text stringlengths 1.55k 332k | label int64 0 8 |
|---|---|
turning now to fig1 , there is shown the stent component 1 of a stent - valve in accordance with the present invention . the stent 1 is typically made from a laser machined shape memory metal such as nitinol or elgiloy or any other medical grade metal suitable for stents , stent - grafts and the like . further , the stent component can be made using wire forms with and without welding . the stent 1 consists of a proximal end 2 opposite a distal end 3 . the distal end 3 contains a band of hexagonal shaped elements with adjacent elements sharing a common side . this band of hexagonal elements is herein called a fixation ring 4 . the fixation ring 4 can also be comprised of diamond shaped or zig - zag shaped elements , etc . each hexagonal element 3 a is formed in a geometry such that both the upper apices 5 and the lower apices 6 extend radially outward from the central portion of the fixation ring 4 as best shown in fig1 and 3 . the purpose of the angle of the apices 5 and 6 , as will later be demonstrated , is to contact the inner wall of a blood vessel in order to prevent the stent from moving distally ( or proximally ) in the blood vessel ; in other words , such apices fixates the stent in place against the inner wall of the blood vessel . a plurality ( preferably , at least three ) suspenders or connectors 7 hang from the fixation ring 4 and attach the fixation ring 4 to a lower securing ring 8 . the securing ring 8 preferably comprises a band of zig - zag elements 9 ( although this ring 8 can also include diamond shaped or hexagonal shaped elements , etc .). the lower part of the securing ring 8 is comprised of elements 10 that project generally downward to feet 11 that project radially inward . the securing ring 8 is suspended in place by the fixation ring 4 . fig2 illustrates an exemplary non - collapsible prosthetic heart valve 20 for use in conjunction with the present invention . the valve 20 includes a substantially rigid annular base 21 with three flexible leaflets 22 a , 22 b , 22 c attached along its upper surface 23 . the base 21 and leaflets 22 a , 22 b , 22 c may be formed from a biochemically inert polymeric material . alternatively , the rigid base may be formed from a metal , such as titanium , stainless steel , nitonol , etc . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that fluid flowing in the direction of arrow 24 will displace the leaflet 22 a , 22 b , 22 c axially and move through a central gap formed by the axial displacement of the leaflets 22 a , 22 b , 22 c ; while fluid traveling in the opposite direction of arrow 24 will cause the leaflets 22 a , 22 b , 22 c to close by opposing each other and thus block the flow of fluid in this opposite direction . any other non - collapsible prosthetic heart valve may be used , including , but not limited to , mechanical valves ( e . g ., tilting disk ), non - collapsible bioprosthetic valves and other non - collapsible polymer - based prosthetic valves . fig3 shows the valve 20 placed in the stent 1 with the base 21 of the valve resting on the feet 11 of the stent . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the valve 20 can be sutured , glued to , mechanically attached , force fit , locked into or otherwise rigidly attached to the securing ring 8 of the stent 1 . it can further be appreciated that the securing ring 8 may be heat treated at a very small diameter and expanded such that valve 20 fits into the securing ring stent such that inward forces of the expanded securing ring hold the valve 20 in place . it should be noted that this is the reverse of a typical stent design that relies on outward forces to hold it in place . it can also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the feet 11 can be designed as a harness or the like to capture the valve 20 which will enable easy assembly of the stent - valve in the operating room . as shown in fig4 , a seal 40 is preferably disposed around the securing ring 8 . the seal may be an annulus of foam , a multiplicity of strands , a rolled sewing cuff , or the like . the seal 40 prevents blood from leaking around the device once it is fixated . in addition , the seal 40 can be made porous to allow tissue ingrowth and facilitate permanent fixation of the device . further , for certain applications , such as for aortic valve replacement as discussed below , the seal 40 can also take the form of an annular wedge such that a wide potion of the wedge remains in the ventricle , while the remaining portion of the wedge lies in the aorta , much like a cork in a bottle . in another aspect of the present invention , the stent valve device described above is loaded into and deployed from a deployment catheter as shown in fig4 - 10 . after the valve 20 is secured in place to the securing ring 8 and the seal 40 disposed around the securing ring 8 , the fixation ring 4 is compressed radially inwards as shown in fig4 . a catheter 50 is provided with an upper nose cone 51 rigidly secured to an inner - body 60 as shown in fig5 . the inner - body 60 can be hollow to accommodate a guide wire , endoscope , fiber optics , fluid passage way , and the like . the inner - body 60 extends the entire length of the catheter where it can terminate with a hub with a luer or the like ( not shown ). the nose cone 51 holds the fixation ring 4 in its compressed state while the catheter is guided through the vasculature to the deployment site . a restrictor 61 is rigidly secured to a mid - body 62 . the mid - body 62 is concentric over the inner - body 60 and can be attached to a grip or the like ( not shown ) to enable holding in place during deployment . the restrictor 61 is disposed distally adjacent the fixation ring 4 and prevents the fixation ring from moving distally when the nose cone 51 is moved forward to enable deployment of the stent - valve device . the deployment catheter 50 also includes a second inverse or lower cone 53 securely attached to an outer - body 64 . the outer - body 64 is concentric over the mid - body 62 and can be attached to a grip or the like ( not shown ) to enable holding in place during deployment . the second cone 53 is inserted through the valve 20 ( e . g ., through the flexible leaflets and base the valve ) where it nests or otherwise mates concentrically with the upper nose cone 51 as best shown in fig5 and 10 . the proximal end of the upper nose cone 51 includes cutouts 65 through which pass the suspenders 7 of the stent as the stent is fixation ring 4 is held in its compressed state under the upper nose cone 51 as best shown in fig5 and 10 . the stent - valve is deployed as shown in fig6 - 9 . the catheter 50 ( and the stent - valve housed therein as shown in fig5 and 10 ) is introduced into the deployment area preferably by an intercostal penetration methodology . the catheter is then positioned in place at the deployment site ( fig6 ). while the restrictor 61 is held in place by securing the mid - body 62 , the upper nose cone 51 is advanced forward thereby allowing the fixation ring 4 to deploy ( fig7 ). the outward radial force produced by the fixation ring 4 combined with the angled orientation of the apices of the fixation ring 4 securely attach the fixation ring 4 to the vessel wall 70 . the suspenders 7 and securing ring 8 with feet 11 hold the valve 20 in place and the seal 40 prevents fluid from flowing around the valve 20 . after the fixation ring 4 is deployed , the entire catheter assembly is retracted through the valve 20 by pulling the bodies 60 , 62 , 64 rearward ( fig8 and 9 ) and out of the body . the lower cone 53 is shaped to mate with the upper nose cone and thereby protect the leaflets of the valve 20 from damage when the assembly is retracted back through the leaflets after deployment . fig9 shows the stent - valve assembly deployed and secured to the vessel wall 70 at the deployment site . fig1 illustrates the stent - valve assembly loaded into the deployment catheter 50 prior to introduction into the body . fig1 illustrates the deployment and fixation of the stent - valve assembly of the present invention in the ascending aorta 72 . it can be located at or near the original location of a removed aortic valve or it can be inserted through an old aortic valve where it essentially pushes the leaflets of the old aortic valve aside . it is placed in the ascending aorta 72 just distal to the left ventricle 83 with the upper fixation ring 4 located distal to the coronary arteries 71 a , 71 b and the lower securing ring 8 placed proximal to the coronary arteries 71 a , 71 b and above the ventricle . the suspenders 7 of the stent are rotated / located so as not to interfere with blood flow to the coronary arteries 71 a , 71 b . the deployment catheter 50 is inserted below the deployment site through the wall of the left ventricle 83 by cutting a slit in the left ventricle at site 80 which is thereafter repaired . alternate entrance sites within the left ventricle 83 may be used . the left atrium 82 and left ventricle 83 are shown as landmarks within the heart for simplicity of description . alternatively , the stent - valve assembly can be deployed from above the deployment site ( e . g ., from the aorta where a slit can be made , for example , at site 81 as shown in fig1 ). in this alternative embodiment , the fixation ring 4 is disposed proximal relative to the securing ring 8 . a deployment catheter 50 ′ as shown in fig1 - 14 can be used to deploy the stent - valve at the intended deployment site . the catheter 50 ′ includes an outer cannula 101 whose distal end 103 holds the fixation ring 4 in its compressed state as shown in fig1 . an inner push rod 105 is disposed within the outer cannula 101 with its distal end 107 disposed adjacent the fixation ring 4 . the inner push rod 105 can be hollow to accommodate a guide wire , endoscope , fiber optics , fluid passage way , and the like . the outer cannula 101 is retracted back ( with the push rod 105 held in place axially ) to allow for deployment and fixation of the fixation ring 4 and the valve 20 secured thereto as shown in fig1 . the catheter 50 ′ is retracted further ( fig1 ) and out of the body . turning now to fig1 , there is shown an alternate stent component 1 ′ for a stent - valve in accordance with the present invention . the stent 1 ′ is typically made from a laser machined shape memory metal or wire forms as described above . the stent 1 ′ contains a band of hexagonal shaped elements with adjacent elements sharing a common side , referred to as a fixation ring 4 ′. the fixation ring 4 ′ can also be comprised of diamond shaped or zig - zag shaped elements , etc . each hexagonal element 3 a ′ is formed in a geometry such that both the upper apices 5 ′ and the lower apices 6 ′ extend radially outward from the central portion of the fixation ring 4 ′. small barbs 13 , 15 project from the apices 5 ′ and 6 ′, respectively , as shown . the purpose of the angle of the apices 5 ′, 6 ′ and the barbs 13 , 15 is to contact the inner wall of a blood vessel in order to prevent the stent 1 ′ from moving distally ( or proximally ) in the blood vessel ; in other words , such apices and barbs aid in fixating the stent in place against the inner wall of the blood vessel . a plurality ( preferably , at least three ) elements 10 ′ project generally downward ( preferably from the bottom apices 6 ′ of the ring 4 ′) to feet 11 ′. the feet 11 ′ project radially inward and then upward as shown in fig1 . the feet 11 ′ support the non - collapsible valve element 20 as shown in fig1 . a seal 40 ′ is preferably disposed around the elements 10 ′ and the base of the valve element 20 . the seal 40 ′ may be an annulus of foam , a multiplicity of strands , a rolled sewing cuff , or the like . the seal 40 ′ prevents blood from leaking around the valve element 20 once it is fixated . in addition , the seal 40 ′ can be made porous to allow tissue ingrowth and facilitate permanent fixation of the device . further , for certain applications , such as for aortic valve replacement as discussed herein , the seal 40 ′ can also take the form of an annular wedge such that a wide potion of the wedge remains in the ventricle , while the remaining portion of the wedge lies in the aorta , much like a cork in a bottle . the stent - valve device of fig1 is preferably loaded into and deployed from a deployment catheter in a manner similar to that described above with respect to fig4 - 14 . after the valve 20 is supported by the feet 11 ′, the fixation ring 4 ′ is compressed radially inwards ( in a manner similar that shown in fig4 ) and loaded into the catheter ( e . g ., into the nose cone 51 ( fig5 ) or in the outer cannula ( fig1 )). the catheter is introduced into the body and located adjacent the intended deployment site . the catheter is manipulated to the deploy the fixation ring 4 ′ from the distal end of the catheter , where it expands and contacts the vessel wall for fixation of the ring 4 ′ and the valve 20 secured thereto . the catheter is then retracted out of the body . the apices and barbs of the fixation ring 4 ′ aid in fixating the stent - valve device 1 ′ in place against the inner wall of the blood vessel . advantageously , the prosthetic stent - valve devices described herein and the associated deployment mechanisms and surgical methods are minimally invasive and thus eliminate the multitude of sutures that are traditionally used to implant a heart valve . it also avoids total severing and re - suturing of the aorta which is standard practice for deploying prosthetic valves . by eliminating these complex procedures , the implantation time can be reduced significantly . although the above stent device is described as holding and deploying a non - collapsible prosthetic valve , it can be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the prosthetic valve , if designed to be compressed , can be made flexible and be compressed down and introduced through a small catheter . it is further appreciated by those skilled in the art that this device can be introduced percutaneously through a small hole in the iliac or femoral artery in the groin . there have been described and illustrated herein several embodiments of a stent - valve assembly and a deployment catheter and surgical methods for use therewith . while particular embodiments of the invention have been described , it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto , as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise . thus , while particular geometries and configurations of the stent component have been disclosed , it will be appreciated that other geometries and configurations can be used as well . for example , the self - expanding fixation ring of the stent may be replaced by a fixation ring that is expanded through the use of an expandable balloon disposed inside the fixation ring . in addition , while particular configurations of the deployment catheter component have been disclosed , it will be understood that alternative configurations of the deployment catheter can be used . for example , instead of ( or in conjunction with ) a catheter housing or sheath that restrains the fixation ring , a suture can be used for this purpose . once the fixation ring is located , the suture can be cut ( or possibly pulled through ) to release the fixation ring where it expands and fixates the stent - valve assembly in place . such suture tension may be worthwhile as it keeps the valve from jumping which may happen when pushed from a catheter ( commonly referred to as the “ water melon seed ” effect ). also , while particular applications have been disclosed for replacement of the aortic valve of the left ventricle of the heart , it can be readily adapted for use in the replacement of other heart valves ( e . g ., pulmonary valve ). it will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as claimed . | 0 |
the following embodiments of the invention shown in the figures are the embodiments presently preferred by the inventor , but over time other embodiments and uses in other areas may become preferred to those skilled in the art . the dimensions of the valve cover and holes could vary , but typical dimensions would be : holes 1 . 07 by 3 . 06 inches ; space between holes 1 . 49 to 1 . 1 inches ; lip of valve cover 3 . 85 inches by 18 . 44 inches ; raised portion of valve cover 2 . 99 inches by 17 . 58 inches . fig1 shows the valve covers with the openings on the top for hydraulic flat tappet cams and hydraulic roller cams . the adjustments will be made through the top only . the valve adjustment tool is inserted through the top access openings for access to the adjusting nut . fig4 section a - a shows the adjustments being made through the top access . fig3 shows the engine with the adjustment tool through the top access . fig5 shows the valve covers with the openings on the top and side for solid lifters cams and solid roller cams . the adjustments will be made through the top and side . the valve adjustment tool is inserted through the top access openings for access to the adjusting nuts , while the feeler gauge will be inserted through the side holes . fig8 section a - a shows the adjustments being made through the top and side access . fig7 shows the engine with the adjustment tool through the top access with the feeler gauge through the side access . the plugs stay the same for both types of valve covers . tests were run in may of 2009 . while testing the engine at idle to 5000 revolutions per minute , there wasn &# 39 ; t any oil pumped out of the valve cover while the top plugs were removed . valve adjustments were made through the adjustment access holes , without removing the valve cover , while the engine was running with oil remaining within the head . when the rubber plugs were in place the seal was excellent . design variations may include different shaped access openings with different shaped rubber plugs . ( the size , shape and location of the openings will be self limiting .) variations in color and graphics for the rubber plugs . the rubber plugs could have billet covers that would be removable . rubber plugs could be connected for removal of all plugs at once . valve covers can be made with the rubber plugs for access to valve trains for v - 8 , v - six , straight six and four cylinder engines with adjustable type valve train . a number of changes are possible to the methods , parts , and uses described above while still remaining within the scope and spirit of the invention . the specifics about the form and use of the invention described in this application ( including the specifics in the summary , abstract , preferred embodiment , additional embodiments , and alternative embodiments , etc .) are examples and are not intended to be limiting in scope . those skilled in the art will recognize certain modifications , permutations , additions , subtractions and sub - combinations thereof , and may discover new fields of use . the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims and their legal equivalents , not the examples , purposes , summary , preferred embodiments , alternative or additional embodiments , operation , tests , parameters , or limitations etc . given above . it is intended that the claims are interpreted to include all such modifications , additions , subtractions , permutations and sub - combinations as are within their true spirit and scope , including those which may be recognized later by those skilled in the art . | 5 |
[ 0020 ] fig1 illustrates a schematic view of an embodiment of a 1t1r memory array 10 . a 24 bit 1t1r memory array is shown . as shown , there are four word lines 12 , labeled w 1 - w 4 , and six bit lines 14 , labeled b 1 - b 6 . each bit 16 ( indicated by dashed lines ) is formed by a transistor 18 and a resistive element 20 , accordingly this memory element may be referred to as a 1 - transistor , 1 - resistor memory bit , or a 1t1r memory bit . each transistor 18 has a gate 22 , which is connected to one of the word lines 12 . the resistive element 20 is connected between a drain 24 of a transistor 18 and a bit line 14 . the transistor 18 has a source 26 connected to a common source 28 ( designated vs ). as shown in this embodiment , the sources 26 of adjacent transistors 18 are connected together , which may reduce array area . [ 0021 ] fig2 illustrates a planar view of a 1t1r memory array 10 during processing . as shown in this embodiment , there are four word lines 12 , labeled w 1 - w 4 , and three bit lines 14 , labeled b 1 - b 3 , which form a 12 bit memory array . [ 0022 ] fig3 shows a cross - section of the memory array of fig2 taken through one of the bit lines 14 , and corresponds to the cross - section identified as “ a - a ” in fig2 . fig4 shows a cross - section that corresponds to “ b - b ” in fig2 which is a cross - section taken between two adjacent bit lines 14 . a standard process , which is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art , may be used to form any desired wells and shallow trench isolation ( sti ) 48 on a substrate 50 . a gate oxide 52 is grown over the substrate 50 . a layer of polycide 54 is deposited , followed by a layer of oxide 56 , and a layer of nitride 58 . the term oxide as used herein refers to silicon oxide , including silicon dioxide . the term nitride refers generally to silicon nitride . for example , the polycide 54 may be between approximately 100 nm and 200 nm thick ; the oxide 56 may be between approximately 100 nm and 200 nm thick , and the nitride between approximately 50 nm and 100 nm thick . photoresist is deposited and patterned . the layers of polycide 54 , oxide 56 and nitride 58 are then etched to form gate stacks 60 , as shown in fig3 and fig4 . phosphorous or arsenic n + source / drain ion implantation is then performed to produce source regions 62 and drain regions 64 . the n + ion implantation may include lightly doped drain ( ldd ). the n + ion implantation may include halo ion implantation . both of these implantation processes may be used in connection with support circuitry , if any , so that these processes performed in connection with the memory array need not add process steps to the total process . a layer of nitride is deposited , preferably to a thickness of between approximately 50 nm and 150 nm , and etched to form nitride sidewalls 66 , as shown in fig5 and 6 . fig5 corresponds to fig3 following formation of the nitride sidewalls 66 . fig6 corresponds to fig4 following formation of the nitride sidewalls 66 . a salicide process is then performed to salicide the n + areas , which correspond to the source / drain regions 62 and 64 , and the p + areas , which within the memory array correspond to the p - well tie ( not shown ). the salicide process may be used to form common source lines , for example between adjacent transistors . if the memory array is being formed simultaneously with support circuitry the p + areas may also correspond to source / drain regions of some of the support circuitry ( not shown ). silicon oxide 70 is deposited by a cvd process to a thickness suitable for planarization using a cmp process . for example , the silicon oxide may be deposited to a thickness of about 1 . 5 times the height of the gate stack 60 . the silicon oxide 70 is then planarized using a cmp process . in one embodiment the planarization will be stopped at the nitride 58 , resulting in the structure shown in fig7 which corresponds to fig5 following deposition and planarization of silicon oxide 70 , and fig8 which likewise corresponds to fig6 following additional processing . photoresist is applied and patterned for bit contact etch . a selective etch of the oxide is used to open bit contacts . because of the high selectivity of oxide to nitride etch , overlap of the mask pattern over the nitride 58 is tolerable . due to the selectivity of the etch process the silicon oxide is etched without etching the nitride on top of the gate stack , this provides at least some self alignment of the bit contacts . a barrier metal , such as , tin , tan , taaln x is deposited to form a thin barrier layer ( not shown ). a bottom electrode material is then deposited . for example the bottom electrode material may be platinum or iridium . the bottom electrode material is planarized , for example using cmp , to the level of the nitride 58 to produce bottom electrodes 74 . the resulting structure is shown in fig9 which corresponds to the cross - section at the bit line , and fig1 , which corresponds to the cross - section between adjacent bit lines . in one embodiment , a resistive memory material 76 is deposited over the bottom electrodes 74 across the memory array 10 . alternatively , the resistive memory material 76 is deposited over an entire wafer and removed from areas outside the memory array 10 . the resistive memory material 76 is composed of any material that is capable of changing resistance in response to electrical pulses , for example a cmr and htsc materials , such as pcmo . a top electrode 78 is then formed by depositing a top electrode material , such as platinum or iridium , patterning and etching the top electrode material to form one , or more , top electrodes 78 , which correspond to the bit lines 14 . the resulting memory array structure is illustrated by the cross - sectional view shown in fig1 , which corresponds to the cross section at a bit line , and fig1 , which corresponds to the cross section between adjacent bit lines . in a second embodiment , a layer of resistive memory material 76 is deposited overlying the memory array and etched to form resistive memory studs ( not shown ) overlying the bottom electrodes 74 . a thin layer of between approximately 10 and 50 nm of a barrier insulator , such as si 3 n 4 , al 3 o 5 or tio 2 is deposited , followed by a layer of oxide . the layer of oxide has a thickness suitable for cmp planarization , for example 1 . 5 times the height of the resistive memory studs . the layer of oxide is then planarized level with the resistive memory studs , possibly using cmp . the planarization process removes the barrier insulator from the tops of the resistive memory studs , prior to formation of the top electrodes 78 . in a third embodiment , resistive memory studs are formed using a single damascene process . a layer of oxide is deposited to a thickness of between approximately 100 nm and 300 nm . trenches are etched through the oxide to the bottom electrodes 74 . a thin layer of barrier insulator , such as si 3 n 4 , al 3 o 5 or tio 2 , between approximately 10 nm and 50 nm thick is deposited along the trenches , including on trench sidewalls . the barrier insulator is plasma etched to remove barrier insulator from planar surfaces , including the bottom electrodes 74 , leaving barrier insulator on the trench sidewalls . the resistive memory material 76 is deposited and planarized to form resistive memory studs ( not shown ). top electrodes 78 are then formed overlying the resistive memory studs . although the above embodiment , utilized an n + ion implant for the formation of the source and drain regions , a p + ion implant could have been used instead . one process of forming transistors has been described in connection with the formation of the 1t1r resistive memory array . this process may be used to form support electronics as well as the memory array . for example , the support electronics and the memory array transistors may be formed using at least some of the process steps described above . an alternative process for forming transistors may be used , including for example a process that incorporates a high - k dielectric material . once the transistors are formed , contact is made to the drain and a resistive memory material is deposited , as described above to form a 1t1r resistive memory array . a 1t1r resistive memory device structure along with a memory array comprising multiple 1t1r bits has been provided , and described . the present invention is not limited to any particular array size or configuration . other variations and embodiments of the invention may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art . the scope of the invention shall be defined by the claims , without being limited by any preferred embodiment . | 7 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , one or more substrates 10 will be polished by a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus 20 . an exemplary polishing apparatus 20 includes a machine base 22 with a table top 23 that supports a series of polishing stations , including a first polishing station 25 a , a second polishing station 25 b , and a final polishing station 25 c , and a transfer station 27 . transfer station 27 serves multiple functions , including receiving individual substrates 10 from a loading apparatus ( not shown ), washing the substrates , loading the substrates into carrier heads , receiving the substrates from the carrier heads , washing the substrates again , and finally , transferring the substrates back to the loading apparatus . a description of a similar polishing apparatus may be found in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 738 , 574 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . each polishing station includes a rotatable platen . at least one of the polishing stations , such as first station 25 a , includes a polishing cartridge 102 mounted to a rotatable , rectangular platen 100 . the polishing cartridge 102 includes a linearly advanceable sheet or belt of fixed - abrasive polishing material . the remaining polishing stations , e . g ., second polishing station 25 b and final polishing station 25 c , may include polishing pads 32 and 34 , respectively , each attached to a circular platen 30 . each platen may be connected to a platen drive motor ( not shown ) that rotates the platen at thirty to two hundred revolutions per minute , although lower or higher rotational speeds may be used . assuming that substrate 10 is a 300 mm diameter disk , then rectangular platen 100 may be about thirty inches on a side , and circular platen 30 and polishing pads 32 and 34 may be about thirty inches in diameter . each polishing station 25 a , 25 b , and 25 c also includes a combined slurry / rinse arm 52 that projects over the associated polishing surface . each slurry / rinse arm 52 may include two or more slurry supply tubes to provide a polishing liquid , slurry , or cleaning liquid to the surface of the polishing pad . for example , the polishing liquid dispensed onto the fixed - abrasive polishing sheet at first polishing station 25 a will not include abrasive particles , whereas the slurry dispensed onto the standard polishing pad at second polishing station 25 b will include abrasive particles . if final polishing station 25 c is used for buffing , the polishing liquid dispensed onto the polishing pad at that station would not include abrasive particles . typically , sufficient liquid is provided to cover and wet the entire polishing pad . each slurry / rinse arm also includes several spray nozzles ( not shown ) which provide a high - pressure rinse at the end of each polishing and conditioning cycle . the polishing stations may include an optional associated pad conditioner apparatus 40 . the polishing stations that include polishing pad , i . e ., polishing station 25 a , may include an optional unillustrated cleaning apparatus to remove grit or polishing debris from the surface of the polishing sheet . the cleaning apparatus may include a rotatable brush to sweep the surface of the polishing sheet and / or a nozzle to spray a pressurized cleaning liquid , e . g ., deionized water , onto the surface of the polishing sheet . the cleaning apparatus can be operated continuously , or between polishing operations . in addition , the cleaning apparatus could be stationary , or it could sweep across the surface of the polishing sheet . in addition , optional cleaning stations 45 may be positioned between polishing stations 25 a and 25 b , between polishing stations 25 b and 25 c , between polishing station 25 c and transfer station 27 , and between transfer station 27 and polishing station 25 a , to clean the substrate as it moves between the stations . in the exemplary polishing system , a rotatable multi - head carousel 60 is supported above the polishing stations by a center post 62 and is rotated about a carousel axis 64 by a carousel motor assembly ( not shown ). carousel 60 includes four carrier head systems mounted on a carousel support plate 66 at equal angular intervals about carousel axis 64 . three of the carrier head systems receive and hold substrates , and polish them by pressing them against the polishing sheet of station 25 a and the polishing pads of stations 25 b and 25 c . one of the carrier head systems receives a substrate from and delivers a substrate to transfer station 27 . each carrier head system includes a carrier or carrier head 80 . a carrier drive shaft 78 connects a carrier head rotation motor 76 ( shown by the removal of one quarter of the carousel cover ) to carrier head 80 so that each carrier head can independently rotate about its own axis . in addition , each carrier head 80 independently laterally oscillates in a radial slot 72 formed in carousel support plate 66 . the carrier head 80 performs several mechanical functions . generally , the carrier head holds the substrate against the polishing surface , evenly distributes a downward pressure across the back surface of the substrate , transfers torque from the drive shaft to the substrate , and ensures that the substrate does not slip out from beneath the carrier head during polishing operations . a description of a suitable carrier head may be found in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 183 , 354 and 6 , 857 , 945 , filed may 21 , 1997 , the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference . referring to fig3 a , 3 b , and 3 c , polishing cartridge 102 is detachably secured to rectangular platen 100 at polishing station 25 a . polishing cartridge 102 includes a feed roller 130 , a take - up roller 132 , and a generally linear sheet or belt 110 of a polishing pad material . an unused or a fresh portion 120 of the polishing sheet is wrapped around feed roller 130 , and a used portion 122 of the polishing sheet is wrapped around take - up roller 132 . a rectangular exposed portion 124 of the polishing sheet that is used to polish substrates extends between the used and unused portions 120 , 122 over a top surface 140 of rectangular platen 100 . the rectangular platen 100 can be rotated ( as shown by phantom arrow a in fig3 a ) to rotate the exposed portion of the polishing sheet and thereby provide relative motion between the substrate and the polishing sheet during polishing . between polishing operations , the polishing sheet can be advanced ( as shown by phantom arrow b in fig3 a ) to expose an unused portion of the polishing sheet . when the polishing material advances , polishing sheet 110 unwraps from feed roller 130 , moves across the top surface of the rectangular platen 100 , and is taken up by take - up roller 132 ( as shown in fig1 ). referring to fig4 , in some embodiments , the polishing sheet 110 includes two layers . an upper polishing layer 119 is formed from a polishing material and a lower layer 116 , such as a backing layer or carrier layer is formed from a film . the upper polishing layer 119 can be formed from a resin , such as a phenolic resins , polyurethane , urea - formaldehyde resin , melamine formaldehyde resin , acrylated urethane , acrylated epoxy , ethylenically unsaturated compound , aminoplast derivative having at least one pendant acrylate group , isocyanurate derivative having at least one pendant acrylate group , vinyl ether , epoxy resin , and combinations thereof . the sheet can also include fillers , such as hollow microspheres or voids . lower layer 116 is a backing layer composed of a material such as a polymeric film , e . g ., polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), paper , cloth , a metallic film or the like . in some embodiments , the two layers are bonded together , such as with an epoxy or an adhesive , e . g ., a pressure sensitive adhesive , or by welding the two layers together . the polishing layer can be between 10 and 150 mils , such as between 20 and 80 mils , such as around 40 mils thick . the polishing sheet 110 can be about twenty , twenty five or thirty inches wide . referring to fig1 a - 11c , in some implementations , the upper polishing layer of the polishing sheet 110 has grooves in the top surface . the grooves can be of any configuration , but can be rotationally and translationally invariant . the grooves can be x - grooves , shown in fig1 b , that is , grooves that are arranged perpendicular to the direction of travel of the sheet , xy - grooves , shown in fig1 a , that is , grooves that are perpendicular and parallel to the direction of travel of the sheet , diagonal grooves , or other suitable groove pattern . in fig1 a - 11b , the arrows indicate the direction of travel . the grooves can be between about 45 and 5 mils deep , such as between about 35 and 15 mils , such as about 25 mils deep . in some implementations , the grooves are spaced closely together to aid in bending the polishing sheet , as described further herein . referring again to fig3 a , 3 b and 3 c , a transparent strip 118 can be formed along the length of polishing sheet 110 . the transparent strip 118 or window may be positioned at the center of the sheet , that is , the window can run the length of the polishing pad and be approximately equidistant to each pad edge , and may be between about 0 . 2 and 1 inch wide , such as between about 0 . 4 and 0 . 8 inches wide or about 0 . 6 inches wide . the transparent strip will be aligned with an aperture or transparent window 154 in rectangular platen 100 to provide optical monitoring of the substrate surface for end point detection , as discussed in greater detail below . the top surface of the transparent strip 118 can be planar with the top surface of the polishing portion of the polishing sheet 110 . this arrangement prevents slurry from collecting on the transparent strip 118 and adversely affecting any metrology that is performed through the transparent strip 118 . the feed and take - up rollers 130 and 132 should be slightly longer than the width of polishing sheet 110 . the rollers 130 , 132 may be plastic or metal cylinders about 20 ″ long and between about 2 ″ and 2 . 5 ″ in diameter . because the polishing sheet 110 passes around the rollers 130 , 132 many times , the transparent strip 118 is formed of a material that is not prone to cracking , crazing , delaminating or splitting , such as at the pad / strip interface . ideally , the transparent strip is formed of a material sufficiently durable to hold up to conditioning with a diamond coated conditioning tool . in some implementations , the transparent strip 118 is integral with the backing layer , that is , the transparent strip 118 and the backing layer are made of the same material and are a single unit . in some implementations , the transparent strip can be molded to the polishing layer . in some implementations , the top surface of the transparent strip 118 is substantially planar with the top surface of the polishing sheet 110 . a commercially available material having many of the desired properties of the transparent strip is calthane nd 3200 polyurethane ( cal polymers , long beach , calif .). the material is a two part clear non - ambering urethane elastomer , and it has a transmittance of at least 80 % ( for a 150 mils thick sheet ) for wavelengths of 350 nm and greater ( out to the end of the visible light spectrum at about 700 nm ). the material has a refractive index of about 1 . 48 . without being limited to any particular theory , it is believed that the high transmission of this polyurethane material ( in contrast to currently available polyurethane window materials ) is the use of a polyurethane material that is substantially free of internal defects . although current polyurethanes used for windows are generally free of additives , such materials can include internal defects , such as bubbles or voids , cracks , or microdomains ( e . g ., small areas of differing crystalline structure or orientation ) that act to diffuse or scatter the light . by forming the polyurethane substantially free of internal defects , it is possible to achieve a high optical clarity . in some implementations , the transparent strip 118 is formed from a polyurethane material , for example , calthane nd 3200 . the material forming the transparent strip can have hardness on the shore d scale of between about 50 and 80 , such as 60 . in some implementations , the material forming the transparent strip has a thickness of between about 50 mils and 55 mils . rectangular platen 100 includes a generally planar rectangular top surface 140 bounded by a feed edge 142 , a take - up edge 144 , and two parallel lateral edges 146 . a groove 150 ( shown in phantom in fig3 a and 3c ) is formed in top surface 140 . the groove 150 may be a generally - rectangular pattern that extends along edges 142 - 146 of top surface 140 . a passage 152 through platen 100 connects groove 150 to a vacuum source 200 ( see fig5 ). when passage 152 is evacuated , exposed portion 124 of polishing sheet 110 is vacuum - chucked to top surface 140 of platen 100 . this vacuum - chucking helps ensure that lateral forces caused by friction between the substrate and the polishing sheet during polishing do not force the polishing sheet off the platen . as discussed , aperture 154 is formed in top surface 140 of rectangular platen 100 . a compressible subpad 300 may be placed on the top surface of the platen 100 to cushion the impact of the substrate against the polishing sheet as shown in fig1 and 14 . in addition , platen 100 may include an unillustrated shim plate . shim plates of differing thickness may be attached to the platen to adjust the vertical position of the top surface of platen . the compressible subpad can be attached to the shim plate . the subpad can be separate from the polishing sheet , that is , not integral with the polishing sheet or not adhered together . the subpad 300 can be formed from a single material or can be formed from multiple layers of materials . a pad formed of multiple layers of materials can be a stacked pad . in one embodiment , a stacked subpad has a layer of ic polishing material stacked on a layer of foam , such as a soft foam , for example , suba iv , available from rohm and haas of newark , del . the upper layer of the stacked pad can be between about 40 and 120 mils thick , such as between 60 and 100 mils , such as around 80 mils thick . the lower layer of the subpad can be between about 30 and 70 mils , such as between about 40 and 60 mils , such as around 50 mils thick . referring to fig1 , the subpad 300 can have grooves that are the same or different from the grooves in the polishing layer . referring to fig1 , the grooves can be circular , oval , off - center circular , or spiral . the grooves in the subpad 300 can be of sufficient depth and width such that when a vacuum is pulled on the subpad , grooves are introduced into the polishing sheet even if the overlying polishing sheet does not have grooves . the grooves can have a depth between about 30 and 50 mils , such as between about 35 and 40 mils . in some implementations , the grooves in the subpad can have a greater width , pitch , and / or depth than the grooves in the polishing surface . in some implementations , the groove pattern of the polishing surface is different than the groove pattern of a subpad . the subpad 300 can be circular , rectangular or any shape that is suitable for use with the platen 100 . referring to fig2 - 21 , a pattern of grooves 306 is formed in one or more layers of the subpad material that support a polishing surface 302 . the polishing surface 302 is pulled into the groove pattern by vacuum ( as shown by the vertical arrows ). the result is that a pattern of grooves is formed in the polishing surface 302 . this groove pattern facilitates slurry distribution between the wafer and the polishing surface 302 , and , consequently improves the process performance of the polisher . thus , grooves are not required in the polishing surface . one advantage of forming grooves in the subpad 300 is that a web - style pad or linear sheet can exhibit or provide a circular or spiral groove pattern in the polishing surface and still be advanced in small increments without changing the location of the groove pattern . the subpad has a surface that need not be a polishing layer . that is , the surface roughness or coefficient of friction of the subpad need not be sufficient for polishing a substrate surface . additionally , the polishing pad or polishing sheet alone may not have much structural rigidity . the subpad can provide the structural rigidity . the polishing performance of the polishing sheet or pad is influenced by the mechanical properties of the subpad . a stiff subpad and a softer subpad will provide different polishing results with the same polishing sheet or polishing pad . because the subpad does not wear away as quickly as a polishing sheet or polishing pad , the subpad can have a longer useful life than the polishing layer . thus , when the polishing sheet is advanced or changed , the same subpad can be continued to be used . as illustrated by fig5 , rectangular platen 100 is secured to a rotatable platen base 170 . rectangular platen 100 and platen base 170 may be joined by several peripheral screws 174 counter - sunk into the bottom of platen base 170 . a first collar 176 is connected by screws 178 to the bottom of platen base 170 to capture the inner race of an annular bearing 180 . a second collar 182 , connected to table top 23 by a set of screws 183 , captures the outer race of annular bearing 180 . annular bearing 180 supports rectangular platen 100 above table top 23 while permitting the platen to be rotated by the platen drive motor . a platen motor assembly 184 is bolted to the bottom of table top 23 through a mounting bracket 186 . platen motor assembly 184 includes a motor 188 having an output drive shaft 190 . output shaft 190 is fitted to a solid motor sheath 192 . a drive belt 194 winds around motor sheath 192 and a hub sheath 196 . hub sheath 196 is joined to platen base 170 by a platen hub 198 . thus , motor 188 may rotate rectangular platen 100 . platen hub 198 is sealed to lower platen base 170 and to hub sheath 196 . a pneumatic control line 172 extends through rectangular platen 100 to connect passage 152 , and thus grooves 150 , to a vacuum or pressure source . the pneumatic line 172 may be used both to vacuum - chuck the polishing sheet and to power or activate a polishing sheet advancement mechanism , which is further described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 135 , 859 , filed apr . 30 , 1999 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . the platen vacuum - chucking mechanism may be powered by a stationary pneumatic source 200 such as a pump or a source of pressurized gas . pneumatic source 200 is connected by a fluid line 202 to a computer controlled valve 204 . the computer controlled valve 204 is connected by a second fluid line 206 to a rotary coupling 208 . the rotary coupling 208 connects the pneumatic source 200 to an axial passage 210 in a rotating shaft 212 , and a coupling 214 connects axial passage 210 to a flexible pneumatic line 216 . vacuum - chucking passage 152 can be connected to flexible pneumatic line 216 via pneumatic line 172 through rectangular platen 100 , a passage 220 in platen base 170 , a vertical passage 222 in platen hub 198 , and a passageway 224 in hub sheath 196 . o - rings 226 may be used to seal each passageway . a general purpose programmable digital computer 280 is appropriately connected to valve 204 , platen drive motor 188 , carrier head rotation motor 76 , and a carrier head radial drive motor ( not shown ). computer 280 can open or close valve 204 , rotate platen 100 , rotate carrier head 80 and move carrier head along slot 72 . referring to fig6 , in some embodiments an aperture or hole 154 is formed in platen 100 and is aligned with transparent strip 118 in polishing sheet 110 . the aperture 154 and transparent strip 118 are positioned such that they have a view of substrate 10 during a portion of the platen &# 39 ; s rotation , regardless of the translational position of the polishing head . an optical monitoring system 90 is located below and secured to platen 100 , e . g ., between rectangular platen 100 and platen base 170 so that it rotates with the platen . the optical monitoring system includes a light source 94 and a detector 96 . the light source generates a light beam 92 which propagates through aperture 154 and transparent strip 118 to impinge upon the exposed surface of substrate 10 . referring to fig9 b and 10b , in some implementations , the material that is used to form the transparent strip 118 in the polishing sheet 110 also forms the lower layer 116 of the polishing sheet 110 . for example , the material can be a polymer material . referring to fig9 a , in some implementations , the transparent strip 118 is formed with the lower layer 116 . the material that forms polishing layer 119 can then be formed on the lower layer 116 , such as by casting . if any of the polishing layer material covers the transparent strip 118 , this material can be removed from over the transparent strip 118 . the exposed surface of the transparent strip 118 can be substantially planar with the exposed surface of the polishing layer 119 . referring to fig1 a , in some implementations , the polishing layer 119 is fabricated before the lower layer 116 . a recess is formed in the polishing layer 119 or the polishing layer 119 is formed of two separate pieces . the lower layer 116 and transparent strip 118 are then fabricated on the polishing layer 119 . the transparent strip 118 can therefore by formed simultaneously with the lower layer 116 and can be integral with the lower layer 116 . there may not be a seam at the junction of the lower layer 116 and the transparent strip 118 . either of the polishing layer 119 or the lower layer 116 can be formed by molding , extruding , casting , shaping with pinch rollers , ablating or mechanical milling . in some instances , the layer that is formed first is allowed to dry or cure . the second layer is then fabricated on top of the first . in some implementations , the two layers are formed separately and adhered or welded together . in any of the implementations , the transparent strip 118 extends from the top surface of the polishing sheet to the bottom surface of the polishing sheet , yielding a window . the top surface of the polishing layer is substantially free of abrasives . grooves can be formed in the polishing surface after or while the surface is being formed . the transparent strip 118 can be free of grooves . however , in some implementations , grooves are also formed in the transparent strip 118 . in some implementations , the window extends the entire length of the polishing layer . in some implementations , the carrier layer extends across the width of the polishing layer . referring to fig2 - 24 , an alternative method is shown for forming the window 404 in the polishing sheet 110 . referring to fig2 , a polishing sheet is formed from a material suitable for polishing a substrate . the polishing sheet can be formed by molding , cutting or extruding . a plurality of dovetail - like openings 402 , fissures or grooves are formed in the polishing sheet . the two halves are separated by the desired width of the window 404 . referring to fig2 , material that can be dried , cured or hardened is inserted into the groove ( as indicated by the arrow ). the material , such as a liquid precursor of the window material , is then dried , cured or hardened forming a composite polishing sheet . referring to fig2 , the window material is intimately bonded to the polishing material , with projections of the window material interlocking with projections of the polishing material ( not shown ). the window material can be selected so that the window material and polishing material of the composite polishing sheet will wear evenly or uniformly and bend around the same radii without delaminating . other process steps may also be required , such as cutting the sheet or skiving the sheet from a cast block of pad material . the window can be centered and generally equidistant from the edges of the sheet or be between the edge of the polishing sheet and the center , as shown in fig2 . the window can extend substantially the entire length of the polishing sheet . in some implementations , a surface of the window can be substantially planar with a surface of the polishing sheet . in operation , cmp apparatus 20 uses optical monitoring system 90 to determine the thickness of a layer on the substrate , to determine the amount of material removed from the surface of the substrate , or to determine when the surface has become planarized . the computer 280 may be connected to light source 94 and detector 96 . electrical couplings between the computer and the optical monitoring system may be formed through rotary coupling 208 . the computer may be programmed to activate the light source when the substrate overlies the window , to store measurements from the detector , to display the measurements on an output device 98 , and to detect the polishing endpoint , as described in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 159 , 073 and 6 , 280 , 289 , filed nov . 2 , 1998 , the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference . in operation , exposed portion 124 of polishing sheet 110 or the subpad is vacuum - chucked to rectangular platen 100 by applying a vacuum to passage 152 . a substrate is lowered into contact with polishing sheet 110 by carrier head 80 , and both platen 100 and carrier head 80 rotate to polish the exposed surface of the substrate . after polishing , the substrate is lifted off the polishing pad by the carrier head . the vacuum on passage 152 is removed . the polishing sheet is advanced , such as by applying a positive pressure to pneumatic line 172 to trigger the advancement mechanism . alternatively , the positive pressure is used to blow the sheet off the platen and ease sheet advancement . this exposes a fresh segment of the polishing sheet . the polishing sheet is then vacuum - chucked to the rectangular platen , and a new substrate is lowered into contact with the polishing sheet . thus , between each polishing operation , the polishing sheet may be advanced incrementally . if the polishing station includes a cleaning apparatus , the polishing sheet may be washed between each polishing operation . the amount that the sheet may be advanced will depend on the desired polishing uniformity and the properties of the polishing sheet , but should be on the order of 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 inches , e . g ., 0 . 4 inch , per polishing operation . assuming that the exposed portion 124 of polishing sheet is 20 inches long and the polishing sheet advances 0 . 4 inches after each polishing operation , the entire exposed portion of the polishing sheet will be replaced after about fifty polishing operations . when the substrate has been polished , the carrier head removes the substrate from the polishing layer , that is , the carrier head dechucks the substrate from the polishing surface . the substrate can be removed from the polishing surface by applying a suction to the back of the substrate and lifting . the slurry in combination with a flat wafer can make it difficult to remove the substrate from the polishing surface because of the strong surface tension . in some implementations , the polishing sheet , polishing pad or subpad has a feature , such as a groove or an embossed feature , that can aid in wafer dechuck . during polishing , the substrate is in contact with a portion of the polishing surface that does not include or is not over the feature . after polishing , the edge of the substrate is moved over the feature , where the feature can serve as a dechuck enhancement feature . referring to fig1 - 19 , in some implementations , a subpad 300 has a feature 304 suitable to assist with substrate dechuck . when no platen vacuum is applied , the polishing surface 302 does not follow the contour of the feature 304 in the subpad ( fig1 ). when a vacuum is applied , the polishing surface 302 conforms to the feature 304 . a substrate is not over the feature during polishing . during dechuck , a substrate is partially over the feature . fig1 - 19 show plan views of the substrate during polishing and during dechuck , respectively . in the polishing sheet , the dechuck feature can be formed along the centerline of the sheet , along an edge or between the edge and the centerline of the polishing sheet . referring to fig7 , at second polishing station 25 b , the circular platen may support a circular polishing pad 32 having a roughened surface 262 , an upper layer 264 and a lower layer 266 . lower layer 266 may be attached to platen 30 by a pressure - sensitive adhesive layer 268 . upper layer 264 may be harder than lower layer 266 . for example , upper layer 264 may be composed of microporous polyurethane or polyurethane mixed with a filler , whereas lower layer 266 may be composed of compressed felt fibers leached with urethane . a two layer polishing pad , with the upper layer composed of ic 1000 or ic - 1400 and the lower layer composed of suba iv , is available from rohm and haas of newark , del . ( ic 1000 , ic - 1400 and suba iv are product names of rohm and haas ). a transparent window 269 may be formed in polishing pad 32 over an aperture 36 in platen 30 . referring to fig8 , at final polishing station 25 c , the platen may support a polishing pad 34 having a generally smooth surface 272 and a single soft layer 274 . layer 274 may be attached to platen 30 by a pressure - sensitive adhesive layer 278 . layer 274 may be composed of a napped poromeric synthetic material . a suitable soft polishing pad is available from rohm and haas , under the trade name politex ™. polishing pads 32 and 34 may be embossed or stamped with a pattern to improve distribution of slurry across the face of the substrate . polishing station 25 c may otherwise be identical to polishing station 25 b . a transparent window 279 may be formed in polishing pad 34 over aperture 36 . in some implementations , the circular polishing pad 32 , 34 can have a spiral groove or multiple spiral grooves , such as two spiral grooves starting 180 degrees apart , giving a groove - to - groove pitch in the radial direction , or three , four , or more spiral grooves . although the cmp apparatus is described as vacuum chucking the polishing sheet to the platen , other techniques could be used to secure the polishing sheet to the platen during polishing . for example , the edges of the polishing sheet could be clamped to the sides of the platen by a set of clamps . also , although the rollers are described as connected to the retainers by pins that are inserted through apertures , numerous other implantations are possible to rotatably connect the rollers to the platen . for example , a recess could be formed on the inner surface of the retainer to engage a pin that projects from the end face of the roller . the retainers 160 may be slightly bendable , and the rollers might be snap - fit into the retainers . alternately , the recess in the inner surface of the retainer could form a labyrinth path that traps the rollers due to tension . alternately , the retainer could be pivotally attached to the platen , and the roller could engage the retainer once the retainer is locked in position . in addition , although the cmp apparatus is described as having one rectangular platen with a grooved surface and two circular platens with round polishing pads , other configurations are possible . for example , the apparatus can include one , two or three rectangular platens . the pad , sheet and subpad embodiments described herein can be used with continuous belts , non - rotating platen systems , and polishing systems with only one polishing station . in fact , one advantage of cmp apparatus 20 is that each platen base 170 is adaptable to receive either a rectangular platen or a circular platen . the polishing sheet on each rectangular platen may be a fixed abrasive or a non - fixed abrasive polishing material . the polishing sheet can include multiple layers which are bonded together . similarly , each polishing pad on the circular platen can be a fixed - abrasive or a non - fixed abrasive polishing material . the standard polishing pads can have a single hard layer ( e . g ., ic - 1000 ), a single soft layer ( e . g ., as in a politex ™ pad ), or two stacked layers ( e . g ., as in a combined ic - 1000 / suba iv polishing pad ). different slurries and different polishing parameters , e . g ., carrier head rotation rate , platen rotation rate , carrier head pressure , can be used at the different polishing stations . one implementation of the cmp apparatus may include two rectangular platens with fixed - abrasive polishing sheets for primary polishing , and a circular platen with a soft polishing pad for buffing . the polishing parameters , pad composition and slurry composition can be selected so that the first polishing sheet has a faster polishing rate than the second polishing sheet . when a subpad and the polishing sheet 110 are used together , the polishing sheet 110 slides across the subpad between or during polishes . with some of the polishing sheets described herein , a number of wafers and each wafer will be polished by a portion of the polishing sheet that has not previously been used to polish another pad . alternatively , the polishing sheet can be moved incrementally rather than a full length between each substrate polish . pad wear will not be a factor in polishing subsequent wafers , because each wafer is exposed to substantially the same polishing pad conditions . a steady - state for the pad surface will result once the sheet has been incremented the distance equal to the diameter of the polishing area . grooves in the top surface of the polishing sheet that are perpendicular to the direction of travel of the polishing sheet can aid the polishing sheet in bending when the sheet is rolled or stretches across the small radius of the feed roller 130 before reaching the wafer . if a system has grooves in a subpad , the subpad can form temporary grooves in the polishing surface , aiding in slurry transport and flow across the surface of the pad . the temporary grooves can be more pronounced when a vacuum is applied to the subpad . alternatively , or in addition , the polishing surface of a polishing pad can have grooves . the grooves of a pad or a subpad can have a spiral shape . the spiral grooves can pump slurry toward the polishing surface . the spiral grooves originate from the center of the pad or subpad and move out towards the outer edge . as the platen rotates , the spirals converge toward or away from the center of the polishing area . the grooves perform a global action of either retaining slurry on the platen or moving exhausted slurry and / or polish waste products off the platen and away from the wafer . if the platen is rotated in the direction of increasing spiral groove radius so that the spiral appears to converge , that is move toward the center , slurry is transported toward the center . if the platen is rotated in the direction of decreasing spiral groove radius so that the spiral appears to expand , spent slurry and waste products are moved off of the platen more quickly than by centrifugal force alone . a pad or subpad with multiple spirals , e . g ., two spirals , can move the slurry faster than a pad or subpad with a single groove . in addition to any slurry transporting or pumping action , spiral grooves in the polishing layer or subpad can control polishing undulations or in homogeneities in removal of material from the wafer surface . in some implementations , the subpad can have a thickness of about 150 mils . in some implementations , the spiral grooves can have a depth of between about 40 mils and 60 mils , such as about 50 mils , and a width of between about 400 mils and 600 mils , such as 500 mils . the pitch of the grooves can be about 1 inch . alternative embodiments of the platen can have a central region of top surface free from grooves to prevent potential deflection of the polishing sheet into the grooves from interfering with the polishing uniformity . a number of embodiments of the invention have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . | 1 |
in a first preferred embodiment , a user such as a police officer desires to use the method in connection with a long weapon such as a shotgun to minimize the range that a shot pellet will travel , and accordingly , decrease the risk that innocent bystanders will be injured by stray shot pellet . in this first preferred embodiment , a user begins at a first step , the holstered position , as is substantially illustrated and represented as fig1 . to further illustrate the details of the first preferred embodiment , the user would place a long weapon is in a first , holstered position whereby the weapon , 1 , has a butt - stock , 2 , and a front stock , 3 . the butt - stock , 2 , is connected to a retractable cord , 5 , which can be constructed of multi - ply elastic cording material . the retractable cord , 5 , is housed within a protective sleeve , 7 , to keep the multi - ply elastic cording material from becoming entangled with other objects and also to retain the integrity of the multi - ply elastic cording material . the protective sleeve , 7 , is attached to a vest , 9 , substantially along the back of the user such that the cord has a tendency to pull the butt - stock towards the under - arm region of the user . a benefit of this arrangement is that the butt - stock is readily accessible at all times to the user and is within easy reach . the front stock , 3 , is secured within a front - stock holster , 11 . the front - stock holster , 11 , is secured to the body of the user with a belt attachment , 13 . the front - stock , 3 , is substantially surrounded by a front - stock holster , 11 , by virtue of the corresponding mimic design of the front - stock holster in relation to the exterior shape of the front - stock . the front - stock holster , 11 , has and the weapon is secure in the first , holstered position . fig2 better illustrates the first preferred embodiment available to the front - stock holster , 11 , which is connected to the user with a corresponding belt attachment . the front - stock holster is located a comfortable distance below the user &# 39 ; s waist , to minimize unnecessary arm movement . the external side of the front - stock holster , 17 , which is the side facing away from the leg of the user , has one or more outwardly curved regions , 19 to facilitate and permit the user to easily find and locate the front - stock holster without looking down or away from the mission underway . in this first preferred embodiment , the internal side of the front - stock holster , 21 , which is the side facing towards the leg of the user , is generally flanged toward the body of the user . the internal side of the front - stock holster , 21 , has a retaining strap , 25 , that can be used to cover and thereby secure the front - stock at an attachment region , 27 , located on the external side of the front - stock holster , 17 . generally , a retaining strap may use traditional hook - and - loop technology to secure the retaining strap , 25 , to the attachment region , 27 . fig3 helps illustrate the first preferred embodiment available to the butt - stock retention means . in this figure , the butt - stock , 2 , is connected to a retractable cord , 5 , using a connection , 6 . in many circumstances , the type of connection is immaterial ; however , in this first preferred embodiment , the connection , 6 , comprises a dual swivel to prevent the retractable cord , 5 , from becoming twisted . the retractable cord , 5 , is shown in this figure as a plurality of cords or in a multi - ply assembly . in many instances , it is desirable to use an external covering to properly assemble and maintain the plurality of cords or multi - ply cord assembly . the retractable cord , 5 , is housed within a protective sleeve , 7 . the protective sleeve , 7 , is shown in fig3 with an opening , 8 , through which the cord may retract and extend within the protective sleeve , 7 . in this first preferred embodiment , fig4 represents a cross - sectional view of the front - stock holster , 11 . it is apparent from fig4 that the overall shape of the front - stock holster gains function from mimicking the overall relative shape of the front - stock such that the front - stock holster grips the front - stock substantially and conforms to the front - stock . the interior portion of the front - stock holster , 23 , is generally shaped to accept a semi - rounded front - stock . to expand on this grip function , it has been useful to use a tension bolt , 15 , to retain the gripping ability of the front - stock holster . while more than one tension bolt may be suitable to keep a grip on the front - stock , no set number is contemplated in this first preferred embodiment . to further expand on this grip function , the interior portion of the front - stock holster , 24 , is further depicted to have a compressible gripping element . in this first preferred embodiment , the compressible gripping element comprises a soft rubber coating or an insertion of neoprene rubber material coated with a soft fabric . the first preferred embodiment of the method further contemplates a user moving the weapon from a first , holstered position to a second , free position whereby the butt - stock is still retractably connected to the user but the front - stock is no longer secured in the front - stock holster . in this second step , the user may , without substantial restriction , utilize the weapon for tactical purposes , including sighting and firing the weapon . to further illustrate the second step , the user may , without looking down , locate the front - stock holster by feeling for one or more outwardly curved regions , 19 , on the external side of the front - stock holster , 17 , with his right hand . reference to the right hand is made not as a limitation but ; instead , to properly illustrate the ease of operation of this method . the user would then remove , with the same right hand , the retaining strap , 25 , from the attachment region , 27 , which is located on the external side of the front - stock holster , 17 . in this first preferred embodiment , the retaining strap employs traditional hook - and - loop technology , and this movement remains fluid , without complicating or distracting interruption . because the overall shape of the front - stock holster gains function from mimicking the overall relative shape of a generic front - stock such that the front - stock holster grips substantially the front - stock and conforms to the front - stock , the weapon remains holstered until the user decides to actively remove the weapon from the front - stock holster with his right hand . even when the user removes the front - stock from the front - stock holster , the weapon is still attached to the user because the butt - stock , 2 , remains connected to a retractable cord , 5 , properly housed within a protective sleeve , 7 , attached to the user with a vest , 9 . the protective sleeve , 7 , is shown in fig3 with an opening , 8 , through which the cord may suitably retract and extend within the protective sleeve , 7 . as a continuation of this second step , the user may grasp the front - stock area of the weapon with his right hand to remove the front - stock from the front - stock holster and also controllably extend the retraction cord thereby moving the butt - stock away from his body and away from the first , holstered position , to afford him opportunity to grasp the butt stock or a grip region with his left hand . this swift , fluid movement facilitates quick and unobstructed access to the weapon and further obviates the need for the user to switch hands to do a single operation . as a third step to this first preferred embodiment , the user may elect to return the weapon to the first , holstered position by releasing his left hand grasp from the butt - stock or the grip region and controllably returning with his right hand the front - stock portion of the weapon back into the front - stock holster , thereby permitting the retraction cord to retract and return the butt - stock portion to a first , holstered and secured position near the body of the user . the user may leave the front - stock in the front - stock holster without the additional security of the retaining strap , 25 , or the user may elect to secure the front - stock with his right hand by placing the retaining strap , 25 , over the front - stock and connecting to the attachment region , 27 , properly located in this first preferred embodiment between the one or more outwardly curved regions , 19 , on the external side of the front - stock holster , 17 . in a second preferred embodiment , a user may elect to use the method in connection with smaller , handheld weapons . in this instance , the terms butt - stock and front - stock are used , not as terms of limitation , but merely as terms of reference . typically , a traditional handheld weapon such as a pistol does not have a front - stock ; however , it does have a front barrel portion that will be considered analogous or homologous to a front - stock and the front barrel portion will be referred to as a front - stock in this embodiment and for purposes of the present specification or claims . also , the term butt - stock is applied to handheld weapons such as pistols to comprise the grip of a traditional pistol , but the term butt - stock will be used for purposes of the present specification or claims . in the second preferred embodiment , the method contemplates a user moving the handheld weapon from a first , holstered position to a second , free position whereby the butt - stock is still retractably connected to the user but the front - stock is no longer secured in the front - stock holster . in this first step , the front - stock holster may comprise a traditional enveloping structure that covers substantially most of the front - stock region as is common to the industry , or it may comprise instead only a semi - enveloping structure that employs a magnet to substantially retain the position of the front - stock within or abutted next to , the front - stock holster . in this second step , the user may , without substantial restriction , utilize the weapon for tactical purposes , including sighting and firing the weapon . however , in the second preferred embodiment , the user need only grasp the butt - stock of the handheld weapon to release or withdraw the front - stock from the front - stock holster and simultaneously or subsequently controllably extend the retraction cord thereby moving the butt - stock away from his body and away from the first , holstered position , to afford him opportunity to sight or fire the handheld weapon . the method then contemplates a user returning the handheld weapon back to a first , holstered position by returning the front - stock portion of the weapon back into the front - stock holster with one hand , and the retraction means selectively or automatically returning the butt - stock portion to a secured position near the body of the user . it is understood that there is a high degree of flexibility in the design of the retention means or retractable cord . the type of retractable cord , namely , the material used , is not the only element of flexibility in design . importantly , the ability to selectively retract the butt - stock is specifically contemplated , either by use of a mechanical actuator or a voice - recognition or sound controlled system whereby the user would audibly or physically command the retraction means to selectively retract the weapon back to a holstered position , i . e ., verbal command or push - button . it is also understood that there is a high degree of flexibility in the design of the retraction cord connection to the butt - stock . this connection may be fixedly connected to the weapon or it may be releaseably connected to the weapon at the butt - stock region . while the drawings herein depict the connection occurring at the terminus of the butt - stock , this is for illustration only and is not intended as a limitation since the connection may suitably work in a variety of locations on the weapon , although , the principal advantage of the present invention is best achieved with the attachment or connection occurring in close proximity to the butt - stock or grip area . it is also understood that there is a high degree of flexibility in the design of the front - stock holster . while a general effort to mimic and surround the outside shape and structure of the front - stock to facilitate adequate gripping is contemplated , the invention specifically contemplates designing front - stock holsters that substantially mirror certain weapon designs . indeed , where the front - stock holster is used in connection with a handheld weapon , the front - stock holster will gain significant function in substantially mimicking the overall shape of the handheld weapon . use of magnetic elements to further enhance the gripping - ability of the front - stock holster to a front - stock is specifically contemplated . indeed , use of this technology may reduce or alleviate the need for the front - stock holster to substantially envelope the front - stock . for example , the present invention specifically contemplates a front - stock holster that serves to retain the front - stock not through gripping and tension as is disclosed in the first preferred embodiment , but instead through magnetic attraction such that the front - stock holster may serve purely as a highly - magnetized place or area to secure the weapon instead of a traditional holster . other modifications , changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing , and in some instances , some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of the other features . for example , a retention means or retractable cord that is not attached to a vest is contemplated such that the retention means is used in connection with a holster strap otherwise fastened to the user &# 39 ; s body , i . e ., across the user &# 39 ; s chest , back , waist , or leg . in addition , it may not be necessary for a front stock retaining strap to be used , or it may prove beneficial to use retaining straps that offer a higher degree of security than does a traditional hook - and - loop fastening system . the advantages to the present invention are discussed in previous sections ; namely , that the present invention brings together the field of tactical arms and ease of use . | 8 |
we have found that the blood of farmed , domesticated stocks of coldwater fishes , especially the salmonids ( salmon and trout ), contains quantities of fibrinogen and thrombin similar to human blood , and these clotting factors can be extracted from salmonid blood by known methods . we have demonstrated that clots ( fibrin sealants ) made from polymerization of salmonid fibrinogen and thrombin , or salmonid fibrinogen and mammalian thrombin , have clot strength and elasticity ( fig1 and 2 ), clotting times ( fig3 ), fibrinolytic characteristics , and adhesion to mammalian tissue similar to those of clots made with highly purified human fibrin . all testing was performed with trout ( oncorhynchus mykiss ) and / or salmon ( salmo salar ) plasma or components . although the only purified trout or salmon protein used was fibrinogen , we have demonstrated the efficiency of endogenous trout thrombin and factor xiiia ( fig4 ). bovine thrombin was used for proof of concept and to demonstrate the compatibility of the fish and mammalian clotting factors . a 2 mg / ml quantity of trout fibrinogen was clotted by addition of 1 unit / ml bovine thrombin and 1 mmca2 + in excess of the 5 mm edta added to inhibit spontaneous plasma polymerization . the two left lanes show high ( hmw , lane 1 ) and low ( lmw , lane 2 ) molecular weight standards on a 10 % sds - polyacrylamide gel , along with the molecular weights ( in 1000 ) of the standards . the three bands around 60 kda in lane 4 are characteristic of the aα , bβ , and γ chains of fibrinogen . a higher molecular weight band corresponds to fibronectin ( fn ), an expected containment of fibrinogen preparations made by ammonium sulphate precipitation . after addition of thrombin , there are several characteristics of changes typical of fibrin formation evident in lane 3 . first , the mobility of aα and bβ chains increases as the a and b peptides are cleaved by thrombin . second , the band corresponding to the γ chain disappears , and another band at higher molecular weight corresponding to a covalently ligated γr dimer appears because of the activity of trout factor xiiia that copurifies with fibrinogen and is activated by thrombin . polypeptides that are not part of fibrinogen are unaltered by thrombin . the strength of the fish sealant is similar to that of the human - bovine product , as shown in fig1 . an important characteristic of fibrin gels is that they are strain - hardening ; that is , they become stronger the more they are deformed up to a limit strain typically on the order of 100 %. at 100 % strain , the maximum clinically realistic level , fish , bovine , and human gels show similar characteristics when tested on mouse skin in a rheometrics rfs - 2 fluid spectrometer using standard methods ( janmey et al ., 1992 ). adhesion to the mouse skin was equally strong with all three gels . fig2 shows that salmonid fibrinogen polymerized by bovine thrombin forms clots ( gels ) with strain - hardening and nearly total elastic recovery after deformation that is characteristic of human fibrin gels . the elastic or shear modulus g2 ( the ratio of stress to strain ) of clots ( gels ) made with trout fibrinogen is compared in fig3 with those made from human fibrinogen . both show similar clotting times and result moduli in excess of 10 pa ( 100 dynes / cm 2 ). fibrinolytic properties of the fish - derived gel were tested by adding human plasmin . when 0 . 3 u / ml human plasmin was added to 2 . 5 mg / ml trout fibrinogen , prior to the addition of thrombin , the solution did not clot , as shown by the absence of a measurable elastic modulus . when plasmin was added immediately after thrombin , polymerization occurred , but the clots were much weaker than control clots made without plasmin , and dissolved shortly after gelation . therefore , trout fibrinogen is a suitable substrate for human plasmin , and concerns that its use could result in embolic or thrombotic complications are eliminated . the safety advantages of deriving the components of a fibrin sealant , fibrinogen and thrombin , from salmonid blood can be best understood in the context of the evolutionary biology of these fish . the fishes as a group ( phylum ) are widely separated from mammals , and as such , their disease organisms have evolved on separate paths . these differences are exemplified in standard laboratory methods in which various fish cell lines must be used to propagate fish viruses , as mammalian cell lines are used for mammalian viruses ( wolfe , 1988 ). another difference is temperature . in coldwater fish such as salmon or trout , their maximum body temperature is the same as the water in which they live -- normally between about 0 ° c . and 18 ° c ., a temperature range nearly 30 ° c . below that of humans or most other mammals . therefore , these fish have few , if any , infectious agents that can survive in humans . these are just some of the manifestations of the wide evolutionary distance between fish and mammals that result in safety from infectious agents . clotting factors derived from human or bovine blood may be inconsistent in quality due to variations in both genetics and environment of the donors . in contrast , domesticated , farmed fish that serve as blood donors are well - defined as to diet , habitat , reproductive status , life history , and genetic background . the degree of control that aquaculture provides for these donor animals results in improved uniformity of product . unlike autologous cryoprecipitate , pre - tested salmonid fibrinogen offers consistent concentrations and generally greater quality control . clotting time ( thrombin time ) in salmon and trout plasma was measured by standard coagulation laboratory techniques using bovine thrombin . compared to a human reference range of 12 - 16 seconds , mean salmon thrombin time was 6 . 8 seconds and trout thrombin time was 7 . 1 seconds . for applications requiring a fibrin sealant , the present invention , derived from fish , can be used with similar efficacy , and advantages in safety , quality control , and product content over the human / bovine - derived fibrin sealants currently in use . the process begins with the consistent and reproducible conditions in which donor fish are reared . all fish used as plasma sources preferably are 1 ) progeny of domesticated brood stock ; 2 ) inspected for fish disease under the protocols of the american fisheries society blue book ; 3 ) 1 kg . or more in weight ; 4 ) fed a commercially manufactured pelleted feed appropriate to the species ; and 5 ) held in waters monitored and found free of environmental pollutants or toxins . the coldwater fishes used as donors preferably are rainbow trout ( o . mykiss ) and atlantic salmon ( s . salar ). these species are selected because they are reared in large numbers , and individuals grow large enough ( over one kilogram ) so that blood can be drawn easily . other farmed cold - water fishes , such as halibut or cod , may be used as donor fish and might satisfy all the above criteria . the fish are preferably starved for 24 hours to reduce handling stress . fish are preferably anesthetized to a loss of reflex activity in a solution of tricane methane - sulfonate ( ms - 222 ) or in carbon dioxide bubbled through the water . whole blood is then drawn from the caudal vein or artery of the fish by known methods such as using a needle and syringe , vacuum tube , or other vacuum device . with all of these devices , one part of a 1 m solution of sodium citrate is added to nine parts of whole blood as an anticoagulant . the whole blood is held at about 1 ° c . to 4 ° c . for no more than about four hours before centrifugation . the separation of blood cells and plasma preferably is done at about 4 ° c . and at least about 1000 g for about ten minutes . the plasma may then be frozen , preferably at - 20 ° c ., or extracted immediately . extraction procedures are preferably known methods currently used for bovine thrombin and fibrinogen . extraction of prothrombin is preferably performed by first using a solution of barium chloride . one part of a 1 m solution of cold ( 4 ° c .) barium chloride is added to eleven parts plasma and stirred for about 30 minutes . the mixture is then centrifuged at about 3500 g for about 30 minutes and the pellet containing the prothrombin is frozen , preferably at - 20 ° c . activation of the prothrombin to thrombin and subsequent extraction methods are preferably carried out with the thawed prothrombin according to the methods of ngai and chang ( 1991 ). fibrinogen may be extracted from the supernatant using the ammonium sulfate methods described by silver et al . ( 1995 ). one part of a saturated ( 4 . 5 m ) solution of ammonium sulfate at about 4 ° c . is added to three parts of the supernatant . the mixture is centrifuged , preferably at about 14 , 000 g at about 4 ° c . for about 8 minutes . the fibrinogen is resuspended in tris buffered saline ( ph 7 . 4 ) at room temperature at a concentration of 2 . 5 mg / ml . the thrombin is resolublized in 40 mm calcium chloride at a concentration of 0 . 25 - 1 nih units / ml . commerically available bovine or human thrombin may be used at similar concentrations with the fish fibrinogen to achieve similar results , but without the degree of safety provided by the fish thrombin . the two components may be applied to the wound or leakage simultaneously using a commercially available double syringe or spray applicator . | 8 |
fig1 shows the basic diagram of an amplifier arrangement in accordance with the invention . the arrangement comprises a first npn transistor t 1 , whose emitter is connected to the output 2 to which a load r l is connected . by means of a first diode d 1 the collector of the transistor t 1 is connected to a terminal 4 for a first supply voltage v 1 . the collector - emitter path of a second npn transistor t 2 is arranged in series with the collector - emitter path of the transistor t 1 and the collector of this transistor t 2 is connected to a terminal 10 for a second supply voltage v 2 which is higher than the first supply voltage v 1 . the base of the transistor t 1 is connected to the emitter of a pnp transistor t 3 , arranged as an emitter follower . the emitter of this transistor is connected to the terminal 10 for the supply voltage v 2 by means of a first current source 5 supplying a current i 1 . the current source 5 comprises a pnp transistor t . sub . 6 whose base is at a reference voltage v r . the collector of the transistor t 3 is connected to the terminal 11 which is common to the first supply voltage v 1 and the second supply voltage v 2 . the input signal v i is applied to the base 6 of the transistor t 3 . a first current path is arranged between the terminal 10 for the supply voltage v 2 and the emitter of the transistor t 3 and comprises the series arrangement of a second current source 7 , the emitter - collector path of a pnp transistor t 5 and a second diode d 4 . the second current source supplies a current i 2 and comprises a pnp transistor t 4 whose base is at the reference voltage v r . the emitter of the transistor t 5 is connected to the base of the transistor t 2 . a second current path is arranged between the junction point 3 between the transistor t 1 and the transistor t 2 and the common terminal 11 and comprises the series arrangement of a third diode d 2 , a fourth diode d 3 and a third current source 8 . the current i 3 carried by this current source is smaller than the current i 2 supplied by the current source 7 . the base of the transistor t 5 is connected to the junction point 9 between the diodes d 2 and d 3 and its collector is connected to the current source 8 by means of a fifth diode d 5 . the arrangement operates as follows . for low input voltages v i the transistor t 3 receives the current i 1 from the current source 5 directly and the current i 2 from the current source 7 via the collector - emitter path of the transistor t 5 and the diode d 4 . if the base current of the transistor t 5 is ignored the current i 3 carried by the current source 8 is furnished by the first power supply voltage v 1 via the diodes d 1 , d 2 and d 3 . in this situation the diode d 5 is cut off . the voltage between the base and the emitter of the transistor t 2 is substantially o v because this voltage is equal to the difference between the base - emitter voltage of the transistor t 5 and the voltage across the diode d 2 . consequently , the transistor t 2 is cut off so that for low input voltages the collector of the transistor t 1 is connected to the power supply voltage v 1 via the diode d 1 . the input signal v i is applied to the base of the transistor t 1 via the emitter - follower transistor t 3 . this input signal v i also appears on the anode of the diode d 5 . the voltage on the cathode of the diode d 5 is three diode voltages lower than the supply voltage v 1 . therefore , the diode d 5 is turned on for a specific input voltage v i . a part of the input voltage v i then appears on the cathode of the diode d 2 . as the input voltage v i increases further the diode d 2 will become less conductive , so that the current for the current source 8 through the diode d 3 decreases and that through the diode d 5 increases . above a specific input voltage the diode d 2 is turned off so that substantially the entire current i 3 flows through the diode d 5 . then only the base current of the transistor t 5 flows through the diode d 3 . the voltage on the base of the transistor t . sub . 2 follows the voltage v i via the base - emitter junction of the transistor t 5 , the diodes d 3 , d 5 and d 4 , and the base - emitter junction of the transistor t 3 . as this input voltage increases further the transistor t 2 is therefore turned on so that the voltage on the junction point 3 also increases . at a specific input voltage the diode d 1 is cut off so that the collector of the transistor t 1 is connected to the high supply voltage v 2 via the collectoremitter path of the transistor t 2 . as the input voltage v i increases further the transistor t 4 will be bottomed , so that the voltage on the base of the transistor t 2 cannot increase any further . subsequently , the transistor t 1 is bottomed and the diode d 4 is cut off . the entire current i 1 from the current source 5 then flows into the base of the transistor t 1 so that there is no current in the transistor t 3 . the maximum output voltage is then reached . the voltage v o on the output 2 is now equal to : v cest4 = the collector - emitter voltage of the transistor t 4 during saturation , v cest1 = the collector - emitter voltage of the transistor t 1 during saturation , and v bet2 = the base - emitter voltage of the transistor t 2 . as the voltage v cest4 and v cest1 are substantially 100 mv , it follows from the above equation that the output 2 can be driven to the value of the second supply voltage v 2 minus substantially one base - emitter voltage (≈ 0 . 6 v ). as a result of this large output voltage swing the amplifier arrangement has a high efficiency . fig2 is a modification of the arrangement shown in fig1 in which identical parts bear the same reference numerals as in fig1 . during the change - over from the first supply voltage v 1 to the second supply voltage v 2 the voltage between the collector and the base of the transistor t 1 in the arrangement shown in fig1 is equal to one diode voltage , namely the sum of the voltages across the diodes d 4 , d 5 , d 3 and the base - emitter junctions of the transistors t 5 and t 2 . this means that during change - over to the second supply voltage v 2 the first transistor t 1 is not yet driven into full conduction . in the embodiment shown in fig . 2 , the diode d 4 is replaced by the base - emitter junction of a transistor t 30 , which has its emitter connected to the collector of the ttansistor t 5 , its base to the base of the transistor t 3 , and its collector to the common terminal 11 . during the change - over from the first supply voltage v 1 to the second supply voltage v 2 a voltage of zero volts appears between the collector and the base of the transistor t 1 so that change over is effected at the instant at which the transistor t 1 will be saturated . as a result of this , the transistor t 1 is driven over the entire range of the first supply voltage v 1 , which leads to an increased efficiency . otherwise , the operation and the output voltage swing of the arrangement are the same as for the arrangement shown in fig1 . the principle of two supply voltages as explained with reference to fig1 and 2 may be extended to an arbitrary number of supply voltages . fig . 3 shows an amplifier arrangement with three supply voltages , in which figure identical parts bear the same reference numerals as in fig . 1 . a transistor t 21 has its collector - emitter path connected in series with the collector - emitter path of the transistor t 2 and has its collector connected to a third supply voltage v 3 . the collector of the transistor t 2 is now connected to the second supply voltage v 2 via a diode d 21 and the current source 7 is connected to the third supply voltage v 3 . the driver circuit for the transistor t 21 is of the same type as that for the transistor t 2 . a current source 27 supplying a current i 20 is arranged between the third power supply voltage v 3 and the base of the transistor t 21 . this current source 27 comprises a transistor t 24 , whose base is at a reference voltage v r . the base of the transistor t 21 is connected to the base of the transistor t 2 by the series arrangement of the emitter - collector path of a transistor t 25 and a diode d 24 . the series arrangement of two diodes d 22 , d 23 and a current source 28 carrying a current i 23 is arranged between the junction point 33 between the emitter of the transistor t 21 and the collector of the transistor t 2 and the common terminal 11 . the base of the transistor t 25 is connected to the junction point 29 between the diode d 22 and the diode d 23 and the collector of the transistor t 25 is connected to the current source 28 by means of a diode d 25 . the operation of the circuit arrangement can be explained very simply by means of the principle described with reference to fig . 1 . for low input voltages v i the transistor t 1 is coupled to the first supply voltage v 1 . the transistors t 2 and t 21 and the diodes d 5 and d 25 are cut off . the current i 20 from the current source 27 flows to the emitter of the transistor t 5 via the emitter - collector path of the transistor t 25 and the diode d 24 and further to the emitter of the transistor t 3 via the emitter - collector path of the transistor t 5 and the diode d 4 . the current i 23 carried by the current source 28 is derived from the supply voltage v 2 via the diodes d 23 , d 22 and d 21 . at increasing input voltages v i the transistor t 2 is driven into conduction and the first supply voltage v 1 is disconnected , as described with reference to fig . 1 . at a further increase the transistor t 2 is driven further into conduction . above a specific input voltage v i the diode d 25 is turned on . as a result of this , the transistor t 21 is turned on and the diode d 22 is turned off , so that above a specific input voltage the second supply voltage v 2 is disconnected and the collector of the transistor t 1 is coupled to the third supply voltage v 3 . as the input voltage v i increases further the transistor t 24 is bottomed . the voltage on the base of the transistor t 21 then cannot increase any further . if the input voltage v i increases even further , the diode d 24 is cut off , after which the transistor t 2 is bottomed , in which situation the voltage on the base of the transistor t 2 can increase until the transistor t 4 is bottomed . subsequently , the diode d 4 is cut off and the transistor t 1 is saturated . as a result of this , there is no current in the transistor t 3 so that the maximum output voltage is reached . the maximum voltage v 0 on the output 2 is then equal to : v cest24 = the collector - emitter voltage of the transistor t 24 in the case of saturation . it is to be noted that in the present embodiment the diode d 4 may be connected to the collector of the transistor t 5 instead of to the emitter . as a result of this , the change - over from the second supply voltage v 2 to the third supply voltage v 3 is effected at the instant at which the transistor t 2 is saturated , so that the transistor t 2 is driven to an optimum extent . the amplifier arrangement in accordance with the invention is very suitable for use in a push - pull amplifier , of which fig4 shows a first embodiment . the push - pull amplifier comprises an input stage , which in the present embodiment has its simplest form and comprises two transitors t 11 and t 12 arranged as a differential pair , whose common emitter terminal is connected to the positive second supply voltage + v by means of a current source comprising a transistor t 10 whose base is at a reference voltage v r . the input signal v ii of the push - pull amplifier is applied between the bases of the transistors t 11 and t 12 . the collector of the transistor t 12 is connected directly to the output of the input stage and the collector of the transistor t 11 is connected to the said output by means of a current mirror comprising the transistors t 13 and t 14 , which output is connected to the input of a miller stage . in the present example , the miller stage comprises a transistor t 15 , whose emitter is connected to the negative supply voltage - v 2 . a frequency compensation capacitor c 1 is arranged between the collector and the base of the transistor t 15 . the collector of the transistor t 15 is connected to the positive supply voltage + v 2 by the series arrangement of two diodes d 6 and d 7 and a current source comprising the transistor t 9 , whose base is at a reference voltage v r . the output stage comprises two complementary circuits , which are each substantially identical to the circuit arrangement shown in fig1 . therefore , identical parts bear the same reference numerals as in fig1 the complementary parts being denoted by primes . the arrangement differs from that shown in fig1 with respect to the following points . the transistor t 2 and the transistor t 8 are arranged as a darlington pair , a resistor r 1 being arranged between the base and the emitter of the transistor t 2 to provide a rapid turn - off of the darlington pair . a resistor or a diode may be arranged between the base and the emitter of the transistor t 8 for protection purposes , and in the case of a diode its forward direction should be opposite to that of the base - emitter junction of the transistor t 8 . similarly , the transistor t 1 forms a darlington pair with a transistor t 7 . the emitters of the complementary output transistor t 1 and t 1 &# 39 ; are connected to the common output 2 , to which the load r l is connected . a resistor r 2 is arranged between the emitters of the transistors t 7 and t 7 &# 39 ; and has the same function as the resistor r 1 . the current source 8 is common to the two complementary circuits . the collectors of the transistors t 3 and t 3 &# 39 ; are interconnected and are also connected to the output 2 . it is to be noted that the collectors of the transistors t 3 and t 3 &# 39 ; may alternatively be connected to the emitter of the transistor t 7 &# 39 ; and the emitter of the transistor t 7 , respectively or , if resistors having low resistance values are arranged in the emitter lines of the transistors t 1 and t 1 &# 39 ;, to the emitter of the transistor t 1 &# 39 ; and the emitter of the transistor t 1 , respectively . the output signal of the miller stage is applied to the bases of the transistors t 3 and t 3 &# 39 ;. the diodes d 6 and d 7 between the bases of the transistors t 3 and t 3 &# 39 ; provide a class - ab bias for the output stage . the push - pull principle is known per se and therefore will not be explained here . since the transistor t 2 and the transistor t 8 are arranged as a darlington pair , the maximum output voltage swing is now equal to : consequently , the maximum output voltage is one baseemitter voltage lower than for the arrangement in fig1 . the minimum output voltage lies equally far above the negative supply voltage - v 2 as the maximum output voltage lies below the positive supply voltage + v 2 . a second example of a push - pull amplifier in accordance with the invention is described with reference to fig5 . for simplicity only the output stage , which is relevant to the invention , is shown , and identical parts bear the same reference numerals as in fig4 . the emitters of the transistors t 4 and t 6 are connected to the terminal 10 for the supply voltage + v 2 by means of a resistor r 3 . a capacitor c 2 is arranged between the output 2 and the end 15 of the resistor r 3 which is not connected to the terminal 10 . by means of the capacitor c 2 the output signal is boot - strapped so that the voltage on the collectors of the transistors t 4 and t 6 can be raised above the supply voltage + v 2 . as far as the operation of the arrangement is concerned this results in the transistor t 8 , instead of the transistor t 4 , being saturated when the transistors t 8 and t 2 are turned on as a result of an increasing input signal . the collector of the transistor t 8 is now connected to the supply voltage + v 2 , while as a result of bootstrapping the base of the transistor t 8 can be driven beyond this supply voltage . therefore , the maximum output voltage becomes equal to : bootstrapping results in an increase of the maximum output voltage swing of the arrangement by one base - emitter voltage . it is to be noted that in the present embodiment the current - source transistor t 10 of the input stage ( see fig4 ) is connected directly to the positive second supply voltage + v 2 and that the emitters of the transistors t 13 , t 14 and t 15 are connected directly to the negative supply voltage - v 2 . a third embodiment of a push - pull amplifier is described with reference to fig6 in which identical parts bear the same reference numerals as in fig5 . in the present embodiment the current - source transistors t 4 and t 6 are replaced by a resistor r 4 and a resistor r 5 , respectively . as a result of bootstrapping the same signal voltage appears on the base of the transistor t 8 and on the cathode of the diode d 4 as on point 15 . consequently , a constant voltage is obtained across these resistors , so that the resistors r 4 and r 5 again operate as current sources . fig7 shows a push - pull amplifier in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the invention , and identical parts bear the same reference numerals as in fig6 . this embodiment differs from that shown in fig6 in that the diode d 4 is replaced by an emitter - follower transistor t 16 , whose emitter is connected to the collector of the transistor t 5 , whose collector is connected to the negative supply voltage - v 2 , and whose base is connected to the emitter of the transistor t 3 . when , in the embodiment shown in fig4 the transistors t 8 , t 2 are turned on the resistance at the emitter of the transistor t 3 decreases suddenly because the resistance which is seen at the base of the transistor t 8 is connected in parallel with the resistance which is seen at the base of the transistor t 7 . this results in a sudden decrease of the input resistance of the arrangement , which leads to distortion of the input signal . by replacing the diode d 4 by a transistor t 16 , the resistance which is connected in parallel with the input resistance of the transistor t 7 when the transistors t 8 , t 2 are turned on is increased by a factor equal to the currentgain factor of the transistor t 16 . thus , when the transistors t 8 , t 2 are turned on the decrease in the input resisresistance of the transistor t 3 is substantially smaller , so that the resulting distortion is also reduced substantially . it is to be noted that the emitter - follower transistor t 16 may also be used in the embodiments shown in fig1 and 3 . the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown . within the scope of the invention many modifications will become obvious to those skilled in the art . for example , the diodes in the present embodiments may be replaced by diode - connected transistors . further , all or some of the bipolar transistors in the arrangement , as shown , for example , in fig8 may be replaced by mos transistors , in which case &# 34 ; emitter &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; collector &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; base &# 34 ; should read : &# 34 ; source &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; drain &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; gate &# 34 ;, respectively . finally , it is to be noted that the embodiments shown in fig4 , 6 and 7 may also be equipped with the amplifier arrangement shown in fig3 . | 7 |
the detailed discussion set forth below is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention , and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized . the description sets forth the functions and sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention . it is to be understood , however , that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention . the substrates of the present invention is a high purity ( 99 . 9 %) aluminum oxide , al 2 o 3 , with a very densely packed grain structure greater than 3 . 90 grams per cubic centimeter and an average grain size of less than 1 micron , resulting in an as fired surface finish of approximately 0 . 03 microns . conventional commercial thin - film grade 99 . 6 % alumina have an as sintered density of 3 . 86 - 3 . 90 grams per cubic centimeter and an average grain size of 2 μm , resulting in a surface finish of 0 . 08 microns . see table 2 below for a comparison between the substrate of the present invention and the prior art . table 2______________________________________substrate material properties high - purity alumina conventional ( present aluminaproperty units invention ) ( prior art ) ______________________________________al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 content % 99 . 9 99 . 6density g / cm . sup . 3 3 . 97 3 . 86 - 3 . 90avg . grain size μm & lt ; 1 & lt ; 2grain packing very dense as sinteredsurface finish μ 0 . 03 0 . 08______________________________________ suitable high purity alumina ceramic material is &# 34 ; naltus &# 34 ; alumina ceramic material marketed by asahi chemical industry company of japan . surface cleanliness is very important in adhesion of the thin - film metallization to the substrate . prior to the sputter deposition , the substrates are cleaned in a 10 % hydrochloric acid and then scrubbed and rinsed . when placed inside the sputtering chamber before sputter deposition , a 3 minute radio frequency etching process is applied . the thin - films consist of a sputter deposited underlying refractory metal , preferably a titanium ( ti )- tungsten ( w ) mixed composition , followed by preferably a gold layer . the refractory metal alternatively may be titanium , tungsten , titanium nitride or molybdenum . the breakdown of the preferred refractory metallization source material is a high purity ( 99 . 9 %) 10 - 90 weight percent ti - w , although other compositions such as 20 - 80 weight percent are also acceptable . the deposited composition of the ti - w on the anode may differ from that of the cathode source by 3 - 5 weight percent . sputter deposition of the direct current - magnetron technique is performed , with power of 4500 volts and an argon backfilled vacuum of 3 × 10 - 5 mbar . gold is subsequently deposited atop the ti - w layer . typical deposited thicknesses are 1500 - 3000 angstroms for the underlying metals and up to 2 microns for the gold . the magnetron technique uses a closed magnetic field loop to confine and compress the plasma causing the ionized gas to sputter efficiently . the ti - w / au metallization , as deposited on the high purity ( 99 . 9 %) aluminum oxide ( al 2 o 3 ) substrate , has improved strength for being heated and processed at temperatures up to 550 ° c . an additional vacuum annealing procedure may be applied to further increase the mechanical strength and durability of this metallization . in this procedure , the as - deposited metallized substrates are placed in a vacuum oven and heated to between 500 °- 600 ° c . for 20 - 30 minutes under 0 . 05 torr vacuum . the vacuum annealed metallization shows improved strength and may be processed at temperature up to 600 ° c . without deforming its patterns or losing adhesion . the vacuum annealing procedure may also be done with a trace of nitrogen , such as 5 % nitrogen in the 0 . 05 torr vacuum . as shown in fig3 a fused multi - layer module having thin - film microcircuits is thus formed by disposing a glass binding material layer 2 intermediate substrate layers 1 such that the substrate layers 1 are disposed in substantially overlapping registry . the glass binding material layers 2 fuse the substrate layers 1 together to form an infrared high - density multi - layer integrated circuit module . it is understood that the high temperature resistant thin - film system described , as applied to integrating infrared detector arrays to signal conditioning electronics , represents only a preferred embodiment of the invention . indeed , various modifications and additions may be made to the preferred embodiment , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . these modifications and additions may be obvious to those skilled in the art and may be implemented to adapt the present invention for use in a variety of different applications . | 2 |
although the present invention will be described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings , it should be understood that the present invention can be embodied in many alternate forms of embodiments . in addition , any suitable size , shape or type of elements or materials could be used . reference is first made to fig1 for illustrating a base station 10 , such as but not limited to satellite communications base station , that is suitable for practicing this invention . the base station 10 includes an antenna 12 for transmitting signals to and for receiving signals from a base orbiting satellite 30 . referring now to fig1 and 3 . the base station 10 and the orbiting satellite 30 include circuitry for transmitting coded signals 51 and circuitry for decoding received signals 61 . the circuitry for transmitting coded signals includes a multi - rate pseudo - noise ( pn ) code generator 52 , transmitting timing and control circuitry 50 , a transmitter 54 , data source 56 , and an antenna 58 . the circuitry for receiving the coded signal includes a receiver front end 62 , a synchronization detector 68 , receiving timing and control circuitry 66 , a multi - rate pn code generator 64 , data estimator 70 , and an antenna 60 for receiving signals . the coding method for this invention is assumed to be based on cdma such as is known from or that is similar to air standards is - 95 pcs or w - cdma , although the teaching of this invention is not intended to be limited only to that particular type of cdma system . the present invention , providing significant reduction in pn code acquisition time over conventional pn code acquisition time , could be used with any suitable type of radio telephone system or suitable electronic device referring now to fig3 and 4 , there is shown a block diagram of a transmitter and receiver system and a method flow chart incorporating features of the present invention . the transmitter 54 transmits data 56 modulated by a carrier signal and further modulated by multi - rate pn code generator 52 through antenna 58 . the pn code generator 52 is controlled by timing and control circuitry 50 . the receiver 62 receives the twice modulated carrier signal 120 via antenna 60 . the signal is auto - correlated with a pn code 122 supplied by multi - rate pn code generator 64 . if the signal auto - correlation peak is found then the signal is a desired signal and is further demodulated to retrieve data 126 and recover synchronization 68 . the synchronization then tracks the pn timing 128 via the timing and control circuitry 66 and signals the transmitting system and the receiving system to contemporaneously shift to a higher rate pn code 132 via their respective multi - rate pn generators 52 , 64 . thus , for purposes of illustration , if the lower rate pn code duration is designated as tc low , and the higher rate pn code duration is designated as tc high the search time , or pn code acquisition time , is reduced by a factor of tc low / tc high . for example , in the prior art the search time for a pn code duration is the processing gain times an uncertainty factor . using the lower code duration tc low , the processing gain is tb / tc low , where tb is the message bit duration . without the current invention the processing gain when shifting to a higher rate pn code would be tb / tc high . assuming that tc high is some multiple 1 / m of tc low then the processing gain equation can be rewritten as tb * m / tc low . then , assuming an average search rate of k / rb per chip of uncertainty , the pn search time is then ( m * tb / tc low )* k / rb , where rb is the message bit rate . thus , the average search time has been increased by a factor of m when shifting from a low rate pn code to a high rate pn code . by contrast , the current invention uses a narrow bandwidth timing recovery loop to maintain the timing lock achieved during the acquisition of the first or lower rate pn code while both multi - rate generators contemporaneously shift to the higher rate pn code . since the timing lock is maintained the search time equation is the original gain times the uncertainty factor , which in this example is tb / tc low *( k / rb ). thus , the average search rate has been reduced by a factor m when shifting from the lower rate pn code to the higher rate pn code . referring now to fig5 there is shown a flow chart of a second method of the present invention . the transmitter transmits 140 a low rate pn modulated signal . the transmitter calculates a probability of detection ( pd ) 142 by the receiver 62 . if the pd is greater than a predetermined amount 144 the transmitter will shift 146 the multi - rate pn generator 52 to a higher rate pn code after a predetermined amount of time or event . meanwhile , the receiver 62 receives 160 the signal and auto - correlates 158 with the low rate pn code generated by the multi - rate pn generator 64 . if the signal auto - correlation peak is found 156 then the data is decoded 154 and the synchronization detector 68 and the timing and control circuitry lock 152 on to the signal timing . the receiver also calculates the pd and if greater than the predetermined amount will shift 150 the multi - rate pn generator 64 to the higher pn code 148 after the predetermined amount of time or event . the processing gain and search times are calculated as before . it should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention . various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention . accordingly , the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
