise mentioned, the dimensions of the sliders of the preferred embodiments are generally similar to the dimensions of the conventional H-shaped NPAB slider 10 of FIGS. 1a-1c. It should be noted that the slider dimensions can be scaled up or down to achieve larger or smaller sliders with similar characteristics.
FIG. 1c also shows a feature which is not found in the prior art: a step 29 in cavity depth of cavity 28. This feature will be discussed in more detail later.
The first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 2a-2d. Isolation channels 30 and 32 extending from the forward edge of the slider to the trailing edge are located adjacent to the inside of the positive pressure rails 20 and 22 and provide a source of near ambient pressure air along their length. When a slider is flying at a skewed angle, the trailing rail 20 draws air from channel 32 to pressurize and lift the slider on the downstream side, thus reducing roll. Located between channels 30 and 32 and negative pressure cavity 28 are separating rails 22' and 20', respectively.
FIG. 2b is a detailed cross section showing rail 22, isolation channel 30, separating rail 22' and negative pressure cavity 28. The channels 30 and 32 are made relatively deep and wide (e.g., 0.004"×0.004") in order to provide as little pressure drop along their length as possible.
FIG. 2c shows a similar cross section of rail 22, isolation channel 30, cavity 28 and the isolation channel separating rail 22' separating the isolation channel from the cavity. In the embodiment of FIG. 2c the edges of the rails include steps 21, 23 for easing the transition of air from a rail edge to the rail itself. These optional edges are preferably chamfered as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2d. However, processing chamfered edges is difficult, while steps can be formed from conventional processes such as ion milling.
The inside step 23 eases the transition of air from the channel 30 to the rail 22 when the channel is "upstream" from the rail and aids in pressurization along the entire length of the rail. Step 21 similarly aids in pressurization of the rail 22 along its entire length when it is flying upstream to the rail (into the wind).
In FIG. 2c, rail 22 is 0.02" wide, channel 30 is 0.004" wide, and isolation channel separating rail 22' is 0.002" wide. The key feature of the isolation channel separating rail 22' is that it have sufficient width to isolate the cavity 28 from the channel 30, but not be sufficiently wide to act as a rail itself.
FIG. 2d is a similar cross-section of an alternative relatively shallow isolation channel 30'. Because of the shallow depth, the air pressure along the channel 30' increases above ambient fore to aft. Unlike the deep channel 30 of FIG. 2c (which has near ambient pressure along its length), in FIG. 2d the shallow channel air pressure will be a complex function of flying speed and skew angle as well as position (along its length). Nevertheless, the shallow channel 30' provides a similar benefit of reducing roll and loss of flying height over a range of skew angles.
Also, the isolation channel 30' and steps or chamfers may not necessarily have constant width or depth along their length. It should be noted also that the negative pressure cavity 28 need not be a constant depth. The cavity depth may be stepped as at 29 of FIG. 1c (which is not prior art) or tapered in a variety of configurations to alter the negative pressure characteristics. These are variables the designer can manipulate for a specific application to provide custom flying performance.
In FIG. 2d, rail 22 is 0.02" wide, channel 30' is 0.004" wide, and isolation channel separating rail 22' is 0.002" wide. The depth of channel 30' is approximately the same depth as negative pressure cavity 28 (i.e., 350 microinches in the preferred embodiment). The chamfers 21 and 23 are each approximately the same width as channel 30' (0.004"), and taper to a depth of about 40 microinches in the preferred embodiment.
FIGS. 3a-3k show alternative isolation channel embodiments. In FIG. 3a, both the width of the leading cavity 26 and the trailing portion of the negative pressure cavity 28 are reduced, with corresponding expansions of the leading taper and trailing rail widths. This configuration provides for faster take-off, but the large trailing rails and smaller trailing negative cavity reduce pitch and reduce the increase in flying height at higher speeds.
In FIG. 3b, the isolation channels 30 and 32 are angled into and intersect the leading cavity 26. As skew increases, air flow into the channel 30 or 32 more aligned with the direction of motion increases, while air flow into the other decreases. The net result is that more air is available to pressurize the trailing rail thus reducing roll.
In FIG. 3c, the leading cavity 26 is even further reduced and the cross rail 24 is made arrowhead shaped to enhance the funneling effect of air into the downstream isolation channel. Moreover, the increased frontal area provides greater lift, especially on take-off.
In FIG. 3d, the size of the cross rail is reduced from FIG. 3c so that it is now "V" shaped and the isolation channels 30 and 32 are widened to consume the entire leading cavity or recess. This design reduces over-pressure at the leading edge during high speed operation, increases the air flow into the downstream isolation channel and thus the skew compensation and further increases the size of the negative pressure cavity 28 for lower flying height.
FIG. 3e is similar to FIG. 3b, however here the entire cross rail 24 is recessed. Further, isolation channels 30 and 32 are shallower, and broader than the isolation channels shown in FIG. 3b. Thus their capacities are increased so that they provide an adequate source of air to pressurized rails 20 and 22. Furthermore, the rails include edge steps (or tapers) 21 and 21' and 23 and 23' to ease pressurization at skew as discussed above. A key feature of this design is that the negative pressure cavity 28 and isolation channels 30 and 32 are approximately the same depth so that they may be formed during a single ion milling step. As well, cross rail recesses 24 and steps 21, 21', 23, and 23' are approximately the same depth so that they may be formed during a single ion milling step.
In FIG. 3e, the overall length and width of the slider is 0.160"×0.121". The outside edge steps 21 and 21' are 0.004" wide. The inside steps 23 and 23' are 0.002" wide. The isolation channels 30 and 32 are 0.006" wide. The isolation channel separating rails 20' and 22' are 0.002" wide. The negative pressure cavity 28 at its forward end is 0.066" wide, and at its trailing end is 0.589" wide. The leading edge taper 25, 27 is 0.014" wide. The length and width of the leading cavity 26 is 0.589"×0.031". The length of the cross rail 24 at its leading edge is 0.040", and its length at its trailing edge is 0.070"; its width is 0.013". The distance from the leading edge to the first channel bend is 0.070", and to the second bend is 0.125". The depth of the steps 21, 21', 23 and 23' and cross bar 24 recess is 40μ.
FIG. 3f is a design similar to that of FIG. 3d with straight-angled isolation channels 30 and 32. The straight-angled channels are provided by removing the final outward bend therein. The longer angled inside edge of the downstream rail is more effective in pressurizing the air supplied by the adjacent isolation channel 30 or 32, thus improving the roll compensation versus skew angle.
FIG. 3g is a design similar to that of 3f with the addition of a recess to cross rail 24, steps 23 and 23' along the trailing portions of rails 22 and 20 respectively, and steps 21 and 21' in the outside edges of the rails. The steps further improve the pressurization of the downstream rail. The recess in the cross rail 24 reduces the chance of debris collection at the cross rail 24 and further aids in breaking the negative pressure cavity 28 vacuum at take-off.
FIGS. 3h-3j show alternative isolation channel arrangements designed to reduce the flying height sensitivity of the flyer to increased disk speed.
In FIG. 3h, the isolation channels 30 and 32 do not extend the full length of the rails 20 and 22, but instead terminate and communicate with the negative pressure cavity 28. An increase in flying height at higher speeds can be lessened by shortening the isolation channel separating rails 20' and 22'. This allows greater interaction of the positive and negative pressure effects.
In FIG. 3i, the isolation channel separating rails 20' and 22' are widened at the trailing end of the negative pressure cavity 28 to provide greater lift there.
In FIG. 3j, an island 52 is formed in a center region of the negative pressure cavity 28 adjacent the trailing edge of the cavity. The island 52 is substantially the same height as the rails 20 and 22. A tapered or stepped forward end 54, increases pressurization of the island 52. The island 52 improves the flying characteristics of the slider by reducing fly height variation. Preferably, the slider has a near flat flying profile between an inner and an outer radius of the disk. In other words, the slider preferably flies at substantially the same height above the disk surface 11 (shown in FIG. 1c) at the inner radius as it flies at the outer radius. However, the velocity of the air being dragged between the slider and the disk at the inner radius is less than the velocity at the outer radius. As a result, the positive pressure that builds along the rails 20 and 22 is less at the inner radius than at the outer radius causing the slider to fly lower at the inner radius than at the outer radius.
The island 52, however, reduces the effects on flying height caused by changes in the air velocity. At low speeds, the air traveling beneath the island 52 pressurizes the island and produces lift at the trailing edge of the slider. This lift increases the fly height at the inner radius of the disk. At high speeds, the effective pressure on the island 52 is diminished, relative to the increasing effects of the negative pressure cavity 28. Therefore, the island 52 has almost no effect on fly height at the outer radius of the disk. The overall result is a flatter flying profile between the inner radius and the outer radius of the disk. The fly height variation is further reduced by positioning the transducer on the island 52 since the island is generally coincident with a roll axis (not shown) of the slider.
FIG. 3k shows isolation channels 30 and 32 terminating generally adjacent to side rail break points. The break points are where side rails 20 and 22 begin to broaden toward the trailing edge of the slider. The isolation channels 30 and 32 shown in FIG. 3k are shorter than those shown in FIG. 3h and allow for greater interaction of the positive and negative pressure effects to further decrease flying height.
FIG. 3k also shows the edge steps 21 and 21'. However, unlike FIG. 3e, steps 21 and 21' do not extend the full length of the rails 20 and 22 but terminate generally adjacent to the side rail break points. The terminated edge steps 21 and 21' ease pressurization of the rails at skew and provide a large rail surface area near the trailing edge. Increasing the rail surface area near the trailing edge increases pressure on rails 20 and 22 during flight. The increased pressure stabilizes slider flight and provides a constant flying height through varying skew angles. =p FIGS. 4a-4f illustrate selective spoiling of the negative pressure in cavity 28 to both shorten take-off and compensate for skew effects.
FIG. 4a illustrates the basic spoiler concept. Here a circuitous, spoiler channel 31 is formed in cross rail 24 to communicate air between leading cavity or recess 26 and cavity 28. Spoiler channel 31 functions similarly to a recessed cross bar in reducing take-off speeds. The air flow through the spoiler channel 31 is proportional to the pressure difference across the cross bar 24. The dimensions of the spoiler channel 31 must be chosen so that there will not be a large reduction in the negative pressure within the cavity 28 at higher flying speeds. Skew compensation is provided by isolation channels 30 and 32.
Another variation of the negative pressure spoiler is shown in FIG. 4b. Here the spoiler channel 31 is slit into two angled segments. The effect of these angle channel segments increases when flying at positive or negative skew angles. These spoiler channels 31 help reduce the overall loss of flying height when flying at skew angles. Isolation channels 30 and 32 are angled into leading cavity 26 and perform in a similar fashion to those described for FIG. 3b.
FIG. 4c additionally provides a negative pressure cavity divider bar 36 whose head 36' is arrow-shaped to provide two angled spoiler channels 31' and 31" leading to negative pressure cavities 28' and 28" respectively. Spoilers 31' and 31" assist in breaking negative pressure on take-off, and the angles retard air entry into the cavities 28' and 28" at speed. However, when the slider flies at a skew angle, one of the spoiler channels will begin to line up with the direction of motion and more air will enter the corresponding downstream cavity, thereby reducing negative pressure effects in that cavity. Correspondingly, the other spoiler channel will become less aligned with the direction of motion and less air will spoil the negative pressure in the upstream or leading cavity thereby increasing its negative pressure effects. Overall negative pressure effect will be approximately the same, however, the tendency of the slider to roll with the leading rail high will be lessened by the increased negative pressure in the leading cavity and the reduced negative pressure in the trailing cavity.
FIG. 4d shows another variation on the same theme. Here the divider bar 36 is slightly shortened and a leading triangular block 34 is added. Block 34 acts to reduce spoiling air flow into cavities 28' and 28" with no skew to a greater extent than the design of FIG. 4c. Spoiler channels 31' and 31" are now crossed. Air flows through the crossed spoiler channels 31' and 31" in a generally constricted manner as with the other spoiler channels. However, when one of the channels becomes more aligned with the direction of motion, the flow therethrough increases while flow simultaneously decreases in the other channel. With better alignment, overall flow increases into the downstream negative pressure cavity, 28' or 28". With appropriate dimensions, the crossed spoiler channels 31' and 31" can be made to function as a fluidic-type device whereby the differences in the quantity of air flow to the divided cavities 28' and 28" can be greatly enhanced providing a greater amount of slider roll compensation.
FIG. 4e shows an alternative-spoiler design. Here a choke 31a is employed which passes air at low speeds but which causes air flow to approach a constant at higher flying speeds when the speed of the air within the choke 31a approaches sonic velocities. Thus, the primary spoiling effect of air through the choke 31a occurs at low speed. This improves the take-off characteristics at low speeds without spoiling the negative pressure as much at higher speeds.
FIG. 4f shows an alternate spoiler channel location when isolation channels 30 and 32 are included. The spoiler channels 31 may be located to communicate through the isolation channel separating rails 22' and 20' between the negative pressure cavity 28 and the isolation channels 30 and 32. Here the negative pressure cavity is divided into two cavities 28' and 28" and the isolation channels 30 and 32 are inclined into the leading cavity 26. At skew, the pressure in the downstream isolation channel increases, thereby increasing the spoiling effect of the downstream cavity. Thus, roll is decreased by having relatively greater negative pressure in the upstream cavity. This design has some similarities to the design in FIG. 4b. Here the spoiler channels 31' and 31" are moved around to the sides and a divider bar 36 is added.
FIGS. 5a-5g illustrate several variations of a highly enlarged leading edge taper section 25, 27 which increase lift to provide for shorter take-off. Each variation includes a pressure reduction channel 41 anterior the cross rail to both reduce the over pressure of the leading taper at speed and also to maintain a high degree of negative pressure in cavity 28.
FIG. 5a illustrates the basic concept. A broad leading taper 25, 27 is provided. Just aft of the leading taper and anterior a negative pressure cavity 28 pressure relief channel 41 is provided. Preferably, this channel connects to ambient air pressure to vent air flowing past the leading taper 25, 27. In FIG. 5a, the vent is provided by channel 40 leading to the forward edge of the slider.
The pressure relief channel anterior the negative pressure cavity prevents air scooped up by the leading taper from entering the negative pressure cavity 28 to spoil the negative pressure. This results in a slider that has both good take-off characteristics and low flying height. It has also been found to have a relatively constant flying height versus speed, a desirable property, and a higher flying height at low speeds than a conventional NPAB slider. =p FIG. 5b illustrates a variation which provides two lateral access channels 40' and 40" from the leading edge of the slider to the anterior pressure relief channel 41. Additional edge steps or tapers 42' and 42" communicating between the leading sections of rails 20 and 22 and the access channel 40' and 40" act, in conjunction with access channels, to provide air to the leading portion of the downstream or inside rail at skew. Cross rail 24 is shown recessed in this design. The effect is similar to a limited isolation channel and may be particularly useful for sliders having only small skew angle variations.
FIG. 5c illustrates a variation which provides two lateral access channels 40' and 40" from the leading edge of the slider to the anterior pressure relief channel 41. These access channels are in turn connected to isolation channels 30 and 32. This design provides a high degree of skew compensation with good take-off and flying height properties.
FIG. 5d illustrates a variation which provides two lateral access channels 40' and 40" communicating between the pressure relief channel 41 and the side edges of the slider. These channels are in turn connected to isolation channels 30 and 32. This design provides pressure reduction along the entire length of the leading taper 25, including in front of rails 20 and 22. As well, an optional spoiler channel 31 connects from the anterior pressure relief channel to the negative pressure cavity 28 to assist in take-off as above described.
In this design, the frontal area of the leading taper 25 is maximized for fast take-off while the isolation channels provide skew compensation. The presence of pressure relief channel 41 in front of rails 20 and 22 reduces their effectiveness slightly so that high speed over-pressure from the large leading taper 25 is reduced.
FIG. 5e is another variation which connects the anterior pressure relief channel 41 to ambient air through isolation channels 30 and 32. Here the leading edge 25 frontal area is again maximized for fast take-off, skew compensation is provided by the isolation channels 30 and 32. Pressurized air flowing past the front taper 25 enters the pressure relief channel 41 and exits through isolation channels 30 and 32. At skew, this air tends to preferably flow into the downstream isolation channel, which enhances skew compensation. This design includes a recessed cross bar 24 which increases the air flow in the isolation channels 30 and 32.
FIG. 5f is another variation which provides a single anterior pressure relief channel 41 spanning the slider side edge-to-side edge. Air flowing past taper 25 exits through this channel 41. However, rail edge tapers or steps 44' and 44" connected to the channel 41 help pressurize the rail from this source of air.
FIG. 5g illustrates another variation very similar to that of FIG. 3c. This configuration has the anterior pressure relief channel 41 of FIG. 5a connected to isolation channels 30 and 32. However, the pressure relief channel 41 is angled or V-shaped so that air will tend to flow to the downstream isolation channel (30 or 32) enhancing skew compensation.
At the trailing edge of the slider, the negative pressure cavity 28 vents into channel 50, which communicates with the side edges of the slider. As well, isolation channels 32 and 30 have side vents 46' and 46", respectively. The combination of side vents permits the transducer bearing portion 48 of the head to be a solid rail, which gives more area for transducer elements and eliminates the need to machine-off a portion of the transducer materials during manufacture. This is important for certain machining methods (e.g. laser machining) that cannot remove all of the transducer materials effectively.
The designer will appreciate that the described isolation channels 30 and 32, anterior pressure relief channel 41, leading edge tapers 25, 27, spoiler channels 31, cavity dividers 36, and other particulars herein described, may be selectively combined in other ways to produce a NPAB slider having optimum properties for a given application.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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A negative pressure air-bearing slider supports a transducer proximate a rotating disc. The slider includes a slider body having a surface with a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a first and second side edges. First and second raised side rails are positioned along the first and second side edges, respectively. A raised cross rail is positioned near the leading edge and extends between the side rails. A negative pressure cavity trails the cross rail and is positioned between the side rails. The negative pressure cavity develops subambient pressure during flight. A raised island forms an air-bearing surface positioned at the trailing edge and between the side rails. The island has a forward edge which is raised from the negative pressure cavity and is recessed from the air-bearing surface to increase pressurization of the air-bearing surface. The air-bearing surface increases lift and slider flying height at the trailing edge at low disc speeds. At high disc speeds, the air-bearing surface has a diminished effect relative to an increased subambient pressure effect of the negative pressure cavity which provides a more even flying height over inner and outer data tracks on the disc surface.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/963,486, filed Sep. 27, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,847,674, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally involves chemical lasers. More particularly, the present invention involves an improved chemical laser configuration for space and ground applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional linear lasers provide a single chemical laser gain region from a combustion chamber as shown in FIG. 1 . With this configuration, mass efficiency is limited by heat loss to the large surface area i.e., three sides of the combustion chamber. The high weight of the conventional laser is driven by the structural requirement to contain combustion gases at high pressure and high temperature. Finally, the medium quality of the conventional laser is degraded with increasing device length and power due to systematic optical path disturbances in gain medium that cannot be compensated.
The use of a chemical reaction to produce a continuous wave chemically pumped lasing action is well known. The basic concept of such a chemical laser is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,215, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. As therein described, the continuous wave chemical laser includes a plenum in which gases are heated by combustion or other means to produce a primary reactant gas containing dissociated atoms of a reactant element such as fluorine mixed with diluting gases, such as helium or nitrogen. The resulting reaction between the hydrogen (or deuterium) and fluorine produces vibrationally excited HF or DF molecules. These molecules are unstable at the low temperature and pressure condition in the cavity and return to a lower vibrational state by releasing photons. Mirrors spaced in the cavity along an axis transverse to the flow field amplify the lasing action from the released photons within the optical cavity formed by the mirrors. The lasing action is of the continuous wave type, which is pumped by the high-energy vibrationally excited molecules formed in the optical cavity. The lasing action depends on producing vibrationally excited states in the HF or DF molecules. This in turn requires that the molecules be formed under conditions of low temperature and pressure. As the pressure and temperature increase, the number of vibrationally excited molecules decreases and more energy goes into translational movement of the molecules, defeating the lasing action.
Cylindrical lasers as illustrated in FIG. 2 provide compact packaging of the gain generator, but require large volumes for handling the radial outflow of laser exhaust gas. End domes are required to contain the combustion products with atomic fluorine in the chamber. The domes are large surface area, heavy structural members that reduce mass efficiency from heat loss effects. Gain medium optical path disturbances increase with cylinder length and cannot be compensated, thereby limiting length and power scaling. Cylindrical combustion devices and optics for power extraction require stringent tolerances during fabrication and alignment, resulting in very high costs for a fragile beam generator. Conventional linear and cylindrical lasers experience large temperature gradients in the structure resulting in time-varying medium quality and laser performance. The radial flow of laser gas lowers the mass flux at the entrance to the diffuser, resulting in lower pressure recovery than linear flow devices.
A low-pressure hydrogen fluoride (HF) laser is a chemical laser, which combines heated atomic fluorine (produced in a combustion chamber similar to the one in a rocket engine) with hydrogen gas to produce excited hydrogen fluoride molecules. The light beam that results radiates on multiple lines between 2.7 μm and 2.9 μm. These wavelengths transmit poorly through the atmosphere. Conventional HF lasers utilize primary nozzles, referred to as hypersonic low temperature or HYLTE nozzles, the surfaces of which are smooth, curved planes that result in nearly parallel flow of gases at the exit of the nozzle. Helium and hydrogen cavity fuel are injected at oblique angles from the nozzle sidewalls. Mixing, reaction and laser gain are produced internal to the primary nozzles and in the downstream optical cavity region. A large base region is formed between adjacent primary nozzles. In a process referred to as helium base purge, helium or other gas must be introduced into these base regions to prevent recirculation of laser gas with ground-state HF that would reduce laser gain and mass efficiency. Conventional HYLTE nozzle configurations wherein hydrogen is injected with wall-jets produces gain internal to the primary nozzle and the large base region between the adjacent primary nozzles is subsonic helium flow that produces no gain. Further, there are flow regions at the laser cavity exit with unmixed atomic fluorine, hydrogen rich regions, and a large subsonic base flow region. These attributes of the conventional HYLTE nozzle result in inefficiencies within the HF laser and a significant loss of power.
There is a need in the art for a laser and nozzle configuration that reduces the inefficiencies currently found in the conventional configurations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
1. Summary of the Problem
Available chemical lasers, including linear and cylindrical lasers, have limited mass efficiency due to heat loss and are structurally burdensome and heavy. Power is limited due to optical path disturbances resulting from the need for longer combustion chambers. Further, conventional chemical lasers experience large temperature gradients, which result in time-varying medium quality and reduced laser performance. Finally, available nozzle configurations are in efficient due to a number of non-gain regions resulting therefrom.
2. Summary of the Solution
An embodiment of the present invention includes a chemical combustion laser component comprising: a first and a second gain region, a combustion region, and a first and a second nozzle blade, wherein the first and second nozzle blades separate the combustion region from the first and second gain regions.
In a further embodiment, each of the first and second nozzle blades is comprised of a primary structure and a secondary structure, wherein the primary structure is formed from a first material and the secondary structure is formed of a second material.
In a yet a further embodiment of the present invention, the second material is able to withstand higher temperatures than the first material.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, the first material is aluminum and the second material is nickel.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, the first and second nozzle blades are self-cooling.
In still a further embodiment of the present invention a component for a combustion laser comprises: at least one inlet manifold for receiving and distributing combustion fuel; at least one upper manifold sheet having holes therein for receiving combustion fuel from the at least one inlet manifold and further distributing the combustion fuel; at least one pair of nozzle blade structures for receiving the combustion fuel from the at least one upper manifold sheet; and at least one lower manifold sheet, wherein the at least one inlet manifold, the at least one upper manifold sheet, the at least one pair of nozzle blade structures, and the at least one manifold sheet are stacked one on the other and affixed one to the other in a stacked relationship.
In still a further embodiment of the present invention, each of the nozzle blade structures includes a primary nozzle having a serrated tip.
These embodiments result in a combustion laser having lighter weight (e.g., per unit flow area), a more compact, flexible configuration for packaging in spacecraft, aircraft, or ground mobile vehicles, higher mass efficiency from lower heat loss and proven power extraction efficiency of linear lasers, superior output beam quality by incremental compensation of gain medium optical path disturbances and by reduction in time-dependent variations in structural and gain medium characteristics, lower cost and shorter fabrication time for modular dual flow laser and linear optics, more efficient pressure recovery with side-wall isolation nozzles and compact diffuser configurations, and increased small signal gains for more efficient extraction of overtone power.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the Figures:
FIG. 1 depicts a conventional linear combustion laser;
FIG. 2 depicts a conventional cylindrical combustion laser;
FIG. 3 depicts a dual-chamber combustion laser component according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 depicts a dual-chamber combustion laser component according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 depicts a dual-chamber combustion laser component according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 depicts a nozzle blade structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 7( a ) and ( b ) depict a manifold assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 depicts a nozzle blade according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 9 depicts a combustion laser assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a chemical combustion laser is provided having a modular, aluminum design that produces two linear, supersonic gain regions from a single combustion chamber as shown in FIG. 3 . This structure results in a minimum surface area combustion chamber and a balanced thermal design. The laser module is referred to herein as a boxer laser module 1 . FIG. 3 is an end view of the boxer laser module that includes a combustion chamber 22 and on the left and the right sides, gain regions 28 . Gain is produced in the gain regions 28 by the out-flow of combustion products such as, deuterium fluoride, nitrogen, atomic fluorine, and heated helium and by the helium and hydrogen gases injected into the cavity which produce a chemical reaction.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , each boxer laser module consists of two nozzle blade structures 10 with combustor injectors 12 , cavity injectors 14 , combustor sidewalls 16 and cavity shrouds 18 with integral cavity isolation nozzles 20 . A combustion chamber 22 is formed between two nozzle blade structures 10 connected by combustor sidewalls 16 . The nozzle blade structures 10 are self-cooled by gaseous combustor reactants such as, nitrogen trifluoride, deuterium, and helium, which are injected and burned in the combustion chamber 22 to produce, for example, atomic fluorine, deuterium fluoride, nitrogen, and heated helium and by cavity injectant gases, hydrogen and helium. Boxer laser modules 1 are placed side-by-side to increase the length of the combustion chamber 22 and to form converging-diverging primary nozzles 26 between adjacent nozzle blade structures 10 . Combustion product gases, e.g., atomic fluorine, deuterium fluoride, nitrogen and helium, are expanded through these primary nozzles 26 from a high-pressure of approximately 0.5 atmospheres, a high-temperature of, e.g., approximately 1500 K to 1700 K condition to a low pressure of approximately 0.005 atmospheres, supersonic, e.g., Mach number of 3 to 5 condition, where cavity fuel, e.g., hydrogen and helium gas mixtures, is injected to produce laser gain. The heat is transferred to the combustor sidewalls 16 and by making the chamber length short, all of the heat that is transferred to the combustor sidewalls 16 , even in the case of a small quantity, can be conducted to the nozzle blade structures 10 and cooled. The nozzle blade structures 10 , combustor sidewalls 16 , and cavity shrouds 18 are designed to achieve dynamic and static thermal balance conditions. This thermal balance condition results in equal heating rates and nearly equal steady-state temperatures for nozzle blade structures 10 , combustor sidewalls 16 , and cavity shrouds 18 . Uniform heating and isothermal steady-state temperatures of the boxer modules 24 results in nearly time-constant combustor pressure and laser cavity flow conditions to maintain desired conditions for laser power and medium quality. According to this embodiment, all parts of the boxer laser module 1 can be heated at a nearly equal rate and operate at nearly equal steady state temperature, such that the throat gap of the primary nozzle 26 which is formed between side-by-side boxer laser modules 1 remains constant. If the throat gap remains constant, all of the properties in the laser gain region 28 remain time-independent and increase the efficiency of the gain regions 28 . This is important to efficient gain production, efficient power extraction, and the medium quality that is required for a high-power laser.
FIG. 5 is a side view of a boxer laser module 1 . The boxer laser module 1 incorporates isolation nozzles 20 in the cavity shrouds 18 downstream of the laser gain regions 28 . In an exemplary embodiment, helium is injected through the nozzles to energize flow along the cavity shrouds 18 to allow formation of strong shock waves just downstream of the laser gain regions 28 for efficient pressure recovery with compact diffuser configurations. Diffuser lengths can be factors of three to five times shorter than for conventional linear lasers when using the boxer laser modules 1 described above. The placement of the isolation nozzles 20 , ensures that the gain regions 28 are independent of their environment. Utilizing a boxer laser comprised of the boxer laser modules 1 having a single minimum surface area combustor region 22 which produces laser gain regions 28 described above, the structural weight to support the combustor is minimized, the heated surface area is minimized, and thereby heat loss to the combustor which drives mass efficiency is minimized. The boxer laser configuration described herein minimizes non-functional structure and facilitates incremental production of very long gain paths, such as those required for an overtone laser.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 illustrates a nozzle blade structure 10 configuration for reducing heat loss. Combustor injector triplets 32 are incorporated into secondary structure 30 made of high temperature fluorine-compatible material such as nickel, stainless steel, or ceramics like lanthanum hexaboride or alumina. Referring to FIG. 6 , the secondary structure 30 fits into the primary structure 34 which is formed of a lightweight material such as aluminum. By making the secondary structure 30 out of high temperature fluorine-compatible material as opposed to aluminum, the secondary structure 30 can operate at significantly higher temperatures of e.g., 900 K to 1300 K, as compared to the safe operating temperature of 600 K for aluminum. The secondary structure 30 is inserted into the primary structure 34 of the nozzle blade structure 10 in order to reduce heat transfer that would otherwise occur when operating with wall temperatures higher than allowed for an all aluminum nozzle blade structure. The secondary structure 30 is cooled by injected combustor reactants such as, nitrogen trifluoride, deuterium and helium and by conduction to the primary structure 34 that is cooled by the cavity injected hydrogen and helium. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the above-identified combustor reactants as well as cavity injectants hydrogen and helium are transferred from at least one boxer laser module 1 to at least one adjacent boxer laser module 1 for cooling and for injection into the combustor 22 and cavity flow.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the nozzle blade structures 10 and consequently, the boxer laser modules 1 , are connected by a thin, laminated manifold assembly 60 as shown in FIGS. 7( a ) and 7 ( b ). The thin manifold sheets 62 have flow channels 64 machined into their surfaces to provide gas flow passages from oxidizer inlet manifolds 66 to coolant and distribution passes (not shown) internal to the nozzle blade structures 10 . The manifold sheets 62 also contain and connect combustor fuel inlet manifolds 67 for facilitating the efficient conduction of fuel to the nozzle blade structures 10 . The manifold sheets 62 are joined together by brazing, diffusion bonding, or the like in order to form upper and lower manifold assemblies 60 and 68 on the top and bottom surfaces of the nozzle blades 10 . This configuration places parent material, e.g., aluminum, with no bond joints, between the oxidizer and the combustion fuels to eliminate the possibility of interpropellant leakage that could cause failure. This configuration also reduces the number of external connections that have to be made to the hardware.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, nozzle blade structures 10 as described in relation to FIG. 6 , increase laser chemical efficiency when used in, for example, HF (Helium Fluoride), HF-overtone, DF (Deuterium Fluoride), and gaseous iodine combustion driven lasers and increase the small signal gain for more efficient extraction of power. Referring to FIG. 8 , a nozzle blade 70 according to an embodiment of the present invention has serrated primary nozzle surfaces 72 to direct primary nozzle flow into the region 74 between primary nozzles. Cavity fuel, e.g., helium gas 76 and hydrogen gas 78 , is injected from the base region through pairs of nozzles that enhance molecular mixing and prevent recirculation of laser gas. Further, a secondary flow of atomic fluorine, is injected into the laser cavity between adjacent pairs of nozzles by means of the serrated primary nozzle surfaces in order to control the flow trajectory of the cavity fuel. This nozzle configuration eliminates the gas flow normally required for base purge, simplifies the design and fabrication of the nozzles, and increases overall mass efficiency of the laser by utilizing all of the cavity area 28 to produce gain. In this embodiment of the present invention, the placement of nozzle blades at the base, allows the laser to fully utilize a conventionally inactive zone that occupies approximately 40 percent of the length of gain region. By injecting the fuel internal to the nozzle, the expansion that the fuel will undergo in the cavity is limited. Referring to helium and hydrogen flow jet patterns 76 and 78 , respectively, complete use of the laser gain region 28 is illustrated.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the components described above are assembled into a boxer laser 100 as shown in FIG. 9 . At least one boxer laser module is contained in a housing comprised of upper and lower manifold assemblies 160 and 168 surrounded by enclosed gain regions 128 . The at least one boxer laser module comprises the boxer laser 100 along with a surrounding optical train comprised of various optical elements (e.g., mirrors, reflectors, beamsplitters, lenses, switches, and the like) 180 . One skilled in the recognizes the necessity for optical elements and the many configurations of optical elements available for use within a combustion laser.
The embodiments described herein are intended to be exemplary, and while including and describing the best mode of practicing, are not intended to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art appreciate the multiple variations to the embodiments described herein, which fall within the scope of the invention.
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The invention herein is directed to a dual-chamber combustion laser assembly having lighter weight (per unit flow area), a more compact, flexible configuration for packaging in spacecraft, aircraft, or ground mobile vehicles, higher mass efficiency from lower heat loss and proven power extraction efficiency of linear lasers, superior output beam quality by incremental compensation of gain medium optical path disturbances and by reduction in time-dependent variations in structural and gain medium characteristics, lower cost and shorter fabrication time for modular dual flow laser and linear optics, more efficient pressure recovery with side-wall isolation nozzles and compact diffuser configurations, and increased small signal gains for more efficient extraction of overtone power.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is a ladder for use on a combine providing access to an engine servicing platform. The folding ladder incorporates a spring biased overcentering linkage that will hold the ladder in a stowed or closed position without the need of a separate latching mechanism. The overcentering linkage also prevents the accidental folding of the ladder at inopportune times.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ladders generally in use on combines or similar large equipment seldom are foldable and stowable in the manner of the ladder presented herein. Typically ladders in this equipment field are relatively short, on the order of three or four steps, therefore it is often more convenient to provide a ladder integral with the vehicle or one that swings or pivots into a position of storage. Several folding step arrangements are old in the art. Also ladders that fold into or against a vehicle body are known. Many embodiments utilizing tracks to align a ladder into a storage hold are also known in the art.
The invention presented herein appears to be unique in the combination of advantages it presents. None of the prior art devices known to the applicant possess the entire structure of this invention although his knowledge can not be construed as being all inclusive due to the potential extensiveness of the folding ladder art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A ladder is provided that may be pivotally hung on a combine in order to provide access to a servicing platform or catwalk. In this invention a lower pivot point is cantilevered away from the body or sheet metal of the combine. The actual step portion of the ladder is pivotally hung from this pivot point by means of a hinge leaf having substantial length in order to position the ladder away from the combine body.
A support strap is pivotally mounted to the top of the step portion of the ladder. A second end of the support strap is contained, by an upper support strap pin, to a linkage member having an elongated slot fixed to the combine. The support strap is guided along the linkage member through the engagement of the strap pin with the elongated slot as the step portion is opened or closed although it is restrained in movement by a spring carried between the support strap and the combine. This linkage provides an overcentering linkage that will tend to prevent either the opening or closing of the ladder unless such action is operator initiated.
A fixed upper rung may be mounted to the combine directly.
It is an object of this invention to provide an access ladder that may be carried on a vehicle in a stowed position when not needed and easily shifted deployed position when needed. Further it is desirable to provide a stowable ladder that can be easily and quickly stowed and maintained in position without complex latching mechanisms.
Another object of this invention is to provide a ladder that when stowed is integrated into the sheet metal sculpture of the surrounding body work. This object is related to the desirability of providing a combine ladder that does not extend the overall length of the combine and thus does not interfere with field operations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a combine incorporating this invention.
FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the rear portion of the combine of FIG. 1 with the folding ladder in a stowed position.
FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the rear portion of the combine with the folding ladder in a deployed position.
FIG. 4 is a section view of the folding ladder of this invention in a stowed or closed position.
FIG. 5 is a section view of the ladder of FIG. 4 in an open position and including a broken line representation of a portion of the linkage and its overcenter travel route.
FIG. 6 is a folding ladder in a deployed position mounted below a ceiling panel access port.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention disclosed herein may reside in and be used on a large motive vehicle such as the combine shown generally as 10. This vehicle would typically include a chassis or body 12 having vertical side walls 14. The body being supported on a pair of large driven wheels 16 at the front of the combine 10 and a pair of steerable wheels 20 at the rear thereof. An operator's platform and cab 22, a crop gathering header 24, a feeder 26 and a grain delivery chute 30 are located on the chassis in conventional positions. An engine service and access catwalk or platform 32 having a guard rail 34 is provided at the back end 36 of the combine. Seen protruding from the back end of the combine is the ladder hinge 40.
In FIGS. 2 and 3 the back end of the combine is presented to show the closed or stowed and open configurations of the foldable ladder respectively. The back end 36 of the combine is supported on the previously mentioned steerable wheels 20. The engine service and access platform 32 and the guard rail 34 (FIG. 2 only) are shown integral with the chassis 12. The folding ladder hinge 40, actually the ladder has a pair of hinges, is shown in these views although due to the small scale of the drawings the hinge detail is obscured in these views.
In order to consistently identify the upper or top part designations from lower or bottom part designations it has been decided to consider the stowable ladder as if it were in a deployed or open position as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6. Thus, for instance, rung 52 in FIG. 3 is the lowest rung even though it could be considered the uppermost rung when the ladder is stowed or closed as in FIGS. 1 and 2.
In FIG. 2 it should be emphasized that the observable portion of the ladder comprises a sheet metal panel 42 having a first portion 46 and a second portion 44. The first portion 46 is relatively inboard of the second portion 44 in order to follow the body line of the sheet metal. A transition panel 50 connects the edge of the second portion 44 to the edge of the first portion 46 as shown in FIG. 1. An aperture serving as a grab handle may be formed through the transition panel.
FIG. 3, showing the folding ladder in a deployed position, reveals rungs 52, 54 and 56 which are integral with the ladder frame generally 60. Chassis mounted rung 62, which is supported via brackets 64 and 66 to the frame or body of the vehicle, is also shown.
The actual functional parts of a stowable ladder embodiment can best be seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. FIGS. 4 and 5 would be similar, but not actually the same as, the section line views identified as 4--4 and 5--5 of FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively. This alternative embodiment is identical to that illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 except it is provided with a straight or flat sheet metal back panel 70 in order to illustrate another embodiment. Operating components are otherwise the same and have been assigned identical reference numbers to avoid undue complication. Dissimilar components have been assigned new unique reference characters as required.
In FIGS. 4 and 5 the folding ladder is mounted to a surface 72 which for example would be the back end of the combine. The chassis mounted rung 62 is held by the rung bracket 64 and a second rung bracket not seen in this view. The rung bracket 64 is suitably fastened to chassis integral supports 74 and 76 for instance by fasteners 80 and 82 respectively. Fastener 82 also provides a mounting or grounding point for spring 86.
The linkage and structure of the folding part of the ladder includes a pivot point support 90 which would be mounted to a structural member 92 integral with the wall surface 72 such as by bolts 94 and 96 or other suitable means such as welding. This support 90 includes a pivot point axle 100 which provides a pivotal mounting point for the hinge leaf 102. These components make up the folding ladder hinge 40 discussed earlier.
Each (of a pair) hinge leaf 102 carries a rung carrier 104 which supports rungs 52, 54 and 56 between rung carriers 104. Spreader 106 holds the rung carriers 104 away from frame 110 which locates sheet metal back panel 70. This spreader provides toe room between the two lowest rungs and the panel 70. The frame 110 is fixedly mounted to the hinge leaf 102.
Support strap 112 is pivotally mounted at pivot point 114 to the hinge leaf 102. The support strap 112 further includes a upper support strap pin 116 and an apertured tab 120 to accommodate a second end of spring 86. The upper support strap pin 116 is slideably engaged to the slot 122 in linkage member 124 which is fixedly mounted at its lower end to the rung bracket 64 and shares the upper mounting fastener 80 of the rung bracket.
The broken line representation of the support strap notated 112b in FIG. 5 corresponds to the halfway closed position of the ladder as does the broken line representation of the fully extended spring 86b.
The broken line arc 126 represents the path that pivot point 114 will follow as the ladder is being folded or closed. As this pivot point 114 goes over center, that is, beyond the position shown in the broken line representation, the spring 86 will bias the structure such that the ladder is maintained in either the stowed or closed position or the deployed position. If this spring is strong enough a separate latching mechanism may not be needed.
FIG. 6 presents a perspective view of the deployed ladder as it could be used to provide ingress or egress from a manhole or alternatively in another embodiment from a ceiling. In this embodiment mounting brackets 130 and 132 are fastened to a wall surface 134 and the pivot point support 90 would be carried on these mounting brackets. The ceiling surface 136 would be provided with a suitable aperture 140 to allow passage there through. In this embodiment the frame doesn't support a back panel as in the prior embodiments as this would not be necessary in many applications.
Other embodiments presenting or refining minor aspects of this invention are possible and have been contemplated. For instance, it is highly likely that the pivot point supports 90 rather than being bolted to the structural member 92 could be equipped with a flanged surface having holes for accommodating fasteners. This "L" shaped bracket would be bolted to the sheet metal body work adjacent the ladder cavity with the flange against the sheet metal. This alternative embodiment would be more desirable in some instances and/or less desirable in other instances.
It is apparent that an invention fully satisfying the objects and advantages set forth above is presented by this disclosure. Although several embodiments have been presented it should be apparent to persons of skill in the art that modifications and variations to these embodiments resulting in alternative structures would be possible. Accordingly this disclosure is intended to embrace nuances of design falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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A stowable ladder for use on a combine is provided with a spring assisted overcentering linkage that will maintain the foldable ladder in either a deployed status or closed status until significant manual effort overcoming the spring loaded overcentering linkage is induced.
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FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY
[0001] The present invention relates to crutches, canes or similar walking aids for assisting everyday movement for temporarily injured and even permanently handicapped persons. More particularly, the invention relates to crutches which can instantaneously and controllably be adjusted in length during their use, thereby, among other things, considerably facilitating such common physical activities as sitting down, standing up, negotiating stairs or other obstacles and other similar everyday mobile activities.
BACKGROUND OF TECHNOLOGY
[0002] The adjustable crutches presently available in the market basically consist of two telescoping tubes, usually made of a metal or metal alloy, which can be secured relative to one another by means of a variety of mechanical locking mechanisms arranged at regular intervals along the tube parts. A common design of the locking devices is that both of the tube parts are provided with diametrically opposed holes which can be placed in alignment with each other, the locking taking place by inserting a pin, detend or the like through the holes in the two tubes and securing the tubes in a desired position. The purpose of the crutch adjustability in this case makes it possible for two persons of different heights to use the same crutch. A suitable crutch length can be attained for a person depending on that person's height. Once this length has been determined it is maintained until a different person uses the crutch and the length is readjusted accordingly.
[0003] These types of crutches have several disadvantages which, among other things, are related to the fact that the person is unable to change the length of the crutch during use. For example, because of the fixed crutch length, the person has very little help when sitting down, standing up, using stairs, and other similar everyday mobile activities. During these routine activities the person must rely on arm rests, chair seats, etc. for support. This can be especially difficult for older or more incapacitated persons.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] There is a need for a crutch which facilitates sitting and standing in a controlled and assisted fashion while ensuring the safety of the user. The present invention is directed at further solutions to address this need.
[0005] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention a crutch is provided having an instantaneously and user controlled adjustable length feature which facilitates activities such as sitting and standing in a controlled and assisted fashion.
[0006] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention the controlled adjustable length feature of the crutch is controlled by the user according to a locking gas spring incorporated between a relatively moveable upper crutch tube and lower crutch tube.
[0007] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention the crutch has a handle which the user can grasp to utilize the crutch in the known manner and the handle also comprising an operative means for a controlling a pressure valve in the locking gas spring pressure.
[0008] In accordance with further aspects of the present invention the crutch is provided with a user defined maximum height setting which can be readily changed for different user's of different heights.
[0009] In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention the user defined maximum height setting includes an automated shut-off mechanism to limit the maximum length of the crutch.
[0010] An adjustable crutch for facilitating mobility comprising a telescoping shaft having an upper and lower crutch tube aligned on a concentric axis, a handle attached to an intermediate portion of the telescoping shaft, a shoulder support attached to the crutch on a first end of the upper crutch tube and a ground engaging butt end positioned at a first end of the lower crutch tube, a locking gas spring comprising a gas cylinder and a moveable piston is positioned inside the telescoping shaft for controlling relative slidable movement between the upper and lower crutch tubes of the telescoping shaft and wherein a control button is positioned on the handle for operating the gas spring, and an automatic disengagement mechanism is provided in the crutch for interrupting operation of the gas spring and limiting extension of the crutch.
[0011] A method of adjusting a crutch for facilitating mobility, the method comprising the steps of aligning a telescoping shaft having an upper and lower crutch tube on a concentric axis, attaching a handle to an intermediate portion of the telescoping shaft, attaching a shoulder support to the crutch on a first end of the upper crutch tube and positioning a ground engaging butt end at a first end of the lower crutch tube, providing a locking gas spring comprising a gas cylinder and a moveable piston inside the telescoping shaft for controlling relative slidable movement between the upper and lower crutch tubes of the telescoping shaft, and actuating a control button positioned on the handle for operating the gas spring, and interrupting operation of the gas spring and limiting extension of the crutch according to a preset extension limit effected by an automatic disengagement mechanism.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the crutch;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a front view of one embodiment of the crutch;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional front view of one embodiment of the crutch;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional front view of a gas spring of common construction;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional front view of a locking gas spring of common construction;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of the handle portion of the crutch;
[0018] FIGS. 7 and 7 A are an exploded view of the crutch, handle, locking gas piston and valve actuating mechanism;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a further cross sectional view of an embodiment of the handle portion of the crutch;
[0020] FIGS. 9A and 9B are perspective views of the wedge in combination with a portion of the upper crutch tube and the wedge alone;
[0021] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the wedge in use on the upper crutch shaft in cooperation with the handle; and
[0022] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the handle and piston extension stop mechanism;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] An adjustable crutch 1 , as displayed in a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is designed around a locking gas spring, as described in detail below, to facilitate the immediate and safe adjustability, i.e. either the lengthening or shortening of the crutch 1 , by the user at any given time. The crutch 1 includes in general an upper crutch tube 3 and a lower crutch tube 5 , a shoulder support 7 , a butt end 9 and a handle 11 . The lower crutch tube 5 is shown at least partially inserted and telescoping within the upper crutch tube 3 so that upon adjusting the length of the crutch 1 , as described in further detail below, the lower crutch tube 5 is either slidably withdrawn from the upper crutch tube 3 or slidably inserted deeper within the upper tube such that the respective tubes are slidably adjustable with respect to one another.
[0024] The slidable, telescoping relative movement of the upper and lower crutch tubes 3 , 5 is controlled by the gas spring 21 housed within at least a portion of both the upper and the lower crutch tubes. As is commonly known in the art, the gas spring 21 generally includes a gas cylinder 23 , a piston 25 and a piston rod 27 . As is apparent from FIG. 3 , the gas cylinder 23 is situated in the lower crutch tube 5 and the piston rod 27 portion of the gas spring 21 is affixed at one end to the upper crutch tube 3 with the opposing end of the piston rod 27 attached within the piston 25 and is generally freely slidable within the gas cylinder 23 . This arrangement of the gas cylinder and piston in the crutch is important with regards to the functional aspects and other structural features of the crutch in that it provides a safe and easy to operate device as will be discussed in detail below.
[0025] The crutch 1 also includes an adjustable handle 11 which is moveably, slidably attached to the upper crutch tube 3 so as to be grasped by the user to support themselves and operate the crutch 1 in a conventional manner well known to anyone who has had to use a crutch. The handle 11 can be slidably moved relative to the upper crutch tube 3 and the shoulder support 7 and is adjusted independently of the length of the crutch 1 so that varying arm lengths of different user's can be accommodated by the crutch 1 . Also, as will be discussed in further detail below, the handle 11 can be provided with a manually operated valve control device to permit the user to actuate the gas spring 21 so as to lengthen or shorten the crutch 1 . The shoulder support 7 for engaging underneath the arm and shoulder of the user as generally known is provided on the upper tube at the upper most end of the crutch 1 . At the lower most end of the crutch 1 , a rubber, plastic or similar non-slip material is applied as a ground engaging butt end 9 to ensure that the crutch 1 does not slip on any ground surface. It is to be appreciated that while a user usually utilizes two crutches, one with each arm for the appropriate balance and ease of movement, for purposes of brevity and clarity in this application only a single crutch and the operation thereof will be discussed.
[0026] In order to understand the operation of the above discussed crutch 1 in conjunction with the locking gas spring 41 , the general construction and function of the gas spring 21 will now be discussed. As shown generally in FIG. 4 where like numbers of the gas spring represent the same elements in each disclosed embodiment, a gas spring 21 ′ includes; a gas cylinder 23 ′, a piston 25 ′ contained within the cylinder 23 ′, a piston rod 27 ′ connected to the piston 25 ′, and a seal 29 ′ between the edge of the piston 25 ′ and the cylinder wall. To understand how a gas spring works it is imperative to understand that in a steady state, i.e. before compressive forces are applied, the cylinder 23 ′ is of course charged with some desired gas pressure P, and the gas pressures P 1 and P 2 on both sides of the piston 25 ′ adjust themselves to a state according to the equation F=P×A. Importantly, because the area of the face side 31 ′ of the piston 25 ′ is larger than the area of rod side 33 ′ of the piston 25 ′ due to the area taken up by the piston rod 27 ′, the pressures P 1 and P 2 on either side will adjust so that P 2 is larger to accordingly cause equal forces F 1 , F 2 acting on the face side 31 ′, and the rod side 33 ′ of the piston 25 ′ respectively, essentially maintaining the piston 25 ′ in an initial steady state position.
[0027] A force F A applied to the gas spring 21 ′, for purposes of example through the piston rod 27 ′, causes the piston 25 ′ to move within the cylinder 23 ′ reducing the volume on one side of the cylinder 23 ′ thus causing a higher pressure P 1 on the respective side of the cylinder 23 ′. Because the face side 31 ′ area remains the same, the increased pressure causes a corresponding increase in force F 1 , thus acting to return the piston 25 ′ to its initial steady state position once the applied force F A is removed. It is well known that as the volume of a gas cylinder 23 ′ decreases, the mass of the gas remains constant, creating a higher pressure as is well known in the art.
[0028] Turning to FIG. 5 , different from the simple gas spring described above, in a locking gas spring 21 ′, a hole or valve 35 ′ is located in the piston 25 ′ to allow the pressure on both sides of the piston 25 ′ to equalize as the piston 25 ′ is compressed into the cylinder 23 ′. The valve through the piston 25 ′ is controllable via a valve control device 37 ′ to attain an open position allowing an equalization of the pressure on both sides of the piston 25 ′ within the cylinder 23 ′ as the piston 25 ′ is compressed, and a closed position where such equalization is not permitted. Understanding basic gas theory as described above, where force is equal to a pressure multiplied over an area (F=P×A), where there is a larger area defined by the face side 31 ′ of the piston 25 ′ and the pressures P 1 and P 2 are the same because of the open valve, a higher force F 2 will be generated to act on the face side 31 ′ of the piston 25 ′. The magnitude of the higher force F 2 is dependant upon the pressure level inside the cylinder 23 ′, the cross-sectional area of the cylinder 23 ′ and piston 25 ′, and the cross-sectional area of the piston rod 27 ′.
[0029] By way of further explanation, the locking gas piston is achieved by controlling the equalization of pressures on both sides of the piston 25 ′, in other words controlling the amount of gas which is permitted through the valve 35 ′ in the piston 25 ′ as the system attempts to equalize the pressures on both sides of the valve. Thus, it is to be appreciated that at any point during operation of the locking gas spring 21 ′ the valve 35 ′ can be closed whether or not the pressures have equalized. This closing of the valve essentially “locks” the piston 25 ′ in place in the cylinder 23 ′ because the pressures P 1 and P 2 remain unequal while the forces on each side are equal. With the valve 35 ′ closed, and the piston 25 ′ locked in the desired position, again applying an external force F A to the piston rod 27 ′, still with the valve closed, will not permit the piston 25 ′ to move much, only as much as the compressibility of the gas will permit. Even where there is some slight movement of the piston 25 ′, the increased pressure caused by the reduction in volume will return the piston 25 ′ to the locked position.
[0030] On the other hand, with the valve 35 ′ open, and the force F A applied to the piston rod 27 ′ which in combination with force F 2 starts to equal or overcome the force F 1 pushing on the face of the piston 25 ′, and the piston 25 ′ now starts to slide down the cylinder 23 ′ with gas pressure accordingly rising on the rod side 33 ′ of the piston 25 ′ as the mass of the gas the piston face side 31 ′ of the piston 25 ′ is allowed to pass through the open valve 35 ′. At some given point the valve 35 ′ can again be closed, thus the differing pressures P 1 and P 2 and equal forces F 1 , F 2 on each side of the piston 25 ′ are now essentially “locked” into the respective sides of the piston 25 ′ and cylinder 23 ′. The higher pressure on the rod side 33 ′, along with the smaller area, now equals the lower pressure on the face side 31 ′ of the piston 25 ′ times the larger piston area, i.e. F 1 =F 2 and the piston 25 ′ is thus also locked in place.
[0031] If the valve 35 ′ were merely to be opened at this point, with no force F A applied, the higher pressure P 2 on the rod side 33 ′ would want to equalize and migrate through the valve 35 ′ thus again permitting the face side force F 1 to become higher and return the gas spring 21 ′ to an extended steady state position. The further structural and functional aspects of the locking gas spring 21 in combination with the crutch 1 are described in further detail below.
[0032] Turning to FIG. 6 , the main body of the gas spring 21 i.e. the cylinder 23 containing the gas and the slidable piston 25 , is located and essentially fixed within the lower crutch tube 5 , and the free end of the piston rod 27 extends into and is directly attached to the upper crutch tube 3 . Thus, as may be appreciated, movement of the piston 25 relative to the essentially fixed nature of the gas cylinder 23 in the lower crutch tube 5 which is essentially directly supported on the ground surface, causes the upper crutch tube 3 to be axially moved relative to the lower crutch tube 5 and the ground surface and thus to shorten and lengthen the crutch 1 . A further description of the relative movement and operation of the gas piston 25 and crutch 1 is provided below.
[0033] The crutch length adjustment system works as follows. In an operative, i.e. a steady state position, wherein the crutch 1 is essentially fixed in length and the gas spring 21 is in a locked position, whether fully or partially extended, the forces F 1 , F 2 acting on both sides of the piston 25 are equal as described above, because the pressure P 2 in the upper portion of the gas cylinder 23 and the pressure P 1 in the lower portion of the gas cylinder 23 are unequal, yet the areas over which the pressures act are inversely proportional relative to the pressure difference. Therefore, as long as the piston valve 26 is closed, the piston 25 will remain in the steady state locked position because the force differential as applied by the weight of the crutch 1 user is not great enough to compress the air or gas in the lower portion 46 of cylinder 23 i.e. overcome the pressure P 1 in the lower portion of the gas cylinder 23 .
[0034] In order to raise or lower, i.e. extend or compress the crutch 1 , the user must operate a pressure release assembly which opens the piston valve 26 via valve control device 37 . To extend the crutch 1 , the user removes their body weight, or a significant portion of their body weight, from the crutch 1 and operates the valve control device 37 . Once the valve 35 is open, the pressures P 1 , P 2 on both sides of the piston 25 begins to equalize, and the higher force F 1 acting upward overcomes the force F 2 acting downward and the piston 25 thus moves upward, i.e. extends the crutch 1 until a point at which the user releases the pressure relase assembly and closes the piston valve 26 or the piston 25 tops out at an upper end of the cylinder 23 .
[0035] On the other hand, in order to compress the crutch 1 , the larger force F 1 acting upward can be overcome by adding to the force F 2 generally by application of the crutch user's own body weight. It is to be appreciated that by specific design assuming equal pressures P 1 , P 2 the upward force F 1 can be designed to be just larger than F 2 such that the piston 25 , and thus the upper crutch tube 3 , rise or extend in a controlled manner. Therefore in order to compress the crutch 1 , i.e. lower the piston 25 , the user can apply a portion of their body weight to the upper crutch via the shoulder support 7 and overcome the upward force F 1 . In other words, the piston 25 can be lowered by a now greater force F 2+ F A >F 1 , F A being the user's own body weight or a portion thereof acting downward on the piston 25 and/or upper crutch tube 3 . Thus, the orientation of the gas spring 21 is optimized with the cylinder 23 essentially fixed to the lower crutch tube 5 and with the piston rod 27 extending upwards and fixed to the upper crutch tube 3 .
[0036] It should be noted that the amount of force F 2 supplied by the crutch 1 and the force F A required to overcome the upward force F 1 can be controlled by the size of the piston valve 26 and the piston rod 27 . The cross-sectional area of the piston rod 27 relative to the cross-sectional area of the piston 25 will determine the amount of net force F 1 acting upward on the piston 25 . Furthermore, as the piston 25 is moving up or down in the shaft, air or gas is being forced through the valve of the piston 25 in an attempt to equalize the pressure. The diameter of the piston valve 26 determines how quickly and easily the air will move through the valve. A larger valve will allow more air to pass through the piston 25 quickly than a smaller valve.
[0037] The operation of the piston valve 35 and the valve control device 37 which opens and closes the piston valve 35 is now described. In one embodiment of the present invention the piston rod 27 includes a throughbore 28 which communicates with a passage through the piston 25 . The passage through the piston 25 essentially defines the piston valve 35 which in turn provides communication between the upper cylinder chamber 44 and the lower cylinder chamber 46 as shown in FIG. 6 to permit the passage of gas or fluid therebetween. A valve stem 39 is inserted in the through bore of the piston 25 and extends into and substantially through the piston valve 26 . The valve stem 39 is moveable relative to the piston 25 and piston rod 27 between an open position, permitting the passage of gas or similar fluid through the piston valve 26 and between the upper and lower cylinder chambers, and a closed position wherein the passage of gas or fluid through valve 35 between the upper and lower cylinder chambers is blocked. It is also to be appreciated that other known structures of valves and locking gas pistons could be utilized as well.
[0038] The opening and closing of the piston valve 26 is controlled by the valve stem 39 which is in turn controlled by the valve actuator 37 actuated by the crutch user. A manually operated button or lever 61 may be located on the handle 11 of the crutch 1 to facilitate the actuation of the valve. Communication between the valve stem 37 and the button 61 to open and close the piston valve 26 can be done through a hydraulic valve stem operation mechanism 63 as seen in FIG. 7 . The hydraulic valve stem operation mechanism 63 can include a first hydraulic cylinder piston 65 associated with the button 61 or lever located on the handle 11 of the crutch 1 . The first hydraulic cylinder piston 65 is connected via a link, for example a hydraulic line, to a second cylinder piston 67 that cooperatively operates the valve stem 37 to move into the open and closed positions relative to the hollow piston rod 27 and the piston 25 . For example actuation of the button 61 or lever on the crutch handle 11 would open the valve 35 via the hydraulic valve stem operation mechanism 63 to permit relative extension or compression of the upper and lower crutch tubes 3 , 5 .
[0039] Thus, assuming that the crutch 1 is in an initial steady state at a length which accommodates a particular user traveling or walking with the crutch 1 along the ground, when the crutch user finds it necessary to sit down, the user will maintain, or apply a sufficient portion of their body weight to the upper crutch tube 3 via the handle 13 or the shoulder support 7 and simultaneously actuate button 61 of the piston valve actuator 63 located in the clutch handle 11 . Actuation thus opens the piston valve 35 via the first and second cylinder pistons 65 , 67 of the hydraulic valve stem operation mechanism 63 , biasing the piston valve 35 into the open position. The user's weight F A , added to the force F 2 thus overcomes force F 1 acting upward and causes the piston 25 to travel downwards through the cylinder 23 with the upper crutch tube 3 correspondingly traveling downwards over the lower crutch tube 5 until either the user closes the piston valve 26 , or the piston 25 bottoms out in the cylinder 23 . Now the crutch user has been lowered closer to the ground and thus closer to for example a sitting position which they desire to attain.
[0040] In order to return the crutch 1 to the extended travel or walking position the user need only operate the release assembly without their body weight, i.e. force F A , or a significantly reduced body weight portion, applied to the upper crutch tube 3 whereby the valve is opened again and the pressures P 1 and P 2 begin to equalize and the correspondingly larger force F 1 pushes the piston rod 27 back to what is generally a user defined crutch height corresponding to the user's comfort and physical size.
[0041] The crutch adjustment system is required to accommodate as many human body types as possible. The system is design to adjust easily to essentially two common physical proportions. First, the user's height determines a user defined maximum height ie. a maximum extension for the crutch 1 . Secondly the handle 11 may be adjusted to accommodate the user's arm length. For example, a person six-foot-one-inch tall of typical proportions will have an arm-length in a range which is of course generally different than a person who may be five-foot-one-inch tall. A change in height can therefore be expected to have a change in arm length. Importantly, this individual or personal user adjustment of the handle height is essentially an independent function from that previously described regarding the relative adjustability of the upper and lower crutch tubes for the reason that the handle 11 does not move relative to the upper crutch tube 3 to which it is connected when the upper and lower crutch tubes are extended or compressed. Although the handle is adjustable, once set for a specific user, the handle 11 of the crutch 1 should remain fixed relative to the upper crutch tube 3 and the shoulder support 7 .
[0042] However the two adjustments are not entirely independent functions as the user defined maximum height of the crutch 1 which is of course defined individually by each user acts in a manner to automatically restrain the extension of the piston rod 27 in conjunction with the piston valve actuator 61 and the handle 11 .
[0043] In FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 , the intersection of the upper crutch tube 3 , lower crutch tube 5 , and handle assembly are shown in different views. The handle assembly is comprised of a hollow cylinder body 13 for slidably engaging the upper crutch tube 3 , a protruding handle support 15 and a handle 11 . Also, a wedge 19 which is threaded and dogged is designed to be inserted into a lower slightly flared lower portion of the cylinder body. Inside the handle 11 , is a portion of the hydraulic valve stem operation mechanism 63 , more specifically the first hydraulic cylinder piston 65 associated with the button or lever located on the handle 11 of the crutch 1 . Best seen in FIGS. 6 and 8 , the first hydraulic cylinder piston 65 is filled with hydraulic fluid and the button 61 compresses the hydraulic fluid to actuate the hydraulic valve stem operation mechanism 63 . The cylinder piston 65 is generally fixed in the handle 13 by a locking pin 73 engaging a radial groove 69 or detent in the wall of the cylinder piston 65 . The hydraulic button 61 , cylinder piston 65 , locking pin 73 and a cylinder position follower 75 in the handle assembly play an essential role as a safety mechanism for automatically disengaging the hydraulic valve stem operation mechanism 63 to stop the crutch extension when the crutch 1 reaches a user-defined maximum height.
[0044] The first hydraulic cylinder piston 65 located in the handle body has the radial groove 69 which receives one end of the locking pin 73 as seen in FIG. 8 . The hydraulic button assembly also has the manually operated external button 61 and a button return spring 71 , both of which will be discussed in greater detail later. Observing FIGS. 6-11 , the locking pin 73 is also attached to the cam-like cylinder position follower 75 which is rotatably fixed to the inside of the handle 11 . Although the cam follower 75 is shown in FIG. 6 having passed or fallen, over the top of the gas cylinder, under normal operation the cam follower is in contact with the side of the gas spring cylinder 23 . In this condition with the cam follower 75 in contact with the side of the gas spring cylinder 23 the locking pin 73 is pushed outwards to intersect the button body groove 69 , thus preventing the button assembly from moving along its centerline, regardless of force applied by a user pressing the button 61 .
[0045] During the course of operation, the cam-like cylinder piston follower 75 , which is attached via a pin to the inside of the handle body, will be in contact with the outer wall of the gas spring cylinder 23 . As the crutch 1 is extended and the piston 25 is forced upward, thus also moving the upper crutch tube 3 upward relative to the lower crutch tube 5 , the handle 11 and the associated cam-like cylinder piston 25 rides upwards along the side of the gas cylinder 23 . Once the cam-like cylinder piston 25 reaches the top of the gas cylinder 23 , the follower will fall over the top of the gas cylinder 23 , withdrawing the locking pin from the hydraulic cylinder piston 65 and activating the automatic disengagement system as shown in FIG. 6 .
[0046] As the cylinder position follower 75 rotates over the top of the gas cylinder 23 , the locking pin 73 is pulled out of the radial groove 69 in the first hydraulic cylinder piston 65 . As a result, the first hydraulic cylinder piston 65 , which has an internal hydraulic spring constant greater than the button return spring 77 constant, is pushed into the hollow handle 11 by the force applied by the user to the external button 61 . As the hydraulic button 61 and the hydraulic cylinder piston 65 are pushed into the handle body, the pressure inside the first hydraulic cylinder piston 65 is released and the piston valve 35 is closed. This prevents any further movement of the piston 25 and thus prevents any further undesired extension of the crutch 1 .
[0047] Should the user want to extend the crutch 1 past its preset maximum height, the user may override the automatic disengagement system by sticking a finger deeper inside the handle body and pressing the external button 61 until the button return spring 77 is fully compressed and the first hydraulic cylinder piston 65 resumes transmitting hydraulic fluid pressure and opening the piston valve 35 . This allows the user to only consciously extend the crutch 1 to a height higher than that imposed by the preset user defined maximum height.
[0048] The handle vertical position adjustment and alignment feature relative to the upper crutch tube 3 is controlled by the manipulation of the wedge component of the handle system, shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B and 10 . The wedge 19 has two flexible tabs 90 with an outwardly protruding boss 85 on each arm. Once the wedge 19 is aligned in the appropriate position on the upper crutch tube 3 to accommodate the user's arm length, these bosses insert into the handle body to maintain the handle 11 in the specific alignment with the wedge 19 when this adjustment is completed.
[0049] To adjust the wedge 19 into the appropriate position, the wedge 19 is provided with an inner wedge thread 87 that engages a corresponding upper crutch tube thread 89 . This permits the user to threadably adjust the wedge 19 along the length of the upper crutch tube 3 to the extent of the crutch 1 tube thread thereon. Additionally, the wedge 19 is provided with a dog 91 that engages at least a vertical slot in the upper crutch tube 3 . The wedge 19 is also segmented by a cut portion to allow the dog 91 to be disengaged out of the vertical slot while the thread features on the remainder of the wedge 19 remain engaged. The dog 91 can re-engage into the vertical slots in the upper crutch tube 3 every 180 degrees of rotation, or wherever the slots are provided around the circumference of the crutch tube, providing for the wedge 19 to be thus rotatably locked from rotation while the engaged threads maintain the vertical alignment of the wedge 19 and the upper crutch tube 3 .
[0050] Once the wedge 19 has been manipulated into a desired position and the dogs and threads maintaining the wedge 19 in a desired position, the handle 11 may then be forced down over the wedge 19 until the wedge bosses align and engage respective receiving holes 93 in the handle 11 . This assembly provides for up/down position and proper orientation of the handle assembly, it also provides positive means against slipping up or down. The wedge shape is used to greatly reduce the loads that would be seen at the thread and wedge bosses if the wedge shape was not used. This reduction in loads at the thread and bosses allows for the wedge 19 to be manufactured out of a lightweight and flexible material such as plastic.
[0051] Another embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 10, 11 may have an additional pawl 95 to back up the cylinder follower system. This will allow for a preset normal height by halting the cylinder 23 if the button is not released before the maximum set height is attained. If additional height is required, the user can override the position by depressing the release button deep 61 into the handle 11 and adjusting the handle 11 accordingly.
[0052] In one embodiment, the gas spring 21 has approximately a 20-30 inch, and more preferably about a 24 inch travel stroke. There is provided between about 60-100 lbs and preferably about 80 lbs pre-load and between about 90-130 lbs, preferably about 110 lb. full compression force requirement. On return, at full compression, about 100 lbs. are delivered, and about 70 lb. at full extension. The body diameter is approximately 22 mm, and the telescoping shaft diameter is about 10 mm. The overall length of the crutch 1 is approximately 52 inches. In general a gas spring of this or similar construction can accommodate a user with the approximately 24 inch travel stroke where the user is in a range of between about 6 foot 2 inch, and 5 feet 5 inches. It is to be appreciated that other lengths of crutches would permit persons of any size to utilize the full stroke as well.
[0053] Since certain changes may be made in the above described improved, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all of the subject matter of the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted merely as examples illustrating the inventive concept herein and shall not be construed as limiting the invention.
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A adjustable crutch, cane or similar walking aid for assisting everyday movement for temporarily injured and even permanently handicapped persons, the crutch having telescoping crutch tubes encasing a locking gas spring crutches which can instantaneously and controllably be adjusted in length during use, thereby considerably facilitating such common physical activities as sitting down, standing up, negotiating stairs or other obstacles and other similar everyday mobile activities. The locking gas spring functions by internal gas pressure and the telescoping crutch tubes are extended as the internal gas pressure seeks to reach the lowest energy state by maximizing its internal volume. For safety purposes a disengagement mechanism is provided so that extension occurs up to a preset level dictated by the user, and can even be overridden if desired.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a recording material for forming color images by using hot-melt inks each comprising a coloring material and a thermosetting resin, and a method for forming color images by using such recording material.
Silver salt photographic system, which is excellent in resolving power, and non-silver salt photographic system, which includes electrostatic recording system and electrophotographic system, are known as color image forming methods. Non-silver salt system is inferior to silver salt system in color image quality, but as it enables reproduction of tones, this system is used for copying of color images, etc.
These systems, however, are complicated in the process for obtaining color images, so that their equipments are large in size and fine maintenance is required therefor, making these systems costly.
Recently, with the development of computers, request has been voiced for enabling reproduction of color images formed on CRT, etc., as "hard copies" so that one can see them by taking them up on his hand. For realizing this, several methods have been proposed in which color images are formed after converting the images into electric signal. In these methods, heat transfer system and ink jet system are most typical. In the former system, at least one coloring material is transferred to image receiving paper from transfer paper applied with plural coloring materials by using thermal head. This system enables a reduction in size of the apparatus and also makes it maintenance-free, but the image sharpness is poor since the image resolving power is decided by the size of the heat generating section of the thermal head. Also, this heat transfer system is subject to certain limitation on speed-up of recording as it is necessary to use transfer paper coated with coloring materials of at least three colors, viz. yellow, magenta and cyan, when forming a color image. It is another drawback to this system that the three color layers are consumed even when forming a single-color or 2-color image.
According to the ink jet system, images are formed on image receiving paper by spurting inks from the respective nozzles, so that this system has the problem that the nozzles might be choked up with ink. Also, as it is necessary to spurt inks of different colors from the respective nozzles for forming color images, there are required at least three nozzles.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 59-230786 discloses a recording material which can provide a color image easily. According to this Japanese Publication, there is formed on image (or picture) elements a white opaque layer, which is then removed from necessary image element portions to give a color image. But this technique is disadvantageous in that the use of adhesive tape is necessary to remove the white opaque layer and resolving power is insufficient.
Therefore, there have been desired for an easier process for forming maintenance-free color images and color image recording materials used therefor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a recording material which is capable of forming color images having excellent resolving power and good keeping quality by a simple process. It is also envisaged to provide a method of forming such color images by using said recording material.
According to the present invention, there is provided an image recording material characterized in that hot-melt ink each comprising a mixture of at least one coloring material selected from yellow, magenta, cyan and black, a photosetting resin and a polymerization initiator are applied on one side of a support.
The present invention also provide an image forming method using an image recording material prepared by applying hot-melt inks each comprising a mixture of at least one coloring material selected from yellow, magenta, cyan and black, a photosetting resin and a polymerization initiator on one side of a support, characterized by the steps of exposing said recording material to light corresponding to image signal, curing the exposed portions of said hot-melt inks, placing the thus treated recording material on image receiving paper, and applying heat and/or pressure to the whole surface thereof to thereby obtain a color image.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The method of forming color images by using the color image recording material according to the present invention will be described in more detail below.
Firstly, said color image recording material is exposed to light corresponding to image signal to cure the exposed portions of said hot-melt inks.
There is produced a difference in adhesive force to the support between the cured portion and the non-cured portion of each hot-melt ink, so that when heat and/or pressure are applied to the whole surface after said color recording material has been placed on image receiving paper, the hot-melt inks corresponding to image signals are transferred to the image receiving paper to form the desired image.
In carrying out exposure to light in the present invention, only one type of light may be applied in correspondence to image signal to the parts of the coloring materials of three or four different colors, viz. yellow, magenta and cyan, or these three colors plus black. It is also possible to form color images by applying lights of two or more different wavelengths by selecting the photosetting resin, polymerization initiator or sensitizer for each coloring material.
Said color image recording material can be obtained by disposing the hot-melt inks containing the respective coloring materials and a photosetting resin successively in a predetermined order without overlapping each other or in a pattern of strikes or mosaic. Since these hot-melt inks form the final color image, said inks are disposed successively in the required areas. Especially in case the inks are disposed successively in a pattern of stripes or mosaic, it is desirable that the respective hot-melt inks are present so as to have image elements as many as possible in a unit area. The finer the area of ink, the better becomes the quality, especially resolving power of the obtained image. In view of this, the width of each hot-melt ink should be in the range of 1 to 500μ, preferably 5 to 250μ, more preferably 5 to 120μ. As for the coloring material used for each hot-melt ink, dye or pigment may be used if a good color balance is provided by each combination. Use of coloring material with good keeping quality is preferred for providing the long-lasting image. Two or more different types of coloring material may be used in combination in one hot-melt ink.
Examples of the coloring materials usable in this invention are shown below: pigments including black pigments such as carbon black, acetylene black, lamp black, bone black, graphite, iron black, mineral black, aniline black, cyanine black, etc.; yellow pigments such as yellow lead, zinc yellow, barium chromate, cadminum yellow, yellow iron oxide, Chinese yellow, titanium yellow, lead cyanamide, lead acid calcium, Naphthol Yellow S, Hansa Yellow 10G Hansa Yellow GR, Hansa Yellow A, Hansa Yellow RN, Hansa yellow R, Pigment Yellow, Benzidine Yellow, Benzidine Yellow G, Benzidine Yellow GR, Permanent Yellow NCG, Vulcan Fast Yellow 5G, Vulcan Fast Yellow R, Tartrazine Lake, Quinoline Yellow Lake, Anthracene Yellow 6GL, Permanent Yellow FGL, Permanent Yellow H10G, Permanent Yellow HR, Anthrapyrimidine Yellow, etc.; orange pigments such as chrome orange, chrome vermilion, Sudan I, Permanent Orange, Lithol Fast Orange, Permanent Orange GTR, Hansa Yellow 3R, Vulcan Fast Orange GG, Benzidine Orange G, Persian Orange, Indanthrene Brilliant Orange GK, Indanthrene Brilliant Orange RK, Indanthrene Brilliant Orange, etc.; brown pigments such as iron oxide, amber, Permanent Brown, Para Brown, etc.; red pigments such as red iron oxide, red lead, silver vermilion, cadmium red, cadmium mercury red, antimony red, Permanent Red 4R, Para Red, Fire Red, Parachlororthonitroaniline Red, Lithol Fast Scarlet G, Brilliant Fast Scarlet, Western Vermilion, Brilliant Carmine BS, Permanent Red F2R, Permanent Red F4R, Permanent Red FRL, Permanent Red FRLL, Permanent Red F4RH, Fast Scarlet VD, Vulcan Fast Rubin B, Vulcan Fast Pink G, Light Fast Red Toner B, Light Fast Red Toner R, Permanent FB, Pyrazolone Red, Lithol Red, Lake Red C, Lake Red D, Anthocin B, Brilliant Scarlet G, Lithol Rubin GK, Permanent Red F5R, Brilliant Carmine 6B, Pigment Scarlet 3B, Bordeaux 5B, Toluidine Maroon, Permanent Bordeaux F2R, Helio Bordeaux BL, Bordeaux 10B, BON Maroon Light, BON Maroon Medium, Eosine Lake, Rhodamine Lake B, Rhodamine Lake Y, Alizarine Lake, Thioindigo Red B, Thioindigo Maroon, Permanent Red BGR, PV Carmine HR, Monolite Fast Red YS, Permanent Red BL, etc.; purple pigments such as cobalt purple, manganese purple, Fast Violet B, Methyl Violet Lake, Dioxine Violet, etc.; blue pigments such as ultramarine, prussian blue, cobalt blue, cerulean blue, asbolite, Alkali Blue Lake, Peacock Blue Lake, Victorian Blue Lake, non-metal Phthalocyanine Blue, Phthalocyanine Blue, Fast Sky Blue, Indathrene Blue RS, Indathrene Blue BC, Indigo, etc.; green pigments such as chrome green, zinc green, chromium oxide, viridian, emerald green, cobalt green, Pigment Green B, Naphthol Green B, Green Gold, Acid Green Lake, Malachite Green Lake, Phthalocyanine Green, polychlorobrome, copper phthalocyanine, etc.
The dyes usable as coloring material in this invention are the color dyes of monoazo type, diazo type, metal complex salt monoazo type, anthraquinone type, phthalocyanine type, triallylmethane type, etc. Examples of these dyes, when expressed by color index number, are as follows:yellow: 11020, 11021, 12055, 12700, 18690, 18820, 47000, etc.; red: 12010, 12150, 12715, 26105, 26125, 27291, 45170B, 60505, etc.; green; 61565, etc.; blue: 61100, 61705, 61525, 62100, 42563B, 74350, etc.; black: 12195, 26150, 50415, etc.
It is possible to obtain the color image recording material of this invention by merely providing such coloring material along with a photosetting resin, polymerization initiator, binder, and wax, and if necessary, a photosensitizer and other necessary additives on a support by using the conventional printing and coating techniques such as gravure printing, solvent coating, hot-melt coating, etc. Aqueous coating is also usable for certain types of material.
The photosetting resin used in the present invention is selected from photodimerized type resins having photosensitive groups such as cinnamic acid residue, cinnamylidene residue, α,β-unsaturated ketone residue, cumalin residue, anthracene residue, α-phenylmaleimide residue, benzophenone residue, stilbene residue, etc., or photo-polymerized type resins having ethylenenic unsaturated double bonds such as acryloyl group, methacryloyl group, allyl group, vinyl group, unsaturated polyester group, vinyloxy group, acrylamide group, etc. photopolymerized type resins having ethylenic unsaturated double bonds, especially those having vinyl groups are preferred.
As the polymerization initiator for polymerizing the photosetting resin, there can be used the known compounds usually employed for such purpose. Examples of such compounds are benzophenones, benzoinalkylethers, Michler's ketone, thioxanthones, sulfides, diazos, acetophenones, peroxides, aromatic amines, anthraquinones, and halides. In order to expand the photosensitive wavelength region, a photosensitizer can be used. As the photosensitizer, there can be used nitro compounds, amino compounds, ketones, quinones, anthrones and the like. In order to further improve the aging qualities, a stabilizer such as radical polymerization inhibitor, modifier, diluent such as relatively low-molecular weight oligomer or monomer, and the like may be contained.
If necessary, there can be also contained a pigment dispersant, thickener, fluidity improver, defoaming agent, foam-inhibitor, releasing agent, foaming agent, introfier, fluorescent whitening agent, ultraviolet absorber, antioxidant, antiseptic and the like.
Examples of the binder usable in this invention include the following: oxidized starch, etherified starch, cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, etc., casein, gelatin, soybean protein, polyvinyl alcohol and its derivatives, maleic anhydride resins, conjugated diene type copolymer latices such as ordinary styrene-butadiene copolymer, methyl methacrylate-butadiene copolymer, etc., acrylic polymer latices such as polymers or copolymers of acrylic esters and methacrylic esters, vinyl polymer latices such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, latices of these polymers having the functional groups modified by monomers containing functional groups such as carboxyl group, aqueous adhesives of thermosetting synthetic resins such as melamine resin, urea resin, etc., and synthetic resin adhesives such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyurethane resin, polyester resin, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl butyral, alkyd resin, etc. These compounds can be used either singly or in combination. The amount of the binder used is not critical in this invention; it can be used in any amount suited for effecting desired adhesion to the support. It should be noted, however, that if the binder is used in an excess amount, the hot-melt ink may not be properly transferred by heating and/or pressing because of too strong adhesion to the support.
The waxes usable in this invention include vegetable waxes such as rice wax, Japan wax, candelilla wax, etc., animal waxes such as lanoline, beeswax, shellac wax, etc., mineral waxes such as montan wax, synthetic waxes such as paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, oxidized paraffin wax, chlorinated paraffin wax, ricinoleic acid amide, lauric acid amide, erucic amide, palmitic acid amide, oleic acid amide, 12-hydroxystearic acid, distearyl ketone, ethylenebisstearic acid amide, etc., metallic soaps such as sodium stearate, sodium palmitate, potassium laurate, zinc stearate, aluminum stearate, magnesium stearate, lead stearate, dibasic barium stearate, etc., higher alcohols such as palmityl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, etc., and synthetic polyalcohols such as polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, etc.
In any case, it is desirable that the binder and wax used in this invention are the ones which absorb as little light used for exposure as possible.
A solvent is usually used for printing and coating practiced for obtaining the color image recording material according to this invention. As such solvent, there can be used, for example, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, ethyl acetate, tetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane, dichloroethane, toluene, methanol, ethanol and the like.
Ultraviolet light, visible light and infrared light can be used as the light applied for curing the photosetting resin used in this invention. As the light source, sunlight, xenon lamp, low-pressure or highpressure mercury lamp, tungsten lamp, fluorescent lamp, and various types of laser oscillators can be used. From these light sources, any desired one can be chosen by selecting the type of the photosetting resin, sensitizer and polymerization initiator used.
Exposure can be conducted either from the front side or from the back side of the color image recording material but in case it is conducted from the back side, that is, from the support side of the recording material, it is necessary that the support be made of a material which is previous to light of the wavelength used for the exposure. Heating is conducted from the support side.
The support used in this invention may be transparent, semitransparent or opaque. As such support, it is possible to use, for example, paper, various types of nonwoven fabric, synthetic paper, plastic film, or composite sheet made by combining them. The support material should be one which won't be denatured by heating. Polyethylene terephthalate is preferably used as support material.
The present invention will hereinafter be described more particularly according to the examples thereof.
EXAMPLE 1
For producing a color image recording material, the following materials were dissolved or dispersed in a toluene/MEK (8/2) mixed solvent in the shown amount ratios to prepare a yellow hot-melt ink.
Materials
Coloring material, Yellow LSD-Y (Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.): 1.2 parts by weight
Photosetting resin, Arrownix M-8060 (Toagosei Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.): 48.8 parts by weight
Polymerization initiator, Irgacure 907 (Ciba Geigy): 1.2 parts by weight
Binder, Vylon 20 SS (Toyobo Co., Ltd.): 36.6 parts by weight
Wax, paraffin wax: 12.2 parts by weight
There was also prepared magenta and cyan hotmelt inks in the same way and with the same composition except that said yellow coloring material was replaced by magneta Kayaset Red (Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.) and cyan SOT-Blue G (Hodogaya Chemical Co., Ltd.), respectively.
Then said inks were coated on a 6 μm polyethylene terephthalate support to a dry coating weight of 3.5 g/m.sup. 2, and the recurring units (210 mm transversely and 297 mm longitudinally) consisting of said yellow, magenta and cyan hot-melt inks were arranged in a predetermined order without overlapping each other by gravure printing to obtain a color image recording material.
The respective parts of the color image on CRT were resolved into blue, green and red colors, and after converting them into electric signals and further subjecting them to optical conversion, ultraviolet light was applied to the positions corresponding to the yellow, magenta and cyan coloring materials in said recording material. After exposure, the ink side of said recording material was placed on ordinary paper (heat transfer image receiving paper TTR-T made by Mitsubishi Paper Mills, Ltd.) and they were passed through heated rolls. As a result, a beautiful color image was obtained.
EXAMPLE 2
The process of Example 1 was repeated except that the hot-melt inks were arranged in a pattern of stripes by gravure printing instead of arranging them in a predetermined order without overlapping each other to obtain a color image recording material.
The respective parts of the color image on CRT were resolved into blue, green and red colors, and after converting them into electric signals and further subjecting them to optical conversion, ultraviolet light was applied to the positions corresponding to the yellow, magenta and cyan coloring materials in said recording material. After exposure, the ink side of said recording material was placed on ordinary paper (heat transfer image receiving paper TTR-T made by Mitsubishi Paper Mills, Ltd.) and they were passed through heated rolls. There was obtained a beautiful color image.
As described above, according to the present invention, a color image recording material can be obtained by successively applying on a support the hot-melt inks prepared by mixing the respective coloring materials, a photosetting resin, and a polymerization initiator, and by use of such recording material, it is possible to obtain high-quality color images with a simple process. Thus, in view of the growing demand for recording of color images in these days, the present invention is of much industrial significance.
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A colored image recording material comprising a support and hot-melt inks each comprising at least one coloring material, a photosetting resin and a polmerization initiator and applied on one side of the support can provide colored images excellent in resolving power and image storing properties by an image forming method.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods for electrospinning fibrous biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable biomaterials and keratin membranes and scaffolds for medical applications.
BACKGROUND
The present invention is directed to products and methods having utility in medical applications. In one embodiment, the fibrous articles of the invention are polymeric membranes.
Electrospinning is a simple and low cost electrostatic self-assembly method capable of fabricating a large variety of fibers approximately 40 nm to 2 μm in diameter, in linear, 2-D and 3-D architecture. Electrospinning techniques have been available since the 1930's (U.S. Pat. No. 1,975,504). In the electrospinning process, there is a high voltage electric field between oppositely charged polymer fluid contained in a glass syringe with a capillary tip and a metallic collection target. As the voltage is increased to a critical value, the charge overcomes the surface tension of the suspended polymer cone formed on the capillary tip of the syringe of the glass pipette and a jet of ultrafine fibers is produced. As the charged fibers are sprayed, the solvent quickly evaporates and the fibers are accumulated randomly on the surface of the collection screen. This results in a nonwoven mesh of nano and micron scale fibers which has very large surface area to volume ratios and small pore sizes. Recently, electrospinning techniques have been developed and applied to the production of scaffolds in tissue engineering (Duan B, Yuan XY, et al. “A nanofibrous composite membrane of PLGA-chitosan/PVA was prepared by electrospinning”, European Polymer Journal 2006; 42: 2013-2022).
In the present invention, electrospinning is used to produce fibrous composite from biomaterials and keratins for fabrication of membranes or scaffolds for medical applications. Examples of biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable biomaterials include, but are not limited to, poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid). Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved these polymers for some human clinical applications, such as surgical sutures and implantable devices. One of their potential advantages is that their degradation rate can be adjusted to match the rate of regeneration of the new tissue. They can keep the framework until the new tissue forms because of their sufficient mechanical strength. They can also be fabricated to be the same complicated shapes or structures as the tissues or organs to be replaced. However, these are still some disadvantages, such as hydrophobicity, the lack of cell-recognition signals. These results that no sufficient cell attach on the surface of these polymer materials. The interaction between the host environment and these biomaterials still has much potential for improvement. Keratins are the major structure fibrous proteins constructing hair, wool, nail and so on, which are characteristically abundant in cysteine residues (7-20 number % of the total amino acid residues). As alternative natural proteinous biomaterials for collagen, wool keratins have been demonstrated to be useful for fibroblasts and osteoblasts, owing to their cell adhesion sequences, arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) and leucine-aspartic acid-vlaine (LDV), biocompatibility for modification targets. Moreover, they are biodegradable in vitro (by trypsin) and in vivo (by subcutaneous embedding in mice). Keratin sponges with controlled pore size and porosity was fabricated by a compression-modeling/particulate-leaching method.
The fibrous composite of biopolymers and keratins could combine their advantages together and have potential medical applications.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages and problems in the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention uses electrospinning to prepare fibrous membranes and scaffolds of biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable biomaterials and keratin.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an SEM micrograph of PLLA electrospun membrane;
FIG. 2 is an SEM micrograph of wool keratin particles;
FIG. 3 is an SEM of electrospun PLLA/keratin fibrous membrane;
FIG. 4 is an FTIR spectra of wool keratin;
FIG. 5 is an FTIR spectra of fibrous PLLA membranes;
FIG. 6 is an FTIR spectra of electrospun PLLA/keratin membrane;
FIG. 7 shows the percentage change of keratin in PLLA/keratin;
FIG. 8 shows XPS wide scan spectra;
FIG. 9 shows the atomic change of the surface of PLLA/keratin membranes with degradation time;
FIG. 10 is an SEM micrograph of osteoblasts on PLLA/keratin fibrous membrane;
FIG. 11 is an SEM micrograph of osteoblasts on pure PLLA fibrous membrane.
DESCRIPTION
The present invention is directed to biodegradable and/or bioabsorable materials and keratin fibrous articles and cell culturing on these articles for medical applications. In one aspect, the invention relates to biodegradable and bioabsorbable fibrous articles formed by electrospinning of biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable materials. In another aspect, the articles contain composites of different biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable fibers. In yet another aspect, the articles can also include fibers of at least one biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable material which contains keratin.
A biodegradable material is intended to be broken down (usually gradually) by the body of an animal, e.g. a mammal. A bioabsorable material is intended to be absorbed or resorbed by the body of an animal, such that it eventually becomes essentially non-detectable at the site of application.
By the terminology “biodegradable and/or bioabsorable material” means that the material which is biocompatible, as well as biodegradable and/or bioabsorable, and capable of being formed into fibers. The material can be formed into a fibrous article which is suitable for medical application and capable of being biodegraded and/bioabsorbed by the animal.
In a preferred embodiment, the biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable polymer was produced from a monomer selected from the group consisting of a glycolide, lactide, dioxanone, caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, ethylene glycol, and lysine. The polymer can be a homopolymer, random or block co-polymer or hetero-polymer containing any combination of these monomers. The material can be a random copolymer, block copolymer or blend of homopolymers, copolymers, and/or heteropolymers that contain these monomers.
In one embodiment, the biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable polymer contains bioabsorbable and biodegradable linear aliphatic polyesters such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) and their copolymer poly(glycolic-co-lactic acid)(PLGA). These polymers have been approved by FDA for use in surgical applications, including medical sutures. These synthetic absorbable materials have an advantage that is their degradability by simple hydrolysis of the ester backbone in aqueous environments. The final metabolin of these degradation products are carbon dioxide and water or can be excreted via the kidney.
Some useful biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable polymers include poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), polycarprolactone, polydioxane, and their random and block copolymers.
By the terminology “composite of different biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable fibers” means that a fibrous matrix contains different fibers interleaved with each other which can be in the form of a membrane or scaffold.
By the terminology “different biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable fibers” means that the article contains fibers of different biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable materials, fibers of different diameters, or fibers of different biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable materials with different diameters.
In one embodiment, the article contains different fibers having diameters in the range from a few nanometers up to 50 microns, more preferably about 50 nanometers up to about 20 microns and most preferably about 1 to about 10 microns.
By the terminology “biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable material which contains keratin” is intended at least one of the biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable fibers in the article contains keratin.
In one embodiment, the keratin particles were prepared from wool. The weight ratio of polymer and keratin is in the range of 0.1 to about 50, more preferably about 0.5 to 20.
The membranes of the present invention may be employed as substrates for cell culture. Examples of uses of the membrane of the present invention include, but are not limited to, culturing osteoblasts.
The polymer material for electrospinning is first dissolved in a solvent. The solvent can be any solvent which is capable of dissolving the polymer and providing a conducting fluid capable of being elecrospun. The solvent is preferably selected from tetrohydrofuran (THF), N—N-dimethyl acetamide (DMAc), N,N-Dimethyl formamide (DMF), chloroform, methylene chloride, dioxane, ethanol, or mixtures of these solvents.
The concentration of polymer solution is in the range of about 0.1 to about 50 wt %, more preferably about 1 to about 10 wt %. The viscosity of the conducting fluid is in the range of about 50 to about 2000 mPas, more preferably about 200 to about 700 mPas.
The range of electric field created in the electrospinning process is in a range of about 5 to about 100 kilovolts (kV), more preferably about 10 to about 50 kV. The feed rate of the conducting fluid to the spinneret will preferably be in the range of about 0.1 to about 500 ml/min, more preferably about 1 to about 100 microliters/min.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
A membrane was prepared as follows: a 1 wt % PLLA/chloroform/N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) solution was prepared by slowly dissolving PLLA pellets (inherent viscosity of 7.0 dl/g, PURAC, Netherlands) into a chloroform solvent at room temperature with stirring. After PLLA was completely dissolved, 10 wt % DMF was added. The solution was then loaded into the 20 ml syringe fitted with a needle, and delivered to an electrode. The solution was pumped and controlled by a syringe pump at a flow rate of 0.3 ml/min. A 10 kV positive high voltage was applied on the electrode. The distance from the tip of the electrode to the grounded collecting plate was 15 cm. A tiny electrospinning jet was formed and stabilized in 30 seconds under these conditions. The collecting plate was movable and controlled by a stepper motor. The collecting plate was continually moved at a rate of 1 mm/sec until a membrane having a relatively uniform thickness of about 100 microns was obtained. Electrospun membranes were sputtered with gold, and their morphology was observed under a scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
The morphology of electrospun fibers is influenced by various parameters such as applied voltage, solution flow rate, distance between capillary and collector, and especially the properties of polymer solutions including concentration, surface tension and the nature of the solvent. A SEM image of PLLA membrane is shown in FIG. 1 .
Example 2
A biodegradable and bioabsorbable membrane with keratin according to the present invention, fabricated by an electrospinning process, was prepared as follows: 1 wt % keratin powders ( FIG. 2 ) were dispersed in the PLLA/chloroform/DMF solution. The solution was then electrospun at 12 kV. The fibrous membrane was collected at 16 cm ( FIG. 3 ). The membrane was examined by FTIR and SEM.
Except the parameters mentioned about, the concentration of keratin in the polymer solution also influences the fiber shape. The applied voltage, solution flow rate, distance between capillary and collector are adjusted accordingly.
FIG. 4 is FTIR spectra of wool keratin. Wavenumbers from 3250 to 3300 cm −1 are the N—H stretch which is in resonance with amide II overtone. Wavenumbers at 1600-1700 cm −1 are mainly the C═O stretching. Wavenumber at 1550 cm −1 is the N—H bending coupled with C—N stretching. FTIR spectra of pure PLLA have no peaks from 1700 to 1500 cm −1 . For PLLA and keratin composite membrane, two peaks appeared at 1600-1700 cm −1 and 1550 cm −1 which belong to keratin. With increasing of keratin in the composite, these two peaks increase correspondingly ( FIG. 5 ).
Example 3
PLLA/keratin (1:1) membranes were immersed phosphate buffer saline (PBS, pH 7.4) at 37° C. for various time periods up to 4 weeks. The degradation medium was changed daily for the first week, one at day 10 and day 14, and then weekly for the rest of the remaining period. Samples were taken out at the end of each sampling time point, i.e., at three hour, 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. The samples removed from the PBS were first rinsed with distilled water and then vacuum dried for 24 h. PLLA/keratin samples before and after degradation were examine by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) The characterizing peaks of PLLA and keratin were used to calculate their ratios after different degradation periods. Along with degradation period, the characterization peaks of keratin decreased correspondingly ( FIG. 6 ). According to the reducing of absorbance in FTIR spectra, the change of keratin in composite was calculated ( FIG. 7 ). In XPS wide scan spectra ( FIG. 8 ), it was found that (1) XPS spectra of pure PLLA showed only carbon and oxygen peaks, as expected; (2) a peak with binding energy at 400 eV corresponding to nitrogen (NIs) was detected. It is well known that it is characteristics amino acid residues in the keratin; (3) peaks corresponding to N appeared on the spectra of electrospun PLLA/keratin membrane; (4) the signals of nitrogen (N1s), the characteristics elements of keratin, were present in the spectra of PLLA/keratin composite after 3 hours degradation.