referring to fig1 , an adhesive dispensing system 10 includes a pair of guns 12 , 14 , a dispensing unit 16 for supplying liquid hot melt adhesive 18 to the guns 12 , 14 , and hoses 20 connecting the dispensing unit 16 to the guns 12 , 14 . the dispensing unit 16 includes a reservoir , such as tank 22 , holding a volume of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 , a manifold 24 in fluid communication with the tank 22 , a pump 26 constructed according to the principles of the present invention and coupled to the manifold 24 , and a controller 28 . the tank 22 comprises side walls 30 joined by a base 32 that collectively define the reservoir holding the adhesive 18 . a tank outlet 36 proximate the base 32 is coupled to a passage 38 that connects to an inlet 40 of the manifold 24 . the manifold 24 may optionally include a manifold heater 42 operationally controlled by controller 28 for heating the liquid hot melt adhesive 18 while resident inside manifold 24 . the tank 22 may optionally include a tank heater ( not shown ) controlled by controller 28 for raising the temperature of the liquid hot melt adhesive 18 while resident in the tank 22 . optionally , hoses 20 may be configured to be heated and cord sets 21 , also operationally controlled by controller 28 , may be used for heating and controlling the temperature of hoses 20 in a known manner . pump 26 , which is coupled to the manifold 24 , pumps liquid hot melt adhesive 18 from the tank 22 into the manifold 24 . manifold 24 divides the adhesive 18 into separate flows and directs the distinct flows to a plurality of outlet ports 48 . the outlet ports 48 are configured to be coupled to the hoses 20 whereby the liquid adhesive 18 is supplied through hoses 20 to the guns 12 , 14 . the guns 12 , 14 , which may be mounted to a frame 50 , include one or more modules 52 that apply the adhesive 18 to a desired product ( not shown ). modules 52 may be coupled to their own individual manifolds 54 for supplying liquid hot melt adhesive 18 , actuating air , and process air thereto . although system 10 illustrates two gun manifolds 54 , additional hoses ( not shown ) identical to hose 20 may transfer liquid hot melt adhesive 18 to additional gun manifolds ( not shown ) identical to manifold 54 that are located respectively behind manifolds 54 . other systems 10 may have a single gun , or may have other guns , like guns 12 , 14 and , furthermore , the guns 12 , 14 may take on many different configurations , according to the particular adhesive dispensing requirements , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the guns 12 , 14 and / or the gun manifolds 54 may each incorporate heat exchanger / mixers and heaters ( not shown ) for blending and / or elevating the temperature of the liquid hot melt adhesive 18 . with reference to fig2 , pump 26 includes a pump housing 56 enclosing a pumping chamber 58 , an inlet 60 coupling the tank 22 in fluid communication with the pumping chamber 58 , and outlet ports 48 each in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the guns 12 , 14 . pump 26 may include additional outlet ports 48 each coupled with gun 12 , gun 14 , or another gun ( not shown ). generally , pump 26 moves liquid hot melt adhesive 18 from the inlet 60 to the outlet ports 48 . an upper section 64 of housing 56 houses the pneumatic components of the pump 26 and a lower section 66 of housing 56 houses the hydraulic components of the pump 26 . the upper section 64 of the housing 56 includes an air cylinder 68 , an air piston 70 disposed inside the air cylinder 68 , and a pump shaft 72 extending from the air piston 70 to connect with a piston or plunger 76 positioned inside the pumping chamber 58 . an air logic valve 74 regulates the air pressure supplied to the air cylinder 68 by alternatively filling and emptying air chambers 68 a , b defined inside the air cylinder 68 on opposite sides of the air piston 70 for reciprocating the air piston 70 relative to the air cylinder 68 . air chamber 68 a communicates with an air port 78 and , in a like manner , air chamber 68 b communicates with an air port 80 . suitable fittings are used to connect ports 78 , 80 with the air logic valve 74 having appropriate internal valving for supplying pressurized air to air chambers 68 a , b to move air piston 70 and pump shaft 72 . engaged with a blind threaded hole 75 defined in the plunger 76 is a threaded tip 73 of pump shaft 72 . the threaded hole 75 is offset laterally from the center of plunger 76 , although the present invention is not so limited . the present invention contemplates that the pump shaft 72 and plunger 76 may be coupled together in alternative fashions known to persons of ordinary skill in the art and is not limited to the illustrated threaded engagement . piston pump 26 pumps liquid hot melt adhesive 18 to the guns 12 , 14 on both the upstroke and the downstroke . reciprocation of the air piston 70 by cyclically filling and draining air chambers 68 a , b moves the plunger 76 inside pumping chamber 58 for pumping successive volumes of the liquid hot melt adhesive 18 from the inlet 60 to the outlet ports 48 , as detailed below . to that end , the periphery of plunger 76 has a close fit and tight clearance with an interior wall 77 of pumping chamber 58 . although the piston pump 26 is illustrated in fig2 as bi - directional , the invention is not so limited . in particular , the piston pump 26 may be uni - directional and incorporate a return spring for shifting the air piston 70 on the downstroke . other suitable actuation methods apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art are contemplated by the invention . pump shaft 72 is positioned in a bore 83 with a clearance sufficient to permit reciprocating movement thereof . a seal 82 prevents pressurized air from leaking downwardly out of air cylinder 68 into the bore 83 . another seal 84 , which is mounted within lower housing section 66 , prevents pressurized liquid from escaping from the pumping chamber 58 of housing section 66 into bore 83 . in effect , the seals 82 , 84 isolate the pneumatic and hydraulic portions of the pump 26 . movement of the air piston 70 and pump shaft 72 causes the plunger 76 to cyclically vary the volume of an upper section 58 a and a lower section 58 b of pumping chamber 58 . plunger 76 defines a barrier that segregates amounts of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 in the two sections 58 a , 58 b . coupling the outlet ports 48 with upper and lower outlet passageways 88 , 90 defined in the lower section 66 of housing 56 is an intermediate passageway 86 defined partially in lower housing 66 and partially in manifold 24 . the outlet passageways 88 , 90 converge at the intermediate passageway 86 . positioned in outlet passageway 88 is a check valve 92 and , similarly , a check valve 94 is located in outlet passageway 90 . check valve 94 prevents back flow from outlet passageway 90 into the lower section 58 b of pumping chamber 58 during the upward stroke or upstroke of plunger 76 , as shown in fig2 . similarly , check valve 92 prevents back flow from outlet passageway 88 into the pumping chamber 58 during the downward stroke or downstroke of plunger 76 , as shown in fig3 . check valves 92 , 94 may be any suitable check valve that closes by fluid pressure to prevent return flow and that opens at a characteristic cracking pressure to permit forward flow in a desired direction . in the illustrated embodiment , each of the check valves 92 , 94 is characterized by a valve seat and a compression spring that biases a valve body or ball against the valve seat . the pressure inside the upper and lower sections 58 a , 58 b of the pumping chamber 58 varies as the plunger 76 is reciprocated therein , which regulates the opening and closing of check valves 92 , 94 . exemplary check valves 92 , 94 suitable for use in the invention are available commercially from the lee company ( westbrook , conn .). as an alternative to the check valve configuration detailed herein , other varieties of check valves may be utilized in the outlet passageways 88 , 90 without affecting the operation principles of the piston pump 26 . extending from the inlet 60 of pump housing 56 through the lower section 66 to the upper section 58 a of the pumping chamber 58 is an inlet passageway 96 . branching from the inlet passageway 96 is another inlet passageway 98 that communicates with the lower section 58 b of the pumping chamber 58 . successive volumes of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 are supplied from tank 22 through the inlet passageways 96 , 98 to the pumping chamber 58 as the pump 26 operates . the plunger 76 includes a throughbore 100 and a shaft 102 slidingly received in the throughbore 100 with a clearance sufficient to permit free vertical movement of shaft 102 within throughbore 100 . the throughbore 100 is offset from the threaded opening 75 in plunger 76 by a distance sufficient to accommodate coupling pump shaft 72 with plunger 76 while simultaneously allowing unhindered vertical movement of shaft 102 . affixed to , or otherwise associated for movement with , one free end of the shaft 102 is a ball or valve body 104 . the alignment of shaft 102 for axial movement along its length within throughbore 100 and the positioning of valve body 104 on shaft 102 cooperate for engaging valve body 104 with a valve seat 106 , which is defined at the intersection of inlet passageway 96 with the pumping chamber 58 . the valve seat 106 coincides with the outlet from the inlet passageway 96 . affixed to , or otherwise associated for movement with , the opposite free end of the shaft 102 is another ball or valve body 108 which is positioned on shaft 102 for engaging a valve seat 110 . the valve seat 110 is defined at the intersection of the inlet passageway 98 with the pumping chamber 58 and coincides with the outlet from the inlet passageway 98 . the valve seats 106 , 110 may be located at other positions within the corresponding inlet passageways 96 , 98 , such as recessed within the passageways 96 , 98 at the intersection with pumping chamber 58 . compressed between the valve body 104 and an upper surface 76 a of the plunger 76 is a biasing element , in the form of compression spring 112 having coils helical wrapped about a length of the shaft 102 , that applies an upward resilient bias force to the shaft 102 and valve body 104 at least during a portion of the upstroke when valve body 104 is in contact with valve seat 106 . similarly , another biasing element , in the form of compression spring 114 having coils helical wrapped about another length of the shaft 102 , compressed between the valve body 108 and a lower surface 76 b of the plunger 76 applies a downward resilient bias force to the shaft 102 and valve body 108 at least during a portion of the downstroke when valve body 108 is in contact with valve seat 110 . valve body 104 and spring 112 are positioned inside the upper section 58 a of the pumping chamber 58 . valve body 108 and spring 114 are positioned inside the lower section 58 b of the pumping chamber 58 and on an opposite side of plunger 76 from valve body 104 and spring 112 . the shaft 102 extends through the space circumscribed by inside the helically - wound coils of the springs 112 , 114 , which prevents buckling or lateral deflection of the springs 112 , 114 when compressed . the shaft 102 , valve bodies 104 , 108 , valve seats 106 , 110 , and springs 112 , 114 effectively replace conventional check valves found in the inlet passageways 96 , 98 of conventional pumps used for pumping traditional hot melt adhesives . the length of the shaft 102 , the characteristics ( e . g ., length and spring constant ) of springs 112 , 114 , and the range of motion of the plunger 76 are collectively chosen such that the valve body 104 has adequate clearance relative to valve seat 106 for entry of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 through inlet passageway 96 during the downward stroke of plunger 76 and valve body 108 has adequate clearance relative to valve seat 110 for entry of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 through inlet passageway 98 during the upward stroke of plunger 76 . the length of shaft 102 , the characteristics of springs 112 , 114 , and the range of motion of plunger 76 are also selected such that the valve bodies 104 , 108 are engaged with the corresponding valve seats 106 , 110 during the upward and downward strokes of plunger 76 , respectively . in operation and with reference to fig1 - 3 , pump 26 of dispensing unit 16 continuously pumps liquid hot melt adhesive 18 from the inlet 60 to outlet ports 48 by orchestrated movements of plunger 76 caused by operation of the air logic valve 74 alternatingly filling and exhausting the air chambers 68 a , 68 b . this action moves the air piston 70 and pump shaft 72 at a rate suitable for causing the pump 26 to pump the liquid hot melt adhesive 18 from tank 22 to guns 12 , 14 . at the bottom of the downstroke of plunger 76 as shown in fig3 , valve body 108 contacts valve seat 110 and is urged against the valve seat 110 by the biasing force applied by spring 114 , which is compressed between the plunger 76 and valve body 108 . the upper section 58 a of pumping chamber 58 is occupied by an amount of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 . the pump shaft 72 is poised to move upwardly , and both of the check valves 92 , 94 are momentarily closed . pump shaft 72 moves upward when pressurized air is introduced into air chamber 68 b under the control of air logic valve 74 and pressurized air is simultaneously exhausted from air chamber 68 a . during this upward stroke or upstroke , as shown in fig2 , valve body 108 eventually lifts from contact with valve seat 110 as the biasing force applied by spring 114 to valve body 108 is gradually removed and the fluid pressure increases in inlet passageway 98 as the volume of lower section 58 b expands . a gradual increase in the biasing force applied by spring 112 to valve body 104 may also contribute to lifting valve body 108 from contact with valve seat 110 . this supplies additional force for lifting the valve body 108 from the valve seat 110 . after valve body 108 is separated from valve seat 110 , a fresh amount of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 flows through inlet 60 and through the inlet passageway 98 into the lower section 58 b of pumping chamber 58 . the ball of check valve 92 is moved by the increasing fluid pressure in upper section 58 a of pumping chamber 58 away from its seat to permit flow from the upper section 58 a into the outlet passageway 88 . thus , an amount of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 inside the upper section 58 a of pumping chamber 58 is forced into outlet passageway 88 as the volume of upper section 58 a is reduced by upward movement of plunger 76 . the amount of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 expelled from pumping chamber 58 is transferred through passageways 86 , 88 to outlet ports 48 , which in turn direct the pumped amount of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 to the guns 12 , 14 through lines 20 . the top of the plunger 76 at the conclusion of the upward stroke is preferably at a level at , or below , an inlet 88 a to outlet passageway 88 . hence , the amount of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 pumped in the upstroke is substantially equal to the change in volume of the upper section 58 a during the upstroke . during the upward stroke of plunger 76 , the ball of outlet check valve 94 is forced onto its seat by its spring and by the increased fluid pressure in outlet passageway 90 . this blocks back flow from outlet passageway 90 into the lower section 58 b of pumping chamber 58 . spring 112 is incrementally compressed between the plunger 76 and the valve body 104 as the plunger 76 moves upward . at the top of the upward stroke , valve body 104 contacts valve seat 106 and is urged against the valve seat 106 by the biasing force applied by spring 112 , which is compressed between the plunger 76 and the valve body 104 . the lower section 58 b of pumping chamber 58 is occupied by a fresh amount of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 . the pump shaft 72 is poised to move downwardly , and both of the check valves 92 , 94 are again momentarily closed . as shown in fig3 and as a continuation of the dispensing cycle , pump shaft 72 moves downward when pressurized air is simultaneously introduced into air chamber 68 a and exhausted from air chamber 68 b . during this downward stroke or downstroke , valve body 104 lifts from valve seat 106 due to the gradual removal of the biasing force applied to valve body 104 by spring 112 , as spring 112 decompresses , in conjunction with the increased fluid pressure in inlet passageway 96 as the volume of upper section 58 a expands . a gradual increase in the biasing force applied by spring 114 to valve body 108 , as spring 114 is incrementally compressed between plunger 76 and valve body 108 , may also contribute to lifting valve body 104 from contact with valve seat 106 . this assists in lifting the valve body 104 from valve seat 106 . after valve body 104 is separated from valve seat 106 , a fresh amount of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 flows through inlet 60 and inlet passageway 96 into the upper section 58 a of pumping chamber 58 . during the downstroke of plunger 76 , the ball of check valve 92 is forced onto its seat by its spring and by the increased fluid pressure in outlet passageway 88 . this prevents back flow from outlet passageway 88 into the lower section 58 b of pumping chamber 58 . concurrently , the ball of outlet check valve 94 is moved by the increasing fluid pressure in upper section 58 a of pumping chamber 58 away from its seat to permit flow from the lower section 58 b into the outlet passageway 90 . thus , an amount of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 inside the lower section 58 b of pumping chamber 58 is forced into outlet passageway 90 as the volume of lower section 58 b is reduced by movement of plunger 76 . at the conclusion of the downward stroke , the bottom of the plunger 76 is preferably at a level at , or above , an inlet 90 a to outlet passageway 90 . hence , the amount of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 pumped in the downstroke is substantially equal to the change in volume of the lower section 58 b during the downstroke . the liquid hot melt adhesive 18 expelled from pumping chamber 58 is transferred through passageways 86 , 90 to outlet ports 48 , just as described above with respect to the upward stroke . in this manner , successive fresh amounts of liquid hot melt adhesive 18 filling pumping chamber 58 are pumped by each dispensing cycle of pump 26 , which consists of a single upward stroke of plunger 76 and a single downward stroke of plunger 76 , to the guns 12 , 14 . while the present invention has been illustrated by the description of various embodiments thereof , and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail , it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail . additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art . the invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details , representative apparatus and methods and illustrative examples shown and described . accordingly , departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope or spirit of applicant &# 39 ; s general inventive concept . | 5 |
hereinafter , the present invention will be described in further detail by examples . it will however be obvious to a person skilled in the art that these examples are provided for illustrative purpose only and are not construed to limit the scope of the present invention . immobilization of cell adhesive rgd peptides on bovine bone - derived bone mineral particles bovine bone - derived bone mineral particles were washed with ethanol under reduced pressure and then left to stand in a vacuum oven at 100 ° c . for 20 hours so as to remove impurities from the surface . the surface of the bone mineral particles was treated with a solution of 3 - aminopropyl ethoxysilane ( aptes ) dissolved in hexane , followed by washing . this resulted in the formation of amine residues on the surface , to which crosslinker bmb was then added and bound . the crosslinker - bound bone mineral particles were allowed to react with peptides of seq id no : 1 and seq id no : 2 for 12 hours , followed by washing . this yielded the bone mineral particles having the peptides immobilized on the surface . immobilization of cell adhesive rgd peptides on synthetic hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate bone graft powders of synthetic hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate were washed with ethanol under reduced pressure and then left to stand in a vacuum oven at 100 ° c . so as to remove impurities from the surface . the surface of the bone mineral particles was treated with a solution of 3 - aminopropyl ethoxysilane ( aptes ) in hexane , followed by washing . this resulted in the formation of amine residues on the surface , to which crosslinker bmb was then added and bound . the bone mineral particles with the bound crosslinker were allowed to react with peptides of seq id no : 1 and seq id no : 2 for 12 hours , followed by washing . this yielded the bone mineral particles having the peptides immobilized on the surface . immobilization of cell adhesive rgd peptides on bone graft material of chitosan a bone graft material of chitosan prepared in the form of a powdery or porous scaffold was added to 2 ml of phosphate buffer ( ph 7 . 4 ) to hydrate the surface . to this solution , sulfo - smcc as a crosslinker was added at a concentration of 5 mg / ml , and the mixture was stirred for 2 hours to introduce functional groups on the surface of the chitosan bone graft material . after 2 hours of reaction at ambient temperature , the chitosan bone graft material was washed and allowed to react with a solution 10 mg of a peptide of seq id no : 1 dissolved in 100 μl of phosphate buffer for 24 hours . then , the reaction was washed , thus yielding the chitosan bone graft material with the peptide immobilized thereon . immobilization of cell adhesive rgd peptide on bone graft material on bone graft material of polylactic acid a grafting powder or porous scaffold of polylactic acid were added to phosphate buffer ( ph 4 . 7 ) to hydrate the surface , followed by reaction with 20 mg / ml of cystamine hydrochloride solution . to this solution , edc was added dropwise to activate the carboxylic acid on the surface of the bone graft material . the mixture was reacted for 24 hours , washed , and allowed to react with 1 ml of dithiothreniol ( dtt ) solution ( 30 mg / ml ) for 24 hours so as to introduce sulfhydryl groups onto the surface of the polylactic acid . the modified polylactic acid grafting material was mixed with a cell adhesive rgd peptide ( seq id no : 1 ) so as to induce s — s bonds between the sulfhydryl groups of the bone grafting material and the peptides , thus immobilizing the peptides on the grafting material . for use as tissue growth factor - derived peptides in this example , peptides were chemically synthesized by adding a cgg spacer to the n - terminal end of each of amino acid sequences of seq id no : 3 and seq id nos : 6 - 9 , which contain the cell adhesion and activation domain of bone morphogenetic protein bmp - 2 so as to introduce cysteine into the n - terminal end . bovine bone - derived bone mineral particles were washed with ethanol under reduced pressure and then left to stand in a vacuum oven at 100 ° c . for 20 hours so as to remove impurities from the surface . the surface of the bone mineral particles was treated with a solution of 3 - aminopropyl ethoxysilane ( aptes ) in hexane , followed by washing . this resulted in the formation of amine residues on the surface of particles , to which sulfo - smcc as a crosslinker was then added at a concentration of 5 mg / ml . this mixture was stirred for 2 hours so as to introduce functional groups onto the surface of the bone graft material . after 2 hours of reaction at ambient temperature , the bone graft material was washed , and allowed to react with a solution of 10 mg of the peptides dissolved in 100 μl of phosphate buffer for 24 hours , followed by washing . this yielded the bone mineral particles with the peptides immobilized thereon . immobilization of tissue growth factor - derived peptides on particles of synthetic bone graft material in this example , the same peptides as used in example 5 used as tissue growth factor - derived peptides . as synthetic bone graft materials , mineral particles of synthetic hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate were washed with ethanol under reduced pressure and stored in a vacuum oven at 100 ° c . for 20 hours so as to remove impurities from the surface . the surface of the particles was treated with a solution of 3 - aminopropyl ethoxysilane ( aptes ) in hexane , followed by washing . this resulted in the formation of amine residues on the surface , to which 5 mg / ml of sulfo - smcc as a crosslinker was added . the mixture was stirred for 2 hours to introduce functional groups onto the surface of the bone graft material . after 2 hours of reaction at ambient temperature , the bone graft material was washed , and allowed to react with a solution of 10 mg of the peptides dissolved in 100 μl of phosphate buffer for 24 hours , followed by washing . this yielded the bone graft particles with the tissue growth factor - derived peptides immobilized thereon . immobilization of tissue growth factor - derived peptides on bone graft material and scaffold of chitosan a bone graft material and scaffold made of chitosan was added to 2 ml of phosphate buffer ( ph 7 . 4 ) so as to hydrate the surface , to which crosslinker sulfo - smcc was added at a concentration of 5 mg / ml . the mixture was stirred for 2 hours so as to introduce functional groups onto the surface of the chitosan bone graft material . after 2 hours of reaction at ambient temperature , the chitosan bone graft material was washed , and allowed to react with a solution of 10 mg of the tissue growth factor - derived peptide of example 5 dissolved in 100 μl of phosphate buffer , followed by washing . this yielded the chitosan bone graft material and scaffold having the peptide immobilized thereon . immobilization of tissue growth factor - derived peptide on bone graft material and scaffold of polylactic acid a bone grafting powder or porous scaffold of polylactic acid was added to phosphate buffer ( ph 4 . 7 ) to hydrate the surface and allowed to react with 20 mg / ml of cystamine hydrochloride solution . to the reaction mixture , crosslinker edc was added dropwise to activate the carboxylic acids on the surface of the polylactic acid bone graft material . after 24 hours of reaction , the resulting material was washed , and allowed to react with 1 ml of dithiothreniol ( dtt ) solution ( 30 mg / ml ) for 24 hours so as to introduce sulfhydryl groups onto the surface of the polylactic acid . the bone graft material was mixed with a tissue growth factor - derived peptide of seq id no : 8 having a cgg spacer bound thereto , so as to spontaneously induce a s — s bond between the bone graft material and the peptide , thus immobilizing the peptide on the bone graft material . for use as bone sialoprotein - derived peptides in this example , a peptide of seq id no : 15 , a peptide including an active domain structure for the induction of calcification , and a peptide of seq id no : 27 including a cell adhesion functional site , were chemically synthesized . bovine bone - derived bone mineral particles were washed with ethanol under reduced pressure and then left to stand in a vacuum oven at 100 ° c . for 20 hours so as to remove impurities from the surface . the surface of the bone mineral particles was treated with a solution of 3 - aminopropyl ethoxysilane ( aptes ) in hexane , followed by washing . this resulted in the formation of amine residues on the surface , to which 5 mg / ml of crosslinker sulfo - smcc was then added . the mixture was stirred for 2 hours so as to functional groups onto the surface of the bone graft material . after reaction , the bone graft material was washed , and allowed to react with a solution of 10 mg of the bone sialoprotein - derived peptides dissolved in 100 μl of phosphate buffer for 24 hours , followed by washing . this yielded the bone mineral particles having the peptides immobilized thereon . in this example , the same peptides as used in example 9 were used . hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate mineral particles were washed with ethanol under reduced pressure and then left to stand in a vacuum oven at 100 ° c . for 20 hours so as to remove impurities from the surface . the surface of the particles was treated with a solution of 3 - aminopropyl ethoxysilane ( aptes ) in hexane , followed by washing . this resulted in the formation of amine residues on the surface , to which 5 mg / ml of crosslinker sulfo - smcc was then added . the mixture was stirred for 2 hours so as to introduce functional groups onto the surface of the bone graft material . after completion of the reaction , the bone graft material was washed , to which a solution of 10 mg of the same peptides as used in example 9 , which have been dissolved in 100 μl of phosphate buffer , was added and allowed to react for 24 hours . the reaction product was washed , thus yielding the bone graft material having the peptides immobilized thereon . immobilization of peptides containing adhesion and activation sites of bone sialoprotein on bone graft material of chitosan in this example , the same peptides as used in example 9 were used . a bone graft material and scaffold of chitosan were added to 2 ml of phosphate buffer ( ph 7 . 4 ) to hydrate the surface . to this solution , 5 mg / ml of crosslinker sulfo - smcc was added and stirred for 2 hours to introduce functional groups onto the surface of bone graft material . after completion of the reaction , the chitosan bone graft material was washed , to which a solution of 10 mg of the peptides dissolved in 100 μl of phosphate buffer was added and allowed to react for 24 hours , followed by washing . this yielded the chitosan bone graft material and scaffold having the peptides immobilized thereon . immobilization of peptides containing adhesion and activation sites of bone sialoprotein on bone graft material and scaffold of polylactic acid in this example , the same peptides as used in example 9 were used . a bone graft material and scaffold of polylactic acid were added to phosphate buffer ( ph 4 . 7 ) so as to hydrate the surface , and then allowed to react with 20 mg / ml of cystamine hydrochloride solution . to the reaction mixture , crosslinker edac was added dropwise to activate the carboxylic acids on the surface of the polylactic acid . after 24 hours of reaction , the reaction product was washed , to which 1 ml of dtt solution ( 30 mg / ml ) was added and allowed to react for 24 hours so as to introduce sulfhydryl groups onto the surfaces of the bone graft material and the scaffold . the bone graft material and the scaffold were mixed with the peptides so as to spontaneously induce s — s bonds between the bond graft material and the peptides , thus immobilizing the peptides on the bone graft material . a barrier membrane of chitosan was added to 2 ml of phosphate buffer ( ph 7 . 4 ) to hydrate the surface of the barrier membrane . to the solution , 5 mg / ml of crosslinker sulfo - smcc was added and the mixture was stirred for 2 hours so as to introduce functional groups onto the surface of the barrier membrane . after completion of the reaction , the barrier membrane was washed , to which a solution of 5 ml of each of a cell adhesion peptide having seq id no : 1 , a bmp - 2 - derived peptide used in example 9 , and a bone sialoprotein - derived peptide used in example 9 , which has been dissolved in 100 μl of phosphate buffer , was added and allowed to react for 24 hours . after washing , the barrier membrane having the peptides immobilized thereon was obtained . a barrier membrane of polylactic acid was added to phosphate buffer ( ph 4 . 7 ) so as to hydrate the surface , and is allowed to 20 mg / ml of cystamine hydrochloride solution . to the reaction mixture , crosslinker edc was added dropwise to activate the carboxylic acids on the surface of the polylactic acid . after 24 hours of reaction , the barrier membrane was washed , to which 1 ml of dtt solution ( 30 mg / ml ) was added and allowed to react for 24 hours so as to introduce sulfhydryl groups onto the surface of the barrier membrane . the resulting barrier membrane was mixed with each of a cell adhesion peptide of seq id no : 1 , a bmp - 2 - derived peptide used in example 5 and a bone sialoprotein - derived peptide used in example 9 so as to spontaneously induce s — s bonds between the barrier membrane and the peptides , thus immobilizing the peptides on the barrier membrane . the surface of an implant made of titanium was treated with nitrogen plasma so as to form amine groups on the surface . to the implant , 5 mg / ml of crosslinker sulfo - smcc was added and stirred for 2 hours so as to introduce functional groups onto the surface . after completion of the reaction , the implant was washed , to which a solution of each of 5 ml of a cell adhesion peptide having seq id no : 1 , a bmp - 2 - derived peptide used in example 5 and a bone sialoprotein - derived peptide used in example 9 , which has been dissolved in 100 μl of phosphate buffer , was added and allowed to react for 24 hours . the resulting implant was washed , thus the obtaining the implant having the peptides immobilized thereon . analysis of surface of bone graft materials according to the present invention in order to analyze the surface of each of the peptide - immobilized bone graft materials prepared in examples 1 - 12 , the bone graft materials were fixed with 2 % glutaraldehyde solution . the fixed bone graft materials were treated with 1 % osmium tetroxide solution , followed by washing , dewatering and drying . the surface of the prepared bone graft materials was analyzed by an xps method which determines the presence or absence of bonds by identifying elements immobilized on the surface of a substance . in this respect , the presence or absence of bonds were determined depending on the presence or absence of sulfur since there are disulfide bonds between the bone graft material and the peptides immobilized on the bone graft material according to the present invention . fig1 shows the results of analysis of peptides immobilized on a bone graft material of chitosan according to the present invention . in fig1 , ( a ) shows the surface of a bone graft material made of chitosan , which has not been modified with peptides , and ( b ) shows a bone graft material having a sulfur - containing peptide immobilized on the surface . as shown in fig1 , the presence of sulfur on the surface of the peptide - immobilized bone graft material was observed , suggesting that the peptides were immobilized . furthermore , the content of sulfur in the peptide - immobilized bone graft material was measured in order to determine the immobilization rate of the peptide in the total surface area of the bone graft material . as a result , as shown in table 1 below , sulfur was not detected in the chitosan with no peptide whereas 8 . 66 % of sulfur was detected in the peptide - immobilized chitosan . osteoblasts (( mc3t3 cell line ) were inoculated on the peptide - immobilized bone graft materials prepared in examples 3 , 7 and 11 and then cultured for each of 4 hours and 1 day . the bone graft materials with the cultured osteoblasts were fixed with 2 % glutaraldehyde solution . the fixed bone graft materials were added with a fluorescent - labeled phalloidin solution treated with 1 % triton x - 100 , thus staining the cytoplasm . then , after the samples were washed and fixed , the cells adhered to the bone graft materials were observed with a confocal laser scanning microscope ( fig2 ). in fig2 , ( a ) shows the cell adhesion to the bone graft material with no peptide , and ( b ) and ( c ) show the cell adhesion to the bone graft materials on which the bmp - derived peptide and the bone sialoprotein - derived peptide have been immobilized , respectively . as a result , for the bone graft material with no immobilized peptide , the spherical and unstable adhesion of the cells was observed , whereas on the surfaces of the bone graft materials with the bmp - and bone sialoprotein - derived peptides , the stable adhesion of the cells ( including the elongation of the cytoplasm in most of the cells after 4 hours of the cell culture ) was observed . fig3 shows the results of quantitative analysis for the cell adhesion . as shown in fig3 , the chitosan bone graft materials modified with the peptides showed a remarkable increase in the adhesion of the cells as compared to the chitosan bone graft material with no immobilized peptide , and this increase was proportional to the amount of the immobilized peptides up to any concentration . expression of differentiation marker proteins in osteoblasts cultured on surface of peptide - immobilized bone graft material according to the present invention in order to determine the expression of differentiation marker proteins in osteoblasts cultured on the surface of the peptide - immobilized bone graft material according to the present invention , the expression level of differentiation marker proteins smad 1 , 5 and 8 was analyzed by western blot . osteoblasts were inoculated on the surfaces of the bone graft material and the peptide - immobilized bone graft material and then cultured for 2 weeks . after culturing , total protein in the cells was extracted , and quantified by measuring the absorbance at 280 nm . 2 μl of the protein solution ( 1 mg / ml ) was taken and electrophoresed on acrylamide gel , followed by reaction with an antibody to differentiation marker proteins smad 1 , 5 and 8 . then , the protein solution was allowed to react with a labeled secondary antibody , and protein bands appearing by the development of the gel were observed and their density was measured ( fig4 ). as a result , as shown in fig4 , the expression of the smad proteins cultured on the surface of the peptide - immobilized bone graft material was significantly increased as compared to the case of the cells cultured on the bone graft material with no immobilized peptide . this suggests that the cells grown on the surface of the bone graft material having the tissue growth factor - derived peptide immobilized on the surface are differentiated into bone tissue in a facilitated manner . the peptide - immobilized bone graft materials prepared in examples 1 - 5 were grafted in rabbit cranial circular defects in order to examine their bone regeneration ability . at the cranial sites of anesthetized rabbits , circular bone defects with a diameter of 8 mm were formed . the bone graft material and the peptide - immobilized bone graft materials were grafted into the bone defects at an amount of 50 mg / defect , and the bone membrane and the skin were double sutured to each other . at 2 weeks after the grafting , the animals were sacrificed , and samples collected from the animals were fixed in formalin solution and then the tissue was embedded so as to prepare samples having a thickness of 20 μm . the prepared samples were stained with basic fuchsine and toluidine blue , thus preparing non - decalcified samples . the prepared samples were photographed with an optical microscope . fig5 shows the bone regeneration effect of the peptide - immobilized bone graft materials . as shown in fig5 , the inventive bone graft materials having the osteogenesis - promoting peptide adhered to the surface , which have been applied to the rabbit cranial defects ( b ), showed remarkable bone regeneration ability within 2 weeks as compared to the bone graft material with no peptide ( a ). although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the specific features , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this description is only for a preferred embodiment and does not limit the scope of the present invention . thus , the substantial scope of the present invention will be defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof . those skilled in the art will appreciate that simple modifications , variations and additions to the present invention are possible , without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims . as described above , the present invention provides the bone graft material and scaffold having a surface immobilized with the cell adhesion - inducing peptide and / or the tissue growth factor - derived peptide , which can achieve the desired tissue regeneration effect even at the low concentration dose level . the inventive bone graft material and the scaffold for tissue engineering applications , have the osteogenesis - promoting peptides immobilized on the surface , can promote the adhesion of cells and the differentiation of cells into bone tissue , and can prevent rapid degradation of a tissue growth factor caused by its simple incorporation according to the prior art , and side effects resulting from its leakage into the body . moreover , they allow a great reduction in the costs caused by applying a large amount of the tissue growth factor to increase its local concentration . | 0 |
fig1 shows an administration device 10 in the form of an infusion pump for insulin that is in wireless communication with a communications terminal 20 . the administration device 10 comprises a housing 1 , provided with suitable holding means , to enable it to be either secured by the user to his clothing or directly to his body so that it may be constantly carried around . the insulin is contained in a reservoir , which in the example embodiment is formed by an ampoule 2 . a piston 5 is shiftably accommodated in said ampoule 2 . displacement of the piston 5 occurs by means of a spindle drive , the driven member 6 of which ( a threaded rod in this embodiment ) is straightly and axially moved with regard to the housing 1 by means of the rotary drive of a drive member 7 , which in this embodiment is a threaded sleeve . the rotary drive of the threaded sleeve 7 is caused by a stepper motor 9 via a gear 8 with a spur wheel meshing with said threaded sleeve 7 . a power part of a control for the motor 9 is given reference number 9 a . by means of rotation - secured , straight guidance of the threaded rod 6 in the housing 1 , the threaded rod 6 is axially moved and urged against the rear of the piston . under the action of the threaded rod 6 , the piston 5 is moved to an ampoule outlet , thereby displacing insulin through said ampoule outlet . a fluid line 3 is connected to said ampoule outlet , at the free front ends of which an infusion needle n is fixed , which the user pierces under his skin and then fixes it on his skin so that he can self - administer insulin . further included in the fluid line 3 is a valve 4 , likewise accommodated in the housing 1 , which only enables insulin to flow when a minimum pressure , given by said valve 4 , is exceeded in said ampoule 2 . a position sensor 14 measures the actual value of the angular position of the stepper motor 9 and transmits it via signal lines as the actual position p to a radio interface 13 and to an emergency control 11 provided in the housing 1 . if run properly , the emergency control 11 is driven in a stand - by mode . the emergency control 11 is connected to the position sensor 14 and the power element 9 a via signal lines . it receives the actual position p from the position sensor 14 and transmits its adjusting signal c ′ to the power element 9 a , if the emergency control 11 has been activated , to move the motor 9 to a subsequent desired position . an electric battery , provided in the housing 1 , is the energy source 12 for the energy - consuming components of the administration device 10 . a reaction force f , exerted by the piston 5 on the housing 1 , is constantly measured by an energy sensor 15 and outputted in the form of a measurement signal representing the measured reaction force f . the measured reaction force f is supplied to said radio interface 13 and a threshold comparator 16 via signal lines , the comparator triggering an acoustic alarm of an alarm means 17 when a given upper threshold value for the measured reaction force f has been exceeded or when a given lower threshold value of said force has been fallen short of . the energy sensor 15 , the comparator 16 and the alarm means 17 form a device to trigger an emergency alarm . the entire driving mechanism of the piston 5 , namely , the spindle drive comprising driven member 6 and drive member 7 , gear 8 , motor 9 with power element 9 a , along with the position sensor 14 as well as the emergency control 11 , are together shiftably positioned on a straightly guided platform in the housing 1 in and against the advancement direction of the piston 5 . arrangement of the platform occurs in and against the advancement direction of the piston 5 in a free - floating manner . the energy sensor 15 , e . g ., a suitably arranged wire strain gauge , is arranged at an underside of the platform or opposite to the housing 1 so that it outputs a measurement signal when the platform and the housing 1 are urged together , this measurement signal representing the acting force . this force corresponds to the reaction force f exerted by the piston 5 on the threaded rod 6 and thus on the platform . via the radio interface 13 , there is wireless communication between the administration device 10 and the communications terminal 20 , which has been designed in the embodiment as an integrated remote indicator and control unit , and is provided with a radio interface 23 . both radio interfaces 13 and 23 are each provided with a receiving member 13 . 1 or 23 . 1 and with a transmitting member 13 . 2 or 23 . 2 . the administration device 10 permanently or periodically transmits those values of the measured reaction force f and the actual position p via transmitter 13 . 2 that are received by the receiving member 23 . 1 and are transmitted via signal lines to a microprocessor 21 . from the actual position p , the processor particularly determines the supplied basal rate , preferably in insulin units per hour iu / h , dose amounts in insulin units iu as well as the filling state of the ampoule 2 and / or the actually remaining residual amount iur and / or the presumed residual feed time . the determined basal rate and the dose amounts are stored . the reaction force f is compared by the microprocessor to a given upper threshold value for this force . exceeding the upper threshold value determines the occurrence of an occlusion in the fluid guiding system , which is stored together with its moment of occurrence . by determining a lower threshold value and comparison therewith , a leakage in the fluid guidance system can be detected and its time of occurrence can be stored . at the same time , processor 21 forms a variable control 22 for the motor 9 in normal operation , in which the emergency control 11 remains in its stand - by mode . the control function will be taken over by the emergency control 11 instead of the processor control 21 if there is an emergency case such as a communication error or any other detected control error leading to a loss of control signals . otherwise , the motor is controlled by the processor control 22 via wireless transmission of its adjusting signals c . fig2 is a front view of the communications terminal 20 . all components of the communications terminal 20 are included in a lightweight housing that can be held in a person &# 39 ; s hand . the measurement signals p and f as well as the adjusting signals c are exchanged via interface 23 by interface 13 . a visual display 24 displays information of relevance to the user . indicated data or data that can be indicated upon request in a display mode are at least operating parameters of the administration device 10 . readability of data , especially in the case of continuously performed administration , has considerably been improved by means of the remote indicator , which can also be comfortably hand - held . the variety and complexity of the indicated information can be increased without having to increase the weight and the dimensions of the administration device . the operation of the device has been further improved in that the communications terminal 20 has not only been designed as a remote display , but also as a remote control . in this connection , the terminal 20 is provided with input means 26 in the form of keys used to act upon the processor 21 , and thus also on control 22 formed by the processor . for example , pressing a key can cause a bole output , which is either spontaneous or programmed in advance in a delayed manner depending on the input . the visual display 24 and keys 26 may also cooperate by indicating on said display 24 , for example , key settings or data that can be selected via keys 26 . furthermore , the communications terminal 20 comprises an acoustic alarm indicator 25 , which acoustically alerts one to dangerous malfunctions of the communications terminal 20 and also of the administration device 10 . as concerns the operational function , the administration device 10 can be switched on or off by means of the communications terminal 20 and a dose supply can be activated or at least increased or reduced . furthermore , the basal rate and the temporary basal rate can be set and preferably also changed . filling the catheter after replacement of the ampoule can also be done in such a controlled manner . according to fig3 , the essential components of the communications terminal 20 are linked to each other and depicted in the form of a block diagram . the microprocessor 21 is the central component and controls both the visual display 24 and the acoustic indicator 25 in response to input signals obtained from the interface 23 or the input means 26 . also indicated is an energy source 27 . the communications terminal 20 is provided with a monitoring means 29 to monitor the position of the stepper motor 9 . to do so , it receives the actual position p of the position sensor 14 via the interface 23 together with the desired value from the processor control 22 . if a given maximum difference is exceeded in terms of its absolute value , the acoustic alarm 25 delivers an alarm signal . any deviations that are still tolerable will be indicated and the user can take them into account and compensate for them via the remote control at the next opportunity , e . g ., by means of an extra dose supply . no control occurs . in the event of failure of the processor control 22 , the comparison between desired / actual values , effected merely for security , can also be performed by the emergency control 11 , an intolerable deviation will be indicated by the alarm means 17 . the microprocessor 21 has access to an individual memory 30 of the communications terminal 20 , in which in particular a setup of an individual person and the historical administration data are stored or continuously accumulatingly stored . it is further possible to store blood - sugar measurement values over the time , either in an individual area of the memory 30 or in another memory of the communications terminal . this allows the user to compare the administration history to the timely assigned blood - sugar measurement values so that he can draw valuable conclusions therefrom , possibly also for future administrations and individual settings of his administration device . the communications terminal 20 is the user &# 39 ; s electronic diary . a blood - sugar measuring means is likewise integrated into the housing of the communications device . the blood - sugar measuring means comprises a sensor 28 a and a transducer 28 b . the sensor 28 a measures the blood - sugar content of a blood sample and / or a cell fluid sample . the transducer 28 b receives a measurement signal outputted from the sensor 28 a , the size thereof depending on the blood - sugar content of the sample , and transmits it to the microprocessor 21 , i . e . to an evaluation means 28 formed by the microprocessor . the measurement value obtained by the processor is stored in the memory 30 so that it is available for representation on the display 24 at a later time . referring to fig3 a , the sensor 28 a is a commonly used sensor , particularly in the form of a strip , having a sample region 33 for applying the sample and a contact region 35 for insertion into the transducer 28 b so as to be in contact therewith . the blood - sugar measuring means consists of the sensor 28 a , the transducer 28 b , used as the receiving and contacting means for the sensor 28 a , a connection means for connection to the processor 21 , and the processor 21 itself , by which the evaluating function is met if programmed in application - specific manner and which performs in the embodiment all further tasks involved with the evaluation and representation of the measurement signals of the sensor 28 a . the blood - sugar measuring means can either completely , as described above , or partially be designed as an independent module that is inserted into a prepared slot of the communications terminal 20 so as to be connected with the processor 21 . if integrated into the detachable module , the evaluation means 28 can be formed by a converter which converts the measurement signal , received from the sensor 28 a , into a signal the processor 21 can read . according to another embodiment , the evaluation means 28 itself can store a measurement signal , received from the sensor 28 a , in the memory 30 so that it does not have to be stored by the processor 21 . detection of the blood - sugar contents can also be performed by such a transducer and evaluation module . a memory can also be a component of the module to temporarily store therein the measured sensor signals . a measurement means in the basic form of a pure transducer 28 b or in one of the above developed forms may advantageously be used for any kind of device , in particular a generic device without operating parameter display , for example , in combination with a pure remote control or a remote display including other displayed data . according to the embodiment in the form of a detachable module , it may advantageously also be ( in a basic form or in one of the above developed forms ) an independent product that does not depend on a specific device to administer a fluid product . in such a form , it is especially comfortable when used to support any therapy monitored by a user . it can have an own display so that it can be used without a computer like common evaluation means . fig4 shows a representation as it appears on a touch screen of a palm top computer after selection of a loaded diabetes program . the display is a combined graphic display and input means . the display permanently , semi - permanently or on demand shows the accumulated amount of insulin administered per hour as basal rate during the last hours in the form of a bar chart in insulin units per hour . any extra dose supplies , caused by the user , are also permanently shown . a normal dose is represented by a simple vertical line and an extended dose is represented by an above offset line . the amount administered by said dose is indicated by the vertical line length . the time axis indicates the period of the last hours , for example the last 24 hours , with exact time indications . the administered insulin amounts are detected by the processor 21 from actual positions p and stored in the memory 30 so as to be available at any time for display purposes and further evaluation purposes . as long as the monitoring device 29 does not detect a malfunction , the desired positions can be simply taken by the control 21 instead of the actual positions p and be used to determine the delivered insulin amounts . finally , the total amount of insulin administered during the last 24 hours before reading is permanently shown in the form of its numeric value behind a summation sign . under the display area , the display is provided with an input area with input fields 26 . assigned to each of the input fields 26 is a graphic symbol representing the respective function . the meaning of input fields 26 from the left to the right are as follows : bread units be , notebook nb , status of ampoule sa , malfunctions ff , blood - sugar display ba and blood - sugar measurement bm . pressing one of these fields activates the function thereof , repeated pressing deactivates the function . any conceivable combination of fields may be active at a time . fig4 shows the display in a condition in which only fields ff and ba are activated . pressing field be enables the bread units obtained to be entered manually including indications concerning time and amount . pressing field nb enables the user to input personal notes that are important for him , which will be stored together with the time input by the user or , if the user does not define the time , automatically together with the moment of time the nb field was activated . at the same time , there will be a real - time representation on the display of the bread units or notes input for the indicated period which correspond to the activated input field . pressing field sa displays the current level of the ampoule in percent of the filling amount of a new ampoule and / or as still remaining residual amount of insulin or as estimated residual feed time . furthermore , the time of the last ampoule change may also be additionally indicated . activating field ff suitably indicates a real - time representation of any deviation from the desired operation , e . g . an occlusion , a communication error or a power failure , within the warning symbol . pressing field ba brings about the display of the blood - sugar contents obtained by measurements , e . g . in milligram of sugar per deciliter of blood at the time of the respective measurement . this time is determined by the user by pressing field bm . automatic determination of this time would also be conceivable . other fields may be programmed as well . represented in fig5 , in addition to the wireless communication with the communications terminal 20 , is also the possibility of communication with a computer 20 ′ via the same interface 13 , it being a notebook in fig5 . to use a standard computer 20 ′ equipped with a comparatively large monitor considerably increases the variety and complexity of the applicability of the remote display and the remote control . by means of the personal computer 20 ′, the administration device can be entirely configured and / or programmed , by the manufacturer , with the exception of the settings concerning the individual person . in some embodiments , the individual settings may be preset or programmed as well . in some embodiments , the individual on - spot configuration for the user , and in particular the evaluation possibilities available to the user , e . g ., comparing the administration history with the blood - sugar values , can be performed very comfortably and extensively . wireless communication can also be used by the manufacturer for economical configuration and / or quality control purposes . particularly with regard to quality control , it is not necessary to establish wire connection between the administration device to be checked and the computer employed for checking purposes . quality control can be performed by means of wireless communication , for example , or the production line without interrupting production . in the foregoing description , preferred embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purpose 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 . the embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principals of the invention and its practical application , and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . all such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth they are fairly , legally , and equitably entitled . | 6 |
a portion of the heat exchanger core to be assembled by the apparatus and method of the invention is shown in fig1 . plate pairs 10 which will form tubes when brazed consist of plates 12 and 14 which when stacked form a heat exchanger core adapted to be used as an evaporator . the plate pairs 10 are stacked to define a space 16 therebetween for the flow of air . the space 16 includes a corrugated metal center or fin 17 with louvers struck out therefrom for increasing the heat exchange efficiency . only a portion of the center 17 is illustrated . for standard plate pairs 10 the individual plates 12 and 14 are configured identically , one of the plates is simply inverted and rotated 1800 relative to the other . each plate has a flat peripheral edge portion 18 and the portions 18 of the two plates are formed so as to engage one another prior to braze jointure . thus each pair of plates , when brazed , forms a tube for refrigerant . inlet and outlet manifolds 24 , 26 are formed by outwardly offset and generally circular portions 28 in each end of plates 12 and 14 . an opening 30 is provided in the top surface at one end and an opening 32 is provided with an outwardly raised flange portion 34 at the other end . thus , the plates are designed so that , when stacked , the flange portion 34 surrounding opening 32 fittingly engages the opening 30 . this provides a registering relationship between the plates of two adjacent tubes . in some cases the plates 12 and 14 are not configured identically in the sense that an opening 30 may be omitted to structure the manifold for fluid flow management through the core . the plate on either end of the core will be equipped with an inlet or outlet fitting at the opening 30 or 32 . thus the core is made up primarily of &# 34 ; standard &# 34 ; plate pairs combined with a few &# 34 ; special &# 34 ; plate pairs . in any event they all couple together in the same manner . the plate and heat exchanger structures are more fully described in the u . s . pat . no . 4 , 470 , 455 to sacca . the general organization of the assembly machine is shown in fig2 . a pallet 40 comprises an open - sided frame 42 with vertical end plates 44 at each corner of a horizontal base plate 45 . four rods 46 supported by the end plates 44 extend longitudinally along each side to pass through and hold a plurality of perforated blocks 48 which can slide a limited amount along the rods . a coil spring 49 under compression surrounds alternate rods 46 on each side between an end plate 44 and the nearest block 48 to hold the blocks together against the other end of the frame unless the spring force is overcome . the blocks 48 each have a slot 50 for receiving the edges of a plate pair 10 adjacent an offset portion 28 . each block also has an outboard cam follower 52 extending to the side of the pallet . a lead screw 54 with its axis parallel to the rods 46 at each side of the path of the pallet engages just a few of the cam followers 52 at a given time . the lead screws 54 are synchronously rotated by servomotors 56 to advance the corresponding blocks 48 longitudinally so as to precisely position the blocks and to advance the entire pallet 40 as well . a microprocessor based controller 57 controls the servomotors . the lead screws are positioned at a loading station for plate pairs 10 and the pallets 40 are carried to the loading station by a power and free conveyor 58 which depends on a frictional contact to drive the pallet . the lead screws engage the cam followers of the blocks and positively and precisely position the blocks at a feed plane where plate pairs are dropped into the slots 50 in the blocks 48 . as shown in fig2 the first few blocks are holding plate pairs 10 and subsequent blocks are prepared to receive a plate pair being inserted as indicated by an arrow 60 . the width of the blocks is such that when they are nested together the adjacent plate pairs 10 are stacked together as shown in fig1 . a critical function of the pallet system is that the pitch of the lead screw 54 is greater than the width of the blocks so that the few blocks that are actively engaged by the lead screws are spaced far enough to permit insertion of the plate pairs 10 without interference by an adjacent plate pair and the adjacent pairs are moved into a nested assembly as they are released by the lead screws . the plate pairs 10 may not necessarily be loaded at the same station since it may be more convenient to have separate loading stations for each type of plate pair , standard or special . the conveyor 58 carries the pallet from one station to the next . at each station the blocks 48 are spaced apart as they pass the feeding plane and the proper plate pairs are inserted into empty slots according to a preset program . centers 17 are also supplied to the pallet in the same manner . center insertion occurs after all the plates are inserted since the plate pairs 10 position and laterally support the centers . a center loading station is shown in fig2 downstream from the plate loading station . lead screws 62 driven by servomotors 64 are on opposite sides of the conveyor 58 . the optimum spacing of the blocks for center insertion is less than for the plate pair insertion . thus the lead screws 62 at the center loading station have a smaller pitch than those at the plate pair loading station . accordingly , the pallet 40 can provide various insertion spacings under control of the lead screws at a various stations . a special feature at the center loading station is an auxiliary lead screw 66 drivingly coupled to each lead screw 62 by a shaft 68 but spaced from the lead screw 62 by a distance of perhaps one half the length of a pallet 40 . the purpose of the lead auxiliary screw 66 is to engage a pallet 40 &# 39 ; which is waiting to enter the center loading station and positively advance the pallet at a rate determined by the motor 64 speed . in the absence of the lead screw 66 the pallet would be advanced by the power and free conveyor 58 which relies on friction to move the pallet and is accordingly limited in its ability to accelerate the pallet . the positive advancement is most advantageous when the waiting pallet is touching or nearly touching the pallet in the station . by positively advancing the waiting pallet 40 &# 39 ; it can be accelerated quickly for positioning in the station under control of the lead screw 62 , thus minimizing the time lapse between the last center insertion in one pallet 40 and the first center insertion in the next pallet . the benefit of minimizing the time lapse is to allow the supply of centers to proceed at a more uniform rate . in the most efficient arrangement the centers are fed to the pallet directly from the machine making the centers . that machine operates best at a constant output rate but it can vary its rate somewhat to accommodate the time lapse between pallets , providing that the time lapse is small . in other words , it is not desirable to stop the supply of centers each time a pallet is positioned in the loading station but some slow down is permissible . the positive advancement of the waiting pallet by the lead screw 66 in conjunction with the control by lead screw 62 permits its precise positioning in the loading station in the minimum time . details of the assembly machine are better shown in fig3 , 5 and 6 and include some elements not shown in fig2 . the base plate 45 has a large central aperture 70 and a short pedestal 72 at each end between the end plates 44 . a platen 74 ( fig5 ) is supported on the pedestals with its upper surface flush with the bottom edges of the elements to be loaded into the pallet and is the support for centers when they are first loaded and are not yet held by the adjacent plates . the platen 74 also is used to lift the assembled core out of the pallet via an elevator , not shown , which pushes up through the large aperture 70 in the base plate . the slot 50 in each block is configured to the shape of the plates 10 so that the plate pairs nest in the slot . the blocks also have relief to accommodate the offset portions 28 of the plates . each block 48 has , in addition to the slot 50 and the cam follower 52 , two flat side faces 75 which abut similar faces in adjacent blocks , two large holes 76 and two small holes 77 receiving the rods 46 . the four holes are positioned at corners of a rectangle and two diagonal small holes 77 are surrounded by a boss 78 protruding beyond the faces 75 on one side of the block and containing a bushing 80 for sliding on the rods 46 . the other set of diagonal holes 76 are large enough to receive the bosses 78 of the adjacent block . for the blocks to fit together with the adjoining faces 75 in contact two block types ( for each side of the pallet ) are used alternately so that each boss 78 of one block will align with and fit in the corresponding large hole 76 of the adjacent block . one type of block rides on two of the rails and the other type rides on the other two rails . the bosses protrude toward the end of the pallet 40 that contains some free space for block movement . the springs 49 on two of the rods reside in the space and extend between the end plates 44 and the bosses 78 of the end block to press the blocks together in the absence of the lead screws . when the lead screws engage some of the blocks the springs 49 are compressed due to the separation of those blocks . the frame 42 is moved by the lead screws 54 via forces acting through the blocks and the springs 49 if the springs are in the leading edge of the pallet . the other end of the pallet may be positioned in the front in which case the force from the lead screws is delivered directly by the blocks to the frame 42 . the lead screws 54 comprise helical threads 82 having a pitch determined by the block thickness and the block separation appropriate for a particular loading station . the thickness of each thread is sufficient to span the distance between adjacent cam followers 52 . this assures that each block will be positively positioned by the screw threads . the cam followers 52 are essentially elliptical to accommodate the pitch angle of the threads . fig7 shows the lead screw 62 connected to the auxiliary lead screw 66 and coupled respectively to a pallet 40 in the center loading station and a waiting pallet 40 &# 39 ;. the screw driving shaft 66 is supported in three spaced bearing blocks 84 and is driven at one end by a motor ( not shown ). each screw 62 , 68 is mounted on the shaft 66 and keyed thereto by a pin 86 passing through a hub 88 on the screw and through the shaft . the screw 62 is the same as the screw 56 at the plate loading station except for a smaller lead and thread width to conform to the smaller block spacing required for the center insertion . the pallets 40 , 40 &# 39 ; are shown with one closely following the other . a bumper 90 is fixed to the trailing end of each pallet for desired spacing of the waiting pallet from the one being loaded . this allows the leading blocks of the waiting pallet to smoothly mesh with the screw 68 . in operation , the waiting pallet 40 &# 39 ; is brought into contact with the rear end of the pallet 40 by the conveyor 58 preferably before the pallet 40 enters the loading station . when the first blocks of the pallet 40 &# 39 ; reach the screw 68 the blocks will be captured by the screw so that the pallets 40 and 40 &# 39 ; will be advanced together by the screws 62 and 68 . when the pallet 40 is fully loaded with centers the motors 64 will accelerate to quickly remove the pallet 40 and simultaneously move the waiting pallet 40 &# 39 ; into the station with accurate positioning for the insertion of the next center dropped into the loading plane . accurate positioning of the blocks is assured by driving the blocks directly by the lead screws and by driving the lead screws by servomotors under computer control . the amount of rotation of the servomotors and thus the position of each block is precisely controlled by the computer program . | 8 |
representative practices , procedures and embodiments in accordance with the present invention will now be described in relation to the accompanying figures in which , like reference numerals are utilized to designate like components throughout the various views . turning to fig1 , a space 10 is illustrated incorporating a traditional carpet floor covering installation . in such a traditional installation a carpeting material such as broadloom carpet 12 is installed in covering relation to an underlay padding 14 in covering relation to a subfloor 18 . as will be appreciated , the subfloor 18 may be formed of a wide array of materials including wood , concrete , raised access paneling , or the like as will be well known to those of skill in the art . as illustrated , an arrangement of tack strips 16 is disposed around the perimeter of the space 10 being carpeted so as to hold the carpet 12 in tension following installation . after installation of the carpet system furniture may be introduced into the space 10 . as will be appreciated , such furniture such as a chair 22 or the like may be adapted for discretionary repositioning by the occupants of the space 10 . the furniture installation may also include one or more affixed furniture pieces 24 which are secured at a substantially fixed position within the space 10 . such fixed furniture installations may be particularly desirable in hotel and office environments wherein a standardized orientation of individual furniture pieces is desirable to facilitate uniform appearance and systematic cleaning . as illustrated in fig1 a , in a typical installation of affixed furniture pieces 24 , an arrangement of brackets 26 is used to secure the affixed furniture pieces 24 across the subfloor 18 . the portions of the brackets extending away from the affixed furniture pieces 24 may thereafter be covered by the carpet 12 and / or underlay padding 14 so as to hide the attachment . thus , in such installations , the base of the affixed furniture pieces 24 typically rests on top of the carpet 12 . thus , in the event that there is a need to replace the carpet 12 the affixed furniture pieces 24 must be unbolted from the subfloor and relocated prior to replacement . since the carpet is in large pieces , such removal is often necessary even if the damaged portion of carpeting is outboard of the furniture item . fig2 illustrates a space 40 such as a hotel room or the like incorporating a floor covering installation formed from a multiplicity of cooperating modular tile elements 25 adapted to cover an interior portion of the space 40 inboard of a border strip 27 which extends at least partially along the perimeter of the space 40 at the intersection between the subfloor 18 and walls 29 . as illustrated , it is contemplated that the border strip may also extend in a path substantially around one or more affixed furniture pieces 24 so as to define a border between the modular tile elements 25 and the base of such affixed furniture pieces 24 . thus , in such a floor covering system the border strip 27 will travel in a path around such affixed furniture pieces . however , as illustrated in fig2 a ( wherein like elements are designated by like reference numerals with a prime ) it is also contemplated that the border strip 27 ′ may travel in a path substantially coextensive with the subfloor perimeter . as best illustrated through simultaneous reference to fig2 and 3 and 2 a and 3 a respectively , regardless of whether the border strips extend in a pattern around fixed furniture pieces 24 or remain adjacent to the walls 29 , the width of the border strips is preferably selected such that the interior modular tile elements 25 , 25 ′ may be placed across the interior of the space 40 , 40 ′ without the need to substantially trim or otherwise adjust the dimensions of the tile elements 25 , 25 ′ from their original dimensions as manufactured . thus , according to the potentially preferred practice each of the modular tile elements 25 , 25 ′ is preferably of the same size after installation is complete . an example of the steps in an exemplary process for the installation of flooring in fig3 a is : 1 ) measure the distance between the parallel wall structures in the room . this will yield the 2 full wall - to - wall measurements for the room in fig3 a ( wtw 1 , wtw 2 ). 2 ) divide each measurement from # 1 above by the length or width size of the carpet tile being used ( as an example only : 24 ″× 24 ″). wtw 1 ″/ 24 ″= y . aa tiles needed where y will represent the number of full tiles and “. aa ” will represent the total strip size needed . 3 ) strip size “. aa ” from # 2 above is converted to inches . . aa × 24 ″= bb inches of strip total bb ″/ 2 walls = cc ″ of strip on floor for each wall 4 ) if cc ″ is & lt ; 4 ″ ( which is the minimum desirable strip width on a floor strip for the wtw 1 dimension would be either 5 ) repeat steps 2 through 4 for the other wall - to - wall direction measurement ( wtw 2 ). 6 ) install strips around perimeter walls in the width ( s ) calculated and then install interior carpet tiles in full tile increments . as illustrated , it is contemplated that the coverage by the interior modular tile elements 25 , 25 ′ across the interior of the space 40 may be interrupted by selectively placed tile elements of different construction and / or appearance . in particular , it is contemplated that the floor covering system may include one or more entry way tiles 28 , 28 ′ located at a threshold of an entry way door 31 , 31 ′. by way of example only , and not limitation , it is contemplated that such entry way tiles 28 , 28 ′ may be formed of a material of enhanced durability and / or stain resistance relative to the interior modular tile elements 25 , 25 ′ so as to provide a convenient localized collection point for moisture , dirt and other debris which may be adhered to a user &# 39 ; s shoes as he or she enters the space . as illustrated it is also contemplated that the floor covering installation may include one or more selectively placed insert or message tile elements 30 , 30 ′ at locations across the interior of the space . preferably , such insert tiles 30 , 30 ′ have a shape which is substantially equivalent to that of the interior modular tile elements 25 , 25 ′ covering the remainder of the interior . however , the insert tiles 30 , 30 ′ will preferably be visually distinct from the surrounding interior tile elements 25 , 25 ′. by way of example , such insert tiles may be formed from materials different from the interior tile elements 25 , 25 ′ and / or may be printed with different colors , designs , logos , safety information , or other data for viewing by an occupant . it is contemplated that the interior modular tile elements 25 , 25 ′ the border strips 27 , 27 ′ as well as any entry way tiles 28 , 28 ′ and insert tiles 30 , 30 ′ which may be used may be formed from a wide range of materials and combinations of materials as are known to be suitable for floor covering installations . by way of example only , and not limitation , it is contemplated that any of the tile and / or strip elements may be formed from materials such as carpeting , hardback or cushion back carpet tiles , pieces or portions of such carpet tiles , broadloom , attached cushion broadloom , hardwood flooring , laminate flooring , vinyl flooring , ceramics , granite , marble , and other materials as may be known to those of skill in the art . it is also to be appreciated that such materials may be used in combination with one another within the installation . that is , a border strip of one material may be used in combination with interior modular tile elements of another material . likewise , interior modular tile elements of different materials such as carpet and ceramic , carpet and wood , wood and ceramic and the like may be used . while the present invention is in no way limited to the use of one or more materials , according to one potentially preferred practice it is contemplated that at least a portion of the interior modular tile elements 25 , 25 ′ will be carpet tiles . such carpet tiles may be formed according to any of the practices as will be well known to those of skill in the art and may include tufted , bonded , woven , knit or non - woven face constructions . such carpet tiles may employ any number of different backing layers including cushioning or rigid backing materials as will be well known to those of skill in the art . such tiles may also include various releasable adhesives or other friction enhancing coatings to facilitate placement across the underlying subfloor . in the event that carpet tiles are used as the interior modular tile elements 25 , 25 ′ it is contemplated that the face layer of such carpet tile may be of any suitable known construction including , but not limited to loop pile , cut pile , and combinations of cut and loop pile with pile heights preferably ranging from about { fraction ( 1 / 64 )} inch to about 1 . 5 inches or greater . the message or insert tiles 30 , 30 ′ may likewise be carpet tiles . however , as previously indicated , it is also contemplated that other materials such as ceramics , wood , vinyl , laminates and the like may be used in construction of the insert tiles . preferably , such insert tiles are provided with an appearance that is different from that of the interior modular tile elements forming the body of the interior installation so as to provide a desired decorative pattern . by way of example only , and not limitation , fig1 a - 13h illustrate various representative insert tiles which may be used in combination with surrounding carpet tile elements 25 , 25 ′ at the interior of the space being covered . thus , in fig1 a the insert tile 30 a is simply a carpet tile of a preselected color which may be different from that of the surrounding tiles . in fig1 b , the insert tile 30 b is printed with a brick design . in fig1 c the insert tile 30 c is printed with a stone design . in fig1 d , the insert tile 30 d is formed of wood or wood veneer . in fig1 e , the insert tile 30 e is printed with a geometric pattern . in fig1 f , the insert tile 30 f is printed with a corporate logo . in fig1 g the insert tile 30 g is printed with a family crest . in fig1 h , the insert tile 30 h is printed with a floral pattern . of course , such patterns are merely representative and may be used either alone or in combination with other insert tiles to provide a desired visual effect . it is also contemplated that the modular tile elements disposed across the interior of the space being covered may have various sizes and shapes . that is , the present invention is in no way limited to a single tile dimension . thus , by way of example only , a sample of contemplated sizes and shapes for the interior modular tile elements is provided in fig4 a , 4b . however , it is to be understood that in a given installation each of the tiles will preferably be of the same size and shape so as to reduce complexity . as previously indicated , the border strip 27 , 27 ′ which is utilized may be of any suitable material or combination of materials . by way of example only , such border strips may include wood or stone inlays , rubber boundary strips or carpet strip arrangements . according to one potentially preferred practice , the border strip may be formed from a unitary strip 50 of material such as traditional broadloom carpet . of course , it is to be understood that similar constructions may be used for border strips 27 ′ in installations where the border strips outline affixed furniture . by way of example only , and not limitation , an exemplary cross sectional construction of a tufted broadloom carpet 51 including a pile surface 52 and an attached cushion layer 53 is provided in fig7 a . likewise , a tufted broadloom carpet 51 ′ having a pile surface 52 ′ with no attached cushion is illustrated in fig7 b . of course , carpets having face constructions other than tufted configurations such as bonded , woven , knit and non - woven constructions may likewise be used . as will be appreciated , such materials may be readily formed into an elongate strip construction as illustrated in fig7 by cutting techniques as will be well known to those of skill in the art . referring to fig8 and 8 a , one contemplated arrangement for a border strip 27 formed from a unitary strip of carpet 50 is illustrated . as shown , in this construction the unitary elongate strip 50 is folded into a generally open “ l ” shaped geometry for placement along the intersection between the subfloor 18 and an adjacent vertical boundary surface such as the edge of affixed furniture 24 or a wall element 29 . in this arrangement a first leg of the border strip 27 projects away from the vertical boundary surface while a second leg extends partially up the vertical boundary surface projecting away from the subfloor . interior modular tile elements may thereafter be placed in adjacent relation to the edge of the first leg so as to establish a substantially continuous covering across the subfloor as illustrated in fig1 a . it is also contemplated that the border strip 27 , 27 ′ may be formed from multiple pieces of cooperating material rather than as a single unitary structure . as illustrated in fig9 , according to one contemplated practice two elongate strips of carpeting material 54 , 55 as previously described may be used to form the individual legs of the border strip . such an installation is illustrated in fig1 and 10 a . as will be appreciated , such a construction for the border strips 27 may facilitate the development of a sharp corner for insertion at the intersection between the subfloor 18 and an adjacent vertical boundary surface which may be desirable in some instances . morever , such a multi - pieced construction permits the legs of the border strip 27 to be formed of different materials which may be desirable in some instances . of course , as with the prior described construction an arrangement of interior modular tile elements may be placed in adjacent relation to the horizontal leg of the border strip to establish a substantially continuous covering relation across the subfloor ( fig1 b ). while it may be desirable in many instances to utilize a border strip of “ l ” shaped construction , it is also contemplated that the edge strip 27 , 27 ′ may be substantially planar such that it extends away from the vertical boundary surface across the subfloor but does not include a vertical leg element . such an installation is illustrated in fig1 . as previously indicated , the present invention provides substantial advantages in relation to the repair and / or replacement of the floor covering material following the initial installation . by way of illustration , in fig5 there is illustrated an arrangement of interior modular tile elements 25 such as may be disposed inboard of a surrounding border strip in the manner previously described . as shown , in the arrangement of interior modular tile elements 25 two of such tile elements are illustrated as being stained or damaged . as shown in fig6 , such stained or damaged tile elements may be replaced by replacement tile elements 125 without the need for replacement of any surrounding or adjacent tile elements and with no need to reposition or remove furniture . insert tiles 30 may likewise be inserted and replaced as desired such as to periodically change a message imprinted thereon . moreover , the entire floor covering installation may be easily replaced in a staged manner by repositioning furniture within the space as necessary to gain access to the tile elements and then placing new tile elements in place . that is , it is generally unnecessary to remove the furniture from the space during replacement of floor covering installations in accordance with the present invention . thus , after an installation is made according to the present invention , repair and / or replacement may be effected with minimal effort . the present invention also substantially facilitates the ability to place floor covering materials around affixed furniture pieces so as to avoid the use of carpeting in locations beneath such furniture which will be invisible to a user . such installation is achieved by the patterning of border strips around such affixed furniture pieces in a manner such as is illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the past , such selective patterning of floor coverings has been difficult due to the need to apply tack strips at the interface between such fixed furniture and the edge of the floor covering materials . while the invention has been illustrated and described in relation to certain embodiments , constructions and procedures , it is to be understood that such embodiments , constructions and procedures are illustrative only and that the present invention is in no event to be limited thereto . to the contrary it is contemplated that modifications and variations embodying the principles of this invention will no doubt occur to those of skill in the art and it is thus intended that the present invention shall extend to all such modifications and variations as may incorporate the broad principles of the invention within the full spirit and scope thereof . | 0 |
as stated in the background , hot plasmas resident in the magnetospheres of the earth and other planets present a challenging target for space - borne particle detectors , and particularly for ion composition instruments . these plasmas have source regions both in the solar wind and in the planetary ionospheres , so there is typically a mixture of ions such as hydrogen , helium , oxygen , nitrogen , and other minor species with density ratios that are in some cases very high . the varying mass / charge ratios and fluxes present a difficult challenge in attempting ion composition analysis . this description is directed to systems and methods for solving the dynamic range problem in the few - ev to several - kev energy / charge range . this energy / charge range is important for space physics research , where the dominant ions are of low mass / charge ( typically h +), and the minor ions are of higher mass / charge ( typically o +). the technique described herein involves using radio - frequency ( rf ) modulation of a deflection electric field in an electrostatic analyzer used with a time - of - flight ( tof ) instrument . the analyzer reduces h + counts into the tof instrument by a controllable amount of up to factors of 1000 , while reducing o + counts by a known and calibratable several percent . fig1 illustrates representative ion fluxes that will be encountered in the earth &# 39 ; s magnetosphere region by a particle analyzer in space . typical applications of such particle analyzers are the ion composition instruments used on a spacecraft , such as a spacecraft used for nasa &# 39 ; s magnetospheric multiscale ( mms ) mission . the h + fluxes are representative of a compressed dayside boundary region ( magnetopause ) with density of 80 cm − 3 and 400 km / s bulk flow , similar to the high - speed flows observed in reconnection . the o + fluxes are modeled after the beams observed in the low latitude boundary layer , which lies just outside the magnetopause . the magnetotail fluxes are modeled after plasma sheet encounters , including the o + composition representative of disturbed magnetospheric conditions . as shown in fig1 , the proton fluxes are often extremely high . in contrast , in the same part of the magnetosphere , important minor ions will have fluxes of only a few percent of the proton flux . because of thermalization by the bow shocks , which slow the solar wind in front of the magnetospheres , and wave turbulence within the magnetospheres , the ion distribution function covers a wide energy range with significant flux at all entrance angles to a particle analyzer . two major problems limit the dynamic range of space - borne ion composition instruments ( particle analyzers ). the first is simply the requirement for very high counting rates , a requirement that results when an instrument that is sensitive enough to detect minor species in a tenuous plasma region must also measure major species in a more dense region . the second is the spillover from dense major species into channels tuned to minor species . fig2 illustrates an ion composition analyzer 110 , which provides improved dynamic range in accordance with the invention . analyzer 110 is a “ tophat ” type electrostatic analyzer 110 , and provides ions to the entrance of a time - of - flight ( tof ) mass analyzer 120 . together , analyzer 110 and tof analyzer 120 measure three - dimensional composition - resolved distribution functions of hot plasmas in space . more specifically , fig2 is a planar section view of a toroidal analyzer 110 with deflection plates 116 and 118 that create an ion path within the analyzer 110 . the ion path is segmented into a dc entrance section 112 and an rf exit section 114 . an example of a suitable deflection plate gap is 4 . 1 mm , constant throughout the analyzer 110 . in the example of fig2 , analyzer 110 has a curved - plate and toroidal configuration for the ion path . in other words , deflection plates 116 and 118 form a curved toroidal path . other configurations may be used , such as the more common spherical tophat geometry , or such as various non - tophat geometries ( cylindrical , hemispherical , etc . ), or parallel plate geometries . the technique involves the incorporation of a radio - frequency ( rf ) deflection voltage in the exit segment 114 of the analyzer 110 . a dc deflection voltage is applied to the entrance segment 112 as a pre - filter to the rf section . the entrance section 112 applies the dc deflection electric field to the ions within , and presents a nearly monoenergetic beam ( δe / e ˜ 0 . 2 ) to the exit section 114 . the same dc deflection voltage is applied to the exit section 114 , but an additional rf voltage is superimposed on it . without the dc pre - filtering , the rf deflection section 114 would simply sample adjacent parts of the wide energy spectrum typically encountered in magnetospheric environments . fig2 further illustrates ray tracing of the ion paths through the analyzer 110 . appropriate software can be used to simulate ion paths through analyzer 110 . an example of such software is the simion ™ software , available from scientific instrument services , inc . for purposes of example , the paths of h + and o + ions are shown . analyzer 110 can reduce the h + flux to extremely low levels while keeping the o + flux nearly unaffected . in the electrostatic analyzer 110 , the rf deflection voltage causes only slight deflections of slower - moving heavy ions ( such as oxygen ), which execute several oscillations about the center line between the deflection plates as they transit the rf deflection section . these ions will tend to remain within the deflection plates during an rf period . lighter , faster - moving ions ( such as hydrogen ) will strike the deflection plates in a time short compared to the rf period of the deflection voltage . thus , the analyzer 110 acts as a high - pass mass / charge filter ( or equivalently , a low - pass velocity filter ). by varying the frequency and magnitude of the rf deflection voltage , the filtering can cover a fairly wide range of energies and can be tuned to transmit known fractions of ions at all masses . in this way it solves both of the dynamic range problems ( count saturation and major species spillover ) mentioned above . in the example of fig2 , a uniform mixture of h + and o + ions enters the “ tophat ” of the analyzer 110 from the left and is deflected into the entrance region 112 by the dc field . h + and o + ions at an energy / charge of 1 kev fill the field of view of the analyzer 110 , which has a dc potential difference of 189 v across the deflection plates in the dc section . the entrance section 112 of the ion path , with its dc field , is an “ energy filter ”. all ions within a selected narrow energy band regardless of mass , are transmitted through this section 112 and enter the exit section 114 . the dc potential is selected to choose the energy to be transmitted . in volts , the potential is typically about 15 % or so of the energy in electron volts . the ions then travel into the exit region 114 where rf is applied . in the rf section , a 5 mhz 150 v signal is added to the dc deflection potential . the applied voltage may vary . in the rf section , the o + ions are transmitted by the analyzer 110 and enter the tof analyzer 120 . for the deflection voltage and rf frequency used , the h + ions are seen to be totally absorbed by the plates 116 and 118 , while the o + ions exhibit a high transmission fraction . in the exit section 114 of the ion path , the rf frequency is chosen so that a heavy ion will undergo many cycles of low - amplitude spatial oscillation as it traverses the deflection plates . lighter ions will undergo a much smaller number of higher - amplitude oscillations along their paths . the result is a high transmission of heavy ions ( e . g ., o +) and a successively lower transmission as the ion mass decreases and the ions begin to strike the deflection plates . by varying the rf frequency and voltage , ion filtering can be optimized for certain combinations of ions at various energies . for a fairly narrow energy range , such as that for h + at the magnetopause , a single frequency rf deflection voltage is sufficient to allow accurate o + measurements while reducing the h + count rate to a known and manageable level . the specific electrostatic analyzer 110 used is a variation on a conventional tophat analyzer . instead of spherically symmetric deflection plates , the analyzer 110 has a toroidal geometry , which is somewhat more efficient by volume and has focusing characteristics that are better suited to coupling with a tof mass - analyzer 120 . to illustrate the technique in mathematical terms , consider the effect of a peak rf voltage v 0 at frequency f applied across a deflection gap δy in a parallel - plate analyzer , in which the dc applied deflection voltage is zero . the deflection from the central plane of the analyzer as a function of time is given by : because of the difference in velocity between light and heavy ions with the same energy / charge ( e ), it is more relevant to examine the dependence of the deflection ( y ) from the central plane of the analyzer on the distance down the segment of the analyzer that has the rf voltage applied . because v x =√ 2e / m is constant , we can substitute t = x / v x in equation ( 2 ). fig3 illustrates plots of y as a function of distance ( x ) for h + and o + with equal energies / charge of 1 kev for the following selected analyzer parameters : v 0 = 150 v , δy = 4 mm , and f = ω / 2π = 5 mhz . phases of the rf voltage when the ions enter the analyzer 110 are noted on the h + curves . as shown in fig3 , the path of the ions through the analyzer depends on the phase of the rf deflection voltage at t = 0 . this effect is illustrated for phase angles between 0 ° and 90 °, the results of which are representative of the full range of angles . it is evident from fig3 , that for analyzer segments of a few cm in length , the h + ions will be deflected into the plates while the o + ions will not . eventually , of course , the o + ions will also strike the plates if they are too long . fig4 a and 4b illustrate results of a laboratory test using the system of fig2 , with relative transmission of 1 kev singly - charged oxygen ions ( fig4 a ) and protons ( fig4 b ) as a function of applied rf frequency . the optimum response is seen to be at about 5 mhz . at this frequency , the proton counts are reduced by nearly three orders of magnitude while the o + counts are reduced by only about 25 % as compared to the response with a dc deflection voltage . fig5 illustrates results of another laboratory test using the system of fig2 , with the transmission ratio of 1 kev protons as a function of the peak - to - peak voltage of the 5 mhz deflection potential . a thousand - fold reduction in proton throughput is possible . the throughput can be regulated to intermediate values . in sum , the above described system and method solves the problem of spillover of major ion signals in mass analyzers , which results in contamination of minor ion signals . it provides a controllable reduction of major ion throughput with little or no reduction in minor ion throughput . the rf technique described herein can be tailored for effective use in many space and laboratory environments . the method will separate high mass ions from low mass ions regardless of flux differences , and is particularly useful when the light ions have significantly higher fluxes than the heavy ions of interest , a situation that would otherwise cause measurement problems . in space applications , the heavy ions of interest have lower fluxes than the lower mass ions , which favors application of the method herein . the use of analyzer 110 with a tof analyzer 120 is but one application of the invention . analyzer 110 could be used without tof analyzer , acting as a lower resolution mass spectrometer . also , tof analyzer 120 could be replaced by other types of mass analyzers , such as a magnetic sector mass analyzer . | 7 |
the present invention relates to a nasal mask . the invention is applicable to masks of differing constructions . as representative of the invention , fig1 and 2 illustrate a nasal mask 10 constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention . the mask 10 includes a shell 20 . a forehead support assembly 30 extends upward from the shell 20 . a face cushion 40 is supported on the shell 20 . the mask 10 also includes headgear 80 connected with the forehead support assembly 30 and with the shell 20 , for helping to hold the mask on the user &# 39 ; s head . the shell 20 is preferably made of a rigid plastic material , which is preferably optically transparent and impermeable to gas or air . the shell 20 has a rounded triangular configuration when viewed from the front , being narrower on top by the nasal bridge region and wider by the base of the nose . the shell 20 includes a front wall 22 ( fig4 ) and a side wall 24 . the forehead support assembly 30 extends upward from the side wall 24 of the shell 20 . the front wall 22 and the side wall 24 of the shell 20 define a central chamber 32 in the mask 10 . a circular inlet aperture 34 in the front wall 22 of the shell 20 permits gas to enter the central chamber 32 . a gas inlet tube 36 is rotatably attached to the front wall 22 of the shell 20 so that it covers the inlet aperture 32 . gas to be delivered to the patient flows into the shell 20 through the gas inlet tube 36 , and into the central chamber 32 in the shell . the cushion 40 covers the wearer &# 39 ; s nose and directs the gas from the central chamber 32 into the user &# 39 ; s nasal passages , while blocking flow of gas out of the sides of the mask 10 . the shell 20 has a plurality of molded - in ribs 42 ( fig5 - 7 ) on the inner side surface of the side wall 24 . the ribs 42 are spaced apart around the side wall 24 . each one of the ribs 42 has an end portion 44 that projects inwardly from the side wall 24 of the shell 20 to form a post . the shell 20 includes a retaining ring 50 for retaining the cushion 40 on the shell . the retaining ring 50 is a one piece molded plastic member that is fixed inside the shell 20 . the retaining ring 50 could be formed in another manner , or made from more than one piece . the retaining ring 50 has a non - planar configuration that closely follows the configuration of the outer peripheral edge of the shell side wall 24 . the ring 50 has a plurality of sleeves 52 spaced apart along the ring at locations that align with the posts 44 on the shell 20 , when the ring is mounted on the shell . to secure the ring 50 to the shell 20 , the sleeves 52 on the ring are heat staked on the posts 44 of the shell . when the ring 50 is secured to the shell 20 , a gap 54 is formed outward of the ring and inward of the side wall 24 of the shell . the gap 54 extends completely around the ring 50 and inside the side wall 24 of the shell 20 . the retaining ring 50 in cross - section has a notch 56 ( fig7 ) presented away from the outer peripheral edge of the sidewall 24 of the shell 20 and toward the side wall of the shell , in a direction along the length of the ribs 42 . the cushion 40 serves two basic functions : user comfort and sealing . thus the cushion 40 is preferably made from a bio - friendly elastomeric material which is both substantially gas impermeable and elastic enough to conform comfortably to the contours of a person &# 39 ; s face . a preferred material is silicone . the cushion 40 may take any appropriate shape ; the shape shown in the drawings is preferred . the cushion 40 is preferably molded as one piece , as shown in the illustrated embodiment . the cushion 40 has a side wall 60 , an inner wall 62 , and an outer wall 64 . the side wall 60 of the cushion 40 extends completely around the cushion . the outer wall 64 , which is the portion of the cushion 40 that contacts the user &# 39 ; s face , extends laterally inward from the side wall 60 . the outer wall 64 has a generally triangular central opening 66 , which receives the user &# 39 ; s nose , for enabling passage of gas from the central chamber 32 of the mask 10 into the user &# 39 ; s nasal passages . the outer wall 64 of the cushion 40 extends completely around the cushion . thus , when the mask 10 is used , there is complete sealing contact between the outer wall 64 of the cushion 40 and the user &# 39 ; s face . the inner wall 62 of the cushion 40 , like the outer wall 64 , extends laterally inward from the side wall 60 . the inner wall 62 is thicker than the outer wall 64 . as a result , the inner wall 62 is stiffer and stronger than the outer wall 64 . the inner wall 62 of the cushion 40 extends for most , but not all , of the extent of the outer wall 64 . the inner wall 62 is discontinuous ( not present ) in the region of the nasal bridge . a gap 68 ( fig8 ) is formed between two ends 70 of the inner wall 62 , in the region of the nasal bridge . this gap 68 enables the mask 10 to conform more closely to the user &# 39 ; s face , at the region of the nasal bridge . this also reduces the possibility of irritation by rubbing of the relatively stiff inner wall 62 on the nose , thus providing a more comfortable mask . although the inner wall 62 does help the sealing function by supporting the outer wall 64 , it is not needed everywhere , and this region is selected to maximize comfort . the side wall 60 of the cushion 40 terminates in an outer peripheral tongue 72 ( fig5 - 7 ) of the cushion , for mounting to the shell 20 . the tongue 72 is of a reduced material thickness as compared to the side wall 60 . for example , the thickness of the tongue 72 may be from one quarter to one half the thickness of the side wall 60 . the tongue 72 extends from the side wall 60 by a distance long enough for it to mount releasably in the gap 54 of the shell . the tongue 72 terminates in a retaining flange 74 . the retaining flange 74 extends for the entire extent of the tongue 72 , in a direction transverse to the tongue . in the illustrated embodiment , the retaining flange 74 extends at substantially a right angle to the tongue 72 . the retaining flange 74 may be of the same or substantially the same material thickness as the tongue 72 . the tongue 72 of the cushion 40 is inserted into the gap 54 between the retaining ring 50 and the shell side wall 24 to secure the cushion to the shell 20 . the tongue 72 is inserted far enough into the gap 54 so that the flange 74 on the tongue engages in the notch 56 of the retaining ring 50 . the flange 74 and the tongue 72 are captured between the retaining ring 50 and the side wall 24 of the shell 20 . this engagement holds the cushion 40 on the shell 20 . because the retaining ring 50 and the gap 54 extend completely around the shell 20 , and the tongue 72 extends completely around the cushion 40 , the cushion is held securely on the shell around its entire extent . the cushion 40 is removable from the shell for cleaning or replacement purposes . the user can pull with enough force to remove the tongue 72 and the retaining flange 74 from the gap 54 between the ring 50 and the shell side wall 24 . in this manner , the cushion 40 is disengaged from the shell 20 . after this is done , the same cushion 40 or another cushion 40 can be inserted and attached to the shell 20 . the headgear 80 of the mask 10 includes two side straps 82 ( fig1 - 2 and 9 - 11 ). the side straps 82 are attached to opposite left and right sides of the mask shell 20 in identical manners . the attachment of one strap 82 will be described in detail . the mask shell 20 includes a shell connector 84 ( fig1 ) for receiving the side strap 82 . the shell connector 84 is in the form of a projection from the side wall 24 of the shell 20 . the shell connector 84 includes two side arms 85 that extend outward from the side wall 24 of the shell 20 . the arms 85 are spaced apart from each other . a cross - arm 86 extends between the two arms 85 , at a predetermined distance from the side wall 24 . the cross arm 86 and the arms 85 are substantially co - planar and together define an opening 88 in the shell connector 84 . the shell connector 84 also includes a tab 90 . the tab 90 is a portion of the shell connector 84 that extends from the cross arm 86 , in a direction generally toward the side wall 24 of the shell 20 . the tab 90 also extends out of the plane of the side arms 84 , in a direction away from the user &# 39 ; s face . the tab 90 has an end portion 92 that is spaced apart from the cross arm 86 by a predetermined distance . the headgear 80 includes a strap connector 94 for engagement with the shell connector 84 . the strap connector 94 includes a generally rectangular plastic loop 96 having four legs 98 , 100 , 102 and 104 . the inner leg 98 of the loop 96 is secured on the end of the side strap 82 by folding over and connecting with a hook and loop fastener for adjustability . the four legs 98 - 104 of the loop 96 define an opening 108 in the strap connector 94 . the dimensions of the opening 108 are selected so that the shell connector 84 can fit inside and through the opening in the strap connector 94 . the strap connector 94 also includes a tab 110 . the tab 110 of the strap connector 94 extends from the inner leg 98 of the strap connector loop 96 , in a direction into the opening 108 , for a predetermined distance . the tab 110 does not extend completely to the opposite ( outer ) leg 102 of the loop 96 . rather , the tab 110 has an end portion 112 that is spaced apart from the outer leg 102 of the loop 96 , defining a gap 114 . the tab 110 of the loop 96 is resiliently bendable relative to the legs 98 - 104 of the loop . the strap connector 94 is engageable with the shell connector 84 to connect the side strap 82 to the shell 20 in a releasable manner . the strap connector 94 is moved into a position adjacent to the shell connector 84 as shown in fig1 . the tab 90 of the shell connector 84 is then inserted into the opening 108 in the strap connector 94 , with the parts at a substantial angle to each other . the tab 90 of the shell connector 84 is , specifically , inserted into the gap 114 between the tab 110 and the outer leg 102 of the strap connector 94 . the outer leg 102 of the loop 96 engages the side arms 85 of the shell connector 84 . the strap connector 94 is then pivoted downward relative to the shell connector 84 , pivoting generally about the outer leg 102 of the loop 96 . the tab 110 of the strap connector 94 passes under the cross arm 86 of the shell connector 84 . the cross arm 86 and the tab 90 of the shell connector 84 move through the gap 114 between the end portion 112 of the tab 110 on the strap connector 94 , and the outer leg 102 of the loop 96 . the size of this gap 114 , that is , the distance between the end portion 112 of the tab 10 on the strap connector 94 , and the outer leg 102 of the loop 96 , is slightly less than the combined length of the cross arm 86 and the tab 90 on the shell connector 84 . therefore , the tab 110 on the strap connector 94 must bend or flex by a small amount in order to enlarge this gap so that the tab on the shell connector 84 can pass through the gap . the tab 110 on the strap connector 94 bends , then snaps back to its free position as it passes under the cross arm 86 . this snapping movement is both audible and tactile , and indicates to the user that the side strap 82 is connected to the shell 20 . when the parts are thus connected , the end portion 112 of the tab 110 on the strap connector 94 is disposed in the opening 88 in the shell connector 84 . at the same time , the outer leg 102 of the loop 96 on the strap connector 94 is on the opposite side of the arms 85 of the shell connector 84 . as a result , the shell connector 84 is captured in the loop 96 of the strap connector 94 . this joining of the shell connector 84 with the strap connector 94 secures the side strap 82 to the mask shell 20 . this connection is loose enough so that when the side strap 82 is secured to the mask shell 20 , the loop 96 of the strap connector 94 is pivotable relative to the shell connector 84 . this freedom of movement enables the side straps 82 to be fitted more comfortably to the user &# 39 ; s head . to release the side straps 82 , the user lifts the strap connector 94 , pivoting it upward in a movement generally opposite the pivoting movement used to connect the two pieces . as this pivoting movement occurs , the tab 110 of the strap connector 94 deforms , bending or flexing a small amount as needed to enable it to pass under the cross arm 86 of the shell connector 84 . as it passes , it snaps back to its starting or free position , with an audible and tactile snap . this snap indicates to the user that the side strap 82 is disconnected from the shell 20 . the configuration of the shell connector 84 and the strap connector 94 permits the side strap 82 easily to be attached to and detached from the shell 20 , with a minimal risk that the strap will be accidentally detached during use , for example , as the user moves around during sleep . the forehead support assembly 30 ( fig1 - 15 ) of the mask 10 is adjustable . the forehead support assembly 30 includes a support bar 120 and an adjuster 140 . the support bar 120 is a portion of the shell 20 that is fixed to the other parts of the shell including the shell side wall 24 . the support bar 120 includes two spaced apart side walls 122 that define between them a slot 124 . the side walls 122 have an arcuate configuration extending upward and inward from the side wall 24 of the shell 20 . the side walls 122 have respective flanges 126 that extend inwardly toward each other . the center of curvature ( or axis ) 125 ( fig1 ) of the side walls 124 is spaced apart from the support bar 120 and other parts of the mask shell 20 , rather than being located on the mask . the center of curvature in the illustrated embodiment would be within the user &# 39 ; s head when the mask is in use . the support bar 120 includes a flexible member 130 that extends upward from the shell side wall 24 into the slot 124 between the support bar side walls 122 . the flexible arm 130 is formed as one piece with the shell 20 and the support bar 120 . the flexible arm 130 has an outer end portion 132 that includes two pawls 134 on either side of a button 136 . the button 136 is a portion of the support bar 120 that is manually engageable to effect flexing movement of the flexible arm 130 and thereby movement of the pawls 134 relative to the side walls 122 of the support bar 120 . the pawls 134 are movable with the button 136 upon flexing of the flexible arm 130 in response to application of force to the button . the adjuster 140 is a portion of the forehead support assembly 30 that is supported on the support bar 120 for movement relative to the support bar and the other parts of the shell 20 . the adjuster 140 includes an arcuate engagement portion 142 that has the same center of curvature as the side walls 122 of the support bar 120 . the engagement portion 142 has a laterally extending central wall 144 and two side walls 146 extending from the central wall . the lower portion of the central wall 144 includes an opening 148 for receiving the button 136 . each one of the side walls 146 has a groove or slot 149 that receives a respective flange 126 of one of the side walls 122 of the support bar 120 . this engagement , and only this engagement , supports the adjuster 140 on the support bar 120 for arcuate sliding movement about the center of curvature 125 . because the center of curvature 125 is spaced apart from the mask 10 including the shell 20 and the support bar 120 , the adjuster moves in a wide arc . this provides more horizontal movement without much vertical movement , than would an adjuster pivoting about a pivot axis on the shell itself . each one of the side walls 146 of the engagement portion 142 of the adjuster 140 has a set of inwardly extending ( toward the center of curvature ) locking teeth 150 . the locking teeth 150 extend from the side walls 146 and are disposed in the slot 124 of the support bar 120 , between the side walls 122 of the support bar . the locking teeth 150 are presented toward and engageable by the pawls 134 of the support bar 120 . the adjuster 140 has an upper end portion 152 that extends upward from the engagement portion 142 . the adjuster 140 has a strip - like or bar - like configuration and , as a result , the upper end portion 152 is not substantially wider than the engagement portion 142 . thus , the adjuster 140 when viewed from the front ( as in fig2 ) has an i - shaped configuration , rather than a t - shaped configuration . the adjuster 140 ( fig1 ) has left and right slots 154 and 156 in its upper end portion 152 . the slots 154 and 156 extend parallel to each other , through the material of the adjuster 140 , from the front side surface to the back side surface . the headgear 80 of the mask 10 includes a forehead strap assembly 160 ( fig2 ) that , in the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 , includes left and right forehead straps 162 and 164 . the forehead straps 162 and 164 extend outward from a central location , above the shell 20 , wrapping around the user &# 39 ; s forehead , to help secure the mask . 10 to the user &# 39 ; s face . the two straps 162 and 164 are identical to each other . the straps 162 and 164 are made from a fairly thick , resilient material , so as to provide a cushioning effect when worn by a user . the two straps 162 and 164 may be joined to each other as one piece , on the side or back of the head . each one of the slots 154 and 156 in the upper end portion 152 of the adjuster 140 is dimensioned to accept one of the forehead straps 162 and 164 . the left forehead strap 162 is passed through the left slot 154 ( fig2 a ) in the forehead adjuster 140 . in a similar manner , the right forehead strap 164 is passed through the right slot 156 in the forehead adjuster 140 . the left strap 162 is brought back on itself to form a loop 166 . an end portion 161 of the left strap 162 is secured to another portion 163 of the left strap 162 with a suitable securing , such as a hook and loop fastener 165 . use of a hook and loop fastener 165 , as illustrated , provides adjustability for the length of the left forehead strap 162 . the right strap 164 is brought back on itself to form a loop . an end portion 161 of the right strap 164 is secured to another portion 168 of the right strap with a suitable securing , such as a hook and loop fastener 169 . use of a hook and loop fastener 169 , as illustrated , provides adjustability for the length of the right forehead strap 164 . when the left and right straps 162 and 164 are connected with the forehead adjuster 140 in this manner , a relatively large amount of strap material is present between the forehead adjuster 140 and the user &# 39 ; s forehead . this strap material , as mentioned above , is resilient . therefore , a substantial cushion is present between the forehead support assembly 30 and the user &# 39 ; s forehead . this cushion provides a very comfortable strap attachment , without the necessity for separate cushion members or cushioning pieces on the adjuster 140 . the engagement of the pawls 134 of the support bar 120 , with the teeth 150 of the adjuster 140 , ( fig1 - 15 ) locks the adjuster in position relative to the support bar . to move the adjuster 140 relative to the support bar 120 , the button 136 , which is fixed to the support bar and thereby the shell 20 , is depressed ( pushed in , toward the forehead of the user ). the flexible arm 130 bends . this bending movement causes the pawls 134 to move inward , out of engagement with the arcuate tooth sets 150 on the adjuster 140 . the adjuster 140 is then free to move relative to the support bar 120 . the user can move ( slide ) the adjuster 146 to any position within its range of motion , to accommodate varying head configurations including differing front to back distances between the nose and the forehead of the user . releasing the button 136 allows the pawls 134 to move into engagement with the teeth 150 , thereby locking the adjuster 140 in any selected one of its plurality of possible positions relative to the support bar 120 and the shell 20 . because the button 136 is mounted on the shell 20 , it can be pushed with one hand or finger that stays in place during the adjustment of the forehead support assembly 30 . there is no need to simultaneously depress the button 136 and move it , which can be a more difficult operation , especially if the user can not directly see the parts , which is the case if the user is trying to adjust the mask 10 while wearing the mask . [ 0077 ] fig1 - 18 illustrate an alternative forehead support assembly 30 a of a mask 10 a . in the forehead support assembly 30 a , the upper end portion 142 a of the forehead adjuster 140 a includes a snap hook 170 . the snap hook 170 has a multiply curved configuration including a body portion 172 and an end portion 174 that curves back toward the body portion . the end portion 174 is spaced apart from the body portion 172 by a predetermined distance to define a gap 178 . the hook 170 is slightly resilient , so that the end portion 174 of the hook is resiliently movable away from the body portion 172 . associated with the forehead support assembly 30 a is a forehead strap assembly 80 a that includes a forehead strap 190 and a stiffener or other type of reinforcing member 180 . a clevis 182 is fixed to the reinforcing member 180 . the clevis 182 has a base 184 and two ends 186 , spaced apart in a forked configuration . a cylindrical pin 188 extends between the ends 186 of the clevis 182 , in a direction parallel to the length of the forehead strap 190 . the pin 188 and the base 184 of the clevis 182 define a passage 192 . the thickness ( diameter ) of the pin 188 is slightly greater than the width of the gap 178 in the snap hook 170 . to attach the shell 20 to the forehead strap 190 , the user places the snap hook 170 adjacent the pin 188 . the end portion 174 of the hook 170 is moved through the passage 192 in the clevis 182 ; the pin 188 moves through the gap 178 in the hook . as this movement occurs , the snap hook 170 resiliently deforms , with its end portion 174 bending slightly outward , to fit over the pin 188 . after the pin 188 passes through the gap 178 in the hook 170 , the hook resiliently returns to its free state . the snap fit engagement of the hook 170 with the pin 188 secures the forehead support assembly 30 a to the forehead strap 190 . this helps to hold the mask l 0 in place on the user &# 39 ; s face . in addition , the clevis and pin combination supports the hook 170 on the pin 188 for pivotal movement relative to the forehead strap 190 . as a result , the forehead support assembly 30 a and the forehead strap 80 a are adjustable relative to each other by pivoting . this pivoting movement can accommodate wearers &# 39 ; foreheads of differing slopes or sizes . [ 0082 ] fig1 - 20 illustrate a second alternative forehead support assembly 30 b for a mask 10 b . the forehead support assembly 30 b includes a movable member or adjuster 200 having a t - shaped configuration when viewed from the front , as for example in fig1 . the t - shaped configuration of the movable member 200 includes a base 202 and two arms 204 that extend laterally from the base . the arms 204 are mirror images of each other . each arm 204 has a main body portion 206 that has a non - planar configuration ( as can be seen in fig2 ) adapted to a typical forehead curvature . the main body portion 206 of each arm 204 has an inner slot 208 and an outer slot 210 . the inner slot 208 is located closer to the base 202 of the adjuster 200 , and the outer slot 210 is located farther from the base , near the outer end portion 211 of the arm 204 . the slots 208 and 210 extend vertically in the arms 204 . the movable member 200 is made from a relatively hard material so that it can bear the load of the forehead straps . this relatively hard material can be uncomfortable to the user if the movable member 200 rides against the user &# 39 ; s forehead . located between the slots 208 and 210 , on each arm 204 , is a spacer 212 . the spacer 212 is a portion of the arm 204 that projects , or protrudes , in a direction toward the forehead of the user , from the main body portion 206 of the arm . thus , the spacer 212 projects toward the center of curvature of the arms 204 . the purpose of the spacer 212 is to keep the forehead adjuster 200 , and specifically the main body portion 206 of the arm 204 , spaced apart from the user &# 39 ; s forehead , to prevent rubbing , irritation , etc . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 and 20 , the spacer 212 is molded as one piece with the main body portion 206 , as a rectangular box - shaped projection . the spacer 212 has an outer end wall 214 that is spaced apart from the plane of the main body portion 206 : the outer end wall 214 is connected with the main body portion of the arm by four side walls 216 , to form the box - shaped configuration . the outer end wall 214 of the spacer 212 is the portion of the arm 204 that is closest to the forehead of the user , closer than the end portion 211 of the arm , even taking into account the overall curved configuration of the arm . the headgear of the mask includes a forehead strap assembly 220 that includes two forehead straps 222 . the forehead straps 222 extend outward from a central location , wrapping around the forehead , to help secure the mask to the user &# 39 ; s face . the two straps 222 are identical to each other . the straps 222 are made from a fairly thick , resilient material , so as to provide a cushioning effect when worn by a user . each strap 222 is passed through the inner and outer slots 208 and 210 and is brought back on itself to form a loop 224 . the looped strap 222 extends around the spacer 212 , overlying the outer end wall 214 of the spacer . the loop 224 is disposed between the spacer 212 and the forehead of the user . the combination of the spacer 212 and the loop 224 maintains the member 200 in a position spaced apart from ( not in contact with ) the forehead of the user , even taking into account the overall curved configuration of the arms 204 . in other embodiments , the spacers 212 need not be formed as one piece with the arms 204 . for example , the spacers 212 could be separate elements that are connected with the arms 204 to provide the spacing function . the spacers 212 could also be adjustable in thickness , either within themselves , or by providing separate spacers of differing thicknesses . [ 0091 ] fig2 illustrates a third alternative forehead support assembly 30 c of a mask 10 c . in the forehead support assembly , the movable member 230 has a t - shaped configuration when viewed from the front , similar to fig1 . the t - shaped configuration includes a base and two arms 232 each having an outer end portion 234 with a vertically extending slot 236 that is dimensioned to accept one of the forehead straps 238 . the left forehead strap 238 is passed through the slot 236 in the left arm 232 and is brought back on itself to form a loop 240 . in a similar manner , the right forehead strap 238 is secured to the right arm 232 to form a loop 240 in the right strap . a separate cushioning strap 242 extends between the left and right forehead straps 238 . the cushioning strap 242 may be made from the same material as the left and right forehead straps 238 . the cushioning strap 242 has first and second slots 244 located at opposite ends of the cushioning strap . the loops 240 of the forehead straps 238 extend through the slots 244 . as a result , the cushioning strap 242 is located inward of the forehead adjuster 230 , between the forehead adjuster and the user &# 39 ; s forehead . the cushioning strap 242 is slightly longer than the distance between the two slots 236 at the outer ends 234 of the arms 232 of the forehead piece 230 . the length of the cushioning strap 242 is selected so that when the mask 10 c is in place , the cushioning strap self - adjusts to a position snug against the user &# 39 ; s forehead and also snug against the arms 232 of the forehead piece 230 . thus , the cushioning strap 242 provides a cushioning effect for the forehead piece 230 , increasing the comfort level of the wearer of the mask 10 c . [ 0095 ] fig2 illustrates a forehead adjuster 140 a that is constructed in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention . the adjuster 140 a is similar to the adjuster 140 ( fig1 ) and is adjustable in the same manner . the upper end portion 152 a of the adjuster 140 a , rather than having aplanar , bar - shaped configuration like the upper end portion of the adjuster 140 , has a three - dimensional , cut - out configuration . the upper end portion 152 a of the adjuster 140 a ( fig2 ) includes three generally vertically extending posts 250 , 252 and 254 that are spaced apart from each other . the central post 250 is an extension of the central wall 144 a of the adjuster 140 a in a vertical direction rather than continuing the arcuate shape of the central wall . the side posts 252 and 254 are vertical extensions of the side walls 146 a of the adjuster 140 a . the side posts 252 and 254 curve up and forward to meet the central post 250 . a pair of slots are formed in the upper end portion 152 a of the adjuster 140 a . a right slot 156 a is defined between the right side post 252 and the central post 250 . a left slot 154 a is defined between the left side post 254 and the central post 250 . a forehead strap assembly ( not shown ) can be connected with the adjuster 140 a . a right strap would pass through the right slot 156 a , wrapping around the right side post 252 . a left strap would pass through the left slot 154 a , wrapping around the left side post 254 . alternatively , a single strap could pass through both slots 154 a and 156 a , in front of the left and right side posts 252 and 254 and behind the central post 250 . [ 0099 ] fig4 and 23 illustrate an exhalation vent portion 260 of the mask 10 . the vent portion 260 includes a thickened wall area 262 in the lower part of the side wall 24 of the shell 20 . five circular exhalation openings 264 are formed at equally spaced intervals in the thickened area 262 . the exhalation openings 264 extend from the exterior of the mask 10 to the central chamber 32 of the shell 20 . the exhalation openings 264 enable exhaled air to flow out of the mask 10 . the exhalation openings 264 are located below ( when the mask is in use ) the gas inlet aperture 34 . this location is selected to enable efficient venting of the mask 10 , as it is substantially in line with the nasal passages . it is also an area chosen to minimize annoyance from the exhaled air , either to the user or to a bed partner . the exhalation openings 264 are configured to vent air at a thirty - five degree angle from vertical ( thirty five degrees up from straight down , if the user is standing ). this angle is 55 degrees from the axis of the gas inlet . this angle is selected to minimize irritation from exhaled air hitting the user &# 39 ; s chest , while also minimizing irritation to someone close by , for example a bed partner . the circular openings 264 provide less noise than a slot . the total flow area of the five openings 264 is selected to optimize venting and pressures in the mask while minimizing noise . from the above description of the invention , those skilled in the art will perceive improvements , changes , and modifications in the invention . for example , the present invention is shown as being incorporated in a nasal mask only . the invention may be incorporated into a combined nasal / mouth mask ( a mask with a central cavity 16 and face cushion 14 large enough to encompass the user &# 39 ; s nose and mouth ), or in a mouth mask only . such improvements , changes , and modifications within the skill of the art are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
in one embodiment , the invention separates the high temperature combustion chemical reaction of the main fuel charge from the low temperature pre - ignition chemical reaction process . this is done by the use of an active radical initiator ( ari ), in conjunction with a relatively low compression temperature and / or very lean fuel air mixture inside the main combustion chamber . the pre - ignition chemical reaction process of the main charge is made irrelevant by operating the main fuel charge at conditions too lean and / or too cold to ignite , such that without the onset of initiator &# 39 ; s multiple active radical plumes of the present invention , the ignition of main charge will not generally occur . a lean fuel air mixture is generally required for a high cycle efficiency and very low emissions engine . fig1 depicts schematically and in cross section a portion of an internal combustion engine pertaining to one embodiment of the present invention . the internal combustion engine is intended to represent any such engine that uses petroleum or non - petroleum based fuel such as gasoline , diesel , propane , kerosene , natural gas , hydrogen , methanol , ethanol , coal slurry and others . referring to fig1 , 1 is an engine body . the body comprises a cylinder block 2 , a cylinder head 3 , a piston 4 , an intake port 5 , an exhaust port 6 , an intake valve 7 , an exhaust valve 8 , a port injector 9 and / or in - cylinder direct injector 10 , and ari 11 . a combustion chamber 17 is formed inside the cylinder block 2 , and the main fuel charge is injected from the port injector 9 and / or in - cylinder direct injector 10 into the combustion chamber 17 . the in - cylinder direct injector 10 is center located in this embodiment , and can be replaced with ari 11 when the port injector 9 is used . the intake port 5 is connected to an intake manifold 12 , and exhaust port 6 is connecting to an exhaust manifold 13 . the engine is provided with a turbocharger 14 . turbocharger 14 includes turbine 15 and compressor 16 . a mass flow sensor 18 is provided upstream from the compressor 16 for the purpose of measuring the intake mass flow rate . an air cleaner 19 is provided upstream from the air mass sensor 18 . an intercooler 20 is provided downstream from the compressor 16 for the purpose of cooling the intake air . the exit of the turbine 15 is connected through an exhaust pipe 21 to an after treatment device 22 . the engine may also be equipped with an exhaust gas recirculation ( egr ) system . the egr system comprises an egr tube 26 , egr cooler 23 , and egr valve 24 . the engine cooling water 29 is used to cool the egr gas . an intake throttle 25 is provided upstream from the connection between the egr tube 26 and intake manifold 12 for high egr rate operations . the port injector , in - cylinder direct injector , and ari are all connected to a common rail 27 with supply pump 28 . depending on the particular engine and means of introducing the main fuel charge into the combustion chamber , the fuel supply arrangement may be varied . a very high common rail pressure is only required when the main fuel charge is injected into a conventional direct injection diesel engine with a high pressure common rail fuel system . an electronic control unit ( ecu ) 30 is provided for the purpose of electronically controlling the engine operation including port injection , in - cylinder injection , egr valve , intake throttle , and ari retraction and compression timing to meet the combustion and operation requirements of the present invention . as described here , the precise timing of when the ari should inject its active radical charge into the main combustion chamber will depend on the operating environment of the engine , including factors such as fuel type , engine compression ratio , engine displacement , aftertreatment device , engine speed , engine load or fuel rate , charge air temperature and pressure , engine intake air flow rate , exhaust gas recirculation rate , fuel injection characteristics , engine coolant and lube temperatures , and other key engine parameters , etc . generally , the timing should be set for the combustion to occur slightly before engine top dead center for best cycle efficiency with optimum heat release placement . as shown here the present embodiment is a turbocharged engine , however , the present invention may also be effective in a natural aspirated ( na ) or two stroke internal combustion engines . as shown in fig2 that there are many applications of ari . the application details and benefits are described as follows , fig2 a . shows application of the ari ( 35 a ) to spark ignited gaseous or liquid fueled engines including gasoline , methanol , ethanol , methane , propane , natural gas , hydrogen , and etc . for all the conventional spark ignited engines the throttling of the intake charge is required at idle and light load conditions to avoid engine misfire and high unburned hydrocarbons and carbon mono - oxide emissions at the expense of throttling loss . with the substitution of ari ( 35 a ) for a spark ignition system , the modified engine can be operated at ari mode at idle and light load conditions , and gradually transition to ari + hcci mode at medium and high load conditions with a diesel like cycle efficiency and very low exhaust emissions . this is believed to be partly due to the ability of ari to ignite and combust a mixture that is too lean to support a self - sustaining and propagating flame front with multiple active radical plumes thereby allowing a charge leaner than is possible in a conventional spark ignited engine , and partly the ability of ari to precisely time the start of combustion of the main fuel charge where the vast majority of the premixed charge will burn by compression ignition without the presence of a self - sustaining and propagating flame front such as in a spark ignited engine with clean burning , faster heat release , and optimum heat release placement . the above engines can be further optimized with a center located ari , improved combustion chamber design , and higher compression ratio . there is no need for the ari to be located on the cold side of the combustion chamber , as is often true with spark plugs , to avoid engine knocking . the ecu 30 can effect the transition between ari and ari + hcci operating modes . fig2 b shows application of the ari ( 35 b ) to diesel , hcci , pcci , or its derivatives . the use of ari ( 35 b ) in conjunction with in - cylinder temperature and composition control can prevent the main fuel charge from auto - ignition . the ignition timing of the main fuel charges can be controlled entirely by the onset timing of the multiple active radical plumes of ari . in one embodiment , the invention overcomes the major technical barriers of homogeneous charge compression ignition ( hcci ) or premixed charge compression ignition ( pcci ) processes such as controlling ignition timing and burn rate over all engine operating conditions , poor start - ability , poor transient response , and high hydrocarbons and carbon mono - oxide emissions . also , on some embodiments , improvements in key engine attributes such as specific power output , fuel economy , and exhaust emissions are realized . the existing hcci and pcci engines without the present invention can only operate at hcci or pcci modes at very limited operating conditions such as part load to medium load , and need to revert to conventional homogeneous charge spark ignition ( hcsi ) or compression ignition direct injection ( cidi ) mode at idle , light load , high load , high speed , and for cold start to avoid the uncontrolled combustion , poor start - ability , and high hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emissions . ari , ari + hcci , and ari + pcci engines can operate on gasoline , diesel , and alternative fuels . fig2 c shows the application of the ari ( 35 c ) to a conventional diesel engine with reduced compression ratio for higher specific output , as shown schematically in fig3 , for both a constant pressure and a constant volume cycle the mean effective pressure ( i . e . engine output )- to - peak cylinder pressure limit can be substantially increased with a lower compression ratio . the major technical barrier of implementing such an approach is that there is a conflicting requirement in engine compression ratio between the engine start - ability and engine specific output . a good start - ability will require a higher compression ratio ; on the contrary , a higher engine specific output will require a lower compression ratio to keep the engine operating within the peak cylinder pressure design limit . in one embodiment , the ability of api to generate multiple active radical plumes to ignite the main fuel charge at a much lower compression temperature and pressure can allow a lower compression ratio high specific output engine to be developed with excellent start - ability and cold start white smoke . fig2 d . shows application of an ari ( 35 d ) as a cold starting aid and cold start white smoke control device at a very cold ambient conditions . with the addition of an ari to a conventional diesel engine , the ari can be used as a cold stating aid or a cold start white smoke control device to ignite the main fuel charge mixture at relatively low compression temperatures caused by a very low ambient temperature conditions . no glow plug , intake air heater , variable valve timing , or variable compression ratio are required . as shown in fig4 a , during the engine intake stroke the ari plunger is seated to avoid the slippage of residual fuel into the main combustion chamber and , subsequently , unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emissions . no communication between main combustion chamber and ari mixing & amp ; compression chamber is allowed during the engine intake stroke for both ari durability and poor exhaust emissions concerns as shown in fig4 b , at some point during the compression stroke the ari plunger is beginning to retract and to draw the prescribed amount of compressed charge into the ari mixing & amp ; compression chamber for the active radical generation . the timing of retraction will depend on the engine design features and operating conditions . the higher the engine boost the more retarded is the retraction timing . similarly , the higher the engine speed , the more advanced is the retracing timing . the size of metering and mixing & amp ; compression chambers is carefully matched to the main engine design and application . as shown in fig4 c , at some crank angle degree before the prescribed ignition timing of the main charge the ari plunger will descend , and start the simultaneous injection , mixing and compression processes for active radical generation . the compression temperature , compression pressure , and mixture composition of ari can be optimized by controlling the retracting and compression timings , and the sizes of upper metering chamber and lower mixing & amp ; compression chamber inside the ari to achieve the optimum active radical generation to ignite the main fuel charge at the precise timing . too much compression of mixture may lead to high temperature combustion and carboiling inside the ari , resulting in poor active radical generation and ari durability . as shown in fig4 d at the end of active radical generation and injection processes , the ari plunger will remain seated all the way through the expansion and exhaust strokes . no communication between main combustion chamber and ari active radical preparation chamber is allowed for unburned hydrocarbons and initiator carboning controls . the device shown in various stages of operation in fig4 ( a ) to ( d ) is representative of any device that is useful in performing the active radical initiation method of the present invention when in communication with an internal combustion engine &# 39 ; s combustion chamber when the chamber contains a fuel mixture that is sufficiently lean and / or cool to be unable to support auto ignition . an ari within the scope of the present invention can be designed to meet a variety of design goals , but an ari generally performs the following functions : 1 . separates a controllable pre - ignition chemical reaction process of the pilot fuel charge inside the ari from an uncontrollable pre - ignition chemical reaction of the main charge inside the combustion chamber , to allow the ignition timing of the main charge be controlled without delay between the onset of multiple active radical plumes and the ignition of the main fuel charge . 2 . draws in a controlled amount of the compressed charge to the ari mixing & amp ; compression chamber at the appropriate time for the preparation of active radical generation process . 3 . meters a controlled amount of pilot fuel for the preparation of active radical generation process . 4 . simultaneously injects , mixes , and compresses the pre - determined amount of pilot fuel and compressed charge for the controlled pre - ignition chemical reaction and active radical plumes generation . 5 . injects active radical plumes for a controllable ignition timing of the main charge . 6 . liberates an adequate amount of ignition energy and a high concentration of active radical plumes for a combustion of the main fuel charge . in one embodiment , the amount of energy liberated by the ari to attack the main fuel charge for the start of the ignition is greater than the energy liberated by the spark or plasma plugs used in the today &# 39 ; s spark ignited engines . the amount of energy liberated and active radical generated by ari can also be further optimized by adjusting the amount of pilot fuel into the ari . this high ignition energy and high active radical concentration will allow the combustion of main fuel charge to proceed at much leaner conditions , which result in lower peak combustion temperatures and lower nox emissions . the leaner the main charge mixture , the higher the ignition energy and active radical concentration are required for the combustion of main fuel charge to achieve a fast and clean combustion with optimum heat release placement for high engine cycle efficiency and ultra low exhaust emissions . 7 . provides adequate fueling capacity to act as a direct injector for starting and light load operations without the introduction of additional fueling into the combustion chamber by either port injector or in - cylinder direct injector . 8 . the functioning of the ari can shorten the time of pre - ignition process significantly as compared to the main charge pre - ignition process to minimize the impact of heat transfer and boundary conditions on pre - ignition process . as mentioned earlier , due to the transient nature of the engine operating conditions and the sensitivity of the pre - ignition process to the small change in temperature and mixture quality inside the combustion chamber it is almost impossible to have a controllable pre - ignition chemical reaction through the very long intake and compression processes inside the combustion chamber . some or all of these design goal statements are met by the ari design shown schematically in fig5 . the ari housing 11 of fig5 includes a nozzle body ( 31 ), plunger ( 32 ), return spring ( 33 ), and the descending and drive mechanism of reciprocable plunger ( 32 ) which has plume ejecting end 45 oriented toward the nozzle of and mixing and compression chamber ( 36 ). a maximum volume of pilot fuel metering chamber ( 35 ), and a maximum volume of pilot fuel mixing and compression chamber ( 36 ) is created when the ari plunger is fully retracted . these maximum volumes are determined based on engine site and application requirements . the fuel metering chamber ( 35 ) and mixing and compression chamber ( 36 ) together comprise an interior chamber . plunger 32 and / or nozzle body ( 31 ) has an interior passageway 46 and / or 39 respectively between fuel metering chamber ( 35 ) and mixing and compression chamber ( 36 ). as the ari plunger is descending both metering chamber 35 and mixing & amp ; compression chamber 36 are beginning to decrease to provide compression and mixing energies for the injection , mixing , and compression processes to proceed simultaneously . the pilot fuel inside the metering chamber 35 is supplied through the pilot fuel supply means / feed port of nozzle body ( 37 ); the amount of pilot fuel metered is determined by the feed port opening duration , feed port fuel pressure , and size of the metering chamber . the feed port is completely closed during the simultaneous injection , mixing , and compression processes . the descending motion of plunger link ( 34 ) and plunger coupling ( 72 ) can be accomplished by any one of various conventional means , such as cam drive , hydraulic drive , or electromagnetic drive , as shown in fig6 a - 6 c . the selection of each approach may depend on the design of the engine and space available for the incorporation of ari . in general , a cam drive system offers simplicity , but hydraulic or electromagnetic systems offer flexibility . the compression spring ( 33 ) retracts plunger ( 32 ). the injection and mixing of pilot fuel is accomplished , as shown in fig5 , by introducing the pilot fuel from fuel supply inlet ( 63 ) to metering chamber ( 35 ), then injecting into mixing & amp ; compression chamber ( 36 ) either through plunger fueling passage ( 46 ), or through the nozzle body fueling passage ( 39 ). the fuel in mixing & amp ; compression chamber is represented as mixture cloud 80 in the chamber . sufficient mixing can be achieved by either or both methods . final selection can be based on the ease of manufacturing and initial cost . preferable , the injection & amp ; mixing of pilot fuel , and compression of the prepared fuel - air mixture , occurs simultaneously to achieve the optimum conditions of temperature , pressure , and mixture composition histories to achieve the best yield of active radical formation without high temperature combustion reaction inside the ari . the direction and number of active radical plumes 43 are optimized by the nozzle tip hole geometry to achieve the multiple ignition sites for a fast and clean combustion process . ari housing 11 may have external threads 40 that mate with internal threads 41 of cylinder head 3 , and be sealed thereto via washer 42 . as shown in fig6 a , and electromagnetic drive system for the ari may be driven by solenoid coil 61 , and the fuel supply 63 may be introduced to metering chamber 35 via fueling passage 37 . as shown in fig6 b , a hydraulic drive system may be utilized by incorporating a hydraulic supply 64 through one way valve 65 into interior chamber 68 . a corresponding outlet one way valve 66 and outlet port 67 may be incorporated into the opposing side of the ari . as shown in fig6 c , a cam drive system may be utilized by incorporating a cam 70 that drives push rod 71 through plunger coupling 72 . the ari of the present invention finds application in a variety of combustion systems including internal and external to help achieve low exhaust emissions and high cycle efficiency . the system can be applied to petroleum and non - petroleum based fuels including gasoline , diesel , kerosene , methanol , ethanol , natural gas , propane , hydrogen , and etc . the system can also be applied for both mobile and stationary applications including any automotive , industrial , marine , military , and power generation . | 5 |
the conductive support which can be used as an anode in the present invention includes gold electrodes , platinum electrodes and carbon electrodes , preferably carbon electrodes such as a graphite electrode , a carbon taste electrode and a glassy carbon electrode . a glassy carbon electrode is most advantageous . cathodes which can be used in the determination include various electrodes , e . g ., a platinum electrode , a carbon electrode , a gold electrode , a palladium electrode and a silver electrode . reference electrodes for potential determination include a silver / silver chloride electrode and a saturated calomel electrode . a cathode and a reference electrode may be integrated into one body by using a palladium electrode , a silver electrode , a silver / silver chloride electrode , a saturated calomel electrode etc . the diaphorase that can be used in the present invention includes various species originating in microorganisms or animals . preferred are those enzymes of thermophilic bacteria with an optimum growth temperature of from 50 ° to 85 ° c ., for example , microorganisms belonging to the genus bacillus ( e . g ., bacillus stearothermophilus , bacillus thermoproteolyticus and bacillus acidocaldarius ), the genus thermoactinomyces , the genus thermus and the genus thermomicrobium . bacillus stearothermophilus is the most preferred . specific examples of useful strains of bacillus stearothermophilus are atcc 7933 , atcc 7954 , atcc 10194 , atcc 12980 , nca 1503 ( atcc 29609 ), and uk 563 ( ferm p - 7275 ). the amino - acid dehydrogenase that can be used in the present invention includes various enzymes originating in microorganisms and animals . preferred are those of thermophilic bacteria having an optimum growth temperature of from 50 ° to 85 ° c . examples of such thermophilic bacteria are the same as those enumerated above . those produced by microorganisms belong to the genus leuconostoc or yeasts are also preferred . each of the diaphorase and the amino acid dehydrogenase can be obtained from the organisms according to known purification methods described , for example , in robert k . scopes , purification - principles and practice , springer - verlag , n . y . ( 1982 ). to separate and purify the enzymes , a solution containing a microorganism culture , an animal cell culture or animal - tissue , being smashed , is centrifuged , and then the resulted supernatant is subjected to a separation column generally used for enzyme purification , such as an ion - exchange column chromatography , a hydrophobic column chromatography , an affinity column chromatography and a gel column chromatography , to obtain the enzyme preparation with suitable purity . some of the enzymes are also commercially available . each of the diaphorase and the amino acid dehydrogenase may be used at an arbitrary concentration . in a preferred embodiment , a solution of each enzyme in a concentration of from 0 . 1 to 30 % by weight , and more preferably from 0 . 5 to 20 % by weight , is applied to a conductive support in an amount of from 1 to 200 g / m 2 , preferably from 1 to 150 g / m 2 , more preferably from 1 to 120 g / m 2 . the polyfunctional aldehyde that can be used as a crosslinking agent includes bifunctional aldehydes such as glutaraldehyde , succinic aldehyde and glyoxal , and preferably glutaraldehyde . it is used as a solution in a concentration of from 0 . 1 to 10 % by weight , and preferably from 0 . 5 to 3 % by weight , and dropped on a conductive support in an amount of from 0 . 1 to 3 g / m 2 . immobilization of diaphorase and an amino - acid dehydrogenase on a conductive support by a polyfunctional aldehyde crosslinking agent can be carried out by dropping solutions of the three components on a support either separately or in any combination thereof . in a preferred embodiment , a solution of a polyfunctional aldehyde is dropped lastly and the three solutions are uniformly mixed on the support . amino acid determinations using the enzyme electrode of the present invention can be conducted , for example , by dipping the electrode in a buffer solution containing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide ( hereinafter abbreviated as nadh ) or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate ( hereinafter abbreviated as nadph ), which is a substrate for an amino - acid dehydrogenase , and a diaphorase mediator and measuring the stationary current of an electrode current generated on addition of a sample under analysis . as a buffer solution , a 0 . 01 to 0 . 5m sodium phosphate buffer solution at a ph of from 5 to 10 , and preferably from 7 to 9 , is usually employed . the measurement temperature is from 0 ° to 60 ° c ., and preferably from 20 ° to 40 ° c . mediators of diaphorase include ferrocene , ferrocene derivatives , n , n , n &# 39 ;, n &# 39 ;- tetramethylphenylenediamine , 2 , 6 - dichlorophenolindophenol , p - iodonitrotetrazolium violet , nitro blue tetrazolium , quinone compounds , e . g ., vitamin k , and cytochrome c , with ferrocenylmethanol and ferrocenyl - 1 - ethanol being preferred . in the above - described analysis system , the conjugated enzyme electrode according to the present invention enabled a determination with striking rapidity requiring a response time of about 30 seconds . besides excellence in rapidity , the enzyme electrode of the present invention exhibited excellent durability , that is retaining performance for more than half a year without any means commonly employed for stabilization of an immobilized enzyme membrane , such as covering with a selective permeable membrane , e . g ., cellulose membranes ( e . g ., cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose ), or various natural or synthetic high polymer membranes . using the enzyme electrode according to the present invention , it is possible to produce a flow injection type analyzer , by which system automating and shorter analysis time would be achieved . the simple structure of the enzyme electrode of the present invention makes it possible to prepare various microelectrodes for amino acid determination by selecting an amino - acid dehydrogenase specific to each amino acid to be determined , thereby permitting a reduction in the requisite amount of a sample to be analyzed and broadening of the application to microsamples . the present invention is now illustrated in greater detail with reference to examples , but it should be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto . all the percents are by weight unless otherwise indicated . a glassy carbon disc having a diameter of 3 mm (&# 34 ; gc - 20 &# 34 ; produced by tokai carbon k . k .) was polished with sand paper and alumina abrasive grains having a particle size of 0 . 05 μm and then washed with distilled water in a ultrasonic cleaner . on the thus polished surface were dropped 0 . 4 μl of a 60 mg / ml solution of bacillus stearothermophilus diaphorase ( produced by unitika ltd .) and 20 μl of a 14 mg / ml solution of bacillus stearothermophilus leucine dehydrogenase ( produced by unitika ltd . ), which were then mixed together . then , 0 . 5 μl of a 2 % glutaraldehyde solution were dropped thereon by means of a microsyringe and mixed with the enzyme solution without delay . the mixed solution was freed of the solvent by allowing the support to stand at room temperature for one day to thereby prepare an immobilized enzyme membrane . the resulting enzyme electrode was preserved in a 0 . 05m phosphoric acid buffer solution ( ph = 7 . 5 ) at 4 ° c . before use . the enzyme electrode , a potentiostat (&# 34 ; hab - 151 &# 34 ; produced by hokuto denki k . k . ), and an x - y recorder (&# 34 ; wx 43096 &# 34 ; produced by graphtec co .) were assembled into a three - electrode system . a 0 . 05m phosphoric acid buffer solution ( ph = 7 . 5 ) was used as a basal solution . a magnetic stirrer was set about 1 mm under the electrode to agitate the solution at a rate of 800 rpm or more . the electrode potential was measured using a silver / silver chloride electrode as a standard at a temperature controlled at 30 ° c . the above prepared glassy carbon electrode having immobilized thereon diaphorase and leucine dehydrogenase was immersed in a 50 mm phosphoric acid buffer solution ( ph = 7 . 5 ) containing 0 . 5 mm nadh and 0 . 1 mm ferrocenyl methyl alcohol , and the electrode potential was fixed at 0 . 2 v . leucine was added to the buffer solution and , after a steady state was reached ( within about 30 seconds ), an oxidation current was measured . dependence of the oxidation current on leucine concentration under the stationary state ( i st ) ( corrected for a residual current ) is shown in fig1 . fig1 is a graph showing the relationship between the stationary current i st in a buffer solution containing nadh and ferrocenyl methyl alcohol as a mediator of diaphorase , with an applied voltage of 0 . 2 v ( ordinate ) and the leucine concentration in the sample ( abscissa ). as is apparent from fig1 the stationary current i st shows good linearity up to a leucine concentration of 50 μm , and the detection limit was 2 μm . fig2 shows reproducibility when a sample containing leucine at a concentration of 50 μm was analyzed 110 times over 170 days . the coefficient of variation was within 5 % proving the enzyme electrode of the present invention is markedly excellent in reproducibility and durability . leucine in human urine was determined , without any pretreatments to the sample , by using the conjugate enzyme electrode for leucine determination as prepared in example 1 . the result obtained is shown in table 1 below . the result agreed very closely with that obtained by conventional spectroscopic analysis using leucine dehydrogenase which is also shown in table 1 . table 1______________________________________method of analysis measured value______________________________________method of invention 40 μmspectroscopic analysis 34 μm______________________________________ on the same polished glassy carbon disk as used in example 1 were dropped 0 . 9 μl of a 60 mg / ml solution of bacillus stearothermophilus diaphorase ( produced by unitika ltd .) and 20 μl of a 20 mg / ml solution of bovine liver glutamate dehydrogenase ( produced by oriental yeast k . k .) and the solutions were mixed . then 0 . 5 μl of a 1 % glutalaldehyde solution were dropped by means of a microsyringe . the mixed solution was treated in the same manner as in example 1 to prepare an enzyme electrode for glutamic acid determination . glutamic acid in soy sauce was determined , without any pretreatments to the sample , in the same manner as in example 1 using the above prepared electrode ( measurement time : within 30 seconds ). the result obtained is shown in table 2 below . for comparison , the result obtained by using an amino acid analyzer (&# 34 ; hitachi amino acid analyzer &# 34 ;) is also shown . both results showed good agreement with each other . table 2______________________________________method of analysis measured value______________________________________method of invention 123 mmamino acid analyzer 128 mm______________________________________ while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific examples thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . | 8 |
in accordance with an aspect of the embodiment , fig1 shows a concealed carry apparatus . a band is made from an elastic strap 101 , a first end section 103 and a second end section 102 . the band can be passed around the torso or an extremity and the end sections joined such that the elastic strap 101 is lightly stretched . the second end section 102 is shown as an elongated piece because it enables the band to fit a range of body sizes . a pocket assembly 103 with a gun holstering pocket 104 and a magazine holstering pocket 105 can be formed from the elastic material . the end sections shown in fig1 can be made with a hook and loop material . the first end section 103 can be hook material . the second end section 102 can be hook material . using hook material with an elongated second end section 102 is advantageous because the hook material can help make the concealed carry apparatus more comfortable . in accordance with an aspect of the embodiment , fig2 shows a concealed carry apparatus . it is essentially the same apparatus as that shown in fig1 , but from a different perspective . the elastic strap 101 is shown folded back on itself because it is convenient to make the pocket assembly 103 from an uncut length of elastic strap material . the second end section 102 is shown extending through the entire length of the pocket assembly 103 because it can form an extra layer of material between a holstered gun and the wearer . a piece of comfortable slip resistant material 201 is shown where it can be sewn to the band . observing the positions of the elastic strap 101 , second end section 102 , and comfortable slip resistant material 201 , it is obvious that all the layers can be sewn at once to join all the parts and to form the pocket assembly . in accordance with an aspect of the embodiment , fig3 shows a pocket assembly 103 . the pocket assembly 103 is formed when , as discussed above , the elastic strap 101 , second end section 102 , and comfortable slip resistant material ( not shown ) are joined . the act of joining , sewing in particular , forms seams 301 . the seams 301 form the pocket assembly 103 . the seam pattern shown is adapted for a wearer of the concealed carry apparatus to have the magazine holstering pocket 105 in front of the gun holstering pocket . fig3 also shows a trigger access hole 302 . in accordance with an aspect of the embodiment , fig4 shows a pocket assembly with a holster liner 401 . as discussed above , a holster liner 401 can help prevent the elastic strap 101 from getting cut by repeated gun holstering and unholstering . the holster liner material can be stitched into the gun holstering pocket during that same operation as forms the pocket assembly 103 . in accordance with an aspect of the embodiment , fig5 shows a pocket assembly with a shaped opening . the entrance to the gun holstering pocket 103 is shaped to allow one handed holstering . stiffening , stretching or molding the opening to the gun holstering pocket 103 can cause it remain somewhat open when no gun in holstered . another way to form the opening is by fixing a wire , plastic , or similar element to the entrance to the gun holstering pocket 103 . in accordance with an aspect of the embodiment , fig6 shows a concealed carry apparatus with anti ballistic material 601 . the antiballistic material 601 is shown as a number of independent overlapping sections because antiballistic material 601 is rarely as elastic as the material used for the elastic strap 101 . if the antiballistic material 601 is sufficiently elastic , it can be used as the elastic strap 601 . otherwise , the antiballistic material 601 must be fixed to the elastic strap 101 and second end section 102 via sewing or another fastening method . note that the antiballistic material 601 can be fixed to only the elastic strap 101 , only the second end section 102 , or both . in accordance with an aspect of the embodiment , fig7 shows a concealed carry apparatus with two pocket assemblies . the purpose of this figure is to show how easily a second pocket assembly 703 can be added to the concealed carry apparatus . the only major difference is that an extra piece of material 701 can be used to position the first end section 101 . alternatively , the second pocket assembly 703 can also be an end section if a fastener , such as hook material 702 , is sewn to the outside surface . in accordance with an aspect of the embodiment , fig8 shows a person wearing a concealed carry apparatus 802 . the concealed carry apparatus 802 encircles the torso of the person 801 and positively holds a gun 804 and a magazine 803 . the concealed carry apparatus shown is adapted for the person 801 to grab the gun 804 with the right hand . another person can prefer a concealed carry apparatus adapted for left handed use . the embodiment and examples set forth herein are presented to best explain the present invention and its practical application and to thereby enable those skilled in the art to make and utilize the invention . those skilled in the art , however , will recognize that the foregoing description and examples have been presented for the purpose of illustration and example only . other variations and modifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art following the reading of this disclosure , and it is the intent of the appended claims that such variations and modifications be covered . the description as set forth is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the invention . many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching without departing from the scope of the following claims . it is contemplated that the use of the present invention can involve components having different characteristics . it is intended that the scope of the present invention be defined by the claims appended hereto , giving full cognizance to equivalents in all respects . | 0 |
one embodiment of a syringe kit for mixing two medicinal chemicals according to the present invention will be described below referring to the attached drawings . a syringe kit for mixing two medicinal chemicals according to one embodiment is used to mix a medicinal chemical a and a medicinal chemical b when necessary , for example . as shown in fig1 , a syringe kit for mixing two medicinal chemicals according to one embodiment comprises a first barrel 2 ( see fig2 and 3 ) and a second barrel 4 ( see fig4 and 5 ), wherein a first plunger 1 is inserted into the first barrel 2 in a freely slidable manner and a medicinal chemical a is contained in the inner space in advance , and a second plunger 3 is inserted into the second barrel 4 in a freely slidable manner and a medicinal chemical b is contained in the inner space in advance . the first plunger 1 has a gasket ( not shown in drawings ) and an end plate 1 a , wherein the gasket is attached to the tip portion which faces the inner space of the first barrel 2 and the end plate 1 a is formed at the rear end portion of the first plunger 1 which protrudes from the rear end portion of the first barrel 2 . the second plunger 3 is similarly configured and the second plunger 3 has a gasket ( not shown in drawings ) at the tip portion which faces the inner space of the second barrel 4 , and an end plate 3 a is formed at the rear end portion of the second plunger 3 which protrudes from the rear end portion of the second barrel 4 . although the material constituting the first barrel 2 is not limited to a specific material , it is preferable to use a material which is generally used for syringes , which is optically transparent and which has a grass transition point or a melting point of 110 ° c . or higher , for example , polypropylene , polymethylpentene , polyolefin like cyclic polyolefin , polyethylene terephthalate , polyethylene naphthalate , amorphous polyarylate , etc . cyclic polyolefin is especially desirable in view of a high transparency , a high steam sterilization property and a good medical agent non - absorption property . the first barrel 2 is integrally formed by one of the aforementioned various types of synthetic resins using injection - molding so that a flange 2 a is formed at the rear end portion . similarly , the second barrel 4 is integrally formed by one of the aforementioned various synthetic resins using injection - molding so that a flange 4 a is formed at the rear end portion . the first barrel 2 and the second barrel 4 may be formed by either an identical synthetic resin or a similar type of synthetic resin ( hereinafter , called as a similar type of synthetic resin ) or different synthetic resins or different types of synthetic resins ( hereinafter , called as different types of synthetic resins ). here , as shown in fig2 and 3 , a connecting tube portion 2 b is formed at the tip portion of the first barrel 2 , and a male screw 2 c is formed on the outer periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b . the male screw 2 c is constituted as a trapezoidal screw with a large lead angle and a less winding number . an inner tapered surface 2 d is formed on the inner periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b . the inner tapered surface 2 d has a taper angle in a range between 6 % and 12 %, preferably in a range between 6 % and 10 %. in general , nozzles of commercially supplied injectors have a taper ( which corresponds to the outer tapered surface 4 e according to the present invention ) of about 6 % usually . therefore , it is preferable to set the taper angle of the inner tapered surface 2 d to 6 % because it is possible to connect a commercially supplied injector to the first barrel according to the present invention . in this case , the male screw 2 c needs to have a shape and size which is suitable to screw together with a commercially supplied injector . additionally , it is preferable to set the taper angle of the inner tapered surface 2 d to a range between 6 % and 10 % as described above because it is possible to use a commercially supplied injector and the second barrel designed according to the present invention as well . alternatively , it is effective in some applications to intentionally set the taper angle of the inner tapered surface 2 d to an angle for which a commercially supplied injector cannot be used . on the other hand , as shown in fig4 and 5 , a nozzle portion 4 c having a center hole 4 b is formed at the tip portion of the second barrel 4 , and a screw tube portion 4 d is formed at the external side of the nozzle portion 4 c in a concentric fashion . an outer tapered surface 4 e is formed on the outer periphery of the nozzle portion 4 c . the outer tapered surface 4 e has the aforementioned taper angle and fits tightly and smoothly to the inner tapered surface 2 d on the inner periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b . a female screw 4 f is formed on the inner periphery of the screw tube portion 4 d . the female screw 4 f is screwed together with the male screw 2 c on the outer surface of the connecting tube portion 2 b in a freely removable manner . it is preferable to arrange so that the taper angle of the inner tapered surface 2 d and that of the outer tapered surface 4 e are concerted in view of a good sealing performance , however they do not need to be concerted always as described above . either one of the surface of the male screw 2 c of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 and the surface of the female screw 4 f of the screw tube portion 4 d of the second barrel 4 is roughened to a predetermined surface roughness . in this embodiment , the surface of the female screw 4 f of the screw tube portion 4 d of the second barrel 4 is not roughened , whereas the surface of the male screw 2 c and the outer periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 shown in fig6 are roughened to a surface roughness in a range between ra1 . 0 and ra2 . 0 . additionally , it is constituted so that the tip portion of the nozzle portion 4 c of the second barrel 4 is positioned in the connection tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 1 in a condition that the inner tapered surface 2 d of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 and the outer tapered surface 4 e of the nozzle portion 4 c of the second barrel 4 are in a taper - fitted condition ( see fig8 ). in a syringe kit for mixing two medicinal chemicals according to one embodiment as described above , for example , when the medicinal chemical a in the first barrel 2 is mixed with the medicinal chemical b in the second barrel 4 , the male screw 2 c on the outer periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 and the female screw 4 f on the inner periphery of the screw tube portion 4 d of the second barrel 4 shown in fig1 are screwed together , and the inner tapered surface 2 d on the inner periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 and the outer tapered surface 4 e on the outer periphery of the nozzle portion 4 c of the second barrel 4 are taper - fitted ( see fig7 ). during the operation , because either the surface of the male screw 2 c and the outer periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 or the surface of the female screw 4 f and the inner periphery of the screw tube portion 4 d of the second barrel 4 or both of them ( in this embodiment , the surface of the male screw 2 c of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 ) is roughened to a surface roughness in a range between ra1 . 0 and ra2 . 0 , stick and slip phenomena are prevented . additionally , it is preferable in view of a secured sealing performance to roughen neither the inner tapered surface 2 d on the inner periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 nor the outer tapered surface 4 e of the nozzle portion 4 c of the second barrel 4 . therefore , in a syringe kit for mixing two medicinal chemicals according to one embodiment , it is possible to prevent slip and slip phenomena which tend to occur when the male screw 2 c on the outer periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 and the female screw 4 f on the inner periphery of the screw tube portion 4 d of the second barrel 4 are screwed together or they are released from a screwed condition , and thus it is possible to ensure a smooth and steady operation . additionally , in a syringe kit for mixing two medicinal chemicals according to one embodiment , the tip portion of the nozzle portion 4 c of the second barrel 4 is positioned in the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 in a condition that the inner tapered surface 2 d on the inner periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 and the outer tapered surface 4 e on the outer periphery of the nozzle portion 4 c of the second barrel 4 are taper - fitted ( see fig8 ). thus , in a condition that the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 is connected to the screw tube portion 4 d of the second barrel 4 as shown in fig7 , the gasket of the first plunger 1 of the first barrel 2 can slide in the first barrel 2 with a sufficient stroke . as a result , it is possible to sufficiently and certainly mix the medicinal chemical a in the first barrel 2 with the medicinal chemical b in the second barrel 4 . a syringe kit for mixing two medicinal chemicals according to the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiment . for example , it is possible to roughen only the surface of the female screw 4 f and the inner periphery of the screw tube portion 4 d of the second barrel 4 to a surface roughness in a range between ra1 . 0 and ra2 . 0 while the surface of the male screw 2 c and the outer periphery of the screw tube portion 4 d of the second barrel 4 are not roughened . it is also possible to roughen both the surface of the male screw 2 c and the outer periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 and the surface of the female screw 4 f and the inner periphery of the screw tube portion 4 d of the second barrel 4 . the most preferable embodiment is to roughen only the surface of the male screw 2 c and the outer periphery of the connecting tube portion 2 b of the first barrel 2 . this embodiment can be used as a commercially supplied injector . it is also possible to change the surface roughness for roughening within a range between ra1 . 0 and ra2 . 0 depending upon the type of synthetic resin which constitutes the first barrel 2 or the second barrel 4 . by setting the surface roughness to this range , it successfully prevent stick and slip phenomena even when the first barrel 2 and the second barrel 4 are formed by either a same type of synthetic resin or different types of synthetic resins . it is impossible to effectively prevent stick and slip phenomena by using synthetic resins which is generally used for syringes if the surface roughness is less than ra1 . 0 . the screwed connection may be loosened because of a decreased screwed connection resistance during the mixing operation if the surface roughness is higher than ra2 . 0 . | 0 |
the invention is further described and illustrated by the following embodiments and examples . as a particular description of a tuning example , the following is done . an initial frequency range of either 1 +/− 0 . 3 ghz or 2 . 5 +/− 0 . 5 ghz is considered likely to be optimal . an initial tuning scan of that frequency range is employed starting at 1 ghz . at 1 ghz , an assessment is made of the absorption by the sample in the system . if the absorption is not sufficiently optimized , then an incremental increase in the frequency is made and the absorption is observed at the new frequency . the initial tuning scan is conducted until the absorption is maximal . if the absorption is maximal , then a fine tuning scan is optionally employed to further improve absorption . for tuning , an incremental change in frequency is selected to be approximately an order of magnitude lower than the initial frequency . for fine tuning , an incremental change is selected to be between about an order of magnitude to about three orders of magnitude lower than the initial frequency . for example , if the initial frequency is 1 ghz , then a tuning scan increment can be 0 . 1 ghz and a fine tuning scan increment can be 5 mhz . the increment size for tuning and fine tuning is particularly significant at the lower initial frequencies . the frequency selection , including initial frequency selection and that achieved by tuning and fine tuning , can be influenced by the category of corn . corn categories can include soft , medium , and hard corn . the process can include the delivery of a first volume of corn with treatment of the first volume , followed by delivery of a second volume of corn with treatment of the second volume . the determination of cracking in kernels is known in the art and can be performed using microscopy , back - illumination techniques , or other techniques . as a particular description of a pulse profile , the following is done . an emf is pulsed on for a pulse width of one second followed by a delay ( pulse off ) of 50 seconds . this cycle of pulse and delay is repeated for a period of one hour . next , there is a rest period of between 2 to 8 hours at about less than 75 % r . h ., depending on the desired final moisture level of the drying product . during the rest period , significant migration of moisture from the inside of a corn kernel to the outside continues to occur after the pulsed emf treatment . reduction of moisture in the corn sample can continue to occur immediately following the one hour pulse period and also can continue during later portions of the 8 hour rest period , including portions beyond the initial 45 minutes after the one hour pulse period . the pulse width can vary from about 100 microseconds to about 60 seconds . the delay width can vary from about 1 second to about 3600 seconds . in a particular embodiment the pulse width will have a range from about 0 . 5 seconds to about 5 seconds , and the delay width will range from about 10 seconds to about 5 minutes . in specific embodiments , the invention contemplates application of pulsed emf wherein there is a cycle of pulse and delay , ranging from about 10 minutes to several hours . following such a cycle , the rest period can extend from about 2 hours to about 24 hours . for large scale systems , a power source capable of generating from about 5 to about 20 kw is used . for a particular large scale system , the power source is capable of generating about 10 kw . a conventional fan is optionally used to facilitate removal of moist air and evaporation from the kernel surface . in another example , multiple sources of electromagnetic fields are used . the multiple emf sources can use the same frequency or different frequencies . in a particular embodiment , there is safety equipment for protection of the operator from the emf . for example , a metallic enclosure can be used , such as a metallic storage bin , also equipped with a safety relay capable of automatically shutting down the electrical power to the emf source . as a more foolproof operation , a locked door should be also installed behind the safety relay , that could only be unlocked after the mains power to the emf source was shut down automatically by the relay . corn harvests from two consecutive years were employed for corn drying tests by pulsed emf . the corn selected for such tests was divided into three categories according to the corn hardness : soft corn , medium hardness corn , and hard corn . complete drying curves by both pulsed emf and conventional oven drying , as well as water sorption isotherms of corn were obtained for all three categories of corn . such corn drying curves were found to be significantly different from each other . pulsed emf frequencies that were tested span the range from 30 mhz to 2 . 45 ghz . fastest drying of corn was obtained at 2 . 45 ghz , whereas the lowest percentage of cracks in corn was obtained at 200 mhz for 6 hr exposure to pulsed emf , and an effective applied power level of 1 kw . high - resolution , solid - state ( cp - mass ) nmr and nir techniques were employed to evaluate corn composition and quality factors related to composition . drying of corn at 2 . 45 ghz and microwave pulsed power levels of 500 w achieved corn drying with 1 . 5 hr of pemf energy use , with less than 6 % cracks , for a 10 % r . f . heating cycle . such tests indicate that efficient corn drying from a level of 24 - 20 % moisture to 12 % is feasible by pulsed emf , and that energy savings of about 50 % are practically attained without causing an unacceptably large percentage of cracked corn . the nmr methodology was described in a previous publication ( baianu and kumosinski , 1994 ). the most difficult of the three categories to dry without cracks was found to be the soft corn , with an initial moisture content at harvest of about 24 %. table 1 shows drying efficiency and corn quality results for a pulsed emf application at indicated times for different types and masses of corn . table 2 indicates data corresponding to larger volumes of corn on the order of kilograms . the results of table 2 are consistent with higher efficiency and energy savings at the kilogram scale in comparison to tests of lots about one order of magnitude lower . a greater sample load can translate into such benefits due to the contribution of the favorable filling factor . the combined results at the kilogram scale and the 0 . 1 kg scale indicate the scalable nature of the methods and apparatus of the invention . although applicant does not wish to be bound by a particular theory , a possible simplified explanation of a mechanism , or sequence of events , is as follows . the filling factor , or q - factor , of the equipment is defined as the ratio of the total volume occupied by the wet corn , or any other sample to be treated , to the total volume irradiated by the pulsed emf source in the enclosed system containing the corn , or any other sample . the q - factor is therefore , a unitless real number which is less than 1 . 0 and larger than zero . this factor contributes to the determination of how effectively the energy of the pulsed emf is being used for drying corn . as an example , data from drying several pounds of wet corn when compared to several ounces of wet corn , show a marked increase in the effectiveness of energy usage for drying corn in the case of samples from 2 lbs to 5 lbs , as the q - factor increases from about 0 . 02 to about 0 . 4 , e . g . about twenty - fold . note that an additional contribution to the pemf efficiency for drying is the dielectric ‘ constant ’, or ‘ permitivity ’, ∈ wc , of the wet corn , which — in its turn — depends on both moisture level in the corn and the pemf frequency range . soft , hard , and medium hardness corn from consecutive harvest years was collected in illinois at incoming moisture levels of about 24 %. several sets of fresh corn were dried by pulsed emf within a week from harvesting each year ; the remainder of the corn harvest was stored in 4 separate lots ( see table 3 ). the fewest cracks and best results were obtained only with fresh corn and lot # 1 ( helium - classified corn , stored at 4 ° c .). pulsed emf drying of corn was carried out with laboratory - built , or commercial , resonant probe circuits tuned at frequencies of 30 mhz , 200 mhz , 360 mhz and 2 , 450 mhz ( 2 . 45 ghz ). pulsed emf power sources were operated at 10 levels ranging from 100 w to 1000 w ( 1 kw ). to cover this wide range of frequencies and power levels , four different setups of lab equipment were employed . water sorption isotherm of individual seeds of soft , medium hardness and hard corn were obtained with the isopiestic method , and the aoac salt solution standards , as previously reported ( lioutas et al ., 1986 ). such measurements allowed us to determine specific hydration levels in terms of the total amounts of ‘ bound ’ water ( nb ) for soft , medium , and hard corn , as well as the amounts of ‘ weakly ’ bound , or trapped , water in each type of corn for various relative vapor pressures of water in the corn kernels . this information is useful for both determining the optimum drying level of corn and for selecting the most appropriate corn drying curves / drying rates . corn drying curves demonstrate that pulsed emf does achieve similar results to conventional ( electrical ) oven drying at 95 f , but in a shorter time , and with potential energy savings of about 50 to about 85 % in comparison with conventional , electrical oven drying , as well as natural gas - based drying . fig1 illustrates exemplary drying curves for corn drying by pulsed emf . the invention is further illustrated by fig2 and 3 . in fig2 , a treatment system is depicted , for example for treating a plant product . fig2 specifically illustrates application to corn drying . the system includes a computer operatively connected to a pulsed electromagnetic field generator . a first power source is operatively connected to the computer , and a second power source is operatively connected to the pemf generator . the first and second power source can be the same source or different sources . the generator is connected to an output means for distributing the pulsed emf energy . the output means can treat the product while the product is transported by a conveyor belt . a conventional fan is connected to the corn storage area for facilitating movement of ambient air to assist in removal of moist air and evaporation from the product surface . the computer controls treatment conditions , for example the pulse length and delay , the frequency selection , and can facilitate drying while optimizing energy usage and achieving desired corn quality . a power source 30 is connected to a computer / pulse controller 10 which is further connected to a pemf generator source 20 . a waveguide 24 is used to deliver waves directed to a sample chamber 40 . a low power fan 50 is mounted to the chamber 40 . a conveyer 70 is used to transport a sample 60 for exposure to the waves . the treated sample 80 is conveyed to a receptacle 90 or support surface . the receptacle 90 is operatively connected to a fan 100 . the corn to be treated or wet corn is represented by the open circles , and the treated corn or dried corn is represented by the filled circles . the receptacle 90 can be a storage bin or conventional corn drying bin or system for further processing . fig3 illustrates another system for drying agricultural products , particularly applicable for drying corn or other grains . the system includes a computer operatively connected to a pulsed electromagnetic field generator . the generator is connected to an output means for distributing the pemf energy . the output means can be variably placed along a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the product container bottom . upon distribution of a sample material in a layer within the container , the treatment can occur while the output means is located vertically so as to maximize irradiation of the sample layer . irradiation is applied until a desired level of drying is achieved for the layer . upon further distribution of a second layer , the output means may be moved so as to maximize irradiation for the second layer . additional layers are further contemplated with analogous treatment . a conventional fan is optionally connected to the corn storage area for facilitating movement of ambient air to assist in removal of moist air and evaporation from the product surface . the computer controls treatment conditions , for example the pulse length and delay , the frequency selection , and can facilitate drying while optimizing energy usage and achieving desired corn quality . a power source 30 is connected to a computer / pulse controller 10 which is further connected to a pemf generator source 20 . a waveguide 24 is used to deliver waves directed to a sample chamber 94 . the waveguide 24 is mounted to 94 in an adjustable , such as vertically adjustable manner . optionally it can be horizontally adjustable or rotatably adjustable around the perimeter of the chamber . a transporting or delivery means 74 is used to provide a sample 60 for exposure to the waves . the treated sample 80 is retained in a storage chamber 94 or support surface . the chamber 94 is operatively connected to a fan 100 . the corn to be treated or wet corn is represented by the open circles , and the treated corn or dried corn is represented by the filled circles . as the corn is deposited in the chamber , layers are formed . in a specific embodiment , the waveguide is positioned initially towards a bottom layer and after time is moved up to be adjacent to an upper layer . soybeans obtained in the united states were treated with a method and apparatus of the invention . results are shown in table 4 . soybeans are sensitive to harsh drying conditions in that certain valuable oils can be reduced or degraded . therefore , the application of pemf is useful in enhancing the optimal retention of such compounds . fig4 and fig5 illustrate processes in embodiments of the invention . fig4 illustrates a process system that has a feedback feature . the feedback is accomplished using an nir monitor . an nir monitor can monitor spectra for water but can also be used to monitor the whole corn composition including extractable starch and protein content . fig5 illustrates a process system without a feedback feature . an example of a potential advantage of a system with feedback ( as illustrated in fig5 ) is the optimization of results such as corn quality and drying efficiency . in contrast , a system without feedback is likely to produce dried corn of suboptimal , or inferior , quality . in a feedback system , the nir monitor can be used to signal / control further treatment depending on the drying state as measured on a continuous , regular , or intermittent basis . if a desired moisture content for corn is 12 % and the nir monitor reflects a determination corresponding to 18 %, then further treatment cycles can be signaled . if the nir monitor reflects an observed drying curve that deviates from a desired standard drying curve , a signal can alter the pulse profile . for example , if the observed drying data indicates too rapid drying that could degrade corn quality , a signal can delay or alter further treatment , such as by temporally spacing pulses further apart or reducing the number of pulses . on the other hand , observed drying data that correlates with a drying process that is proceeding too slowly can lead to a signal that increases the number of pulses or decreases pulse delay times . the nir monitor thus accomplishes the optimization of a drying curve resulting in advantages such as one or more of energy efficiency , time efficiency , and quality control . fig6 illustrates a computer program in flow chart form . the diagram depicts logical steps of the computer program that was employed for controlling the emf source with dc square pulses . the program is implemented in the basic language ( ibm co ., usa ) and was also tested under microsoft windows (™) 1998 , 2000 , and xp . the program is also performed as known in the art , for example in visual basic or higher level languages ( e . g . c - language ), as well as older programming languages such as fortran and algol . the program in basic is preferred because of the simpler hardware and lower operation costs for the dc pulse generating board / source . fig7 illustrates an apparatus embodiment . the apparatus employs an emf generator and demonstrates applicable connections among a sample load , applicator , dummy load , tuner , and terminator or short - circuit . here , a tuner matches impedance between an emf source and a sample load ( a bin at least partially filled with corn , for example ), so that power transmission is optimal when the impedance at source and at sample load are equal . the circulator next to the tuner assists in protecting the emf source from reflected power in an open circuit situation ( in this case the impedance matching is occurring either through the dummy load or the power out is short - circuited by the shown terminator at the end of the waveguide or ‘ horn ’). the applicator is also useful for proper handling of emf power to the sample . the equipment has an electrical circuit that can be adjusted to obtain maximum emf output for the same power type employed , for example either direct current ( dc ) or more typically , alternating current ( ac ) power . this circuit can therefore be specified as a matching network . in some instances for emf systems , such an adjustment is carried out by a manufacturer either under “ no load ” conditions , with no sample in the emf enclosure of selected design but with a ‘ dummy ’ load instead , or with an average load for the expected most frequent samples to be treated . further energy savings and increased effectiveness of energy use are however achieved by matching the impedance of a sample , for example , wet corn , with that of the matching network in the emf source . achievement of such matching impedance thus allows for maximum transfer of energy from the emf source to the sample to be treated , or dried , such as wet corn . the matching impedance can be established at the beginning of the drying process . optionally , the matching impedance can be established subsequently on an intermittent or continuous basis during the drying process . the establishment of matching networks and matching impedance can result in efficient tuning and operation over a wide range of emf frequencies and with pulsed emf power . a suggested computer component is a personal computer ( pc ) with windows or dos operating system and basica (™) or visualbasic (™) installed . a pulse controller component can be a pc , dc - pulse board , either 8 - bit , 12 - or 16 - bit . a near infrared monitoring system can be an nir spectrometer system obtained from ocean optics ( dunedin , fla ., usa ), a nir spectrometer system such as model no . zx - 50 from zeltex , inc . ( hagerstown , md .) or other equivalent as known in the art . other components for apparatus that are suggested include a high power , continuously controllable emf source , such as those manufactured by boonton electronics ( parsippany , n . j . ), ca , varian , bruker ( usa ) or ge ( schenectady , n . y .) models , 1 kw emf power , either cw ( continuous wave ) or pulsed power ( pw ), the latter being preferred . further appropriate options for emf power source include an industrial cw magnetron capable of 896 mhz and 915 mhz transmission such as model cwm - 50l by california tube laboratory , inc . ( watsonville , calif . ); and a 1 to 6 kw emf power magnetron model such as those manufactured by varian , inc . ( palo alto , calif .). a suggested power source component for a particular application can have specifications dependent on the particular application and variables such as bin size . for a corn drying application , the emf power range is specified as a 1 kw to 50 kw emf source , for example from varian , inc . or ge . preferred ranges are about 1 kw to about 10 kw and about 1 kw to about 20 kw . the emf can be either pulsed or continuous . in a preferred example , the emf is capable of pulsed operation with an external trigger . all references throughout this application , for example publications , patents , and patent documents , are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties , as though individually incorporated by reference , to the extent each reference is at least partially not inconsistent with the disclosure in this application ( for example , a reference that is partially inconsistent is incorporated by reference except for the partially inconsistent portion of the reference ). the invention has been described with reference to various specific and preferred embodiments and techniques . however , it should be understood that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention . it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that methods , devices , device elements , materials , procedures and techniques other than those specifically described herein can be applied to the practice of the invention as broadly disclosed herein without resort to undue experimentation . all art - known functional equivalents of methods , devices , device elements , materials , procedures and techniques described herein are intended to be encompassed by this invention . whenever a range is disclosed , all subranges and individual values are intended to be encompassed . this invention is not to be limited by the embodiments disclosed , including any shown in the drawings or exemplified in the specification , which are given by way of example and not of limitation . lioutas , t ., baianu , i . c . & amp ; m . p . steinberg . 1986 . arch . biochem . biophys . 23 : 236 - 247 . baianu , i . c . & amp ; kumosinski , t . 1994 . ; “ nmr principles and applications to the structure and hydration of food systems with emphasis on proteins ,” ch . 9 in ‘ physical chemistry of food processes : advanced techniques , structures and applications ’. vol . 2 . , i . c . baianu , h . pessen & amp ; t . kumosinski , t ., eds ., new york : van nostrand reinhold -. intl . thompson pubis ., pp . 338 - 420 . baianu , i . c ., k . a . rubinson and j . patterson . 1979 . ferromagnetic resonance and spin wave excitations in metallic glasses . j . phys . chem . solids , 40 : 940 - 951 . baianu , i . c ., j . patterson and k . a . rubinson . 1979 . ferromagnetic resonance observations of surface effects , magnetic ordering and inhomogeneous anisotropy in a metallic glass , material sci . and engineering , 40 : 273 - 284 . baianu , i . c ., k . a . rubinson and j . patterson . 1979 . the observation of structural relaxation in a fenipb glass by x - ray scattering and ferromagnetic resonance ., physica status solidi ( a ), 53 : k133 - 135 . scott , t . c ., klungness , j ., lentz , m , horn , e . and akhtar , m . 2002 . microwaving logs for energy savings and improved paper properties for mechanical pulps . in : proceed . 2002 tappi technical conf . trade fair , san diego , calif ., tappi press : atlanta , ga ., 10 pp . emam o a , farag s a , aziz n h , z lebensm unters forsch . 1995 , dec . 201 ( 6 ): 557 - 61 , comparative effects of gamma and microwave irradiation on the quality of black pepper . | 0 |
it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings . the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways . also , it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting . the use of “ including ,” “ comprising ,” or “ having ” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items . unless limited otherwise , the terms “ connected ,” “ coupled ,” and “ mounted ,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections , couplings , and mountings . in addition , the terms “ connected ” and “ coupled ” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings . turning to the drawings , and initially to fig1 and 2 thereof , there is depicted an image forming apparatus 10 . the image forming apparatus 10 may be an electrophotographic device , scanner , copier , fax , all - in - one device , or multi - functional device . the image forming apparatus 10 scans a document 12 placed on a scanner glass 14 and generates a digital representation of an image of the document 12 . the illustrated embodiment employs a contact image scanner ( cis ), wherein a light source 16 , a rod lens array 18 , and an array of pixel sensors 20 are disposed on a frame 22 and comprise a scan bar 24 . the array of pixel sensors 20 may be photovoltaic sensors . a color matrix filter 26 is disposed on top of the array of pixel sensors 20 . the light source 16 , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , may be a white light source such as white led &# 39 ; s , a cold cathode fluorescent lamp ( ccfl ), xenon lamps , or an rgb led source in which all three color led &# 39 ; s are used in the on condition . the light source 16 , the rod lens array 18 , and the array of pixel sensors 20 move from the top of the document 12 to the bottom thereof by means of a gear train and stepper motor ( not shown ). the array of pixel sensors 20 are arranged in a single array that spans the width of the document 12 to be scanned . the array of rod lenses 18 are positioned above the array of pixel sensors 20 and focus an image of the object on the glass 14 ( i . e ., the document 12 positioned in the glass plane image ), onto the array of pixel sensors 20 . the light source 16 projects light onto the document 12 . the array of rod lenses 18 focuses light reflected from the document 12 onto the array of pixel sensors 20 . the array of pixel sensors 20 generates a signal in the form of a voltage level corresponding to the amount of light to which the array of pixel sensors 20 is exposed . as noted hereinbefore , the array of pixel sensors 20 is covered , masked or filtered with a color matrix filter 26 over a collector surface thereof . the color matrix filter 26 comprises red , green , and blue color filters in a predetermined sequence . in one embodiment , as illustrated in fig3 a , the sequence is r , g , b , r , g , b , etc . in one preferred embodiment , it may be that of a bayer color matrix filter such as the one depicted in fig3 b , and have the sequence b , g , r , g , b , g , r , g , etc . the bayer color matrix filter pattern is 50 % green , 25 % red , and 25 % blue , and is commonly used in digital camera sensors . other sequences will be suggested to those of skill in the art . when a white light source 16 is used to expose the document 12 , the pixel sensors of the array 20 , as covered by the color matrix filter 26 , are exposed at the same moment in time and “ see ”, or receive a signal of , the same pixel of the document 12 being scanned . once the array of pixel sensors 20 is exposed to the light from the light source 16 , the analog voltage level for each of the sensors in the array of pixel sensors is clocked out from the scan bar 24 . the pixel sensors in the array 20 generate analog signals representing scanned pixels from each line of the document 12 . the color matrix filter 26 is applied to each pixel in sequential order . for example , when the color matrix filter 26 is an rgb filter , the pixels are , sequentially , red , green , blue , red , green , blue , etc . fig4 a schematically depicts the misregistration that occurs as a document 12 is scanned by a prior art scanner . each line of the document 12 is scanned sequentially three ( 3 ) times by red , green or blue colored light , respectively , as represented by the lines 1 r , 1 g , 1 b , 2 r , 2 g , 2 b . . . and detected by pixel sensors . the overlapping red , blue and green rectangles , representing red , green and blue pixels 28 , 30 , 32 of a scanned line are superimposed as indicated in the overlapping rectangular area 34 . the superimposition of the pixels 28 , 30 , 32 generates the misregistration or fringing exhibited in an image of the letter “ o ” 36 , and this occurs because the red , green and blue pixels 28 , 30 , 32 overlap in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions . it will be appreciated from fig4 a that the image of the letter “ o ” 36 has an upper color fringe 36 a of a red color , a lower color fringe 36 b of a blue color , and a black area 36 c where the scans overlap . as noted hereinbefore , the upper and lower color fringes 36 b , 36 a are artifacts or fringes left by the scanning process . fig4 b schematically depicts the misregistration that occurs as a document 12 is scanned by the image forming apparatus 10 of the present invention . each line 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , . . . of the document 12 is scanned one ( 1 ) time by white light and detected by an array of pixel sensors 20 . the overlapping red , blue and green rectangles , representing red , green and blue pixels 38 , 40 , 42 of a scanned line 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . , are superimposed as indicated in the overlapping rectangular area 44 . it will be appreciated that the pixels 38 , 40 , 42 overlap in only the horizontal direction , and not the vertical direction , because each line 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . is scanned only one time . the superimposition of the pixels 38 , 40 , 42 generates the misregistration or fringing exhibited in an image of the letter “ o ” 46 . it will be appreciated from fig4 b that the image of the letter “ o ” 46 has a left color fringe 46 a of a red color , a right color fringe 46 b of a blue color , and a black area 46 c where the scans overlap . it will be appreciated that the color fringe areas 46 a , 46 b are much smaller than the prior art color fringe areas 36 a , 36 b , and that the color fringe areas 46 a , 46 b are positioned horizontally with respect to the image of the letter “ o ”, and not vertically as in the prior art scan . turning now to fig5 , an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ) 100 is disclosed wherein an analog signal s , representing the analog pixels b 0 , g 0 , r 0 , b 1 , g 1 , r 1 , . . . b n , g n , r n , from the array of pixel sensors 20 , is clocked as an input signal to an analog to digital converter and analog front end 102 . the analog to digital converter 102 applies a digital offset ( or gain ) to each pixel value b 0 , g 0 , r 0 , b 1 , g 1 , r 1 , . . . b n , g n , r n , and then converts the analog signal s to a 16 bit digital signal d , ( b 0 0 , . . . b 0 15 , b 1 0 , . . . b 1 15 , . . . bn 0 , . . . bn 15 , g 0 0 , . . . g 0 15 , g 1 0 , . . . g 1 15 , . . . gn 0 , . . . gn 15 , r 0 0 , . . . r 0 15 , r 1 0 , . . . r 1 15 , . . . rn 0 , . . . rn 15 .) the digital signal d is then clocked into a digital multiplexing circuit 104 . the digital multiplexing circuit 104 may be another application specific integrated circuit ( asic ) with data sorting capabilities , or alternatively , an external multiplexer . the digital multiplexing circuit 104 multiplexes the digital signal d into three ( 3 ) color channels ch 0 , ch 1 , and ch 2 , corresponding to red , green , and blue color planes . the three ( 3 ) color channels ch 0 , ch 1 , and ch 2 ( r 0 1 . . . r 0 15 , g 0 1 . . . g 0 15 , b 0 1 . . . b 0 15 , . . . rn 1 . . . rn 15 ) are stored in a random access memory ( ram ) 106 for further digital processing . fig6 a illustrates an image 200 of the letter “ o ” as scanned by a prior art scanner such as a trilinear scanner . the image 200 on the left represents the scanner operating at a slow speed , while the image 202 on the right represents the scanner operating at a higher speed . it will be appreciated from fig6 a that the color fringing or misregistration of the images 200 , 202 is much greater when the scanner is operated at the higher speed . in particular , the area of misregistration identified by a red area 200 a is much smaller than the area of misregistration identified by a red area 202 a . similarly , the area of misregistration identified by a blue area 200 b is much smaller than the area of misregistration identified by a blue area 202 b . the black areas , where the scans overlap , are indicated by the reference numerals 200 c and 202 c . fig6 b illustrates an image 204 of the letter “ o ” as scanned by an image forming apparatus 10 in accord with the present invention at the same speed as the image 200 of fig6 a . an image 204 on the left represents the image forming apparatus 10 operating at a slow speed , while an image 206 on the right represents the image forming apparatus 10 operating at a higher speed . it will be appreciated from fig6 b that the color fringing or misregistration of the images 204 , 206 is the same as when the image forming apparatus 10 is operated at the higher speed . in particular , the area of misregistration identified by a red area 204 a is the same as the area of misregistration identified by a red area 206 a . similarly , the area of misregistration identified by a blue area 204 b is the same as the area of misregistration identified by a blue area 206 b . it will also be appreciated that the areas of misregistration 204 a , 204 b , 206 a , and 206 b from image forming apparatus 10 of the present invention are much smaller than the areas of misregistration 200 a , 200 b of the prior art scanner . the black areas , where the scans overlap , are indicated by the reference numerals 204 c and 206 c . it will be further appreciated that an image forming apparatus 10 in accord with the present invention presents a superior solution to the color misregistration inherent in contact image scanning . further , a practical embodiment of the present invention is much more cost effective than prior art trilinear devices . still further , a practical embodiment of the present invention permits a document to be scanned at a much higher speed than prior art devices , and yet produces a superior result . in one practical embodiment , a high - resolution scan bar was used that was capable of performing scans of 2400 pixels per inch ( ppi ) to 4800 ppi . the image forming apparatus 10 provided scans , at any speed , that were nearly free of any color misregistration defect at the most desirable scan modes of 300 ppi and 600 ppi . at the present time , scan bar resolutions are much higher than digital camera resolutions . for example , a 10 mega - pixel digital camera , when imaging a4 / letter sized media , has approximate equivalent pixel density of a 300 ppi scan bar . scan bar line sensors are presently available up to 9600 ppi , which would be the equivalent of 8 . 5 giga - pixel digital camera . adding a color filter array to a high - resolution scan bar would result in a high - resolution image that exceeds that of a digital camera . the filter array can be a one dimensional bayer pattern or possibly a simple rgb pattern . several methods may be employed to process the rgb data from the scan bar 24 . the illustrated embodiment uses a simple interpolation method , but a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional methods employing pixel lumping , averaging , area averaging , down sampling , and combinations thereof may also be used . the methods and algorithm choices depend on content , speed , and quality requirements of a specific application , and will not be detailed herein . it will be appreciated that the disclosed use of the color matrix filter 26 and the array of pixel sensors 20 pose issues with color misregistration that are constant regardless of the speed at which the image of the document 12 is captured . in one practical embodiment , the misregistration was seen to be very small , approximately less than ¼ of a pixel . it will be appreciated that algorithms to improve on the amount of misregistration can also be employed to produce even higher quality images . the invention , in one practical embodiment , provides a high - speed color document scanner using a low cost cis type scanner and other known components . sensor manufacturers have the capability of supplying arrays of pixel sensors 20 with color filters thereon , as such is a common practice on digital camera sensors . in addition , there are numerous third party suppliers who supply arrays of pixel sensors with color matrix filters superimposed thereon . it will be appreciated that prior art contact imaging scanners have color fringing or misregistration on the horizontal lines , that is , in the direction of motion of the scan bar , and that the color fringing or misregistration increases in magnitude as the speed of the scan - bar increases . in an image forming apparatus 10 in accord with the present invention , with a one - dimensional bayer pattern and interpolation , any artifacts are found in the vertical position , and are a function of the selected interpolation algorithm . it will be appreciated that the magnitude and severity of the misregistration or color fringing is constant regardless of the speed at which the scan bar 24 moves across the document 12 , and thus permits the image forming apparatus 10 to scan a document 12 at a much higher speed than a prior art scanner . the foregoing description of embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise steps and / or forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto . | 7 |
preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the following description , well - known functions or constructions are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the invention in unnecessary detail . new input devices and methods therefor that exploit the advances in infrared video - based tracking systems are provided . the configuration dependent input devices include intuitively placed retroreflective markers that emulate various button combinations . the video - based tracker system tracks these input devices and interprets a user &# 39 ; s actions converting them into input commands for a computing system . depending on the display device used , the images of the input devices of the present invention can be augmented to simulate menus from which the user can choose actions like “ read my email ” or “ check the news ”. by way of example , an augmented reality ( ar ) system which utilizes infrared video - based tracking is used to describe the interaction / input devices of the present invention . generally , an augmented reality system includes a display device for presenting a user with an image of the real world augmented with virtual objects , i . e ., computer - generated graphics , a tracking system for locating real - world objects , and a processor , e . g ., a computer , for determining the user &# 39 ; s point of view and for projecting the virtual objects onto the display device in proper reference to the user &# 39 ; s point of view . referring to fig1 a , an exemplary augmented reality ( ar ) system 10 to be used in conjunction with the present invention is illustrated . the ar system 10 includes a head - mounted display ( hmd ) 12 , an infrared video - based tracking system 14 and a processor 16 , here shown as a desktop computer , coupled to storage device 17 . for the purposes of this illustration , the ar system 10 will be utilized in a specific workspace 18 which includes an input device 20 of the present invention . here , input device 20 includes a configuration of five retroreflective markers 21 on a planar surface of an object 19 , such as a board . although shown as being utilized in a fixed workspace with a desktop computer , the ar system which employs an input device of the present invention can be configured to be a mobile system wearable by a user . for example , the processor 16 may be a notebook computer , handheld computer , pocket pc or an other known mobile computing device and the input device 20 may be configured on a pliable material which can be carried or worn by the user , for instance , on their hand or forearm . it is to be understood that the input device is a passive device not physically connected to system 10 , for example , by wires , and is portable . referring to fig1 a and 1b , the tracking system 14 used in conjunction with the input device of the present invention will be described . generally , the infrared video - based tracking system 14 includes a camera 22 with an infrared - filter lens 24 and a plurality of infrared illumination light - emitting diodes ( leds ) 26 mounted around the lens 24 ; a video capture board mounted in the processor 16 ; and a set of retroreflective markers , e . g ., a circular disk or square tile . video obtained from the camera 22 through the capture board is processed in the processor 16 to identify the images of the retroreflective markers . because the video captured is filtered , the only visible items will be the ones corresponding to the retroreflective markers , i . e ., items reflecting light in an infrared frequency . in the ar system , the location of the markers are known within a specific workspace and are used to track real - world objects and to determine the pose ( position and orientation ) of a user . in the same manner the ar system identifies the markers placed in a workspace , for location tracking , the ar system can identify a set of markers 21 laid out in a specific configuration ( step s 1 ) to determine that it is an input device 20 , as exemplified in the method of fig2 . as the camera 22 of the tracking system 14 scans a scene , video captured is analyzed to determine if any retroreflective marker 21 has come into view ( step s 2 ). once it has been determined that a marker 21 is in view of the user and / or tracking system ( step s 3 ), the processor 16 compares the configuration of the markers in the scene with configurations stored in the processor 16 or in the storage device 17 coupled to the processor 16 ( step s 4 ). if a match occurs , it is determined an input device is visible to the user and the input device &# 39 ; s functionality is loaded into the system to be available to the user ( step s 5 ). once the input device becomes visible , the ar system 10 can go into a menu / input mode ( step s 6 ) and wait for the user &# 39 ; s actions for some input events . the ar system 10 will determine if a user is interacting by determining if a marker of the input device 22 is visible or not ( step s 7 ), as will be described in detail below . if the marker is not visible , e . g ., by the action of the user covering the marker , the system will determine the marker is activated and perform an associated function ( step s 8 ). it is to be understood the type and functionality of an input device of the present invention is determined by the processor based on the known specific configuration of markers placed in the physical world , e . g ., placed in a specific workspace or on a planar board carried by the user . therefore , any number of input devices can be realized by setting a specific configuration of markers for each input device , associating a function to each configuration and storing the configuration in the processor and / or storage device . referring to fig3 for example , a 4 × 3 matrix of markers 32 can be configured to simulate a numerical keypad input device 30 , like those used on a telephone . the left view of fig3 a shows the configuration of markers visible to the user and the right view illustrates the functionality available to the user . similarly in fig3 b , a cross - like configuration 34 can be assembled to simulate arrow keys where the uppermost and lowermost markers represent up and down arrow keys , etc . when used in conjunction with an ar system , a user &# 39 ; s view will be augmented with graphics and the user will actually see the view shown in view 2 of fig3 a and 3b . furthermore , a combination of one or more input devices may be placed around the workspace at one time each corresponding to a different input mode or , even in a multi - user environment , to different users . an illustration of how a user interacts with a system employing an input device of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with fig4 . [ 0033 ] fig4 illustrates several views of a computer system employing an input device in accordance with the present invention , where column 1 represents real - world views as seen by a user and column 2 represents views as seen from the infrared tracker camera . referring to fig4 the first row shows a computer system entering an input mode . the first view illustrates a real world view of the input device 20 . the user would see a set of retroreflective markers 21 on a planar surface 19 . the second view of the first row illustrates how the infrared video - based tracking system would see the input device . the tracking system will only see the markers that reflect the infrared light . the processor will determine that four markers are visible in an l - shaped configuration and will then search the configurations stored for a match . here , the processor will determine that the configuration is to function as a mouse and , since all four markers are visible , the input device is in an idle state awaiting input actions from the user . the second row of fig4 illustrates a user choosing an action . the first view of the second row shows the user placing a finger over the bottom leftmost marker . the second view shows how the tracking system will view this action . the processor will determine the marker is not visible and perform the function that is associated with the marker , e . g ., a left mouse click . similarly , the third row shows the user covering , or activating , the second marker to perform another action . now , an illustration of how a user interacts with an augmented reality ( ar ) system employing an input device of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with fig5 . [ 0037 ] fig5 illustrates several views of a user interacting with an augmented reality system employing an input device in accordance with the present invention , where column 1 represents real - world views as seen by the user , column 2 represents views as seen from the infrared tracker camera 24 and column 3 represents augmented views of the user . the first row in fig5 shows the ar system entering a menu / input mode . the first view illustrates a real world view of the input device 20 . the second view of the first row is a view of the input device 20 through the infrared - filtered camera 24 , wherein all retroreflective markers 21 are visible . through the use of the tracking system and processor , the ar system is able to determine the four markers 21 of the input device 20 are in the user &# 39 ; s view . once the configuration and functionality of the input device is determined , the ar system will augment the user &# 39 ; s view of the input device as in the third view of the first row . here , the four markers are augmented with computer - generated graphics to simulate buttons or menus , e . g ., the bottom leftmost marker is augmented with label “ l ” for left mouse button and the bottom rightmost marker is labeled “ r ” for right mouse button . the second row of fig5 illustrates the user interacting with the system . in the first view of the second row , the user places their finger on the first marker which corresponds to the “ l ” or left mouse button . once the ar system determines the user has covered the marker or simulated a click of the left mouse button , the ar system will augment the user &# 39 ; s view by inserting a graphic menu 50 with several options , as shown in the third view of the second row . in addition , up and down arrows 52 may be placed above the second and third markers of the bottom row during this mode to assist the user in selecting the option desired . it is to be understood that the up and down arrows are only augmented in the user &# 39 ; s view during this mode . it is also to be understood that whenever a single marker is activated the remaining markers can be augmented to reveal other options of the activated marker . new input devices and methods to be used with infrared video - based tracking systems have been described . the interaction / input devices and methods of the present invention provide intuitive , easy - to - use means of interacting with the system . in particular for an augmented reality system , the system gives the user visual feedback in forms of augmentation , e . g ., menus , to facilitate the interaction . the input devices of the present invention do not put any additional burden on the running or processing of the computing system since the system is already determining locations of markers for tracking purposes . the tracking system intelligently can decide if the user is in the input / interaction mode by determining if the user is looking at the various markers in a scene . while the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . for example , the input device can be employed in various types of ar systems , such as optical see - through or video see - through systems . additionally , the input device of the present invention can be used in conjunction with different types of display devices , e . g ., a computer monitor , video - capable mobile phone , personal digital assistant ( pda ), etc . | 7 |
the locking device shown in the drawing serves the purpose of mutually locking a cordless power tool 2 , such as a handheld drill hammer , and a battery pack 4 required for supplying current to the power tool 2 . as best shown in fig1 , the power tool 2 , in a known manner , has a protruding guide rail 8 on the free lower end of its handle 6 , which guide rail can be inserted in the direction of the arrow a into a guide groove 10 , recessed out of the upper end of the battery pack 4 , that has a cross section complementary to the cross section of the guide rail 8 . the insertion motion of the guide rail 8 into the guide groove 10 is limited by cooperating stops ( not shown ), which contact one another when the battery pack 4 is properly locked to the power tool 2 and an electrical connection is made between connection contacts of a current - storing means of the battery pack 4 and a current circuit of a consumer of the power tool 2 . the locking device 12 serving to lock the battery pack 4 to the power tool 2 here includes a total of four locking bars 14 , which are located in pairs , one behind the other , in the insertion direction of the battery pack 4 in associated locking bar guides 16 in the interior of the guide rail 8 . two each of the locking bars 14 have aligned longitudinal axes and are forced apart to opposite sides transversely to the insertion direction ( arrow a ), each by a respective helical compression spring 18 , so that their outward - pointing free face ends 20 , 22 protrude past adjacent lateral guide faces 24 , 26 of the guide rail 8 . once the battery pack 4 is locked to the power tool 2 , the face ends 20 , 22 of one pair of locking bars engages diametrically opposed detent recesses 28 , 30 ( fig2 ) located in the interior of the guide groove 10 of the battery pack 4 . the locking device 12 is designed for so - called two - stage locking , in which in a first stage assures the snapping of the locking bars 14 , of the front pair of locking bars in the insertion direction , into the detent recesses 28 , 30 such that the battery pack 4 is secured against unintentional release relative to the handle 6 of the power tool 2 , for instance for shipping , but no electrical connection is yet made between the connection contacts of the current - storing means of the battery pack 4 and the current circuit of the consumer of the power tool 2 . this connection is not made until the battery pack 4 , in the second stage , is inserted farther until it reaches the terminal position shown in fig2 , in which the locking bars 14 of the rear pair of locking bars , in the insertion direction , snap into the detent recesses 28 , 30 and assure a final locking of the battery pack 4 relative to the power tool 2 while simultaneously making an electrical connection ( not shown ) between them . the free face ends 20 , 22 of the locking bars 14 have run - up chamfers 34 , which point in the insertion direction and assure that all the locking bars 14 , when the battery pack 4 is slipped onto the guide rail 8 of the power tool 2 and the front locking bars 14 , on passing the detent recesses 28 , 30 , are automatically displaced inward in their guides 16 , counter to the force of the spring 18 , until their tips 36 are aligned with the guide faces 24 , 26 . these guide faces extend parallel to diametrically opposed side faces 38 , 40 of the guide groove 10 and have a slight spacing from them . the locking bars 14 are provided in the interior with a cylindrical hollow chamber 42 for the associated helical compression spring 18 , which is braced by its outward - pointing face end against the bottom of the hollow chamber 42 and by its inward - pointing face end against a stationary abutment 44 in the interior of the guide rail 8 . the spacings between the inward - pointing face ends of the locking bars 14 and the adjacent , outward - pointing face ends of the abutments 44 are dimensioned such that the locking bars 14 strike the abutments 44 when their tips 36 are aligned with the guide faces 24 , 26 ( see fig3 ). on their rear face ends , the locking bars 14 have laterally protruding lugs 46 , which cooperate with the locking bar guide 16 and limit the outward path of motion of the locking bars 14 , to prevent the locking bars 14 from falling out when the battery pack 4 is removed . the two detent recesses 28 , 30 , located diametrically opposite one another in the interior of the guide groove 10 , extend as far as the adjacent outside of a housing 56 of the battery pack 4 and open in the interior into the two diametrically opposed side faces 38 , 40 of the guide groove 10 . each of the detent recesses 28 , 30 accommodates an unlocking button 50 , 52 , which is accessible or actuatable from the outside of the housing 56 and is displaceable inside the detent recess 28 , 30 transversely to the insertion direction , so that the locking bars 14 , of each pair of locking bars , engaging the detent recesses 28 , 30 can be manually disengaged from the two recesses 28 , 30 by means of a finger or thumb pressure exerted simultaneously on both buttons 50 , 52 , in order first to unlock the battery pack 4 and then release it from the power tool 2 . each of the two unlocking buttons 50 , 52 is joined in dustproof fashion to the surrounding edge of the detent recess 28 , 30 , on the outside of the housing 56 , by a soft film 54 that is square in outline and is made of an elastomer material , such as a thermoplastic elastomer ( tpe ). the soft film 54 is glued or welded in its middle to the outside of the button 50 , 52 , while its peripheral edge is glued or welded to the edge of the housing 56 surrounding the detent recess 28 , 30 . in the undeformed state ( fig2 ), the film 54 has an inward - protruding bead 58 , which protrudes into an indentation that extends around the buttons 50 , 52 and is defined by diametrically opposed shoulders of the button 50 , 52 and of the housing 56 . in the region of the bead 58 , the film 54 is reversibly elastically deformable , so that the unlocking buttons 50 , 52 , with deformation of the bead 56 , can be pressed inward into the detent recesses 28 , 30 and , because of the elastic restoring forces of the deformed film 54 , can automatically return to their outset position shown in fig2 , even if no locking bar 14 is pressing from the inside against the respective button 50 , 52 . on their inside , the unlocking buttons 50 , 52 have a flat contact - pressure face 60 , which is diametrically opposite the free face end 20 , 22 of the locking bar 14 . upon an actuation of the unlocking buttons 50 , 52 , the contact - pressure face 60 is pressed against the tip 36 of the adjacent locking bar 14 and , for disengaging its face end 20 , 22 from the detent recess 28 , 30 , displaces the locking bar inward in the locking bar guide 16 , counter to the force of the spring 18 , until the locking bar 14 strikes the abutment 44 , as shown in fig3 . in this position , the contact - pressure faces 60 are aligned with the adjacent side faces 38 , 40 of the guide groove 10 , and the tip 36 of the locking bar 14 is aligned with the guide faces 24 , 26 of the guide rail 8 , so that the battery pack 4 can be pulled off the power tool 2 in the direction of the arrow b . besides the detent recesses 28 , 30 , the side faces 38 , 40 each have one further recess 62 , which is located behind the detent recesses 28 , 30 in terms of the insertion direction and which is engaged by the locking bars 14 of the front pair of locking bars , for relieving their compression springs 18 without locking , once the battery pack 4 , in the second stage , is locked in final fashion to the power tool 2 . the term “ battery pack ” 4 as used within the scope of this application is meant to refer primarily to a pack of rechargeable current - storing means ( accumulators ), but also to a pack of disposable current - storing means ( batteries ). moreover , instead of the geometry shown in the drawing for the connection between the battery pack 4 and the power tool 2 , some other geometry may be employed , such as a shaft in the power tool 2 , into which the battery pack 4 is thrust partway . moreover , the described locking device 12 is suitable not only for locking battery packs 4 to power tools 2 but also for locking them to arbitrary other cordless electrical devices . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together , may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above . while the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a device for locking a power tool to a battery pack , and battery pack , 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 reveal 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 the invention . | 7 |