The chemical compositions of the PLLA/keratin membranes after different degradation periods were calculated from the XPS survey scan spectra and showed in FIG. 9 . The nitrogen content of PLLA/keratin (8.9%) was lower than that of pure keratin (12.6%) because of zero nitrogen content in PLLA. At the first degradation stage, the N content decreased significantly. Along with degradation time, the content of N decreased because of the lost of keratin. After 28 days degradation, nevertheless 3% atomic of N was still detected which was contribute by keratin on the PLLA fibers.
Example 4
MC3TS osteoblasts were cultured at 37° C. in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO 2 in air, in flasks containing 6 ml Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM; Gibco), 10.0% fetal bovine serum (FBS; Gibco) and 1% penicillin/streptomycin. The medium was changed every third day. After 7-day culture, the MC3TS cells were removed from the flask, using trypsin, centrifuged, and resuspended in DMEM medium to adjust cell density to 4×10 6 cells/ml. 25 μl (about 1×10 5 cells) of the cell suspensions were seeded evenly into the PLLA/wool keratin (1:4 in weight) membranes with a micropipette. The seeded membranes were maintained in incubator for 2 h and culture medium was added to the wells. The medium was changed every 2 days. After incubation, any non-adherent cells on the samples were removed by aspirating the medium and washing with PBS solution.
After 7 days of culture, cellular constructs were harvested, rinsed twice with PBS to remove non-adherent cells and subsequently fixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde at 4° C. for 4 h. After that, the samples were dehydrated through a series of graded ethanol solutions and air-dried overnight. Dry cellular constructs were sputtered with gold and observed by SEM.
SEM results showed that more cells were observed on PLLA/wool keratin membranes ( FIG. 10 ) than that on PLLA membrane control ( FIG. 11 ).
Having described embodiments of the present system with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the present system is not limited to the precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope or spirit as defined in the appended claims.
In interpreting the appended claims, it should be understood that:
a) the word “comprising” does not exclude the presence of other elements or acts than those listed in the given claim;
b) the word “a” or “an” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements;
c) any reference signs in the claims do not limit their scope;
d) any of the disclosed devices or portions thereof may be combined together or separated into further portions unless specifically stated otherwise; and
e) no specific sequence of acts or steps is intended to be required unless specifically indicated.
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The present invention relates to a process of making biodegradable and/or bioabsorbable biomaterials and keratin nonwoven fibrous articles by electrospinning fibers from a blend of biomaterials and keratin dissolved in organic solvents includes generating a high voltage electric field between oppositely charged biomaterials and keratin fluid in a syringe with a capillary tip and a metallic collection roller and causing a jet to flow to the roller as solvent evaporates and collecting fibrous membranes or scaffolds on the roller. Keratin increased the cell affinity of biomaterial scaffolds which have potential medical applications.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to an ink cartridge for storing liquid ink for use with an ink jet head or printer head and supplying ink thereto. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cartridge having a one-way valve for controlling ink supply to the print head. The cartridge also involves a sealing assembly integrally formed with a sealing portion and a block portion.
[0002] This invention still relates to an ink filling method and apparatus for the ink cartridge, which employs a one-way valve to control the ink flow and especially either using positive or negative pressure difference to fill the cartridge.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Conventionally, in an ink jet printer, it is desirable to keep the interior of the ink tank under a suitable negative pressure. Chinese Patent Publication No. 1185379A discloses a device (FIG. 1) used to keep an ink tank in a negative pressure condition. An ink tank 10 is filled with ink 14 and a porous body 12, such as a foam, absorbs the ink. The mechanics of surface energy play a role in retaining ink in the interstices or cells of the foam. Volumetric efficiency, however, in using foam is only about 60-65%. Therefore, these designs are deemed to be less efficient than desired.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,447—Nielsen teaches use of a check valve 22 and an ink tank 20 to control ink flow as shown in FIG. 2. An elastic umbrella-shaped diaphragm 22 selectively seals about an opening 25. In operation, negative pressure acts on the diaphragm valve to allow ink 24 to flow from the reservoir into a small cavity adjacent nozzles of a thermal ink jet print head. The check valve of this structure, however, is not capable of preventing air bubbles. The air bubbles become trapped within the cavity 26, and expand and contract in response to pressure or temperature changes and preclude ink from leaving the cavity. Ink leakage can occur through the nozzles of the print head by an expanding and contracting air bubble forcing ink from the small cavity and through the nozzles.
[0005] For example, Chinese Patent Publication CN1133784A discloses a funnel-shaped packing member 100 being formed with a through hole as shown in FIG. 3A. The packing member is also provided with a tapered surface 102 engaging with the needle 104 for providing ink to an associated printing mechanism. It is necessary to add an additional sealing film 106 in the ink supply port in order to prevent ink from leaking, thus the cost would increase.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No 5,790,158 discloses an ink cartridge, which also possesses a sealing “O” ring 120 with a hole as shown FIG. 3B. This kind of sealing structure plays a good role in sealing but it is also necessary to add a sealing film 124 outside the chamber 122 for purposes of shipping.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,458 discloses a sealing member 130 as shown in FIG. 3C. The sealing member 130 is integrally formed with a pierceable sealing septum 132. In application the septum is sometimes not be easily pierced through, as the septum 132 possesses high tenacity.
[0008] Obviously, the above mentioned sealing structures need a seal film welded in the outside surface of the ink cartridge to prevent ink leakage upon the insertion of ink supply needle and there still needs a sealed package during shipping and when the cartridge is out of use.
[0009] It is known how to produce an ink cartridge in mass production and fill ink in the cartridges efficiently in order to increase productivity.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No 5,280,299 discloses an ink cartridge employing a porous material shown in FIG. 4 and method of filling ink as shown in FIG. 5. The porous material 14 is located in the tank and the tank attached to a print head. The process of filling ink in the ink cartridge is shown in FIG. 5. That is, at step 1(p1), the process includes the step of providing an empty ink cartridge; at step2 (p2), putting porous material into the tank; at step 3 (p3), sealing the entrance for the porous material of the tank; at step 4 (p4), checking for leakage; at step 5 (p5), reducing the pressure; at step 6 (p6), filling the ink; at step 7 (p7), removing the residual free ink; and at step 8 (p8), sealing the outlet of the liquid ink.
[0011] The above mentioned method is difficult to operate. There is some space or gap between the porous material and the inside of ink cartridge that stores some liquid ink called “free ink”. “Free ink” could ultimately leak from the cartridge and removing the residual is needed. But the “free ink” may not be located or reserved at the same place and the location of the “free ink” is different according to the different ink cartridges. Especially “free ink” is not always located near the entrance of the liquid ink but appears far away in remote regions of the cartridge. In that case, it is difficult to remove the “free ink”, and it is possible that the liquid ink stored in the porous materials to be removed as “free ink”, may lead to the change of the total input of ink as well as the ink distribution in the porous materials.
[0012] It should be pointed out that the operation of removing the “free ink” is occurring at the print head. The liquid ink is filled near the ink print head and the “free ink” from other areas of the cartridge could be withdrawn together with the stored ink and lead to starvation of liquid ink in operation.
[0013] As mentioned above, it is difficult for the process to fill ink into porous materials of the ink cartridge and it is difficult to remove the “free ink”. As the porous material occupies some space of the ink cartridge, there is some ink remained in the porous materials after printing, which limits the amount of liquid ink which should be provided by the ink cartridge and increases the cost.
[0014] Accordingly, an improved ink cartridge and filling method and apparatus that address these problems and others would be desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is an ink cartridge of simple structure, which is easy to handle, easily manufactured, of high mechanical strength, does not mix air with the liquid ink supplied from the cartridge, and prevents ink from leaking from the cartridge.
[0016] The present invention provides an ink cartridge, which employs a one-way valve operatively associated with ink supply port for controlling ink flow. The present invention provides a one-way valve, which is step-shape designed in order to be deformed easily.
[0017] The present invention provides a cartridge in which an outlet is sealed though a sealing assembly integrally formed with a sealing portion and a block portion. This device functions well in sealing the cartridge both during transport and in operation upon the insertion of the printer needle.
[0018] The present invention provides a method of filling liquid ink into an ink cartridge by means of a one-way valve under negative pressure. The present invention provides a device for filling the ink into the cartridge in which the needle is used to withdraw the air to form a negative pressure and fill ink to a predetermined level.
[0019] The present invention provides a method of filling the ink cartridge employing a one-way valve to store and control the liquid ink, directly by positive pressure under normal temperature.
[0020] An ink cartridge for an ink jet recording apparatus, comprises: a cartridge body for accommodating ink provided with at least one ink chamber, wherein the cartridge body comprising
[0021] at least an air vent for providing fluid communication between the ink chamber and outside air;
[0022] at least an ink outlet port for supplying the ink from the ink chamber; and
[0023] at least a sealing member provided within the ink outlet port;
[0024] at least a one-way valve disposed within the ink chamber for controlling ink flow,
[0025] wherein at least one-way valve is integrally provided with
[0026] a foot support portion sealing an interior wall of the ink outlet port;
[0027] a wall support portion projecting from the interior of the foot support portion;
[0028] a shoulder support portion bending toward an interior of the wall support portion;
[0029] a head support portion projecting from the shoulder support portion formed with a through hole; and
[0030] a valve sealing assembly for blocking the through hole of the head support portion.
[0031] According to the ink cartridge, the wall support portion projects at an angle from the foot support portion.
[0032] According to the ink cartridge, the shoulder support portion is provided with a recess formed by the wall support portion bending inwardly.
[0033] According to the ink cartridge, the head support portion projects at an angle from the shoulder support portion.
[0034] According to the ink cartridge, the head support portion is cone-shaped.
[0035] According to the ink cartridge, the sloping angle of the head support portion is dimensioned to be greater than that of the wall support portion.
[0036] According to the ink cartridge, the thickness of the foot support portion is dimensioned to be greater than that of the head support portion and the thickness of the head support portion is dimensioned to be greater than that of the shoulder support portion.
[0037] According to the ink cartridge, a recess is formed by an interior wall of the ink outlet port for receipt of the valve.
[0038] According to the ink cartridge, the recess further includes a stepped circular region defined by the bottom wall of the recess for receipt of a filter member.
[0039] According to the ink cartridge, the head support portion of the one-way valve is in a slightly compressed state with the valve sealing assembly.
[0040] According to the ink cartridge, an ink leakage preventing device is disposed at the air vent to prevent ink leaking from the air vent.
[0041] According to the ink cartridge, an ink leakage preventing device is a protrusion extending outwardly from the air vent to the ink chamber.
[0042] According to the ink cartridge, the ink leakage preventing device is a bending tube surrounding the periphery of the air vent, with one end connecting to the air vent and the other end coming out of the ink.
[0043] According to the ink cartridge, the ink leakage preventing device is a bag-shaped member disposed within the ink chamber comprising an open end, for connecting to the air vent; and
[0044] a tiny hole, provided in a wall of the bag-shaped member.
[0045] According to the ink cartridge, the bag-shaped member is an elastic balloon.
[0046] According to the ink cartridge, a bowl-shaped cap for fixing the elastic balloon comprises
[0047] an opening therethrough, the opening having a wide end dimensioned to engage with the out periphery of the protrusion of the air vent and a narrow end acting as an elongated part of the air vent; and
[0048] a shoulder on which the open end of the elastic balloon is mounted .
[0049] According to the ink cartridge, the bottom wall of the ink chamber leans or slopes to the ink outlet port.
[0050] According to the ink cartridge, at least an ink guide groove is formed in the surface of the bottom wall of the ink chamber.
[0051] According to the ink cartridge, a projection is provided on the bottom wall of the ink chamber to prevent the bag-shaped member from blocking the opening of the valve sealing member.
[0052] According to the ink cartridge, the open end of the bag-shaped member has an opening substantially equal to the wall of cartridge body on which the air vent is provided within.
[0053] According to the ink cartridge, the bag-shaped member has several overlapped layers.
[0054] According to the ink cartridge, the air vent communicates with the outside or atmosphere via the irregular air-guided vent formed in the wall of the cartridge body.
[0055] According to the ink cartridge, part of the air-guided vent is disposed at the interior surface of the wall.
[0056] According to the ink cartridge, an air guide film is provided on the outside surface of the wall on which the air vent is provided .
[0057] According to the ink cartridge, an ink filling hole is provided on a wall of the cartridge body and is sealed by a seal plug.
[0058] According to the ink cartridge, the sealing assembly provided within the ink outlet comprises
[0059] a support portion integrally formed with a chamber inside, supported by the interior wall of the ink outlet port;
[0060] a sealing portion projected from the support portion;
[0061] a block portion connected to the sealing portion; and
[0062] a connection portion surrounding between the sealing portion and the block portion to support the block portion being separated from the connection portion upon a certain pressure.
[0063] According to the ink cartridge, a tapered surface is provided inwardly of the sealing assembly.
[0064] According to the ink cartridge, a circle-shaped groove is provided for placing the support portion of the sealing assembly to facilitate separation of the block portion from the sealing assembly.
[0065] According to the ink cartridge, the thickness of the connection portion is different.
[0066] According to the ink cartridge, the thickness of the connection portion decreases from one side to the other.
[0067] According to the ink cartridge, an off-gas vent is provided on the wall of the ink outlet port.
[0068] A one-way valve for controlling the ink flow comprises
[0069] a foot support portion;
[0070] a wall support portion projecting from the interior of foot support portion;
[0071] a shoulder support portion bending toward interior of the wall support portion; and
[0072] a head support portion projecting from the shoulder support portion formed with a through hole.
[0073] According to the one-way valve, the shoulder support portion is provided with a recess formed by the wall support portion bending inwardly.
[0074] According to the one-way valve, the head support portion projects at an angle from the shoulder support portion.
[0075] According to the one-way valve, the thickness of the foot support portion is dimensioned to be greater than that of the head support portion and the thickness of the head support portion is dimensioned to be greater than that of the shoulder support portion.
[0076] An ink filling method for filling an ink cartridge, comprises the steps of:
[0077] a) sealing the ink cartridge;
[0078] b) forming a negative pressure in the cavity by drawing the air in both the ink guide cavity and ink chamber;
[0079] c) filling a pre-defined amount of ink into the ink cartridge.
[0080] According to the ink filling method, the step b) comprises the steps of
[0081] d) penetrating an off-gas vent on a wall of the ink guide cavity formed by the one-way valve and the sealing assembly;
[0082] e) inserting a drawing needle at the off-gas vent.
[0083] According to the ink filling method, the method further comprises the steps of
[0084] f) pulling out the drawing needle from the off-gas vent when the air pressure reaches the pre-defined value;
[0085] An ink filling apparatus for filling the ink cartridge, the ink cartridge comprising:
[0086] an air vent for providing fluid communication between the ink chamber and outside air;
[0087] an ink supply port for supplying ink from the ink chamber;
[0088] a sealing assembly disposed at an ink outlet port to seal ink therein;
[0089] a one-way valve coupled with a valve sealing assembly blocking its through hole of a head support portion, disposed at the bottom of the ink tank and forming an ink guide cavity together with sealing assembly for holding and controlling ink; and
[0090] an ink filling apparatus comprising:
[0091] a compressed apparatus, used for sealing the cover of said ink cartridge;
[0092] an ink supply container;
[0093] an ink filling needle, which inserts into said ink cartridge, connects to said ink supply container via a tube;
[0094] a flow control device for controlling ink flow from said ink supply container to said ink cartridge;
[0095] an air pump;
[0096] an absorbing needle which connects to said air pump by one side and penetrating the off-gas vent of said ink cartridge by another side at least one valves is disposed separately at the tubes between said flow control device and said ink supply container, and between said flow control device and said ink filling needle.
[0097] An ink filling method for filling the ink cartridge, comprising:
[0098] putting the ink cartridge in a closed chamber;
[0099] forming a negative pressure in the closed chamber;
[0100] filling a pre-defined amount of ink in said ink cartridge.
[0101] An ink filling method according to claim 40, further comprising:
[0102] pulling out air from the lower part of the one-way valve;
[0103] inserting the sealing assembly within the ink supply port of said ink cartridge.
[0104] a) the flow control device and the ink filling
[0105] b) by the negative
[0106] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the air bubble will be prevented as there is a small cavity between the valve and the bottom wall and a reserving liquid in the small cavity.
[0107] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the air bubble will be prevented as the ink cavity or ink guide chamber is configured small enough, and the air trapped in the ink guide chamber can be drawn out by the cleaning action of the printer operation.
[0108] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the liquid ink will fill the small cavity from the tank to support printing as the one-way valve operates in response to very small pressure changes, the valve may be used in a wider range of pressures and adapt well thereto. It is important that the ink be fully used and the cost of making the ink cartridge is reduced, the process of filling is simple and operation control is increased.
[0109] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an ink cartridge of the present invention can prevent ink leakage.
[0110] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an ink cartridge of the present invention guarantees the seal part both to withstand a certain degree of force and to engage with the needle upon the insertion of the ink supply needle.
[0111] In accordance with further aspect of the present invention, the operation of sealing assembly is easy and the cost is low as the sealing part is designed by integration of the supporting portion, sealing portion, block portion and connection portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0112] The present invention will be obvious by description combined with the following drawings and the preferred embodiments.
[0113] [0113]FIG. 1 shows a prior art ink cartridge which employs a foam in the cartridge.
[0114] [0114]FIG. 2 shows an example of a prior art ink cartridge with a pre-loaded check valve.
[0115] [0115]FIG. 3A shows an example of a funnel-shaped sealing member.
[0116] [0116]FIG. 3B shows an example of an “O” ring as a sealing member.
[0117] [0117]FIG. 3C shows an example of a sealing member provided with a septum.
[0118] [0118]FIG. 4 shows an example of a foam employed in an ink cartridge with “free ink” between the ink chamber and the foam.
[0119] [0119]FIG. 5 shows the ink filling process for filling the ink cartridge of FIG. 4.
[0120] [0120]FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the one-way, bellows valve of the present invention.
[0121] [0121]FIG. 7A is a sectional view of an ink cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
[0122] [0122]FIG. 7B is a sectional view of an ink cartridge according to a first embodiment and schematically illustrating operation thereof
[0123] [0123]FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an ink cartridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing a spring abutting against the bellows valve.
[0124] [0124]FIG. 9 is a sectional view of an ink cartridge according to a third embodiment of the present invention with a separate valve fixing member.
[0125] [0125]FIG. 10 is a sectional view of an ink cartridge according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention with a protrusion valve fixing member and a porous body disposed in an air vent for preventing ink leakage from the cartridge.
[0126] [0126]FIG. 11 is a sectional view of an ink cartridge showing a cylindrical valve element to prevent ink leakage from the air vent.
[0127] [0127]FIG. 12A is an enlarged sectional view of the cylinder valve of FIG. 11.
[0128] [0128]FIG. 12B is a sectional view of the cylinder valve member of FIG. 12A.
[0129] [0129]FIG. 13 is a sectional view of an ink cartridge showing a ball valve element that prevents ink from leaking from the air vent.
[0130] [0130]FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view of the ball valve of FIG. 13.
[0131] [0131]FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment including a U-shaped tube, sloping bottom wall, and sealing assembly provided within the ink supply port.
[0132] [0132]FIG. 16A is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention including an elastic bag connected to the air vent for preventing ink leakage.
[0133] [0133]FIG. 16B is a sectional view of the bag fixing cap of FIG. 16A.
[0134] [0134]FIG. 16C is a sectional view of the elastic bag of FIG. 16A,
[0135] [0135]FIG. 16D is a sectional view of of the elastic bag of FIG. 16A.
[0136] [0136]FIG. 16E is a sectional view of an ink cartridge showing an ink guide rib on the bottom wall and labyrinth on the lid.
[0137] [0137]FIG. 16F is a top view of the lid of an ink cartridge showing an air guide film covering the labyrinth.
[0138] [0138]FIG. 17 is a sectional view of an ink cartridge showing a membrane being connected to the lid where the air vent is disposed within the lid.
[0139] [0139]FIG. 18A is a sectional view of an ink cartridge showing a bellows like member being connected to the lid with the bellows like member in its relaxed state.
[0140] [0140]FIG. 18B is a sectional view of an ink cartridge of FIG. 18A, showing a bellows like member being connected to the lid with the bellows like member in its working state.
[0141] [0141]FIG. 18C is a sectional view of the bellows like member of FIG. 18A.
[0142] FIGS. 19 A- 19 E are sectional views of alternative sealing assemblies within the ink supply port provided on the outlet of FIG. 15.
[0143] [0143]FIG. 20A is a sectional view of alternative sealing assemblies integrally formed within a ball-like block portion.
[0144] [0144]FIG. 20B is a sectional view showing the ball-like block portion of FIG. 20A separated from the sealing assembly upon the insertion of a printer needle.
[0145] [0145]FIG. 21A is a sectional view of alternative sealing assemblies integrally formed within a cylindrical block portion.
[0146] [0146]FIG. 21B is a sectional view showing the cylindrical block portion of FIG. 21A separated from the sealing assembly upon the insertion of a printer needle.
[0147] [0147]FIG. 22 is a sectional view of alternative sealing assembly provided with an inwardly tapered surface.
[0148] [0148]FIG. 23A is a preferred embodiment of a connecting portion integrally provided on a sealing assembly, showing that the connection portion possesses average thickness.
[0149] [0149]FIG. 23B is another preferred embodiment of a connecting portion integrally provided on a sealing assembly, showing that the connection portion possesses different thicknesses.
[0150] [0150]FIG. 24 is a sectional view of a still further alternative embodiment of sealing assembly.
[0151] FIGS. 25 A- 25 B are perspective views of a package seal used for sealing the ink cartridge during shipping and handling.
[0152] [0152]FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the ink filling device of the present invention filled under positive pressure.
[0153] [0153]FIG. 27 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the ink filling device filled under negative pressure.
[0154] [0154]FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the ink-filling device according to a further embodiment of the present invention filled under positive pressure.
[0155] [0155]FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the ink-filling device of the present invention filled under negative pressure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0156] [0156]FIG. 7A is a first preferred embodiment of the invention. The valve 30 selectively blocks its opening 330 to separate ink in the ink chamber 402 from ink discharge opening 404 .
[0157] Referring to FIG. 6, the bellows valve 30 is preferably formed of a rubber with a Shore degree hardness of 30°˜65°, and a preferred profile of the bellows is a truncated cone. It includes a foot support portion 310 , as shown in FIG. 7A, that abuttingly engages and is supported by an internal wall of the ink chamber 402 adjacent the port 404 . The foot support portion is dimensioned for sealing contact with the wall. The enlarged thickness of the foot support portion 310 is reduced and tapered along wall support portion 322 . That is, the wall thins in cross section and tapers inwardly to a reduced diameter as the bellows merges from the foot support portion toward shoulder portion 324 . At the shoulder portion 324 , the bellows undergoes a reverse curve 325 , the shoulder support portion 324 merging into an inwardly extending support section that defines a well or recess that supports head portion 330 . The head portion has an opening 332 . The shoulder portion 324 bends inwardly along the wall support portion 322 to support shoulder support portion 324 . The contour of the bellows is responsive to subtle pressure differences so that it regulates and controls ink flow to the outlet port 404 .
[0158] When the printer operates, there is a difference of pressure between two sides of the valve, which direction is like the arrows in the FIG. 7B and results in the deformation of the valve. The wall support portion 322 which bends to the inside of the shoulder support portion 324 and forms the sink, guarantees that the supporting head portion 330 moves in response to small pressure changes. In fact , the configuration of the shoulder support portion 324 guarantees that subtle changes result in influence in head support portion 330 . Therefore, The configuration of the shoulder support portion 324 provides for a sensitive releasing of pressure.
[0159] The movement of the head support portion 330 is greater when there is a large negative pressure difference in order to both control the flow of ink and to reset the head support portion 330 quickly. Therefore the thickness of the foot support portion 310 is greater than that of the head support portion 330 and the supporting shoulder 324 of the valve. It is easy to understand that the head support portion 330 may respond to a small negative pressure and the thickness of a shoulder support portion 324 is designed less than the thickness of the head support portion 330 , especially in the shoulder support portion 324 which is 0.15-0.5 mm. The hole 332 of the wall support portion 322 is designed cone-shaped. The head support portion 330 slopes inwardly at an angle θ1 which is less than the slope angle of the foot support portion 310 represented by θ2. An equilibrium condition is obtained when the sloping angle θ1 is reduced in response to negative pressure in the ink chamber as shown in FIG. 6.
[0160] The bellows valve 30 is designed inside in the ink cartridge 40 to reserve the liquid ink and control ink flow. Back to FIG. 7A, the bellows valve 30 is located above the outlet of the ink chamber 402 , and its supporting foot is connected to the bottom 406 . In order to maintain the stability of the valve 30 , the bottom wall of the cartridge is provided with a sinking or recessed part 408 . The valve sealing device 340 protrudes from the lid 410 of the cartridge directly and seals the supporting head portion 330 and presses it slightly. The preferred method is to provide an elastic shield 342 covering the periphery of the sealing device 340 and that elastically seals with the supporting head portion 330 .
[0161] There are various choices of the sealing device 340 , such as a design combined as shown in FIG. 7A or simply fixing the sealing device in the wall 410 . According to the demand, for example, where there is a need for a high degree of stability, a cylinder body 416 is fixed above the recess 408 . The valve sealing device 340 is a cylinder body with cap and trough 418 shown in FIG. 9, and fixes the valve 30 as well as the valve sealing device 340 . Through the trough 418 , the ink is provided from the ink chamber 402 to ink guide chamber 412 . Alternatively, the valve fixing device may be cylinder pole 416 extending from the wall of tank.
[0162] As shown in FIG. 7A, an ink guide chamber 412 is formed by the bellows valve 30 and the recess parts 408 of the wall of the tank 406 , its diameter is less than of the supporting foot 310 . The ink guide chamber 412 is prefilled with ink, and the head of the printer is supplied with sufficient ink during the printing operation. The needle 50 of the head of the printer is inserted at an external end of the ink discharge opening through an elastic sealing member 52 . When in operation, there is negative pressure in the ink guide chamber and there is the pressure difference between the ink chamber and ink guide chamber. So the head support portion 330 of the bellows valve moves down when the degree of pressure reaches a predetermined level, e.g., 120 mm water, and the opening 332 is opened as the valve separates from the sealing device 340 , the liquid ink is filled into the ink guide chamber 412 as indicated by the direction of arrow and ink is provided to the print head. According to the valve 30 of this invention, the opening pressure is −200 to 0 mm water and optimum opening pressure is −150 to −30 mm water.
[0163] When the operation stops, the bellows valve 30 restores to its initial position, and the bellows valve 30 controls ink flow from the ink chamber 402 .
[0164] When in use, an air vent must be exposed to balance the air pressure inside and outside of the cartridge. If the negative pressure within the ink chamber increases as the ink chamber is consumed, air communicates into the ink chamber 402 through the air vent 414 to maintain a substantially constant negative pressure. But the residual ink will leak from the air vent when the ink cartridge is moved. Therefore, to prevent ink leaks from air vent 414 , the air vent 414 extends into the ink chamber 402 approximately one-third to one-half of the depth of the chamber. This is suitable to prevent ink leakage through the air vent. The extended length can be provide by a rubber tube or soft tube connected to the air vent 414 .
[0165] A filter 56 is disposed within the ink outlet port for preventing the air and impurity from the needle and improving quality.
[0166] In FIG. 8, a spring 54 is interposed between the bellows and the lower wall of the cartridge. The spring 54 urges the bellows valve 30 into sealing engagement with the valve sealing member 340 to adjust the pressure sensitivity. A soft tube 420 extends inside to one third of the depth of the ink chamber to prevent ink from leaking.
[0167] Meanwhile an air vent 414 may be designed to extend into ink chamber 402 approximately one-third of the depth of the ink chamber.
[0168] In order to prevent the ink from leaking, there is a porous material 436 located in the air vent 414 for reserving or retaining the ink as shown in FIG. 10.
[0169] In order to prevent the ink from leaking while the ink cartridge is removed from the printer, it is best to locate a one-way valve 428 in the air vent 414 , as shown in FIG. 11. Welding a cylinder block 428 with mouth 426 into the chamber of valve 422 , results in the trough 430 increasing in size from the end A of the block to the end B, as shown in FIGS. 12 A-B. The size of the end A of the cylinder block 428 is greater than the diameter of the air vent 414 . But the size of the end B of the cylinder block 428 being less than the block with the mouth 426 provides for both the smooth flow of air, and sealing the air vent 414 with the block 428 when the ink cartridge is removed from the printer head. If a one-way valve 428 is located in the air vent 414 for preventing the ink from leaking, it is necessary to open an ink filling hole 440 for filling ink and to seal it by a stopper 438 as shown in FIG. 11. By leaving the stopper 438 in position, you can refill ink in the ink cartridge conveniently.
[0170] As shown in FIG. 13, there is a one-way valve 428 located in the air vent 414 , which also can be seen in the enlarged sectional view in FIG. 14. The one-way valve 428 is a ball block and is supported by an elastic flat 434 with a blowhole for smooth air flow between the air vent 414 and the chamber 402 .
[0171] As shown in FIG. 15, the direction of the bottom of the ink cartridge is inclined or sloped to the outlet for guiding ink to the outlet. The valve 30 and the valve sealing device 340 are located in the sinking or recessed part 408 . There is a step 442 in the wall of the recessed part 408 . There is a blowhole 418 and a flange 334 in the top of the valve sealing device 340 . The flange 344 conforms to the step 442 . The material of U-shaped tube is rust resistant steel and one end of the tube connects the air vent 414 and another end is over the level of liquid and reaches the inside of the fixed trough 446 . A round trough 444 forms at the bottom of the sinking part 408 near the outlet. The mesh filter 56 is welded at the bottom of the round trough 444 for preventing impurities and air bubbles into the outlet 404 . The integrated sealing part 52 with the block 528 seals the outlet 404 .
[0172] For providing the ink steadily, the hardness of the rubber of the sealing assembly is SHORE degree of 25 to 65, preferably 30 to 55. The preferred materials are the following: SBR, EPM, EPDM, butyl rubber, chloroprene rubber, urethane rubber, ethylene rubber, acrylic rubber, and SBP rubber.
[0173] As seen in the FIG. 16B, the fixing cap of the bowl 490 has a chamber 494 , the ring of shoulder 492 and the blowhole 496 in the middle.
[0174] As seen in the FIGS. 16A, 16C and 16 D, the air vent 414 is located in the middle of the top cap 410 of the ink cartridge. The fixing cap 490 covers the air vent. The balloon 450 is located by the shoulder 492 of the fixing cap 490 by the open mouth 452 . The blowhole 496 is connected to the air vent 414 and forms the expanding parts of the air vent 414 . There is a blowhole 454 in the wall of the balloon 450 , which is made by a needle of a diameter of approximately 0.12 mm. The diameter of the open mouth 452 is about 6 mm. The volume of the ball is about about 1.8 ml; the thickness of the balloon is about 0.1 mm. The one-way valve 330 is located near the outlet 404 . The sealing cap 340 seals the opening of the one-way valve. There are three troughs 418 in the sealing cap of the valve to allow the ink to flow from the ink chamber 402 to the ink guide chamber 412 under the valve 330 , and flow through the mesh filter 56 and to outlet 404 . There are two ink troughs 470 in the bottom 406 of the ink cartridge 400 for supporting enough ink. Especially when the balloon is expanded, the bottom of the balloon may contact the bottom of the ink cartridge and prevent ink passage but by providing the groove 470 sufficient ink is provided. In order to easily fill ink into the ink chamber, there is a hole 440 in the right side of the top cap 410 . When filling is finished, the stopper 438 seals the hole 440 . There is a block 526 located in middle of the sealing member 52 . The needle of printer head pushes away the block 526 and lets the ink flow through the needle into the printer when the printer operates.
[0175] [0175]FIG. 16E shows the case according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In order to provide the liquid ink, the bottom 406 of the ink chamber is inclined or sloped to the outlet 404 . The balloon expands and can possibly block the hole 418 of the valve sealing device to stop the flow of the ink; therefore there is an ink guide rib 409 in the bottom to support the balloon 450 and prevent its blocking of the hole 418 .
[0176] When the printer is in operation, the balloon 450 expands gradually with the continual ink flow. When the balloon enlarges to a certain volume, the hole 454 in the wall of the balloon is opened and air is supplemented into the ink chamber for the balance of pressure as well as to guarantee the quality of printing. When the operation is finished, the hole is closed by means of the elastic nature of the balloon and prevents the ink from flowing into the chamber of the balloon. The hole 454 in the wall of the balloon 450 plays a certain role like a one-way valve and opens or closes according to the needs of printing. Meanwhile, as the temperature of the environment changes, the air in the ink cartridge will expand with the increased temperature and press on the balloon. As the result, the air in the balloon is squeezed out in order to retain the balance of the pressure in the ink cartridge and prevent ink leakage. Especially when the ink cartridge is thrown away after being used up or for other reasons, where there are more amounts of ink remaining in the ink cartridge in the latter situation, the ink cartridge may be placed upside down. In above situation, according to the principle, if the volume of the ink cartridge is 14 ml and the temperature rises up by 30 degrees and the enlarged ratio is 10% of original one, then the air enlarges to 1.4 ml but the volume of balloon is 1.8 ml.
[0177] That means the enlarged volume of the balloon is enough to cancel the volume of the expanding air in the ink chamber. Thus, the air expanded in the ink chamber presses the air out of the balloon in order to balance the pressure in the ink chamber and prevent ink leakage.
[0178] There are some irregular labyrinth grooves 484 , 485 and 486 provided in the wall of the cartridge, that individually connect with the air vent 414 . When operating, air flows from the labyrinth groove 486 to groove 484 , and from the hole 485 to the inside of balloon 456 . The labyrinth grooves 484 ˜ 486 are located on the surface of the cover 410 , therefore the surface of the irregular labyrinth grooves 484 , 465 and 486 , are individually sealed by the package seal 491 and 495 for transport, as shown in FIG. 16F. Before usage, the package seal 495 is peeled off to expose part of the labyrinth groove. The film seal 96 will be pierced by the ink supply needle.
[0179] There is a circular protrusion 405 in the wall of the chamber for supporting the sealing parts 520 . The inside of the protrusion 405 engages with the upper or top side 524 of the sealing parts to strengthen the stiffness and to facilitate the separation of the block portion from the sealing member.
[0180] As a part of the filling process there is a hole 470 in the wall of the outlet. The hole connects with the top chamber of the sealing part and is sealed by plug 472 .
[0181] [0181]FIG. 17 is another example of the device of preventing ink from leaking according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The device is an elastic membrane 480 which connects to the cap 410 of the cartridge 400 by the mouth 481 . There is a blowhole 484 in the bottom of the elastic membrane 480 . The principle of the ink cartridge and preventing the ink leakage are both the same as described with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 16.
[0182] [0182]FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B is another embodiment of the present invention, in which the like reference numerals are used for like elements as in FIG. 16A. The plastic balloon 460 is made by nonelastic materials and is provided with folded layers. The plastic balloon 460 connects to the lid 410 of the tank 400 by the opening 462 . The ink filling hole 440 is located at the wall of ink cartridge 400 . When working, the ink flows from the outlet 404 and air enters the plastic balloon 460 through the hole 414 and lets the plastic balloon stretch slowly until the folded layers 464 are fully opened which stretches the plastic balloon 460 . The mouth of the plastic balloon 460 is a rectangle, with its length 47 mm and width 14 mm as shown in the FIG. 18. If the folded layers are fully opened and the ink is not used up, a slit 468 is required in the bottom of the plastic balloon 460 in order to supply some air to balance the pressure in the ink tank for continued printing. The principle of the ink cartridge and preventing the ink leakage are both the same as in FIG. 16A.
[0183] FIGS. 19 A- 19 E disclose additional, alternative embodiments for sealing assemblies received in the ink supply port 404 . Thus, it will be understood that the remainder of the structure is substantially identical to that shown and described with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 16A. Although the sealing assemblies of FIGS. 19 A- 19 E are differently shaped and configured, each sealing assembly basically functions and operates in the same manner. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 19A, a plastic sealing piece 64 is fused with a plastic ring 66 provided between first and second O-rings 62 . In FIG. 19B, a plastic sealing piece 68 is disposed in the outer opening of the ink supply port 404 . In FIG. 19C, a uniform-shaped sealing member 70 , with a septum 72 is disposed within the ink supply port 404 . In FIG. 19D, a cap-like sealing member 74 is provided with a septum 72 and disposed in the ink supply port 404 . Last, FIG. 19E shows a cap-like sealing member 76 provided with a steel ring 78 disposed within the ink supply port 404 that includes a septum 72 .
[0184] [0184]FIG. 20A is still another preferred embodiment according to the present invention which includes a seal assembly 52 having a block portion 526 that is selectively separated via a frangible connection 528 . The seal assembly 52 is made of an elastic material with Shore hardness 30˜50 degree. When an ink supply needle is inserted through sealing portion 524 , the block portion of the seal assembly at least partially separates from the remainder of the seal assembly.
[0185] Preferably, the block portion 526 has a generally planar surface for engagement by the ink supply needle making it easy to push. The sealing portion 524 is horizontally dimensioned to maintain the block portion upon insertion of ink supply needle 50 . As shown in FIG. 20B, the seal assembly 52 allows the ink supply needle to pass therethrough by breaking the frangible web 528 . Thus, the outer diameter of the ink supply needle is engaged in sealed manner by seal portion 524 . The preferred width value for the connection portion is between 0˜0.3 mm and the preferred thickness of the connection portion is between 0.15˜0.4 mm.
[0186] In FIG. 21A, connection portion 528 is thinner on one side than the other side. This assures that the block portion 526 is separated along the thinner web and remains connected to the sealing portion by the thicker web, as illustrated in FIG. 21B. In FIG. 22, a major distinction when compared to the other seal assembly embodiments is the configuration of the block portion, here, the block portion has a generally cylinder shape. Again, the block portion is connected to the seal assembly by a thin frangible web portion 528 on one side and a thicker web portion on the other side which retains the cylindrical block once it is punctured by the needle. A tapered surface 525 is provided inwardly of the sealing assembly to facilitate separation of the block portion 526 from the thin web. The tapered surface 525 is to facilitate the block portion being pushed upward, the sloping angle formed between the tapered surface 525 and the lateral direction is preferably around 30˜45 degrees. The configuration of FIG. 23A shows the connection portion 528 is an average thickness and FIG. 23B illustrates that the web can be thinner on one side 529 than on the other side 529 ′. The thickest portion 529 is between 0.3˜0.4 mm and the thinnest portion is between 0.15˜0.25 mm.
[0187] Sealing portion 524 in the embodiment of FIG. 24 is elongated in the needle insertion direction. A gate portion 526 has a generally cylindrical shape and is provided in closing relation at one end of the sealing portion 524 . Again, a connection portion or thin frangible web 528 is thinner on one side than on the other side to allow the sealing portion to hinge along section 524 . As an ink supply needle (not shown) is advanced through the seal assembly, the thin frangible web is broken and seal portion pivots about the hinge 524 ′. In addition, the elongated sealing portion 524 engages with the outer diameter of the ink supply needle in sealed manner.
[0188] The sealing part is designed integrally and meets the different demand, such as assembly and transport as well as in operation, therefore the sealing film for the ink supply needle to pierce in the outlet is reduced, and the difficulty of piercing through the septum of the sealing member of the traditional ink cartridge has been overcome.
[0189] Referring to FIG. 25A, air vent opening 414 is spaced from ink port 404 . Thus, package seal 96 is configured to cover both the air vent opening 414 and the ink port 404 to prevent ink leakage during shipment. A portion of the package seal as represented by arrows as shown in the figure, is to be removed once the cartridge is ready for insertion by lifting upwardly on the tongue before the cartridge is inserted . The remainder of this foil seal strip then proceeds toward the ink supply port 404 which is also opened by removal of the package seal. Removing the package seal exposes the air vent 414 and the ink supply port 404 . Thus, the ink chamber is placed in fluid communication with the air vent. The ink supply port 404 is then positioned for alignment with the ink supply needle (not shown).
[0190] The embodiment of FIG. 25B illustrates an arrangement where the air vent and the ink supply port are both closed at the same vertical side of the cartridge. The foil seal 98 is provided to permanently seal the fill hole 440 provided in a cover or lid 410 of the ink cartridge. The package seal 96 coupled with a connection portion 94 is fixed to the ink cartridge during shipment but is intended for removal by pulling upwardly.
[0191] Referring now to FIG. 26 and FIG. 16E, it shows the ink filling to the cartridge 400 under a positive source of pressure. First, ink is reserved in a vessel 618 , the vessel 618 connecting to the one side of the pump 614 through the ink tube 616 ; the other end connects to the ink cartridge 400 through the tube 610 . There is a flow meter 612 in the middle of the tube 610 for controlling the amount. When filling up to a predetermined level in the ink cartridge, the filling is stopped. Then a needle 604 is inserted into the hole 470 while another end of the needle connects to the pump 602 through the soft tube 606 . There is an air and liquid separator 608 in the connecting part between the soft tube 606 and a needle 604 for separating the air and liquid. When the pump works, air in the ink guide chamber 402 will be withdrawn, at that time there is the difference of pressure on opposite sides of the valve 30 and it causes the valve 30 to separate from valve sealing cap 340 . As a result, the ink is withdrawn from the ink chamber 402 and fills the ink guide chamber 412 through the hole 418 of the valve sealing cap 340 and the hole 332 of the valve 30 . Inserting the plug 438 into the ink filling hole 440 finishes the filling operation.
[0192] As shown in the FIG. 27, the ink cartridge 400 is placed with the ink supply port upside down. The ink container 618 is connected to the ink cartridge 400 by a tube 616 in a sealed state. There is an ink flow control device 612 in the middle of the tube 616 for controlling the amounts. In the hole 470 of the ink cartridge 400 , the needle with a tube 606 sticks into the rubber stopper 472 and connects the tube and the ink guide chamber 412 of the ink cartridge. The other end of the tube connects to an air pump 602 . There is an air and liquid separator 608 connected to the tube 606 . When air in the ink chamber 412 of the ink cartridge 400 is withdrawn and the difference of pressure between the opposite side of the valve is changed, the valve is open and the air of the chamber 402 also is withdrawn and the ink flows into the chamber 402 . The ink cartridge 400 is placed upside down, which lets the ink of the chamber 402 flow in quickly and fill the ink guide chamber. When the ink reaches a predetermined volume, filling is stopped. In practice, the ink cartridge may be put in a side face and the process is the same.
[0193] As shown in FIG. 7A, when the large diameter of the valve 30 is less than 11 millimeters and the volume of air trapped in the ink guide chamber 412 is less than 0.4 cubic millimeters, it is unnecessary to fill ink in the ink guide chamber 412 . Air trapped in the ink guide chamber must be drawn out, for example, by the cleaning operation of the printer. The remainder of the ink cartridge can be filled under normal atmospheric pressure or under a pressure sufficiently low relative to atmospheric pressure.
[0194] Under the circumstances of negative pressure, the pressure of the small cavity under the valve 30 is −700 mPa to −750 mPa, while the pressure above the valve is increasing as the amount of ink increases in the ink tank. When a predetermined value is reached, the valve 30 opens and allows ink flows to the lower part of the tank. The volume of the lower part of the valve is so small that it can be filled almost at the same time the valve 30 is opened. Then the valve closes by its elastic nature and the upper part fills fully until the filling process is finished.
[0195] As shown in FIG. 28, the maximum diameter of supporting foot is 9 mm and there is no need to preserve the ink and to locate the hole in the wall of the outlet but there is a need to locate the filling hole in the cover of the cartridge. There is also no need to withdraw air in the process . The vessel 618 connects to one side of the liquid pump 614 by a tube 616 ; and the other side connects to the hole of the ink cartridge 400 by an ink tube 610 . There is an ink flow control device 612 in the middle of the tube 610 for controlling amounts of ink. In filling ink, the ink flows from the ink filling hole 440 to the ink chamber 402 directly and destroying the meniscus of the ink formed in the ink filling hole 440 by positive pressure.
[0196] Negative pressure could also be used for filling ink in the ink cartridge of the invention as can be see in the FIG. 16E and FIG. 29. When filling ink, first the assembled ink cartridge 400 is inserted upright or on its side and the needle 506 is inserted into the ink filling hole 440 of the cover 410 of cartridge. The other end of the needle 506 connects to a tube 508 which connects to the vessel of ink supply container 502 . The level of the vessel of ink supply container 502 is higher than the level of the ink cartridge 400 . An air hole 470 in the wall of the outlet 404 is plugged by the stopper 472 . The air needle 560 sticks to the stopper 472 at one end and connects to the air-liquid separator 580 by an electromagnetic valve 540 . The air and liquid separator 580 connects to the vacuum pump 590 by the ink flow control device 570 . When filling, the pressure device 510 seals the cover of the cartridge 400 and the switch of the vacuum pump 590 is turned on at the same time. When the vacuum pump 590 is operating, electromagnetic valve 540 is open and electromagnetic valve 520 is closed and the air of the lower part of the valve 30 is withdrawn out. The valve 30 is opened in response to the pressure difference ,and as a result the air in the upper part of the valve 30 is withdrawn out too. At that time the air of the balloon chamber 456 is withdrawn as there is a hole 454 in the wall of balloon 450 . When the vacuum meter 570 is −700 to −750 mPa, electromagnetic valve 540 is closed and electromagnetic valve 520 and electromagnetic valve 530 are open. There is negative pressure in the ink cartridge and the ink is withdrawn from the ink supply container 502 to the tank of the ink cartridge. As the amount of the ink increases in the ink cartridge, the pressure of the upper part of the valve increases to a certain value, while the pressure of the ink guide chamber is still negative (around 700 to 750 mPa), and the valve 30 opens and allows ink flow to the ink guide chamber. The lower part of the valve can be filled almost at the same time as valve 30 opens. Then the valve closes by its elastic capability and the upper part completely fills and the filling process is finished.
[0197] According to the invention, the vacuum meter 570 connects to the vacuum pump 590 in one side and to the electromagnetic valve 540 in the other. When the vacuum meter 570 is at the negative 700 to 750 mPa level, electromagnetic valve 540 is closed and separates the air needle 534 from the stopper 472 of the air hole 470 .
[0198] The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modification and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the present application. It is intended to include such modifications and alterations.
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An ink cartridge, ink filling method and apparatus are disclosed. A one valve is disposed in the ink chamber of an ink cartridge and includes a foot support portion, a wall support portion projecting at an angle from the interior side of foot support portion, a shoulder support portion bending towards the interior side of wall support portion, and a head support portion projecting from shoulder support portion with a through hole. A valve sealing assembly being maintained selectively in contact with the head support portion through hole by a pressure difference. A sealing assembly integrally formed with a block portion is disposed at ink outlet port. The cartridge is very sensitive to pressure changes, which enhances printing quality. At the same time, the sealing assembly of the cartridge has an enhanced sealing function in non-usage status and usage status as well.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119 to co-pending British patent application no. GB 0227394.4, filed Nov. 23, 2002. This related patent application is herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to removal of produced fluids from well bores, and in particular to the removal of multiple phases of fluids from well bores. Embodiments of the invention relates to the removal of natural gas and water from a natural gas-producing well.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] In the oil and gas production industry, and more specifically in the production of natural gas, water encroachment into the well bore which extends from the gas-producing formation to surface presents significant difficulties in maintaining production output. Where the produced fluid contains only a small proportion of water, the water will typically remain in droplet form and the velocity of the produced gas flowing from the formation into the well bore and up to surface will often be sufficient to entrain the water droplets and carry the droplets to surface.
[0006] However, as the proportion of water in the produced fluid increases, the density of the gas\water droplet column in the well bore rises. The resulting increase in hydrostatic pressure reduces the pressure gradient between the gas-producing formation and the section of well bore which intersects the formation, which may eventually kill the well.
[0007] Furthermore, the point may also be reached where the level of water production increases, or the gas velocity decreases, to a point where the velocity of the gas is not sufficient to carry the water droplets out of the well.
[0008] One temporary solution to such problems is to install velocity strings in the well bore to restrict the flow area and thus increase the velocity of the produced gas as it travels up the well. However, such velocity strings create significant flow restrictions in the well bore, thus reducing production rates. Also, the point will be reached where the velocity of the gas within the restricted area strings drops below the rate necessary to carry the water droplets to surface, and the well is again killed.
[0009] All of these problems are particularly acute in depleted wells; that is, wells which have been producing for some time, and in which the formation pressure has diminished to a level of economic or physical unfeasibility.
[0010] To overcome these difficulties it is known to employ artificial lift systems, which may be in the form of compressors or pumps which are located in the well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] According to the present invention there is provided a method of removing produced fluid from a well producing both gas and liquid, the method comprising:
[0012] utilising produced gas flowing from a formation to power a produced liquid pump; and
[0013] carrying produced gas and produced liquid towards surface in separate fluid streams.
[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for location in a well bore for use in removing produced fluid from a well producing both gas and liquid, the apparatus comprising:
[0015] a produced liquid pump for location in a well bore and adapted to be powered by produced gas flowing from a producing formation to surface; and
[0016] a conduit for carrying produced liquid from the pump towards surface.
[0017] In these aspects of the invention, the use of produced gas to drive the produced liquid pump obviates the need to run a power transmission conduit from surface. Thus, there is minimal restriction in the available flow area of the bore, and a corresponding minimal reduction in the production capability of the well bore. Furthermore, in preferred embodiments of the invention there is no obstruction of the safety valve; this avoids the need to modify the well to allow installation of the apparatus, and in particular to change the location or configuration of the safety valve such that a power transmission cable or conduit may pass down through the well bore without having to pass through the safety valve. This feature also facilitates retrofitting of the apparatus in an existing well bore, as once the apparatus is run into the well bore there is no requirement for additional apparatus, such as a power supply, on surface. In other aspects of the invention, the safety valve may include provision for control lines, that is control lines may pass around rather than through the valve, and in such wells the produced liquid pump may be driven by means other than produced gas, for example the pump may be electrically powered, or powered by re-injected water. In still further embodiments, it may be acceptable for a control line to pass through the safety valve, or it may not be necessary to pump the produced liquid towards surface, for example the liquid may be pumped into another formation, rather than carried to surface.
[0018] Preferably, the separate fluid streams are co-mingled in the well bore. Carrying the gas and liquid streams separately towards surface, and then co-mingling the streams closer to surface, reduces the height of the column of liquid-carrying gas in the well bore, allowing the well to produce at a higher rate. Furthermore, as the point where the fluid streams are co-mingled is closer to surface, the gas pressure at this point will be lower and its velocity higher, such that the gas velocity should be more than sufficient to carry the liquid to surface. Also, in a preferred arrangement, the gas and liquid are co-mingled below the safety valve, increasing well safety and facilitating other operations, which require temporary isolation of the well bore from surface.
[0019] In certain embodiments of the invention the stream of produced liquid may include a gas component, to reduce the density of the liquid stream. The gas may be produced gas, or may be a gas, such as nitrogen, injected from surface.
[0020] Typically, the produced gas will be natural gas, and the produced liquid will be water. Alternatively, the liquid may be oil, or a mixture of oil and water.
[0021] The produced liquid may be liquid which has gathered in a lower portion or sump of the well bore, and a stinger may extend from the pump into this lower portion. Alternatively, or in addition, the invention may further comprise separating the produced liquid from produced gas, and then pumping the separated produced liquid to surface. The separation may be achieved by any appropriate means, such as a cyclone separator, or an arrangement which reduces the temperature of the produced gas, causing the liquid to condense. A cyclone separator is preferred as the separator also tends to separate solids from the fluid, with a resulting decrease in wear of downstream components. From the separator, the liquid may flow downwards to a sump, from which the liquid is drawn by the pump, perhaps via a stinger.
[0022] The produced liquid pump may take any appropriate form. However, the pump must of course be compact, robust and reliable. A preferred pump is a reciprocal piston pump, in which the piston reciprocates axially relative to the bore axis. Alternatively, a downhole rotary pump may be utilized. Such a pump may operate on the principle of the Archimedes screw. The pump may be a positive displacement pump. In one embodiment the pump may operate according to the Moineau principle, and may include co-operating sinusodial surfaces on both the rotor and stator of the pump, the shape of which in use allows for operation of moving cavity pumping elements.
[0023] If considered desirable or appropriate the pump may operate in combination with appropriate valving, most preferably appropriate one-way valves.
[0024] The produced liquid pump is preferably turbine-driven. The output from a turbine in these situations is likely to be high speed, low torque and thus it is preferred that the turbine is coupled to the pump via an appropriate gearbox, most preferably by a harmonic drive gearbox, which will convert the high speed, low torque input to a relatively low speed, high torque output (reduction ratios of around 100:1 are typical). The harmonic drive gearbox, which is compact, is preferably co-axial with the turbine. The pump may be a single or multi-stage axial flow pump, or a rotary pump, but as noted above it is most preferably a reciprocating pump, and thus the apparatus may comprise a mechanism for converting rotary motion to reciprocal motion. Any appropriate means may be employed, however it is preferred to utilise a series of selectively rotatable and axially movable cams such as described in GB 2219958A, WO93\11910, WO02\14028, and WO02\46564, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The cams may be arranged and configured to provide a selected degree of axial movement, depending on the optimum throw required to operate the pump. Furthermore, the cam profiles may be selected to provide a desired pattern of movement. One or more pumps may be provided, and the pumps may be provided in series or in parallel. Pumps may be provided in series to allow access to deeper wells, in which the hydrostatic pressure experienced at the lower end of the well will be correspondingly higher. For such applications, two or more pumps, or two or more apparatus, may be provided at spaced intervals in the well bore. Thus, the liquid may be pumped from the lowermost or first pump to the second pump, and then from the second pump to the third pump, and so on. Providing two or more pumps in parallel, or two or more apparatus in parallel, improves reliability and may provide for redundancy. The outputs of the two or more pumps may be manifolded together.
[0025] As noted above, the liquid pump may be turbine driven, in which case the turbine will most likely be located adjacent the pump, and in use will likely be located towards the lower end of the bore. Other means of obtaining energy from the produced gas may be provided. Furthermore, in alternative embodiments of the invention a turbine, or other means for obtaining energy from the produced gas, may be located remote from the pump, that is closer to surface, and coupled to the pump by any appropriate means, including a mechanical linkage. Alternatively, a turbine or the like may be utilised to generate electricity or drive a hydraulic pump, and the electrical energy or hydraulic fluid may be conveyed to the pump by appropriate control lines to power the pump.
[0026] In one embodiment the produced liquid pump may be activated or deactivated when the liquid within the well reaches predetermined levels. This provides the added advantage of preventing the pump from running dry and further may reduce pump running time, thereby increasing pump life span. Activation and de-activation may be achieved by any appropriate means, including liquid level sensors operatively associated with means for switching the pump on and off.
[0027] The switching means may comprise means for coupling and decoupling pump-drive means, and in one preferred embodiment provides for coupling and decoupling of a magnetic drive of a pump-driving turbine. The coupling/decoupling means may be mechanically or electrically operated.
[0028] The conduit for carrying the produced liquid may take any appropriate form, but will typically be of a relatively small diameter conduit of jointed or continuous form. Preferably, the conduit is in the form of a “macaroni” string, having a diameter of approximately 1¼ inches.
[0029] Where there is co-mingling of the gas and liquid this will preferably take place below a subsurface safety valve (SSSV). Thus, the apparatus may be installed in a well bore without obstructing or otherwise interfering with the operation of the SSSV. Co-mingling may be achieved by providing a throttle or other restriction in the bore adjacent to the outlet of the produced liquid conduit. The restriction accelerates the gas flow and also reduces the gas pressure, thus tending to draw the liquid from the conduit, and the relatively low pressure assisting in dispersing the liquid in droplet form through the flowing gas.
[0030] Aspects of the invention may also be utilised where it is desired to bullhead or restart a well that has already been killed by water ingress. This may be achieved by pumping gas into the well to force the water which has gathered in the well bore back into the formation. The well is then allowed to produce back, initiating the method as described above.
[0031] An alternative method of restarting a flooded well is to position the apparatus within the well and then pressure up the well with gas. The pressure build up within the well will cause the water collected within the well to be forced to the surface via the apparatus. Gas may be injected into the well until the well is dry. Thereafter, the well is allowed to produce, initiating the method as described above.
[0032] The gas injection may be carried out while the liquid pump is still coupled to a running tubular, and the water forced to the surface may pass through one or both of the running tubular or the conduit. Once the well is dry, the apparatus may be hung in the well, the running tubular retrieved, and the well allowed to produce.
[0033] Further aspects of the invention relate to a downhole pump in which a rotary drive is utilised to actuate a reciprocating pump. The rotary drive may be a turbine, or any other appropriate drive means, such as an electric motor. The pump may take any appropriate form, but is preferably a reciprocating piston pump. The pump may include appropriate gearing, most preferably in the form of a harmonic drive. The conversion of rotary drive to reciprocating motion may be achieved by any appropriate mechanism, but most preferably utilises a series of selectively rotatable and axially translatable cams and cam followers. The number and configuration of the cams may be selected to provide a desired degree of movement, with the capability to multiply up the movement produced. The pump may be positively driven in both directions, or may utilise a spring or pressure return.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
[0035] These and other aspects of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0036] [0036]FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of apparatus for use in removing fluid from a well producing both natural gas and water, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0037] [0037]FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of area 2 of FIG. 1;
[0038] [0038]FIG. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 - 3 of FIG. 2;
[0039] [0039]FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of part of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0040] [0040]FIG. 5 is an enlarged exploded view showing components of a pump assembly of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0041] [0041]FIG. 6 is a view of a number of the components shown in FIG. 5; and
[0042] [0042]FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of apparatus for use in removing fluid from a well producing both natural gas and water, in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0043] Reference is first made to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, which illustrates apparatus 10 located in a well bore, for removing gas and water from the well. The Figure illustrates various well components including a section of completion or production tubing 14 which extends into a section of perforated liner 16 . The liner 16 intersects a natural gas and water-producing formation (not shown). A self-closing sub-surface safety valve (SCSSSV) 18 is located at the upper end of the completion tubing 14 and the tubing 14 is located and sealed relative to the liner 16 by an appropriate packer 20 .
[0044] In use, the apparatus 10 is used to facilitate the production of natural gas and water form the well. To this end the apparatus 10 includes a pump assembly 22 which is driven, via a reduction gearbox 24 , by a produced gas-driven turbine 26 . The turbine 26 , gearbox 24 and pump assembly 22 are coupled together to form an elongate cylindrical unit 28 which is located relative to the lower end of the production tubing 14 by a suitable nipple 30 and tubing shoe 32 .
[0045] A macaroni string 34 extends upwards from the unit 28 , through the production tubing 14 , carrying produced water from the pump 22 . The produced gas, after passing through the turbine 26 , passes up through the production tubing 14 separately of the gas stream. A co-mingling and hang-off sub 36 is provided at the top of the macaroni string 34 for locating the upper end of the string 34 in the tubing 14 and such that the water leaving the upper end of the string 34 co-mingles with the gas stream in the tubing 14 . The gas, with the water entrained in droplet form, then passes upwardly through the SCSSSV 18 , and on to surface, where the gas and water may be separated.
[0046] Details of the apparatus 10 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 , which illustrate the unit 28 with the macaroni string 34 extending from the upper end thereof, and with a stinger 38 extending from the lower end of the unit 28 . In use, the open lower end of the stinger 38 , which includes a filter pack to filter out solids, is located within a volume of water 40 lying in the sump of the well (see FIG. 1).
[0047] The unit 28 is located in the tubing shoe 32 such that produced gas flowing from the liner 16 into the production tubing 14 has to pass through the turbine 26 , where the gas impinges on the turbine blades 42 . The passage of the gas through the turbine 26 tends to dry the gas, as the expansion and cooling experienced by the gas as it passes through the turbine 26 tends to cause water carried by the gas to condense out; this condensate will coalesce and then fall to the sump.
[0048] The turbine rotor 44 is mounted on a hollow drive shaft 46 mounted centrally and coaxially of the unit, the shaft 46 extending downwardly into the gearbox 24 , which is in the form of a harmonic drive. Accordingly, the harmonic drive is co-axial with the turbine 26 and changes the output of the turbine 26 from a high speed low torque output, to a low speed high torque output. The hollow gearbox output drive shaft 48 extends into the pump assembly 22 , components of which are illustrated in exploded format in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings.
[0049] The pump assembly 22 includes an arrangement for converting the rotary drive output of the gearbox 24 into reciprocal motion, to drive a reciprocating piston 50 . The gearbox output shaft 48 is mounted in a bearing 52 and passes through a static annular cam 54 which is locked axially and rotatably relative to the housing 56 of the unit 28 . Located below the static cam 54 is a drive cam 58 , which is axially movable on the drive shaft 48 . However, the drive cam 58 is rotatably locked relative to the drive shaft 48 by virtue of the co-operating hexagonal forms 60 , 62 of the drive shaft 48 and drive cam 58 . Positioned below the drive cam 58 is an output cam 64 which is axially movable within the housing 56 but is prevented from rotating by its interaction with the piston 50 , via co-operating castellations 66 , 68 .
[0050] The piston 50 is itself axially movable in the housing 56 but is locked against rotation by the interaction of a radially extending piston location pin 70 with a corresponding axial slot 72 in the housing 56 . The piston 50 defines a through bore and the lower end of the piston carries a labyrinth seal 74 .
[0051] Rotation of the drive shaft 48 causes the drive cam 54 to rotate. The sine wave-like forms of the abutting faces of the static cam 54 and the drive cam 58 cause the rotating drive cam 58 to move axially relative to the static cam 54 and the housing 56 between a position in which the troughs and peaks of the cam surfaces coincide, and a position in which the peaks of the surfaces coincide. Similarly, the sine wave form of the abutting faces of the drive cam 58 and the output cam 64 cause the non-rotating output cam 64 to be moved axially as the drive cam 58 is rotated. The cam faces are oriented and arranged such that the initial axial movement of the drive cam 58 induced by the rotation of the drive cam 58 relative to the static cam 54 is amplified by the relative rotational movement between the drive cam 58 and the output cam 64 , this amplified axial movement being transferred to the piston 50 .
[0052] The piston 50 is urged towards an upper or induction position by a light compression spring 78 , such that as the drive shaft 48 is rotated the piston 50 moves, from the position shown in FIG. 4, downwardly against the spring 78 . The piston 50 acts on a volume of water below the piston, in the spring chamber 79 , the water being prevented from passing downwardly out of the chamber 79 through the stinger 38 by a one-way valve 80 , but being permitted to pass from the upper end of the unit 28 via a second one-way valve 82 , which opens when the water pressure within the pump rises to a level above hydrostatic pressure (typically around 3000 psi). Movement of the piston 50 in the opposite direction, that is upwards within the housing 56 , reduces the pressure across the upper valve 82 , such that the valve 82 closes, and allows the lower valve 80 to open, such that the water may be drawn into the spring chamber 79 through the stinger 38 . It will be noted that the cam faces are arranged such that each rotation of the gearbox output shaft 48 will result in two full strokes of the piston 50 .
[0053] Thus, the passage of production gas from the producing formation, up through the well bore, drives the turbine 26 which in turn drives the pump unit 22 , which causes water to be drawn up from the sump and pumped towards surface through the macaroni string 34 . Thus, the produced gas and the produced liquid move towards the surface in separate streams, until reaching the co-mingling and hang-off sub 36 . The restriction in the flow area of the gas caused by the sub 36 accelerates the gas stream, and also reduces the pressure of the gas stream. This assists in drawing the water from the upper end of the string 34 , such that the water, in droplet form, is carried upwardly from the end of the string 34 through the upper end of the tubing 14 , and through the SCSSSV 18 , by the produced gas stream.
[0054] The apparatus 10 has a relatively small diameter and thus may be accommodated in smaller diameter well bores, and indeed may be readily retrofitted into an existing well, and subsequently removed if necessary. The volume of water raised to surface by the apparatus is likely to be relatively small (typically below 24 barrels per day), however this can still have a significant impact on a well and can extend the life of a well, or increase production in a well, at relatively low cost.
[0055] Reference is now made to FIG. 7 of the drawings, which illustrates an alternative apparatus 100 in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus 100 is similar to the apparatus 10 described above, but has the unit 102 containing the turbine 104 , gearbox 106 , and pump unit 108 located wholly within the liner 110 , and the lower end of the macaroni string 112 located relative to the liner 110 by appropriate slips 114 . Accordingly, in order to direct the produced natural gas through the turbine 104 , a restriction 116 is positioned around the turbine 104 .
[0056] The apparatus 100 also further includes a gas/water cyclone separator 118 . A porous pack-off bushing 120 positioned around the lower end of the separator 118 directs the □wet□ gas from the producing formation into the lower end of the separator 118 . The gas is directed upwards through the separator 118 in a helical path, such that heavier material, in particular any solids and water droplets, are thrown outwardly to coalesce and pass through the perforated lower section of the separator housing 122 . The water may then flow downwards to the sump, through the porous bushing 120 .
[0057] The dry gas passes out of the upper end of the separator 118 and is directed through the turbine 104 . The output of the turbine drives the pump unit 108 , via the gearbox 106 , such that water is drawn out of the sump via the stinger 126 , and pumped upwards through the string 112 . At the co-mingling sub 128 the separate water and gas streams are combined, and pass up through the SCSSSV 130 to surface.
[0058] It will be apparent to those of skill in the art that the above-identified embodiments of the invention are merely exemplary, and that various modifications and improvements may be made thereto, without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the embodiments described above only one apparatus 10 , 100 is provided in the well. In other embodiments, particularly for use in deeper well, two or more apparatus may be provided in a well. The apparatus may be provided in series, that is the produced gas is utilised to drive a first produced liquid pump at the lower end of the well bore, and from which the liquid is pumped part-way up the well bore to a second apparatus. At the second apparatus, the produced gas is again employed to drive a turbine which in turn drives a pump to take the liquid further up the well bore. In other embodiments, two or more apparatus may be connected in parallel, that is the produced liquid outputs of the two or more pumps will be manifolded together. Two or more groups of such apparatus may be provided in series, as described above. Providing apparatus in parallel may improve reliability particularly if some redundancy is built in to the system. Thus, if one apparatus should fail, the remaining apparatus will continue to operate and maintain production.
[0059] In still further embodiments a turbine or the like may be provided closer to surface, for example a short distance below the SCSSSV, and utilised to generate electricity which is relayed to the pump via appropriate cabling. While there is likely to be less energy in the produced gas at this location, the greater gas volume and velocity, and lower gas temperature, may facilitate turbine operation.
[0060] In still further embodiments, a relatively long stinger may be provided, allowing the pump assembly to be located further up the well, for example above the packer 20 . This would facilitate provision of a pump assembly of longer dimensions.
[0061] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
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A method of removing produced fluid from a well producing both gas and liquid comprises utilising produced gas flowing from a formation to power a produced liquid pump. The produced liquid from the pump and the produced gas are carried towards surface in separate fluid streams, and may be commingled closer to surface.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to automatic pressure cylinder valve actuators, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a countertorque assembly used to mount an automatic valve actuator to a pressure cylinder valve body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pressure cylinders that contain liquified gases, such as chlorine, used in water treatment processes, are customarily provided with a main outlet valve having a stem and a lateral outlet for connection to a vacuum regulator or other dispensing control device. Small cylinders, such as 150 lb. gas capacity, are usually disposed upright so that the outlet valve is located at the top of the cylinder with the valve stem projecting upwardly. With the cylinder thus disposed, and the valve open, gas may be drawn from the cylinder by means of known equipment such as sold by the assignee of the present application.
In certain installations, it is desirable for the valve to close automatically in response to some condition, such as sensed gas leakage. For this purpose, automatic valve actuators have been used. One such actuator, used by Applicant, employs an air operated rachet which is connected to the valve stem and a source of air under pressure. When air is supplied in response to a sensed condition, the rachet rotates to close the valve and halt the flow of gas from the cylinder.
Heretofore, the valve actuator has been mounted on a complex framework secured to a wall adjacent the pressure cylinder. The framework is designed to enable the actuator to be raised and lowered into operative engagement with respect to the cylinder valve stem for ready installation and removal of filled and depleted cylinders. It has been discovered, however, that when such apparatus is used to close a valve, it has been necessary to secure the cylinder against rotation in response to actuation of the rachet in order to insure that the cylinder does not rotate with the rachet and thereby preclude closing of the cylinder, particularly when the cylinder contains a minimal amount of gas, and hence is light in weight. This has been accomplished by strapping the cylinder to a stationary object, such as the adjacent wall.
While the aforedescribed actuator and cylinder mounting arrangement has been satisfactory, there is a need for a simpler actuator mounting arrangement which can be manufactured economically and installed readily without the need for special tools or skills.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing in mind, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel automatic valve actuator mounting assembly which overcomes the limitations of known prior art mounting assemblies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic valve actuator mounting assembly which mounts directly on the body of a valve installed on a pressure cylinder.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a simple automatic valve actuator countertorque mounting assembly which may be readily mounted on, and dismounted from, the main valve body of a pressure cylinder, that is simple to install readily without special tools and with a minimal amount of skill, and that can be manufactured economically.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
More specifically, the present invention provides a countertorque assembly for mounting an automatic valve actuator to a pressure cylinder having a main valve body with a stem and a lateral outlet. The countertorque assembly comprises an elongate arm having a proximal end portion which is disposed adjacent to the valve body and a distal end portion which carries means for connecting the valve actuator to the arm. The proximal end portion of the arm includes means for anti-rotatably fastening it to the valve body with the arm extending laterally of the valve stem. When torque is applied by the actuator to rotate the valve stem, as to close the valve, the torque is countered by the valve body reacting against the arm.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pressure cylinder having a valve mounting the automatic valve actuator countertorque assembly;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view in partial cross-section of the assembly illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a pressure cylinder P having a valve assembly V mounted at its upper end when the pressure cylinder P is disposed upright as shown. The valve assembly V is of conventional construction and has valve body 10 with a pair of opposed flat surfaces, such as the obverse surface 10a, extending in spaced parallel relation on opposite sides of a rotary valve stem 11 extending vertically upward from the valve body 10. The valve V has a lateral outlet 12 to which may be connected various devices such as a pressure regulator, or nipple, such as shown in phantom by the reference numeral 13. When the valve stem 11 is rotated in one direction, the valve V opens, and when it is rotated in the opposite direction, the valve V closes.
In order to rotate the valve stem 11 for the purpose of closing the valve V in response to a sensed condition, such as gas leakage in the vicinity of the pressure cylinder P, it has been known to provide an air operated motor, or actuator, M for rapidly rotating the valve stem 11 into a closed position. The motor M has a wrench portion M(a), which has internal flats releasably engaging like flats on the valve stem 11 and a power portion M(b) which is connected to a source of air under pressure by means of conduit 20. A conduit 21 supplies a signal to an air control valve 23.
In operation, a sensing of gas in the vicinity of the pressure cylinder P by means of a gas sensor (not shown) causes a signal to be supplied to the control valve 23 for enabling the high pressure air supplied via conduit 20 to power-up the motor M to rotate the wrench portion for causing the valve stem 11 to rotate into a closed position for closing the valve V rapidly.
As noted heretofore, various devices have been provided in an effort to prevent the motor M from counter-rotating in response to rotation of the valve stem 11 during closing. These various countertorque devices have not been entirely commercially satisfactory for a variety of manufacturing and operational reasons.
According to the present invention, a countertorque assembly 30 is provided for mounting directly to the body 10 of the valve V and for supporting the motor M in a manner that prevents the motor M from counter-rotating in response to rotation of the valve stem 11 during closing of the valve V and yet permits ready dismounting to afford efficient cylinder changing.
Referring now to FIG. 1, the countertorque assembly 30 comprises a elongate arm 31 having a proximal end portion 31a located adjacent to the pressure cylinder P and a distal end portion 31b remote from the pressure cylinder P. A means is provided for connecting the motor M to the distal end portion 31b of the arm 31. To this end, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the connecting means includes a post assembly 32 which extends vertically between the distal end portion 31b of the arm 31 and a cradle 33 which receives and supports the body of the motor M. In the illustrated embodiment, the post assembly 32 includes a vertical tubular member 32a fastened to the distal end portion 31b of the arm 31 by means of a threaded bolt 32b which extends upwardly through a slot to provide horizontal adjustability for the tubular member 32a. See FIG. 4. The tubular member 32 receives a pintle 32c secured to the underside of the cradle 33. With this construction, the pintle 32c is telescopically slidably received in the tubular member 32a, thereby permitting the cradle 33 to be lifted upwardly for disengaging the wrench end M(a) of the motor M from the valve stem 11 for facile changing of the pressure cylinder P when its gas content becomes depleted. Preferably, a protective cover C shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1 is mounted above the cradle platform by means of a series of posts 33a-33d to provide protection for the motor M.
The countertorque assembly can be readily mounted to and dismounted from the pressure cylinder P. To this end, as best seen in FIG. 2, the proximal end portion 31a of the arm 31 has a rectangular aperture 31' which is disposed with its lengthwise edges transverse to the lengthwise extent of the arm 31. The aperture 31' is sized to enable the arm proximal end portion 31a to be slid vertically downward along the body 10 of the valve V as the arm 31 is disposed into its installed position such as illustrated in FIG. 1.
To grip the valve body 10 positively, a pair of jaws 35 and 36 are disposed on opposite sides of the aperture 31' to form a yoke. As seen in FIG. 1., the jaws 35 and 36 extend in spaced parallel relation along the lengthwise extending edges of the aperture 31'. Each jaw is of identical construction to the other. The jaw 36, however, is mounted for movement relative to jaw 35 as will be discussed.
Each jaw, such as the jaw 35, has a horizontally elongate base portion 35a which extends along the lengthwise edge of the aperture 31'. The jaw 35 has an upstanding protrusion 35b which is adapted to extend along the flat surface of the valve body 10 opposite the surface 10a illustrated in FIG. 1.
The jaw 36 is mounted for sliding movement transverse to the aperture 31, i.e. lengthwise of the arm 31, along the upper surface of the proximal end portion 31a of the arm 31. To this end, an upstanding flange 37 is welded to the outer periphery of the proximal end portion 31a of the arm 31 for threadedly receiving a rotary operator 38 having wrench flats 39 that enables it to be rotated in one direction or another for displacing the jaw 36 toward or away from its companion jaw 35. The proximal end portion 31a of the arm 31 has a depending annular flange 31c which can rest upon an upper surface of the pressure cylinder P. Preferably, to provide clearance for ancillary structure, such as pressure regulators, etc., the upper portion of the proximal end portion 31a of the arm 31 is provided with diametrically opposed chamfers 31d and 31e.
In operation, the arm assembly 30 is installed on a valve V mounted on a pressure cylinder P by rotating the operator 38 by means of a wrench engaged with the wrench flats 39 to open the jaws 35 and 36. The proximal end portion 31a of the arm 31 is slid downwardly relative to the valve body 10 until the upstanding protrusions 35a and 36a on the jaws 35 and 36 confront the opposite flat surfaces of the valve body 10 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. When the rotary operator 38 is rotated, it displaces the jaw 36 toward the jaw 35 for bringing them both into lateral engagement with the opposed surfaces of the valve body 10 and thereby clamping the arm 31 to the valve body 10. The motor cradle 33 is next installed on the distal end 31b of the arm 31 and the motor M placed in the cradle 33 among the posts 33a-33d as illustrated. The valve stem 11 and the post and pintle assembly 32 are telescopically matingly engaged in the manner illustrated FIGS. 1 and 4.
When air pressure is supplied to the motor M via the air connection 20, and a sensed condition causes a signal to be supplied via conduit 21 to the motor control valve 23, the motor M rotates the valve stem into its closure position, e.g. in FIG. 1, clockwise looking downward. As the motor M rotates the valve stem 11 clockwise, the motor torque acts counterclockwise on the arm 31 via the interconnections of the post and pintle assembly 32 with the cradle 33. As a result, torque applied by the motor M to the valve stem 11 in the act of closing is countered by the countertorque assembly 30 which acts directly on 1the valve body itself, thereby positively closing the valve V without causing damage to it.
From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the present invention now provides a simple yet effective countertorque assembly which can be readily installed on a valve associated with a pressure and which can be disconnected readily from the valve to afford ready replacement of pressure cylinders when they become exhausted, or for other reasons.
While a preferred embodiment has been described in detail, various modifications, alterations, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
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A countertorque arm assembly mounts onto a pressure cylinder valve body for cradling an actuator that operates to rotate the valve stem in response to a sensed condition.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wire sawing device comprising at least one layer of wires adapted to move with alternate or continuous movement, this layer of wires being pressed against a piece to be sawed and supported by wire guide cylinders, first means being provided to carry out a relative advancing movement between the piece to be sawed and the layer of wires in a cutting direction contained in a cutting plane, second means being provided to carry out a relative oscillating movement between the piece to be sawed and the layer of filaments about an axis of oscillation perpendicular to the cutting plane.
In this type of device, the filament is wound spirally about wire guide cylinders and forms between two wire guide cylinders at least one layer of parallel wires whose distance between successive wires fixes the thickness of the slices. Moreover, the plane of the layer or layers of wires forms, in known devices, a fixed angle generally perpendicular to the direction of sawing, which can give rise to undulations and striations on the surface of the slices in the case of generally lateral movement of the layer of wires resulting from thermal oscillations for example. These undulations, even though several micrometers in amplitude, suffice to render unusable the slices for certain applications such as silicon for the semiconductor industry. Moreover, during use of the back and forth movements, a roughness due to the reversal of direction arises. The tendency of the users of slices is to specify that these have a rough sawed surface as perfect as possible so as to reduce the subsequent operations of lapping or correction and polishing. Moreover, during the use of free abrasive, the abrasive picked up by the wire will become worn along the length of the sawing path and hence will modify the width of the sawed line. This wear will as a result give rise to a variation in the thickness of the slices. The sawing results as well as the tolerances obtained will depend on the penetration of the abrasive between the wire and the piece to be sawed as well as its wear along the sawing path. This wear of the abrasive will depend on the type of abrasive and on the length of the sawed or engaged length, which is to say the dimension of the ingots. This dimension being constantly increasing because of the progress of the technology of crystal growth, the phenomenon has a tendency to accentuate itself. It will also depend on the quantity of material removed per unit length and per unit time. During cutting of the pieces of non-rectangular or square shape, the length sawed by the layer of filaments or length engaged, varies as a function of the sawing depth. The penetration of the abrasive, and hence the wear of the abrasive, will thus vary as a function of the sawed height, giving rise in the shape of the piece to a variation of thickness which is a function of the height. This variation of thickness can be sufficiently great that the tolerances given by the user will be exceeded.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Wire sawing devices of the mentioned type with oscillation of the layer of wires or of the piece to be sawed are already known, particularly in the industry of electronic components, of ferrites, of quartz and silica, to obtain thinned slices of material such as poly or monocristallin silicon or other materials, such as GaAs, InP, GGG or also quartz, synthetic sapphire, namely ceramics. The high price of these materials renders wire sawing more attractive in comparison to other techniques such as diamond disc sawing.
Certain of the known devices for example that illustrated in FIG. 11 , impart an oscillatory movement to the piece to be sawed.
This oscillatory movement is however always about a fixed axis of rotation A whose position is predetermined once for all by the mechanical construction of the sawing device. This position accordingly cannot if desired be varied and modified. Thus this fixed position of oscillation does not permit avoiding undulations and striations in the obtained slices. Moreover, it can even produce other irregularities during cutting due to an oscillation with inadequate positioning.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has for its object to overcome the mentioned drawbacks, and it is characterized to this end by the fact that the second means comprise an oscillation device comprising at least one effective axis of rotation and movable members arranged so as to produce a relative movement of oscillation between the piece to be sawed and the layer of wires about an axis of oscillation whose spatial position can be adjusted and programmed such that this axis of oscillation is located at a programmable and adjustable distance from said effective axis of rotation.
Thus the relative positions of the wire layer and the axis of oscillation can be adjusted and varied according to applications. The precision of the slices and sawed pieces is thus greatly improved. The surface condition of the obtained slices is very regular, given that a movement of oscillation with a precisely positioned axis permits obtaining a polishing and lapping effect during sawing. All undulation and roughness can be avoided by superposition in the course of sawing of a lapping and rectification operation arising from oscillations of the piece to be sawed about an axis whose position can be adjusted and programmed in an optimal manner. Moreover, this particular oscillation permits better control of the penetration of the abrasive along the sawing path and clearing effect of the wire thereby improving its sawing efficiency.
In an advantageous embodiment, the sawing device comprises a support table on which the piece to be sawed is fixed, and the oscillation device is arranged so as to act on this support table.
Alternatively, the oscillation device is arranged so as to act on the mechanical members supporting the wire guide cylinders.
According to a preferred embodiment, the oscillation devices comprises first members to carry out a rotation about an axis of a rotation perpendicular to the cutting plane, second members to carry out a movement in a direction parallel to the cutting plane, and third members to carry out a movement of translation in a direction coinciding with the cutting direction.
These characteristics ensure a particularly reliable construction whilst ensuring very high quality of the sawed products.
According to another embodiment, the oscillation device comprises two rotatable members to carry out rotations about two axes of rotation perpendicular to the cutting plane, and translation members to carry out a movement of translation in a direction coinciding with the cutting direction.
Again, according to a supplemental embodiment, the oscillation device comprises three rotatable members to carry out rotations about three axes of rotation perpendicular to the cutting plane.
Another desirable embodiment is characterized by the fact that the oscillation device comprises a pendulum pivotally mounted about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the cutting plane, wire guide cylinders being mounted on at least one support that can be moved on this pendulum in a direction parallel to the cutting plane, translation members being provided to produce relative movement between the piece to be sawed and said axis of rotation in a direction coinciding with the cutting direction.
Desirably, the cutting device comprises a programmable control unit adapted to control the movements of rotation and translation produced by the oscillation device such that the combination of these generated movements results in an, oscillatory movement about an axis of oscillation whose position is adapted to be programmed.
The control unit can thus be arranged so as to produce a movement of oscillation which can have variable amplitudes and frequencies with time and/or as a function of the sawing depth.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other advantages will appear from the characteristics set forth in the dependent claims and from the explanatory description hereafter of the invention, in greater detail, with the help of drawings which show schematically and by way of example two embodiments and modifications.
FIG. 1 is a side schematic view of a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 shows partially this first embodiment in three different positions.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mechanical embodiment of the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a modification of the first embodiment.
FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment in three different positions.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a mechanical embodiment of this second embodiment.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show a third and fourth embodiment in three different positions.
FIG. 9 shows a fifth embodiment in three positions.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a mechanical embodiment of this fifth embodiment.
FIG. 11 shows partially a known sawing device with oscillatory movement.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The wire sawing device or machine shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 constitutes a first embodiment. This device comprises a frame 10 supporting at least two wire guide cylinders 11 , 12 on which a wire is wound spirally to form at least one layer of wires 15 whose distance between two adjacent wires fixes the thickness of the sawed slices. The wire guide cylinders 11 , 12 are for this purpose generally clad with a layer of synthetic material engraved with throats defining the interval between adjacent wires of the layer. The wire is either covered with a fixed abrasive or supplied continuously with a loose abrasive, generally in suspension in a liquid. The wire thus serves to carry the abrasive particles which themselves perform the sawing work in a so-called sawing zone 16 . This wire is desirably constituted of spring steel with a diameter comprised between 0.1 and 0.2 mm so as to saw the blocks of hard material or of more particular composition such as silicon, ceramic, compounds of elements of groups III-V, GGG (Gadolinium Gallium Garnet), sapphire, etc., into layers of about 0.5 to 5 mm thickness. The abrasive agent is a commercial product and can be diamond, silicon carbide, alumina, etc., in a form fixed to the wire or in a loose form in a slip.
The piece 20 to be sawed is fixed on a support table 21 and this latter is movably mounted on the frame 10 by a control device 22 for the movements of the piece 20 to be sawed relative to the layer of wires. This control device 22 includes on the one hand an advancing device 19 to carry out a relative advancing movement between the piece 20 to be sawed and the layer of wires 15 in a cutting direction Z contained in the cutting plane YZ which is perpendicular to the axes of the wire guide cylinders 11 , 12 , and on the other hand an oscillation device 23 arranged so as to cause an oscillatory movement of the piece 20 to be sawed, such that the position of the axis of oscillation A of this oscillatory movement can be adjusted and predetermined.
This control device 22 comprises for this purpose a slide 24 mounted movably on the frame 10 in the cutting direction Z and driven by a motor 25 . This slide 24 also corresponds to said advancing device 19 and it is secured to a perpendicular arm 26 disposed in an X direction perpendicular to the Z direction and to the cutting plane YZ.
A shaft 27 whose principal axis 28 is parallel to X is pivotally mounted on the slide 24 and the arm 26 . This shaft 27 is actuated by a power driven jack 29 by means of two levers 34 and can turn about an angle α about the axis 28 with adjustable frequency and amplitude.
The support table 21 is mounted on the shaft 27 by means of a translation mechanism 30 . This latter comprises two rails 31 , 32 secured to the shaft 27 on which the support table 21 is slidably mounted in a direction Y. This movement in the direction Y is controlled by an actuator 33 . The motor 25 , the jack 29 and the actuator 33 are controlled by a programmable electronic control unit 35 , such as a computer.
Thus, the oscillatory movement obtained by the control device 22 and the oscillation device 23 can be decomposed into two translatory movements in the directions Y and Z and a rotation through an angle α about the axis 28 perpendicular to said directions Y and Z and forming the cutting plane YZ which contains the cutting direction Z and which is parallel to the wires of the layer of wires 15 and perpendicular to the plane of the layer of wires 15 .
For rotation by an angle α about the axis of rotation 28 and oscillation through the same angle α about an axis of oscillation A whose spatial position can be programmed such that this axis of oscillation A is located at a predetermined distance Z 0 from the axis of rotation 28 , there are for the device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 the following movements:
Z α = ( Z o ( 1 - cos a ) cos a ) Y α = Z o · tg α
Wherein Z 0 is equal to the distance separating the axis of rotation 28 and the point or axis of oscillation A;
Z α corresponds to the movement of the slide 24 relative to the frame 10 in the direction Z from an aligned medial position in which the angle α is zero; and
Y α corresponds to the movement of the support table 21 relative to the rails 31 , 32 and to the shaft 27 in the direction Y.
Thus the translatory movements Y α and Z α are functions of the angle α and, when this latter continuously varies, are functions of time. The distance Z 0 is a programmable and adjustable parameter of the device, given by the distance between the axis 28 of mechanical rotation and the axis A of oscillation effectively obtained. It can be fixed or variable as a function of time. The position of the axis A of oscillation is programmed in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 on the center of the piece 20 to be sawed, which in this case is cylindrical. One will thus have a constant distance Z 0 . FIG. 2 shows the position of the different components of the sawing device in three different positions, in which the position of the point or axis of oscillation A remains unchanged, by carrying out vertical movement Z α .
On the other hand, this position of the axis A of oscillation could also be programmed so as to be located on the wire layer 15 or at a predetermined distance from the layer of wires, the distance Z 0 will thus decrease continuously as a function of time and as of the progress of cutting.
In the modification of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , all the assembly of mechanical elements is identical to the first embodiment, if the sawing device, instead of having one layer of parallel wires, comprises two layers of crossing wires 15 a and 15 b . The wire is wound in crossed manner about wire guide cylinders 11 , 12 and thus forms between these two wire guide cylinders two layers 15 a and 15 b which cross along a straight line 40 . The sawing device also comprises two external wire guide cylinders 41 , 42 required for parallelism of the wires of the two crossed layers 15 a and 15 b . The control device 22 and the oscillation device 23 can thus be programmed such that the axis A of oscillation coincides with the straight line 40 of crossing of the layers 15 a and 15 b . There is thus obtained a particularly precise and rapid cutting.
The second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 has a different mechanical construction of the control device 52 for the movements of the piece 20 to be sawed and of the oscillation device 53 . This latter also comprises a slide 54 mounted movably on the frame 10 in a direction Z and driven by a motor 55 . A table 56 with transverse movement is mounted on the slide 54 and can be moved by means of α motor 57 in a Y direction perpendicular to the cutting direction Z and parallel to the wires of the layer of wires. This table 56 carries a rotatable plate mechanism 58 driven by a motor 59 to carry out an angular movement a about an axis 60 of rotation parallel to a direction X and perpendicular to the directions Y and Z.
The rotatable plate 58 is secured to the support table 61 on which is fixed the piece 20 to be sawed. The motors 55 , 57 and 59 are controlled by a control unit. The oscillatory movement of the piece to be sawed is also obtained by two translatory movements in directions Y and Z and a rotation α about the axis 60 . For oscillation through an angle α about the axis A of oscillation, the following mathematical relations exist between α, Z α and Y α :
Z α =Z 0 (1−cos α)
Y α =Z 0 ·sin α
in which Z 0 is equal to the distance separating the axis 60 of rotation and the axis A of oscillation;
Z α corresponds to the movement of the slide 54 relative to the frame 10 in the direction Z;
Yαcorresponds to the movement of the table 56 of the support table 61 and of the rotatable plate 58 relative to the slide 54 in the Y direction.
FIG. 5 shows the position of the different components of the sawing device in three different positions, in which the position of the point or axis A of oscillation remains unchanged, by carrying out movement Z α .
Thus this second embodiment permits obtaining movements of oscillation of the piece 20 to be sawed about an axis A of oscillation whose position can be programmed, adjusted and predetermined in a way identical to the first embodiment and in a way such that the axis A of oscillation is located at a programmable and adjustable distance Z from the effective axis 60 of rotation. Obviously, this oscillation device 53 could be used with layers of wire of any nature, single or crossed, like the first embodiment and its modification.
In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 7 , the oscillation device 73 , instead of providing two translations and one rotation, has two effective axes 74 , 75 of rotation and translation in the cutting direction Z. Thus, the piece 20 to be sawed is mounted on a support table 21 which is secured to a first oscillating member or lever 76 pivotally mounted about a first axis 74 of rotation on a second oscillating member or lever 77 mounted pivotably about a second axis 75 of rotation on a slide 78 arranged movably in the cutting direction Z on the stationary frame 10 . Thanks to the slide 78 and its two oscillating arms 76 , 77 which can be driven by motors (not shown) controlled by a control unit, it is possible to produce an oscillatory movement of the piece about an oscillation axis A whose spatial position can be adjusted and programmed such that this oscillation axis A is located at any time at a programmable and adjustable distance from the second axis 75 of rotation or from a reference point on the frame 10 , such as the lower limit 79 of the guide path of the slide 78 .
If an oscillation of the piece to be sawed is produced about an angle α about the stationary axis A of oscillation relative to the frame 10 , then the movements of the pieces should be produced according to the following laws:
Z α =Z 0 −( a ·cos α+ b ·cos β)
a ·sin α= b ·sin β
wherein a and b are the lengths of the two levers 76 and 77 , a corresponds in fact to the programmable distance between the axis 74 of rotation and the axis A of oscillation 74 ;
Z 0 corresponds to the sum of the lengths a+b;
Z α is the movement to be produced by the slide 78 ; and
B corresponds to the rotation of the lever 77 about the axis 75 of rotation.
Thus, when the second lever 77 turns in a given direction by an angle β about the axis 75 of rotation, the first lever 76 turns in the opposite direction by an angle α+β about the axis 74 of rotation and the slide 78 moves downwardly a distance Z α such that the axis A of oscillation remains stationary. In this embodiment, the distance b is fixed and given by the mechanical construction of the oscillation device 73 . On the other hand, the distance a is a programmable parameter and its magnitude depends on the desired position of the axis A of oscillation.
The fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 8 shows another possibility of embodying the invention by using three rotations which correctly combined permit the rotation αabout an axis A of oscillation located at a predetermined programmable and adjustable spatial position from a reference point on the frame. Thus, the piece 20 to be sawed is mounted on a support table 21 secured to a first lever 86 pivotally mounted about a first axis of rotation 87 on a second lever 88 which is pivotally mounted about a second axis of rotation 89 on a third lever 90 and this latter pivots about a third axis 91 of rotation fixed relative to the frame of the sawing device.
Thus, if it is desired to produce a rotation of the piece to be sawed through an angle α about the axis A of rotation whose position must be stationary relative to the frame, there should be produced rotations of the levers 86 , 88 and 90 obeying the following laws:
Z 0 =a ·cos α+ b ·cos β+ c ·cos γ
wherein Z 0 is equal to the programmed distance separating the third axis 91 of rotation from the axis A of oscillation, a, b and c being the lengths of the levers 86 , 88 and 90 ; in fact a corresponds to the programmable distance between the axis 87 of rotation and the axis A of oscillation; α, β and γ corresponding to the angles of rotation which the lever 86 , 88 and 90 occupy relative to the vertical in FIG. 8 .
In the four embodiments described above, the oscillation device is mounted on the mechanism for advancing the support table of the piece to be sawed. This is not the case in the fifth embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 . This latter comprises a layer 100 of wires supported by wire guide cylinders 101 , 102 mounted on an oscillation device 103 . This device 103 has a swinging frame 104 pivotally mounted on the frame 105 of the sawing device by a pivot 110 whose axis of rotation is perpendicular to the cutting plane YZ. The two wire guide cylinders 101 , 102 are each mounted rotatably on a support piece 106 , 107 and these support pieces, fixed together by connection bars 108 , are arranged on roller bearings 109 movably in a direction Y on the frame 104 of the oscillation device.
The piece 20 to be sawed is fixed on a support table 115 secured to a slide 116 arranged movably in a cutting direction Z on the frame 105 by means of roller bearings 117 . The movement of rotation of the frame 104 about the pivot 110 is controlled by a power driven jack 120 . The translation of the wire guide cylinders 101 , 102 in the Y direction is obtained by means of a power driven jack 121 and the translation of the piece 20 to be sawed in the cutting direction Z is produced by a motor 122 . The jacks 120 , 121 and the motor 122 are controlled by a control unit which can be programmed such that the combination of translations in Y and Z and the rotation about pivot 110 produce an oscillatory movement about an axis A of oscillation whose spatial position is programmable and adjustable.
In this embodiment, the oscillation device 103 is mounted on the mechanism supporting the wire guide cylinders. The corrective translations in the direction Z are carried out by the slide 116 supporting the piece to be sawed. These translations could of course also be associated with the mechanism supporting the wire guide cylinders 101 , 102 .
The object of the invention thus consists generally in permitting the sawing device to vary the angle which the piece 20 to be sawed makes relative to the layer or layer of wires 15 in the course of sawing, by impressing on the piece to be sawed or on the layer of wires a balancing or oscillatory movement parallel to the layer of wires about any fixed or variable point A, selected according to the needs of the process. To do this, there are produced for example two movements in the directions Z and Y and a rotation α. The three movements are independent and can be carried out independently of each other or have a movement interconnected by a function which determines the selected point or axis A of oscillation. This oscillatory movement permits decreasing the engaged length of the wire in the course of sawing as well as improving the penetration of the abrasive. The rate of renewal of the abrasive along the sawing path by the oscillatory movement of the piece to be sawed relative to the layer of wires thus increases, accompanied by an increase in the efficiency of sawing. The successive passages of the surface already sawed of the slice, due to oscillations of the piece, will have a lapping effect on the surface of the slice, hence they decrease the undulations and the roughness of the surface. The choice of the position of the axis A of oscillation will be for example at the center of the piece to be sawed or at the point of contact of the piece to be sawed and the layer of wires. In this latter case it will be necessary to program it as a function of the relative position of the support table 21 and the layer of wires. To carry out this function, it could be done for example electronically from a digital control by introducing into the latter the coordinates as a function of time or of the relative position of the support table. Each of these movements, namely the rotation or rotations and the translations, could be independently activated but could be connected by a mathematical function depending on the selected point or axis A of oscillation. Moreover, the frequency and amplitude of rotation about the selected axis could be variable as a function of the relative position of the table or of the cutting advance.
The precision of the pieces to be sawed, which is very important for semiconductor applications, depends on the position of the wire in the course of sawing, as well as on the surface condition (undulations and roughness). This surface condition, if it is not controlled, can impair the entire sawing technique. This latter thus requires moreover a universal oscillation device which permits minimizing these defects in the course of sawing, because even small variations will result in slices that are unacceptable for subsequent procedures.
The requirements of the electronic applications, for example connected to increasing size of pieces to be sawed, require that even the smallest variations must be avoided. It thus no longer suffices to saw the slices continuously, but rather to superpose in the course of sawing an operation of lapping and rectification arising from oscillations of the piece to be sawed about a predetermined point that is variable or not with moreover better control of the penetration of the abrasive along the sawing path. The frequency of this movement as well as its amplitude can be predetermined in the course of sawing and will thus be a function of the shape of the piece to be sawed. This manner of sawing moreover has the advantage of having a clearing effect on the wire, thereby improving its sawing efficiency.
The sawing device with the control device 22 thus permits superposition on the advancing movement Z, of a programmed oscillatory movement and thus comprises an assembly permitting causing oscillation about any point A, defined by the application, with an amplitude and frequency that varies in the course of sawing. This mechanical assembly can be controlled by an electronic, digital or other system. The use of this device permits producing pieces of increased precision.
Of course the embodiments described above are in no way limiting and they can be the subject of any desirable modification within the scope defined by claim 1 . In particular, the sawing device could comprise a number of wire guide cylinders greater than two. The control of the translatory and rotation movements could be obtained by any electrical, electromagnetic, pneumatic, hydraulic means or any other actuators. The oscillatory movement, its amplitude and frequency, could be subject to devices for measuring the surface condition of the slices. The sawing device and the oscillation device could have any other mechanical construction. Thus, the oscillatory devices of the first, second, third and fourth embodiments could also be used to produce a movement of oscillation of the layer of wires, whilst the piece to be sawed remains motionless. In a complex modification, the piece to be sawed and the layer of wires could be simultaneously or alternately subject to oscillatory movements about axes of oscillation whose spatial position is programmable.
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A sawing device includes a wire assembly ( 15 ) supported on wire-guiding rolls ( 11, 12 ) and pressed against a workpiece to be sawn ( 20 ) fixed on a support table ( 21 ). An oscillating device ( 23 ) produces a relative reciprocating movement between the workpiece and the wire assembly ( 15 ) around an oscillation axis (A) whereof the spatial position can be adjusted and programmed so that the oscillation axis (A) is at a programmable and adjustable distance from an effective axis of rotation ( 28 ) of the oscillating device ( 23 ).
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to marker poles for subterranean cable installations, and more particularly, to a marker pole having a spring-loaded portion extending above the ground to facilitate movement thereof in response to impacts from motor-vehicles, lawn mowers and the like.
Marker poles are commonly employed for marking the locations of various underground objects. For example, utility lines are often buried in the ground in many locations for aesthetic reasons. Marker poles are placed in the ground and disposed along the buried cable in order to show the location thereof.
In recent years fiber-optic cable networks have been installed in many parts of the country. A common installation procedure involves trenching or boring underground and placing the fiber-optic cables within protective plastic conduit. The fiber-optic cables have many advantages for telecommunications, including the ability to efficiently transmit large amounts of data. However, because relatively high revenues are typically generated from their transfer of correspondingly large amounts of data for telecommunications customers, there exists the potential for large losses in earnings associated with an inoperative fiber-optic cable.
Excavating equipment and operations pose significant threats to buried utility lines, including fiber-optic cables. Natural gas pipelines, for example, pose an explosion risk. Electrical power lines have attendant risks of damage and injuries related to electrical power. Accidentally severing a buried fiber-optic cable can subject an excavation contractor to significant liability for interrupted service. Severing fiber-optic cables can interrupt service unless transmissions can be rerouted. Depending upon the normal traffic volume in a buried cable, significant revenues can be lost before a splice can be made and service restored.
In order to control such risks, utility companies and service providers have marked the locations of their underground lines and provided information regarding same, such as toll-free numbers, which excavators are encouraged to “call before digging”. A common pre-existing type of marker includes a length of plastic pipe with one end embedded in the ground and the other end mounting a cap. The cap can have printed thereon warning information, and can be color-coded for the type of buried utility, e.g.: blue—water; yellow—natural gas; red—electric; orange (white)—fiber-optic, etc. Such utility markers tend to be relatively effective and are widely recognized in the art. Although they are relatively easy to install, many of the prior art designs can be easily destroyed by impact with moveable objects.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for a marker pole system that exhibits resistance to inadvertent impacts from motor vehicles, lawn mowers, and the like.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a cable marker pole system is provided for marking the location of buried utility cabling. The marker pole system generally comprises a base adapted for being embedded in hardened earth or concrete, a two-part pole assembly and a spring. The pole assembly comprises a first elongated member defining a first end and a second end, and a second elongated member defining a first end and a second end. The spring connects the first end of the first member to the first end of the second member. The second member is constructed and arranged to fit within a receptacle defined in the base, such that when the pole assembly is connected to the base, the first member is permitted to move relative to the second member and the base. A sign containing indicia regarding buried cable is attached to the second end of the first member. Several embodiments are disclosed for attaching the pole assembly to the base, a first of which includes a threaded collar associated with the first member for mating with a complimentary threaded portion on the base, a second of which includes a threaded second member and complimentary threaded base receptacle that screw together, and a third of which includes a through-bolt arrangement.
These and other advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is an exploded isometric view of a marker pole system in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1B is a sectional view along lines 1 B- 1 B in FIG. 1A ;
FIG. 2A is an exploded isometric view of a marker pole system in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2B is a sectional view along lines 2 B- 2 B in FIG. 2A ;
FIG. 3A is an exploded isometric view of a marker pole system in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 3B is a sectional view along lines 3 B- 3 B in FIG. 3A .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1A and 1B depict a first embodiment of a marker pole system 100 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. The marker pole system 100 is adapted to be partially embedded in the earth 102 over a buried utility line, such as a fiber optic cable 104 . The marker pole system may be embedded in hardened earth or concrete generally represented by the reference numeral 106 .
The marker pole system 100 includes a pole assembly 108 comprising a first elongated member 110 defining a first end 112 and a second end 114 , and a second elongated member 116 defining a first end 118 and a second end 120 . The first member 110 is connected to the second member 116 by a coil spring 122 that is attached to the first end 112 of first member 110 and the first end 118 of second member 116 , respectively. The first member 110 preferably consists of an elongated section of plastic pipe (e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC)), approximately 6 to 8 feet in length. Although a circular tubular body is shown, rectangular or other multisided configurations might be used within the scope of the invention. A sign 124 is affixed to the second end 114 of the first member 110 . The sign 124 may have indicia to provide an appropriate warning such as, for example, a “Call Before Digging” advisory with a toll-free number at which additional, pertinent information can be obtained. The sign 124 can be fabricated from a generally flat sheet of plastic material and provided with a cylindrical sleeve 125 for mounting the sign on the second end 114 of the first member 110 as shown.
In accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, a collar 126 is rotatably mounted proximal to the first end 118 of the second member 116 . The collar 126 facilitates attachment of the pole assembly 108 to a base 128 that is partially embedded in hardened earth or concrete 106 . The collar is provided with a splined or grooved portion 130 that mates with a complimentary splined or grooved portion 132 near the first end 118 of the second member 116 . In this manner, the collar 126 can rotate in a fixed position around the second member 116 . The collar further includes an annular flange 134 having a threaded portion 136 adapted to mate with a complimentary threaded portion 138 defined in the base 128 .
The base 128 is preferably configured as a generally elongated tubular structure having a first end 140 , a second end 142 , and a centrally disposed elongated receptacle or bore 144 extending therethrough. The base 128 may be provided with a flange 146 to prevent the base from being pulled out of the hardened earth or concrete 106 . The base 128 is preferably constructed from galvanized steel, but other materials including plastics or composites may be utilized within the scope of the invention.
The pole assembly 108 is installed in the base 128 by inserting the second end 120 of the second member 116 into the bore 142 . The collar 126 and attached second member 116 is then locked to the base 128 by threading the collar 126 over the threaded portion 138 in the base 128 . In this manner, the first member 110 is able to move relative to the second member 116 by virtue of the spring 122 in the event of an impact between the first member 110 or sign 124 with motor vehicles, lawn mowers and the like. This freedom of movement enables the pole assembly to survive impacts that would otherwise damage the pole assembly 108 .
Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2B , there is depicted a second embodiment of a marker pole system 200 in accordance with an aspect of the invention. The marker pole system 200 includes a pole assembly 208 comprising a first elongated member 210 defining a first end 212 and a second end 214 , and a second elongated member 216 defining a first end 218 and a second end 220 . The first member 210 is connected to the second member 216 by a coil spring 222 that is attached to the first end 212 of first member 210 and the first end 218 of second member 216 , respectively. A sign 224 is affixed to the second end 214 of the first member 210 . The second member 216 is provided with a threaded portion 248 adapted to mate with a complimentary threaded portion defined in a base 228 .
As in the first embodiment, the base 228 is preferably configured as a generally elongated tubular structure having a first end 240 , a second end 242 , and a centrally disposed elongated receptacle or bore 244 having a threaded portion 250 extending therethrough. The base 228 may be provided with a flange 246 to prevent the base from being pulled out of the hardened earth or concrete 206 . The pole assembly 208 is anchored to the base 228 by simply screwing the threaded second member 216 into the threaded bore 244 in the base 228 .
Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B , there is depicted a third embodiment of a marker pole system 300 in accordance with an aspect of the invention. The marker pole system 300 comprises a pole assembly 308 comprising a first elongated member 310 defining a first end 312 and a second end 314 , and a second elongated member 316 defining a first end 318 and a second end 320 . The first member 310 is connected to the second member 316 by a coil spring 322 that is attached to the first end 312 of first member 310 and the first end 318 of second member 316 , respectively. A sign 324 is affixed to the second end 314 of the first member 310 .
A base 328 is preferably configured as a generally elongated tubular structure having a first end 340 , a second end 342 , and a centrally disposed elongated receptacle or bore 344 sized and adapted for receiving a portion of the second member 316 of the pole assembly 308 . As in the first and second embodiments, the base 328 may be provided with a flange 346 to prevent the base from being pulled out of the hardened earth or concrete 306 . The pole assembly 308 is installed in the base by inserting the second member 316 into the bore 344 in the base 328 . The base 328 has apertures 352 extending transversely through the sidewalls of the base. The second member 316 of the pole assembly 308 includes a mating aperture 354 that is aligned with apertures 352 in the base 328 when the second member 316 is fully inserted into bore 344 of the base 328 . A bolt 356 is inserted through the respective apertures 352 , 354 and locked down with a nut 358 in a conventional fashion. Of course it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many different kinds of fasteners can be utilized in lieu of bolt 356 within the scope of the invention.
The present invention has been shown and described in what are considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is anticipated, however, that departures may be made therefrom and that obvious modifications will be implemented by those skilled in the art. It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise numerous arrangements and variations which, although not explicitly shown or described herein, embody the principles of the invention and are within their spirit and scope.
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A cable marker pole system is described for marking the location of buried utility cabling. The cable marker pole system includes a base for embedding in earth or concrete, and a two-part pole assembly that couples with the base. The two-part pole assembly includes a spring coupling the two pole members to allow the pole assembly to flex if struck. A sign is attached to the top of the pole assembly to indicate what is buried.
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RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation application of my pending application, Ser. No. 07/322,172, filed on Mar. 13, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,101 for Bulk Material Container With A Door Movable Over A Rectilinear Path. Said application Ser. No. 07/322,172, is a divisional application of my then pending application, Ser. No. 06/594,840, filed on Mar. 29, 1984, for Bulk Material Container With A Door Movable Over A Rectilinear Path, which has issued into U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,791, on Aug. 22, 1989.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to bulk material containers, and more particularly to a bulk material container with a door movable over a rectilinear path.
Bulk material containers with side doors or outlets are employed for storing and handling materials containing contaminants or containing food products and chemicals requiring contamination free conditions or for transporting corrosive or dangerous materials. In handling poisons or the like, an operator should not be exposed to the dangerous material. The sealing of the door as well as the activation of the door is of concern in protecting the operator from exposure to or contact with dangerous material and also to prevent the contamination of food products and chemicals.
Side outlet bulk material containers have been manufactured and sold with hinged doors and the seals therefor were inadequate. It is believed that the inadequate seals were present because of the inability to exert sufficient pressure on all edge surfaces of the door to obtain the required seal.
In the patent to McKinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,996, there is disclosed a bulk material container. The contents of the bin are discharged through a circular opening in the front wall of the bin. A door is moved in the axial direction of the circular opening for the closure and opening of the circular opening. A splined shaft actuates a shaft secured to the door for axial movement to open the access opening against the urgency of a spring. The spring applies a force to a shaft on which the door is secured for the closing of the access opening.
Side outlet bulk material containers have been heretofore manufactured and sold by Hoover Universal. Such side outlet bulk material containers have been manufactured and sold with tiltable unloaders. When the hinged door was opened, the container unloaded under the force of gravity while the container was tilted. In other instances, the container was unloaded by means of a screw conveyor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A bulk material container in which a door for an opening in a wall of the container is screw actuated for movement along a rectilinear path for opening and closing the opening.
An arrangement for actuating a door over a rectilinear path for the opening and closing of an opening in a bulk material container employing screw actuating means.
A feature of the present invention is that a gasket surrounds the opening and the door is moved to compress the gasket to form a seal during the closure of the opening. With the door screw actuated along the rectilinear path, the extent of the sealing engagement of the seal between the container and the door is controllable and made more effective. The gasket is compressed by the rectilinear movement of the door and further screw actuation of the door compresses the gasket without rotating the door.
A feature of the present invention is that the door for the opening can be opened and closed from either side of the bulk material container.
A feature of the present invention is that the screw shaft can be rotated from either end to move the door over a rectilinear path for the opening and closing of an opening.
Another feature of the present invention is that the extent or degree of closure or the opening of a door relative to the walls or seal surrounding an opening can be positively controlled.
Another feature of the present invention is that the bulk material stored in the container does not come into contact with the operating parts of the mechanism that imparts a rectilinear movement to the door.
Another feature of the present invention is that the door is opened and closed mechanically with a positive action that does not rely on the force of gravity or the force applied by the weight of the material being discharged from the container through vibrations or oscillations.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bulk material container embodying the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective of the bulk material container embodying the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary axial section view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2, to illustrate the screw mechanism for moving a door for an opening formed in the bulk material container along a rectilinear path.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary axial section view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2 to illustrate a modification of the screw mechanism for moving the door from the door side along a rectilinear path.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary axial section taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2 to illustrate a modification of the configuration of the door for the opening of the bulk material container.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation view, partially in section, taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5 to illustrate the door shown in FIG. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a suitable bulk material container 10 having a suitable opening or discharge opening 11 (FIG. 2) formed in a side wall 12 thereof. The walls of the container 10 define a shell 10a. Secured to the wall 12 and surrounding the opening 11 is an adapter plate or door frame 13. A door 15 is arranged to open and close the opening 11 through movement along a rectilinear path. While the preferred embodiment employs a round door 15 with a cylindrical wall surrounding the opening 11, it is within the contemplation of the present invention that the door 15 may be configured in different shapes and the opening 11 and the opening formed in the door frame 13 will have a configuration conforming to the contour of the door 15. The discharge opening 11 (FIG. 2) is formed in the wall 12 of the container 10 for gravity unloading. If desired, a screw-type conveyor can be employed for discharging material or any other suitable arrangement can be employed for material discharge, such as tilting, shaking and jolting of the container 10. An opening 16a formed in a wall 17 may be employed as a material inlet or service opening for the container 10.
For moving the door 15 over a rectilinear path, the door 15 comprises an integrally formed hub 25 (FIG. 3). In the preferred embodiment, the door 15 is disposed exteriorally of the container 10. Thus, the door 15 is moved outwardly away from the container 10 when the opening 11 is opened and is moved toward the wall 12 of the container 10 when the opening 11 is closed. It is within the contemplation of the present invention that the door 15 can be disposed inwardly of the container 10. Under this circumstance, the door 15 is moved toward the wall 12 to close the opening 11 and is moved away from the wall 12 to open the opening 11.
The hub 25 is telescopically received by a bearing tube 26 made of suitable material, such as aluminum. The bearing tube 26 is of sufficient thickness to prevent distortion in the hub 25 during the actuation of the door 15. Surrounding the hub 25 at the forward end thereof is a seal and shaft wiper 20 and a seal housing 21. Angularly disposed struts or guides 24 are fixedly secured to the seal housing 21 and the wall 12 of the container 10 for supporting the bearing tube 26, the hub 25 and the seal housing 21. It is within the contemplation of the present invention to fixedly secure the struts 24 to the wall 12 of the container 10 and the bearing tube 26. While the exemplary embodiment shows the struts 24 fixed to the wall 12, the struts 24 can be secured to the bottom wall 14 of the shell 10a. An internally threaded bushing 27 made of suitable material, such as aluminum, is fixed or welded end-to-end with the tube 26. The threaded bushing 27 is fixedly positioned within the container 10. The threads of the bushing are preferably made of steel.
Fixed to the free end of the threaded bushing 27 by welding or the like is a suitable tube or shaft housing 28. Fixed to the shaft housing 28 by welding or the like is a stop block 52. A tube 29 is fixed to the stop block 52 by weldment or the like. A wall 53 of the container 10 has an adjustment sleeve or tube 53a fixed thereto, such as by welding, which, in turn, is welded or secured to the tube 29. An opening 54 is formed in the wall 53 in alignment with a threaded shaft 40. The wall 53 of the container 10 faces the wall 12 of the container 10. The adjustment sleeve 53a supports the tubes 26-29 from the wall 53 of the container 10.
A suitable axial opening or bore 35 extends through the hub 25 of the door 15. Disposed within the hub 25 of the door 15 and the tubes 26-29 for rotation is the threaded shaft 40. The shaft 40 is made of suitable material, such as steel. The threaded section 41 of the shaft 40 is disposed in threaded engagement with the internal threads of the fixedly positioned bushing 27. The shaft 40 has a flange type bushing 42a fixed thereto to provide an enlarged diameter section that forms a shoulder 42 for engagement with the hub 25 of the door 15. At the end of shaft 40 adjacent the door 15 is a thrust bearing and bushing 45 that engages the end of the hub 25 opposite from the end of the hub 25 that engages the shoulder 42. The bushings 42a and 45, in the exemplary embodiment, are bronze bushings. Fixed to the shaft 40 by weldment or the like is a nut 46, which is adjacent to the bearing and bushing 45.
Rotation of the nut 46 by a long handle wrench or other suitable tool imparts rotation to the shaft 40. By rotating the shaft 40, the shaft 40 moves relative to the threaded bushing 27 over a rectilinear path axially of the fixedly positioned tubes 26-29 to impart movement to the door 15 through its hub 25 over a rectilinear path to either open the opening 11 or to close the opening 11. A nut 49, similar to the nut 46, is fixed to the end of the shaft 40 adjacent to the wall 53 by a weldment or the like. A long handle wrench or suitable tool can then impart rotation to the shaft 40 at the opening 54 of the wall 53. The action will then be similar to that described for the rotation of the nut 46. A stop collar 55 is fixed to the shaft 40 and engages the stop block 52 for limiting the movement of the shaft 40.
In the preferred embodiment, a suitable gasket or O-ring 50 is fixed to the round door 15 and is arranged to engage the adapter plate 13 fixed to the wall 12 of the container 10, when the door 15 closes the opening 11. The gasket 50 forms a seal between the door 15 and the adapter plate 13 of the wall 12 of the container 10, when the round door 15 closes the opening 11. Through this arrangement, the sealing compression of the gasket 50 is controlled by the rotation of the shaft 40. Once the gasket 50 engages the plate 13, the door 15 is inhibited from rotating However, the door 15 will continue to move over a rectilinear path to control the sealing compression of the gasket 50. An effective seal is created between the door 15 of the plate 13 of the wall 12 about the entire edge of the round door 15. While in the preferred embodiment, the seal 50 is fixed to the round door 15, a seal could be attached to the plate 13 surrounding the opening 11 to be engaged by the round door 15.
It is to be observed that the shaft 40 is formed with a reduced diameter section 51 extending from the threaded section 41 to the nut 49. After the door 15 is moved away from the plate 13 to open the opening 11, there is movement of the door 15 to increase the displacement between the door 15 and the opening 11.
Illustrated in FIG. 4 is a modification of the shaft 40. The modified shaft 40 (FIG. 4) does not include the reduced diameter section 51 (FIG. 3) but rather has a threaded section 41 to which the stop 55 is affixed. In this manner, the displacement of the door 15 from the plate 13 is controlled entirely by the rotation of the shaft 40 (FIG. 4) from the door end. The block 52, section 51 and nut 49 (FIG. 3) have been omitted. The tubes 28 and 29 constitute a single tube.
Illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 is a modification of the door 15 (FIG. 3). In lieu of a round door 15, a rectangular door 60 (FIG. 6) is employed and in lieu of a round opening 11 (FIG. 3) a rectangular opening 61 (FIG. 6) is employed. The door 60 is configured to conform to the shape of the opening 61. The arrangement disclosed in FIGS. 5 and 6 can be employed when a door other than a round door is employed. The struts 24 in FIGS. 5 and 6 are fixed to the wall 12 and the bearing tube 26. Fixed to the door 60 and directed toward the interior of the container 10 for positioning between the spaced struts 24 is a door aligner 63. As the door 60 is actuated for closure with the opening 61, the door aligner 63 moves into the space between the struts or alignment guides 24 to key or orient the door 60 for alignment with the opening 61 so that upon closure the door 60 is precisely located for closing the opening 61. Thus, the tendency for the door 60 to rotate while moving over the rectangular path at closure with the opening 61 is inhibited by the door aligner 63 moving in the space between struts or alignment guides 24.
A gasket 64 embraces the perimetric edges of the door 60 (FIG. 5). A frame 13 surrounds the opening 61 to provide a rigid surface for the seating of the gasket 64 and to assist in the guidance of the door 60 for proper orientation. Once the door 60 is in place, the frame 13 affords protection to the door 60 from external forces applied during the handling of the container.
The door 60 is recessed at 60a to protect the operating parts employed in the opening and the closing of the door 60 such as the nut 46 and the shaft 40. Similarly, the recessed area 54 performs a similar function for the nut 49 and the shaft 40. The frame 13, in the preferred embodiment, is fixed to the wall 12 on the exterior side and is flush along the bottom edge so as not to trap material during the unloading of material. Trapped material on the door seat lends itself to causing an inadequate seal for the door.
The gasket 64 is fixed to the door 60 and is arranged to engage the door frame 13 fixed to the wall 12 of the container, when the door 60 closes the opening 61. The gasket 64 forms a seal between the door 60 and the door frame 13, when the door 60 closes the opening 61. Through this arrangement, the sealing compression of the gasket 64 is controlled by the axial movement of the door 60. Once the gasket 64 engages the frame 13, the door aligner 63 and the guides 24 restrict any rotational movement of the door 60 and align the door 60 for accurate seating relative to the opening 61. However, the door 60 will continue to move over a rectilinear path to control the sealing compression of the gasket 64. An effective seal is created between the door 60 and the frame 13 of the wall 12 about all the edges of the door 60 through the gasket 64.
While various components have been described as made of aluminum, it is contemplated that such components will be made of the same material from which the shell 10a is made. Generally, dissimilar materials are used on parts that have moving contact with one another, such as threaded rods, nuts, shafts and bearings. However, the parts that merely come into contact with the material in the container generally are made of material compatible with the material in the container.
In the preferred embodiment, the gasket 50 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is a hollow O-ring. When not compressed, the gasket 50 has an annular cross-sectional area. When compressed for forming a seal, the exposed area of the gasket 50 assumes a flat configuration for sealing engagement. While reference is made to the closure and opening of the opening 11 formed in the wall 12, it is apparent that the concept of the present invention is equally applicable to the opening formed in the door frame 13. In the conventional containers 10, well-known internal corner closures and baffles will be employed to direct bulk material toward the discharge opening 11 during the discharge of bulk material from the container 10.
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A bulk material container with an opening has a door arranged to move over a rectilinear path for the opening and the closing of the opening. For moving the door over a rectilinear path to either open or close the opening, a threaded shaft is journalled for rotation within the container and is aligned axially with the center of the door. Means on the threaded shaft engage the door so that the door is moved over the rectilinear path by the rotation of the threaded shaft. A gasket surrounds the opening at the time of closure by the door. Continued rotation of the shaft for the closure of the door will cause the gasket to be compressed against the plate surrounding the opening. Rotation of the door is inhibited while the gasket is being compressed.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/964,887, filed 15 Oct. 2004 and of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/966,337, filed 14 Oct. 2004, each of which are continuations of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/187,051, filed 28 Jun. 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,989,366, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/003,869, filed Jan. 7, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,026, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/034,905, filed 07 Jan. 1997, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/055,404, filed 08 Aug. 1997, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/066,029, filed 14 Nov. 1997, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/065,442, filed 14 Nov. 1997. The contents of each of these references are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to methods for treating conditions or disorders which can be alleviated by reducing food intake comprising administration of an effective amount of an exendin or an exendin agonist alone or in conjunction with other compounds or compositions that affect satiety such as a leptin or an amylin agonist. The methods are useful for treating conditions or disorders, in which the reduction of food intake is of value, including obesity, Type II diabetes, eating disorders, and insulin-resistance syndrome. The methods are also useful for lowering the plasma lipid level, reducing the cardiac risk, reducing the appetite, and reducing the weight of subjects. Pharmaceutical compositions for use in the methods of the invention are also disclosed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The following description summarizes information relevant to the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art to the presently claimed invention, nor that any of the publications specifically or implicitly referenced are prior art to that invention.
[0000] Exendin
[0004] Exendins are peptides that are found in the venom of the Gila-monster, a lizard found in Arizona, and the Mexican Beaded Lizard. Exendin-3 is present in the venom of Heloderma horridum, and exendin-4 is present in the venom of Heloderma suspectum (Eng, J., et al., J. Biol. Chem., 265:20259-62, 1990; Eng., J., et al., J. Biol. Chem., 267:7402-05, 1992). The exendins have some sequence similarity to several members of the glucagon-like peptide family, with the highest homology, 53%, being to GLP-1[7-36]NH 2 (Goke, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 268:19650-55, 1993). GLP-1[7-36]NH 2 , also known as proglucagon[78-107], has an insulinotropic effect, stimulating insulin secretion from pancreatic .beta.-cells; GLP also inhibits glucagon secretion from pancreatic .alpha.-cells (Orskov, et al., Diabetes, 42:658-61, 1993; D'Alessio, et al., J. Clin. Invest., 97:133-38, 1996). GLP-1 is reported to inhibit gastric emptying (Williams B, et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 81 (1): 327-32, 1996; Wettergren A, et al., Dig Dis Sci 38 (4): 665-73, 1993), and gastric acid secretion. (Schjoldager B T, et al., Dig Dis Sci 34 (5): 703-8, 1989; O'Halloran D J, et al., J Endocrinol 126 (1): 169-73, 1990; Wettergren A, et al., Dig Dis Sci 38 (4): 665-73, 1993). GLP-1[7-37], which has an additional glycine residue at its carboxy terminus, also stimulates insulin secretion in humans (Orskov, et al., Diabetes, 42:658-61, 1993). A transmembrane G-protein adenylate-cyclase-coupled receptor believed to be responsible for the insulinotropic effect of GLP-1 is reported to have been cloned from a .beta.-cell line (Thorens, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8641-45 (1992)).
[0005] Exendin-4 potently binds at GLP-1 receptors on insulin-secreting βTC1 cells, at dispersed acinar cells from guinea pig pancreas, and at parietal cells from stomach; the peptide is also said to stimulate somatostatin release and inhibit gastrin release in isolated stomachs (Goke, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 268:19650-55, 1993; Schepp, et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol., 69:183-91, 1994; Eissele, et al., Life Sci., 55:629-34, 1994). Exendin-3 and exendin-4 were reported to stimulate cAMP production in, and amylase release from, pancreatic acinar cells (Malhotra, R., et al., Regulatory Peptides, 41:149-56, 1992; Raufman, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 267:21432-37, 1992; Singh, et al., Regul. Pept. 53:47-59, 1994). The use of exendin-3 and exendin-4 as insulinotrophic agents for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and the prevention of hyperglycemia has been proposed (Eng, U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,286).
[0006] C-terminally truncated exendin peptides such as exendin[9-39], a carboxyamidated molecule, and fragments 3-39 through 9-39 have been reported to be potent and selective antagonists of GLP-1 (Goke, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 268:19650-55, 1993; Raufinan, J. P., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266:2897-902, 1991; Schepp, W., et al., Eur. J. Pharm. 269:183-91, 1994; Montrose-Rafizadeh, et al., Diabetes, 45(Suppl. 2):152A, 1996). Exendin[9-39] is said to block endogenous GLP-1 in vivo, resulting in reduced insulin secretion. Wang, et al., J. Clin. Invest., 95:417-21, 1995; D'Alessio, et al., J. Clin. Invest., 97:133-38, 1996). The receptor apparently responsible for the insulinotropic effect of GLP-1 has reportedly been cloned from rat pancreatic islet cell (Thorens, B., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8641-8645, 1992). Exendins and exendin[9-39] are said to bind to the cloned GLP-1 receptor (rat pancreatic β-cell GLP-1 receptor (Fehmann H C, et al., Peptides 15 (3): 453-6, 1994) and human GLP-1 receptor (Thorens B, et al., Diabetes 42 (11): 1678-82, 1993). In cells transfected with the cloned GLP-1 receptor, exendin-4 is reportedly an agonist, i.e., it increases cAMP, while exendin[9-39] is identified as an antagonist, i.e., it blocks the stimulatory actions of exendin-4 and GLP-1. Id.
[0007] Exendin[9-39] is also reported to act as an antagonist of the full length exendins, inhibiting stimulation of pancreatic acinar cells by exendin-3 and exendin-4 (Raufinan, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266:2897-902, 1991; Raufman, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 266:21432-37, 1992). It is also reported that exendin[9-39] inhibits the stimulation of plasma insulin levels by exendin-4, and inhibits the somatostatin release-stimulating and gastrin release-inhibiting activities of exendin-4 and GLP-1 (Kolligs, F., et al., Diabetes, 44:16-19, 1995; Eissele, et al., Life Sciences, 55:629-34, 1994).
[0008] Exendins have recently been found to inhibit gastric emptying (U.S. Ser. No. 08/694,954, filed Aug. 8, 1996, which enjoys common ownership with the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference).
[0009] Exendin [9-39] has been used to investigate the physiological relevance of central GLP-1 in control of food intake (Turton, M. D. et al. Nature 379:69-72, 1996). GLP-1 administered by intracerebroventricular injection inhibits food intake in rats. This satiety-inducing effect of GLP-1 delivered ICV is reported to be inhibited by ICV injection of exendin [9-39] (Turton, supra). However, it has been reported that GLP-1 does not inhibit food intake in mice when administered by peripheral injection (Turton, M. D., Nature 379:69-72, 1996; Bhavsar, S. P., Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 21:460 (188.8), 1995).
[0000] Obesity and Hypemutrition
[0010] Obesity, excess adipose tissue, is becoming increasingly prevalent in developed societies. For example, approximately 30% of adults in the U.S. were estimated to be 20 percent above desirable body weight—an accepted measure of obesity sufficient to impact a health risk (H ARRISON'S P RINCIPLES OF I NTERNAL M EDICINE 12th Edition, McGraw Hill, Inc. (1991) p. 411). The pathogenesis of obesity is believed to be multifactorial but the basic problem is that in obese subjects food intake and energy expenditure do not come into balance until there is excess adipose tissue. Attempts to reduce food intake, or hypemutrition, are usually fruitless in the medium term because the weight loss induced by dieting results in both increased appetite and decreased energy expenditure (Leibel et al., (1995) New England Journal of Medicine 322: 621-628). The intensity of physical exercise required to expend enough energy to materially lose adipose mass is too great for most people to undertake on a sufficiently frequent basis. Thus, obesity is currently a poorly treatable, chronic, essentially intractable metabolic disorder. Not only is obesity itself believed by some to be undesirable for cosmetic reasons, but obesity also carries serious risk of co-morbidities including, Type 2 diabetes, increased cardiac risk, hypertension, atherosclerosis, degenerative arthritis, and increased incidence of complications of surgery involving general anesthesia. Obesity due to hypemutrition is also a risk factor for the group of conditions called insulin resistance syndrome, or “syndrome X.” In syndrome X, it has been reported that there is a linkage between insulin resistance and hypertension. (Watson N. and Sandler M., Curr. Med. Res. Opin., 12(6):374-378 (1991); Kodama J. et al., Diabetes Care, 13(11): 1109-1111 (1990); Lithell et al., J. Cardiovasc. Pharmacol., 15 Suppl. 5:S46-S52 (1990)).
[0011] In those few subjects who do succeed in losing weight, by about 10 percent of body weight, there can be striking improvements in co-morbid conditions, most especially Type 2 diabetes in which dieting and weight loss are the primary therapeutic modality, albeit relatively ineffective in many patients for the reasons stated above. Reducing food intake in obese subjects would decrease the plasma glucose level, the plasma lipid level, and the cardiac risk in these subjects. Hypernutrition is also the result of, and the psychological cause of, many eating disorders. Reducing food intake would also be beneficial in the treatment of such disorders.
[0012] Thus, it can be appreciated that an effective means to reduce food intake is a major challenge and a superior method of treatment would be of great utility. Such a method, and compounds and compositions which are useful therefor, have been invented and are described and claimed herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention concerns the surprising discovery that exendins and exendin agonists have a profound and prolonged effect on inhibiting food intake.
[0014] The present invention is directed to novel methods for treating conditions or disorders associated with hypemutrition, comprising the administration of an exendin, for example, exendin-3 [SEQ ID NO:1: His Ser Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala Pro Pro Pro Ser], or exendin-4 [SEQ ID NO:2: His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala Pro Pro Pro Ser], or other compounds which effectively bind to the receptor at which exendin exerts its action on reducing food intake. These methods will be useful in the treatment of, for example, obesity, diabetes, including Type II or non-insulin dependent diabetes, eating disorders, and insulin-resistance syndrome.
[0015] In a first aspect, the invention features a method of treating conditions or disorders which can be alleviated by reducing food intake in a subject comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an exendin or an exendin agonist. By an “exendin agonist” is meant a compound that mimics the effects of exendin on the reduction of food intake by binding to the receptor or receptors where exendin causes this effect. Preferred exendin agonist compounds include those described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/055,404, entitled, “Novel Exendin Agonist Compounds,” filed Aug. 8, 1997; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/065,442, entitled, “Novel Exendin Agonist Compounds,” filed Nov. 14, 1997; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/066,029, entitled, “Novel Exendin Agonist Compounds,” filed Nov. 14, 1997; all of which enjoy common ownership with the present application and all of which are incorporated by this reference into the present application as though fully set forth herein. By “condition or disorder which can be alleviated by reducing food intake” is meant any condition or disorder in a subject that is either caused by, complicated by, or aggravated by a relatively high food intake, or that can be alleviated by reducing food intake. Such conditions or disorders include, but are not limited to, obesity, diabetes, including Type II diabetes, eating disorders, and insulin-resistance syndrome.
[0016] Thus, in a first embodiment, the present invention provides a method for treating conditions or disorders which can be alleviated by reducing food intake in a subject comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of an exendin or an exendin agonist. Preferred exendin agonist compounds include those described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 60/055,404; 60/065,442; and 60/066,029, which have been incorporated by reference in the present application. Preferably, the subject is a vertebrate, more preferably a mammal, and most preferably a human. In preferred aspects, the exendin or exendin agonist is administered parenterally, more preferably by injection. In a most preferred aspect, the injection is a peripheral injection. Preferably, about 10 μg-30 μg to about 5 mg of the exendin or exendin agonist is administered per day. More preferably, about 10-30 μg to about 2 mg, or about 10-30 μg to about 1 mg of the exendin or exendin agonist is administered per day. Most preferably, about 30 μg to about 500 μg of the exendin or exendin agonist is administered per day.
[0017] In various preferred embodiments of the invention, the condition or disorder is obesity, diabetes, preferably Type II diabetes, an eating disorder, or insulin-resistance syndrome.
[0018] In other preferred aspects of the invention, a method is provided for reducing the appetite of a subject comprising administering to said subject an appetite-lowering amount of an exendin or an exendin agonist.
[0019] In yet other preferred aspects, a method is provided for lowering plasma lipids comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of an exendin or an exendin agonist.
[0020] The methods of the present invention may also be used to reduce the cardiac risk of a subject comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of an exendin or an exendin agonist. In one preferred aspect, the exendin or exendin agonist used in the methods of the present invention is exendin-3. In another preferred aspect, said exendin is exendin-4. Other preferred exendin agonists include exendin-4 (1-30) [SEQ ID NO:6: His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly], exendin-4 (1-30) amide [SEQ ID NO:7: His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly-NH 2 ], exendin-4 (1-28) amide [SEQ ID NO:40: His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2 ], 14 Leu, 25 Phe exendin-4 amide [SEQ ID NO:9: His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala Pro Pro Pro Ser-NH 2 ], 14 Leu, 25 Phe exendin-4 (1-28) amide [SEQ ID NO:41: His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2 ], and 14 Leu, 22 Ala, 25 Phe exendin-4 (1-28) amide [SEQ ID NO:8: His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Ala Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2 ].
[0021] In the methods of the present invention, the exendins and exendin agonists may be administered separately or together with one or more other compounds and compositions that exhibit a long term or short-term satiety action, including, but not limited to other compounds and compositions that comprise an amylin agonist, cholecystokinin (CCK), or a leptin (ob protein). Suitable amylin agonists include, for example, [ 25,28,29 Pro-]-human amylin (also known as “pramlintide,” and previously referred to as “AC-137”) as described in “Amylin Agonist Peptides and Uses Therefor,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,686,511, issued Nov. 11, 1997, and salmon calcitonin. The CCK used is preferably CCK octopeptide (CCK-8). Leptin is discussed in, for example, Pelleymounter, M. A., et al. Science 269:540-43 (1995); Halaas, J. L., et al. Science 269:543-46 (1995); and Campfield, L. A., et al. Eur. J. Pharmac. 262:133-41 (1994).
[0022] In other embodiments of the invention is provided a pharmaceutical composition for use in the treatment of conditions or disorders which can be alleviated by reducing food intake comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an exendin or exendin agonist in association with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Preferably, the pharmaceutical composition comprises a therapeutically effective amount for a human subject.
[0023] The pharmaceutical composition may preferably be used for reducing the appetite of a subject, reducing the weight of a subject, lowering the plasma lipid level of a subject, or reducing the cardiac risk of a subject. Those of skill in the art will recognize that the pharmaceutical composition will preferably comprise a therapeutically effective amount of an exendin or exendin agonist to accomplish the desired effect in the subject.
[0024] The pharmaceutical compositions may further comprise one or more other compounds and compositions that exhibit a long-term or short-term satiety action, including, but not limited to other compounds and compositions that comprise an amylin agonist, CCK, preferably CCK-8, or leptin. Suitable amylin agonists include, for example, [ 25,28,29 Pro]-human amylin and salmon calcitonin.
[0025] In one preferred aspect, the pharmaceutical composition comprises exendin-3. In another preferred aspect, the pharmaceutical composition comprises exendin-4. In other preferred aspects, the pharmaceutical compositions comprises a peptide selected from: exendin-4 (1-30), exendin-4 (1-30) amide, exendin-4 (1-28) amide, 14 Leu, 25 Phe exendin-4 amide, 14 Leu, 25 Phe exendin-4 (1-28) amide, and 14 Leu, 22 Ala, 25 Phe exendin-4 (1-28) amide.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 is a graphical depiction of the change of food intake in normal mice after intraperitoneal injection of exendin-4 and GLP-1.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a graphical depiction of the change of food intake in obese mice after intraperitoneal injection of exendin-4.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a graphical depiction of the change of food intake in rats after intracerebroventricular injection of exendin-4
[0029] FIG. 4 is a graphical depiction of the change of food intake in normal mice after intraperitoneal injection of exendin-4 (1-30) (“Compound 1”).
[0030] FIG. 5 is a graphical depiction of the change of food intake in normal mice after intraperitoneal injection of exendin-4 (1-30) amide (“Compound 2”).
[0031] FIG. 6 is a graphical depiction of the change of food intake in normal mice after intraperitoneal injection of exendin-4 (1-28) amide (“Compound 3”).
[0032] FIG. 7 is a graphical depiction of the change of food intake in normal mice after intraperitoneal injection of 14 Leu, 25 Phe exendin-4 amide (“Compound 4”).
[0033] FIG. 8 is a graphical depiction of the change of food intake in normal mice after intraperitoneal injection of 14 Leu, 25 Phe exendin-4 (1-28) amide (“Compound 5”).
[0034] FIG. 9 is a graphical depiction of the change of food intake in normal mice after intraperitoneal injection of 14 Leu, 22 Ala, 25 Phe exendin-4 (1-28) amide (“Compound 6”).
[0035] FIG. 10 depicts the amino acid sequences for certain exendin agonist compounds useful in the present invention [SEQ ID NOS:9-39].
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0036] Exendins and exendin agonists are useful as described herein in view of their pharmacological properties. Activity as exendin agonists can be indicated by activity in the assays described below. Effects of exendins or exendin agonists on reducing food intake can be identified, evaluated, or screened for, using the methods described in the Examples below, or other methods known in the art for determining effects on food intake or appetite.
[0000] Exendin Agonist Compounds
[0037] Exendin agonist compounds are those described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/055,404, including compounds of the formula (I) [SEQ ID NO:3]:
1 5 10 Xaa 1 Xaa 2 Xaa 3 Gly Thr Xaa 4 Xaa 5 Xaa 6 Xaa 7 Xaa 8 15 20 Ser Lys Gln Xaa 9 Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu 25 30 Xaa 10 Xaa 11 Xaa 12 Xaa 13 Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Xaa 14 35 Ser Ser Gly Ala Xaa 15 Xaa 16 Xaa 17 Xaa 18 -Z
[0038] wherein Xaa 1 is His, Arg or Tyr; Xaa 2 is Ser, Gly, Ala or Thr; Xaa 3 is Asp or Glu; Xaa 4 is Phe, Tyr or naphthylalanine; Xaa 5 is Thr or Ser; Xaa 6 is Ser or Thr; Xaa 7 is Asp or Glu; Xaa 8 is Leu, Ile, Val, pentylglycine or Met; Xaa 9 is Leu, Ile, pentylglycine, Val or Met; Xaa 10 is Phe, Tyr or naphthylalanine; Xaa 11 is Ile, Val, Leu, pentylglycine, tert-butylglycine or Met; Xaa 12 is Glu or Asp; Xaa 13 is Trp, Phe, Tyr, or naphthylalanine; Xaa 14 , Xaa 15 , Xaa 16 and Xaa 17 are independently Pro, homoproline, 3Hyp, 4Hyp, thioproline, N-alkylglycine, N-alkylpentylglycine or N-alkylalanine; Xaa 18 is Ser, Thr or Tyr; and Z is —OH or —NH 2 ; with the proviso that the compound is not exendin-3 or exendin-4.
[0039] Preferred N-alkyl groups for N-alkylglycine, N-alkylpentylglycine and N-alkylalanine include lower alkyl groups preferably of 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, more preferably of 1 to 4 carbon atoms. Suitable compounds include those listed in FIG. 10 having amino acid sequences of SEQ. ID. NOS:9 to 39.
[0040] Preferred exendin agonist compounds include those wherein Xaa 1 is His or Tyr. More preferably Xaa 1 is His.
[0041] Preferred are those compounds wherein Xaa 2 is Gly.
[0042] Preferred are those compounds wherein Xaa 9 is Leu, pentylglycine or Met.
[0043] Preferred compounds include those wherein Xaa 13 is Trp or Phe.
[0044] Also preferred are compounds where Xaa 4 is Phe or naphthylalanine; Xaa 11 is Ile or Val and Xaa 14 , Xaa 15 , Xaa 16 and Xaa 17 are independently selected from Pro, homoproline, thiopro line or N-alkylalanine. Preferably N-alkylalanine has a N-alkyl group of 1 to about 6 carbon atoms.
[0045] According to an especially preferred aspect, Xaa 15 , Xaa 16 and Xaa 17 are the same amino acid reside.
[0046] Preferred are compounds wherein Xaa 18 is Ser or Tyr, more preferably Ser.
[0047] Preferably Z is —NH 2 .
[0048] According to one aspect, preferred are compounds of formula (I) wherein Xaa 1 is His or Tyr, more preferably His; Xaa 2 is Gly; Xaa 4 is Phe or naphthylalanine; Xaa 9 is Leu, pentylglycine or Met; Xaa 10 is Phe or naphthylalanine; Xaa 11 is Ile or Val; Xaa 14 , Xaa 15 , Xaa 16 and Xaa 17 are independently selected from Pro, homoproline, thioproline or N-alkylalanine; and Xaa 18 is Ser or Tyr, more preferably Ser. More preferably Z is —NH 2 .
[0049] According to an especially preferred aspect, especially preferred compounds include those of formula (I) wherein: Xaa 1 is His or Arg; Xaa 2 is Gly; Xaa 3 is Asp or Glu; Xaa 4 is Phe or napthylalanine; Xaa 5 is Thr or Ser; Xaa 6 is Ser or Thr; Xaa 7 is Asp or Glu; Xaa 8 is Leu or pentylglycine; Xaa 9 is Leu or pentylglycine; Xaa 10 is Phe or naphthylalanine; Xaa 11 is Ile, Val or t-butyltylglycine; Xaa 12 is Glu or Asp; Xaa 13 is Trp or Phe; Xaa 14 , Xaa 15 , Xaa 16 , and Xaa 17 are independently Pro, homoproline, thioproline, or N-methylalanine; Xaa 18 is Ser or Tyr: and Z is —OH or —NH 2 ; with the proviso that the compound does not have the formula of either SEQ. ID. NOS:1 or 2. More preferably Z is —NH 2 . Especially preferred compounds include those having the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NOS:9, 10, 21, 22, 23, 26, 28, 34, 35 and 39.
[0050] According to an especially preferred aspect, provided are compounds where Xaa 9 is Leu, Ile, Val or pentylglycine, more preferably Leu or pentylglycine, and Xaa 13 is Phe, Tyr or naphthylalanine, more preferably Phe or naphthylalanine. These compounds will exhibit advantageous duration of action and be less subject to oxidative degration, both in vitro and in vivo, as well as during synthesis of the compound.
[0051] Exendin agonist compounds also include those described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/065,442, including compounds of the formula (II) [SEQ ID NO:4]:
Xaa 1 Xaa 2 Xaa 3 Gly Xaa 5 Xaa 6 Xaa 7 Xaa 8 Xaa 9 Xaa 10 Xaa 11 Xaa 12 Xaa 13 Xaa 14 Xaa 15 Xaa 16 Xaa 17 Ala Xaa 19 Xaa 20 Xaa 21 Xaa 22 Xaa 23 Xaa 24 Xaa 25 Xaa 26 Xaa 27 Xaa 28 -Z 1 ;
wherein
Xaa 1 is His, Arg or Tyr; Xaa 2 is Ser, Gly, Ala or Thr; Xaa 3 is Asp or Glu; Xaa 5 is Ala or Thr; Xaa 6 is Ala, Phe, Tyr or naphthylalanine; Xaa 7 is Thr or Ser; Xaa 8 is Ala, Ser or Thr; Xaa 9 is Asp or Glu; Xaa 10 is Ala, Leu, Ile, Val, pentylglycine or Met; Xaa 11 is Ala or Ser; Xaa 12 is Ala or Lys; Xaa 13 is Ala or Gln; Xaa 14 is Ala, Leu, Ile, pentylglycine, Val or Met; Xaa 15 is Ala or Glu; Xaa 16 is Ala or Glu; Xaa 17 is Ala or Glu; Xaa 19 is Ala or Val; Xaa 20 is Ala or Arg; Xaa 21 is Ala or Leu; Xaa2 2 is Ala, Phe, Tyr or naphthylalanine; Xaa 23 is Ile, Val, Leu, pentylglycine, tert-butylglycine or Met; Xaa 24 is Ala, Glu or Asp; Xaa 25 is Ala, Trp, Phe, Tyr or naphthylalanine; Xaa 26 is Ala or Leu; Xaa 27 is Ala or Lys; Xaa 28 is Ala or Asn;
[0078] Z 1 is —OH,
—NH 2 , Gly-Z 2 , Gly Gly-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 -Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala Xaa 36 -Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala Xaa 36 Xaa 37 -Z 2 or Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala Xaa 36 Xaa 37 Xaa 38 -Z 2 ;
[0079] wherein Xaa 31 , Xaa 36 , Xaa 37 and Xaa 38 are independently Pro, homoproline, 3Hyp, 4Hyp, thioproline, N-alkylglycine, N-alkylpentylglycine or N-alkylalanine; and
[0080] Z 2 is —OH or —NH 2 ;
[0081] provided that no more than three of Xaa 3 , Xaa 5 , Xaa 6 , Xaa 8 , Xaa 10 , Xaa 11 , Xaa 12 , Xaa 13 , Xaa 14 , Xaa 15 , Xaa 16 , Xaa 17 , Xaa 19 , Xaa 20 , Xaa 21 , Xaa 24 , Xaa 25 , Xaa 26 , Xaa 27 and Xaa 28 , are Ala. Preferred N-alkyl groups for N-alkylglycine, N-alkylpentylglycine and N-alkylalanine include lower alkyl groups preferably of 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, more preferably of 1 to 4 carbon atoms.
[0082] Preferred exendin agonist compounds include those wherein Xaa 1 is His or Tyr. More preferably Xaa 1 is His.
[0083] Preferred are those compounds wherein Xaa 2 is Gly.
[0084] Preferred are those compounds wherein Xaa 14 is Leu, pentylglycine or Met.
[0085] Preferred compounds are those wherein Xaa 25 is Trp or Phe.
[0086] Preferred compounds are those where Xaa 6 is Phe or naphthylalanine; Xaa 22 is Phe or naphthylalanine and Xaa 23 is Ile or Val.
[0087] Preferred are compounds wherein Xaa 31 , Xaa 36 , Xaa 37 , and Xaa 38 are independently selected from Pro, homoproline, thioproline and N-alkylalanine.
[0088] Preferably Z 1 is —NH 2 .
[0089] Preferable Z 2 is —NH 2 .
[0090] According to one aspect, preferred are compounds of formula (II) wherein Xaa 1 is His or Tyr, more preferably His; Xaa 2 is Gly; Xaa 6 is Phe or naphthylalanine; Xaa 14 is Leu, pentylglycine or Met; Xaa 22 is Phe or naphthylalanine; Xaa 23 is Ile or Val; Xaa 31 , Xaa 36 , Xaa 37 and Xaa 38 are independently selected from Pro, homoproline, thioproline or N-alkylalanine. More preferably Z 1 is —NH 2 .
[0091] According to an especially preferred aspect, especially preferred compounds include those of formula (II) wherein: Xaa 1 is His or Arg; Xaa 2 is Gly or Ala; Xaa 3 is Asp or Glu; Xaa 5 is Ala or Thr; Xaa 6 is Ala, Phe or naphthylalanine; Xaa 7 is Thr or Ser; Xaa 8 is Ala, Ser or Thr; Xaa 9 is Asp or Glu; Xaa 10 is Ala, Leu or pentylglycine; Xaa 11 is Ala or Ser; Xaa 12 is Ala or Lys; Xaa 13 is Ala or Gln; Xaa 14 is Ala, Leu or pentylglycine; Xaa 15 is Ala or Glu; Xaa 16 is Ala or Glu; Xaa 17 is Ala or Glu; Xaa 19 is Ala or Val; Xaa. 20 is Ala or Arg; Xaa 21 is Ala or Leu; Xaa 22 is Phe or naphthylalanine; Xaa 23 is Ile, Val or tert-butylglycine; Xaa.sub.24 is Ala, Glu or Asp; Xaa.sub.25 is Ala, Trp or Phe; Xaa 26 is Ala or Leu; Xaa 27 is Ala or Lys; Xaa 28 is Ala or Asn; Z 1 is —OH, —NH 2 , Gly-Z 2 , Gly Gly-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 -Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala Xaa 36 -Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala Xaa 36 Xaa 37 -Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala Xaa 36 Xaa 37 Xaa 38 -Z 2 ; Xaa 31 , Xaa 36 , Xaa 37 and Xaa 38 being independently Pro homoproline, thioproline or N-methylalanine; and Z 2 being —OH or —NH 2 ; provided that no more than three of Xaa 3 , Xaa 5 , Xaa 6 , Xaa 8 , Xaa 10 , Xaa 11 , Xaa 12 , Xaa 13 , Xaa 14 , Xaa 15 , Xaa 16 , Xaa 17 , Xaa 19 , Xaa 20 , Xaa 21 , Xaa 24 , Xaa 25 , Xaa 26 , Xaa 27 and Xaa 28 are Ala. Especially preferred compounds include those having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NOS:40-61.
[0092] According to an especially preferred aspect, provided are compounds where Xaa 14 is Leu, Ile, Val or pentylglycine, more preferably Leu or pentylglycine, and Xaa 25 is Phe, Tyr or naphthylalanine, more preferably Phe or naphthylalanine. These compounds will be less susceptive to oxidative degration, both in vitro and in vivo, as well as du-ring synthesis of the compound.
[0093] Exendin agonist compounds also include those described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/066,029, including compounds of the formula (III) [SEQ ID NO:5]:
Xaa 1 Xaa 2 Xaa 3 Xaa 4 Xaa 5 Xaa 6 Xaa 7 Xaa 8 Xaa 9 Xaa 10 Xaa 11 Xaa 12 Xaa 13 Xaa 14 Xaa 15 Xaa 16 Xaa 17 Ala Xaa 19 Xaa 20 Xaa 21 Xaa 22 Xaa 23 Xaa 24 Xaa 25 Xaa 26 Xaa 27 Xaa 28 -Z 1 ;
wherein
Xaa 1 is His, Arg, Tyr, Ala, Norval, Val or Norleu; Xaa 2 is Ser, Gly, Ala or Thr; Xaa 3 is Ala, Asp or Glu; Xaa 4 is Ala, Norval, Val, Norleu or Gly; Xaa 5 is Ala or Thr; Xaa 6 is Phe, Tyr or naphthylalanine; Xaa 7 is Thr or Ser; Xaa 8 is Ala, Ser or Thr; Xaa 9 is Ala, Norval, Val, Norleu, Asp or Glu; Xaa 10 is Ala, Leu, Ile, Val, pentylglycine or Met; Xaa 11 is Ala or Ser; Xaa 12 is Ala or Lys; Xaa 13 is Ala or Gln; Xaa 14 is Ala, Leu, Ile, pentylglycine, Val or Met; Xaa 15 is Ala or Glu; Xaa 16 is Ala or Glu; Xaa 17 is Ala or Glu; Xaa 19 is Ala or Val; Xaa 20 is Ala or Arg; Xaa 21 is Ala or Leu; Xaa 22 is Phe, Tyr or naphthylalanine; Xaa 23 is Ile, Val, Leu, pentylglycine, tert-butylglycine or Met; Xaa 24 is Ala, Glu or Asp; Xaa 25 is Ala, Trp, Phe, Tyr or naphthylalanine; Xaa 26 is Ala or Leu; Xaa 27 is Ala or Lys; Xaa 28 is Ala or Asn;
[0121] Z 1 is —OH,
—NH 2 , Gly-Z 2 , Gly Gly-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 -Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala-Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala Xaa 36 -Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala Xaa 36 Xaa 37 -Z 2 , Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala Xaa 36 Xaa 37 Xaa 38 -Z 2 or Gly Gly Xaa 31 Ser Ser Gly Ala Xaa 36 Xaa 37 Xaa 38 Xaa 39 -Z 2 ;
wherein Xaa 31 , Xaa 36 , Xaa 37 and Xaa 38 are independently Pro, homoproline, 3Hyp, 4Hyp, thioproline, N-alkylglycine, N-alkylpentylglycine or N-alkylalanine; Xaa 39 is Ser or Tyr; and
Z 2 is —OH or —NH 2 ;
[0122] provided that no more than three of Xaa 3 , Xaa 4 , Xaa 5 , Xaa 6 , Xaa 8 , Xaa 9 , Xaa 10 , Xaa 11 , Xaa 12 , Xaa 13 , Xaa 14 , Xaa 15 , Xaa 16 , Xaa 17 , Xaa 19 , Xaa 20 , Xaa 21 , Xaa 24 , Xaa 25 , Xaa 26 , Xaa 27 and Xaa 28 are Ala; and provided also that, if Xaa 1 is His, Arg or Tyr, then at least one of Xaa 3 , Xaa 4 and Xaa 9 is Ala.
DEFINITIONS
[0123] In accordance with the present invention and as used herein, the following terms are defined to have the following meanings, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
[0124] The term “amino acid” refers to natural amino acids, unnatural amino acids, and amino acid analogs, all in their D and L stereoisomers if their structure allow such stereoisomeric forms. Natural amino acids include alanine (Ala), arginine (Arg), asparagine (Asn), aspartic acid (Asp), cysteine (Cys), glutamine (Gln), glutamic acid (Glu), glycine (Gly), histidine (His), isoleucine (Ile), leucine (Leu), Lysine (Lys), methionine (Met), phenylalanine (Phe), proline (Pro), serine (Ser), threonine (Thr), typtophan (Trp), tyrosine (Tyr) and valine (Val). Unnatural amino acids include, but are not limited to azetidinecarboxylic acid, 2-aminoadipic acid, 3-aminoadipic acid, beta-alanine, aminopropionic acid, 2-aminobutyric acid, 4-aminobutyric acid, 6-aminocaproic acid, 2-aminoheptanoic acid, 2-aminoisobutyric acid, 3-aminoisbutyric acid, 2-aminopimelic acid, tertiary-butylglycine, 2,4-diaminoisobutyric acid, desmosine, 2,2′-diaminopimelic acid, 2,3-diaminopropionic acid, N-ethylglycine, N-ethylasparagine, homoproline, hydroxylysine, allo-hydroxylysine, 3-hydroxyproline, 4-hydroxyproline, isodesmosine, allo-isoleucine, N-methylalanine, N-methylglycine, N-methylisoleucine, N-methylpentylglycine, N-methylvaline, naphthalanine, norvaline, norleucine, omithine, pentylglycine, pipecolic acid and thioproline. Amino acid analogs include the natural and unnatural amino acids which are chemically blocked, reversibly or irreversibly, or modified on their N-terminal amino group or their side-chain groups, as for example, methionine sulfoxide, methionine sulfone, S-(carboxymethyl)-cysteine, S-(carboxymethyl)-cystein-e sulfoxide and S-(carboxymethyl)-cysteine sulfone.
[0125] The term “amino acid analog” refers to an amino acid wherein either the C-terminal carboxy group, the N-terminal amino group or side-chain functional group has been chemically codified to another functional group. For example, aspartic acid-(beta-methyl ester) is an amino acid analog of aspartic acid; N-ethylglycine is an amino acid analog of glycine; or alanine carboxamide is an amino acid analog of alanine.
[0126] The term “amino acid residue” refers to radicals having the structure: (1) —C(O)—R—NH—, wherein R typically is —CH(R′)—, wherein R′ is an amino acid side chain, typically H or a carbon containing substitutent; or (2), 1 wherein p is 1, 2 or 3 representing the azetidinecarboxylic acid, proline or pipecolic acid residues, respectively.
[0127] The term “lower” referred to herein in connection with organic radicals such as alkyl groups defines such groups with up to and including about 6, preferably up to and including 4 and advantageously one or two carbon atoms. Such groups may be straight chain or branched chain.
[0128] “Pharmaceutically acceptable salt” includes salts of the compounds described herein derived from the combination of such compounds and an organic or inorganic acid. In practice the use of the salt form amounts to use of the base form. The compounds are useful in both free base and salt form.
[0129] In addition, the following abbreviations stand for the following:
“ACN” or “CH 3 CN” refers to acetonitrile. Boc”, “tBoc” or “Thoc” refers to t-butoxy carbonyl. “DCC” refers to N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. “Fmoc” refers to fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl. “HBTU” refers to 2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3,-tetramethyluroni-um hexaflurophosphate. “HOBt” refers to 1-hydroxybenzotriazole monohydrate. “homoP” or hpro” refers to homoproline. “MeAla” or “Nme” refers to N-methylalanine. “naph” refers to naphthylalanine. “pG” or pGly” refers to pentylglycine. “tBuG” refers to tertiary-butylglycine. “ThioP” or tPro” refers to thioproline. “3Hyp” refers to 3-hydroxyproline. “4Hyp” refers to 4-hydroxyproline. “NAG” refers to N-alkylglycine. “NAPG” refers to N-alkylpentylglycine. “Norval” refers to norvaline. “Norleu” refers to norleucine.
Preparation of Compounds
[0148] The exendins and exendin agonists described herein may be prepared using standard solid-phase peptide synthesis techniques and preferably an automated or semiautomated peptide synthesizer. Typically, using such techniques, an α-N-carbamoyl protected amino acid and an amino acid attached to the growing peptide chain on a resin are coupled at room temperature in an inert solvent such as dimethylformamide, N-methylpyrrolidinone or methylene chloride in the presence of coupling agents such as dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole in the presence of a base such as diisopropylethylamine. The α-N-carbamoyl protecting group is removed from the resulting peptide-resin using a reagent such as trifluoroacetic acid or piperidine, and the coupling reaction repeated with the next desired N-protected amino acid to be added to the peptide chain. Suitable N-protecting groups are well known in the art, with t-butyloxycarbonyl (tboc) and fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) being preferred herein.
[0149] The solvents, amino acid derivatives and 4-methylbenzhydryl-amine resin used in the peptide synthesizer may be purchased from Applied Biosystems Inc. (Foster City, Calif.). The following side-chain protected amino acids may be purchased from Applied Biosystems, Inc.: Boc-Arg(Mts), Fmoc-Arg(Pmc), Boc-Thr(Bzl), Fmoc-Thr(t-Bu), Boc-Ser(Bzl), Fmoc-Ser(t-Bu), Boc-Tyr(BrZ), Fmoc-Tyr(t-Bu), Boc-Lys(Cl-Z), Fmoc-Lys(Boc), Boc-Glu(Bzl), Fmoc-Glu(t-Bu), Fmoc-His(Trt), Fmoc-Asn(Trt), and Fmoc-Gln(Trt). Boc-His(BOM) may be purchased from Applied Biosystems, Inc. or Bachem Inc. (Torrance, Calif.). Anisole, dimethylsulfide, phenol, ethanedithiol, and thioanisole may be obtained from Aldrich Chemical Company (Milwaukee, Wis.). Air Products and Chemicals (Allentown, Pa.) supplies HF. Ethyl ether, acetic acid and methanol may be purchased from Fisher Scientific (Pittsburgh, Pa.).
[0150] Solid phase peptide synthesis may be carried out with an automatic peptide synthesizer (Model 430A, Applied Biosystems Inc., Foster City, Calif.) using the NMP/HOBt (Option 1) system and tBoc or Fmoc chemistry (see, Applied Biosystems User's Manual for the ABI 430A Peptide Synthesizer, Version 1.3B Jul. 1, 1988, section 6, pp. 49-70, Applied Biosystems, Inc., Foster City, Calif.) with capping. Boc-peptide-resins may be cleaved with HF (−5° C. to 0° C., 1 hour). The peptide may be extracted from the resin with alternating water and acetic acid, and the filtrates lyophilized. The Fmoc-peptide resins may be cleaved according to standard methods (Introduction to Cleavage Techniques, Applied Biosystems, Inc., 1990, pp. 6-12). Peptides may be also be assembled using an Advanced Chem Tech Synthesizer (Model MPS 350, Louisville, Ky.).
[0151] Peptides may be purified by RP-HPLC (preparative and analytical) using a Waters Delta Prep 3000 system. A C4, C8 or C18 preparative column (10 μ, 2.2×25 cm; Vydac, Hesperia, Calif.) may be used to isolate peptides, and purity may be determined using a C4, C8 or C18 analytical column (5 μ, 0.46×25 cm; Vydac). Solvents (A=0.1% TFA/water and B=0.1% TFA/CH 3 CN) may be delivered to the analytical column at a flowrate of 1.0 ml/min and to the preparative column at 15 ml/min. Amino acid analyses may be performed on the Waters Pico Tag system and processed using the Maxima program. Peptides may be hydrolyzed by vapor-phase acid hydrolysis (115° C., 20-24 h). Hydrolysates may be derivatized and analyzed by standard methods (Cohen, et al., The Pico Tag Method: A Manual of Advanced Techniques for Amino Acid Analysis, pp. 11-52, Millipore Corporation, Milford, Mass. (1989)). Fast atom bombardment analysis may be carried out by M-Scan, Incorporated (West Chester, Pa.). Mass calibration may be performed using cesium iodide or cesium iodide/glycerol. Plasma desorption ionization analysis using time of flight detection may be carried out on an Applied Biosystems Bio-Ion 20 mass spectrometer. Electrospray mass spectroscopy may be carried out on a VG-Trio machine.
[0152] Peptide compounds useful in the invention may also be prepared using recombinant DNA techniques, using methods now known in the art. See, e.g., Sambrook et al., M OLECULAR C LONING: A L ABORATORY M ANUAL, 2d Ed., Cold Spring Harbor (1989). Non-peptide compounds useful in the present invention may be prepared by art-known methods. For example, phosphate-containing amino acids and peptides containing such amino acids, may be prepared using methods known in the art. See, e.g., Bartlett and Landen, Biorg. Chem. 14:356-377 (1986).
[0153] The compounds described above are useful in view of their pharmacological properties. In particular, the compounds of the invention possess activity as agents to reduce food intake. They can be used to treat conditions or diseases which can be alleviated by reducing food intake.
[0154] Compositions useful in the invention may conveniently be provided in the form of formulations suitable for parenteral (including intravenous, intramuscular and subcutaneous) or nasal or oral administration. In some cases, it will be convenient to provide an exendin or exendin agonist and another food-intake-reducing, plasma glucose-lowering or plasma lipid-lowering agent, such as amylin, an amylin agonist, a CCK, or a leptin, in a single composition or solution for administration together. In other cases, it may be more advantageous to administer the additional agent separately from said exendin or exendin agonist. A suitable administration format may best be determined by a medical practitioner for each patient individually. Suitable pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and their formulation are described in standard formulation treatises, e.g., R EMINGTON'S P HARMACEUTICAL S CIENCES by E. W. Martin. See also Wang, Y. J. and Hanson, M. A. “Parenteral Formulations of Proteins and Peptides: Stability and Stabilizers,” Journal of Parenteral Science and Technology, Technical Report No. 10, Supp. 42:2S (1988).
[0155] Compounds useful in the invention can be provided as parenteral compositions for injection or infusion. They can, for example, be suspended in an inert oil, suitably a vegetable oil such as sesame, peanut, olive oil, or other acceptable carrier. Preferably, they are suspended in an aqueous carrier, for example, in an isotonic buffer solution at a pH of about 3.0 to 8.0, preferably at a pH of about 3.5 to 5.0. These compositions may be sterilized by conventional sterilization techniques, or may be sterile filtered. The compositions may contain pharmaceutically acceptable auxiliary substances as required to approximate physiological conditions, such as pH buffering agents. Useful buffers include for example, sodium acetate/acetic acid buffers. A form of repository or “depot” slow release preparation may be used so that therapeutically effective amounts of the preparation are delivered into the bloodstream over many hours or days following transdermal injection or delivery.
[0156] The desired isotonicity may be accomplished using sodium chloride or other pharmaceutically acceptable agents such as dextrose, boric acid, sodium tartrate, propylene glycol, polyols (such as mannitol and sorbitol), or other inorganic or organic solutes. Sodium chloride is preferred particularly for buffers containing sodium ions.
[0157] The claimed compositions can also be formulated as pharmaceutically acceptable salts (e.g., acid addition salts) and/or complexes thereof. Pharmaceutically acceptable salts are non-toxic salts at the concentration at which they are administered. The preparation of such salts can facilitate the pharmacological use by altering the physical-chemical characteristics of the composition without preventing the composition from exerting its physiological effect. Examples of useful alterations in physical properties include lowering the melting point to facilitate transmucosal administration and increasing the solubility to facilitate the administration of higher concentrations of the drug.
[0158] Pharmaceutically acceptable salts include acid addition salts such as those containing sulfate, hydrochloride, phosphate, sulfamate, acetate, citrate, lactate, tartrate, methanesulfonate, ethanesulfonate, benzenesulfonate, p-toluenesulfonate, cyclohexylsulfamate and quinate. Pharmaceutically acceptable salts can be obtained from acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfamic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, malonic acid, methanesulfonic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, cyclohexylsulfamic acid, and quinic acid. Such salts may be prepared by, for example, reacting the free acid or base forms of the product with one or more equivalents of the appropriate base or acid in a solvent or medium in which the salt is insoluble, or in a solvent such as water which is then removed in vacuo or by freeze-drying or by exchanging the ions of an existing salt for another ion on a suitable ion exchange resin.
[0159] Carriers or excipients can also be used to facilitate administration of the compound. Examples of carriers and excipients include calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, various sugars such as lactose, glucose, or sucrose, or types of starch, cellulose derivatives, gelatin, vegetable oils, polyethylene glycols and physiologically compatible solvents. The compositions or pharmaceutical composition can be administered by different routes including intravenously, intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, and intramuscular, orally, topically, transmucosally, or by pulmonary inhalation.
[0160] If desired, solutions of the above compositions may be thickened with a thickening agent such as methyl cellulose. They may be prepared in emulsified form, either water in oil or oil in water. Any of a wide variety of pharmaceutically acceptable emulsifying agents may be employed including, for example, acacia powder, a non-ionic surfactant (such as a Tween), or an ionic surfactant (such as alkali polyether alcohol sulfates or sulfonates, e.g., a Triton).
[0161] Compositions useful in the invention are prepared by mixing the ingredients following generally accepted procedures. For example, the selected components may be simply mixed in a blender or other standard device to produce a concentrated mixture which may then be adjusted to the final concentration and viscosity by the addition of water or thickening agent and possibly a buffer to control pH or an additional solute to control tonicity.
[0162] For use by the physician, the compositions will be provided in dosage unit form containing an amount of an exendin or exendin agonist, for example, exendin-3, and/or exendin-4, with or without another food intake-reducing, plasma glucose-lowering or plasma lipid-lowering agent. Therapeutically effective amounts of an exendin or exendin agonist for use in reducing food intake are those that suppress appetite at a desired level. As will be recognized by those in the field, an effective amount of therapeutic agent will vary with many factors including the age and weight of the patient, the patient's physical condition, the blood sugar level and other factors.
[0163] The effective daily appetite-suppressing dose of the compounds will typically be in the range of about 10 to 30 μg to about 5 mg/day, preferably about 10 to 30 μg to about 2 mg/day and more preferably about 10 to 100 μg to about 1 mg/day, most preferably about 30 μg to about 500 μg/day, for a 70 kg patient, administered in a single or divided doses. The exact dose to be administered is determined by the attending clinician and is dependent upon where the particular compound lies within the above quoted range, as well as upon the age, weight and condition of the individual. Administration should begin whenever the suppression of food intake, or weight lowering is desired, for example, at the first sign of symptoms or shortly after diagnosis of obesity, diabetes mellitus, or insulin-resistance syndrome. Administration may be by injection, preferably subcutaneous or intramuscular. Orally active compounds may be taken orally, however dosages should be increased 5-10 fold.
[0164] The optimal formulation and mode of administration of compounds of the present application to a patient depend on factors known in the art such as the particular disease or disorder, the desired effect, and the type of patient. While the compounds will typically be used to treat human subjects they may also be used to treat similar or identical diseases in other vertebrates such as other primates, farm animals such as swine, cattle and poultry, and sports animals and pets such as horses, dogs and cats.
[0165] To assist in understanding the present invention, the following Examples are included. The experiments relating to this invention should not, of course, be construed as specifically limiting the invention and such variations of the invention, now known or later developed, which would be within the purview of one skilled in the art are considered to fall within the scope of the invention as described herein and hereinafter claimed.
EXAMPLE 1
Exendin Injections Reduced the Food Intake of Normal Mice
[0166] All mice (NIH: Swiss mice) were housed in a stable environment of 22(±2)° C., 60(±10)% humidity and a 12:12 light:dark cycle; with lights on at 0600. Mice were housed in groups of four in standard cages with ad libitum access to food (Teklad: LM 485; Madison, Wis.) and water except as noted, for at least two weeks before the experiments.
[0167] All experiments were conducted between the hours of 0700 and 0900. The mice were food deprived (food removed at 1600 hr from all animals on day prior to experiment) and individually housed. All mice received an intraperitoneal injection (5 μl/kg) of either saline or exendin-4 at doses of 0.1, 1.0, 10 and 100 μg/kg and were immediately presented with a pre-weighed food pellet (Teklad LM 485). The food pellet was weighed at 30-minute, 1-hr, 2-hr and 6-hr intervals to determine the amount of food eaten.
[0168] FIG. 1 depicts cumulative food intake over periods of 0.5, 1, 2 and 6 hr in overnight-fasted normal NIH: Swiss mice following ip injection of saline, 2 doses of GLP-1, or 4 doses of exendin-4. At doses up to 100 μg/kg, GLP-1 had no effect on food intake measured over any period, a result consistent with that previously reported (Bhavsar, S. P., et al., Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 21:460 (188.8) (1995); and Turton, M. D., Nature, 379:69-72, (1996)).
[0169] In contrast, exendin-4 injections potently and dose-dependently inhibited food intake. The ED 50 for inhibition of food intake over 30 min was 1 μg/kg, which is a level about as potent as amylin (ED 50 3.6 μg/kg) or the prototypical peripheral satiety agent, CCK (ED 50 0.97 μg/kg) as measured in this preparation. However, in contrast to the effects of amylin or CCK, which abate after 1-2 hours, the inhibition of food intake with exendin-4 was still present after at least 6 hours after injection.
EXAMPLE 2
Exendin Reduced the Food Intake of Obese Mice
[0170] All mice (female ob/ob mice) were housed in a stable environment of 22(±2)° C., 60(±10)% humidity and a 12:12 light:dark cycle; with lights on at 0600. Mice were housed in groups of four in standard cages with ad libitum access to food (Teklad: LM 485) and water except as noted, for at least two weeks before the experiments.
[0171] All experiments were conducted between the hours of 0700 and 0900. The mice were food deprived (food removed at 1600 hr from all animals on day prior to experiment) and individually housed. All mice received an intraperitoneal injection (5 μl/kg) of either saline or exendin-4 at doses of 0.1, 1.0 and 10 μg/kg (female ob/ob mice) and were immediately presented with a pre-weighed food pellet (Teklad LM 485). The food pellet was weighed at 30-minute, 1-hr, 2-hr and 6-hr intervals to determine the amount of food eaten.
[0172] FIG. 2 depicts the effect of exendin-4 in the ob/ob mouse model of obesity. The obese mice had a similar food intake-related response to exendin as the normal mice. Moreover, the obese mice were not hypersensitive to exendin, as has been observed with amylin and leptin (Young, A. A., et al., Program and Abstracts, 10th I NTERNATIONAL C ONGRESS OF E NDOCRINOLOGY, Jun. 12-15, 1996 San Francisco, pg 419 (P2-58)).
EXAMPLE 3
Intracerebroventricular Injections of Exendin Inhibited Food Intake in Rats
[0173] All rats (Harlan Sprague-Dawley) were housed in a stable environment of 22(±2)° C., 60(±10)% humidity and a 12:12 light:dark cycle; with lights on at 0600. Rats were obtained from Zivic Miller with an intracerebroventricular cannula (ICV cannula) implanted (coordinates determined by actual weight of animals and referenced to Paxinos, G. and Watson, C. T HE R AT B RAIN IN S TEREOTAXIC COORDINATES 2nd ed. Academic Press) and were individually housed in standard cages with ad libitum access to food (Teklad: LM 485) and water for at least one week before the experiments.
[0174] All injections were given between the hours of 1700 and 1800. The rats were habituated to the ICV injection procedure at least once before the ICV administration of compound. All rats received an ICV injection (2 μl/30 seconds) of either saline or exendin-4 at doses of 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 μg. All animals were then presented with pre-weighed food (Teklad LM 485) at 1800, when the lights were turned off. The amount of food left was weighed at 2-hr, 12-hr and 24-hr intervals to determine the amount of food eaten by each animal.
[0175] FIG. 3 depicts a dose-dependent inhibition of food intake in rats that received doses greater than 0.1 μg/rat. The ED 50 was ˜0.1 μg, exendin-4 is thus ˜100-fold more potent than intracerebroventricular injections of GLP-1 as reported by Turton, M. D., et al. ( Nature 379:69-72 (1996)).
EXAMPLE 4
Exendin Agonists Reduced the Food Intake in Mice
[0176] All mice (NIH: Swiss mice) were housed in a stable environment of 22 (±2)° C., 60(±10)% humidity and a 12:12 light:dark cycle; with lights on at 0600. Mice were housed in groups of four in standard cages with ad libitum access to food (Teklad: LM 485; Madison, Wis.) and water except as noted, for at least two weeks before the experiments.
[0177] All experiments were conducted between the hours of 0700 and 0900. The mice were food deprived (food removed at 1600 hr from all animals on day prior to experiment) and individually housed. All mice received an intraperitoneal injection (5 μl/kg) of either saline or test compound at doses of 1, 10, and 100 μg/kg and immediately presented with a food pellet (Teklad LM 485). The food pellet was weighed at 30-minute, 1-hr, 2-hr and 6-hr intervals to determine the amount of food eaten.
[0178] FIG. 4 depicts the cumulative food intake over periods of 0.5, 1, 2 and 6 hr in overnight-fasted normal NIH: Swiss mice following ip injection of saline or exendin-4 (1-30) (“Compound 1”) in doses of 1, 10 and 100 μg/kg.
[0179] FIG. 5 depicts the cumulative food intake over periods of 0.5, 1, 2 and 6 hr in overnight-fasted normal NIH: Swiss mice following ip injection of saline or exendin-4 (1-30) amide (“Compound 2”) in doses of 1, 10 and 100 μg/kg.
[0180] FIG. 6 depicts the cumulative food intake over periods of 0.5, 1, 2 and 6 hr in overnight-fasted normal NIH: Swiss mice following ip injection of saline or exendin-4 (1-28) amide (“Compound 3”) in doses of 1, 10 and 100 μg/kg.
[0181] FIG. 7 depicts the cumulative food intake over periods of 0.5, 1, 2 and 6 hr in overnight-fasted normal NIH: Swiss mice following ip injection of saline or 14 Leu, 25 Phe exendin-4 amide (“Compound 4”) in doses of 1, 10 and 100 μg/kg.
[0182] FIG. 8 depicts the cumulative food intake over periods of 0.5, 1, 2 and 6 hr in overnight-fasted normal NIH: Swiss mice following ip injection of saline or 14 Leu, 25 Phe exendin-4 (1-28) amide (“Compound 5”) in doses of 1, 10 and 100 μg/kg.
[0183] FIG. 9 depicts the cumulative food intake over periods of 0.5, 1, 2 and 6 hr in overnight-fasted normal NIH: Swiss mice following ip injection of saline or 14 Leu, 22 Ala, 25 Phe exendin-4 (1-28) amide (“Compound 6”) in doses of 1, 10 and 100 μg/kg.
EXAMPLE 5
Preparation of Amidated Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:9
[0184] The above-identified peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA-resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.). In general, single-coupling cycles were used throughout the synthesis and Fast Moc (HBTU activation) chemistry was employed. However, at some positions coupling was less efficient than expected and double couplings were required. In particular, residues Asp 9 , Thr7 and Phe 6 all required double coupling. Deprotection (Fmoc group removal) of the growing peptide chain using piperidine was not always efficient. Double deprotection was required at positions Arg 20 , Val 19 and Leu 14 . Final deprotection of the completed peptide resin was achieved using a mixture of triethylsilane (0.2 mL), ethanedithiol (0.2 mL), anisole (0.2 mL), water (0.2 mL) and trifluoroacetic acid (15 mL) according to standard methods (Introduction to Cleavage Techniques, Applied Biosystems, Inc.) The peptide was precipitated in ether/water (50 mL) and centrifuged. The precipitate was reconstituted in glacial acetic acid and lyophilized. The lyophilized peptide was dissolved in water). Crude purity was about 55%.
[0185] Used in purification steps and analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN).
[0186] The solution containing peptide was applied to a preparative C-18 column and purified (10% to 40% Solvent B in Solvent A over 40 minutes). Purity of fractions was determined isocratically using a C-18 analytical column. Pure fractions were pooled furnishing the above-identified peptide. Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 14.5 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4131.7; found 4129.3.
EXAMPLE 6
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:10
[0187] The above-identified peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 25% to 75% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 21.5 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4168.6; found 4171.2.
EXAMPLE 7
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:11
[0188] The above-identified peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 17.9 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4147.6; found 4150.2.
EXAMPLE 8
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:12
[0189] The above-identified peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 35% to 65% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 19.7 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4212.6; found 4213.2.
EXAMPLE 9
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:13
[0190] The above-identified peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 50% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 16.3 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4262.7; found 4262.4.
EXAMPLE 10
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:14
[0191] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4172.6
EXAMPLE 11
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:15
[0192] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4224.7.
EXAMPLE 12
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:16
[0193] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4172.6
EXAMPLE 13
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:17
[0194] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4186.6
EXAMPLE 14
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:18
[0195] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4200.7
EXAMPLE 15
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:19
[0196] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4200.7
EXAMPLE 16
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:20
[0197] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4202.7.
EXAMPLE 17
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:21
[0198] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4145.6.
EXAMPLE 18
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:22
[0199] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4184.6.
EXAMPLE 19
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:23
[0200] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4145.6.
EXAMPLE 20
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:24
[0201] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4224.7.
EXAMPLE 21
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:25
[0202] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4172.6.
EXAMPLE 22
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:26
[0203] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4115.5.
EXAMPLE 23
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:27
[0204] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4188.6.
EXAMPLE 24
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:28
[0205] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4131.6.
EXAMPLE 25
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:29
[0206] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4172.6.
EXAMPLE 26
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:30
[0207] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4145.6.
EXAMPLE 27
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:31
[0208] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Additional double couplings are required at the thioproline positions 38, 37, 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4266.8.
EXAMPLE 28
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:32
[0209] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Additional double couplings are required at the thioproline positions 38, 37 and 36. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4246.8.
EXAMPLE 29
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:33
[0210] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Additional double couplings are required at the homoproline positions 38, 37, 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4250.8.
EXAMPLE 30
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:34
[0211] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Additional double couplings are required at the homoproline positions 38, 37, and 36. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4234.8.
EXAMPLE 31
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:35
[0212] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Additional double couplings are required at the thioproline positions 38, 37, 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4209.8.
EXAMPLE 32
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:36
[0213] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Additional double couplings are required at the homoproline positions 38, 37, 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4193.7.
EXAMPLE 33
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:37
[0214] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Additional double couplings are required at the N-methylalanine positions 38, 37, 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3858.2.
EXAMPLE 34
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:38
[0215] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Additional double couplings are required at the N-methylalanine positions 38, 37 and 36. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3940.3.
EXAMPLE 35
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:39
[0216] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Additional double couplings are required at the N-methylalanine positions 38, 37, 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3801.1.
EXAMPLE 36
Preparation of C-Terminal Carboxylic Acid Peptides Corresponding to the Above C-Terminal Amide Sequences
[0217] The above peptides of Examples 5 to 35 are assembled on the so called Wang resin (p-alkoxybenzylalacohol resin (Bachem, 0.54 mmole/g)) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 5. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry provides an experimentally determined (M).
EXAMPLE 37
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:7
[0218]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:7]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly-NH 2
[0219] The above amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxypheny-1)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.). In general, single-coupling cycles were used throughout the synthesis and Fast Moc (HBTU activation) chemistry was employed. Deprotection (Fmoc group removal) of the growing peptide chain was achieved using piperidine. Final deprotection of the completed peptide resin was achieved using a mixture of triethylsilane (0.2 mL), ethanedithiol (0.2 mL), anisole (0.2 mL), water (0.2 mL) and trifluoroacetic acid (15 mL) according to standard methods (Introduction to Cleavage Techniques, Applied Biosystems, Inc.) The peptide was precipitated in ether/water (50 mL) and centrifuged. The precipitate was reconstituted in glacial acetic acid and lyophilized. The lyophilized peptide was dissolved in water). Crude purity was about 75%.
[0220] Used in purification steps and analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). The solution containing peptide was applied to a preparative C-18 column and purified (10% to 40% Solvent B in Solvent A over 40 minutes). Purity of fractions was determined isocratically using a C-18 analytical column. Pure fractions were pooled furnishing the above-identified peptide. Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 50% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 18.9 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3408.0; found 3408.9.
EXAMPLE 38
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:40
[0221]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:40]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lye
Asn-NH 2
[0222] The above amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxypheny-1)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 40% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 17.9 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M) calculated 3294.7; found 3294.8.
EXAMPLE 39
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:41
[0223]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:41]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0224] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 29% to 36% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of. 20.7 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3237.6; found 3240.
EXAMPLE 40
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:42
[0225]
His Ala Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:42]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0226] The above amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2.1-4′-dimethoxyphen-yl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 36% to 46% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 15.2 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3251.6; found 3251.5.
EXAMPLE 41
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:43
[0227]
His Gly Glu Gly Ala Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:43]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0228] The above amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxypheny-1)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 36% to 46% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 13.1 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3207.6; found 3208.3.
EXAMPLE 42
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:44
[0229]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Ala Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:44]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0230] The above amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxypheny-1)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 35% to 45% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 12.8 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3161.5; found 3163.
EXAMPLE 43
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:45
[0231]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ala Asp
[SEQ ID NO:45]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0232] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 36% to 46% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 15.2 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3221.6; found 3222.7.
EXAMPLE 44
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:46
[0233]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:46]
Ala Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0234] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 34% to 44% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 14.3 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3195.5; found 3199.4.
EXAMPLE 45
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:47
[0235]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:47]
Leu Ala Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0236] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 38% to 48% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 15.7 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3221.6; found 3221.6.
EXAMPLE 46
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:48
[0237]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:48]
Leu Ser Ala Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0238] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent. B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 38% to 48% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 18.1 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3180.5; found 3180.9.
EXAMPLE 47
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:49
[0239]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:49]
Leu Ser Lys Ala Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0240] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Compound 1. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 36% to 46% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 17.0 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3180.6; found 3182.8.
EXAMPLE 48
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:50
[0241]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:50]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Ala Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0242] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 32% to 42% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 14.9 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3195.5; found 3195.9.
EXAMPLE 49
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:51
[0243]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:51]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Ala Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0244] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical. RP-HPLC (gradient 37% to 47% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 17.9 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3179.6; found 3179.0.
EXAMPLE 50
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:52
[0245]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:52]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Ala Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0246] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 37% to 47% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 14.3 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3179.6; found 3180.0.
EXAMPLE 51
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:53
[0247]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:53]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Ala Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0248] The above-identified peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 37% to 47% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 13.7 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3179.6; found 3179.0.
EXAMPLE 52
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:54
[0249]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:54]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Ala Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0250] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 35% to 45% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 14.0 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3209.6; found 3212.8.
EXAMPLE 53
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:55
[0251]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:55]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Ala Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0252] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 38% to 48% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 14.3 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3152.5; found 3153.5.
EXAMPLE 54
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:56
[0253]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:56]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Ala Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0254] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 35% to 45% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 12.1 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3195.5; found 3197.7.
EXAMPLE 55
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:57
[0255]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:57]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Ala Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0256] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 38% to 48% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 10.9 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3179.6; found 3180.5.
EXAMPLE 56
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:58
[0257]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:58]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Ala Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0258] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 32% to 42% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 17.5 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3161.5; found 3163.0.
EXAMPLE 57
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:59
[0259]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:59]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Ala Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0260] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 32% to 42% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 19.5 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3195.5; found 3199.
EXAMPLE 58
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:60
[0261]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:60]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Ala
Asn-NH 2
[0262] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 38% to 48% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 14.5 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3180.5; found 3183.7.
EXAMPLE 59
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:61
[0263]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:61]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Ala-NH 2
[0264] The above-identified amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 34% to 44% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 22.8 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3194.6; found 3197.6.
EXAMPLE 60
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:62
[0265]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:62]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala Pro
Pro Pro-NH 2
[0266] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4099.6.
EXAMPLE 61
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:63
[0267]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:63]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala Pro
Pro Pro-NH 2
[0268] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4042.5.
EXAMPLE 62
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:64
[0269]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:64]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala Pro
Pro-NH 2
[0270] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4002.4
EXAMPLE 63
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:65
[0271]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:65]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala Pro
Pro-NH 2
[0272] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3945.4.
EXAMPLE 64
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:66
[0273]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:66]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp
Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly
Ala Pro-NH 2
[0274] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3905.3.
EXAMPLE 65
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:67
[0275]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:67]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala Pro-
NH 2
[0276] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3848.2.
EXAMPLE 66
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:68
[0277]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:68]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala-
NH 2
[0278] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3808.2.
EXAMPLE 67
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:69
[0279]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:69]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala-
NH 2
[0280] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3751.1.
EXAMPLE 68
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:70
[0281]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:70]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly-NH 2
[0282] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3737.1.
EXAMPLE 69
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:71
[0283]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:71]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly-NH 2
[0284] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1%, TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3680.1.
EXAMPLE 70
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:72
[0285]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:72]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser-NH 2
[0286] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 0.30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3680.1
EXAMPLE 71
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:73
[0287]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:73]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser-NH 2
[0288] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3623.0.
EXAMPLE 72
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:74
[0289]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:74]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser-NH 2
[0290] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/q) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3593.0
EXAMPLE 73
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:75
[0291]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:75]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser-NH 2
[0292] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3535.9
EXAMPLE 74
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:76
[0293]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:76]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro-NH 2
[0294] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g): using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 0.60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3505.9.
EXAMPLE 75
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:77
[0295]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:77]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro-NH 2
[0296] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3448.8.
EXAMPLE 76
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:78
[0297]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:78]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly-NH 2
[0298] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3351.7.
EXAMPLE 77
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:79
[0299]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:79]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly-NH 2
[0300] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3351.8.
EXAMPLE 78
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:80
[0301]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:80]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn Gly-NH 2
[0302] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M) calculated 3294.7.
EXAMPLE 79
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:81
[0303]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:81]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly tPro Ser Ser Gly Ala
tPro tPro tPro-NH 2
[0304] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Double couplings are required at residues 37,36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4197.1.
EXAMPLE 80
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:82
[0305]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:82]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala tPro
tPro tPro-NH 2
[0306] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied. Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Double couplings are required at residues 37, 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4179.1.
EXAMPLE 81
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:83
[0307]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:83]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly NMeala Ser Ser Gly Ala
Pro Pro-NH 2
[0308] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Double couplings are required at residues 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3948.3.
EXAMPLE 82
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:84
[0309]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:84]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly NMeala Ser Ser Gly Ala
NMeala Nmeala-NH 2
[0310] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Double couplings are required at residues 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A. (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide, is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3840.1.
EXAMPLE 83
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:85
[0311]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:85]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly hPro Ser Ser Gly Ala
hPro hPro-NH 2
[0312] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Double couplings are required at residues 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4050.1.
EXAMPLE 84
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:86
[0313]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:86]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly hPro Ser Ser Gly Ala
hPro-NH 2
[0314] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. A double coupling is required at residue 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3937.1
EXAMPLE 85
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:87
[0315]
Arg Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:87]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser Gly Ala-
NH 2
[0316] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3827.2.
EXAMPLE 86
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:88
[0317]
His Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:88]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly-NH 2
[0318] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3394.8.
EXAMPLE 87
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:89
[0319]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Naphthylala Thr
[SEQ ID NO:89]
Ser Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe
Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0320] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems., Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent. A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention-time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3289.5.
EXAMPLE 88
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:90
[0321]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Ser Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:90]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0322] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray, Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3280.7.
EXAMPLE 89
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:91
[0323]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Ser Thr Asp
[SEQ ID NO:91]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Gln Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0324] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3294.7.
EXAMPLE 90
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:92
[0325]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Glu
[SEQ ID NO:92]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Ala Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0326] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A. (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3250.7.
EXAMPLE 91
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:93
[0327]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:93]
pentylgly Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe
Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0328] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B. (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3253.5.
EXAMPLE 92
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:94
[0329]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:94]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Naphthylala Ile Glu Phe
Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0330] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3289.5.
EXAMPLE 93
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:95
[0331]
His Guy Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:95]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe tButylgly Glu Trp
Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0332] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3183.4.
EXAMPLE 94
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:96
[0333]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:96]
Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Asp Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0334] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3237.6.
EXAMPLE 95
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:97
[0335]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:97]
Ala Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser Ser-NH 2
[0336] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3637.9.
EXAMPLE 96
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:98
[0337]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:98]
Ala Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly-NH 2
[0338] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3309.7.
EXAMPLE 97
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:99
[0339]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser Asp
[SEQ ID NO:99]
Ala Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu Glu Ala
Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn Gly Gly hPro Ser Ser Gly Ala
hPro hPro-NH 2
[0340] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Double couplings are required at residues 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3711.1.
EXAMPLE 98
Preparation of C-Terminal Carboxylic Acid Peptides Corresponding to the Above C-Terminal Amide Sequences for SEQ ID NOS:7, 40-61, 68-75, 78-80 and 87-96
[0341] Peptides having the sequences of SEQ ID NOS:7, 40-61, 68-75, 78-80 and 87-96 are assembled on the so called Wang resin (p-alkoxybenzylalacohol resin (Bachem, 0.54 mmole/g)) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry provides an experimentally determined (M).
EXAMPLE 99
Preparation of C-Terminal Carboxylic Acid Peptides Corresponding to the Above C-Terminal Amide Sequences for SEQ ID NOS:62-67, 76, 77 and 81-86
[0342] Peptides having the sequences of SEQ ID NOS:62-67, 76, 77 and 81-86 are assembled on the 2-chlorotritylchloride resin (200-400 mesh), 2% DVB (Novabiochem, 0.4-1.0 mmole/g)) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 37. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry provides an experimentally determined (M).
EXAMPLE 100
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:100
[0343]
Ala Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:100]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0344] The above amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxypheny-1)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.). In general, single-coupling cycles were used throughout the synthesis and Fast Moc (HBTU activation) chemistry was employed. Deprotection (Fmoc group removal) of the growing peptide chain was achieved using piperidine. Final deprotection of the completed peptide resin was achieved using a mixture of triethylsilane (0.2 mL), ethanedithiol (0.2 mL), anisole (0.2 mL), water (0.2 mL) and trifluoroacetic acid (15 mL) according to standard methods (Introduction to Cleavage Techniques, Applied Biosystems, Inc.) The peptide was precipitated in ether/water (50 mL) and centrifuged. The precipitate was reconstituted in glacial acetic acid and lyophilized. The lyophilized peptide was dissolved in water). Crude purity was about 75%.