first , a barrel for a prefilled syringe of the present invention is described . as shown in fig1 ( a ), a preferably adopted shape of the barrel 10 of a prefilled syringe of the present invention is a cylindrical shape having a male “ luer - taper ” luer tip 11 at the tip , where an injection needle can be connected in a fluid - tight manner , a shoulder portion 13 formed from a proximal end 11 a of the luer tip 11 to a cylindrical wall 12 , and a finger - hooking flange 14 at an opened proximal end 10 a . the luer tip 11 is sealed in a fluid - tight manner by a cap 20 . further , a gasket 30 is inserted in the barrel 10 in a fluid - tight manner while being freely slidable . the gasket 30 can be connected with a plunger 40 at a proximal end 30 a . the space from the gasket 30 , inserted inside the barrel 10 , to the luer tip 11 can contain a medication 50 . a position for providing the luer tip 11 does not have to be at the center of the shoulder portion 13 . as shown in fig2 , a luer tip 61 may be provided in a position eccentric from the center of a shoulder portion 63 . as shown in fig1 ( a ) and ( b ), the barrel 10 has at least a three - layer structure of an innermost layer 15 , an outermost layer 16 , and an intermediate layer 17 between the innermost layer 15 and the outermost layer 16 . the innermost layer 15 and the outermost layer 16 are preferably formed from the same material , and examples of preferable materials include polyethylene , polypropylene , a mixture of polyethylene and polypropylene , and a polyolefin resin such as cyclic polyolefin . however , any resin known for use as a medical material such as polycarbonate , a methacrylate resin , and poly ( 4 - methyl - 1 - pentene ), which does not interact with the medication 50 contained inside the barrel 10 , and having no risk of elution or the like can be preferably adopted . further , the material for the intermediate layer 17 is selected from a resin excelling in a gas barrier property , a resin excelling in a water vapor barrier property , and a resin excelling in thermal resistance . examples of resins excelling in a gas barrier property and a water vapor barrier property include an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer , polyacrylonitrile , vinylidene chloride , polyvinyl alcohol , nylon , polyester , or the like . examples of a resin excelling in thermal resistance include polypropylene , poly - 4 - methylpentene - 1 , polyester , polycarbonate , polyether imide , polyacrylate , or the like . the intermediate layer 17 is not required to be a single layer and may be a multilayer structure with two or more layers . as described , by sandwiching a resin excelling in barrier property or thermal resistance with a resin having a low risk of interacting with a medication or eluting thereinto , a barrel for a prefilled syringe , which has a low risk of interacting with a medication or eluting thereinto , excels in barrier property , and is highly safe , can be provided . when only resins having low thermal resistance are adopted for the innermost layer and the outermost layer because of limitations concerning interaction with a medication , deformation of the barrel can be avoided even when conducting a high pressure steam sterilization such as at 105 ° c . for 30 minutes , at 121 ° c . for 20 minutes , or the like by forming an intermediate layer using a thermal resistant resin . as shown in fig1 ( a ), securing of the barrier property of the barrel 10 is further ensured by forming the intermediate layer 17 up to the vicinity of the luer tip surface 11 b . however , the intermediate layer 17 must not be exposed at the luer tip surface 11 b . the reason is that if a gap exists between the luer tip surface 11 b and a cap 20 , the medication 50 and the luer tip surface 11 b are at a high risk of coming into contact with each other . also as shown in fig3 , in a case of connecting an injection needle 70 to the luer tip 11 during use , the medication 50 and the luer tip surface 11 b have a high chance of coming into contact with each other , so there is a risk of elution from the intermediate layer 17 into the medication 50 . further as shown in fig4 , a tip 97 a of an intermediate layer 97 of a cylindrical wall portion 82 of a barrel 80 can be formed up to a rim portion 83 a of a shoulder portion 83 . however , in this case , the shoulder portion 83 must be provided with a barrier property by molding a thick portion of the polyolefin resin . the cylindrical wall portion 82 of the barrel 80 , for visually observing a time course of medication contained therein and insoluble contaminants , must be provided with high transparency and , thus , cannot be thickly molded . therefore , providing a barrier property by the intermediate layer 97 is indispensable . further as shown in fig1 ( a ), the intermediate layer 17 does not have to be formed in the direction of the proximal end 10 a from the proximal end 30 a of an expected ( initial ) insertion position of the gasket 30 to be inserted inside the barrel 10 . in the space from the proximal end 30 a of the gasket 30 to the proximal end 10 a of the barrel 10 , a medication does not exist . therefore , there is no need to provide a barrier property . the gasket 30 is formed of a butyl rubber , a thermoplastic elastomer , or the like . the proximal end thereof is provided with a securing means such as a female screw 31 with which the plunger 40 provided with a male screw 41 at the tip thereof can be secured . the cap 20 is formed of a butyl rubber , a thermoplastic elastomer , or the like . as shown in fig4 , when the intermediate layer is not formed up to the vicinity of a luer tip surface 81 b , the cap must have a thickness which ensures a sufficient gas barrier property and water vapor barrier property . the medication 50 may be any of a solid preparation and a liquid solution . however , a solution that causes problems of an increase in concentration and a decrease in volume by water vapor evaporation is preferable . among them , a solution , the quality of which degrades from the effect of oxygen , is most preferable . next , a production method for a barrel used for a prefilled syringe according to the present invention is described . as shown in fig5 ( a ), first , a polyolefin resin 120 is injected from a gate 100 , provided at a position corresponding to the luer tip surface of the barrel portion of a cavity 90 , into the cavity 90 using a first injection unit 110 . then , as shown in fig5 ( b ), after injecting a specific amount of the polyolefin resin 120 , a resin excelling in a barrier property 140 is injected into the cavity 90 using a second injection unit 130 . the polyolefin resin 120 which is injected first is cooled on wall surfaces of cavity mold 150 and core mold 160 to form a skin layer . the resin excelling in barrier property 140 becomes a core layer having fluidity , moving through a gap of the skin layer toward an end portion 90 a of the cavity 90 . the amount of the polyolefin resin 120 injected first is preferably adjusted so that the proximal end 10 a of the barrel 10 to the proximal end 30 a of the gasket 30 is eventually filled , as shown in fig1 ( a ). the reason is that the intermediate layer 17 does not necessarily have to be formed in the direction of the proximal end 10 a of the barrel 10 from the proximal end 30 a of the gasket 30 . after injecting a specific amount of the resin excelling in barrier property 120 , the polyolefin resin 120 is injected again as shown in fig5 ( c ). by pushing off an inner nozzle 131 of the second injection unit 130 toward the direction of the gate 100 as shown in fig6 ( a ), the injection unit 170 and the luer tip surface 11 b are separated as shown in fig6 ( b ), thereby producing a barrel for a prefilled syringe used in the present invention . the polyolefin resin injection of a specific amount in advance may be stopped after injecting the specific amount , or the injection of the resin excelling in barrier property may be started without stopping the injection as described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 535 , 901 which is incorporated herein by reference . a tip 131 a of the inner nozzle 131 is preferably pushed off to come closely into contact with the luer tip surface 11 b . the reason is that by doing so , an unnecessary runner does not remain in the luer tip surface 11 b , so that adjustment of dimensional accuracy of the luer tip surface 11 b is not required after injection molding . further , as shown in fig7 , a valve pin 181 provided inside a valve gate 180 may be pushed off toward the direction of the luer tip surface 11 b instead of pushing off the inner nozzle 131 . the pushing off step of the inner nozzle 131 or the valve pin 181 is preferably conducted after the luer tip surface 11 b is coated with the polyolefin resin 120 as shown in fig5 ( c ). the reason is that , as described before , the intermediate layer 17 composed of a resin excelling in barrier property 140 must not be exposed at the luer tip surface 11 b . when pushing off of the inner nozzle 131 or the valve pin 181 is not conducted , a runner is formed at the luer tip surface 11 b . the runner may be cut off after taking the barrel out from the mold . next , another production method of a barrel for a prefilled syringe of the present invention is described . as shown in fig8 ( a ), the polyolefin resin 120 is first injected from a gate 190 , provided at a position corresponding to the center of the luer tip surface of the barrel , into a cavity 210 using a first injection unit 200 . then , as shown in fig8 ( b ), after injecting a specific amount of the polyolefin resin 120 , the resin excelling in barrier property 140 is injected into the cavity 210 using a second injection unit 220 . the polyolefin resin 120 which is injected first is cooled at the wall surfaces of cavity mold 230 and core mold 240 to form a skin layer . the resin excelling in barrier property 140 becomes a core layer having fluidity and moves through the space toward the direction of an end 210 a of the cavity 210 to eventually reach the state shown in fig8 ( c ). the resin excelling in barrier property 140 does not have to fill the portion inside the luer tip 61 . the reason is that the luer tip 61 is sealed with the cap 20 or the like , so the cap 20 or the like provides a barrier property to the luer tip portion 61 . the amount of the polyolefin injected first is preferably adjusted so that the proximal end 10 a of the barrel to the distal end 30 a which is the expected insertion position of the gasket 30 is filled as described with reference to fig1 . after injecting a specific amount of the resin excelling in barrier property 140 , the injection of the resin 140 is stopped . after taking out the molded product from the mold , an unnecessary runner is removed , thereby producing the prefilled syringe barrel of the present invention . the injection of the polyolefin resin in a specific amount in advance may be stopped after injecting the specific amount , or the injection of the resin excelling in barrier property may be started without stopping the injection . further , if it is not desired to leave an unnecessary runner at the gate , a method using the inner nozzle or the valve gate and the valve pin , as shown in fig6 or fig7 , can be used . the gate can be provided at an arbitrary position of the barrel tip surface . however , when providing the gate in a position eccentric from the center of the tip surface , a weld line appears on the cylindrical wall of the barrel located symmetric to the central axis of the gate and the barrel . this creates a risk that the intermediate layer is not formed because the second resin does not pervade through the weld line . therefore , it is preferable to provide the gate at the center of the tip surface of the barrel by decentering the position of the luer tip when not providing a gate at the luer tip surface . further , to produce a multilayer structure having two or more layers of an intermediate layer of the barrel for a prefilled syringe of the present invention , the number of injection units may be increased to inject the successive resin after stopping the injection of the prior resin as the first resin , second resin , third resin , and so on . alternatively , timing of the start of the injection inside the cavity may be sequentially adjusted . as described above , according to the present invention , a gas barrier property and a water vapor barrier property can be imparted to a barrel for a prefilled syringe solely through a step of injecting a resin into a single mold . in other words , a gas barrier property , a water vapor barrier property , and a thermal resistance property can be easily imparted with about the same effort and time as a general production method for a syringe . in addition , an adhesive or a bonding layer does not have to be provided , and a portion in contact with a medication is totally coated with the polyolefin resin . therefore , a risk of interaction of the medication with the barrel or elution of resin used for the barrel during sterilization or storage is low , and safety is extremely high . further , a container itself has a barrier property , so external packaging material becomes unnecessary , contributing to a savings in resources as well as a savings in storage space , and thereby being convenient for carrying . | 1 |
the basic constitution of the decomposition - treatment apparatus of the present invention is explained by reference to fig2 . fig2 illustrates decomposition - treatment apparatus 1 for decomposing a pollutant in soil such as organic chlorine compounds like trichloroethylene . the apparatus comprises main decomposition - treatment unit 1 a , secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b , and pollutant - feeding means 1 c . pollutant - feeding means 1 c comprises a pipeline and a sucking device for sucking the pollutant from the polluted soil 5 through sucking well 6 placed in the soil and feeding the pollutant to main decomposition - treatment unit 1 a . numeral 2 indicates schematically a pollutant gathered by suction by sucking well 6 . main decomposition - treatment unit 1 a conducts primary decomposition treatment step involving a primary decomposition reaction as a basic decomposition reaction of the pollutant to form a decomposition product . ( hereinafter the decomposition product produced by the primary decomposition - treatment step is referred to as “ primary decomposition product ”.) an example of the primary decomposition reaction is decomposition of pollutant gas by irradiation of light in a chlorine atmosphere . for example , to main decomposition - treatment unit 1 a comprised of a reaction vessel provided with a light - irradiating means , chlorine is fed from a chlorine cylinder to generate chlorine gas - containing air . the light irradiating means in this example may be a black - light fluorescence lamp not containing light with wavelength of 300 nm or shorter . in the case where light with wavelength of 254 nm is employed for the decomposition , the device for producing the chlorine gas - containing air may be omitted . an example of the primary decomposition product is a halogenated acetic acid produced by decomposition of trichloroethylene or the like , such as chloroacetic acid , dichloroacetic acid , and trichloroacetic acid . the primary decomposition product is discharged to secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b which is comprised of an absorbing means for an absorption step to trap the primary decomposition product and a decomposing means for decomposing the primary decomposition product . secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b conducts a secondary decomposition - treatment step comprising an absorption step and a secondary decomposition reaction to decompose the primary decomposition product . ( hereinafter the decomposition product produced by the second decomposition - treatment step is referred to as a “ secondary decomposition product ”.) the mode of the secondary decomposition - treatment step is not specially limited . in the second decomposition - treatment step , in most cases , the primary decomposition product is derived in a state of a gas or a mist of a gas - liquid dispersion . ( hereinafter , the gas or the . dispersion containing the primary decomposition product derived from main decomposition - treatment unit 1 a is referred to as a “ primary decomposition product - containing gas ”.) therefore , the absorbing means has usually constitution to absorb the gas by contact of the gas with a liquid . fig2 shows , as an example of the absorbing means , gas - liquid contact tower 4 ( hereinafter referred to as a “ scrubber ”) having packed bed 14 . the bottom of the scrubber constitutes a reservoir serving as the decomposing means . the liquid phase after contact with the primary decomposition product is accumulated in the reservoir , and the primary decomposition product absorbed is decomposed there . the second decomposition - treatment step is explained below taking the scrubber as an example of the absorbing - decomposing means . the primary decomposition product - containing gas in a state of a gas or mist which contains the primary decomposition product from main decomposition - treatment unit 1 a is introduced to scrubber 4 . the liquid phase in the scrubber is circulated by pump 9 , and is allowed to flow down from the upper part of the scrubber . the primary decomposition product - containing gas introduced into the scrubber is brought into contact with the down - flowing liquid phase mainly on the surface of the packing of packed bed 14 , whereby the primary decomposition product is transferred to the liquid phase . the liquid containing the absorbed primary decomposition product ( hereinafter referred to as a “ treatment liquid ”) flows down by gravity and is stored in the reservoir 10 at the bottom of scrubber 4 as shown by the symbol l in fig2 . the liquid phase is pumped up to the upper part of scrubber 4 by pump 9 , and allowed to flow down again through the packed bed to contact with the primary decomposition product - containing gas . with such circulation of the treatment liquid , the concentration of the primary decomposition product increases in the treatment liquid . in the case where chlorine is contained in the primary decomposition product - containing gas after the primary decomposition treatment of the pollutant , most portion of the chlorine is discharged from discharge outlet 3 at the top of scrubber 4 to a separate treatment process ( not shown in the drawing ) without remaining in the treatment liquid , after contact of the chlorine - containing phase with the treatment liquid in packed bed 14 , since the treatment liquid is also acidic . the separate treatment process includes absorption of the chlorine with an alkaline solution , and adsorption by active carbon . the primary decomposition product trapped by the absorbing means is subjected to a secondary decomposition reaction by a decomposition means . for effective processing in the secondary decomposition - treatment step , the secondary decomposition reaction is preferably conducted at a high concentration of the primary decomposition product in secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b . at the higher concentration , the decomposition reaction will proceed at a higher probability in a shorter time . for example , in conducting the secondary decomposition reaction by electrolysis , decomposing electrodes 7 a , 7 b are used for the reaction . in this case , the amount of the decomposition in a unit time at a constant electric current quantity depends on the concentration of the solution . that is , the higher the concentration of the treatment liquid , the larger is the decomposition rate of the primary decomposition product in a unit time . for increasing the concentration of the primary decomposition product in secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b , the treatment liquid is circulated to repeat the absorption step , as mentioned above . further , for conducting the secondary decomposition - treatment step steadily as a whole , the absorption step and the secondary decomposition reaction are controlled to keep the concentration of the primary decomposition product in secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b by adjusting the amount of absorption of the primary decomposition product in the secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b to be nearly equal to the amount of decomposition of the primary decomposition product decomposed in decomposition - treatment unit 1 b . this control is explained below by taking a secondary decomposition reaction in the secondary decomposition - treatment step by electrolysis in the scrubber . as described above , the amount of the primary decomposition product decomposable in a unit time is larger at the higher concentration of the primary decomposition product in the treatment liquid if the electric current quantity is constant . with increase of the primary decomposition product in the treatment liquid , whereby the amount of the decomposition increases , the concentration of the primary decomposition product in the treatment liquid decreases . thereby , the amount of the decomposition by electrolysis also decreases . however , an untreated primary decomposition product is newly fed , whereby the concentration of the primary decomposition product in the treatment liquid is increased , not being kept at a lower level . as the result , the amount of decomposition in a unit time is increased to decrease again the concentration of the primary decomposition product in the treatment liquid . the concentration of the primary decomposition product in the treatment liquid reaches a certain amount and keeps the certain amount , increasing and decreasing repeatedly as above described . in such a manner , the primary decomposition product is decomposed by the decomposing means in the amount equal to the primary decomposition product fed to scrubber 4 in a unit time . the certain amount of the concentration is kept higher at a less electric current in comparison with a case of a higher electric current level . thus the apparatus is driven in high efficiency . finally when polluted soil 5 has been decontaminated satisfactorily and the feed of the pollutant has ceased not to produce the primary decomposition product , treatment liquid l which contains an undecomposed primary - decomposition product at a high concentration remains in reservoir 10 of secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b . next , a basic constitution of an embodiment of the process and apparatus for decontaminating effectively polluted soils of plural areas of the present invention is explained by reference to fig1 . in fig1 the symbols s i − 1 , s i , and s i + 1 indicate respectively a site having polluted soil 5 , and the bold blank arrows indicate the order of the decontamination operation . naturally the number of the sites may be varied depending on the circumstances . in the respective sites , the decomposition treatment apparatuses 1 i − 1 , 1 i , and 1 i + 1 are installed . the decomposition treatment apparatuses respectively comprise main decomposition - treatment unit 1 a , secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b , and pollutant - feeding means 1 c . the same symbols are used as in fig2 . the soil of site s i − 1 is decontaminated in a manner described above by reference to fig2 . then in next site s i , the same treatment is started . for treating the product efficiently in a short time , treatment liquid l i − 1 remaining in the reservoir of secondary decomposition treatment unit 1 b of decomposition treatment apparatus 1 i − 1 is taken out after completion of the decontamination at site s i − 1 . this taking - out operation is explained by taking as an example the scrubber as secondary decomposition treatment unit lb . in one method of the taking - out operation , a valve is provided at the bottom of the scrubber , and the treatment liquid l i − 1 is discharged by opening the valve and is transferred into a plastic tank . in another method , a pipe branching from pump 9 is provided additionally , and the liquid is discharged through this pipe into a plastic tank . the decomposing means of the next decomposition - treatment apparatus may be provided with an openable hatch for introducing the stored liquid transported from the preceding site . in still another method , the decomposing means of the decomposition - treatment apparatus in the preceding site is sealed to be liquid - tight with the stored liquid kept contained therein , demounted from the main apparatus , and transported to the next site . otherwise the entire of the decomposition apparatus may be transported to the next site . the treatment liquid l i − 1 taken out is transported to site s i , and is used in secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b of decomposition - treatment apparatus 1 i from the start of the operation . this makes unnecessary , in the preceding site s i − 1 , the secondary decomposition reaction treatment of the primary decomposition product remaining in secondary decomposition treatment unit 1 b of decomposition - treatment unit 1 i − 1 . a large amount of energy and a long time can be saved which will be required if the secondary decomposition reaction treatment is conducted for entire of the remaining primary decomposition product in the preceding site s i − 1 . further , in the second decomposition - treatment step in apparatus 1 i , time and energy can be saved since the second decomposition - treatment step need not be started in the absence of the primary decomposition product in secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b . if the operation is started in the complete absence of the primary decomposition product in secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b of apparatus 1 i , the decomposition of the primary decomposition product should be started after the concentration of the primary decomposition product such as halogenated acetic acid formed by decomposition of the pollutant like trichloroethylene has reached a prescribed level . this causes waste of time for the waiting . according to the present invention , the primary decomposition product produced by a pollutant decomposition - treatment step and remaining undecomposed in the secondary decomposition step in one site need not be entirely decomposed at that site , whereby time and energy therefore are saved ; and further by using the remaining primary decomposition product in another site , the waiting time in the decomposition of the primary decomposition product is saved . therefore , the decomposition can be conducted effectively in a short time . after completion of the treatment in site s i , the treatment liquid l i containing the primary decomposition product is transported from site s i to next site s i + 1 , similarly as the transport from s i − 1 , to s i , and is introduced into secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b of apparatus 1 i + 1 for the treatment . when the treatment in s i + 1 has been completed , the treatment liquid l i + 1 is remaining in the reservoir of apparatus 1 i + 1 . this process is allowed proceed successively as shown in fig1 . in other words , in a preceding site , the operation is conducted at a high concentration for the highest decomposition efficiency and the decomposition product is not entirely treated but partly kept untreated , and the untreated remaining decomposition product is transported to a next site . in the next site , the decomposition product is subjected to decomposition at a high concentration for the highest efficiency from the start of the operation . such a treatment system improves the treatment efficiency as a whole . in such a manner , according to the present invention , the solution containing a primary decomposition product formed at a site is transported to another site to be decomposed further , whereby the additional operation can be omitted at the respective sites and the decomposition treatment can be conducted efficiently in a short time . example of the present invention is described below . in example below , the decomposition of the primary decomposition product is continued until completion of decontamination treatment of soil . however , with progress of the soil decontamination with lapse of time , the amount of the sucked pollutant decreases gradually toward the end of the soil decontamination treatment , and the concentration of the soil - pollutant in the pollutant - containing air decreases , resulting in decrease of the produced amount of the primary decomposition product . therefore , in the final stage of the soil decontamination treatment , the secondary decomposition reaction treatment of the primary decomposition product may be interrupted , and the cycling liquid at a high concentration may be recovered and brought to the next soil remediation site . accordingly , the last stage of the primary decomposition - treatment step and that of the secondary decomposition - treatment step need not be finished simultaneously . the secondary decomposition - treatment step is preferably stopped before the last stage of the primary decomposition - treatment step . thus the secondary decomposition - treatment step is discontinued in the final stage where the primary decomposition product is produced in a very low rate . thereby the concentration of the primary decomposition product in the liquid transported to another treatment site is not decreased unnecessarily , and in the next site , the decomposition of the primary decomposition product at a high concentration can be conducted at a high efficiency after transport to the site . decomposition - treatment apparatus 1 shown in fig2 was installed in site s 1 . from soil polluted by organic chlorine compounds , the pollutants were sucked by means of a vacuum sucking pump , and the pollutant - containing gas was introduced into a reaction vessel at a rate of 1 m 3 / min ( residence time : 30 seconds ) . the pollutant and the concentration thereof in the pollutant - containing gas were : trichloroethylene : 5 to 20 ppmv , and tetrachloroethylene : 5 to 30 ppmv . chlorine was fed from a chlorine cylinder to keep the chlorine concentration in the reaction vessel at 50 ppmv . in this example , the pollutant - containing gas was irradiated from outside the reaction vessel with 16 commercial black - light fluorescent lamps ( toshiba ; fl40s blb ) not emitting light with wavelength of 300 nm or shorter as the light irradiating means . the side wall of the reaction vessel is formed from a fluoro - plastic film , and had been confirmed to transmit the light with wavelength of not less than 300 nm . in scrubber 4 comprised in secondary decomposition - treatment unit 1 b , about 70 liters of city water was stored and was circulated by pump 9 . the primary decomposition product - containing gas was continuously introduced from the reaction vessel to the scrubber . the halogenated acetic acid , the primary decomposition product , was absorbed by the circulating liquid phase in packed bed 14 comprised of a packing . the absorbed halogenated acetic acid was decomposed by electrolysis by application of electric current of 15 a at 3 . 0 v to electrodes provided in reservoir 10 , by adjusting the electric current in comparison with the state of a larger electric current . after start of operation of apparatus 1 , the concentrations of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene in the primary decomposition product - containing gas discharged from the reaction vessel were monitored by sampling periodically with a gas - tight syringe and determining the compounds with a gas chromatography apparatus ( gc - 14b ( with an fid detector ), manufactured by shimadzu corp . ), column : db - 624 , produced by j & amp ; w co .). the both compounds were not detected throughout the operation . after 5 months of the operation , the concentration of the halogenated acetic acid in the stored liquid was maintained at about 0 . 6 %. little amount of the pollutant - containing gas was detected in the gas sucked from the soil . this showed the completion of the soil decontamination . thus the operation in this site was finished . the stored liquid remaining in scrubber 4 was taken out . subsequently , decomposition - treatment apparatus 1 which was the same as that employed in the preceding site s 1 was installed at site s 2 having another polluted soil 5 polluted with organic chlorine compounds . from the polluted soil , the pollutant was sucked by means of a vacuum sucking pump , and the pollutant - containing gas was introduced into a reaction vessel at a rate of 1 m 3 / min ( residence time : 30 seconds ). the pollutant and the concentration thereof in the pollutant - containing gas were : trichloroethylene : 30 to 50 ppmv , and tetrachloroethylene : 20 to 40 ppmv . chlorine was fed from a chlorine cylinder to keep the chlorine concentration in the reaction vessel at 50 ppmv . the pollutant - containing gas was irradiated from outside the reaction vessel with 16 commercial black - light fluorescent lamps ( toshiba ; fl40s blb ). into scrubber 4 , was introduced the stored liquid taken out from apparatus 1 installed at site s 1 containing halogenated acetic acid at a concentration of 0 . 6 %, and city water was filled thereto to the volume of about 70 liters . this solution was circulated in the scrubber by pump 9 . the primary decomposition product - containing gas was continuously introduced from the reaction vessel into the scrubber , and the electrolysis was conducted in the same manner as conducted at site s 1 . the soil was decontaminated without a problem , and the primary decomposition product was steadily decomposed . after start of operation of apparatus 2 , the concentrations of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene in the primary decomposition product - containing gas discharged from the reaction vessel were monitored by sampling periodically with a gas - tight syringe and determining the compounds with a gas chromatography apparatus ( gc - 14b ( with an fid detector ), manufactured by shimadzu corp . ), column : db - 624 , produced by j & amp ; w co .). the both compounds were not detected throughout the operation . after 6 months of the operation , the concentration of the halogenated acetic acid in the storage liquid was found to be maintained at about 0 . 7 %. little amount of the pollutant - containing gas was detected in the gas sucked from the soil , which showed the completion of the soil decontamination . thus the operation in this site was finished . | 2 |
referring now to fig1 a known fluent product dispensing apparatus is illustrated generally at 10 . the apparatus 10 is particularly suitable for the two - handed dispensing of a fluent product , such as an expandable foam that is formed by the reaction between two different reactive components . the fluent products dispensed by the apparatus 10 are typically urethane and other expandable foams . urethane foams in particular , are known for their compatibility with low - cost blowing agents that permit such foams to be applied by way of pressurized containers . the natural adhesive qualities of these foams also allow them to bond excellently to any number of substrates . typically , such urethane foams are the reaction product of two different and individual components , one typically being a foaming agent and the other typically being a resin . when reacted together , these components give the resultant foam various chemical compositions , with each such composition having significant utility in a particular application . these foams , and particularly urethane foams may be specially formulated to provide a final foam which is rigid , flexible , semi - rigid or the like . the foams produced may also be either open cell or closed cell in structure , with the former having particular utility in packaging and non - insulating applications and with the latter having particular utility in building and structural insulation applications . the reactive components for urethane foams typically include a foaming agent and a resin , each such component being separately contained within a respective foam component supply container 12 , 14 . a dispenser is provided to dispense the foam and it is connected to the foam component supply containers by way of tubes or other conduits , such as the hoses 16 illustrated . the hoses 16 serve to convey each from component to dispenser 18 where they are mixed together , preferably in a disposable nozzle body portion 20 of the dispenser 18 , prior to exiting the dispenser 18 under pressure through a nozzle opening 22 . the supply containers 12 , 14 and the other components may be enclosed within a carton 24 that may have a handle 26 or the like formed thereon that facilitates the handling of the overall apparatus 10 . the hoses 16 exit the carton 24 through an opening ( not shown ) and connect to the dispenser 18 . as mentioned above , problems arise with the use of such dispensing apparatus in that the foam components have a range of optimum temperatures for application . although the carton 24 or the containers 12 , 14 themselves may contain directions as to the proper application temperature for the components , many users have no idea when the components are at their proper application temperature . users may grow impatient with a need to acclimatize the components . the present invention provides a solution to this problem , by providing a unique temperature indicating means . such indicating means are shown in fig2 a through 2c . fig2 a illustrates one such indicating means 50 that comprises a flat strip having a front face 51 and an opposing rear face 52 that preferably supports a layer of adhesive ( not shown ). the front face 51 of the indicator 50 has a series of temperature markings in the form of numerals 53 disposed thereon in ascending order , and each such numeral corresponds to a particular temperature . these temperature numerals 53 may be separated , as shown , at a chosen point by a line of demarcation 54 that divides the temperature range into two portions 55 , 56 . the first of these two portions 55 may include temperatures that are equal to or are above the minimum application temperature for the foam components and thus indicate to the user that the foam components may be properly reacted and dispensed as a foam . the second of these two portions 56 may include temperatures that are below the minimum application temperature for the foam components and thus indicate to the user that the foam components , if reacted , shall not dispense a foam with expected quality and yields . it will be understood that at such temperatures , foam application may still occur , but at lower yields and quality . additional markings 57 , 58 may be included as part of the visual indicia that indicate , in the form of text , such as by “ spray zone ” 57 and “ too cold ” 58 , the proper and improper dispensing temperatures . fig2 b illustrates another style of temperature indicator 60 that is also easily affixed , by way of an adhesive backing ( not shown ) to a foam component supply container . in this style indicator 60 , the visual indicia 61 is arranged at the line of demarcation 62 and indicates the temperature range in numerals 63 in both the fahrenheit and celsius temperature scales 64 , 65 . the range of proper foam components dispensing temperatures may be bracketed by markings , shown as bars 66 , of a contrasting color . fig2 c illustrates yet another style of temperature indicator 70 , also with an adhesive backing ( not shown ) that may be fixed to a foam component supply container . this style indicator has only minimum visual indicia , that indicate only the threshold application temperature 71 and line of demarcation 72 on that front face 73 of the indicator 70 . in all of the aforementioned indicators , 50 , 60 , 70 , a layer having a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) is incorporated into the indicator . as is known in the art , this lcd type material is a compound that produces a visible color change in response to a temperature activation . when activated , the temperature sensitive substance emits or reflects visible light radiation to indicate temperature . the color sequence of normal temperature activation may be structured to present tan , red , green , blue and ultraviolet . the colors may be filtered to obtain a desired color sequence . alternatively , a thermochromic strip may also be employed that is tailored to respond by color change along its length in a predetermined fashion in response to temperature changes . the lcd material on the temperature indicator that is in contact with the exterior surface of the supply containers 81 , 82 may possess the ability to change from among many different preselected colors to indicate the temperature of the material in contact with it , i . e ., the contents of the supply containers 81 , 82 . for example , it may adopt a green color where the temperature of the component is exactly the temperature shown by the number on the indicator , and it may also adopt , for example , a tan color where the temperature range of the supply component is above the actual temperature . it will be understood that such temperature indicators of the invention may not utilize the line of demarcation and may only utilize a single temperature marking such as the proper application temperature , a text marking such as “ good ” or the like . referring now to fig3 and 4 , one embodiment of an improved foam dispensing apparatus 80 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shown . the apparatus 80 is particularly suitable for the two - handed dispensing of multi - component fluent materials , such as polyurethane foams and the like . the apparatus 80 includes a pair of distinct , vertically arranged foam supply canisters 81 , 82 which contain the foam supply components which , when mixed and reacted together form a foam . these separate containers 81 , 81 store the liquid foam components of the foam , preferably in a pressurized state , one of the two components typically being an isocyanate component and the other component typically being a liquid resin solution . in this embodiment , the foam component supply containers 81 , 82 are held by a carrier , in the form of a carton 100 in an inverted orientation , and each supply container 81 , 82 may include a valve 83 , 84 operatively associated therewith for releasing the reactive components out of the supply containers 81 , 82 under pressure . the supply containers 81 , 82 may be interconnected together near their valves 83 , 84 by a yoke 85 that maintains the position of the supply containers 81 , 82 in the carton 100 . two supply hoses , or tubes 86 , 87 attach to the supply container valves 83 , 84 and exit from the carton 80 through an opening ( not shown ) to mate with a dispenser 90 . the dispenser 90 shown takes the form of a gun - style dispenser having a handle 91 with an actuatable trigger 92 that opens two ports to permit the reactive components to pass into a barrel portion 93 that includes a hollow mixing chamber ( not shown ). the dispenser 90 also typically includes either a fixed or replaceable dispensing nozzle 94 with a dispensing tip 95 . the temperature indicators 50 may be adhesively affixed to the exterior surfaces 101 of one or both of the supply containers 81 , 82 . in order to facilitate the reading of the visual indicia of the temperature indicator 50 , the carton 100 may be provided with one or more windows 102 formed in a sidewall 103 thereof . the carton 100 may also include a handle assembly 110 that protrudes through the top of the carton 100 so that carton may be held by a user with one hand , while the dispenser 90 may be held with the other hand . each window 102 is preferably slightly larger in size than the indicator ( s ) 50 so that a user may easily read all of the visual indicia on the temperature indicator 50 . the window may also be of a larger size than shown to permit viewing from the exterior of the carton 100 of the supply containers 81 , 82 , their valves 83 , 84 and other components of the apparatus 80 . whereas the supply containers 81 , 82 of the embodiment illustrated in fig3 and 4 are shown in an inverted orientation , they may also be held in an upright orientation , as illustrated by the second embodiment of an apparatus 200 illustrated in fig5 . in this embodiment , the apparatus 200 includes a carrier 220 that includes a yoke member 201 that holds the two supply containers 202 , 203 together in an upright orientation and a handle assembly 221 that is connected to the yoke member 201 . two supply tubes 204 lead from valves 206 , 207 of the containers to a detachable dispenser 208 , having a replaceable dispensing nozzle 210 and a cam actuator 211 that may be manipulated by a user &# 39 ; s finger . more details on the construction of this type structure may be found in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 344 , 051 , owned by the assignee of the present invention , and the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference . one or more of the supply containers 202 , 203 may have a temperature indicator 50 applied to their exterior surface . a third embodiment of a dispensing apparatus 300 constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in fig6 . in this apparatus 300 , the two supply containers 301 , 302 are held in an upright position by means of a carrier 303 having a handle portion 320 , and the dispenser 305 takes the form of a hand - held gun dispenser , similar to that shown in fig3 and 4 . two supply tubes 309 , 310 lead from the supply containers 301 , 302 to the dispenser 305 . the carrier 303 that holds the supply containers 301 , 302 in place may have a shoulder strap 310 that permits a user to sling the dispenser over his shoulder during use . temperature indicators are located on the exterior surface of the supply containers 301 , 302 . although described above in terms of two container assemblies , it will be understood that the present invention also finds application in association with a single reactive foam component supply container , regardless of the size of the container . in this instance , the indicator is also affixed to the exterior of the supply container as shown in any of the figures and will indicate to a user whether or not the foam component , when used , shall meet the user &# 39 ; s expectations . such a single supply container may be incorporated with a carrier assembly for a dispensing apparatus as shown , or the supply container may be one that can be used later with such a dispensing apparatus . while the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments are merely illustrative of some applications of the principles of the present invention and that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention , the scope of which is defined by the appended claims . | 1 |
with reference to fig1 there is illustrated a portion of a thermal printer &# 39 ; s drive system . a roll 106 of receiver 105 is fed through a thermal printer 100 as shown by the receiver advancing past thermal print head 101 , as fed by thermal roller 102 , pinch roller 104 and capstan roller 103 . dye donor web 109 ( partially illustrated ) is applied onto the receiver in predetermined patterns , as is well known in the art . the receiver is iteratively reversed and printed during several color applications of the dye donor web in the predetermined patterns . tension in approximate region 107 relative to approximate region 108 affect an ability of the capstan and pinch rollers to effectively control movement of the receiver therethrough . a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a less aggressive capstan roller 103 design , as is illustrated in fig4 a - b wherein a knurled pattern provides a spike free configuration that does not perforate a surface of receiver 105 as would the spiked configuration of the capstan roller shown in fig3 a - b . together with a softer pinch roller 104 , impression marks are not formed in the thermal receiver as it passes between capstan and pinch rollers 103 , 104 . to compensate for the less aggressive grip on the receiver , a tension differential across the capstan in approximate regions 107 and 108 is decreased . by increasing tension in the receiver on the roll side of the capstan 108 during printing , an acceptable color to color image registration is produced . this increase in the tension in approximate area 108 reduces the tension differential across capstan roller 103 . referring to fig2 , control of the tension in approximate region 208 of the receiver can be achieved by providing a properly sized clutch ( torque limiter ) on the output of the drive motor for receiver roll 206 ( not shown ). the clutch control can be used to adjust tension in the receiver in approximate region 208 . an alternative method for controlling the tension in approximate region 208 of the receiver includes adding rollers 210 which would likewise be driven by a motor with a properly sized clutch on its output . this would reduce the length of controlled tension approximate region 208 to that approximate portion indicated by the dashed line bracket 208 a . in a preferred embodiment , roll 206 or rollers 210 would feed receiver 205 faster than the capstan , thus causing the clutch to slip and maintain a constant torque , during a forward feed printing phase of printer 100 and reverse feed the receiver slower than the capstan , again causing the clutch to slip and maintain a constant torque during its rewind phase . both of these adjustments , one each for forward feed and for reverse feed , increase tension in the receiver in approximate region 208 . the capstan 203 uses a straight knurl pattern with ridges running along the length of the roller parallel to its axis of rotation as shown in fig4 a - b . the ridges are disposed at a frequency of 10 to 30 ridges / cm at a depth of at least 10 microns . the pinch roller is composed of a steel shaft covered with an elastomeric material with a shore - a durometer ranging from 20 to 60 , with a 50 micron teflon sleeve covering the elastomer . this preferred embodiment is a softer and thinner version of conventional elastomer roller covers . a softer pinch roller aids in eliminating marks in the receiver but often results in more slippage of the receiver due to lower traction . controlling tension in the receiver on both sides of the capstan roller can reduce or eliminate slippage . the tension of the receiver between the receiver roll and the capstan , approximate region 108 , produced during printing should be more than about 50 % of the tension existing between the capstan and the thermal print head , approximate region 107 . this percentage is higher than the unregulated tension commonly existing in thermal printers . the clutched motor , either used for roll 206 or for rollers 210 , or both , is designed to provide a predesigned load , which controls an amount of tension applied to the receiver at approximate region 108 . manual trial and error clutch adjustment can be fine tuned by monitoring performance of the printer , then manually leaving the clutch set at the desired adjustment point . this procedure can be undertaken during the design phase to establish a factory setting . depending on the design of the printer , characteristics such as thermal head drag and capstan traction might require more or less tension between the receiver roll and the capstan to achieve proper image registration . the receiver roll diameter ranges from about 7 inches diameter when full to about 3 . 5 inches when depleted for the spool diameter , which should be compensated by controlling motor speed and torque during depletion of the receiver media . in an eight inch printer width , a full roll weighs approximately 5 - 6 pounds . if the clutch is driving the paper roll , the rpm of the motor output must be determined based on the smallest possible roll diameter during the printing cycle and on the largest possible diameter during the rewind cycle to insure that the clutch slips and maintains tension properly . if the clutch is driving a second pair of rollers , for example , the alternate rollers 210 , the roll diameter is not a concern . the clutch operates by attaching part of it to the shaft and another concentric part attached to a drive component such as a gear or pulley . these two parts of the clutch are coupled to each other only by friction which produces a limited amount of torque when slippage of one half relative to the other occurs . typically , this friction coupling is adjustable for controlling an amount of mechanically transmitted torque . to determine a value of the torque that the clutch must transmit to the receiver to achieve accurate registration , the torque can be varied in a stepwise fashion until the color to color registration is within specification . some possible ways to vary the torque to determine an acceptable value are to use an adjustable clutch , a series of fixed - value clutches or a pulley and weight system attached to the paper roll . this same technique can be used whether the clutch is driving the paper roll or a second pair of rollers . the precision of the tension control will depend on the gripping capability of the capstan roller . the less the gripping capability , the more tension control is required . other more precise methods of controlling tension include ( 1 ) the use of a three - roll cluster , the middle roller being a “ dancer ” roller which has a wrap angle of approximately 180 ° and exerts a constant force on the web ( receiver ); and ( 2 ) using a closed - loop system in which a tension sensor feeds back a signal to a dc motor which drives either the receiver roll 206 or the second pair of rollers 210 . with reference to fig5 , experimental testing measured in - track registration , i . e . same direction as receiver movement through the printer , with resulting data points as shown in this figure . testing procedures used straight knurl capstan roller 502 , as described above , varying pinch roller hardness modifications 503 , different pinch roller pressure modifications as applied with pinch roller springs 504 , and different print head load pressure modifications 505 , also applied via springs . there is a data point for each of these different print head load pressure modifications 505 shown in the graph , which tests were repeated using the different pinch roller modifications and pinch roller pressure modifications as shown . horizontal baseline 501 line indicates a preferred minimum in - track performance of about − 6 thousandths of an inch . to illustrate the scale of the graph shown relative to this − 6 performance , the data point at head load spring 505 value 3 . 2 , pinch roller spring 504 value 3 . 8 , and pinch roller 503 value 40 shore a durometer , shows an in - track performance of approximately − 18 thousandths of an inch . with reference to fig6 , experimental testing measured cross - track registration , i . e . perpendicular to in - track registration , with resulting data points as shown in this figure . testing procedures used straight knurl capstan roller 602 , as described above , varying pinch roller hardness modifications 603 , different pinch roller pressure modifications as applied with pinch roller springs 604 , and different print head load pressure modifications 605 , also applied via springs . there is a data point for each of these different print head load pressure modifications 605 shown in the graph , most of which tests were repeated using the different pinch roller modifications and pinch roller pressure modifications as shown . horizontal baselines 601 , 606 indicate a preferred performance window between + 6 thousandths of an inch 601 and − 6 thousandths of an inch 606 , with zero cross - track error indicated by dotted line 607 . the two performances closest to zero cross - track error indicated in this figure was achieved with pinch roller hardness of 40 shore a durometer , pinch roller spring tension ( measured in kgf ) of 4 . 9 , and head load spring magnitude ( also measured in kgf ) 2 . 8 and 3 . 2 . with reference to fig7 , experimental testing measured impression marks in the receiver caused by the capstan 702 , with resulting data points as shown in this figure . testing procedures used straight knurl capstan roller 702 , as described above , varying pinch roller hardness modifications 703 , different pinch roller pressure modifications as applied with pinch roller springs 704 , and different print head load pressure modifications 705 , also applied via springs . there is a data point for each of these different print head load pressure modifications 705 shown in the graph , most of which tests were repeated using the different pinch roller modifications and pinch roller pressure modifications as shown . horizontal baselines 701 indicate resulting performance . the lowest line indicates that the impression is invisible to the naked eye and requires a loop to be seen ; the second lowest horizontal line indicates an impression mark that can be seen by the naked eye but is not obvious . the remaining three horizontal lines indicate , in an upward progression , increasingly noticeable impression marks . performance having less noticeable impression marks is preferred . with reference to fig8 a and 8b , experimental testing measured in - track and cross - track registration , respectively , with varying tension applied to the receiver in region 108 , with resulting data points as shown in this figure . testing procedures were undertaken by measurably controlling the torque applied to roll 106 . horizontal baselines 801 , 802 indicate a preferred minimum in - track and cross - track performance of about − 6 thousandths of an inch . as is illustrated in fig8 a , in - track registration with zero error is achieved using approximately 7 newtons of added tension . cross - track registration , shown in 8 b , begins to deviate below the baseline with added tension of this magnitude . | 1 |
for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended , such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices , and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . referring now to fig1 , a block diagram for a telephone messaging device 10 according to the present invention is shown . messaging device 10 includes a microprocessor 12 or microcomputer having ram , rom , and i / o ( input / output ) that comprises the controller of device 10 . real time clock 14 provides date / time data to microprocessor 12 . real time clock 14 includes a battery backup feature so that a power loss does not result in loss of the correct date / time . a flash memory device 16 contains sufficient storage space for storing a large quantity of data . flash memory device 16 is contemplated as fully integrated or removable in design such as removable compact flash media cards used in current products such as digital cameras for storage of image files . such memory devices are now very reasonable in cost for as much as 64 megabytes of storage . audio circuitry 18 includes the necessary electronics such as a / d ( analog to digital ) and d / a ( digital to analog ) converters for microprocessor 12 to digitally reproduce audio on speaker 21 and record audio signals in digital form from microphone 23 . alternatively , the audio electronics in circuitry 18 may be comprised of codecs ( coder / decoders ) well known in the art of cellular phone technologies for efficient recording and playback of digitized audio . ( it is contemplated that a reduced cost version of device 10 may be produced without audio messaging capability thereby eliminating the need for audio components 18 , 21 and 23 ). a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 20 receives signals from microprocessor 12 and responds by displaying graphical images on display 20 . lcd display 20 is a graphical electronic display device similar to those found in pda ( portable digital assistant ) devices . a touch sensitive display overlay 22 input device is positioned directly over display 20 and provides a mechanism for the user to input data to microprocessor 12 . touch sensitive display overlay 22 and related technologies are also found in pda devices such as the palm pilot ® pda . a computer interface 24 provides the mechanism for microprocessor 12 to communicate with external devices such as personal computers or pdas . computer interface 24 is preferably a usb ( universal serial bus ) or firewire ® ( ieee 1394 ) interface developed for use in inter - computer communications to provide a very fast communications link between intelligent devices . telephone caller id electronics 26 includes circuitry for detecting caller id data provided by a telephone company over the local telephone lines . caller id electronics 26 is connected to the telephone system wiring via cable 28 and provides caller id data to microprocessor 12 upon receipt of such information from the telephone company over cable 28 . a data communications interface 30 includes electronics for establishing communications with other telephone messaging devices identical to device 10 via data link 32 . the data communications interface 30 and data link 32 are implemented by use of technologies for sending and receiving data packets over existing power lines , telephone wiring , network cabling , or via radio frequency technologies such as wireless lan ( local area network ) technologies . such technologies are well known and one skilled in the art may readily implement any of the various communications technologies that do not require additional wiring be installed in a facility to establish communications between intelligent devices . it is also contemplated that standard networking protocols such as the tcp / ip suite of networking components are used to transmit and receive data over data link 32 . computer interface 24 is also an alternative mechanism by which alphanumeric data may be entered by the user of messaging device 10 . a computer program driver on a personal computer redirects keyboard input from the computer via interface 24 to messaging device 10 for data entry in the various textbox gui ( graphical user interface ) program objects described below . referring now to fig2 - 4 , a telephone messaging device 10 according to one aspect of the present invention is shown . messaging device 10 is contained within case 34 made from plastic or other suitable material . graphical display 20 is shown in fig2 with one display configuration or screen in accordance with the primary operating mode of device 10 . a touch sensitive overlay 22 ( that is transparent ) is positioned over display 20 and provides input signals to microprocessor 12 when stylus 36 is depressed on top of the overlay 22 . software mapping techniques are implemented to associate regions of the overlay with graphical program objects shown on display 20 . a pda operating system such as windows ce from microsoft corporation is contemplated as one potential gui solution for creation of the software and graphical programming objects discussed in relation to messaging device 10 . referring now to fig3 , a rear elevational view of messaging device 10 is shown . from this perspective , the external connections to device 10 are shown . in particular , a power connector 38 , a microphone jack 40 , a telephone system connector 42 , a usb interface connector 44 , a compact flash media card slot 46 , and a small grill area 48 behind which speaker 21 is positioned are all shown . referring now to fig4 , a front elevational view of the messaging device 10 is shown . this view depicts the slight inclination angle at which the display 20 is positioned so that it is more readily viewed by the user . it is contemplated that the angle of inclination of the display may vary over a wide range . referring back to fig2 , the various visual elements or gui objects displayed on display 20 will now be described . as in a pda , the underlying graphical elements shown are typical components of a gui ( graphical user interface ) well known in the computing industry . a recipient drop - down listbox 50 provides a mechanism for selecting those messaging devices that will receive a message data packet created by messaging device 10 . recipients may include individuals or groups of individuals . defining groups is discussed below . alternatively , listbox 50 is a “ multi - select ” type listbox allowing for selection of multiple entries in listbox 50 thereby enabling the selection of multiple individual recipients and / or multiple groups that will receive a particular message data packet . typically listbox 50 is populated with names of persons corresponding to messaging devices ( during setup a messaging device 10 is assigned a name corresponding to the person who will be using the device ) and group names . textbox 52 is provided for displaying caller id information received by microprocessor 12 via telephone caller id electronics 26 . textbox 54 displays user input information regarding the name of the telephone caller &# 39 ; s name . textbox 56 displays company name of the caller entered by the user . textbox 58 is a date / time text box that is automatically populated with date / time data when a telephone call is received ( microprocessor 12 becomes aware of a new telephone call when caller id electronics 26 provides caller id data to microprocessor 12 ). alternatively , textbox 58 displays the date / time of a current message being displayed by device 10 . upon detection of a telephone call microprocessor 12 obtains the current date / time from real time clock 14 and enters that data into textbox 58 . textbox 60 receives user input data regarding the caller &# 39 ; s telephone number if that number is different from that shown in textbox 52 . a plurality of checkboxes with corresponding descriptions are provided that enable the user with a single tap of stylus 36 on the checkbox or the text adjacent the checkbox to enable or disable the mark within the checkbox ( typically an “ x ”) in the corresponding checkbox . these checkboxes include a fax checkbox 62 , a mobile checkbox 64 , and checkboxes corresponding to a plurality of predefined messages including phoned checkbox 66 , returned your call checkbox 68 , please call checkbox 70 , will call again checkbox 72 , came to see you checkbox 74 and wants to see you checkbox 76 . a message area 78 provides region of the display 20 wherein a custom handwritten message may be entered by the user regarding the telephone call . information entered into the message area 78 includes additional information useful to the recipient of the message regarding the telephone caller &# 39 ; s purpose or business . message data is entered in message area 78 by printing or writing on the area with stylus 36 or tapping the display keyboard pushbutton 80 . printed or handwritten messages are converted to a digital data format and the data is compressed for efficiency in storing the data to memory device 16 . a variety of compressed digital graphical image formats such as jpeg ( named after the group joint photographic experts group that developed the file format ), gif ( graphs interchange format ) and tiff ( tagged image file format ) are well known and used for compressing and storing graphical images such as the data input from touch sensitive display overlay 22 that defines handwritten messages in the present invention . handwriting recognition software is optionally included to transform the handwritten message into alphanumeric data . handwriting to ascii conversion software is well known in the art . tapping pushbutton 80 causes an alphanumeric data entry screen to appear on display 20 as shown in fig7 . tapping clear pushbutton 83 will clear or erase handwriting or typed data entered into message area 78 . a plurality of graphical pushbuttons ( gui visual program objects ) are provided to activate various functional actions provided by messaging device 10 . up arrow pushbutton 82 and down arrow pushbutton 84 provide message navigation forward and backward in the current message list stored by microprocessor 12 and displayable on display 20 . similarly the home pushbutton 86 and the end pushbutton 88 enable rapid movement to the first or last message available for display , respectively . clr pushbutton 90 instructs microprocessor 12 to clear the display of all data in preparation for entering new data or for protecting the data from view by others . del pushbutton 92 instructs microprocessor 12 to delete the currently displayed message from memory . sched pushbutton 94 , corresponding to the word “ schedule ”, signals microprocessor 12 to display a reminder data input screen where the user enters date / time and message data instructing microprocessor 12 in regard to a future date / time wherein a reminder message is displayed . save pushbutton 96 causes microprocessor 12 to save the message data packet for the currently displayed message into another area of permanent flash memory 16 . audio pushbutton 98 , when tapped by a stylus , instructs microprocessor 12 to display an audio playback / record screen and command buttons as shown in fig9 . secure pushbutton 100 instructs microprocessor 12 to enable a password security feature for the currently displayed message . upon tapping pushbutton 100 , the user is prompted to enter an alphanumeric password for the currently displayed message , and future attempts to redisplay that same message require the user to input the correct password before the message may be viewed . send pushbutton 102 instructs microprocessor 12 to assemble a message data packet including caller id data from textbox 52 , name data from textbox 54 , company name data from textbox 56 , date / time data from textbox 58 , additional telephone number data from textbox 60 , checkbox data settings for predefined messages in checkboxes 62 - 76 , and data entered into message area 78 and send the assembled message data packet to the messaging device identified in the “ for ” dropdown listbox 50 . menu pushbutton 104 instructs microprocessor 12 to display the menu command screen shown in fig6 on display 20 . the receipt of new messages is indicated by new message textbox 65 . data in textbox 65 is altered to indicate the quantity of new messages received . further , an audible brief beep sound is generated by microprocessor 12 via audio circuitry 18 and speaker 21 when a new message data packet is received via datalink 32 . as new message are viewed , the data in textbox 65 is altered by microprocessor 12 to indicate how many messages remain to be viewed . audio messages may be recorded and attached to a message data packet or message record . when audio data is present in a message record , and that message is displayed that has an audio data record component , an audio indicator 81 resembling a speaker icon is shown on display 20 . other audio message attachment indicators such as an audible beep ( a two tone beep serves to distinguish an audio attachment from a single beep corresponding to a new message received ), flashing display indicators or a text message indicating an audio data component for the present message record are also contemplated . it is also contemplated that audio messages are automatically reproduced on speaker 21 when a message data packet or record having an audio data component is displayed by the user of device 10 . operationally speaking , messaging device 10 will be described in accordance with the example message data shown in fig5 . in fig5 , the current message has been designated “ for ” james smith as the recipient in accordance with the user selection thereof in listbox 50 . in reality , this the selection of james smith is a selection of the telephone messaging device used by james smith and the name corresponds to a unit logical identifier or network address used in transmitting data to devices connected to datalink 32 . caller id data is displayed automatically in textbox 52 in response to a telephone call detected by microprocessor 12 receiving data from caller id electronics 26 . the caller &# 39 ; s name is entered by the user in textbox 54 ( if different from the name appearing in the caller id textbox 52 ) and the caller &# 39 ; s company name is entered in textbox 56 if different from the caller id data . current date / time of the call is recorded automatically by microprocessor 12 in textbox 58 . in the event the caller &# 39 ; s telephone number differs from that shown in caller id textbox 52 , another telephone number is entered in textbox 60 . as shown in the current example , checkboxes 66 , 70 and 76 includes an “ x ” therein indicating the user has selected those predefined messages as they relate to the telephone call from joe salesman . a hand printed message is shown in message area 78 . when the message data packet defining all the data shown in the display screen of device 10 is transmitted to another telephone messaging device ( identical to device 10 ) pushbutton 106 with a label of “ activate reply mode ” is displayed or made active on the recipient device . when activated , pushbutton 106 causes microprocessor 12 to split the message area 78 into two distinct areas , with the area designated 78 a identified as the “ reply ” area . a hand printed , handwritten , or alphanumeric reply message is then entered at area 78 a by the recipient ( here james smith , identified in textbox 50 ). tapping clear pushbutton 85 will clear or erase handwriting or typed data entered into message area 78 a . the messaging device 10 in use by the originator of the message ( receptionist ) then receives command data from james smith &# 39 ; s messaging device to enter into a “ real time ” data transfer mode wherein the receptionist &# 39 ; s messaging device displays the reply message shown in fig5 in “ real time ”, that is , as data is entered by james smith at his messaging device in area 78 a . the message in area 78 a will simultaneously be displayed on the originators messaging device and the recipient &# 39 ; s messaging device in either graphical handwriting form or in the format of alphanumeric computer generated characters based on data entered via keyboard data entry . the “ real time ” reply mode provides a convenient mechanism for a person to immediately notify the sender of a message in regard to information that should be conveyed without delay . while the devices are in “ real time ” mode , the sender ( here the “ receptionist ”) may also enter additional data in the message area 78 and such input is immediately transmitted by microprocessor 12 to the second messaging device for immediate display . when the real time reply mode of operation is no longer needed , either party may activate pushbutton 107 to deactivate the reply mode and cease real time data exchange between the messaging devices . the real time data exchange mode is accomplished by microprocessor 12 continuously exchanging data between the two messaging devices via data communications interface electronics 30 and data link 32 . new messages textbox 65 now depicts that a new message has been received . various checkboxes 68 , 72 74 and pushbuttons 82 , 84 , 86 , 88 , 90 92 , 92 , 94 96 , 98 , 100 , 102 and 104 are also shown in fig5 . a person receiving a new message may desire to add further information to a received message on occasion , and the following describes the mechanism provided by device 10 for accomplishing such . upon receiving a message at the recipients messaging device , the user may write or print in the message area 78 or tap pushbutton 80 to display the keyboard data entry screen and append additional message information into message area 78 . microprocessor 12 appends keyboard or character data entered by the user below the existing message in area 78 . additional message information such as “ will send sample products ” or “ new source for product ” are examples of additional text information a user may enter into message area 78 . tapping the save pushbutton after entering additional text in message area 78 instructs microprocessor 12 to save in memory 16 the additional message data in area 78 with the original message data record for the current displayed message . referring now to fig6 , a menu display screen for messaging device 10 that is displayed in response to activation of menu pushbutton 104 is shown . in fig6 an array of pushbuttons corresponding to additional features or functionality provided by messaging device 10 are shown . search for name / number pushbutton 110 instructs microprocessor to display a search screen for previously saved or stored messages containing character strings . the search feature is described in detail below in association with fig8 . pushbutton 112 activates the audio record / playback screen shown in fig9 and described below . pushbutton 114 provides a mechanism for archiving data . activation of pushbutton 114 causes microprocessor 12 to transfer all message data records including message data packets , audio and reminder data packets to a removable compact flash memory card or to a personal computer via computer interface 24 . pushbutton 116 , when activated , instructs microprocessor 12 to display a list of messaging devices that have been detected via device queries transmitted over data link 32 . the user is then provided with a list of known messaging devices from which the user of messaging device 10 may create groups or special lists of messaging devices . the definition of groups enables the user to select a group as the recipient of a particular message and upon activation of the send pushbutton 102 , a message is transmitted to all messaging devices listed in the group definition . tapping pushbutton 118 signals microprocessor 12 to display “ saved ” message data packets . saved messages are distinct from new or recently viewed message data packets ( corresponding to entire messages ) in that they are stored separately for future reference . when displaying saved message data packets or records , messaging device 10 presents the data in a format shown in fig2 . it is contemplated that a variety of alternative formats are conceivable for displaying information to a user of device 10 . navigation pushbuttons 82 , 84 , 86 and 88 are used to navigate through the messages displayed . pushbutton 120 setup device , when activated , instructs microprocessor 12 to enter into a setup mode wherein the user enters a name for the messaging device ( which will be the identifier name that other messaging devices will know the device as ) and the date / time setup . other options available in the setup screen may include activation / deactivation of new message audio beeps . also provided in the menu screen is an exit pushbutton 121 . tapping exit pushbutton 121 causes messaging device 10 to return to a normal mode of operation as shown in fig2 or to mode of displaying message data packet information as in fig5 depending upon the display mode that was active prior to the activation of the menu pushbutton 104 . referring now to fig7 , a plurality of pushbuttons 122 are shown that correspond to a subset of the typical alphanumeric keys of a keyboard . alphanumeric data is entered by the user via this screen configuration . a single tap of the stylus 36 on a character pushbutton causes the corresponding letter / number / symbol to appear in textbox 124 . movement of the insertion point within textbox 124 is accomplished by the user tapping the cursor keys 126 . upon completion of entering the desired data , the user taps pushbutton 128 ( done ) to complete entry of the data . the user may clear all the data in textbox 124 by tapping pushbutton 130 ( clear ). the user may cancel the data entry mode by tapping the cancel pushbutton 132 . in all instances where the user may enter data into a textbox , it is contemplated that a simple stylus double - tap on any textbox discussed herein ( such as textboxes 54 , 56 , 58 and 60 as well as messaging area 78 ) activates the alphanumeric data entry screen of fig7 for data entry . referring now to fig8 , a search screen for messaging device 10 is shown . the search feature is activated when a user taps pushbutton 110 in the menu screen of fig6 . the search screen includes a textbox 134 wherein a search string is entered by the user . after entering the alphanumeric search string data in textbox 134 , the user taps pushbutton 136 ( search ) and microprocessor 12 searches data records for messages containing the search string of textbox 134 . microprocessor 12 searches all message data packets or message records and populates list box 138 with data from those message records . the search feature includes a search of caller id data , caller name data , company data , and telephone number data . wild card characters such as “*” and “?” well known in the computer art are contemplated as recognized by microprocessor 12 . to display the entire saved message for any of those entries shown in listbox 138 , the user taps the desired entry in listbox 138 to “ select ” it and then taps the display msg pushbutton 140 . alternatively , a single or double tap on any of the listed messages in listbox 138 instructs microprocessor 12 to display that particular message in the format of fig5 . when finished with the search feature , the user taps pushbutton 142 to exit the search screen and return to standard display of messaging device 10 ( shown in fig2 or fig5 ). referring now to fig9 , the audio playback / record screen is shown . in this particular display screen , five audio functions are provided . recording of audio messages is activated by tapping pushbutton 144 . audio input via microphone 23 is digitized by audio circuitry 18 and microprocessor 12 and temporarily stored in memory by microprocessor 12 . a visual indicator ( such as flashing on and off the text of the record pushbutton ) aids the user in knowing the record mode is activated . it is contemplated that audio messages will be limited in length in accordance with available unused memory storage in flash memory . tapping the stop pushbutton 146 halts the recording or playback process . tapping the playback audio pushbutton 148 causes an audio message attached to a message data record to be played back via speaker 21 . tapping the delete audio from current message pushbutton 150 causes audio data attached to a message data record to be deleted . save audio with current ; message and exit pushbutton 152 causes the current digitized audio message data just recorded to be saved along with all other data for the currently active message data record . also shown is exit / done pushbutton 154 which instructs microprocessor 12 to exit the playback / record audio mode of operation and return to the modes shown in fig2 or 5 . referring now to fig1 , another embodiment 160 of the present invention is shown . in this embodiment a messaging device 10 is fully integrated into a standard multiline telephone 162 . such a combination of functionality conserves desktop space . referring now to fig1 , the main flowchart for the program executed by messaging device 10 is shown . at step 200 , on power up , the system is initialized . initialization steps include : displaying the formatted display as shown in fig2 ; transmitting or broadcasting a device identification query message via data communications interface 30 to all other similar telephone messaging devices , any messaging devices receiving the device identification query respond by transmitting a data packet including their logical unit or device number and a name corresponding to the user of the device for entry in dropdown listbox 50 ; and initializing computer interface 24 and determining whether an interface with a personal computer is present and whether the keyboard of a local personal computer shall be used for alphanumeric data entry . it is contemplated that the underlying communications protocol used by device 10 periodically ascertains the existence of other devices connected to datalink 32 and updates the information in listbox 50 accordingly , much the same as the windows operating systems implement the network “ browse ” functionality . following step 200 , program execution continues at step 202 . at step 202 , microprocessor 12 checks for new caller id data from caller id electronics 26 . if new caller id data is detected , program execution continues at step 204 . at step 204 a new telephone call is processed , data is entered by the user as required to fully define a new message data packet and the message data packet is sent to the desired recipient messaging device as selected by the user . step 204 is described in more detail in the discussion of the flowchart of fig1 . following step 204 , execution continues at step 206 . if at step 202 no new call has been detected , execution continues at step 206 . at step 206 , if user input has been detected by microprocessor 12 , step 208 is next executed . at step 208 user input is processed in accordance with the flowchart shown in fig1 . following step 208 program execution proceeds to step 210 . if no user input is detected at step 206 then program execution continues at step 210 . at step 210 microprocessor 12 checks schedule data for reminder messages that have come due for display in accordance with reminder data packets previously stored . the details of step 210 are more fully described in relation to the discussion of flowchart of fig1 below . after step 210 , step 212 is executed and if any new message data packets are received from other telephone messaging devices then the message data packet is stored , the new messages counter displayed in textbox 65 is incremented and the message data packet is displayed in accordance with the format of fig5 . optionally , the new message is stored and later displayed in response to activation of one of the message navigation command pushbuttons 82 , 84 , 86 or 88 . following step 214 , execution returns to step 202 . if at step 212 a new message data packet has not been received , program execution returns to step 202 . it should be recognized that in the design of microprocessor based systems , receipt of communications and input data is normally interrupt driven . input processing by messaging device 10 is shown in the fig1 flowchart form for ease of understanding the operation of the device . referring now to fig1 , a flowchart for the “ call detected ” step 204 of fig1 is shown . at step 220 , microprocessor 12 obtains caller id data from caller id electronics 26 including caller telephone number and caller name . next at step 222 , microprocessor 12 initializes display 20 for input of data for a new message data packet as shown in fig2 . caller id data is automatically inserted in textbox 52 , date and time data is obtained from real time clock 14 and the date and time data are automatically inserted into textbox 58 . next at step 224 , the user selects a recipient for the message from listbox 50 , enters additional name data in textbox 54 , enters company name data in text box 56 , additional telephone number information in textbox 60 , selects or checks predefined message checkboxes where appropriate ( checkboxes 62 - 76 ) all described above in relation to fig2 and fig5 , and enters any custom or handwritten message desired in message area 78 . next at step 226 , the user taps the send pushbutton 102 and microprocessor 12 creates a message data packet comprised of data from textboxes 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 , 60 , checkbox data from checkboxes 62 - 76 and any custom message data entered into message area 78 and transmits the message data packet to the messaging device ( or devices in the event of a group definition in listbox 50 ) defined by the user selection in listbox 50 . following step 226 , program execution returns to the calling routine . referring now to fig1 , a flowchart for processing user input corresponding to step 206 is shown in more detail . at step 230 , microprocessor 12 tests whether the input from the user is a navigation command input corresponding to activation of pushbuttons 82 , 84 , 86 or 88 . such navigation pushbuttons instruct microprocessor 12 to display the message data packets for currently received or saved messages . navigation pushbuttons include the next message pushbutton 82 , previous message pushbutton 84 , home pushbutton 86 and end pushbutton 88 . if a navigation input command is detected at step 230 then execution continues at step 232 and microprocessor 12 will display a new message data packet in accordance with the navigation input command . if the user input is not a navigation input at step 230 , then execution continues at step 234 . following step 232 execution continues at step 234 . if at step 234 the user input is activation of the clr pushbutton 90 , then program execution continues at step 236 and the data displayed is cleared on display 20 and a blank input screen such as that shown in fig2 is displayed . after step 236 program execution continues at step 238 . if the clr command is not received at step 234 , program execution continues at step 238 . if a del pushbutton 92 command is detected at step 238 then program execution proceeds with step 240 where the currently displayed message is cleared from the display and the corresponding message data packet for the message is deleted from memory by microprocessor 12 . optionally , a “ delete confirmation ” message may be displayed requiring the user confirm the delete operation . preferably , messaging device 10 would then display the next unviewed message if any message data packets are as yet unviewed by the user . if at step 238 the user input is not a del command , program execution continues at step 242 . after step 240 , execution continues at step 242 . if a sched pushbutton 96 command is detected at step 242 , program execution continues at step 244 . in step 244 , microprocessor 12 displays a scheduling data input screen and prompts the user to enter date / time and additional text message data to be displayed at the future date / time specified . the user enters such data and a reminder data record is created therefrom by microprocessor 12 and stored in flash memory 16 . after step 244 , execution continues at step 246 . if the user input at step 242 is not a sched command , execution continues at step 246 . at step 246 user input is compared with the save command or activation of pushbutton 96 , and if the command is detected , program execution continues at step 248 . at step 248 , the currently displayed message data packet on screen is permanently saved to flash memory as a “ saved ” message data packet ( as opposed to temporarily stored message data packets received from any messaging devices ). alternatively , if the user has appended keyboard entered data or handwritten text in message area 78 , tapping the save pushbutton 96 instructs microprocessor 12 to save the user modified data shown in message area 78 into memory 16 for the message currently displayed on display 20 , whether the message is a permanently saved or temporarily stored message data packet . following step 248 execution continues at step 250 . if at step 246 the user input is not a save command , execution continues at step 250 . at step 250 , if the user input is a secure command ( pushbutton 100 ) then execution continues at step 252 and microprocessor 12 displays a password entry screen on display 20 wherein the user enters an alphanumeric password that is coupled with the message data packet for the currently displayed message , securing the current message from view by others . subsequent attempts to display or delete a password protected message data record will require entry of the correct password before hand . after step 252 , execution continues at step 254 . if the user input is not a secure command at step 250 , execution continues at step 254 . if at step 254 the user input command is identified as a send command corresponding to the user tapping pushbutton 102 , execution proceeds to step 256 . at step 256 , microprocessor 12 creates a message data packet comprised of all data input by the user in the various textboxes and checkboxes , message data from the message area 78 , caller id data , and date / time data and transmits the message data packet to the messaging device identified by the recipient identifier data in listbox 50 . again , the recipient identifier may be a group of messaging devices . after step 256 , execution continues at step 258 . if at step 254 the user input is not a send command , execution continues at step 258 . if at step 258 the user input command is a menu command ( pushbutton 104 ) then execution continues at step 260 . if the menu command is not detected at step 258 execution continues at step 262 . at step 260 , microprocessor 12 displays the menu of additional commands and features shown in fig6 . following step 260 execution continues at step 262 . at step 262 if the user input indicates that the user has tapped one of the checkboxes ( 62 - 76 ) then the display is updated to toggle or invert the state of the checkbox and corresponding data is updated in memory . following step 264 execution continues at step 266 . if the user input at step 262 is not a “ checkbox ticked ” command then execution continues at step 266 . if a reply mode command is detected at step 266 then execution continues at step 268 wherein the current reply mode state of operation is inverted , either entering or exiting reply mode of operation discussed above . for example , if the reply mode is currently active then the reply mode is deactivated , and vice versa . following step 268 execution continues at step 270 . at step 270 if the user is inputting data into a textbox or message area 78 or 78 a , then program execution continues at step 272 and microprocessor 12 updates the display 20 accordingly . for example , user input data via the alphanumeric data entry screen of fig7 is processed here for entry of data into the textboxes of fig2 . further , if the reply mode is active , user input data entered in message area 78 or 78 a is transmitted to a messaging device currently engaged in reply mode operation with messaging device 10 . if a user is viewing a previously received message and desires to add further comments or notes to the message in area 78 , additional message information input is received by microprocessor 12 via touch sensitive overlay 22 and is appended into area 78 at step 272 . following step 272 execution returns to the calling routine . if at step 270 the user input is not textbox or message area data , then execution returns to the calling routine . referring now to fig1 , a flowchart for step 210 of fig1 is shown . at step 280 microprocessor 12 obtains the current date / time from real time clock 14 . next at step 282 microprocessor 12 compares the current date / time with the date / time data in previously stored reminder data packets or records to ascertain whether any of the reminders have come due . next at step 284 , those reminder data packets that are due for display are displayed on display 20 ( in serial fashion if more than one reminder is detected as due ). next at step 286 the user is prompted via a displayed message to cancel or reschedule the reminder . if the user wishes to reschedule the reminder , execution continues at step 288 and microprocessor 12 inputs new reminder date / time data from the user for the reminder data record currently of interest . if at step 286 the user response is to not reschedule the reminder message , then the reminder data record is deleted at step 290 . following both step 290 and step 288 , execution returns . referring now to fig1 , a flowchart is shown for step 260 of fig1 wherein the system menu is displayed in response to the user tapping or activating pushbutton 104 . the display 20 appears as is shown in fig6 at this time . all user inputs discussed in regard to fig1 are with respect to functions available in the menu screen . if the input from the user at step 300 is an activation of pushbutton 110 the “ search for name / number ” command , then execution continues at step 302 . the search screen shown in fig9 is displayed at step 302 and provides a mechanism for the user to enter alphanumeric search strings and find all stored message data packets containing the search string of interest . the operation of the search feature is also described above in regard to the discussion of fig8 . after step 302 , program execution continues at step 304 . if the user input command is activation of the record audio pushbutton 112 , execution continues at step 306 and microprocessor 12 changes display 20 so that the playback / record audio screen of fig9 is shown . the commands available in the playback / record audio screen are discussed above and enable the user to record , playback or delete an existing audio message . after step 306 , execution continues at step 308 . if the user input command is not pushbutton 112 at step 304 , execution continues at step 308 thereafter . if at step 308 the user command is activation of pushbutton 114 , then execution continues at step 310 where the user is prompted to activate the process of transferring saved message data packets to a removable compact flash memory device inserted into slot 46 of device 10 ( see fig3 ) or activating a transfer of stored message data packets to a personal computer via computer interface 24 for archiving data . optionally , data archived on a removable compact flash memory card or on a personal computer may be restored or recovered to the flash memory of messaging device 10 in accordance with user input commands to restore data . following step 310 execution continues at step 312 . if at step 308 the user input was not an archive data command , execution continues thereafter at step 312 . at step 312 if the user input is pushbutton 116 ( create recipient group command ) execution continues at step 314 . at step 314 , microprocessor 12 displays a listbox containing entries for all messaging devices detected since power up of messaging device 10 . the user inputs an alphanumeric name of a new group and adds one or more detected messaging devices from the listbox to the newly created group . for example , those persons using a messaging device in marketing may be added to a new group named “ marketing ” so that any messages data packets sent to “ marketing ” are delivered to a group of recipients . new group definitions are stored in flash memory 16 and appear in listbox 50 as a potential message recipient . after step 314 , execution continues at step 316 . if at step 312 the user input is not a pushbutton 116 command input , then execution continues at step 316 . if at step 316 the user input is pushbutton 118 , the view saved messages option , then execution continues at step 318 and microprocessor 12 causes display 20 to display permanently saved message records saved via activation of the save pushbutton 96 . saved messages are distinct from recently received or viewed messages as such are stored permanently for later recall , whereas new messages are not stored in the same area of memory . this scheme creates two groups of stored message data packets , permanently saved message records and new unviewed and / or viewed messages records that have not been “ saved ” via activation of pushbutton 96 . the navigation pushbuttons 82 , 84 , 86 and 88 provide the user with a means to view the various saved message records . it is contemplated that the user activates the clr pushbutton 90 to exit the viewing of saved message data packets mode and return messaging device 10 to the menu screen of fig6 . after step 318 , execution continues at step 320 . if at step 316 the user input is not pushbutton 118 , execution continues at step 320 . at step 320 if the user has activated the setup device pushbutton 120 , then execution continues at step 322 and the user is prompted by microprocessor 12 via display 20 to enter setup information including the device name ( for example “ john doe ”) corresponding to the users name , and inputting current date / time data for use in initializing real time clock 14 to the current date / time . if the user changes the device name , messaging device 10 broadcasts this information via datalink 32 to all other messaging devices to update their logical unit and corresponding unit name data records . after step 322 , execution continues at step 324 . if the exit menu pushbutton 121 is activated by the user at step 324 then execution returns to the calling routine , otherwise execution continues at step 300 . upon return from the menu mode of fig6 , messaging device returns to the mode of displaying the last displayed message prior to entering the menu mode of operation . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description of the preferred embodiment , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character , it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected . | 7 |