[0345] Used in purification steps and analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN).
[0346] The solution containing peptide was applied to a preparative C-18 column and purified (10% to 40% Solvent B in Solvent A over 40 minutes). Purity of fractions was determined isocratically using a C-18 analytical column. Pure fractions were pooled furnishing the above-identified peptide. Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 19.2 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3171.6; found 3172.
EXAMPLE 101
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:101
[0347]
His Gly Ala Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:101]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0348] The above amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxypheny-1)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 36% to 46% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 14.9 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3179.6; found 3180.
EXAMPLE 102
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:102
[0349]
His Gly Glu Ala Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:102]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0350] The above amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxypheny-1)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 37% to 47% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 12.2 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3251.6; found 3253.3.
EXAMPLE 103
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:103
[0351]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:103]
Ala Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0352] The above amidated peptide was assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxypheny-1)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis were Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 35% to 45% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide gave product peptide having an observed retention time of 16.3 minutes. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3193.6; found 3197.
EXAMPLE 104
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:104
[0353]
Ala Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:104]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0354] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3228.6.
EXAMPLE 105
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO: 105
[0355]
His Gly Ala Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:105]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0356] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3234.7.
EXAMPLE 106
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO: 106.
[0357]
His Gly Glu Ala Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:106]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0358] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3308.7.
EXAMPLE 107
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:107
[0359]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:107]
Ala Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0360] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3250.7
EXAMPLE 108
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:108
[0361]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:108]
Asp Ala Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0362] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3252.6.
EXAMPLE 109
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:109
[0363]
Ala Ala Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:109]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0364] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis ate Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3200.6.
EXAMPLE 110
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:110
[0365]
Ala Ala Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:110]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0366] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3143.5.
EXAMPLE 111
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:111
[0367]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:111]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0368] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3214.6.
EXAMPLE 112
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:112
[0369]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:112]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0370] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3157.5.
EXAMPLE 113
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:113
[0371]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Ala Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:113]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0372] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3184.6.
EXAMPLE 114
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:114
[0373]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Ala Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:114]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0374] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3127.5.
EXAMPLE 115
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:115
[0375]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr NaphthylAla
[SEQ ID NO:115]
Thr Ser Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met
Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe
Ile Glu Leu Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0376] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3266.4.
EXAMPLE 116
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:116
[0377]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Naphthylala
[SEQ ID NO:116]
Thr Ser Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu
Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe
Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0378] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3209.4.
EXAMPLE 117
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:117
[0379]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Ser Ser
[SEQ ID NO:117]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0380] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3200.6.
EXAMPLE 118
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:118
[0381]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Ser Ser
[SEQ ID NO:118]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0382] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3143.5.
EXAMPLE 119
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:119
[0383]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ala
[SEQ ID NO:119]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0384] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3198.6.
EXAMPLE 120
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:120
[0385]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ala
[SEQ ID NO:120]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0386] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3141.5.
EXAMPLE 121
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:121
[0387]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:121]
Ala Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0388] The above-identified peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mm ole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3170.6.
EXAMPLE 122
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:122
[0389]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:122]
Ala Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0390] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are. Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B. (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3113.5.
EXAMPLE 123
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:123
[0391]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:123]
Glu Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0392] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3228.6.
EXAMPLE 124
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:124
[0393]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:124]
Glu Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0394] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3171.6.
EXAMPLE 125
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:125
[0395]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:125]
Asp Ala Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0396] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3172.5.
EXAMPLE 126
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:126
[0397]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:126]
Asp Ala Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0398] The above-identified amidated peptiden is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3115.4.
EXAMPLE 127
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:127
[0399]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:127]
Asp Pentylgly Ser Lys Gln Met
Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe
Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0400] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3230.4.
EXAMPLE 128
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:128
[0401]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:128]
Asp Pentylgly Ser Lys Gln Leu
Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe
Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0402] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3198.6.
EXAMPLE 129
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:129
[0403]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:129]
Asp Leu Ala Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0404] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3141.5.
EXAMPLE 130
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:130
[0405]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:130]
Asp Leu Ala Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0406] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3157.5.
EXAMPLE 131
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:131
[0407]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:131]
Asp Leu Ser Ala Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0408] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3100.4.
EXAMPLE 132
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:132
[0409]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:132]
Asp Leu Ser Ala Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0410] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3157.6.
EXAMPLE 133
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:133
[0411]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:133]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Ala Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0412] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3100.5.
EXAMPLE 134
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:134
[0413]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:134]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Ala Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0414] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3100.5.
EXAMPLE 135
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:135
[0415]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:135]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Ala Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0416] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3154.5.
EXAMPLE 136
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:136
[0417]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:136]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Ala Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0418] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3115.5.
EXAMPLE 137
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:137
[0419]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:137]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Pentylgly
Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe
Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0420] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3212.4.
EXAMPLE 138
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:138
[0421]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:138]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Pentylgly
Glu Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe
Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0422] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3173.4.
EXAMPLE 139
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:139
[0423]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:139]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Ala Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0424] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3156.6.
EXAMPLE 140
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:140
[0425]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:140]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Ala Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0426] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3099.5.
EXAMPLE 141
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:141
[0427]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:141]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Ala
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0428] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100′. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3156.6.
EXAMPLE 142
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:142
[0429]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:142]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Ala
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0430] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B. (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3099.5.
EXAMPLE 143
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:143
[0431]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:143]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Ala Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0432] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3156.6.
EXAMPLE 144
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:144
[0433]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:144]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Ala Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0434] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3099.5.
EXAMPLE 145
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:145
[0435]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:145]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Ala Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0436] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3186.6.
EXAMPLE 146
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:146
[0437]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:146]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Ala Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0438] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3129.5.
EXAMPLE 147
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:147
[0439]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:147]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Ala Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0440] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3129.5.
EXAMPLE 148
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:148
[0441]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:148]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Ala Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0442] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3072.4.
EXAMPLE 149
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:149
[0443]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:149]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Ala Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0444] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3172.5.
EXAMPLE 150
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:150
[0445]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:150]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Ala Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0446] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3115.5.
EXAMPLE 151
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:151
[0447]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:151]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Naphthylala
Ile Glu Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0448] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.5.5 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3266.4.
EXAMPLE 152
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:152
[0449]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:152]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Naphthylala
Ile Glu Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0450] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3209.4.
EXAMPLE 153
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:153
[0451]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:153]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Val Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0452] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3200.6.
EXAMPLE 154
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:154
[0453]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:154]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Val Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0454] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3143.5.
EXAMPLE 155
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:155
[0455]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:155]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe
tButylgly Glu Trp Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0456] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3216.5.
EXAMPLE 156
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:156
[0457]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:156]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe
tButylgly Glu Phe Leu Lys
Asn-NH 2
[0458] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.) cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3159.4.
EXAMPLE 157
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:157
[0459]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:157]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Asp
Trp Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0460] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3200.6.
EXAMPLE 158
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:158
[0461]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:158]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Asp
Phe Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0462] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3143.5.
EXAMPLE 159
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:159
[0463]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:159]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Ala Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0464] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3099.5.
EXAMPLE 160
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:160
[0465]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:160]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Ala Leu Lys Asn-NH 2
[0466] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3081.4.
EXAMPLE 161
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:161
[0467]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:161]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Ala Lys Asn-NH 2
[0468] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3172.5.
EXAMPLE 162
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:162
[0469]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:162]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Ala Lys Asn-NH 2
[0470] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3115.5.
EXAMPLE 163
[0471]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:163]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Ala Asn-NH 2
[0472] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3157.5.
EXAMPLE 164
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:164
[0473]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:164]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Ala Asn-NH 2
[0474] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3100.4.
EXAMPLE 165
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:165
[0475]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:165]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Ala-NH 2
[0476] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3171.6.
EXAMPLE 166
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:166
[0477]
Ala Gly Asp Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:166]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Ala-NH 2
[0478] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3114.5.
EXAMPLE 167
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:167
[0479]
Ala Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:167]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly Ala Pro Pro Pro-NH 2
[0480] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4033.5.
EXAMPLE 168
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:168
[0481]
His Gly Ala Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:168]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly Ala Pro Pro-NH 2
[0482] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3984.4.
EXAMPLE 169
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:169
[0483]
His Gly Glu Ala Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:169]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly Ala Pro Pro-NH 2
[0484] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4016.5.
EXAMPLE 170
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:170
[0485]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:170]
Ala Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly Ala Pro-NH 2
[0486] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3861.3.
EXAMPLE 171
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:171
[0487]
Ala Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:171]
Asp Ala Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly Ala Pro-NH 2
[0488] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3746.1.
EXAMPLE 172
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:172
[0489]
Ala Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:172]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly Ala-NH 2
[0490] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3742.1.
EXAMPLE 173
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:173
[0491]
His Gly Ala Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:173]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly Ala-NH 2
[0492] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3693.1.
EXAMPLE 174
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:174
[0493]
His Gly Glu Ala Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:174]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly-NH 2
[0494] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3751.2.
EXAMPLE 175
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:175
[0495]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:175]
Ala Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser-NH 2
[0496] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3634.1.
EXAMPLE 176
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:176
[0497]
Ala Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:176]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro
Ser-NH 2
[0498] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3526.9.
EXAMPLE 177
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:177
[0499]
His Gly Ala Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:177]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro
Ser-NH 2
[0500] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3477.9.
EXAMPLE 178
Preparation of Peptide having SEQ ID NO:178
[0501]
His Gly Glu Ala Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:178]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro-NH 2
[0502] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3519.9.
EXAMPLE 179
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:179
[0503]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:179]
Ala Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly-NH 2
[0504] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3307.7.
EXAMPLE 180
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:180
[0505]
Ala Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:180]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn Gly-NH 2
[0506] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3186.5.
EXAMPLE 181
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:181
[0507]
His Gly Ala Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:181]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly tPro
Ser Ser Gly Ala tPro tPro
tPro-NH 2
[0508] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Double couplings are required at residues 37,36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4121.1.
EXAMPLE 182
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:182
[0509]
His Gly Glu Ala Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:182]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly Ala tPro tPro tPro-NH 2
[0510] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(21-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Double couplings are required at residues 37, 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4173.2.
EXAMPLE 183
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:183
[0511]
His Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:183]
Ala Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly NMeala
Ser Ser Gly Ala NMeala
NMeala-NH 2
[0512] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Compound 1. Double couplings are required at residues 36 and 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC. (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3796.1.
EXAMPLE 184
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:184
[0513]
Ala Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:184]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly hPro
Ser Ser Gly Ala hPro-NH 2
[0514] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. A double coupling is required at residue 31. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3871.1.
EXAMPLE 185
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:185
[0515]
His Gly Ala Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:185]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly Ala-NH 2
[0516] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3750.2.
EXAMPLE 186
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:186
[0517]
His Gly Asp Ala Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:186]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly-NH 2
[0518] The above-identified amdiated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 3408.8.
EXAMPLE 187
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:187
[0519]
Ala Gly Glu Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:187]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Met Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Trp Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly Ala Pro Pro Pro Ser-NH 2
[0520] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4120.6.
EXAMPLE 188
Preparation of Peptide Having SEQ ID NO:188
[0521]
Ala Gly Ala Gly Thr Phe Thr Ser
[SEQ ID NO:188]
Asp Leu Ser Lys Gln Leu Glu Glu
Glu Ala Val Arg Leu Phe Ile Glu
Phe Leu Lys Asn Gly Gly Pro Ser
Ser Gly Ala Pro Pro Pro Ser-NH 2
[0522] The above-identified amidated peptide is assembled on 4-(2′-4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-Fmoc aminomethyl phenoxy acetamide norleucine MBHA resin (Novabiochem, 0.55 mmole/g) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (M): calculated 4005.5.
EXAMPLE 189
Preparation of C-Terminal Carboxylic Acid Peptides Corresponding to the Above C-Terminal Amide Sequences for Peptides Having SEQ ID NOS:100-166, 172-177, 179-180 and 185-188
[0523] C-terminal carboxylic acid peptides corresponding to amidated having SEQ ID NOS:100-166, 172-177, 179-180 and 185-188 are assembled on the so called Wang resin (p-alkoxybenzylalacohol resin (Bachem, 0.54 mmole/g)) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to that described in Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry provides an experimentally determined (M).
EXAMPLE 190
Preparation of C-Terminal Carboxylic Acid Peptides Corresponding to the Above C-Terminal Amide Sequences for Peptides Having SEQ ID NOS:167-171, 178 and 181-184
[0524] C-terminal carboxylic acid eptides corresponding to amidated SEQ ID NOS. 167-171, 178 and 181-184 are assembled on the 2-chlorotritylchloride resin (200-400 mesh), 2% DVB (Novabiochem, 0.4-1.0 mmole/g)) using Fmoc-protected amino acids (Applied Biosystems, Inc.), cleaved from the resin, deprotected and purified in a similar way to that described in Example 100. Used in analysis are Solvent A (0.1% TFA in water) and Solvent B (0.1% TFA in ACN). Analytical RP-HPLC (gradient 30% to 60% Solvent B in Solvent A over 30 minutes) of the lyophilized peptide is then carried out to determine the retention time of the product peptide. Electrospray Mass Spectrometry provides an experimentally determined (M).
[0525] Various modifications of the invention in addition to those shown and described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and fall within the scope of the following claims.
[0526] All publications and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings of this invention that certain changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.
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Methods for treating conditions or disorders which can be alleviated by reducing food intake are disclosed which comprise administration of an effective amount of an exendin or an exendin agonist, alone or in conjunction with other compounds or compositions that affect satiety. The methods are useful for treating conditions or disorders, including obesity, Type II diabetes, eating disorders, and insulin-resistance syndrome. The methods are also useful for lowering the plasma glucose level, lowering the plasma lipid level, reducing the cardiac risk, reducing the appetite, and reducing the weight of subjects. Pharmaceutical compositions for use in the methods of the invention are also disclosed.
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BACKGROUND
1. Field
The invention relates to an omni traction wheel system. More particularly, the invention relates to an omni traction wheel system deploying an integrated differential mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
An omni traction wheel, also known as the omni directional wheel, is a rolling device comprises a main wheel and a set of peripheral wheels distributed along the edge of the main wheel. The main wheel may rotate forward and backward while the set of peripheral wheels may rotate left and right. As such, a transportation system deploying the omni traction wheel may travel laterally or diagonally without actually steering the main wheel. Unlike other wheel systems, the omni traction wheel system provides superb maneuverability because it can change the direction of travelling in a relatively short period of time and in a relatively small amount of space.
Because of their high maneuverability, the omni traction wheel systems are widely used in the fields of low speed transportation systems, such as electronic wheel chair system and robotic systems. Attempts have been made in the past to implement the omni traction wheel system by powering and controlling each peripheral wheel individually. However, such implementation requires a large number of electronic components, transmission gears, and rotary devices. As a result, the traditional omni traction wheel systems suffer from many drawbacks, such as bulky size, heavy weight, and large power consumption.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a smaller size, lighter weight, and less power consuming omni traction wheel system.
SUMMARY
One aspect of the present invention is to improve the traditional omni traction wheel system by deploying an integrated differential mechanism that drives the omni traction wheel in both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction. The advantages of the integrated differential mechanism include, but are not limited to, reducing the amount of electronic components, rotary devices, and transmission gears and creating an integrated thrust by direct tractions for the longitudinal and lateral directions. An omni traction wheel system may include a pair of longitudinal gears, a rotary device for separately and individually rotating each of the longitudinal gears, a plurality of peripheral wheel assemblies, each having a wheel member and a connecting gear for transferring the differential thrust between the pair of longitudinal gears to the wheel member.
In one embodiment, the present invention is an omni traction wheel, which may include first and second gears centrally aligned along a first axis, a plurality of peripheral wheel assemblies, each having a wheel member centrally aligned along a second axis, the second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis, and a connecting gear having a distal end for engaging the first and second gears and a proximal end for engaging the pair of wheels, the distal end and the proximal end defining a radial axis, the radial axis substantially parallel to a common radius of the first and second gears and substantially orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis, and a rotary device for rotating the first gear about the first axis at a first angular velocity and for rotating the second gear about the first axis at a second angular velocity, whereby the connecting gear of each peripheral wheel assembly is configured to rotate its respective wheel member about the respective second axis when the first angular velocity is different from the second angular velocity.
In another embodiment, the present invention is a transportation system adopting an omni traction wheel, which may include left and right gears centrally aligned along a first axis, the left and right gears defining a cylindrical space therebetween, the cylindrical space having a circumferential region, a plurality of peripheral wheel assemblies distributed along the circumferential region of the cylindrical space, each having a pair of wheels centrally aligned along a second axis, the second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis, and a connecting gear having a distal end for engaging the left and right gears and a proximal end for engaging the pair of wheels, the distal end and the proximal end defining a radial axis, the radial axis substantially parallel to a common radius of the left and right gears and substantially orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis and a rotary device for rotating the left gear about the first axis at a left angular velocity and for rotating the right gear about the first axis at a right angular velocity, whereby the connecting gear of each peripheral wheel assembly is configured to rotate its respective pair of wheels about the respective second axis at a lateral angular velocity defined by a difference between the left angular velocity and the right angular velocity, and whereby the connecting gear of each peripheral wheel assembly is configured to revolve along the circumferential region at a common angular velocity defined by a combination of the left angular velocity and the right angular velocity.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention is a method for operating an omni traction wheel, which may include the steps of engaging a plurality of peripheral wheels to first and second gears via a plurality of connection gears, rotating the first gear at a first angular velocity, and rotating the second gear at a second angular velocity, wherein the omni traction wheel travels laterally when the first angular velocity is different from the second angular velocity such that a connecting gear is configured to rotate a peripheral wheel.
In still yet another embodiment, the present invention is an omni traction wheel, which may include first and second plates centrally aligned along a first axis, a plurality of peripheral wheel assemblies, each having a wheel member centrally aligned along a second axis, the second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis, and a connecting member having a distal end for engaging the first and second plates and a proximal end for engaging the wheel member, the distal end and the proximal end defining a radial axis, the radial axis substantially parallel to a common radius of the left and right plates and substantially orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis, and a rotary device for rotating the first plate about the first axis at a first angular velocity and for rotating the second plate about the first axis at a second angular velocity, whereby the connecting member of each peripheral wheel assembly is configured to rotate its respective wheel member about the respective second axis when the first angular velocity is different from the second angular velocity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the present invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. Component parts shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and may be exaggerated to better illustrate the important features of the present invention. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the different views, wherein:
FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of the omni traction wheel system (OTWS) according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1B shows an exploded view of the OTWS according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a side view of the OTWS according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 3A , 3 B, and 3 C show the side views of the OTWSs having three peripheral wheel assemblies (PWAs), four PWAs, and eight PWAs respectively according to various embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 4A shows a cross-sectional side view of the OTWS according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the PWA according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 shows the cross-sectional front views of the OTWS having several gear configurations according to various embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 6 shows the exemplary models of an external gear and a bevel gear according to various embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 7 shows the exemplary models of a spear gear, a helical gear, and a double helical gear according to various embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 8A shows a high level conceptual view of the OTWS differential mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 8B and 8C show the angular velocities of several components of the OTWS according to various embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 9 shows a common mode operation of the OTWS according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 10 shows a differential mode operation of the OTWS according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 11 shows a forward differential mode operation of the OTWS according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 12 shows a backward differential mode operation of the OTWS according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 13 shows all the traveling directions of the OTWS with respect to various combinations of the differential angular velocity and common angular velocity according to various embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional side view of the OTWS with frictional control according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 15 shows a flow diagram showing the method steps for operating the omni traction wheel system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Apparatus, systems and methods that implement the embodiments of the various features of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate some embodiments of the present invention and not to limit the scope of the present invention. Throughout the drawings, reference numbers are re-used to indicate correspondence between referenced elements. In addition, the first digit of each reference number indicates the figure in which the element first appears.
FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of an exemplary omni traction wheel system (OTWS) 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In general, the OTWS 100 may include a pair of main wheels formed by a pair of protective plates 102 and a plurality of peripheral wheel assemblies (PWAs) 106 located between the rims of the protective plates 102 . Moreover, the OTWS 100 may be coupled to a leg 120 , which integrates the OTWS 100 to a transportation system that may deploy one or more OTWSs 100 . For example, the transportation system may be a wheel chair deploying four OTWSs 100 , a mobile robot deploying three OTWSs 100 , or a unicycle deploying one OTWS 100 .
FIG. 1B shows an exploded view of the OTWS 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, the OTWS 100 may also have a pair of longitudinal gears 108 protected by the protecting plates 102 , a pair of rotary devices 104 for rotating the longitudinal gears 108 , a spacing member 110 that gives structural support to the OTWS 100 .
FIG. 2 shows a side view of an omni traction wheel system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The OTWS 200 , which is similar to the OTWS 100 of FIG. 1A , may include two longitudinal gears 202 , each of which has a set of teeth along a circumference region 204 . The two longitudinal gears 202 normally have a common longitudinal radius R, such that their surface areas are substantially the same. Moreover, because the two longitudinal gears 202 have a common longitudinal radius R, the circumferential regions 204 of the two longitudinal gears 202 may be identical in shape and thus hold the same number of teeth.
As shown in FIG. 2 , the OTWS 200 may also include a plurality of peripheral wheel assemblies 210 . According to an embodiment of the present invention, each PWA 210 may have a connecting gear 211 and a wheel member 212 . The PWAs 210 may be distributed around the two longitudinal gears 202 . More specifically, the connecting gear 211 of each PWA 210 may be disposed between the circumferential regions 204 of the two longitudinal gears 202 whereas the wheel member 212 of each PWA 210 may be disposed along an outer region 206 . The width of the outer region 206 is defined by a lateral radius r of the wheel member 212 . Accordingly, the main wheel 208 has a longitudinal radius R LONG .
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal radius R LONG may be ranged from about 10 cm to about 40 cm. More specifically, the longitudinal radius R LONG can be 15 cm. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lateral radius r may be ranged from about 2 cm to about 8 cm. More specifically, the lateral radius r can be 3 cm. As such, the circumferential ratio between the longitudinal radius R LONG and the lateral radius r may be ranged from 1 to 20. More specifically, the circumferential ratio between the longitudinal radius R LONG and the lateral radius r may about 5.
Although FIG. 2 shows that the OTWS 200 has twelve PWAs 210 , the OTWS 200 may also have different numbers of PWAs according to various embodiments of the present invention. For example, FIG. 3A shows that the OTWS 200 may have three PWAs 302 ; FIG. 3B shows that the OTWS 200 may have four PWAs 303 ; and FIG. 3C shows that the OTWS 200 may have eight PWAs 304 . To facilitate smoother rotation of the main wheel, an extra set of peripheral assemblies may be added. For example, as shown in the diagram 312 , an extra set of three extra PWAs 302 is added to the OTWS 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For another example, as shown in the diagram 313 , an extra set of four extra PWAs 303 is added to the OTWS 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
The discussion now turns to the internal structure of the OTWS 200 . In FIG. 4A , which shows a cross-sectional side view of the OTWS 200 , only one longitudinal gear 402 is displayed for the sake of clarity. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the OTWS 200 may have a spacing member 401 disposed between the two longitudinal gears 402 . In general, the spacing member 401 may have a central axle 405 and two parallel discs 403 , such that the central axle 405 is perpendicular to the two parallel discs 403 .
The spacing member 401 may be operatively coupled to the two longitudinal gears 402 to help provide structural support for the OTWS 200 . On one hand, the two parallel discs 403 , along with the central axle 405 , hold the two longitudinal gears 402 in place by preventing any substantial displacement between the two longitudinal gears 402 . On the other hand, the parallel discs 403 allow the longitudinal gears 402 to freely rotate about the central axle 405 . More specifically, the two longitudinal gears 402 may be rotated independently without interfering each other even though they are both operatively coupled to the spacing member 401 . As such, the angular velocity of one longitudinal gear 402 should not affect the angular velocity of the other longitudinal gear 402 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Although the spacing member 401 provides structural support to the longitudinal gears 402 , it may or may not rotate along with the longitudinal gears 402 . For example, if the spacing member 401 is coupled a rotary device (not shown) that rotates the longitudinal gears 402 , it is likely that the spacing member 401 will remain angularly stationary in relative to the two longitudinal gears 402 ; otherwise, the spacing member 401 may rotate along with the longitudinal gears 402 .
Referring to FIG. 4A , the OTWS 200 may have several PWAs distributed around the longitudinal gear 402 . For the sake of simplicity, FIG. 4A only displays the PWAs 410 and 460 . However, it is understood that the OTWS 200 may include more than two PWAs according to various embodiments of the present invention. In general, each PWA may have a connecting gear 420 and a wheel member, which may include a first wheel 430 and an optional second wheel 440 . For example, the PWA 410 and the PWA 460 are structurally similar to each other except that the wheel member of the PWA 410 has the first wheel 430 and the optional second wheel 440 , whereas the wheel member of the PWA 460 only has the first wheel 430 . In practice, the OTWS 200 may adopt either the PWA 410 or the PWA 460 , or the OTWS 200 may adopt both the PWAs 410 and 460 .
Referring to FIG. 4B , which shows a cross-sectional view of the PWAs 410 and 460 , the first wheel 430 may have a circumference 432 defined by a radius r. The first wheel 430 may engage the connecting gear 420 via a receiving gear 434 such that the first wheel 430 may be rotated about the peripheral axle 436 when the connecting gear 420 is rotating.
The connecting gear 420 of each PWA 410 or 460 may have a distal end 422 and a proximal end 424 . The distal end 422 should be engaged by and sandwiched between the two longitudinal gears 402 along their circumferential regions 404 , and the proximal end 424 should engage the first wheel 430 via the receiving gear 434 of the first wheel 430 . As such, the connecting gear 420 may serve two functions from a high level inventive standpoint. First, the connecting gear 420 may transmit the differential angular velocity between the two longitudinal gears 402 to the respective first wheel 430 , thereby causing the respective first wheel 430 to rotate orthogonally in relative to the rotations of the longitudinal gears 402 . Second, the connecting gear 420 may revolve around the central axle 405 by receiving the common angular velocity of the two longitudinal gears 402 , such that the entire PWA 410 and 460 may also revolve around the central axle 405 .
According to embodiment of the present invention, the distal end 422 may be coupled to the proximal end 424 via a radial axle 426 , which is substantially parallel to the common radius R of the two longitudinal gears 402 . The radial axle 426 may have an extended section 451 for coupling the entire PWA 410 or 460 to the central axle 405 of the spacing member 401 . Alternatively, the PWA 410 or 460 may be coupled to the spacing member 401 or a pair of protective plates 408 via a brace member 450 . The brace member 450 may have a stabilizer 455 for stabilizing the position of the radial axle 426 to ensure that the receiving gear 434 is properly engaged to the proximal end 424 of the connecting gear 420 .
Referring again to FIG. 4A , the OTWS 200 may have protecting plates 406 for protecting the rotary device, the longitudinal gears 402 , and the PWAs 410 and 460 . Particularly, the protecting plates 406 may have an outer region 408 for protecting the PWAs 410 and 460 . According to an embodiment of the present invention, the protecting plates 406 may be coupled to the spacing member 401 via the central axle 405 , which penetrates the centers of the two longitudinal gears 402 . Alternatively, the protecting plates 406 may be coupled to the two longitudinal gears 402 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Although FIG. 4A shows only one gear configuration of the OTWS 200 , the OTWS 200 may have other gear configurations according to various embodiment of the present inventions. For example, FIG. 5 shows the cross-sectional front views of the OTWS 200 having several gear configurations 510 , 520 , and 530 . For the sake of simplicity, only a top and a bottom PWAs 550 are displayed in each gear configuration. However, it is understood that several more PWAs may be included in each gear configuration and that the PWAs 550 are similar to the PWAs 410 and 460 discussed with respect to FIGS. 4A and 4B . More specifically, the PWA 550 may include the first wheel with the receiving gear 553 and the peripheral axle 551 as well as the connecting gear with the distal end 554 and the proximal end 552 .
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gear configuration 510 may adopt a pair of external gears 513 as the longitudinal gears 402 . The external gears 513 may have a set of straight-cut teeth, helical teeth, or double helical teeth. The distal end 554 of the connecting gear may be a bevel gear with a set of teeth matching the external gears 513 . Similarly, the proximal end 552 of the connecting gear may be a bevel gear with a set of teeth matching the receiving gear 553 , which can be a spur gear, a helical gear, or a double helical gear.
The gear configuration 510 may also include the spacing member 511 and two rotary devices 514 and 515 . The spacing member 511 may have a pair of discs 512 that secure the external gears 513 from the outside and a central axle 516 that penetrates the external gears 513 through their centers. The rotary devices 514 and 515 may be coupled to the central axle 516 , such that the rotary devices 514 and 515 can separately and individually rotate each external gear 513 about the central axle 516 . Although the gear configuration 510 adopts two rotary devices, one rotary device may be sufficient if it can separately and individually rotate each external gear 513 .
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the gear configuration 520 may adopt a pair of external gears 523 as the longitudinal gears 402 . The external gears 523 may have a set of straight-cut teeth, helical teeth, or double helical teeth. The distal end 554 of the connecting gear may be a bevel gear with a set of teeth matching the external gears 523 . Similarly, the proximal end 552 of the connecting gear may be a bevel gear with a set of teeth matching the receiving gear 553 , which can be a spur gear, a helical gear, or a double helical gear.
The gear configuration 520 may also include the spacing member 521 and two rotary devices 524 and 525 . The spacing member 521 may have a pair of discs 522 that secure the external gears 523 from the inside and a central axle 526 that penetrates the external gears 523 through their centers. The rotary devices 524 and 525 may be coupled to both ends of the central axle 526 , such that the rotary devices 524 and 525 can separately and individually rotate each external gear 523 about the central axle 526 . Although the gear configuration 520 adopts two rotary devices, one rotary device may be sufficient if it can separately and individually rotate each external gear 523 .
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the gear configuration 530 may adopt a pair of modified external gears 533 as the longitudinal gears 402 . The modified external gears 533 may have a set of straight-cut teeth, helical teeth, or double helical teeth. The distal end 554 of the connecting gear may be a bevel gear with a set of teeth matching the modified external gears 533 . Similarly, the proximal end 552 of the connecting gear may be a bevel gear with a set of teeth matching the receiving gear 553 , which can be a spur gear, a helical gear, or a double helical gear.
The gear configuration 530 may also include the spacing member 531 and two rotary devices 534 and 535 . The spacing member 531 may have a pair of internal discs 532 embedded in the middle of the modified external gears 533 and a central axle 536 coupled between the internal discs 532 . The rotary devices 534 and 535 may be disposed within the central axle 536 for separately and individually rotating the pair of internal discs 532 . Accordingly, the pair of modified external gears 533 may be rotated separately and individually because they are coupled to the internal discs 532 . Although the gear configuration 530 adopts two rotary devices, one rotary device may be sufficient if it can separately and individually rotate each modified external gear 533 .
It is understood that the components of each gear configurations may be interchangeable. In an embodiment of the present invention, the spacing member 511 may be used in the gear configuration 520 . In another embodiment of the present invention, the central axle 536 with the embedded rotary devices 534 and 535 may be used in the gear configuration 510 . In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the external gears 523 may be used in the gear configuration 530 .
For illustrative purposes, FIGS. 6 and 7 are provided to show the exemplary models of the several gears discussed herein. For example, FIG. 6 shows the exemplary models of the external gear and the bevel gear. For another example, FIG. 7 shows the exemplary models of the spur gear, the helical gear, and the double helical gear. It is understood that the longitudinal gears, the connecting gears, and the receiving gears may take other alternative forms, as long as their combinations are consistent with the general principles of mechanics.
The discussion now turns to the physics of the OTWS. In FIG. 8A , which shows the high level conceptual view of the OTWS according to an embodiment of the present invention, the pair of longitudinal gears may be represented by a left gear (or interchangeably a first gear) 802 and a right gear (interchangeably a second gear) 804 . Although the terms “left” and “right” are used consistently throughout the rest of the specification, it is to be emphasized that they are interchangeable and are relatively defined such that they should not be construed in the absolute sense.
The left gear 802 and the right gear 804 are parallel to a first plane Sx and orthogonal to a first axis (interchangeably a longitudinal axis) Ax. The left and right angular velocities V XL and V XR represent the angular velocities of the left and right gears 802 and 804 respectively. Both the left and right angular velocities V XL and V XR are measured in the clockwise direction about the first axis Ax in radian per second. When the left and right angular velocities V XL and V XR are positive, meaning that the left and right gears 802 and 804 are rotating in the clockwise direction, the OTWS 800 travels forward with a positive longitudinal velocity V LONG . When the left and right angular velocities V XL and V XR are negative, meaning that the left and right gears 802 and 804 are rotating in the counterclockwise direction, the OTWS 800 travels backward with a negative longitudinal velocity V LONG .
As defined herein, the term “longitudinal” is associated with the forward and backward directions, whereas the term “lateral” is associated with the left and right directions. Although the terms “forward” and “backward” are used consistently throughout the rest of the specification, it is to be emphasized that they are interchangeable and are relatively defined such that they should not be construed in the absolute sense.
The left and right gears 802 and 804 define a cylindrical space 806 in between them and the cylindrical space 806 has a circumferential region 808 . According to an embodiment of the present invention, the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 of each PWA 810 may be distributed along the circumferential region 808 , such that the connecting gear 820 may be rotated about a radial axis Ay, which is substantially parallel to a radius of the cylindrical space 806 . As such, the radial axis Ay of each PWA 810 should be substantially orthogonal to the first axis Ax and the radial plane Sy of each PWA 810 should be substantially parallel to the side surface of the cylindrical space 806 .
In an embodiment of the present invention, the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 is engaged between both left and right gears 802 and 804 . As such, the angular velocity Vy of the connecting gear 820 is a function of a differential angular velocity V diff between the left and right gears 802 and 804 . More specifically, the differential angular velocity V diff is defined as V XL -V XR . For example, if Kxy represents the gear ratio between the longitudinal gear 802 and the connecting gear 820 , the angular velocity Vy equals Kxy*(V diff ).
Under this differential mechanism, the connecting gear 820 may (1) rotate clockwise about the radial axis Ay at a positive angular velocity Vy when the left angular velocity V XL , is greater than right angular velocity V XR (i.e., the differential angular velocity V diff is greater than 0); (2) rotate counterclockwise about the radial axis Ay at a negative angular velocity Vy when the left angular velocity V XL is less than the right angular velocity V XR (i.e., the differential angular velocity V diff is less than 0); and (3) remain angularly stationary (i.e., no rotation) when the left angular velocity V XL is substantially the same as the right angular velocity V XR (i.e., the left and right angular velocities V XL and V XR are in the same direction and of the same magnitude).
Referring to FIG. 8A , the PWA 810 is symmetrical along a plane that is parallel to the first plane Sx and positioned in the middle of the cylindrical space 806 . The receiving gear 830 of the first wheel is engaged by the proximal end 824 of the connecting gear 820 , such that the first wheel may be rotated about a second axis (interchangeably a peripheral axis) Az when the connecting gear 820 rotates. Because the proximal end 824 has the same angular velocity as the distal end 822 , the angular velocity Vz of the first wheel is a function of the angular velocity Vy of the distal end 822 , which ultimately depends on the differential angular velocity V diff between the left and right angular velocities V XL and V XR . More specifically, if Kyz represents the gear ratio between the connecting gear 820 and the receiving gear 830 , the angular velocity Vz equals Kyz*Vy, which ultimately equals Kyz*Kxy*(V diff ).
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the left and right angular velocities V XL and V XR may be ranged from about 0 radian per second to about plus or minus 20 radians per second. More specifically, the left and right angular velocities V XL and V XR may be about plus or minus 8 radians per second. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the radius of the longitudinal gears 802 and 804 may be about 8 cm, the radius of the connecting gear 420 may be about 0.5 cm, and the radius of the receiving gear 830 may be about 2.5 cm. As such, the gear ratio gear ratio Kxy may be about 16 and the gear ratio Kyz may be about 0.2.
For example, the first wheel may (1) rotate clockwise about the second axis Az at a positive angular velocity Vz when the left angular velocity V XL is greater than the right angular velocity V XR (i.e., the differential angular velocity V diff is greater than 0); (2) rotate counterclockwise about the radial axis Az at a negative angular velocity Vz when the left angular velocity V XL is less than the right angular velocity V XR (i.e., the differential angular velocity V diff is less than 0); and (3) remain angularly stationary when the left angular velocity V XL is substantially the same as the right angular velocity V XR . For the sake of clarity, FIG. 8B summarizes the rotating directions of the angular velocities Vy and Vz when the left angular velocity V XL is less than the right angular velocity V XR (i.e., the differential angular velocity V diff <0); and FIG. 8C summarizes the rotating directions of the angular velocities Vy and Vz when the left angular velocity V XL is greater than the right angular velocity V XR (i.e., the differential angular velocity V diff >0).
When the first wheel rotates at a positive angular velocity Vz, the OTWS 800 may travel laterally to the left at a positive lateral velocity V LAT , which equals Vz*r. Conversely, when the first wheel, rotates at a negative angular velocity Vz, the OTWS 800 may travel laterally to the right at a negative lateral velocity V LAT , which equals Vz*r. Moreover, if the left angular velocity V XL does not substantially cancel out the right angular velocity V XR , the entire PWA 810 may revolve around the first axis Ax by travelling along the circumferential region 808 at a common angular velocity V com .
The discussion now turns to several operation modes of the OTWS. FIG. 9 demonstrates a common mode operation of the OTWS 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Under the common mode operation, the left and right gears 802 and 804 always rotate at a common angular velocity V com , meaning that the left gear 802 has the same angular speed and the same rotating direction as the right gear 802 . As shown in the diagrams 901 and 903 , both the left and right gears 802 and 804 may rotate clockwise or counterclockwise at the same time with the same angular speed.
Consequentially, the PWA 810 may revolve around the first axis Ax at the common angular velocity V com . For example, the PWA 810 in the diagram 901 may revolve around the first axis Ax at a negative common angular velocity V com , which is less than 0. Accordingly, the OTWS 800 may travel backward at a negative longitudinal velocity V LONG . For another example, the PWA 810 in the diagram 901 may revolve around the first axis Ax at a positive common angular velocity V com , which is greater than 0. Accordingly, the OTWS 800 may travel forward at a positive longitudinal velocity V LONG .
Referring to the diagram 902 , which shows the cross-sectional back view of the diagram 901 , the left angular velocity V XL produces a left thrust T XL directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate counterclockwise about the radial axis Ay, whereas the right angular velocity V XR produces a right thrust T XR directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate clockwise about the radial axis Ay. However, because the left angular velocity V XL substantially equals the right angular velocity V XR , the left thrust T XL substantially cancels out the right thrust T XR such that the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 remains angularly stationary.
Similarly, in diagram 904 , which shows the cross-sectional back view of the diagram 903 , the left angular velocity V XL produces a left thrust T XL directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate clockwise about the radial axis Ay, whereas the right angular velocity V XR produces a right thrust T XR directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate counterclockwise about the radial axis Ay. Again, because the left angular velocity V XL , substantially equals the right angular velocity V XR , the left thrust T XL , substantially cancels out the right thrust T XR such that the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 remains angularly stationary.
FIG. 10 demonstrates a differential mode operation of the OTWS 800 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Under the differential mode operation, the left and right gears 802 and 804 always rotate at a pair of opposite angular velocities, meaning that the left gear 802 has the same angular speed but the opposite rotating direction as the right gear 802 . As shown in the diagrams 1001 and 1003 , the left and right gears 802 and 804 may rotate at a pair of opposite directions at the same time with the same angular speed. Because the left angular velocity V XL substantially cancels out the right angular velocity V XR , the PWA 810 will not revolve around the first axis Ax, such that the OTWS 800 will not travel longitudinally.
Referring to the diagram 1002 , which shows the cross-sectional back view of the diagram 1001 , the left angular velocity V XL , produces a left thrust T XL , directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate clockwise about the radial axis Ay, and the right angular velocity V XR also produces a right thrust T XR directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate clockwise about the radial axis Ay. Consequentially, the connecting gear 820 directs the receiving gear 830 of the first wheel to rotate about the second axis Az at the angular velocity Vz. Because the first wheel rotates clockwise, the OTWS 800 may travel laterally to the left at a positive lateral velocity V LAT .
Similarly, in diagram 1004 , which shows the cross-sectional front view of the diagram 1003 , the left angular velocity V XL produces a left thrust T XL directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate counterclockwise about the radial axis Ay, and the right angular velocity V XR produces a right thrust T XR also directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate counterclockwise about the radial axis Ay. Consequentially, the connecting gear 820 directs the receiving gear 830 of the first wheel to rotate about the second axis Az at the angular velocity Vz. Because the first wheel rotates counterclockwise, the OTWS 800 may travel laterally to the right at a negative lateral velocity V LAT .
FIG. 11 demonstrates a backward differential mode operation of the OTWS 800 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, under the backward differential mode operation, the angular velocity V XL should be substantially different from the right angular velocity V XR and the common angular velocity V com of the left and right gears 802 and 804 will always be negative and in the counterclockwise direction about the first axis Ax. For example, as shown in the diagram 1101 , both the left and right gears 802 and 804 are rotating counterclockwise about the first axis Ax, but the magnitude of the left angular velocity V XL is substantially greater than the magnitude of the right angular velocity V XR . Accordingly, the common angular velocity V com is substantially the same as V XR . For another example, as shown in the diagram 1103 , both the left and right gears 802 and 804 are rotating counterclockwise about the first axis Ax, but the magnitude of the left angular velocity V XL is substantially smaller than the magnitude of the right angular velocity V XR . Accordingly, the common angular velocity V com is substantially the same as V XL .
In any event, the longitudinal gear with the dominant angular velocity (i.e., the left angular velocity V XL in the diagram 1101 and the right angular velocity V XR in the diagram 1103 ) should be rotating counterclockwise, such that the PWA 810 may revolve counterclockwise around the first axis Ax regardless of the rotating direction of the other longitudinal gear. That is, the right gear 804 in the diagram 1101 may rotate clockwise as long as the magnitude of the right angular velocity V XR is less than the magnitude of the left angular velocity V XL ; and similarly, the left gear 802 in the diagram 1103 may rotate counterclockwise as long as the magnitude of the left angular velocity V XL is less than the magnitude of the right angular velocity V XR .
Referring to the diagram 1102 , which shows the cross-sectional back view of the diagram 1101 , the left angular velocity V XL produces a left thrust T XL directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate counterclockwise about the radial axis Ay whereas the right angular velocity V XR produces a right thrust T XR directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate clockwise about the radial axis Ay. Because the left thrust T XL is stronger than the right thrust T XR , the left thrust T XL overcomes the left thrust T XR and thereby causing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate counterclockwise. Consequentially, the connecting gear 820 directs the receiving gear 830 of the first wheel to rotate counterclockwise about the second axis Az at the angular velocity Vz, such that the OTWS 800 may travel laterally to the right at a negative lateral velocity V LAT . Driven simultaneously by the longitudinal velocity V LONG and the lateral velocity V LAT , the OTWS 800 may travel diagonally in the back-right direction.
Similarly, in the diagram 1104 , which shows the cross-sectional back view of the diagram 1103 , the left angular velocity V XL produces a left thrust T XL directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate counterclockwise about the radial axis Ay, whereas the right angular velocity V XR produces a right thrust T XR directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate clockwise about the radial axis Ay. Because the left thrust T XL is weaker than the right thrust T XR , the left thrust T XL gives way to the right thrust T XR and thereby causing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate clockwise. Consequentially, the connecting gear 820 directs the receiving gear 830 of the first wheel to rotate clockwise about the second axis Az at the angular velocity Vz, such that the OTWS 800 may travel laterally to the left at a positive lateral velocity V LAT . Driven simultaneously by the longitudinal velocity V LONG and the lateral velocity V LAT , the OTWS 800 may travel diagonally in the back-left direction.
FIG. 12 demonstrates a forward differential mode operation of the OTWS 800 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. Under the forward differential mode operation, the left angular velocity V XL should be substantially different from the right angular velocity V XR and the common angular velocity V com of the left and right gears 802 and 804 will always be positive and in the clockwise direction about the first axis Ax. For example, as shown in the diagram 1201 , both the left and right gears 802 and 804 are rotating clockwise about the first axis Ax, but the magnitude of the left angular velocity V XL is substantially greater than the magnitude of the right angular velocity V XR . Accordingly, the common angular velocity V com is substantially the same as V XR . For another example, as shown in the diagram 1203 , both the left and right gears 802 and 804 are rotating clockwise about the first axis Ax, but the magnitude of the left angular velocity V XL is substantially smaller than the magnitude of the right angular velocity V XR . Accordingly, the common angular velocity V com is substantially the same as V XL .
In any event, the longitudinal gear with the dominant angular velocity (i.e. the left angular velocity V XL in the diagram 1201 and the right angular velocity V XR in the diagram 1203 ) should be rotating clockwise, such that the PWA 810 may revolve clockwise around the first axis Ax regardless of the rotating direction of the other longitudinal gear. That is, the right gear 804 in the diagram 1201 may rotate counterclockwise as long as the magnitude of the right angular velocity V XR is less than the magnitude of the left angular velocity V XL ; and similarly, the left gear 802 in the diagram 1203 may rotate counterclockwise as long as the magnitude of the left angular velocity V XL , is less than the magnitude of the right angular velocity V XR .
Referring to the diagram 1202 , which shows the cross-sectional back view of the diagram 1201 , the left angular velocity V XL , produces a left thrust T XL directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate clockwise about the radial axis Ay, whereas the right angular velocity V XR produces a right thrust T XR directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate counterclockwise about the radial axis Ay. Because the left thrust T XR , is stronger than the right thrust T XR , the left thrust T XL overcomes the left thrust T XR and thereby causing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate clockwise. Consequentially, the connecting gear 820 directs the receiving gear 830 of the first wheel to rotate clockwise about the second axis Az at the angular velocity Vz, such that the OTWS 800 may travel laterally to the left at a positive lateral velocity V LAT . Driven simultaneously by the longitudinal velocity V LONG and the lateral velocity V LAT , the OTWS 800 may travel diagonally in the front-left direction.
Similarly, in the diagram 1204 , which shows the cross-sectional back view of the diagram 1203 , the left angular velocity V XL , produces a left thrust T XL directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate clockwise about the radial axis Ay, whereas the right angular velocity V XR produces a right thrust T XR directing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate counterclockwise about the radial axis Ay. Because the left thrust T XL is weaker than the right thrust T XR , the left thrust T XL gives way to the left thrust T XR and thereby causing the distal end 822 of the connecting gear 820 to rotate counterclockwise. Consequentially, the connecting gear 820 directs the receiving gear 830 of the first wheel to rotate counterclockwise about the second axis Az at the angular velocity Vz, such that the OTWS 800 may travel laterally to the right at a negative lateral velocity V LAT . Driven simultaneously by the longitudinal velocity V LONG and the lateral velocity V LAT , the OTWS 800 may travel diagonally in the front-right direction.
FIG. 13 provides a summary for all traveling directions of the OTWS 800 with respect to various combinations of the differential angular velocity V diff and the common angular velocity V com . For example, the charts 1301 to 1303 represent the traveling directions of the OTWS 800 when V com is less than 0 (i.e. the backward mode). For another example, the charts 1304 to 1306 represent the traveling directions of the OTWS 800 when V com equals 0 (i.e. the pure differential mode). For yet another example, the charts 1307 to 1309 represent the traveling directions of the OTWS 800 when V com is greater than 0 (i.e. the forward mode).
Under the differential mechanism, the magnitude of the longitudinal velocity V LONG and the lateral velocity V LAT can be adjusted by varying the difference between the left and right angular velocities V XL and V XR . In general, the magnitude of the lateral velocity V LAT increases proportionally with the differential angular velocity V diff , whereas the longitudinal velocity V LONG increases proportionally with the common angular velocity V com . According to an embodiment of the present invention, the magnitudes of the longitudinal velocity V LONG and the lateral velocity V LAT may be ranged from about 0 m/s to about plus or minus 10 m/s. More specifically, the magnitudes of the longitudinal velocity V LONG and the lateral velocity V LAT may be about plus or minus 2 m/s.
Various embodiments of the present invention adopt a gear system in actuating the differential mechanism. However, the differential mechanism of the OTSW may be actuated by adopting a frictional system according to an alternative embodiment. For example, referring again to FIG. 8A , the pair of longitudinal gears 802 and 804 may be replaced by a pair of plates, each of which has a frictional surface facing against each other. As shown in FIG. 14 , the pair of plates 1402 and 1404 may have the frictional surfaces 1406 and 1408 facing against each other. The frictional surfaces 1406 and 1408 may engage the PWAs 1410 via a connecting member 1420 .
Similar to the connecting gear 820 , the connecting member 1420 may be rotated about the radial axis Ay when the differential angular velocity V diff between the pair of plates is greater or less than zero. However, unlike the connecting gear 820 , the connecting member 1420 does not have a teethed surface. Instead, the connecting member 1420 may have a frictional surface similar to the pair of plates 1402 and 1404 .
The connecting member 1420 may have a distal end for engaging the frictional surfaces 1406 and 1408 of the pair of plates 1402 and 1404 , and a proximal end for engaging the first wheel 1430 , which also has a frictional surface similar to the pair of plates 1402 and 1404 . As such, the PWA 1410 may rotates about the second axis Az when the differential angular velocity V diff between the pair of plates 1402 and 1404 is greater or less than zero.
FIG. 15 is a flow chart that illustrates the method steps of operating the omni traction wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention. These method steps are related to the discussion with respect to FIGS. 2 to 12 . Although these steps might introduce terminologies different from those in the previous discussion, these steps are consistent with the spirit and concept of the previous discussion and should not be construed otherwise.
In step 1502 , a plurality of peripheral wheels is engaged to first and second gears via a plurality of connection gears. In step 1504 , the first gear is rotated at a first angular velocity. In step 1506 , the second gear is rotated at a second angular velocity, wherein the omni traction wheel: (1) travels laterally when the first angular velocity is different from the second angular velocity such that each connecting gear is configured to rotate the respective peripheral wheel, (2) travels longitudinally when the first and second angular velocities are in a same direction such that each connecting gear, along with the respective peripheral wheel, is configured to revolve around a circular plate positioned between the first and second gears and substantially parallel to the first and second gears, (3) travels diagonally when the first angular velocity is different from the second angular velocity and when the first and second angular velocities are in a same direction, (4) remains laterally stationary when the first angular velocity substantially equals the second angular velocity, and (5) remains longitudinally stationary when the sum of the first and second angular velocities is substantially zero.
The previous description of the disclosed examples is provided to enable any person of ordinary skill in the art to make or use the disclosed methods or apparatus. Various modifications to these examples will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the principles defined herein may be applied to other examples without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosed method and apparatus. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive and the scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
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The present invention is an omni traction wheel system, which adopts an integrated differential mechanism to generate longitudinal and lateral traction forces. The omni traction wheel system may include a rotary device that delivers two individually controllable rotational forces, the differential output of which may drive a plurality of peripheral wheels to rotate laterally, and the common output of which may drive a pair of longitudinal plates to rotate longitudinally. Accordingly, the omni traction wheel system may travel in all directions.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to open end yarn processing and its fabric properties.
[0003] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0004] The invention relates to a method and apparatus which are suitable for processing on open end (OE) spinning systems, and is more particularly concerned with rotor spinning system and downstream processing on such systems.
[0005] Open end spinning system has achieved a major breakthrough because the twist insertion in this spinning system is no longer performed by the rotation of yarn packages and thus this system eliminates the friction problem that limits ring-spinning. As a result, OE spinning techniques have a phenomenal growth in productivity, amenability due to automation, and elimination of roving and winding processes. Therefore, this technique has established itself as a worthy alternative to ring spinning system.
[0006] However, OE spun yarns have not penetrated the yarn market to the extent expected because along with the positive aspects there is a growing realization that the system has sectorial applicability-viz, the techoeconomic considerations have restricted rotor spinning to coarse and medium counts. These demerits made this new system less attractive than ring spinning technique, which can handle a diversity of fibers and produce a broad range of yarn counts. What is more, the OE spun machine produces a weaker yarn, usually with a 10-30% lower tenacity, as compared to ring spinning. This strength loss is related to the accentuated obliquity effect and higher proportion of noncontributing fibers existing in an OE spun yarn.
[0007] However, the biggest drawback of OE yarns is the harsh feel of the fabrics made out of such yarns. Particularly, the harsh feel limits the end use of its end fabrics. For example, knitted fabrics produced from OE spun yarns are unsuitable for using as underwear material. The harsh feel can be attributed to the structure of the yarn, and especially to that of the surface fibers. In particular, it is believed that the tight surface fibers, including wrapper fibers and undulation of the yarn surface, are assumed to be the main cause of harsh feel. Besides, the higher twist adopted in OE yarn and thus higher obliquity of fibers is another significant influential factor. Moreover, fabric produced from OE yarn suffers from a duller appearance, which is also undesirable for end use.
[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for improving OE yarn/fabric structural properties, modifying yarn physical properties, and altering the appearance and handle properties of fabrics made out of rotor spun yarn.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is an object of this invention to overcome or at least reduce this problem.
[0010] According to the invention there is provided a method for improving structural and physical properties of OE yarn and its downstream articles, by tensile drawing the yarn between rollers driven at different velocities, the method further including directing a jet of air at the yarn between the rollers to temporarily untwist the yarn as it is drawn.
[0011] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for improving structural and physical properties of OE yarn and its downstream articles, comprising at least two rollers which are separated by a drawing zone, in which the rollers are controlled to rotate at different velocities to apply tension to the yarn as it passes through the drawing zone, the apparatus further including an air jet directed at the drawing zone to temporarily untwist the yarn as it is drawn.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The method and apparatus according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompany drawings in which:
[0013] [0013]FIG. 1 is a stress-strain diagram including yarns before and after tensile drawing;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 2 is another schematic illustration of apparatus for carrying out the method;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 3, is another a schematic illustration of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;
[0016] [0016]FIG. 4 is a working representation of tensile drawing apparatus attached to a spinning system;
[0017] [0017]FIG. 5 is a working representation of tensile drawing apparatus attached to a rewinding system.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 6 shows yarn packing density before and after tensile drawing; and
[0019] [0019]FIG. 7 shows drape images of fabric samples.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows stress strain diagram of yarn before and after drawing. In FIG. 2 to 5 , various illustrations of apparatus are shown, each involving a two-roller drawing system with an air jet nozzle located between the two rollers. In this two-roller drawing system, the back roller always runs at a speed lower than the front roller, and thus the rotor spun yarn is under tensile load when passing through these two rollers. The drawing ratio is equal to the ratio of front roller velocity to back roller velocity. However, it should be noted that in practice this drawing ratio does not represent the real extension of the generated rotor spun yarn and is only a nominal one. For example, in the case of a 16s pure cotton rotor spun yarn under a drawing ratio of 1.2, the actual elongation is at a value of 2%-3%. In some instances the effective elongation may be zero (or even negative). On the other hand, however, the extension can be as high as, say, 15% for 20 yarn under the same drawing ratio. Therefore, the actual extension should be related to yarn count and other parameters as well as drawing ratio. Embodiments of the invention preferably operate to provide certain advantages, generally stated, over original yarn under velocity ratios R ranging from 1.01<R<1.4. The adoption of the air jet nozzle can subject the OE yarn to the action of a temporary false twisting between the rollers to improve the tensile drawing effect.
[0021] In the present apparatus, OE yarn, after withdrawing from a bobbin or a spinning system as shown in FIG. 3, is fed by back roller 3 via a drawing zone 7 to a front roller 4 . The air jet nozzle 8 directs a jet of air at the yarn in the drawing zone. The yarn then passes via a thread guide 5 to a traversing guide (not shown) and is wound on a bobbin 6 . After completing this tour, the yarn has undergone tensile drawing due to the velocity difference between the front roller 4 and the back roller 3 . The air jet from nozzle 8 temporarily removes twist in the yarn to assist tensile drawing yet retain the basic twist in the drawn yarn as the twist will return once the yarn exists the air jet stream.
[0022] Among various open end spinning techniques, rotor spinning system is most widely practiced. Therefore, in the described embodiments rotor spun yarn is used and results of this type of yarn are illustrated. Up to 18 yarn types with a combination of 4 yarn counts, 4 twist factors, as well as four drawing ratios are involved, although only certain facets are illustrated to show the unexpected and positive results:
[0023] 1. Yarn Properties
Yarn Diameter & Evenness
[0024] In the present invention, improvement in yarn structural properties can be attained using tensile drawing processing. Yarn diameter shows a pronounced decrease after tensile drawing processing despite of the subtle variation in yarn count. The set out in Table 1, which presents a good support to this conclusion, is the resulting properties of 16s pure cotton rotor spun yarns with a twist factor 3.6, 4.2 respectively under the drawing ratio of 1.2. Besides, a better evenness, i.e. lower yarn diameter variation, another benefit from tensile drawing, is also shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 Yam Diameter Twist Factor = 3.6 Properties of the Turns/meter Twist Factor = 4.2 resulting yarns Original Drafted Original Drafted Mean value mm. 4.28 2.935 4.155 3.225 S +/− 0.621 0.412 0.625 0.436 CV % 14.514 14.038 15.050 13.530 Min. Value 3.3 2.3 3.2 2.6 Max. Value 5.5 3.5 5.6 4.5 Med. 4.3 3.0 4.1 3.1
Yarn Twist
[0025] Tensile drawing would no doubt lead to a decrease in yarn twist. In the case of a staple spun yarn, twist is closely related to the magnitude of fiber-to-fiber gripping force, to the degree of yarn hairiness, to the extent of fiber obliquity effect, and to the number of fiber in yarn cross section (i.e. packing density). Therefore, the change in yarn twist deserves special attention. It's believed that this cut down in yarn twist would contribute to better luster of the downstream articles due to the more uniform light reflection caused by decreased fiber obliquity effect. And this is the reason of better whiteness for the generated fabric.
TABLE 2 Yam Twist Properties of the Twist Factor = 3.6 Twist Factor = 4.2 resulting yarns Original Drafted Original Drafted Mean value 551.6 539.8 616.6 616.4 S +/− 14.894 5.706 18.575 8.890 CV % 2.700 1.057 3.013 1.442 Min. Value 531 534 598 601 Max. Value 572 550 641 627 Med. 550 539 607 616
Packing Density
[0026] A remarkable increase in cross section packing density can be found after tensile drawing using Microtomy technique, as presented in FIG. 6. This packing-density-increase phenomenon under tensile load has been noticed by G. A. Carnaby, who named this phenomenon as fiber lateral movement. It is said in his related publication that a staple-fiber yarn usually consists of fibers that are initially packed together in a rather loose arrangement and that an applied tensile strain causes considerable lateral movement of individual fibers, so that the deformed yarn has a much more closely packed structure. Apparently, such lateral movements will considerably influence the strain levels in individual fibers and thus change the strain distribution of deformed yarn. As a result, the mechanical properties of treated yarn are also distinctly changed. Moreover, this change will be brought into the end product when the treated yarn is produced into fabric. The wear performance as well as mechanical properties of the end product will thus be changed accordingly.
Young's Modulus
[0027] This structural change leads directly to a great change in yarn physical properties. The first sight of stress-strain diagram (see FIG. 1) gives a prompt information that Young's modulus, a measure of yarn resistance to tensile drawing, which is indicated by image slope, presents a distinct increase. This is caused by plastic deformation occurring during the tensile drawing processing. In fact, in addition to Young's modulus, i.e. the yarn's ability to resist other deformation, such as bending and torsion, is enhanced as well. This can be verified by the change in fabric structural properties.
Tenacity
[0028] Despite increase in tenacity being quite subtle and not SO consistent, some of the processing conditions on a certain kind of yarns, usually those with lower twist factors, do contribute to somewhat stronger yarn. This can be explained by a combination of decreased obliquity effect, increased packing density, and a cut-down in a proportion of noncontributing fibers due to tensile drawing.
Hairiness
[0029] More hairiness is inherently unavoidable due to decreased twist created by tensile drawing. This may not be a demerit, because rotor spun yarns are lacking in hairiness due to the existence of wrapped fibers around the yarn surface. This increase in yarn hairiness may help to improve tactile feel of the end fabric.
[0030] 2. Fabric Properties
[0031] Using the tensile drawn yarn for a downstream fabric leads to better appearance and physical properties in the following aspects:
Fullness & Softness
[0032] Fukurami, a measure of fabric softness and fullness, a bulky, rich, and well-formed feeling and mainly governed by fabric bulk and compressional behavior, has acquired the most positive progress according to whichever standard, knitted fabrics for outerwear or underwear in summer or in winter. The set out in the following series of tables presenting three selected primary hands and the total hand value gives a good support of this conclusion.
Tactile Comfort
[0033] The fabrics produced from drawn rotor spun yarns, as compared with those from undrawn rotor spun yarns, shows significant improvement on hand values. The normal harsh feel of undrawn rotor spun yarn fabric is prominently changed according to the results. THV, a measure of tactile comfort, shows different extents of increase in most cases. This is a major benefit provided by embodiments of the invention.
TABLE 3 Knitted Fabrics for Outerwear Sample KM-402-KT KM-301-WINTER (KT) No. KOSHI NUME. FUKU. THV 1 0.51 5.51 3.83 1.64 2 0.97 6.59 7.84 2.60
[0034] [0034] TABLE 4 Knitted Fabrics for Underwear in Winter Sample KM-403-KTU (WINTER) KM-304-WINTER No. KOSHI FUKU. NUME. THV 1 6.65 1.92 4.78 2.83 2 6.65 8.56 4.42 3.34
[0035] [0035] TABLE 5 Knitted Fabrics for Underwear in Summer Sample KM-403-KTU (SUMMER) KM-304-SUMMTER No. KOSHI FUKU. SHARI THY 1 6.65 1.92 6.52 2.73 2 6.65 8.56 4.66 2.48
Shrinkage
[0036] Shrinkage of fabrics produced from drawn rotor yarns shows little difference from that of fabrics from undrawn yarns. This is quite encouraging because what the inventors, and also believed the potential users, worry most is whether tensile drawing will result in a deteriorated shrinkage.
Thickness
[0037] The fabric thickness in most cases is markedly improved by the tensile drawing, despite a superficial contradiction being that there is a notable decrease in yarn diameter. This revealed a significant increase of yarn bending/torsional rigidity. Higher bending/torsional rigidity results in a more prominent three-dimensional structure of loops and less compression at interlacing points in a made up fabric so as to enhance the fabric thickness.
TABLE 6 Fabric Thickness & Weight Twist factor = Twist factor = Properties of 3.6, 16 s 3.6, 18 s the resulting fabrics original DR = 1.2 original DR = 1.3 THICKNESS [mm] 1.0322 1.8254 1.2874 1.3704 WEIGHT [m/cm 2 ] 31.7500 31.2800 18.100 18.6200
Air Permeability
[0038] [0038] TABLE 7 Air Permeability of 12s Fabric Samples Fabric sample 1 2 3 4 5 Air 112.7 90.7 97.4 93.5 101.6 Permeability [cc/s] Air 22.2 17.9 19.2 18.4 20 Permeability [ml/cm 2 · s]
[0039] Table 7 lists the results of air permeability for all five fabric samples in the described method from 12s yarn, original yarn as well as treated under four drawing ratios. It can be seen that fabrics produced from drawn yarns have a slightly higher air permeability than that from original yarns. This result seems at odds with the fact that drawn yarns possess higher hairiness. The deviation from what might be predicted is believed to be due to crimp levels, a consequence of higher yarn bending/torsional/tensile modulus after drawing. The drawn yarn opens up less than does an untreated yarn, as revealed by yarn cross section examination. Therefore, is the fabric made from drawn yarn tends to be more air-permeable.
Compression
[0040] LC, representing the linearity of compression, and RC, the compressional resilience, both depend upon the compressional behavior of yarn and the fabric thickness. WC, compressional energy per unit area, depends upon LC and the extent of compression of the fabric. In this respect, both fabrics produced from drawn yarns shows greater compressional properties in most cases. The increase in a 18s fabric compressional properties is much less than that in a 16s fabric. This difference is believed to be related to the different extent of drawing and thus the generated different amount of yarn diameter decrease, different degree of yarn rigidity increase and different increase pitch in fabric thickness. In the case of a 18s rotor spun yarn, a 1.3 drawing ratio leads to a slimmer yarn, and less rigidity increase than with a 16s yarn under a 1.2 drawing ratio, and thus the increase in thickness is not so prominent as revealed by Table 6. Therefore, the enhancement in compressional properties is quite subtle.
TABLE 8 Compressional properties twist factor = twist factor = Properties of 3.6, 16 s 3.6, 18 s the resulting fabrics original DR = 1.2 original DR = 1.3 LC [−] 0.2100 0.3072 0.4241 0.3724 WC [g.cm/cm 2 ] 0.2366 0.4360 0.3817 0.3877 RC [%] 22.6140 34.6717 44.3835 44.6352
Draping Property
[0041] Fabric draping characteristic is a property closely related to the bending rigidity of the constituent yarns and of the fabric itself as well as fabric thickness. It is found that this property reduces significantly after tensile drawing processing (see FIG. 7). This property change is brought about by the increased yarn bending rigidity and confirms the improvement in yarn bending rigidity. Furthermore, the increase in thickness helps a reduction in this property.
[0042] The draping property decrease phenomenon is particularly useful since a soft hand is always a concomitant of higher draping property. The described tensile drawing processing enables these two extremely incompatibles to coexist in one fabric. This could lead to new appraisal in fashion design, especially in the case of knitted fabrics. Hitherto, poor drape properties limits application, mainly to underwear and skirting. In any event, this changed property helps for fabric dimension retention.
Appearance
[0043] It is well known that rotor spun yarn fabrics generally have a duller and mottled appearance by comparison with ring spun yarn fabrics, even when bright fiber types are used. This is associated with a combination of a peculiar rotor spun yarn surface nature and resulting turbid light refraction. These disadvantages are improved, at least to some extent, by tensile drawing, and believed to be attributable to the improved fiber alignment and fiber structural evenness provided by the described method.
[0044] The surprising results and improvements of the yarn that enhance articles (“downstream articles”) made up of the yarn after being subjected to drawing can be demonstrated for a wide range of drawing conditions, even where the effective elongation caused by drawing is near zero or even slightly negative. Further, the improvements can be manifested where the OE yearn is mixed or blended with other yarns. Thus, in the claims for example the term OE yarns is to be taken to mean OE yarns and OE blends.
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OE yarn is passed through a drawing zone provided between a front roller and a back roller controlled to rotate at different velocities. An air jet nozzle is located between the two rollers and directs a jet of air at the yarn. The drawing causes improvements in various characteristics of the yarn making the processed yarn more suitable or useful for making up into textile articles.
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BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] Golf is an exceedingly popular sport internationally. It provides players healthy exercise and the pleasure of competition and skill enhancement. Participation in the sport of golf requires special skills on the part of the player. Because considerable time and money is necessary to acquire these skills the opportunity to play golf is not available to most individuals. Also, certain handicapped individuals are prohibited from playing conventional golf. The present invention provides an individual unskilled or handicapped in swinging a golf club an opportunity to play golf on a conventional golf course.
[0002] Robotics have been applied to golf for a variety of purposes. Davies et al. [U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,711,388; 5,944,132] and Romy [DE19941807] describe an autonomous personal service robotic golf caddy. Toru [JP32446] describes a robotic caddy that in addition to transporting the golfer's clubs displays useful information for the golfer. Commercial versions of robotic golf caddies are available that follow the golfer around the course (Shedda Robotic Electric Golf Caddy/Cart (Gettig Engineering and Manufacturing Company, Spring Mills, Pa.). A hands-free golf-ball teeing device has been patented by Bacon [U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,804]. Andreae, Jr. et al. have patented a power assisted adapter for pull-type golf club bag carrying carts [U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,470 B1].
[0003] A variety of patents relating to robotic control of a golf-club swing have been issued [Hiroshi et al., JP2001190729; Akio et al., JP2002224246; Hamilton, U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,030; Kamato, JP6210038]. Golf club manufacturers utilize robots to test their equipment. Kun-Lin Chien describes a golf bombarding testing machine that propels golf balls toward a club to test club durability [U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,497,650; 6,415,1671 B1]. Commercial versions of ball cannon robotics are available to propel golf balls at precise points on the golf clubface testing the dimensional stability of the club. Loft, lie, and swinging robots are also available commercially to test clubs and golf balls [Burrows Golf, Inc., Valencia, Calif. 91355].
[0004] Robotics departments at universities have challenged students to develop a variety of robotic devices in their laboratories that play golf. These devices have generally been constructed out of LEGO components and operate only in a small area. Besson [FR2689409] and Rowland [U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,058] have patented miniaturized robotic golf games. Plattsburgh University challenges students to build a robotic golf ball locater and retriever for the visually impaired. The University of Texas asks students to build an autonomous robot capable of playing robo-golf over a 4 by 6 foot playing area. MIT challenges its students to build autonomous robots that can place golf balls in holes on a pre-designed table. Robotics Trade Organization which represents over 50 robotics manufacturers in the United States has challenged their membership to build a robot that can play golf autonomously on a conventional golf course. They have set down a number of criteria including the requirement that the robot swing a conventional golf club. Robots by Design (Louisville, Ky.) has modified one of its robots to swing an iron and hit a golf ball. The estimated cost of this robot is $250,000.
[0005] Handicapped golf has been played in the United Kingdom since World War I and more recently in the United States organizations have been formed to assist physically handicapped individuals play golf. The focus of these organizations has been to assist amputees swing a golf club. None of the previous art allows a severely handicapped person unskilled or unable to swinging a golf club to play on a golf course in a competitive manner.
[0006] Pneumatic launching devices (paint ball guns and air cannons) have been used to propel a variety of missiles including paint balls, potato plugs, T-shirts, and golf balls. All these devices have basic similarities in that pressurized gas is abruptly released by means of a valve into a barrel where it propels objects out of the barrel at different velocities and distances. A variety of patents have been issued covering pneumatic-gun devices to propel balls [U.S. patents: Fujimoto, U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,176 B1; Juan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,092 B2; Gardner, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,707; Lotuaco, III, U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,736; Lucus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,483; Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,982; Kotsiooulos, U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,778; Henderson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,729]. Simpler air cannons have been developed that do not have bolt actions like a gun. Among these are Spudguns that can launch potato plugs, tennis balls, and T-shirts by releasing compressed gas (air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen) abruptly by the activation of a quick-release dump valve into a barrel containing the projectile. Pneumatic devices have been described for launching golf balls to strike golf clubs in order to test their integrity [U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,497,650; 6,415,671 B1].
[0007] None of the present art describes a method of launching a golf ball pneumatically in a manner similar to striking it with a golf club where the direction, loft, and distance traveled by the ball is controlled by the operator. Such a device would enable a large population of individuals presently unable to play golf to participate in this popular sport.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0008] This invention provides a means for individuals unskilled or handicapped in swinging a golf club to play golf on a conventional golf course. The mobile golf-ball launching device, Robogolfer 1 , in this invention allows an individual to simulate a conventional golf shot by controlling the direction, loft, and distance of the golf ball when it is launched. The golf-ball launcher ( FIG. 2 ) is attached to a transport means 42 (FIGS. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ) similar to a golf-club bag pull cart that allows the golf-ball launcher ( FIG. 2 ) to be moved to appropriate places on the golf course where a golf shot can be executed. Attached to the transport means 42 is a cylindrical casing 3 , 5 ( FIGS. 4,5 ) similar to a golf bag that houses the components of the golf-ball launcher ( FIG. 2 ) consisting of the accumulator 13 , compressor 7 with a rechargeable battery 7 ′, dump valve 19 , and dump valve actuator 21 . The cylindrical casing 3 , 5 besides containing the golf ball launcher ( FIG. 2 ) can also be used to transport golf clubs, golf balls, and other golf accessories. Mounted on an upper cart frame member 43 of the transport means 42 is a display screen 47 that holds the compressor on/off switch 51 , digital pressure readout 49 from accumulator pressure sensor 13 , ball-launch button 55 , and inclinometer readout 53 . If needed the transport means can be attached to a golf cart or wheelchair and moved to a position where a golf shot can be made by a handicapped person.
[0009] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the transport means 42 has an adjustable loft means ( FIGS. 16A and 16B ) at the rear that allows the selection of a desired loft angle for launching the golf ball and provides stability to the launching means ( FIG. 2 ) during the execution of a golf shot.
[0010] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a pneumatic golf-ball launcher ( FIG. 2 ) is attached in a casing 3 , 5 ( FIGS. 4,5 ) to the transport means 42 in such a manner that it can be used to launch a golf ball B in varying directions, at varying distances, and lofts. The direction and loft of the golf shot can be controlled by pointing the barrel 29 of the golf ball launcher in the desired direction and tilting the Robogolfer 1 backwards at varying angles utilizing the adjustable loft means ( FIGS. 16A, 16B ) in the rear. A degree of loft can be selected by the operator through individual judgment or by observing readings on an attached inclinometer 53 . The distance of the shot can be controlled by adjusting the pressure in the accumulator 13 as determined by the accumulator pressure sensor 15 attached to the accumulator 13 with a digital readout 49 on the display screen 47 .
[0011] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, Robogolfer 1 is equipped with a rapid-release dump valve 19 , pneumatically or electronically activated, by an actuator valve 21 that can instantaneously release pressurized gas into the air release channel 25 propelling the golf ball B out through the breech 27 and barrel 29 . Such action allows a golf ball B to be propelled from the launcher barrel at a rapid velocity and for a considerable distance. In the preferred embodiment of this invention golf balls can be launched over 300 yards. The dump valve 19 can consist of one of several configurations known to the art such as a piston valve or diaphragm valve. The preferred valve for this invention is a piston valve activated by an actuating valve.
[0012] By utilizing the transport means 42 , adjustable loft means ( FIGS. 16A,16B ), golf-ball launching means ( FIG. 2 ), and distance control means 15 , 51 of Robogolfer 1 an individual unskilled or handicapped in swinging a golf club can launch a golf ball in a desired direction, loft, and distance and play golf competitively on a conventional golf course.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 . Perspective view of golf-ball launching means and transportation means [Robogolfer].
[0014] FIG. 2 . Side view/fragment section of golf-ball launching means.
[0015] FIG. 3 . Top view of golf-ball launching means.
[0016] FIG. 4 . Front view of casing containing golf-ball launching means.
[0017] FIG. 5 . Rear view of casing containing golf-ball launching means.
[0018] FIG. 6 . View along line 6 - 6 of FIG. 4 which shows front view of casing containing golf-ball launching means where barrel is attached.
[0019] FIG. 7 . Sectional view of barrel connection to golf-ball launching means.
[0020] FIG. 8 . Front view of transport means and adjustable loft means.
[0021] FIG. 9 . Side view of transport means and adjustable loft means.
[0022] FIG. 10 . Rear view of transport means and adjustable loft means.
[0023] FIG. 11 . Top view of transport means and adjustable loft means.
[0024] FIG. 12 . Section along line 11 - 11 of FIG. 9 which shows side view of transport means and adjustable loft means.
[0025] FIG. 13 . Section along line 12 - 12 of FIG. 10 which shows rear view of transport means and adjustable loft means.
[0026] FIG. 14 . Section along line 13 - 13 of FIG. 9 which shows side view of transport means and adjustable loft means.
[0027] FIGS. 15A and 15B . Section along line 15 - 15 of FIG. 13 which is a section along line 12 - 12 of FIG. 10 showing rear view of transport means and adjustable loft means.
[0028] FIGS. 16A and 16B . View illustrating minimum and maximum launch angle for the golf-ball launching means utilizing adjustable loft means.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] The objective of this invention is to allow an individual unskilled or handicapped in swinging a golf club to launch a golf ball in a manner similar to striking it with a club and play golf on a conventional golf course. In order to realize this objective a mobile device has been invented consisting of a transport means 42 (FIGS. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ), a golf-ball launching means ( FIG. 2 ), a golf-ball adjustable loft means (FIGS. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 A, 15 B, 16 A, 16 B), and a distance control means 15 , 49 , 51 . Special skill is needed in the operation of these various means which affords the opportunity for competition among individuals utilizing this invention. Once an individual's ball has reached the proximity of the golf green utilizing Robogolfer 1 a conventional golf club such as a wedge or putter can be used to finish the hole.
[0030] The Robogolfer 1 transport means 42 (FIGS. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ) provides a way to move the golf-ball launcher of Robogolfer to various sites on a golf course where a golf shot can be executed. Robogolfer has wheels 107 and an axel 101 for transportation and an adjustable loft means (FIGS. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 A, 15 B, 16 A, 16 B) that helps adjust the loft and direction of the golf shot and stabilizes Robogolfer 1 during a golf shot. The Robogolfer transport means (FIGS. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ) is similar to a golf-bag pull cart to which a casement 3 , 5 is attached to an upper 57 and lower 119 frame member. The casement 3 , 5 houses the golf-ball launcher which consists of an accumulator 13 , compressor 7 with a removable/rechargeable battery pack 7 ′. The compressor 7 is connected 11 to the accumulator 13 which has a dump valve 19 that regulates the discharge of compressed gas from the accumulator 13 into the air release channel 25 . An actuating valve 21 is connected to the dump valve 19 . The Robogolfer transport means also has a display screen 47 ( FIG. 11 ) attached to the handle 45 that contains the compressor on/off button 51 , golf-ball launching button 55 , digital inclinometer readout 53 , digital pressure readout 49 , and adjustment knob set screw 61 . Wires from the actuating valve for the dump valve 23 , pressure sensor on the accumulator 17 , and compressor 9 run to an electrical connector 35 in the casement 5 which connects to the ball-launch button 55 , compressor on/off switch 51 , and digital pressure readout 49 on the display screen 47 .
[0031] The golf-ball launching means ( FIG. 2 ) of Robogolfer can consist of any of a variety of pneumatic gun or launcher configurations known to the art to propel solid objects [eg. air cannons and paint ball guns]. The preferred configuration of the golf-ball launching means ( FIG. 2 ) consists of an accumulator 13 connected 11 to a removable/rechargeable battery pack 7 ′ powered compressor 7 . A rapid-release dump valve 19 separates the compressed air generated by the compressor 7 in the accumulator from the barrel 29 of the launcher. Connected to the dump valve 19 is an actuating valve 21 that releases pressurized gas and activates the dump valve 19 . When a small volume of pressurized gas is released by the actuating valve 21 the piston in the dump valve 19 moves rapidly to the rear releasing the seal between the dump valve 19 and air release channel 25 allowing the pressurized gas in the accumulator 13 to be rapidly expelled out the barrel 29 thus propelling the golf ball B out the end of the barrel. The launcher barrel 29 which has an inside diameter (ID) that is machined to just accommodate the diameter (1.68 inches) of a golf ball B is designed so that it can be detached and inserted in a barrel storage clamp 33 during transportation. The barrel can be removed from the barrel storage clamp 33 and installed to the launching means by a barrel quick connect 31 ( FIG. 7 ) that involves the insertion and removal of a locking pin 30 at the base of the barrel 29 into a locking groove 37 , 37 ′ and turning the barrel clockwise. An O-ring 39 seals the barrel to the breech chamber 27 .
[0032] The Robogolfer transport means 42 has an adjustable loft means that allows the operator to precisely set Robogolfer 1 to simulate the loft of various golf shots ( FIGS. 16A,16B ). As seen in FIGS. 15A,15B this is accomplished by moving a launch angle adjustable block 59 along an angle adjustment screw shaft 63 and two guide rails 73 at the back of the transport means 42 . Movement of the launch angle adjustable block 59 along these three members can be accomplished by pulling back the T-handle 77 which disengages the rack 79 from the threads on the screw shaft 63 allowing the operator to move the adjustment block 59 up or down the screw shaft 63 . Such movement allows the operator to set adjustable loft means at a desired loft for a golf shot ( FIGS. 16A,16B ). Once the T-handle 77 is released and the rack 79 is reengaged, a fine adjustment for the loft angle can be made using the angle adjustment knob 61 and adjustment knob set screw 61 ′.
[0033] The Robogolfer transport means 42 is constructed to facilitate movement of Robogolfer 1 and provide the proper loft for a golf shot, as well as, provide stability during the shot. To accomplish these goals the transport means 42 consists of an upper frame member 43 and lower transporter frame member 119 to which two parallel guide rails 73 are attached. Between the guide rails 73 there is an angle adjustment screw shaft 63 which is attached to the upper transport frame member 43 and lower transport frame member 87 . Movement of the launch angle adjustment member upward causes the movement of the Robogolfer wheels 107 backward subsequently increasing the angle of loft of the Robogolfer barrel ( FIGS. 16A,16B ). Two upper struts 111 are attached to the upper strut attachment ears 109 by means of a pin 113 and run to the launch angle adjustment member 59 . Lower struts 101 run from the upper strut attachment ear 109 to the lower cart frame member 87 . At the base of the lower transport frame member 119 is a pivoting flange 121 that penetrates the turf and anchors Robogolfer 1 during the alignment and execution of a golf shot.
[0034] FIG. 12 shows in detail the attachment of the angle adjustment shaft 63 and guide rails 73 to the upper transport frame member 43 of Robogolfer. The bore 71 of the upper transport frame member 43 has a bearing 67 at its top and bottom through which the upper shaft section 65 passes. Washers 69 , 69 are placed on both ends of the upper shaft section. A key way 65 ′ is between the fine adjustment knob 61 and fine adjustment knob set screw 61 ′. Set screws 75 hold the two guide rails 73 in place.
[0035] FIG. 13 shows a cross section of the launch angle adjustment member 59 at a point where the upper struts are attached with pins 117 and the T-handle attached to the adjusting rack 79 which is engaged with the angle adjustment screw shaft 63 . A spring 81 inside the bearing surface 85 keeps the adjusting rack 79 engaged. FIG. 15A shows the adjusting rack 79 engaged with the angle adjustment screw shaft 63 and the T-handle 77 , bore 80 , adjusting rack 79 , bearing surface 83 , 85 , spring 81 , and launch angle adjustment member 59 . FIG. 15B shows the adjusting rack 79 disengaged from the angle adjustment screw shaft 63 .
[0036] FIG. 14 shows the lower attachment of the angle adjustment screw shaft 63 of the adjustable alignment means on the transport means 82 of Robogolfer. The angle adjustment screw shaft 63 passes through the bore 71 of the lower transport frame member 87 which has a bearing 91 at both ends. Washers 93 , 93 ′ are placed on both sides of the bore hole. The guide rails 73 are held in place with set screws 97 in the lower transport frame member 87 . The lower strut 101 forms an upper strut attachment ear 109 , 115 in which the upper strut 111 is attached with a pin 113 .
[0037] Pneumatic launching devices for solid projectiles can use blow forward or blow back technology. Blow forward designs do not use any hammers or bolts instead the gas that propels the projectile is fed directly into a chamber with the piston. When the launcher is fired the piston is released and the gas pressure pushes the projectile forward in one stroke. When the piston reaches the end of its travel, a spring pushes it back for another shot. Blow back technology uses a hammer or bolt that strikes against a valve. The valve releases two jets of gas. One jet blows down the barrel, propelling the object, while the other pushes the bolt back, re-cocking the launcher for the next shot.
[0038] A preferred embodiment of this invention ( FIG. 2 ) utilizes blow forward pneumatics. Execution of a golf shot by Robogolfer 1 is performed in the following manner. The transport means is used to position Robogolfer 1 where a golf shot is desired. The golf ball B is inserted into the breech 27 against the ball rest 41 . The barrel 29 is removed from the barrel storage clamp 33 and attached to the barrel quick connect 31 by inserting the locking pin 30 at the base of the barrel 29 into the locking groove 37 , 37 ′ and turning it clockwise until the barrel 29 is securely attached. Holding the handle 45 of the transport means 42 the barrel 29 of the launching means ( FIG. 2 ) is pointed in the direction of the desired shot and the pivoting flange 121 is inserted into the turf to stabilize the alignment of the shot. A desired loft for the golf shot is selected by pulling back on the T-handle 77 on the launch angle adjustment member 59 and sliding it along the guide rails 73 and angle adjust screw shaft 63 until a desired angle of loft is obtained. The selected loft of the golf shot can be determined by utilizing the judgment of the operator or as determined by an inclinometer reading 53 . When a desired angle of loft is obtained by moving the launch angle adjustment member 59 , the T-handle 77 is released causing the adjusting rack 79 to reengage the angle adjustment screw shaft 63 . Then the angle of loft can be more finely adjusted by turning the fine adjustment knob 61 and fine adjust knob set screw 61 ′. To control the distance the golf ball will travel, the compressor button 51 on the upper cart frame member 43 is turned on. The pressure in the accumulator 13 is observed on the pressure digital readout 49 and when the desired pressure is reached the compressor button 51 is turned off. With the loft and pressure selected the ball-launch switch 55 on the upper cart frame member 43 is pressed which fires the golf shot. Following the golf shot, the barrel 29 is detached utilizing the barrel quick connect 31 and the barrel is placed in the barrel storage clamp 33 . The Robogolfer adjustable loft means is returned to its original transport position ( FIG. 16A ) by pulling back on the T-handle and moving the launch angle adjustment member 59 and then releasing the T-handle 77 . Robogolfer 1 is now ready to be transported to the next location where a golf shot is desired. It can be moved from one location to another in a manner similar to a golf-bag pull cart by pulling on the handle 45 and tilting it back on its wheels 107 . Once the new location has been reached the same procedures are followed for the next golf shot. Robogolfer can be pulled from one location to another by its transport means 42 or placed on a golf cart and moved to the next desired position. Robogolfer can be attached to a motorized golf cart or wheelchair that can move both Robogolfer 1 and a handicapped person to the position where a golf shot is desired.
[0039] The ball-launch switch 55 for Robogolfer can be either electronically, mechanically, or pneumatically activated. The ball-launch switch 55 activates the actuating valve 21 which releases a small volume of pressurized gas behind the piston in the dump valve 19 causing it to move rapidly backward opening the seal between the dump valve 19 and the air release channel 25 . Consequently, the pressurized gas (air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen) in the accumulator 13 is rapidly dumped into the barrel 29 and propels the golf ball B out the barrel end. Following the shot the piston in the dump valve 19 is repositioned into its original position either by a spring or pneumatic force.
[0040] A manufacturer of Robogolfer can recommend predetermined lofts and pressures for making various golf shots. Operators of Robogolfer can also apply their own skills in selecting the proper direction, loft, and distance in executing a golf shot.
[0041] This invention does not exclude the use of mechanical rather than pneumatic force to propel the golf ball by the launching means. It is within the scope of this invention to automate, motorize, and computerize its launching means, transport means, alignment and loft control means, and velocity and distance control means. This invention also includes the adaptation of Robogolfer for games other than golf and target shooting, Robogolfer can be used to comparatively test golf balls. It is understood that new rules may be necessary for playing golf utilizing Robogolfer on a conventional golf course.
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This invention discloses a mobile device similar to a golf-club-bag pull cart that transports a golf-ball pneumatic launcher [Robogolfer]. The launcher propels a golf ball in a manner similar to striking it with a golf club. Robogolfer allows an individual unskilled or physically handicapped in swinging a golf club to play golf. The operator positions the device where a golf shot is desired and points the barrel in the direction of the shot. The trajectory and distance of the golf shot is controlled by the angle of loft and pneumatic pressure of the golf-ball launcher. Pressurized gas is instantaneously released into the barrel of the launcher by a dump valve, thus propelling the golf ball forward on the golf course. Since skill is required in selecting the direction, loft, and distance for each golf shot launched, individuals can use Robogolfer to play golf competitively on a standard golf course.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/368,699, filed Feb. 8, 2012, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/441,504, filed Feb. 10, 2011, both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A staircase is typically one of the first parts of a building to be constructed. After the stairs are constructed, they are often used by construction workers while the remainder of the building is constructed and finished. This period of time after the stairs are constructed and before the building is finished can expose stairs, and particularly front nosings of the stairs, to significant damage, wear, contamination, etc. For example, the exposed features of the stair nosings can be scratched, dented or splashed with paint or other material while the building is being finished.
[0003] To protect the stair nosings after they are constructed, construction works often place a layer of tape over the upper surfaces of the nosings and then remove the tape after construction of the building is complete.
SUMMARY
[0004] Embodiments of stair nosing assemblies are disclosed herein that come pre-assembled with a protective cover layer that can remain covering the nosing after construction of the stairs while the remainder of the building is constructed and finished. The cover can then be quickly, easily, and accurately removed by lifting a front lip and thereby breaking the front and upper portions of the cover apart from an embedded rear lip.
[0005] One exemplary stair nosing assembly can comprise an elongated polymeric base, an elongated metal plate adhered to the base, and an elongated polymeric cover temporarily covering the base and the plate. The base can comprise at least one anchor portion extending downwardly from the upper portion for attaching the assembly to a rearward projecting lip of a tread pan and/or for embedding in a concrete tread. The plate can have various features to enhance traction and visibility. The cover can comprise front and rear lips that engage with front and rear edges of the base to temporarily secure the cover over upper surfaces of the base and the plate. The cover can further comprise a horizontally extending weakened region adjacent to or in the rear lip. When lower portions of the assembly are embedded in a concrete tread, the cover is configured to fracture along the weakened region when the front lip of the cover is lifted upward from the base, leaving the rear lip of the cover remaining embedded in the concrete and allowing the rest of the cover to be removed to expose upper surfaces of the base and plate.
[0006] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is an exploded cross-sectional end view of an exemplary stair nosing assembly, shown in the context of other portions of a stair.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 1 , with various components of the assembly cut away at different lengths for illustrative purposes.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of another exemplary stair nosing assembly shown coupled to a metal tread pan, with various components of the assembly cut away at different lengths for illustrative purposes.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a finished concrete and metal stair with the stair nosing assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2 installed, after a cover layer has been removed.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional end view of a finished concrete stair with an alternative embodiment of the nosing assembly installed, prior to the cover layer being removed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] Described herein are embodiments of a nosing assembly, components thereof, and methods related thereto. The following description is exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Various changes to the described embodiment may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described herein without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0013] The nosing assembly and components described herein are primarily intended for use with stair construction, but can also be used to form a nosing for other similar structures or objects, such as curbs, sidewalks, ledges, edges, and the like. Thus, although this disclosure proceeds with reference mainly to stairs, one of ordinary skill will understand that the inventive features disclosed herein can similarly be applied to these analogous fields of endeavor.
[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a nosing assembly 10 can comprise a plurality of components. These components can include a base 12 , a plate 14 , an adhesive 16 , a cover 18 , and/or other optional components. The nosing assembly can be pre-assembled and installed as a unit during the construction of a stair or a stair case. The base 12 can couple the nosing assembly 10 to a stair. The adhesive 16 can couple the plate 14 to the base 12 . The cover 18 can cover and protect the base 12 and plate 14 from damage and/or contamination, such as during transportation and construction, and can be removed to expose the base 12 and plate 14 (see FIG. 4 ), such as after construction of the stair case is complete.
[0015] The nosing assembly 10 can be elongated and have a generally constant cross-section transverse to the elongated direction, or length. The length of the nosing assembly 10 can be selected to correspond to the width of the stair on which it is installed. The base 12 , plate 14 , adhesive 16 and cover 18 can each have the same or similar length. The nosing assembly 10 can be any width (measured from the front edge to the rear edge), and in some embodiments is approximately two inches wide.
[0016] The base, or tread portion, 12 can be comprised of a durable polymeric material, such as PVC. As shown in FIG. 1 , the base 12 can comprise a tread portion 20 that forms a generally horizontal upper portion 22 and curves downwardly at a front side to form a generally vertical front lip 24 . The tread portion 20 can further comprise a recessed area between a front rib 28 and a rear rib 26 . This recessed area can be sized and shaped to receive the adhesive 16 and the plate 14 between the ribs 26 and 28 .
[0017] The rear of the upper portion 22 can terminate in a rear edge 30 and the bottom of the front lip 24 can terminate in a bottom edge 32 . The rear edge 30 and bottom edge 32 can engage with the cover 18 , as described below.
[0018] The base 12 can comprise a downwardly projecting rear flange 34 extending from the rear of the upper portion 22 . The rear flange 34 can comprise a rearwardly opening recess, or cavity, 35 adjacent the upper portion 22 and an expanded bottom end portion 38 . The cavity 35 can extend horizontally along the base and can be configured to receive another component in a snap-fit connection. The cavity 35 can alternatively be filled with concrete during installation and help retain the nosing 10 to the step.
[0019] The base 12 can further comprise a downwardly projecting anchor portion 36 extending from the lower surface of the upper portion 22 between the rear flange 34 and the front lip 24 . The anchor portion 36 of the base 12 can comprise a forwardly extending lip 40 and/or a downwardly extending flange 42 that terminates in an expanded bottom end portion 44 . The lip 40 can be used to couple the base 12 to a rearwardly projecting lip of a tread pan, as shown in FIG. 4 , or to an anchor 80 mounted in the concrete, as shown in FIG. 5 .
[0020] The plate 14 can be comprised of durable material, such as a suitable metal (e.g., aluminum or steel) and/or polymeric material. The plate 14 can comprise a variety of upper surface features designed to provide foot traction, illumination, aesthetic appearance, and/or other functions. For example, the plate 14 can comprise one or more ribs 50 extending lengthwise of the plate, as shown in FIGS. 1-4 . The plate 14 can further comprise a friction-enhancing material and/or a textured pattern 52 on the upper surface, such as knurling, to provide grip and/or an aesthetic appearance. One or more surfaces of the plate 14 can further comprise a photoluminescent, or “glow-in-the-dark,” material, such as the photoluminescent strips 54 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 . One or more surfaces of the plate 14 can also comprise a friction-enhancing material, such as the strips 56 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 . The photoluminescent material and/or the friction-enhancing material can comprise strips of material inserted into mating receptacles in the plate 14 between the ribs 50 . These materials can comprise a spray-on substance, adhesive strips, or other materials coupled to the plate. In addition, various surfaces of the plate 14 can be coated or painted to provide desirable properties, such as aesthetic appearance.
[0021] On some exemplary embodiments, the upper and/or lower surfaces of the plate 14 are painted, such as black or yellow. Yellow paint, for example, can provide a visual alert and/or contrast with other materials to signify the edge of a step. In one example, an aluminum plate is first painted black, and then portions of the black paint are removed, such as the top edges of the ribs 50 and/or the front and rear edges of the plate, to expose the shiny, silvery color of the metal, creating a contrasting silver and black contrast. In this example, the black can be replaced with any other color, such as yellow, to provide a similar effect.
[0022] The plate 14 can be coupled to the base 12 using an adhesive 16 , such as a double-sided tape, a layer of adhesive applied in fluid form, or the like. The adhesive 16 can be releasable in order to allow removal and replacement of the plate 14 , such as if the plate is worn or damaged or if a plate with different surface features is desired. To remove and replace the plate 14 , the plate can simply be peeled off, the adhesive 16 can be removed, and a plate can be attached with a new adhesive.
[0023] The cover 18 can be comprised of a flexible, durable material, such as PVC or other polymeric material. The cover 18 can comprise an elongated sheet of material having curled or hooked front 62 and rear 60 portions that engage with the front edge 32 and rear edge 30 , respectively, of the base 12 to hold the cover 18 in place over the base 12 and plate 14 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 .
[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 , the cover 18 can comprise a horizontal nick, or weakened region, 64 adjacent to the rear portion 60 that extends lengthwise of the cover 18 and allows the cover to easily fracture along the nick 64 to facilitate removal of the exposed portion of the cover 18 from the nosing assembly 10 . The nick 64 can comprise one or more slots, grooves, perforations, apertures, weakened regions, and/or other structural features that facilitate the separation of the rear portion 60 from the remainder of the cover when the cover is lifted upwardly from the stair. The structural features that comprise the nick 64 can be located at one or both of the inner and outer, or forward-facing and rear-facing, surfaces of the cover between the rear portion 60 and the remainder of the cover. The nick 64 can furthermore be pre-stressed or pre-weakened prior to assembly with the base 12 to further facilitate fracturing.
[0025] The nosing assembly 10 can be installed on different types of stair frames. As a first example, the nosing assembly 10 can be installed on a stair frame as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 . This exemplary stair system can comprise a generally vertical metal plate 100 and a generally horizontal metal plate 102 . The front plate 100 can have a rearwardly extending, horizontally disposed upper lip 104 that engages with the lip 40 of the base 12 . The lip 104 can extend into a gap formed between the upper surface of the lip 40 and the lower surface of the upper portion 20 . The lip 40 can resiliently flex to expand the gap and receive the metal lip 104 in the gap. The upper surface of the lip 104 can contact the upper portion 20 while the front lip 24 of the base 12 can contact the front surface of the plate 100 to hold the nosing assembly 10 on the metal stair frame. The anchor portion 36 and rear flange 34 of the base can hang freely behind the lip 104 . Concrete can then be poured into the pan formed by the plates 100 , 102 . The concrete can fill the pan up to the level of the top surface of the cover 18 , or slightly lower, such as up to the level of the upper surface of the plate 16 . The rear portion 60 of the cover can be submerged in the concrete and pinned between the rear edge 30 of the base 12 and the concrete. The anchor portion 36 and the rear flange 34 of the base can also be submerged in the concrete. The expanded lower end portions 38 and 44 and the cavity 35 assist in physically retaining the base 12 in the concrete.
[0026] After the concrete cures (see FIG. 4 ) and/or after construction of the stair case is complete, the cover 18 can be removed. The front portion 62 of the cover can be pulled forwardly away from the lower edge 32 of the front lip 24 of the base 12 to free the front of the cover 18 from the stair. The front portion 62 can then be lifted upwardly until the rear portion 60 of the cover 18 fractures apart from the rest of the cover at the nick 64 . As the majority of the cover 18 is separated from the stair, the rear portion 60 of the cover can remain buried in the concrete beneath and behind the rear edge 30 of the base 12 . The nick 64 can be positioned in the cover 18 such that the rear portion 60 of the cover that remains in the concrete can have an upper surface that is flush with the level of the concrete and/or the rear edge 30 of the base 12 .
[0027] In other embodiments, such as shown in FIG. 5 , the nosing assembly 10 can be installed with a stair system that lacks a vertical plate and rearwardly projecting metal lip for the nosing assembly for attachment. In one such stair system, a temporary mold, or framework can be constructed and concrete can be poured into the mold to form the stair tread. As the concrete cures, the nosing assembly 10 can be pressed into the concrete such that the front lip 24 rests against the front of the concrete stair and the upper surface of the cover 18 is flush with or slightly above the level of the concrete. The anchor portion 36 and the rear flange 34 of the base 12 can be submerged in the concrete such that the expanded portions 44 , 38 fix the base 12 in the concrete. After curing, the framework can be removed, leaving the nosing assembly 10 at the upper front edge of the concrete tread. After construction, the cover 18 can be removed, as described above, exposing the front and upper portions of the base 12 and the plate 14 .
[0028] In some embodiments of the nosing assembly 10 , the anchor portion 36 of the base 12 can comprise a hooked lip portion 40 without a downwardly projecting flange 42 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 , for examples. The downwardly projecting flange 42 may not be needed to secure the base 12 to the concrete, such as when the lip portion 40 is clipped onto a rearwardly extending lip 104 of the stair frame, as in FIG. 3 .
[0029] In an alternative embodiment, an additional component can be included in the nosing assembly 10 , as shown in FIG. 5 , that engages the lip portion 40 and provides a downwardly projecting flange for embedding in the concrete. For example, an adapter, or anchor, 80 (see FIG. 5 ) can be provided that comprises an upper lip 82 that engages with the lip 40 of the base 12 . The adapter 80 can further comprise a downwardly extending flange portion 84 terminating in an expanded lower edge 86 that serves the same purpose as the lower edge 44 shown in FIG. 1 . The adapter 80 can have a cross-sectional shape generally in the form of a question mark, as shown in FIG. 5 . The adapter 80 can comprise a single elongated strip or it can comprise a plurality of separate pieces that can be spaced apart along the length of the base 12 . The adapter 80 can be used, for example, to convert a base 12 that was designed to be used with a stair frame having metal lip 104 that engages the lip 40 , as in FIG. 3 , to be used with a stair frame that does not have such a lip.
[0030] In other embodiments, an additional component can be added to the rear of the base 12 , such as adapter 90 shown in FIG. 5 . The adapter 90 can have an upper rib 92 that engages, such as with a snap or friction fit, within the cavity 35 at the rear of the base 12 . The adapter 90 can extend below the level of the rear flange 34 and can comprise an expanded lower edge 94 . The adapter 90 can, in effect, extend the height of the rear flange 34 as desired. In some embodiments, (not shown) the lower edge 94 can contact a lower surface of the concrete stair, such as the bottom of a metal tread pan, to create a rear support for the nosing. This feature can help keep the upper surface of the nosing level and at a desired height relative to the concrete. The adapter 90 can comprise a single elongated strip or can comprise a plurality of separate pieces that can be spaced apart along the length of the base 12 . In some embodiments, both adapters 80 and 90 can be used.
[0031] One benefit of the nosing assemblies 10 described herein is that the cover 18 can protect the exposed surfaces of the base 12 and plate 14 during the installation of the stair and for an additional period of time after installation is complete, until the cover is removed. For example, after the installation of the nosing on a stair, the stair may be used by construction workers while the remainder of the building is constructed and finished. This period of time after the stairs are constructed and before the building is finished can expose the base 12 and plate 14 to significant damage, wear, contamination, etc. For example, the upper features of the plate can be scratched, dented or splashed with paint or other material while the building is being finished. The cover 18 can prevent and/or reduce these undesirable and unnecessary exposures. When the building is complete and ready for normal use, the covers 18 can be removed leaving a pristine nosing. The removable cover 18 described herein can obviate the alternative use of duct tape covering or other ad hoc protective devices used by construction workers to cover the stair nosing. These ad hoc attempts to protect the nosing can furthermore be less effective, less accurate, more time consuming and/or more expensive that using the nosing assemblies described herein. The cover 18 can be very tough and durable, can precisely cover the areas of the nosing that need to be protected, can come pre-installed with the rest of the nosing, and can be removed in one quick motion without leaving any residue or markings behind. The cover 18 can furthermore comprise upper surface features that provide functional benefits, such as traction and illumination, to the construction workers prior to removal.
[0032] The nosing assembly 10 can be pre-assembled with the base 12 , plate 14 and cover 18 engaged together. The adapter 80 and/or the adapter 90 can also be pre-engaged with the bottom of the base 12 . Thus, the installer merely needs to remove the nosing assembly 10 from its packaging and either clip it onto a flange of a stair frame, as shown in FIG. 3 , or press the nosing assembly into wet concrete. After the concrete cures, the installer simply lifts and breaks the cover off and the stair nosing is ready for use. Later, if desirable, the plate 14 can be peeled off and replaced with another plate without removing or damaging any other portion of the nosing other than the adhesive 16 .
[0033] In some embodiments, the base 12 and/or the cover 18 can be made of a material that is photoluminescent and/or emits light in the dark. Portions of the base 12 can be exposed below and behind the plate 14 , such that the nosing can be easily recognized by a person moving up or down the stairs.
[0034] As used herein, the terms “a”, “an” and “at least one” encompass one or more of the specified element. That is, if two of a particular element are present, one of these elements is also present and thus “an” element is present. The terms “a plurality of” and “plural” mean two or more of the specified element. As used herein, the term “and/or” used between the last two of a list of elements means any one or more of the listed elements. For example, the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means “A,” “B,” “C,” “A and B,” “A and C,” “B and C” or “A, B and C.” As used herein, the term “coupled” generally means physically (e.g., mechanically, chemically, magnetically, etc.) coupled or linked and does not exclude the presence of intermediate elements between the coupled or associated items absent specific contrary language.
[0035] In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosed invention may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure. Rather, the scope of the disclosure is defined by the following claims. I therefore claim all that comes within the scope of these claims.
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An exemplary stair nosing assembly comprises an elongated base, a plate adhered to the base, and a cover temporarily covering the base and the plate. The base has at least one anchor portion extending downwardly from the upper portion for attaching to a lip of a tread pan and/or embedding in a concrete tread. The plate can have various features to enhance traction and visibility. The cover has front and rear lips that engage with front and rear edges of the base, and a weakened region adjacent the rear lip. When the assembly is embedded in a concrete tread, the cover is configured to fracture at the weakened region when the front lip of the cover is lifted upward from the base, leaving the rear lip remaining embedded in the concrete and allowing the rest of the cover to be removed to expose upper surfaces of the base and plate.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of strand processing. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring the geometry of a non-circular twisted strand during the stranding process.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Ropes and cables are constructed of helical strands. The strand shape/cross-section/profile can be circular or non-circular. Typical non-circular strands include vertexes.
[0003] The term “stranding process” refers herein to the manufacturing process of the strand.
[0004] During the stranding process, geometrical parameters of the strand must be controlled and measured. The quality of the strand and of the rope is obtained accordingly.
[0005] Geometrical parameters and features of the strand include: roundness and uniformity of the strand surface, critical dimensions of the strand shape, lay length of the twisted non-circular strand construction, any geometrical parameter that may impact the position of the strand when it is closed into the rope configuration, the final principal dimensions of the rope and the outer surface of the rope.
[0006] Any anomaly/defect/fault generated during the stranding process of the strand may generate a critical anomaly anomaly/defect/fault at the rope level. The presence of anomaly/defect/fault at the rope level can cause the discarding of the rope during the rope closing process. Moreover, if the anomaly/defect/fault is not detected during the strand manufacturing process or at the rope closing process, the rope may be supplied to the customer defected.
[0007] The anomaly/defect/fault can generate degradation/damage/interference to the rope performance and mechanical behavior. This can generate damage to the application, impacting the safety level, impacting the installation's performance and causing a considerable reduction in service life.
[0008] There is a need for an online/real time procedure and system for the detection of geometrical anomalies/defects/faults, during the stranding process of non-circular and circular strands.
[0009] This may avoid disqualification of the rope at the manufacturer or at the customer or end user side. The online/real time procedure and system for the detection, providing the quality assurance (QA), may eliminate manufacturing expenses.
[0010] Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for measuring the geometry of the non-circular strand during the manufacturing thereof.
[0011] It is another object of the present invention to detect defects during the stranding process.
[0012] It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art.
[0013] Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a system ( 12 ) for measuring geometry of a non-circular twisted strand ( 10 ) during a stranding process, the system comprising:
a pulley ( 14 ), for being rotated by linear displacement of the strand ( 10 ) induced by the stranding process; a first encoder ( 16 ), for measuring the rotation of the pulley ( 14 ) in relation to a stationary base ( 50 ), thereby measuring the linear displacement of the strand ( 10 ); at least one embracing element ( 36 ), for embracing a vertex ( 38 ) or another zone ( 48 ) of the strand ( 10 ), for being rotated perpendicular ( 60 ) to the longitudinal position ( 58 ) of the strand ( 10 ) upon the linear displacement thereof, due to the twist thereof, the embracing obtained by the non-circular character of the strand ( 10 ) rather than by friction, thereby allowing sliding the at least one embracing element ( 36 ) therealong; and a second encoder ( 20 ), for measuring the rotation of the at least one embracing element ( 36 ) perpendicular ( 60 ) to the longitudinal position ( 58 ) of the strand ( 10 ) in relation to the stationary base ( 50 ), thereby concurrent measurement of the linear displacement of the strand ( 10 ) and of the rotation of the at least one embracing element ( 36 ) provides a measurement of the twist character of the strand ( 10 ).
[0020] The number of the at least one embracing elements ( 36 ) may comprise the number of vertexes ( 38 ) of the strand ( 10 ) designed to be produced by the stranding process,
thereby each of the at least one embracing element ( 36 ) embraces one of the vertexes ( 38 ).
[0022] The at least one embracing element ( 36 ) is shaped substantially complementary to a shape of the vertexes ( 38 ) of the strand ( 10 ) designed to be produced by the stranding process.
[0023] The at least one embracing element ( 36 ) may comprise at least one pulley, for freely rotating along and upon the strand ( 10 ).
[0024] The at least one embracing element ( 36 ) may comprise a springy element ( 28 ), for pressing the at least one embracing element ( 36 ) on the strand ( 10 ).
[0025] The at least one embracing element ( 36 ) may comprise a plurality of embracing elements ( 36 ) surrounding the strand ( 10 ),
thereby avoiding bending the strand ( 10 ).
[0027] The system ( 12 ) may further comprise:
at least one slideable surface sensor ( 40 ), for traveling together with the at least one embracing element ( 36 ), and for sliding along and attached to a zone ( 48 ) of the strand ( 10 ), for detecting deviations of a surface of the zone ( 48 ) from a pre-determined design of the stranding process.
[0029] The at least one slideable surface sensor ( 40 ) may comprise a position measurement sensor, for detecting the deviations.
[0030] The at least one slideable surface sensor ( 40 ) may comprise a brush element ( 62 ) for conducting electric signals from the at least one slideable surface sensor ( 40 ) to a stationary location ( 24 ).
[0031] The system ( 12 ) may further comprise:
a disk ( 32 ), connected to the at least one embracing element ( 36 ), for being rotated thereby perpendicular ( 60 ) to the longitudinal position ( 58 ) of the strand ( 10 ).
[0033] The system ( 12 ) may further comprise:
at least one springy element ( 28 ), for pressing the at least one embracing element ( 36 ) from the disk ( 32 ) onto the strand ( 10 ).
[0035] The system ( 12 ) may further comprise:
a wheel ( 18 ) disposed at a margin of the disk ( 32 ), for being rotated by the disk ( 32 ) via a gear system ( 46 ), wherein the wheel ( 18 ) is connected to the second encoder ( 20 ), thereby the second encoder ( 20 ) is disposed away from a center of the disk ( 32 ).
[0038] The system ( 12 ) may further comprise:
a controller ( 24 ), for determining samples for the measurements, thereby the measurements do not accumulate errors.
[0041] The samples may comprise length segments, and/or angular segments.
[0042] In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for measuring geometry of a non-circular twisted strand ( 10 ) during a stranding process, the method comprising the steps of:
rotating a pulley ( 14 ) by linear displacement of the strand ( 10 ) induced by the stranding process; measuring, by a first encoder ( 16 ), the rotation of the pulley ( 14 ), thereby measuring the linear displacement of the strand ( 10 ); embracing, by at least one embracing element ( 36 ), a vertex ( 38 ) or another zone ( 48 ) of the strand ( 10 ), for rotating the at least one embracing element ( 36 ) perpendicular ( 60 ) to the longitudinal position ( 58 ) of the strand ( 10 ) upon the linear displacement thereof, due to the twist thereof; and measuring, by a second encoder ( 20 ), the rotation of the at least one embracing element ( 36 ) perpendicular ( 60 ) to the longitudinal position ( 58 ) of the strand ( 10 ), thereby concurrent measurement of the linear displacement of the strand ( 10 ) and of the rotation of the at least one embracing element ( 36 ), provides a measurement of the twist character of the strand ( 10 ).
[0048] The embracing of the vertex ( 38 ) or another zone ( 48 ) of the strand ( 10 ) may comprise free linear displacement of the strand ( 10 ) in relation to the at least one embracing element ( 36 ).
[0049] The method may further comprise the steps of:
rotating at least one slideable surface sensor ( 40 ) together with the at least two embracing elements ( 36 ); and detecting by the at least one slideable surface sensor ( 40 ) deviations of a surface of the strand ( 10 ) from a pre-determined design of the stranding process,
[0052] The method may further comprise the steps of:
upon exceeding a pre-determined threshold of measurement, halting the standing process.
[0054] The measurements may be conducted upon pre-determined samples of the strand ( 10 ),
thereby the measurements do not accumulate errors.
[0056] The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0057] Preferred embodiments, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings:
[0058] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a strand scanner, according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0059] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the strand scanner of FIG. 1 .
[0060] FIG. 3 shows the strand scanner of FIG. 1 having a cut in the strand, in order to demonstrate the strand twist and the rotation operated thereby.
[0061] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view and an enlargement of the strand surface sensors 40 of FIG. 3 .
[0062] It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0063] The present invention will be understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments (“best mode”), which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features, methods, systems, procedures, components, circuits, and so on, are not described in detail.
[0064] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a strand scanner, according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0065] A strand 10 , to be measured and examined by a strand scanner 12 , being a system for scanning strand 10 , according to one embodiment of the present invention, includes a plurality of wires 22 braided around a core 26 . The longitudinal core 26 is of a non-circular shape (not shown), e.g., triangular or oval shape, and is also twisted. Thus, strand 10 including wires 22 , surrounding longitudinal core 26 , as well is non-circularly shaped and also is twisted as shown in the figure.
[0066] FIG. 1 shows a typical constitution of a non-circular strand 10 . The manufacturing of strand 10 is performed by a stranding machine, which is not shown in the figures.
[0067] Strand scanner 12 according to the present invention may be disposed either at the front end of the machine (not shown) or at any independent disposition for measuring and examining the produced strand 10 .
[0068] Strand scanner 12 , according to one embodiment of the present invention, provides an applicable solution for the need to measure critical geometrical parameters/features of the non-circular strand 10 profile, shape and surface thereof during the manufacturing of the strand 10 , together with measuring and detecting the specific anomalies/defect/faults along strand 10 , which might be generated during the stranding process.
[0069] Thus, strand scanner 12 controls the quality of the manufacturing process of non-circular strand 10 .
[0070] Strand scanner 12 is capable of examining strands 10 being produced as helical structures for wire ropes, cables and ropes applied for hoisting, mooring lines, communication lines, hauling, lifting, pulling, drilling, electrical conducting, tension member. Strands 10 are produced for having various non-circular shapes, configured to be linear and twisted, and constructed of rigid materials.
[0071] Strand scanner 12 examines the external surface of strand 10 , and thus is capable of also examining strands 10 having various shapes, not limited to the above-mentioned description.
[0072] Non-circular twisted strand 10 is continuously shifted into, therethrough, and out of scanner 12 , for being scanned thereby. During the scanning, strand 10 is examined regarding the twist extent, the distribution and the structure of strand 10 , including the width versus the length thereof, for identifying anomalies from the pre-determined design to be manufactured by the stranding machine, and for identifying defects.
[0073] The term “shaft encoder” refers herein to an electro-mechanical device that converts the angular position or motion of a shaft or axle to an analog or digital code.
[0074] Strand scanner 12 counts the number of twists per length unit of strand 10 , by a shaft encoder 20 counting the number of rotations of a disk 32 in relation to the linear displacement of strand 10 , measured by a shaft encoder 16 counting the number of rotations of a linear motion pulley 14 . Shaft encoders 16 and 20 may be replaced by other encoders.
[0075] In order to enable shaft encoder 20 be disposed away from the center of disk 32 and away from strand 10 , disk 32 may rotate another wheel 18 , via a gear system 46 . Wheel 18 is disposed at the margin of disk 32 , and wheel 18 is connected to rotation measurement shaft encoder 20 . The rotation measurement shaft encoder 20 provides an electrical signal 20 A corresponding to the rotation of wheel 18 thereof, and thus to that of disk 32 .
[0076] A controller/computer 24 receives signal 20 A from the rotation measurement shaft encoder 20 .
[0077] The linear displacement of strand 10 is measured by linear motion pulley 14 , having a known perimeter, thus each rotation thereof indicates the length of the perimeter. Linear motion pulley 14 may activate a wheel (not shown) of a linear displacement shaft encoder 16 . Linear displacement shaft encoder 16 provides an electrical signal 16 A corresponding to the rotation of linear motion pulley 14 . Controller/computer 24 receives a signal 16 A from linear displacement shaft encoder 16 .
[0078] Linear motion pulley 14 functions as a linear displacement measurement system to measure the dynamical linear displacement of strand 10 . The linear displacement measurement system includes linear motion pulley 14 driven by strand 10 ; and linear displacement shaft encoder 16 , counting the rotations of linear motion pulley 14 . The linear displacement of strand 10 can be measured in real time.
[0079] Controller/computer 24 receives signal 20 A from rotation measurement shaft encoder 20 , and signal 16 A from linear displacement shaft encoder 16 , and analyzes the two signals concurrently.
[0080] Preferably, the analysis is performed at pre-determined linear segments, being locations on strand 10 , and/or at pre-determined angular segments, each segment being an examined sample, ranges thereof determined by controller 24 .
[0081] For example, the linear displacement of strand 10 can be measured in specific pre-determined segments of the designed length of a cycle of twist, e.g., 42 centimeters, or a fraction thereof, e.g., 120 degrees.
[0082] Controller/computer 24 typically provides an angular differential to a linear differential, the differentials in relation to the angle and the location of the last sample. According to the above example, the expected result may be 120 degrees per 14 centimeters.
[0083] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the strand scanner of FIG. 1 .
[0084] FIG. 2 depicts three embracing elements 36 disposed around strand 10 , for embracing thereof. This embodiment of three embracing elements 36 is suited for a strand 10 having a triangular cross-section, depicted in the figures. The triangular cross-section includes a core 26 having a triangular cross-section, and wires 22 (not shown) braided around core 26 .
[0085] The triangular cross-section comprises three vertexes 38 , namely A, B, and C indicated in FIG. 3 , and each embracing element 36 embraces one vertex 38 .
[0086] Since strand 10 is twisted, meaning that the angular position of the vertexes 38 changes therealong, as indicated in two locations in the figure, the linear motion of strand 10 is converted into a rotational motion of embracing elements 36 sliding thereupon strand 10 . Each embracing element 36 slides attached to the vertex 38 thereof upon strand 10 .
[0087] According to another embodiment (not shown), each embracing element 36 embraces the flat surface 48 of strand 10 .
[0088] A spring 28 and an adjusting screw 30 for adjusting the pressure of spring 28 , may press embracing element 36 onto vertex 38 thereof in relation to the cylinder 34 , or may allow to release the pressure therefrom, for getting free from one vertex, and for embracing another vertex 38 . This replacement of the vertex may be necessary for cases of defects in strand 10 . The pressure may be adjusted by adjusting screw 30 or by other means.
[0089] A four embracing elements 36 construction (not shown) surrounding strand 10 , is suited for embracing a strand 10 having a quadrangular cross-section (not shown), for being rotated thereby.
[0090] The number of embracing elements 36 surrounding strand 10 , the internal shape of embracing elements 36 , and the pressure of springs 28 , preferably are fitted to the expected vertex 38 or of the surface 48 of strand 10 , for efficiently embracing strand 10 , for being freely rotated thereby. In particular, embracing elements 36 preferably are shaped to be complementary to the shape of vertexes 38 .
[0091] Embracing elements 36 function as shoes, and may constitute pulleys or skates being free to rotate for sliding along the linear direction of strand 10 , thus substantially being floating.
[0092] The embracing of strand 10 by embracing elements 36 is obtained by the non-circular character of strand 10 , and not by friction force, such as by tight gripping. Vertexes 38 , even if not sharp, such as in an ellipse, constitute the non-circular character of strand 10 . Thus, the embracing of strand 10 by embracing elements 36 allows sliding embracing elements 36 along strand 10 .
[0093] Embracing elements ( 36 ) substantially evenly surround strand 10 , thus they do not bend the strand.
[0094] The twisted shape surface of the strand 10 rotates the three embracing elements 36 in direction 60 being perpendicular to the longitudinal position 58 of strand 10 .
[0095] The cylinders 34 of embracing elements 36 are rigidly fixed to disk 32 . A piston 54 is movable within each cylinder 34 . Spring 28 presses piston 54 towards strand 10 . A fork 56 is rigidly fixed to piston 54 . Embracing element 36 is pivotally connected to fork 56 . Thus, rotation of embracing elements 36 perpendicular to strand 10 rotates disk 32 .
[0096] Disk 32 rotates wheel 18 , being connected to rotation measurement shaft encoder 20 and from there to controller 24 .
[0097] Linear motion pulley 14 is rotated by strand 10 due to friction therebetween, thus rotating the wheel (not shown) of linear displacement shaft encoder 16 . Linear displacement shaft encoder 16 is connected to controller 24 , thus measuring the linear displacement of the strand 10 .
[0098] Thus, strand scanner 12 includes a dynamical mechanism including embracing elements 36 following and measuring the lay length of the non-circular twisted strand 10 and of the surface quality of the strand.
[0099] The dynamical mechanism includes embracing elements 36 being radially disposed around the strand axis. Embracing elements 36 are preferably fitted to the profile of the expected strand 10 . For example: for triangular strand, there should be three individual embracing elements 36 . For oval or flat strands, there should be two individual embracing elements 36 .
[0100] Embracing elements 36 are radially pressed by spring 28 or by any compression mechanisms which may ensure the optimal contact between embracing elements 36 and strand 10 . Accordingly, the linear movement of the twisted strand 10 is converted to a rotational movement of embracing elements 36 and thus of the disk 32 .
[0101] Embracing elements 36 are made of steel or any rigid material. The material of the pulleys may fit the material of strand 10 , for avoiding damage to the strand surface, due to the radial compression.
[0102] Disk 32 , being rigidly fixed to cylinders 34 , is rotated by embracing elements 36 , being rotated by strand 10 , in relation to a stationary base 50 via radial bearings (not shown).
[0103] Linear motion pulley 14 is rotated by strand 10 , in relation to a rack and fork 52 , being fixed to base 50 . Rack and fork 52 , being fixed to base 50 , provide that linear motion pulley 14 fixed thereto, substantially does not measure the length of the twist along strand 10 .
[0104] According to another embodiment, the linear motion of strand 10 may be measured by counting rotations of embracing elements 36 . This embodiment is not preferable since it measures the length of the twist along strand 10 .
[0105] Base 50 may be fixed to the stranding machine (not shown) at the outlet stage/station thereof, i.e. close to the collecting spool of strand 10 , or may be disposed at a further location.
[0106] FIG. 3 shows the strand scanner of FIG. 1 having an imaginary cut in the strand, in order to demonstrate the strand twist and the rotation operated thereby.
[0107] At the linear location where strand 10 exits the strand scanner 12 , vertexes 38 of strand 10 are marked in the figure at two different linear locations thereof, with letters A, B, and C. Due to the twisted shape of the strand 10 the position of the letters is rotated from one location to another. For example, the letter A at one location of the strand is rotated from the letter A at the other locations thereof.
[0108] Cylinder 34 functions as a track for the spring 28 pressing embracing elements 36 .
[0109] Strand scanner 12 may further include surface sensors 40 for measuring the texture of the “flat” surface 48 (shown in FIG. 4 ) of strand 10 . For example, surface sensor 40 may indicate the presence of a protrusion at a certain area on flat surface 48 , being a defect. Any of surface sensors 40 may detect the defect and may stop the entire machine from processing the manufacturing of strand 10 .
[0110] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view and an enlargement of the strand surface sensors 40 of FIG. 3 .
[0111] Each of surface sensors 40 ends with an end surface 42 . End surface 42 slides upon and along one of flat surfaces 48 of strand surface 10 .
[0112] End surface 42 of surface sensor 40 rotates together with the disk 32 and embracing elements 36 , and thus the flat surface 48 of strand 10 is expected to be unchangeable during the scanning in spite of all the movements. Thus, any change is reported to be a defect in the surface of the strand 10 .
[0113] The term “brush element” refers herein to a circular device for conducting electric current between stationary wires and moving parts, most commonly in a rotating shaft.
[0114] Unlike rotation measurement shaft encoder 20 and linear displacement shaft encoder 16 , recording the direct rotation count of disk 32 and of linear motion pulley 14 respectively, the axle thereof being stationary, end surfaces 42 of surface sensors 40 are not stationary, since they rotate together with the disk 32 and with embracing elements 36 . Thus, a brush element 62 conducts the electric signals produced by surface sensors 40 to a stationary location, such as to controller 24 (not shown).
[0115] Surface sensors 40 measure the surface roughness and principal dimensions of the twisted strand 10 . The measurement approves triangular attitude in the case of triangular strands, principal diameters in the case of oval and flat strands and any principal dimensions in non-circular strands 10 .
[0116] Surface sensors 40 are disposed near embracing elements 36 and can be radially positioned to maintain an optimal contact with the strand circular shape.
[0117] The term “LVDT” refers herein to a Linear Variable Differential Transformer, being an electrical transformer used for measuring linear displacement.
[0118] Surface sensors 40 may be of any position measurements sensors, such as: LVDT, proximity magnetic, optical etc.
[0119] Surface sensors 40 may rotate with disk 32 while following on the quality of the strand surface 48 , thus detecting anomaly thereon, such as upstanding wire, change in strand diameter, etc.
[0120] Gear system 46 transmits the rotational displacement of disk 32 to a rotational motion of wheel 18 . Gear system 46 may constitute a belt gear system or a teeth gear system.
[0121] A data acquisition system, which may be included in controller 24 , records the actual rotational position of the disk 32 and the strand linear displacement. The data acquisition system can be any PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) instrument or any computerized system with the appropriate software and A/D (Analog to Digital) or D/A systems.
[0122] A computerized software application, programmed according to the expected characteristics of strand 10 , as produced by the stranding machine (not shown), and a specific measurement application, simultaneously calculate the local lay length/twist level of the strand by dividing the recorded data of the linear displacement of strand 10 by the rotational displacement of disk 32 . This can be conducted into individual segments. The size and level of segments is defined by the operator.
[0123] For each segment, the program may divide the local measured rotational displacement of disk 32 by the local linear displacement of the strand 10 . Accordingly, the local twist/lay length is measured and calculated. The computerized software application calculates the main actual dimensions of the strand 10 as measured by the radial position sensors.
[0124] A visual display (not shown) displays the local lay length of strand 10 . This visual display may plot the lay length/twist level of the strand versus the strand linear location. The visual display may include the upper and lower limits of the required twist level.
[0125] An alarm element may execute a vocal alert generator or a red light activator. This alarm may be activated when the level of twist deviates from the required range. The alarm may be activated when any deviation is detected by the radial sensors.
[0126] A shut down system may include an electrical connection to the electrical board of the stranding machine. When the alarm is activated due to over twist/low twist, anomaly at the surface, or fault in a principal strand dimension, the shutdown system may generate shut down of the stranding machine.
[0127] The strand scanner 12 preferably is automatically operated during the stranding process. It is positioned proximate to the strand spool at the front of the stranding machine.
[0128] The strand scanner 12 preferably is designed for heavy duty stranding operations, such as up to 5,000 meters continuous measurement. It is preferably designed for strand sizes, such as for a range of 5-25 mm triangular attitude, and of similar diameter for oval strands. The strand scanner 12 preferably requires simple and fast preparation for process. The local twist level of the strand may be measured at relatively very small segments, such as every 50 mm.
[0129] In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals (Reference Signs List) have been mentioned:
numeral 10 denotes a strand to be examined; numeral 12 denotes a system for scanning a strand, according to one embodiment of the present invention; numeral 14 denotes a linear motion pulley, being a pulley for measuring linear motion of the strand; numeral 16 denotes a shaft encoder, for measuring the linear displacement of the strand; numeral 16 A denotes a signal; numeral 18 denotes a wheel; numeral 20 denotes a shaft encoder, for measuring the rotation of the disk; numeral 20 A denotes a signal; numeral 22 denotes a wire wrapped around the core of the strand; numeral 24 denotes a controller; numeral 26 denotes the core of the strand; numeral 28 denotes a spring, for pressing the embracing element on the strand; numeral 30 denotes a screw, for adjusting the pressure of the spring; numeral 32 denotes a disk; numeral 34 denotes a cylinder, for housing the spring; numeral 36 denotes an embracing element, for embracing the strand, while sliding along the strand; numeral 38 denotes a vertex of the strand; numeral 40 denotes a surface sensor, for sensing a surface quality of the strand; numeral 42 denotes an end surface of the surface sensor; numeral 46 denotes a gear system; numeral 48 denotes a flat surface of the strand; numeral 50 denotes a base, being the stationary element, in relation to which the measurements are conducted; numeral 52 denotes a rack and fork, being fixed to the base, and being rotatably connected to the linear motion pulley; numeral 54 denotes a piston, for carrying the fork of the pulley; numeral 56 denotes the fork of the pulley; numeral 58 denotes the longitudinal position of the strand; numeral 60 denotes the direction of motion of the disk; numeral 62 denotes a brush element.
[0158] The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form.
[0159] Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should to be interpreted according to this definition.
[0160] The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.
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A system ( 12 ) for measuring geometry of a non-circular twisted strand ( 10 ) during a stranding process, the system comprising: a pulley ( 14 ), for being rotated by linear displacement of the strand ( 10 ) induced by the stranding process; a first encoder ( 16 ), for measuring the rotation of the pulley ( 14 ), thereby measuring the linear displacement of the strand ( 10 ); at least one embracing element ( 36 ), for embracing a vertex ( 38 ) or another zone ( 48 ) of the strand ( 10 ), for being rotated perpendicular ( 60 ) to the longitudinal position ( 58 ) of the strand ( 10 ), the embracing obtained by the non-circular character of the strand ( 10 ) rather than by friction, thereby allowing sliding the at least one embracing element ( 36 ) therealong; and a second encoder ( 20 ), for measuring the rotation of the at least one embracing element ( 36 ), thereby measuring the twist character of the strand ( 10 ).
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to threading closures and, more particularly, to threading cylindrical-walled metal closures. Such closures include metal caps which are commonly used on a variety of bottles and jars such as mayonnaise jars, cosmetic containers, medicine bottles, and the like. The metal cap threaded in accordance with the invention consists of a metal shell having a cylindrical wall. The screw threads are formed inwardly on the cylindrical wall.
Various methods are known for threading caps. One of the first methods of threading metal caps utilized two expanding tools in series. The first tool formed segments of threads leaving intervening unthreaded areas, and the second tool completed the thread.
Another method of threading caps is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,209,416 issued to Montelione. In this method a rotating chuck was utilized to hold a cap, and a threading tool smaller than the cap was inserted into the cap. After inserting the threading tool into the cap, the tool was moved toward the wall of the cap to form the thread by impressing a pre-threaded portion on the threading tool into the edge of the cap which had previously been turned inwardly. The threading tool would rotate in the same direction as the cap rotated. Furthermore, the threading tool rotates at the same speed as the cap. Such threading equipment necessitates removal of the cap from the cap-forming apparatus and movement to the threading station where the cap must be rotated during the threading operation.
THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention there is provided an apparatus for threading a closure having cylindrical walls which includes securing the closure in a stationary nest, inserting a threading tool having indentions on the outside thereof into the interior of the closure, moving the closure into a ring having projecting threads therein around the outside of said closure, moving the threading tool into contact with the interior portion of the closure upon which threads are to be formed, and moving the threading tool around the interior portion of the stationary closure in an orbital path to form threads in the closure without rotating the threading tool about the threading tool axis.
An advantage of the invention is that several excess operations are eliminated by performing the threading operations while the cap is still in the machine which curls the inside edge of the cap. Another advantage is that scratches and dents of caps would be reduced by eliminating conveyors, transfers of the cap from one station to another, and insertion in rotating chucks. Furthermore, floor space and equipment, synchronization and control problems are also reduced. Also, tooling may be quickly changed to thread different sizes of caps.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partly cut-away, partly cross-sectional, elevational view of the threading apparatus of the present invention showing an unthreaded cap axially aligned with the threading tool;
FIG. 2 is a partly cut-away, partly cross-sectional, elevational view of the threading tool axially aligned with the unthreaded cap and with the threading tool inserted into the interior of the cap;
FIG. 3 is a partly cut-away, partly cross-sectional, elevational view of the threading tool inserted into the cap and making initial contact with the interior wall of the cap;
FIG. 4 is a top view of a restraining plate;
FIG. 5 is a side view of the plate of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a side view of an actuating cone and centering disc;
FIG. 7 is a top, partly sectional view of the actuating cone and centering disc of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 8--8 of FIG. 1; and,
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 9--9 of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, in FIG. 1 is shown a closure or cap generally indicated by the numeral 10 which has a cylindrical side wall 12 in which threads are to be formed, and a top 14. The closure or caps 10 to which the invention has greatest utility are made from metal. Plastic closures or caps may also be used if desired.
The cap in FIG. 1 is supported by a cap support member 18 to which is attached rod 20 for movement of cap support member 18 upwardly and downwardly. Surrounding cap support 18 is the cap nest generally indicated by the numeral 22.
A channel 21 may be formed in member 18 and a vacuum applied thereto to hold cap 10 on member 22. Also, when the cap is formed from a metal which is attracted to a magnet, member 18 may be magnetized to hold cap 10 thereon.
Cap nest 22 has an interior circular shoulder 24 which limits the downward movement of cap support member 18 when the shoulder 24 strikes the circular shoulder 26 of cap support member 18. Cap nest 22 is supported by cap nest support members 28. Cap nest 22 also has a second upper circular shoulder 30 upon which the edge of cap 10 rests during the threading operation. Adjacent to shoulder 30 in cap nest 22 is sidewall 32. Sidewall 32 has a series of projecting threads 32a thereon which correspond in number to indentions 36 in threading tool 34 and are alignable therewith to cooperate in the formation of threads on cap 10. Sidewall 32 contacts the sidewall 12 of cap 10 during the threading operations to prevent horizontal movement of the cap.
In FIG. 1 the threading tool generally indicated by the numeral 34 is shown immediately above and axially aligned with cap 10, cap support member 18, and cap nest 22. Threading tool 34 has a series of indentions 36 located thereon. Indentions 36 are preferably inclined at an angle with the horizontal. Any desired angle may be used.
Threading tool 34 is rigidly connected by bolt 37 to the threading tool carrier, generally indicated by the numeral 38. Threading tool carrier 38 is in turn located in the threading tool carrier housing, generally indicated by the numeral 40.
Threading tool carrier 38 can be seen in FIGS. 1-3 to have a conical recess, generally indicated by the numeral 42, in the top thereof. Conical recess 42 is axially aligned with threading tool 34.
Located in conical recess 42 is actuating cone 44 which is rigidly connected to eccentric shaft 45 which is in turn slidably connected to rotating sleeve 46. Rotating sleeve 46 rotates in ball bearing 47 which is contained in threading tool carrier housing 40. Cone 44 may be rotatably connected to shaft 45.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the threading tool 34 is shown inserted into the interior of cap 10. The insertion of threading tool 34 into cap 10 is accomplished by moving threading tool carrier housing 40 downwardly until the bottom shoulder 48 contacts cap 10 and forces cap 10 downwardly into cap nest 22 so that the bottom 14 of cap 10 strikes shoulder 30 of cap nest 22. Thus, the downward force of surface 48 on cap 10 prevents rotation of cap 10.
Referring now to FIG. 3, eccentric shaft 45 is seen to be extended downwardly from the position shown in FIG. 2. Eccentric shaft 45 slides downwardly within rotating sleeve 46. The downward movement of shaft 45 forces actuating cone 44 into the bottom of threading tool carrier and thereby slides conical recess 42 laterally or horizontally, thus forcing indentions 36 of threading tool 34 into contact with the cylindrical wall 12 of cap 10 forcing wall 12 into contact with projecting threads 36a to make a thread impression therein. After insertion of the threading tool 34 into cap 10, sleeve 46 is rotated 360° to thread the cap and rotation is stopped. During the 360° rotation of sleeve 46, the threading tool carrier 38 is forced about in an orbital motion thus bringing threading tool 34 into contact with cylindrical wall 12 of cap 10 to form a series of threads around the interior of cylindrical wall 12 of cap 10.
It is preferred that threading tool carrier 38 and threading tool 34 do not rotate about their vertical axes. Any conventional means may be used to prevent rotation. In the embodiment shown in the drawings a plate, generally indicated by the numeral 52, and shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5, is utilized to prevent rotation of threading tool carrier 38 and threading tool 34.
Plate 52 includes a flat disc 53 having a hole 54 in the center thereof for receipt of eccentric shaft 45. Hole 54 must be sufficiently large enough in diameter to permit shaft 45 to orbit therein. Two guides 56--56 and 58--58 are aligned on the top and bottom of disc 53, the two top guides being aligned at a right (90°) angle to the bottom guides.
As can best be seen in FIG. 8, threading tool carrier 38 has a slot 39 in the top thereof for sliding receipt of guides 58--58 and a hole 54a therein for receipt of shaft 45. As can be seen in FIGS. 1-3 and FIG. 9, threading tool carrier housing 40 has a horizontal disc portion 41 located above plate 52 which has a hole 43 therein for receipt of shaft 45. Hole 43 must be sufficiently large enough for shaft 45 to orbit therein, and preferably, has the same diameter as hole 54 in plate 52. Slot 60 is formed in the bottom of horizontal disc portion 41 for sliding receipt of guides 56--56 of plate 52. Thus, rotation of threading tool carrier 38 and threading tool 34 is prevented.
Threading tool carrier 38 slides about the interior of threading tool carrier housing 40 in an orbital motion. Threading tool carrier 38 has a flat lower surface which slides upon flat interior surface 40a of threading tool carrier housing 40.
A centering disc, generally indicated by the numeral 62, shown in FIGS. 1-3, 6, and 7, is located at the top of actuating cone 44 to center threading tool carrier 38 in the center of housing 40 when actuating cone 44 is moved to its uppermost position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Centering disc 62 has a hole 63 in the top thereof for receipt of shaft 45. The upper edge 65 is beveled to nest against the beveled upper edge 42a of recess 42. Centering disc 62 is rigidly connected to cone 44 in the position shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 such that no portion of disc 62 extends outwardly past the outermost edge of cone 44.
After the entire cap is threaded, rotating sleeve 46 is stopped and eccentric shaft 45 is withdrawn to the upper position shown in FIG. 1. Threading tool carrier housing 40 is then moved upwardly to remove threading tool 34 from the interior of cap 10. Cap 10 now has threads therein and the threading operation is complete. Cap support member 18 then returns the bottom of cap 10 to the level of the top of cap nest 22.
An advantage of the invention is that different size caps can be threaded by quickly changing the threading tool 34, nest 22, and the lower portion 40b of threading tool housing 40 by removing bolts 40c and 37. If the depth of the threads varies sufficiently, threading tool carrier 38 and actuating cone 44 can be replaced. Threading tool carrier 38 may be separated to gain access to actuating cone 44 by extending shaft 45 downwardly and removing bolts 40d.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed and described in detail above, it should be understood that the invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the following claims.
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An apparatus for threading a closure having cylindrical walls which includes securing the closure in a stationary nest, inserting a threading tool having indentions on the outside thereof into the interior of the closure, moving the closure into a ring having projecting threads on the inside thereof around the outside walls of said closure, moving the threading tool into contact with the interior portion of the closure upon which threads are to be formed, and moving the threading tool around the interior portion of the stationary closure in an orbital path to form threads in the closure without rotating the threading tool about the threading tool axis.
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This application is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 10/787,473, filed Feb. 26, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,110,114, which is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 09/936,535, filed Sep. 14, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,720,547, a National Application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/US00/07008, filed Mar. 17, 2000, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/125,033, filed Mar. 18, 1999, and 60/146,819, filed Aug. 2, 1999, which are herein incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to confocal microscopy and particularly to a system (method and apparatus) for enhancing images of tissue at the surface or internally of a tissue sample so as to enable rapid and accurate screening of tissue for the determination of the nuclear and cellular structure thereof. The present invention also relates to a method for diagnosing cancerous cells in skin tissue using confocal microscopy. The invention is especially suitable in providing enhanced images of the nuclei of BCC/SCC (basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma) in confocal reflectance images of tumor slices obtained during Mohs micrographic surgery. Tissue may be either naturally exposed, or surgically excised tissue.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mohs micrographic surgery for BCCs and SCCs involves precise excision of the cancer with minimal damage to the surrounding normal skin. Conventionally, precise excision is guided by histopathologic examination for cancer margins in the excised tissue slices during Mohs surgery. Typically, 2-4 slices are excised, and there is a waiting time of 10-30 minutes for the surgeon and patient while each slice is being processed.
Confocal reflectance microscopes can noninvasively image nuclear and cellular detail in living skin to provide images of tissue sections, such a microscope is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,880. The contrast in the images is believed to be due to the detected variations in the singly back-scattered light caused by variations in refractive indices of tissue microstructure. Within the epidermal (basal and squamous) cells, the cytoplasm appears bright and the nuclei as dark ovals. The underlying dermis consists of collagen bundles and that, too, appears bright with dark spaces in-between. Thus, when neoplastic epidermal cells invade the dermis as in BCCs and SCCs, confocal detection of the cancers is very difficult because the cells and nuclei lack contrast relative to the surrounding normal dermis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the feature of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for confocal microscopy by cross polarizing the light illuminating a tissue sample and the light returned from the tissue sample representing a section of the tissue.
It is another feature of the present invention to use such cross polarizing of the light illuminating a tissue sample and the light returned from the tissue sample in combination with imaging the sample when immersed in an image enhancement agent.
It is a further feature of the present invention to provide a method for diagnosing cancerous cells in skin tissue using confocal microscopy
Briefly described, a system for providing enhanced images in confocal microscopy is provided by utilizing cross polarized light in the illumination of tissue and in the detection of light from which the images are formed, respectively, and where an image enhancing agent, such as acetic acid or vinegar solution, is used in a bath in which the specimen is immersed while being imaged.
It has been found in accordance with the invention that a confocal laser scanning microscope using cross polarized components of light in illumination and in the detection of the reflected light from tissue specimens immersed in such an enhancement agent solution images of the cellular structure are enhanced, enabling cells and voids in the structure and the cell condition to be readily observed. By virtue of the use of such cross polarized light in imaging of tumor slices obtained in the course of Mohs surgery, epidermis sections which may have holes in the collagen are imaged more accurately so that holes are unlikely to be confused with cells or cell structure.
A method is also provided for detecting cancerous basal cell and squamous cell in dermal tissue with confocal reflected light imaging having the steps of: washing the tissue to be imaged with a solution of acetic acid to whiten epithelial cells and compact chromatin of the tissue; imaging the tissue with a confocal microscope to provide confocal images of basal and squamous cells in which the confocal microscope directs light into the tissue and collects reflected light representing confocal images of the tissue; changing the polarization state of the light used by the confocal microscope to increase the contrast of the nuclei of basal and squamous cells in the confocal images; and analyzing the nuclei of the basal and squamous cells in the confocal images to diagnose which of such cells are cancerous.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein,
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a Vivascope (™) confocal microscope which is available from Lucid Inc. of Rochester, N.Y. and is described in the above referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,880; and
FIGS. 2A , B, C, and D are schematic depictions of various parts of the confocal microscope system and the cross-polarized illumination which is used therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
Referring to the drawings, in the confocal microscope 10 of FIG. 1 , a linearly polarized (p-state) laser beam 12 is passed through a half wave plate (HWP) 13 on a rotation stage 14 . A confocal microscope especially suitable in practicing the invention is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,880, issued Mar. 9, 1999, which is herein incorporated by reference. Other confocal microscopes may also be used. The illumination through the non-polarizing or partially polarizing beam splitter 16 is scanned, as by a polygon mirror 18 and galvanometric mirror 19 across the specimen or sample 22 having a surface 22 a . As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C , sample 22 may be a BCC/SCC sample in a sample holder or container 22 b contained in an enhancement solution bath 26 having water 28 under a tissue ring 33 which places the sample 22 under tension. As shown in FIG. 1 , the microscope 10 , via an objective lens 23 , images the tissue sample 23 through an opening 33 a in the tissue ring 33 . For example, the opening 33 a may include a window having a material transparent to the beam.
The target surface is the surface of the sample 22 (such as a tissue tumor specimen), which may be at the surface 22 a or within the body of the sample, utilizing the techniques described in the above referenced U.S. patent. The polarization of the incident light and the reflected light also can be modified using a quarter wavelength plate (QWP) 21 which is also removably mounted on a rotation stage 20 .
The detected light is cross-polarized that is in the s-state as shown by the bulls-eye indication 12 a in FIG. 1 and labeled “detection s-state” in FIG. 2D . It is crossed or perpendicular or orthogonal to the p-state. Although preferably cross-polarized light is in s and p states, because the beam splitter may be non-polarizing or partially polarizing, other states are possible. The detected illumination of desired polarization is obtained with an analyzer 24 also mounted on a rotation stage 25 . For example, analyzer 24 may be a linear polarizer. The light from the analyzer 24 is passed through the confocal aperture 28 a , such as a pinhole, and a photo-detector 28 , such as an avalanche photodiode (APD) in FIG. 1 . While p polarized light from a linearly polarized laser 11 is shown in FIG. 1 , the linearly polarized laser 11 and the half wave plate 13 can be replaced with a laser providing an unpolarized laser beam and a linear polarizer, respectively. Further, the linear polarizer and the analyzer 24 can then be replaced with a polarized beam splitter. Also, instead of rotating the half wave plate 13 and the analyzer 24 , they can be kept fixed in cross polarization states and the sample 22 can be rotated.
As shown in FIG. 1 , optical components are provided in confocal microscope 10 to direct the beam from laser 11 along a path to sample 22 , and include, beam expander-spatial filter 42 (which, for example, may be provided by two lens 42 a and 42 b and aperture 42 c ), HWP 13 , mirror 43 , ND filter 44 (which, for example, may be a neutral density filter, such as provided by a circular variable attenuator manufactured by Newport Research Corporation), through beam splitter 16 to polygon mirror 18 . The beam is then deflected by polygon mirror 18 through a lens 45 (which for example, may be a f/2 lens), a lens 46 (which for example, may be a f/5.3 lens), and deflected by galvanometric mirror 19 through a lens 47 (which for example, may be a f/3 lens), QWP 21 and objective lens 23 to sample 22 . The optical components along the path of the reflected light returned from the sample 22 to detector 28 include, objective lens 23 , QWP 21 , lens 47 , and deflected by mirrors 19 and 18 via lenses 46 and 45 to beam splitter 16 . The beam splitter 16 directs the returned light through lens 48 , analyzer 24 , and pinhole 28 a to detector 28 . The raster line 17 a and raster plane 17 b in FIG. 1 are illustrated by dashed lines to denote the angular scan of the beam along a raster line 17 a generated by the rotation of polygon mirror 18 , while the angular movement of galvanometric mirror 19 scans that raster line to form a raster plane 17 b . In this manner, a confocal image of a tissue section can be captured by the control electronics 38 through detector 28 . To provide a start of scan beam 12 c to synchronize the control electronics 38 with the start of each raster line, the beam splitter 16 directs part of the beam incident the beam splitter 16 to rotating polygon mirror 18 , via mirror 48 , to split diode 50 (e.g., photo-diode) which is connected to the control electronics 38 to provide a start of scan pulse at the beginning of each raster line. Motors, not shown, can provide the desired rotation and angular movement of respective mirrors 18 and 19 .
The system which is shown in FIG. 1 operates as follows:
1. Remove QWP 21 . Rotate the HWP 13 so that its fast axis is at 90 degrees with the illumination p-state (see FIG. 2A ). Thus, there is no change (rotation) of the direction of the p-state. Rotate the analyzer 24 so that it acts as a crossed polarizer and transmits the detection s-state (which is orthogonal to the illumination p-state).
2. The surgically excised tissue sample 22 is placed in a water bath 26 with a tissue-ring 33 placed on top (see FIG. 2B ).
3. The water bath 26 containing the sample 22 is placed under the objective lens 23 , such that the tissue-ring 33 fits into the objective lens housing 31 (see FIG. 2C ). The water bath 26 is on an XY translation stage 34 to move the sample 22 . The XY stage 34 is on a lab-jack 35 with which can move the entire assembly 36 upwards, such that the sample 22 is gently pressed between the tissue-ring 33 and the water bath 26 to keep the sample 22 still during the imaging. Arrow 37 denotes the direction of such light pressure.
4. Rotate the HWP 13 in small angular increments of 10 degrees and, correspondingly, the analyzer 24 in angular increments of 20 degrees, on their respective stages 14 and 25 , such that the analyzer 24 is always cross-polarized with respect to the illumination polarization state. The confocal images of the sample 22 change from bright to dark to bright as the HWP 13 and analyzer 24 is rotated.
5. Set the HWP 13 and analyzer 24 such that the sample 22 appears dark (i.e., minimum brightness). Survey the sample 22 by moving it with the XY stage 34 , to check that the sample appears dark everywhere in the confocal images.
6. Lower the water bath 26 using the lab-jack 35 . Remove the water from within the tissue ring 33 , and add an enhancement agent, namely acetic acid (e.g., to provide a 5% by volume—ph 2.5—solution in the water). Raise the lab-jack 35 and place the sample 22 , as before, under the objective lens 23 .
7. Survey the sample 22 by moving it with the XY stage 34 , and focusing on the surface and at varying depths of the sample with the objective lens 23 (which may be mounted on a Z-translation stage to move the objective lens towards and away from the sample). Confocal images are either videotaped or grabbed in this “crossed polarization” mode at a frame grabber 39 , video monitor 40 , or videotape recorder 41 via control electronics 38 .
8. Whenever or wherever necessary, confocal images are obtained in “brightfield” mode, to either determine lateral or depth location, or identify structures (examples: hair follicles, sweat ducts, epithelial margins) within the sample. (This is analogous to using reflectance imaging in conjunction with fluorescence imaging.) The QWP 21 is inserted and rotated so that its optic axis is at 45 degrees to both the illumination and detection linear polarization states (see FIG. 2D ).
With the confocal reflectance light microscope 10 described herein, BCCs, SCCs in human skin are described herein without the processing (fixing, sectioning, staining) that is required for conventional histopathology of Mohs surgery. Rapid confocal detection is provided after strongly enhancing the contrast of nuclei in the cancer cells relative to the surrounding normal tissue using acetic acid and crossed polarization.
To improve the detection of BCCs and SCCs in confocal images in tissue, such as dermal tissue, which may be either naturally exposed, or surgically excised, the contrast of the nuclei of such cells is increased by the following method. The area of the tissue to be imaged is washed with 5% acetic acid, as described earlier. Acetic acid causes whitening of epithelial tissue and compaction of chromatin. The chromatin-compaction is believed to increase its refractive index, which then increases light back-scatter from the nuclei and makes them appear bright. Next, the tissue area is imaged with confocal microscope 10 in which the polarization state of the light directed to the tissue and collected by the confocal microscope is controlled by rotating the linear polarizer of analyzer 24 . When illuminated with linearly polarized light and confocally imaged through the analyzer 24 , the brightness of the acetic acid-stained nuclei does not vary much, whereas the brightness of the collagen varies from maximum to minimum. The back-scattered light from the inter-nuclear structure is significantly depolarized (probably due to multiple scattering), whereas that from the dermis preserves the illumination polarization (due to single back-scatter). With the light in a crossed polarized state, bright nuclei in the BCCs and SCCs are shown in the confocal images produced by the microscope in strong contrast against a dark background of surrounding normal dermis. BCCs and SCCs can be distinguished from normal tissue by the cellular organization, cell size, cell shape, nuclear morphology, and cellular differentiation. One example of cellular organization is anaplasia. One example of cell size and shape and nuclear morphology is dysplasia. One example of cellular differentiation is pleomorphism.
Thus, the bright clusters of nuclei in the cancer cells are detectable at low resolution, as in conventional histopathology. Mosaics of low-resolution confocal images can be assembled to produce confocal maps of the BCCs or SCCs within the entire excised tissue. Detection of the cancers is made within minutes; thus, the total savings in time for a Mohs surgery can be hours.
Others cancers and tissue abnormalities may also be detected by using this approach any time a cellular tissue needs to be distinguished from a cellular background. For example, dermal melanocytes, mucosal tissue in stromal tissue, breast epithelium in a stromal matrix.
From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that an improved system for enhanced imaging in confocal microscopy and method for diagnosing skin cancer cells have been described. Variations and modifications in the herein described system, method, and in the enhancement agent used therein will undoubtedly become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be taken as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
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A confocal scanning microscope system ( 10 ) using cross polarization effects and an enhancement agent (acetic acid) to enhance confocal microscope reflectance images of the nuclei of BCCs (basal cell carcinomas) and SCCs (squamous cell carcinomas) in the confocal reflectance images of excised tumor slices. The confocal scanning microscope system having a laser ( 11 ) for generating an illumination beam ( 12 ), a polygon mirror ( 18 ) for scanning the beam to a tissue sample ( 22 ) and for receiving a returned beam from the tissue sample and detector ( 28 ) for detecting the returned beam to form an image. The system further includes a half-wave plate ( 13 ) having a rotatable stage ( 14 ) and a quarter-wave plate ( 21 ) having a rotatable stage ( 20 ) disposed in the optical path of the illumination beam and at least a linear polarizer ( 24 ) having a rotatable stage ( 25 ) disposed in the optical path of the returned beam from the tissue sample.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/509,063, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,204,132, filed on Jul. 6, 2012, which is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT/US10/03251, filed on Dec. 23, 2010, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/290,050, filed on Dec. 24, 2009, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to motion picture photography generally and, more particularly, to digital motion picture photography for projecting moving images in three dimensions.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Motion picture photography and projection is commonly accomplished via a series of still photographs on a strip of sprocketed celluloid film. In the camera, conventions of the motion picture industry call for a standardized frame rate of 24 frames per second, most commonly photographed using a rotating shutter in the camera such that during 360 degrees of shutter rotation, half of the time (1/48 th of a second) the shutter is open while the film is held fixed in the camera aperture, and the other half of the time the shutter is closed in order for a mechanical movement to transport the film to the next frame, utilizing the perforations on the film to register to either sprockets or claws to move the film as well as hold it in position during each exposure.
[0004] For projection, the same frame rate of 24 is used, however the shutter speed is doubled, so that each frame of film is shown twice before proceeding to the next frame. The shutter is often called a “butterfly”, having two openings of 90 degrees each, and two closures of 90 degrees each, thus still rotating at 360 degrees per frame. During one of the shutter closures the film is advanced to the next frame using a mechanical Geneva mechanism, or sometimes a low inertia electric stepper motor. The reason for the double shuttering, which creates a 48 cycle-per-second rate, is to reduce objectionable perceived flicker of the image on the screen, which is limited in brightness to not more than 16 foot lamberts. Projection brighter than 16 foot lamberts reintroduces objectionable perceived flicker.
[0005] An objectionable artifact of this double-shuttering of each image frame is a substantial loss of motion continuity due to the fact that the image does not contain new motion position on each flash, resulting in a stroboscopic effect retained in the human retina. This loss of motion continuity is exacerbated in stereoscopic motion pictures, since frame-to-frame image displacement is often equal to, or more than, the left eye--right eye image separation needed for stereoscopic imagery.
[0006] With the advent of digital photography and digital projection, however, it is now possible to consider an alternative methodology of photographing and projecting a series of images in such a manner as to fully retain both temporal motion continuity, while also diminishing the objectionable artifacts of the 24 fps world standard.
[0007] It is common knowledge amongst cinematographers, directors, and editors that frame-to-frame object or image motion must be substantially limited in order to avoid objectionable blurring or strobing. Blurring results from object/image motion that occurs during the shutter opening of 1/48 th of a second. Strobing occurs when the image displacement from one frame to the next becomes so great that the eye cannot integrate the sequence of frames into a smooth motion. Screen size is considered a limitation, since frame-to-frame image displacement can become quite objectionable on large screens due to angular displacement of frames on fast action. IMAX is a good example of this phenomenon, and IMAX films routinely slow their camera and object motion in order to avoid objectionable blurring and strobing.
[0008] Another shortcoming of the 24 frame standard is that when projecting a 3D movie, which includes two simultaneous projections of left and right eye imagery, if the motion displacement or blur between frames exceeds the displacement between right and left eye convergence angles, the 3D effect is lost and is overcome by blurring and strobing of the image.
[0009] An earlier invention and patent for the Showscan system disclosed the photographing and projecting of motion pictures at sixty frames per second. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,160, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The Showscan system resulted in a solution for the above shortcomings of conventional film, while demonstrably increasing a sense of “liveness” and audience stimulation. Each frame was shown only once, thus not using a double-bladed shutter, and at a shutter opening of 120 th of a second, blurring of the recorded image was substantially reduced. At a projection rate of 60 frames per second, there was no apparent flicker at any increased screen brightness, and there was no discontinuity of motion. 3D films photographed and projected in Showscan had no objectionable object/image motion limitations that would adversely affect the 3D illusion.
[0010] Nevertheless, worldwide motion picture audiences are accustomed to the 24 frames per second standard, although the advent of 3D production and exhibition is revealing the shortcomings of the 24 fps standard, and since the film is attempting to create a more “immersive” experience for the viewer, it is now possible to consider a high frame rate solution that solves problems in both photography and projection. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to take advantage of emerging digital technologies of electronic cinematography and digital projection, which no longer requires adherence to the world standard of 24 fps. In fact, the entire idea of “frames” as individual still photographs projected in rapid succession can now be revised to a new concept of overall fluid image flow by substantially increasing the number of frames per second. Since the photographed standard 24 fps film must be projected at a higher flash rate in order to avoid perceived flicker, and also solve the requirements for polarized stereoscopic projection, it is common to interleave alternating left and right eye frames via several alternating flashes.
[0011] For example, the RealD digital polarization technique alternately polarizes left and right eye images by sequentially flashing each frame as much as three times, resulting in a “flash rate” of 144 flashes (each frame being “shown” onto the screen three times). In this way a 24 fps film can be projected by a single digital projector. Since a new objective of “immersive stereoscopic imagery” is emerging, it is now possible to consider that each of the 144 flashes could actually be new frames of motion information, photographed at 144 frames per second. One of the major shortcomings of the present standards used when projecting 24 fps stereoscopic films is that the temporal information rate is unable to satisfy the need to reduce or eliminate blurring and strobing of the image that is quite objectionable when viewing the film stereoscopically. The advent of this invention is that by alternately photographing 72 left eye images interleaved with 72 right eye images, there remains perfect temporal continuity of the imagery.
[0012] In fact, filmmakers often desire to include in their films as much action as possible in order to instill a sense of participation and excitement in viewers, resulting in a sense of sensory immersion. Yet, a tremendous amount of this action is lost in blur if the frame rate is limited to 24 fps. And in 3D, at 24 fps the image may lose all sense of stereoscopic dimension due to both blur and strobing.
[0013] In view of the above, there is a need for a digital cinematographic and projection process that provides 3D stereoscopic imagery that is not adversely affected by the standard frame rate of 24 frames per second, as is the convention in the motion picture industry worldwide.
SUMMARY
[0014] In view of the foregoing, a method and apparatus for photographing and projecting moving images in three dimensions is disclosed.
[0015] A method and apparatus for photographing and projecting moving images in three dimensions with increased sharpness and clarity is also disclosed.
[0016] A method and apparatus for photographing and projecting moving images in three dimensions that results in extremely sharp and unblurred stereoscopic motion is also disclosed.
[0017] A method and apparatus for photographing and projecting moving images in three dimensions that removes and corrects objectionable artifacts of blurring, strobing, limited screen brightness, and loss of stereoscopy for 3D is also disclosed.
[0018] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a method and apparatus for photographing and projecting moving images in three dimensions is provided. The method includes the steps of recording a moving image with a first and a second camera simultaneously and interleaving a plurality of frames recorded by the first camera with a plurality of frames recorded by the second camera. The step of interleaving includes retaining odd numbered frames recorded by the first camera and deleting the even numbered frames, retaining even numbered frames recorded by the second camera and deleting the odd numbered frames, and creating an image sequence by alternating the retained images from the first and second camera.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be better understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below:
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates an example apparatus for photographing and projecting moving images in three dimensions according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates example frames of images recorded on a pair of sprocketed film reels using the apparatus of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 3 illustrates example frames of images recorded digitally using the apparatus of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates an example apparatus for photographing and projecting moving images in three dimensions in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates example frames of images recorded on a pair of film strips using the apparatus of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] As alluded to above, embodiments of the present disclosure intend to correct object/image motion and blurring at the digital camera, by photographing a sequence of left eye and right eye images at the heretofore unheard of rate of 144 fps, thus delivering to viewers an accurate depiction of the actual motion that occurred at that moment. In digital projection, each frame is shown in its correct temporal sequence, while alternating between left eye and right eye flashes, thus resulting in each eye receiving 72 flashes per second, for a total of 144 fps. Existing digital projection systems already include 120 and 144 cycles-per-second flash rates, thus showing each of the 24 frames five or six times for 2D imagery, or two or three times for interleaved 3D alternating polarization. This eliminates flicker and makes possible substantially increased screen brightness, since the limiting factor of 16 foot lamberts at 48 flashes per second has been substantially exceeded.
[0026] In the short-term implementation of various embodiments, photography will occur at a predetermined frame rate that is considered more than adequate to capture clear and unblurred stereoscopic image information, preferably at around 120 or 144 frames per second. Alternatively, however, this could possibly be any new number of frames per second necessary to meet industry demands regarding data storage, compression, and distribution costs vs. image quality/impact issues.
[0027] An example of the above process would be to shoot at 144 frames per second with a shutter opening of 360 degrees, which is possible with certain digital cameras. In this way, each frame would have an exposure of almost exactly 1/144 th of a second, resulting in minimal blur on each frame as compared to shooting at 24 fps, with a shutter opening of 1/48 th of a second. By digitally alternating left and right eye frames in correct temporal succession, the resultant imagery would create a strong immersive experience.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As illustrated therein, a first iteration of the process would be to configure dual digital cameras, a first camera 12 and a second camera 14 , side-by-side, with a lens center separation, d, similar to standard interocular spacing of approximately 2.25″. Each camera would record synchronized imagery 16 at 144 frames per second, using a 360 degree shutter 18 . This recorded synchronized imagery is shown in FIG. 2 wherein imagery from the first camera 12 is recorded on a first strip of film 20 and imagery from the second camera 14 is recorded on a second strip of film 22 . Thus, by alternately interleaving frames 1,3,5,7,9 from the first camera 12 (deleting the even frames) with frames 2,4,6,8 etc. (deleting the odd frames) from the second camera 14 , a single data stream would therefore contain alternating stereo pairs of images that would be projected in correct temporal sequence, resulting in extremely fluid, non-blurred, and higher impact stereoscopic imagery that could then be projected via an alternating polarization system such as RealD's single projector electronically controlled polarization. The image sequence of interleaved frames, i.e., the data stream, is represented by the zigzag sequence line 24 in FIG. 2 .
[0029] Referring to FIG. 3 , frames of images recorded digitally using the apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 are shown wherein the first set of frames 26 contain imagery recorded by the first camera 12 and the second set of frames 28 contain imagery recorded by the second camera 14 . As discussed above, by alternately interleaving frames 1,3,5,7,9 from the first camera 12 (deleting the even frames) with frames 2,4,6,8 etc. (deleting the odd frames) from the second camera 14 , a single data stream would therefore contain alternating stereo pairs of images that would be projected in correct temporal sequence, resulting in extremely fluid, non-blurred, and higher impact stereoscopic imagery. The image sequence of interleaved frames, i.e., the data stream, is represented by the zigzag sequence line 30 in FIG. 2 .
[0030] Referring now to FIG. 4 , an apparatus 100 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As shown therein, a second embodiment of the present disclosure includes the fabrication of a single digital camera technology that includes within it the appropriate left and right eye lenses 110 , 112 and an alternating rotating mirror shutter 114 that would sequentially deliver left and right eye images to a single sensor 116 at 144 fps. Thus, the left and right eyes each receive interleaved stereoscopic streams of 72 fps each.
[0031] The most common digital projection systems today are using either the Texas Instruments Digital Light Processing chips (DLP) that use a matrix of micro mirrors to deliver imagery or the Sony SXRD liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) technology. Such chips can switch states of the micro mirrors at up to 144 Hz. They use a frame buffer that retains 24 frame material, so each frame may be flashed six times for 2D, or in the event of 3D, alternates between left and right imagery, showing each frame for three alternating flashes. Embodiments of this disclosure anticipate the introduction of a new contiguous data stream, without a frame buffer, that can introduce new motion imagery on virtually every flash, thus resulting in extremely sharp and unblurred stereoscopic motion.
[0032] An additional anticipated aspect of this new technology involves issues related to potentially reduced signal to noise ratio, lowered bit depth, or other problems resulting from such brief exposures on a CCD or CMOS imager. However, trading off these issues with increased apparent sharpness and clarity (rather than blur) could more than make up for this. It is also possible to trade off resolution in exchange for motion continuity and clarity, for example reducing resolution from, say, 4K to 2K, while delivering less blurred stereoscopic imagery. The human eye may still prefer, and not notice, such a process since the overall experience is one of tremendously increased image information.
[0033] The expected result of various embodiments will be the advent of a digital motion picture standard that contains within it the desires of both filmmakers and cinema viewers to deliver the immersive experience that they expect of a 3D movie, but with all of the objectionable artifacts of blurring, strobing, limited screen brightness, and loss of stereoscopy for 3D removed and corrected. Various embodiments will facilitate the production of films with unlimited action potential, as well as unlimited screen size and brightness. Various embodiments anticipate the inclusion of motion/action that may exceed the 60 frames per second rate of Showscan, with fast action updated on every flash, rather than the objectionable double shuttering of film. Overall, various embodiments will result in an increased sense of audience excitement and stimulation, which is expected to be measurable via electromyogram, electroencephalogram, galvanic skin response, electrocardiogram, and possibly even Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
[0034] Since 3D films must also be available to the marketplace in normal 2D as well as 24 fps standard for showing in normal cinemas and on television, it is an implicit intention of various embodiments to offer that (from either left or right eye image streams) groups of frames can be digitally merged into a single frame that would be indistinguishable from the same subject photographed at 24 fps, since the shutter was open 360 degrees. This is accomplished, in the case of 144 fps by combining three sequential frames into one, then deleting the next three sequential frames, thus resulting in 24 frames that would be identical to having been originally photographed with a 180 degree shutter. In the case of 120 fps, three sequential frames would be combined, and the following two sequential frames would be deleted, thus also resulting in 24 fps. If a filmmaker chose to use the iteration of various embodiments that use a single digital camera equipped with an alternating mirror shutter there could be objectionably uneven merging of frames, since there would no longer be the equivalent of a 360 degree shutter, but rather a 180 degree shutter. Nevertheless, it would be possible to use the 120 frame version of various embodiments, using only the (single eye) sequence of combining frames 1 and 3, while deleting frame 5, thus resulting again in 24 fps.
[0035] Stereoscopic imagery is typically made up of a stereo pair of images photographed simultaneously using 180 degree shutters running at, for example, 24 frames per second. In this manner, each frame of both cameras is simultaneously exposed for 1/48 th of a second, which means that 50% of the action in the scene is lost forever between exposures because of the shutter closures. Some existing 3D projectors project alternating left and right frames three times for a total of 144 flashes per second. The triple flashes contain no motion because they are repeats of the same frame. Some other stereoscopy imagery is also made up of a stereo pair of images photographed simultaneously, however using 270 degree shutters running at 48 frames per second. In this manner, a portion of the action is still lost because the shutters were closed for 90 degrees. During projection, every left and right frame is shown two times for a total of 192 flashes per second. Yet another technique shoots the scene at 60 frames per second with a 180 degree shutter, and projects each left and right frame once for a total of 120 flashes per second. However, since the left and right frames are simultaneously recorded, again there is not perfect temporal continuity in the sequence.
[0036] In accordance with an embodiment, techniques are disclosed for presenting alternating left and right eye images using a temporal offset between images, such that a set of 60 frame per second images to each eye contain a total of 120 unique positions in time. By contrast with existing techniques, various embodiments of the present disclosure introduce a temporal cadence, so that left and right images contain different positions in time rather than simultaneous exposures of the scene, as with existing techniques. This new temporal cadence creates a unique illusion of realism when displayed at 120 frames per second.
[0037] In accordance with various embodiments, it is appreciated that perfect temporal continuity of alternating left and right eye images for stereoscopic display eliminates perceived motion artifacts that result from conventional methodology of photographing stereo pairs of images that are photographed simultaneously, but displayed consecutively. Existing Virtual Reality systems are designed based upon the assumption that a stereo pair of images are recorded or generated by a graphics engine simultaneously. Existing Virtual Reality systems may use various frame rates to smooth out motion artifacts. By contrast, embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for generating and delivering each of the left and right images of a stereo pair in an alternating sequence in time, which results in a superior sense of realism to the observer and improved realism resulting from an apparent doubling of the effective frame rate.
[0038] To this end, in accordance with an embodiment, a motion picture photographic and projection system is configured to photograph each left and right eye image of a stereoscopic pair in an alternating temporal sequence, with the 180 degree shutters of the left and right cameras being out of synchronization. For example, when the left camera shutter is open, the right camera shutter is closed, and vice versa, so that at any given instant in time either the left or the right shutter is open, matching the cadence of the projector, thus allowing a continuous temporal sequence of action to be recorded. This alternating temporal sequence can be the same temporal sequence at which the images can subsequently be displayed. For example, each alternating left and right image may be photographed at 60 images per second, resulting in a total of 120 motion images each photographed at different points in time. Alternately, both cameras with 360 degree shutters can be recording in synchronization, but alternate (odd and even) frames in the left and right sequence are discarded and not projected, while the other frames are flashed in a left-right sequence. These techniques, according to various embodiments, result in an unexpected illusion of reality, which is an important attribute for Virtual Reality systems. Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure provide the advantage of smoother motion, less blurring, and the ability to include much faster action, while reducing bandwidth of the image generation/display computer, in comparison to existing techniques. Embodiments of this disclosure may be readily included in a wide variety of Virtual Reality display systems, improving their performance and realism at lower cost.
[0039] Referring again to FIG. 1 , and according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the dual digital cameras including the first camera 12 and the second camera 14 can be configured side-by-side, with a lens center separation, d, similar to standard interocular spacing of approximately 2.25″. In this embodiment, each camera 12 , 14 is configured to record non-synchronized imagery 16 at, for example, 60 frames per second, using a 180 degree shutter 18 . In particular, each camera 12 and 14 is configured to record the imagery 16 using a temporal offset, such as shown in FIG. 5 , where the second camera 14 records a frame (e.g., 1 R) at some non-zero time after the first camera 14 records a frame (e.g., 1 L). The frames (e.g., 1 L and 1 R) are recorded at different points in time, as indicated by the time offset. For instance, with a 180 degree shutter, the left camera shutter may be open while the right camera shutter is closed, and vice versa, so that at any given point in time one of the shutters is open. The offset may, for example, be 1/60 th of a second for a 60 frame-per-second recording speed (or 180 degrees of shutter cadence), although it will be understood that other recording speeds and offsets may be used. This recorded imagery is shown in FIG. 5 , where imagery from the first camera 12 is recorded on a first strip of film 50 and imagery from the second camera 14 is recorded on a second strip of film 52 . In this manner, each eye is off for half of the time and on for half of the time. Thus, by alternately recording frames 1 L, 2 L, 3 L, and so on from the first camera 12 with frames 1 R, 2 R, 3 R, and so on, from the second camera 14 , each temporally offset from the corresponding frames recorded by the first camera 12 , a data stream may therefore contain stereo pairs of images that can be projected in a correct temporal cadence (e.g., left-right-left-right, etc., each left image in strip 50 projected at 60 frames per second and each right image in strip 52 projected at 60 frames per second temporally offset from the left strip 50 ), resulting in extremely fluid, non-blurred, and higher impact stereoscopic imagery. Such imagery may be projected via an alternating polarization system such as RealD's single projector electronically controlled polarization, a liquid crystal display, a light emitting diode (LED), an organic LED (OLED), a laser scanner, or any other left/right Virtual Reality projection system. The recorded sequence of temporally offset frames, i.e., the data stream, is represented by the sequence 54 and 56 in FIG. 5 . This recorded sequence can subsequently be projected at the same speed as it was recorded (e.g., 60 or 72 frames per second) and using the same time offset as it was recorded (e.g., 1/60 th of a second or other suitable interval), such that each of the projected left and right frames contain images of the scene 16 at different points in time (e.g., from time t=0, 0 seconds (left), +1/60 th of a second (right), +2/60 th (left), 3/60 th (right), etc.).
[0040] In some embodiments, the first and second cameras 12 , 14 may be the same camera having dual sensors and lenses. In some embodiments, the cameras 12 , 14 may include a rotating or liquid crystal shutter. In some embodiments, instead of a camera, the system may include a graphics generation device for artificially generating images rather than recording images of a scene. The graphics generation device can be configured to generate and project alternating left/right image frames in the manner described above (e.g., the device may render the left image, then the right image, then the left image, and so forth in sequence, projecting one image at a time to the observer, alternating between the left and right eyes). In this manner, the workload of the graphics generation device may be reduced, since only one frame is being rendered at any given point in time.
[0041] One example embodiment of the present disclosure includes a method for projecting moving images in three dimensions. The method includes receiving left eye frames of a moving image as recorded with a first camera lens having a first lens center and having been recorded at at least 60 frames per second and at left eye recordal times; receiving right eye frames of said moving image recorded with a second camera lens having a second lens center that is spaced apart from the first lens center and having been recorded at at least 60 frames per second and at right eye recordal times offset from the left eye recordal times; and projecting said moving image from a single projector in three dimensions by projecting the left eye frames one time each and the right eye frames one time each, the projecting of the left eye frames and the right eye frames occurring in an alternating sequence that projects the left eye frames as recorded at the left eye recordal time by said first camera lens and the right eye frames as recorded at the right eye recordal times by said second camera lens, each successive frame of the alternating sequence having been recorded at a successive time and projected temporally with respect to one another in the same time sequence to show the moving image. In some cases, said first and said second camera lenses have a lens separation of approximately 2.25 inches. In some cases, the projecting occurs at a frame rate of 120 or more frames per second. In some cases, each successive frame of the sequence represents new motion of imagery. In some cases, the projecting said moving image includes digital projection of digital frames. In some cases, the projecting said moving image includes projecting said moving image onto a cinema screen from a single projector in three dimensions by flashing frames one time each in a sequence that alternates between left eye frames consisting of imagery recorded at the corresponding left eye recordal times by said first camera lens and right eye frames consisting of imagery recorded at the corresponding right eye recordal times by said second camera lens.
[0042] Although various embodiments have been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that embodiments of the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the above detailed description, but that the various embodiments will include all embodiments falling within the scope of this disclosure.
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A digital cinematographic and projection process that provides 3D stereoscopic imagery that is not adversely affected by the standard frame rate of 24 frames per second, as is the convention in the motion picture industry worldwide. A method for photographing and projecting moving images in three dimensions includes recording a moving image with a first and a second camera simultaneously and interleaving a plurality of frames recorded by the first camera with a plurality of frames recorded by the second camera. The step of interleaving includes retaining odd numbered frames recorded by the first camera and deleting the even numbered frames, retaining even numbered frames recorded by the second camera and deleting the odd numbered frames, and creating an image sequence by alternating the retained images from the first and second camera.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a self-lubrication alignment bearing, and more particularly to an alignment bearing having therein a returning passage communicating the first conical recess defined in a top of the sleeve with the second conical recess defined in a bottom of the sleeve such that lubricant is able to circle around inside the lubricating sleeve.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] A currently available alignment bearing normally is applicable in a fan assembly having a shaft extending into the alignment bearing such that the fan blades of the fan assembly are able to rotate.
[0005] When in operation, the rotation of the fan shaft inside the alignment bearing generates heat, which brings out the lubricant inside the alignment bearing to lubricate the rotational movement of the fan shaft. However, the rotational movement of the fan shaft somewhat spins out the lubricant and causes bad lubrication effect. Thus the life span of the alignment bearing is affected.
[0006] Further, the alignment bearing generally is composed of a sleeve and lubricant received inside the sleeve. When this type of alignment bearing is used with a fan assembly, air inside the sleeve may cause difficulty especially when the fan shaft is extended into the sleeve. Still further, since the lubricant is easily spun out to the bottom of the sleeve, it is quite difficult to allow the lubricant to flow back to the top of the sleeve. Consequently, the lubrication effect to the fan shaft is greatly affected.
[0007] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved self-lubrication alignment bearing to mitigate the aforementioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a self-lubrication alignment bearing to allow the lubricant to returning passage defined inside sleeve to communication the first conical recess at the top of the sleeve and the second conical recess at the bottom of the sleeve such that lubricant at the bottom of the sleeve easily flows back to the top of the sleeve to continue provide lubrication effect.
[0009] Another objective of the present invention is that an annular recess is defined in a side face of a channel defined through the sleeve to refrain the lubricant from being spun out of the sleeve.
[0010] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the alignment bearing of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross sectional view showing the combination of the alignment bearing of the present invention; and
[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross sectional view showing that a fan shaft is extended into the channel of the alignment bearing of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] With reference to FIG. 1 , it is noted that the alignment bearing in accordance with the present invention include a sleeve ( 11 ) having a top recess ( 12 ) defined in a top portion of the sleeve ( 11 ), a channel ( 13 ) defined through the sleeve ( 11 ), multiple crossed grooves ( 140 defined in an inner periphery defining the channel ( 13 ) and a bottom recess ( 16 ) defined in a bottom portion of the sleeve ( 11 ) to communicate with the top recess ( 12 ) via the channel ( 13 ). In addition, a first conical recess ( 121 ) is defined to be in communication with the top recess ( 12 ) and the channel ( 13 ) and a second conical recess ( 161 ) is defined to be in communication with the bottom recess ( 16 ) and the channel ( 13 ). A returning passage ( 19 ) is longitudinally defined inside the sleeve ( 11 ) to communicate the top recess ( 12 ) with the bottom recess ( 16 ) and an annular recess ( 15 ) is defined in the inner periphery of the channel ( 13 ).
[0015] A bottom cap ( 18 ) is provided to be received in the bottom recess ( 16 ) and a top cap ( 17 ) is provided to be received in the top recess ( 12 ). Further, a C shaped ring ( 171 ) is to be received in the annular recess ( 15 ).
[0016] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 , after the assembly of the alignment bearing of the present invention is finished, it is noted that the bottom cap ( 18 ) is received in the bottom recess ( 16 ) and before the top cap ( 17 ) is received in the top recess ( 12 ), a shaft ( 20 ) with a neck ( 21 ) is extended into the channel ( 13 ) with the C shaped ring ( 171 ) clamping in the neck ( 21 ).
[0017] From the depiction of the accompanying drawings, it is noted that with the provision of the returning passage ( 19 ), when the shaft ( 20 ) is extended into the channel ( 13 ), the air already received inside the channel ( 13 ) will be forced to flow to the second conical recess ( 161 ), the bottom recess ( 16 ), the returning passage ( 19 ), the first conical recess ( 121 ) and the top recess ( 12 ). Eventually the air escapes the sleeve ( 11 ) such that the shaft ( 20 ) is refrained from floating in the air inside the channel ( 13 ).
[0018] Before operation, the lubricant is able to flow downward from the first conical recess ( 121 ) and into the channel ( 13 ). Due to the formation of the crossed grooves ( 14 ) in the inner periphery of the channel ( 13 ), the downward flowing lubricant forms a lubrication screen to provide a perfect lubrication effect between the outer periphery of the shaft ( 20 ) and the inner periphery of the channel ( 13 ). When in operation, the rotation of the shaft ( 20 ) inside the sleeve ( 11 ) forces the lubricant to flow upward from the bottom recess ( 16 ) via the returning passage ( 19 ) to the first conical recess ( 121 ). Again, the lubricant in the first conical recess ( 121 ) is able to flow downward to the bottom recess ( 16 ) via the channel ( 13 ). Therefore, the lubricant is flowing up and down over and over again to provide the lubrication effect to the shaft ( 20 ) and the sleeve ( 11 ) as long as the shaft ( 20 ) is pining. Still further, due to the provision of the annular recess ( 15 ), should the lubricant flow upward inside the channel ( 13 ), the annular recess ( 15 ) functions as a buffer to stop the upward flowing lubricant from overflowing to the top recess ( 12 ).
[0019] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
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An self-lubrication alignment bearing includes a sleeve having therein a top recess defined in a top portion thereof, a bottom recess defined in a bottom portion thereof to communicate with the top recess via a longitudinally defined channel in which the shaft is rotatably received, a bottom cap received in the bottom recess and a returning passage defined inside the sleeve to communicate the bottom recess with the top recess.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION, IF ANY
[0001] U.S. Ser. No. 09/196,675 filed on Nov. 20, 1998 for “Electronic Coordinated Control For A Two-Axis Work Implement” is referenced herein as a co-pending application.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a method for distributing hydraulic flow between a plurality of hydraulic actuators wherein at least one of the flow rates of the actuators is determined not by a manual control but by a valve controller.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Many construction and work vehicles typically for earth moving purposes, have many, if not all of their systems, driven by hydraulic fluid. In the case of a backhoe, for example, the engine in the vehicle not only drives the backhoe over the ground, but drives boom swing cylinders that move the backhoe arm laterally side-to-side, as well as a boom cylinder to lift and lower the boom, a dipper cylinder to lift and lower the dipper and a bucket cylinder for opening and closing the bucket. In the case of a front loader, the engine not only drives the vehicle across the ground, but also drives a hydraulic pump that is connected to one or more arm cylinders to lift and lower the two arms on which the bucket is attached and one or more tilt cylinders to tilt the front loader bucket in or out with respect to the vehicle. In the case of road graders, for example, several different hydraulic actuators are used to angle the blade with respect to the road, tilt it, and raise it and lower it. In the case of forklifts, several hydraulic actuators are used to raise and lower the forks, tilt the forks backwards and forwards so the load will be located over the vehicle or away from the vehicle, and to extend the forks (in some types of lifts) to place a packet on a high shelf without moving the vehicle itself back and forth.
[0004] In addition to these examples, one should recognize that many work vehicles also provide for auxiliary hydraulic devices to be attached and detached for use in special situations. For example, hydraulic post hole diggers which include a hydraulic motor and a rotating bit approximately eight inches (8″) in diameter are often attached to a front loader or a backhoe in place of the bucket. As another example, pneumatic or hydraulic pavement breakers are often mounted on the front of skid-steer loaders in place of a bucket to break up pavement. These attachments are typically separately controllable through an auxiliary hydraulic control manifold to which they are attached with quick-connects.
[0005] One of the continuing problems of work vehicles is that the market is highly competitive and they must be made to sell at a reasonable price. This always involves design and engineering trade-offs in which the designers and engineers attempt to identify the most common uses and ensure that the vehicle is able to perform those functions. The inevitable compromises typically include providing a hydraulic pump that does not have capacity sufficient to simultaneously drive every single hydraulic actuator and motor without being overloaded. By “overloaded” I mean that the motor cannot provide pressurized hydraulic fluid at a sufficient flow rate to drive all the devices simultaneously. Inevitably, in almost every work vehicle, there is some point within the performance envelope in which the pump, providing as much fluid as it can, is unable to drive the actuators and motors as fast as the operator commands them.
[0006] The operator commands these various actuators or motors by either operating on/off switches, by moving a proportional control lever, rotating a potentiometer, or manipulating a one or two axis joy stick. Most commonly, two or more of these controls are provided for the operator to manipulate. Most of the controls are configured to generate a flow rate roughly proportional to the degree of deflection of the control lever. By manipulating two proportional control levers, the operator can vary the speed of two separate hydraulic actuators in order to coordinate the movement of one or more actuators at the same time. For example, an operator may extend the boom of a backhoe while simultaneously lifting the dipper and opening the bucket by manipulating two joysticks, one in each hand. This permits the operator to substantially increase the productivity he would have if he could only operate one actuator at a time. In many earth working operations or excavating operations, the operator must control at least two actuators at once in order to dig or shape a hole in the ground, for example. If an operator of a backhoe is attempting to scrape the bottom of an excavation flat, he will typically have to operate the boom, the dipper, and the bucket cylinders simultaneously. No single control can be operated to follow the contours of the ground as accurately as all three together.
[0007] It is in these situations where the limitations of the pump are most apparent. An operator who is trying to simultaneously swing a boom while raising the boom, extending the dipper and opening the bucket may find that there is insufficient hydraulic fluid and one or more of the hydraulic cylinders may suddenly cease moving. If the operator has been manipulating in his various hand controls and levers in order to achieve a smooth coordinated movement, the sudden erratic motion of one hydraulic actuator may gouge the ground improperly, making an error in excavation that he must later go back and repair.
[0008] One result of this failure of the pump to provide sufficient pressurized hydraulic fluid flow is that operators instinctively slow down whenever they operate several different actuators simultaneously. From experience, they know that something may “grind to a halt” as they are trying to perform the coordinated operation. As a result, they slow the entire operation down until it is performed at a coordinated speed that they are reasonably assured will be within the flow capacity of the hydraulic pump on the vehicle. This, however, requires years of experience, and even with the experience, may cause the operator to operate well within the permissible total flow capacity of the pump, thus reducing his productivity. In other words, he may slow down unnecessarily.
[0009] In U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,376 issued to Hadank and assigned to Caterpillar Corporation at issue, one way of compensating for this problem was described. In the compensation method described in Hadank, the operator would simultaneously operate two controls moving them to positions that were roughly proportionate to the flow rate to the actuators and therefore to the speed of movement of the actuators. Rather than convert the control signals directly to a flow rate (or rather valve position) and drive the proportional control hydraulic valve to that opening, an electronic valve controller would read the signals from the two manual proportional controls (joysticks) would sum the two flow rates that were equivalent to those two positions and would determine what proportion of the total available flow from the pump those commanded flow rates (or valve openings) represented. For example, if the operator moved one control lever indicating that the hydraulic valve for that levers actuator should be open 100% and the operator moved another control lever for another actuator to a position that indicated it should also be open 100%, the control system would add these two requested flow rates or demand signals together. If the two 100% flow rates added up to 150% of the total hydraulic flow capacity of the hydraulic pump, the electronic valve controller would scale both of the signals back proportionately. In other words, since the operator was requesting for each flow controller 50% more flow than could be handled together, the electronic valve controller would send a proportionately reduced signal of 66% (instead of the 100%) to the first hydraulic valve and 66% (of the second hand control) to the second hydraulic valve. In this manner, the total flow permitted through the two proportional control valves would always be within the total flow capacity of the pump. No valve or actuator or motor would be starved of hydraulic fluid. What the operator would notice when manipulating the two hand controls was that the relative motion of each hydraulic actuator stayed the same, while the overall speed of both actuators was proportionately scaled back.
[0010] In recent years, however, electronically controlled work vehicles have become more and more commonplace. Part of this vehicle development has included the creation of several features and capabilities that were not heretofore possible. For example, many backhoes have an auxiliary hydraulic valve controller that responds to buttons and proportional control devices, such as thumb wheels on the operating levers, to permit the operator to set a predetermined auxiliary hydraulic flow rate. A typical case where this would occur would be where an operator of a backhoe wishes to spin the post hole digger at its most effective speed without having to constantly hold his hand on a proportional control lever to maintain that speed. The operator would like to vary the speed of the posthole digger at the end of the backhoe arm until it is at the optimum speed, then save that speed (e.g. valve opening/flow rate) and have the electronic controller maintain the posthole digger at that speed all the time as the operator manually moves the backhoe arm to which it is attached. As an additional complicating factor, work vehicles often coordinate the movement of several hydraulic actuators in response to the motion of a single operator device. Where the vehicle's controller coordinates the motion of several actuators by generating a time-varying signal or signals that it applies to one or more other actuators, the system shown in Hadank will not ensure that the total flow rate is within the capacity of the hydraulic pump.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, a valve control system is disclosed for a work vehicle having a plurality of actuators coupled to a plurality of mechanical devices to move the devices, the vehicle having an internal combustion engine coupled to at least one hydraulic pump such that there is a total or maximum flow rate available from the at least one pump to be provided to the actuators to move the mechanical devices, such as a motor for an implement, a hydraulic cylinder that moves the bucket, dipper, or boom in a backhoe, a cylinder that raises or lowers a fork in a fork lift, or tilts a fork in a fork lift, or extends the forks at the top of a fork lift, or cylinders for raising the arms of a front loader or tilting the front loader bucket. The system includes a couple hand controls that produce signals equivalent to the distance they are moved by the operator, a controller to which they are attached, proportional control valves that are driven by the controller in response to the hand control signals and a signal developed or derived by the controller itself, and the actuators that are moved by the valves. The controller receives the hand control signals, processes them and generates the valve signals to open the valves accordingly. If the operator and the controller have requested too much flow—more flow that the pump on the vehicle can provide—the controller scales the flow to each actuator down, preferably proportionately, to insure that the flow demands as scaled are within the capacity of the pump to provide fluid. There may be some hydraulic devices, however, that need a set amount of flow and therefore should not be scaled. For these types of devices, the controller automatically provides them with their appropriate flow rate, subtracting this amount of flow off the top of the available flow, then proceeds to scale down and divide up the remaining flow among the remaining controllers.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The present invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, in which:
[0013] [0013]FIG. 1 illustrates a hydraulic valve control system including an electronic controller coupled to proportional control valves and the actuators they regulate. It also includes the various hand controls that the operator can use to signal the controller, directing it to open and close the various valves and thereby move the corresponding actuators.
[0014] [0014]FIG. 2 shows the circuitry of the controller expressed in functional block form indicating how the controller receives and processes the signals from the hand controls. The controller receives hand control and sensor signal values on the left hand side of the FIGURE, derives command signal to the left of that, then scales the valve signals, then uses feedback control based upon the valve signals to refine the valve signals, then sends the refined valve signals to the actuators.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 3 shows the same subject matter of FIG. 2, but in an embodiment that does not use feedback control to refine the valve signals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Referring now to FIG. 1, valve controller 10 is shown that is coupled to and drives proportional control valves 12 , 14 , 16 and 18 . While only four valves are shown, as indicated by FIG. 1, there is no limit on the number of proportional control valves that may be coupled to valve controller 10 . Valves 12 , 14 and 16 are connected to hydraulic cylinders 20 , 22 and 24 . Valves 12 , 14 , 16 control the flow of hydraulic fluid to cylinders 20 , 22 , 24 respectively, based upon signals received from valve controller 10 . Valve 18 is similarly a proportional control valve and controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to a different hydraulic actuator, hydraulic motor 26 . This motor may be coupled to a variety of rotational implements and is intended to represent any auxiliary hydraulic actuator on the vehicle. Inputs to valve controller 10 are shown on the left hand side of FIG. 1, including a on/off switch 28 , a quadrant lever 30 , a momentary push button switch 32 , and a two-axis joystick 34 . Switch 28 represents a two-position single throw switch generating a signal indicative of one or two positions. Quadrant lever 30 is representative of a proportional control device wherein the signal provided to valve controller 10 is proportional to the degree of deflection of the lever. Button switch 32 is indicative of a momentary contact switch with two states, on and off, wherein the button must be engaged manually in the on position, and when released, returns to the off position. Joystick 34 is indicative of a proportional control device having two independent axes of operation and capable of generating two proportional signals, each signal indicative of the degree of deflection of the joystick about each axis.
[0017] Associated with each of the three cylinders 20 , 22 and 24 are position sensors 36 , 38 , 40 . Each of these sensors is coupled to controller 10 and provides a signal to the controller indicative of the position of its associated cylinder. These sensors provide a signal that either directly, or as a function of mathematical manipulation, indicates the position of the cylinder, and hence the position of the mechanical elements that are coupled to the cylinders. As the operator moves hand controls 56 , the sensors provide feedback to the controller to give it some indication of the actual amount of flow provided to the cylinders. In this manner, the controller can determine whether projected flow rates have been achieved, and closed loop feedback can fine tune the valve positions to make sure the maximum flow rate to the various actuators using hydraulic fluid is not exceeded. Alternatively, and as described below, the system may not require feedback from the sensors to allocate the proper amount of flow and keep that flow within the flow rate limit of the vehicle's pump.