fig1 is block diagram illustrating a gaming environment employing couponing in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . a player 100 uses a cashless enabled gaming machine 102 to play a gambling game or game of skill . as the player plays the game , a master promotional controller 104 coupled to one or more cashless enabled gaming machines through a communications network 106 triggers the generation of promotional coupons 108 for use by the player . the promotional coupons are generated by a promotional gaming printer 109 included in a cashless enabled gaming machine . the master promotional controller can either be a controller network connected to one or more promotional printers , a controller within a cashless enabled gaming machine or promotional printer , or an intelligent routing and management device for one or more promotional printers . in one embodiment of a master promotional controller , the master promotional controller directs the promotional activity of the promotional printers via direct promotional coupon requests . in another embodiment of a master promotional controller , the master promotional controller uses a cashless enabled gaming machine &# 39 ; s promotional printer to store promotional coupon databases and triggers . once a promotional coupon has been issued by a promotional printer , the promotional coupon may be redeemed with a human operator or cashier 110 , or redeemed automatically through a another redemption device , such as a bill acceptor in another cashless enabled gaming machine 112 , or redeemed at a kiosk 114 which is not a game but provides some other form of automatic interface for a promotional coupon holder . in one embodiment of a master promotional controller , the master promotional controller is coupled to the redemption devices . in another embodiment of an master promotional controller , a non - game kiosk or casino personnel may or may not interface back to the master promotional controller when redeeming a promotional coupon . information relative to couponing activity is exchanged with the master promotional controller , the net result being the promotional printers fitting into the system as distributed intelligent sub - units , significantly off - loading the master promotional controller &# 39 ; s real time servicing requirements and avoiding network bandwidth issues associated with live streaming of promotional coupons during a relatively short cash - out time window . in one gaming environment employing couponing in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , each promotional printer in the gaming environment has a unique address or identifier so that a population of promotional printers on the network can be addressed in whole or individually for promotional purposes . fig2 is a deployment diagram of a couponing system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . in a couponing system , a master promotional controller 104 is coupled to one or more cashless enabled gaming or vending machines , as illustrated by cashless enabled gaming machine 102 , through a communications network 106 by coupling to a promotional printer 109 included in the cashless enabled gaming machine . the master promotional controller is programmable and includes master promotional controller programming instructions 201 controlling the master promotional controllers operations including communications with the promotional printer . in one promotional printer in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , a stand alone promotional printer includes all of the necessary processing capabilities , memory , and promotional printer programming instructions 209 needed to perform promotional couponing operations for the cashless enabled gaming or vending machine . in other embodiments of promotional printers , a promotional printer is created by coupling a promotional module 210 to a conventional gaming printer , enabling the gaming printer to function as a promotional printer . a standalone gaming or vending promotional printer or a promotional printer created from a conventional gaming or vending printer coupled to a promotional module are hereinafter termed either a “ promotional printer ” or a “ promotional module .” the master promotional controller may be coupled to a vending or gaming machine controller 204 included in the cashless enabled gaming machine . by coupling to a machine controller , the master promotional controller may receive information from the machine controller about the gaming operations of the cashless enabled gaming or vending machine separately from the promotional printer printing operations . the cashless enabled gaming or vending machine may also include a bill acceptor 206 coupled to the machine controller . a cashless enabled gaming or vending machine uses a bill acceptor for redemption of promotional coupons and acceptance of vouchers or cash . in operation , the master promotional controller transmits packets of variable data or coupon data describing a promotional database to the promotional printer . the contents of the promotional database include descriptions of a plurality of promotional coupons , cash vouchers , advertisements or other enticements which are hereinafter collectively referred to as “ coupons ”. the promotional printer receives the promotional database and stores the promotional database in the promotional printer &# 39 ; s local memory . the promotional printer also stores specifications of how to print the coupons in its local memory . the specifications of the coupons are stored as templates written in a template based printer language . this allows the coupons to be pre - defined , formatted , and stored in the promotional printer completely or partially for later recall . upon reception of a trigger data signal from either the master promotional controller or the machine controller , the promotional printer references and parses the promotional database and coupon templates to generate and issue promotional coupons or tickets printed on paper media . the paper media may be used specifically for the purpose of generating promotional coupons , or the paper media may be used for the purpose of printing pay out vouchers associated with cashless gaming . fig1 a is a block diagram of a gaming or vending machine incorporating a multidrop communications network in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . a gaming or vending machine may employ a multidrop communications network 1002 to route communications between a machine controller 204 and various devices in the gaming or vending machine . in this embodiment of a gaming or vending machine , the machine controller communicates with a bill acceptor 206 , a promotional printer 109 , a promotional module 210 , and other gaming or vending machine devices 1000 over the multidrop network . in such a network , each specific device or controller has a unique address . the specific device or controller listens to all the messages sent through the network by the various controllers and devices on the network but may only respond to messages that are addressed to that specific device . as such , the promotional module may passively “ listen in ” on gaming or vending machine operational signals , such as messages meant for the other devices , by receiving messages intended for the other devices and not responding to any message not intended for the promotional module . in this way , the promotional module can determine the state of the gaming or vending machine as the gaming or vending machine operates by examining communications between the disparate devices . fig1 b is a block diagram of a gaming or vending machine incorporating a point - to - point communications system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment of a gaming or vending machine , a machine controller 204 is coupled to the various devices , such as bill acceptor 206 , promotional printer 109 , and other such gaming or vending machine devices 1000 , incorporated into the gaming or vending machine by one or more point - to - point communications links 1004 . as each device has it &# 39 ; s own communications link with the machine controller , a gaming promotional controller has no opportunity to listen in on a network communications . instead , a promotional module 210 listens in on communications between the disparate devices by receiving one or more communications signals 1006 gleaned from one or more listening taps 1008 installed on the devices . the taps may be passive devices that merely duplicate the signals being transmitted between the devices or controller . if the taps are passive devices , the promotional module discerns which communications are being sent by which devices . to do so , the promotional module may parse a message and determine from the contents of the message which device sent the message . the promotional module may also incorporate one or more communications ports with each port assigned to a specific device . the promotional module may then identify the specific device transmitting a message by simply knowing which communications port received the message . the taps may also be active devices . in this case , a tap may add a header to any messages transmitted to or from a device to which the tap is coupled , thereby associating each message with a device identifier . fig3 is an illustration of a coupon including logical fields described in a template based printer language in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . in this example , a coupon may 300 include four types of data fields : text fields , such as text field 302 ; barcode fields , such as barcode field 304 ; graphic fields , such as graphic field 306 ; and line / box draw fields , such as line / box draw field 308 . the fields of a coupon are described using coupon description data included in an electronic template that may be stored by a promotional printer . a template may include a plurality of fields in combination , resulting in a paste - up style printed coupon . a plurality of templates describing different types of coupons may be stored in a promotional printer supporting a rich couponing environment . the actual value or data for each of the fields described in a coupon template may or may not be included in the template itself . for example , a template may include a barcode field for printing a barcode 310 . however , the actual value of the barcode is transmitted to a promotional printer at the time a coupon is generated using the coupon template . in this way , a coupon may have fields that include static data , such as graphic 312 in a graphic field , or dynamic data , such as the name of a particular patron 314 in a text field . in this way , customized coupons may be printed by a promotional printer without transferring large amounts of data through a communications network coupling a promotional printer to a master promotional controller . in addition , data that is used to track usage of coupons may be included in a coupon . for example , a barcode field or a text field may be used to print a barcode value or text string uniquely identifying a coupon . in this way , a gaming provisional printer creates an image of a barcode or barcodes , characters or marks that may be read by a cashless enabled gaming or vending machine bill acceptor on the same or another cashless enabled gaming or vending machine , allowing automatic acceptance of coupons into a cashless enabled gaming system in a casino or another related casino property . a coupon template includes a plurality of command strings . each command string conforms to the following syntax : delimiter = a delimiter character & lt ; cmd_ltr & gt ;= command identifier letter & lt ; data_fields1 − x & gt ;= fields which include information relative to the command |= pipe character . this serves as the delimiter between data fields in a command . ;= semi - colon . this is a comment field designator . & lt ; t_id & gt ;= template i . d . & lt ; targ_mem & gt ;= target memory storage . & lt ; t_dim_da & gt ;= template dimension on a dotline axis in dots . & lt ; t_dim_pa & gt ;= template dimension in dots in the paper axis . & lt ; pr # 1 & gt ; . . . & lt ; pr # n & gt ;= list of coupon database resident print regions id &# 39 ; s used in the format of this coupon . these fields are the method by which print regions used on a coupon are linked together and to the coupon template . a print region is a print field used in a template to format print data . the print region command is used to define the basic types of print regions such as text , barcode , graphics , and a line / box draw . a define print region command defines the particular font , barcode , graphic , or line style which is to be used , and provides special formatting information on how it is to be used . multiple print regions may be defined and memorized in a promotional printer &# 39 ; s coupon database . & lt ; r_id & gt ;= print region identifier . & lt ; targ_mem & gt ;= target memory storage . & lt ; da_start & gt ;= dot axis start position in dots . & lt ; pa_start & gt ;= paper axis start position in dots . & lt ; da_len & gt ;= dot axis length of print region in dots . & lt ; pa_len & gt ;= paper axis length of print region in dots . & lt ; rot & gt ;= rotation of strings or data within print region . & lt ; just & gt ;= justification of data within print region . & lt ; obj_id & gt ;= print object identifier . range 1 byte . this is the print object ( barcode , font , line / box or graphic ) used to format print the data from a print command . & lt ; mul — 1 & gt ;= print object multiplier 1 . for text , it is a font width multiplier . for barcodes , it indicates narrow bar width or modulo bar width . for a line , this represents thickness of the line in dots . & lt ; mul — 2 & gt ;= print object multiplier 2 . for text , this represents a font height multiplier . for a barcode , it indicates a wide bar width . & lt ; obj_att & gt ;= object printing attributes . this contains special instructions on how to treat the print objects within a print region & lt ; pr_att & gt ;= print region attributes . this contains special instructions on handling of the print region . a ‘ 0 ’ indicates text will be sent in a print batch command . a ‘ 1 ’ indicates use text which follows in pr_data field for a print region . a ‘ 2 ’ indicates a print region will auto increment with each coupon in a batch . the base value is stored in a pr_data field . a ‘ 3 ’ indicates an auto - decrement print region which will auto - decrement with each coupon in a batch . the base value is stored in a pr_data field . & lt ; pr_data & gt ;= permanently stored data which always appears in this print region . this field contains stored text if requested by entering a ‘ 2 ’ in & lt ; pr_att & gt ; field . a library command is used to manage defined graphics . a library command adheres to the following syntax : & lt ; lib_funct & gt ;= operation to perform : ‘ a ’— add object , enter download mode , ‘ d ’— delete object . & lt ; mem & gt ;= target memory in which to place the object being downloaded . & lt ; obj_id & gt ;= object identification . this is the object i . d . byte . & lt ; mem_req & gt ;= memory usage specifier . for loading a graphic : size of a graphic file . the library command header is terminated after this field and obj_data is expected immediately following . for deleting graphics : ‘ g ’ is used in this field . & lt ; ld_file_size & gt ;= file size indicator . obj_data = object data ( font or graphic ) in appropriate format if & lt ; lib_funct & gt ;=‘ a ’. format for graphics : pcx . fig4 is a block diagram of coupon template field element stored partially resident in a promotional gaming printer and partially supplied by a master promotional controller at the time of print and issue in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . fig4 illustrates how a master promotional controller selects a type of coupon and transmits particulars , such as variable data to be placed in fields in the coupon , for each print and issuance event . values for the fields that make up a coupon 300 may be divided into two groups or sets . a resident variable data set 400 may be stored locally in a promotional printer . the resident set of variable data may include variable data such as : variable data for a text field containing an identifier of a casino 402 ; variable data for a barcode field identifying a type of promotion 404 ; a template description used to generate a graphic such as box variable data 406 or line variable data 408 ; or an identifier or actual variable data for a graphic 410 . a dynamic variable data set include variable data for fields having variable data that are stored in the promotional printer and are saved in a template definition for a particular coupon . examples of variable data in a dynamic variable data set include : text variable data for a player identifier 414 ; text variable data describing a promotion item 416 ; and barcode variable data 418 for quantifying a value of a promotion for printing on the coupon . both variable data sets may be transmitted from a master promotional controller 104 to a promotional printer in the form of communication packets . when a promotional printer receives a variable data set , the promotional printer stores the variable data set for future use . a resident variable data set includes variable data that may be reused for generating many coupons ; therefore , a resident variable data set may be stored in the promotional printer for an extended period of time . in contrast , a dynamic variable data set may be used for a short period of time , perhaps for even a single generation of a single coupon . as such , the dynamic variable data set and static variable data set associated in a coupon may be transmitted to a promotional printer at different times . to retain association between the variable data sets , part of the communication packet issued by the master promotional controller may include a reference 420 to a template definition so that the dynamic data in the communication packet can be combined 422 with the static field data stored in a promotional printer to generate a complete coupon 200 . since it is possible to store all fields used in a coupon within the promotional printer &# 39 ; s memory , a master promotional controller may issue a complete coupon by simply sending a reference to a coupon so defined to generate a coupon in its entirety . it is also possible for a master promotional controller to offload the entire live communication burden by sending a complete coupon database including triggers during off - peak times . in one embodiment of a promotional printer , a promotional printer is triggered to print coupons from the promotional printer &# 39 ; s internal database under direct control of a master promotional controller that triggers the issuance of a coupon and conveys any pertinent variable information associated with the coupon such as promotion type , face value of the coupon , date of expiration and the like . fig5 is a block diagram of an exemplary coupon stack and logical trigger matrix resident in a promotional printer in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as previously noted , a promotional printer may print a coupon in response to either internal or external event signals or trigger data . to respond to a trigger , a promotional printer includes a coupon selector logic module 500 that analyzes trigger data 502 as trigger data becomes available and determines which coupons should be printed in response to the trigger data . coupons , such as coupons 504 , 506 , and 508 , are stored in a coupon database 510 as a stack . the stack of coupons are a plurality of predefined coupons that can generate a coupon 511 anytime a set of trigger conditions to which a coupon is associated is satisfied . these trigger conditions can operate independently or in logical combination . exemplary logical trigger data utilized in a promotional printer for initiating generation of coupons includes : date 512 , time of day 514 , frequency of issuance of a particular coupon 516 , time of play 524 , and game issued parameters 526 to the printer such as player identification , amount of money in place , duration of the current session of play and the like . by utilizing the illustrated trigger matrix , it is possible for a promotional printer to issue coupons without any information provided by an master promotional controller at the time of a cash - out or cash - in by a player . in one promotional printer in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention , the promotional printer receives from a master promotional controller a coupon trigger database thereby enabling the promotional printer to self - manage its couponing activity . the coupon trigger database may include different types of trigger control parameters including : triggering a coupon generation anytime a cash out voucher is printed ; generating a coupon whenever a voucher for greater than , equal to , or less than a specified amount of money is issued ; generating a coupon based on an identity of a player ; generating a coupon based on a category or classification of a player related to frequency of play or money volume ; generating a coupon based on the duration of play of the gaming machine by a player ; and generating a coupon anytime a player adds money or credits to a game in an amount greater than , equal to , or less than a specified amount . in another aspect of the invention , a component of the promotional printer &# 39 ; s internal database includes a set of control parameters that instruct the promotional printer to select the type , quantity , and frequency of coupons to create and issue related to any of the triggers listed above . these control parameters may operate separately or in combination with each coupon in the database . parameters that may be used include : a total quantity of a coupon being issued before the coupon is retired from the coupon database ; a frequency 518 of issuance of a coupon based on the number of occurrences of specified trigger events ; a frequency of issuance of a coupon based on random odds 520 , such as one in one hundred trigger events ; a backup coupon or coupons should a particular coupon fail to print for lack of satisfying its specified set of qualifiers ; whether or not the coupon is issued based on the time the trigger occurred ; and whether the coupon is issued based on the date the trigger occurred . in one embodiment of promotional printer , a real time clock electronic device is included within the promotional printer for the purposes of supporting time dependent promotional activity as described above . fig6 is a process flow diagram of a trigger matrix process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . a trigger matrix process 622 is used by a promotional printer to determine if a coupon should be generated and issued to a player . the trigger matrix process receives ( 624 ) variable data from a master promotional controller . the trigger matrix process determines ( 628 ) if the variable data includes a coupon trigger instructing the promotional printer to issue a coupon . if so , the trigger matrix process selects ( 630 ) an appropriate coupon to issue from a coupon database 510 . the trigger matrix process then generates ( 632 ) a coupon 511 using the selected coupon template . in addition , the trigger matrix process may use a portion of the variable data received from the master promotional controller to customize the coupon when the coupon is generated . the trigger matrix process may then store ( 633 ) coupon issuance statistical data ( 634 ) for later retrieval by the master promotional controller . a trigger matrix process may also initiate issuance of a coupon even if the master promotional controller does not transmit a trigger to the promotional printer . to do so , the matrix trigger process gets ( 635 ) trigger control parameters stored in the promotional coupon database 510 that correspond to stored coupon templates in the promotional coupon database . the trigger matrix process then gets ( 638 ) gaming or vending machine and other internal data 636 and determines ( 640 ) if a coupon should be issued using the data and trigger control parameters . if the trigger matrix process determines ( 642 ) that a coupon should be generated , the trigger matrix process issues a coupon as previously described , this time selecting a coupon template using the trigger control parameters . the promotional printer is a real - time device meaning that it continuously processes incoming trigger data and triggers . as such , the trigger matrix process may be configured as an endless loop as indicated by the start loop 644 and stop loop 646 symbols . fig7 is a sequence diagram of a coupon generating process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . a master promotional controller 104 transmits coupon or variable data 600 to a promotional printer 109 . the promotional printer stores ( 602 ) the coupon data for later use by the promotional printer in printing a coupon . as previously described , the coupon data may include coupon templates , sets of dynamic and static variable data , trigger control parameters , and entire promotional coupon databases . a promotional printer may receive various triggers that initiate generation of a coupon for a player 100 . the master promotional controller may transmit a promotional trigger ( 604 ) to the promotional printer . in response to the promotional trigger , the promotional printer generates a coupon 606 for use by the player . the promotional printer then stores ( 608 ) statistical data about the just generated coupon . the promotional printer may also receive a gaming or vending machine trigger 610 from a machine controller 204 in a cashless enabled gaming or vending machine . in response to the gaming or vending machine trigger , the promotional printer generates a coupon 610 for use by the player . the promotional printer then stores ( 612 ) statistical data about the just generated coupon . the promotional printer may also generate ( 614 ) an internal trigger on its own such that the promotional printer generates a coupon 616 for use by the player . the promotional printer then stores ( 618 ) statistical data about the just generated coupon . periodically , or at the request of the master promotional controller , the promotional printer may transmit the saved coupon statistical data to the master promotional controller for analysis and other types of processing . the coupon tracking or statistical data may include details such as quantities of specific types of triggers received , quantities of each type of coupon issued , and the times and dates when triggers were received and coupons were issued . in a promotional printer in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the promotional printer accepts promotional database loads and transfers statistical data with the master promotional controller either through a main communication port used for normally signaling pay out vouchers in the game , or through an auxiliary port allowing the promotional printer &# 39 ; s promotional activities to be conducted in series or in parallel with the promotional printer &# 39 ; s cash - out voucher printing functions within the cashless enabled gaming machine . fig1 is a sequence diagram of a promotional module using passive listening to generate coupon triggers . in this embodiment , a promotional module 210 , either as a standalone device or incorporated into promotional printer , listens in on communications between a machine controller 204 and a other devices , such as bill acceptor 206 and promotional printer 109 . the promotional module listens in on the communications and generates coupon triggers based on various attributes of the messages , such as frequency of the messages , content of the messages , originator of the messages , receiver of the messages , etc . once the trigger is generated , it is used as previously described by the gaming or vending machine to generate a coupon . in a specific example of such a process , the bill acceptor receives a voucher , currency , or other value bearing token from a player and transmits a cash - in amount 1100 to the machine controller . the promotional module listens in on the communication between the bill acceptor and the machine controller and receives an identical cash in amount 1102 message or signal . in response to the cash - in amount , the machine controller allows the player to play ( 1103 ) the gaming machine . eventually , the player will stop playing the game and request a cash - out . in response , the machine controller transmits a cash - out amount 1104 to the promotional printer . the promotional module receives a copy of the cash - out signal or message 1106 . the promotional module may then generate ( 1108 ) a trigger based on the cash - in and cash - out messages that the promotional module listened in on but did not respond to . fig8 is an architecture diagram of an exemplary promotional module or printer in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . a promotional printer 109 includes a processor 701 operatively coupled via a system bus 702 to a main memory 704 . the processor is also coupled to a storage device 708 via a storage controller 706 and the bus . the storage device includes stored program instructions 724 and data 726 such as coupon variable data , coupon templates , and coupon trigger control parameters . in operation , the program instructions implementing a promotional printer are stored on the storage device until the processor retrieves the program instructions and stores them in the main memory . the processor then executes the computer program instructions stored in the main memory and operates on the data stored in the storage device to implement the features of a promotional printer as described above . the processor is further coupled to a printer mechanism 718 through a printer controller 702 via the bus . in operation , the processor executes the program instructions to generate printer mechanism control signals and transmits these signals to the printer mechanism via the bus and printer controller . in response to the printer mechanism control signals , the printer mechanism prints coupons for use by a player . the processor is further coupled to external input devices 722 by an input device controller 720 via the bus . example input devices include sensors that the promotional printer uses to detect proper printing of a coupon by the printer mechanism , coupon printer paper detectors , and real time clocks . the processor receives input device signals from the input devices via the input device controller and the bus and uses the input device signals to detect the state of the promotional printer &# 39 ; s environment . the processor is further coupled to a network device 714 via a network device controller 712 and the bus . the process uses the network device to communicate with other processing systems , such as a master promotional controller or a gaming or vending machine controller as previously described . fig9 is an architecture diagram of an exemplary master promotional controller in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . a master promotional controller includes a processor 901 operatively coupled via a system bus 702 to a main memory 904 . the processor is also coupled to a storage device 908 via a storage controller 906 and the bus . in operation , program instructions 924 implementing a master promotional controller are stored on the storage device until the processor retrieves the program instructions and stores them in the main memory . the processor then executes the computer program instructions stored in the main memory to implement the features of a master promotional controller as described above . the processor is further coupled to a network device 914 via a network device controller 912 and the bus . the process uses the network device to communicate with other processing systems , such as a promotional printer or a gaming or vending machine controller as previously described . although this invention has been described in certain specific embodiments , many additional modifications and variations would be apparent to those skilled in the art . it is therefore to be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . thus , the present embodiments of the invention should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , the scope of the invention to be determined by any claims supported by this application and the claims &# 39 ; equivalents rather than the foregoing description . | 6 |
example 1 . the device for precision movement ( fig1 ) contains a bottom 1 , to which a group of plates made of a piezoelectric material 2 is attached , said plates being separated by electrodes 3 and forming a base module 10 each . a reading or protecting area or plane 4 can be applied to the upper fixed , non - elastic electrode 3 . 1 of the upper plate . the lowermost plate 2 is also fixed to the bottom 1 via a fixed , non - elastic electrode 3 . 2 . a piezoelectric material can be any material , also a polycrystalline one . however , the use of monocrystals having a low degree of hysteresis and creep strain is most useful . it is thus possible to use monocrystals of lithium niobate , strontium - barium - niobate , barium - sodium - niobate and other crystals having a piezo effect . elastic electrodes 3 having a thickness below 0 . 5 μm are applied to two opposite sides of the plate 2 by known methods . it is most suitable to use cr , cu or in as an electrode material . a reading or protecting layer or plane 4 made of sapphire or of a diamond - like material is applied to the surface of the upper one of the electrodes . at first , the dependence of the change in the dimensions of the device for precision movement on the voltage which is applied to the electrodes , is polarized identically and has the same value is measured , i . e . a scaling diagram is produced . a scaling diagram is produced by applying a determination voltage to the electrodes of the device and by measuring the corresponding displacement of the reading or protecting layer or plane 4 of the group of piezoelectric plates in the form of the base module . the displacement is measured according to known methods by means of the region 3 d of a laser - assisted interferometric system for measuring nano movements ( on the basis of an atomic force microscope and three laser interferometers ). in order to measure a displacement of the rectangular area relative to the electrodes , the device must be arranged in the system for measuring nano movements . the microscopic probes have to be approached to the face of the device at a distance at which the stabilization system operates . it is necessary to apply a voltage to the device and measure the distance by which the plane 4 of the device has been displaced when the voltage is applied . then , the value of the applied voltage has to be changed and the value of the displacement of the surface of the device has to be measured again . as a result of several measurements of the displacement , which are made with various voltage values , a results table showing the experimental measurements is to be drafted on the basis of which a scaling diagram is drafted that shows the dependency of the value regarding the displacement of the area of the device in the direction of the rectangular area of the electrodes on the value of the applied voltage . different measuring apparatuses can be scaled by means of the device according to the invention . for scaling any groups ( e . g . of a probe microscope ) along the normal relative to the investigated area , the recommended device for precision measurement is placed therein . for example , if a scanning probe microscope shall be scaled , the device has to be arranged on a corresponding table of a scanning probe microscope , and it is required to plot the marking of the probes on the face of the device to the distance of the distance ( at the order of 0 . 5 nm ) between the upper probe and the face , where the stabilization system operates . the stabilization of the probe can be determined by stabilizing the tunneling current ( when operating under tunneling microscope conditions ) or by stabilizing the value of the force which acts on the probes ( when operating under atomic force microscope conditions ). the stabilization of the distance is determined by means of an electron control system which produces the congruence of the signals of the measuring instruments with the predetermined values and the control signals . when the tested measuring instrument is scaled in the vertical , a fixed voltage is applied to the electrodes of the device for precision movement , which ensures the displacement in the vertical . here , the area of the device is displaced by a value which is determined according to the scaling table . the stabilization system of the distance ensures a corresponding displacement of the probe to the distance to which the area of the pattern is displaced . the value of the probe displacement is measured by the measuring instrument of the probe microscope . in this way , the value of the display of the measuring instruments of the probe microscope , which measure the distance and on which the probe is displaced , is compared with the corresponding value of the distance , which is taken from the scaling curve to which the area of the device is displaced . then , the voltage which is applied to the device is changed and the measuring operation is repeated . as a result of measurements made several times with different voltage values , a table is drafted and reflects the ratio of the displacement value of the device and the device display of the probe microscope which measured the probe movement . example 2 . the device for precision movement ( fig3 ) contains a bottom 1 , to which a plate 2 made of a piezoelectric material is connected . according to the invention , also only non - elastic fixed electrodes 3 , 3 . 2 are applied to the plate thereby forming the base module ( 10 ). the plate 2 is connected to the bottom 1 by means of the console 6 . the fixed , non - elastic electrode 3 . 2 is connected to the vertical area thereof . the second electrode 3 of the plate is attached to the second console 5 ( t - shaped in the drawing ) to which the reading area 4 is attached . any known material , also polycrystalline one , can be used as a piezoelectric material . however , it is most useful to use monocrystals having a low degree of hysteresis and creep strain . thus , it is possible to use monocrystals of lithium niobate , tantalum - lithium , strontium - barium - niobate , barium - sodium - niobate and others which show the piezo effect . electrodes 3 made of cr , cu or in are applied to two opposite plates 2 according to known methods . the device operates as follows : when a voltage from a source is applied to electrodes 3 ( not shown in the drawings ), the plate 2 made of a piezoelectric material is deformed as shown in fig2 . as a result , the t - shaped console 5 is moved up or down in relation to the bottom 1 , depending on the applied voltage . example 3 . the device for precision movement ( fig4 ) contains a bottom 1 to which two identical plates 2 made of a piezoelectric material are connected . according to the invention , also only non - elastic fixed electrodes 3 , 3 . 2 are applied to the plates . the connection of the plates 2 to the bottom 1 is determined by means of identical consoles 6 . each of these plates is connected to the vertical areas of the consoles via one of its fixed electrodes 3 . 2 . the plates are connected to the second console 5 ( t - shaped in the drawing ) via the second electrodes 3 which are disposed between the plates . the reading area 4 is attached to the consoles . the device operates as follows : when a voltage from a source is applied to the electrodes 3 ( not shown in the drawings ), the plates 2 made of a piezoelectric material are deformed as shown in fig2 . as a result , the t - shaped console 5 is moved up or down in relation to the bottom 1 , depending on the polarity of the applied voltage . example 4 . the device for precision movement ( fig5 ) contains a bottom 1 to which two or more identical plates 2 made of a piezoelectric material are connected . according to the invention , also only fixed non - elastic electrodes are applied to the plates thereby forming one base module 10 each . the connection of the plates 2 to the bottom 1 is defined by means of an l - shaped console 6 . the first ( lower ) plate 2 is attached to the upper electrode on the lower horizontal area 6 . 1 of the first console . the lower electrode is connected to the upper horizontal area 7 . 2 of the lower head piece or the lower first u - shaped leg of the u - shaped console 7 . here , the lower electrode of a second ( upper ) plate 2 ( further base module 10 ) made of a piezoelectric material is provided at the upper area 7 . 3 of the upper head piece or the upper second u - shaped leg of the second console 7 , said base module 10 being identical to the first one and the reading area 4 being disposed on the upper electrode thereof . the piezoelectric material in the plates must be oriented in such a way that the lower and upper plates must be displaced in one and the same direction , namely in the direction of the area of the electrodes , when a voltage is applied to the electrodes thereof the device operates as follows : when a voltage from a source is applied to the electrodes 3 ( not shown in the drawings ), the plates 2 made of a piezoelectric material are deformed , and this is why the reading area 4 is displaced to the side . the device is used as described in example 1 . example 5 . the device for precision movement ( fig6 ) contains a bottom 1 to which a group of piezoelectric plates 2 spaced from one another via an intermediate space 11 is connected . according to the invention , each plate is also only equipped with non - elastic fixed electrodes thereby forming a base module 10 . an intermediate layer 8 is disposed above the plates and is made of a material having a temperature coefficient of expansion that corresponds to the temperature coefficient of expansion of the material of the bottom 1 . the device operates as follows : when a voltage from a source is applied to the electrodes ( not shown in the drawings ), the plates 2 made of a piezoelectric material are deformed and the reading area 4 is displaced upwards , downwards or horizontally , depending on the material and orientation of the axes of the crystal lattice , and depending on the polarity of the applied voltage . the device is used as described in example 1 . example 6 . the device for precision movement ( fig7 ) contains a bottom 1 , to which a group of piezoelectric plates 2 spaced from one another via an intermediate space 11 is connected . according to the invention , each of the plates is also only equipped with fixed non - elastic electrodes thereby forming a base module 10 . the intermediate layer 8 is disposed above the plates which are separated through a gap 12 and which accommodate the reading areas 4 . the intermediate layer consists of a material having a temperature coefficient which is identical to the temperature coefficient of expansion of the material of bottom 1 . when a voltage from a source is applied to the electrodes of the plates 2 , the reading areas 4 are displaced in different directions in relation to the bottom 1 . the piezo plates are displaced parallel to one another within each base module . different directions of displacement of the reading areas 4 among one another are possible : the reading areas of the second group are displaced towards the bottom 1 at right angles in opposite directions ; or they are displaced parallel to the bottom in opposite directions . the reading areas 4 of the groups can also be displaced in directions at right angles to one another ( one parallel to the bottom and the second at right angles ). the device is used as described in example 1 . the foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting . since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art , the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof . | 7 |
gas turbine engine systems involving hydrostatic face seals with integrated back - up seals are provided , several exemplary embodiments of which will be described in detail . in this regard , hydrostatic face seals can be used at various locations of a gas turbine engine , such as in association with a low - pressure turbine . notably , a hydrostatic seal is a seal that uses balanced opening and closing forces to maintain a desired separation between a seal face and a corresponding seal runner . unanticipated pressure fluctuations and / or vibrations could cause undesired contact between the seal face and the corresponding seal runner that can cause damage to the seal , e . g ., carbon fracture . to mitigate the potential consequence of a damaged hydrostatic face seal , a back - up seal can be provided that is integrated with one or more components forming the hydrostatic seal . an exemplary embodiment of a hydrostatic face seal with an integrated back - up seal ( collectively referred to herein as a “ seal assembly ”) is depicted schematically in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , seal assembly 10 incorporates a hydrostatic face seal 12 and a back - up seal 14 that are provided by a stationary stator assembly 16 and a rotating rotor assembly 18 . in general , the stator assembly incorporates the seal face of the associated hydrostatic face seal , as well as one or more of the primary components of the back - up seal . in contrast , the rotor assembly incorporates the seal runner of the hydrostatic face seal and others of the primary components of the back - up seal . notably , when the back - up seal is a labyrinth seal , the stator assembly carries either the honeycomb lands or the knife edges , whereas the rotor carries the corresponding feature of the seal . in the embodiment of fig1 , the stator assembly incorporates the honeycomb lands and the rotor assembly incorporates the knife edges as will be described in detail . with respect to the stator assembly , stator assembly 16 includes an arm 17 that extends from a mounting bracket 19 . mounting bracket 19 facilitates attachment , removal and / or position adjustment of the stator assembly . notably , other embodiments may not incorporate mounting brackets for ease of installation and / or removal . stator assembly 16 incorporates a carrier 20 that carries face seal 22 , which is annular in shape . face seal 22 includes a seal face 24 , which is one of the seal - forming surfaces of the hydrostatic seal . carrier 20 is axially translatable so that seal face 24 can move , with the carrier , away from or toward ( e . g ., into contact with ) a seal runner 26 ( which is the other of the seal - forming components of the hydrostatic seal ) of rotor assembly 18 . in this embodiment , an anti - rotation lock 28 is provided to prevent circumferential displacement and to assist in aligning the seal carrier to facilitate axial translation . a biasing member 30 , which is provided as a spring in this embodiment , biases the seal face against the seal runner until overcome by gas pressure . in this regard , the biasing force of the biasing member can be selected to maintain a desired pressure differential between a high - pressure side ( p high ) and a low - pressure side ( p low ) of the seal . multiple biasing members may be spaced about the stator and carrier . notably , a piston ring 32 is captured between opposing surfaces 34 , 36 of the stator assembly and carrier , respectively , to control gas leakage between the arm of the stator assembly and the carrier . surface 40 of the carrier mounts lands 42 , 44 of the labyrinth - type back - up seal 14 . the lands may be comprised of an abradable structure such as honeycomb . corresponding knife edges 52 , 54 of the labyrinth - type back - up seal are carried by the rotor assembly . with respect to the rotor assembly , rotor assembly 18 supports the seal runner 26 , which is annular in shape . specifically , the rotor assembly includes an arm 56 that extends from a mounting bracket 58 . mounting bracket 58 facilitates attachment , removal and / or position adjustment of the rotor assembly . the knife edges 52 , 54 of the labyrinth - type back - up seal are supported by an annular extension 60 that extends from the arm of the rotor assembly . thus , extension 60 assists in defining an intermediate - pressure cavity 62 that is located between the hydrostatic seal and the back - up seal . note also that extension 60 can assist in preventing debris ( e . g ., debris that may by attributable to unintended damage of the hydrostatic seal ) from passing beyond the back - up seal . in a normal mode of operation ( i . e ., when the hydrostatic face seal is properly seated ), the desired pressure differential is maintained , at least primarily , across the hydrostatic face seal 12 . however , in a failure mode of operation ( i . e ., when the hydrostatic face seal fails due to unintended circumstances ), a corresponding pressure differential is maintained , at least primarily , across the back - up seal 14 . thus , in the failure mode of operation , intermediate - pressure cavity 62 typically exhibits p high . fig2 is a schematic diagram depicting an exemplary embodiment of a gas turbine engine , in which an embodiment of a hydrostatic face seal with integrated back - up seal can be used . as shown in fig2 , engine 100 is configured as a turbofan that incorporates a fan 102 , a compressor section 104 , a combustion section 106 and a turbine section 108 . although the embodiment of fig2 is configured as a turbofan , there is no intention to limit the concepts described herein to use with turbofans , as various other configurations of gas turbine engines can be used . engine 100 is a dual spool engine that includes a high - pressure turbine 110 interconnected with a high - pressure compressor 112 via a shaft 114 , and a low - pressure turbine 120 interconnected with a low - pressure compressor 122 via a shaft 124 . it should also be noted that although various embodiments are described as incorporating hydrostatic face seals in low - pressure turbines , such seals are not limited to use with low - pressure turbines . as shown in fig3 , low - pressure turbine 120 defines a primary gas flow path 130 along which multiple rotating blades ( e . g ., blade 132 ) and stationary vanes ( e . g ., vane 134 ) are located . in this embodiment , the blades are mounted to turbine disks , the respective webs and bores of which extend into a high - pressure cavity 140 . for instance , disk 142 includes a web 144 and a bore 146 , each of which extends into cavity 140 . a relatively lower - pressure cavity 148 is oriented between high - pressure cavity 140 and turbine hub 150 , with a seal assembly 10 ( described in detail before with respect to fig1 ) being provided to maintain a pressure differential between the high - pressure cavity and the lower - pressure cavity . seal assembly 10 incorporates a hydrostatic face seal 12 and a back - up seal 14 that are provided by a stator assembly 16 and a rotor assembly 18 . notably , the stator assembly is mounted to a non - rotating structure of the turbine , whereas the rotor assembly is mounted to a rotating structure . in the implementation of fig3 , the rotor assembly is mounted to the low - pressure turbine hub 150 . additionally , an intermediate - pressure cavity 151 is defined between hydrostatic face seal 12 and back - up seal 14 . it should be noted that seal assembly 10 is provided as a removable assembly , the location of which can be adjusted axially and radially . as such , thrust balance trimming of engine 100 can be at least partially accommodated by altering the position of the seal assembly to adjust the volume of cavities 140 and 148 in operation , the seal face intermittently contacts the seal runner . by way of example , contact between the seal face and the seal runner can occur during sub - idle conditions and / or during transient conditions . that is , contact between the seal face and the seal runner is maintained until gas pressure in the high - pressure cavity is adequate to overcome the biasing force , thereby separating the seal face from the seal runner . during normal operating conditions , however , the seal face and the seal runner should not contact each other . since the embodiments described herein are configured as lift - off seals ( i . e ., at least intermittent contact is expected ), materials forming the surfaces that will contact each other are selected , at least in part , for their durability . in this regard , a material containing carbon can be used as a seal face material . it should be noted , however , that carbon can fracture or otherwise be damaged due to unintended contact ( e . g ., excessively forceful contact ) between the seal face and the seal runner as may be caused by severe pressure fluctuations and / or vibrations , for example . it should also be noted that carbon may be susceptible to deterioration at higher temperatures . therefore , carbon should be used in locations where predicted temperatures are not excessive such as in the low - pressure turbine . by way of example , use of such a material may not be appropriate , in some embodiments , in a high - pressure turbine . in a normal mode of operation ( i . e ., when the hydrostatic seal is properly functioning ), a nominal pressure differential exists between intermediate - pressure cavity 151 and lower - pressure cavity 148 . that is , the pressure differential between the high - pressure cavity and the lower - pressure cavity is maintained , at least primarily , across the hydrostatic face seal 12 . however , in a failure mode of operation ( i . e ., the hydrostatic seal fails ), the pressure of the high - pressure cavity 140 is depleted to a level lower than during the normal mode of operation but higher than that of intermediate cavity 151 during normal operation . the increase in pressure differential across the back - up seal 14 is due to the increased flow rate imposed on the back - up seal during failure of the primary seal . thus , in the failure mode of operation , pressure in intermediate cavity 151 increases and a corresponding pressure differential is maintained , at least primarily , across the back - up seal 14 . it should be emphasized that the above - described embodiments are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of this disclosure . many variations and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure . by way of example , although the embodiments described herein are configured as lift - off seals , other types of seals can be used . all such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims . | 5 |
advantages and features of the present invention and methods of accomplishing the same may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings . the present invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein . rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete . in some embodiments , the detailed descriptions of known process steps , element structures , and technologies will be omitted because they may obscure the subject matter of the present invention . like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification . the terminology used therein is for the purpose for only describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention . it will be understood that the terms ‘ comprises ’ and / or ‘ comprising ’ when used in the specification specify the presence of stated features , steps , operations , and / or elements , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , steps , operations , and / or elements . a method of fabricating a shallow trench isolation ( hereinafter , simply referred to as ‘ sti ’) structure of a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig3 to 10 . in the description of the fabricating method , the schematic descriptions of the process steps widely known to those skilled in the art will be given so as to clearly describe the subject matter of the embodiment of the present invention . fig3 to 6 are cross - sectional views illustrating process steps up to a step of forming a liner the before gap filling process steps . first , referring to fig3 , a pad oxide film 104 and a hard mask nitride film 108 are formed sequentially on an integrated circuit substrate 100 , for example , a silicon substrate . next , an organic anti - reflection coating ( hereinafter , simply referred to as ‘ arc ’) layer ( not shown ) and a photoresist layer 112 are coated on the nitride film 108 . the pad oxide film 104 is formed to reduce stress between the substrate 100 and the nitride film 108 . the pad oxide film 104 has a thickness of about 20 to 200 å . the nitride film 108 is used as a hard mask at the time of etching for forming an sti region . the nitride film 108 is formed by depositing a silicon nitride film at a thickness of 500 to 2000 å . as a deposition method , for example , cvd ( chemical vapor deposition ), sacvd ( sub - atmospheric dvd ), lpcvd ( low pressure cvd ), or pecvd ( plasma enhanced cvd ) can be used . referring to fig4 , a photoresist pattern 112 a is formed to define an active region . then , the nitride film 108 and the pad oxide film 104 are etched by a dry etching method with the photoresist pattern 112 a as a mask , thereby forming a trench mask 110 a having a nitride film pattern 108 a and a pad oxide film pattern 104 a . when etching the nitride film 108 , a fluorocarbon gas is used . for example , a c x f y - based or c a h b f c - based gas , such as cf 4 , chf 3 , c 2 f 6 , ch 2 f 2 , ch 3 f , ch 4 , c 2 h 2 , or c 4 f 6 , or a mixed gas of these gases is used . at this time , an ar gas is used as an atmospheric gas . referring to fig5 , after the photoresist pattern 112 a is removed , the exposed substrate 100 is etched by an anisotropic etching method with the trench mask 110 a as the etching mask , thereby forming trenches 116 of the sti structure for defining the device active regions therebetween . the photoresist pattern 112 a can be removed by a typical method , for example , an organic strip after ashing is performed with oxygen plasma . for the purpose of high integration , the trench 116 of the sti can be formed to have a width of 0 . 2 μm or less . at this time , the trench 116 of the sti is formed to have enough depth so as to provide for sufficient device separation . referring to fig6 , an oxide film 120 is formed on the side walls and on the bottom portion of the trench 116 of the sti . the oxide film 120 is formed to recover silicon lattice defects and damage generated during the dry etching process for forming the trench 116 of the sti and to round corners of the trench 116 of the sti , thereby preventing stress from centering on the corners . the oxide film 120 can be formed , for example , of a thermally grown oxide film , a cvd oxide film , or an ald ( atomic layer deposition ) oxide film . the oxide film 120 can be formed to have a thickness of about 50 to 300 å . a nitride liner 130 is formed on the oxide film 120 along the side walls of the trench 116 . the nitride liner 130 can be formed , for example , of a nitride film or an oxynitride film . the nitride liner 130 operates to absorb stress caused by a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the substrate 100 and an hdp oxide film to be subsequently filled into the trench 116 of the sti structure , and to prevent defects generated in the active region from diffusing into the inner regions of the sti structure . further , the nitride liner 130 operates to prevent the semiconductor substrate in contact with the sti from becoming oxidized due to the diffusion of oxygen into the inside of the semiconductor substrate of the active region through the sti during a subsequent heat treatment process or oxidization process . in addition , the nitride liner 130 is formed to prevent ions injected into the active region from being diffused in a direction toward the sti . the nitride liner 130 can be formed to have a thickness , for example , of about 50 to 300 å . in fig6 , a case where both the oxide film 120 and the nitride liner 130 are formed has been described . in some cases , however , only the oxide film 120 is formed . next , a gap filling process for filling the inside of the sti trench is performed . the gap filling process in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention can form the hdp oxide film for filling the gap by applying a high bias power , thereby ensuring an excellent gap filling property . further , the process is performed in a manner that mitigates or prevents separation between the oxide film 120 and the liner 130 on the side wall , and further mitigates or prevents the generation of bubble defects in the hdp oxide film . in addition , an additional cvd process , required in some of the conventional approaches outlined above , is not necessary . specifically , the gap filling process in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is performed by using an hdp cvd apparatus , for example , of the type shown in fig7 , that depends on the relationship between time and temperature shown in fig8 . a gap filling oxide film is thereby formed in a section shape as shown in fig9 . referring to fig7 , the hdp cvd apparatus 200 includes a chamber 230 which has an upper chamber 210 and a lower chamber 220 . the upper chamber 210 and the lower chamber 220 are engaged so as to form an enclosed space . the upper chamber 210 is formed in a dome shape , and has a dome - shaped upper electrode 240 on which a plurality of radio frequency ( rf ) coils 245 are provided . a low - frequency rf power is applied to the rf coils 245 from a first rf power generator 280 . the lower chamber 220 has an electrostatic chuck 250 on which the semiconductor substrate 100 is placed . a high - frequency rf power serving as a bias power is applied to the electrostatic chuck 250 from a second rf power generator 290 . side gas ejectors 260 are provided inside the chamber at regular intervals along the circumference of the electrostatic chuck 250 . in the upper chamber 210 in which multiple nozzles are formed , a rotatable upper gas ejector 270 is provided . various modifications of the structures , shapes , and installment positions of the gas ejectors 260 and 270 can be used . fig8 is a graph schematically depicting the relationship between time and temperature at various steps of the gap filling process . referring to fig8 , the gap filling process includes a primary heating step ( s 1 ), an hdp oxide liner forming step ( s 2 ), a secondary heating step ( s 3 ), and a gap filling hdp oxide film forming step ( s 4 ). at the heating steps ( s 1 and s 3 ), the temperature of the substrate is increased by high - density plasma ( hdp ) generated when only the low - frequency rf power is applied to the hdp cvd apparatus shown in fig7 and the applied rf power . during the heating steps , deposition is not performed . on the other hand , during the hdp oxide liner forming step ( s 2 ) and the hdp oxide film forming step ( s 4 ), the deposition is performed by applying the low - frequency rf power and the high - frequency bias rf power to the apparatus while supplying a deposition gas into the apparatus . the individual steps will now be specifically described with reference to fig7 to 9 . first , after the substrate 100 on which the pad oxide film pattern 104 a , the nitride film pattern 108 a , the oxide film 120 , and the nitride liner 130 are formed is loaded onto the electrostatic chuck 250 of the hdp cvd apparatus 200 , the primary heating step ( s 1 ) is performed . specifically , an rf power of about 3000 to 6000 w is applied to an rf coil 245 from the first rf power generator 280 for about 20 to 50 seconds , while maintaining the pressure within the chamber 230 at a low pressure of about 5 to 50 mtorr by operating a vacuum pump ( not shown ) connected to an exhaust line ( not shown ). then , an inert gas such as an ar gas or a he gas is supplied through the gas injectors 260 and 270 . as a result , the hdp is generated in the chamber 230 , and the temperature of the substrate 100 may be increased to about 300 to 400 ° c . so as to be at a first temperature by the generated hdp and the applied rf power . if necessary , an o 2 gas may be further supplied in order to eliminate impurities at the inlets of the gas injectors 260 and 270 . next , the hdp oxide liner forming step ( s 2 ) is performed . specifically , an rf power of about 3000 to 9000 w is applied to the rf coil 245 from the first rf power generator 280 and a bias rf power of about 500 to 2000 w is applied to the electrostatic chuck 250 from the second rf power generator 290 for a short time of 1 to 5 seconds , while maintaining the pressure at the same level within the chamber . further , the deposition gas ( silicon source gas and oxidized gas ) and sputtering gas are supplied through the gas injectors 260 and 270 . a sih 4 gas , an o 2 gas , and a he gas can be used as the silicon source gas , the oxidized gas , and the sputtering gas , respectively . some of the supplied deposition gas and sputtering gas is ionized by the hdp generated in the chamber 230 . on the other hand , the deposition gas and sputtering gas which are ionized by the bias rf power applied to the electrostatic chuck 250 are accelerated to the surface of the substrate . the accelerated ions of the deposition gas form a silicon oxide film , and then sputtering is performed on the deposited silicon oxide film by the accelerated ions of the he gas . as a result , a thin - film hdp oxide liner ( see reference numeral 140 of fig9 ) can be formed on the nitride liner 130 . the hdp oxide liner 140 is formed by applying a first bias power of about 500 to 2000 w which is lower than a second bias power of about 3000 to 6000 w to be applied at the hdp oxide film forming step ( s 4 ) for gap filling . therefore , the amount of defects and the defect size due to collision of the accelerated ions can be reduced . further , since the bias power is low , there occurrence of the lower oxide film 120 and the nitride liner 130 separating from the substrate 100 is mitigated or eliminated . the hdp oxide liner 140 can be formed of a h 2 or a he hdp oxide liner . on the other hand , because the hdp oxide liner 140 is formed by applying a relatively low bias power and a relatively low rf power , a sufficient gap filling property is not exhibited . accordingly , the hdp oxide liner forming step ( s 2 ) is performed in the required amount of time so as to ensure an adequate thickness to accomplish its functioning as a film , for example , 1 to 5 seconds which corresponds to about 1 / 200 to 1 / 10 amount of time of the time needed for the hdp oxide film forming step ( s 4 ) for substantial gap filling . the temperature of the substrate can be substantially equal to the first temperature or increased to a second temperature which is slightly higher than the first temperature , for example , 300 to 450 ° c ., by the applied rf power and bias rf power . specifically , an rf power of about 3000 to 7000 w is applied to the rf coil 235 from the first rf power generator 280 for about 50 to 150 seconds while maintaining pressure at the same level within the chamber 230 . at the time of the start of the secondary heating step ( s 3 ), the bias rf power applied to the electrostatic chuck 250 is turned off , and the supply of the deposition gas ( silicon source gas and oxidized gas ) through the gas injectors 260 and 270 stops . then , an inert gas such as an ar gas or a he gas is supplied through the gas injectors 260 and 270 . like the primary heating step ( s 1 ), if necessary , an o 2 gas may be further supplied . the temperature of the substrate 100 can be therefore increased to a third temperature of about 400 to 600 ° c . by the hdp previously generated within the chamber 230 , the newly generated hdp , and the applied rf power . since the bias rf power is turned off , during the secondary heating step ( s 3 ), the actual deposition of the hdp oxide film is not performed . further , the ions which are undesirably trapped by the hdp oxide liner 140 are outgassed , and thus the defects of the oxide film 120 , the nitride liner 130 , and the hdp oxide liner 140 can be effectively cured . in order to the reduce the defects , preferably the temperature at the secondary heating step ( s 3 ), that is , the third temperature , is higher than the second temperature , but is closer to a temperature of the subsequent hdp oxide film forming step ( s 4 ). next , the hdp oxide film deposition step ( s 4 ) for substantial gap filling is performed . specifically , an rf power of about 3000 to 9000 w is applied to the rf coil 235 from the first rf power generator 280 and a second bias rf power of about 3000 to 6000 w is applied to the electrostatic chuck 250 from the second rf power generator 290 for a time period of 50 to 200 seconds , while maintaining the pressure at the same level within the chamber 230 as the above - described steps ( s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 ) or at a lower level , for example , 5 to 20 mtorr . then , the deposition gas ( silicon source gas and oxidized gas ) and the sputtering gas are supplied through the gas injectors 260 and 270 . an sih 4 gas , an o 2 gas , and a h 2 gas can be used as the silicon source gas , the oxidized gas , and the sputtering gas , respectively . when the hdp oxide film deposition step ( s 4 ) is performed under this process condition , the temperature of the substrate 100 can be increased to about 600 to 800 ° c . the h 2 gas allows the hdp oxide film having an excellent gap filling property to be formed , but requires a relatively high bias power . further , the he gas requires a low bias power , but an inferior gap filling property is obtained , as compared with the h 2 gas . therefore , the formation of the liner and the gap filling property can be optimized by forming the hdp oxide liner 140 and the hdp oxide film 150 with the he hdp oxide liner and the h 2 hdp oxide film , respectively . like the hdp oxide liner 140 forming step ( s 2 ), some of the deposition gas and sputtering gas is ionized by the hdp generated within the chamber 230 , and the deposition gas and sputtering gas which are ionized by the bias rf power applied to the electrostatic chuck 250 are accelerated to the surface of the substrate . the accelerated ions of the deposition gas form a silicon oxide film , and sputtering is performed on the deposited silicon oxide film by the accelerated ions of the h 2 gas . since the deposition is performed in such a manner , as shown in fig9 , the hdp oxide film 150 which fills the gap on the hdp oxide liner 140 is formed . the hdp oxide film 150 has a dense film quality and an excellent gap filling property . further , the profile of the top surface of the hdp oxide film 150 is generally as shown in fig9 . in fig9 , the boundary of the hdp oxide liner 140 and the hdp oxide film 150 is indicated by a dotted line . this is because the liner 140 and the oxide film 150 are substantially formed of the same material , and thus the boundary between them cannot be readily visually recognized . since the hdp oxide liner 140 has been already formed , even though a high bias power is applied when later forming the hdp oxide film 150 , the oxide film 120 and the nitride liner 130 do not become separated from the substrate 100 . therefore , during the hdp oxide film 150 forming step ( s 4 ), a high bias power of about 3000 to 6000 w can be applied . for this reason , the hdp oxide film 150 can be formed for completely filling the sti trench 116 without the presence of voids in the resulting film . in addition , the hdp oxide liner 140 is formed by applying a low bias power and then any defects occurring thereon are cured through the heating steps . the hdp oxide film 150 is formed with the presence of the hdp oxide liner 140 operating as a buffer layer . for this reason , bubble defects do not occur in the resulting hdp oxide film 150 . after a gap filling film 160 including the hdp oxide liner 140 and the hdp oxide film 150 is formed , the substrate 100 is unloaded from the hdp cvd apparatus 200 , and then the gap filling process is completed . finally , as shown in fig1 , formation of the sti structure 170 is completed . with reference to fig1 , first , the gap filling film 160 is planarized at the substantially same level as the top surface of the trench mask 110 a . the planarization can be performed , for example , using a cmp ( chemical mechanical polishing ) process or etchback process . in the planarization process , the nitride pattern 108 a can be used as planarization stopper . for example , when planarizing the hdp oxide film 150 using the cmp process , the nitride pattern 108 a serves as a cmp stopper . as a slurry to be used in the cmp process , a material which can selectively etch the hdp oxide film 150 faster than the nitride film pattern 108 a is preferably selected . therefore , a slurry including a ceria - based abrasive can be used . next , the trench mask 110 a ( see fig4 ) is removed , and then the sti structure 170 is completed . the nitride film pattern 108 a of the trench mask 110 a is removed by applying phosphoric acid , and the pad oxide film pattern 104 a is removed by applying diluted hf or boe ( buffered oxide etchant ) which is a mixture of nh 4 f , hf , and deionized water . subsequently , a step of forming active elements such as transistors and passive elements such as capacitors in the active region defined by the sti structures 170 , a step of forming wiring lines to allow input / output of electrical signals to / from the active elements and the passive elements , a step of forming a passivation layer on the substrate , and a step of packaging the substrate are further performed using conventional fabricating processes , thereby completing fabrication of a semiconductor device including the sti structures formed according to the methods described herein . the schematic descriptions of the subsequent steps will be given because they may obscure the subject matter of the present invention . the results of the fabrication of sti structures under the method of the present invention will now be described by way of the following specific examples . three test substrates on which the thermally grown oxide film having a thickness of 100 å and the nitride film having a thickness of 70 å are formed on the semiconductor substrate are prepared . then , the hdp oxide films are formed under the process conditions shown in table 1 , respectively . in table 1 , the primary heating step is performed by applying an rf power such that the temperature of the substrate becomes about 350 ° c ., while supplying ar and he gas . the hdp oxide liner forming step is performed by applying a bias power of 1500 w and an rf power such that the temperature of the substrate becomes about 400 ° c . while supplying the sih 4 gas , the o 2 gas , and the he gas . the hdp oxide film forming step is performed by applying a bias power of 4900 w and an rf power such that the temperature of the substrate becomes about 700 ° c . while supplying the sih 4 gas , the o 2 gas , and the h 2 gas . fig1 a and 11b are sem photographs of the surfaces of the hdp oxide films fabricated according to the first and second examples . fig1 c is a sem photograph of the surface of the hdp oxide film fabricated according to the comparative example , where no secondary heating step is applied to the substrate . from the photograph of fig1 c showing multiple bubble defects , it can be understood that the bubble defects can be effectively suppressed by performing the hdp oxide liner forming step and the secondary heating step . from the photographs of fig1 a and 11b , it can be understood that the bubble defects can be effectively suppressed as the time duration of the secondary heating step is increased . according to the present invention , the hdp oxide film for gap filling is formed by applying a high bias power , and thus an excellent gap filling property can be ensured , while preventing separation of the oxide film and the liner of the side wall and preventing the occurrence of bubble defects . in addition , the sti can be finished by a simplified process without requiring a cvd process , other than the hdp oxide film forming step . although the present invention has been described in connection with the exemplary embodiments of the present invention , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . therefore , it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limited , but rather are illustrative in all aspects . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention only , and not for purposes of limiting the same , fig1 prospectively illustrates a baby wipes warmer 10 constructed in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention . as indicated above , the baby wipes warmer 10 is adapted to warm a stack of baby wipes 12 accommodated therein while maintaining the wipes 12 in a substantially moisturized condition and with their original coloration ( i . e ., white ). those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the baby wipes warmer 10 may be formed to have a variety of external housing shapes , configurations , geometries , sizes and textures other than for that shown in the provided figures . referring more particularly to fig1 and 2 , the baby wipes warmer 10 comprises a housing 14 . this housing 14 may be fabricated from any rigid material , but plastic polymer is preferred . the housing 14 is formed having a main body member 16 and a base member 18 . more particularly , the body member 16 is peripherally defined by an exterior - side housing wall 20 with a base end 22 that engages onto the base member 18 . the base member 18 is contemplated to be used for supporting the baby wipes warmer 10 on any provided surface ( e . g ., desktop , floor , night stand , etc .) and may optionally include a plurality of adjustable foot pads 24 for this purpose . the housing 14 of the present baby wipes warmer 10 comprises a pivotally engaged top lid member 26 which is capable of opening and closing relative to the housing 14 . the lid member 26 may open and close utilizing any conventional methods such as using a door spring 28 , for example . when such lid member 26 is closed with respect to the housing 14 , it becomes an upper housing wall as it encloses the interior of the housing 14 from the outside . on the other hand , the opening of the lid member 26 allows access to an inside compartment 30 of the housing which will be discussed in more detail below . by accessing the inside compartment 30 , a stack of baby wipes 12 ( layered or inter - folded stack ) may be inserted and individually withdrawn for use . referring now to fig2 and 3 , a liquid tank assembly 32 is provided within the housing 14 . more specifically , the liquid tank assembly 32 is located between the body and base members 16 , 18 when they are engaged to each other in the manner described above . upon such placement , the upper tank surface 34 of the tank assembly 32 collectively forms the inside compartment 30 with the interior - side housing wall 36 and the lid member 26 of the housing 14 . to describe this aspect in more detail , the upper tank surface 34 becomes vertically surrounded as the tank end 38 of the interior - side housing wall 36 is rested against the upper tank peripheral edge 40 thereof . the upper tank surface 34 is then horizontally closed off by the top lid member 26 forming the closed position . by such structural interaction , the requisite inside compartment 30 may be formed . although fig2 illustrates the liquid tank assembly 32 to be generally rectangular in configuration , it is expressly stated herein that the tank assembly 32 may be configured in other ways without deviating from its operational capabilities . the liquid tank assembly 32 defines a lower tank surface 42 which is positioned beneath the upper tank surface 34 towards the base member 18 . the upper and lower tank surfaces 34 , 42 are connected to each other by a surrounding side tank surface 44 to thereby form a liquid compartment 46 within the tank assembly 32 . this liquid compartment 46 is used for holding any liquid 48 that can evaporate when sufficiently heated and thus produce vapors 49 which are able to moisturize . a type of liquid 48 which is exemplary of this nature is water . however , the use of any fluids which may safely moisturize the baby wipes 12 are foreseeable . because the contained liquid 48 must evaporate upon sufficient heating , the liquid tank assembly 32 should therefore be made from any material that is capable of rising in temperature in reaction to heating . it is preferred that the tank assembly 32 is fabricated from a heat - conducting material such as metal . more preferably , aluminum would be desirable for fabricating the tank assembly 32 as it reacts very well to heating . as shown in fig3 and 3a , the upper tank surface 34 includes a plurality of vapor apertures . 50 extending therethrough which provide fluid communication between the inside and liquid compartments 30 , 46 . the vapor apertures 50 allow the vapors 49 to pass through from the liquid compartment 46 to the inside compartment 30 so as to heat the wipes and maintain the baby wipes 12 in a constant moisturized condition and coloration . preferably , the vapor apertures 50 are formed within the support surface 52 which is surrounded by a ridge 54 formed therearound . the support surface 52 is primarily used for accommodating the baby wipes 12 in which the surrounding ridge 54 confines them in place to prevent side - to - side movement . referring now to fig5 only , an alternative embodiment of the support surface 52 is depicted . in this embodiment , the upper tank surface 34 may instead define an exposed opening 56 between the ridge 54 . a support surface 52 may be disposed within this opening 56 in a manner as to extend substantially thereabout . any structure providing a horizontal flat surface can be defined as the support surface 52 such as a suspension tray , for example . preferably , a sponge material 58 extending through the exposed opening 56 from the liquid compartment 46 is used to removably secure the support surface 52 in place . the sponge 58 is preferred for this purpose as its naturally formed pores may simulate the vapor apertures 50 thereby permitting the vapors 49 to seep therethrough . referring now to fig3 - 5 , a heating element 60 is provided within the housing 14 relative to the lower tank surface 42 . as noted above , the purpose of the heating element 60 is to heat the tank assembly 32 so that portions of liquid 48 are changed into vapors 49 . the heating element 60 may be disposed in various positions to achieve this purpose . one position is to locate the heating element 60 within the liquid compartment 46 so that it is immersed in liquid 48 to substantially extend adjacent the lower tank surface 42 ( best shown in fig4 ). the heating element 60 may also be positioned outside the liquid compartment 48 to extend adjacent the lower tank surface 42 ( best shown in fig3 and 5 ). although the use of various heaters is contemplated , it is preferred that an electrically powered heating pad is utilized . referring now back to fig1 and 2 , a liquid reservoir 62 may optionally be incorporated into the present baby wipes warmer 10 . however , the use of the liquid reservoir 62 is not mandatory as the liquid level within the liquid compartment 46 may be manually refilled . the liquid reservoir 62 is in fluid communication with the liquid compartment 46 . by such communication , the reservoir 62 can provide additional liquid to the liquid compartment 46 when needed . the additional liquid may be provided manually by operation of a valve device which may open and close the liquid flow into the liquid compartment 46 . the liquid reservoir 62 includes a refill cap 64 preferably fabricated from a rubber material for selectively accessing its interior . similar to the heating element 60 , the liquid reservoir 62 may also be located in multiple positions . for example , it can be disposed within the housing 14 adjacent the liquid tank assembly 32 ( shown in fig7 ). alternatively , the liquid reservoir 62 may be exteriorly mounted to the exterior - side housing wall 20 ( shown in fig1 ). irrespective of its positioning , the important concept to be derived is that the reservoir 62 fluid communicates with the liquid compartment 46 for providing additional liquid 48 thereto when needed . to establish fluid communication , any elongated and tubular structure 66 such as a conduit may be used to form a reservoir channel 66 between the reservoir 62 and the liquid compartment 46 . in this respect , the liquid reservoir 62 ensures that the liquid 48 within the liquid compartment 46 is always kept at a certain level which is sufficient to provide adequate evaporation . [ 0039 ] fig6 illustrates a baby wipes warmer 70 which is constructed in accordance with a second preferred embodiment . the second embodied baby wipes warmer 70 is substantially identical to the first embodiment with one major distinction . more specifically , the baby wipes warmer 70 of the second embodiment eliminates the use of the liquid tank assembly 32 . rather , its interior - side housing wall 72 is adapted to define a substantially flattened interior compartment surface 74 which extends generally parallel to the base member 18 . by merely closing the top lid member ( not shown ), an inside compartment 78 is formed . a quantity of liquid 80 is directly contained within this compartment 78 . a support surface 82 which is defined by a suspension tray 84 is disposed within the inside compartment 78 . however , it should be noted that the support surface 82 is positioned above the pool of liquid 80 as it must accommodate the baby wipes 12 thereon . the support surface 82 may be engaged upon the interior . compartment surface 74 through any known process such as bonding or fastening . by utilizing this arrangement , the baby wipes 12 are adequately heated while sustaining their moisture and color through vapors 86 rising from the heated liquid pool 80 disposed immediately underneath the support surface 82 . [ 0041 ] fig7 shows a baby wipes warmer 90 which is made in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention . this warmer 90 is substantially identical to the first embodied baby wipes warmer 10 except that its liquid tank assembly 92 is fabricated in the form of an elongated central channel and is embedded laterally along the interior compartment surface 94 . this elongated central channel serving as the liquid tank assembly 92 includes a sponge 96 within its liquid compartment 98 . the sponge 96 operates to draw the liquid 100 out of the adjacently located liquid reservoir 102 by capillarity . similar to the tank assembly 32 of the first embodiment , its upper tank surface 104 includes a plurality of vapor holes 106 which allow the liquid 100 to evaporate therethrough . the operation of the first embodied baby wipes warmer 10 is described herein which is simultaneously representative for operations of the second and third embodied baby wipes warmers 70 , 90 . first , a stack of baby wipes 12 to be warmed is placed within the inside compartment 30 simply by opening and then closing the lid member 26 . the liquid 48 contained within the baby wipes warmer 10 should be checked to ensure that there is sufficient level present for adequate evaporation . this can be accomplished by visually checking the liquid reservoir ( for the first and third embodiments ) or the liquid level within the inside compartment itself ( for the second embodiment ). thereafter , the baby wipes warmer 10 should be plugged into an electrical outlet ( not shown ) in order to activate the heating element 60 ( if not already done ). by following this easy - to - follow procedure , portions of the liquid 48 can transition into vapors 49 when sufficiently heated which are then provided to the baby wipes 12 so that they may be maintained in constant moisturized condition and coloration . additional modifications and improvements of the present invention may also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . thus , the particular combination of parts described and illustrated herein is intended to represent only certain embodiments of the present invention , and is not intended to serve as limitations of alternative devices within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended , such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device , and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . referring now to fig1 a laundry bin 20 according to the present invention is shown having a top end opening 22 and a bottom end opening 24 . also shown is a drop bottom 26 in an open position . drop bottom 26 is normally - closed ; that is , covering bottom end opening 24 . drop bottom 26 fastens in its closed position by clasp 27 . when drop bottom 26 is fastened closed , laundry bin 20 contains laundry via sides 30 and 32 , rear 34 , front 36 , and bottom 25 and drop bottom 26 . laundry bin 20 receives laundry through top end opening 22 and contains the laundry therein until clasp 27 is unfastened and drop bottom 26 is opened . drop bottom 26 is hinged about bottom edge 29 , and when unfastened , drop bottom 26 swings downward under its own weight and under the weight of the laundry contained within laundry bin 20 . upon drop bottom 26 opening downward , laundry is released from bin 20 and falls through bottom opening 24 . drop bottom 26 is also contemplated being hinged about front edge 31 with fastening occurring across edge 29 . similarly , drop bottom 26 can also comprise bottom 25 via an articulating joint at bottom edge 29 , with bottom 25 and drop bottom 26 hinging about bottom edge 35 and fastening across front edge 31 . laundry bin 20 would still contain laundry as previously discussed , however upon unfastening clasp 27 , both bottom 25 and drop bottom 26 would swing downward about bottom edge 35 . laundry bin 20 is also shown with drop bottom 26 at an angle relative to vertical to facilitate installation and usage as discussed in conjunction with fig3 . similarly , laundry bin 20 is also shown having labels 49 for displaying information and holes 47 for ventilation as discussed in conjunction with fig2 . laundry bin 20 can employ a variety of construction techniques and materials to contain laundry . the material chosen is , among other considerations , a function of weight requirements . because bin 20 can be mounted against an interior wall , a lightweight material is preferable to minimize both reinforcement of the wall and the number of anchoring locations required to mount bin 20 . possible materials include plastic or vinyl coated steel wire grids and formed plastics or wood , including laminates and pressed wood composites . similarly , laundry bin 20 can be constructed having a wire frame with canvas looped over and attached around the wire frame , the wire frame supporting the laundry via the canvas . another consideration in choosing a material is the ability of the material to allow for air circulation or breathing to prevent unwanted accumulation of odors . plastic or vinyl coated steel wire grids and canvas directly facilitate ventilation . other more dense plastics and woods , however , should have additional holes incorporated to both reduce their weight and provide for circulation of air . another consideration in choosing a material is the material &# 39 ; s ability to withstand degradation , including peeling , splintering or fading . degradation can result in damage to clothing , such as tearing , pilling or staining of the clothes . laundry bin 20 is constructed having a size or volume which approximates that of a typical load of laundry received by a washing machine . although a variety of shapes and dimensions for laundry bin 20 can achieve a desired common volume , laundry bin 20 is constructed having generally dimensions of 12 inches wide by 18 inches tall by 20 inches deep . of course , these dimensions are but one of many possible sets of dimensions which meet the desired volume to contain a load of laundry while still providing a light weight structure and convenience in use . laundry bin 20 is shown in fig1 elevated above ground or floor level and attached to wall 21 . attachment to wall 21 is provided by a combination of fasteners 23a and brackets 23b and 23c which both support and anchor laundry bin 20 to wall 21 . these fasteners and brackets are typical of those used with drywall , as is the case with many interior walls of a house . laundry bin 20 does not necessarily require attachment to a fixed surface such as a wall or above laundry machinery . for example , laundry bin 20 can also be attached to a wheeled frame which allows transportation of laundry bin 20 while still providing elevation of bin 20 . other means for mounting a laundry bin such as bin 20 above a laundry machine are described further hereinafter in connection with fig5 and 6 . whatever attaching means are employed , laundry bin 20 should be elevated above ground level , thereby reducing bending and lifting of laundry . referring now to fig2 a laundry bin unit 40 is shown as a preferred embodiment of the present invention . unit 40 comprises four laundry bins adjacent to each other and sharing common sides 42 . sides 42 are in essence dividers which separate unit 40 into individual compartments . unit 40 is shown in a typical environment mounted against wall 41 at an elevation above working area 44 . working area 44 can comprise a table for receiving laundry upon drop bottom 26 opening , or as shown , can include laundry machinery such as washing machine 46 and drying machine 48 . unit 40 is constructed from masonite ™, a fiberboard having holes 47 incorporated for both ventilation external to and within unit 40 . unit 40 also displays on front panel 37 labels 49 . labels 49 are instruction cards which describe what each bin contains . these descriptions include whites , permanent press , sheets and towels , hand washables , baby clothes , darks , and athletic clothes . labels 49 can also describe washing instructions associated with the different types of clothing , the washing instructions including washing machine settings for water temperature and length of machine cycles for wash and rinse . labels 49 can also describe the amount of detergent to be used in the washing machine , whether to add bleach and the amount of bleach to be used , washing machine settings such as regular cycle or double rinse , and drying machine settings such as length of drying cycle and temperature of drying cycle . referring now to fig3 a laundry bin unit 50 is shown mounted on back wall 51 of closet 53 . unit 50 incorporates drop bottom 26 at an angle 54 . angle 54 is determined by the height of lid 52 of washing machine 46 when the lid is fully extended . angle 54 provides clearance for lid 52 when open without increasing the height at which unit 50 is mounted to wall 51 . without angle 54 , laundry unit 50 would require additional mounting height to clear lid 52 . if laundry unit 50 is mounted too high , it will be difficult for a launderer to reach top end openings 22 . angle 54 is 45 ° relative to vertical , but can also include a range from 30 ° to 60 ° relative to vertical , depending on the particular installation . note that the embodiment of fig2 has the same angle permitting clearance of the laundry machine lid . referring now to fig4 unit 50 is shown having five bins or compartments stretching across closet 53 . the five bins , when sized for a load of laundry , approximate the length of a typical washing machine and drying machine installation . unit 50 can be designed having both fewer and greater numbers of compartments ; for example , if closet 53 is sized so that it can contain only a washing machine 46 , unit 50 would have two bins or compartments . finally , laundry bin units 40 and 50 can be used in conjunction with other laundry accessories to make working area 44 more efficient , one example being units 40 and 50 used in conjunction with a shelf . the shelf can be either mounted below or adjacent to the unit 50 . similarly , clothes rods or other handling devices for clothes can be mounted either below or adjacent to the unit depending upon the space available . also contemplated are embodiments which employ lids for covering the top end opening . referring now to fig5 - 6 , other laundry bins and bin mounting arrangements are depicted for use mounted above a laundry work area that includes laundry machines . in fig5 individual laundry bins 60 are mounted in pairs to a slatted wall board 61 above a washing machine 62 and drying machine 64 . bins 60 are mounted individually adjacent one another rather than as a multiple bin unit in this embodiment since washing machine 62 is spaced apart from drying machine 64 , such as by a utility sink . similar to bin 20 , each of bins 60 include a top end opening 66 and a bottom end opening 68 closable by a normally - closed drop bottom 70 . when drop bottom 70 is fastened closed , laundry bin 60 contains laundry via side panels 72 and 74 , rear panel 76 , front panel 78 , and bottom panel 80 . drop bottom 70 fastens in its closed position by a simple clip 81 . bins 60 are constructed of a 3 / 16 inch steel wire frame having 1 / 8 inch steel wire panels . the wire frame and panels are painted to protect against corrosion and to provide an aesthetically pleasing finish . in fig6 the means for mounting bin 60 to slatted wall board 61 is shown in greater detail . each of bins 60 includes a generally l - shaped hanging member 82 attached to rear panel 76 . wall board 61 includes generally t - shaped grooves 84 extending horizontally across the wall board and formed by corresponding horizontal t - shaped slats 86 . hanging member 82 is slidably received in grooves 84 and restrained in place supported by slats 86 . as such , bins 60 are adjustable lengthwise along grooves 84 while still being supported by wall board 61 . grooves 84 can include vinyl inserts and the like to reduce friction , as well as aluminum inserts for added reinforcement . in one specific embodiment , wall board 61 is constructed of unicut ™ red oak slotwall available from melvin l . cunningham inc ., 6550 guion road , indianapolis , ind . 46268 . also contemplated are other laundry devices having similar l - shaped hanging members for receipt in grooves 84 supported by wall board 61 . for example , hanger rods , towel racks and simple open bins may be supported by wall board 61 adjacent to both bins 60 and laundry machines 62 and 64 . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character , it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected . | 3 |
fig1 - 2 show a first exercise apparatus 2100 constructed according to the principles of the present invention . the exercise apparatus 2100 includes left and right cranks 2120 rotatably connected to a frame by means of a crank shaft and bearing assemblies 2102 . a larger diameter pulley 2122 is keyed to the crank shaft and rotates together with the cranks 2120 about a common crank axis . a belt 2124 connects the pulley 2122 to a smaller diameter pulley 2126 which is rigidly secured to a flywheel 2128 . the pulley 2126 and the flywheel 2128 are rotatably connected to the frame by means of a flywheel shaft and bearing assemblies 2103 . as a result , the pulley 2126 and the flywheel 2128 rotate at a relative faster rotational velocity than the cranks 2120 and pulley 2122 . a conventional resistance device may be connected to the flywheel 2128 to resist rotation thereof . left and right connector links 2130 have intermediate portions which are rotatably connected to radially displaced portions of respective cranks 2120 . the connector links 2130 have first ends which are rotatably connected to first ends of respective rocker links 2140 , and second , opposite ends which are connected to respective foot supporting members or foot links 2150 . the rocker links 2140 have second , opposite ends which are rotatably connected to the frame by means of frame member 2104 . one end of each foot supporting member 2150 is rotatably connected to a respective connector link 2130 , and an opposite end of each foot supporting member 2150 is rotatably connected to an end of a respective floating crank or intermediate link 2160 . an opposite end of each floating crank 2160 is rotatably connected to a distal end of a respective crank 2120 . left and right foot platforms 2155 are mounted on respective foot supporting members 2150 proximate their pivotal connections with respective connector links 2130 . the floating cranks 2160 and pivoting foot supporting members 2150 cooperate to maintain the foot platforms 2155 in relatively favorable orientations throughout an exercise cycle . optional left and right dampers 2170 are rotatably interconnected between frame member 2105 and intermediate portions of respective foot supporting members 2150 . the arrangement is such that the dampers 2170 tend to resist vertical movement of the foot platforms 2155 without unduly interfering with “ over center ” rotation of the cranks 2120 . fig3 a - 3l show a second exercise apparatus 2200 which is constructed according to the principles of the present invention , and which is similar in many respects to the first exercise apparatus 2100 . for ease of illustration and discussion , only one side of the exercise apparatus 2200 is shown ( with the understanding that opposite side counterparts function in similar fashion , but typically one hundred and eighty degrees out of phase with the depicted parts ). the side of the apparatus 2200 shown in fig3 a - 3l is the right side of the apparatus 2200 , meaning that a user will be encouraged to mount the machine 2200 with his toes extending toward the rocker links 2240 . the exercise apparatus 2200 includes left and right cranks rotatably connected to a frame 2210 by means of a crank shaft and bearing assemblies . as shown in fig3 b and 3c , each crank includes ( 1 ) a first crank arm 2223 having a first end rotatably connected to the frame 2210 at crank axis c , and an opposite , second end rotatably connected to a respective connector link 2230 at a respective connector link axis m ; and ( 2 ) a second crank arm 2226 having a first end rotatably connected to the frame 2210 at crank axis c ( via a rigid connection to the second end of the first crank segment 2223 ), and an opposite second end rotatably connected to a respective floating link or intermediate link 2260 at a respective floating crank axis f . various conventional inertial devices and / or resistance devices many be connected to the cranks ( directly or indirectly ) by means known in the art . the left and right connector links 2230 have intermediate portions that are rotatably connected to the distal ends of respective crank arms 2223 . the connector links 2230 have first ends that are rotatably connected to first ends of respective rocker links 2240 , and second , opposite ends that are rotatably connected to respective foot supporting members or foot links 2250 . the rocker links 2240 have second , opposite ends that are rotatably connected to the frame 2210 . those skilled in the art will recognize that the rocker links 2240 may be described as guides that direct the first ends of the connector links 2230 through respective reciprocal paths , and that this function may alternatively be performed by rollers rotatably mounted on the first ends of the connector links 2230 and rollable along a portion of the frame 2210 . a first portion of each foot supporting member 2250 is rotatably connected to a respective connector link 2230 , and a second portion of each foot supporting member 2250 is rotatably connected to an end of a respective floating crank 2260 . as noted above , an opposite end of each floating crank 2260 is rotatably connected to a distal end of a respective crank arm 2226 . left and right foot platforms 2255 are provided on respective foot supporting members 2250 , and are configured to support a person &# 39 ; s respective feet . the machine 2200 operates in the same general manner as the machine 2100 shown in fig1 - 2 . however , the linkage assembly components on the machine 2200 are configured in a somewhat different manner in order to move the foot platforms 2255 in a manner inconsistent with the “ heel rise ” limitation recited in the claims of the aforementioned miller patents . in this regard , fig3 a - 3l show the right side of the machine 2200 as the right crank 2220 is rotated in thirty degree intervals throughout an exercise cycle . the axis m reaches a rearwardmost , 9 : 00 position in fig3 j ; the axis f reaches a rearwardmost position as the axis m rotates clockwise beyond its 10 : 00 orientation shown in fig3 k ; and the right rocker link 2240 pivots to a rearwardmost position as the axis m rotates clockwise beyond the 10 : 00 position shown in fig3 k . as suggested by the reference lines and associated angular measurements ( where h is horizontal or parallel to the floor , and the other dashed line is parallel to the foot supporting surface on the right foot platform 2255 ), the right foot platform 2255 is not experiencing faster heel rise than toe rise at any time between the 8 : 00 position shown in fig3 i and the 1 : 00 position shown in fig3 b . in other words , the heel portion of the foot platform 2255 does not rise faster than the toe portion of the foot platform 2255 as the forward end of the connector link 2230 begins moving forward from a point at a rearward end of its path . fig4 a - 4l show a third exercise apparatus 2300 which is constructed according to the principles of the present invention , and which also accommodates foot motion that is inconsistent with the “ heel rise ” limitation recited in the claims of the aforementioned miller patents . for ease of illustration and discussion , only one side of the exercise apparatus 2300 is shown ( with the understanding that opposite side counterparts function in similar fashion , but typically one hundred and eighty degrees out of phase with the depicted parts ). the side of the apparatus 2300 shown in fig4 a - 4l is the right side of the apparatus 2300 , meaning that a user will be encouraged to mount the machine 2300 with his toes extending toward the rocker links 2340 . the exercise apparatus 2300 includes left and right cranks rotatably connected to a frame 2210 by means of a crank shaft and bearing assemblies . the cranks rotate about a crank axis d relative to the frame 2310 . each crank includes ( 1 ) a first crank arm having a distal end that is rotatably connected to a respective connector link 2330 at a connector link axis n ; and ( 2 ) a second crank arm 2326 having a distal end that rotatably supports a respective roller or intermediate link 2360 at a roller axis r . a crank extension 2329 is rigidly interconnected between the distal end of the second crank arm 2326 and the distal end of the first crank arm to prevent interference between the parts during operation of the machine 2300 . various conventional inertial devices and / or resistance devices many be connected to the cranks ( directly or indirectly ) by means known in the art . the left and right connector links 2330 have rearward ends that are rotatably connected to the distal ends of respective crank extensions 2329 . the connector links 2330 have opposite , forward ends that are rotatably connected to lower ends of respective rocker links 2340 , and intermediate portions that are rotatably connected to respective foot supporting members or foot links 2350 . the rocker links 2340 have opposite , upper ends that are rotatably connected to the frame 2310 . those skilled in the art will recognize that the rocker links 2340 may be described as guides that direct the first ends of the connector links 2330 through respective reciprocal paths , and that this function may alternatively be performed by rollers rotatably mounted on the first ends of the connector links 2330 and rollable along a portion of the frame 2310 . those skilled in the art will also recognize that the rocker links 2340 may be extended upward beyond their pivot axis , in which case , the upper distal ends of the extended rocker links may be configured for use as handlebars to facilitate upper body exercise together with the lower body exercise . a forward portion of each foot supporting member 2350 is rotatably connected to the intermediate portion of a respective connector link 2330 , and a rearward portion of each foot supporting member 2250 is rotatably supported on a respective roller 2360 . as noted above , each roller 2360 is mounted on a respective crank at the distal end of a respective crank arm 2326 . those skilled in the art will recognize that low friction bearing surfaces and / or telescoping assemblies may be substituted for the rollers 2360 without departing from the scope of the present invention . in any event , each foot supporting member 2350 is provided with a foot platform 2355 configured to support a person &# 39 ; s foot . fig4 a - 4l show the right side of the machine 2300 as the right crank 2320 is rotated in thirty degree intervals throughout an exercise cycle . the axes n and r reach a rearwardmost , 9 : 00 position , in fig4 j ; and the right rocker link 2340 pivots to a rearwardmost position as the axes n and r rotate from the 9 : 00 position in fig4 j to the 10 : 00 position in fig4 k . as suggested by the reference lines and associated angular measurements ( where i is horizontal or parallel to the floor , and the other dashed line is parallel to the foot supporting surface on the right foot platform 2355 ), the right foot platform 2355 is not experiencing faster heel rise than toe rise at any time between the 7 : 00 position shown in fig4 h and the 3 : 00 position shown in fig4 d . in other words , the heel portion of the foot platform 2355 does not rise faster than the toe portion of the foot platform 2355 as the forward end of the connector link 2330 begins moving forward from a point at a rearward end of its path . the foregoing disclosure is directed toward specific embodiments and a particular application with the understanding that persons skilled in the art will be able to derive additional embodiments , modifications , and / or features that nonetheless fall within the scope of the present invention . therefore , the scope of the present invention is to be limited only to the extent of the claims which follow . | 0 |
according to the implementation ( s ) of the present technology , various views are illustrated in fig1 - 5 and like reference numerals are being used consistently throughout to refer to like and corresponding parts of the technology for all of the various views and figures of the drawing . also , please note that the first digit ( s ) of the reference number for a given item or part of the technology should correspond to the figure number in which the item or part is first identified . one implementation of the present technology comprising poppet like mechanism responsive to pressure caused by restricted fluid flow teaches a novel apparatus and method for monitoring reduced fluid flow through a filter . the details of the technology as disclosed and various implementations can be better understood by referring to the figures of the drawing . referring to fig1 a and fig1 b , an apparatus for monitoring reduced fluid flow through a filter is shown 100 including an enclosed open ended channel 102 extending from a facing side 104 of a filter 108 to a trailing side 106 of the filter . the distance between the facing side 104 and the trailing side 106 is the distance d identified by 122 . a shuttle piston 110 is shown slidably fitting within the open ended channel and is configured to resistively reciprocate through the open ended channel from the facing side of the filter to the trailing side of the filter responsive to a fluid flow pressure indicative of a predetermined reduction in a fluid flow 112 . the shuttle piston can be configured with a retention tab 124 to retain the shuttle piston . the shuttle piston 110 can be a member such as a ball , a disk or short cylinder , fitting closely within a channel 102 , such as a duct or a tube , in which it freely or resistively reciprocates back and forth from one end of the channel 114 to an opposing end of the channel 116 ( moves up and down ) against or responsive to a liquid or gas flow or pressure . the member &# 39 ; s movement can be similar to that of a piston valve element that moves freely within the tube . when pressure from a fluid is exerted through an opening on one end it pushes the member towards the opposite end . the pressure on the piston valve increases as the fluid flow is restricted due to a filter being contaminated with debris . the resistance to reciprocation from one end to the opposing end can simply be due to the weight and surface area of the member is such that it will only be moved or caused to be reciprocated when a certain level of pressure is present from the fluid flow that is sufficient to move the particular weight . the shuttle piston will have friction between the shuttle piston surface and the interior surface of the channel where the frictional force will resist the relative movement of the shuttle piston . a dry friction interface or a lubricated friction interface can be utilized . other characteristics can be designed into the shuttle piston to resist movement such as a surface of the shuttle piston 118 in contact with the channel &# 39 ; s interior surface 120 can be roughened or uneven or the exterior surface of the shuttle piston can be constructed of a material that causes a resistive frictional force with contacting surfaces . referring to fig2 , the shuttle piston 110 can be sized or configured where a size and a weight of the shuttle piston is based on one or more of a characteristic fluid flow of the filter , an area size of the facing side 104 of the filter , a distance x 204 from the facing side of the filter to the trailing side of the filter and the fluid flow pressure . further , the shuttle piston has a trailing end , and where said trailing end is configured having a predetermined color providing a visual indicator 206 . the direction of airflow 208 is also illustrated . referring to fig3 , one implementation of the technology includes an apparatus for monitoring reduced fluid flow through a filter , which includes an enclosed open ended channel 102 configured to extend a predetermined length l 302 where said predetermined length is sufficient to extend a distance corresponding to a thickness 304 of a predetermined filter size where the filter size can be defined by the thickness 304 and the facing area 305 which faces the oncoming fluid flow 306 . the material density of the filter and the filtration rating of the filter can also be used to define the size or type of filter . for example , a micron rating is the size of particles which are filtered out by filters at a certain efficiency , such as an efficiency that is at least 98 . 6 %, which filters 98 . 6 % of all particles of micron size . the apparatus can include a shuttle piston slidably fitting within said open ended channel and configured to resistively reciprocate through said open ended channel from a facing side 308 of the open ended channel to a trailing side 310 of the open ended channel responsive to a predetermined fluid flow pressure . the size and a weight of the shuttle piston adjusted and configured based on one or more of a characteristic air flow , and the fluid flow pressure . things that can affect air flow and fluid pressure are filtration rating , filter material density , facing area size of a filter and the filter &# 39 ; s thickness . again , the shuttle piston has a trailing end 310 , and where said trailing end can be configured having a predetermined color providing a visual indicator . when using the technology as disclosed herein with airflow systems , there can be many variations to the air filter design and material configurations being utilized . the design and material configuration variations combined with the variations of efficiencies , flow rates , and merv , will cause variations in the size and construction of the air flow monitor . for example , the size and construction of the monitor can vary depending upon the construction , material , and depth of pleat of an air filter and can vary depending upon air flow in cfm . each filter will need to have a flow monitor made to the filter &# 39 ; s unique construction and unique air flow system environment . the size of the air flow monitor will also be dependent upon the construction of the monitor , and it &# 39 ; s resistance to movement . the air flow monitor measures pressure drop , or static pressure . this pressure drop is the amount of resistance as measured in inches of water ( w . g .). when air moves through an air filter , the filter itself impedes the air flow . as the air filter becomes dirty / clogged the air flow becomes increasingly more impeded . this increases the pressure drop . refer to the graphical illustration in fig5 . energy consumption is a large portion of the cost of operating an airflow system , and pressure drop is an indication of higher energy consumption , which can be caused by a dirty filter . the filter should be changed at the correct time to maintain the operating efficiency of the airflow system . the timing of a filter change depends upon the operating efficiency , which can be determined based upon the pressure drop . energy consumption for an air flow system is based on air flow rate ( m 3 / sec ), average pressure loss , time in operation and fan efficiency . for example , based upon a 500 cfm air flow rate , and a 20 ″× 20 ″ filter , with a clean static pressure of 0 . 2 w . g . and a dirty static pressure of 0 . 8 w . g ., an flow monitor with a 1 ″ radius can be recommended . also , as previously stated , the airflow monitor may vary depending on the construction of the filter . referring to fig4 a and fig4 b , a method for monitoring reduced fluid flow through a filter is illustrated including , extending 402 an enclosed open ended channel 404 extending from a facing side of a filter 406 through to a trailing side of the filter 408 , where said enclosed open ended channel includes a shuttle piston 410 slidably fitting within said open ended channel and configured to resistively reciprocate through 412 said open ended channel from the facing side of the filter to the trailing side of the filter responsive to a fluid flow pressure indicative of a predetermined reduction in a fluid flow 414 . the method can include laterally installing the filter in a duct where the facing side of the filter is orthogonally oriented with respect to a direction of the fluid flow 416 . when the filter becomes contaminated , the rate of fluid flow through the filter will be reduced 414 thereby increasing the pressure at the filter and can even cause the filter to buckle 418 due to increased pressure at the filter . when the pressure has reached a predetermined level , which is sufficient to cause the shuttle piston to reciprocate to the trailing side of the filter thereby providing an indicator that the filter should be removed . the method includes the step of removing and replacing the filter if the shuttle piston has reciprocated to the trailing side of the filter . the method provides an indicator indicative of the filter needing replacement . this can be accomplished by placing a predetermined color on a trailing end of the shuttle piston thereby providing a visual indicator . fig6 a is a cross - sectional side view of another apparatus 600 for monitoring reduced fluid flow through a filter ( e . g ., filter 108 , 406 ) showing the apparatus 600 in a first state . the apparatus 600 may include a housing 610 . the housing 610 may include an outer wall 612 and a trailing wall 614 . the outer wall 612 may be sized and shaped to fit within an enclosed open ended channel ( e . g ., channel 102 , 404 ) of the filter ( e . g ., filter 108 , 406 ). thus , although not shown in the cross - sectional side view of fig6 a , the outer wall 612 may be substantially circular , rectangular , or the like . the outer wall 612 may be secured within the enclosed open ended channel via a friction fit , an adhesive , a fastening device ( e . g ., a screw or bolt ), or the like . the outer wall 612 and / or the trailing wall 614 may be substantially rigid . for example , the outer wall 612 and / or the trailing wall 614 may be made from cardboard , plastic , wood , metal , a composite material , or the like . a rod 620 may be positioned at least partially within the housing 610 . the rod 620 may be positioned within ( e . g ., radially - inward from ) the outer wall 612 and extend through an opening in the trailing wall 614 . the rod 620 may extend through a first guide 630 and / or a second guide 632 . the first guide 630 may be on a facing side of the apparatus 600 , and the second guide 632 may be on a trailing side of the apparatus 600 . for example , the second guide 632 may be coupled to the trailing wall 614 . the rod 620 may be able to move axially within the guide ( s ) 630 , 632 , as described below . the rod 620 is shown in a first position in fig6 a . the rod 620 may have one or more retainers 622 coupled thereto or integral therewith . the retainer 622 may be on a first side of the trailing wall 614 when the rod 620 is in the first position . the retainer 622 may be or include barbs that prevent the rod 620 from moving back through the trailing wall 614 and / or the second guide 632 and into the first position , as described below . a membrane 640 may be coupled to the rod 620 ( e . g ., at a fixed point 642 ) and the housing 610 . as shown , the membrane 640 may be coupled to and extend ( e . g ., radially ) between the rod 620 and the outer wall 612 . the membrane 640 may be made of paper , plastic , fiber , or the like . the membrane 640 may be more flexible than the housing 610 . fluid ( e . g ., air ) may be unable to flow through the membrane 640 . in operation , the apparatus 600 may be inserted into the channel ( e . g ., channel 102 , 404 ) of the filter ( e . g ., filter 108 , 406 ). fluid ( e . g ., air ) may then flow through the filter in a direction 602 from the facing side to the trailing side . the rod 620 may be in the first position , as shown in fig6 a , when the filter is considered clean . over time , as the filter becomes increasingly dirty / clogged with particles , the fluid flow through the filter becomes increasingly more impeded . this increases the pressure drop across the filter , as shown in fig5 . fig6 b is a side view of the apparatus 600 in a second state . when the pressure drop exceeds a predetermined amount , the membrane 640 may move ( e . g ., expand or inflate ) in the direction of the fluid flow 602 , as shown in fig6 b . more particularly , the pressure drop may exert a force on the membrane 640 , causing the membrane 640 to move ( e . g ., expand or inflate ) in the direction of the fluid flow 602 . in at least one implementation , the membrane 640 may stretch when expanding / inflating . in another implementation , the membrane 640 may not stretch when expanding / inflating ( e . g ., like a sail ). as used herein , “ stretch ” refers to elongating or extending . the movement of the membrane 640 may move ( e . g ., pull ) the rod 620 in the direction of the fluid flow 602 into a second position , as shown in fig6 b . in at least one implementation , the rod 620 may be configured to reciprocate through the open ended channel from the facing side of the filter to the trailing side of the filter responsive to a fluid flow pressure that is indicative of a predetermined reduction in a fluid flow through the filter . the rod 620 being in the second position may indicate that the filter is dirty / clogged and should be cleaned or replaced . the retainer 622 may be on a second side of the trailing wall 614 when the rod 620 is in the second position . the retainer 622 may secure the rod 620 in the second position . more particularly , after the retainer 622 passes through the trailing wall 614 and / or guide 632 in the direction 602 , the retainer 622 may not pass back through the trailing wall 614 and / or the guide 632 in the opposing direction . the various implementations and examples shown above illustrate a method and system for monitoring fluid flow through a filter . a user of the present method and system may choose any of the above implementations , or an equivalent thereof , depending upon the desired application . in this regard , it is recognized that various forms of the subject filter monitoring method and system could be utilized without departing from the intent of the present implementation . as is evident from the foregoing description , certain aspects of the present implementation are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein , and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications , or equivalents thereof , will occur to those skilled in the art . it is accordingly intended that the claims shall cover all such modifications and applications that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present implementation . accordingly , the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense . certain systems , apparatus , applications or processes are described herein as including a number of modules . a module may be a unit of distinct functionality that may be presented in software , hardware , or combinations thereof . when the functionality of a module is performed in any part through software , the module includes a computer - readable medium . the modules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled . the inventive subject matter may be represented in a variety of different implementations of which there are many possible permutations . the methods described herein do not have to be executed in the order described , or in any particular order . moreover , various activities described with respect to the methods identified herein can be executed in serial or parallel fashion . in the foregoing detailed description , it can be seen that various features are grouped together in a single implementation for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure . this method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed implementations require more features than are expressly recited in each claim . rather , as the following claims reflect , inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a single disclosed implementation . thus , the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description , with each claim standing on its own as a separate implementation . the various filter monitoring examples shown above illustrate a novel apparatus and method . a user of the present technology may choose any of the above implementations , or an equivalent thereof , depending upon the desired application . in this regard , it is recognized that various forms of the subject filter could be utilized without departing from the scope of the present technology as disclosed . as is evident from the foregoing description , certain aspects of the present technology as disclosed are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein , and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications , or equivalents thereof , will occur to those skilled in the art . it is accordingly intended that the claims shall cover all such modifications and applications that do not depart from the scope of the present technology as disclosed . other aspects , objects and advantages of the present technology can be obtained from a study of the drawings , the disclosure and the appended claims . | 6 |
fig1 is a side view in partial section of outdoor lighting apparatus 10 of the present invention . fig1 a is an enlarged view in partial section taken generally from circle 1 a of fig1 and fig2 is an exploded view of the apparatus 10 of fig1 . for the following discussion , reference will be made to fig1 a , and 2 . in fig1 the outdoor lighting apparatus 10 is shown disposed partially in the ground and partially disposed on and above ground level 2 . the outdoor lighting apparatus 10 includes a ground post 12 , a fixture 20 , an upper post or lens diffuser 30 , and a cylindrical outer post or housing 40 . the ground post 12 is preferably of circular configuration and made of nonconductive material , such as pvc . pvc has advantages in that it is not only nonconductive , but is also virtually impervious to deterioration by weather , sun , etc . the ground post 12 includes a top rim 14 which is disposed a relatively short distance above the surface 2 of the soil or ground 4 . the post 12 also includes a bottom rim 16 . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the bottom rim 16 comprises a slant cut . however , this slant cut is an optional feature and the bottom rim may be generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ground post , if desired . the top rim 14 is preferably generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ground post 12 . the fixture 20 is disposed on the top rim 14 . the fixture 20 includes a base 22 with a radially outwardly extending flange 24 . the flange 24 extends radially outwardly from the base and is disposed on the rim 14 . the outer diameter of the flange 24 is preferably about the same as the outer diameter of the post 12 and the diffuser 30 . extending upwardly from the base 22 is a lamp 26 . the lamp 26 is illustrated as a flourescent fixture , and is well known and understood in the art . a fluorescent fixture has advantages , such as low power consumption for the amount of light output . however , an incandescent bulb , or any other type of lamp may also be used . extending from the base 22 are electrical conductors 28 . extending upwardly from the base and disposed on the flange 24 , is the upper post or lens diffuser 30 . the upper post or lens diffuser 30 includes a lower rim 32 which is disposed on the flange 24 . the upper post or lens diffuser 30 may include a slanted upper rim 34 , as illustrated . secured to the slanted upper rim 34 is a lens cover 50 . if the diffuser 30 is located entirely within the outer housing 40 , the diffuser need only be reflective is , however , the diffuser 30 will be seen through the outer housing 40 , as illustrated and discussed below for fig5 a , 5 b , 5 c , 5 d , and 5 e , and fig6 a , 6 b , 6 c , and 6 d , then the diffuser is preferably translucent . disposed about the post or lens diffuser 30 is an outer post or housing 40 . the outer post or housing 40 includes a bottom rim 42 which is disposed on the surface or ground level 2 . the housing 40 also includes a slanted upper rim 44 which is aligned with the slanted upper rim 34 of the upper post or lens diffuser 30 . the outer post or housing 40 may be appropriately secured to the ground post 12 by appropriate fasteners , such as screws ( not shown ). the outer post 40 may also be appropriately secured to the upper post or lens diffuser by similar , appropriate , fastening elements ( not shown ). the lens and cover 50 may also be appropriately secured to the upper post or lens diffuser 30 and to the outer post housing 40 by appropriate fastening elements or means . the outer post or housing 40 is also preferably made out of a nonconductive material , such as pvc , for the same reasons as discussed above for the ground post 12 . the upper post or lens diffuser 30 and the lens cover 50 are preferably made of polycarbonate , or the like , to provide for the desired properties or qualities with respect to the lamp 26 and also for strength purposes . the angles of the slant cuts on the upper post or lens diffuser 30 in the outer post or housing 40 may be as desired with respect to the direction of the light propagation . the configuration of the lens 50 is also in accordance with the desired direction of the light propagation . thus , if desired , the slant cut may be essentially zero , or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the respective posts , if it is desired to direct the light substantially upwardly , and perhaps outwardly . in such case , the lens 50 may have a concave outer configuration to diffuse the light both upwardly and outwardly . a pair of conduits 60 and 64 are shown in fig1 in the ground 2 and extending upwardly into the bore of the post 12 . electrical supply conductors 62 and 66 extend from the conduits to connect with fixture electrical conductors 28 . fig3 is a view in partial section of an optional weed guard or stabilizer 80 illustrated as disposed about the ground post 12 . the surface of the ground 2 is indicated in fig3 . the weed guard or stabilizer 80 includes a base 82 . the base 82 may include apertures , such as an aperture 84 , for receiving a peg or anchor for securing the weed guard and stabilizer 80 to the ground . in the alternative , the base may be appropriately secured directly to the post 12 . a boss 86 extends upwardly from the base 82 . the boss 86 includes a top rim 88 . a bore 90 extends through both the base 82 and the boss 86 . the ground post 12 extends through the bore 90 . if the apparatus 80 is secured to the post 12 , typically a screw will extend through the boss 86 into the post . in usage , the rim 88 receives the outer post or housing 40 ( see fig1 and 2 ) rather than having the bottom of the outer post or housing 40 disposed on the surface 2 of the ground 4 , as illustrated in fig1 . the purpose of the weed guard or stabilizer 80 is simply to provide extra stability and protection for the apparatus 10 . the weed guard and stabilizer 80 thus prevents a lawn mower , etc ., from directly bumping or hitting the apparatus 10 and provides an extra degree of protection and stability for the apparatus 10 . an alternate embodiment of the apparatus 10 is illustrated in fig4 . fig4 is a view , partially broken away , of a flush mount apparatus 100 . the flush mount apparatus 100 includes a base 102 with a generally flat bottom 104 adapted to be disposed on the surface 2 of the ground or on any appropriate relatively flat surface , such as a deck , etc . extending through the base is shown a pair of apertures 106 . the apertures are shown in dash / dot line . the apertures receive appropriate pegs , or anchor pins , or the like , for securing the apparatus 100 to the surface on which it is disposed . extending upwardly from the base 102 is a relatively short boss 108 . extending upwardly from the boss 108 is a post 110 . the post 110 terminates in a top rim 112 . extending through the base 102 , the boss 108 , and the post 110 is a bore 114 . the bore 114 receives the conductors , and perhaps the upper portion of the conduits , such as illustrated in fig1 . the top rim 112 receives the flange 24 of the fixture 20 , as shown in fig1 . the diffuser is then disposed on the top of the flange 24 , as indicated above and as illustrated in fig1 and 2 . the outer diameter of the boss 108 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the outer post or housing 40 , and accordingly the outer post housing 40 is disposed on a top surface 109 of the boss 108 . for convenience of illustration , a portion of the flush mount apparatus 100 is shown cut away and the cut away portion is cross hatched for plastic material . thus , the apparatus 100 is , like the apparatus 100 , the apparatus 80 , etc ., preferably made out of pvc , or the like , so as to be resistant to damage by ultraviolet radiation from the sun , and relatively impervious to water damage , as well as being nonconductive . fig5 a , 5 b , 5 c , 5 d , and 5 e comprise alternate embodiments of the outer post or housing 40 of fig1 and 2 . they illustrate different lighting effects which may be achieved by varying the configuration of the outer post 40 . these figures may be contrasted with the apparatus 10 of fig1 and 2 . note that only the above ground portions of the respective lighting apparatuses are shown in fig5 a - 5e and also in fig6 a - 6d . in fig5 a , an outer post 130 is shown disposed about the lower portion of a diffuser 132 . the diffuser 132 is translucent . the diffuser 132 includes a slanted top rim which receives a lens , as discussed above in fig1 and 2 . it will be noted that all of the embodiments of fig5 a - 5e include slanted top rims . in fig5 b , an outer post is shown divided into two portions , a lower portion 140 and an upper portion 142 . the two portions 140 and 142 are spaced apart so that a portion of a translucent diffuser 144 is exposed between them . in fig5 c , the outer post is divided into a lower portion 150 and an upper portion 158 . between the top portion 150 and 158 are three spaced apart ring segments 152 , 154 , and 156 . a translucent diffuser 160 allows light to shine outwardly from between the respective outer portions . in fig5 d , an outer post 170 includes a slant cut rim 172 , with a diffuser 174 extending upwardly from the outer post 170 . the diffuser 174 includes a slat cut rim 176 at which is located a lens . in fig5 e , a longer outer post 180 is shown , again with a slant cut rim 182 , as compared with the outer post 170 of fig5 d . thus , a relatively shorter length of translucent diffuser 184 is exposed . the diffuser 184 also includes a slant cut upper rim 186 , as does the diffuser 174 . while the outdoor light fixtures of fig1 , and 5 a - 5 e are shown with slant cut upper rims , the light fixtures of fig6 a - 6d illustrate flat topped appearing fixtures but with different configurations of outer posts to produce different visual effects . fig6 a shows a relatively short outer post 200 with a rim 202 which is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the post 200 . a diffuser 204 extends upwardly from the post 200 and terminates in a rim 206 which is also perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the post 200 and the diffuser 204 . a lens ( not shown ) is disposed on the diffuser generally perpendicular to the noted longitudinal axis . in fig6 b , an outer post is divided into two spaced apart portions 210 and 214 , with a diffuser 218 showing between the two portions . the rims of the outer post portions are square cut , or generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the cylinder portions 210 and 214 and the diffuser 218 . the rims include rim 212 on the lower cylinder 210 and a top rim 216 and a bottom rim 217 on the upper cylinder portion 214 . the three rims are thus parallel to each other . in fig6 c , an outer post is divided into two major portions , spaced apart from each other , with three rings disposed between the two major portions . the rings are also spaced apart from each other and from their respective adjacent major portions . a lower major outer post portion 230 includes a square cut upper rim 232 . an upper major outer post 234 includes a square cut upper rim 236 and a square cut lower rim 238 . a translucent diffuser 240 is shown between the rims 232 and 238 , spaced apart from each other and the rims 232 and 238 are three rings 242 , 244 , and 246 . the rings 242 , 244 , and 246 are also oriented “ squarely ” or generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axes of the respective post portions 230 and 234 and of the diffuser 240 . in fig6 d , an outer post 250 includes a slant cut rim 252 . the maximum height of the outer post 250 is less than the height of a diffuser 254 . the diffuser 254 includes a “ square ” rim 256 . the effect of the two different geometric angles is different from any of the other illustrated embodiments . while the drawing figures show circular cylindrical posts and diffusers , it is obvious that other configurations may also be used . square , rectangular , triangular , and other shapes may provide different lighting effects . moreover , while pvc has been described as a preferred material for the post elements , other materials may also be used , such as aluminum , other plastics , etc . while the principles of the invention have been made clear in illustrative embodiments , there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure , arrangement , proportions , the elements , materials , and components used in the practice of the invention , and otherwise , which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from those principles . the appended claims are intended to cover and embrace any and all such modifications , within the limits only of the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 5 |