[0018] The position sensors provide feedback indicative of the rate of flow of hydraulic fluid to the actuators. Typical cylindrical actuators and their pistons have a constant cross sectional area. For a specific change in piston position, there is a specific change in volume. If the piston changes from position A to position B in 2 seconds, the flow rate over that time interval is (B minus A) times piston area) divided by 2 (seconds).
[0019] There are other methods of determining the fluid flow rate to the actuators, including a spool position sensor 36 ′ shown coupled to valve 12 , or a fluid flow sensor 36 ″ show coupled in the fluid supply line from valve 12 to actuator 20 . For convenience of illustration, we have shown only one actuator ( 20 ) with these alternative means of determining flow rate/actuator position. All of the actuators could be similarly provided with these devices. In most proportional control valves, the position of the spool is proportional to the degree of opening of the valve, and hence indicative of the flow rate of the valve, assuming a constant pressure across the valve. In-line fluid flow sensors are made using a variety of technologies, including mass flow rate, velocity (using impellers or pitot tubes or the like.
[0020] The simplest measure of fluid flow rate to each actuator is the magnitude of the signal applied to the proportional control valve. The signal, however, may not be sufficiently precise for all applications, and other sensors that provide a signal indicative of flow such as the spool position sensor, the fluid flow sensor may be better employed. Optionally, “smart” proportional flow control valves may be used These valves include internal sensors and microprocessors that determine the actual flow rate internally and automatically correct the flow rate by moving the spool on their own. By incorporating internal feedback control of the flow rate through the valve, the user does not have to do it for himself by adding additional position or flow sensors to determine the actual flow rate. The flow rate sensors and the flow rate controller are inside the valve itself..
[0021] A pump controller 42 is coupled to both a hydraulic pump 44 and controller 10 . In one embodiment, controller 10 transmits a signal to the pump controller indicative of a desired fluid flow rate and pump controller 42 responds by signaling pump 42 to provide that rate of hydraulic fluid flow. The pump controller is preferably a swash plate controller configured to dynamically change the output of the pump, and hence the total hydraulic flow rate available for the hydraulic actuators. The existence and operation of such controllers are well known in the art.
[0022] Pump 44 is driven by engine 46 . Engine 46 is preferably an internal combustion engine that operates at a relatively constant speed while controller 10 moves the mechanical elements that are coupled to the hydraulic actuators. In a typical embodiment, the vehicle is a backhoe, a front loader, a skid-steer loader a fork-lift or similar device, in which the hydraulic actuators swing, raise and lower buckets, booms, or forks. It is these machine elements that the operator controls and coordinates using the hand controls, and it is these elements that, if all driven simultaneously by the operator at full speed, would outstrip the flow rate provided by the pump, even if the pump was operated at its highest flow capacity.
[0023] Referring now to FIG. 2, the basic operation/circuitry of controller 10 is shown. In the preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 1, controller 10 is a digital device, and includes a microprocessor (or microcontroller) and memory circuits configured to store a control program. The circuitry described below is encoded in the control program that the microprocessor executes. While the controller may be an analogue device and the circuitry hardwired using analog devices, this is not preferred, since the ability to change an analogue device's operation or reconfigure it to provide additional functions is quite limited.
[0024] Referring to the right-most portion of FIG. 2, the inputs to the controller are signals generated by hand controls 56 . In addition, the positions of the actuators provided by sensors 36 , 38 , 40 are also input into the algorithm.
[0025] These values are provided to a control algorithm 58 that calculates desired command signals based upon the operator's manipulation of the hand controls. In addition to generating valve signals from the operator hand controls, the controller may also generate valve signals based upon the hand control signals for an additional actuator or actuators.
[0026] Once the desired command signals are calculated, they are then scaled down in block 60 to stay within a static (or dynamic) estimate (block 62 ) of available hydraulic fluid flow from the pump.
[0027] Once the scaled-down commands are calculated, they are further modified in block 64 using feedback from the actuator position or flow rate sensors to ensure that the motion of the actuators is properly coordinated.
[0028] These valve commands are then applied to valves 12 , 14 , 16 , and 18 (in block 66 ). The valves, in turn, control the flow rate of hydraulic fluid applied to hydraulic actuators 20 , 22 , 24 , and 26 (in block 68 ).
[0029] Referring now to FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment of the controller's circuitry is illustrated wherein there is no feedback control after the command signals are scaled. In this embodiment, there is no feedback control block 64 . Once scaled, the command signals are applied to the valves. In applications where positional accuracy of the various actuators is not critical, it is acceptable to omit the feedback processing indicated by block 64 . In all other respects, the operation of the algorithms in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are identical.
[0030] Referring back to FIG. 2, the controller reads the sensor signals and hand control signals in block 58 . Switch 28 (FIG. 1) indicates whether valve 18 will be energized to supply hydraulic fluid to motor 26 . If it is turned on, the controller calculates a desired command signal that will provide a constant flow of fluid to motor 26 . The amount of fluid to be provided is proportional to the position of quadrant lever 31 .
[0031] In addition, in block 58 controller 10 receives the signals provided by joystick 34 , another hand control. Joystick 34 provides two separate signals, each signal equivalent to the degree of deflection of the joystick in one of the two orthogonal directions. Thus, by manipulating the joystick, the operator can provide two separate and distinct signals indicative of a degree of deflection of the joystick.
[0032] In the preferred embodiment, one of these joystick signals is equivalent to the desired speed of movement of actuator 20 , and hence the flow rate to actuator 20 . The faster the operator wishes actuator 20 to move, the farther the operator deflects the joystick about one axis.
[0033] The other joystick signal is indicative of the desired speed of movement of actuator 22 and hence the flow rate to actuator 22 . The faster the operator wishes actuator 22 to move, the farther the operator deflects the joystick about the other of the two orthogonal directions.
[0034] Controller 10 calculates a desired valve command for each of these actuators 20 , 22 that is indicative of the requested or desired flow rate. Note that the operator need not manipulate the joystick in both orthogonal directions simultaneously, and therefore the controller may receive only a single signal from the joystick indicative of an operator request to move a single actuator.
[0035] In addition to converting the joystick signals, quadrant lever signal, and switch signal into a plurality of requested flow rates, controller 10 derives a third request signal for actuator 24 . This signal is not provided by the operator, but is a time-varying signal developed by the controller that is typically based upon the joystick signal (or signals) and varies with them.
[0036] In the example described herein, the operator requests the motion of two actuators using a joystick. The controller itself derives the desired motion of the third actuator in order to coordinate the motion of the three actuators, 20 , 22 , 24 . This is typically done as a part of a trajectory planning program, such as that described in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/196,675 for an “Electronic Coordinated Control For A Two-Axis Work Implement” which is incorporated herein by reference for all that it teaches. In the specific embodiment shown in the Ser. No. 09/196,675 application, the controller determines, based upon signals produced by the operator controls, the anticipated motion of one actuator, and based upon the mechanical geometry and location of the front loader arms, calculates a valve signal for another actuator that will insure a loader bucket remains level when it is raised and lowered. The operator, using a single control, indicates that the loader arms should be raised or lowered, and, by the degree of deflection of that control, indicates the desired speed of raising or lowering. In other words, the operator generates a request indicative of the desired degree of valve opening of the loader arm cylinder valve.
[0037] While this is one example of the reasons the controller might generate a time varying desired valve signal on its own, it by no means exhausts the possibilities. The present control system may be used to regulate the operation of a backhoe, wherein the operator requests the motion of one or two actuators that manipulate the backhoe arm using the joystick and the controller supplies the valve signal for a second or third actuator in order to coordinate the motion of two or three of the actuators that control the backhoe arm. A typical case where this would be valuable is when the operator is using a backhoe to dig a hole for a foundation that must have a flat bottom. Trajectory planning to coordinate the motion of a plurality of actuators is well known in the art.
[0038] The present system is not intended to be limited to a vehicle having any particular algorithm by which the controller calculates a desired valve signal, but to cover a controller operating in accordance with any such algorithms.
[0039] At this point, the controller has converted the signals from the hand controls into a request signal indicative of the desired speed of rotation of the hydraulic motor 26 and at least one request signal indicative of the desired speed of motion of at least one of the hydraulic cylinders. In this case, actuators 20 and 22 .
[0040] The controller has also derived a valve signal that was not provided by the operator for at least one other actuator. In this case, actuator 24 .
[0041] Once the desired valve signals or commands have been requested, controller 10 appropriately scales them to stay within the total flow capacity of the pump (block 60 ). This calculation is based upon an estimate of the total available flow capacity of the hydraulic pump that is stored in the memory circuits of controller 10 (block 62 ).
[0042] There are two types of actuators for purposes of this scaling operation: priority flow rate actuators and scaled flow rate actuators. We will explain the significance of these two types of actuators by providing a typical example of a particular application.
[0043] In this example, the system is implemented in a backhoe. The three hydraulic cylinders 20 , 22 and 24 include a boom lift cylinder, a dipper cylinder and a bucket cylinder. Hydraulic motor 26 is attached to the end of the boom for driving a post-hole drill bit, for example. A bit is attached to the rotating shaft of the motor and the boom lowered so the bit can engage the ground and dig a post-hole. The assembly of the post-hole bit and the actuator (motor 26 ) that drives it are one example of a ground-engaging implement that may need a constant flow rate of fluid. Other common examples include pavement breakers and lawn mower heads. The present application is not intended to be limited to a system for any specific hydraulic actuator that needs a constant flow rate of hydraulic fluid, but is intended to encompass any of them.
[0044] It is preferable that the post-hole digger rotate at a constant and optimum speed. To do this, a constant supply of hydraulic fluid needs to be supplied to the post hole digger no matter how the operator manipulates the joystick associated with two of the three cylinders. To accommodate this need for a constant supply of fluid to motor 26 , controller 10 first allocates a predetermined amount of flow rate from the total available flow rate by subtracting this amount from the total available flow rate.
[0045] In the present example, since the position of the quadrant lever indicates the desired flow rate for motor 26 , amount of fluid flow corresponding to the position of the quadrant lever is subtracted from the total available flow. This constant flow rate will be applied to motor 26 . Motor 26 is therefore a priority flow rate type of actuator. Note that while only a single priority flow rate actuator is shown in the present application, the invention is not intended to be limited to a vehicle having only one such actuator. Indeed, there may be more than one priority flow rate actuators on more complex vehicles together with associated hand controls to indicate the desired flow rate that should be applied to those actuators. Note also that the operator can change the flow rate by moving the quadrant lever to another position and releasing it. Indeed, the operator can eliminate any priority flow rate device by simply turning it off, such as by flipping switch 28 . The term “priority” as used herein means a flow rate that, while typically constant, is not scaled, but is given its full commanded flow rate. The scaled flow rate actuators, in contrast to this, are provided with the remaining flow rate which may, if the total remaining available flow is insufficient, be scaled proportionately.
[0046] Once controller 10 has subtracted the priority flow rate for the priority flow rate actuator (or actuators, more generally), it then proceeds to scale the remaining request signals (for the scaled flow rate actuators) proportionally. The remaining request signals include the operator request signals for actuators 20 and 22 and also the computer-generated request signal for actuator 24 . These signals are preferably equivalent to the desired flow rate to each of their corresponding actuators, and thus to the speed at which the actuators move, and thus also to the degree of valve opening (assuming a constant supply of hydraulic fluid under pressure, of course).
[0047] Controller 10 combines desired variable flow rates together and subtracts them from the total available flow rate from the pump (reduced by the amount of flow that is sent to the priority flow rate actuator or actuators). In most applications, and especially in applications where the controller generated the third valve signal as part of a trajectory analysis, the flow rates are scaled proportionately to the total available flow remaining after any flow rates for priority flow devices have been subtracted. The result of this scaling will be that all the scaled actuators receive less than their individually requested flows. They will each be reduced proportionately, however, thus keeping the various mechanical elements controlled by the scaled actuators in their proper relative positions.
[0048] Using the example of the backhoe, discussed above, the positional trajectory of the bucket or of an implement that is installed in place of the bucket will be the same if all the flow rates to the boom cylinder, the dipper cylinder, the boom swing cylinder, and the bucket cylinder are scaled down proportionately. The arm of the backhoe will just move at a slower speed. The paths or trajectories traced by the various mechanical elements that comprise the backhoe arm will be identical at either the requested speeds/flow rates or the scaled speeds/flow rate.
[0049] At this point, the controller has received at least one operator command, (preferably at least two), from the joystick and it (they) has been converted into desired valve commands for at least one (preferably at least two) operator-commanded actuator. The computer has developed its own desired valve command for a computer commanded actuator. The computer has also received an operator command for a priority flow rate actuator.
[0050] It has subtracted a priority flow rate (received from the quadrant lever) from the total available flow rate, then divided the remaining available flow rate between the at least one operator commanded actuator and the computer commanded actuator. Thus, the combined flow rates of the priority and scaled devices are less than or equal to the total available flow rate, the priority actuator will receive its priority flow rate, and the remaining actuators will share proportionately the remaining available flow rate.
[0051] The signals indicative of these flow rates (both priority and scaled) may be applied directly to the valves that control these devices, such as shown in FIG. 3, or they may be tailored to achieve higher accuracy as shown in FIG. 2.
[0052] In FIG. 2, the scaled valve signals or valve commands are then fine tuned in a closed loop position control circuit shown as block 64 in FIG. 2. In this step of the process, controller 10 compares the actual position of actuators 20 , 22 , and 24 with their projected positions to see whether they have actually reached their desired positions. If not, one or more flow rates are adjusted using a PID control algorithm to ensure that they do reach their positions. In the backhoe example provided above, one of the reasons for having the controller derive a control signal to apply to a computer-commanded actuator (cylinder 24 in this example) was to ensure that the backhoe boom followed a particular trajectory. If the trajectory (i.e. the sequence of positions) of the backhoe is particularly important, it may not be sufficient to merely provide scaled valve commands to the valves. Frictional losses, sticky valves, valve hysteresis, backhoe arm joint wear, and other problems common to mechanical and hydraulic devices may cause the mechanical components of the arm to follow a different path than the one they might have followed when the backhoe was new. While this is not a critical problem in many applications, it may be in some applications, and for that reason, the addition of a feedback control system using actuator position (or a signal indicative of actual flow rate form which the position can be derived) is particularly valuable.
[0053] In block 64 , the controller receives the scaled valve commands for each of the actuators. The valve commands are related to actuator position in the following manner. Each valve inherently has a valve curve that relates the valve opening to the electrical signal applied to the valve. Typically, the greater the current through the valve coil, the larger the valve opening. These curves are generally linear, although they may vary depending upon the application. The volume of a typical cylindrical actuator is a function of the piston area and the piston position within the cylinder. The flow rate (unit of volume per unit of time) into or out of a cylinder is therefore directly related to the rate of change of the piston position. The flow rate through a valve is a function of the pressure across the valve and the size of the valve opening. As a result of these relationships (and the relationships vary in their details from valve to valve and actuator to actuator) a piston velocity versus valve opening curve can be developed. For a given valve signal, therefore, the controller can estimate how far the piston should move over any particular interval.
[0054] For this reason, in block 66 of FIG. 2, controller 10 compares the distance the actuator moves during each interval (using the signal from sensor 36 ) to see if the calculated flow rate signal applied to valve 18 actually produced the desired flow rate over that interval. Alternatively, the controller compares the flow rate as indicated by sensors 36 ′ and 36 ″ with the desired flow rate. If the flow rate is insufficient controller 10 modifies the valve command signal for the actuator by increasing it slightly. Similarly, if the actuator has moved too far per sensor 36 , or has too high a flow rate per sensors 36 ′ or 36 ″, the closed loop control of block 64 reduces the valve signal slightly to reduce the speed of the actuator.
[0055] In the backhoe example above, the actuator that is controlled is the bucket cylinder 24 . The closed loop control insures that the desired flow rate determined by the trajectory analysis performed by controller 10 is actually achieved and therefore that the bucket arrives at the proper bucket position at the proper time. Each of the other actuators, as well can be fine tuned using the control Details of a typical closed loop controller for one or more actuators may be found in the Ser. No. 09/196,675 application, in particular in FIGS. 7A and 7B.
[0056] From the above it can be seen that a system for controlling the flow rates to a plurality of hydraulic actuators on a vehicle in order to prevent exceeding the maximum flow capacity of a hydraulic supply is possible. The flow rates can include priority flow rates that are insured a specific amount of flow combined with other flow rates that are scaled to remain under a total flow rate capacity. The scaled flow rates can include flow rates for actuators for which the operator selects a desired rate using a proportional control input device, as well as for actuators that have a computer-generated flow rate.
[0057] While the embodiments illustrated in the FIGURES and described above are presently preferred, it should be understood that these embodiments are offered by way of example only. The invention is not intended to be limited to any particular embodiment, but is intended to extend to various modifications that nevertheless fall within the scope of the appended claims.
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In a work vehicle that has several hydraulic actuators a system and method for controlling and scaling flow between the actuators includes an electronic controller that is connected to several hand controls that provide a proportional signal indicating how far the operator has moved the hand controls. The controller reads the hand controls and proportionally scales the total available flow to make sure the operator does not demand too much fluid from the hydraulic pump. The controller generates its own flow rate for another actuator, usually, although not necessarily based on one or two of the hand control positions. The hydraulic actuators do not all need to be scaled, however. Some devices may take priority, such as a supply of fluid to a hydraulic motor that drives a tool and need to operate at a constant speed. The controller first insures that the priority devices, if any, get their required amount of flow, then it divides up the remaining flow between the non-priority hydraulic actuators. If the signals from the hand controls and the signal generated by the controller are together greater than the remaining available capacity, the controller divides the remaining flow between the non-priority hydraulic actuators. Especially when the controller is coordinating the motion of the non-priority actuators, such as when they control multibar linkages such as a backhoe, front loader, fork lift, high lift device or similar devices, it is important that each actuator receive it “share” of the remaining flow. For this reason, the controller preferably proportionately scales the flow that has been requested by the operator and that has been generated internally by the controller to preserve the coordinated motion of the linkage, albeit operating at a slower speed than the operator requested. In addition, for actuators that must move more precisely, sensors that better indicate the flow rate to that actuator can be monitored by the controller to trim or fine tune the scaled flow rate for that actuator. This entire process is repeated many times each second.
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RELATED APPLICATION
Under provisions of 35 U.S.C. §119(e), the Applicant claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/006,645, filed 2 Jun. 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference.
It is intended that each of the referenced applications may be applicable to the concepts and embodiments disclosed herein, even if such concepts and embodiments are disclosed in the referenced applications with different limitations and configurations and described using different examples and terminology.
FIELD OF DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure generally relates to athletic training methods and devices.
BACKGROUND
An athlete, such as, for example a baseball player, may frequently practice throwing a baseball to improve, for example, his pitch. After the ball is thrown, conventional training methods require the ball to be retrieved back to player by, for example, a catcher. A catcher, however, may not always be available, and it might not always be convenient to for the player to throw to someone else. U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,075 (hereinafter referred to as the '075 patent) discloses a device for allowing a player to practice throwing a baseball without need for a backstop or catcher. However, the device in the '075 patent fails to provide the thrower with feedback as to the proper wrist and forearm position, as well as other useful information about the throw. With arm injuries to the elbow and shoulder at an all-time high, the proper arm position when executing a throw is critical to help prevent arm and shoulder injuries. Providing visual bio-feedback may assist with identifying and positioning of the arm to help correct problem areas.
BRIEF OVERVIEW
A throwing sleeve with visual biofeedback may be provided. This brief overview is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This brief overview is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Nor is this brief overview intended to be used to limit the claimed subject matter's scope.
A throwing sleeve with visual bio-feedback (hereinafter referred to as the ‘device’) may be used as a teaching and development tool for instructing on the proper wrist and forearm positions for throwing a ball, such as, but not limited to, for example, a baseball or softball. The device may fit over an individual's throwing arm. The device may eliminate the need for a throwing partner or a large area to throw across. The device may contain marking stripes that indicate the user's arm position throughout the throwing motion. The markings on the device may provide visual feedback to the user or a third party reviewing the user's throw. For example, as the user throws a baseball using the device, a visual observation of the markings on the device during the throw may indicate whether or not the user is throwing using the proper motions. Moreover, the visual observation of the markings during the throw may further indicate where the user's motion is incorrect. This may allow the user to correct his motion in an isolated manner. The markings may also enable the user to align the arm throwing motion with the rest of the body in the proper kinetic sequence.
Accordingly, the device may help to improve the user's movement, control and velocity of the ball. In this way, the device may prevent injuries by teaching the user to use proper motion. Furthermore, the device enables the user to practice while traveling or in constricted areas with limited space without the need of a throwing partner, thereby reducing the need for expensive training spaces.
In some embodiments, the device may incorporate sensors to further provide feedback to the user. For example, sensors may measure the speed and angular velocity of the throw as well as the angle of the release. In yet further embodiments, the ball with which the device is used may be integrated with sensors that interact with the sensors integrated in the device. In this way, the ball may communicate, by way of sensor detection or active communication, various parameters to the device sensors which, in turn, may read and process the data from the ball.
A throwing sleeve with visual biofeedback may be provided. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be comprised of a sleeve. The sleeve may be comprised of a plurality of segments forming a single, internal passageway with at least one opening. A first opening may be configured to receive an object (e.g., baseball or softball) into the internal passageway of the sleeve. A second opening may be configured to receive a user's hand. Embodiments may further comprise a means for securing the user's hand within the internal passageway of the sleeve. Still further, embodiments may comprise one ore more stripes running parallel to an edge of each of the plurality of segments.
In some embodiments, the one or more stripes may be comprised of a material used to delineate the stripe from a material of the sleeve.
In further embodiments, the stripes may be a different color for each edge of the plurality of segments.
In still further embodiments, the means for securing the user's hand comprises a wristband.
In some embodiments, the sleeve may be comprised of a mesh substance.
Further, some embodiments may be comprised of a means for bracing an internal portion of the sleeve.
Further embodiments may be comprised of a material to further reinforce a closed end of the internal passageway.
In still further embodiments, the material may be configured to provide an audible sound upon receiving an impact from an object thrown within the internal passageway.
Some embodiments consistent with the present disclosure may comprise a system comprised of a sleeve comprising a plurality of segments forming a single, internal passageway with a single opening, the opening configured to receive an object into the internal passageway of the sleeve, a means for securing a user's hand within the internal passageway of the sleeve, and at least one stripe running parallel to an edge of each of the plurality of segments. The system may further comprise at least one sensor and a computing device comprised of a memory storage and a processing unit coupled with the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to receiving a signal from the at least one sensor.
In some embodiments of the system, the at least one sensor may be attached to the sleeve.
In further embodiments, the at least one sensor may be wirelessly connected to the computing device.
In further embodiments of the system, the processing unit may be further operative to calculate data corresponding to the signal received from the at least one sensor.
In further embodiments, the processing unit may be further configured to provide metrics associated with an object within the internal passageway of the sleeve.
In some embodiments, the processing unit may be further operative to creating a visual rendering of a user's motions using the calculated data.
In some embodiments, the processing unit may be further operative to receiving at least one condition corresponding to a potential signal to be received and providing an output when the signal meets the at least one condition.
Some embodiments may be further comprised of at least one button, and receiving the at least one condition comprises receiving a condition after receiving selection from the button and receiving a signal from the sensor.
In some embodiments, the at least one condition may be comprised of a speed, a wrist angle, an axis of rotation, and/or a release point.
Both the foregoing brief overview and the following detailed description provide examples and are explanatory only. Accordingly, the foregoing brief overview and the following detailed description should not be considered to be restrictive. Further, features or variations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example, embodiments may be directed to various feature combinations and sub-combinations described in the detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate various embodiments of the present disclosure. The drawings contain representations of various trademarks and copyrights owned by the Applicants. In addition, the drawings may contain other marks owned by third parties and are being used for illustrative purposes only. All rights to various trademarks and copyrights represented herein, except those belonging to their respective owners, are vested in and the property of the Applicants. The Applicants retain and reserve all rights in their trademarks and copyrights included herein, and grant permission to reproduce the material only in connection with reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose.
Furthermore, the drawings may contain text or captions that may explain certain embodiments of the present disclosure. This text is included for illustrative, non-limiting, explanatory purposes of certain embodiments detailed in the present disclosure. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 illustrates a throwing sleeve;
FIG. 2 illustrates a throwing sleeve with a ball;
FIG. 3 illustrates a throwing sleeve being worn by a user;
FIG. 4 illustrates a throwing sleeve being strapped to a user's wrist;
FIG. 5 illustrates a throwing sleeve being used;
FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a throwing sleeve with sensing devices;
FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of throwing sleeve with integrated sensing devices; and
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a system including a computing device for performing the method for data acquisition and transmission.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art that the present disclosure has broad utility and application. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the disclosure and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
Accordingly, while embodiments are described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present disclosure, and are made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded in any claim of a patent issuing here from, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.
Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection is to be defined by the issued claim(s) rather than the description set forth herein.
Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which an ordinary artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the ordinary artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the ordinary artisan should prevail.
Regarding applicability of 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶6, no claim element is intended to be read in accordance with this statutory provision unless the explicit phrase “means for” or “step for” is actually used in such claim element, whereupon this statutory provision is intended to apply in the interpretation of such claim element.
Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.”
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While many embodiments of the disclosure may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims. The present disclosure contains headers. It should be understood that these headers are used as references and are not to be construed as limiting upon the subjected matter disclosed under the header.
The present disclosure includes many aspects and features. Moreover, while many aspects and features relate to, and are described in, the context of throwing a ball, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to use only in this context. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to capture, measure and provide visual, audible and/or electronic feedback or measurements from a wearable self-contained device attached to a user's hand, arm, or other body part that allows for any ball, object, or instrument to be thrown or propelled by any method.
I. Overview
Consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure, a throwing sleeve (i.e. the device) may be provided. This overview is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that is further described below. This overview is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Nor is this overview intended to be used to limit the claimed subject matter's scope. The device may comprise marking strips that may provide visual bio-feedback as the sleeve is used. The device may be used by individuals to improve their throwing form for sports including, but not limited to, for example, baseball or softball.
Embodiments of the device may be used as a teaching and development tool for proper wrist and forearm position as well as proper body position. Furthermore, the device may be used in any practice environment (indoors and outdoors) without impeding the user from practicing with full motion and maximum velocities. Thus, the construction of the device may allow for full body motion, while having segments defining arm and wrist angles for throwing.
Marking strips included on the device may provide visual feedback on the motion and location of the arm angles during a user throws a ball using the device. In various embodiments of the device, these marking strips may be viewable to both the user and other observing third party, such as, for example, an instructor.
The instructor may be performing a live observation or reviewing of a video recording of a user throwing a ball using the device. Without the markings properly placed on the device, the motions may be too fast to be observed. As will be described in greater detailed below, the feedback may be used to develop proper technique and eliminate faulty movements. Throughout the present disclosure, the terms “marking strips” and “markings” may be used interchangeably.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may be further comprised of electronic sensors. Such sensors may be incorporated to measure performance indicators such as, for example, but not limited to, speed, rotation, and spin rate. The sensor readings may be transmitted via wires or wirelessly. The readings may further be processed to be used in studies, instruction, comparison, gaming, or other uses. The readings may provide data points, which may be used to create an electronic rendering of the user's actions.
While the present disclosure describes application of the device with reference throwing a ball, it should be understood that embodiments may be used in any other similar action where an object is thrown by a user.
Both the foregoing overview and the following detailed description provide examples and are explanatory only. Accordingly, the foregoing overview and the following detailed description should not be considered to be restrictive. Further, features or variations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example, embodiments may be directed to various feature combinations and sub-combinations described in the detailed description.
II. Device Design
FIG. 1 illustrates one possible embodiment of a throwing sleeve. FIG. 2 illustrates one possible embodiment of a throwing sleeve with a ball. Embodiments of this invention may be comprised of a transparent material 105 such as, for example, but not limited to, polyester or nylon. In various embodiments, the material may be configured in a mesh arrangement. This material may be able to withstand the impact of, for example, a baseball propagating at 100 miles per hour within the material. The material may range from, for example, but not be limited to, 36 to 48 inches in length and 10 to 14 inches in width to form a ‘sleeve’ configuration. The sleeve may further come in various shapes and sizes to enable various applications. The sleeve may be braced to prevent interference between the sleeve and the ball. For example, a rigid screen may be incorporated to hold the sleeve away from the ball. Embodiments may further comprise an end material 110 for receiving the impact of a ball. The end material may be comprised of a piece of light-weight material, such as, but not limited to, canvas to reinforce the impact zone's strength and resilience. The end material 110 may be configured to provide audible feedback as the ball impacts the end material 110 . The end material 110 may further be configured with sensors to capture readings, such as, for example, but not limited to, impact and rotational forces.
The material may be further configured with markings 115 . As mentioned above, the marking may be placed in particular positions of the device. These positions may be based on and derived from recent biomechanical discoveries for arm safety and incorporate studies of elite pitchers and their performance.
To place the markings, the material may be folded in half lengthwise. Two pieces of light-weight canvas of different colors may attach the sides of the sleeve. Embodiments of the invention may incorporate a third piece of colored canvas 120 . This colored piece may be, for example, but not limited to, ½ inch wide and the same length as the sleeve, and may run along the middle of the top side of the sleeve. The colored pieces may comprise the aforementioned marking stripes used to provide the visual feedback for the wrist and forearm angle locations to the observer.
The side receiving the impact may be sewn shut or closed off using any other method for binding fabric. Embodiments of this invention may further incorporate a finger loop, attached to the inside of the sleeve under the middle marker. This finger loop may be used to line up the center marking strip with the middle finger of the user's throwing hand.
Embodiments of this invention may be comprised of a material used to make an adjustable cuff 125 for the user. The cuff 125 may be made of, but not limited to, a two-inch stretchable hook and loop material like Velcro®. The cuff may also be made of, but not limited to, a leather strap with a buckle for added security during high-velocity throws. The wrist band may incorporate marking stripes that align with the netting marking stripes. Such marking stripes may enable a user to use only the wrist band (without the sleeve) and still receive bio-feedback.
III. Device Operation
A user may use embodiments of this invention by first placing a ball in the sleeve. Then, the user may place his or her hand into the sleeve, aligning the marking strips on the left, middle and right sides of his hand at ninety-degree angles. FIGS. 3-5 illustrate embodiments 300 - 500 of the device being worn and used by a user.
The user may place his middle finger through the finger loop. The user may then tighten the cuff onto the wrist in the mesh. In some embodiments, the sleeve may be measured from the end of the middle finger, other hand or body parts, to the end of the sleeve to provide a consistent measurement for each use.
Then, the user may perform his throw. The marker stripes may be recorded by video or visual observations to note the locations of the markers through the entire motion. The user may then observe or be made aware of any mistakes in his throw. The user may then take corrective action and repeat the process.
The stripes may provide immediate feedback of the pronation factor and position as the arm has completes the throwing motion. Embodiments of the device comprising the lightweight mesh may minimize the interference with the throw. Further, the mesh allows for observation of the fingers on the ball and their release action.
IV. Electronic Component Architecture
Embodiments of this device may further incorporate sensors to identify various aspects of, for example, a user's throw. FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment 600 comprising sensors 605 . These aspects may include, arm position, hand position, ball velocity, rotational speed, and direction. The sensors 605 may comprise, but not be limited to, devices capable of measuring acceleration, velocities, projectiles, axis of rotations, rotational speeds, direction of propagation (e.g., relative to, for example, a horizontal or vertical plane). Sensors may further be incorporated to provide measurements for gaming applications, such as, for example, virtual pitching in a baseball game.
The sensors 605 used to detect these characteristics may be placed throughout the device (e.g. on the wristband and along the sleeve). FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment 700 comprising sensors 605 and a component housing 705 . The component housing 705 may comprises, for example, but not be limited to, a processing unit and a memory storage along with communication modules. One example on the components housed in housing 705 may include computing device 800 .
In some embodiments, the sensors may be placed on, for examples, the user's fingers (e.g., embedded in the finger loop), hand, and arm or body part. Still consistent with embodiments of the present invention, the sensors may be in communication without sensors placed throughout the user's body.
The sensors may be configured with data transmission capability. In some embodiments, the sensors may comprise on-board communications components, while in other-embodiments, the communications module may be located in remote proximity to the sensors. The communications module may receive signals from the sensors and communicate the signals to a computing device. Each signal may have a unique ID to identify the sensor and data being transmitted by the sensor. The communication between the sensors, the communications module, and the computing device, may be performed using, but not limited to, for example, wired or RF transmission (e.g., Wi-Fi or Bluetooth). The signals may be embedded with metadata, such as, for example, timing, such that the platform may capture at what point each sensor's data was received, thereby enabling reconstruction of the user's actions.
The signal may be transmitted to a computing device which may comprise, for example, a mobile device (e.g., laptop, tablet or smartphone), desktop device, and/or a server. In some embodiments, some or all of the computing device may be incorporated into the device. The computing device may comprise a platform for receiving and processing the received signals. The platform may be embodied as, for example, but not be limited to, a website, a web application, a desktop application, and a mobile application compatible with a computing device. The computing device may comprise, but not be limited to, a desktop computer, laptop, a tablet, or mobile telecommunications device. Moreover, the platform may be hosted on a centralized server, such as, for example, a cloud computing service.
The platform may receive real time sensor readings, process the readings, and display the processed results in a user-friendly, informative manner. In order to accurately process the signal readings, various embodiments may enable a user to input various parameters including, but not limited to, for example, height to the user, distance traveled by the projective, fixed size but variable positioning of target with respect to width or heights. In this way, a user may build a profile and, in turn, the platform may be used to track and record historical data for a plurality of users. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the platform may be able to simulate the user's throw based on the sensor data readings. The simulation may include a calculated path of the projective within the device, as well as the user's motions in launching the projectile (i.e., the ball). The simulation may further include a computer generation of the user's form. For example, a stick figure or 3-dimensional computer-generation may be created and displayed to the user. In this way, embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to provide virtual game experience.
The platform may receive parameters for reference points corresponding to metrics (i.e. ‘conditions’), such as, for example, a speed, wrist angle, axis of rotation, and release point, and each reference point may correspond to a particular type of pitch. These reference points may be, for example, manually input (e.g., when the user presses a button 710 on the wristband), or may be recorded from previous use. When such reference points are reached or surpassed, the platform may inform the user, with, for example, an alarm. In this way, the user may be informed when he or she reaches a new achievement, such as, for example, a new fastest or best throw. Alternatively, the user may be informed when he or she uses a throwing form outside the tolerance of the reference points. The platform may further display user metrics as well as reference points.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise a system having a memory storage and a processing unit. The processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is configured to perform the stages involved in data acquisition and processing.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a system including computing device 800 . Consistent with an embodiment of the disclosure, the aforementioned memory storage and processing unit may be implemented in a computing device, such as computing device 800 of FIG. 8 . Any suitable combination of hardware, software, or firmware may be used to implement the memory storage and processing unit. For example, the memory storage and processing unit may be implemented with computing device 800 or any of other computing devices 818 , in combination with computing device 800 . The aforementioned system, device, and processors are examples and other systems, devices, and processors may comprise the aforementioned memory storage and processing unit, consistent with embodiments of the disclosure.
With reference to FIG. 8 , a system consistent with an embodiment of the disclosure may include a computing device, such as computing device 800 . In a basic configuration, computing device 800 may include at least one processing unit 802 and a system memory 804 . Depending on the configuration and type of computing device, system memory 804 may comprise, but is not limited to, volatile (e.g. random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile (e.g. read-only memory (ROM)), flash memory, or any combination. System memory 804 may include operating system 805 , one or more programming modules 806 , and may include a program data 807 . Operating system 805 , for example, may be suitable for controlling computing device 800 's operation. In one embodiment, programming modules 806 may include, for example throw speed calculation application 820 . Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced in conjunction with a graphics library, other operating systems, or any other application program and is not limited to any particular application or system. This basic configuration is illustrated in FIG. 8 by those components within a dashed line 808 .
Computing device 800 may have additional features or functionality. For example, computing device 800 may also include additional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage is illustrated in FIG. 8 by a removable storage 809 and a non-removable storage 810 . Computer storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. System memory 804 , removable storage 809 , and non-removable storage 810 are all computer storage media examples (i.e., memory storage.) Computer storage media may include, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store information and which can be accessed by computing device 800 . Any such computer storage media may be part of device 800 . Computing device 800 may also have input device(s) 812 such as a keyboard, a mouse, a pen, a sound input device, a touch input device, etc. Output device(s) 814 such as a display, speakers, a printer, etc. may also be included. The aforementioned devices are examples and others may be used.
Computing device 800 may also contain a communication connection 816 that may allow device 800 to communicate with other computing devices 818 , such as over a network in a distributed computing environment, for example, an intranet or the Internet. Communication connection 816 is one example of communication media. Communication media may typically be embodied by computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” may describe a signal that has one or more characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media may include wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), infrared, and other wireless media. The term computer readable media as used herein may include both storage media and communication media.
As stated above, a number of program modules and data files may be stored in system memory 804 , including operating system 805 . While executing on processing unit 802 , programming modules 806 (e.g., throw speed calculation application 820 ) may perform processes including, for example, one or more of the data acquisition, calculation, and transmission steps as described above. The aforementioned process is an example, and processing unit 802 may perform other processes. Other programming modules that may be used in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure may include electronic mail and contacts applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, database applications, slide presentation applications, drawing or computer-aided application programs, etc.
Generally, consistent with embodiments of the disclosure, program modules may include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that may perform particular tasks or that may implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Embodiments of the disclosure may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced in an electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates, a circuit utilizing a microprocessor, or on a single chip containing electronic elements or microprocessors. Embodiments of the disclosure may also be practiced using other technologies capable of performing logical operations such as, for example, AND, OR, and NOT, including but not limited to mechanical, optical, fluidic, and quantum technologies. In addition, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced within a general purpose computer or in any other circuits or systems.
Embodiments of the disclosure, for example, may be implemented as a computer process (method), a computing system, or as an article of manufacture, such as a computer program product or computer readable media. The computer program product may be a computer storage media readable by a computer system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. The computer program product may also be a propagated signal on a carrier readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. Accordingly, the present disclosure may be embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.). In other words, embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. A computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific computer-readable medium examples (a non-exhaustive list), the computer-readable medium may include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). Note that the computer-usable or computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.
Embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, are described above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
While certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described, other embodiments may exist. Furthermore, although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums, data can also be stored on or read from other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, solid state storage (e.g., USB drive), or a CD-ROM, a carrier wave from the Internet, or other forms of RAM or ROM. Further, the disclosed methods' stages may be modified in any manner, including by reordering stages and/or inserting or deleting stages, without departing from the disclosure.
All rights including copyrights in the code included herein are vested in and the property of the Applicant. The Applicant retains and reserves all rights in the code included herein, and grants permission to reproduce the material only in connection with reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose.
V. Claims
While the specification includes examples, the disclosure's scope is indicated by the following claims. Furthermore, while the specification has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, the claims are not limited to the features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example for embodiments of the disclosure.
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A throwing sleeve with visual biofeedback may be provided. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be comprised of a sleeve. The sleeve may be comprised of a plurality of segments forming a single, internal passageway with at least one opening. A first opening may be configured to receive an object (e.g., baseball or softball) into the internal passageway of the sleeve. A second opening may be configured to receive a user's hand. Embodiments may further comprise a means for securing the user's hand within the internal passageway of the sleeve. Still further, embodiments may comprise at least one stripe running parallel to an edge of each of the plurality of segments.
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This application is based on application No. H10-190179 filed in Japan on Jul. 6, 1998, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a developing apparatus and a printing apparatus employing the same for use in copying machine, printer and so on.
2. Background of the Invention
U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,796 discloses a printing apparatus provided with a double roller type of developing apparatus. In the double roller type of developing apparatus, toner is charged to a predetermined polarity on a first roller, transferred to a second roller, and carried on the second roller to carry out the developing process.
However, in the double roller type developing apparatus, when the toner carried on the second roller is left as it is, the charge quantity of the toner is reduced, whereby an abnormal image is formed. Moreover, in the case that the second roller continuously rotates, the toner deteriorates by the friction and adheres to the second roller. Thus, a so-called "filming" occurs and then an abnormal image is formed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the invention has been accomplished to solve the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior arts. An object of the invention is to provide a developing apparatus and a printing apparatus employing the same which is possible to form fine images by preventing the decrease of toner charge quantity and occurrence of filming.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, according to the invention, there is provided a developing apparatus, comprising:
a container for containing a developer;
a first roller for conveying the developer contained in the container;
a blade for charging the developer on the first roller to a predetermined polarity and for restricting the conveyance quantity of the developer; and
a second roller opposed to the first roller, the second roller receiving the developer from the first roller to hold it on an outer surface thereof, and conveying the developer to use it for developing,
wherein the developing apparatus further comprises a developer recovering means for recovering the developer from the second roller at non-developing time so as to decrease toner charge quantity and to prevent filming.
In the developing apparatus according to the invention having the above construction, as the developer recovering means recovers the developer from the second roller at non-developing time, a decrease of toner charge quantity and an occurrence of filming do not occur, allowing good images to be formed.
In one embodiment of the developer recovering means, it may be arranged to apply a bias voltage to the first roller to recover the developer on the second roller to the first roller. In another embodiment of the developer recovering means, it may comprise a third roller disposed so as to oppose the second roller, and wherein a bias voltage is applied to the third roller to recover the developer on the second roller to the third roller. In this case, the third roller maybe provided with a magnet brush on an outer surface thereof. In addition to the developer recovering means, the developing apparatus may further comprise a developer recovering member which comes into contact with the second roller to physically recover the developer on the second roller.
Once the developer on the second roller is recovered, a large amount of developer is accumulated on opposing parts of the first roller and the blade. As a result, a developer layer subsequently formed on the first roller and the second roller would become uneven and the blade would vibrate causing a noise. Therefore, preferably, the bias voltage may be varied stepwise.
In another embodiment of the developer recovering means, there may be a developer recovering member which comes into contact with the second roller to physically recover the developer on the second roller.
In one embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the invention, the printing apparatus comprises:
a developing apparatus as described above,
a backing electrode opposed to the second roller of the developing apparatus, the backing electrode generating an electric field which attracts the charged printing particles on the second roller to propel the same toward said backing electrode;
a printing head disposed between the second roller and the backing electrode, the printing head including a plurality of apertures through which the printing particles can propel and a plurality of electrodes disposed around the plurality of apertures,
wherein the plurality of electrodes are applied with a voltage for allowing the printing particles to be propelled and a voltage for preventing the printing particles to be propelled in response to an image signal, whereby the printing particles are directly deposited on a print medium to print the image.
In another embodiment of the printing apparatus according to the invention, the printing apparatus comprises:
a developing apparatus as described above,
an electrostatic latent image carrying member opposed to the second roller of the developing apparatus;
a transfer member opposed to the electrostatic latent image carrying member,
wherein an electrostatic latent image is formed on the electrostatic latent image carrying member based on an image signal, the electrostatic latent image is developed by the developer held on the second roller of the developing apparatus to form a developer image, the developer image is transferred to a print medium by the transfer member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be become clear from the following description taken in conjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a printing apparatus with a developing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a time chart showing an example of toner recovering timing;
FIG. 3 is a time chart showing an another example of toner recovering timing;
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a developing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 5 is a graph showing a variation of toner quantity on the first roller when applying a toner recovering voltage to the first roller with a leap;
FIG. 6 is a graph showing a variation of toner quantity on the first roller when applying a toner recovering voltage to the first roller stepwise;
FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a developing apparatus according to a third embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a developing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the developing apparatus of FIG. 8 at the time of toner recovery; and
FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a printing apparatus with a developing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
First Embodiment
With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a printing apparatus 1a with a developing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention. The printing apparatus 1a is arranged to print an image on a sheet 2 conveyed along sheet passage S in a direction indicated by an arrow "a" from a sheet feed roller (not shown). The printing apparatus 1a is provided with a developing apparatus generally indicated by reference numeral 13a. The developing apparatus 3a comprises a container 4, a first roller 5 and a second roller 6. The container 4 has an opening 7 and accommodates a developer, i.e., toner particles (hereinafter simply referred to as toner) 8 which comprise one component and are capable of being charged with negative polarity. The first roller 5 is disposed in the opening 7 of the container 4 and comprises a drive roller 9 rotatably supported in a direction of arrow "b" and a developing sleeve 10 inserted outside the drive roller 9.
The developing sleeve 10 is made of a metal material such as nickel or resin material such as carbon-contained nylon. The inner diameter of the developing sleeve 10 is larger than the outer diameter of the drive roller 9. The developing sleeve 10 is formed with a slack 11 by coming into contact with the drive roller 9. The developing sleeve 10 is capable of rotating along with the drive roller 9 in a direction of arrow "b". A blade 12, preferably made of a metal material such as stainless steel, extends from the wall of the container 4 and comes into contact with the outer surface of the developing sleeve 10. To the developing sleeve 10 is selectively applied either a voltage V1 (-100 volts) having the same polarity as the toner 8 or a voltage V1' (+50 volts) having a reverse polarity to the toner 8 by a switch SW1. The second roller 6 is disposed so that it comes into contact with the slack 11 of the developing sleeve 10 of the first roller 5 and is opposed to a backing electrode 13 as described hereinafter. The second roller 6 is rotatably supported in a direction of arrow "c". The second roller 6 is made of a conductive material and is electrically connected to the earth (V2=0 volt).
The printing apparatus la is also provided with a backing electrode generally indicated by reference numeral 13. The backing electrode 13 is disposed at the opposite side to the developing apparatus 3a with respect to the sheet passage S so that the backing electrode 13 is opposed to the second roller 6. To the backing electrode 13 is applied a voltage V BE of predetermined polarity (positive polarity in this embodiment), for example, +1200 volts. Thus, between the backing electrode 13 and the second roller 6 is formed an electric field so that the negatively charged toner 8 on the second roller 6 is electrically attracted to the backing electrode 13.
Between the developing apparatus 3a and the backing electrode 13 and at the opposite side to the backing electrode 13 with respect to the sheet passage S, the printing apparatus 1a is also provided with a printing head generally indicated by reference numeral 15. At a region where the second roller 6 and the backing electrode 13 are opposed to each other, the printing head 15 is formed with a plurality of apertures 16 having a diameter of about 25 to 200 micrometers which is substantially larger than an average diameter (about several micrometers to a dozen micrometers) of the toner 8. The apertures 16 are disposed in a direction perpendicular to the sheet passage S.
The printing head 15 further includes therein doughnut-like control electrodes 17 which surround the respective apertures 16. The control electrodes 17 are electrically connected to a driver 18 through a printed wire 19 so that the driver 18 can transmit image signals to the control electrodes 17, respectively. The driver 18 is in turn electrically connected to a controller 20 which feeds out data of image.
The image signals to be transmitted to the control electrodes 17 consist of a voltage Vw applied to the control electrodes 17 around the apertures 16 corresponding to non-print portions of the sheet 2 and a voltage Vb applied to the control electrodes 17 around the apertures 16 corresponding to print portions of the sheet 2. The voltage Vw and Vb are switched by a switch SW2 in response to the image data from the controller 20. In this embodiment, for example, the voltage Vw for the non-print portion is about -50 volts, and the voltage Vb for the print portion is about +300 volts.
Operation of the printing apparatus 1a having the above features will now be described.
In the printing apparatus 1a, a main motor (not shown) is driven to rotate the drive roller 9 of the first roller 5, which is applied with a voltage V1 (-100 volts) having the same polarity as the toner 8, in the direction of arrow "b", whereby the developing sleeve 10 rotates in the same direction. The toner 8 in the container 4 is moved on the developing sleeve 10 and then transported to a contact region with the blade 12 where the toner 8 is provided with triboelectric negative charge by the frictional contact with the blade 12. Thereby, the toner 8 is carried on the developing sleeve 10. The toner 8 carried on the developing sleeve 10 is delivered to the second roller 6 at an opposite portion to the second roller 6 connected to earth (ground).
In the printing head 15, the voltage Vw of about -50 volts is applied to the control electrodes 17 at the non-printing time. Therefore, the negatively charged toner 8 on the second roller 6 electrically repels against the control electrodes 17 and therefore stays on the second roller 6 without propelling toward the apertures 16.
The controller 20 outputs the image data corresponding to an image to be reproduced to the driver 18. In response to the image data, the driver 18 applies the voltage Vw of -50 volts to the non-print portion and the voltage Vb of +300 volts to the print portion by switching the switch SW2.
As a result, at the non-print portion, the control electrodes 17 have the same polarity as the toner 8 on the second roller 6 and have an electric potential existing on the minus side with respect to the second roller 6. Thus, the toner 8 on the second roller 6 is not propelled to the control electrodes 17, whereby no image is formed on the sheet 2. On the other hand, at the print portion, the control electrodes 17 are applied with the voltage Vb of +300 volts. Thus, the toner 8 on the second roller 6 which is opposed to the control electrodes 17 is electrically attracted by the control electrodes 17 and the backing electrode 13 to propel through the apertures 16, whereby the converged mass of the toner 2 is deposited on the sheet 8 to form an image on the sheet 2.
In the printing apparatus 1a, when the toner 8 on the second roller 6 of the developing apparatus 3a is left as it is at the time of non-print, toner charge quantity is decreased and filming occurs, whereby an abnormal image is formed. So, at the time of non-print, for example, at the time of power ON or OFF, between pages of the print medium, pre-printing, or post-printing, the toner 8 on the second roller 6 of the developing apparatus 3a is recovered. By switching the switch SW1, the voltage V1' (+50 volts) having reverse polarity to the toner 8 is applied to the first roller 5. When rotating the first roller 5 and the second roller 6 is rotated in the same manner as at the time of print, the toner 8 carried on the second roller 6 is recovered to the first roller 5 at the region opposite to the first roller 5 to which the voltage having reverse polarity to the toner 8 is applied. Thus, the toner 8 on the second roller 6 is not left as it is, preventing a decrease of toner charge quantity and an occurrence of filming.
The timing of toner recovering will be explained, for example, in the case of continuous printing in which the print is conducted at a constant time interval as shown in FIG. 2. Each time when the print signal is OFF, the applying voltage V1 to the first roller 5 is switched to the voltage of reverse polarity to the toner 8, i.e., +50 volts to recover the toner 8 on the second roller 6. Thus, inserting the toner recovering process between images during the continuous printing enables the printing apparatus to print without forming an abnormal image. In addition, at a constant time τ before the print signal turns ON, the applying voltage V1 to the first roller 5 is switched to the voltage having the same polarity as the toner 8, i.e., -100 volts to feed the toner 8 on the second roller 6 for the next print. The constant time τ is the time it takes the toner 8 to transfer to the opposed region between the second roller 6 and the printing head 15 after the toner 8 starts to move to the second roller 6 from the first roller 5. Thus, feeding the toner on the second roller 6 to form the toner layer thereon before commencement the each print process enables the elimination of the delay of the printing time.
As an another example of toner-recovering timing, a pre-job start sequence is preferably conducted as shown in FIG. 3. When the previous printing operation is compulsorily discontinued due to paper jam treatment or the like, the toner 8 may remain on the second roller 6. In such case, the pre-job start sequence provides for recovering the toner 8 on the second roller 6 by switching the applying voltage V1 to the first roller 5 to +50 volts of reverse polarity to the toner 8 at the same time as the main motor becomes ON. In the pre-job star sequence, it is also preferable as described in the example of FIG. 2 that at a time τ before the print signal becomes ON to start the job (printing operation), the applying voltage V1 to the first roller 5 is switched to -100 volts of the same polarity as the toner 8 to feed the toner 8 on the second roller 6 for the next print. As the post-job sequence ends, it is also preferable that at the same time as the print signal becomes OFF to terminate the print job, and to switch the applying voltage V1 on the first roller 5 to +50 volts of reverse polarity to the toner 8 to recover the toner 8 on the second roller 6.
Second Embodiment
Hereinafter, another embodiment of the invention will be explained. In this embodiment, only different parts from the aforementioned first embodiment will be described and the same reference numerals will be affixed to other substantially same parts as the first embodiment to omit the explanation thereof.
FIG. 4 shows a developing apparatus 3b according to a second embodiment of the invention. In the developing apparatus 3b, a variable voltage Vf can be applied to the first roller 5 step wise in the following situation. When the applying voltage Vf to the first roller 5 is changed to +50 volts from -100 volts with a leap as shown in FIG. 5 to recover the toner 8 on the second roller 6, a large quantity of toner 8 is recovered to the first roller 5 at a time and accumulated between the first roller 5 and the blade 12, whereby the toner quantity on the first roller 5 is beyond a permissible level as shown in one-dot chain line. This causes such problems at the next print that the image would become uneven and the blade 12 would vibrate so as to cause a noise. Thus, at the time when the applied voltage Vf to the first roller 5 is changed to +50 volts from -100 volts, it is conducted stepwise as shown in FIG. 6, allowing the toner quantity on the first roller 5 to be suppressed below the permissible level. As a result, a good image could be formed at the next print.
Third Embodiment
FIG. 7 shows a developing apparatus 3c according to a third embodiment of the invention. In the developing apparatus 3c, a third roller 21 for recovering the toner 8 on the second roller 6 is provided. The third roller 21 is disposed so as to rotate in a direction of arrow "d" with respect to the second roller 6. To the third roller 21 is selectively applied either a recovery voltage Vd (+50 volts) having a reverse polarity to the toner 8 or a recovery preventing voltage (-50 volts) by a switch SW3. The third roller 21 is provided with a scraper 22 for scraping the toner 8 on the third roller 21 and a guide 24 for guiding the toner 8 scraped by the scraper 22 to the developing container 4 through a hole 23 formed on the container 4.
In the developing apparatus 3c, at the printing time, a voltage of -50 volts is applied to the third roller 21 so that the toner 8 carried on the second roller 6 is not moved to the third roller 21. When the toner 8 on the second roller 6 is recovered at the non-printing time, the voltage Vd having a reverse polarity to the toner 8 is applied to the third roller 21. As a result, the toner 8 on the second roller 6 is moved to the third roller 21 at the region opposed to the third roller 21 and transferred in the direction of arrow "d" to be scraped by the scraper 22. The scraped toner 8 is guided by the guide 24 and recovered in the container 4 through the hole 23 of the container 4.
Fourth Embodiment
FIGS. 8 and 9 show a developing apparatus 3d according to a fourth embodiment of the invention. In the developing apparatus 3d, a blade 25 for recovering the toner 8 adhering to the second roller 6 is provided. The blade 25 is mounted on an opening edge of a recovery container 26 and extended toward the second roller 6. The blade 25 is movable by means of a solenoid 27 between a retreat position where the free end of the blade 25 is apart from the second roller 6 and a recovery position where the free end of the blade 25 comes into contact with the second roller 6.
In the developing apparatus 3d, at the printing time, the blade 25 is positioned at the retreat position so that the toner 8 carried on the second roller 6 is not scraped. When the toner 8 on the second roller 6 is recovered at the non-printing time, the applied voltage to the first roller 5 is changed to +50 volts from -100 volts stepwise in the same manner as in the second embodiment so that the majority of the toner 8 on the second roller 6 is recovered. However, according to the recovery by such electric field, it may be quite rarely impossible to recover the toner 8 adhered to the second roller 6. If the toner 8 adhered to the second roller 6 remains as it is, it would be the core of toner fixation that affects the image printing. Thus, after the recovery of the toner 8 by the electric field, the blade 25 is moved to the recovery position as shown in FIG. 9 so that the core of the toner 8 adhered to the second roller 6 is removed and recovered into the recovery container 26.
In the fourth embodiment, it is preferable to provide a conveying means such as a chute or a conveyor for conveying the toner 8 recovered in the recovery container 26 to the developing container 4 in order to recycle the toner 8. It is also preferable to recover all of the toner 8 on the second roller 6 by the blade 25 without applying the toner recovery voltage to the first roller 5. It is also preferable to provide a brush or, a sponge such as mortoprain instead of the blade 25.
Fifth Embodiment
FIG. 10 shows a printing apparatus 1b with a developing apparatus 3e according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. The developing apparatus 3e has almost the same construction as the developing apparatus 3a according to the first embodiment as shown in FIG. 1 except for the following. To the first roller 5 can be selectively applied either a toner layer forming bias voltage V1 (for example, -400 volts) or a toner layer recovering bias voltage V1' (for example, -200 volts) by a switch SW1. To the second roller 6 is applied a developing bias voltage V2 (for example, -300 volts).
The developing apparatus 3e is disposed so that the second roller 6 is opposed to a photosensitive drum 31. The photosensitive drum 31 is rotatable in a direction of arrow "e" and connected to earth 36. Around the photosensitive drum 31, an electrostatic charger 32 is disposed at the upstream side of the developing apparatus 3e with respect to the rotational direction. Downstream of the electrostatic charger 32 is disposed a laser device 33. Moreover, downstream of the developing apparatus 3e with respect to the rotational direction is disposed a transfer member 34 to which a voltage of +1500 volts is applied. In addition, downstream of the transfer member 34 is disposed a cleaning member 35.
In the printing apparatus 1b, at the printing time, a toner layer forming bias voltage V1 is applied to the first roller 5 so that the toner 8 in the container 4 is moved to the first roller 5 and then second roller 6 so that the toner layer is carried on the second roller 6. On the other hand, the surface of the photosensitive drum 31 is charged by the electrostatic charger 32 to a a voltage of -600 volts and then exposed to laser beam by the laser device 33 in response to an image signal. The minus electric charge on the exposed portion is erased to about zero volt so that an electrostatic latent image is formed. At the region opposed to the developing apparatus 3e, the toner 8 on the second roller 6 applied with a voltage of -300 volts is moved to the portion formed with the electrostatic latent image so that the electrostatic latent image is developed to become a toner image. The toner image is moved to the region opposed to the transfer member 34, where it is transferred to the sheet 2 which is conveyed to the region. The toner 8 remaining on the photosensitive drum 31 is cleaned by the cleaning member 35.
At the non-printing time, the toner 8 on the second roller 6 is recovered in the same manner as in the aforementioned embodiment to prevent the fixation or filming thereof. Namely, the toner layer recovering bias voltage V1' is applied to the first roller 5 to recover the toner 8 on the second roller 6 to the first roller 5.
Although the aforementioned embodiments were explained as to a monochrome type of printing apparatus having a single developing apparatus, the invention is also applicable to a tandem type of color direct printing apparatus in which a plurality of printing apparatus are disposed in a sheet moving direction.
In the aforementioned embodiments, although the printing apparatus is a type of one component system using only the toner 8, a type of two components system using both a toner and a carrier may also be applicable.
Although the invention has been fully described by way of the examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, unless such changes and modifications otherwise depart from the spirit and scope of the invention, they should be construed as being included therein.
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A developing apparatus deterioration of toner charge quantity on double rollers and prevents filming of the toner. The developing apparatus includes a first roller for conveying a developer contained in a container, a blade for charging the developer on the first roller to a predetermined polarity and for restricting the conveyance quantity of the developer, and a second roller opposed to the first roller. The second roller receives the developer from the first roller to hold it on an outer surface thereof. The apparatus further includes a developer recovering device for recovering the developer from the second roller at a non-developing time.
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[0001] The invention relates to the production of glycoprotein hormones such as thyroid stimulating hormone and gonadotrophins and corresponding receptors in transgenic plants. In animal reproduction the gonadotrophin FSH is employed for superovulation of cattle and for treatment of anestrus in cattle and pigs, whereas LH is employed for treatment of cystic follicles and induction of ovulation. In human medicine FSH together with LH is used to produce eggs for in-vitro fertilization in the treatment of infertility. There is a need for an accessible and standardized source of gonadotrophins such as FSH for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes, which is guaranteed to be free of LH activity.
[0002] For example, bovine FSH is difficult to purify in substantial amounts from bovine pituitaries. Previous attempts to produce recombinant bovine FSH have resulted in a product that has been used in clinical trials, but it had little or no bioactivity. A relatively high yield of recombinant bovine FSH (rbFSH) can be obtained in insect cells by the baculovirus expression system, although sufficient upscaling of production has not been achieved yet. Application of (recombinant) gonadotrophin (such as FSH) in the human, for the purpose of assisted reproduction, has become common practice as is evident from the growing number of IVF clinics. Diagnostic methods to monitor treatment effects and to optimize protocols of injections, are routinely applied.
[0003] In the human field, TSH and recombinant versions thereof to stimulate thyroid tissue to overcome the need for elevating endogenous TSH after treatment against thyroid cancer. From a therapeutic perspective, there is considerable interest for the use of novel hTSH analogs. The creation of recombinant proteins as medicaments or pharmaceutical compositions by pharmaco-molecular agriculture constitutes one of the principal attractions of transgenic plants; it is also the domain where their utilization is accepted best by the public opinion. In addition to the yield and the favourable cost which may be expected from the field production of recombinant proteins for therapeutic purposes, transgenic plants present certain advantages over other production systems, such as bacteria, yeasts, and animal cells. Indeed, they are devoid of virus which might be dangerous to humans, and can accumulate the proteins of interest in their “organs of storage”, such as seeds or tubers. This facilitates their handling, their transportation and their storage at ambient temperature, while affording the possibility of subsequent extraction according to needs.
[0004] Several heterologous proteins have successfully been produced in plants. Among these proteins are monoclonal antibodies, hormones, vaccine antigens, enzymes and blood proteins (Dieryck et al., 1997; Florack et al., 1995; Ma et al., 1995) Matsumoto et al., 1163; Saito et al., 1991; Thanavala et al. 1995) A major limitation of plants, shared with other heterologous expression systems like bacteria, yeast and insect cells, is their different glycosylation profile compared to mammals. In contrast to bacteria, having no N-linked glycans, and yeast, having only high mannose glycans, plants are able to produce proteins with complex N-linked glycans. Plant glycoproteins have complex N-linked glycans containing α1,3 linked core fucose and β1,2 linked residues not found in mammals (Lerouge et al., 1998) (FIG. 1). The core of plant N-glycans can, as in mammals, be substituted by 2 GlcNAc 1 residues, which are transferred by N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I and II (Schachter, 1991) although their appearance varies (Rayon et al., 1999. N-glycans of some plant glycoproteins contain in addition a LewisA (Fucα1,4(Galβ1,3)GlcNAc) epitope (Fitchette Laine et al., 1997; Melo et al., 1997). However, plant glycoproteins lack the characteristic galactose (NeuAcα2,6Galβ1,4) containing complex N-glycans found in mammals, while also α1,6 linked core fucose is never found (FIG. 1;
[0005] Schachter, 1991). A mouse monoclonal antibody produced in tobacco plants (Ma et al., 1995) has a typical plant N-glycosylation. 40% High-mannose glycans and 60% complex glycans containing xylose, fucose and 0, 1 or 2 terminal GlcNAc residues (Cabanes Macheteau et al., 1999).
[0006] In short, analyses of glycoproteins from plants have indicated that several steps in the glycosylation pathways of plants and mammals are very similar if not identical. There are however also clear differences, particularly in the synthesis of complex glycans. The complex glycans of plants are generally much smaller and contain beta-1,2 xylose or alpha-1,3 fucose residues attached to the Man3 (GlcNAc)2 core. Such residues on glycoprotein are known to be highly immunogenic. This will cause problems for certain applications of recombinant proteins carrying these sugars.
[0007] In addition, although common and often essential on mammalian glycoproteins, sialic acid has never been found in plant glycans. This is particularly relevant since experiments with both naturally FSH and recombinant FSH have shown, that the absence of terminal sialic acid on glycosidic side chains can decrease biological activity in vivo. Most likely, asialoglycoprotein-receptors in the liver can bind to asialo-FSH, and thereby cause a rapid clearance of the hormone from the circulation, which is reflected in a reduced metabolic half life and low bioactivity in vivo.
[0008] The invention provides a method to produce a glycoprotein hormone such as a thyroid-stimulating hormone or gonadotrophin or its corresponding receptor in a transgenic plant with modified glycosylation machinery, in order to allow for mammalian type of glycosidic side chains of the hormome such as the gonadotrophin and its corresponding receptor. In one embodiment of the invention, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), the type member of the tobamovirus group of RNA viruses, is used as a viral vector for the expression of these recombinant hormones (in the detailed description gonadotrophins are mainly used) in these transgenic plants. In this expression system it has proven possible to achieve stable high level production of a number of heterologous proteins with desired glycosylation. Glycoprotein hormones, such as FSH, TSH, HCG, HMG, and PMSG, have essentially the alpha subunit in common, whereby the beta subunit effectively determines the specific activity of the hormone, and where here TSH and/or FSH are used, it its clear that also one of the other glycoprotein hormones is applicable.
[0009] In particular, the invention provides a method wherein stably transformed tobaccoplants with mammalian type of glycosylation are infected with modified TMV in order to produce bioactive rb TSH, rbFSH and rbFSH-R. For expressing recombinant bFSH both subunits of bFSH are inserted separately or together immediately downstream of an additional cp-promoter of TMV and subsequently checked for infectivity. For TSH, analogous methods are for example used, see below. In vitro transcripts are made and both constructs are rubbed mechanically onto the same plants susceptible for TMV: The resulting TMV particles, which can tolerate a larger than wild type genomic RNA can further spread throughout infected plants. Constructs are made which direct proteins into the secretory pathway.
[0010] For expression of bovine FSH receptor, a similar approach is used for preparation of the corresponding cDNA homologous oligonucleotide primers will be used to obtain overlapping cDNA fragments. Complete sequences for the receptor are reconstituted in a mammalian expression system. cDNA fragments encoding the N-terminal extracellular domains of the receptors are subcloned in the TMV vector in order to produce them as soluble receptors, fused to tag peptide for facilitation of their purification and further immobilization.
[0011] Another advantage in using TMV as a vector is the fact that the heterologous sequence is driven by a subgenomic promoter. The heterologous protein behaves completely independent from the virus, and can therefore be directed into different cellular compartments without interfering with the replication and expression of recombinant viral RNA.
[0012] In one embodiment of the invention, in order to modify plant glycosylation towards a more mammalian pattern, plant specific complex glycosylation is prevented by eliminating endogenous N-Acetylglucosaminyl transferase I (GnT I) activity. Downregulation/knocking out the GnT I gene is done by making transgenic plants that express the GnT I gene in sense or antisense orientation; these plants are analysed for their deficiency to add β1,2 xylose and α1,3 fucose.
[0013] Plants with no or little fucosyl or xylosyltransferase activity are used to express bFSH and its receptor using for example the TMV based expression vector.
[0014] Xylosyltransferase and fucosyltransferase can be knocked out and at least one of several mammalian glycosyltransferases have to be expressed. Providing the xylosyltransferase and fucosyltransferase knock-outs and thereby reducing the unwanted glycosylation potential of plants is a feasible option because for example an Arabidopsis thaliana mutant mutated in the gene encoding N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I was completely viable (Von Schaewen et al., 1993). As N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I is the enzyme initiating the formation of complex glycans (Schachter, 1991), this plant completely lacks the xylose and fucose containing complex glycans.
[0015] In another embodiment, the invention provides a plant comprising a functional mammalian enzyme providing N-glycan biosynthesis that is normally not present in plants additionally comprising at least a second mammalian protein or functional fragment thereof that is normally not present in plants. It is provided by the invention to produce in plants a desired gonadotrophin or gonadotrophin-receptor having a mammalian-type of glycosylation pattern, at least in that said glycoprotein is galactosylated.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a plant according to the invention wherein said functional mammalian enzyme providing N-glycan biosynthesis that is normally not present in plants comprises mammalian, such as human or bovine β1,4-galactosyltransferase. An important mammalian enzyme that is missing in plants is this β1,4-galactosyltransferase. cDNA's encoding this enzyme have been cloned from several mammalian species (Masri et al., 1988; Schaper et al., 1986). The enzyme transfers galactose from the activated sugar donor UDP-Gal in β1,4 linkage towards GlcNAc residues in N-linked and other glycans (FIG. 1). These galactose residues have been shown to play an important role in the functionality of antibodies (Boyd et al., 1995). β1,4galactosyltransferase has recently been introduced in insect cell cultures (Hollister et al., 1998; Jarvis and Finn, 1996) to extend the N-glycosylation pathway of Sf9 insect cells in cell culture, allowing infection of these cultures with a baculovirus expression vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding a heterologous protein. It was shown that the heterologous protein N-linked glycans were to some extent more extensively processed, allowing the production of galactosylated recombinant glycoproteins in said insect cell cultures. Also the introduction of the enzyme into a tobacco cell suspension culture resulted in the production of galactosylated N-liked glycans (Palacpac et al., 1999) of endogenous proteins. However, no heterologous glycoproteins were produced in these plant cell cultures, let alone that such heterologous proteins would indeed be galactosylated in cell culture. Furthermore, up to date no transgenic plants comprising mammalian glycosylation patterns have been disclosed in the art. Many glycosylation mutants exist in mammalian cell lines Stanley and loffe, 1995; Stanley et al., 1996). However, similar mutations in complete organisms cause more or less serious malfunctioning of this organism (Asano et al., 1997; Herman and Hovitz, 1999; Loffe and Stanley, 1994). It is therefor in general even expected that β1,4-galactosyltransferase expression in a larger whole than ceUs alone (such as in a cohesive tissue or total organism) will also lead to such malfunctioning, for example during embryogenesis and/or organogenesis. Indeed, no reports have been made until now wherein a fully grown non-mammalian organism, such as an insect or a plant, is disclosed having the capacity to extend an N-linked glycan, at least not by the addition of a galactose.
[0017] Surprisingly, the invention provides such a non-mammalian organism, in particular a plant having been provided with a functional mammalian enzyme providing N-glycan biosynthesis that is normally not present in plants, thereby for example providing the capacity to extend an N-linked glycan by the addition of a galactose. In this set of plants, formation of mammalian type of complex glycans is promoted by introducing mammalian glycosyltransferases. First, a 1,4-galactosyltransferase gene (β1,4 GT) is introduced in order to attach galactose to the Man3 (GlcNAc) 2 core. In a preferred embodiment, the α2,6-sialyltransferase (α2,6 ST) gene is introduced to the α1,4 GT plants to endow the N-glycans with terminal sialic acid residues. This is done by crossing transgenic α1,4-GT plants with transgenic α2,6 ST plants. The resulting plants function as hosts to produce recombinant gonadotrophin with terminal sialic acid and improved metabolic half life.
[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides such a plant wherein said enzyme shows stable expression. It is even provided that beyond said second mammalian protein a third mammalian protein is expressed by a plant as provided by the invention. The experimental part provides such a plant that comprises a nucleic acid encoding both an antibody light and heavy chain or fragment. Of course, it is not necessary that a full protein is expressed, the invention also provides a plant according to the invention expressing only a fragment, preferably a functional fragment of said second mammalian glycoprotein, such as a gonadotrophin or gonadotrophin-receptor, said fragment being characterised by for example a truncated polypeptide chain, or a not fully extended glycan, for example only extended with galactose.
[0019] In this invention functional fragments are understood to have at least one function in common with the original molecule. The activity should be of the same kind, not necessarily the same amount.
[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a plant according to the invention wherein said second mammalian protein or functional fragment thereof comprises an extended N-linked glycan that is devoid of xylose and/or of fucose. As can be seen from for example FIG. 3, plant-derived galactosylated glycoproteins in general contain less xylose and/or fucose residues, as is for example demonstrated by the overwhelming detection by Western blot of galactose-bearing proteins of various molecular weights, whereas in the Western blot at corresponding molecular weight positions little or no xylose and/or fucose bearing proteins are detected. Furthermore, in plants comprising galactosylated glycoproteins quantitatively less xylose and/or fucose is detected than in the corresponding wild-type plants. If one would desire to further separate glycoproteins such as gonadotrophin or gonadotrophin-receptor comprising extended N-linked glycan that is devoid of xylose and/or of fucose, or to produce these in a more purified way, several possibilities are open. For one, several types of separation techniques exist, such as (immuno)affinity purification or size-exclusion chromatography or elecrtrophoresis, to mediate the required purification. Furthermore, another option is to use as starting material plants wherein the genes responsible for xylose and/or fucose addition are knocked-out.
[0021] In the detailed description the invention provides a plant according to the invention, in particular a tobacco plant, or at least a plant related to the genus Nicotiana. However, use for the invention of other relatively easy transformable plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, or Zea mays, or plants related thereto, is also provided.
[0022] Herewith, the invention provides a method for providing a transgenic plant, such as transgenic Nicotiana, Arabidopsis thaliana, or Zea mays, or plants related thereto, which are capable of expressing a recombinant protein, with the additional desired capacity to extend an N-linked glycan with galactose comprising crossing said transgenic plant with a plant according to the invention comprising a functional mammalian enzyme providing N-glycan biosynthesis that is normally not present in plants, harvesting progeny from said crossing and selecting a desired progeny plant expressing said recombinant protein such as gonadotrophin or gonadotrophin-receptor and expressing a functional mammalian enzyme involved in mammalian N-glycan biosynthesis that is normally not present in plants. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a method according to the invention further comprising selecting a desired progeny plant expressing said recombinant protein comprising an extended N-linked glycan et least comprising galactose. In the detailed description a further description of a method according to the invention is given using tobacco plants and crossings thereof as an example.
[0023] With said method as provided by the invention, the invention also provides a plant expressing said recombinant protein and expressing a functional mammalian enzyme involved in mammalian N-glycan biosynthesis that is normally not present in plants. Now that such a plant is provided, the invention also provides use of a transgenic plant to produce a desired glycoprotein or functional fragment thereof, such as gonadotrophin or gonadotrophin-receptor, in particular wherein said glycoprotein or functional fragment thereof comprises an extended N-linked glycan et least comprising galactose.
[0024] The invention additionally provides a method for obtaining a desired gonadotrophin or gonadotrophin-receptor or functional fragment thereof comprising for example an extended N-linked glycan at least comprising galactose; comprising cultivating a plant according to the invention until said plant has reached a harvestable stage, for example when sufficient biomass has grown to allow profitable harvesting, followed by harvesting said plant with established techniques known in the art and fractionating said plant with established techniques known in the art to obtain fractionated plant material and at least partly isolating said glycoprotein from said fractionated plant material. In the detailed description (see for example FIG. 4) an antibody having been provided with an extended N-linked glycan at least comprising galactose is provided.
[0025] The invention thus provides a plant-derived gonadotrophin or gonadotrophin-receptor or functional fragment thereof comprising an extended N-linked glycan at least comprising galactose, for example obtained by a method as explained above. The invention furthermore provides a plant-derived and at least partly purified gonadotrophin, such as bovine FSH, and its corresponding receptor, from transgenic plants infected with a recombinant virus such as modified TMV. Immuno-affinity chromatography combined with Centricon filtration has been shown to be an effective purification method in the case of insect cell-derived recombinant bFSH. Similar methods are developed for plant-derived rbFSH. Gonadotrophin-receptor is purified either by affinity chromatography (with insolubilized ligand or specific antisera) or by electro-elution after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. If productions are very abundant, classical separation techniques (size, hydrophobicity, etc.) can be used. Homologous transfected cell lines expressing receptors for bFSH are developed for in vitro measurement of bioactive recombinant bovine FSH. Several other types of assays are available already for monitoring of rbFSH during production and purification. For monitoring of gonadotrophin-receptor production and purification, assays have already been developed [immuno radio metric assay (IRMA), Western blotting] with respect to receptors of the porcine species. Likewise, these assays can be used for the measurement of bovine receptors. Herewith, the invention also provides use of such a plant-derived gonadotrophin or gonadotrophin-receptor or functional fragment thereof according to the invention for the production of a pharmaceutical composition, for example for the treatment of a patient with an reproductive disorder. Such a pharmaceutical composition comprising a plant-derived gonadotrophin or gonadotrophin-receptor or functional fragment thereof is now also provided. The invention furthermore provides plant-derived recombinant gonadotrophin such as bFSH and its receptor as very pure, stable and specific reagents in an assay method of commercial significance and as a therapeutic tool for assisted reproduction. The availability of plant-derived bovine gonadotrophins (FSH and LH), and of diagnostic testkits for the measurement of these substances provides a means of overcoming the limitations on assisted reproduction in for example cattle, as imposed by impure agents and lack of diagnostic tools. In animal reproduction, FSH is employed for increased production of eggs in cattle and for treatment of infertility in cattle and pigs.
[0026] In addition, the invention provides a plant comprising a cell comprising a functional mammalian enzyme or functional fragment thereof providing N-glycan biosynthesis additionally having been provided with an expression vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) or functional fragment thereof. TSH is another member (like FSH) of the glycoprotein hormone family (Grossmann et al, 1997, Endocrine Review, p 476-500) and essentially has the alpha subunit in common with FSH, which makes the FSH methods and plants provided herein of course easily applicable to the TSH field, if desired in combination with skills available in the art in said field.
[0027] Such a rbTSH plant as provided herein is preferably equipped with the enzyme human α1,4-galactosyltransferase, allowing the production of thyroid-stimulating hormone or functional fragment thereof that comprises an extended N-linked glycan, preferably galactose.
[0028] In another embodiment as provided herein, such rbTSH plant is essentially devoid of xylose and or fucose. Such a plant is obtained quit along the lines for rbFSH plants, whereby said expression vector is derived from a plant virus,for example a tobamovirus such as tobacco mosaic virus, which is most easily used with a tobacco plant. Of course, use of a rbTSH plant to produce a desired thyroid-stimulating hormone or functional fragment thereof, which preferably comprises an extended N-linked glycan et least comprising galactose, is also provided.
[0029] Furthermore, the invention provides a method for obtaining a thyroid-stimulating hormone or functional fragment thereof comprising cultivating a rbTSH plant as provided herein until said plant has reached a harvestable stage, harvesting and fractionating said plant to obtain fractionated plant material and at least partly isolating said thyroid-stimulating hormone or fragment thereof from said fractionated plant material. A plant-derived thyroid-stimulating hormone or functional fragment thereof comprising an extended N-linked glycan at least comprising galactose is hereby thus provided Furthermore, the invention provides use of a recombinant thyroid-stimulating hormone or functional fragment thereof according to the invention for the production of a pharmaceutical composition. In particular such use according to the invention is provided for the production of a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of a thyroid dysfunction and a pharmaceutical composition comprising a thyroid-stimulating hormone or functional fragment thereof according to the invention
[0030] The invention is further explained in the detailed description without limiting it thereto.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] One important enzyme involved in mammalian N-glycan biosynthesis that is not present in plants is β1,4-galactosyltransferase. Here, for one, the stable expression of β1,4-galactosyltransferase in tobacco plants is described. The physiology of these plants is not obviously changed by introducing α1,4-galactosyltransferase and the feature is inheritable. Crossings of a tobacco plant expressing β1,4-galactosyltransferase with a plant expressing the heavy and light chain of a mouse antibody produced antibody having terminal galactose in similar amounts as hybridoma produced antibodies. Herein it is thus shown that the foreign enzyme can be successfully introduced in plants. A clear increase in galactose containing glycoproteins is observed. Moreover, this feature is inheritable and there is no visible phenotypical difference between the galactosyltransferase plants and wild type. A mouse monoclonal antibody produced in these plants has a degree of terminal galactoses comparable to hybridoma produced antibody. This shows that not only endogenous proteins become galactosylated but also a recombinantly expressed mammalian protein.
[0032] Materials and Methods
[0033] Plasmids and Plant Transformation
[0034] A plant transformation vector containing human β1,4-galactosyltransferase was constructed as follows: a 1.4 kb BamHI/XbaI fragment of pcDNAI-GalT (Aoki et al., 1992; Yamaguchi and Fukuda, 1995) was ligated in the corresponding sites of pUC19. Subsequently, this fragment was re-isolated using surrounding KpnI and HincII sites and cloned into the KpnI and SmaI site of pRAP33 (named pRAP33-HgalT). Using AscI and PacI sites the CaMV35S promotor-cDNA-Nos terminator cassette of pRAP33-HgalT was cloned in the binary vector pBINPLUS (van Engelen et al., 1995). Modifications to the published protocol are: After incubation with A. tum., leaf discs were incubated for three days in medium containing 1 mg/ml of NAA and 0.2 mg/ml BAP and the use of 0.25 mg/ml cefotaxime and vancomycine to inhibit bacterial growth in the callus and shoot inducing medium. 25 rooted shoots were transformed from in vitro medium to soil and, after several weeks, leaf material of these plants was analysed.
[0035] Northern Blotting
[0036] The β1,4-galactosyltransferase RNA level in the transgenid plants was analyzed by northern blotting (Sambrook et al., 1989) RNA was isolated from leafs of transgenic and control plants as described (De Vries et al., 1991). Ten μg of total RNA was used per sample. The blot was probed with a [ 32 P]dATP labeled SstI/Xhol fragment, containing the whole GalT cDNA, isolated from pBINPLUS-HgalT.
[0037] Glycoprotein Analysis
[0038] Total protein extracts of tobacco were prepared by grinding leafs in liquid nitrogen. Ground material was diluted 10 times in SDS page loading buffer (20 mM of This-HCl pH 6.8, 6% glycerol, 0.4% SDS, 20 mM DTT, 2.5 ìg/ml Bromophenol Blue). After incubation at 100° C. for 5 min insoluble material was pelleted. Supernatants (12.5 μl/sample) were run on 10% SDS-PAGE and blotted to nitrocellulose. Blots were blocked overnight in 0.5% Tween-20 in TBS and incubated for 2 hours with peroxidase conjugated RCA 120 (Ricinus Communis Agglutinin, Sigma) (1 μg/ml) in TBS-0.1% tween-20. Blots were washed 4 times 10 minutes in TBS-0.1% tween-20 and incubated with Lumi-Light western blotting substrate (Roche) and analysed in a lumianalyst (Roche). A rabbit polyclonal antibody directed against Horseradish peroxidase (HRP, Rockland Immunochemicals) was split in reactivity against the xylose and fucose of complex plant glycans by affinity chromatography with bee venom phospholipase according to (Faye et al., 1993). A rabbit anti LewisA antibody was prepared as described (Fitchette Laine et al., 1997). Blots were blocked with 2% milkpowder in TBS and incubated in the same buffer with anti-HRP, anti-xylose, anti-fucose or anti-Lewis-A. As secondary antibody alkaline HRP-conjugated sheep-anti-mouse was used and detection was as described above.
[0039] Plant Crossings
[0040] Mgr48 (Smant et al., 1997) is a mouse monoclonal IgG that has been expressed in Tobacco plants. The construct used for transformation was identical to monoclonal antibody 21C5 expressed in tobacco (van Engelen et al., 1994). Flowers of selected tobacco plants with high expression of β1,4-galactosyltransferase were pollinated with plants expressing Mgr48 antibody. The F1 generation was seeded and plants were screened for leaf expression of antibody by western blots probed HRP-conjugated sheep-anti-mouse and for galactosyltransferase expression by RCA as described above.
[0041] Purification of IgG1 from Tobacco
[0042] Freshly harvested tobacco leaves were ground in liquid nitrogen. To 50 g of powdered plant material, 250 ml of PBS, containing 10 mM Na 2 S 2 O 5 , 0.5 mM EDTA, 0.5 mM PMSF and 5 g polyvinylpolypyrrolid, was added. After soaking for 1 hour (rotating at 4° C.), insoluble material was removed by centrifugation (15 min, 15,000 g, 4° C.). The supernatant was incubated overnight (rotating at 4° C.) with 1 ml of proteinG-agarose beads. The beads were collected in a column and washed with 10 volumes of PBS. Bound protein was eluted with 0.1 M glycine pH 2.7 and immediately brought to neutral pH by mixing with 1 M Tris pH 9.0 (50 μl per ml of eluate).
[0043] Purified antibody was quantified by comparison of the binding of HRP-conjugated sheep-anti-mouse to the heavy chain on a western blot with Mgr48 of known concentration purified from hybridoma medium (Smant et al., 1997).
[0044] Hybridoma Mgr48 and plant produced Mgr48 was run on 10% SDS-PAGE and blotted as described above. Detection with RCA was as described above. For antibody detection, blots were probed with HRP-conjugated sheep-anti-mouse and detected with Lumi-Light western blotting substrate as described above.
[0045] Results
[0046] Human β1,4-galactosyltransferase galactosylates Endogenous Proteins in Nicotiana Tobacum.
[0047] Human α1,4-galactosyltransferase (Masri et al., 1988) was introduced in tobacco plants by Agrobacterium mediated leaf disk transformation of plasmid pBINPLUS-HgalT containing a cDNA that includes a complete coding sequence. Twenty-five plants selected for kanamicin resistance were analysed for mRNA levels by northern hybridization (FIG. 2A). The same plants were analyzed by the galactose binding lectin RCA 120 (Ricinus Cummunis Agglutinin). RCA binds to the reaction product of β1,4-GalT (Galβ1,4GlcNAc) but also to other terminal β-linked galactose residues. RCA binds to one or more high molecular weight proteins isolated from non transgenic control tobacco plants (FIG. 2B). Probably these are Arabinogalactan or similar proteins. RCA is known to bind to Arabinogalactan proteins (Schindler et al., 1995). In a number of the plant transformed with Human β1,4-galactosyltransferase, in addition, binding of RCA to a smear of proteins is observed. This indicates that in these plants many proteins contain terminal β-linked galactose residues. There is a good correlation between the galactosyltransferase RNA expression level and the RCA reactivity of the trangenic plants. Human β1,4-galactosyltransferase expressed in transgenic plants is therefor able to galactosylate endogenous glycoproteins in tobacco plants.
[0048] As it is known that galactosylated N-glycans are poor acceptors for plant xylosyl- and fucosyltransferase (Johnson and Chrispeels, 1987), the influence of expression of β1,4-galactosyltransferase on the occurrence of the xylose and fucose epitope was investigated by specific antibodies. A polyclonal rabbit anti-HRP antibody that reacts with both the xylose and fucose epitope shows a clear difference in binding to isolated protein from both control and transgenic plants (FIG. 3).
[0049] Recombinantly Produced Antibody is Efficiently Galactosylated.
[0050] The effect of expression of β1,4-galactosyltransferase on a recombinantly expressed protein was investigated. Three tobacco plants expressing β1,4-galactosyltransferase (no. GalT6, GalT8 and GalT15 from FIG. 2) were selected to cross with a tobacco plant expressing a mouse monoclonal antibody. This plant, expressing monoclonal mgr48 (Smant et al., 1997), was previously generated in our laboratory. Flowers of the three plants were pollinated with mgr48. Of the F1 generation 12 progeny plants of each crossing were analysed for the expression of both antibody and β1,4-galactosyltransferase by the method described in materials and methods. Of crossing GalT6xmgr48 and GalT15xmgr48 no plants were found with both mgr48 and GalT expression.
[0051] Several were found in crossing GalT8xmgr48. Two of these plants (no. 11 and 12 ), were selected for further analysis.
[0052] Using proteinG affinity, antibody was isolated from tobacco plants expressing mgr48 and from the two selected plants expressing both mgr48 and β1,4-galactosyltransferase. Equal amounts of isolated antibody was run on a protein gel and blotted. The binding of sheep-anti-mouse-IgG and RCA to mgr48 from hybridoma cells, tobacco and crossings GalT8xmgr48-11 and 12 was compared (FIG. 4). Sheep-anti-mouse-IgG bound to both heavy and light chain of all four antibodies isolated. RCA, in contrast, bound to hybridoma and GalT plant produced antibody but not to the antibody produced in plants expressing only mgr48. When the binding of sheep-anti-mouse-IgG and RCA to the heavy chain of the antibody is quantified, the relative reaction of RCA (RCA binding/sheep-anti-mouse-IgG binding) to GalT8xmgr48-11 and 12 is respectively 1.27 and 1.63 times higher than the ratio of hybridoma produced antibody. This shows that RCA binding to the glycans of antibody produced in GalT plants is even higher than to hybridoma produced antibody. Although the galactosylation mgr48 from hybridoma is not quantified, this is a strong indication that the galactosylation of antibody produced in these plants is very efficient.
[0053] There is a need for an accessible and standardised source of FSH for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes, which is guaranteed to be free of LH activity.
[0054] FSH preparations normally are derived from ovine or porcine pituitaries, which always implies the presence of (traces of) LH, and the risk of contamination with prion-like proteins. Substitution of brain derived FSH for plant produced recombinant FSH may be a good method of eliminating these problems.
[0055] Furthermore application of plant produced FSH receptor (FSHR) in a diagnostic testkit provides a good method for measurement of bioactive FSH by receptor assay. However, production of bioactive animal glycoproteins in plants, especially for therapeutic purposes, requires modification of plant-specific sugar sidechains into a mammalian type of glycans. The invention provides recombinant bFSH and bFSHR by infecting stably transformed tobaccoplants capable of forming mammalian type of glycans, with recombinant Tobacco Mosaic Virus TMV containing the genes for bFSH or bFSHR.
[0056] Construction of Single Chain (sc) bFSH into pKS (+) Bluescript Vector, Construction of sc-bFSH-TMV and sc-bFSH-HIS-TMV In order to circumvent the need of simultaneous expression of the two separate genes of bFSH-alpha and bFSH-beta subunits in plants, we decided to construct a bFSH fusion gene.
[0057] By overlap PCR we fused the carboxyl end of the beta subunit to the amino end of the alpha subunit (without a linker). In addition, we constructed a second sc-bFSH version carrying a 6× HIS tag at the C-terminus of the alpha subunit, which will allow us to purify the recombinant protein from the plant. Both, sc-bFSH and sc-bFSH-HIS constructs were subcloned into the cloning vector pKS(+) bluescript. The correctness of the clones was confirmed by sequence analysis.
[0058] Sc-bFSH was subcloned into the TMV vector. Two positive clones were chosen to make in vitro transcripts and Inoculate N. Bentahamiana plants. After a few days, plants showed typical viral infection symptoms, which suggested the infective capacity of the recombnant TV clones. In order to test whether the sc-bFSH RNA is stably expressed in systemically infected leaves, 8 days post inoculation RNA was isolated from infected N. benthamiana leaves and a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reactions using bFSH specific primers was performed. In all cases we obtained a PCR fragment of the expected size, indicating the stability of our Sc-bFSH-TMV construct. Extracts of infected plants are used for Western blot analyses and ELISA to determine whether Sc-bFSH is expressed and folded properly.
[0059] Molecular Cloning of Full Length cDNA Encoding the Bovine FSH Receptor; Cloning of the Extracellular Domain of the FSH Receptor in TMV Vector.
[0060] Oligonucleotide primers based on partial published sequence date were designed for PCR amplification of nucleotide 1 to 1100 and 650 to 2150, respectively, from a bovine testicular cDNa library. The two fragments were subcloned in the pGEM-T vector (Stratagene), and fully sequenced. A unique common internal restriction site (Xbal) allowed the fragment ligation while subcloning into the eukaryotic expression vector pEE14. After plasmid amplification of a recombinant clone, transfection of CHO-K1 cells is the next step. Stable transfectants are usually obtained in three weeks. Functional experiments (hormone specific binding and transduction) will allow selection of the best expressing clones before the amplification process with increasing amounts of MSX in cell media.
[0061] In order to obtain a soluble FSH receptor, a fragment encoding part of its N-terminal extracellular domain was obtained by using PCR. The size of the soluble receptor (293 aminoacids) has been chosen in order to retain all hormone interaction, and favor processing by elimination of the C-terminal Cystein cluster. Amplimers bearing appropriate restriction sites for subcloning the TMV vector were designed. After amplification and cloning, a synthetic DNA encoding the FLAG epitope (sequence=DYKDDDDK) as well as a stop codon was ligated. Subcloning of the construct into the TMV vector is now in progress.
[0062] In order to express the bovine FSH in a transient plant expression system the following constructs were cloned in a TMV expression vector:
[0063] the individual subunits of bFSH: α and β
[0064] a bFSH single chain (sc-bFSH) with the carboxy end of the β subunit fused to the amino end of the α subunits (according to Sugahara et al., 1996)
[0065] the single chain tagged with 6×HIS at the carboxy end (sc-bFSh-HIS)
[0066] After inoculation of Nicotiana benthamiana plants with in vitro transcripts from these constructs in all cases systemic infection of the recombinant viral constructs were obtained.
[0067] By reverse transcription-PCR analysis we could demonstrate the in planta stability of the hybrid TMV genomes carrying the bFSH sequences. Surprisingly also the co-transfected alpha and beta bFSH constructs were stably propagated in the same plants.
[0068] For detection of recombinant bFSH Western blot analysis of crude protein extracts from leaf material was carried out. Using an anti-human FSH beta subunit antiserum (FIG. 5) we could demonstrate the expression of the β bFSH (also in α/β cotransfected plants), as well as the expression of the sc-bFSH and the sc-bFSH-HIS. The beta-bFSH appeared as a double band at about 14 kDa. A major band at about 30 kDa was observed for the sc-bFSH and sc-bFSH-HIS. No signals were observed in TMV-infected extracts.
[0069] The presence of the 6×HIS tag on the sc-bFSH could be demonstrated using anti-HIS monoclonal antibodies. In a small scale protein miniprep using Ni-NTA agarose we were able to purify the sc-bFSH-HIS under denaturing conditions.
[0070] In order to investigate whether the sc-bFSH is glycosylated or not an enzymatic glycan digestion, PNGaseF digestion, was carried out. A clear band shift of bFSH treated with PNGaseF on Western blot analysis indicated the presence of N-glycans.
[0071] As sc-bFSH was detected almost exclusively in the soluble fraction after fractionating crude protein extracts with 100.000×g, clearly the sc-bFSH is secreted by, the plant cells into the extracellular space. Intercellular washing fluit (IF) extractions from leaf material were carried out. As shown by Western blot analysiss the sc-bFSH was clearly enriched in these IF fractions indicating a secretion of protein into the extracellular space.
[0072] Expression of Biologically Active Glycoforms of Bovine Follicle Stimulating Hormone in Plants.
[0073] The follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a pituitary glycoprotein hormone which regulates the ovarian follicle and testicular tubule development in all vertebrate species. In particular ovine, porcine or equine FSH are widely used to induce superovulation for human assisted reproduction of cattle and can benefit from homologous (i.e. bovine) recombinant FSH being free of potentially infectious material and other contaminating hormones. Here we describe the application of a plant based transient expression system for the rapid production of bFSH and its biochemical, immunological and biological. characterisation. We have used a tobacco mosaic virus-based vector to express bFSH in the tobacco related species Nicotiana benthamiana. The genes encoding the beta and alpha subunits were introduced in tandem into the viral vector to produce a single-chain bFSH (sc-bFSH) protein. N. benthamiana plants infected with recombinant viral RNA secreted high levels, up to 3% of total soluble proteins, of sc-bFSH to the extracellular compartment (EC). In-situ indirect immunofluorescence revealed consistently that the plant cell is capable of efficiently targeting the mammalian secretory protein to the extracellular destination. Mass spectrometry analysis of the N-glycans of immunoaffinity purified sc-bFSH derifed from EC fractions revealed two species of the plant paucimannosidic glycan type, derivatives of complex-type N-glycans. Crude nonpurified protein extracts from the EC were used for in vitro and in vivo bioactivity assays. The sc-bFSH exhibited bioactivity as it was able to induce cAMP production in CHO cell line expressing the porcine FSH receptor. Furthermore, in superovulatory treatments of mice, sc-bFSH displayed significant in vivo bioactivity, although comparably low with respect to pregnant mare serum gonadotropins. We conclude that the rapid expression system used in this work may have a broad utility for the application of plant derived animal proteins in pharmaceutical products even for proteins where glycosylation is essential for function.
[0074] The follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a pituitary glycoprotein hormone which regulates the ovarian follicle and testicular tubule development in all vertebrate species (Pierce and Parsons, 1981; Bielinska and Boime, 1995).
[0075] Together with luteinizing hormone (LH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and chorionic gonadotropin (CG), FSH forms the glycoprotein hormone family, which is the structurally most complex hormone family in the animal kingdom.
[0076] These hormones are composed of two non covalently associated subunits, a common alpha subunit, and an unique beta subunit which confers biological specificity to each of these hormones. Each subunit forms intrachain disulfide bridges and carries two N-linked oligosaccharides, which is necessary for proper folding and secretion of the hormones (Suganuma et al., 1989, Feng et al., 1995). The N-linked carbohydrate chains of FSH exhibit considerable variation in both size and structure, including the degree of terminal sialyation and/or sulfation (Baenzinger and Green, 1988). The functional significance of this diversity of isoforms is not yet fully understood, but sialic acid seems to be the major determinant for the circulatory stability of FSH by preventing its rapid clearance mediated by the hepatic asialo-glycoprotein receptor (Drickamer, 1991). Besides this influence upon plasma halflife, the glycan heterogeneity is thought to provide a fine tuning mechanism with which to control gonadal function.
[0077] The technique of superovulation and embryo transfer is widely used to increase the number of offspring of genetically superior cows. Induction of superovulation is usually performed using pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) or pituitary derived FSH. Apart from containing potentially infectious viral or prion material, these preparations have the disadvantage of always containing some LH which is thought to contribute to the high variation in the results of treatments (Wilson J M et al., 1993).
[0078] To overcome these problems, an attempt was made to produce recombinant bovine FSH (rbFSH) in the baculovirus expression system (van de Wiel et al., 1998). Two main problems were associated with rbFSH: first, the glycans apparently did not contain terminal sialic acid, due to a probable complete inability of the insect cell line to perform sialyation (for a review see: Altmann et al., 1999). Second, although a relatively high yield of rbFSH was obtained in the baculovirus expression system, sufficient upscaling of production has not been achieved yet, especially because a decrease of expression rates in large scale fermentations using higher cell densities (Taticek et al., 1994).
[0079] In the recent years, the expression of recombinant proteins in plants has become a matter of interest. As an eucaryotic system, plant cells are capable of targeting recombinant proteins to the secretory pathway and of carrying out posttranslational modifications including disulfide bridge formation and glycosylation (Hiatt et al. 1989; Ma et al., 1995, Cabanes-Macheteau 1999). The N-glycosylation in higher organisms is conserved but differs in details. The processing of N-linked glycans occurs along the secretory pathway and complex-type N-glycans arise and are modified in the Golgi apparatus. Since some of the modifications are specific for an expression system, the structure of mature complex N-glycans differ to some extent in plants and mammals. In particular, plant glycoproteins do not bear sialic acid and carry a(1,3)-fucose and b(1,2)-xylose attached to their proximal N-acetylglucosamine which have not been found in mammals (for recent review see Lerouge et al., 1998). Since plants are gaining acceptance for the expression of recombinant therapeutic proteins (e.g. Ma et al., 1998 Tacket et al., 2000), it is important to examine in detail to what extent glycans of mammalian glycoproteins produced in plants differ from the original ones, and could influence their physiological properties. In this instance, glycoprotein hormones offer a particularly demanding model since proper N-glycosylation is required for folding, subunit assembly, intracellular trafficing and biological activity.
[0080] In this study, we used a plant viral vector to transiently express the bovine FSH in the tobacco related species Nicotiana benthamiana. This viral system uses a hybrid tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) to express foreign genes systemically in whole plants (Casper and Holt 1996). The levels of proteins expressed from TMV-based vectors are generally much higher than that obtained by stably transformed transgenic plants (Kusnadi et al., 1997, McCormick et al., 1999, Krebitz et al., 2000). Another advantage of this system is the speed of recombinant protein production, which is based on the rapid systemic movement of TMV in plants. Genes encoding the beta and alpha subunits were introduced in tandem into the viral vector to produce a single-chain bFSH (sc-bFSH) protein. Using different approaches, such as biochemical fractionation and in-situ indirect immunofluorescence, we were able to show that the mammalian protein is targeted to the secretory pathway and is efficiently secreted to the periplasmic space of the N. benthamiana cells. Using mass spectrometric a detailed N-glycan structure profile of the immunoaffinity-purified plant produced hormone was obtained. Furthermore, using crude sc-bFSH extracts we demonstrated in vitro bioactivity, through receptor binding and activation of CHO cells, and in vivo bioactivity, through superovulation of fecundable oocytes in mice.
[0081] Material and Methods
[0082] Construction of p4GD-sc-bFSH
[0083] In order to construct the single chain bFSH (sc-bFSH) with the carboxyl end of the b-subunit fused to the amino end of the a subunit (Sugahara et al., 1996) a gene SOEing strategy (Horton, 1993) was chosen (FIG. 1): The bFSH a subunit was amplified from the plasmid bovALPHA-pSP64 #1 (Leung et al., 1987) using the primers FSH-F 5′-GGA AAT CAA AGA ATT TCC TGA TGG AGA GTT TAC AAT GCA G-3′, containing 13 bp of the b subunit's carboxyl end, and Nsi-STOP 5′-AGC TAT GCA TCT ATT AGG ATT TGT GAT AAT AAC A-3′. The bFSH b subunit was amplified from the plasmid Bov FSHbeta pGEM3 (Maurer and Beck, 1986) using the primers FSH-A 5′-ATA TGA GTC GAC ATG AAG TCT GTC CAG TTC-3′ and FSH-E 5′-CTC CAT CAG GAA ATT CTT TGA TTT CCC TGA AGG AGC AGT A-3′, the latter including 13 bp of the a 5′-end. The resulting 2 fragments which contain a 26 bp overlapping region were combined in 5 PCR extension cycles with an annealing temperature of 45° C. Subsequently, this overlap PCR product was amplified by PCR using the primers FSH-A and Nsi-STOP. Following SalI/NsiI digestion, this fragment was ligated to SalI/PstI restricted TMV based expression vector p4GD-PL (Casper and Holt, 1996), resulting in the construct p4GD-sc-bFSH. This construct was used for all expression experiments.
[0084] Plant Material and Inoculation of Plants
[0085] [0085] Nicotiana benthamiana plants were grown in a controlled growth chamber with 22° C. day and night temperature, 50% humidity and 16 h light period. The recombinant viral vectors p4GD-sc-bFSH and p4GD-PL (as negative control) were linearized by SfiI digestion. Capped in vitro run off transcripts were made using a T7 transcription kit (RiboMax, Promega Ltd., WI, USA). In vitro transcripts were used to mechanically inoculate N. benthamiana plants at a six leaf stage. Symptoms of infections were visible 8-10 days post inoculation (dpi) as leaf deformations, with some variable leaf mottling and growth retardation.
[0086] Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Analysis of Infected Plants
[0087] 12-16 dpi the replicative stability of the hybrid TMV RNA—genome derived from p4GD-sc-bFSH was investigated. Total RNA from systemically infected leaves was prepared using TriReagent (Molecular Research Centre, Inc.) and cDNA synthesis (reverse transcription) was performed using the TMV (p4GD-PL) specific reverse primer p4GD-RV 5′-TTT TTC CCT TTT TTG TTT TCC G-3′ located downstream the multiple cloning site. Using p4GD-RV and the TMV specific forward primer p4GD-FW 5′-GAT GAT GAT TCG GAG GCT ACT-3′ which anneals upstream of the multiple cloning site, a specific RT-PCR fragment of 826 bp was expected for the sc-bFSH construct. As negative control the same procedure was also carried out on wt TMV (p4GD-PL) infected plants. In this case a RT-PCR product of 145 bp was expected.
[0088] Total Soluble Protein Extraction from sc-bFSH Expressing N. benthamiana Leaves
[0089] Two to three weeks after inoculation, systemically infected leaves were harvested, and total soluble protein (TO) was extracted by grinding the leaves in 10 vols (w/v) of 10 mM TRIS-HCl pH 7.6 buffer. Cellular debris were sedimented (15 min, 6000 rpm, 4° C.). The supernatant was used for SDS-PAGE. The same procedure was also carried out on leaves which were subjected to intercellular washing fluid extraction (see below).
[0090] Preparation of Intercellular Washing Fluid (IF) from sc-bFSH Expressing Leaves
[0091] In order to enrich periplasmic (extracellular) proteins an intercellular washing fluid (IF) extraction was carried out using the method described by Pogue et al. (1997) with modifications. Systemically infected leaves from sc-bFSH expressing plants, were harvested two to three weeks after inoculation. The tissue was rolled lengthwise in parafilm® (American National Can, IL, USA), inserted into a 50 ml plastic tube and submerged in pre-cooled (4° C.) 10 mM TRIS-HCl pH 7.6 buffer. A vacuum was applied twice for 1 min, with a rapid release of the vacuum to infiltrate the leaves with buffer. Subsequently, the leaves were blotted dry to remove excess buffer, were again rolled in parafilm and inserted into a centrifuge tube. The IF was collected by a downspin at 3,000×g for 15 min at 4° C. The IF was finally clarified by a centrifugation at 10.000×g for 15 min at 4° C. and the supernatant used for analyses. The same IF preparations were made from plants infected with p4GD-PL (wt TMV) or not infected wildtype plants serving as negative controls.
[0092] Fractionation of sc-bFSH Containing Plant Extracts by Ultracentrifugation
[0093] Crude total protein extracts (TO) from sc-bFSH expressing plants were prepared as described above, followed by ultracentrifugation at 100.000×g for 1 h at 4° C. to obtain a pellet (P) and a supernatant (SN) fraction. The pellet was resuspended in 10 mM TRIS-HCl pH 7.6 in the same volume as the supernatant fraction. Equal volumes of total extract, pellet and supernatant fractions were subjected to Western blot analysis (see below).
[0094] N-glycosidase F Digestion of sc-bFSH
[0095] The procedure was as described by Tretter et al., 1991 with modifications. IF extraction from sc-bFSH expressing plants (see above) was conducted using 50 mM TRIS-HCl, 20 mM EDTA, pH 8.0, followed by an addition of b-mercaptoethanol and SDS to each 0,5% (v/v, w/v, respectively). 10 ml of this extract were heated at 95° C. for 5 min, followed by an addition of 40 ml 50 mM TRIS-HCl, 20 mM EDTA, pH 8.0 and 1% IGEPAL (Sigma, MI, USA). Finally, 1 ml of N-glycosidase F, peptide-N4-[N-acetyl-b-glucosaminyl] asparagine amidase, (20 mU/ml; Roche, CH) was added, followed by an incubation at 37° C. overnight (16 h). After digestion, the proteins were precipitated using aceton and subjected to Western blot analysis. As a control, the same procedure was done without the addition of N-glycosidase F.
[0096] Western Blot Analysis of sc-bFSH Extracts
[0097] Protein extracts prepared as described above were electrophoresed on 12.5% SDS-polyacrylamide gels under reducing conditions (Lämmli, 1970). Following electroblotting onto nitrocellulose (Amersham Life Science Ltd, U.K.), the blots were blocked with 5% non-fat dry milk in TBS containing 0,1% Tween 20 (Sigma, MI, USA). The primary antibody was an anti-human FSH b-subunit (R812, reference!) rabbit polyclonal antiserum diluted to 1:2500 in TBS containing 0,1% Tween (TTBS) and 1% BSA (Sigma, MI, USA). As secondary antibody an anti-rabbit IgG goat polyclonal antiserum-horde radish peroxidase conjugate (Sigma, MI, USA), diluted to 1:20000 in TTBS, was employed. Detection was done using an enhanced chemiluminescence substrate (ECL, Super Signal, Pierce, Ill., USA). For quantification of the signal intensities Kodak Digital Science 1D Image Analysis Software was used.
[0098] In parallel to the immunodetections, the total protein contents of the different extracts were visualised using silver staining of the gels (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech AB). Quantitation of total protein was done using a BCA protein assay kit (Pierce, Ill., USA).
[0099] Localisation of sc-bFSH by in situ Indirect Immunofluorescence
[0100] Indirect in situ immunofluorescence was performed according to Goodbody et al. (1994) and Flanders et al. (1990) with modifications. All solutions were made in microtubule stabilizing buffer (MTSB): 50 mM PIPES, 5 mM EGTA, and 5 mM MgSO 4 , pH 6.9. Epidermal tissue sections (leaf stalk) from sc-bFSH expressing plants, prepared as described above, were fixed in 4% (v/v) formaldehyde for 60 min, followed by four washing steps in MTSB over 60 min. In order to aid antibody penetration, the tissue was cross hatched with a flexible, double sided razor blade. Permeabilisation was performed by 10% DMSO and 0.4% IGEPAL (Sigma) for 15 min. An additional blocking step was performed by incubating in 1% BSA for 15 min. Both antibody incubations were carried out for 60 min followed by three washing steps with the blocking solutions after the primary incubation and with MTSB after the secondary incubation. As primary antibody the rabbit anti-hFSH—b—peptide polyclonal antibody (R812) was used, the secondary antibody was a Cy3 conjugated sheep anti-rabbit antibody (Sigma). As anti-fade mounting reagent, CITIFLUOR was used (City University, London).
[0101] Microscopic Imaging
[0102] Imaging was conducted on a Biorad MRC 600 confocal laser scanning microscope equipped with a Krypton/Argon mixed gas laser and a ×40 objective. Excitation of the Cy3 fluorochrome was done at 569 nm using the YHS filter block. Phase contrast illumination of the tissue sections was performed on the same sections. Images from the confocal system were imported into PaintShopPro 5.01 (Jasc Software, Inc., MN, USA) for colorisation.
[0103] Immunoaffinity Chromatography
[0104] Immunoaffinity chromatography was essentially done as described previously (Van de Wiel et al., 1998) and according to the mannufacturer's instructions. The gel pellet was washed 2 times with PBS13 and then incubated with 30 ml of sc-bFSH The purity and concentration of sc-bFSH in the eluate fractions were monitored on a silver stained SDS-PAGE-gel, on which the sc-bFSH appeared as a single band. For mass spectrometry analysis (see below), a volume of pure sc-bFSH corresponding to approximately 8 mg was first dialyzed against deionized water using Slide-a-lyzer® MINI dialysis units having a molecular weight cut off of 10 kDa (Pierce, Ill., USA) to remove salts and glycine. Subsequently, the dialyzed fractions were concentrated by lyophilisation, and dissolved in SDS-PAGE sample buffer.
[0105] N-glycan Analysis of sc-bFSH by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/ionisation Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-MS)
[0106] The procedure was carried out as described by Kolarich and Altmann (in press) with modifications. In brief, approximately 8 mg of immunoaffinity—purified sc-bFSH were electrophoresed on a reducing 12.5% C 1%T SDS-polyacrylamide gel system. Following electrophoresis, the gel was stained using a silver staining method which is compatible with mass spectrometry analysis (Schevchenko et al. 1996). The band of interest was excised with a scalpel, and after washing, reduction and S-carboxamidomethylation subjected to tryptic in-gel digestion as described by Jensen et al. (1997). In order to identify the sc-bFSH, the extracted peptides were dissolved in 10 ml 5% (v/v) formic acid and analysed on a DYNAMO (ThermoBioAnalysis, Ltd.) linear time-of-flight MALDI-MS (peptide mapping). 0.2 ml of the sample was dried on the plates followed by addition of 0.8 ml matrix solution (1% (w/v) a-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid in 70% (v/v) acetonitrile. Peptides were measured with a <<dynamic extraction>> setting 0.1. Average masses of [M+H] + ions were determined using human bradykinin and human renin substrate tetradecapeptide for external calibration of the instrument. The ExPASy <<Peptide-Mass>> program was used to construct theoretical peptide maps of sc-bFSH.
[0107] Following peptide mapping, the N-glycans in the residual aliquot of the tryptic digest were released by peptide-N 4 -(N-acetyl-b-glucosaminyl) asparagine amidase A (N-glycosidase A, Roche, CH). To remove peptides and salts, the digest was loaded onto a triphasic microcolumn consisting of anion exchange, reversed phase and a mixture of polyamide/cation exchange resins. For MALDI-MS analysis, the samples were redissolved in 10 ml water. 1 ml of the sample was spotted onto the target, dried under vacuum, followed by addition of 0.8 ml matrix solution (a 1:1:1 mixture of 2% (w/v) 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid in 30% (v/v) acetonitrile, 1% (v/v) D-arabinosazone in acetonitrile and 0.2 M 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid/0.06 M 1-hydroxy-isoquinoline in 50% (v/v) acetonitrile (DARCI). The oligosaccharides were analyzed with a <<dynamic extraction>> of 0.1. Compilation of the spectra was done manually by the addition of single shots. Average masses of [M+Na] + ions were recorded using a partial dextran hydrolysate for external calibration of the instrument.
[0108] In vitro Bioactivity Assay in FSH Receptor Expressing CHO Cells
[0109] IF-extracts from N. benthamiana plants infected by p4GD-sc-bFSH or p4GD-PL (negative control) were diluted in GMEM-S medium without calf serum in a final volume of 0.2 ml as indicated in FIG. 8, A. These extract dilutions were incubated on CHO cell layers expressing the porcine FSH receptor (Abdennebi et al., 1999) for 1 h 30 at 37° C. Known concentrations of pituitary bFSH were applied to cells in the same conditions (see FIG. 8, B). cAMP levels in supernatants were determined using a specific RIA (NEN-Dupont de Nemours, Les Ulis, France). All assays were performed in duplicate and repeated twice.
[0110] Superovulatory Treatment of Mice
[0111] 15 6-8 week old female C57/CBA mice were treated each with 100 ml of 11 times concentrated sc-bFSH-IF extract (concentration was done using an AMICON ultrafiltration cell, MWCO 10 kDa). Serving as a negative control, 15 mice were treated each with 100 ml of 11 times concentrated IF-extract from not infected plants (NI-IF). Furthermore, the response of 14 mice to 5IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG, Folligon, Intervet) in the same volume was investigated. 46-48 hours post FSH or wt-IF injections, the 3 groups were treated with 5 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG ; Chorulon, Intervet). To recover mature oocytes, superovulated females were sacrified 15 hours post-hCG-injection. Oocytes were incubated after collection in 0.5% hyaluronidase (Sigma) in PBS for 1-2 min at 37° C. to remove cumulus. The total number of oocytes were counted.
[0112] Results
[0113] Vector Construction and Expression of sc-bFSH in N. benthamiana Plants
[0114] Although native bFSH is expressed from two different genes on different loci, we chose to genetically fuse the carboxyl end of the bFSH b subunit to the amino end of the a subunit according to Sugahara et al. (1996) in order to produce a single-chain bFSH (sc-bFSH). Both the receptor binding affinity and the potency of adenylate cyclase activation for the single-chain human FSH were shown to be similar to that of recombinant human FSH heterodimer (Sugahara et al. 1996). The fusion gene was inserted into the tobacco mosaic viral-based vector p4GD-PL (Casper and Holt 1996). In vitro run off transcripts of the construct p4GD-sc-bFSH were capable of infecting N. benthamiana plants systemically as indicated by clear mottling and mosaic symptoms on systemic infected leaves 10-14 days post inoculation (dpi). To determine the inplanta replicative stability of the hybrid TMV RNA, reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was carried out with RNA isolated from newly developed leaves 14 dpi. The amplification of a single RT-PCR fragment of expected size confirmed the presence of the FSH sequence in systemically infected TMV leaves. Further RT-PCR analyses were carried out until 28 dpi, in which likewise no instabilities of the p4GD-sc-bFSH derived viral RNA were observed.
[0115] 17-21 dpi infected leaves were harvested, total soluble protein (TO) extracted and subsequently subjected to SDS-PAGE. Silver staining revealed the abundant coat protein at position 17 kDa and a diffuse additional band at position 30 kDa, the expected size of undissociated alpha-beta bFSH heterodimer (Wu et al., 1992), which was not present in extracts of control plants. The corresponding Western blot analysis using an anti-humanFSH beta (hFSHβ) antiserum clearly confirmed the expression of the hormone by displaying a strong signal at position 30 kDa. Minor signals were obtained at 60 kDa which we interpret as artefactual dimerisation product that can occur during SDS-PAGE (Shi and Jackowski, 1998). Additionally, a putative degradation product of sc-bFSH was detected at approximately 15 kDa. It was not possible to reduce the amount of this degradation product by including a cocktail of plant protease inhibitors to the extraction buffer. The specificity of the signals obtained in sc-bFSH expressing plants was indicated by the absence of any signal in extracts from control plants.
[0116] Subcellular Localisation of sc-bFSH
[0117] In a series of experiments using different approaches we wanted to investigate whether the sc-bFSH as a glycoprotein hormone—in homology to the situation in mammals—is targeted to the secretory pathway of plant cells and if the protein is secreted into the periplasmic (extracellular) space. Ultracentrifugation of total protein extracts (TO) from sc-bFSH expressing plants was carried out which resulted in a pellet (P) and a supernatant (SN) fraction. All three fractions, TO, P and SN, were subsequently analysed by SDS-PAGE. The different staining patterns of SN and P on a silver-stained gel indicated a selective enrichment of soluble and of mostly membrane associated proteins, respectively. Silver staining and immunoblot analyses using anti-hFSHb antibodies clearly revealed the enrichment of the hormone in the soluble SN fraction, which is consistent with a periplasmic location.
[0118] The fact that no hormone -was detected in the P fraction excludes the formation of inclusion bodies which often is a consequence of protein overexpression.
[0119] As a next step a so-called intercellular washing fluid (IF), which is characterised by the specific enrichment of periplasmic (extracellular) proteins, was separated from the total protein extracts (TO) and compared with the remainder (RE) thereof. TO, IF and RE fractions were subjected to SDS-PAGE and silver staining revealed an additional diffuse band in the IF at the expected size of the hormone (30 kDa), which is absent in control IF fraction (FIG. 3). Immunoblotting clearly demonstrated the enrichment of the sc-bFSH in the IF fraction. We calculated an enrichment factor of 6-10 for sc-bFSH in the IF with respect to the TO fraction. Furthermore, the computer-assisted comparison of the signal intensities of 50 ng pit-bFSH with that of sc-bFSH in TO and IF fractions allowed us to estimate sc-bFSH concentrations of 0.4% and 3% of total soluble protein, respectively.
[0120] To confirm the periplasmic location of sc-bFSH, in situ indirect immunofluorescence was performed. Mechanical sectioning of epidermal cells of sc-bFSH expressing plants was used to provide entry sites for the antibodies. Hence, only cut cells show an immunostaining. The fluorescence signal was obtained in the periphery of the cells, being clearly different from a cytoplasmic or vesicular fluorescence staining as shown previously (Boevink et al., 1998; Essl et al., 1999). The in situ indirect immunostaining of sc-bFSH appeared as a thin film located inside of the cell wall being consistent with a periplasmic location.
[0121] N-glycosylation Analysis of sc-bFSH
[0122] Since native bFSH is a glycprotein hormone and its N-glycosylation is essential for bioactivity, the N-glycosylation status of sc-bFSH was investigated. Sc-bFSH has four potential N-glycosylation sites and, in Western blot analyses, a diffuse band was detected at position 30 kDa, which is larger than the expected size of the unglycosylated (23 kDa) protein (FIGS. 2, 3). This already indicated the glycosylated status of the recombinant protein. As a first approach a glycan specific enzyme (PNGase F) digestion of IF extracts was made. PNGase F digests all oligosaccharide species except those containing the plant specific core α1,3 fucose (Tretter et al., 1991). Clearly the band detected at position 30 kDa shifted to a band of smaller size (26 kDa) indicating sensitivity of sc-bFSH to N-glycosidase F. This result demonstrated the presence of N-linked glycans lacking core α1,3 fucose. In addition, presence of a minor “smear” signal at position 26-27 kDa which is not susceptible to N-glycosidase F digestion, indicates the presence of a fraction carrying core α1,3 fucose residues.
[0123] The detailed structure of N-glycans attached to sc-bFSH was elucidated by MALDI-MS. This procedure was specially designed for the analysis of N-glycans potentially containing core fucose in a1,3 linkage. Immunoaffinity—chromatography using a monoclonal antibody against human FSH was carried out to purify the sc-bFSH from IF extracts, resulting in <<single band purity>> as evidenced by SDS-PAGE/silver staining. The sc-bFSH was subjected to tryptic in-gel digestion in order to provide susceptibility to the subsequent N-glycosidase A digestion. This further allowed the identification of the tryptic peptides measured by MALDI-MS (data not shown).
[0124] Subsequently, the enzymatically released N-glycans were cleaned up for MALDI-MS. The resulting mass revealed two peak masses that could be assigned to 2 known plant N-glycans of the paucimannosidic type: MMX and MMXF 3 . An analysis of the respective peak areas revealed a 4:1 ratio between MMX and MMXF 3 . Consistent with the result of the N-glycosidase F digestion, the mass spectrometric analysis revealed a glycan species, MMX, which is susceptible to N-glycosidase F digestion, and a second minor fraction, MMXF 3 , which is not.
[0125] FSH Receptor Activation by Plant sc-bFSH
[0126] To determine the in vitro bioactivity, the plant-expressed sc-bFSH was tested for its ability to induce cyclic AMP (cAMP) production in a CHO cell line expressing the porcine FSH receptor (pFSHR). Evidently, cAMP levels, as determined by RIA, were raised in a dose dependent manner upon addition of increasing amounts of pit-FSH. The effect of the plant expressed sc-bFSH on the production of cAMP in this cell line was determined by applying several nonpurified sc-bFSH-IF dilutions. Increasing concentrations of the sc-bFSH containing IF extract resulted in a dose responding cAMP production. The specificity of the cAMP production upon addition of plant-produced sc-bFSH was demonstrated by an absence of a response of the cells to an IF extract from control plants. The pit-bFSH standard curve allowed to estimate a concentration of 5 ng in vitro bioactive sc-bFSH per ml IF.
[0127] Example of an vivo Bioassay
[0128] Superovulatory Treatement of Mice
[0129] 15 6-8 week old female C57/CBA mice were treated each with 100 ml of 11 times concentrated sc-bFSH-IF extract (concentration was done using an AMICON ultrafiltration cell, MWCO 10 kDa). Serving as a negative control, 15 mice were treated each with 100 ml of 11 times concentrated IF-extract from not infected plants (NI-IF). Furthermore, the response of 14 mice to 5 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG, Folligon, Intervet) in the same volume was investigated. 46-48 hours post FSH or wt-IF injections, the 3 groups were treated with 5 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; Chorulon, Intervet). To recover mature oocytes, superovulated females were sacrified 15 hours post-hCG-injection. Oocytes were incubated after collection in 0.5% hyaluronidase (Sigma) in PBS for 1-2 min at 37° C. to remove cumulus. The total number of oocytes were counted. The total number of oocytes indicated a high superovulatory response of the mice to PMSG, where as much as approximately 4 fold more oocytes were counted as compared to the negative control. A significant, albeit comparably low, superovulatory response to sc-bFSH (1,5 fold above the negative control) was found. The mean number of oocytes for each group, WT-IF, sc-bFSH-IF and PMSG, and the respective standard deviations are illustrated.
[0130] Embryo Isolation and Culture
[0131] Female mice were treated with intraperitoneal injection of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (Folligon-intervet, 5 IU), sc-bFSH-IF extracts, WT-IF extracts, followed by human chorionic gonadotropin (chorulan, intervet) 48 h later. As a control, untreated females that showed an oestrus behaviour were included in this study. Mice were caged overnight with males and 1 cell stage embryos were isolated 19-26 hours after hCG from females showing sperm vaginal plugs (day 1). The ampullary regions of excised oviducts was placed at 30° C. in PBS medium containing bovine serum albumine at 4 mg/ml together with bovine hyaluronidase (sigma) at 50 units/ml. After 3-5 minutes the cumulus cells were dissociated and the eggs washed several times in PBS medium. Fertilized eggs showing two pronuclei and polar body were pooled from several females of the same group. Embryos were cultured under paraffin oil (DBH) in 10 μl drops of Whitten's medium in an atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air at 37° C.
[0132] Embryos were cultured for up to 72 hours in vitro in Whitten's medium and examined several times. For each group, development was assessed by the proportion of fused eggs that became blastocysts. The results clearly indicated that, whatever the treatment, more than 80% of the fused eggs reached the morula stage 3, 5 days after fecondation while at 7, 5 days more than 50% of them developed into bastocysts. Our results clearly showed no differences between PMSG and plant FSH extract treated females. These experiments strongly suggested that crude extract of infected plants containing FSH did not induce any deleterious effects on mice embryo further development, indicating potential use for assisted reproduction.
[0133] Example of Assays for Detecting the Presence of sc-bFSH-FSH Receptor Complexe
[0134] Two different assays were performed to detect the presence of sc-bFSH-FSH receptor complexe (FSHC) in tobacco leaves.
[0135] 1. Elisa
[0136] The wells of M96 microtiterplate were coated with polyclonal antiserum against FSH receptor (dilution at 1/200). To each coated well, 100 μl was added of serial dilutions of either WT-IF extract or intracellular fluid from infected tobacco leaves containing FSHC.
[0137] After incubation (1 h at 37° C.) and washing, a monoclonal antibody against human FSHβ (0.01 mg/ml) was added and incubated (1 h at 37° C.) which was followed by washing and addition of anti-mouse IgG coupled to peroxidase (1:500, 100 μl/well)
[0138] After washing, TMB and H 2 O 2 were added (for color development). The reaction was stopped by adding H 2 SO 4 .
[0139] 2. Immunoradiometric Assay (IRMA)
[0140] The assay used coated beads for the capture of FSHC from infected tobacco leaves. Polystyrene beads were incubated overnight at 4° C. in the presence of polyclonal antibody against FSH receptor. After washing with distillated water, beads were used to capture antibody-reactive molecules present in the IF extract (WT or FSHC). After 2 h incubation at followed by extensive washing, labeled diluted monoclonal antibody against FSHP (in 0.01 M PiNacl containing 50% Foetal Calf Serum) was added. The reaction mixture was incubated for 1 h at 20° C., followed by a washing step and residual radioactivity was counted.
[0141] Here we demonstrated the rapid and high level expression of a single-chain version of the bovine follicle stimulating hormone (sc-bFSH) in Nicotiana benthamiana plants using a tobacco mosaic virus based transient expression system. A combination of molecular and cell biological experimental approaches showed consistently that the plant cell is fully capable of directing a mammalian secretory protein such as a glycoprotein hormone to the extracellular destination. Hence, the native leader sequence of the beta subunit of bFSH (and accordingly also the bTSH subunit) which represents the N-terminus of the sc-bFSH is recognised by the plant cell and subsequently the protein is directed to the secretory pathway. This observation is in agreement with the correct recognition of mammalian signal peptides derived from antibodies by the plant cell machinery. Furthermore, correct formation of disulfide bridges and folding of the tethered hormone subunits similarly to its native counterpart pituitary bFSH was evidenced by the in vitro bioactivity assay.
[0142] Most clinically important mammalian proteins, such as TSH, FSH and LH, have N-glycans, which confer different biological functions, such as resistance to protease attacks, antigenicity, immunogenicity and, as for FSH, plasma clearance rates. Although N-glycosylation is conserved in higher organisms to some extent, so far no established heterologous expression system produces correct mammalian-type N-glycans, due to more or less differing biosynthetic pathways. The perspective to use plants as economic factories to produce therapeutic recombinant proteins at a low cost makes it important to investigate the capacity of plant cells to produce functional mammalian-like glycoproteins. Our detailed analysis on the N-glycosylation pattern of sc-bFSH constitutes a complete study of a mammalian glycoprotein. Surprisingly, only two oligosaccharide structures were found N-linked in sc-bFSH and were identified as paucimannosidic N-glycans containing b1,2 xylose and a1,3 fucose residues in a ratio 80:20%, respectively. Paucimannosidic glycans are considered as typical vacuole-type N-glycans, which result from the elimination of the terminal residues of complex-type N-glycans in post-Golgi compartments (for review see Lerouge et al. 1998). Secreted proteins in plants usually carry complex-type N-glycans with a high degree of heterogeneity (Melo et al., 1997, Ogawa 1996, for a review see Sturm 1995). Although paucimannosidic N-glycans have been found to a minor extent in secreted proteins, the presence of this type of glycan as predominant species is a rather unusual case. Still, to our knowledge, there is only one detailed comparative study of a mammalian glycoprotein, a mouse immunglobulin (“plantibody”), produced in a plant expression system (Cabanes-Macheteau et al., 1999). In contrast to sc-bFSH the plantibody shows a higher degree of N-glycan heterogeneity, as a total of 8 different species of oligosaccharides were found. However, since no detailed analysis of the protein location was done it cannot be excluded that fractions of plantibodies are stored in different compartments of the plant cell (Cabanes-Macheteau et al., 1999). To our knowledge this is the first report of a detailed N-glycan analysis of a protein derived from an IF fraction, usually secreted proteins are analysed from total protein fractions. This might be a reason why less heterogeneity was found.
[0143] Evidently, the N-glycans present on sc-bFSH exhibit considerable structural aberration from its native counterpart, pituitary bFSH (Baenzinger and Green, 1988). As anticipated from known plant N-glycan structures, no N-glycans of the mammalian complex-type were found, neither b1,4 linked galactose nor terminal sialic acid. b(1,2) xylose and core a(1,3) fucose have never been found in mammals cells and they are considered potentially immunogenic structures (Wilson et al., 1998; Kurosoka et al., 1991; Faye et al., 1993??).
[0144] Although so far no negative effect has been reported for plantibodies applied to mammals which might result from these sugars, no long term studies are available.
[0145] We showed evidence, that the plant-produced hormone has in vivo bioactivity.
[0146] As appointed above, another important aspect of these experiment is the fact that the application of a highly concentrated IF extract, which comprises a complex mixture of periplasmic proteins, did not have an deleterious effect on the model animal. Unlike other established protein expression systems, such as bacterial, yeast or animal cell culture systems, plant IF extracts may be directly applicable in acute medical treatments without the need of further expensive purification.
[0147] In summary we conclude that the TMV-based expression system provided here gives a very attractive expression system for mammalian glycoproteins such as glycoprotein hormones, since bioactive glycoforms of sc-bFSH accumulate to high levels in the periplasmic space of N. benthamiana leaves. We also could demonstrate the important benefit of being able to apply crude protein IF-extracts without the concerns of an exposure to potentially infectious agents and apparently without any acute deleterious effect to the model animal.
[0148] Abbreviations Used:
[0149] GlcNAc, N-Acetylglucosamine; Fuc, fucose; Gal, galactose; GalT, beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase; RCA, Ricinus Cummunis Agglutinin;
FIGURE LEGENDS
[0150] [0150]FIG. 1 Major differences between mammalian and plant complex N-linked glycans. Drawn are typical N-linked glycans. Numerous variations, both extended or truncated, occur in mammals and plants.
[0151] [0151]FIG. 2 Comparison of RNA levels and product of β1,4-galactosyltransferase. Upper panel: Northern blot of total RNA isolated from 25 transgenic plants, including a not transformed control plant ( 0 ), detected with a human β1,4-galactosyltransferase probe. Lower panel: Western blot of the same plant probed with RCA to detect terminal galactose residues on glycoproteins. M. indicates the molecular weight marker.
[0152] [0152]FIG. 3 Western blot showing the binding of lectin and antibody to protein isolated from wild-type and a β1,4-galactosyltransferase plant (no. 8 from FIG. 2). A: RCA as in FIG. 2, B: anti HRP (detecting both xylose and fucose) antibody, C: anti xylose antibody, D: anti fucose antibody.)
[0153] [0153]FIG. 4 Western blot showing RCA and sheep-anti-mouse-IgG binding to purified antibody produced in hybridoma culture (Hyb), tobacco plants (plant) and tobacco plants co-expressing β1,4-galactosyltransferase (GalT11 and GalT12). H.C.: heavy chain, L.C. light chain.
[0154] [0154]FIG. 5 Western blot showing specific antibody binding to recombinant beta-FSH and recombinant alpha- and beta-FSH expressed in plants. Using an anti-human FSH beta subunit antiserum we could demonstrate the expression of the beta bFSH also in alpha/beta cotransfected plants. The beta-bFSH appeared as a double band at about 14 kDa.
[0155] [0155]FIG. 6 In vivo bioassay for the determination of the activity of biopharmaceutical plant-derived glycoprotein hormone preparations in mice. Superovulatory treatment of C57/CBA mice with sc-bFSH: The responses, i.e. numbers of counted oocytes, of 15 or 14 mice treated each with either sc-bFSH IF extract corresponding to approx. 4,8 IU, or with equal amounts of IF extract of not infected wildtype plants (wt-IF, negative control) or with PMSG corresponding to each 5 IU of FSH (positive control) are listed in the table. The total (sum) and mean numbers of oocytes including the standard deviations for the three groups are given. The diagram illustrates the mean numbers of oocytes counted for the three groups of mice treated with sc-bFSH-IF, wt-IF or PMSG. The standard deviations are indicated (SD). A, B:
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[0210] Goodbody K C and LLoyd C W 1994. Immunofluorescence techniques for analysis of the cytoskeleton. In Plant Cell Biology. A Practical Approach. Harris H and Oparka K J. eds. IRL Press. Oxford University Press. Oxford, New York, Tokyo. 1994 pp 221-243
[0211] Hiatt A, Cafferkey R, Bowdish K. Production of antibodies in transgenic plants. Nature. Nov. 2, 1989;342(6245):76-8.
[0212] Horton M H. In Vitro Recombination and Mutagenesis of DNA. In Methods in Molecular Biology 15. PCR protocols. Current Methods and Applications. White B A ed. Humana Press Inc., Totowa, N.J. 1993 pp. 251-261
[0213] Jensen O N, Shevchenko A and Mann M. Protein analysis by mass spectrometry. In Protein Structure. A Practical Approach. Creighton T E ed. IRL Press. Oxford University Press. Oxford, New York, Tokyo. 1997 pp 29-57.
[0214] Kolarich D, Altmann F. N-glycan analysis by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry of electrophoretically separated non-mammalian proteins. Application to peanut allergen Ara h 1 and olive pollen allergen Ole e 1. Anal. Biochem. (in press)
[0215] Krebitz M, Wiedermann U, Essl D, Steinkellner H, Wagner B, Turpen T H, Ebner C, Scheiner O, Breiteneder H. 2000. Rapid production of the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 in Nicotiana benthamiana plants and its immunological in vitro and in vivo characterization. FASEB J. 14:1279-1288.
[0216] Kurosaka A, Yano A, Itoh N, Kuroda Y, Nakagawa T, Kawasaki T. The structure of a neural specific carbohydrate epitope of horseradish peroxidase recognized by anti-horseradish peroxidase antiserum. J Biol Chem. Mar. 5, 1991;266(7):4168-72.
[0217] Kusnadi A R, Nikolov Z L and Howard J A. Production of recombinant proteins in transgenic plants: practical considerations. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 1997. 56: 473-484.
[0218] Laemmli U K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4.Nature. Aug. 15, 1970;227(259):680-5
[0219] Leiter H, Mucha J, Staudacher E, Grimm R, Glossl J, Altmann F. Nucleotide Purification, cDNA cloning, and expression of GDP-L-Fuc:Asn-linked GlcNAc alpha 1,3-fucosyltransferase from mung beans. J Biol Chem. 1999 274(31):21830-9.
[0220] Lerouge P, Cabanes-Macheteau M, Rayon C, Fischette-Laine A C, Gomord V, Faye L. N-glycoprotein biosynthesis in plants: recent developments and future trends. Plant Mol Biol. 1998 38(1-2):31-48.
[0221] Leung K, Kaynard A H, Negrini B P, Kim K E, Maurer R A, Landefeld T D. Differential regulation of gonadotropin subunit messenger ribonucleic acids by gonadotropin-releasing hormone-pulse frequency in ewes.Mol Endocrinol. 1987 1(10):724-8.
[0222] Ma J K, Hiatt A, Hein M, Vine N D, Wang F, Stabila P, van Dolleweerd C, Mostov K, Lehner T. Generation and assembly of secretory antibodies in plants. Science. 1995 268(5211):716-9.
[0223] Ma J K, Hikmat B Y, Wycoff K, Vine N D, Chargelegue D, Yu L, Hein M B, Lehner T. 1998 Characterization of a recombinant plant monoclonal secretory antibody and preventive immunotherapy in humans.Nat Med. 4(5):601-6.
[0224] Maurer R A, Beck A. Isolation and nucleotide sequence analysis of a cloned cDNA encoding the beta-subunit of bovine follicle-stimulating hormone DNA. 1986 5(5):363-9.
[0225] Melo N S, Nimtz M, Conradt H S, Fevereiro P S, Costa J. Identification of the human Lewis(a) carbohydrate motif in a secretory peroxidase from a plant cell suspension culture ( Vaccinium myrtillus L.). FEBS Lett. 1997 415(2):186-91.
[0226] Ogawa H, Hijikata A, Amano M, Kojima K, Fukushima H, Ishizuka I, Kurihara Y, Matsumoto I. Structures and contribution to the antigenicity of oligosaccharides of Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica ) pollen allergen Cry j I: relationship between the structures and antigenic epitopes of plant N-linked complex-type glycans. Glycoconj J. 1996 13(4):555-66.
[0227] Palacpac N Q, Yoshida S, Sakai H, Kimura Y, Fujiyarna K, Yoshida T, Seki T. Stable expression of human beta1,4-galactosyltransferase in plant cells modifies N-linked glycosylation patterns. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1999 96:4692-7.
[0228] Pierce J G, Parsons T F. Glycoprotein hormones: structure and function. Annu Rev Biochem. 1981;50:465-95.
[0229] *Pogue G P, Lindbo J A, Dawson W O and Turpen T H. Tobamovirus Transient Expression Vectors: Tools for Plant Biology and High-Level Expression of Foreign Proteins in Plants. In: Molecular Microbial Ecology Manual. Kluiwer Academic Publishers. The Netherlands. 1997
[0230] Remy J J, Lahbib-Mansais Y, Yerle M, Bozon V, Couture L, Pajot E, Greber D, Salesse R. The porcine follitropin receptor: cDNA cloning, functional expression and chromosomal localization of the gene. Gene. Oct. 3, 1995;163(2):257-61.
[0231] Shevchenko A, Wilm M, Vorm O, Mann M. Mass spectrometric sequencing of proteins silver-stained polyacrylamide gels. Anal Chem. Mar. 1, 1996;68(5):850-8.
[0232] Shi Q and Jackowski G. One-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In Gel Electrophoresis of Proteins. A Practical Approach. Hames B D ed. IRL Press. Oxford University Press. Oxford, New York, Tokyo. 1998 221-243
[0233] Strasser R, Mucha J, Schwihla H, Altmann F, Glossl J, Steinkellner H. Molecular cloning and characterization of cDNA coding for beta1, 2N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GlcNAc-TI) from Nicotiana tabacum. Glycobiology. 1999 August;9(8):779-85.
[0234] Strasser R, Mucha J, Mach L, Altmann F, Wilson I B, Glossl J, Steinkellner H. Molecular cloning and functional expression of beta1, 2-xylosyltransferase cDNA from Arabidopsis thaliana .FEBS Lett. 2000 472(1):105-8.
[0235] Strasser R, Steinkellner H, Borén M, Altmann F, Mach L, Glössl J, Mucha J. Molecular cloning of cDNA encoding N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase II from Arabidopsis thaliana. Glycoconj J. 16 787-791.
[0236] Sturm A. N-Glycosylation in plants proteins. In Glycoproteins. Montreuil J, Schachter H and Vliegenhart J F G (Eds.) Elsevier Science B. V. 1995. Chapter 9, 521-541
[0237] Sugahara T, Sato A, Kudo M, Ben-Menahem D, Pixley M R, Hsueh A J, Boime I. Expression of biologically active fusion genes encoding the common alpha subunit and the follicle-stimulating hormone beta subunit. Role of a linker sequence. J Biol Chem. May 3, 1996;271(18):10445-8.
[0238] Suganuma N, Matzuk M M, Boime I. Elimination of disulfide bonds affects assembly and secretion of the human chorionic gonadotropin beta subunit. J Biol Chem. Nov. 15, 1989;264(32):19302-7.
[0239] Tacket C O, Mason H S, Losonsky G, Estes M K, Levine M M, Arntzen C J. 2000 Human immune responses to a novel norwalk virus vaccine delivered in transgenic potatoes. J Infect Dis. 182:302-5.
[0240] Taticek R A, Lee C W, Shuler M L. Large-scale insect and plant cell culture. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 1994 February;5(2):165-74
[0241] Tezuka K, Hayashi M, Ishihara H, Nishimura M, Onozaki K, Takahashi N. Purification and substrate specificity of beta-xylosidase from sycamore cell ( Acer pseudoplatanus L.): application for structural analysis of xylose-containing N-linked oligosaccharides. Anal Biochem. 1993 June;211(2):205-9.
[0242] Tretter V, Altmann F, Marz L. Peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F cannot release glycans with fucose attached alpha 1 - - - - 3 to the asparagine-linked N-acetylglucosamine residue. Eur J Biochem. Aug. 1, 1991;199(3):647-52.
[0243] Ulloa-Aguirre A, Midgley A R Jr, Beitins I Z, Padmanabhan V. Follicle-stimulating isohormones: characterization and physiological relevance. Endocr Rev. 1995 December;16(6):765-87
[0244] van de Wiel D F, van Rijn P A, Meloen R H, Moormann R J. High-level expression of biologically active recombinant bovine follicle stimulating hormone in a baculovirus system. J Mol Endocrinol. 1998 February;20(1):83-98.
[0245] Wee E G, Sherrier D J, Prime T A, and Dupree P. Targeting of active sialyltransferase to the plant Golgi apparatus. Plant Cell 10(10):1759-1768, 1998.
[0246] Whitelam G C, Cockburn B, Gandecha A R, Owen M R. Heterologous protein production in transgenic plants. Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev. 1993;11:1-29.
[0247] Wilson I B, Harthill J E, Mullin N P, Ashford D A, Altrnann F. Core alpha 1,3-fucose is a key part of the epitope recognized by antibodies reacting against plant N-linked oligosaccharides and is present in a wide variety of plant extracts.Glycobiology. 1998 July;8(7):651-61.
[0248] Wilson J M, Jones A L, Moore K, Looney C R and Bondioli K R. 1993. Superovulation of cattle with a recombinant-DNA bovine follicle stimulating hormone. Animal Reprod Science 1993 33: 71-82.
[0249] Wu J B, Stanton P G, Robertson D M, Hearn M T. Isolation of FSH from bovine pituitary glands. J Endocrinol. 1993 April;137(1):59-68.
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PRT
Artificial Sequence
FLAG epitope
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Asp Tyr Lys Asp Asp Asp Asp Lys
1 5
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40
DNA
Artificial Sequence
amplification primer
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ggaaatcaaa gaatttcctg atggagagtt tacaatgcag 40
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34
DNA
Artificial Sequence
amplification primer
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agctatgcat ctattaggat ttgtgataat aaca 34
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Artificial Sequence
amplification primer
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atatgagtcg acatgaagtc tgtccagttc 30
5
40
DNA
Artificial Sequence
amplification primer
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ctccatcagg aaattctttg atttccctga aggagcagta 40
6
22
DNA
Artificial Sequence
amplification primer
6
tttttccctt ttttgttttc cg 22
7
21
DNA
Artificial Sequence
amplification primer
7
gatgatgatt cggaggctac t 21
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The invention relates to the production of gonadotrophins and corresponding receptors in transgenic plants. The invention provides a method to produce a gonadotrophin or its corresponding receptor in a transgenic plant with modified glycosylation machinery, in order to allow for mammalian type of glycosidic side chains of gonadotrophin and its corresponding receptor.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention claims priority on provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/858,140, filed on Nov. 9, 2006, entitled “PICO: privacy through invertible cryptographic obscuration” and is hereby incorporated by reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
[0002] Not Applicable
THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
[0003] Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING
[0004] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] This invention relates generally to photographic, video or audio recording, generally for surveillance or security concerns. Surveillance is becoming more and more common all over the world. People are forever under the watchful ‘eye’ of the camera even as they go through their day-to-day activities. CCTV, increasingly with audio recording, is widely used for surveillance in banks, parking lots, shopping malls, airports, and other public places. Electronic audio recording (wiretapping) is also a growing concern. In these applications there is tension and tradeoff between the privacy of those being recorded and the underlying goals of security.
[0006] There are many privacy issues in surveillance. While some “invasion” is unintentional, or even just potential, the personnel who are in-charge of scanning these video images are often either ignorant about their job or tend to misuse their powers, for example, engaging in voyeurism. While cameras in airports, school bathrooms or eldercare facility bathrooms might improve security or safety, the potential abuses prohibit their use.
[0007] In the prior art, in order to address privacy, techniques such as privacy masking or blurring have been proposed. In the prior art, either an opaque mask, external to the camera, is applied, or after capturing the data, the regions of concern are irrevocably transformed to protect the privacy. While effective for applications like videotaping for television, these techniques have less implication for privacy in surveillance. With these techniques, the portion of the video/audio information including “privacy sensitive” data is modified but the transforms render the resulting data significantly less useful for security purposes.
[0008] In other prior art, privacy is addressed by encrypting data. Generally the person who is concerned about privacy, protects the data by encrypting it. Encrypted phone or radio communication is a well established example of prior art. In general this protects privacy because it inhibits the ability of others to access the data, i.e. it inhibits surveillance.
PROBLEMS WITH THE PRIOR ART
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,399, issued to Berger on May 23, 2000 titled “Privacy mode for acquisition cameras and camcorders”, teaches a method of privacy enhancement wherein the system detects regions of skin in images, and modifies the corresponding pixels to obscure the subjects skin areas or face, either by direct pixel manipulation or graphics overlay. It teaches of protecting the privacy by ensuring that the identity cannot be recovered even from the original source data. It also teaches of distorting the audio channel to protect identity. European Patent EP 1 081 955 A2, issued to Koji et al. on Jul. 3, 2001 titled “Monitor Camera system and method of displaying picture from monitor thereof”, teaches of another method to determine and manipulate a “privacy region” which can obscure parts of an image as seen on camera. Again the distortions are non-invertible destruction of the data that might violate privacy.
[0010] US Patent 20050270371 A1, issued to Seblak on Dec. 12, 2005 titled “Transformable privacy mask for video camera images”, teaches of an adaptive pixel-wise obscuration approach to protect privacy.
[0011] US Patent 20060206911 A1, issued to Kim et. al. on Sep. 14, 2006, titled “Security camera employing privacy protection method”, teaches of an approach whereby a privacy area processor in the camera reduces the resolution, i.e. blurs, regions of the image to protect privacy.
[0012] An important aspect of all the aforementioned prior art is that the resulting audio/video data are protected in such a manner that the resulting data can be played/viewed without modification to existing display hardware/software. Unfortunately, they also cannot recover the original data.
[0013] US Patent 20030231769 A1, issued to Bolle et al, Titled “Application independent system, method, and architecture for privacy protection, enhancement, control, and accountability in imaging service systems” teaches of transforming the data of privacy interest by a range of techniques (destruction, modulation, overlay with graphical icon). The 20030231769 A1 patent teaches that “Some extracted information in video analysis stage is permanently obscured in the transformed methods”. It separates the descriptive information to be protected into various “tracks”, which can be separately encrypted with a range of keys. It requires an authorizer that provides authorization information with the image, the descriptive information in the transformed state is capable of being decoded only if one or more authorization inputs satisfy the authorization criteria. This method teaches of separating the data to be protected and encrypting some of it, but requires an added authorizer and specialized display/decoding components.
[0014] Partial encryption has been applied to protection of video data, where the goals are to reduce computational cost by encrypting only part of a data stream but selecting that portion so as to provide overall protection. U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,700 teaches selectively encrypting compressed video data based on policy. Specifically it teaches how to selectively encrypt the basic transfer units (BTU), start code of a GOP (group of pictures) or an I- P- B-frame in a MPEG-formatted video to achieve video image degradation with substantially less processing needed than using encryption of the full data stream. The '700 patent is based on structures of the MPEG-format and shows how, if key items are encrypted, the video cannot be effectively recovered. It does not address region-based encryption or any type of privacy protection. The objectives of using partial encryption in the '700 patent is to make as much of the data useless with minimal effort, not to leave the majority of data useful for security purposes.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 7,167,560 issued to H. H Yu, Titled “Partial encryption of stream-formatted media”, address partial encryption of streaming data, building on the recognition that the very same qualities of streaming media data that makes it useful, also make the data especially suited to a type of encryption that represents a significantly reduced computational load. Where the encryption-caused disruption is slight, the recipient will only be aware of a slight degradation in the quality of the media. But where the encryption is more significant, there comes a degree of disruption at which the media is rendered substantially imperceptible or of such low quality as to be substantially unsuitable to the recipient. Further, the degree of disruption at which the media becomes substantially imperceptible or substantially unsuitable to the recipient corresponds to partial encryption. The '560 patent teaches an approach such that more important information data layers are encrypted first and more securely while less important data layers are encrypted second and less securely, etc., thereby achieving scalability; multi-dimensional and multi-layered encryption capability to accommodate different application needs and/or to make different quality levels of preview available to different types of users (e.g., lower level with least clear data preview for general population, higher level preview with clearer data for club members, and full playback for authorized or paid customers); fine granularity scalable encryption for a fine granularity scalable coded media data stream especially useful in real time and streaming media applications.
[0016] What is lacking in the prior art is a technique that allows privacy protection, while simultaneously allowing security/surveillance to use as much of the data as possible, and to recover the original data if needed.
[0017] What is needed, and what present invention provides, is an approach which supports privacy yet still provides a security/surveillance value for the data. Furthermore, the invention does this in such a manner that existing media tools can still manipulate and play the data.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0018] In one embodiment of the invention, for image or video based technologies the invention is applied by detecting a region of potential privacy concern, e.g. face, skin or even motion. These regions are then encrypted, in-place, producing an image that can be viewed with standard tools, but where the regions become apparently random data. The encryption can be either completely done using a public key encryption, or a symmetric encryption, e.g. AES128, can be used, or they can be combined with the AES key being encrypted with the public key, with the encrypted AES key and region definitions being stored as a comment or other field within the media stream, or even as invisible embedded watermark data. Using the private key and a special extraction tool, the original data can be recovered. For example, if the images were needed for criminal prosecution, the encrypted “face” data might be recovered. By allowing recovery of the original data, the invention provides for improved security, while still protecting privacy.
[0019] In another embodiment, various components of a digital audio channel are identified as needing privacy protection. Those segments are then subject to encryption and reinserted into the digital stream in-place of the original data. When listened to with traditional tools, the encoded data will appear as noise. The encryption can be either completely done using a public key encryption, or a symmetric encryption, e.g. 3DES, can be used and the DES key being encrypted with the public key, with the encrypted DES key being stored back within the media stream. The unencrypted components of the data can be listened to using standard tools and may provide important evidence for surveillance. If there is sufficient cause, the keys will again allow recovery of the original data using a special tool
[0020] A lossy compression, such as jpeg or mp3 applied to encrypted data, would result in data that would no longer support recovery of an approximation to the original data. In another embodiment, the digital regions to be privacy protected will be compressed or need to be compressed, and the encryption is applied to the compressed data, adjusting for any data boundaries needed to properly interact with the compression algorithms and data formats.
[0021] A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the present invention, will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing the basic components of minimal embodiment of the privacy enhancing system.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the basic stages of a system that combines the privacy enhancement with compression.
[0024] FIG. 3 shows a hypothetical input image, the privacy region designated by face detection and the results of in-place block-based encrypted region.
[0025] FIG. 4 shows a hypothetical input image, the privacy regions designated by motion detection and the results of in-place block-based encryption regions.
[0026] FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of the steps in processing for in-place encryption during jpeg compression.
[0027] FIG. 6 shows the steps in one embodiment of key generation and storage.
[0028] FIG. 7 shows the stages in decrypting the protected data stream.
[0029] FIG. 8 shows the stages in a privacy enhanced half-tap for telephone communications.
[0030] FIG. 9 shows an example of half-tap usage, where a warrant is granted to decrypt the protected data stream.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] The present invention provides for privacy enhanced security were the encrypted data is stored back into the data-stream such that preexisting display technologies, e.g. web browser or digital cameras, can decode and display the privacy protected data. There is no need for a separate authorizer, there is no destruction of data, no masking of data—rather the data is encrypted and reinserted into place as part of the image encoding process. In the various embodiments of this invention, the protected data is such that it can be decoded and viewed on any standard image/video display device. For example, a protected jpeg image would be viewable with a standard image viewer and the standard compliant jpeg image carries the encrypted data with it. Because of the spatially varying partial encryption, the data is still generally useful for security purposes. The protected data, and any necessary keys, can then be supplied to a separate recovery program to decrypt the protected region, e.g. to provide data for prosecution.
[0032] In the prior art, the data stream to be “protected” was transformed in a manner that permanently lost data. Because there was no need to preserve information, the transformation process was simply to apply, even if the data was later compressed. The in-place encryption of the proposed invention must be applied after any lossy compression, because lossy encryption would destroy some of the encrypted data, rendering recovery impossible.
[0033] Compared to the approach of the 20030231769 A1 Patent, the presentation invention does not require an authorizer as part of the processing, using instead predefined public keys, which is both an advantage and potential disadvantage. It is an advantage because of simplicity during encoding. It is a potential disadvantage because it reduces the privacy model as there is no image-specific authorization and the system cannot limit who is authorized to decode the image-whomever gains access to the appropriate keys can decrypt the data even if such key access was never unauthorized.
[0034] Another point of comparison of the proposed invention with the 20030231769 A1 Patent is that there is no separated data tracks. Separated tracks can provide for rapid analysis, indexing and searching. Separated tracks also simplify the handling of compressed data, which is never encrypted, and the encryption which is not subject to compression at later stages. However, using separated tracks is a disadvantage because the added data tracks also require non-standard display/transmission technology.
[0035] In FIG. 1 , the basic 2-stage privacy enhancement process is described. An input stream ( 100 ) provides data to designator process ( 110 ). The designator process determines, by any of various means including face detection, skin detection, motion detection, object detection, or word recognition, the regions of the input data stream that require protection. If the input stream has particular structure, e.g. 8×8 blocks for compression, then the designator expands the region definitions to be consistent with those rules. If the input stream is compressed, designator may decompress it for analysis and may also have access to other data sources to provide motion or object detection abilities.
[0036] The input stream and the designated regions are then passed on to the protector ( 120 ). The undesignated blocks pass through the protector essentially unchanged, but for designated block(s) it provides for in-place encryption, i.e. it encrypts the data and places it back at essentially the same location relative to the original data stream to produce the protected stream ( 130 ). To do this, it required that the encryption process be such that the resulting data is consistent with the data formatting rules of the stream. In particular, if the input stream is a structured data format, e.g. a precompressed data source, with a combination of structure and data fields intermixed, then the encryption should be applied only to the data.
[0037] In some embodiments, it is desired to combine the privacy protection in a device that is also providing compression, e.g. a web-camera that is going from raw sensor data to a stream of compressed jpeg images. In this case, one could view the process as first compressing to produce the input stream ( 100 ) of FIG. 1 , which may then require decompression for designation. A more efficient approach is to combine the compression as a separate stage as in FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, the raw input is provided to the designator ( 110 ) as well as to the compressor ( 210 ). The designator then provides the list of regions to protect to the protector ( 120 ), which also takes as input the output of the compressor ( 210 ). If there are other constraints on data flow or processing, those skilled in the art will realize many such variations exist that could improve effectiveness of a particular implementation.
[0038] FIG. 3 shows an example of an input image ( 300 ) with a subject of interest ( 310 ) and other random elements in the image. A face-based designator ( 110 ) might designate a region of protection around the head ( 320 ). In the output image ( 330 ), the protected region ( 340 ) would be encrypted, generally appearing as a noisy region in the image. The remainder of the image would still be visible allowing security personnel to determine if the activity of the subject was somehow suspicious, e.g. if they were carrying a weapon in a restricted area.
[0039] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment where the designator might detect all regions where there is significant motion ( 410 , 411 ) and the output image would then be protecting these moving regions ( 420 , 421 ). By encoding all regions that are moving, the system might improve privacy since the clothes a person wears might also provide data on their identity. The designation of regions might also include irrelevant regions ( 411 ) where there is no privacy implication in the data. The resulting encoded region ( 421 ) does not reduce privacy, but including too many such regions would reduce the security value of the data, eventually encrypting the entire image and providing no visible data for analysis. It is worth noting that the in-place encryption process can support multiple iterations of encryptions, e.g. the face region ( 320 ) might be encrypted in-place with one key, and the motion region ( 410 ) which happens to contain some of the same blocks, can still be applied. The blocks in common will be encrypted with both keys, and decryption of the face region ( 340 ) would first require decryption of the motion region ( 420 ).
[0040] A critical aspect of many embodiments of the invention is the handling of in-place encryption when using compressed data. We describe a preferred embodiment using JPEG images as the mode of compression, see Gregory K. Wallace, The JPEG Still Picture Compression Standard —IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, Vol. 38, No. 1, February 1992. Those skilled in the art will recognize how to adapt the approach to other block or region-based compression schemes. We use the JPEG standard as our example because it is the most common compressed image format being used, and is commonly used in streaming web-cameras which produce MJPEG, a sequence of separately encoded JPEG images.
[0041] In one preferred embodiment, we take the approach of applying the encryption during the JPEG compression process just after the DCT quantization but before the lossless Huffman encoding. In FIG. 5 , we see a sample image ( 500 ) that is subdivided into 8×8 pixel blocks. Each 8×8 block is subjected to the Discrete Cosine Transform and then quantization of the resulting coefficients. It is the quantization of these coefficients which defines the “lossy” nature of JPEG encoding. The quantized DCT coefficients are then scanned in a zigzag pattern, scanning from low to high-frequency. The result is quantized DCT data block ( 510 ). We then test ( 520 ) if this block is to be protected. If it is, we perform block encryption ( 530 ) on the quantized DCT data block and provide the results to the Huffman encoding process ( 540 ). If the test ( 520 ) determines this block does not need protection we provide the raw quantized DCT block ( 560 ) to the Huffman encoding process ( 540 ). The Huffman encoding process is a lossless compression, so the results after compression allow recovery of the exact data block. The Huffman block encoding produces a structure ( 550 ) with field sizes and magnitudes for each encoded coefficient. The final output ( 570 ) is a JPEG header followed by the Huffman encoded blocks, followed by the JPEG trailer (including comments). One cannot simply encrypt the results of the Huffman encoding of blocks to be protected because the standard display/decoding technology would then try to interpret data in the encrypted block, which would produce invalid sizes resulting in an improperly formatted file/stream. Those skilled in the art will recognize this lossy/lossless mixture of stages in other compression technology and how to apply this invention accordingly.
[0042] The final aspect of the process needs to address the encryption technologies and key management. There are many classes of encryption. A simple embodiment is well suited to personal devices such as cell phone or digital camera, or even a personal web-camera monitoring the home. The process uses a symmetric key encryption, such as the AES standard or DES standard, and generates the key by hashing a user-provided pass-phrase. The pass-phrase is should not be stored and would be reentered each time the device is used. This has the advantage of simplicity, but because of the symmetric nature of the encryption, we cannot securely store the key in the image. This embodiment is effective if the protected data is intended to be used by only a small number of individuals that can share the secret key.
[0043] In another preferred embodiment, which provides for improved security and usability, we combine a public-key encryption with symmetric key technology. In FIG. 6 , we show the basic process for key generation and storage. A sequence of random session keys, K 1 . . . K n , are generated ( 600 ) and the collection of keys is then encrypted using a known public key K p to produce P(K 1 . . . K n ,) ( 610 ). The sequence of keys might represent different designators and/or be used across a sequence of images. We may choose to group keys into larger key sequences because the public key encryption process is more expensive and has a minimum payload size for encryption, e.g. a RSA 1024 bit encryption always encrypts 1024 bits, so if there was only a single 128 bit key, we would have to pad it. By combining keys across frames we can do public key encryption less frequently, then embed a payload ( 620 ) into each frame consisting of sequence index j (unencrypted) the public key K p (unencrypted) and the encrypted P(K 1 . . . K n ,). This is generally a small payload, which can be included either as a comment field if the data stream supports comments, or as a embedded data, e.g. using watermarking or steganographic techniques—see Tse-Hua Lan; Mansour, M. F.; Tewfik, A. H. “Robust high capacity data embedding.” in Image Processing, 2000. Proceedings. 2000 International Conference on Volume 1, Issue, 2000 Page(s):581-584 vol. 1. The comments fields, e.g. in jpeg, make it easy to locate and acquire the keys for decryption, but have the disadvantage that they are more easily destroyed/removed compared to a redundant watermark embedding.
[0044] In alternative embodiment, we also include a check sum or cryptographic hash of the original data so that we verify its validity when decoded. For simpler decoding of the regions, it can also be convenient to include in the embedded payload an indication of which regions that have been designated as protected. In JPEG streams, this can be done by including a thumbnail with a particular value for the protected regions.
[0045] The process of recovering the original data from the protected data is shown in FIG. 7 . The protected data stream ( 700 ) is input to a key extractor ( 710 ) that retrieves the payload from either the comment fields or from the embedded watermark. Given the payload, the key extractor can use the public Key K p and a key table, to look up what process/person would be the keeper of the associated private key. The key extractor can then provide the payload to the key decryptor ( 720 ) that decodes the session keys and provides them back to the key extractor. The key extractor then provides the appropriate key to the data decryptor ( 730 ) which does an in-place decryption of the data inserting it into the output stream to produce the unprotected stream ( 740 ). In embodiments where cryptographic hashes or other checksums are included, these would be checked on decryption to ensure proper keys were provided.
[0046] In an alternative embodiment, the data decryption is done as part of the standard jpeg decode and before the reconstruction of a non-compressed image for display. In this manner, an embedded device such as a cell phone, which can store the data and keys locally, can function as local viewer for the decrypted data.
[0047] The invention can also be applied to non-image data, and a particularly interesting embodiment addresses audio recording or wiretapping. There has been growing concern about the US government's wiretapping of phone calls of American citizens without first obtaining a warrant. Some in the government have argued that the time required to obtain the warrant is unacceptable when listening in on potential terrorist phone calls. Acts such as CALEA, see Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994. Pub. L. No. 103-414, 108 Stat. 4279, already provide an infrastructure for telecom surveillance. By applying the invention, we can directly address, increasing privacy and security. The basic concept, which we call a half-tap, is show in FIG. 8 . Because we consider the invasion of privacy in this example, with the potential for strong government influence, we have designed the process to have 3 separate key holders. The domestic voice channel ( 810 ) and foreign voice channel ( 820 ) are referred to as M D and M F respectively. As M F , is foreign data and not subject to US privacy rules, it is passed in the clear (unencrypted) form to a central evidence database ( 830 ), while M D is subject to multiple rounds of encryption. In this example, three AES session keys (K 1 , K 2 , and K 3 ) are generated, and used to encrypt M D three times ( 540 , 550 , 560 ). Each of the three session keys is then encrypted using a public key associated with a different judge, and the three encrypted session keys are stored in the database with the final encrypted form C 3 of the domestic data. Thus, if M D is to be obtained, three judges must consent to grant a warrant. Alternative embodiments might not encrypt the entire domestic call, but rather have a real time keyword recognizer running and encrypt everything except words within a prescribed distance of important keywords.
[0048] The process for obtaining a warrant aids the intelligence analyst considerably. With half the communication available, the probability of finding compelling evidence if the call is truly suspicious is high. FIG. 9 shows this process, with a domestic call ( 910 ) encrypted and the foreign call ( 920 ) unencrypted. A keyword search ( 930 ) is applied to the foreign party's unencrypted audio channel. If suspicious terms are found ( 940 ), an appeal can be made to the judges, who will decide if a warrant ( 950 ) should be granted to decrypt the domestic half of the call. If the warrant is granted, each provides the decryption of their associated session key, and the three session keys allow recover of the original domestic call. In this process there are no prior authorizations needed and there does not need to be any missed data—the half-tap recording can be done as desired. This process enhances security while preserving the privacy guaranteed by the law.
[0049] In summary, the invention provides for determination of data needing privacy protection and for the in-place encryption of that data, even under compression, such that standard display/playback mechanisms can use the protected data streams and provide information useful for security. The protected data can, with access to the appropriate private keys, be restored to the original form, further improving security.
[0050] The methods described herein can be implemented as computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium that, when executed by a computer, will perform the methods described herein. The methods can also be implemented as circuits embodied in photo, video or audio processing hardware, which increases the overall security since there is reduced opportunity to access the data before encryption.
[0051] While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alterations, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations in the appended claims.
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The system and method enhances privacy and security by determining parts of a data stream that should not be publicly available and doing in-place encryption of that data while leaving the remaining data unencrypted for direct usage in security. The system is composed of a designator, that determines what parts of the data stream require protection, and a protector, that performs the in-place encryption. The resulting protected data stream can be played/displayed using the same standard technology as for the original data stream, with the encrypted portions appearing as random noise. The system also supports an extractor, which can, given access to the appropriate keys, invert the encryption and provide back the original data stream.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the construction of altered DNA molecules utilizing polymerase chain reaction. The alteration may involve insertion, deletion, repetition (both direct and inverted), or substitution of DNA sequences with a high degree of precision and may be accomplished in certain instances for alterations as small as a single base pair. The invention relates as well to the construction of chimeric DNA molecules.
2. Description of the Related Art
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was conceived and developed by the Cetus Corporation to provide for specific amplification of discrete fragments of DNA in order to allow simplified detection and purification of nucleic acid fragments initially present in a particular sample in only picogram quantities (Saiki, et al., Science 230:1350-1354, 1985). The procedure mimics the natural DNA replication process in that the number of DNA molecules generated doubles after each cycle. The basic method is based on the repetition of three steps, all conducted in a successive fashion under controlled temperature conditions: (1) denaturing the double-stranded template DNA; (2) annealing the single-stranded primers to the complementary single-stranded regions on the template DNA; and, (3) synthesizing additional DNA along the templates by extension of the primer DNAs with DNA polymerase. After 4 to 25 cycles of these steps, as much as a 10 5 -fold increase in the original DNA is observed (Oste, BioTechniques 6:162-167, 1988).
Initially, the PCR technique was used primarily in cloning and sequencing applications. More recently, PCR technology has been used for mutagenesis of specific DNA sequences and for other directed manipulations of DNA.
For instance, PCR technology has been used to engineer hybrid (chimeric) genes without the need to use restriction enzymes in order to segment the gene prior to hybrid formation. In this approach, fragments of the different genes that are to form the hybrid are generated in separate polymerase chain reactions. The primers used in these separate reactions are designed so that the ends of the different products of the separate reactions contain complementary sequences. When these separately produced PCR products are mixed, denatured and reannealed, the strands having matching sequences at their 3'-ends overlap and act as primers for each other. Extension of this overlap by DNA polymerase produces a molecule in which the original sequences are spliced together to form the hybrid gene. Thus, this method requires four primers to construct a deleted, hybrid DNA molecule. Likewise, the method requires six primers and three rounds of PCR in order to construct a chimeric molecule. Furthermore, it does not allow a straightforward means to generate inverted or directly repeated DNA sequences (Horton, et al., Gene 77:61-68, 1989).
Since the primer regions used for PCR need not match the template gene sequence exactly, it has been possible to incorporate restriction sites within the primers (Scharf, et al., Science 233:1076-1078, 1986). A recent application of this approach involved the cloning and expression of immunoglobulin V genes (Orlandi, et al., Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci. 86:3833-3837, 1989). In this application of PCR technology, use was made of the conserved regions at each end of the nucleotide sequences encoding the V domains of mouse immunoglobulin heavy chain (V H ) and light chain (V K ). Primers were designed for PCR amplification which incorporated restriction sites and which, thereby, mutated the PCR-generated fragments to allow for ease in subcloning the amplified regions into appropriate expression vectors.
In other applications, it was possible to vary the standard PCR approach (which requires oligonucleotide primers complementary to both ends of the segment to be amplified) to allow amplification of DNA flanked on only one side by a region of known DNA sequence (Silver and Keerikatte, J.Virol. 63:1924-1928, 1989). This technique requires the presence of a known restriction site within the known DNA sequence and a similar site within the unknown flanking DNA sequence which is to be amplified. After restriction and recircularization, the recircularized fragment is restricted at an unique site between the two primers and the resulting linearized fragment is used as a template for PCR amplification.
Another approach which allows the amplification of unknown sequences of DNA was developed by Triglia, et al. (Nucl.Acids Res. 16:8186, 1988). The approach requires the inversion of the sequence of interest by circularization and re-opening at a site distinct from the one of interest, and is called "inverted PCR." A fragment is first created in which two unknown sequences flank on either side a region of known DNA sequence. The fragment is then circularized and cleaved with an unique restriction endonuclease which only cuts within the known DNA sequence creating a new fragment containing all of the DNA of the original fragment but which is then inverted with regions of known sequence flanking the region of unknown sequence. This fragment is then utilized as a PCR substrate to amplify the unknown sequence.
Mutant and chimeric genes have also been produced using PCR in a specific approach which involves using a supercoiled plasmid DNA as a template for PCR and a primer bearing some sort of mutated sequence which is incorporated into the amplified product. Using this procedure, a single amino acid replacement, a sixteen amino acid deletion and a twelve amino acid substitution were introduced into the terminal signal sequence of rat hepatic cytochrome P450b (Vallette, et al., Nucl.Acids Res. 17:723-733, 1989). Using the method of this reference DNA sequences may be inserted only at the 5'-end of the DNA molecule which one wishes to alter. In addition, since the inserted sequence is part of the primer and has to be synthesized, the technique is limited to shorter DNA sequences amenable to economical DNA synthesis (synthetic DNAs over 100 bp are very expensive). It is not clear how hybrid or substituted DNA molecules can be constructed by this technique.
In a procedure similar to that of Vallette, et al. (1989), PCR was used to create deletions within existing expression plasmids (Mole, Nucl.Acids Res. 17:3319, 1989). This application of PCR technology demonstrated the advantage that the modified region need not be excised from the plasmid. However, PCR was performed around the entire plasmid (containing the fragment to be deleted) from primers whose 5'-ends defined the region to be deleted. Self-ligation of the PCR product recircularized the plasmid. Recircularization required by this method, however, is typically low efficiency and the yield of recircularized DNA is hard to control.
One of the major limitations of PCR technology as currently practiced in the construction of DNA molecules is the error-prone nature of Tag polymerase. Use of Tag polymerase results on average in one mutation per 400 base pairs polymerized per 30 PCR cycles. Thus, the higher the number of cycles used to produce the desired PCR product, the higher the probability of generating unwanted mutations. Such mutations are especially critical where functional DNA products such as protein coding regions or promoter domains are very sensitive to change.
The techniques of the prior art (supra) typically require the introduction of mutated primers or require extensive DNA duplication around the entire length of a plasmid vector in order to introduce deletions, insertions or substitutions into a specific site within a given DNA sequence. Furthermore, certain of the prior art approaches require multiple primers and multiple PCR-treatments in order to achieve the desired alteration. Some of the methods taught by the prior art are limited to alterations at the termini of a DNA molecule and others require inefficient recircularization of the vector carrying the DNA sequence to be altered. Still others are limited by the size of economical synthetic primers. None of the prior art references appear to be readily amenable to generation of repeated sequences within a DNA molecule. A universally applicable method which utilizes the advantages of PCR amplification but which is not limited in the manners outlined above is needed to make PCR-generated DNA alteration a generally useful tool.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a unique approach which takes advantage of the PCR technique to provide deletions, insertions, repetitions (both direct and inverted) and substitutions into specific sites within a given DNA sequence. This approach does not require the use of either mutated primers nor does it require amplification of the plasmid vector DNA. The methods of the present invention requires a pair of primers and only a single PCR-treatment in order to achieve the desired alteration. The method of the present invention is not limited to alterations at the termini of a DNA molecule and nor does it require inefficient recircularization of the vector carrying the DNA sequence to be altered. The size of the synthetic primers required by the invention fall within the very economical, small range. Thus, the present invention provides a universally applicable method which utilizes the advantages of PCR amplification but which is not limited in the manners outlined supra in order to make PCR-generated DNA alteration a generally useful tool. The present invention provides a method for producing unique fragments which have been amplified by PCR and which exhibit the flexibility to be used as a means for introducing a variety of alterations depending on the subsequent steps taken using these fragments as the principal substrates. These advantages are achieved with minimal requirements for PCR cycles thus eliminating a source of potential mutations in the product.
In certain general embodiments, the invention achieves its general applicability as a method for constructing altered DNA molecules by first obtaining a suitable amount of the cloned segment containing the DNA sequence to be altered. This is achieved by methods known well to those of skill in the art by inserting the cloned segment of DNA into a plasmid vector at a known restriction endonuclease site. The resulting vector will contain the cloned segment of DNA flanked on either of its sides by two new restriction endonuclease sites corresponding to the known restriction site used to generate the cloned segment and also to open the vector prior to insertion.
One practicing the methods of the invention will select a site to be altered within the cloned segment of DNA. Furthermore, one practicing the invention will determine the type of alteration to be achieved (for example; deletion, insertion, repetition, etc.). If the desired alteration involves deletion or insertion of a site to be altered, one will next select regions of known DNA sequence on either side of the site to be altered which sites can function as primer sites for DNA synthesis. Such embodiments (alteration by deletion or insertion) are exemplified in FIGS. 1 (deletion) and 2 (insertion of a chimeric sequence).
Next, amplifying the quantity of the plasmid vector containing the cloned segment of DNA is required. Following such amplification, the cloned segment of DNA is removed by endonuclease restriction and the cloned segment of DNA is purified from other DNA present following endonuclease restriction.
The methods of the invention each require, as an important step, ligation of the purified cloned segment of DNA to itself. Where one seeks to alter the DNA molecule by insertion or deletion, the purified cloned segment is ligated to itself in such a manner as to create at least a certain population of DNA sequences arranged so that the purified cloned segment of DNA is orientated in a head-to-tail configuration (FIGS. 1 and 2, step 3).
Polymerase chain reaction DNA synthesis is then caused to occur in the population of ligated DNA sequences by hybridizing the sense strand to one of the primers on one side of the site to be altered in combination with hybridizing the anti-sense strand to the other primer on the other side of the site to be altered, both regions acting as primers for DNA synthesis. This specific embodiment is exemplified in FIGS. 1 and 2 at step 4 in each scheme.
In this embodiment, one thereby succeeds in generating at least a certain population of DNA products which include a new DNA fragment in which the two regions of known DNA sequence used as primer sites for DNA synthesis are located on either end of the new DNA fragment (FIGS. 1 and 2, step 5). The new DNA fragment, so constructed, also contains a restriction endonuclease site corresponding to the restriction endonuclease site used initially to remove the original cloned segment of DNA. The endonuclease restriction site is now located in between the two regions of known DNA sequence on either end of the new DNA fragment. Most importantly for the purposes of those embodiments designed to cause deletions or insertions, this new DNA fragment no longer contains the site to be altered.
Having achieved the new DNA fragment deleted for the site to be altered, the method of the present invention allows one, in a specific embodiment, to produce a novel DNA sequence corresponding to the originally cloned segment of DNA but which no longer contains the site to be altered (FIG. 1). First, the new DNA fragment deleted for the site to be altered is purified from other DNA present following DNA synthesis FIG. 1, step 5). Next, the purified new DNA fragment is ligated to itself in such a manner as to create at least a certain population of DNA sequences where the purified new DNA fragment is orientated in a head-to-tail configuration (FIG. 1, step 6).
In those specific embodiments where one seeks to merely achieve a deletion in a given DNA sequence, the population of DNA sequences ligated in a head-to-tail fashion is then treated with the restriction endonuclease capable of restricting the new DNA fragment and releasing the novel DNA sequence (FIG. 1, step 7). This novel DNA sequence no longer contains the site to be altered which was originally present in the cloned segment of DNA. Finally, the novel DNA sequence is purified by methods well known to those of skill in the art and is reinserted into an appropriate plasmid vector. In many cases, the simplest approach will be to merely reinsert the novel DNA sequence back into the vector DNA from which its parent sequence was removed.
In an alternative embodiment which has many similarities to that described for generating a simple deletion, the new DNA fragment (FIG. 2, step 5) may be used to construct a chimeric DNA sequence corresponding to the cloned segment of DNA but now containing a chimeric DNA sequence as an alternative sequence to the site which is to be altered or deleted. In this specific embodiment, one will ligate a chimeric (or new) DNA sequence to the new DNA fragment in such a manner as to produce at least a certain population of chimeric fragments containing the chimeric DNA sequence flanked on either side by copies of the new DNA fragment (FIG. 2, step 6). This is achieved by ligating the chimeric sequence in between two new DNA fragments arranged in a head-to-tail fashion. By so arranging the molecules, the chimeric fragment's orientation corresponds to the orientation of endonuclease restriction sites and the orientation of the regions of known DNA sequence initially used as primers on either side of the site to be altered. The resulting population of chimeric fragments is then restricted with the endonuclease in order to produce the chimeric DNA sequence, purified, and reinserted into an appropriate plasmid vector, as noted above (FIG. 2, steps 7-8). In order to determine that the orientation of the chimeric sequence is identical with that of the original sequence, it is necessary to carry out DNA sequencing on the chimeric sequence.
In certain alternative embodiments, a method is provided for constructing a novel DNA sequence corresponding to a cloned segment of DNA but where the novel DNA sequence is altered to contain a directly repeated site (FIG. 3) or a site repeated in an inverted fashion (FIG. 4). As in the methods exemplified in FIGS. 1 and 2, the methods exemplified in FIGS. 3 and 4 are achieved initially by inserting a cloned segment of DNA into a plasmid vector at a known restriction endonuclease site and, in turn, creating a plasmid vector containing the cloned segment of DNA flanked on either of its sides by two new restriction endonuclease sites corresponding to the known restriction site. The site to be repeated within the cloned segment of DNA is selected and the vector containing the cloned segment of DNA is amplified and, then, removed by endonuclease restriction.
After purifying the cloned segment of DNA from other DNA present following endonuclease restriction, the purified cloned segment of DNA is ligated to itself (FIGS. 3 and 4, step 3). Where one seeks to create a directly repeated sequence, the ligation of the cloned fragment is achieved in such a manner as to create at least a certain population of DNA sequences arranged so that the purified cloned segment of DNA is orientated in a head-to-tail configuration (FIG. 3, step 3). Alternatively, where one seeks to create a repeated sequence in an inverted fashion, the ligation of the cloned fragment to itself is done in a manner to create a tail-to-tail orientation (FIG. 4, step 3).
As distinct from the previous embodiments (as exemplified in FIGS. 1 and 2), in order to cause polymerase chain reaction DNA synthesis to occur in the population of DNA sequences, the primers selected correspond to the outermost termini of the region to be repeated. In other words, as exemplified in FIG. 3, if "5" represents a sequence of DNA one wishes to cause to be directly repeated which comprises 100 base pairs, one would select a primer which corresponds to the first 20 bases of sequence "5", for example, and a primer which corresponds to the last 20 bases of sequence "5." Then, by hybridizing a primer molecule to the sense strand of one of the regions of DNA sequence corresponding to the site to be directly repeated and combining this with hybridization of the other primer molecule to the anti-sense strand of the other region of DNA sequence corresponding to the site to be directly repeated, a new DNA fragment may be produced. In this manner, both regions at the termini of the site to be directly repeated act as primers for DNA synthesis.
There is generated, thereby, a certain population of DNA products which include a new DNA fragment in which the two regions of DNA sequence used as primer sites for DNA synthesis and which correspond to the termini of the site to be directly repeated are now located on either end of the new DNA fragment (FIGS. 3 and 4, step 5). This new DNA fragment also contains a restriction endonuclease site corresponding to the restriction endonuclease site used to remove the cloned segment of DNA originally. As in the previous embodiments, this endonuclease restriction site is located in between the two regions of DNA sequence used for primer sites for DNA synthesis and corresponds to the site to be directly repeated on either end of the new DNA fragment.
Thereafter, the methods as exemplified in FIGS. 3 and 4 are similar to one another and to the previous embodiments exemplified in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, steps are taken to purify the new DNA fragment from other DNA, to ligate the purified new DNA fragment to itself in such a manner as to create at least a certain population of DNA sequences arranged in a head-to-tail configuration, to restrict the resulting population of DNA sequences with the endonuclease capable of restricting the new DNA fragment and releasing thereby the novel DNA sequence now containing the repeated site, to purify the novel DNA sequence, and to reinsert the novel DNA sequence into an appropriate plasmid vector. In so doing, one is able to construct either a molecule containing a directly repeated sequence (FIG. 3, step 7) or a molecule with a sequence repeated in an inverted fashion (FIG. 4, step 7).
Where the methods described supra involve insertion of the resulting novel DNA sequence generated using the techniques of the invention into an appropriate plasmid vector, that vector may be any one of the vectors known to those of skill in the art as an expression vector.
In general, of course, prokaryotes are preferred for the initial cloning of DNA sequences and constructing the vectors useful in the invention. For example, E. coli. HB101 has been shown to be particularly useful. Other microbial strains which may be used include E. coli strains such as E. coli B, and E. coli X 1776 (ATCC No. 31537). These examples are, of course, intended to be illustrative rather than limiting.
Prokaryotes may also be used for expression. The aforementioned strains, as well as E. coli W3110 (F-, lambda-prototrophic, ATCC No. 273325), bacilli such as Bacillus subtilus, or other enterobacteriaceae such as Salmonella typhimurium or Serratia marcesans, and various Pseudomonas species may be used.
In general, plasmid vectors containing replicon and control sequences which are derived from species compatible with the host cell are used in connection with these hosts. The vector ordinarily carries a replication site, as well as marking sequences which are capable of providing phenotypic selection in transformed cells. For example, E. coli is typically transformed using pBR322, a plasmid derived from an E. coli species and well known to those of skill in the art. The vector pBR322 contains genes for ampicillin and tetracycline resistance and thus provides easy means for identifying transformed cells. The pBR plasmid, or other microbial plasmid or phage must also contain, or be modified to contain, promoters which can be used by the microbial organism for expression of its own proteins.
Those promoters most commonly used in recombinant DNA construction include the β-lactamase (penicillinase) and lactose promoter systems and a tryptophan (trp) promoter system each of which is well known to those of skill in the art. While these are the most commonly used, other microbial promoters have been discovered and utilized, and details concerning their nucleotide sequences have been published, enabling a skilled worker to ligate them functionally with plasmid vectors.
In addition to prokaryotes, eukaryotic microbes, such as yeast cultures may also be used. Saccharomyces cerevisiase, or common baker's yeast is the most commonly used among eukaryotic microorganisms, although a number of other strains are commonly available. For expression in Saccharomyces, the plasmid YRp7, for example, is commonly used. This plasmid already contains the trpl gene which provides a selection marker for a mutant strain of yeast lacking the ability to grow in tryptophan, for example ATCC No. 44076 or PEP4-1. The presence of the trpl lesion as a characteristic of the yeast host cell genome then provides an effective environment for detecting transformation by growth in the absence of tryptophan.
Suitable promoting sequences in yeast vectors include the promoters for 3-phosphoglycerate kinase or other glycolytic enzymes, such as enolase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, hexokinase, pyruvate decarboxylase, phosphofructokinase, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, 3-phosphoglycerate mutase, pyruvate kinase, triosephosphate isomerase, phosphoglucose isomerase, and glucokinase. In constructing suitable expression plasmids, the termination sequences associated with these genes are also ligated into the expression vector 3' of the sequence desired to be expressed to provide polyadenylation of the mRNA and termination. Other promoters, which have the additional advantage of transcription controlled by growth conditions are the promoter region for alcohol dehydrogenase 2, isocytochrome C, acid phosphatase, degradative enzymes associated with nitrogen metabolism, and the aforementioned glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and enzymes responsible for maltose and galactose utilization. Any plasmid vector containing a yeast-compatible promoter, origin of replication and termination sequences is suitable.
Whatever expression vector and host cell combination is selected, the methods of the invention may be further utilized to recover a polypeptide encoded by the novel DNA sequence. Methods of recovering such recombinant proteins are well known to those skilled in the art and include lysing of the polypeptide-containing containing cells after an appropriate incubation and growth period, precipitating the polypeptide, chromatographing the crude polypeptide, and concentrating the polypeptide.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1. Schematic of method for constructing deletions within a DNA sequence. DNA sequences A and C represent the regions of known DNA sequence to be used as primers on either side of the site to be altered, shown here as B. The arrows indicate the direction of DNA synthesis along either the sense or anti-sense strand from the given primer site.
FIG. 2. Schematic of method for constructing chimeric DNA sequences. DNA sequences A and C and the arrows are as described in the description to FIG. 1. B' represents the chimeric DNA sequence to be substituted for B.
FIG. 3. Schematic of method used to construct molecule containing a directly repeated sequence. DNA sequence 123456789 represents the regions of known DNA sequence containing the site to be directly repeated, shown here as 5. 5 also provides the sequences (the termini) which are used as the primers in this embodiment. The arrows are as described in the description to FIG. 1.
FIG. 4. Schematic of method used to construct molecule with sequence repeated in an inverted fashion. DNA sequence 123456789 represents the regions of known DNA sequence containing the site to be repeated in an inverted fashion, shown here as 6789. The termini of region 6 are used as the primers in this embodiment. The arrows are as described in the description to FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 General characteristics of the promoter region of the Zeta-globin promoter region.
FIGS. 6A and 6B Gel electrophoresis (A) of deletion fragments created when methods of invention used as shown in schmatic B.
FIGS. 7A and 7B Gel electroploresis (a) of direct repeat a fragments created when methods of invention used as shown in schematic (B). Kw V is different from V and its location is shown in the computer sequence between -301 to -316.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The invention relates to methods for the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to construct altered DNA molecules in which DNA sequences have been inserted, deleted or otherwise changed. In particular, the invention relates to a method of altering DNA sequences as small as a single base pair with a high degree of precision.
The methods of the invention are generally applicable to manipulation of any DNA sequence which is amplifiable by PCR. However, and as noted in the background of the invention, there are particular applications in which the present invention will find particular utility. For instance, as noted in Horton, et al. (Gene 77:61-68, 1989), generally methods for mutating DNA sequences may be used to construct chimeric genes. Such methods may also be generally applied in order to introduce restriction sites into DNA sequences (Scharf, et al., Science 233:1076-1078, 1986). More specifically, manipulation of antibody genes is possible generally using PCR approaches (Orlandi, et al., Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci. 86:3833-3837, 1989). Other applications allow amplification of unknown DNA sequences (Triglia, et al., Nucl.Acids Res. 16:8186, 1988; Silver and Keerikatte, J.Virol. 63:1924-1928, 1989). Uniquely, however, the present invention also allows facile construction of repeats (both direct and inverse) in DNA sequences.
Specifically, the invention involves the use of a cloned segment of DNA of interest inserted into a plasmid vector (vector DNA) at a known restriction site (for example, EcoRI; note that the restriction enzyme EcoRI is not underlined as conventionally in the following text since underlining in the figures would cause confusion). The DNA of interest contains a site to be altered (for example, B which represents a DNA sequence as small as a single base pair) flanked on either side by regions of known DNA sequence for example, A and C) which sites are capable of functioning as primer sites for PCR amplification by DNA polymerase,
(vector DNA) - - - EcoRI . . . A B C . . . EcoRI - - - (vector DNA).[1]
The cloned DNA segment of interest which has been so inserted and which contains the site to be altered (B) flanked by its two primer sites (A and C) is first removed from the plasmid I0 vector by endonuclease restriction (the vector fragment may be saved for later use in conveniently reinserting the altered sequence into a cloning vector at the EcoRI site) at the known restriction site (EcoRI) and the fragment is purified using standard techniques,
EcoRI . . . A B C . . . EcoRI. [2]
The purified cloned segment of DNA is then ligated to itself creating at least a certain population of DNA sequences arranged such that the original fragment DNA is orientated in a head-to-tail configuration,
EcoRI . . . A B C . . . EcoRI . . . A B C . . . EcoRI. [3]
Using the sense strand of one primer site (C) in combination with the anti-sense strand of the other primer site (A), the head-to-tail DNA sequence is amplified by PCR,
EcoRI . . . A B C . . . >. . . EcoRI . . . <. . . A B C . . .EcoRI[4]
A variety of synthetic products are generated by this combination of steps, however, at least some of these products will represent a new DNA fragment in which the two flanking primer sites (C and A) are now located on either end of a DNA sequence containing a single restriction site corresponding to th original restriction site (EcoRI),
C. . . EcoRI . . . A. [5]
Most importantly, this PCR-generated DNA fragment is now deleted for the sequence to be altered (B) and contains a restriction site (EcoRI) between the two primer sites. It may be isolated by any of those techniques known well to those of skill in the art for isolating DNA fragments.
Once the PCR-generated sequence deleted for the sequence to be altered (B) is purified, it can be used to create at least two useful derivatives of the original DNA sequence of interest. In one preferred embodiment, the PCR-generated sequence deleted for the target sequence is used to reconstruct the original DNA sequence but which sequence is now lacking the portion corresponding to the sequence to be altered (B). To achieve this result, the fragment is first phosphorylated using a phosphorylating enzyme such as a kinase known well to those of skill in the art. The invention then requires a second round of self-ligation producing at least a certain population of fragments arranged in a head-to-tail configuration,
C . . . EcoRI . . . A C . . . EcoRI . . . A [6]
This fragment is then restricted with the restriction endonuclease of choice thereby creating a fragment which may be purified,
EcoRI . . . A C . . . EcoRI [7]
and reinserted into an appropriate plasmid vector,
(vector DNA) - - - EcoRI . . . A C . . . EcoRI - - - (vector DNA).[8]
Alternatively, the PCR-generated fragment which has been deleted for the target sequence,
C . . . EcoRI . . . A. [5]
may be used to reconstruct the original DNA sequence but which sequence now contains a different (chimeric) target sequence. To achieve this result, the invention requires the ligation of the chimeric sequence (B') with the PCR-generated fragment above [5] producing at least a certain population of chimeric fragments containing the chimeric DNA sequence flanked on either side by one of the PCR-generated fragments so that the overall orientation corresponds to the orientation of restriction sites, primer sites and target sequence of the original cloned DNA segment,
C . . . EcoRI . . . A B' C . . . EcoRI . . . A. [6']
This fragment is then restricted with the endonuclease of choice thereby generating a fragment which may be purified,
EcoRI . . . A B' C . . . EcoRI, [7']
and reinserted into an appropriate plasmid vector,
(vector DNA) - - - EcoRI . . . A B' C . . . EcoRI - - - (vector DNA).[8']
Alternatively, the techniques of the invention allow generation of directly repeated DNA sequences within a selected DNA molecule. In this embodiment, the invention also involves the use of a cloned segment of DNA of interest inserted into a plasmid vector (vector DNA) at a known restriction site (for example, EcoRI). The DNA of interest, in this embodiment, contains a site to be directly repeated (for example, "5" which represents a DNA sequence approximately the size of the primer. In this embodiment, there is no requirement for the site to be directly repeated to additionally be flanked on either side by regions of known DNA sequence. Instead, the sequence of the site to be directly repeated itself provides the sequence for the two primer sites for PCR amplification by DNA polymerase,
(vector DNA) - - - EcoRI . . . 123456789 . . . EcoRI - - - (vector DNA).[1]
The cloned DNA segment of interest which has been so inserted and which contains the site to be directly repeated (5) and which will function as the two primer sites is first removed from the plasmid vector by endonuclease restriction (as noted above, the vector fragment may be saved for later use in conveniently reinserting the altered sequence into a cloning vector at the EcoRI site) at the known restriction site (EcoRI) and the fragment is purified using standard techniques,
EcoRI . . . 123456789 . . .EcoRI. [2]
The purified cloned segment of DNA is then ligated to itself creating at least a certain population of DNA sequences arranged such that the original fragment DNA is orientated in a head-to-tail configuration,
EcoRI . . . 23456789 . . . EcoRI . . . 123456789 . . . EcoRI.[3]
Using the primer capable of hybridizing to the sense strand of one terminus of the site to be repeated (5) in combination with the primer capable of hybridizing to the anti-sense strand of the other terminus of the site to be repeated (5), the head-to-tail DNA sequence is amplified by PCR,
EcoRI . . . 1234567>89 . . EcoRI . . 12<3456789 . . . EcoRI.[4]
Specifically, and by way of example, if region 5 were a region representing 100 base pairs of DNA for which a direct repeat was desired, ##STR1## and primers were constructed according to the method of the invention, two pairs of 20 bp primers which would function properly would be either,
CATCATCATCATCATCATCA (SEQ. ID NO. 1, POSITIONS 1-20) and CTCCTCCTCCTCCTCCTCCT (SEQ. ID NO. 1, POSITIONS 21-40, REVERSE COMPLEMENT)
or
GTAGTAGTAGTAGTAGTAGT (SEQ. ID NO. 1, POSITIONS 1-20, REVERSE COMPLEMENT) and GAGGAGGAGGAGGAGGAGGA (SEQ. ID NO. 1, POSITIONS 21-40).