the detailed description and examples will illustrate specific embodiments of the invention will enable one skilled in the art to practice the invention , including the best mode . it is contemplated that many equivalent embodiments of the invention will be operable besides these specifically disclosed . all units are in the metric system and all percentages are percentages by weight unless otherwise specified . although other fatty acid esters are useful in formulating the corrosion inhibiting compositions , preferably the fatty acid ester is a sorbitan ester of a saturated fatty acid having from 16 to 18 carbon atoms . most preferably , the sorbitan fatty acid ester is selected from the group consisting of sorbitan monostearate , sorbitan monopalmitate , sorbitan monooleate , sorbitan sesquioleate , and mixtures thereof . examples of suitable sorbitan fatty acid esters are sold under the following trademarks : span 60 and arlacel 60 ( sorbitan monostearate ), span 40 and arlacel 40 ( sorbitan monopalmitate ), span 80 and arlacel 80 ( sorbitan monooleate ), and arlacel c and arlacel 83 ( sorbitan sesquioleate ). particularly useful as the polyalkylene glycol in formulating the corrosion inhibiting composition are polyethylene glycol , polypropylene glycol , and mixtures thereof , most preferably polyethylene glycol . the polyethylene glycols that are useful in formulating the corrosion inhibiting compositions are prepared according to well known methods , and have an average molecular weight of 200 to 1000 , more preferably from about 300 to 600 , most preferably about 400 . examples of commercially available polyethylene glycols include the carbowax sentry line of polyethylene glycols from dow chemical . the weight ratio of the fatty ester to polyalkylene glycol is typically from about 1 : 1 to 10 : 1 , preferably from about 2 : 1 to about 5 : 1 more preferably about 5 : 1 . the dosage of the corrosion inhibiting composition typically ranges from about 1 ppm to about 200 ppm , preferably from 1 ppm to 60 ppm . in steam and steam condensate treatment we will use 1 to 3 ppm . based upon the amount of active components ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) in the corrosion inhibiting composition . the compositions may contain one or more optional components , for instance thickeners and preservatives . peg polyethylene glycol sold under the trade name carbowax sentry polyethylene glycol nf by dow chemical sme sorbitan monoester of stearic acid , sold by ici under the trade name span 60 . pag - sme oxyethylene adduct of sme prepared by reacting about 20 moles of ethylene oxide with sme , sold under the trade name tween 60 , which is used in the corrosion inhibiting compositions of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 849 , 220 . while the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment , those skilled in the art will understand that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . in this application all units are in the metric system and all amounts and percentages are by weight , unless otherwise expressly indicated . these examples compare sme alone and peg alone to a mixture of sme and peg at a weight ratio of 5 to 1 . the results are summarized in table i . these examples illustrate the synergistic effect of using a mixture of sme and peg rather than sme or peg alone . these examples compare a mixture of sme and peg to a mixture of sme and pag - sme , which is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 849 , 220 . these examples indicate that the mixture of sme and peg at a 5 : 1 ratio is more effective than the mixture of sme and pag - sme at the same dosage in reducing corrosion . these examples illustrate the effectiveness of a mixture of sme and peg at different ratios of sme to peg . examples 3 - 4 illustrate the effect of using different ratios of sme to peg . the data indicate that the ratio of about 5 : 1 performs the best . the foaming properties of the corrosion inhibiting compositions were also evaluated by a modified “ ross - miles foam test ”. this compares the foaming tendencies of different products or surfactants in water at various temperatures . the method was used to demonstrate / evaluate foaming tendency of products / treatment dosages . 1 . 500 ml . of water ( the water should be representative of the system 1 ) was added to a 1000 ml . graduated cylinder having a cylinder diameter 65 mm . then 18 . 0 ppm ortho phosphate is added to the cylinder as a buffer . the resulting ph was about 10 . 3 and the test was carried out at a temperature of 66 ° c .- 67 ° c . 1 experimental boiler water treated with caustic and sodium phosphate . 2 . the recommended treatment dosage was added to 500 ml . of the water sample from step # 1 to measure foaming tendency . 3 . then cylinder with contents is shaken vertically at the specified temperature ten times ( the times shaken equals the number of cycles ). after the tenth time , the initial foam height ( t = 0 ) is recorded in ml then the foam level at t = 5 minutes and t = 30 minutes is recorded . whether the foam broke in less than a five minute interval is also noted . in these examples , the foaming properties of a mixture of sme and peg was compared to a mixture of sme and pag - sme as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 849 , 220 . the test conditions and results of the foaming test are summarized in table iv . the foam was measured after 10 cycles . the test results indicate that the composition containing the mixture of sme and peg produced less foam than the prior art composition . this is significant because it is anticipated that , in many systems , small quantities of the corrosion inhibiting composition will return to the boiler with the steam condensate . if it induces foaming , the foam will carry boiler water with its attendant dissolved solids through the steam - water separation equipment typically in the boiler drum . these impurities in the steam typically deposit in downstream equipment and cause damage such as unbalanced turbines , blocked valves and the like as well as corrosion . consequently , minimal foaming tendency is desired . | 2 |
a keeper for coiled items in accordance with the present invention comprises an elongated strap 2 of flexible material having a plurality of fibrous loop elements 4 throughout one surface 6 of the strap 2 and a plurality of fibrous hook elements 8 throughout the opposite surface 10 of the strap 2 . the coil keeper in accordance with this invention may be used with any item that is gathered up into a coil or bundle when not in use , such as an electrical cord , a garden hose or the like . the construction may be the same for all , differing only in size . for purposes of description , reference in this specification will be made to use of the coil keeper with an electrical cord 12 . the coil keeper in accordance with this invention is secured to the electrical cord 12 by a two part interlock 14 comprising a longitudinally extending slot 16 and a laterally extending opposed pair of notches 18 and 20 extending inwardly from opposite side edges 22 and 24 of the strap 2 at a pre - determined spaced apart distance from the intermediate point 26 of the longitudinally extending slot 16 . such pre - determined spaced apart distance is substantially equal to the outer circumference of the electrical cord 12 which is to be received within a loop 28 to be formed in the strap 2 between the longitudinal slot 16 and the laterally extending notches 18 and 20 . when the loop 28 is formed , it fits snugly against and around the electrical cord 12 to keep the strap 2 secured thereto when the cord 12 is uncoiled and in use . the longitudinally extending slot 16 has a longitudinal dimension somewhat greater than the cross - sectional dimension of the strap 2 . a pair of relatively short laterally extending opposed slots 30 and 32 extend outwardly from longitudinal slot 16 at its intermediate point 26 for the respective opposed notches 18 and 20 to intermesh with when loop 28 is formed . when the opposed notches 18 and 20 are intermeshed with the opposed laterally extending slots 30 and 32 , the loop 28 is locked in place and can be neither loosened nor tightened until the strap 2 is twisted in such a way as to release the opposed notches 18 and 20 from the opposed laterally extending slots 30 and 32 . after use of the electrical cord 12 has been completed , it is rolled into a coil 34 as shown in fig5 partially in section , and the strap 2 is wrapped around the coil . the free end 36 of the strap 2 is brought far enough around to overlap a portion of the opposite end region 38 of the strap 2 . at such time , one of the surfaces 6 having the loops 4 or 10 having the hooks 8 of the overlapped free end portion 36 is facing the opposite surface of strap 2 of the overlapped portion of the opposite end region 38 . thus , as shown in fig5 when strap 2 is wrapped around the coil 34 with surface 6 having fibrous loops 4 facing outwardly , the overlapping portion of free end 36 has surface 10 with fibrous hooks 8 facing inwardly to releasably interconnect with fibrous loops 4 on surface 6 which are facing outwardly along the overlapped portion of opposite end region 38 . the fibrous loops 4 and hooks 8 releasably interconnect when pressed into contact with each other to hold the opposite end regions of strap 2 together . when free end 36 of strap 2 is pulled away from the overlapped portion of opposite end region 38 , the fibrous loops 4 and hooks 8 release , thereby opening the large loop 40 formed by strap 2 which extends laterally around the gathered loops 42 of the electrical cord 12 that make up the coil 34 . the electrical cord 12 can then be uncoiled for use . when electrical cord 12 is uncoiled for use , the strap 2 remains attached to electrical cord 12 by means of the interlocked loop 28 . it is thereby available on the electrical cord 12 for use in forming the releasably interconnected large loop 40 to extend around the gathered loops 42 when cord 12 is coiled up for storage and to hold such coil 34 together until the electrical cord 12 is again put in use . as stated above , the coil keeper in accordance with this invention can be used with any item that is rolled up into a coil when not in use and uncoiled when put to use . the strap 2 may be any desired length . the interlockable loop 28 may be any desired size to fit snugly around whatever item the coil keeper is to be used with , by appropriate spacing of the notches 18 and 20 from the intermediate point 26 at which lateral slots 30 and 32 intersect longitudinal slot 16 . the strap 2 may have more than one pair of notches 18 and 20 , each pair spaced at different distances from the intermediate point 26 at which lateral slots 30 and 32 intersect longitudinal slot 16 . fig6 illustrates a modification of that kind , in which strap 2 has a first pair of opposed notches 18 and 20 spaced apart a first predetermined distance from intermediate point 26 , and a second pair of opposed notches 180 and 200 spaced apart a second and farther predetermined distance from intermediate point 26 to fit snugly around a larger diameter item when interlockable loop 28 is formed by intermeshing opposed notches 180 and 200 in lateral slots 30 and 32 . another modified form of the keeper in accordance with this invention is shown in fig7 . the strap 2 has fibrous loops 4 on and extending throughout its surface 6 from its end 36 to its opposite end 38 , and fibrous hooks 8 on and extending throughout its opposite surface 10 from its end 36 to its opposite end 38 . the fibrous loops 4 are releasably interconnectable with fibrous hooks 8 when brought into facing relationship and pressed together . by providing such loops 4 and hooks 8 throughout the entire length of the strap 2 on opposite sides from end to end , the strap 2 can be twisted at any intermediate portion to bring loops 4 on surface 6 into facing relationship with hooks 8 on surface 10 to form a small loop 28 having a peripheral circumference corresponding to that of an electrical cord 12 or other item such as a garden hose and the like , to hold the strap snugly in place thereon . the elongated portions of strap 2 which extend outwardly from the twisted portion that forms the small loop 28 can then be brought around to form a larger loop 40 to laterally surround the gathered loops of a coil of electrical cord 12 or other coiled item . the end 38 of strap 2 is brought around to overlap a portion of strap 2 which extends inwardly from its end 36 . at such time as shown in fig7 surface 6 having loops 4 extending inwardly from end 36 is in facing relationship with surface 10 having hooks 8 on the overlapping portion of strap 2 which extends inwardly thereof from end 38 . the overlapped portions are pressed together whereby the hooks 8 and loops 4 releasably interconnect to hold the large loop in place to keep a coil of electrical cord or other item together in the coil until it is desired to release . when the large loop 40 is released by separating the overlapped portions extending inwardly from ends 36 and 38 of the strap 2 , the small loop 28 remains intact to retain the strap 2 on a portion of the electrical cord or other item until it is desired to use again to form large loop 40 to keep the electrical cord together in a coil . | 8 |
embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 to 3 show changes of a pattern in case where a minute step exists in the vicinity of a pattern corner portion . fig4 to 6 show changes of a pattern in case where no minute step exists in the vicinity of the pattern corner portion . fig1 to 3 show examples in which no minute step exist in the vicinity of the pattern corner portion , fig1 shows a finished pattern shape 12 on a wafer to a design pattern 11 , fig2 shows a mask pattern shape 13 after opc and fig3 shows a finished pattern shape 14 on the wafer after opc . fig4 to 6 show examples in which a minute step exists in the vicinity of the pattern corner portion and fig4 shows the finished pattern shape 12 on the wafer to the design pattern 11 , fig5 shows a mask pattern shape 13 after opc and fig6 shows a finished pattern shape 14 on the wafer after opc . because if no minute step exists as shown in fig1 to 3 , edge division can be implemented to a predetermined position with the corner portion as a starting point , the finished planar shape of the corner portion on the wafer can be finished as desired . to the contrary , if a minute step exists in the vicinity of the corner portion , as shown in fig4 to 6 , the minute step is regarded identical to the corner portion under a conventional method . therefore , the edge cannot be divided at a predetermined position due to the existence of the minute step . as a result , no predetermined shape can be obtained on the wafer , thereby reducing yield rate of the device and mask production . then , according to this embodiment , a design rule is formed so as to exclude such a minute step at the design stage as described below . that is , explaining with reference to a flow chart shown in fig7 , 1 . extracting a corner portion ( vertex ) of a design pattern ( step s 11 ) 2 . extracting an edge extended from the extracted corner portion ( step s 12 ) 3 . measuring the length of the extracted edge ( step s 13 ) 4 . determining the length of the measured edge ( step s 14 ) 5 . if it is determined that the length of the measured edge is shorter than a predetermined value ( when it is determined that it is a minute step ), that is , if the determination result is yes , it is recognized that the design rule is violated ( step s 14 ) and error is outputted . here , the predetermined value mentioned here is less than a minimum value which limits the design pattern . then , by reshaping the pattern of a portion which is determined to be an error , the minute step of the design pattern is excluded ( step s 15 ). next , whether or not all corner portions are extracted is determined ( step s 16 ) and if the result is yes , this procedure is finished . if the determination result is no , the procedure returns to step s 11 for extracting the corner portion of the design pattern . if the determination result is no in step s 14 for determining the length of the extracted edge , whether or not all the corner portions are extracted is determined ( step s 17 ) and if the determination result is yes , this procedure is finished . if the determination result is no , the procedure returns to step s 11 for extracting the corner portion of the design pattern . in the above - described steps , the design pattern is corrected . then , process proximity effect correction is carried out on the design pattern corrected in such a way and a mask is manufactured with the design pattern which has undergone the process proximity effect correction . next , a second embodiment of the invention in which edge division is carried out without affecting the edge division even if a minute step exists in a design pattern will be described with reference to a flow chart of fig8 . 1 - 4 . step s 21 to step s 24 which are the same as step s 11 to step s 14 of the first embodiment are carried out . 5 . if it is determined that the length of the edge is shorter than a predetermined value in step s 24 ( when it is determined to be a minute step ), that is , the determination result is yes , the extracted corner portion ( vertex constituting the minute step ) is not adopted as an edge division start point ( step s 25 ). 6 . if the determination result is no in step s 24 , the extracted corner portion is adopted as an edge division start point ( step s 27 ). 7 . a correction value is allocated for each division unit of the edge and resize is made corresponding to the correction value ( step s 28 ). next , whether or not all corner portions are extracted is determined ( step s 29 ) and if the result is yes , this procedure is finished . if the determination result is no , the procedure returns to step s 21 for extracting the corner portion of the design pattern . if the determination result is yes in step s 24 for determining the length of the extracted edge and the extracted corner portion is not adopted as an edge division start point ( step s 25 ), whether or not all the corner portions are extracted is determined ( step s 26 ) and if the determination result is yes , this procedure is finished . if the determination result is no , the procedure returns to step s 21 for extracting the corner portion of the design pattern . in the above - described steps , the process proximity effect correction is carried out to the design pattern . then , a mask is manufactured with the design pattern which has undergone process proximity effect correction . next , a method for forming a new design pattern by excluding a minute step existing in a design pattern will be described with reference to a flow chart of fig9 . according to this method , following steps are executed . 1 . extracting a corner portion of a design pattern ( step s 31 ) 2 . extracting an edge extended from the extracted corner portion ( step s 32 ) 3 . measuring the length of the extracted edge ( step s 33 ) 4 . determining the length of the extracted edge ( step s 34 ) 5 . if it is determined that the length of the edge is short ( when determined to be a minute step ), coordinates of two vertexes constituting those edges are extracted ( step s 35 ). 6 . the design pattern is reshaped such that the coordinates of the extracted two vertexes coincide each other ( step s 36 ). next , whether or not all corner portions are extracted is determined ( step s 37 ) and if the result is yes , this procedure is finished . if the determination result is no , the procedure returns to step s 31 for extracting the corner portion of the design pattern . if the determination result is no in step s 34 for determining the length of the extracted edge , whether or not all the corner portions are extracted is determined ( step s 38 ) and if the determination result is yes , this procedure is finished . if the determination result is no , the procedure returns to step s 31 for extracting the corner portion of the design pattern . in the above - described steps , a design pattern excluding the minute step is formed . then , the process proximity effect correction is carried out to the formed design pattern and a mask is manufactured using the design pattern which has undergone the process proximity effect correction . fig1 shows a design pattern formed according to a conventional method , namely , a design pattern before the correction of this embodiment is carried out , and fig1 shows an example of the design pattern formed by correction according to this embodiment . fig1 shows the above - mentioned corrected flow chart . as for the design pattern of fig1 , a corner portion q of a pattern 31 is extracted ( step 41 ), and two edges qp and qr extended from the corner portion q are extracted ( step 42 ). the lengths of the two extracted edges qp and qr are measured ( step 43 ). if the lengths of both the qp and qr are a predetermined value or less , it is determined that this portion is a minute step ( step 44 ). two vertex coordinates p and q constituting the edge qp are extracted ( step 45 ), and the design pattern is reshaped such that these coordinates coincide each other ( step 46 ). likewise , two vertex coordinates q and r which constitute the edge qr are extracted ( step 47 ), and the design pattern is reshaped such that these coordinates coincide each other ( step 48 ). the vertex p coinciding with the vertex q and the vertex r coinciding with the vertex q means the vertex p coinciding with the vertex r . therefore , by extending a line other than qp including the vertex p while extending a line other than qr including the vertex r , the two vertexes p , r are matched with a vertex s as shown in fig1 . a hatched area 32 in fig1 obtained in this way is a pattern added portion . that is , according to this embodiment , a pattern having no step can be formed by adding the hatched area 32 as shown in fig1 . fig1 shows a design pattern to be formed according to the conventional method , namely , a design pattern before the correction based on this embodiment . fig1 shows an example of the design pattern to be formed by correction according to this embodiment . fig1 shows a flow chart of the correction . as for the design pattern of fig1 , a corner portion q of a pattern 41 is extracted ( step 51 ), and two edges qp and qr extended from the corner portion q are extracted ( step 52 ). the lengths of the two extracted edges qp and qr are measured ( step 53 ). if the lengths of both the qp and qr are a predetermined value or less , it is determined that this portion is a minute step ( step 54 ). two vertex coordinates p and q constituting the edge qp are extracted ( step 55 ), and the design pattern is reshaped such that these coordinates coincide each other ( step 56 ). likewise , two vertex coordinates q and r which constitute the edge qr are extracted ( step 57 ), and the design pattern is reshaped such that these coordinates coincide each other ( step 58 ). the vertex p coinciding with the vertex q and the vertex r coinciding with the vertex q means the vertex p coinciding with the vertex r . therefore , by extending a line other than qp including the vertex p while extending a line other than qr including the vertex r , the two vertexes p , r are matched with a vertex s as shown in fig1 . a deleted area 43 in fig1 obtained in this way is a pattern deleted portion . that is , according to this embodiment , a pattern having no step can be formed , by deleting the blank area 43 as shown in fig1 . fig1 shows a design pattern formed according to the conventional method , namely , a design pattern before correction based on this embodiment . fig1 shows an example of the design pattern formed by correction according to this embodiment . fig1 shows a flow chart of the correction . as for the design pattern of fig1 , a corner portion q of a pattern 51 is extracted ( step 61 ), and two edges qp and qr extended from the corner portion q are extracted ( step 62 ). the lengths of the two extracted edges qp and qr are measured ( step 63 ). if the lengths of both the qp and qr are a predetermined value or less , it is determined that this portion is a minute step ( step 64 ). two vertex coordinates p , q constituting the edge qp are extracted ( step 65 ), and the design pattern is reshaped such that these coordinates coincide each other ( step 66 ). likewise , two vertex coordinates q , r which constitute the edge qr are extracted ( step 67 ), and the design pattern is reshaped such that these coordinates coincide each other ( step 68 ). the vertex p coinciding with the vertex q and the vertex r coinciding with the vertex q means the vertex p coinciding with the vertex r . therefore , by extending a line other than qp including the vertex p while extending a line other than qr including the vertex r , the two vertexes p , r are matched with a vertex s as shown in fig1 . a blank area 53 in fig1 obtained in this way is a pattern deleted portion . that is , according to this embodiment , a pattern having no step can be formed , by deleting the blank area 53 as shown in fig1 . fig1 shows a design pattern formed according to the conventional method , namely , a design pattern before correction based on this embodiment . fig2 shows an example of the design pattern formed by correction according to this embodiment . fig2 shows a flow chart of the correction . as for the design pattern of fig1 , corner portions p and q of a pattern 61 is extracted ( step 71 ), and an edge pq extended from the corner portions p and q is extracted ( step 72 ). the length of the extracted edge pq is measured ( step 73 ). if the length of the pq is a predetermined value or less , it is determined that this portion is a minute step ( step 74 ). two vertex coordinates p and q constituting the edge pq are extracted ( step 75 ), and the design pattern is reshaped such that these coordinates coincide each other ( step 76 ). that is , by extending a line including the vertex p while extending a line including the vertex q , the two vertexes p , q are matched with a vertex s as shown in fig2 . a hatched area 62 in fig2 obtained in this way is a pattern added portion . according to this embodiment , a pattern having no step can be formed by adding the hatched area 62 as shown in fig2 . according to the embodiments , by detecting the length of an edge forming the corner portion to a design pattern possessing the minute step , the minute step can be extracted . by correcting the design pattern based on the extracted minute step , deterioration of correction accuracy at the corner portion can be prevented , thereby making it possible to form a highly accurate pattern . if a plurality minute steps are disposed continuously as shown in fig2 , the minute steps having an edge length less than a predetermined value can be deleted by executing the processing described above plural times . fig2 shows an original design pattern and fig2 shows a design pattern after the processing indicated by the above embodiments is executed a single time . by applying the above - described processing to the design pattern shown in fig2 again , the minute steps can be deleted . fig2 shows the design pattern after the second processing is carried out . by executing the processing indicated by the embodiments plural times , the minute pattern formed with edges less than the predetermined value can be deleted from the design pattern , so that a highly accurate pattern in which deterioration of the correction accuracy at the corner portion can be formed . next , a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to fig2 - 31 . here , a method of manufacturing a mos ( metal oxide semiconductor ) transistor as an example of semiconductor devices , by using a photo mask provided by the above - described embodiments , will be explained . as shown in fig2 , a gate insulating film 72 is formed on a silicon semiconductor substrate 71 by using a thermal oxidation method , a polysilicon film 73 is formed on the gate insulating film 72 by cvd ( chemical vapor deposition ) method . after that , the polysilicon film 73 and the gate insulating film 72 are subjected to patterning to form a gate structure comprised of the polysilicon film 73 and the gate insulating film 72 . to form this gate structure , a photo resist layer 74 is formed on the polysilicon film 73 , and then the photo resist layer 74 is patterning - processed by lithography to form a photo resist pattern . at this patterning of the photo resist layer 74 , use is made of a mask 75 manufactured by using a design pattern corrected by the design pattern process proximity effect correcting method as described in the second embodiment . to be specific , the mask 75 is mounted above the silicon semiconductor substrate 71 , and light beams are radiated onto the silicon semiconductor substrate 71 via the mask 75 from a light beam source , not shown , to transfer a pattern of the mask 75 to the photo resist layer 74 . subsequently , the transferred pattern is developed so that a photo resist pattern 74 corresponding to the pattern of the mask 75 is formed , as shown in fig2 . next , as shown in fig2 , the polysilicon film 73 and the gate insulating film 72 are patterning - processed to form the gate structure comprised of the polysilicon film 73 and the gate insulating film 72 , by using the photo resist pattern 74 as an etching mask . then , impurities are implanted into the silicon semiconductor substrate 71 to form source / drain regions 76 , by using the photo resist pattern 74 , the polysilicon film 73 ( polysilicon electrode ) and the gate insulating film 72 , as a mask . subsequently , the photo resist pattern 74 is removed by a known method . then , as shown in fig2 , an interlayer insulating film 77 is formed over the silicon semiconductor substrate 71 by cvd method . following this , openings are formed in the interlayer insulating film 77 for contact to the polysilicon electrode 73 and source / drain regions 76 . to form the openings , a photo resist layer 78 is formed on the interlayer insulating film 77 , and then the photo resist layer 78 is patterning - processed by lithography to form a photo resist pattern . at this patterning of the photo resist layer 78 , use is made of a mask 79 manufactured by using a design pattern corrected by the design pattern process proximity effect correcting method as described in the second embodiment . to be specific , the mask 79 is mounted above the silicon semiconductor substrate 71 , and light beams are radiated onto the silicon semiconductor substrate 71 via the mask 79 from a light beam source , not shown , to transfer a pattern of the mask 79 to the photo resist layer 78 . subsequently , the transferred pattern is developed so that a photo resist pattern 78 corresponding to the pattern of the mask 79 is formed , as shown in fig2 . next , as shown in fig3 , the interlayer insulating film 77 is patterning - processed to form the openings for contact to the polysilicon electrode 73 and source / drain regions 76 , by using the photo resist pattern 78 as an etching mask . subsequently , the photo resist pattern 78 is removed by a known method . then , as shown in fig3 , contact metals 80 are formed in the openings for contact to the polysilicon electrode 73 and source / drain regions 76 , and wiring metals 81 contacting the contact metals 50 are formed on the interlayer insulating film 77 by a known method . with the manufacturing method , since use is made in each of the patterning processes of a mask manufactured by using a design pattern corrected by the design pattern process proximity effect correcting method as described in the above described embodiments ( for example , the second example ), desired patterns are formed on the semiconductor wafer with high accuracy , resulting in providing a highly accurate semiconductor device . according to the embodiments of the present invention , it is possible to improve dimensional precision of a resist pattern formed in an exposure technique which forms a liquid film in a local region on a resist film . according to the embodiments of the present invention , the shape of the corner portion in which deterioration of the resolution remarkably appears can be finished as a desired pattern indicates . as a result , the yield of device manufacturing can be greatly improved . the minute steps disposed in the vicinity of the corner portion of the design pattern is an obstacle to forming a desired shape on the wafer for the process proximity effect correction , thereby inducing deterioration of the yield of the device . according to the embodiments of the present invention , by forming a pattern excluding the minute steps and carrying out the process proximity effect correction on the data , the planar shape on the wafer at the pattern corner portion can be finished into a desired pattern . in the meantime , the present invention is not restricted to the above - described respective embodiments but may be modified in various ways within a scope not departing from the gist of the invention . there have been described the design pattern forming method based on the new design rule as the first embodiment , the process proximity effect correcting method as the second embodiment , the design pattern correcting method for correcting the design pattern as the third embodiment , and the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as the fourth embodiment . the present invention can be applied to the mask pattern forming method for forming a pattern subjected to the process proximity effect correction for the design pattern formed by the first and third embodiments . further , the present invention can be applied to the mask manufacturing method for manufacturing a mask from the mask pattern formed according to the first to third embodiments . in addition , the design pattern correcting method and the design pattern process proximity effect correcting method described in the embodiments can be distributed by storing as a program which can be executed by a computer in a recording medium such as a magnetic disk ( such as floppy ( registered trademark ) disk or hard disk ), an optical disk ( such as a cd - rom or dvd ), an optical magnetic disk ( such as mo ), or a semiconductor memory . any types of recording mediums can be used as long as the program can be recorded in the recording mediums and executed by a computer . the program including a sequence of procedures can be distributed as recording mediums via a communication network such as lan or internet . any types of computers can be used as long as the computers can execute the above - described processing operations by reading the program recorded in a recording medium and controlling an operation in accordance with the program . additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art . therefore , the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein . accordingly , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
fig1 represents an automotive electrical system 20 including electrical system loads or supplies 21 , 22 , and 23 , generally illustrative of various electrical components such as a radio , vehicle lighting , electric motors , or a voltage regulator . since devices 21 - 23 are connected to the vehicle wiring harness through respective termination connectors 26 - 1 , 26 - 2 , and 26 - 3 , each device is referred to as a termination device . a wiring harness interconnects devices 21 - 23 and other devices ( not shown for clarity of the drawing ). the wiring harness includes a plurality of harness segments each comprised of a wire bundle , some of which are indicated at 28 . segments 28 are interconnected using expansion connectors 25 . termination connectors 26 interconnect the wiring harness with the termination devices of the electrical system . for example , a termination connector 26 - 1 interconnects termination device 21 with the wiring harness . the wiring harness further includes a junction block 27 which connects through expansion connectors to harness segments 28 and which connects directly to some termination devices as shown . segments 28 are shown as single lines although each contain a plurality of individual wires , some of which may leave the wire bundle at the several junction points . fig2 represents a portion of an automotive electrical system 29 including a wiring harness 30 and a dedicated test line 31 according to the present invention . dedicated test line 31 includes a first test point 32 connected to a first harness conductor 33 which enters wiring harness 30 and interconnects with an expansion connector 34 . dedicated test line 31 has corresponding connection pins mating in expansion connector 34 and continues with harness conductor 35 . a termination connector 36 receives conductor 35 and provides a feed - through of the dedicated test line 31 to a harness conductor 37 when the termination device at termination connector 36 is properly interconnected . harness conductor 37 feeds through another termination connector 38 only when its termination device is correctly interconnected . dedicated test line 31 continues in a similar manner through a harness conductor 40 , an expansion connector 41 , a harness conductor 42 , and a termination connector 43 . after feeding through termination connector 43 , dedicated test line 31 includes a harness conductor 44 extending to a second test point 45 . thus , there is a continuous electrical path from test point 32 to test point 45 only when each connector having dedicated test line 31 passing therethrough is properly interconnected . fig2 further includes test apparatus 46 for monitoring an electrical characteristic of dedicated test line 31 . for example , a signal source 47 is interconnected with first test point 32 through a connector or probe 48 . a signal indicator 50 is connected to second test point 45 through a connector or probe 51 . signal source 47 can be a dc voltage supply . thus , test apparatus 46 facilitates determination of electrical continuity between test point 32 and test point 45 . the failure of indicator 50 to show that a signal is received in response to the application of a signal by source 47 results in detection of an interconnection fault in the portion of wiring harness 30 containing dedicated test line 31 . preferably , the portion of wiring harness 30 which includes dedicated test line 31 corresponds to the portions of the electrical system which are considered critical to operation of the vehicle and failure of which would cause the vehicle to quit or operate in an unacceptable manner . fig3 illustrates the inclusion of a dedicated test line 55 into the electrical system of fig1 . thus , dedicated test line 55 may extend from a first test point 56 and through critical electrical system components , including expansion connector 25 - 6 , termination connector 26 - 1 , expansion connector 25 - 5 , expansion connector 25 - 4 , termination connector 26 - 3 , expansion connector 25 - 3 , termination connector 26 - 8 , expansion connector 25 - 2 , and expansion connector 25 - 1 , to a second test point 57 . fig4 shows one embodiment of a pin and socket expansion connector useful in the present invention . an expansion connector 60 includes a first end 61 and a second end 62 . first end 61 receives a test line harness conductor 63 which is connected to a terminal pin 64 . standard device lines 65 of the wiring harness are connected to terminal pins 66 . second end 62 is connected to a test line harness conductor 67 which is joined to a terminal socket 68 . device lines 70 are connected to terminal sockets 71 . insertion of expansion connector ends 61 and 62 results in interconnection of the corresponding pins and sockets . on full insertion , expansion connector ends 61 and 62 are interlocked by means of projections 72 and 73 on first end 61 being received by locking tabs 74 and 75 on second end 62 . fig5 shows a termination connector according to one embodiment of the present invention . a pin and socket termination connector 80 includes a first end 81 at the harness end of the connector and a second end 82 which is at the device end of the connector and which is integral with a termination device 83 . a harness conductor 84 provides a dedicated test line into termination connector 80 and is connected to a terminal pin 86 . a harness conductor 85 provides a dedicated test line out of termination connector 80 and is connected to a terminal pin 87 . device lines 88 from the wiring harness are connected to terminal pins 89 . a terminal socket 90 and a terminal socket 91 in second connector end 82 are joined by a termination conductor 92 for feeding through the dedicated test line between harness conductors 84 and 85 when termination conductor 80 is properly interconnected . upon full insertion of the harness end and the device end of termination connector 80 , the connector is locked by means of projections 94 and 95 on first connector end 81 and locking tabs 96 and 97 on second connector end 82 . fig6 shows a junction block 100 which may be included in the electrical system of the present invention . junction block 100 is comprised of an integral molded block including conductors and interconnection points 101 . junction block 100 also includes a plurality of expansion connectors 102 . likewise , termination devices 103 and 104 are connected directly to junction block 100 . junction block 100 further includes a dedicated test line 105 passing therethrough . dedicated test line 105 is included in expansion connector 106 and passes into junction block 100 . by means of a conductor integral with junction block 100 , dedicated test line 105 passes into an expansion connector 107 and through termination connector 109 including a termination device 108 . dedicated test line 105 reenters junction block 100 through expansion connector 107 and passes through termination device 104 before exiting junction block 100 through an expansion connector 110 . a further embodiment of the fault detection and isolation system of the present invention is shown in fig7 . a dedicated test line 115 extends between a first test point 116 and a second test point 117 . from test point 116 , dedicated test line 115 enters a wiring harness 118 and passes through an expansion connector 120 . dedicated test line 115 passes through a termination connector 121 , a termination connector 124 , an expansion connector 127 , and a termination connector 130 as previously described . to assist in isolation of any faults occurring in the interconnection of the connectors having dedicated test line 115 passing therethrough , test contacts are provided which are in communication with dedicated test line 115 within selected connectors . thus , a test contact 123 is provided in termination connector 121 and is in communication with the termination conductor such that test contact 123 will make available any signal on dedicated test line 115 at that location . likewise , a test contact 126 is provided in termination connector 124 , a test contact 128 is provided in expansion connector 127 , and a test contact 132 is provided in termination connector 130 . when dedicated test line 115 is energized at test point 116 , a voltage may be sensed at test point 123 by means of a voltage probe , for example , as long as expansion connector 120 and termination connector 121 are properly interconnected . a voltage probe can be used to sequentially verify the proper interconnection of the remaining connectors by monitoring the corresponding test contacts . termination device 122 and the device end of termination connector 121 are shown in greater detail in fig8 . termination conductor 111 feeds between terminals 112 and 113 corresponding to the dedicated test line . termination conductor 111 also extends to test contact 123 on the outer surface of termination connector 121 . the fault isolation and detection provided by the present invention can be enhanced by employing a type of connector known as the last - make first - break connector as shown in fig9 . thus , an expansion connector 130 includes a first end 131 and a second end 132 . the dedicated test line includes a harness conductor 133 and a terminal pin 134 . devices lines 135 are connected to terminal pins 136 . in second connector end 132 , terminal socket 137 is connected to harness conductor 138 as the continuation of the dedicated test line . terminal sockets 140 are connected to device conductors 141 . in this embodiment , pin 134 is reduced in length compared to pins 136 and socket 137 is reduced in length compared to sockets 140 such that pin 134 and socket 137 are the last to make contact during interconnection of connector 130 and are the first to break contact during disconnection of connector 130 . since the regular device connection terminals must become more completely interconnected before sufficient connection is made to complete the dedicated test line , whenever the dedicated test line is properly interconnected the remaining terminal connections are more certain to be fully interconnected . thus , the present invention provides a reliable indication of the proper interconnection of critical devices . in addition , the failure of the dedicated test line connection will indicate a partial interconnection failure , such as a failure to securely lock the connector together , even without an electrical failure of the regular device terminals . fig1 shows a termination connector having last - make first - break test line terminals . a first connector end 146 has one test line harness conductor 150 connected to a last - make first - break terminal pin 151 and a test line harness conductor 152 connected to a last - make first - break terminal pin 153 . device lines 154 are connected to device terminals pins 155 which extend longer than terminal pins 151 and 153 . a second connector end 147 includes last - make first - break terminal sockets 156 and 157 interconnected by a terminal conductor 158 for feeding through the dedicated test line . device line terminal sockets 159 extend longer than terminal sockets 156 and 157 . an alternative embodiment of the invention , shown in fig1 , includes a dedicated test line for carrying an optical signal . thus , an expansion connector 160 includes a first end 161 . the dedicated test line includes harness conductor 163 which is comprised of an optical fiber which is in contact with an optical conductor portion 164 in a last - make first - break configuration . a second connector portion 162 includes an optical connector portion 165 for interfacing with optical connector portion 164 and transmitting light therefrom to an optical fiber 166 providing the continuation of the dedicated test line . a test contact 168 is also included in conjunction with a beam - splitter 167 for directing a portion of the light signal passing through the dedicated test line to test contact 168 to be used according to the embodiment of fig7 . fig1 illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention for isolating and detecting faults in the dedicated test line of the present invention . the vehicle wiring harness and dedicated test line are identical to that shown in fig2 . however , in this embodiment the test apparatus includes a control circuit 170 connected to first test point 32 by a connector 174 and to second test point 45 through a connector 175 . the test apparatus further includes an inductive pickup probe 171 connected to control circuit 170 by lines 172 and 173 . control circuit 170 is adapted to produce a time varying test signal which is applied to dedicated test line 31 through connectors 174 and 175 . inductive pickup probe 171 is manually traced along dedicated test line 31 and the inductively received signal from the probe is used to generate an indication of the presence of the time varying signal in the dedicated test line . such indication is then displayed by control circuit 170 . as probe 171 is manually traced along dedicated test line 31 , any interruption in the resulting measured signal indicates a wiring or connector fault at that point . thus , the testing of proper interconnection of the critical electrical system components can be performed without additional mechanical contact to the dedicated test line . while preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein , it will be understood that such embodiments are provided by way of example only . numerous variations , changes , and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention . accordingly , it is intended that the appended claims cover all such variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
fig5 is a computer rendering of a night vision testing device 100 consistent with a first embodiment of the present disclosure ; fig6 is a section view of the night vision testing device 100 ; fig7 a is a isometric view of a night vision device 200 , shown as a monocular , spaced from the night vision testing device 100 ; and fig7 b is a isometric view of the night vision device 200 inserted into an end of the night vision testing device 100 . the testing device 100 allows identification of image intensifier tube 208 defects and determination of resolution operating in darkness , bright conditions , and high contrast lighting conditions . identification involves determining the zone in which defect appears , the size of defect , and type of defect . the four most common defect types are dark spots , bright spots , scintillation , and chicken wire . the testing device 100 may have a first portion 102 and a second portion 104 that pivots relative to the first portion 102 , for example , they may work like a ball - and - socket joint . the pivot allows the night vision device 200 to be rotated relative to a target 106 a in order to place target features in different areas of the night vision device field of view . in order to maintain a well focused image across the field without requiring mechanical adjustment of the night vision device this pivot is preferably placed close to the center of curvature of the spherically shaped target . on the second portion 104 may be a cover 106 which may house the target 106 a ( see fig8 ). optics 110 may include a optics and / or neutral density filter inserted in an opening 108 of the testing device 100 . the optics and / or neutral density filter may be located close to the entrance aperture of the night vision device 100 and may act to reimage the target 106 a onto the image intensifier tube of the night vision device . the distance at which the target appears to be from the night vision system under test may be configurable through optics 110 . two typical apparent target distances are 30 ″ to mimic the standard dark spot wall chart test and infinity which is the commonly used as a zero diopter setting for test targets . the stop size of optics 110 may be chosen to balance aberrations , diffraction , and light throughput . the neutral density filter may have an optical density of 0 to about 3 . the opening 108 may be sized to accept an objective focus ring 206 of the night vision device 200 . the size of the opening 108 may be such that when the focus ring 206 is inserted into the opening 108 , a user can hold the night vision device 200 in one hand and the first portion 102 of the testing device 100 with the other hand , and when the night vision device 200 is rotated , the focus ring 206 is rotated relative to the night vision device 200 . the user can turn “ on ” the night vision device 200 , look through the eyepiece 202 and rotate the night vision device 200 relative to the first portion 102 to bring the target 106 a into focus . in an alternative embodiment , an insert may be inserted in the opening to change the diameter of the opening to accommodate objective focus rings of differing sizes . in an alternative embodiment , the interface at opening 108 may be an interchangeable component to accommodate different night vision devices . in an alternative embodiment , the user can hold the second portion 104 of the testing device 100 rather than the first portion 102 . the second portion 104 of the testing device 100 may have a curved portion 104 a that cooperates with the first portion 102 ; a middle portion 104 b ; and a base portion 104 c that may hold the cover 106 . the cover 106 may have a curved internal surface having a radius r upon which the target 106 a is disposed . the target 106 a may have a center ring 122 a sized that when viewed through the night vision device 200 corresponds to “ zone 1 ” of an image intensifier tube . zone 1 may be sized to appear as a 0 . 22 inch diameter ring on the entrance of the image intensifier tube in the night vision device 200 . the target 106 a may have a second ring 122 b sized that when viewed through the night vision device 200 corresponds to “ zone 2 ” of an image intensifier tube . zone 2 may be sized to appear as a 0 . 58 inch diameter ring on the entrance of the image intensifier tube in the night vision device 200 . the target 106 a may have a third ring 122 c sized that when viewed through the night vision device 200 corresponds to “ zone 3 ” of an image intensifier tube . zone 3 may be sized to appear as a 0 . 71 ″ inch diameter ring on the entrance of the image intensifier tube in the night vision device 200 . the diameters of the zone may be changed without departing from the invention to match the requirements of different image intensifier tube specifications ( e . g . “ mil - prf - a3256363d ( cr )”). the target 106 a may also have a series of measurement features 124 , for example circles of different sizes . the series of circles , when imaged through night vision device 200 , may range from approximately 0 . 003 ″ in diameter to approximately 0 . 015 ″ in diameter on the entrance of the image intensifier tube . the circles may be solid / filled in or hollow / not filled in . the size of the zones and the sizes of the circles may correspond to typical acceptance criteria for an 18 mm image intensifier tube or a particular image intensifier tube product specification . similar targets may be used to inspect / test other sized image intensifier tubes without departing from the invention . the zones may be used to locate a defect in an image intensifier tube and the circles may be used to measure the size of each defect . the image tube specification may limit the size and quantity of defects by zone . a defect may be a black spot , a bright spot , “ chicken wire ” or scintillations . black spots are cosmetic blemishes in the image intensifier tube , image intensifier tube defects , or dirt or debris in the optical path of a night vision device 200 . black spots that are in the image intensifier can be inherent in the manufacturing processes or the result of damage . black spots may be found when a predetermined amount of ambient light l 1 , natural or artificial , for example from a light source ls , for example a light bulb , travels through the testing device 100 and strikes the target 106 a . black spots are best viewed when most of the ambient light l 1 strikes the target 106 a creating a brightly lit condition . bright spots are defects in the image area produced by the night vision device 200 . this condition may be caused by a flaw in the film on the image intensifier tube microchannel plate . a bright spot is typically a small , non - uniform , bright area that may flicker or appear constant . bright spots are often imperceptible in environments with sufficient illumination for typical night vision device 200 operation . bright spots are best viewed when little or none of the ambient light l 1 strikes the target 106 a creating a darkness condition . scintillations are faint , random , sparkling effect that may be found throughout the image area . scintillation , sometimes called “ video noise ” despite an image intensifier tube not being a video device , is a normal characteristic of image intensifier with a microchannel plate and is more pronounced under typical night vision device 200 low - light conditions . scintillations are best observed when a small amount of light l 2 , simulating starlight or moonlight , strikes the target 106 a creating a high contrast condition . chicken wire is a hexagonal pattern of dark thin lines resembling chicken wire fencing visible in the field of view either throughout the image area or in parts of the image area . if these hexagonal patterns become overly pronounced , replacement of the image intensifier tube may be merited . image intensifier tube specifications contain specifications for the acceptable number , size , and zone location of pronounced chicken wire artifacts . chicken wire is best observed when a small amount of light l 2 , simulating starlight or moonlight , strikes the target 106 a . as noted above , the second portion 104 of the testing device 100 may be made of a diffuse light transmissive plastic , for example polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ) thermoplastic polymer , or other material . the amount of ambient light l 2 that strikes the target 106 a may be varied in a variety of ways including varying the amount of light generated from the light source ls , for example with a light dimmer , by moving the testing device 100 away from the light source ls , or placing a light damper ld between the light source ls and the testing device 100 . an operator may turn the night vision device 200 “ on ” and then insert the focus ring 206 in the opening 108 of the testing device 100 and rotate the night vision device 200 relative to the first portion 102 of the testing device 100 until the target 106 a is in focus . the operator may locate a first defect and then determine what zone it is in by manipulating the night vision device 200 and the first portion 102 of the testing device 100 relative to the second portion 104 of the testing device 100 such that the first ring 122 a , second ring 122 b , and the third ring 122 c are concentric with illuminated field of view of night vision device 200 . the operator may then manipulate the night vision device 200 and the first portion 102 of the testing device 100 relative to the second portion 104 of the testing device 100 and the target 106 a to align the first defect next to one of the series of measurement features 124 . the operator may then compare the defect to the measurement features 124 to determine the defect size . the operator may then similarly determine the size of a second or subsequent defect . resolution is the ability of an image intensifier to distinguish between objects close together and is measured as a spacial frequency , typically using units such as line pairs per millimeter ( lp / mm ). resolution is typically determined from a 1951 u . s . air force resolving power test target . the target is a series of different - sized patterns composed of three horizontal and three vertical lines . a user observes which of the bar patterns is the smallest that can still be distinguished as separate bars ( e . g . not merged into a solid block ). that smallest bar pattern is considered the resolution limit of the night vision device and is identified by the numbers next to the bar patterns ( e . g . row / column numbers or group / element numbers ). because the 1951 usaf bar target requires high precision manufacturing methods to produce and may be difficult to place on a spherical surface , the 1951 usaf targets may be applied to one or more flat glass inserts which may be mechanically secured to the spherical target surface . in an alternative embodiment , an alternative test target such as a radial star , chirp , nbs 1963a or isa / iso may be used rather than a 1951 target . the target 106 a may also have a resolution pattern 130 . the operator may turn the night vision device 200 “ on ” and determine the center resolution of the image tube by manipulating the night vision device 200 and the first portion 102 of the testing device 100 relative to the second portion 104 of the testing device 100 such that the first ring 122 a , second ring 122 b , and the third ring 122 c are concentric with illuminated field of view of night vision device 200 and then by looking through the night vision device 200 and using known resolution techniques determine the appropriate resolution . the center resolution may be determined at any light level , but typically provides the best results when the amount of light l 2 striking the target 106 a is low , simulating star light or moon light illumination levels . fig9 is a computer rendering of a night vision testing device 100 ′ consistent with a second embodiment of the present disclosure ; fig1 a is an isometric end section view of the night vision testing device 100 ′ with a first vane 120 in a first position ; fig1 b is an isometric end section view of the night vision testing device 100 ′ with the first vane 120 in a second position ; fig1 c is an isometric end section view of the night vision testing device 100 ′ with the first vane 120 in a third position ; and fig1 is an end section view of the night vision testing device 100 ′ sliced through a base portion . testing device 100 ′ may differ from testing device 100 in that it has the ability to control the amount of light l 2 that strikes the target 106 a . a plurality of actuators , for example pushbuttons 130 a , 130 b , and 130 c , may control the opening size of a mechanical aperture . image intensifier tubes have automatic gain adjustment ; and adjusting the light level allows the image intensifier tube to be tested under very low gain , high contrast , and very high gain conditions ; which correspond to a brightly lit scene , dimly lit scene ( starlight or moonlight ), and dark scene respectively . the lower portion 104 ′ may diffuse the incoming light causing a more uniform illumination of the target 106 a , and therefore uniform illumination of the image intensifier tube in the night vision device 200 which may improve the ability to identify defects and determine resolution . internal to the second portion 104 ′ may be a first opaque vane 120 and a second opaque vane 126 . the second vane 122 may be fixed to , but spaced from , the second portion 104 ′. the first vane 120 may be movable relative to the second portion 104 ′ and the second vane 126 . actuation of the actuators 130 a , 130 b , and 130 c may move the first vane from a first vane position shown in fig1 a to second vane position shown in fig1 b to a third vane position shown in fig1 c . in the first position , the first vane 120 blocks the least amount of the ambient light l 1 passing through the second portion 104 ′; in the second position , the first vane 120 blocks more of the ambient light l 1 passing through the second portion 104 ′; and in the third portion 104 , the first vane 120 blocks the most ambient light l 1 passing through the second portion 104 ′. the actuators 130 a , 130 b , and 130 c may have a wedge , diamond , or cone shaped protrusion extending inwardly that cooperate with openings in the first vane 120 causing the first vane 120 to rotate relative to the second portion 104 ′ and the second vane 126 . an operator may insert the focus ring 206 of the night vision device 200 in the opening 108 ′ to begin the testing and then manipulate the actuator 130 a , 130 b , or 130 c to adjust the amount of ambient light striking the target 106 a . while several embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated herein , those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and / or structures for performing the functions and / or obtaining the results and / or one or more of the advantages described herein , and each of such variations and / or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the present invention . more generally , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters , dimensions , materials , and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters , dimensions , materials , and / or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present invention is / are used . those skilled in the art will recognize , or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation , many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein . it is , therefore , to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that , within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed . the present invention is directed to each individual feature , system , article , material , kit , and / or method described herein . in addition , any combination of two or more such features , systems , articles , materials , kits , and / or methods , if such features , systems , articles , materials , kits , and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent , is included within the scope of the present invention . all definitions , as defined and used herein , should be understood to control over dictionary definitions , definitions in documents incorporated by reference , and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms . the indefinite articles “ a ” and “ an ,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims , unless clearly indicated to the contrary , should be understood to mean “ at least one .” the phrase “ and / or ,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims , should be understood to mean “ either or both ” of the elements so conjoined , i . e ., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases . other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “ and / or ” clause , whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified , unless clearly indicated to the contrary . | 6 |
the hybridoma cell lines 7bd - 33 - 11a and 1a245 . 6 were deposited , in accordance with the budapest treaty , with the american type culture collection , 10801 university blvd ., manassas , va . 20110 - 2209 on jan . 8 , 2003 , under accession number pta - 4890 and pta - 4889 , respectively . in accordance with 37 cfr 1 . 808 , the depositors assure that all restrictions imposed on the availability to the public of the deposited materials will be irrevocably removed upon the granting of a patent . the hybridoma cell line 11bd - 2e11 - 2 was deposited , in accordance with the budapest treaty , with the american type culture collection , 10801 university blvd ., manassas , va . 20110 - 2209 on nov . 11 , 2003 , under accession number pta - 5643 . in accordance with 37 cfr 1 . 808 , the depositors assure that all restrictions imposed on the availability to the public of the deposited materials will be irrevocably removed upon the granting of a patent . to produce the hybridoma that produce the anti - cancer antibody 7bd - 33 - 11a single cell suspensions of the antigen , i . e . human breast cancer cells , were prepared in cold pbs . eight to nine weeks old balb / c mice were immunized by injecting 100 microliters of the antigen - adjuvant containing between 0 . 2 million and 2 . 5 million cells in divided doses both subcutaneously and intraperitoneally with freund &# 39 ; s complete adjuvant . freshly prepared antigen - adjuvant was used to boost the immunized mice at between 0 . 2 million and 2 . 5 million cells in the same fashion three weeks after the initial immunization , and two weeks after the last boost . a spleen was used for fusion at least two days after the last immunization . the hybridomas were prepared by fusing the isolated splenocytes with sp2 / 0 myeloma partners . the supernatants from the fusions were tested for subcloning of the hybridomas . to produce the hybridoma that produce the anti - cancer antibody 1a245 . 6 single cell suspensions of the antigen , i . e . human breast cancer cells , were prepared in cold pbs . eight to nine weeks old balb / c mice were immunized by injecting 100 microliters of the antigen - adjuvant containing 2 . 5 million cells in divided doses both subcutaneously and intraperitoneally with freund &# 39 ; s complete adjuvant . freshly prepared antigen - adjuvant was used to boost the immunized mice at 2 . 5 million cells in the same fashion three weeks after the initial immunization , two weeks later , five weeks later and three weeks after the last boost . a spleen was used for fusion at least three days after the last immunization . the hybridomas were prepared by fusing the isolated splenocytes with nso - 1 myeloma partners . the supernatants from the fusions were tested for subcloning of the hybridomas . to produce the hybridoma that produce the anti - cancer antibody 11bd - 2e11 - 2 single cell suspensions of the antigen , i . e . human breast cancer cells , were prepared in cold pbs . eight to nine weeks old balb / c mice were immunized by injecting 100 microliters of the antigen - adjuvant containing between 0 . 2 million and 2 . 5 million cells in divided doses both subcutaneously and intraperitoneally with freund &# 39 ; s complete adjuvant . freshly prepared antigen - adjuvant was used to boost the immunized mice at between 0 . 2 million and 2 . 5 million cells in the same fashion two to three weeks after the initial immunization , and two weeks after the last boost . a spleen was used for fusion at least two days after the last immunization . the hybridomas were prepared by fusing the isolated splenocytes with nso - 1 myeloma partners . the supernatants from the fusions were tested for subcloning of the hybridomas . to determine whether the antibodies secreted by hybridoma cells are of the igg or igm isotype , an elisa assay was employed . 100 microliters / well of goat anti - mouse igg + igm ( h + l ) at a concentration of 2 . 4 micrograms / ml in coating buffer ( 0 . 1 m carbonate / bicarbonate buffer , ph 9 . 2 – 9 . 6 ) at 4 ° c . was added to the elisa plates overnight . the plates were washed thrice in washing buffer ( pbs + 0 . 05 % tween ). 100 microliters / well blocking buffer ( 5 % milk in wash buffer ) was added to the plate for 1 hr . at room temperature and then washed thrice in washing buffer . 100 microliters / well of hybridoma supernatant was added and the plate incubated for 1 hr . at room temperature . the plates were washed thrice with washing buffer and 1 / 5000 dilution of either goat anti - mouse igg or igm horseradish peroxidase conjugate ( diluted in pbs containing 1 % bovine serum albumin ), 100 microliters / well , was added . after incubating the plate for 1 hr . at room temperature the plate was washed thrice with washing buffer . 100 microliters / well of tmb solution was incubated for 1 – 3 minutes at room temperature . the color reaction was terminated by adding 100 microliters / well 2m h 2 so 4 and the plate was read at 450 nm with a perkin - elmer hts7000 plate reader . as indicated in table 1 the 7bd - 33 - 11a , 1a245 . 6 , 11 bd - 2e11 - 2 hybridomas secreted primarily antibodies of the igg isotype . after one to four rounds of limiting dilution hybridoma supernatants were tested for antibodies that bound to target cells in a cell elisa assay . three breast cancer cell lines were tested : mda - mb - 231 ( also referred to as mb - 231 ), mda - mb - 468 ( also referred to as mb - 468 ), and skbr - 3 . the plated cells were fixed prior to use . the plates were washed thrice with pbs containing mgcl 2 and cacl 2 at room temperature . 100 microliters of 2 % paraformaldehyde diluted in pbs was added to each well for ten minutes at room temperature and then discarded . the plates were again washed with pbs containing mgcl 2 and cacl 2 three times at room temperature . blocking was done with 100 microliters / well of 5 % milk in wash buffer ( pbs + 0 . 05 % tween ) for 1 hr at room temperature . the plates were washed thrice with wash buffer and the hybridoma supernatant was added at 100 microliters / well for 1 hr at room temperature . the plates were washed three times with wash buffer and 100 microliters / well of 1 / 5000 dilution of goat anti - mouse igg or igm antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase ( diluted in pbs containing 1 % bovine serum albumin ) was added . after a one hour incubation at room temperature the plates were washed three times with wash buffer and 100 microliter / well of tmb substrate was incubated for 1 – 3 minutes at room temperature . the reaction was terminated with 100 microliters / well 2m h 2 so 4 and the plate read at 450 nm with a perkin - elmer hts7000 plate reader . the results as tabulated in table 1 were expressed as the number of folds above background compared to the igg isotype control ( 3bd - 27 ). the antibodies from the 7bd - 33 - 11a and 1a245 . 6 hybridoma cell lines bound strongly to all 3 breast lines , with binding at least 6 times greater than background . both antibodies bound most strongly to the mda - mb - 231 cell line . the antibodies from the 11bd - 2e11 - 2 hybridoma cell line also bound most strongly to the mda - mb - 231 cell line , but did not demonstrate binding on the other 2 cell lines greater than background . these results suggest that the epitope recognized by this antibody is not present on mda - mb - 468 or skbr - 3 cells , and is distinct from the epitopes recognized by 7bd - 33 - 11a and 1a245 . 6 . in conjunction with testing for antibody binding the cytotoxic effect of the hybridoma supernatants were tested in the same breast cancer cell lines : mda - mb - 231 , mda - mb - 468 and skbr - 3 . the live / dead cytotoxicity assay was obtained from molecular probes ( eu , or ). the assays were performed according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions with the changes outlined below . cells were plated before the assay at the predetermined appropriate density . after 2 days , 100 microliters of supernatant from the hybridoma microtitre plates were transferred to the cell plates and incubated in a 5 % co 2 incubator for 5 days . the wells that served as the positive controls were aspirated until empty and 100 microliters of sodium azide and / or cycloheximide was added . 3bd - 27 monoclonal antibody was also added as an isotype control since it was known not to bind to the three breast cancer cell lines being tested . an anti - egfr antibody ( c225 ) was also used in the assay for comparison . after 5 days of treatment , the plate was then emptied by inverting and blotted dry . room temperature dpbs containing mgcl 2 and cacl 2 was dispensed into each well from a multichannel squeeze bottle , tapped three times , emptied by inversion and then blotted dry . 50 microliters of the fluorescent live / dead dye diluted in dpbs containing mgcl 2 and cacl 2 was added to each well and incubated at 37 ° c . in a 5 % co 2 incubator for 30 minutes . the plates were read in a perkin - elmer hts7000 fluorescence plate reader and the data was analyzed in microsoft excel . the results were tabulated in table 1 . differential cytotoxicity was observed with the 3 antibodies . 11bd - 2e11 - 2 demonstrated killing of 39 – 73 %, with the highest cytotoxicity observed in skbr - 3 cells . 1a245 . 6 and 7bd - 33 - 11a demonstrated similar cytotoxicity in mda - mb - 231 cells , but 1a245 . 6 was also cytotoxic to mda - mb - 468 cells , while 7bd - 33 - 11a was not . this indicated the antibody derived form the hybridoma cell can produce cytotoxicity in cancer cells . there was also a general association between the degree of antibody binding and the cytotoxicity produced by the hybridoma supernatants . there were several exceptions to this trend such as the amount of cytotoxicity produced by 11bd - 2e11 - 2 in mb - 468 cancer cells , and skbr - 3 cancers despite a paucity of binding . this suggested that the antibody has a mediating action that was not detected by the cell elisa binding assay in this cell type , or the assay did not detect the binding , which may be due to the constraints of the assay such as cell fixation . finally , there existed yet another possibility , that is , the assay was not sensitive enough to detect the binding that was sufficient to mediate cytotoxicity in this particular situation . the other exception was the relative paucity of cytotoxicity of 7bd - 33 - 11a towards mb - 468 cells despite a 6 fold increase in binding over the background in comparison to an isotype control . this pointed to the possibility that binding was not necessarily predictive of the outcome of antibody ligation of its cognate antigen . the known non - specific cytotoxic agents cycloheximide produced cytotoxicity as expected . monoclonal antibodies were produced by culturing the hybridomas , 7bd - 33 - 11a , 1a245 . 6 , 11bd - 2e11 - 2 , in cl - 1000 flasks ( bd biosciences , oakville , on ) with collections and reseeding occurring twice / week and standard antibody purification procedures with protein g sepharose 4 fast flow ( amersham biosciences , baie d &# 39 ; urfé , qc ). it is within the scope of this invention to utilize monoclonal antibodies which are humanized , chimerized or murine antibodies . 7bd - 33 - 11a , 1a245 . 6 , 11bd - 2e11 - 2 were compared to a number of both positive ( anti - fas ( eos9 . 1 , igm , kappa , 20 micrograms / ml , bioscience , san diego , calif . ), anti - her2 / neu ( igg1 , kappa , 10 microgram / ml , inter medico , markham , on ), anti - egfr ( c225 , igg1 , kappa , 5 microgram / ml , cedarlane , hornby , on ), cycloheximide ( 100 micromolar , sigma , oakville , on ), nan 3 ( 0 . 1 %, sigma , oakville , on )) and negative ( 107 . 3 ( anti - tnp , igg1 , kappa , 20 microgram / ml , bd biosciences , oakville , on ), g155 - 178 ( anti - tnp , igg2a , kappa , 20 microgram / ml , bd biosciences , oakville , on ), mpc - 11 ( antigenic specificity unknown , igg2b , kappa , 20 microgram / ml ), j606 ( anti - fructosan , igg3 , kappa , 20 microgram / ml ), igg buffer ( 2 %)) controls in a cytotoxicity assay ( table 2 ). breast cancer ( mb - 231 , mb - 468 , mcf - 7 ), colon cancer ( ht - 29 , sw1116 , sw620 ), lung cancer ( nci h460 ), ovarian cancer ( ovcar ), prostate cancer ( pc - 3 ), and non - cancer ( ccd 27sk , hs888 lu ) cell lines were tested ( all from the atcc , manassas , va .). the live / dead cytotoxicity assay was obtained from molecular probes ( eugene , oreg .). the assays were performed according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions with the changes outlined below . cells were plated before the assay at the predetermined appropriate density . after 2 days , 100 microliters of purified antibody was diluted into media , and then were transferred to the cell plates and incubated in a 8 % co 2 incubator for 5 days . the plate was then emptied by inverting and blotted dry . room temperature dpbs containing mgcl 2 and cacl 2 was dispensed into each well from a multichannel squeeze bottle , tapped three times , emptied by inversion and then blotted dry . 50 microliters of the fluorescent live / dead dye diluted in dpbs containing mgcl 2 and cacl 2 was added to each well and incubated at 37 ° c . in a 5 % co 2 incubator for 30 minutes . the plates were read in a perkin - elmer hts7000 fluorescence plate reader and the data was analyzed in microsoft excel and the results were tabulated in table 2 . the data represented an average of four experiments tested in triplicate and presented qualitatively in the following fashion : 4 / 4 experiments greater than threshold cytotoxicity (+++), 3 / 4 experiments greater than threshold cytotoxicity (++), 2 / 4 experiments greater than threshold cytotoxicity (+). unmarked cells in table 2 represented inconsistent or effects less than the threshold cytotoxicity . the 7bd - 33 - 11a and 1a245 . 6 antibodies demonstrated cytotoxicity in breast and prostate tumor cell lines selectively , while having no effect on non - transformed normal cells . both demonstrated a 25 – 50 % greater killing than the positive control anti - fas antibody . 11bd - 2e11 - 2 was specifically cytotoxic in breast and ovarian cancer cells , and did not affect normal cells . the chemical cytotoxic agents induced their expected cytotoxicity while a number of other antibodies which were included for comparison also performed as expected given the limitations of biological cell assays . in toto , it was shown that the three antibodies have cytotoxic activity against a number of cancer cell types . the antibodies were selective in their activity since not all cancer cell types were susceptible . furthermore , the antibodies demonstrated functional specificity since they did not produce cytotoxicity against non - cancer cell types , which is an important factor in a therapeutic situation . cells were prepared for facs by initially washing the cell monolayer with dpbs ( without ca ++ and mg ++ ) . cell dissociation buffer ( invitrogen ) was then used to dislodge the cells from their cell culture plates at 37 ° c . after centrifugation and collection the cells were resuspended in dulbecco &# 39 ; s phosphate buffered saline containing mgcl 2 cacl 2 and 25 % fetal bovine serum at 4 ° c . ( wash media ) and counted , aliquoted to appropriate cell density , spun down to pellet the cells and resuspended in staining media ( dpbs containing mgcl 2 and cacl 2 ) containing 7bd - 33 - 11a , 1a245 . 6 , 11bd - 2e11 - 2 or control antibodies ( isotype control or anti - egf - r ) at 20 micrograms / ml on ice for 30 minutes . prior to the addition of alexa fluor 488conjugated secondary antibody the cells were washed once with wash media . the alexa fluor 488 - conjugated antibody in staining media was then added for 20 minutes . the cells were then washed for the final time and resuspended in staining media containing 1 microgram / ml propidium iodide . flow cytometric acquisition of the cells was assessed by running samples on a facscan using the cellquest ™ software ( bd biosciences ) . the forward ( fsc ) and side scatter ( ssc ) of the cells were set by adjusting the voltage and amplitude gains on the fsc and ssc detectors . the detectors for the three fluorescence channels ( fl1 , fl2 , and fl3 ) were adjusted by running cells stained with purified isotype control antibody followed by alexa fluor 488 - conjugated secondary antibody such that cells had a uniform peak with a median fluorescent intensity of approximately 1 – 5 units . live cells were acquired by gating for fsc and propidium iodide exclusion . for each sample , approximately 10 , 000 live cells were acquired for analysis and the resulted presented in table 3 . table 3 tabulated the mean fluorescence intensity fold increase above isotype control and is presented qualitatively as : less than 5 (−); 5 to 50 (+); 50 to 100 (++); above 100 (+++) and in parenthesis , the percentage of cells stained . representative histograms of 7bd - 33 - 11a antibodies were compiled for fig1 , 1a245 . 6 antibodies were compiled for fig2 , 11bd - 2e11 - 2 were compiled for fig3 and evidence the binding characteristics , inclusive of illustrated bimodal peaks , in some cases . 11bd - 2e11 - 2 displayed specific tumor binding to the breast tumor cell line mda - mb - 231 . both 7bd - 33 - 11a and 1a245 . 6 displayed similar binding to cancer lines of breast ( mda - mb - 231 and mcf - 7 ), colon , lung , ovary , and prostate origin and differential binding to one of the breast cancer cell lines ( mda - mb - 468 ). there was binding of all three antibodies to non - cancer cells , however that binding did not produce cytotoxicity . this was further evidence that binding was not necessarily predictive of the outcome of antibody ligation of its cognate antigen , and was a non - obvious finding . this suggested that the context of antibody ligation in different cells was determinative of cytoxicity rather than just antibody binding . now with reference to the data shown in fig5 and 6 , four to eight week old , female scid mice were implanted with 5 million mda - mb - 231 human breast cancer cells in one hundred microliters injected subcutaneously in the scruff of the neck . the mice were randomly divided into four treatment groups of ten . on the day prior to implantation 20 mg / kg of either 11bd2e - 11 - 2 , 7bd - 33 - 11a , 1a245 . 6 test antibodies or 3bd - 27 isotype control antibody ( known not to bind mda - mb - 231 cells ) were administered intrapertioneally at a volume of 300 microliters after dilution from the stock concentration with a diluent that contained 2 . 7 mm kcl , 1 mm kh 2 po 4 , 137 mm nacl , 20 mm na 2 hpo 4 . the antibodies were then administered once per week for a period of 7 weeks in the same fashion . tumor growth was measured about every seventh day with calipers for up to ten weeks or until individual animals reached the canadian council for animal care ( ccac ) end - points . body weights of the animals were recorded for the duration of the study . at the end of the study all animals were euthanised according to ccac guidelines . there were no clinical signs of toxicity throughout the study . body weight measured at weekly intervals was a surrogate for well - being and failure to thrive . there was a minimal difference in weight for the groups treated with the isotype control , 3bd - 27 , and 7bd - 33 - 11a , 1a245 . 6 , or 11bd - 2e11 - 2 . at day 60 ( 11 days after the cessation of treatment ) tumor volume of the group treated with 1a245 . 6 was 5 . 2 % of the control group ( p = 0 . 0002 ) and demonstrated effectiveness at reducing tumor burden with antibody treatment . those mice bearing cancer treated with 7bd - 33 - 11a antibody were disease free and had no tumor burden . the tumor volume was lower in the 11bd - 2e11 - 2 treatment group ( 45 % of control ) at day 67 ( p = 0 . 08 ). this also demonstrated a lesser tumor burden with cytotoxic antibody treatment in comparison to a control antibody . there was also corresponding survival benefits ( fig6 ) from treatment with 7bd - 33 - 11a , 1a245 . 6 , and 11bd - 2e11 - 2 cytotoxic antibodies . the control group treated with 3bd - 27 antibody reached 100 % mortality by day 74 post - implantation . in contrast , groups treated with 7bd - 33 - 11a were disease free and 1a245 . 6 treated animal displayed 100 % survival and the group treated with 11bd - 2e11 - 2 had 24 % survival . in toto , cytotoxic antibody treatment produced a decreased tumor burden and increased survival in comparison to a control antibody in a well recognized model of human cancer disease suggesting pharmacologic and pharmaceutical benefits of these antibodies ( 7bd - 33 - 11a , 1a245 . 6 , 11bd - 2e11 - 2 ) for therapy in other mammals , including man . five to six week old , female scid mice were implanted with 5 million mda - mb - 231 breast cancer cells in one hundred microliters injected subcutaneously in the scruff of the neck . tumor growth was measured with calipers every week . when the majority of the cohort reached a tumor volume of 100 mm 3 ( range 50 – 200 mm 3 ) at 34 days post implantation 8 – 10 mice were randomly assigned into each of three treatment groups . 7bd - 33 - 11a , 1a245 . 6 test antibodies or 3bd - 27 isotype control antibody ( known not to bind mda - mb - 231 cells ) were administered intrapertioneally with 15 mg / kg of antibodies at a volume of 150 microliters after dilution from the stock concentration with a diluent that contained 2 . 7 mm kcl , 1 mm kh 2 po 4 , 137 mm nacl , 20 mm na 2 hpo 4 . the antibodies were then administered three times per week for 10 doses in total in the same fashion until day 56 post - implantation . tumor growth was measured about every seventh day with calipers until day 59 post - implantation or until individual animals reached the canadian council for animal care ( ccac ) end - points . body weights of the animals were recorded for the duration of the study . at the end of the study all animals were euthanised according to ccac guidelines . there were no clinical signs of toxicity throughout the study . body weight was measured at weekly intervals . there was no significant difference in weight for the groups treated with the isotype control and 7bd - 33 - 11a , or 1a245 . 6 antibodies . as can be seen in fig4 , at day 59 post - implantation ( 2 days after the cessation of treatment ), tumor volume of the group treated with 7bd - 33 - l 1a was 29 . 5 % of the control group ( p = 0 . 0003 ). in this group , there was also a trend toward regression in mean tumor volume when the value for day 59 was compared to day 52 ( p = 0 . 25 ). likewise , treatment with 1a245 . 6 antibody also significantly suppressed tumor growth and decreased tumor burdens . animals with established tumors treated with this antibody had tumor volumes that were 56 . 3 % of the isotype treated control group ( p = 0 . 017 ). in toto , treatment with 7bd - 33 - 11a or 1a245 . 6 antibodies significantly decreased the tumor burden of established tumors in comparison to a control antibody in a well recognized model of human cancer disease suggesting pharmacologic and pharmaceutical benefits of these antibodies for therapy in other mammals , including man . all patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains . all patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference . it is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated , it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification . one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned , as well as those inherent therein . any oligonucleotides , peptides , polypeptides , biologically related compounds , methods , procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments , are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope . changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims . although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments , it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments . indeed , various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims . | 2 |
the dry , particulate deicer composition of the invention includes dry ground plant material such as dried ground grain , vegetable and / or fruit plant material and particulate deicer salt selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride , magnesium chloride , potassium chloride , calcium chloride and mixtures thereof . plant material includes the stem , leaves and fruit of the plant , and not extracted materials which are extracted from the plant material . as previously described , in an important aspect , the dry ground plant material is plant material which has been dried and ground and which is selected from the group consisting of dried ground alfalfa , wheat , field and / or lawn grass , linseed , malt , barley , milkweed , clover , vetch , plantain , sorghum , soybeans , cannola seeds , carrots , cotton seed , sunflower seeds , linseed , peanuts , citrus fruits and mixtures thereof . as described above , in most circumstances , the dry , solid , particulate deicing composition comprises at least about 0 . 5 weight percent dry ground plant material , based upon the weight of the deicing composition , and at least about 80 weight percent particulate deicer salt , based upon the weight of the deicing composition . in general , the deicing composition comprises from about 0 . 5 to about 50 weight percent dry ground plant material and from about 99 to about 50 weight percent particulate deicer salt , and in an important aspect , from about 0 . 5 to about 20 weight percent dry ground plant material and from about 99 to about 80 weight percent particulate deicer salt . the deicer composition which includes the particulate deicer salt and particulate plant material will have a tendency to segregate and not mix well . this will adversely affect the homogeneity of deicer compositions which include sodium chloride and / or potassium chloride . addition of hygroscopic compositions , such as hygroscopic salts , especially hygroscopic deicer salts in an amount to bind the particulate plant material to the deicer salt and effect substantial homogeneity in the composition are added to the deicer composition . adding hygroscopic magnesium chloride and / or calcium chloride to the deicer composition will not only pick up water , but avoid segregation , and it also will not adversely affect the ability of the deicer composition to deice because of the ability of magnesium chloride and calcium chloride to deice . as discussed , in this aspect the hygroscopic salt such as magnesium chloride and / or calcium chloride should comprise at least about 0 . 1 weight percent , and preferably , from about 0 . 3 to about 0 . 7 weight percent based upon the total weight of the deicing composition . standard alfalfa feed pellets ( 17 % protein ) are ground to a size range of about 1500 - 150 microns . sodium chloride rock salt is blended with 3 % by weight of the ground alfalfa . the corrosivity of the deicer composition is measured by an alternate immersion corrosion test involving the use of 1 &# 34 ;× 2 &# 34 ; s . a . e . 1010 carbon steel panels which are degreased in hexane and dried after a methanol rinse . the steel panels have a 1 / 8 &# 34 ; diameter hole drilled in the center and near the top of the 1 &# 34 ; side . the panels have numbers stamped in each of them . all panels are weighed to the nearest tenth of a milligram after drying . three percent by dry weight basis of deicer solutions are prepared using the above salt / alfalfa composition in a first solution and plain deicing salt in a second solution . four panels are suspended in the 3 % deicer solutions by threads from a glass rod , such that the panels are completely immersed . during two 1 - hour periods each work day , the panels are suspended in air to achieve good contact with oxygen . the other 22 hours of each work day the panels are fully immersed . over weekends , panels are completely immersed . at the end of each week , old solution is removed and replaced with new solution of the same type . at the end of one month , the panels are removed and the solutions cleaned with 1820 g . hot water , 180 g . of concentrated hydrochloric acid and 2 g . of rodine 213 . after exposure to the test solutions for 4 weeks , the average corrosion rate in the solution containing the salt / alfalfa composition is found to be 7 . 3 mils per year , compared to an average corrosion rate of 18 . 0 mils per year in the solution of plain sodium chloride . ice melting capacities of a deicing composition and of plain sodium chloride are compared . a mixture of sodium chloride rock salt with 3 % ground alfalfa and 1 . 75 % magnesium chloride solution ( containing 30 % magnesium chloride by weight ) is applied to ice at 15 degrees f ., and the volume of ice melted is measured after 60 minutes . this procedure is repeated using plain rock salt . plain salt yields 13 . 8 milliliters of melt ( standard deviation = 2 . 8 ). the salt / alfalfa composition yields 13 . 2 milliliters of melt ( standard deviation = 1 . 6 ). | 2 |
a solid fuel stove 1 is shown in the drawings and has a main body 2 standing on legs 3 ; a fire box 4 inside the stove 1 in its upper portion ; an ash chamber 5 inside the stove 1 below the fire - box 4 ; and pre - heating means 6 inside the stove 1 below the ash - chamber 5 and extending up the inside of a front panel 7 of the stove 1 . a dividing wall 17 &# 39 ; separates the fire box from the ash chamber , and a grate 19 is provided in the dividing wall . there is a large door aperture 8 in the upper part of the front panel 7 of the stove 1 which provides access into the fire - box 4 to replace fuel ( not shown ). in the lower part of the front panel 7 is a small aperture 10 beneath the large aperture 8 . the small aperture 10 provides access into the ash - chamber 5 to empty ash created by the combustion of fuel . both of the apertures are closed by a door 35 which is mounted on hinge lugs 9 fixed to the front panel 7 of the stove 1 . the door 35 has a transparent window 36 and an air inlet 37 which can allow air to enter the ash chamber . the air inlet 37 is controlled by aperture control means , such as a &# 34 ; spinner &# 34 ; 38 , which may be thermostat controlled . a sealing band 39 extends around the peripheral edge of the door and seals the closed door to the front panel 7 of the body . the fire - box 4 is in the upper portion of the stove 1 and is formed by the front , back , and side walls of the box 2 , and by the dividing wall 17 &# 39 ;. a back wall 11 of the fire - box 4 is protected from the heat of the fire and the hot solid fuel by an insulating / heat resisting layer 12 . insulation is also provided on the side walls of the fire box . above the insulating / heat resistant layer of the back wall 11 is an exhaust aperture 13 through which the exhaust gases of the fire pass on the way to a chimney ( not shown ). removably mounted on the back wall 11 between the insulating / heat resisting layer 12 and the exhaust aperture is a deflection plate 14 , which extends across the entire width of the fire - box 4 and rests on the insulation on the side walls of the fire - box . the deflection plate 14 stops short of the door 35 and so provides a gap 16 between itself and the front panel of the stove . the deflection plate is inclined , and the edge at the back wall 11 of the fire - box 4 is at a level slightly below the top of the large aperture 8 while the front free edge 15 is at a level slightly above the top of the large aperture 8 . as described earlier , the bottom of the fire - box 17 has a dividing wall 17 &# 39 ;. the dividing wall 17 &# 39 ; is provided with an ash aperture 18 which is covered by a removable grate 19 on which solid fuel can stand . the grate 19 also serves the purpose of allowing communication between the fire - box 4 and the ash - chamber 5 so that waste ash can fall into the ash - chamber 5 and air can rise up through the grate to feed the fire from beneath . the ash - chamber 5 has two apertures , the small aperture 10 and the waste aperture 18 both of which have been mentioned previously . the ash - chamber 5 collects the waste that falls through the waste aperture 18 in a collection pan 20 which sits beneath the grate 19 . the collection pan 20 can be removed from the stove 1 through the small aperture 10 in order to empty the collection pan 20 of waste material . beneath the ash - chamber 5 , occupying a space across the width and depth of the stove 1 is an air chamber 21 which constitutes part of the pre - heating means 6 . the air chamber 21 is at the bottom of the stove 1 inside the body 2 . in the bottom of the body 2 is an air aperture 23 which communicates the air chamber 21 with air outside of the stove 1 . a regulator plate 24 is slidably movable to cover , partially cover , or uncover the air apertures 23 . the regulator plate 24 is moved by a knob 25 which is attached to the plate by a rod 26 . pulling or pushing the knob 25 in or out slides the regulator plate 24 in relation to the air aperture 23 . air delivery means 27 is provided above the large aperture 8 , running across the front panel 7 in the inside of the box 2 . the air delivery means 27 is a passage or chamber that has an exit point or slot 28 along its bottom . the slot 28 is provided next to the top of the door and the top of the large aperture 8 . the air chamber 21 and the air delivery means 27 are connected by communication channels or passageways 30 . the passageways 30 comprise two conduits 30 &# 39 ; that run up either side of the large aperture 8 and cut through the dividing wall 17 &# 39 ;. there is no direct communication between the passageways 30 and the fire box , only through the slot 28 . a continuous air path is formed from the outside of the stove ( beneath the stove ) to the fire - box 4 , through the air aperture 23 , along the flat bed of the air chamber 21 , up the passageways 30 , into the air delivery means 27 and through the slot 28 and into the fire - box 4 . this path is shown by the arrows a of fig1 and 2 . it will be noted that the conduits 30 &# 39 ; pass through the dividing wall 17 &# 39 ;. the stove 1 is supported by legs 3 for its base 32 to be standing above the level of the floor in order for air to be supplied readily to the air aperture 23 . in operation the fire - box 4 is loaded through the large aperture 8 with solid fuel which rests on the grate 19 . the fuel is ignited and once it is burning steadily the door is closed . until this point the fire was fed by air entering through the large aperture 8 , as well as possibly air through the air intake aperture 23 and air through the spinner 38 . the knob 25 is pulled out so that the air aperture 23 is open to its fullest extent . the fire draws air to be combusted and air is sucked through the air aperture 23 into the air chamber 21 to rise up the passageway 30 and into the air delivery means 27 and out of the slot 28 into the fire - box . in this way air is drawn through the system comprising the pre - heating means . during burning , fuel becomes spent and the ash that is created falls into the collection pan 20 in the ash - chamber 5 . the ash is hot and the bottom 31 of the ash - chamber 5 becomes hot . the burning of the fuel heats the fire - box 4 considerably and the walls and the connecting means 5 become hot . the hot air from the combustion process rises upwards . the exhaust air hits the deflection plate 14 and as the air continues to rise , it flows along the deflection plate 14 towards the front panel 7 . as the exhaust air passes the front edge 15 of the deflection plate , it overshoots and plays over the rear face 29 of the air supply means 27 . this may cause a draft in the region of the slot 28 . furthermore , pre - heated air is leaving the slot 28 in a downwards direction . the two airflows mix . fig4 illustrates schematically the airflow which is believed to occur in the fire box . there are three main inputs of air : air rising from the fire itself ( referenced as b ), rising air deflected by the plate 14 ( referenced as c ), and pre - heated air moving downwards from slot 28 ( referenced as d ). as the deflected air c meets the pre - heated air d at the top of the door 35 they mix and cause turbulence e at the region of the window 36 . this turbulence pushes air , and more importantly soot and smoke f rising from the fire away from the window and keeps the window cleaner than in conventional fires . the introduction of pre - heated air also enables a higher temperature to be achieved , which results in less soot and smoke . uncombusted air passing through the pre - heating means 22 is warmed firstly by contacting the bottom 31 of the ash - chamber 5 . the draw on air for combustion takes the air up the connecting conduits 30 &# 39 ; which are by now hot and the air is heated further . the air receives further pre - heating in passing through the slot 28 and some mixing occurs with the rising and escaping air rising from the deflection plate 14 . the draft and / or turbulence caused by the exhaust gases in the region of the front edge 15 of plate 14 may draw air from slot 28 , or assist in doing so . once the fire in the stove is fully burning , it can be controlled by adjusting the knob 25 which controls the amount of air entering into the fire - box 4 . it is an advantage of the stove that it is constructed to intake an air supply from the room . in this way it is very simple to install and it does not require a conduit to have been previously installed in the house . therefore the invention provides a stove that is very cheap . the only connection that needs to be made is to connect the flue of the stove to a suitable system to deal with exhaust gases , for example a chimney . otherwise all that is required is a flat area on which the legs of the stove can stand . a hearth area would be suitable . in addition , the stove is very compact since all of its elements with the exception of the flue can be housed in a small box . the fire is clean , can be seen through the window which does not readily dirty , is efficient , and has a relatively high air flow for its compact size . | 5 |
a pair of wheels are indicated generally at 10 and 11 in fig1 the wheels being part of an automotive vehicle , the balance of which is not shown for purposes of clarity . it will be understood that the wheels are to be toed . a pair of wheel alignment devices are indicated generally at 12 and 13 respectively . wheel alignment device 12 is associated with wheel 10 , sometimes hereafter referred to as the first wheel , and wheel alignment device 13 is associated with wheel 11 , sometimes hereafter referred to as the second wheel . since the wheel alignment devices are alike , a description of one will suffice for a description of both , although on occasion reference will of necessity , have to be made to both . the wheel alignment device includes a pair of housing assemblies , indicated generally at 14 and 15 , and an attachment device , indicated generally at 16 , the purpose of which is to temporarily fixedly secure the housing assembly to the wheel during the toe in procedure . in this instance the wheel attachment device means includes a magnetic mounting clamp 17 , an arm 18 , and a sleeve 19 in which the housing 15 is received . it will be understood that the magnetic mounting clamp 17 includes conventional structure for securely holding the device to the wheel so that the center of the magnetic mounting clamp 17 remains aligned with an extension of the wheel axis 20 throughout the toe in adjustment procedure . the housing assembly includes a heat radiator 22 and a lamp assembly , indicated generally at 23 . an aperture is indicated at 24 at the forward end of the wheel alignment device . it will be understood that the lamp assembly 23 and aperture 24 are part of a conventional optical system contained within housing 15 which functions to project a beam of light outwardly from aperture 24 in each housing assembly 15 , which beam impinges against a target screen 26 or 27 . the light beams , indicated generally at 28 , 29 may take the form of a single shaft of light , which would be reflected as a dot on the target screen which receives it , or as a circle , which is a preferred form . it will be understood that the optical system includes a series of lenses and mirrors , as well as electrical power source 30 , the lenses and mirrors being conventional in construction and therefore not illustrated further herein . suffice to say that light beam 28 emanates from housing assembly 14 impinges on target screen 27 , and light beam 29 emanates from the housing assembly 15 for impingement on target screen 26 . referring now to fig2 target screen 27 is there shown to include a flat surface 32 on which are placed a series of indicia indicated generally at 33 . the indicia take the form of a series of arcs , each of which is struck about a center represented by point 20 which is coincident with wheel axis 20 . near the bottom of the target screen it will be noted that the distance between each arc 33 represents a fixed unit distance which in turn represents a fixed fraction of an inch of toe of the wheel with which the alignment device is used . the target screen is connected at locations 35 , 36 to the underside of its associated housing . in operation , a wheel alignment device is temporarily fixed to a wheel by engagement of the magnetic mounting clamp 17 with the center of the wheel hub in a conventional manner . thereafter , the wheel alignment device is activated and adjusted until it is essentially horizontal , as by , initially , activating the optical system via power source 30 , and focusing the light beam emanating from each housing assembly on to the target screen carried by the opposite housing assembly . thereafter the operator adjusts the position of the wheel to the desired degree of toe . referring to fig3 for example the circle , which represents light beam 28 , represented by reference numeral 37 is shown to be toed in the wrong direction . after suitable adjustment the operator may change the position of wheel 11 , with respect to the ground or reference surface 38 so that light beam 39 is now located at the proper degree of toe which , in this instance has been selected as four - sixteenths of an inch . it will be noted that with respect to both circle 37 and circle 39 , no adjustment need be made to ensure that the circles are projected properly ; the only requirement is that the displacement of wheel 11 be not so great that the light beam circle 37 or 39 falls off target screen 27 . the degree of error that is inherent in a system in which the arcs 33 are replaced by a series of vertical lines can be seen by projecting the end of any arcuate line onto reference line 34 . the distance between ( a ) the intersection of the projection with reference line 34 , and ( b ) the point at which the point crosses reference line 34 , can represent several one - sixteenths of an inch of error in the toe alignment . it will thus be noted that it is not essential for the wheel alignment operator to readjust housing assemblies 14 and 15 to an exactly horizontal orientation after every physical movement of either or both of wheels 10 and 11 ; it is only essential that the wheel alignment devices be located in such position that the light beams 28 and 29 which emanate from housing assembly 14 and 15 respectively are received in the receiving surface represented by the operative portion of target screens 26 and 27 . although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described , it will at once be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and betterments of the invention may be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concept . it is intended therefore that the scope of the invention be limited not by the scope of the foregoing exemplary description but , rather , by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims when interpreted in light of the pertinent prior art . | 6 |
fig1 shows a block diagram of an interface 1 , here connected to the output of an acoustic transducer , designated by 2 . the interface 1 may be obtained via a hardware circuit of an analog and / or digital type or be implemented by a computer programmed with software or firmware ; in the example described hereinafter , it is provided by a software - programmed computer , without , however , the following description implying any loss of generality . consequently , even though the following description uses the term “ signal ”, this term also covers the digital implementation and in particular refers each time to the processed digital sample or to the sequence of processed digital samples . the acoustic transducer 2 , for example a mems microphone , illustrated schematically herein , comprises two distinct sensitive structures 2 a and 2 b . for instance , the sensitive structures 2 a and 2 b are micromechanical structures provided in distinct dice of semiconductor material or in distinct portions of a same die of semiconductor material , as distinct membranes or diaphragms . alternatively , the two sensitive structures 2 a and 2 b may be formed by a same diaphragm having distinct areas of sensitivity , as described , for example , in wo2012093598 . the sensitive structures 2 a , 2 b are represented schematically in fig1 a respective capacitor having a variable capacitance as a function of the incident acoustic pressure waves , and have different mechanical characteristics , for example as to different stiffness to deformations ( and thus different sensitivity ), which determine different electrical characteristics in the detection of the acoustic pressure waves . the acoustic transducer 2 further comprises an asic 3 , having a first processing element 3 a , coupled to the first sensitive structure 2 a , and supplying at a first output a first sensing signal s_in 1 as a function of the electrical signals transduced by the first sensitive structure 2 a ; and a second processing element 3 b , coupled to the second sensitive structure 2 b , and supplying on a second output a second sensing signal s_in 2 , as a function of the electrical signals transduced by the second sensitive structure 2 b . the sensing signals s_in 1 and s_in 2 are typically digital signals , but may also be analog signals . thus , according to the type of sensing signal s_in 1 , s_in 2 , the processing elements 3 a , 3 b execute sampling , preamplification and / or filtering operations , in a per se known manner . in particular , the first sensitive structure 2 a may be more flexible and thus able to detect lower acoustic signals , having a first maximum sound pressure level , for example an aop ( acoustic overload point ) equal to 120 dbspl , whereas the second sensitive structure 2 b may be more rigid , and thus able to detect higher acoustic signals , having a second maximum sound pressure level , higher than the first maximum level , for example an aop equal to 140 dbspl . furthermore , the two sensitive structures 2 a , 2 b may have a same dynamic noise range dnr . fig2 shows , for example , the dynamic intervals of the sensing signals s_in 1 and s_in 2 of an acoustic transducer 2 having the maximum sound pressure levels referred to above ( different saturation values ) and a same dynamic noise range dnr of 89 db . for a same signal ( i . e ., in the presence of a same spl value ) the first channel 3 a thus generates an electrical signal having a higher value than the second channel 3 b , as may be noted immediately in the case of a sound pressure level of 94 dbspl ( s_in 1 =− 26 dbfs and s_in 2 =− 46 dbfs ). consequently , as explained hereinafter , the interface carries out a level adaptation . for instance , in the embodiment represented in fig1 , the first sensing signal s_in 1 is reduced by a value equal to the level difference at the value of sound pressure level of 94 dbspl , thus generating a first level adapted signal s_in 1 d . alternatively ( as illustrated in fig4 ), it is possible to increase the second sensing signal s_in 2 by the same difference , thus generating a second level adapted signal s_in 2 d . as described in detail hereinafter , the electronic interface 1 carries out a combination of the first and second sensing signals s_in 1 , s_in 2 , for generating a combined signal , in order to widen the dynamic interval and obtain an optimized compromise with the signal - to - noise ratio , preventing undesirable clicks , pops , and fading . in detail , the combination here uses the value of an intensity ( loudness ) signal l that is correlated to a sensing signal , preferably to the first sensing signal s_in 1 , and is compared with a plurality of thresholds , variable as a function of the intensity signal l . in fig1 there are four different thresholds , forming two lower thresholds and two upper thresholds , referred to hereinafter also as a first lower threshold th_ 1 l , a second lower threshold th_ 1 h , a first upper threshold th_ 2 l , and a second upper threshold th_ 2 h , with th_ 1 l & lt ; th_ 1 h & lt ; th_ 2 l & lt ; th_ 2 h . these thresholds are illustrated in fig3 and are used for calculating a reconstructed signal s_r as follows : when , starting from an intermediate value comprised between th_ 1 l and th_ 2 l , the intensity signal l increases until it exceeds the second upper threshold th_ 2 h , the second sensing signal s_in 2 is selected ( stretch a of the curve of fig3 ); when , starting from an intermediate value comprised between th_ 2 h and th_ 1 h , the intensity signal l decreases until it drops below the first lower threshold th_ 1 l , the first sensing signal s_in 1 is selected ( but for an attenuation or reduction of gain , as explained in detail hereinafter ), ( stretch b of the curve of fig3 ); when the intensity signal l has a value comprised between the first lower threshold th_ 1 l and the second upper threshold th_ 2 h , without exceeding these thresholds , a signal is selected , indicated in fig3 as combined signal s_c resulting from a combination of the first and second sensing signals s_in 1 , s_in 2 ( stretch c of the curve of fig3 ). in practice , the system works on the basis of a hysteresis that tends to reduce the number of switchings , maintaining the sensing signal or the combination that had been selected previously even beyond the value of the ( lower or upper ) threshold that determines switching in the opposite direction . in this way , but for a final level adaptation , as explained hereinafter , the interface 1 generates a reconstructed signal s_r as illustrated in fig2 having an increased dynamic , which ranges from the minimum sound pressure level ( spl ) detectable by the first detection structure 2 a , which is more sensitive to the low sound waves , to the maximum sound pressure level ( spl ) detectable by the second detection structure 2 b , which is more sensitive to high sound waves . furthermore , in the present interface , the combination of the first and second sensing signals s_in 1 , s_in 2 is made using a non - linear factor or weight of a self - adaptive type that enables slow and smooth switching between the first and second sensing signals s_in 1 , s_in 2 and the combined signal . then , in the present interface , the combined signal s_c thus obtained is amplified or attenuated using a variable gain for recovering the original amplitude of the low / high signal , thus preventing saturation . to this end , in the implementation represented in fig1 , an expander amplifies the combined signal if this is lower than an amplification threshold and , after this amplification threshold , reduces the amplification gain linearly , down to zero at the full scale value . with reference once again to fig1 , the interface 1 has a first and a second input 1 a 1 b , configured to receive the first and second sensing signals s_in 1 , s_in 2 , respectively , directly from the acoustic transducer 2 , and an output 1 c , supplying an output signal s_o . the electronic interface 1 comprises a first filtering element 5 connected to the first input 1 a ; a first intensity detector 6 , connected to the output of the first filtering element 5 ; a first level adapter 7 , connected to the first input 1 a ; a signal reconstructor 8 , connected to the outputs of the first intensity detector 6 and of the first level adapter 7 and to the second input 1 b of the interface ; a second filtering element 10 connected to the second input 1 b of the interface ; a second intensity detector 11 , connected to the output of the second filtering element 10 ; and a second level adapter 15 , connected to the output of the signal reconstructor 8 and to the output of the second peak detector 11 . the signal reconstructor 8 and the second level adapter 15 form together a recombining engine 16 . the first level adapter 7 has the function of reducing the level of the first sensing signal s_in 1 by a reduction or attenuation value δs for generating a first adapted sensing signal s_in 1 d having , for a sound signal picked up with a sound pressure level of 94 dbspl , an amplitude equal to that of the second sensing signal s_in 2 ( in the example represented in fig2 , thus , δs = 20 db ). the signal reconstructor 8 then receives , on two signal inputs 8 a , 8 b of its own , the adapted sensing signal s_in 1 d and the second sensing signal s_in 2 . the first filtering element 5 has the purpose of reducing the variation rate of the first sensing signal s_in 1 and thus simplifying processing ; it may be formed by any element suited for this purpose . for instance , in a software implementation of the electronic interface 1 , the first filtering element 5 may be formed by an element computing the rms ( root mean square ) value . a first filtered signal s_f 1 is thus present at output of the first filtering element 5 and supplied to the first intensity detector 6 . the first intensity detector 6 is substantially a peak detector , which thus outputs a first peak signal p 1 , used by the signal reconstructor 8 as described hereinafter . in the embodiment of fig9 , the signal reconstructor 8 does not actually generate the four thresholds th_ 1 l , th_ 1 h , th_ 2 l and th_ 2 h described above , but calculates two dynamic thresholds , a lower dynamic threshold th 1 and an upper dynamic threshold th 2 , the value whereof is dynamically and repeatedly calculated for reproducing the above hysteresis behavior described with reference to fig3 , as disclosed in detail hereinafter . in the embodiment of fig1 , the signal reconstructor 8 is basically made up of three parts : an adder 20 , which receives the adapted sensing signal s_in 1 d and the second sensing signal s_in 2 and generates a weighted combination thereof , referred to previously ( and in fig3 ) as combined signal s_c ; a selector 21 , which makes the selection referred to above and then outputs the reconstructed signal s_r according to the criteria set forth above ; and a control portion 22 , which controls the selector 21 and generates a combination factor β for the adder 20 . for instance , the adder 20 may generate the combined signal s_c as : the control portion 22 comprises an equalizer 25 , a threshold computing unit 28 ( see fig9 ), a comparator 26 , and a weight generator 27 . in detail , the equalizer 25 is formed by a filter having the task of further reducing the variation rate of the signal to be compared with the switching thresholds ( intensity signal l ). in particular , the equalizer 25 reacts rapidly while the sound signal increases , but more slowly when the picked up sound signal drops , and thus introduces a delay in this phase . for instance , the equalizer 25 may execute the operations illustrated in fig5 , namely : it resets a previous peak value tslp to a value k 1 ( step 50 ); it calculates a peak decay value tsapf reducing the previous peak value tslp by a decay value k 2 ( step 52 ); it calculates the new sample of the intensity signal l as maximum between the absolute value of the sample of the first peak signal p 1 and the previous peak value tslp ( step 54 ); and it updates the new previous peak value tslp so that this is equal to the new sample of the intensity signal l ( step 56 ). this cycle is repeated for each sample of the first peak signal p 1 , and then the process returns to step 52 . in fig9 , the control portion 22 comprises , in addition to the equalizer 25 , to the comparator 26 , and to the weight generator 27 , a threshold computing unit 28 . the threshold computing unit 28 calculates the dynamic thresholds described above , executing the operations illustrated in fig6 a and 6b . in detail , for calculating the lower dynamic threshold th 1 ( fig6 a ), the threshold computing element 28 : initially sets the lower dynamic threshold th 1 to the first upper threshold th_ 1 h ( step 60 ); if the current combination factor β is equal to 0 ( output yes from verification step 61 of the value of β , which means that now the reconstructed signal s_r is in stretch b of the curve of fig3 ), sets the lower dynamic threshold th 1 to the second lower threshold th_ 1 h ( step 62 ); if the combination factor β is other than 0 ( output no from step 61 ; i . e ., now the reconstructed signal s_r is in stretch c of the curve of fig3 ), sets the lower dynamic threshold th 1 to the first lower threshold th_ 1 l ( step 64 ). for calculation of the upper dynamic threshold th 2 ( fig6 b ), the threshold computing unit 28 : initially sets the upper dynamic threshold th 2 to the second upper threshold th_ 2 h ( step 70 ); if the combination factor β is equal to 1 ( output yes from the verification step 71 ; i . e ., the reconstructed signal s_r is in stretch a of the curve of fig3 ), sets the upper dynamic threshold th 2 to the second lower threshold th_ 2 l ( step 72 ); if the combination factor β is other than 1 ( output no from step 71 ; i . e ., the reconstructed signal s_r is in stretch c of the curve of fig3 ), sets the upper dynamic threshold th 1 to the second upper threshold th_ 2 h ( step 74 ). according to an embodiment of the present device , the combination factor β generated by the weight generator 27 is not fixed , but is a variable self - adaptive value so that the combined signal s_c follows the dynamic of the input signal without discontinuity and has a value close to that of the adapted sensing signal s_in 1 d when the intensity signal l has exceeded the first upper threshold th_ 1 l and a value close to that of the second sensing signal s_in 2 , when the intensity signal l has dropped below the second lower threshold th_ 2 l . for instance , the combination factor β is recalculated for each sample as follows ( see fig7 ): initially , the intensity signal l is compared with the upper dynamic threshold th 2 ( step 80 ); if l ≧ th 2 , the combination factor β is set to 1 ( step 82 ); otherwise , the weight generator 28 verifies whether the intensity signal l is lower than or equal to the lower dynamic threshold th 1 ( step 84 ); if it is , the combination factor β is set to 0 ( step 86 ); if it is not , the distance between the upper dynamic threshold th 2 and the lower dynamic threshold th 1 is calculated ( step 88 ) and the combination factor β is set to the normalized distance between the value of the intensity signal l and the lower dynamic threshold th 1 ( step 89 ). the comparator 26 receives the upper dynamic threshold th 2 , the lower dynamic threshold th 1 and the value of the intensity signal l and generates a digital switching signal s 1 supplied to a control input of the selector 21 , which thus outputs the reconstructed signal s_r . the reconstructed signal s_r thus generated is supplied to the second level adapter 15 , which amplifies it for recovering the original intensity , reduced on account of the first level adapter 7 , but only for the portion due to the first sensing signal s_in 1 . to this end , the intensity of the input signal is measured using the second sensing signal s_in 2 , since the latter contains the information regarding the high part of the sound signal picked up by the transducer 2 , which is not to be amplified . in detail , the second input 1 b of the electronic interface 1 is connected to the second filtering element 10 , which may be made substantially in the same way as the first filtering element 5 and may be formed by an rms calculation element . the second filtering element 10 thus outputs a second filtered signal s_f 2 , supplied to the second intensity detector 11 . the second intensity detector 11 , forming substantially a peak detector , outputs a second peak signal p 2 , supplied to the second level adapter 15 to determine the level of gain intended for the reconstructed signal s_r . the second level adapter 15 operates substantially as an amplifier of the reconstructed signal s_r , which has a constant gain δs ( thus equal to the reduction of the first level adapter 7 , in the example equal to 20 db ) up to a certain level of the input signal ( here up to 120 dbspl , maximum level of the first sensing signal s_in 1 ) and then decreases . in an embodiment of the present device , in the above second interval , the amplitude of the reconstructed signal s_r is reduced linearly down to zero at the maximum detectable level ( in the example considered 140 dbspl ). according to a different embodiment , in this second interval , a maximum gain of the reconstructed signal s_r is reduced linearly to zero at the maximum detectable level ( in the example considered , 140 dbspl ). in practice , in this case , when the second sensing signal s_in 2 exceeds 120 dbspl , the second level adapter 15 calculates the maximum gain on the basis of the following law : gmax represents the maximum gain that may be applied to the output signal without the latter undergoing any saturation or — in other words — without the latter being amplified beyond what is allowed by the residual dynamic of the system ( headroom ). according to an embodiment of the present device , in order not to introduce sharp alterations in the dynamic of the output signal s_o , the gain g actually applied to the reconstructed signal s_r is calculated in an adaptive way that depends upon the maximum gain gmax . in particular , the gain g follows two different dynamics according to whether it is increasing or decreasing ( and thus the second sensing signal s_in 2 and the reconstructed signal s_r are decreasing or increasing ). specifically , here , the gain is increased slowly according to a preset constant , and is decreased in a faster way according to a value linked to the amount of reduction of the maximum gain , implementing a sort of exponential decay . for instance , in the second range of values , the gain g is calculated as illustrated in fig8 . in the example of fig8 , the second level adapter 15 carries out the following operations : it initializes a delay counter d to zero ( step 90 ); it verifies whether the value of the gain g is lower than the maximum gain gmax corresponding to the current value of the second sensing signal s_in 2 ( or of an average of a certain number of samples ) ( step 92 ); if g & lt ; gmax , it increments the delay counter d ( step 94 ); it verifies whether the delay counter d has already reached the intended maximum value ( step 96 ); if it has , it resets the delay counter d ( step 98 ), and increments the gain g by a step - up value su ( step 100 ), and returns to step 92 ; if g is at least equal to gmax ( calculated at the current value or at a value that is an average of a certain number of samples of the second sensing signal s_in 2 ), output no from step 92 , it verifies whether g & gt ; gmax ( step 102 ); if it is not ( i . e ., g = gmax ), it returns to step 92 , without modifying the value of the gain ; if it is ( i . e ., the second sensing signal s_in 2 is decreasing ), it calculates a step - down value sd linked to the increase rate of the second sensing signal s_in 2 ( and thus the decrease rate of the maximum gain gmax ) according to the equation sg = k 3 +( g − gmax )/ k 4 , where k 3 and k 4 are constant ( step 104 ); it increments the gain g by the step - down value sd ( step 106 ), and returns to step 92 . the use , during reconstruction of the signal , of a number of thresholds that take into account the dynamic of the picked up sound signal , with a hysteresis behavior , reduces the number of switchings between the used signals and thus the onset of artefacts and disturbance , such as , in the acoustic field , clicks , pops , or fading . the reduction of artefacts and disturbance , for an increase of the dynamic interval of reproduction of the picked up signal , is enhanced by the other measures implemented by the present interface . in particular , the process of repeated filtering of the low signal ( first sensing signal s_in 1 ) to obtain the intensity signal l that is used for comparison with the reconstruction thresholds of the signal is advantageous since also this solution contributes to reducing repeated switchings at a short distance , as likewise the non - linear dependence of the gain g effectively applied to the reconstructed signal s_r in the high value area . the above improved behavior is also due to the use of self - adaptive weights in the generation of the combined signal s_c , which cause the reconstructed signal s_r to move without discontinuity and smoothly from the previous values to the subsequent ones in all operating conditions . in this way , thanks to the ensemble of solutions described above , even when the picked up signal has sudden level variations , difficult to predict , it is possible to completely eliminate the artefacts , at the same time guaranteeing a wide dynamic interval and high definition . the final level adapter or expander 15 moreover ensures complete recovery of the amplitude of the picked up signal , at the same time preventing saturation of the output . the output signal thus obtained , where just the lower values are amplified and amplification of the higher values is gradually reduced , limits the presence of noise in the output signal in so far as this is not amplified in a troublesome way for the samples having a higher level . finally , it is clear that modifications and variations may be made to the interface and to the reconstruction method described and illustrated herein , without thereby departing from the scope of the present disclosure , as defined in the attached claims . for instance , the interface may work in a dual way for alignment of the signals at the input of the signal reconstructor 8 . a solution of this type is illustrated by way of example in fig4 , which shows an interface altogether similar to that of fig1 , except for the fact that the signal reconstructor 8 receives at input the first sensing signal s_in 1 and a second adapted sensing signal s_in 2 d obtained by amplifying by δs the second sensing signal s_in 2 ( via a third level adapter , here an amplifier 30 , arranged between the second input 1 b and the signal reconstructor 8 ). furthermore , in this embodiment , the output from the signal reconstructor 8 is connected to a fourth level adapter 15 ′, which operates opposite to the second level adapter 15 of fig1 ; i . e ., it maintains the level of the combined signal s_r up to a certain value ( for example , the maximum level of the first sensing signal s_in 1 ) and then reduces the gain ( or the maximum gain ) linearly down to − δs at the maximum level of the second sensing signal s_in 2 . the measurement branch of the intensity signal l may be coupled to the second input 1 b and the measurement branch of the control signal of the second adapter element 15 , 15 ′ may be coupled to the first input 1 a , even though the embodiments described above have the advantage of optimally exploiting the information associated to the first and second sensing signals s_in 1 , s_in 2 . in the examples described above , the control portion 22 works on two dynamic thresholds , the value whereof is automatically calculated for each signal sample or every n signal samples for having in practice four thresholds . according to yet another embodiment , illustrated in fig1 , the control portion may use three thresholds , thereby the thresholds th_ 1 h and th_ 2 l of fig1 become the same . in all cases , the thresholds are programmable in an initial setting step . furthermore , even though the threshold computing unit 28 and the weight generators 27 have been described as different entities , they may be implemented by a same logic unit , possibly as separate routines . likewise , the adder 20 and the selector 21 may be implemented by a single reconstructed signal generator s_r . the present interface may be used for processing audio signals both of a digital type and of an analog type . furthermore , as has been mentioned , the described solution may be usefully applied to signals detected by dual sensors , including non - acoustic ones . the method proposed for managing two signals with different sensitivity in order to create one with greater dynamic interval may in fact be used for different applications , such as for example mems inertial sensors , thermal sensors , or pressure sensors , environmental sensors , chemical sensors , etc . in these cases , the availability of elements with different sensitivity may exploit the advantage of the described interface and method , for supplying more precise information and over a more extensive range of values , without introducing artefacts or alterations in the treated signal . the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments . aspects of the embodiments can be modified , if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents , applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments . these and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above - detailed description . in general , in the following claims , the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims , but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled . accordingly , the claims are not limited by the disclosure . | 7 |
the drawing shows an apparatus which includes means 1 for cleaning the seed from impurities like wood , stone and metal . after having passed the cleaning device 1 , any fibres in the raw material are removed e . g . in a fibre removing device 2 . the raw material , which can now be considered to be rather clean , is thereupon preliminarily crushed in rollers 3 . presently , a coarsely crushed product is obtained , that is to say a product consisting of seed particles which at least have been crushed once , but mostly two or three times ; this depends on the size of the seeds . the coarsely broken seeds having a size of 1 or 2 mm are subsequently subjected to a thermal treatment in a shaker conditioning device 4 ( see e . g . netherlands patent application no . 73 , 12094 and the corresponding u . s . pat . no . 3 , 972 , 278 ) in order to improve the extractability of the material . after this treatment , the oil is pressed out by means of a rotary press 5 , see british patent specification no . 958 , 014 , while the oil is discharged through an outlet 12 . apart from the already produced oil , a cake is obtained with an oil content ranging from 15 to 30 % of oil , which cake is discharged from the press 5 via a conveyor 13 to an extraction vessel 6 . here an extraction is effected by means of an extractant , for instance hexane , supplied through a feed line 18 and inlet 14 . for the latter extraction by means of hexane , a variable pressure extraction can be carried out as described in netherlands patent application no . 75 , 11124 and corresponding u . s . application ser . no . 722 , 396 . the flow of solvent with extracted oil produced in the extraction vessel 6 is discharged through a pipe 7 ; the flow of solvent with solid particles is discharged via the discharge pipe 8 and arrives in a solvent remover 9 which construction equals that of the shaker conditioning device . a mixture of water and hexane vapour flows from the solvent remover 9 to a condenser 16 through a vapour discharge duct 15 . from condenser 16 water is discharged through a water discharge pipe 17 while hexane is recovered and supplied to the extraction device 6 through a pipe 18 and inlet 14 . the mixture of water and hexane condensed in the vessel 16 is separated in a decanting vessel 19 , which is connected at its bottom part with a water discharge pipe 17 and at its top with a hexane discharge pipe 18 . extracted meal from the solvent remover 9 is , through a pipe 10 , supplied to a dryer 11 in which drying to the desired humidity takes place . the extracted meal is finally discharged through a discharge pipe 20 . the flow of solvent with extracted oil supplied through the pipe 7 is fed to a separator 21 from which hexane vapours are discharged to a hexane vapour condenser 22 , through a discharge pipe 23 . this pipe 23 connects the condenser 22 with a vaporiser 21 . finally , the residual oil and solvent are separated in the stripper 24 . the present invention presents several advantages with respect to the prior art machines : ( a ) with the energy formerly consumed according to the known method by smooth rolling only for reducing the size of the seed , already a part of the oil is recovered from the raw material , which material can thereupon be easily extracted ; ( b ) owing to the use of a rotary press , the vegetable material supplied to the extractor 6 contains less oil , so that the extractor 6 will be smaller , from which follows that the total flow of solvent with extracted oil is relatively much smaller . this implies less consumption of solvent , less consumption of energy for pumps and subsequently a smaller apparatus for recovering the solvent , which also reduces the consumption of energy ; ( c ) owing to the use of lower temperatures and by shorter residence times of the material to be treated in the respective parts of the present apparatus , the quality of the extracted meal is much improved , whereas the quality of the produced oil is excellent , as the percentage of pressed oil in the rotary press 5 ranges now from 30 - 50 %; ( d ) any capital to be invested in the present apparatus is moderate as special rollers for rolling the pre - treated vegetable material into fine flakes can be omitted , while the extractor device and , consequently , the device for recovery of extractant are much smaller ; ( e ) due to the fact that the rollers for rolling the raw material into flakes , deemed necessary according to the known method , are omitted , the upkeep cost can be considerably reduced because the rotary press and a shaker conditioner require little upkeep . the use of a so - called variable pressure extractor for extracting oil components from oil containing vegetable material is rather effective . it has been found that soja with an oil content of 18 % still contains after treatment in a rotary press 11 % oil . when a variable pressure extractor is used , an extracted meal with an oil precentage of only 0 . 4 % can be obtained from the cake . soja treated with the known direct extraction by means of a solvent yields an extracted meal with about 1 . 5 % of residual oil . a treatment with a variable pressure extractor also allows subjecting seeds with a high oil content to an extraction . extracted meal obtained according to the process in conformity with the invention contains proteins which are better soluble in water than the proteins in meal extracted in the known manner . in the process according to the invention , it is of particular importance that also coarsely crushed seeds can be almost entirely freed from oils or fat which means a considerable economy , particularly when seeds containing little oil are extracted . | 2 |
a first preferred embodiment of a continuous web mixing device 01 in accordance with the present invention is represented in fig1 and comprises two formers 02 , 03 , guide roller pairs 04 , 06 , 18 , two longitudinal cutters 07 , 08 , deflection rollers 09 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 16 , two traction rollers 05 , 10 , as well as a stapler 17 . a folding apparatus 19 is connected to the continuous web mixing device 01 , which folding apparatus 19 comprises a cylinder 21 , such as , for example , a cutting cylinder 21 , a cylinder 22 , such as , for example , a cutting groove , point and folding blade cylinder 22 , as well as a cylinder 23 , such as , for example , a folding jaw cylinder 23 . a first continuous web 24 is pulled through the former 03 in the direction of the draw - in arrow . the first continuous web 24 is constituted of a plurality of parallel running paper webs 24 , which together are processed into tabloid products . in the course of their passage through the former 03 , the longitudinally - cut , parallel running partial webs , running side - by - side over the former 03 , are brought together . following their passage over the former 03 , the folded continuous web 24 , which here is comprised of a plurality of partial webs placed on top of each other , runs over guide rollers 06 and terminates in one or both of the traction rollers 05 , 10 , or in one of the traction roller groups 05 , 10 . after passing through the former 03 , the continuous web 24 therefore consists of twice the number of parallel extending paper webs 24 which paper webs 24 , however , are of a lesser width than was the paper web 24 prior to its entry in the former 03 . the continuous web 24 is conducted over the deflection rollers 14 , 16 to the guide rollers 18 and leaves the continuous web mixing machine 01 via these guide rollers 18 . a different , second continuous web 26 is correspondingly conducted into the other former 02 . this continuous web 26 also consists of a plurality of parallel extending individual paper webs which are assembled after having been longitudinally cut and moved apart . this continuous web 26 can be obtained , for example , together with the continuous web 24 , by longitudinally cutting a double - width web which was previously imprinted in a printing press prior to its entry into the continuous web mixing device 01 . the partial webs of the second continuous web 26 are brought together in the associated former 02 and , after leaving the former 02 , are fed via the guide rollers 04 to one or both of the traction rollers 10 , 05 . leaving the traction roller or rollers 10 , 05 , the second continuous web 26 is conducted to the deflection roller 09 where , in contrast to the first continuous web 24 , it is divided into two partial continuous webs 27 , 28 , such as , for example , partial paper webs 27 , 28 . from the deflection roller 09 , a first partial continuous web 28 is conducted , via the deflection roller 11 , to the guide roller 18 , i . e . to the outlet of the continuous web mixing device 01 . it is combined there with the first continuous web 24 . since the continuous webs 24 and 26 , or the continuous web 24 and the partial continuous webs 27 , 28 are brought together in the area of the guide rollers 18 , the place or location where they are brought together , in the area of the guide rollers 18 , is called an outlet although , strictly structurally considered , this outlet or place of web combination can also be located further downstream with respect to the continuous web . the second partial continuous web 27 runs from the deflection roller 09 to the stapler 17 . the stapler 17 staples each of the paper webs 27 , constituting the partial continuous web 27 , before the second partial continuous web 27 enters the folding device 19 , together along a line between two sides of the printed image generated on them , along which line a transverse fold will later be generated , in the course of the passage of the second partial continuous web 27 through the folding apparatus 19 . after leaving the stapler 17 , the second partial continuous web 27 , now consisting of paper webs 27 stapled together in some places , is also conducted over the deflection rollers 12 , 13 to the guide roller 18 and is united there with the first partial continuous web 28 , as well as with the first continuous web 24 . in this way , a main continuous web 29 , which is composed of the yet not stapled paper webs of the first continuous web 24 , of the yet not stapled paper webs 28 of the first partial continuous web 28 , and of the stapled paper webs 27 of the second partial continuous web 27 , leaves the guide rollers 18 which , as discussed above , constitute the outlet from the continuous web mixing device 01 . this resultant main continuous web 29 now enters between the cutting cylinder 21 and the cutting groove , point and folding blade cylinder 22 of the folding apparatus 19 . a folding jaw cylinder 23 follows the cutting groove , point and folding blade cylinder 22 . the main continuous web 29 is cut , in a generally known manner , into individual products between the cylinders 21 , 22 of the folding apparatus , which cut , individual products are subsequently transversely folded between the cylinders 22 , 23 . the tabloid products produced by the continuous web mixing device 01 depicted in fig1 have an outer , not stapled layer and an inner , stapled layer . it is possible , at the deflection roller 09 , to distribute the individual paper webs consisting of the second continuous web 26 as desired , to form the two partial continuous webs 27 , 28 , and to provide the one paper web 26 corresponding respectively to four pages of the finished printed product , so that the change of the stapled layer into cuts of respectively four pages can be selected as desired . the continuous web mixing device 01 is not limited to the specific embodiment represented in fig1 . for example , it is possible to modify the continuous web mixing device 01 in such a way that the stapler 17 is arranged in the guide path for the first partial continuous web 28 , instead of being arranged in the guide path for the second partial continuous web 27 . in that configuration , the paper webs constituting the first partial continuous web 28 are stapled together at predetermined locations by the stapler 17 , while the paper webs 27 constituting the second partial continuous web 27 remain not stapled . after uniting the first and second partial continuous webs 27 , 28 with the first continuous web 24 , for formation into the main continuous web 29 at the outlet of the continuous web mixing device 01 at the guide rollers 18 , and after passing the formed main continuous web 29 through the folding apparatus 19 , tabloid products are produced by the alternative embodiment of the continuous web mixing device 01 , which tabloid products have three layers , in which tabloid product an outer layer and an inner layer are not stapled , while a layer between these two layers is stapled . the second continuous web 26 could , of course , also be conducted in one piece , possibly together with paper webs branched off from the first continuous web 24 , through the stapler 17 if a larger size is desired for the stapled layer than for the one not stapled . depending on the width of the printing press which is arranged upstream of the continuous web mixing device 01 , the continuous web mixing device 01 can also have more than two formers . the partial continuous web conducted through the stapler 17 can then be a part of a longitudinally cut continuous web coming from one of the formers , or can also constitute this continuous web in its entirety and can additionally contain paper webs from a continuous web coming from an adjoining former . in another embodiment of the present invention , the longitudinal cutter or cutters 07 , 08 is or are not arranged upstream of the respective former or formers 02 , 03 , but is or are located downstream of the respective former or formers 02 , 03 . in this case , the folded continuous web 29 is cut open at the folded spine downstream of the former 02 , 03 . in an embodiment of the present invention , which is represented in fig2 , at least two continuous web guides of the first and second partial continuous webs 28 and 27 are assigned to a former 02 and to the continuous web 26 formed by this embodiment . for this purpose , the continuous web 26 is longitudinally cut , either upstream or downstream of the former 02 , as mentioned above , and is then divided onto the continuous web guides of the first and second partial continuous webs 28 and 27 . at least one of the continuous web guides , however , and in an advantageous manner both of the continuous web guides , here have a stapler 17 along their path . one or both of the partial continuous paper webs 27 , 28 can be stapled before the partial paper webs 27 , 28 are again combined into a product and are further processed in the folding apparatus 19 . as indicated in dashed lines in fig2 , a third partial continuous paper web 31 can also be conducted out of the continuous web 26 and can be stapled by the use of a possibly provided stapler 17 , before it , too , is again combined to form the product 29 . a continuous web guide is also shown in dashed lines in fig2 , wherein a fourth different partial continuous paper web 32 is conducted , for example without being rerouted and / or without being stapled , straight downward to the entry into the folding apparatus 19 . a particular advantage of the embodiment of the present invention , in accordance with fig2 , lies in that it is possible to considerably reduce the number of formers 02 , 03 required in connection with the formation of several “ books ” of a product , which several books have been stapled separately of each other , or , in part , have not been stapled . for example , in connection with a similar variability of the product it is possible to save an additional former , such as a balloon former which would otherwise be arranged upstream of the former 02 . considerable construction costs and structural size can be saved by this elimination of one or more formers . in a third preferred embodiment of the present invention , as seen in fig3 , the two partial continuous paper webs 27 , 28 are conducted from the former 02 around both sides of a former 03 which former 03 is , for example , located underneath the former 02 , via deflection rollers 09 , 09 ′. as was discussed in connection with the first described embodiments , a stapler 17 , which is represented by dashed lines , can be arranged on one of the two , or on both of the continuous web guides of the partial continuous paper webs 27 , 28 . upstream of the folding apparatus 19 , the two partial continuous paper webs 27 , 28 are brought together with the continuous web 24 from the lower former 03 , wherein the continuous web 24 comes to lie between the two partial continuous paper webs 27 , 28 . in an advantageous embodiment of the present invention , as seen in fig3 , a stapler 17 ′ can be arranged in the path of the continuous web guide of the continuous web 24 in addition to , or in place of the stapler or staplers 17 shown in dashed lines in fig3 . in an embodiment of the invention , and which is distinguished by great flexibility , the continuous web guide of the continuous web 24 , as well as at least one of the continuous web guides of the partial continuous paper webs 27 , 28 , which are moving around both sides of the former 03 , each have a stapler 17 , 17 ′. if it is desired to provide an even more variable production capability , the continuous web guides of the three continuous webs 24 , 27 , 28 each have a stapler 17 , 17 ′. additional continuous bypass guides 33 , 34 , as indicated in dashed lines by way of example in fig3 , can be provided in all three of the discussed preferred embodiments , by the use of which , a portion of the , for example , again divided continuous web 24 , 27 , 28 , or the entire continuous web 24 , 27 , 28 can be guided around a stapler 17 , 17 ′, which is located on a continuous guide , without being stapled . in connection with this , only two bypass continuous web guides 33 , 34 , which are schematically represented without deflection rollers , are shown in dashed lines in fig3 . however , these bypass continuous web guides 33 , 34 can be optionally transferred , in a further development , to individual or to several continuous webs 24 , 27 , 28 from the above - described three preferred embodiments . in a fourth preferred embodiment , as seen in fig4 , respectively one stapler 17 , 17 ′ is assigned to each of the two formers 02 , 03 , each former 02 , 03 being provided with a longitudinal cutter 07 , 08 , in the guide path from the respective former 02 , 03 to the outlet of the continuous web mixing device 01 . the continuous web mixing device 01 here has deflection rollers 09 , 14 , 36 , 37 , via which deflection rollers one partial continuous paper web 28 , or the entire continuous web 26 of the one former 02 can be passed , together with a partial continuous web 27 ′, or with the entire continuous web 24 of this second former 03 , 02 , through the stapler 17 ′ which is assigned to the second former 03 , or , in an advantageous embodiment , the web is passed through it . therefore , it is not necessary to determine the correct approach to a former which is already in a superstructure , which is not specifically represented , by turning partial webs . instead , after passing through the formers 02 , 03 , the partial webs can still be assigned to the other partial continuous web 27 ′, or to the continuous web 24 . it is also possible to process all of the partial webs , such as the two folded and cut continuous webs 24 , 26 , into a product through one of the staplers 17 ′, 17 . in the same way , is it possible that a partial continuous paper web 28 , together with a continuous web 24 , or with a partial continuous paper web 27 ′ of the other former 03 , is stapled , while the remaining partial continuous paper web 27 of the first former 02 passes through the assigned stapler 17 without being stapled such as , for example , if i . e . the stapler is not switched on or is out of service . the arrangement discussed above with the above - mentioned reference numerals , is to be applied symmetrically to the opposite guide . by the use of the above - mentioned guide paths over both of the depicted staplers 17 , 17 ′, a main continuous web 29 , at the outlet of the mixing device 01 , can be attained in a first mode of operation , which web 29 has a portion of one or several layers not stapled by passing through , for example , switched - off staplers 17 , 17 ′, and a portion with several layers stapled together , as is represented in fig5 a from the inside to the outside ). in a second mode of operation , as seen in fig5 b , the main continuous web is constituted by two portions , each of which has several layers stapled together , and where the number of layers between the two portions can be variable by utilization of the above mentioned bypass . in an advantageous manner , the continuous web mixing device 01 has further deflection rollers 11 , 16 , over which partial continuous paper webs 28 , 28 ′ of the one and / or of the other former 02 , 03 is or are conducted without passing through one of the staplers 17 , 17 ′. as seen in fig4 , these webs 28 , 28 ′ move along an appropriate guide path between the two staplers 17 , 17 ′. by the use of this , the above - mentioned modes of operation of the present invention , and the products resulting therefrom as the main , continuous web 29 can be expanded in such a way that , in a third mode of operation , an additional portion with one or with several layers , which are not stapled , is introduced , in addition to the previously mentioned sequences between the already mentioned portions , in particular as the two stapled portions of the second mode of operation , as seen in fig5 c . the number and origin of the layer or layers of this last mentioned portion is or are variable . it or they can come from one , from the other , or from both of the formers 02 , 03 . even more flexible , with regard to the product to be produced , the continuous web mixing device 01 can be embodied with additional deflection rollers 09 , 09 ′, 10 , 10 ′, 11 , 12 , all as seen in fig4 , over which additional deflection rollers a partial continuous web 27 , 28 , 27 ′, 28 ′, exiting from at least one of the formers 02 , 03 , can be conducted on an outside of the continuous web mixing device 01 , around the two staplers 17 , 17 ′ to the outlet 18 , without passing through one of the staplers 17 , 17 ′. in fig4 , such an adjoining guide path , identified as bypass continuous web guide 33 , 34 , is provided for each of the two formers 02 , 03 . this makes it possible , in addition to the two first - mentioned modes of operation and also in addition to the third mode of operation , to add to the previously mentioned sequence of portions , a further portion with one or with several layers , which layers have not been stapled , and located on the one and / or on the other exterior continuous web side of the main continuous web 29 now obtained , or to actually add it . thus , for example , in a fourth mode of operation in accordance with the present invention , a sequence of one unstapled portion , a stapled portion , an unstapled portion and a further stapled portion , as shown in fig5 d , and in a fifth mode of operation , an additional unstapled portion , as seen in fig5 e , is made possible or is provided . in a sixth mode of operation , as depicted in fig5 f , there is formed a sequence of an unstapled portion , a stapled portion and a second stapled portion , and in a seventh mode of operation an additional further unstapled portion , as seen in fig5 g , can be achieved or is produced . the above - mentioned deflection rollers 09 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 16 , 36 , 37 are preferably embodied as rollers 09 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 16 , and in particular are provided as friction - driven 09 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 16 . the main continuous web 29 is subsequently transversely cut in the folding apparatus 19 , and the product sections obtained , as a result of this cutting are transversely folded , for example . the transversely folded products , which can be obtained with the above - mentioned modes of operation , are represented , by way of example , in fig5 a to 5 g . in this case , the number of layers per portion , either stapled or not stapled , has been selected only as example . a number of layers in the portion can also be higher or lower than is represented . different portions can have different numbers of layers . particularly in connection with portions which are not stapled , the number of layers can also be 1 . stapling is indicated schematically in fig5 a - 5 m by a line connecting the layers in the area of the folded spine . the products which can be obtained by the different modes of operation of the device in accordance with fig1 are also represented in fig5 . fig5 a shows a product which results where bypassing of a partial continuous paper web 28 , which is not intended to be stapled , takes place . the products produced by different modes of operation of the device in accordance with fig2 can also be seen from fig5 , but not exhaustively . for example , the product in accordance with fig5 a with one stapler switched off and fig5 b with only the partial continuous paper webs 27 , 28 shown in solid lines , can be produced . the arrangement shown in fig5 c can be produced without taking a guidance of the partial continuous paper web 31 into consideration , such as is provided in a basic version of the second embodiment in accordance with fig2 , but with a possibility of the partial continuous paper web 32 . with a left stapler 17 provided , with the center stapler 17 switched off or non - existent , as well as with the right stapler 17 turned on , the configuration shown in fig5 c can also be achieved with the partial continuous web 31 , without guidance of the partial continuous web 32 . with the center stapler 17 additionally turned on , the configuration of fig5 j can be achieved . if , however , the left stapler 17 is not provided or is instead switched off , the configuration of fig5 m can be realized . fig5 h shows a possible product created by the use of all drawn in guides and with the three staplers 17 all turned on . in addition to the products shown in fig5 a to 5 g , and mentioned in the portion of the specification in connection with fig4 , but to be transferred to operating situations with selectively switched - off or not provided staplers 17 , 17 ′, or with used or unused bypasses 33 , 34 , a product in accordance with fig5 i is possible with use of the device in accordance with fig3 taking the bypass 33 and three staplers 17 , 17 ′ into consideration , and without the bypass 33 , but with the bypass 34 , the reverse of the product shown in fig5 h . if all three continuous webs or partial continuous webs 24 , 27 , 28 , drawn in solid lines , have a stapler 17 , 17 ′, the product in accordance with fig5 j can be produced from three portions without a further bypass 33 , 34 . if a stapler 17 ′ is only provided for the continuous web 24 , or selectively only this one of the two or three staplers 17 , 17 ′ is switched on , a product in accordance with fig5 k results . the product sequence in the representation from the inside to the outside can be reversed , either by an appropriate guidance through the continuous web mixing device 01 , or by changing the folding apparatus 19 . it is of particular advantage that , as a rule , the above - mentioned products can be made , at least to a large extent , without turning , and in particular without previous turning of partial webs in a superstructure upstream of the formers 02 , 03 . the partial webs to be assigned to one or to the other continuous web , or the partial continuous web 24 , 27 , 28 , are transferred to the desired location in the continuous web mixing device 01 . while preferred embodiments of a sheet combining device and a method for combining sheets , in accordance with the present invention , have been set forth fully and completely hereinabove , it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that various changes in , for example , the type of printing press used to print the web , the specific drives for the various rollers and cylinders , and the like could be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention which is accordingly to be limited only by the appended claims . | 8 |
the present invention provides a method for extending the known subsequences at one or both of the two ends of double stranded qea fragment inward in the 3 ′ direction by an additional number of nucleotide positions . the general method disclosed herein may be designated “ oligo - competition ,” “ extended oligo - competition ,” or “ trace oligo - competition ”, or similar terms . the extension is accomplished by using as the primer in the amplification step a competing oligonucleotide including an additional base at the 3 ′ end of the originally known subsequence . such an oligonucleotide is termed an “ extended ” oligonucleotide herein . since the identity of the base 3 ′ to the known subsequence is initially unknown , it may be any one of the four possible naturally occurring bases , a , c , g , or t . four separate oligo - competition runs are carried out in parallel , each having either a , c , g , or t at the 3 ′ end of the priming oligonucleotide . since these are unlabeled , the particular one of the four extended oligonucleotide primers providing the diminution or obliteration of the detection of the fragment targeted by the extended oligonucleotides identifies the correct additional base at the 3 ′ end of the original subsequence . the known subsequences may have any length , based on ways known in the art for identifying the subsequences in a sample of genomic dna or cdna . in preferred embodiments these known subsequences are provided by the recognition sequences of various restriction endonucleases . thus , for example , subsequence lengths may range from about 4 nucleotides up to as many as 8 nucleotides . the operation of one cycle of the extended oligo - competition of the present invention at one end of a fragment thus extends the length of the known subsequence by one nucleotide ; for example , an initial known subsequence of four bases becomes an extended known sequence of 5 bases , or an initial known subsequence of 8 bases becomes an extended known sequence of 9 bases . this procedure reduces the ambiguity in the final extended subsequence by a factor of 4 for each cycle at each end of the fragment . [ 0050 ] fig1 depicts a double stranded qea fragment prepared by the pcr procedure described herein . the fragment is labeled at one end , on one strand by a fam label to facilitate detection , and on the second end , on the complementary strand , by a biotin label to facilitate isolation . the subsequences specific for each end are called the j subsequence , corresponding to the recognition sequence for a j - specific restriction endonuclease , and the r subsequence , corresponding to the recognition sequence for an r - specific restriction endonucleases . an important embodiment of extended oligo - competition may be described as follows ( see fig1 ). the qea process ( alternatively termed “ genecalling ™” herein ) involves a ) fragmentation of cdna pools with two different restriction enzymes , b ) ligation of the restriction fragments to a fam - labelled dna adapter ( the j adapter ) at one end of the fragment and a biotin - labeled dna adapter ( the r adapter ) at the second end of the fragment ; c ) polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ) amplification of the ligated dna molecules using primers specific to the sequences contained within the 2 adapter modules , which leads to the production of approximately 300 fluorescent dna fragments ( called quantitative expression analysis bands , or qea bands ); d ) purification of the biotin - labeled fragments on streptavidin - coated magnetic beads ; and e ) determination of the size of the fragments by capillary electrophoresis of the purified qea bands in the presence of a sizing ladder . the electrophoresis step provides the length ( in base pairs within 0 . 2 bp ) of the sequence included in each fragment in the original cdna pool as well as its precise abundance ( as the peak height ). based on the length of the cdna restriction fragment and the identity of the two restriction enzymes used to generate it , a list of potential genes is developed by querying known and proprietary databases for genes predicted to possess this restriction fragment . confirmation of a band &# 39 ; s identity involves a competitive pcr reaction using the qea bands described above with three primers ( see fig3 ): a fam - labeled primer , j23 , a biotin - labeled primer , r23 , and a 50 fold molar excess of a third , unlabelled primer known as a oligo - competition primer . the oligo - competition primer shares a 5 - base overlap with either the j ( in the case of the j oligo - competition primer ) or r primer ( in the case of the r oligo - competition primer ) at its 5 ′ end , followed by the restriction enzyme subsequence , and a 9 - 11 nucleotides region that contains gene - specific sequences at its 3 ′ end . the latter sequences originate from the gene identification provided after the database lookup step described in the preceding paragraph . the competition between fam - labeled j23 and j - oligo - competition primers to participate in the pcr reaction with the r23 primer involves only the genecalled ™ peak in the milieu of approximately 300 other qea fragments . thus , if the genecall is accurate , then the design of the oligo - competition primer would provide an unlabeled pcr product for a specific peak , while the production of all other fam labeled peaks is unaffected . oligo - competition pcr reactions are visualized by comparing the oligo - competition pcr fluorescent traces to their non - competed counterparts ( products of a pcr reaction using only the fam - j23 and biotin - r23 primers ) counterparts . in a successful oligo - competition , all peaks are recapitulated in both traces except for the peak for which the oligo - competition primer was designed . when the genecall of a qea peak are inaccurate , the primer designed is specific to a gene different from that which is contained in the peak . therefore , in an unsuccessful oligo - competition reaction , both the oligo - competed and non - oligo - competed traces are identical . the present invention describes new oligo - competing primers ( called oligo - competition primers ) that extend , in a given cycle of the method , only one nucleotide into the cdna in order to determine the identity of that nucleotide ( see fig5 ). therefore , in a oligo - competition reaction ( called a phasing reaction ) in which the base at the 3 ′ end of the chosen subsequence is , for example , an a , phasing reactions are conducted using oligo - competition primers have either in a , g , c , or t nucleotides at their 3 ′ ends to determine which qea peaks correspond to fragments having an a at their 3 ′ prime ends , all peaks that have this nucleotide as its first nucleotide 3 ′ of the restriction site will be poisoned by the unlabeled primer , and so remain undetected . only the reaction competed by the oligo - competing primer with a at its 3 ′ end will provide a diminished signal , and so a will be identified as the next 3 ′ nucleotide . by setting up 4 parallel phasing reactions ( one each with oligo - competition primers that end in a , c , g , or t at the 3 ′ end ) on the j restriction side , and an additional 4 parallel phasing reactions on the r end , the identity of the nucleotide on 3 ′ side of both restriction enzyme recognition subsequences can be determined . in further cycles , the nucleotides at the second positions removed from the 3 ′ end of each restriction enzyme subsequence site may also be identified by conducting phasing reactions similar to ones described above by using oligo - competition primers that have the dinucleotide xa , xc , xg , or xt at their 3 ′ ends , where x here represents the particular base already identified in the preceding cycle . alternatively , the first nucleotide position may be occupied by any of the four bases , namely , na , nc , ng , or nt at their 3 ′ ends , where n here represents any nucleotide , or a mixture of the four nucleotides . n may also be an ambiguous base or a universally - pairing base such as i . in the present discussion , operation of the method for two cycles at each of the j and r sites of the fragment targeted by the oligo - competing primers provides the identity of four additional nucleotides ( the 2 nucleotides 3 ′ of the j restriction enzymes site , and the 2 nucleotides 3 ′ of the r restriction site ). accordingly , the ambiguity in identifying a fragment as originating from a given gene genecall ™ list for each peak is refined by a factor of 4 4 , or 256 , leading to a nearly unique subsequence - length combination , permitting essentially unambiguous gene identification of the restriction fragment . the invention will be further illustrated in the following examples , which do not limit the scope of the attached claims . table 1 shows all the restriction enzymes tested and their modules that were used in primer design . the modules presented in table 1 are the single strand overhangs resulting from the asymmetric cleavage catalyzed by the given endonucleases . table 2 shows all the restriction enzyme pairs tested along with the identification of which restriction enzyme sites are on the j or the r side . oligo - competition primers . competing primers are unlabeled oligonucleotides composed of a 3 ′ portion of the j - adapter or r - adapter ( fig1 ), fused to a module given by the last 5 nucleotides of the restriction enzyme subsequence , and ending in the 1 or 2 discriminating bases ( see table 3 ). specifically , the sequences of the j - end oligo - competition primers , starting at the 5 ′ end , share the last 14 nucleotides at the 3 ′ end of j joined to the last 5 nucleotides of the restriction enzyme recognition sequence . they end in one of the four discriminating nucleotides ( a , c , g , or t ) for use in a first cycle of competing . phasing primers that investigate the identity of the nucleotide 2 bases removed from the 3 ′ end of the restriction enzyme recognition sequence have an ambiguous mixture of nucleotides ( an equimolar mix of the 4 nucleotides , or n ) at the 3 ′ penultimate position of the oligo - competition primer followed by one of the four discriminating nucleotides ( a , c , g , or t ) at the 3 ′ end . the 16 oligo - competition primers required for extracting 4 base information from a qea reaction involving the restriction enzymes bsphi and bglii is shown in table 3 ; in this example the first cycle applies competing primers that are 21 bases in length , and the second cycle applies competing primers that are 22 bases long . phasing reactions were conducted with 1 ng of qea reaction products , 100 pmol each of fam - j23 and biotin r - 23 primers , 1 nmol of the appropriate j or r oligo - competition primers in a buffer that contains 10 mm kcl , 10 mm nacl , 22 mm tris - hcl , ph 8 . 8 , 10 mm ( nh 4 ) 2 so4 , 2 mm mgso4 , 2 mm mgcl 2 , 0 . 2 mm dithiothreitol , 100 mm betaine ( sigma ) 0 . 1 % triton x - 100 , 0 . 4 mm of each dntp , and 0 . 8 units of deep vent ( exo -) dna polymerase ( new england biolabs ). the pcr program used for the reactions was 96 ° c . for 5 min , followed by 13 cycles of 95 ° c . for 30 s , 57 ° c . for 1 min , and 72 ° c . for 2 mins . the reactions were finished by a step at 72 ° c . for 10 mins . oligo - competition products were purified using magnetic streptavidin coated beads , denatured by heating to 95 ° c . for 5 min to release the strand labeled with fam , mixed with a rox labeled dna sizing ladder and subjected to capillary electrophoresis for size determination using the megabace 1000 system ( molecular dynamics ). oligo - competition reactions were conducted using rat liver qea reactions from a bsphi - bglii double digest . for the first extended position on the j side 4 reactions were conducted , each employing 100 pmols of j23 and r23 primers and , using the nomenclature provided in table 3 , 1 nmol of either m0j1a , m0j1c , m0j1g , or m0j1t . similarly for the first position on the r side we conducted four additional reactions that involved 100 pmols each of j23 and r23 primers and 1 nmol of either i0r1a , i0r1c , i0r1g , or i0r1t . the pcr reactions were conducted , purified and subjected to capillary electrophoresis . the traces from each reaction on the j side and r side are shown in fig6 . the four traces in the top panel of fig6 correspond to qea peaks obtained after competition reactions involving the i0r1a , i0r1c , i0r1g , and i0r1t oligo - competition primers respectively . similarly , the bottom panel shows the qea peaks that are obtained after oligo - competition reactions with the m0j1a , m0j1c , m0j1g , and m0j1t primers . the trace with the lowest height for a given peak identifies the nucleotide on the 3 ′ side of the restriction enzyme site . for example , in this region of the trace , the peak at 88 . 2 bp has a cytosine ( c ) residue 3 ′ of the bglii site ( fig6 top panel ), and a thymine ( t ) residue on the 3 ′ side of the bsphi site ( fig6 bottom panel ). similar designations in the panels of fig6 indicate the base providing the successful competition for other qea peaks in the sized detection . ( the designation “ s ” in the bottom panel of fig6 designates the ambiguity that c and g both appear to compete successfully at this position of this fragment .) for nucleotide oligo - competition at the second position , primers m0j2a , m0j2c , m0j2g , and m0j2t were used in oligo - competition reactions for the bsphi restriction enzyme site on the j side , and primers i0r2a , i0r2c , i0r2g , and i0r2t , for oligo - competition reactions for the bglii restriction site on the r side . fig7 shows , for example , that for the qea peak at 88 . 2 bp , the second nucleotide on the j side is a cytosine ( c ), and on the r side is an adenine ( a ). corresponding results are provided for the other qea peaks in fig7 as well . genecalling lists are refined by a predicted factor of 256 with the additional information provided by oligo - competing for two cycles at both the j and r subsequences . as an example of a practical application of this specificity , a hindiii - bamhi double restriction digest of rat liver cdna provided a 153 . 8 bp fragment for which the original genecalling list has 10 candidate genes whose subsequence - length combinations match the experimental information . of the 10 candidate genes , only one , rat glycogen synthase , matches the oligo - competition data provided by two cycles of phasing for each of the j and r subsequences for this fragment . thus an unambiguous matching of gene to a fragment is provided as a result of the oligo - competing process . this matching is confirmed by a oligo - competition experiment using an oligonucleotide incorporating bases identified by the extended oligo - competition process described for fig6 and 7 and in this paragraph ( see fig8 ). the upper trace at 153 . 8 bp in fig8 is the control trace in the absence of the oligo - competition oligonucleotide , and the lower trace is obtained in the presence of and excess of the oligonucleotide . oligo - competition ( automated or manual or both ) is a process of finding a limited nucleotide sequence of the cdna fragments adjacent to their known cut sites . the sequence of interest is determined by altering the amounts of cdna fragments in the oligo - competition pcr process using one of the four ( for a single position ) sequence - specific oligo - competition primers ( see detailed description and example 2 ) and by analyzing the resulting electrophoresis traces of the oligo - competition pcr products in terms of their intensities as functions of the electrophoresis mobilities expressed in terms of cdna fragment lengths ( bp ). the oligo - competition nucleotides ( oligo - competition sequence ) are identified based on the differences in the oligo - competition pcr amplification , which in turn are determined by the differences in the intensities of the traces in the narrow neighborhood of the peak corresponding to a given cdna fragment of the pcr product . the oligo - competition pcr process may be designed so that the intensity of the poisoned cdna fragments in the oligo - competition pcr product will be reduced ( negative oligo - competition ) or increased ( positive oligo - competition ) with regards to the intensity corresponding to the non - poisoned fragment of the same length and cut sequence . in the following the negative oligo - competition algorithm is described , while the differences pertaining to the positive oligo - competition algorithm are noted in parentheses where applicable . the analysis of the oligo - competition data can be applied to the oligo - competition electrophoresis traces alone ( up to four traces corresponding to four possible nucleotides a , c , g , and t in a given nucleotide position ), or to the oligo - competition electrophoresis traces combined with the electrophoresis traces corresponding to the initial mixture of the cdna fragments used as input into oligo - competition pcr process ( up to five traces ). this analysis may consist of the following steps . the intensity of the electrophoresis trace in principle characterizes the amount of the cdna fragments in pcr product as a function of their length . however , the value of the trace intensity is influenced by several undesired factors acting at different stages of the oligo - competition process . these factors include but are not limited to ( i ) uncertainty in the initial amount of the cdna fragments used in oligo - competition pcr , ( ii ) variations in oligo - competition pcr amplification , which depends on oligo - competition pcr primers , fragment length and other parameters of the pcr process , ( iii ) electrophoresis instrument noise etc . the influence of these factors on the oligo - competition traces is reduced by normalization and scaling ( see wo00 / 41122 ). normalization and scaling can be applied to oligo - competition traces alone or to the oligo - competition traces combined with the traces of initial cdna fragments . the traces refined on step 1 are analyzed to determine the peaks ( local intensity maxima ) that identify cdna by both their cut sequences and length . for each pair of cut sites , possible options include but are not limited to ( i ) analysis of the individual oligo - competition traces , each corresponding to a specific oligo - competition pcr primer , ( ii ) analysis of the composite trace representing the average of all oligo - competition traces , ( iii ) analysis of the composite trace representing the average of all oligo - competition traces and trace of the initial cdna fragments , ( iv ) analysis of the traces of initial cdna fragments . the peak finding algorithm scans a given trace for maxima , identified by a predetermined set of conditions , such as the shape of the trace in a given number of consecutive points , the signal / noise ratio and others . for each of the peaks found on step 2 , the normalized and scaled oligo - competition traces are ranked in ascending ( descending , for positive oligo - competition ) order of their maximum intensities determined within a narrow neighborhood of the position of a given peak . the peak is then considered to be poisoned if certain conditions with regards to the interrelationships of the ranked intensities are met . possible options for these conditions in negative phasecalling include but are not limited to : ( i ) the intensity of n ( n & lt ; 4 ) first ranked oligo - competition traces are at least k - times ( k & gt ; 1 ) lower ( higher , for positive pc ) than that of any other oligo - competition trace within the location of the given peak . the oligo - competition primers corresponding to each of these oligo - competition traces determine 1 to n poisoned nucleotides and their position relative to the cdna fragment &# 39 ; s cut site . ( ii ) the intensity of n ( n 4 ) first ranked oligo - competition traces are at least k - times ( k & gt ; 1 ) lower ( higher , for positive pc ) than that of the trace of the non - pc - treated cdna fragments within the location of the given peak . in this case , the oligo - competition primers corresponding to each of these oligo - competition traces determine 1 to n poisoned nucleotides and their position relative to the cdna fragment &# 39 ; s cut site . the values of n and k can be determined empirically and optimized to better reproduce the sequences of the cdna fragments . in pilot oligo - competition software the values of n and k were fixed at 2 and 1 . 5 correspondingly . [ 0080 ] fig9 and 10 illustrate examples of the oligo - competition algorithm applied to four oligo - competition traces of the negative oligo - competition pcr products for cdna fragments 143 . 8 bp long . the red vertical line identifies the peak of interest , and the numbers identify the ranking order of the oligo - competition traces . in fig9 the intensity of the green oligo - competition trace is 1 . 5 times lower than that of the first trace above it , so that it was determined that this cdna fragment has a nucleotide g immediately adjacent to the cut sequence ( green trace corresponds the oligo - competition primer specific to the g nucleotide in the first position with regards to the cut site ). in fig1 the intensity of both black and red oligo - competition traces are at least 1 . 5 times lower than that of any trace above them , so that it was determined that the cdna fragments , characterized by this particular cut sequence and length , have t and c nucleotides that are located next to the cut sequence ( black and red traces correspond the oligo - competition primer specific to the t and c nucleotides adjacent to the cut site respectively ). a total of ten different trace oligo - competition projects were done in three different organisms as shown in table 4 . additional sequence information of up to four nucleotides adjacent to the restriction enzyme recognition sites of the bands was generated for the bands . this information was used to optimize gene calls for the identified fragments . the gene calls were then compared with results from further confirmations resulting from procedures such as oligo - competition ( see background of the invention ) or sequencing . the confirmation requests were categorized into five groups based on the number of nucleotides added in the trace oligo - competition matches between the bands and their gene calls ( termed “ trace oligo - competition_score ”). the score ranges from 0 to 4 nucleotides added . the effectiveness of this process was assessed by evaluating the percentage of the positive confirmations of referred to the total number of confirmation requests in each category . these ratios were also compared to earlier historical data where confirmations were done without trace oligo - competition . the impact of the trace oligo - competition scores on confirmation efficiency in ten different trace oligo - competition projects is summarized in fig1 . 1828 confirmations were submitted from the ten trace oligo - competition projects . these confirmations were categorized based on the number of trace oligo - competition - nucleotide matches between the bands and their gene calls ( trace oligo - competition scores ). the trace oligo - competition efficiency was measured as the percentage of the trace oligo - competition runs that were confirmed by oligo - competition to the total number of confirmation requests in each category . the results were also compared to the confirmation efficiency of another 1108 historical samples where no trace oligo - competition data was generated . it is seen from fig1 that the overall trace oligo - competition effectiveness increased with the number of nucleotides employed in the trace oligo - competition procedure . with a trace oligo - competition score of 1 , the confirmation efficiency was lower than that when no matches were found or when compared to the confirmation efficiency of the historical data . this may be due to an experimenter &# 39 ; s bias towards the selection of specific band - to - gene associations when trace oligo - competition data was not available ( historical or score = 0 ). on average the trace oligo - competition efficiency increased by 9 . 3 % per base over the full range from 0 to 4 ( 40 . 2 % to 77 . 5 %). this general trend was consistent across all the ten trace oligo - competition projects ( see table 5 , showing a detailed breakdown of trace oligo - competition effectiveness in various projects ). the variation in confirmation efficiency between trace oligo - competition projects for a given trace oligo - competition score can be explained , at least in part , by the quality , tissue specificity and redundancy of the sequence databases . a total of 1073 confirmations that were done in various projects using the gene calls from a curagen corporation proprietary sequence database were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the trace oligo - competition data . among the 1073 confirmations , trace oligo - competition data were available for 688 confirmation requests . the remaining 385 confirmation requests were treated as historical data where confirmations were done only with the proprietary database . the trace oligo - competition data from different trace oligo - competition projects was used to identify the trace oligo - competition score for each confirmation done . as described before , the confirmation efficiency was measured as the percentage of the positive confirmations to the total number of confirmation requests in each category . the results were also compared to the confirmation efficiency of the 385 historical confirmations where no trace oligo - competition data could be used . the overall effectiveness of trace oligo - competition on further improving confirmation efficiency among gene calls from the proprietary database is shown in fig1 . the overall confirmation efficiency using sized seqcalling ™ database in the historical data was 61 % when the proprietary database was used within the same tissue and developmental stage . the confirmation efficiency decreases from 61 % in the historical data to 30 % among confirmations requested having scores = 0 in the trace oligo - competition projects . this reduction is due to the tissue and developmental stage differences between the samples where the proprietary database was generated and those where the gene calls were used for confirmation . the trace oligo - competition effectiveness increases with trace oligo - competition score . with a match of 2 or more nucleotides , the confirmation efficiency was more than the confirmation efficiency observed in the historical data . these results demonstrate that trace oligo - competition complements the use of the proprietary database and further improves the confirmation efficiency . the results were consistent in all the trace oligo - competition projects where confirmations were submitted using the proprietary database ( see table 6 , showing a detailed breakdown of trace oligo - competition effectiveness in various projects ). from the foregoing detailed description of the specific embodiments of the invention , it should be apparent that particular novel compositions and methods involving nucleic acids , polypeptides , antibodies , detection and treatment have been described . although these particular embodiments have been disclosed herein in detail , this has been done by way of example for purposes of illustration only , and is not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the appended claims that follow . in particular , it is contemplated by the inventors that various substitutions , alterations , and modifications may be made as a matter of routine for a person of ordinary skill in the art to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims . indeed , various modifications of the invention in addition to those described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying figures . such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 2 |
in the following detailed description , reference will be made to the accompanying drawing ( s ), in which identical functional elements are designated with like numerals . the aforementioned accompanying drawings show by way of illustration , and not by way of limitation , specific embodiments and implementations consistent with principles of the present invention . these implementations are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and it is to be understood that other implementations may be utilized and that structural changes and / or substitutions of various elements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of present invention . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be construed in a limited sense . in accordance with one aspect of the embodiments described herein , there are provided systems and methods for generating autonomous responses to local conditions or to the changing needs of the larger electric power grid . in various embodiments , the aforesaid responses that might be provided by automatic dispatch in response to sensed grid conditions include power grid optimization and reliability functions for the local residential , industrial , or commercial site . in various embodiments , the aforesaid responses may additionally include local site functions that may help stabilize the wider power grid . the autonomous services and / or autonomous responses referred to throughout the present description are services that may be automatically provided by an evse without directed dispatch by the equipment owner or operator . various embodiments of the described inventive concepts provide several important services to the local site as well as the wider electric grid , through the aforesaid local autonomous response function of the evse . in one or more embodiments , when a plug - in electric vehicle is being charged using the evse , the evse is configured to provide several automatic services , each of which provides value in different ways . services and their automatic responses include one or more of the below - described advanced functionalities , which should note be interpreted in a limited sense . in one exemplary embodiment , the evse or other electrical loads are equipped to enable a dynamic load sharing among themselves . with the aforesaid dynamic load sharing , several evses automatically coordinate between themselves to optimize an electrical circuit . as would be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art , without such dynamic load sharing , the number of evses that may be added to a given circuit and / or feeder is capped by the aggregate maximum current rating of all evses , such that the combined maximum current draw of all evses operating simultaneously at full charging capacity should never exceed the capacity of the electric circuit on which they are installed . this limits the number of evses that can be installed on a circuit . if more evses are desired on a given circuit , the entire electric circuit must be upgraded , which could be expensive and time - consuming . on the other hand , most of the time , provisioning the full rated charging power for all evses on a circuit is not required , as vehicles are either not plugged in to every evse , or the vehicles that are plugged in have already been fully charged . however , as would be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art , there could be relatively rare periods of time when all or substantially all of the evses would be simultaneously used to full or substantially full rated charging capacity resulting in peak electrical loads on the circuit . in one or more embodiments , the limitation on the number of evses on an electrical circuit can be solved by enabling individual evses or groups of evses to automatically reduce their charging current in cases where most or all of the evses are operating simultaneously , such that the group of evses as a whole never exceeds the rated current carrying capacity of the corresponding electric circuit . accordingly , in one embodiment , the inventive evses described herein include the functionality for automatic charging current reduction , based on the awareness of the circuit current limits and the aggregated charging current of the other evses in the evse group . as would be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill i the art , such functionality automatically prevents the peak electrical loads of evse groups from exceeding the rated capacity of the associated electrical circuit and enables increasing the number of evses without the need for expensive circuit upgrade . in another exemplary embodiment , the evse or other electrical loads are equipped to enable a local load control . this capability is similar to the aforesaid dynamic load sharing , described above , wherein individual evses and / or groups of evses automatically reduce their charging loads to optimize the loads on the site . the difference between the two is that , in local load control , individual and / or groups of evses are configured to automatically reduce individual charging loads in coordination with other site loads ( e . g . air conditioning units , lighting ), to maintain an overall site load lower than the limit of the electrical feeder to the site . the main benefit of the aforesaid local load control is that more evses may be added to a specific site than would otherwise be possible under the existing feeder limits . this capability may also be used to reduce the customer retail demand . in another exemplary embodiment , the evse or other electrical loads are equipped to enable load coordination with on - site renewable energy generation equipment . with this capability , evse loads may be automatically varied based upon the output of on - site renewable energy generators to ensure site electrical load stability . in various embodiments , the aforesaid on - site renewable energy generators may include , without limitation , on - site solar ( e . g . photovoltaic ), wind , wave , hydroelectric , biogas , fuel cell , geothermal generators or any other similar equipment . as would be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art , the aforesaid listed types of renewable energy generation equipment is exemplary only and should not be construed in a limiting sense , as the inventive concepts described herein may operate with other similar power generation equipment . in various embodiments , the aforesaid automated coordination of evses may allow increased capture of renewable energy , reduced customer electric costs , and / or reduced current flow to or from the site , as needed to optimize the overall customer electric load and electric costs savings . in yet another exemplary embodiment , the evse or other electrical loads are equipped to enable a conservation voltage reduction . the conservation voltage reduction ( cvr ) is a technology used for reducing energy and peak demand . cvr is implemented upstream of end service points in the distribution system so that the efficiency benefits are realized by consumers and the electric distributor . in one or more embodiments , automated cvr capabilities are added to evses to provide local benefits to the site and electric distributor hosting the charging stations . in yet another exemplary embodiment , the evse or other electrical loads are equipped to enable a frequency response . with this capability , evses are configured to automatically sense a frequency drop on the grid and pause the charging function to help stabilize the grid frequency . as the evses are expected to represent significant grid loads in the future electric power system , the capability to automatically and quickly reduce charging load in response to grid frequency variations can provide great benefits to the grid at a very low cost . in one or more embodiments , to enable one or more of the above - described automated responses to grid and other conditions , individual evses and / or groups of evses are configured to automatically measure any one , some or all of the following parameters : grid frequency , grid voltage , customer electrical load , individual evse load , and aggregated evse load . all of the aforesaid measurements may be performed using conventional electric measuring equipment well known in the art and available commercially . in one or more embodiments , individual evses and / or groups of evses are equipped with on - board logic to automatically ( autonomously ) respond to any , some or all of the above measurements . the aforesaid on - board logic may be implemented using one or more microprocessors and / or microcontrollers appropriately programmed with software implementing the functionality described herein . the aforesaid microprocessors and / or microcontrollers are well known in the art and are available commercially from multiple electronic suppliers . in one or more embodiments , the described on - board logic may seek to optimize supply current delivered by the evses to electric vehicles ( or any other electrical loads ) to enable any , some or all of the following functions : dynamic load sharing , load coordination with on site renewables , conservation voltage reduction , and / or frequency response . in one or more embodiments , individual evses and / or groups of evses are provided with on - board capability to vary their supply current delivered to plug - in electric vehicles in response to the commands issued by the aforesaid on - board logic described above . such capability may be provided using conventional electronic components such as electro - mechanic relays , thyristors , high - power mos transistors , electronic current switches and the like , which are well known in the art and widely available commercially . fig1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a distributed system configuration based on which the functionality described herein may be deployed . various elements shown in fig1 and their respective functions are described in detail below . specifically , in one or more embodiments , the distributed system configuration shown in fig1 incorporates one or more electric meters 110 , configured for reading current , frequency , voltage and / or other parameters from the electric power line ( s ) feeding one or more corresponding individual ev charging stations 150 . in one or more embodiments , the electric meters 110 are appropriately connected to return the measured meter readings via a communication path to one or more ev charging station ( s ) 150 . in an alternative embodiment the meters 110 may be integrated into the corresponding ev charging stations 150 . in one or more embodiments , the distributed system configuration shown in fig1 further incorporates an electric meter 120 , which is connected between various on - site electrical loads ( shown to the right thereof ), including non - ev on - site loads 160 as well as ev charging stations 150 , and the electric grid ( shown to the left thereof ). in one or more embodiments , this electric meter is configured to perform reading of current , frequency , voltage and / or other parameters from the electric supply ( feed ) line to the entire site . in various embodiments , the electric meter 120 is capable of returning the appropriate meter readings via a communication path to one or more ev charging station ( s ) 150 . it should be appreciated that electric meter 120 is optional and not required not required to enable some aspects of the embodiments described herein . in one or more embodiments , the distributed system configuration shown in fig1 further incorporates one or more electric meters 130 for reading current , frequency , voltage and / or other parameters from the electricity line connecting one or more on - site renewable energy generators , such as on - site solar ( e . g . photovoltaic ), wind , wave , hydroelectric , biogas , fuel cell , geothermal generators and / or any other similar power generation equipment . in one or more embodiments , the electric meter ( s ) 130 are capable of returning respective meter readings via a communication path to one or more ev charging station ( s ) 150 . it should be appreciated that electric meter ( s ) 130 is optional and not required not required to enable some aspects of the embodiments described herein . in one or more embodiments , the distributed system configuration shown in fig1 further incorporates a master controller / server 140 . in various embodiments , the master controller / server 140 is implemented based on a computerized data processing system incorporating one or more processors or microcontrollers , memory and communication interface . in various embodiments , the master controller / server 140 functions as an electric vehicle charging controller with one or more of the below - described features . in one or more embodiments , the master controller / server 140 is communicatively coupled , via an appropriate wired or wireless data interconnect , to one or more of the above - described electrical meters 110 , 120 and 130 . as such , the master controller / server 140 is capable of receiving the reading ( s ) from the corresponding electric meters . possible embodiments of the aforesaid data interconnects include wifi communication interface , usb interface , ip - based network interface as well as any other now known or later developed data communication interfaces . it should be appreciated that the embodiments described herein are not dependent on the specific type of the communication interface used for connecting the master controller / server 140 to the electrical meters 110 , 120 and 130 . in one or more embodiments , the master controller / server 140 is communicatively coupled , via an appropriate data communication interconnect , to a user application hosted on a remote server and / or station controls . in one embodiment , the master controller / server 140 sends measurement and / or other data to the aforesaid user application and receives user commands . in one or more embodiments , the master controller / server 140 incorporates a logic to determine appropriate charging output current for one or more ev charging stations 150 and / or other on - site loads in response to one or more readings of the electrical meters 110 , 120 and 130 . in one or more embodiments , the aforesaid logic may be implemented using one or more processors executing one or more software applications embodying the corresponding functionality . in various embodiments , the master controller / server 140 is connected to the internet and has capability to automatically download from an external storage server and install the aforesaid software applications implementing the described logic . in one or more embodiments , the master controller / server 140 further incorporates an interface for directing ev charging stations 150 to vary charging load to one or more electric vehicles based upon the determinations made by the above - described internal logic . in various embodiments , the aforesaid interface may be implemented using any now known or later developed wired or wireless interconnect . finally , in one or more embodiments , the master controller / server 140 incorporates a storage system for storing one or more custom presets and / or other parameters or data associated with the local circuit and / or utility feeder , frequency response requirements , and / or the aforesaid cvr requirements . in one or more embodiments , the aforesaid parameters may be stored in a database executing on one or more processors of the master controller / server 140 . it should be further noted that in one exemplary embodiment , the above - described functionality of the master controller / server 140 may be integrated into one or more of the ev charging stations 150 . in one or more embodiments , the described distributed system configuration shown in fig1 further incorporates one or more ev charging stations 150 with slave control capability . each ev charging station 150 is intermittently connectable to one or more electric vehicles ( evs ) 180 and configured to provide electric charge thereto . these electric vehicles ( evs ) 180 may exist in various states of charge . in various embodiments , the ev charging stations 150 may incorporate one or more of the below - described features . in one embodiment , the ev charging stations 150 have the capability to vary electric vehicle charge and discharge rate according to internal controls , commands received from the master controller / server 140 and / or commands received from user application . in one embodiment , the one or more ev charging stations 150 have the capability to receive vehicle owner &# 39 ; s preferences or user commands via one or more hardware controls disposed directly or indirectly on the ev charging stations 150 or via a user interface co - located with the respective ev charging station 150 . in another embodiment , the ev charging stations 150 are capable of receiving owner &# 39 ; s preferences or commands via a network interface communicable , via an appropriate wired or wireless network , with a mobile application executing on user &# 39 ; s mobile device . in one embodiment , the one or more ev charging stations 150 further have the capability to display directly to the user ( using a co - located user interface or otherwise ) or to communicate to a remote server application or user &# 39 ; s mobile application one or more of the following information items : 1 ) real time charging information ; 2 ) vehicle owner charging preferences ; 3 ) alerts regarding charging status ; 4 ) vehicle state of charge ; and / or 5 ) estimated time to completion of charge . in one or more embodiments , the described distributed system configuration shown in fig1 further incorporates one or more non - ev on - site loads 160 . the aforesaid non - ev on - site loads 160 comprise loads such as air conditioning , lighting , plug loads , etc . it should be noted that , in various embodiments , these loads 160 may be independently metered and / or controlled by the ev charging stations 150 autonomous logic controls . in one or more embodiments , the described distributed system configuration shown in fig1 further incorporates one or more on - site generator ( s ) 170 . the generators 170 may include one or more renewable and / or non - renewable electric energy generators , which may be located behind or in front of the on - site loads within the electric circuit . in various embodiments , the generators 170 may be controllable by the logic of the ev charging station ( s ) 150 . in one or more embodiments , the described distributed system configuration shown in fig1 further incorporates communication path 190 interconnecting the electric meters 110 , 120 and 130 , ev charging stations 150 , master controller / server ( s ) 140 , on - site generators 170 and / or non - ev site loads 160 . this communication path may be implemented using any now known or later developed interconnect . finally , in one or more embodiments , the described distributed system configuration shown in fig1 further incorporates electricity path 195 , which may be comprised of electric power conductors transmitting electrical energy from the electric grid to various on - site loads and generators . fig2 illustrates certain exemplary internal components of the described distributed system shown in the logical diagram of fig1 . specifically , a server system 230 , which may perform the functions of the master controller / server 140 of fig1 , incorporates multiple integral components or modules described in detail below . in one or more embodiments , the server 230 incorporates a data aggregation module 231 configured for receiving and aggregating the measured data from various meters including , without limitation , the electric meters 110 , 120 and 130 . in various embodiments , the server system 230 further incorporates an analytics module 232 for performing analysis of the measured data from various meters including , without limitation , the electric meters 110 , 120 and 130 . the server system 230 may further incorporate a charging module 233 for controlling the charging of one or more electric vehicles 180 by the ev charging stations 150 . in various embodiments , the server system 230 may further incorporate a custom preset limits module 234 storing presets reflecting the operating limits of the ev or other loads requiring charging . in one or more embodiments , the server system 230 may further incorporate a data storage module 235 , storing and managing all of the data collected by multiple electric meters , including , without limitation , the electric meters 110 , 120 and 130 and corresponding to various charging stages and charging events . the server system 230 may further incorporate a user account module 237 for managing one or more user accounts and storing and managing the associated user data , user preferences and other related information . in various embodiments , the aforesaid user account data managed by the user account module 237 may include the user authentication information for authenticating the user , and user preference data representing user charging preferences , such as time and rate of charging . in one or more embodiments , the server system 230 may further incorporate a charger asset module 236 , which is configured to automatically identify each asset which charges electrical vehicles , home energy storage systems , appliances or other loads . the server system 230 may further incorporate a communication module 238 configured to enable communication between the server system 230 , the electric meters 110 , 120 and 130 and the ev charging stations 150 . in one or more embodiments , the charging station 230 , which may function as the aforesaid ev charging station 150 , incorporates a data aggregation module 241 , a charging module 242 , a user account module 243 , a data storage module 244 , a charger asset module 245 and a communication module 246 , which have functions , which are generally similar to the respective functions of the corresponding modules of the server system 230 . fig3 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an automated dispatch method performed by the remote server 140 or the charging station 150 , either of which is being referred to below as “ the system ”. first , at step 313 , the system receives electrical load status information , including , without limitation , the frequency , voltage , current , and amperage readings from a meter , such as the electric meter 130 shown in fig1 . subsequently , at step 312 , the system receives electrical grid status information , including , without limitation , the frequency , voltage , current , and amperage readings from a meter , such as the electric meter 120 shown in fig1 . after that , at step 311 , the system establishes preset limits of the electric circuit , using , for example , the custom preset limits module 234 of the server 230 shown in fig2 or server / controller 140 shown in fig1 . after that , at step 311 , the system establishes grid feeder limits , and stores those limits in the appropriate module of the server / controller 140 illustrated in fig1 . at step 314 , the system receives the output data from the ev charging stations 150 shown in fig1 or other evse . at step 315 , the system receives independent validation of an electric vehicle charging load from , for example , the electric meters 100 shown in fig1 . at step 316 , the system receives the state of charge ( soc ) information from electric vehicles 180 shown in fig1 . at step 317 , the system receives one or more commands from a user , using , for example , the user mobile device 210 shown in fig2 , to define certain predetermined parameters , such as user - specified speed of charge of the ev . at step 330 , the system rationalizes all of the data and other factors received in the aforesaid steps 310 - 317 . at step 340 , the system issues a command for the charging station 150 to take the appropriate action , such as to stop , start , or modulate charging of the asset , such as the ev 180 in fig1 . at step 350 , the system stores all the relevant data and the corresponding data tags . at step 360 , the system causes the charging station 150 to display the taken charging action , such as stopping , starting or modulating the charging , as commanded by the dispatch server using the data tags . as would be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art , the above - described inventive concepts may be applied not only to electric vehicle charging stations , but also to any other systems , which are configured to deliver electric power to electric loads . examples of such systems may include home energy storage systems , heating systems , air conditioning systems , etc . finally , it should be understood that processes and techniques described herein are not inherently related to any particular apparatus and may be implemented by any suitable combination of components . further , various types of general purpose devices may be used in accordance with the teachings described herein . it may also prove advantageous to construct specialized apparatus to perform the method steps described herein . the present invention has been described in relation to particular examples , which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive . moreover , other implementations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . various aspects and / or components of the described embodiments may be used singly or in any combination in systems and methods for generating automatic responses to local conditions or to the changing needs of the larger electric power grid . it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only , with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims . | 8 |
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference to fig1 and 2 , a clutch protection apparatus for a manual transmission is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . the clutch protection apparatus 10 is associated with a manual transmission 12 having a housing 14 which supports , positions and protects various components of the transmission 12 including the clutch protection apparatus 10 . the transmission 12 includes a main , friction plate clutch 16 which is operably disposed between an output shaft 18 of a prime mover 20 such as a gasoline , flex - fuel or diesel engine or hybrid or electric power plant , a transmission input shaft 22 and a transmission output shaft 24 . the transmission 12 also includes a shift lever 26 which extends into the vehicle passenger compartment ( not illustrated ) and is engageable and moveable by the vehicle operator ( also not illustrated ). alternatively , the transmission 12 may be coupled to the shift lever 26 by levers and cables ( also not illustrated ). the shift lever 26 is operably coupled to a shift gate or location cylinder 30 or similar member . the shift gate or location cylinder 30 is secured to or formed integrally with a shift actuation shaft 32 that is co - axial with the shift gate cylinder 30 . the shift gate cylinder 30 and the shift actuation shaft 32 are supported in suitable apertures , slots or blind openings ( not illustrated ) in the housing 14 so that they may freely translate and rotate about the axis defined thereby in accordance with forces applied thereto by the shift lever 26 . secured to the shift actuation shaft 32 at multiple locations are two or more shift forks 34 that engage and translate synchronizer clutches 36 . each of the synchronizer clutches 36 is associated with one or two gears ( not illustrated ) that are disposed upon countershafts or layshafts 38 and which are first synchronized with such countershafts or layshafts 38 and then directly and positively connected to the countershafts or layshafts 38 by the synchronizer clutches 36 in accordance with conventional manual transmission operation . the shift actuation shaft 32 also includes one or more lockout mechanisms 39 that ensure that more than one gear cannot be engaged at any one time . returning to the shift gate cylinder 30 , it includes a rotation and translation limiting gate assembly 40 . the gate assembly 40 defines a plurality of spaced apart channels or slots 42 a , 42 b , 42 c and 42 d that are arranged circumferentially on the outside surface of the shift gate cylinder 30 and are connected by a continuous axial channel or slot 44 ( or plurality of short channels or slots ) disposed at the circumferential mid - point of the channels or slots 42 b , 42 c and 42 d . a single register or locator pin 46 is mounted to and secured within the housing 14 or to any suitable component thereof and extends radially into the channels or slots 42 a , 42 b , 42 c , 42 d and 44 . the register or locator pin 46 and the rotation and translation limiting gate assembly 40 thus cooperate to control and define the allowed or available motion of the shift gate cylinder 30 and the shift actuation shaft 32 . this motion corresponds to the motion of the shift lever 26 necessary to select and engage the various forward and reverse gears of the manual transmission 12 . typically , though not necessarily , the half slot 42 a will be assigned to and actuate reverse , the upper half of the full left slot 42 b will be assigned to and actuate first gear and the lower half of the full left slot 42 b will be assigned to and actuate second gear . the upper half of the full middle slot 42 c will be assigned to and actuate third gear and the lower half of the full middle slot 42 c will be assigned to and actuate fourth gear . the upper half of the full right slot 42 d will be assigned to and actuate fifth gear and the lower half of the full right slot 42 d will be assigned to and actuate sixth gear . it should be appreciated that the foregoing described shift pattern is exemplary and illustrative only and that other shift patterns and shift patterns having more or fewer slots and gears are well within the scope of this invention . referring now to fig1 , 2 and 3 , preferably disposed at any convenient circumferential remove , e . g ., 90 ° or 180 °, from the location of the register or locator pin 46 are a pair of gate blocking actuator assemblies 50 and 60 . a first gate blocking actuator 52 includes a pin , plunger or stub shaft 54 that is selectively received within a first circumferential slot 56 having a circumferential length at least as long as the right slot 42 d . the first gate blocking actuator 52 may be a solenoid or an electric linear , hydraulic or pneumatic actuator . when the pin , plunger or shaft 54 of the first gate blocking actuator 52 is extended into the first circumferential slot 56 , motion of the shift gate cylinder 30 is restricted to rotation in the right slot 42 d and selection of either ( only ) fifth or sixth gears . as will be explained more fully below , this prevents a downshift into a lower gear that , given current operating conditions , might overspeed the clutch 16 and cause damage thereto . a second gate blocking actuator 62 includes a pin , plunger or stub shaft 64 that is selectively received within a second circumferential “ h ” pattern slot 66 having circumferential lengths at least as long as the slots 42 c and 42 d and identical axial spacing . the gate blocking actuator 62 may also be a solenoid or an electric linear , hydraulic or pneumatic actuator . when the pin , plunger or shaft 64 of the second gate blocking actuator 62 is extended into the second circumferential “ h ” slot 66 , motion of the shift gate cylinder 30 is restricted to rotation in the full middle slot 42 c and the full right slot 42 d and selection of either third , fourth , fifth or sixth gears . note that , as clearly shown in fig3 , the pin or plunger 64 is similarly located in the slot 66 relative to the register pin 46 and the slots 42 c and 42 d , that is , assuming the “ h ” slot 66 corresponds to the slots 42 c and 42 d and relates to third , fourth , fifth and sixth gears , the pin or plunger 64 is disposed to the left in fig3 , in the slot corresponding to third and fourth gears . as will be explained more fully below , this arrangement also prevents a downshift into a lower gear that , given current operating conditions , might overspeed and damage the clutch 16 . in fig4 , an alternate embodiment of a portion of a manual transmission shift assembly according to the present invention is illustrated and designated by the reference number 80 . the alternate embodiment shift assembly 80 includes a shift gate cylinder 30 ′ which is disposed on and secured to the shift actuation shaft 32 or may be formed integrally therewith . not shown in fig4 but included in the shift gate cylinder 30 ′ is the rotation and translation limiting gate assembly 40 of fig1 defining the plurality of spaced apart , interconnected channels or slots 42 a , 42 b , 42 c and 42 d . the shift gate cylinder 30 ′ also includes a second , selectively engageable rotation and translation limiting gate assembly 82 . the gate assembly 82 defines four spaced apart shift or gate patterns 84 , 92 , 98 and 106 that are preferably arranged along a longitudinal axis on the outside surface of the shift gate cylinder 30 ′. each of the shift or gate patterns 84 , 92 , 98 and 106 locks out or prohibits operator selection of certain gears much as described above except that the four shift or gate patterns 84 , 92 , 98 and 106 provide improved and more targeted lockout control and operation . the first shift or gate pattern 84 is associated with a first actuator 86 which may be electric , hydraulic or pneumatic and which includes a pin , plunger or shaft 88 which may be activated or energized to extend into the shift or gate pattern 84 and lockout or inhibit selection of all gears except fifth and sixth . the second shift or gate pattern 92 is associated with a second actuator 94 which may be electric , hydraulic or pneumatic and which includes a pin , plunger or shaft 96 which may be activated or energized to extend into the shift or gate pattern 92 and lockout or inhibit selection of first , second and third gears . the third shift or gate pattern 98 is associated with a third actuator 102 which may be electric , hydraulic or pneumatic and which includes a pin , plunger or shaft 104 which may be activated or energized to extend into the shift or gate pattern 98 and lockout or inhibit selection of first and second gears . the fourth shift or gate pattern 106 is associated with a fourth actuator 108 which may be electric , hydraulic or pneumatic and which includes a pin , plunger or shaft 112 which may be activated or energized to extend into the shift or gate pattern 106 and lockout or inhibit selection of first gear . once again , it should be noted that except for the pin or plunger 88 , the pins or plungers 96 , 104 and 112 are arranged similarly such that they all reside in the same region of the shift or gate pattern corresponding to , in this example , third and fourth gears when the single register or locator pin 46 ( shown in fig1 ) is similarly disposed . referring now to fig5 and the other drawing figures , components relating to operation of the manual transmission clutch protection apparatus 10 and 80 according to the present invention are generally designated by the reference number 120 and will now be described . the components 120 relating to operation include an engine speed sensor 122 and an optional engine temperature sensor 124 . data from the engine speed sensor 122 is provided to a first comparator 126 which determines if the speed of the engine 20 is above or below 1800 r . p . m . or other minimum threshold speed . if it is below 1800 r . p . m ., the first comparator 126 provides a signal to a control module 130 which disables the clutch protection apparatus 10 and 80 . if the speed of the engine 20 is above 1800 r . p . m ., the first comparator 126 provides a signal to a second comparator 136 . the second comparator 136 receives data from a first computational module 138 which receives data regarding both the speed of the engine 20 from the engine speed sensor 122 and the temperature of the engine 20 from the optional engine temperature sensor 124 . the first computational module 138 determines a combined engine speed / temperature value which is provided to the second comparator 136 . if the second comparator 136 determines that the current combined engine speed / temperature value is below a predetermined ( threshold ) value , it provides a signal to the control module 130 which again disables the clutch protection apparatus 10 and 80 . if the second comparator 136 determines that the current combined engine speed / temperature value is above a predetermined ( threshold ) value , it provides a signal to a second control module 140 which enables the clutch protection apparatus 10 and 80 by providing a signal to a second computational module 142 . the second computational module 142 receives data from a vehicle speed sensor 144 and an optional current gear sensor 146 which is typically associated with the shift gate cylinder 30 or 30 ′. based upon this data , the second computational module 142 issues commands to the actuators 52 and 62 in accordance with the lookup table 150 to lockout or block the selection of certain gears by the vehicle operator . in the lookup table , an “ x ” in a column means an actuator is activated and an “ o ” in a column means it is de - activated . for example , if the manual transmission 12 is in fourth gear and the second control module 140 has enabled the apparatus 10 and 80 , the actuator 62 will be activated to prevent or block a shift into first or second gear , that is , into the full left slot 42 b of the rotation and translation limiting gate assembly 40 . it should be appreciated that the determination of the particular gears that are blocked or locked out by the activation of the actuators 52 , 62 , 86 , 94 , 102 and 108 and the conditions under which they are blocked or locked out , will be based upon many factors including engine speed , engine temperature , vehicle speed , the gear ratios of the transmission , the number of gears , the clutch size and clutch safety factor , to name the more significant factors . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 5 |