A variety of synthetic products are generated by this combination of steps, however, at least some of these products will represent a new DNA fragment in which the two flanking primer sites (the two primer sites representing the termini of region 5) are now located on either end of a DNA sequence containing a single restriction site corresponding to the original restriction site (EcoRI),
56789 . . . EcoRI . . . 12345. [5]
This PCR-generated DNA fragment now contains two copies of the sequence to be directly repeated (5) and contains a restriction site (EcoRI) between the two copies (the 5's).
Once the PCR-generated sequence above (now containing a duplication of the sequence to be directly repeated--5) is purified, it can be used to create directly repeated derivatives of the original DNA sequence of interest. To achieve this result, the invention requires a second round of self-ligation producing at least a certain population of fragments arranged in a head-to-tail configuration,
56789 . . . EcoRI . . . 1234556789 . . . EcoRI . . . 12345.[6]
This fragment is then restricted with the restriction endonuclease of choice thereby creating a fragment which may be purified,
EcoRI . . . 1234556789 . . . EcoRI [7]
and reinserted into an appropriate plasmid vector,
(vector DNA) - - - EcoRI . . . 1234556789 . . . EcoRI - - - (vector DNA).[8]
The techniques of the invention also allow generation of two-fold symmetrical DNA sequences within a selected DNA molecule. In this embodiment, the invention again involves the use of a cloned segment of DNA of interest inserted into a plasmid vector (vector DNA) at a known restriction site (for example, EcoRI). The DNA of interest, in this embodiment, contains a segment to be repeated in an inverted fashion (for example, "6789" which represents a DNA sequence as small as a few base pairs). In this embodiment, there is also no requirement for the segment to be repeated in an inverted fashion to additionally be flanked on either side by regions of known DNA sequence. Instead, primers are selected from within the segment so that they represent one or the other terminus of the segment (for example, at either terminus of region 6) to be repeated in an inverted fashion and these termini functions as primer sites for PCR amplification by DNA polymerase,
(vector DNA) - - - EcoRI . . . 123456789 . . . EcoRI - - - (vector DNA).[1]
The cloned DNA segment of interest which has been so inserted and which contains the segment to be repeated in an inverted fashion (123456) and the terminus of which (6) will function as two primer sites is first removed from the plasmid vector by endonuclease restriction (the vector fragment may be saved for later use in conveniently reinserting the altered sequence into a cloning vector at the EcoRI site) at the known restriction site (EcoRI) and the fragment is purified using standard techniques,
EcoRI . . . 123456789 . . . EcoRI. [2]
The purified cloned segment of DNA is then ligated to itself creating at least a certain population of DNA sequences arranged such that the original fragment DNA is orientated in a tail-to-tail configuration,
EcoRI . . . 123456789 . . . EcoRI . . . 987654321 . . . EcoRI.[3]
Using the sense strand of one primer site (corresponding to one terminus of region 6) in combination with the anti-sense strand of the other primer site (corresponding to the other terminus of region 6), the tail-to-tail DNA sequence is amplified by PCR,
EcoRI . . . 12345678>9 . . . EcoRI . . . 9<87654321 . . . EcoRI.[4]
A variety of synthetic products are generated by this combination of steps, however, at least some of these products will represent a new DNA fragment in which the two flanking primer sites (the two termini of region 6) are now located on either end of a DNA sequence containing a single restriction site corresponding to the original restriction site (EcoRI),
6789 . . . EcoRI . . . 9876. [5]
This PCR-generated DNA fragment is now repeated in an inverted fashion and contains a restriction site (EcoRI) between the two repeated segments.
Once the PCR-generated sequence above (now containing a duplication of the sequence to be repeated in an inverted fashion--6789) is purified, it can be used to further create derivatives of the original DNA sequence of interest now repeated in an inverted fashion. To achieve this result, the invention requires a second round of self-ligation producing at least a certain population of fragments arranged in a head-to-tail configuration,
6789 . . . EcoRI . . . 98766789 . . . EcoRI . . . 9876. [6]
This fragment is then restricted with the restriction endonuclease of choice thereby creating a fragment which may be purified,
EcoRI . . . 98766789 . . . EcoRI [7]
and reinserted into an appropriate plasmid vector,
(vector DNA) - - - EcoRI . . . 98766789 . . . EcoRI - - - (vector DNA).[8]
The following examples demonstrate the utility of the methods of the invention for altering DNA molecules.
EXAMPLE I
A working example of the invention as it relates to construction of a deleted DNA molecule is provided using the human Zeta-globin promoter region. FIG. 5 illustrates the general characteristics of the promoter region of the zeta-globin DNA gene. It can be seen therein that a series of oligonucleotide primers (I-IX) were derived to be increasingly distant from the CAP site for the Zeta-globin gene sequence. The actual location of each such oligonucleotide primer relative to the zeta-globin CAP site is also shown in FIG. 5 (where the first base pair of the CAP site is numbered +1 and the locations of the oligonucleotide primers are given as negative numbers being 5' of the +1 CAP site). Other aspects important to the promotion activities of the region are indicated on the diagram of the DNA sequence containing the zeta-globin molecule.
In order to initiate the method, the plasmid containing the human Zeta-globin promoter was digested with HindIII and the HindIII DNA digest was electrophoresed on a 2% agarose gel, as generally described in FIG. 1, step 2. The DNA fragment corresponding to a size of 482 base pairs (bp) containing the region of interest was excised from the gel and electroeluted therefrom.
The isolated DNA fragment was next treated with T4 DNA ligase at a concentration of 50 μg/ml DNA and the DNA fragments were allowed to self-ligate at room temperature. This resulted in the generation of a polymer of the DNA fragments joined head-to-tail as generally described in FIG. 1, step 3. This head-to-tail polymer was then used as a template for the following PCR reactions.
PCR amplification was performed with using an automated method in combination with a Perkin-Elmer DNA Thermal Cycler, and as generally described in FIG. 1, step 4. Briefly, 5ng of the end-to-end polymer fragment as prepared above was incubated with a solution containing each of the oligonucleotide primers as described immediately below (1 μM of primer in 100 μl of a 1X PCR buffer consisting of: 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.3; 50 mM KCl; 1.5 mM MgCl 2 ; 0.1% gelatin; 200 μM of each of the four dNTPs). To this mixture was added two units of Tag DNA polymerase and the mixture was heated to 94° C. for 5 minutes, cooled to 55° C. for 2 minutes and then brought to 73° C. for 3 minutes in the first cycle. Then the cycle consisting of: denaturing at 94° C. for 5 minutes; annealing at 55° C. for 2 minutes; and elongating at 73° C. for 7 minutes, was repeated for 30 cycles.
This was accomplished for each of the following pairs of oligonucleotide primers:
______________________________________PAIR NO. SENSE (S) ANTI-SENSE (AS)______________________________________1 VII I2 VII II3 VII III4 VII IV5 VII V______________________________________
The DNA products thus amplified and deleted were extracted with chloroform, precipitated with ethanol, dissolved in 1X TE (Tris-HCl, EDTA) buffer and electrophoresed on a 2% agarose gel. The 5 resulting DNA fragments were excised and electroeluted in order to isolate the distinctly sized fragments, and as generally described in FIG. 1, step 5. These fragments were then electrophoresed in separate lane on another 2% agarose gel. FIG. 6 is a Polaroid photograph of that gel treated with an ethidium bromide stain and UV illuminated.
As can be seen in FIG. 6, deletions were caused in the DNA fragments as expected from the method resulting in 5 distinctly sized fragments of 321, 342, 386, 423 and 442 bp from the originally sized molecule of 482 bp. Shown also is a diagrammatic representation of the position of the various deletions within the original DNA dimer.
Thus, the 321 bp fragment, for instance then could be represented as:
VII VIII IX CAP Hind . . . I II
where roman numerals "VII, VIII, IX, I and II" represent the various primer sites within the promoter sequence still intact in the deleted fragment, "CAP" represents the CAP site prior to the zeta-globin gene, and "Hind" represents the HindIII restriction endonuclease site originally cleaved to generate the fragment. This generates a fragment similar to that in FIG. 1, step 5.
In order to achieve the steps generally outlined in FIG. 1, steps 6-8, for instance, the amplified fragment of pair number 2 (321 bp corresponding to primers VII(S) and II(AS), above) was purified by agarose gel electrophoresis followed by electroelution. The DNA fragment was then kinased using T4 DNA kinase in order to phosphorylate the 5' ends of the DNA fragment and self-ligated using T4 DNA ligase at a concentration of 50 μg/ml DNA. After ligation, the ligated DNA polymers were phenol/chloroform extracted, ethanol precipitated and dissolved in 1X TE buffer. This results in a fragment which may be represented as:
VII VIII IX CAP Hind . . . I II VII VIII IX CAP Hind . . . I II
generating a head-to-tail polymer deleted for primer sites II-VI and which fragment in analogous to that seen in FIG. 1, step 6.
The self-ligated DNA was digested again with HindIII and the DNA (approximately 321 bp in size) was subcloned by standard subcloning procedures known well to those of skill in the art into a suitable plasmid vector. This generates a deletion fragment similar to that seen in FIG. 1, steps 7 and 8 and is represented as:
Hind . . . I II VII VIII IX CAP Hind.
The resulting plasmid DNA containing the 321 bp insert now deleted for certain sections of the original promoter. The DNA was isolated from bacteria using the standard alkaline boiling method known well to those of skill in the art and used directly for DNA sequencing by T7 sequenase (United States Biochemical) using an appropriate primer in order to allow read through the junction sequence between original primer sites I and VII. The sequencing primer used was KW V (described below) and the resulting collection of sequencing fragments was electrophoresed on a 5% polyacrylamide gel. The gel was dried and exposed to X-ray sensitive film overnight. The results obtained when the film was developed and the sequence was read show that the DNA sequence through the deleted section of the construct is:
5'-GGGAGGGGTGGGG/AGCTTCTGATAAGAAACACCA (SEQ. ID NO. 2)
which corresponds to the flipped and complementary 5' end of primer site II(AS) (CCCACCCTCCC) (SEQ. ID NO. 2, POSITIONS 1-12, REVERSE COMPLEMENT) on the one side and corresponds directly to the VII(S) sequence (AGCTTCTGATAA) (SEQ. ID NO. 2, POSITIONS 14-25). This confirms that the junction sequence is exactly as expected from the use of the methods of the invention to create a deleted fragment of the original promoter sequence.
EXAMPLE II
The second example of the methods of the invention concerns creation of direct repeat DNA molecules. The template molecule (analogous to the fragment noted in FIG. 1, step 3) containing the primer sites within the promoter for the zeta-globin gene used in Example I above was used here as well. However, in this case, the PCR treatment had an extended elongation time of 5 minutes rather than 3 minutes during the 30 cycles. This was accomplished in order to insure optimal production of higher molecular weight DNA polymers.
In this example, a primer KW 5 was used in combination with the primers already identified in Example I above. KW 5 is located between -301 and -316 relative to the +1 initiation site 5' of the zeta-globin open reading frame (placing it approximately immediately 5' of original primer site I). The combinations of primers used to construct the direct repeat fragments were as follows:
______________________________________PAIR NO. SENSE (S) ANTI-SENSE (AS)______________________________________1 KW 5 II2 KW 5 VI3 KW 5 VII4 KW 5 IX______________________________________
These primers were used in combination with the template analogous to the fragment noted in FIG. 1, step 3.
The amplified DNA products were electrophoresed on a 2% agarose gel which results are shown in FIG. 7A. As can be seen in that figure, two distinct bands may be observed in each lane above the high background ethidium staining. The lower of the two bands is an artifact produced as a result of the mechanism for generating the direct repeats. The higher of the two distinct bands in each gel can be seen to correspond to the expected size of the direct repeat molecules in each case.
Thus, to reiterate the mechanism of the invention for constructing the KW 5(S)+II(AS) direct repeat as is described in FIG. 3:
1. Insertion of cloned fragment into vector and amplification:
(vector)-Hind . . . I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX . . . Hind-(vector).
2. Restriction of vector DNA containing cloned fragment:
Hind(H) . . . I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX . . . Hind(H)
3. Ligation of restriction fragment to itself, head-to-tail:
H-I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX-H-I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX-H
4. Initiation of polymerase chain reaction at primer sites:
H-I II III>IV V VI VII VIII <IX-H-I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX-H
5. Purification of fragment with two copies of sequence I and II:
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX . . . Hind . . . I II
6. Ligation of fragment containing two copies of duplicated sequence to itself, head-to-tail:
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX-H-I II . . . I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX-H-I II
7. Restriction of ligated fragment containing sequences I and II directly repeated:
Hind . . . I II/I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX . . . Hind
8. Reinsertion of fragment containing sequences I and II directly repeated into vector:
(vector) -H- I II/I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX -H- (vector)
The present invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments proposed to comprise preferred modes for the practice of the invention. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that, in light of the present disclosure, numerous modifications and changes can be made in the particular embodiments exemplified without departing from the intended scope of the invention.
For example, sequences as small as a single base pair or a few base pairs may be modified, as noted previously. However, the methods will work equally as well on any size fragment which is amenable to amplification by PCR DNA synthesis. Furthermore, combinations of the methods of the invention may be used to create novel combinations and constructions. For example, a fragment deleted for a certain sequence by the deletion method of the invention may be subsequently used to construct a directly repeated and deleted sequence.
Similarly, although the methods of the invention are most easily practiced with a single, unique restriction site at the termini of the initial substrate molecule, non-identical sites may be used if steps are subsequently taken to insure ligation at these non-identical sites (for example, blunt-ended ligation or attachment of synthetic poly-linkers). All such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
__________________________________________________________________________SEQUENCE LISTING(1) GENERAL INFORMATION:(iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 2(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:1:(i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:(A) LENGTH: 40 base pairs(B) TYPE: nucleic acid(C) STRANDEDNESS: double(D) TOPOLOGY: unknown(vii) IMMEDIATE SOURCE:(B) CLONE: HYPOTHETICAL SEQUENCE(xi ) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:1:CATCATCATCATCATCATCAGAGGAGGAGGAGGAGGAGGA40(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:2:(i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:(A) LENGTH: 34 base pairs(B) TYPE: nucleic acid(C) STRANDEDNESS: single(D) TOPOLOGY: linear(vii) IMMEDIATE SOURCE: (B) CLONE: ZETA-GLOBIN GENE PROMOTER SEQUENCE(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:2:GGGAGGGGTGGGGAGCTTCTGATAAGAAACACCA34
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The invention relates to methods for the use of the polymerase chain reaction to amplify a segment of a cloned gene of interest in such a way as to allow a simplified introduction of alterations such as deletions, insertions, repetitions (both direct and inverted) and substitutions into the cloned gene in a specific and precise manner. The unique, amplified segment of the cloned gene so amplified is a common substrate for each of the different approaches to introducing the various alterations into the gene. Choice of the primer sites within the amplified segment coupled with choice of the orientation of the molecule once ligated to itself results in the various resulting embodiments of the invention.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fiber-reinforced composite structural element usable, e.g., for an aircraft fuselage structure and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A structural element of a fiber-reinforced composite material for use in, e.g., fuselage structures of aircraft, is principally made by superposing on a lay-up jig prepregs composed of reinforcement fibers such as glass fibers previously impregnated with a resin; pressing and curing the prepregs to give a shape in an autoclave, subjecting the thus obtained shape element to, e.g., a secondary adhesion to form a composite sub-assembly, and finally assembling several composite sub-assemblies together by use of fastener means.
FIG. 19 illustrates a conventional stiffener reinforced beam structure as an example. The stiffener reinforced beam structure 100 comprises a beam member 101 previously formed into a C-shape in cross section and having a web portion 101a and flange portions 101b, and stiffeners 102 previously formed into L-shape in cross section and secured to the web portion 101a by means of an adhesive or fasteners. In order to increase the stiffness of the web portion 101a, as shown in FIG. 20, the stiffener reinforced beam structure 100 makes use of means for reinforcing by padding the vicinities of corners R between the flange portions 101b and the web portion 101a.
Japanese Patent Laid-open Pub. No. Hei4-334696 published Nov. 20, 1992, for instance, discloses a reinforcement panel for the fiber-reinforced composite material, which panel comprises a frame having an opening formed by bending a cut portion in the frame to provide flanges, a stringer inserted into the opening of the frame and having an outer surface thereof joined to the flanges, and a skin joined to the frame and the stringer.
Japanese Utility Model Pub. No. Sho63-124119 published Aug. 12, 1988 discloses a coupling for a fiber reinforced composite material which is formed by laying up members composed of fiber-reinforced composite material. The coupling includes a fiber-reinforced composite filler material provided at a boundary part of the coupling. Around or within the filler material is inserted a fiber-reinforced composite material impregnated with a resin and having a lattice-like base in which whiskers such as silicon carbide are dispersed. The members, the filler and the composite material are subjected to a forming/curing treatment.
There are methods to form a box-shaped or similarly shaped structure in which three planes intersect at one point as can be often seen in an aircraft structure. One method is to use a prepreg material of woven fabric having a high shape-maintaining capability such as satin weave. Another method is to use a fastener coupling like metal fittings.
An aircraft structure includes many structural elements having so-called box-like configurations in which three planes intersect at one point. Such structural elements are typically fabricated by machine tool cutting from a metal block or by sheet metal working, but in the case of a composite material by the above-described method.
When producing a composite material component in accordance with a widely used conventional method, prepregs are laid up on a forming jig by hand or by machine (lay-up machine). In the case of producing a composite structure having a complicated configuration, the formation of the composite structure is effected either by manual laying up or by sub-assembling composite components with secondary adhesion. This necessitated an exclusive jig for the adhesion, and also needs repetition of curing under pressure in an autoclave for the purpose of forming the components as well as curing the adhesive because of use of a thermally curing type adhesive from design requirements. This resulted in a relatively high production cost.
It is envisaged that such higher production cost of the composite structure due to these factors is a cause of limited use of composite structural elements in spite of their superior properties in terms of specific strength, specific stiffness, and corrosion resistance. Furthermore, in the case of forming composite material elements having a complicated configuration such as a box-like configuration by means of an integral forming process, use is made of woven fabrics having a high shape-maintaining capability such as satin weave. However, laying up of the prepregs of woven fabric having a high shape-maintaining capability onto the forming jig required high skill to the worker and resulted in a difficulty in thickness control of the composite elements and hence in an unstable quality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was conceived in view of the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fiber-reinforced composite structural element and a method of manufacturing the same in which the quality of the produced element is stable, the thickness control can be made easy and the production cost is reduced.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fiber-reinforced composite structural element which comprises a main structural member including a reinforcing fibrous material; an auxiliary member; the auxiliary member being a fibrous preform including a lamination of a plurality of reinforcing fibrous material layers superposed on top of each other into a three-dimensional configuration; and the fibrous preform of the auxiliary member being combined together with the reinforcing fibrous material forming the main structural member and being molded integrally into a predetermined configuration with a resin impregnated in both the main structural member and the auxiliary member.
In the present invention, the fibrous material may comprise a woven fabric.
In the present invention, the fibrous preform may be in the shape of a box having a rectangular section and an open one side.
The present invention also provides a fiber-reinforced composite structural member, comprising the steps of: providing a box-shaped jig having a bottom surface directed upward and having side walls extending downward from said bottom surface; placing reinforcing fiber material layers on said bottom surface of the jig; causing portions of said fiber material layers, extending outward beyond said bottom surface, to extend downward along said side walls to produce an inverted-box-shaped dry preform; impregnating said preform with a resin; and curing the preform.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite structural element which comprises the steps of superposing a plurality of reinforcing fibrous material layers on top of each other into a three-dimensional configuration to form a fibrous preform; combining the fibrous preform with reinforcing fibrous material forming a main structural member; disposing within a mold the fibrous preform together with the fibrous material forming the main structural member; supplying a resin into an interior of the mold to impregnate the resin in both the fibrous preform and the fibrous material forming the main structural member; and subjecting the fibrous preform and the fibrous material impregnated with the resin to a curing operation to obtain the composite structural element.
The present invention also provides a fiber-reinforced composite structural member, comprising: a fibrous preform including a lamination of a plurality of reinforcing fiber material layers superposed on top of each other into a box-like configuration; and said preform being impregnated with a resin and cured to form an integral structural element in combination with another structural member.
The fiber-reinforced composite structural element of the present invention uses, as fundamental components, a dry preform which has been woven into, e.g., a box-like shape from reinforcing fibers such as carbon fibers or glass fibers, as well as a required number of unidirectionally oriented reinforcing threads or woven fabrics made of fibers such as carbon fibers or glass fibers. The dry preform and the threads or woven fabrics are integrally molded and cured by use of a RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) method described later. Thus, it realizes a simple thickness control and a stable product quality.
The method of producing a fiber-reinforced composite structural elements ensures a remarkable reduction in production cost because of no need for sub-assembling by secondary adhesion and no need for superposition by hand, as well as easy thickness control and stable quality of the thus formed fiber-reinforced composite structural element by the RTM method.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will become understood from the following detailed description referring to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a box-shaped dry preform for use in a fiber-reinforced composite structural element according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a method of forming carbon fiber woven fabrics constituting the box-shaped dry preform of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a modified method of forming the carbon fiber woven fabrics;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a box-shaped auxiliary member of the fiber-reinforced composite structural element according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 illustrates an example in which a fiber-reinforced composite structural element according to the present invention is used in a beam structural element;
FIG. 6 illustrates a modification of the beam structural member of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the box-shaped auxiliary member of FIG. 4 is cut into segments;
FIG. 8 is a view showing an auxiliary member of the fiber-reinforced composite structural element according to the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a molding jig for use with the beam structural element of FIG. 6;
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the beam structural element of FIG. 6;
FIG. 11 illustrates an example in which a fiber-reinforced composite structural element according to the present invention is used in a composite door structure for an aircraft;
FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the composite door structure of FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 illustrates an example in which a fiber-reinforced composite structural element according to the present invention is used in a composite access panel for aircraft;
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A--A of FIG. 13;
FIG. 15 illustrates an example in which a fiber-reinforced composite structural element according to the present invention is used in a bulkhead wall for an aircraft;
FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a part of the bulkhead wall of FIG. 15;
FIG. 17 illustrates an example in which a fiber-reinforced composite structural element according to the present invention is used in a composite fuselage structure for an aircraft;
FIG. 18 is a development of a part of FIG. 17;
FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a conventional beam structural element; and
FIG. 20 is a side elevational view of the conventional beam structural element.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates, in perspective view, a box-shaped dry preform generally designated at 1, for use in a structural element made of a fiber-reinforced composite according to the present invention. As is apparent from FIG. 2, the dry preform 1 comprises a laminated structure of a plurality of carbon-fiber woven fabric layers 6 each consisting of X-directional carbon fiber threads 2, Y-directional carbon fiber threads 3, Z-directional carbon fiber threads 4 and R-directional carbon fiber threads 5.
As can be seen in FIG. 2, each carbon-fiber woven fabric layer 6 is formed by placing a carbon-fiber woven material 6a on a parallelpiped-box-shaped jig 7 and then bending or shaping portions of the woven material 6a extending outwardly beyond the top surface of the jig 7 downwardly as viewed in the figure. More specifically, the portions of the X-directional threads 2 and the Y-directional threads 3 that extend beyond the top surface of the jig 7 are bent to be directed in the Z-direction so as to extend along lateral surfaces 7a of the jig 7 as the Z-directional threads 4. The thus obtained Z-directional threads 4 and the R-directional threads 5 extending around the jig 7 are woven by hand or by mechanical operation into a woven fabric.
While the above-described dry preform 1 is formed by superposing a plurality of carbon fiber woven fabric layers 6 on top of one another, the number of the layers 6 to be superposed is determined depending on the thickness of the preform 1 necessary to meet the strength/design requirements. The carbon fiber woven fabric layers superposed into a box-shaped dry preform 1 are united together so as not to shift relative to each other, by stitching the fabric layers in the thickness direction with carbon fiber threads.
As an alternative, the box-shaped dry preform 1 may comprise a lamination of a plurality of carbon fiber woven fabric layers 10, each formed as shown in FIG. 3 by disposing a carbon fiber woven material on the jig 7 in such a manner that carbon fiber threads 8 and 9 extend diagonally with respect to the edges of the jig 7 and by weaving, along the lateral surfaces 7a of the box-shaped jig 7, the threads 8 and 9 extending outward diagonally from the top surface of the jig 7.
As is clear from FIG. 4, the thus formed box-shaped dry preform 1 is in the shape of a one-side-open box having a planar bottom portion 1a and sidewalls 1b extending upright from the planar portion 1a, with the remaining side opposite to the planar portion 1a being opened.
FIG. 5 illustrates a beam structural element 20 incorporating the box-shaped dry preform 1 as a reinforcement material. The beam structural element 20 includes a beam-shaped main structural member 21 having an I-shaped cross-sectional profile and including a web portion 21a and flange portions 21b, and box-shaped auxiliary members 22 joined to the web portion 21a of the structural member 21.
The beam structural element 20 is molded as follows. The box-shaped dry preforms 1 are placed on a base of an impregnation/curing jig not shown; carbon-fiber woven fabric layers or carbon-fiber unidirectional thread layers are superposed on the base of the impregnation/curing jig to be formed as a web and flanges of a beam-shaped dry preform; carbon fibers are filled in layers to be formed as fillet portions of the beam-shaped dry preform; the impregnation/curing jig are assembled to form a mold; the interior of the impregnation/curing mold is evacuated and then supplied with a resin; and after the interior of the mold has been filled with the resin, a heating/curing treatment is carried out. This is a RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) method. This method is one for producing a composite material, which comprises the steps of disposing within a closed jig or mold a preform formed of fibers having not yet been impregnated with resin; and filling the resin into the interior of the closed mold for impregnation. In this manner, the beam structural element 20 is molded by juxtaposing the box-shaped dry preforms; combining the preforms with the carbon-fiber woven fabric layers or unidirectional thread layers to form a beam-shaped dry preform and by using the RTM molding method. The thus molded beam structural element 20 can accomplish a substantial reduction in production cost as compared with a beam structural element produced by a conventional method in which the beam portion and stiffeners are separately molded and cured, and thereafter joined together by secondary adhesion.
FIG. 6 illustrates a modification of the beam structural element 20 shown in FIG. 5. A beam structural element 30 shown in FIG. 6 includes a beam-shaped main structural member 31 having a U-shaped cross-sectional profile, and auxiliary members 32 joined to a web portion 31a and flange portions 31b of the main structural member 31. In order to form the auxiliary member 32, the box-shaped dry preform 1 is cut at an intermediate portion thereof into two segmented dry preforms 32a as shown in FIG. 7, and then the two segmented dry preforms 32a are united back to back as shown in FIG. 8. The thus formed auxiliary member 32 serves as a stiffener element having joint surfaces to be joined to the web surface and the flange surfaces of the beam-shaped dry preform. The two oppositely facing segmented dry preforms 32a may be joined together by stitching with carbon fibers.
Molding of the beam structural element 30 is carried out, as shown in FIG. 9, by setting the auxiliary member (stiffener elements) 32 onto a base 40 of an impregnation/curing jig, filling carbon fibers into fillet portions 33 of the auxiliary member 32, superposing carbon-fiber woven fabric layers or unidirectional thread layers to be formed as a web portion and flange portions of a beam-shaped main structural member 31, assembling all parts 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 of the impregnation/curing jig to form a mold, evacuating the interior of the mold, filling the interior of the mold with a resin, and carrying out the heating/curing treatment. The obtained beam structural element 30 has auxiliary members 32 integrally secured to the web surface and the flange surfaces of the main structural member 31, the flange portions 31a thus obtained have a constant combined thickness in section as shown in FIG. 10, and the auxiliary members 32 directly support the flange portions 31a of the main structural member 31 in order to prevent buckling of the web, unlike the conventional stiffener-reinforced beam structure. This leads to a stable structure, hence eliminates the need to increase the thickness, and ensures more effective determination of the web thickness than in the beam structural element 100 shown in FIG. 19. It is thus possible to realize not only a reduction in weight but also a reduction in production cost by an order of 20% as a result of the reduction in the number of components and the integral molding by the RTM method.
FIG. 11 illustrates as an example of a flanged plate-like structure, a composite door structure 50 for an aircraft employing the fiber-reinforced composite structural member according to the present invention.
The composite door structure 50 is fabricated by using varied shapes and dimensions of the box-shaped jig 7 shown in FIG. 2 to form a plurality of different types of box-shaped preforms 51 to 55; setting the preforms 51 to 55 and carbon fiber unidirectional threads or woven fabrics 56 (FIG. 12) on a jig in accordance with the method shown in FIG. 9; and carrying out the RTM molding method. The largest box-shaped preform 53 serving as an outer frame is fabricated by placing a plurality of box-shaped preforms woven by the same method as in FIG. 2; and separately placing four frame members constituting a rectangular outer frame and a back sheet material. It is to be appreciated that since in this case the box-shaped preforms 51 to 55 have curved contours, corresponding jigs are also contoured. In the case of small contours, planar box-shaped preforms are formed by the same method as in FIG. 2 and then the contours are given at the stage of the resin impregnation and curing treatment.
The composite door structure 50 for aircraft can realize approximately 20% weight reduction as compared with the conventional metal structure and approximately 20% cost reduction as compared with the conventional composite structure.
FIG. 13 illustrates, as an example of a flanged plate-like structure, a composite integral molding access panel 60 incorporating the fiber-reinforced composite structural member according to the present invention. A method of fabricating the composite integral molding access panel 60 includes the steps of using varied shapes and dimensions of the box-shaped jig 7 shown in FIG. 2 to form a plurality of different types of box-shaped preforms 61, 62, 63; setting the preforms 61, 62, 63 on a molding jig in accordance with the jig described in FIG. 9; and executing the RTM method described before in connection with the above embodiments. In this case, the box-shaped preform 63 may be fabricated by pressing a sheet material. Alternatively, it may be fabricated by weaving to some extent a planar preform by using a general-purpose machine; thereafter weaving by hand or by machine depending on the jig used; repeating these series of operations for lamination; and stitching the laminated structures. The preforms 62 serving as a stiffener may be fabricated by weaving to some extent a planer preform by using the ordinary machine and thereafter weaving by hand or by machine depending on the jig used in the same manner as in the case of the semi-circular sections of the box-shaped preforms 63 serving as the outer frame. Alternatively, it may be woven by setting a preform on the jig from the beginning.
The thus molded access panel can realize approximately 20% weight reduction as compared with the conventional metal structure and approximately 20% cost reduction as compared with the conventional composite structure.
FIG. 15 illustrates a bulkhead wall 70 for aircraft employing the fiber-reinforced composite structural member according to the present invention. As is apparent from FIG. 16, the bulkhead wall 70 includes a crown preform 71, a plurality of gore preforms 72 and a carbon fiber woven fabric or a unidirectional thread material 73.
The crown preform 71 may be fabricated by weaving to some extent a planer preform by using the general-purpose machine and thereafter weaving by hand or by machine depending on the jig used. Alternatively, the crown preform 71 may be woven by setting it on the jig from the beginning. The gore preforms 72 each include a plurality of small gore preforms 72a, 72b, 72c and 72d which are linked with one another. In the same manner as the case of the crown preform 71, each small preform may be fabricated by weaving to some extent a planer preform by using the general-purpose machine; thereafter weaving by hand or by machine depending on the jig used; weaving with R-direction threading; repeating the above-mentioned procedures for lamination; and stitching the laminated structures. In order to fabricate the gore preform 72, a carbon-fiber woven fabric or a unidirectional thread material 73 is arranged on the back surfaces of the small gore preforms 72a, 72b, 72c and 72d; and stitching is performed between the small gore preforms or between the small gore preform and the carbon fiber woven fabric or the unidirectional thread material.
The composite bulkhead wall 70 for aircraft may be fabricated by setting on a jig in accordance with the concept shown in FIG. 9 a predetermined number of preforms 71 and 72, carbon fiber unidirectional thread materials or woven fabrics 73, and reinforcement materials 74 obtained by shaping the carbon-fiber unidirectional thread materials or woven fabrics into a Z-shaped cross section; and subjecting the above members together to the RTM method. Alternatively, it may be fabricated by setting on a jig in accordance with the concept shown in FIG. 9 a predetermined number of preforms 71 and 72, and carbon fiber unidirectional thread materials or woven fabrics 73; subjecting them together to the RTM molding method; and attaching separately molded reinforcement materials 74 to them by means of secondary adhesion or fastener assembling.
The thus molded composite bulkhead wall for aircraft can realize approximately 20% weight reduction as compared with the conventional metal structure and approximately 20% cost reduction as compared with the conventional composite structure.
FIG. 17 illustrates a composite fuselage structure 80 for an aircraft, having a substantially cylindrical shape and incorporating the fiber-reinforced composite structural element according to the present invention. The composite fuselage structure 80 includes box-shaped preforms 81, stiffener preforms 82 and carbon fiber woven fabrics or unidirectional thread materials 83. The box-shaped preforms 81 are each formed on a split-type jig having a curved contour and a center angle, and then are removed from the jig by disassembling the jig. The stiffener preforms 82 are disposed on the box-shaped preforms 81 at appropriate intervals, the stiffener preforms 82 being fabricated in the same manner as the preform 3 shown in FIG. 6.
The composite fuselage structure 80 is fabricated by making the box-shaped preforms 81 and the stiffener preforms 82; and resin-transfer-molding a predetermined number of preforms 81 and 82 and carbon fiber unidirectional thread materials or woven fabrics 83.
The thus molded composite fuselage structure 80 can realize approximately 20% weight reduction as compared with the conventional metal structure and approximately 20% cost reduction as compared with the conventional composite structure.
According to the present invention as set forth hereinabove, the structural elements made of fiber-reinforced composite will ensure an easy control of the thickness as well as a reduced production cost and a stable quality.
The method of producing a fiber-reinforced composite structural element will not only ensure a remarkable reduction in production cost due to no need for sub-assembling by the secondary adhesion and no need for manual laying up or superposition, but also realize a stable composite integral molding structure of which thickness control is easy to perform by the resin-transfer molding of materials obtained by weaving the reinforcement fibers into a three-dimensional configuration.
While the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that these embodiments are for the purpose of illustration and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
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A box-shaped fibrous preform is produced by laying or superposing a plurality of reinforcing fibrous material layers (6a) on top of each other into a box-like shape. The box-shaped fibrous preform is used as an auxiliary member (1) or by cutting the box-like member into segments of a required shape. The auxiliary member (1) is combined with reinforcing fibrous material forming a main structural member. The auxiliary member and the main structural member are placed in a mold and a resin is supplied into the mold to carry out a resin-impregnating and curing operation.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming devices such as xerographic printing and copying machines, and in particular, a device and method for preventing image size distortion and color misregistration of images. The device and method of the present invention compensate for changes in tension in an intermediate image carrying belt which causes the belt to stretch or shrink resulting in image distortion and color misregistration.
2. Relevant Art
Designers of xerographic printers and copiers have generated several solutions to the problems of image size distortion and color misregistration of toned images formed on an intermediate image carrying belt. The intermediate belt; made of a dielectric material, serves as an image carrier. Tension in the intermediate belt varies according to changes in several factors including the contact force between the belt and photoreceptive drums and belt drive rollers, differences in rotating speed of the belt and photoreceptive drums, and misalignment of the belt and photoreceptive drums.
In a monochrome copying mode, stretching of the belt produces an image larger than the original image and shrinking of the belt produces an image smaller than the original image. The amount of change in the size of the image produced depends on the amount of belt stretching or shrinking which varies according to changes in belt tension. In a polychrome copying mode, not only are the images enlarged or reduced as in the monochrome mode, but the images are also subject to color misregistration.
One solution to the above problems is to use a stiffer and thicker belt that is far less susceptible to stretching or shrinking However, the stiffer and thicker belts, made of materials such as stainless steel, more readily propagate motion errors such as those caused by vibration of the belt. These types of motion errors and others are highly detrimental to the image forming process. Thus, the stiffer metal belts are not that desirable.
Another solution to correct image distortion is slip transfer. In polychrome systems, the color registration errors accumulate because of the imperfections in the size and shape of the mechanical parts. To overcome the above problems, a slip transfer is implemented so that the photoreceptive drums are rotated at a speed slightly faster than the rotating speed of the intermediate transfer belt. However, slip transfer can only prevent a limited amount of misregistration and creates additional problems with image smearing, Also, the amount of slip transfer is difficult to control when high-pressure biased transfer is used to transfer images from the photoreceptive drums to the intermediate belt.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming device that overcomes the above problems with color misregistration and image size distortion of toned images formed on an intermediate or photoreceptive belt.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device and method for preventing enlarging and shrinking of a monochrome image caused by changes in tension in an intermediate image transfer belt.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device and method for preventing image size distortion and color misregistration of a polychrome image caused by changes in tension in an intermediate image transfer belt.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device and method for preventing changes in tension in an intermediate image transfer belt in a tacked transfer xerographic copier from distorting the output images.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device and method for preventing changes in tension in an intermediate image transfer belt in a slip transfer xerographic copier from distorting the output images.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device and method for minimizing stretching and shrinking of an intermediate or photoreceptive belt to ensure proper reproduction and registration of a toned image.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and device for ensuring that an intermediate belt continually contacts a plurality of photoreceptive drums with an optimum contact force and contact area.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a method and device for providing an adjustable drag force on an intermediate or photoreceptive belt to prevent image size distortion and color misregistration.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and appended claims.
According to the invention, the tension of an intermediate belt can be maintained at a desired level by providing drag forces on the belt. The drag forces prevent the belt from shrinking and stretching at any of the transfer points between the photoreceptive drums and the intermediate belt. The forces required to prevent stretching and shrinking of the intermediate belt can be applied by drag rollers or skid plates acting on the back side of the belt. By designing these rollers and skid plates with an appropriate coefficient of friction and providing them at an appropriate location along the belt, belt stretch and shrinkage can be minimized to allow for virtually error-free image reproduction. Also, each drag roller and skid plate is preferably provided with a position adjusting device, which allows an operator to move a drag roller or skid plate up or down relative to a photoreceptive drum to ensure proper contact between the belt and drum. The drag roller and skid plate position adjusting device also allows an operator to adjust the drag forces applied to the belt to correct for any changes in belt tension.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a tacked transfer xerographic printing or digital copying device with an intermediate transfer belt having a first embodiment of the drag force applying device of the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a slip transfer xerographic copying device with an intermediate transfer belt having a first embodiment of the drag force applying device of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the position adjustment device shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the drag force applying device shown in FIG. 2; and
FIG. 5 illustrates a xerographic copying device with an intermediate transfer belt having a second embodiment of the drag force applying device of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An example of a tacked transfer xerographic copier that is susceptible to problems with belt stretching and shrinking is shown in FIG. 1. The copier 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a tandem engine architecture printer preferably comprising four complete xerographic engines, each producing its own color image. The xerographic engines shown are electrophotographic laser beam printing mechanisms I-IV which are substantially identical in construction. Each printing mechanism includes a photoreceptive drum 10, a laser beam source 20, a charging device such as a corotron 18, a cleaning station 14, a transfer station 16 and a developing station 12. In each printing mechanism I-IV, a laser beam scanner 20 oscillates a laser beam L along the surface of a photoreceptive drum 10 and forms a latent image on the drum 10 corresponding to an electrical or an optical input. Developing stations 12 of printer mechanisms I-IV develop the latent images using yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (BK) developing toners. Transfer device 16 charges an intermediate belt 28 or a paper sheet S on belt 28 so that belt 28 or sheet S receives an image from each of the photoreceptive drums 10.
Belt 28 is fitted around driving rollers 24 and/or 26 and tensioning roller 36. Tensioning roller 36 provides an initial tension to belt 28 to ensure that belt 28 can be rotated by rollers 24 and/or 26. Driving rollers 24, 26 rotate intermediate belt 28 to convey the belt in the direction shown by arrow A. As belt 28 contacts each of the photoreceptive drums 10 at each of a plurality of transfer Zones 40, the yellow, magenta, cyan and black images are transferred to belt 28 or can be transferred directly to a sheet of paper S fed in from a paper tray PT1.
If the images are first transferred to intermediate belt 28, then the paper feeding is delayed until all four color images are transferred to belt 28. Then a sheet S is fed in from a paper tray PT2 and contacts the image on intermediate belt 28 at a transfer nip 22 formed by a transfer roller 30 and belt driving roller 26. If the color images are to be transferred directly to a sheet S, then the sheet S is fed in and transported by belt 28. The sheet being fed on belt 28 receives each color image successively as the sheet passes each transfer zone 40. After the image is transferred from photoreceptive drums 10 to the intermediate belt 28 and then to sheet S or directly from photoreceptive drums to sheet S, the paper is fed out by fuser rollers 32.
In the tacked transfer device of FIG. 1, good color registration with tacked transfer requires a highly precise geometrical match between image forming components which therefore demands excellent alignment and extremely precise manufacturing of the image forming components. This degree of, required manufacturing and assembling accuracy is costly and difficult to achieve.
Even if the components are manufactured and assembled with great precision, wearing of the components may still cause problems with the intermediate belt 28 stretching and shrinking. Also, because stretching and shrinking can be caused by differences in speeds between drums 10 and belt 28, improper alignment of drums 10 and belt 28, or improper alignment and rotational speed of other rollers 24, 26, 36, it is very difficult and costly to continuously compensate for these causes.
A much easier and more effective solution is to provide drag rollers 50, preferably positioned on either side of each of the photoreceptive drums 10, to ensure that belt 28 does not stretch or shrink at the critical transfer zones 40 between each of photoreceptive drums 10 and belt 28. Drag rollers 50 also ensure that intermediate belt 28 maintains sufficient contact with each of the drums 10 to obtain accurate and error free image transfer. When the image is transferred directly to the paper, rollers 50 also ensure sufficient contact between sheet S and drums 10.
Each of drag rollers 50 may preferably be provided with a position adjusting device 60 which allows the position of each roller 50 to be adjusted to compensate for changes in belt tension and other factors affecting image transfer. By adjusting the position of each roller 50, the amount of drag force provided by each roller 50 and the amount of contact area between belt 28 and each of drums 10 can be adjusted. The exact operation of position adjusting device 60 and the process for determining the amount of drag force to be provided by each drag roller 50 will be described below.
FIG. 2 shows a slip transfer xerographic copier having many of the same structural components as in FIG. 1. The same reference numerals used in FIG. 1 are used in FIG. 2 for the same structural elements. In the device of FIG. 2, the four color images are transferred directly to intermediate belt 28. Also, photoreceptive drums 10 are driven at a speed slightly faster or slower than the speed of belt 28 to introduce a slip transfer and alleviate the need for Strict manufacturing precision of the image forming components. The range of speed difference is preferably between 0.02% and 0.3%. While this is an improvement over the device of FIG. 1, the slip transfer creates a shearing force between each of drums 10 and belt 28 thereby ensuring an undesired change in belt tension. Furthermore, the slip transfer only allows a limited amount of laxity in precision tolerance and may lead to image smearing. If the belt tension increases as it contacts a photoreceptive drum 10 or other surface, the belt will stretch according to the degree of strain in the belt and other factors. The belt stretch will contribute to the color misregistration as belt 28 receives images from the photoreceptive drums 10.
To remedy the above problems, the device of FIG. 2 has a plurality of drag rollers 50 positioned at each printing station. Drag rollers 50 are provided in each transfer zone 40 so as to contact the backside of intermediate belt 28 and the force differentials can be accommodated by a dc motor, servo motor or brake mechanism (not shown). The size, number and location of drag rollers 50 can vary according to the length of belt 28, the belt material, the number and size of photoreceptive drums 10 and various other factors. However, rollers 50 must be designed and located so as to prevent any change in belt tension in each of the spaces between photoreceptive drums 10 and belt contact points and ensure sufficient contact area between each of drums 10 and intermediate belt 28. By preventing any change in belt tension in areas between photoreceptive drums 10, belt 28 does not shrink or stretch and thus, no image distortion or color misregistration occurs. By ensuring sufficient contact area, accurate and error-free image transfer is assured.
To allow for some flexibility in the design and arrangement of drag rollers 50, each of the drag rollers 50 is preferably provided with a position adjusting device 60 which preferably includes a set screw 62 and/or micrometer 64, shown in FIG. 3. To increase a drag force provided by a drag roller 50 on belt 28, set screw 62 is manually turned a predetermined amount to move roller 50 upwardly towards photoreceptive drum 10. This also results in an increase in the amount of contact area between belt 28 and drum 10. To decrease the tension and contact area, set screw 62 is manually turned a predetermined amount to move roller 50 downwardly away from photoreceptive drum 10. A micrometer 64 is preferably used to ensure that each of the rollers 50 is positioned correctly. The micrometer 64 is preferred to adjust and to show the exact roller position. The correlation between each roller position and the magnitude of the contact area and drag force applied by each roller can be determined beforehand and stored in a CPU 80 shown in FIG. 4.
Also, an automatic drag roller position adjusting device may be provided whereby the amount of change from the present roller position setting can either be input by an operator or determined by a CPU 80. Then, position adjusting device 60 could automatically adjust roller 50 position by rotating a lead screw, used in place of manual set screw 62 or micrometer 64, a certain number of revolutions. The CPU 80 could determine the amount of positional change based on the drag force determined from the equation described below and inform an operator of the desired position of each roller 50. The operator could then enter the desired position determined by the CPU 80 or some other desired position into a control interface and the CPU 80 could automatically adjust each roller to the position entered by an operator. A position adjusting device 60 could also be set up so that the CPU 80 automatically determines the correct position of each drag roller 50 and automatically adjusts each roller 50 without first informing an operator of the desired position for each of the drag rollers 50.
Drag rollers 50 operate as shown in FIG. 4. Each photoreceptive drum 10 is preferably provided with a pair of drag rollers 50 located on either side of drum 10. For the purpose of explanation only, one transfer zone 40 will be discussed but it is understood that each of a plurality of transfer zones 40 experiences tension and requires similar corrective drag forces to be applied by drag rollers 50.
In normal operation, a shearing force is created between each of photoreceptive drums 10 and belt 28. The shearing force ΔT 23 is caused by differences in speeds between drum 10 and belt 28, improper alignment of drum 10 and belt 28, and improper alignment and rotational speed of other rollers 24, 26, 36 described in the discussion of FIG. 1. In the case where a slip transfer is imparted by rotating each of drums 10 at a speed slightly higher than the speed of belt 28 as in FIG. 2, the shearing force ΔT 23 depends on the degree of slip and the biased transfer voltage as well as the factors discussed above. As seen in FIG. 4, the shearing force ΔT 23 acts on belt 28 at each transfer zone 40.
The shearing force ΔT 23 acts along a wrap 13 which is equal to the amount of belt surface which wraps around a small portion of the circumference of photoreceptive drum 10. A tension T 2 is created in a span I 23 of belt 28 between drag roller 52 and the contact point of wrap I 3 or point A. Drag roller 54 contacts belt 28 at a wrap I 4 which is equal to the amount of belt surface that wraps around a small portion of the circumference of drag roller 54. A tension T 3 is created in the span I 34 of belt 28 between drag roller 54 and the contact point of wrap I 3 . In the span I 45 between rollers 54 and 56, a tension T 4 is created. Drag roller 56 contacts belt 28 at wrap I 5 which is equal to the amount of belt surface 28 that wraps around a small portion of the circumference of drag roller 56. A tension T 5 is created in the span I 56 of belt 28 between roller 56 and the contact point B. Tensions T 6 and T 7 are created similar to tensions T 3 and T 4 .
To overcome the shearing force ΔT 23 at each transfer zone 40, a drag force ΔT 34 is created by roller 54 rubbing against the backside of belt 28 at wrap I 4 and a drag force ΔT 45 is created by roller 56 rubbing against the backside of belt 28 at wrap I 5 . Both forces ΔT 34 and ΔT 45 are provided in a direction opposite to the direction of force ΔT 23 . Application of forces ΔT 34 and ΔT 45 ensure that there is no change in belt tension between points A and B in between the two photoreceptive drums shown. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the photoreceptive drums 10 can be provided with drag rollers 50 to apply a predetermined drag force to belt 28 to ensure that belt tension remains constant between the photoreceptive drums.
The magnitude of forces ΔT 34 and ΔT 45 to be applied to belt 28 can be determined based on the magnitude of shearing force ΔT 23 . The shearing force ΔT 23 can be determined preferably by one of dynamic torque measurements, belt surface strain measurements and photoelastic methods. Dynamic torque measurements of the frictional shearing force can be accomplished using the following equation:
ΔT.sub.23 =ΔTorque/R (1)
ΔTorque=torque difference
R=photoreceptive drum radius
Once the magnitude of the shearing force ΔT 23 is known, the magnitude of forces ΔT 34 and ΔT 45 can be determined based on the strain of the tensioned intermediate belt 28. The strain of the belt can be expressed as ##EQU1##
where
ΔL=stretch
L=length or section of the belt under tension
ΔT=belt tension variation per unit belt width
E=Young's modulus
h=belt thickness
The stretch of the belt is, therefore: ##EQU2##
Belt 28 shown in FIG. 4 is under various tensions T 1 -T 7 . The total tension in the various sections of the belt 28 can be approximated as follows: ##EQU3## From FIG. 4, the tensions of the belt can be expressed as
T.sub.3 =T.sub.2 -ΔT.sub.23
T.sub.4 =T.sub.3 +ΔT.sub.34 =T.sub.2 +(ΔT.sub.34 -ΔT.sub.23) (4)
T.sub.5 =T.sub.4 +ΔT.sub.45 =T.sub.2 +(ΔT.sub.45 +ΔT.sub.34 -ΔT.sub.23)
The stretch of the belt from point A to point B can be estimated from ##EQU4## Substituting Equation (4) into Equation (5), one obtains ##EQU5## assuming ΔT 45 =ΔT 34 . To minimize the belt stretch between A and B, we can set Equation (6) equal to zero, which gives ##EQU6##
These are the desired drag forces ΔT 34 and ΔT 45 to be applied by drag rollers 54 and 56 to compensate for the shearing force ΔT 23 . If the direction of the shearing forces are reversed, the direction of each of the drag forces is reversed. The equations described above can be used to determine the exact force to be applied by each of the remaining drag rollers 50 at each of the remaining transfer zones 40. By determining the optimum drag force to be applied by each drag roller 50, stretching and shrinking of belt 28 can be prevented and therefore, image size distortion and color misregistration can be eliminated.
Instead of the drag rollers 50 shown in FIGS. 1-4, the belt stretch and shrinkage prevention device of the present invention can also be achieved using skid plates 70 shown in FIG. 5. The geometry, location and frictional coefficient of surface friction of skid plates 70 can be designed according to the particular xerographic printing system in which the plates are implemented. The design constraints required for skid plates 70 can be relaxed by providing each skid plate 70 with the position adjusting devices 60 described above. Skid plates 70 apply a drag force to belt 28 in the same way drag rollers 50 apply forces. The magnitudes of the forces applied by skid plates 70 can also be determined using the above equations.
Although the inventions has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter claimed:
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A xerographic printer or digital copier has an intermediate belt for transferring images from several photoreceptive drums to sheets of paper. The intermediate belt experiences undesired stretching and shrinking which results in the size of the transferred image being distorted and the colors of the transferred image being misregistered. The printer is provided with a plurality of drag inducing members preferably in the form of drag rollers or skid plates which minimize the stretching and shrinking of the intermediate belt by counteracting the belt distorting forces. The magnitude of the drag forces to be applied by each of the drag inducing members can be calculated and the position of each of the drag inducing members can be adjusted according to each of the calculated drag forces.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a divisional application of my copending application Ser. No. 302,590 filed Oct. 31, 1972.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a brushing apparatus, and more particularly to a brushing apparatus for carpets and the like.
Brushing apparatus of this type here in question, that is so-called "sweepers", is already known. Such devices have housings from the underside of which one or more rotary brushes extend so that they will contact the carpet as the sweeper is moved over the same, to pick up dirt from the carpet. Of course, the dirt must be deposited somewhere once it has been picked up; consequently, the known sweepers have in their housing one or more troughs or receptacles into which the dirt is deposited by the rotating brushes.
The difficulty with these prior-art devices is that the receptacles are formed of one piece with the housing so that the housing as produced already has the dirt-collecting troughs formed on it and located in the position which they are to assume in the finished device. To produce a housing of this type is, however, relatively difficult, especially if it is made of synthetic material, because this requires complicated molds. This is particularly true if the configuration of the troughs is desired to be such that they can afford optimum dirt-collecting and storage possibilities due to their shape.
Evidently, the more complicated the molds required for the production of the housing, the more expensive they will be and, in the final analysis, the more expensive the housing will be. Aside from this, however, there is the further disadvantage that the more complicated the housing, the greater will be the rate of rejections of finished housings, due to the occurrence of faults in the housing during production thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to avoid these disadvantages.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a brushing apparatus of the type under discussion, in which these disadvantages are avoided.
Still more particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a brushing apparatus which has a housing in which the portions constituting the dirt-collecting trough or troughs can be produced in an inexpensive manner with the simplest molds and with the largest possible elimination of fault developments.
In keeping with these objects, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides in a brushing apparatus, particularly for carpets and the like, which includes a combination of a housing having a side facing a surface to be brushed and provided with a plurality of wall portions which are connected by flexible wall zones so as to be displaceable from an initially flat condition to an operative condition in which the wall portions constitute the bottom wall and at least one of the transverse and longitudinal walls of a dirt-collecting trough. Retaining portions are provided for retaining the wall portions in operative condition, and at least one brush is journalled in the housing laterally adjacent the trough and projecting in part from the side facing the surface to be brushed, for contact with this surface.
So constructed, the brushing apparatus according to the present invention, and especially the housing thereof, can be produced very inexpensively and very simply, and the wall portions can be readily moved from their initially flat position to their operative position in which they define the trough. Moreover, especially the fact that the wall portion which, in the operative condition, will be the longitudinal wall portion of the trough which extends along the brush roller, is formed in flat condition with the other wall portions, constitutes a significant advantage, because this greatly reduces the difficulties of producing these wall portions and of the molds required for such production, especially in view of the fact that this particular longitudinal wall portion must be inclined at an angle to the bottom wall portion of the trough in order to provide for optimum dirt-introducing results.
It is particularly advantageous if the flexible wall zones are so-called integral hinges, that is portions of the material from which the wall portions themselves are produced, which have a substantially lesser thickness than the wall portions and can readily flex. In the region of these wall zones there will be provided the retaining portions in the form of noses or other abutments, which engage one another when the wall portions have been displaced to operative condition. Thus, the displacing to operative condition can be effected without special tools and an automatic relative location of the various wall portions in the desired final position will be obtained, because the positions will have been reached when the respective noses abut one another.
It is already known to arrange such dirt-collecting troughs pivotable between a dirt-collecting and a dirt-discharging position. This can be accomplished in the construction according to the present invention also, for which purpose the trough can be journalled on a shaft located in the housing, and the longitudinal trough wall which extends along the brush roller can advantageously extend with a portion of it behind the shaft so as to be held in position by the same. Thus, even if the thickness of this wall is relatively small, it is nevertheless very stable in its operating condition because it is supported by engagement with the shaft over its entire length. The height of this particular wall portion is advantageously accommodated to the distance between the pivot axis defined by the shaft and the wall zone connecting this particular longitudinal wall with the bottom wall portion. The edge of the longitudinal wall may be provided with a recess in which the shaft may in part be accommodated.
The transverse walls are provided at their free edges preferably with groove-like recesses for the legs of a biasing spring which serves to maintain the pivotably arranged wall portions in their normal position, without further preventing pivoting to dirt-discharging position. By having the legs of the springs engaged in the recesses, the transverse walls can be retained by the springs after they have been moved to the operative condition in which they form the trough with the longitudinal walls and the bottom wall. Advantageously the bottom of the respective recess is of substantially saddle-shaped configuration, and the legs in any pivotable position of the trough will always be properly located in the recess and prevent the transverse walls from moving out of their position. This particular configuration of the saddle-shaped bottom of the recess also assures that a reversal of the direction of the bias exerted on the bottom wall by the spring will take place as the trough is pivoted from the dirt-collecting to the dirt-discharging position, so that the bottom wall will be properly biased in any position of the trough. To prevent a weakening of the transverse wall it is advantageous to form the recesses in thickened portions of the transverse walls in which at the same time the journals for mounting on the shaft are formed.
The transverse walls may also be provided in the region of the pivot axis with sleeve-like projections which extend into recesses provided in the housing itself, whereby an advantageous increase of the journalling portion is achieved, and whereby further support especially in the end position of the pivoting movement is obtained.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a bottom-plan view of a brushing apparatus according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a section taken on line II--II of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but of a different embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment in a perspective view, showing the embodiment in operative position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Discussing firstly the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that FIG. 1 is a bottom-plan view of a brushing apparatus or sweeper in accordance with the present invention, such as is used for cleaning carpets, rugs, floors and the like. The housing of the apparatus is designated with reference numeral 10 and journalled in this housing is a brush roller 11 which can be mounted in fixed journals or in journals which can be raised and lowered with respect to the lower open side of the housing 10. ASsociated with the brush roller 11 are cup-shaped auxiliary brushes 12 whose purpose it is to pick up dirt from the lateral region of the apparatus and to convey it inwardly into the range of pick up of the brush roller 11. Of course, the brushes 12 could be omitted.
Dirt picked up by the brush roller 11, which is driven in known manner by wheels 13 which are also journalled in the housing 10, is deposited in a trough-like dirt-collecting space of the housing. Transmittal of the movement from the wheels 13 to the brush roller 11 to drive the same, can be either direct or indirect via interposed elements; it does not form a part of the present invention. The auxiliary brushes 12 are also driven by additional wheels 14, and of course the configuration of the apparatus can be different from what has been illustrated without departing from the inventive concept which will now be discussed.
The drawing shows clearly, especially in FIG. 1, that in the region at opposite sides of the brush roller 11 the lower side of the housing 10 is closed by bottom units 15 and 16 between which the brush roller extends out of the housing 10. These units 15 and 16 extend transversely of the apparatus between the journal regions 17 of the brush roller 11 and of the wheels 13, and the unit 15 is slightly cinched towards the front side of the housing, leaving space for the brushes 12 and the wheels 14.
FIG. 2 shows that the units 15 and 16 have transverse walls 18 at the inner side of the housing and in addition have a longitudinal wall 19 which extends along the brush roller 11. Thus, the units 15 and 16 constitute troughs into which the dirt picked up by the brush roller 11 can be deposited, depending upon the direction of rotation of the brush roller either into the unit 15 or into the unit 16.
When the units are in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, dirt picked up by the brush roller 11 is flung over the longitudinal walls 19 into the respective receptacle, and of course the provision of the two units 15 and 16 at opposite sides of the brush roller 11 is intended to assure dirt-pick up and deposition, irrespective of the direction in which the brushing apparatus is moved over the surface.
Each of the units 15 and 16 is journalled on an axle 20 which in the illustrated embodiment also carries the pairs of wheels 13. The axles 20 are mounted in wall portions of the housing 10, and by having the units 15 and 16 mounted on the axles 20 the units can be pivoted from the dirt-receiving position illustrated to a dirt-discharging position in which dirt can be removed from them. FIG. 2 shows that the units 15 and 16 engage the front or rear side of the housing, respectively, with portions of the units in such a manner that the outwardly extending portions 21 constitute engaging portions which permit their displacement from dirt-receiving to dirt-discharging position, and vice versa. Springs 22 are provided which engage the transverse walls 18 of the units 15 and 16, biasing the same towards the dirt-receiving position illustrated in FIG. 2. The springs 22 engage housing portions; in the illustrated embodiment, a carrier 23 of the main brush roller 11. The legs of the springs each contact the transverse walls of the units 15 and 16.
The latter units are produced of one piece each, being made in the illustrated embodiment of synthetic plastic material. They may have starting configurations such as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, that is they may be produced in the configurations shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The longitudinal wall portion 19 and/or the transverse wall portion 18 are located in a common plane, or at least substantially in a common plane, being connected by flexible wall zones 24 and 25. In FIG. 3 the longitudinal wall portion 19 and the transverse wall portions 18 are produced in this manner, whereas in FIG. 4 only the longitudinal wall portion 19 is produced in this manner whereas the transverse wall portions 18 are formed in their final position, that is extending partly from the bottom wall portion. Either configuration makes it possible to produce the units 15 and 16 with very simple molds and very inexpensively.
The zones 24 and 25 which separate the bottom wall portion from the longitudinal wall portion 19 and/or the transverse wall portions, 18 connecting it with the same, are constructed as integral hinges, that is as zones having a reduced thickness and being thus flexible enough to permit a displacement of the various wall portions relative to one another to the operative position without breaking or cracking. This final position is illustrated in FIG. 5. To maintain the wall portions in their final desired relative position, they are provided with retaining portions which are formed on them during production, and in the illustrated embodiment the longitudinal wall portion 19 is so configurated that when in erected condition it will be high enough to extend behind the pivot axis 20 so that it cannot fold back again. The height of the wall portion 19 is so coordinated with the distance of the associated zone 24 from the pivot axis or axle 20 that it will engage the latter when in erected condition. In particular, the wall portion 19 is provided with a longitudinal recess 19' configurated so as to at least in part receive the axle 20. The junction between the elastically yieldable zone 24 and the associated wall portions connected by it are provided with retaining portions or bevels 26 which abut one another in the position of FIG. 5.
The transverse wall portions 18 may also be formed as in FIG. 4 or, if they are formed as in FIG. 3, they may be maintained in their erected position by the springs 22. For this purpose they are then provided with groove-like recesses 27 into which legs of the springs 22 engage to stabilize the position of the transverse wall portions 18. To avoid weakening of the wall portions 18 in the region of the recesses 27 they are provided with an area 18' of greater thickness in which also outwardly extending sleeve-like projections 28 may be formed which extend into journal recesses of the housing 10.
The recesses 27 for the springs 22 are advantageously provided with a saddle-shaped bottom 29 to assure for an evenly tight engagement of the spring legs both in the dirt-receiving position and in the dirt-discharging position of the units 15 and 16. In conjunction with the arrangement of the location of the recesses 27 above the axle 20, this particular configuration of the bottom still has the additional advantage of biasing the units 15 and 16 in their pivoting plane, in such a manner that during pivoting from the dirt-receiving to the dirt-discharging position or back to the same, a reversal will occur in the biasing direction, whereby the units 15 and 16 will be maintained in the respective end position (discharging or receiving) by the springs 22.
Evidently, various changes may be made from the illustrated embodiments without departing from the invention. The brushes 12 could be omitted, the outline of the various components could be changed, additional brushes 11 could be provided, a single one of the units 15 and 16 could be provided, and other modifications could be made without departing from the invention.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the type described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a brushing apparatus, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.
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A brushing apparatus for carpets and the like has a housing one side of which faces a surface to be brushed and is provided with a plurality of wall portions connected with one another by weakened hinge-like zones so that these wall portions are produced in flat condition and can then be displaced relative to one another to a condition in which they define a trough. A brush extends along the trough and, when rotated in response to movement of the brushing apparatus over the surface, picks up dirt and deposits it in the trough.
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This is a division of application Ser. No. 913,117, filed June 6, 1978 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,600.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to fluid-pressure operable mechanical systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to piston-and-cylinder assemblies, and may be used with advantage, for example, in applications where relatively extended stroke length is required in combination with limited distance storage requirements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fluid pressure piston-cylinder assemblies are known for use in maneuvering various forms of equipment, and particularly for manipulating mobile apparatus used in working on wells. Thus, for example, masts may be raised or lowered on drilling rigs by way of fluid pressure cylinder assemblies.
Coiled tubing systems for working on wells are known to utilize piston-cylinder assemblies for elevating the injector head of such a system to selected positions along a mast. Such well working systems are discussed in detail in a copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 913,118 filed June 6, 1978, assigned to the same assignee as the present case, and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,304, wherein improvements in coiled tubing systems are disclosed.
In prior art coiled tubing systems, a single piston-cylinder assembly is mounted along each leg of a two legged mast. The piston rods extend down the mast to support the injector head. By appropriate control of the fluid pressure applied to the cylinders, the injector head may be selectively raised or lowered along the mast.
Such masts and associated equipment may be mounted on a truck or barge. In the case of such mobile systems, the mast may be folded, for example, to achieve an acceptable road clearance profile for transportation purposes. Then, the injector head is either tilted with the folded portion of the mast as in the prior art, or is first lowered below the piston of the mast hinge assemblies as disclosed in the aforementioned copending application. However, in order to provide the increased range of movement along the mast required for the injector head that may be so lowered below the mast hinge point, conventional piston-cylinder assemblies would have to be increased in both cylinder and piston rod length.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a double cylinder, fluid-pressure operated system. A pair of cylinders are joined together with their respective piston rods extendable in opposite directions. Each piston rod may be individually extended or retracted. An alternate form of operation of the double cylinder system involves linking the fluid pressure communication lines leading to the two cylinders so that the piston rods may be operated simultaneously and in combination. Such combined operation may be such that the piston rods extend simultaneously and retract simultaneously, or such that one piston rod extends while the other retracts.
The paired cylinders may be joined with a second pair of cylinders mutually linked in similar fashion. The fluid pressure communication lines leading to the two pairs of cylinders may also be joined so that each cylinder pair extends or retracts piston rods at the same time and in the same general direction.
Such a pair of cylinders may be mounted for movement along each leg of a two-legged mast used, for example, in a coiled tubing ring. The cylinder pairs may be joined by at least one cross-member so that all the cylinders are moved as a unit. The entire double cylinder system may be suspended from the mast at a point near the top of the mast by a piston rod extending generally upwardly from each cylinder pair. The downwardly extending piston rods may be lowered and joined to the injector head, or a carriage supporting the injector head. Operation of the double cylinder system moves the injector head to selected positions along the mast.
The combination of piston rods extendable in either direction from a floating double cylinder assembly provides a stroke length twice that of a conventional piston-cylinder assembly with the same cylinder length. Thus, the range of movement of the injector head in the referenced copending application may be increased without increasing the length of any one cylinder or piston rod. The injector head may be readily lowered below the mast hinge point as well as raised, say, two-thirds the length of the mast with the use of a double cylinder system.
To fold the mast, the injector head may be lowered below the mast hinge joint and the lower piston rods disengaged from the injector head carriage. The piston rods are all then retracted, raising the cylinders to the top of the mast, which is then tilted as desired.
The present invention thus provides a convenient means for practicing the aforementioned improvement in coiled tubing systems involving the lowering of the injector head to the base of the mast. The mast may then be folded without tilting the injector head, which is also then more accessible for servicing purposes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a coiled tubing system, utilizing the present invention, with the mast folded;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but with the mast erect;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the mast and injector head with the double cylinder elevation assembly engaged with the injector head;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing the injector head elevated along the mast;
FIG. 5 is an end elevational view along line 5--5 of FIG. 4, partially broken away;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the injector head framing and carriage structure along line 6--6 in FIG. 5, but with details of the injector head removed for clarity;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 1, illustrating the blowout preventer carriage and track system;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view of the mast pivot mechanism;
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view, in cross section, of the level wind mechanism illustrating the height variation capability; and
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary exploded view in perspective illustrating the manner of pinnning equipment skids to the truck bed.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A coiled tubing system including double cylinder apparatus according to the present invention is shown generally at 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2, mounted on the flatbed 12 of a trailer truck 14. While the improved system of the present invention may be utilized in a variety of applications, including stationery as well as mobile assemblies, and such mobile arrangements may take several forms including barge mounts or unitized carrier mounts, a trailer mounted coiled tubing application is shown and discussed herein by way of illustration rather than limitation.
The flatbed 12 supports a tubing reel assembly 16 mounted on a skid 18, a power unit 20 mounted on a skid 22, and a control house 24 mounted on a skid 26. The control house 24 includes most or all of the controls necessary for operating the various hydraulic and pneumatic systems employed with the coiled tubing apparatus, and is otherwise conventional. The power unit 20 includes the necessary power means used in operating the coiled tubing apparatus, including motors, a pneumatic compressor, and a hydraulic pump.
Both the power unit skid 22 and the control house skid 26 are anchored against lateral movement along the flatbed 12 by hold down pins 28 shown in more detail in FIG. 12. The frame of the power skid 22, for example, is equipped with at least one sleeve 30 of rectangular cross section on each side of the skid. The ends of each sleeve 30 are open through holes provided in the skid frame. The skid 22 is positioned on the flatbed 12 so that the sleeve 30 is aligned with a bracket 32 providing a passageway comparable in cross section to that of the sleeve. The pin 28 is inserted through the top of the sleeve 30 to protrude below the bottom of the bracket 32. A laterally extending lip 28a prevents the pin 28 from passing completely through the skid frame. A keeper pin 34 is inserted through a hole 28b in that portion of the pin 28 which extends below the bracket 32 to prevent inadvertent removal of the pin from the sleeve 30. With at least one such pin 28 provided on each side of skids 22 and 26, the power unit and control house are held securely in place against lateral movement along the flatbed 12. A similar hold down pin arrangement may be provided for the tube reel skid 18, or this skid may be secured by other appropriate means such as chaining or bolting the skid to the flatbed (not shown).
Tubing 36 used in the well working operation is stored on the reel 16 and is fed through a level wind guide 38 to an injector head 40. The injector head 40 is mounted on a mast shown generally at 42. The mast 42 is mounted on the flatbed 12 by bolting and/or welding.
Details of the mast construction may be appreciated by reference to FIGS. 1-5 and 10. The mast 42 includes a pair of upper mast legs 44 and 46 pivotally mounted on lower mast legs 48 and 50, respectively. The lower mast legs 48 and 50 are each fixed to the flatbed and further braced thereto by beams 52 and 54. Mast components 44 through 54 are generally of I-beam construction. An assembly of crossbeams 56 joins the tops of the upper mast legs 44 and 46 and ensures a rigid, stable mast construction.
The manner of pivotally joining the upper mast legs with the respective lower mast legs may be appreciated by reference to FIG. 10. A hinge assembly is constructed to include an upper hinge plate 58 fixed to the bottom of the upper mast leg 44 and a lower hinge plate 60 fixed to the top of the lower mast leg 48. Bracing 62 and 64 is provided for the upper and lower hinge plates, respectively. The two hinge plates 58 and 60 are joined by a hinge pin 66 about which the upper mast leg 44 pivots relative to the lower mast leg 48. A similar hinge assembly is provided whereby the upper mast leg 46 pivots relative to the lower mast leg 50, with the hinge pins of both hinge assemblies generally possessing a common rotational axis. This axis about which the upper mast section pivots is laterally displaced a short distance from the vertical projection of the lower mast legs 48 and 50. However, with the upper mast section erect, the upper mast legs 44 and 46 are placed generally directly above the lower mast legs 48 and 50, respectively, and function as continuations thereof.
The manner in which the mast pivots may be best be appreciated be reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. A pair of fluid pressure piston-cylinder assemblies 68 (only one visible) joins the upper mast legs 44 and 46 to the lower mast leg braces 52 and 54, respectively. Thus, the cylinders 68 are effectively anchored to the flatbed 12. As the pistons are retracted in the cylinder assemblies 68, the upper mast section, including the upper mast legs 44 and 46, is lowered to an essentially horizontal configuration as indicated in FIG. 1. In this posture, the upper mast section is supported by the two hinge pins and by a pair of pads 24a located on the top of the control house 24 for receiving the upper mast legs 44 and 46. The pads 24a prevents the crossbeams 56 from contacting the roof of the control house 24, leaving sufficient spacing between the house and these beams to permit the tubing 36 to pass through as indicated in FIG. 1.
As the piston rod of each cylinder 68 is extended under the influence of applied fluid pressure, the upper mast section pivots about the hinge pins as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2. Ultimately, the upright configuration of FIGS. 2-5 is achieved wherein the upper mast legs 44 and 46 are aligned with, and resting on, the lower mast legs 48 and 50, respectively. With the upper and lower hinge plates 58 and 60 closed on each other in this upright mast configuration, a pair of swing bolts and nuts are positioned and tightened across the hinge plates of each of the two mast leg structures. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 10, each of the swing bolts 70 is pivotally anchored, by means of a pin 72, to the respective lower mast leg 48 or 50. The hinge plates 58 and 60 are equipped with slots to receive the swing bolts 70. With the bolts 70 thus positioned, associated nuts 74 are tightened against the upper hinge plates. The four swing bolts 70 and nuts 74 thus anchor the upper mast legs 44 and 46 to the corresponding lower mast legs 48 and 50, respectively, to maintain the upper mast section in the erect configuration.
The injector head 40 is carried by a carriage structure shown generally at 76. Details of the carriage structure may be more fully appreciated by reference to FIGS. 3-8. The carriage structure at 76 includes a horizontal carriage platform 78 and a vertical carrier assembly 80. The vertical carrier assembly 80 includes side panels 82 and 84 joined at the top by a crossmember 86 and at the bottom by a beam construction 88. A pair of channel beams 90 and 92 ride within the mast legs 44, 48 and 46, 50, respectively. The channel beams 90 and 92 are fixed on the outer surfaces of the side panels 82 and 84, respectively, and bear the left-right lateral load between the vertical carrier assembly and the mast. A pair of rollers 94 are mounted on each of the side panels 82 and 84 just beyond the upper and lower ends of each of the guides 90 and 92. The rollers 94 bear the lateral load in the forward and backward direction between the vertical carrier assembly and the corresponding mast legs. The combination of the channel beams 90 and 92 and the rollers 94 serve to guide the vertical carrier assembly 80 along the mast legs.
The horizontal carriage platform 78 features a base plate 96 and a pair of longitudinally extending side arms 98 and 100 whose cross sections resemble that of a channel beam. A plate 102 connects the back end of the side arms 98 and 100, and each of these arms is subtended at the front end by a cover plate 104.
The side arms 98 and 100 ride between upper and lower sets of rollers 106 and 108, respectively, mounted on the interior of both side plates 82 and 84. Additionally, upper and lower rails 110 and 112, respectively, are fixed to each of the side panels 82 and 84 to further constrain vertical movement of the horizontal carriage platform relative to the vertical carrier assembly.
Tubing injector heads such as the one indicated at 40 are well known in the art, and will not be described in detail herein. It should be noted, however, that the basic elements of such an injector head, including the chain dog assemblies, the motor and gear mechanisms and the chain tensioner mechanism, may be mounted within a framework 114. Further framing including horizontal members 116 and members 118 provide additional support for mounting the various injector head components. As best seen in FIG. 6, the horizontal members 116 are joined by a support post 120 and a pivot union 122 to a skid base 124. The skid base fits within the area defined by the platform side arms 98 and 100, the back plate 102, and the cover plates 104 of the horizontal carriage. As may be appreciated from FIGS. 6-8, the skid base 124 is inserted within the side arms 98 and 100 before the end plates 104 are bolted into position. Further, the skid base 124 is capable of a moderate amount of lateral movement relative to the horizontal carriage platform in forward and backward as well as sideways directions.
A bracket 126 extends upwardly from a front cross bar 124a of the skid base and is coupled to the piston rod of a fluid pressure piston-cylinder assembly 128 whose cylinder is fixed by a bracket 130 to the side arm 100 of the horizontal carriage platform. Operation of the piston-cylinder assembly 128 by application of fluid pressure thereto causes the skid base 124 to move to the right or left relative to the horizontal carriage platform as the piston rod of the cylinder is extended or retracted, respectively. In this fashion, the injector head mounted on the skid base 124 is provided a degree of freedom in a generally horizontal direction transverse to the direction of folding of the mast 42.
As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the horizontal carriage platform 78, with the skid base 124 and the injector head 40 mounted thereon, may be moved forward and backward parallel to the direction of folding of the mast 42 by means of a chain drive assembly shown generally at 132. A pair of chains 134 is anchored to the bottom of the horizontal carriage platform at points 136 and 138, and pass around a pair of idler sprockets 140 and 142 and a drive sprocket 144 between and below the idler sprockets. The shaft of the drive sprocket is coupled at 146 to a worm drive 148 which, in turn, is joined to a reversable motor 150. Operation of the motor in one rotational sense or the other causes the drive sprocket 144 to be driven through the worm drive 148 in one rotational sense or the other to move the chain forward or backward, respectively, around the drive sprocket and the idler sprockets 140 and 142. Consequently, the horizontal carriage platform 78, and, therefore, the injector head 40, are caused to move forward or backward in response to such operation of the motor 150. In this fashion, the injector head 40 is provided a degree of freedom in a generally horizontal direction along the direction in which the mast 42 is pivoted. Further, the use of the worm drive 148 provides a positive locking mechanism wherein the horizontal carriage platform 78 is maintained in the relative horizontal position in which it is located upon cessation of operation of the motor 150. This is true because any tendency for the horizontal carriage platform 78 to be moved without operation of the motor 150 causes the chain to move through, and rotate, the sprockets 140 through 144 with the result that the worm drive 148 must also be turned. Since such backward driving of the worm drive 148 through the coupling 146 is met with considerable resistance by the worm drive itself, the horizontal carriage assembly 78 is positively locked into position without operation of the motor 150.
The mast at 42 is equipped with a double cylinder pickup system including outer cylinders 152 and 154 and inner cylinders 156 and 158, as best seen in FIG. 5. The tops of the cylinders 152 through 158 are joined by a crossmember 160 which features wrap-around ends 160a which ride along the I-beam flanges of the upper mast legs 44 and 46. The lower ends of cylinders 152 and 156 are joined by an end plate 162 with a wrap-around extension 162a which also rides along the I-beam construction of upper mast leg 44. Similarly, the bottom ends of the cylinders 154 and 158 are joined by an end plate 164 with a wrap-around extension (not visible) which rides along the I-beam construction of the upper mast leg 46. The "gripping" of the members 160 through 164 of the upper mast legs 44 and 46 serves to guide the cylinders 152 through 158 along the upper mast section and prevent any separation of the cylinder system from the mast.
The outer cylinder assemblies 152 and 154 feature upwardly directed piston rods 152a and 154a, respectively, which are coupled to the top of the mast at brackets 166. The inner cylinders 156 and 158 feature downwardly directed piston rods 156a and 158a, respectively. These latter piston rods 156a and 158a may be extended downwardly and connected by pins to clevises 168 mounted on the side panels 82 and 84, respectively, of the vertical carrier assembly 80. Then, as the fluid pressure is selectively applied to the cylinder assemblies 152 through 158, the vertical carrier assembly 80 may be raised or lowered along the erect mast 42. Consequently, a third degree of motion is provided for the injector head 40 in a vertical direction along the mast.
The outer channel of each of the I-beam mast legs 44 through 50 is fitted with a series of rods 170 which function as ladder steps along the mast. The rods 170 along the upper mast legs 44 and 46 are for the most part of heavy duty design, as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4 by their increased thickness, and protrude beyond the front surfaces of the upper mast legs in the form of studs with upset ends 170a. As shown in FIG. 5, a latch arm 172 is pivotally connected by a bracket 174 and pin 176 to the side panel 82 of the vertical carrier assembly 80. A wing 172a extends laterally from the latch arm and is joined to a fluid pressure piston-cylinder assembly 178 which is flexibly anchored to the side panel 82 by a bracket 180. As fluid pressure is appropriately applied to the piston-cylinder 178, the piston rod may be extended to swing the latch arm 172 over a stud 170a to thereby anchor the vertical carrier 80, and the injector head 40, against downward movement relative to the mast 42. With the piston of the cylinder assembly 178 contracted, the latch arm 172 is rotated clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 5, in an arc away from the studs 170a. With the latch arm 172 thus disengaged from the studs 170a, the vertical carrier assembly 80 may be raised or lowered as desired by operation of the cylinder assemblies 152 through 158. A similar pivoted latch arm, operated by a piston-cylinder assembly, is indicated at 182 mounted on the other side panel 84 of the vertical carrier assembly 80 to selectively engage or disengage studs 170a along the other upper mast leg 46. The two latch arms may be operated simultaneously by linking the fluid pressure lines leading to the corresponding piston-cylinder assemblies. Thus, in addition to the piston-cylinder assemblies 152 through 158 maintaining the vertical carrier assembly 80 and the injector head 40 at a selected elevation by appropriate application of fluid pressure to these cylinders, the latch arms are available for preventing downward movement of the vertical carrier assembly and injector head in the event of a failure in the cylinders 152 through 158, or in the fluid pressure lines leading thereto.
The lower mast legs 48 and 50 are joined together below the flatbed 12 by a crossbeam assembly 184. Screw jacks 186 carried at the base of each of the lower mast legs 48 and 50 may be extended downwardly to engage the ground prior to the elevation of the upper mast section. Thus, with the coiled tubing assembly in position to operate on a well, a significant portion of the weight of the mast 42 and the injector head 40 may be supported directly on the ground through the screw jacks 186.
An outrigger 188 is also carried by each of the lower mast legs 48 and 50, and includes a leg 190 telescoped within the outrigger sleeve and ending in a footpad 192. The leg 190 may be extended and pinned to the outer sleeve so that the footpad 192 may be placed firmly on the ground with the entire outrigger 188 oriented at an angle of, say, 45° relative to the vertical. The leg 190 is then secured at this position by a chain or cable 194 leading to the base of the associated lower mast leg. When the coiled tubing assembly of the present invention is in a transportation configuration as indicated in FIG. 1, with the mast folded, the legs 190 are retracted and the outriggers 188 are folded against the corresponding lower mast legs. Similarly, the screw jacks 186 are retracted within the inner channels of the lower mast leg I-beams.
A blowout preventer 196 is provided for use on the Christmas tree of the well on which the coiled tubing assembly is to operate. A pair of channel beams 200 (FIG. 9) are welded to the flatbed 12 between the position of the control house 24 and the anchoring of the mast 42. These channel beams 200 form a track system along which a blowout preventer carriage 202 may ride on rollers 204. The blowout preventer 196 may be carried on the carriage 202 and fastened there by any appropriate means, such as, for example, setting the blowout preventer on an upright stud 202a provided on the carriage for that purpose. For transportation and storage purposes the blowout preventer carriage 202, with the blowout preventer 196 positioned thereon, is moved toward the control house 24. In this position, the blowout preventer 196 does not interfere with the lowering of the injector head 40 so that the mast 42 may be folded, as indicated in FIG. 1. With the mast 42 erect and the injector head 40 elevated, the blowout preventer may be moved forward by advancing the carriage 202 along the track system of the channel beams 200 until the blowout preventer is positioned generally under the elevated injector head. A cable or chain 206 may be used to join the blowout preventer to the bottom of the skid base 124 as indicated in FIG. 4. The blowout preventer 196 may then be swung forward until it is in position over the Christmas tree of the well, (not shown), as indicated by the phantom lines in FIG. 4. In this fashion, the combination of the vertical carrier assembly 80 and the horizontal carriage platform 78, both supported on the mast 42, serves as a crane to allow the blowout preventer 196 to be swung into position over the well from the flatbed 12. When the well operation is completed, the cable or chain 206 may be used to reconnect the blowout preventer 196 to the skid base 124 to allow the blowout preventer to be swung back onto the carriage 202 for ultimate movement back into the storage or transportation configuration toward the control house 24, as indicated in FIG. 1.
The skid base 124 is fitted with a tube straightener 208 illustrated in detail in FIG. 6. The tube straightener 208 includes a pipe guide composed of three free wheeling rollers 210, 212, and 214 arranged in a plane with parallel rotational axes, as indicated in FIG. 6. The tubing 36 is received by the injector head 40 and passed along the chain dogs (not shown in detail) and down through the tube straightener 208. Within the tube straightener 208, the tubing 36 passes on the forward side of the rear wheels 210 and 214, and to the rearward side of the front wheel 212. The forward-backward lateral displacement of the forward wheel 212 relative to the other two wheels 210 and 214 is such that the tubing 36 is given a slight forward concave curvature to compensate for the opposite curvature enforced therein by passage through the injector head 40. Consequently, the tubing 36 emerging from the bottom of the tube straightener 208 is essentially straight.
A tubing meter 216 is provided at the vicinity of the tube straightener 208 to measure the length of tubing 36 injected into, or extracted from, the well being worked. It is particularly advantageous to place the tubing meter 216 between the injector head 40 and the well so that whatever stretching may have been effected on the tubing as it was driven downwardly by the injector head 40 will have occured prior to the measurement of the tubing length. Consequently, a relatively more accurate reading of the amount of tubing 36 actually injected into the well may be obtained.
The level wind tubing guide 38 fitted on the coiled tubing reel 16 is shown in some detail in FIG. 11. Vertical framing 218 supports a pair of end plates 220 (only one shown). A pair of lower rails 222, constructed of tubing of square cross-section and extending between the end plates 220, is joined by spacers 224 to matching upper rails 226 also extending between the end plates. A multi-return cylinder 228 is supported at the end plates 220 by appropriate bearing assemblies (not shown). A guide carriage 230, equipped with a floating nut 232 encompassing the cylinder 228, is constrained to lateral movement by bearings 234 mounted on the carriage and riding between the rails 222 and 226. Extending from the carriage 230 is a pair of sleeves 236 (only one visible). Each of the sleeves 236 receives a leg 240 which is slidable within the corresponding sleeve as indicated by the arrow. The legs 240 may be set at a desired height by pinning the legs to the respective sleeves 236 through holes 240a in the legs aligned with holes 236a in the sleeves. The tubing guide 38 is fixed to the top end of the legs 240 and moves up and down with the legs as the latter are moved along the sleeves 236. Thus, the guide 38 may be positioned at a variety of heights as desired for convenience of operation, as illustrated in FIG. 2, or lower to achieve a low profile for road clearance, as shown in FIG. 1. The guide 38 is of standard design including rollers 38a against which the tubing 36 may bear in the vertical direction as well as additional rollers (not visible) against which the tubing may bear in the transverse direction.
The tubing reel assembly 16 is equipped with a motor drive and appropriate gear or chain linkages (not shown) in a conventional manner. Thus, the motor of the reel assembly 16 may be selectively operated to rotate the reel to take up the tubing 36 as it is extracted from the well. Additionally, a drag effect may be produced by operating the motor of the reel assembly 16 to resist the unwinding of the tubing 36 from the reel as the tubing is being injected into the well. This drag-producing operation may be used to maintain a desired amount of tension in the tubing between the reel and the injector head 40 as well as to prevent the reel from running free and unwinding the tubing at a rate greater than desired.
The motor of the reel assembly 16 is also connected by appropriate belts or chains (not shown) to the multi-return cylinder 228 to rotate this cylinder whenever the reel itself is being rotated. Thus, when the reel, for example, is being rotated to take up the tubing 36, the cylinder 228 is continuously rotated in one rotational sense thereby causing back and forth lateral motion of the carriage 230 due to the meshing of the floating nut 232 mounted thereon with the helical grooves of the cylinder. As the carriage is thus swept back and forth, the tubing guide 38 is also maneuvered back and forth relative to the reel and guides the tubing 36 accordingly. Thus, in a well known manner, the tubing 36 is wound in a level fashion on the reel 16. When the tubing 36 is being removed from the reel, rotation of the reel is accompanied by rotation of the multi-return cylinder 228 due to the linkage of the cylinder to the motor, and to the reel 16. Consequently, the carriage 230 and the tubing guide 38 are again swept back and forth across the face of the reel 16 to facilitate the removal of the tubing therefrom.
The reel assembly 16 is fitted with a fluid-seal swivel device 242 incorporated in the hub of the reel in a well known manner. With one end of the tubing 36 extending down the well, the opposite end of the tubing fixed relative to the reel drum may be secured to one end of the swivel device 242 which rotates with the reel. Then, with the tubing 36 in the well, fluids of various kinds may be introduced down the well through the tubing 36 by means of the swivel device 242.
The fluid pressure lines from the power unit 20 and the control house to the reel drive motor and the various fluid pressure devices on the mast 42 and injector head 40 have not been expressly included in the drawings for purposes of clarity. Such fluid pressure communication lines are generally conventional. However, the fluid pressure lines used in the present system may be fitted with counterbalance valves. Such counterbalance valves are known, but not heretofore employed in coiled tubing systems. The counterbalance valves function to prevent rapid loss in pressure in a cylinder when a leak or break has occured in the associated pressure line. Thus, a safety factor is added to prevent, say, dropping of the injector head, or collapsing of the mast, when such a leak or break occurs.
When the coiled tubing assembly as described herein is brought to a well to be worked, it may be generally in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 1. Thus, the injector head 40 is in its lowermost position with the mast folded. The tubing 36 may or may not be extended through the guide 38 and the injector head 40 to the tube straightener 208. In either case, the tubing guide 38 would most likely be in a retracted configuration as shown to provide necessary road clearance for transportation.
The truck 14 is maneuvered to back the flatbed 12 to the vicinity of the well. The outriggers 188 are positioned as described hereinbefore and the screw jacks 186 are lowered against the ground. With the engine of the power unit 20 operating, the hydraulic pump and pneumatic compressor are operable. The air compressor is generally utilized to operate the chain tensioner (not shown) which is part of the injector head.
Hydraulic pressure is applied to the cylinder assemblies 68 to raise the mast to its vertical operating configuration. The four swing bolts 70 are positioned and locked. The double cylinder pickup system is then lowered by extension of the outer piston rods 152a and 154a, and the two inner piston rods 156a and 158a are lowered and pinned to the clevises 168 of the vertical carrier assembly 80. The cylinders 152 through 158 are further operated to elevate the injector head 40 along the mast 42.
The blowout preventer 196 is then moved forward on its carriage 202 to a position under the elevated injector head 40 as indicated in FIG. 4. The cable or chain 206 is used to connect the blowout preventer 196 to the injector head skid base 124 and the vertical carrier assembly 80 is further elevated. With the blowout preventer suspended from the skid base 124, the blowout preventer carriage 202 is returned to its transportation position toward the control house 24. The chain drive 132 is then operated to move the injector head 40 forward until the tubing straightener 208 is directly over the well. If necessary, the left-right adjustment cylinder 128 may be operated to move the front end of the skid base 124 and, therefore, the injector head 40 and the associated tubing straightener 208 laterally to position the tubing straightener over the well. The blowout preventer 196 is fastened to the top of the well Christmas tree and disengaged from the skid base 124.
The level of the injector head may again be adjusted, if necessary. When finally set at the desired operating position, the vertical carrier assembly is secured to the mast by the latch arms 172 engaging the studs 170a.
The level wind tubing guide 38 is raised to a more convenient operating position as indicated in FIG. 2, and the tubing 36 is advanced by operation of the injector head 40 through the tube straightener 208 down through the blowout preventer 196 into the well. If necessary, the tubing is first extended from the reel 16 through the tubing guide 38 and the injector head 40 to the tubing straightener 208.
Continued operation of the injector head 40 forces more of the tubing down the well. During this procedure, the tubing meter 216 maintains a constant reading on the amount of tubing 36 that has been injected into the well. Also, the motor of the reel assembly 16 may be so operated as to properly tension the tubing leading into the injector head 40.
When the tubing end is positioned at the desired level in the well, necessary operations may be carried out through the tubing 36 by means of the swivel device 242. For example, liquids may be introduced into the well through the tubing 36 to pump mud or sand from the well. Also, pressurized gasses such as nitrogen may be injected into the well in the workover operation.
When the workover operation has been completed, the injector head 40 may be operated in the opposite direction to extract the tubing 36 from the well as the reel 16 is rotated by its own drive motor to take up the tubing onto the reel. Once the tubing 36 is clear of the blowout preventer 196, it need not be completely wound on the reel, but may be left extending through the injector head 40 and the tube straightener 208. At that point, the blowout preventer 196 may be again connected to the skid base 124 by the cable or chain 206 and raised off of the Christmas tree. The chain drive assembly 132 and, if necessary, the left-right adjustment cylinder 128 are operated to return the horizontal carriage assembly 78 and the injector head 40, with the blowout preventer 196 suspended therefrom, to the original lateral position indicated generally in FIG. 4. The carriage 202 is moved under the injector 40 and the blowout preventer 196 is positioned on the carriage and disconnected from the skid base 124. The blowout preventer and its carriage are then returned to their transportation position. The latch arms 172 are disengaged from the studs 170a and the vertical carrier assembly 80 is lowered to the flatbed 12 as shown in FIG. 3.
The inner piston rods 156a and 158a are disengaged from the clevis connectors 168 and the four piston rods 152a through 158a are contracted to return the four cylinders 152 through 158 to the top of the mast as indicated in FIG. 2. The four swing bolts 70 are loosened and swung free of the upper hinge plates 58 and the cylinders 68 are operated to lower the mast to its transportation configuration as indicated in FIG. 1.
The tubing guide 38 is lowered by allowing the legs 240 to pass through the sleeves 236 to a lower position, with the tubing 36 still passing through the guide 38 to the injector head 40 and the tubing straightener 208. The screw jacks 186 are raised into the lower mast legs 44 and 46, and the outriggers collapsed and returned to their travel positions against the lower mast legs as well. The coiled tubing assembly is then ready to be moved to the next well working operation.
It will be appreciated that the present system provides for a coiled tubing apparatus that is relatively convenient and safe to use in well working operations. The capability of lowering the injector head to the flatbed, particularly in an upright configuration, provides increased access for servicing the injector head in a safer and more convenient manner. Furthermore, the ability to fold the mast for transportation purposes without the great weight of the injector head and the associated carriage structure being suspended on the pivoted portion of the mast makes folding the mast and transporting the apparatus safer procedures. The double cylinder system of the present invention allows the cylinders to be effectively extended along the mast above the flatbed as well as to remove the cylinder assembly from the lower portion of the mast for folding purposes. Further, the double cylinder system provides greater latitude in varying the elevation of the injector head along the mast. The chain drive assembly for lateral movement of the injector head horizontal carriage platform, including the worm drive locking mechanism, allows the injector head to be moved forward and backward with relative ease. Further, the left-right adjustment cylinder enhances the degree of flexibility of movement of the injector head over the well. The blowout preventer carriage and track system further allow operations associated with the workover of wells to be carried out with greater ease and safety since the blowout preventer may now be moved along the flatbed and suspended from the elevated injector head to be positioned over the Christmas tree with little or no manhandling. Also, the height adjustment of the level wind tubing guide allows the tubing guide to be lowered for road clearance purposes while retaining the tubing intact therein and extended through to the injector head. Thus, less time is required in setting up the coiled tubing apparatus for workover operations as well as in placing the apparatus in condition for transporting on a highway.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.
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Disclosed is a system including two or more fluid pressure piston-and-cylinder assemblies. The cylinders are linked in pairs so that retraction of both piston rods reduces the length of the pair of assemblies to the length of a single assembly. Operation of both pistons in a pair provides an effective stroke twice the length of a single assembly stroke. In a particular embodiment, a double cylinder system is used as a pickup system for elevating equipment along a mast in a well workover rig.
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