a fir filter calculates a weighted sum of a finite number of inputs , summing a number of multiplication results , where each multiplication is between a sample and a coefficient . each such multiplication may be referred to as a “ tap .” mathematically , a fir filter may be described as : y k = ∑ i = 0 taps - 1 ci · sk - i where y k is the kth output term , c i is the ith coefficient , s k − i is the ( k − i ) th sample , and taps is the number of taps in the filter . in the case of interpolation , one inserts zeroes between the input samples before filtering . in the case , for example , of interpolation by two , one can fill all odd - numbered samples with zeroes , which introduces a regular pattern of zeroes into the equations . the same circuitry that is used as an ordinary fir filter could be used to perform the interpolation filtering , but it would be idle half the time as the inputs would be zero , which would be wasteful . for interpolation by a higher factor n , the circuitry would be idle for ( n − 1 )/ n cycles . similarly in the case of decimation , no calculation is necessary on n − 1 of every n cycles . again , ordinary fir filter circuitry could be used , computing each cycle and discarding the unneeded results , but that also would be wasteful . the invention will now be described with reference to fig1 - 9 . known 5 - tap filter circuitry 10 of fig1 can be used for either interpolation or decimation . circuitry 10 includes three multipliers 101 , 102 , 103 preferably followed by adder 12 . on the input side preferably are three coefficient memories or registers 13 , one preferably feeding a first input of each multiplier 101 - 103 . an adder 14 preferably is provided at the second input of each multiplier 101 and 102 and input sample chain 15 preferably loops around so that sample s t − 2 is fed to the second input of multiplier 103 , while the sum of samples s t and s t − 4 is fed to the second input of multiplier 101 and the sum of samples s t − 1 and s t − 3 is fed to the second input of multiplier 102 . at the beginning of sample chain 15 , sample interpolation circuitry 16 preferably is provided to insert n − 1 zeroes between each sample for an interpolation factor of n . thus , in a common case of n = 2 , one zero is inserted between each sample . similarly , at the output of adder 14 , result decimation circuitry 17 preferably is provided to delete n − 1 out of every n results for an interpolation factor of n . thus , in a common case of n = 2 , every other result is deleted . while circuitry 10 can perform both interpolation and decimation on demand at run time , it does not take advantage of the zero - sample ( in the case of interpolation ) or zero - result ( in the case of decimation ) instances to reduce the number of multipliers needed . thus , 5 - tap interpolation / decimation filter 10 requires three multipliers . however , review of the mathematics shown in fig2 and 3 reveals that the interpolation circuit 40 of fig4 can be constructed . fig2 shows the eight results of the operation of circuitry 10 starting with an arbitrary sample s 0 ( this actually includes references to samples as early as s − 4 ). as can be seen , a number of terms are reused . specifically , c 0 s n is used in y n and reused four cycles later in y n + 4 . for example , c 0 s 0 is used in y 0 and y 4 . similarly , c 1 s n is used in y n + 1 and reused two cycles later in y n + 3 . in the case of interpolation by a factor of 2 , every other input is going to be zero . this means that instead of using three multipliers for a 5 - tap interpolation filter , one can use two multipliers and spread the computation of each term over two cycles ( because the circuit will otherwise be computing a zero result at that time , based on the zero input ). this is illustrated in fig3 , where on the left , every other sample in the equations of fig2 has been set to zero . the boxes 30 of fig3 represent storage of the intermediate results computed as shown on the right side of fig3 . the values a and b are computed in alternate cycles , while the value a dly represents the value a delayed by two cycles ( i . e ., the value a as computed during the previous cycle in which a was computed ). this is implemented in the circuitry 40 of fig4 . circuitry 40 preferably includes two multipliers 401 , 402 , preferably followed by adder 12 . in addition to feeding adder 12 , the output of multiplier 401 preferably also feeds a register 45 which preferably stores the value b of fig3 , and preferably also feeds a register 460 which preferably stores the value a of fig3 and in turn feeds a register 461 which preferably stores the value a dly of fig3 . registers 45 , 461 preferably feed a multiplexer 47 which preferably can controllably select either register 45 , 461 as appropriate . on the input side , sample chain 41 preferably includes , in this 5 - tap case , three registers 410 , 411 , 412 connected to feed respective first inputs of multipliers 401 , 402 as shown . because in interpolation every other sample s 1 , s 3 , s 5 , etc ., is zeroed out , in accordance with the invention two steps are used to compute the results for the remaining samples , and therefore sample chain 41 preferably is supplied with each remaining sample s 0 , s 2 , s 4 , etc . twice as indicated . the respective second inputs of multipliers 401 , 402 are fed by respective coefficient registers 420 , 421 . in this 5 - tap case , the value in register 420 alternates between coefficients c 0 , c 1 , while the value in register 421 alternates between coefficient c 2 and zero . the cycling of the coefficients occurs at a clock speed that is faster than the input sample rate by the interpolation factor — i . e ., in this example the clock speed is twice the input sample rate . when the coefficients are set to c 0 and c 2 , multiplexer 47 selects register 461 containing the value a dly . when the coefficients are set to c 1 and zero , multiplexer 47 selects register 45 containing the value b . adder 12 adds the output of multiplexer 47 to the products generated by multipliers 401 , 402 to generate the filter output . the decimation case is similar . review of the mathematics shown in fig5 reveals that the decimation circuitry 60 of fig6 can be constructed . fig5 is similar to fig3 , except that different values are stored in b . one can see that in the case of decimation by a factor of 2 , where every other computation is going to be deleted , the remaining computations can be broken in two and accumulated over two cycles , while the previous value is output for two cycles . this means that instead of using three multipliers for a 5 - tap interpolation filter , one can use two multipliers . this is implemented in the circuitry 60 of fig6 . circuitry 60 preferably includes two multipliers 401 , 402 , preferably followed by adder 12 . in addition to feeding adder 12 , the output of multiplier 401 preferably also feeds a register 45 which preferably stores the value b of fig5 , and preferably also feeds a register 460 which preferably stores the value a of fig5 and in turn feeds a register 461 which preferably stores the value a dly of fig5 . registers 45 , 461 preferably feed a multiplexer 67 which preferably can controllably select either register 45 , 461 as appropriate . on the input side , sample chain 61 preferably includes , in this 5 - tap case , three registers 410 , 411 , 412 in series . register 410 preferably is connected to feed the first input of multiplier 401 through multiplexer 62 , as shown . multiplexer 62 also can select the output of register 412 to feed the first input of multiplier 401 . register 412 preferably also feeds the first input of multiplier 402 . the respective second inputs of multipliers 401 , 402 are fed by respective coefficient registers 420 , 421 . in this 5 - tap case , the value in register 420 alternates between coefficients c 0 , c 1 , while the value in register 421 alternates between coefficient c 2 and zero . the cycling of the coefficients occurs at a clock speed that is the same as the input sample rate . in clock cycles in which the coefficients are set to c 0 and c 2 ( these may be referred to as “ odd ” cycles ), samples s t and s t − 2 are needed , and multiplexer 62 selects the output or register 410 . at the same time , multiplexer 67 selects register 461 containing the value a dly . in “ even ” cycles , in which the coefficients are set to c 1 and zero , sample s t − 1 is needed and multiplexer 62 selects the output of register 412 ( it will be appreciated from fig6 , which shows an odd cycle , the by the next even cycle , s t − 1 will have moved into register 412 ). at the same time , multiplexer 67 selects register 45 containing the value b . adder 12 adds the output of multiplexer 67 to the products generated by multipliers 401 , 402 . that sum is accumulated over two cycles using register 63 and adder 64 . the accumulated output is registered at 65 and output on two successive clock cycles as the filter output . as can be seen , circuitry 60 is identical to circuitry 40 except for the addition , in circuitry 60 , of multiplexer 62 between registers 410 , 412 and multiplier 402 , and the addition of output adder 64 and registers 63 , 65 to accumulate the output . thus , in accordance with the present invention , circuitry on a pld , preferably including dsp blocks as discussed above , can be configured as circuitry 70 ( fig7 ), which can function in either interpolation or decimation mode on demand . circuitry 70 is substantially identical to circuitry 60 , with the addition only of output multiplexer 71 to select either the direct output of adder 12 or the accumulated , registered output of register 65 . in interpolation mode , multiplexer 62 always selects register 410 , and output multiplexer 71 selects adder 12 . in decimation mode , multiplexer 62 selects either register 410 or register 412 as in circuitry 60 , and multiplexer 71 selects register 65 . the switch between interpolation mode and decimation mode thus requires only changing the control signals for multiplexers 62 , 71 , which is easily done at run time , as well as adjustments to the timing which also is easily done at run time . circuitry 70 can be implemented in a pld by using the multipliers of a dsp block such as that described in above - incorporated application ser . no . 11 / 447 , 370 . if the dsp block has an input register stage and an input multiplexer stage as described in application ser . no . 11 / 447 , 370 , then registers 411 , 411 , 412 and multiplexer 62 can be implemented inside the dsp block . but if the dsp block does not have an input multiplexer stage , then registers 411 , 411 , 412 and multiplexer 62 would have to be implemented outside the dsp block , in the programmable logic of the pld . multiplexer 47 cannot be implemented in the dsp block of application ser . no . 11 / 447 , 370 . therefore , multiplexer 67 and everything that follows it would have to be implemented outside the dsp block , in the programmable logic of the pld , although there may be a pld having a dsp block in which multiplexer 67 and at least some of the subsequent circuitry can be implemented within the dsp block . c = the number of channels , t = the number of taps , s = 1 for an asymmetric filter , s = 2 for a symmetric filter , n = the interpolation / decimation factor , s = timesharing factor ( i . e ., the number of clock cycles available to the system to process one input or output sample , h is factor that represents whether the case is a fullband case ( h = 1 ) or a halfband case ( h = 2 ) in which all odd coefficients with the exception of the middle coefficent are zero , for a one - channel , fullband , symmetric case without timesharing , this reduces to : thus , for a 5 - tap symmetric filter with an interpolation / decimation factor of 2 , n = int [ 5 / 4 ]+ 1 = int [ 1 . 25 ]+ 1 = 2 . as the number of taps increases , the number of storage elements increases as well , as does the depth of the storage elements ( i . e ., the number of cycles of delay required for each storage element ). thus , for a one - channel , fullband , symmetric 9 - tap fir filter with an interpolation / decimation factor of 2 , n = int [ 9 / 4 ]+ 1 = int [ 2 . 25 ]+ 1 = 3 . in addition to storage elements a and b , two additional storage elements aa and bb would be needed , one of which would have a depth of 3 and the other of which would have a depth of 4 . in general , the depth is equal to the distance from the tap in question to the center tap , meaning , for n taps where n is odd , that the maximum depth of any storage element in the filter would be (( n + 1 )/ 2 )− 1 . this agrees with the example just given , where (( 9 + 1 )/ 2 )− 1 = 4 . in an alternative case of a halfband 11 - tap fir filter , the mathematics of interpolation and decimation by a factor of 2 can be reduced to that shown in fig8 . as can be seen , there is significant overlap between the interpolation case and the decimation case , with the only difference being the terms involving coefficient c 5 . although this overlap only arises in the case of interpolation or decimation by 2 , that is a commonly - used case . thus , in accordance with the present invention , circuitry on a pld , preferably including dsp blocks as discussed above , can be configured as circuitry 90 for performing interpolation or decimation in accordance with fig8 ( i . e ., only in cases where the interpolation or decimation factor is 2 ), as shown in fig9 . circuitry 90 preferably includes two multipliers 401 , 402 , preferably followed by adder 12 . a multiplexer 92 can select either the output of multiplier 402 or the value 0 to input to adder 12 , while multiplier 401 preferably feeds adder 12 directly . on the input side , sample chain 91 preferably includes , in this 11 - tap case , eleven registers 901 - 911 in series . registers 901 and 904 preferably are connected to feed a multiplexer 920 which selects the first input of an adder 930 which feeds a first input of multiplier 401 . registers 910 and 911 preferably are connected to feed a multiplexer 921 which selects the second input of adder 930 . registers 905 and 907 preferably are connected to feed an adder 931 which provides the first input of a multiplexer 922 which feeds a first input of multiplier 402 . the second input of multiplexer 922 is the output of register 907 in the decimation case , or the output of register 906 in the interpolation case , as selected by multiplexer 923 . the respective second inputs of multipliers 401 , 402 are fed by respective coefficient registers 420 , 421 . in this special 11 - tap case with an interpolation / decimation factor of 2 , the value in register 420 alternates between coefficients c 0 , c 2 , while the value in register 421 alternates between coefficients c 4 , c 5 . on the output side , following adder 12 , adder 94 and one - cycle delay 95 allow accumulation of the output of adder 12 . a two - cycle delay 96 is provided on the output of multiplier 402 . output multiplexer 97 selects between accumulator 94 / 95 and delay 96 . for interpolation , the lower sequence of input samples is provided at 98 , and the upper sequence of outputs is generated at 99 , while for decimation , the upper sequence of input samples is provided at 98 , and the lower sequence of outputs is generated at 99 . for decimation , in the first clock cycle , c 0 ×( s t + s t − 10 )+ c 4 ×( s t − 4 + s t − 6 ) is calculated , and stored in the accumulator . in the second clock cycle , c 2 ×( s t − 2 + s t − 8 )+ c 5 × s t − 5 are calculated . by the second cycle , the samples have moved one step to the left in the pipeline of registers 901 - 911 , which is why fig9 shows the use of s t − 3 , s t − 6 and s t − 9 in the latter calculation instead of s t − 2 , s t − 5 and s t − 8 . the results are fed into the accumulator 94 / 95 , where they get added to the result of c 0 ×( s t + s t − 10 )+ c 4 ×( s t − 4 + s t − 6 ) from the previous clock cycle . for interpolation , n the first clock cycle , c 0 ×( s t + s t − 10 )+ c 4 ×( s t − 4 + s t − 6 ) is calculated , and stored in the accumulator , as before . in the second clock cycle , c 2 ×( s t − 2 + s t − 8 ) and c 5 × s t − 4 are calculated . the result of c 2 ×( s t − 2 + s t − 8 ) is added into accumulator 94 / 95 . c 5 × s t − 4 is stored separately in delay 96 , and multiplexer 97 then switches the accumulator 94 / 95 or delay 96 to the output in alternative clock cycles . when delay 96 is selected by multiplexer 97 , multiplexer 923 selects its 0 input . as in the case of circuitry 70 , the selections needed to switch between interpolation and decimation in circuitry 90 are easily performed at run time . circuitry 90 maps better onto a dsp block such as that of application ser . no . 11 / 447 , 370 because there is nothing between multipliers 401 , 402 and adder 12 except multiplexer 923 , which can be provided in that dsp block . moreover , this circuitry follows the expression above for the number of multipliers . thus , in this symmetric halfband case with n = 2 , n = int [ 11 /( 2 × 2 × 2 )]+ 1 = int [ 11 / 8 ]+ 1 = int [ 1 . 375 ]+ 1 = 2 , meaning there should be two multipliers as shown . note that in the fullband symmetric 11 - tap case , n = int [ 11 / 4 ]+ 1 = int [ 2 . 75 ]+ 1 = 3 , meaning there would be a third multiplier , as well as a third register with cycling coefficients , but two - cycle delay 96 would not be needed . thus it is seen that a fir filter structure that can be implemented in a specialized processing block of a programmable logic device , and switched in real time between interpolation and decimation modes , has been provided . a pld 280 incorporating such circuitry according to the present invention may be used in many kinds of electronic devices . one possible use is in a data processing system 900 shown in fig1 . data processing system 900 may include one or more of the following components : a processor 281 ; memory 282 ; i / o circuitry 283 ; and peripheral devices 284 . these components are coupled together by a system bus 285 and are populated on a circuit board 286 which is contained in an end - user system 287 . system 900 can be used in a wide variety of applications , such as computer networking , data networking , instrumentation , video processing , digital signal processing , or any other application where the advantage of using programmable or reprogrammable logic is desirable . pld 280 can be used to perform a variety of different logic functions . for example , pld 280 can be configured as a processor or controller that works in cooperation with processor 281 . pld 280 may also be used as an arbiter for arbitrating access to a shared resources in system 900 . in yet another example , pld 280 can be configured as an interface between processor 281 and one of the other components in system 900 . it should be noted that system 900 is only exemplary , and that the true scope and spirit of the invention should be indicated by the following claims . various technologies can be used to implement plds 280 as described above and incorporating this invention . instructions for carrying out the method according to this invention may be encoded on a machine - readable medium , to be executed by a suitable computer or similar device to implement the method of the invention for programming plds . for example , a personal computer may be equipped with an interface to which a pld can be connected , and the personal computer can be used by a user to program the pld using a suitable software tool , such as the quartus ® ii software available from altera corporation , of san jose , calif . fig1 presents a cross section of a magnetic data storage medium 600 which can be encoded with a machine executable program that can be carried out by systems such as the aforementioned personal computer , or other computer or similar device . medium 600 can be a floppy diskette or hard disk , or magnetic tape , having a suitable substrate 601 , which may be conventional , and a suitable coating 602 , which may be conventional , on one or both sides , containing magnetic domains ( not visible ) whose polarity or orientation can be altered magnetically . except in the case where it is magnetic tape , medium 600 may also have an opening ( not shown ) for receiving the spindle of a disk drive or other data storage device . the magnetic domains of coating 602 of medium 600 are polarized or oriented so as to encode , in manner which may be conventional , a machine - executable program , for execution by a programming system such as a personal computer or other computer or similar system , having a socket or peripheral attachment into which the pld to be programmed may be inserted , to configure appropriate portions of the pld , including its specialized processing blocks , if any , as a filter in accordance with the invention . fig1 shows a cross section of an optically - readable data storage medium 700 which also can be encoded with such a machine - executable program , which can be carried out by systems such as the aforementioned personal computer , or other computer or similar device . medium 700 can be a conventional compact disk read only memory ( cd - rom ) or digital video disk read only memory ( dvd - rom ) or a rewriteable medium such as a cd - r , cd - rw , dvd - r , dvd - rw , dvd + r , dvd + rw , or dvd - ram or a magneto - optical disk which is optically readable and magneto - optically rewriteable . medium 700 preferably has a suitable substrate 701 , which may be conventional , and a suitable coating 702 , which may be conventional , usually on one or both sides of substrate 701 . in the case of a cd - based or dvd - based medium , as is well known , coating 702 is reflective and is impressed with a plurality of pits 703 , arranged on one or more layers , to encode the machine - executable program . the arrangement of pits is read by reflecting laser light off the surface of coating 702 . a protective coating 704 , which preferably is substantially transparent , is provided on top of coating 702 . in the case of magneto - optical disk , as is well known , coating 702 has no pits 703 , but has a plurality of magnetic domains whose polarity or orientation can be changed magnetically when heated above a certain temperature , as by a laser ( not shown ). the orientation of the domains can be read by measuring the polarization of laser light reflected from coating 702 . the arrangement of the domains encodes the program as described above . it will be understood that the foregoing is only illustrative of the principles of the invention , and that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . for example , the various elements of this invention can be provided on a pld in any desired number and / or arrangement . one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments , which are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation , and the present invention is limited only by the claims that follow . | 7 |
the total radiant output of a blackbody source , such as the pyrotechnic device 34 of beacon 30 shown in fig2 is proportional to the source area , the surface emissivity and the forth power of the absolute temperature of the source . when a blackbody is used as a source for long wavelength radiation , this relationship must be modified to account for the shift in spectral distribution of the radiant energy in the desired bands . increasing temperature causes a shift to shorter wavelength . thus , the radiant output in a given wavelength band increases less than does the total output . fig3 at the line 90 shows that the useful radiance is almost linear with temperature for the structure of this invention . for this curve , the ordinate is the effective radiance in the 8 to 12 micrometer band in ( watts - steradian - 1 - centimeter - 2 )× 10 . curve 92 shows the total radiance of the source in ( watts - steradian - 1 - centimeter - 2 )× 10 - 1 , which varies as the fourth power of absolute temperature . line 94 shows the percent of flux in the 8 to 12 micrometer band and shows the spectral efficiency drops with increasing temperature . curve 90 is the product of curves 92 and 94 . curve 96 has as its ordinate the area in square inches for 10 . 8 watts per steradian output . the required area drops with the temperature increase . curve 96 is the reciprocal of curve 90 . the useful radiant power varies as t minus 700 degrees kelvin while the total radiated power varies as t 4 ( see line 92 ). because of this substantial difference it is desirable to operate at as low a temperature as possible . in addition to energy efficiency , minimizing source temperature reduces problems with materials . in order to maximize the total radiant output , the blackbody radiation source should be made as large as practical . in situations where the lateral area is limited by the size and / or shape of other structures , as in the case of the beacon 30 shown in fig1 the source 30 takes an irregular shape in order to maximize its area . this irregular shape presents an additional constraint on the design of the shutter for interrupting the output radiation . the beacon 30 achieves the goal of maintaining maximum source area by using adjoining divergent surfaces which present reflections of the underlying blackbody 34 when the shutter is open , thus maintaining the effect of a full area emitter . fig2 is an isometric view of beacon 30 with parts broken away on planes through the shutter openings . fig4 shows some of that structure in enlarged detail . pyrotechnic device 34 preferably contains its own fuel and oxidizer and is exothermic when ignited . the pyrotechnic device 34 is contained in a forward housing 36 which extends rearwardly to embrace around outer plate 38 which serves as the main structural member of beacon 30 . housing 36 is closed by radiant source plate 40 which is heated by the pyrotechnic device 34 and radiates rearward , in the upward direction in fig2 toward outer plate 38 . inner optical plate 42 is mounted to the forward side of outer optical plate 38 by a plurality of screws , one of which is shown at 44 in fig2 . shoulder 45 on screw 44 engages against the forward face 46 of the outer optical plate 38 which is the main structural member of beacon 30 . head 47 on screw 44 is thus spaced from forward face 46 . the shouldered shank of screw 44 engages through an opening in the inner optical plate 42 and head 47 serves to constrain the inner optical plate and prevent it from moving farther away from outer optical plate 38 . there are several screws 44 adjacent the edges of plate 38 , and in order to constrain the center portion of inner optical plate 42 , rivets such as rivet 50 are appropriately spaced across the area of inner optical plate 42 . shutter 52 is a thin plate positioned against the forward surface 46 of outer optical plate 38 . shutter 52 has a slot adjacent all screws and rivets passing through the space 54 between the inner and outer optical plates . such a slot is indicated at 56 with respect to rivet 50 in fig2 . at least three such screws or rivets are necessary to maintain the spacing and orientation of the optical plates . a slot is provided in the shutter 52 for all such screws and rivets , or they are positioned laterally of the periphery of shutter 52 . the slots in shutter 52 around the screws and rivets are aligned in the same direction to permit sliding motion of the shutter plate preferably a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the radiating openings described below . in fig2 shutter 52 is shown in an intermediate position between its left - most or closed and open positions . spring 58 is a flat wave spring positioned in the space 54 between inner optical plate 42 and shutter 52 . due to the curved nature of wave spring 58 in the unstressed condition , the wave spring urges shutter 52 rearward to lie against the forward surface 46 of outer optical plate 38 . the purpose of the optical structure of outer optical plate 38 , inner optical plate 42 and shutter 52 is to control the radiation emitted from heated body plate 40 in the rearward direction , upward in fig2 . when the shutter is in the open position , each of the elements at the rear of the beacon mechanism has an opening which is aligned with the openings in the other elements . a plurality of openings is provided , each being similar and spaced from each other , so only one such opening need be discussed . in order to maximize the reflective surface seen from the rear , the cell openings 67 in the outer optical plate 38 are divergent in the direction of the radiant output and adjoin each other as hexagonal cells . one of the cell edges is shown at 69 . this allows the perforated shutter plate 52 between the array of cells in outer optical plate 38 and the emitting source 40 to pass or block radiation by moving the shutter plate 52 by a distance equal to the diameter of the openings 72 in the shutter plate 52 . the reflective cells are all the same so that only the cell 68 need be described in detail . it is formed with mirrored walls to maximize radiation . the cell walls can be formed of any of a variety of shapes as determined by the use and the method of fabrication . a truncated hexagonal pyramid is one appropriate cell shape . a truncated right circular cone may be more easily fabricated . such truncated cones are positioned so that the intersections form a hexagonal array . in addition , such a structure reduces multiple - reflection losses that occur in the corners of a hexagonal pyramid . a still more efficient shape is a truncated parabolic surface of revolution formed by a parabolic curve with the slope at the entrance and exit each chosen to provide a single reflection path to the source from any point in the angular field to be illuminated . this can be achieved for off - axis angles up to 20 °. the lines 80 , 82 and 84 in fig4 indicate rays to an off - axis viewer . throughout the intended field of view , the entire beacon area presents direct view or only single reflection of the source . the radiation source 40 is directly seen between lines 80 and 82 when the field of view is as far away from the line normal to the plane of the shutter as indicated in fig4 . the reflection of the source 40 is seen between lines 80 and 84 , at the same angle . it must be noted that the lines 82 and 84 lie directly adjacent similar lines for adjacent view openings in the outer optical plate . thus , the source is seen directly , or with a single reflection over the entire set of optical openings 68 in the outer optical plate within the angular limits at off - axis angles somewhat beyond that indicated by the lines 80 , 82 and 84 in fig4 . in this way , the full area radiation is visible over a cone angle about the normal . the angle is a function of the size of the shutter depth of the outer optical plate 38 and the size of the reflective openings in the outer optical plate . the openings in the outer optical plate 38 are aligned with openings 71 in inner optical plate 42 . inner optical plate 42 provides mechanical constraint and heat shielding for the shutter 52 . the wave spring 58 with its matching perforations holds the shutter plate in intimate contact with the forward face 46 of the main structural member 38 which is the outer optical plate to cause sharp cut - off . with the shutter held in place , radiation leakage is minimized . furthermore , holding the shutter in place constrains the rise in shutter temperature by maintaining a thermal path to the larger mass of the main plate 38 . it is important that the shutter and inner optical elements be shaped to avoid interference with the paths of radiation reflected by the outer optical array cell walls . the hole diameter and the shape of the divergent openings 68 achieve this purpose . to avoid excessive heating , all elements of the shutter have reflective , low absorptivity surfaces . only the outer optical array surfaces are required to act as specular reflectors . the outer face of the shutter 52 must have low emissivity as it becomes the radiation source when the shutter is closed . the parabolic surface 68 intersects with forward surface 46 to define a circular opening 70 , which is preferably of slightly smaller diameter than the small end opening 64 of the truncated right circular cone 71 in inner optical plate 42 . the openings 64 and 70 are in alignment . opening 70 is the same size as or smaller than opening 72 in shutter 52 . the shutter opening 72 is in alignment with circular opening 70 when the shutter 52 is in the open position as illustrated in fig4 . beacon 30 is turned on and off by moving shutter 52 between the positions where the openings are in alignment and out of alignment . the direction of this shutter motion is controlled by the slots around the screws and rivets , for example , slot 56 . the spacing between the openings 68 is such that the shutter 52 can be moved in the direction of the rightside section plane in fig4 and all of the openings will be completely closed or obscured by the blank space in the shutter 52 between the openings 72 in the shutter plate . of course , when the openings are aligned , radiation from plate 40 is seen from the rear , and when the shutter plate 52 is in the closed position , that radiation is obscured . thus , motion of the shutter causes pulsing of the signal as seen from the rear . the shutter can be operated by any desired actuator . an electromagnetic , pneumatic or hydraulic actuator can be selected for this operation . because the required shutter motion is short even for a large area source , shutter actuation time can be on the order of a few milliseconds . additionally , the shutter plate can be relatively thin to minimize the mass driven by the actuator . the extended source shutter of this invention can be used for chopping or modulation of various sources in the laboratory or in communication . furthermore , in some applications it would be useful as an optical countermeasure source , and as an infrared signature simulator . in addition to the basic advantage of minimizing overall dimensions for a given output , the cellular nature of this shutter permits the shape and spatial variation of intensity of a laterally extended source to be substantially retained when viewed through the shutter . for continuous operation , the outer optical array structure 38 can be built with internal passages for the circulation of coolant fluid so as to maintain shutter temperature sufficiently low to preserve the shutter and maintain a low radiant output in the off state . this invention has been described in its presently contemplated best mode and it is clear that it is susceptible to numerous modifications , modes and embodiments within the ability of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of the inventive faculty . accordingly , the scope of this invention is defined by the scope of the following claims . | 6 |
with specific reference now to the drawings in detail , it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only , and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention . in this regard , no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention , the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice . before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings . the invention is applicable to other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways . also , it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting . turning now to the figures , fig1 illustrates a network 10 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present technique . the network 10 is an exemplary embodiment of a platform on which personalized dynamic videos are created , processed , rendered , stored and provided to multiple users having access to the network 10 . accordingly , network 10 is a communications network adapted for connecting various nodes , such as servers , computer systems and end users , as well as for facilitating the transfer of data between the nodes and end users . furthermore the network 10 may be formed of various dedicated computer system and / or servers , some of which may be functioning as a computer cluster and / or computing cloud for providing and distributing personalized videos in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present technique . more specifically , fig1 illustrates , nodes / endpoints / end users 12 and 14 , as well as , servers 16 , and computing cloud system ( ccs ) 18 . the user 12 and / or 14 may be client computers such as a home or office personal computer ( pc ), a remote client , a thin client or other type of computer and / or processing interface adapted for general data processing and for connecting to the network 10 . although not illustrated by fig1 , the client computers may further be coupled and / or connected to other peripheral devices , such as monitors , keyboards , mice , printers , routers , wireless devices , microphones , speakers , cameras , finger print identifiers , external memory devices , and other devices . the pc 12 may include software platforms and operating systems , such windows , linux - red hat , and other supporting programs . as will be discussed below , the ccs 18 may be part of a computing cloud having multiple servers , processors and the like , adapted to intake original ad digital video data and to perform considerable amount of processing for ultimately rendering creating multiple versions of the original ads so to conform to the personalized desires and preferences of users having access to such video ads . in certain exemplary embodiments , the cloud 18 may utilize various algorithm and techniques in perform parallel and / or other supercomputing operations for rendering , generating , verifying and correcting multiple versions of videos out of the originally obtained advertisement . thus , users having access to the network 10 may be provided with personalized videos as part of any general browsing or searching of the network 10 . it should be borne in mind that the network 10 may be accessed by a plurality of users , such as the users 12 and 14 , formed of various segments , locations , preferences , and / or other attributes characterizing the personal make - up of the network users . for example , users accessing the network 10 may be dispersed over various geographical regions / segments of the network , or the users may make different demographical , gender and / or other segments . by further example , the users , i . e ., users 12 and 14 may have different shopping habits , movie and / or music preferences , and / or other parameters varying in accordance with those users &# 39 ; personal attributes and characteristics . accordingly , as further described herein , as part of their general browsing through the network for performing any of the above - mentioned network related tasks , the various user segments the network may download any otherwise generic advertisement made up a video personalized in accordance with the aforementioned user attributes . in other words , while , for example , both the users 12 and 14 may access a webpage having an advertisement showing a video of a particular vendor , each of the user will receive a version of the video custom tailored to that user personal , demographic and / or geographical preference and / or location , respectively . returning to fig1 , the server 16 and ccs 18 may be adapted for storing , routing and / or communicating data within the network 10 and / or other networks to which the server 16 and ccs 18 may be connected . thus , the server 16 may store information related to material included as part of vendor website , such as those belonging to certain vendors , advertisers , promoters , administrators and so forth . alternatively , the server 16 may store originally created ads , as well as parameters specifying the manner by which personalized should be rendered . as will be described further below , the server 16 is further adapted to employ various algorithms , such as those based on statistical and probabilistic methods , for verifying large amount of personalized videos to ensure those are properly rendered for complying with certain criteria and in accordance with good quality viewing standards . thus , the ccs 18 may be formed of multiple processors , servers , and / or other dedicated devices , such as those used for forming , processing , and / or encoding personalized videos , as implemented by the system illustrated and discussed above . further , in an exemplary embodiment , the server 16 may be of the type available by sun microsystems , hewlett packard , dell , international business machines ( ibm ), and / or other known server vendors and providers . accordingly , the server 16 and the ccs 18 may include various hardware devices , such as microprocessors , memory cards , graphic cards , routers , wireless devices and other modules for receiving , transmitting and / or processing data . in addition , the servers may include various software platforms and packages , such as those providing code written in java , python , ruby , and / or other computer languages , for facilitating the everyday operation and use of the server 16 and ccs 18 as part of the network 10 . it should further be borne in mind that the user nodes 12 and 14 and the servers 16 and ccs 18 are exemplary , and that the network 10 may include many other additional user nodes similar to the users 12 and 14 , as well as , multiple other servers similar to those discussed herein . further , the server 16 may be adapted to store data , such as websites , generally accessible to the user 12 and / or 14 via the network 10 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that each website accessible , for example , to the user may contain multiple web pages which may also be accessible to the users 12 and 14 upon request . for example , the server 16 may store websites of private companies and / or corporations , as well as government and / or other pubic organizations . hence , the server 16 provides access to the user 12 of web pages provided by the above mentioned private or public entities so that the user , for example , can conduct business and / or manage various tasks through the network 10 . for instance , the user 12 may access the server 16 for downloading a webpage belonging to a vendor through which the user 12 may perform financial transactions such as when purchasing consumer items or the like . by further example , the user 12 may access the server 16 for downloading webpages , such as those associated with various public institutions , through which the users 12 and 14 can provide personal and / or other type of information for conducting everyday personal and / or work - related business and so forth . accordingly , the users 12 and 14 may generally form communication sessions during which the user 12 and server 16 exchange information through the network 10 . fig2 is a block diagram a digital item 20 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present technique . the digital item / template 20 may generally be part of a structured digital object , a form , or a combination of resources such as videos , audio tracks , images ; or metadata , which may further include items such as descriptors and identifiers ; and structures for describing the relationships between the resources the digital item / object , may include . more specifically and in accordance with an embodiment of the present technique , the digital item 20 forms a digital movie and / or images part of an advertisement , commercial and / or other promotional material accessible to the users 12 and 14 through the network 10 . accordingly , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the depiction shown in fig2 is more of a representation of digital components from which such digital items are formed and therefore , the depiction of such elements are exemplary for illustration purposes included herein to provide a general understating of the present technique . thus , the digital item 20 may form a digital movie part of an advertisement or commercial adapted to be displayed , viewed and / or heard on a computer , such as a home , office or any other type computing device , i . e ., mobile device or a handheld device etc . hence , movie advertisements formed by the digital item 20 may be provided over the internet so that those may be downloadable by the users at various locales , regions and countries at their time of choosing or at designated times , as may be determined by a vendor , advertiser and / or other enterprises wishing to promote and / or disseminate information to the general public . accordingly , such movie commercials may be made up of data forming substantive information and various contents that can be typically played on an internet digital player , spanning a time duration that could last seconds , minutes or longer , depending on choice of the various providers making use digital items , such as the item 20 . as further illustrated by fig2 , the digital item 20 is made up of non - dynamic elements 22 , as well as dynamic elements 24 , including dynamic images 26 , dynamic sounds 28 and dynamic texts 30 . the dynamic elements 24 are further made up of dynamic animations elements 32 and dynamic look and feel elements 34 . the non - dynamic elements / data 22 of the digital item 20 are elements that are usually static and are otherwise not personalized to the specific user to which the commercial formed by the item 20 is intended . in other words , the non - dynamic elements / data 22 form those features of an advertisement that would be provided to all users viewing the advertisement , regardless of the region , demographic , other personalized preference to which the various users belong . thus , non - dynamic elements 22 may be associated with certain objects , features , or other attributes ( see below fig3 and 4 ) shown in each and every version of an advertisement originating from the item 20 , as provided to the user . for example , in one embodiment the elements 22 may form an image or movie of person whose depiction overtime would be identical regardless of where and how the commercial is shown . by further example , the elements 22 may form portions of landscape , trees , grass , buildings and / or other moving or static elements that would be displayed identically in all personalized video commercials . by contrast , dynamic elements 24 are those elements within the commercial or ad intended to be varied and / or modified in accordance with preferences tailored for specific users , for example , located in various regions . thus , dynamic images element 26 may form certain images or portions thereof of a commercial clip that could be specifically custom made to the user viewing the commercial . for example , the element 26 may form background sceneries , conditions or views , such as oceans , trees , roads , bridges and other scenery typifying the general location where certain users may reside , work , or those locations to which certain users may have some relation or affiliation . by further example , element 26 may emulate weather conditions i . e ., sunshine , rain , snow , fall , winter and so forth , normally typifying conditions at a locale of a respective consumer who is viewing the advertisement . hence , the dynamic image elements 16 may emulate various lighting , brightness , shading , and other visual effects and conditions and features to fit various settings in various regions . still by further example , dynamic elements 26 - 34 may include features specific to a particular gender , that is , the elements 24 may incorporate in an otherwise generic videos features adapted to appeal to a specific gender in which certain attributes of the video could accentuate certain features to which the targeted gender can relate . for example , a video displaying an automobile commercial can be personalized to appeal to women by using the dynamic images 26 , and or animation element 32 to form an automobile having color usually likeable to women , such as pink , red , etc . hence , while the aforementioned automobile commercial may originally be created and widely distributed as a generic advertisement having a generic automobile color , i . e ., a color not necessarily adapted to target an audience segment , the present technique may create multiple versions of the advertisement , whereby each version is adapted to accentuate a particular feature bound to appeal to certain users who may find such features interesting or at least worth noting . similarly , dynamic sounds element 28 forms an audible portion of the digital item 20 which can be changed and / or tailored in accordance to consumer location and / or other preferences . thus , the elements 28 can form part of an audible portion adapted for specifying specific locations , such as streets , buildings , parks and / or other landmarks that could be of interest and are specific to the user &# 39 ; s locations and other preferences , such various languages , gender voice , accents , dialects . thus , for example , dynamic sounds element 28 can be used to alter a certain dialect or an accent of a speaker of generic - made commercial to include a dialect appealing to certain population groups . for example , a commercial , originally having an actor / speaker utilizing a particular accent ( i . e ., anglo - american ) can be personalized to show that same speaker talk in a different accent , i . e ., such that shared by spanish - american , so as to provide such a group similar informational content , yet more personalized and appealing to that group . in addition , dynamic texts element 30 provides a portion of digital item 20 having textual portions which , too , can be changed to fit the location and other attributes with which the viewer is associated . hence , the dynamic texts element can form any readable or otherwise viewable contexts such as titles and subtitles , product names , service names , street names , maps , satellite photography and the like . thus , the digital item 20 can be part of a commercial ad advertised , for example , by a chain store or a franchise having multiple stores dispersed in different locations across a country or region , whereby the dynamic text elements 30 are adapted to display , for instance , a general map showing the store location in relation to where the ad or movie commercial is shown . for example , a viewer in los angeles , calif . will view the commercial in which the element 30 is adapted to display a map of the store closest to the viewer located in the la area . similarly , a viewer in miami , fla . will be able to see the same commercial while being provided with substantive content similar to that of the ad shown in the la area , however , the commercial provided to the viewer in the miami area will include a map showing the user where the closest store in that area is located . in so doing , the present technique contemplates using the digital item / template 20 , particularly , the dynamic elements 24 to generate multiple versions of commercial videos , each having similar informational content , yet , each generated to custom fit user ( s ) preferences , such as user locations throughout a given region . fig3 and 4 are depictions of video scenes , in accordance with and exemplary embodiment of the present technique . hence , for example , fig3 depicts a commercial scene 40 , such as one provided by a vendor or chain store , for advertising and promoting various products and / or services . as illustrated , the scene 40 includes various items and objects , such as a house 42 , car 44 , person 46 and ladder 47 . accordingly , the commercial seen 40 may be adapted to promote products , such roofing of the house 42 , ladders ( e . g ., ladder 47 ), and / or services ( e . g ., roofing , landscape and other services ). further , the scene 40 also includes a background 48 , for example , indicative of certain weather winter - like condition , i . e . rain , storms and so forth . as further shown , at the bottom of scene 40 , the illustrated embodiment further includes a portion 50 , including a text box 52 and a map portion 54 . accordingly , text box 52 and map portion 54 are adapted to provide a viewer with location and other details regarding specific stores located within the vicinity of the user . hence , the scene 40 can be generated and custom fitted to include certain information , such as hours of operation , special products , special sales and discounts and other types of promotional material , all specific to the region in which the commercial movie is displayed , as well as specific to other personalized preferences that would enable vendors to appeal to certain segments of users having access to a network on which personalized videos are accessible . in addition , in the illustrated embodiment of scene 40 , the background 48 can be chosen to include weather - like conditions indicative of the conditions observed and experienced in accordance with the where the specific store is advertised . thus , the winter - like conditions 48 of scene 40 can be tailored to fit places such as those located , for example , in the northeastern portions of the united states , where similar conditions may apply and where a consumer may be experiencing similar whether conditions . hence , in providing consumers with video contents tailored to consumers &# 39 ; settings , vendors and / or advertisers can target and better appeal to consumer &# 39 ; s preferences and / or locale conditions that are specific to where such consumers are located . by further example , fig4 shows a scene 70 that is almost identical to the scene 40 of fig3 with exceptions of background 72 , text box 74 , and map portion 76 , all providing similar content and information , yet , specific to a location different from that shown in fig3 . accordingly , in the illustrated embodiment of fig4 , background 72 illustrates a clear , sunny - like day indicative of weather conditions that could otherwise present , for example , in the southwestern portions of the united states . thus , while the scene 70 may be part of a commercial identical to the one provided by the scene 40 , the scene 70 may include content and other information adapted for appealing to consumers located in the aforementioned part of the u . s ., and where corresponding vendor stores and locations are located . thus , text box 74 and map portion 76 correspondingly provide the consumer located in that part of the country information pertaining to location , store hours , products , special sales and other related material specific to where the consumer is located . still by further example , a chain store promoting certain home and related products can use specially tailored made commercials , such as the scene 40 , for advertising certain winter tools , such as snow plows , shovels and other winter items to those populations located in regions where the scene 40 experiencing a winter like - setting . thus , to the extent the user of scene 70 is provided with substantive information similar to that provided in scene 40 , the viewers of the sunny scene 70 will not be provided with the winter - like background and related queues but , instead , the provided with corresponding products adapted for summer and sunny weather , in other words , shading fixtures , barbecues , pools , fountains , and the like . by further example , while car 44 of fig3 may be chosen to be that of a particular make , year , and color i . e ., volkswagen beatle , 2005 flash - green , a favorite among females , the car of fig4 , may be illustrated in the commercial as a corvette , or a jeep , or another type of an automobile favorite among men . thus , while the sense 40 and 70 may be adapted to promote a product ( not necessarily related to the shown cars ), nevertheless , each of the aforementioned scenes can appeal in a varied manner , respectively , to men and women . in other aspects , the two houses 42 of the scenes 40 and 70 can be shown such that their overall design and shape varies in accordance with different population groups . for example , the house of fig3 can be personalized to have victorian - type architecture , such as that appealable to certain conservative or old fashion population segments . by contrast , the house shown in the scene 70 may be personalized to have modern type architecture , thereby appealing to younger population groups . fig5 is a block diagram of a system 100 for providing personalized video over a network , in accordance with an embodiment of the present technique . generally , the system 100 may be considered as a central computing system such as one forming a portion of a communications network , or computing cluster , a cloud computing structure , or a combination thereof . accordingly the system 100 is adapted to connect various nodes , such as servers , computer systems and end users , as well as for facilitating the transfer of data between nodes / end users ( e . g ., users 12 or 14 of fig1 ). further , the system 100 may be part of and / or reside in a general network ( e . g ., network 10 of fig1 ), including an internet network , an intranet , or other types of local , wide and / or global area communications network , such as those formed of a wire line network , wireless network , satellite network , or a combination thereof . as further illustrated , the system 100 includes a feed generator device 110 , a software plug - in device 112 , a rendering engine device 114 , a video verification module 115 , and ad server device 116 . those skilled in the will appreciate that the term device , as used herein , may encompass one , multiple , and / or an ensemble of devices , formed either as stand - alone or a combination of hardware and / or software platforms , each adapted to store and / or execute various algorithms , routines , and various computational tasks for manipulating and configuring digital elements / templates ( e . g ., fig2 ) to ultimately generate and verify personalized digital videos over the internet or other networks , as described above by fig3 and 4 . accordingly , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the system 100 and the devices 110 - 116 may include , either alone or in combination , various microprocessors , servers , such as those available , for example , by sun microsystems , hewlett packard , dell , international business machines ( ibm ), and / or other known processor and server vendors and providers . in addition , the devices 110 - 116 may include , either alone or in combination , hardware devices , memory and storage devices , graphic cards , routers , wireless devices and other modules for receiving , transmitting and / or processing data . in addition , the system 100 , particularly , the devices 110 - 116 may be housed and / or run on a computing cloud , such as that available by amazon . com and / or similar cloud - providing vendors . as such , the system 100 and its various components may be adapted to run various software platforms and packages , such as those providing code written in java , python , ruby on rails , and / or other computer languages , for facilitating the everyday operation and use of the system 100 . in accordance with one embodiment of the present technique , the feed generator 110 may form , for example , an rss feed generator , adapted to intake information , such as a website url , and or other related material included as part of a specific website 118 belonging to particular vendor ( s ). such vendors having the web site 118 may include firm ( s ), commercial companies , or any private or public organization interested in providing the general public with information and content regarding its various products , services , as well as any other general and / or specific information adapted to promote or otherwise enhance the company &# 39 ; s image in the public eye . as will be discussed below , such information may include digital content in a form of a digital movie , such as one that can be downloaded and played by an average home or office user upon throughout a communication session , as may happen when a user generally browses the internet . further , once the system 100 obtains a desired website and url information via the generator 110 , ( that is , from where the url information is stored ) the software plugging device 112 obtains original ads 120 to further process such ads and provide personalized digital video ads adapted to appeal to specific segments , groups , locations , genders and so forth . as mentioned , such movies may include advertising and other promotional material , as promulgated by the vendor of the website 118 . further , the device 112 , particularly , software plug - ins employed therein are adapted to generally analyze digital items form which the digital movie is formed . in so doing , the device 112 finds and determines the position of dynamic elements , elements 16 - 20 ( see fig2 ) so that those can be modified and / or edited in accordance . hence , an animator employing the plug - in device 112 can define and mange dynamic texts , visual animations , images , and voice to fit a specific ad that can be personalized and adapted for specific users segment located therein . more specifically , the device 112 utilizes the non - dynamic elements in conjunction with dynamic elements of the ad , i . e ., movie , whereby dummy texts may be inserted to the ad , via an editing software , ultimately determined by constraints are configured in accordance with a desired implementation . for example , certain portions of the movie including text messages may be designated for dynamic rendering , eventually determined according to the animator &# 39 ; s choice and / or according to specified demands . by further example , the device 112 can be used to insert and configure certain desired images , as well as vary the properties of images existing in an otherwise distributed movie . this may also include designating and configuring dynamic image background features , such opacity , brightness , lighting , object views , text images and other related visual features . these and other operations , as performed by the device 112 , create what may be called a master ad that can be provided to core rendering engine device 114 , adapted to compose all variations of the video ads in accordance with the specified regional and / or other types of preferences to where the ad is intended . in so doing , the rendering engine 114 receives personalized parameters 122 which determine the uniqueness of each ad , as well as the extent to which dynamic elements within each video are varied . accordingly , the engine 114 inserts into the master ad provided by the software plug - ins 112 actual specific data values to create actual videos , where each video is uniquely created to reflect the various changes in an otherwise original ad , modified to create multiple ads that are each adapted to target a certain region , population and so forth . once the rendering engine 114 creates the multiple ad movies , the engine 114 encodes each of the multiple movies according to certain accepted and usable image formats , such as . jpeg , . gif , . mpeg , and other image and / or video well known and used in the industry . in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present technique , once the personalized digital video is rendered and encoded , as performed by the rendering engine 114 , the personalized video undergoes a verification process by the video verification module 115 . the verification module 115 is adapted to detect various failures and / or defects that may have occurred during the rendering and / or encoding processed . such failures may stem , for example , from various multiple software or configuration “ bugs ,” causing images or texts to be displayed incorrectly , or rendering videos not in par with standard videos such as those available on the market . to counter such failures , the verification module 115 employs various algorithms for detecting and rectifying the above - mentioned failures occurring in mass production of personalized videos . accordingly , in an exemplary embodiment , the present technique utilizes a comparison procedure by which generated personalized videos are compared to a specifically chosen pristine standard video that provides a baseline against which other videos are compared . in so doing , for each set of mass produced personalized videos , a pristine version is chosen for that set by examining a subset of videos in that set and determining which personalized videos in the subset has features matching closest all other videos in the subset of personalized videos . such determination may further involve , for example , utilizing maximum likelihood and / or bayesian statistical methods , as well as other averaging methods . hence , the verification module 115 utilizes the aforementioned pristine copy of the personalized video for comparing other similar personalized rendered and encoded videos . more specifically , the comparison performed by the module 115 may be based on employing one or more functions providing a quantitative numerical measure for determining how well the personalized video matches the pristine video of that version of the ad . hence , in one exemplary embodiment , the module 115 separates each of the personalized videos in to its image frames and corresponding soundtrack . thereafter , the video verification module 115 applies , for example , a binary hash function ( e . g ., md5 hash function ) to the soundtrack of each personalized video to determine whether it matches a value provided by applying the hash function to a corresponding portion of soundtrack in the pristine video . thus , for example , if the hash values of portions of a soundtrack of a personalized video undergoing verification do not match the hash values provided by the corresponding version of the pristine video , the module 115 returns a “ false ” notification , thereby indicating the sound track of the personalized video undergoing verification may deviate significantly from the soundtrack of the pristine version in that corresponding portion of the video . accordingly , this provides a further indication that the video undergoing verification may have certain defects , artifacts , or is otherwise corrupt to the extent it may fail to meet required criteria for being acceptable for viewing . similarly , by further example , a visual diff function can be applied to one or more frames of the personalized video to determine and compare similar frames in the pristine videos of those corresponding frames . thus , in an exemplary embodiment , the module 115 can employ a comparison algorithm defining that for each frame n in number of frames of the pristine video p , calculate a visual difference of frame ( n , p ) versus frame ( n , t ), where t indicates the personalized video undergoing verification . thus , for example , when comparing matching frames of the pristine video to that of the video undergoing verification , then if visual diff ( frame ( fn , p ), frame ( fn , t ))& gt ; 0 . 50 , then the module 115 returns a “ false ” indication , thereby indicating that the personalized video undergoing verification may be corrupt or is otherwise not in par with acceptable viewing standards . hence , the diff function , as employed above , evaluates the difference of pixel values between the nth frame of the pristine version and the nth frame of the video version undergoing verification . this may provide a rather standardized and accurate metric for evaluating whether the generated personalized videos meet desired standards . in employing diff functions for evaluating variations in frames between the video undergoing verification and the pristine version , visual differences of two images may be calculated using visual distance algorithm that divides the image , for example , into cells of 8 by 8 pixels . hence , for each pixel cell , the module 115 can separates each pixel into its red , green and blue ( rgb ) values for determining a root - mean - square ( rms ) for each pixel in the cell . accordingly , a comparison between rms values for each pixel in each cell of the verified video and corresponding pixel in the pristine video can be performed such that it is carried throughout all of the pixels in each and every cell of every frame . in so doing , a metric can be obtained having a numerical measure between 0 and 1 , such that a value of 0 indicates that there is no difference between the verified video and the pristine video , while a value of 1 indicates no similarity between frames of the video undergoing verification and the pristine video . after personalized video files are rendered , encoded and verified , as described above , such files are then provided to targeting server 116 adapted to receive request for the videos from multiple locations or with users segmentation parameters . accordingly , upon such requests , the server 116 outputs personalized video ads to multiple end users 124 , 126 and 128 , including home , office , or other users having access to websites , such as the website 118 . in this manner , each of the different users 124 , 126 and 128 may individually receive a personalized video that accommodates and is made to fit the user &# 39 ; s regional or geographical location and setting . thus , while outputs 124 - 128 may generally be formed of the same ad ( see fig3 and 4 ), each sharing similar content information and appearance , those outputs may differ to some extent according to the personalized preferences 122 , defined above . for example , users viewing output 124 in one region may view a video that may be visually identical the output 126 viewed in another region , however , the video 124 may contain textual information ( e . g ., maps , location address , store names , etc .) indicative of the first region while the output 126 may contain textual information indicative of the second region , yet , different from the first region . as mentioned herein , the varied outs 124 - 126 may contain personalized attributes appealable to various user groups , such as gender , groups , demographic groups , cultural groups , age groups , employment groups , social groups , artistic and academic groups , fraternities , hobby and sport clubs , and / or other associations with which general users having access to the network can relate . thus , personalized videos discusses herein can provide an otherwise generic advertisement while tweaking certain images , colors , sceneries , and / or voices , i . e ., dialects , languages and the like to appeal to certain group segments who may find those particular colors and / or accent appealing . in so doing , the present technique creates a multitude of versions of the same ad , each having its own personalized features for targeting a certain population group , while preserving the overall content conveyed by the originally and previously created and distributed ad . fig6 illustrates a system 200 for rendering personalized video , in accordance with an embodiment of the present technique . the system 200 includes various components adapted to receive original webpage data having original ads , as well as components for processing such data for ultimately rendering and encoding personalized videos , such as those described above . furthermore , because the rendering process of the personalized video can be quite computationally demanding , the system 200 may be implemented over a computing cloud or a computing cluster having servers and / or processors , dedicated for processing voluminous data , and adapted for executing and performing various computational tasks in parallel that could otherwise be too overwhelming for conventional computing systems . to the extent resources of the computing cloud are needed for rendering personalized videos , the amount of devices dedicated to such tasks within the cluster could expand or contract as the needs for using such resources changes with time . thus , the disclosed computing cloud / cluster may be continually elastic and dynamic for efficiently accommodating the computational tasks at hand . it should further be borne in mind that the term computing cloud and / or computing cluster as used herein refers to a consolidated remote data and processing system adapted for allocating and provisioning dynamic and scalable virtualized resources . accordingly , computing resources located on the cloud may take a form of ease to access remote computing sites provided by a network , such as an internet , and / or other forms of web - based tools or applications that users can easily attain and use through web browser . in such implementation , the cloud offers a real time emulation of programs and applications as if those were installed locally on the client &# 39 ; s computer . returning to fig6 , the system 200 includes a feed generator 202 adapted to retrieve original ads through network 204 from webpages 206 . from the acquired webpages 206 , the feed generator 202 is further adapted to generate structured data , such as an xml file , including dynamic ad data that is prone to change as part of creating those portions of the video ad that ultimately become personalized and may appeal to certain segment of the network . such data is then provided to the orchestrator 208 which , among other things , functions to oversee the entire rendering operations of the personalized videos generated by the system 208 . hence , the orchestrator 208 obtains from the original ad , those digital elements of the ad defined as static , as well as those elements defined as dynamic , as brought forth above by fig2 . upon receiving such information , the orchestrator 208 prompts change set manger ( csm ) 210 to recognize and identify ongoing computational changes currently occurring or those about to occur in the cloud 200 . thus , if new ads originating from the webpages 206 are provided to the cluster 200 , as may happen at any given moment , the csm 210 provides a real time overview and assessment of resources available to the cluster 200 for performing the current required operations , as well as those resources that would be needed to performing processing and creating new personalized videos based on the newly acquired ads 206 . for example , the csm 210 may identify that certain ads , previously acquired from webpages 206 , are no longer running , outdated , or otherwise unavailable for further processing to create personalized video for distribution across the network . alternatively the csm 210 may recognize the emergence of new ad videos , as may be provided by one or more vendors , requiring processing and rendering for creating multiple versions of personalized videos . thus , cessation or emergence of new videos available for processing in accordance with the present technique may be part of commercial and / or promotional campaigns conducted by one or more vendors attempting to commercialize and bring forth products and / or services to various segments of network users . hence , orchestrator 208 obtains the real time assessment of resources available to the cloud 200 , as provided by the csm 210 , to coordinate further rendering operations , as performed by rendering engine servers 212 , for generating multiple versions of personalized videos . thus , the orchestrator 208 is adapted to time and / or synchronize the operation of servers 212 in accordance with the needs specified to cloud for processing newly acquired ad videos from the webpages 206 . hence , rendering servers 212 may operate in parallel and in capacity that could vary at any point of time depending on varying loads experienced by the cloud 200 . hence , the ability of the computing cloud 200 to tap or release rendering servers 212 and / or other resources at will provides much flexibility for better facilitating a better , efficient and cost effective system for generating multiple versions of personalized videos . furthermore , the ability of the cloud of the orchestrator to distribute and allocate the rendering operation of large scale data may significantly reduce the amount of rendering time allocated for generating each personalized videos . thus , by utilizing the cloud 200 , personalized ad movies normally taking hours to render may be rendered in minutes , thereby leading to substantial reduction of processing time and cost . in further aspects of the present technique , the computer cloud 200 further includes servers , such as servers 214 , adapted to fore encoding the personalized videos , as rendered by the servers 212 . in so doing , orchestrator 208 prompts servers 214 to encode and videos rendered by the serves 212 . accordingly , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the personalized videos may be encoded in accordance with a variety of known digital video formats , such as mpeg , jpeg mmv , and / or other known formats . in so doing , orchestrator 208 may coordinate various operations of available encoding servers 214 so as to expand or contract the computing capacity of the cloud 200 with varying needs . such needs may be specified by the amount of originally acquired videos ads from webpage 206 , as well as by the urgency required to produce and / or make such videos available for distribution across the networks . the cloud 200 further includes video verification module 216 , made up of one or more processors such as those found in servers or other computing devices . the video verification module 216 is adapted to detect any failures or defects within the personalized videos , as rendered and encoded by the servers 212 and 214 , respectively . accordingly , as described above with reference to fig5 , the video verification module 216 within the cloud 200 is adapted to obtain the pristine video file of every version of the personalized videos , so as to form a baseline comparison copy to which other similar versions of the personalized are compared . thus , the module 216 utilizes the above described statistical methods for selecting the pristine version , as well as employing the various hash and differential ( diff ) function for comparing the other personalized videos to the pristine version . in so doing , the video verification module performs various mathematical and algorithmic operations for producing a comparative platform employing certain criteria ( as describe above with reference to module 115 of fig5 ) to determine whether rendered and encoded personalized videos are in par with acceptable viewing standards for users in a network . furthermore , upon receiving notice form the encoding server 214 that a personalized video has been encoded , the orchestrator 208 instructs the video verification module to commence video verification for that personalized video , in accordance with the operation described above . accordingly , upon completing the video verification , the module 216 may return to the orchestrator 208 an indication on whether the personalized video can be released and is acceptable for viewing as or within a personalized advertisement . thus , the module 216 may prove a boolean value , such “ true ” for a valid video which can be viewed and / or be accessed on the network , as opposed to a value of “ false ,” indicating the personalized video is not proper is otherwise too defective for being placed on the network as a personalized ad . it should be appreciated that having the video verification module 216 as an integral part of the computing cloud 200 and the video creation process effected by the cloud 200 provides a significant advantage for handling the verification process of a large number of personalized videos . accordingly , because the present technique ensures that the verification process of each personalized video is embedded within the actual creation process of the personalized video , provides the cloud 200 a real time capacity to inspect frame by frame the personalized video as it is being generated . such on - the - fly capability circumvents any post processing of the videos that would otherwise require reopening video files so as to decompress , decode while performing considerable amount of computation before any validation of the video may commence . fig7 is a block diagram 300 describing a process , in accordance with an embodiment of the present technique . accordingly , the process 300 describes a method for generating personalized videos utilizing computer resources available within a computing cloud . the process begins at block 302 in whereby one or more feed generators of a computing cloud obtains through one and / or more feed generators of a computing cloud , parameters of a digital video . such video may generally be provided to users having access to the network and its various applications . further , the process 300 further includes step 304 whereby the obtained parameters are modified by one and / or more software generators located within the computing cloud . the modification , as obtained at step 304 is based on information relating to segments of the users of the network . hence , this information may relate to various aspects of segments of network , including information on their personal preferences , geographical location , demographic and / or gender make up , and many other aspects . the process 300 further includes step 306 , in which a plurality of versions of the originally obtained video are created based in the modification of the parameters . step 306 may generally be performed utilizing one or more rendering engines located within the computing cloud . in so doing , the present technique utilizes the cloud to perform a significant amount of rendering operations of numerous digital video frames belonging to various digital video ads . the use of the computing cloud provides a robust platform for performing heavy and laborious computing operations , thereby significantly shortening entire rendering operations . in accordance with other aspects of the present technique , the process 300 further includes step 308 whereby the cloud employs computing operations for determining a quality of one or more personalized videos . as described above , such a quality generally pertains to determining whether the personalized videos comply with acceptable viewing standards . such a quality may depend and / or be derived from , for example , a numerical metric that defined a threshold or criteria on whether the video is acceptable for viewing . accordingly , at step 310 , based on the determined quality and its quantitative measure it is determined whether the video is acceptable for viewing . in a still further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a unique system and method for sharing user data between different commercial entities such as vendor , advertisers , etc . the sharing of the user data may be used by any entity to provide bespoke products or services to the user . one such product or service may be personalized advertisements . in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention the creation of the personalized advertisement is carried out as in the embodiments above and will not be described again . the difference with this embodiment relates to how the user data is obtained . this will now be described in further detail below . the system 800 of fig8 operates over the cloud 802 . a first entity 804 and a second entity 806 are connected to the cloud 802 . for simplicity only two entities are shown but there could be many more as will be appreciated in due course . each entity has one of more webpages to which users ( u1 , u2 , and u3 ) are connected . the users connected to the webpages of the first entity at a first time are the same users connected to the webpages of the second entity at a second time . this scenario is used to describe the operation of this part of the invention . however , in reality users may come and go at random . each user connected to the first entity may have an account with the first entity this means the first entity has user data relating to the user . this user data may relate to personal details or preferences and trends . generally a user with an account will have a unique identifier , such as a user id , email address , or any other unique identifier . the user data may include name , address , other contact details and any other relevant personal details . the user data may also include preferences , trends in purchasing , age group , sex and other demographic information . thus there are essentially two types of user information ; personal data and preference data . it will be appreciated that the dividing line between the two types may be fluid and in some cases what would be personal data for one entity may be preference data for another and vice versa . the second entity may be a vendor which supports the display of personalized video advertising from an advertiser 810 . alternatively entity 806 and advertiser 810 may be the same entity and could thus be illustrated by a single box such as box 806 . when the user connects to a website or an app that is associated to the first entity for the first time , the first entity will place a marker on the user &# 39 ; s device , such as a cookie . that marker will be associated in the first entity &# 39 ; s database with this user &# 39 ; s profile . then , when the user connects to a website or an app that is associated with the first entity subsequently , the first entity will be able to identify the user corresponding to the user &# 39 ; s particular profile . when the user connects to a website or an app that is associated to the second entity for the first time , the second entity will also place a marker on the user &# 39 ; s device , such as a cookie . that marker will be associated in the second entity &# 39 ; s database with this user &# 39 ; s profile . then , when the user connects to a website or an app that is associated with the second entity subsequently , the second entity will be able to identify the user corresponding to the user &# 39 ; s particular profile . also connected to the cloud 802 is an intermediary 808 . the intermediary is an entity which provides a service of sharing user data between different entities . the entities establish an account with the intermediary so that the intermediary can share at least a part of the user data with another entity which also has an account with the intermediary . the data shared by the first entity with the intermediary may include all the user data held by the first entity or a sub - set thereof . once the relationship with the intermediary is in place and the user logs onto a website associated to the second entity , the second entity checks not only for the existence of its own marker , but also for the existence of the first entity marker on the user &# 39 ; s browser . it then associates this marker with the user &# 39 ; s profile on the second entity &# 39 ; s database . the second entity then polls the intermediary and requests information about the user by passing on to the intermediary the information in the first entity marker . the intermediary provides this information based on one or both cookies . the information may be some or all of the information held by the intermediary . in one embodiment , the information includes the preferences stripped of the personal information . the advertiser then creates a bespoke personalized advertisement for the user , to be used when the user next logs onto the second entity webpages . next time the user is identified as logging onto the second entity &# 39 ; s webpages the advertiser presents and displays the personalized advertisement . using the above described procedure a number of different videos may be created that are targeted to the same user . the advertiser uses an extensive and well catalogued storage space for storing the videos for a specific user based on a user id or other identifier . the advertiser can log which videos have been played to the user and play a different one each time . the sequence can vary based on any changes in the user preferences . also if a new video is prepared for a particular event , such as christmas this may be shown before others that may be awaiting broadcast from the advertiser . it is clear that certain users may have similar or the same preferences . if this is the case the users can be grouped into segments which have a certain preference in common . this could be age , demographic , choice of car , zip code , favorite color or whatever might be a shared preference of interest to the advertiser . once a segment has been created the same personalized video may be sent to all the users in the segment . in this case the videos may be stored based on the segment and / or the user . referring now to fig9 the method steps 900 carried out by the system will now be described . in a first step 902 entities subscribe to an intermediary which provides services sharing user data and preferences . in a second step 904 a first entity collects user data from user &# 39 ; s subscribed to his webpages . the first entity then shares some or all of the user date with the intermediary in a step 906 . the intermediary then searches for the user on webpages of any other subscribed entity in a step 908 . the intermediary plants a cookie on the user &# 39 ; s computer in a step 910 when the user is identified . in step 912 a second entity reads the intermediary &# 39 ; s cookie . the second entity plants its own cookie at step 914 . the intermediary and second entity exchange information about the user based on one or both cookies at step 916 . the second entity then creates a personalized video based on the shared information in step 918 . the personalized video advertisement is displayed to the user when they next log on to the webpages of the second entity at step 920 . it will be appreciated that there may be many variations to this embodiment and the description above is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . | 7 |
in the following specification and the claims , a number of terms are referenced that have the following meanings . the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ”, and “ the ” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . “ optional ” or “ optionally ” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur , and that the description includes instances where the event occurs and instances where it does not . approximating language , as used herein throughout the specification and claims , may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related . accordingly , a value modified by a term or terms , such as “ about ”, “ approximately ”, and “ substantially ”, are not to be limited to the precise value specified . in at least some instances , the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value . here and throughout the specification and claims , range limitations may be combined and / or interchanged . such ranges are identified and include all the sub - ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise . contact slip ring devices are subject to wear and require frequent maintenance or replacement . moreover , the sliding action causes the brushes to abrade and introduce particulate contamination into the system . particulate contamination is generally conductive and can disrupt normal operations of nearby electronics . alternatively , a non - contact slip ring , or rotary transformer , may be utilized in gantry ct systems . it is realized herein that high - frequency rotary transformers utilize frequency boosting components , such as rectifier - inverter circuits to generate the frequencies compatible with the transformer materials . it is further realized herein the x - ray source and x - ray detectors typically utilize direct current ( dc ) or line - frequency , e . g ., 50 hz or 60 hz , alternating current ( ac ) power . consequently , the high - frequency power transmitted through the rotary transformer is converted back to dc or line - frequency at the gantry . the components necessary for these conversions introduce cost , complexity , and size to the ct gantry system . generally , transformers are designed to accept a certain amount of input power to generate a certain amount of output power in an efficient manner . many transformers are also designed to minimize size and weight for a given application . in designing an efficient transformer , the transformer core should have a high magnetic permeability relative to that of a vacuum . this is referred to as relative magnetic permeability , which is a measure of magnetism a material obtains in response to an applied magnetic field . an efficient transformer should also have a high ratio of magnetizing inductance to leakage inductance , such as , for example , 1000 : 1 , to minimize losses in the core and the windings . a high magnetizing inductance is desirable because it generally results in lower magnetizing current and lower conductor losses . conductor losses are reduced by reducing total current in the transformer , and by reducing the number of turns in the winding , which reduces winding resistance . magnetizing inductance in a transformer is proportional to the product of effective permeability and the square of the number of turns in the winding . the voltage induced in a winding is proportional to the rate of change in flux , which , for a fixed area , amounts to a change in flux density . for a given peak flux , the rate of change is proportional to the frequency . consequently , the induced voltage is proportional to frequency . conversely , when the frequency is reduced , a larger increase in flux is necessary to maintain that same voltage in the winding . low leakage inductance , i . e ., low leakage flux , improves voltage regulation . leakage flux degrades the proportional relationship of primary - to - secondary voltage in the transformer , particularly under heavy load . leakage inductance is a function of the number of turns in the windings , which is directly related to the power rating and voltage regulation capability of the transformer . fewer turns in the winding reduces leakage inductance and winding losses . conversely , more turns in the winding increases leakage inductance and winding losses , and further degrades voltage regulation capability . leakage inductance can be reduced by capacitance coupled in series with the windings . it is realized herein the constraints on transformer size and weight are generally relaxed for gantry ct systems , because many x - ray source and x - ray detector components in the gantry demand less power than a transformer of suitable size for the gantry structure would ordinarily provide . consequently , the operating flux density for a line - frequency rotary transformer is generally below saturation . it is further realized herein the air gap in a rotary transformer reduces the magnetizing inductance for the rotary transformer . moreover , the low frequency of a line - frequency rotary transformer further reduces the magnetizing inductance and increases the magnetizing current . it is further realized herein that the losses due to increased magnetizing current can be mitigated by increasing the number of turns in the winding . the increased number of turns reduces the flux necessary to induce a given voltage in the winding . the increased number of turns in the windings increases winding losses and leakage inductance , and degrades the voltage regulation capability of the transformer . the losses from increased magnetizing current are further reduced with the addition of a shunt capacitor across the secondary windings . the shunt capacitor affects a division of the magnetizing current , permitting a reduction in number of turns in the winding . it is realized herein that series capacitances on the primary and secondary windings can mitigate the increased leakage inductance . it is realized herein that a lower ratio of magnetizing inductance to leakage inductance is acceptable in a line - frequency rotary transformer for a gantry ct system than in conventional transformer design . such a ratio may be 3 : 1 or lower in certain embodiments . it is further realized herein the resulting transformer losses and degraded voltage regulation are acceptable in a gantry ct system . fig1 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a gantry ct system 100 having a gantry 102 and a stator 104 . stator 104 includes stationary components of gantry ct system 100 , including a line - frequency power source 106 that powers gantry ct system 100 . gantry 102 is rotatably coupled to stator 104 , facilitating gantry 102 and its components turning about stator 104 . gantry 102 includes an x - ray source 108 and an x - ray detector 110 . x - ray source 108 generates x - ray signals that are used by gantry ct system 100 to interrogate an object . x - ray detector 110 detects the generated x - ray signals as they pass through , pass by , reflect , deflect , or otherwise interact with the object being interrogated . x - ray source 108 and x - ray detector 110 require power to operate . generally , components of gantry 102 , such as x - ray source 108 and x - ray detector 110 , utilize dc or line - frequency ac gantry power 112 . due to the rotating relationship between gantry 102 and stator 104 , gantry power 112 is delivered from stator 104 to gantry 102 through a slip ring 114 . slip ring 114 provides an electrical connection between stator 104 and gantry 102 using a primary ring 116 and a secondary ring 118 . generally , a slip ring provides such an electrical connection using a contact connection or a non - contact connection , such slip rings respectively referred to as contact slip rings and non - contact slip rings . in the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , slip ring 114 is a non - contact slip ring utilizing a rotary transformer to transmit gantry power 112 from primary ring 116 to secondary ring 118 . fig2 is a cross - sectional diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an e - core 200 for a line - frequency rotary transformer for use in gantry ct system 100 ( shown in fig1 ). e - core 200 is preferably manufactured of a material having high relative permeability , such as , for example , silicon steel , metglas , iron , permalloy or other suitable material . e - core 200 includes side posts 202 and a center post 204 . side posts 202 are separated from center post 204 by air gaps 206 , all of which are arranged in the form of the letter “ e .” side posts 202 have a side post width 208 of 1 unit , while center post 204 has a center post width 210 of 2 units . air gaps 206 separating side posts 202 and center post 204 have a gap width 212 of 1 unit . e - core 200 has a total length 214 of 4 units . of total length 214 , side posts 202 and center post 204 have post lengths 216 of 3 units , while a backplane 218 has a backplane length 220 of 1 unit . the precise dimensions of e - core 200 are scalable as each implementation requires and are largely dependent on power requirements . the ratios among the various dimensions are chosen at least partially to simplify manufacturing of e - core laminates . fig3 is a cross - sectional diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a line - frequency rotary transformer 300 for use in gantry ct system 100 ( shown in fig1 ). line - frequency rotary transformer 300 includes a primary core 302 and a secondary core 304 . primary core 302 and secondary core 304 are e - cores separated by an air gap 306 . in certain embodiments , air gap 306 is 0 . 5 millimeters to 5 millimeters . for example , in one embodiment , air gap 306 is preferably 2 millimeters , but may vary from 1 millimeter to 3 millimeters over the entirety of line - frequency rotary transformer 300 . the relative magnetic permeability of air gap 306 is lower than that of primary core 302 and secondary core 304 . consequently , the relative magnetic permeability of line - frequency rotary transformer 300 as a whole is reduced and leakage inductance is increased . more specifically , as air gap 306 widens leakage inductance and losses increase . each of primary core 302 and secondary core 304 include multiple e - core laminates arranged into rings . in certain embodiments , the primary ring is assembled as several arc - sections of e - core laminates . the arc - section construction simplifies assembly of each of primary core 302 and secondary core 304 . in certain embodiments , the multiple e - core laminates of primary core 302 and secondary core 304 are interleaved with non - conductive spacers to reduce the weight of line - frequency rotary transformer 300 . line - frequency rotary transformer 300 includes a primary winding 308 and a secondary winding 310 . primary winding 308 includes primary terminals 312 and , likewise , secondary winding 310 includes secondary terminals 314 . when a line - frequency input voltage 316 is applied to primary terminals 312 , magnetic flux 318 is induced and flows through a magnetic circuit defined by primary core 302 , air gap 306 , and secondary core 304 . magnetic flux 318 induces a line - frequency output voltage 320 at secondary terminals 314 . fig4 is a perspective diagram of an arc - section 400 of line - frequency rotary transformer 300 ( shown in fig3 ). arc - section 400 includes primary core 302 and secondary core 304 , each including multiple e - core laminates 402 . e - core laminates 402 , in certain embodiments , includes silicon steel e - core laminates interleaved with non - conductive spacers . in other embodiments , e - core laminates 402 include only e - core laminates manufactured from silicon steel or any other suitable material having a high relative magnetic permeability . as illustrated in fig4 , primary core 302 and secondary core 304 are separated by air gap 306 . further , arc - section 400 includes primary winding 308 and secondary winding 310 . fig5 is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method 500 of providing power to gantry ct system 100 using line - frequency rotary transformer 300 ( shown in fig1 and 3 , respectively ). method 500 begins at a start step 510 . at a stator power step 520 , line - frequency ac input power is provided to a primary side of line - frequency rotary transformer 300 at stator 104 . more specifically , line - frequency input voltage 316 is applied to primary terminals 312 of primary winding 308 , which induces magnetic flux 318 in primary core 302 and secondary core 304 . at an inductions step 530 , magnetic flux 318 flowing through primary core 302 and secondary core 304 induces line - frequency ac output power at a secondary side of line - frequency rotary transformer 300 at gantry 102 . more specifically , line - frequency output voltage 320 is induced across secondary terminals 314 of secondary winding 310 . at a gantry power step 540 , the line - frequency ac output power is supplied to x - ray source 108 and x - ray detector 110 . method 500 ends at an end step 550 . fig6 is a schematic diagram of gantry ct system 100 and line - frequency rotary transformer 300 ( shown in fig1 and 3 , respectively ). gantry ct system 100 includes stator 104 and gantry 102 on opposite side of the schematic , coupled by line - frequency rotary transformer 300 . line - frequency ac power source 106 is illustrated an ac voltage source coupled across primary winding 308 of line - frequency rotary transformer 300 . line - frequency ac power source 106 delivers line - frequency ac input voltage 316 to primary winding 308 . likewise , gantry 102 includes x - ray source 108 and x - ray detector 110 illustrated as loads . line - frequency rotary transformer 300 supplies line - frequency ac output voltage 320 to x - ray source 108 and x - ray detector 110 . gantry 102 further includes a shunt capacitor 610 across secondary winding 310 of line - frequency rotary transformer 300 . gantry 102 and stator 104 further include series capacitors 620 and 630 coupled in series with primary winding 308 and secondary winding 310 . capacitors 620 and 630 mitigate the effects of leakage inductance in line - frequency rotary transformer 300 . an exemplary technical effect of the methods , systems , and apparatus described herein includes at least one of : ( a ) improving gantry power quality by use of a non - contact slip ring for power transmission to the gantry ; ( b ) reducing maintenance cost by use of the non - contact slip ring ; ( c ) reducing necessary rectifiers , inverters , and transformers on the stator and gantry for converting to and from line - frequency ac power ; ( d ) reducing weight on gantry by eliminating rectifiers , inverters , and transformers ; and ( e ) reducing manufacturing costs of the gantry - stator slip ring . exemplary embodiments of methods , systems , and apparatus for line - frequency rotary transformers are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein , but rather , components of systems and / or steps of the methods may be utilized independently and separately from other components and / or steps described herein . for example , the methods may also be used in combination with other non - conventional line - frequency rotary transformers , and are not limited to practice with only the systems and methods as described herein . rather , the exemplary embodiment can be implemented and utilized in connection with many other applications , equipment , and systems that may benefit from increased efficiency , reduced operational cost , and reduced capital expenditure . although specific features of various embodiments of the disclosure may be shown in some drawings and not in others , this is for convenience only . in accordance with the principles of the disclosure , any feature of a drawing may be referenced and / or claimed in combination with any feature of any other drawing . this written description uses examples to disclose the embodiments , including the best mode , and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the embodiments , including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods . the patentable scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims , and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art . such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims , or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims . | 7 |
aspects of the present invention provide improved digital pre - distortion techniques with reduced complexity of volterra approximations without impairing performance . digital pre - distortion is traditionally implemented using non - recursive ( feed - forward ) solutions such as volterra series . aspects of the present invention recognize that for an infinite impulse response ( iir ), a recursive model achieves lower complexity ( in a similar manner to iir relative to fir filters ) and improved performance as an infinite impulse can be approximated . the disclosed dpd scheme approximates the inverse of the power amplifier response using a system of non - linear differential equations of state space variables and input signal . the present invention can be applied in handsets , base stations and other network elements . fig1 illustrates portions of an exemplary transmitter 100 in which aspects of the present invention may be employed . as shown in fig1 , the exemplary transmitter portion 100 comprises a channel filter and digital up conversion ( duc ) stage 110 , a crest factor reduction ( cfr ) stage 120 , a digital pre - distortion ( dpd ) stage 130 and an optional equalization stage 140 . generally , the channel filter and digital up conversion stage 110 performs channel filtering using , for example finite impulse response ( fir ) filters and digital up conversion to convert a digitized baseband signal to an intermediate frequency ( if ). the crest factor reduction stage 120 limits the peak - to - average ratio ( par ) of the transmitted signal . the digital pre - distortion stage 130 linearizes the power amplifier to improve efficiency . the equalization stage 140 employs rf channel equalization to mitigate channel impairments . fig2 illustrates portions of an alternate exemplary transmitter 200 in which aspects of the present invention may be employed . as shown in fig2 , the exemplary transmitter portion 200 comprises two pulse shaping and low pass filter ( lpf ) stages 210 - 1 , 210 - 2 and two digital up - converters 220 - 1 , 220 - 2 which process a complex signal i , q . the exemplary transmitter portion 200 of fig2 does not include the crest factor reduction stage 120 of fig1 , but a cfr stage could optionally be included . the complex input ( i , q ) is then applied to a digital pre - distorter 230 of fig2 and is the focus of the exemplary embodiment of the invention . the digital pre - distorter 230 of fig2 is discussed further below , for example , in conjunction with fig3 and 4 . the output of the digital pre - distorter 230 is applied in parallel to two digital to analog converters ( dacs ) 240 - 1 , 240 - 2 , and the analog signals are then processed by a quadrature modulation stage 250 that further up converts the signals to an rf signal . the output 255 of the quadrature modulation stage 250 is applied to a power amplifier 260 , such as a doherty amplifier or a drain modulator . as indicated above , the digital pre - distorter 230 linearizes the power amplifier 260 to improve the efficiency of the power amplifier 260 by extending its linear range to higher transmit powers . in a feedback path 265 , the output of the power amplifier 260 is applied to an attenuator 270 before being applied to a demodulation stage 280 that down converts the signal to baseband . the down converted signal is applied to an analog to digital converter ( adc ) 290 to digitize the signal . the digitized samples are then processed by a complex adaptive algorithm 295 that generates parameters w for the digital pre - distorter 230 . the complex adaptive algorithm 295 is outside the scope of the present application . known techniques can be employed to generate the parameters for the digital pre - distorter 230 . a digital pre - distorter 230 can be implemented as a non - linear filter using a volterra series model of non - linear systems . the volterra series is a model for non - linear behavior in a similar manner to a taylor series . the volterra series differs from the taylor series in its ability to capture “ memory ” effects . the taylor series can be used to approximate the response of a non - linear system to a given input if the output of this system depends strictly on the input at that particular time . in the volterra series , the output of the non - linear system depends on the input to the system at other times . thus , the volterra series allows the “ memory ” effect of devices such as capacitors and inductors to be captured . in addition , a non - linear system without memory can be expressed as : a volterra can be considered as a combination of the two : in the discrete domain , the volterra series can be expressed as follows : the complexity of a non - recursive volterra series can grow exponentially . aspects of the present invention recognize that for an infinite impulse response ( iir ), a recursive model achieves lower complexity ( in a similar manner to iir relative to fir filters ) and improved performance as an infinite impulse can be approximated . the disclosed dpd scheme approximates the inverse of the power amplifier response using a system of non - linear differential equations of state space variables and input signal . volterra series are to a non - linear system what finite impulse response ( fir ) filters are to linear systems . an fir implementation can be complex and require a large number of taps . in a simple case , a first order system can produce an infinite impulse response ( iir ). hence , for an iir implementation , only one multiplier is required ( as a first order system ). an fir implementation of the same trivial first order system , however , would require an infinite number of taps in theory and a large number of taps in practice . an iir implementation has significantly reduced complexity than an fir implementation in this case . aspects of the present invention extend volterra implementations for digital pre - distortion using a recursive system of non - linear differential equations of state space variables and input signal . fig3 illustrates a frequency response 300 for an exemplary first order resistive - capacitive ( rc ) system . a recursive non - linear system with memory can be expressed by the following non - linear differential equations as follows : ⅆ s ⅆ t ( t ) = f ( s ( t ) , x ( t ) ) y ( t ) = g ( s ( t ) ) where x ( t ) is the input signal ( a scalar ); s ( t ) is the state space signal ( a vector ); y ( t ) is the output signal ( a scalar ) and f and g are non - linear functions . in the discrete time domain , the non - linear differential equations can be expressed as a recursive solution to the differential equations as follows ( euler approximation ): fig4 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary recursive digital pre - distortion system 400 incorporating aspects of the present invention . the exemplary recursive digital pre - distortion system 400 can be implemented in hardware or software , as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art . as shown in fig4 , the recursive digital pre - distortion system 400 comprises a recursive system of non - linear differential equations of state space variables s ( n ) and the input signal x ( n ). the exemplary recursive digital pre - distortion system 400 comprises a first stage 410 embodied as a first order system with a feedback having a memory element 420 and a second stage 450 embodied as a first order system without feedback . the input signal x ( n ) is applied to the first stage 410 together with the feedback state vector s ( n − 1 ). the state vector s ( n ) is also applied to the second stage . the state vector s ( n ) is initialized by setting it to 0 . it is again noted that f and g are multi - dimensional non - linear functions determined by the digital pre - distortion parameter estimation phase . for example , g ( s ( n )=[ g 1 ( s 1 ( n )), g 2 ( s 2 ( n )), g 3 ( s 3 ( n ))] for a more detailed discussion of digital pre - distortion parameter estimation , see , for example , international patent application serial no . pct / us12 / 62179 , entitled “ software digital front end ( softdfe ) signal processing ,” filed oct . 26 , 2012 , and incorporated by reference herein . while exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described with respect to digital logic blocks and memory tables within a digital processor , as would be apparent to one skilled in the art , various functions may be implemented in the digital domain as processing steps in a software program , in hardware by circuit elements or state machines , or in combination of both software and hardware . such software may be employed in , for example , a digital signal processor , application specific integrated circuit or micro - controller . such hardware and software may be embodied within circuits implemented within an integrated circuit . thus , the functions of the present invention can be embodied in the form of methods and apparatuses for practicing those methods . one or more aspects of the present invention can be embodied in the form of program code , for example , whether stored in a storage medium , loaded into and / or executed by a machine , wherein , when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine , such as a processor , the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention . when implemented on a general - purpose processor , the program code segments combine with the processor to provide a device that operates analogously to specific logic circuits . the invention can also be implemented in one or more of an integrated circuit , a digital processor , a microprocessor , and a micro - controller . it is to be understood that the embodiments and variations shown and described herein are merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and that various modifications may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 a pair of transducers 10 and 12 are shown installed on the bottom 14 of a stream bed . the transducers are connected by means of cables 16 and 18 to a shore - based electronics unit 20 from which the transducers receive power and to which they supply return signals . the beam patterns are shown as they would exist if visible to one looking upstream . it wll be observed that the patterns , being roughly semicircular , overlap somewhat near the bottom but leave an uncovered area near the surface . this area can be reduced or increased by the placement of the transducers . means are also included for terminating the beam just short of the surface , which is discussed below . fig2 shows one of the transducers as viewed from the side or across the stream and perpendicularly with respect to fig1 . here it will be seen that the transducer beam pattern is very narrow and upwardly directed . also attached to the transducer 12 is a cable 22 supported by a marker buoy 24 which is , in turn , fastened to an upstream anchor 26 by means of another cable 28 . the beam pattern covers a sufficiently large area that most of the fish 30 are illuminated thereby and caused to be counted . fig3 is a top or plan view of the transducer 10 ( transducer 12 is identical ). the acoustic focusing liquid lens transducer includes a spherical housing 32 of an acoustically transparent material such as abs plastic supported on a housing 34 which contains some of the electronic circuitry discussed below . the housings 32 and 34 are supported on a simple stand consisting of three legs 36 which are preferably positioned 120 ° apart to provide a stable platform against current movement , minor collisions with fish or debris , etc . as shown in fig1 and 2 , a cable 16 connects housing 34 with the shore - based electronics unit 20 . since the acoustic focusing liquid lens transducer 32 is of a relatively recent type which may not be well understood by all who may be interested in the present invention , it will be described in some detail . with reference to fig5 the transducer is composed of an acoustic lens which focuses transmitted and received acoustic energy onto many small active electroacoustic transducer elements 38 . the acoustic lens makes it possible to form many separate narrow acoustic beams in a compact size , which enable large areas to be scanned without any mechanical motion of the acoustic device . the beam width and beam orientation are determined by the shape , size and location of the electroacoustic elements and the focusing characteristics of the acoustic lens . the focusing characteristics of the lens are determined by size , shape and index of refraction value of the materials which are located between the electroacoustic elements and the water medium . one such device designed to scan a fan - shaped region consists of a spherically shaped lens with an array of electroacoustic piezoelectric transducer elements 38 , 38a , 38b , 38c , etc ., mounted to the inside surface of the spherical housing 32 which may be of abs plastic and oriented circumferentially along the bottom of the housing . each piezoelectric element in conjunction with the lens forms its own acoustic beam which looks out directly across the sphere . all of the beams together ( typically sixty - four ) from the fan - shaped pattern of fig1 . the number and location of the active elements can be modified as desired to effectively insonify the region where fish may be located . to produce the patterns of fig1 the elements should preferably be arranged in an arc somewhat larger than 180 °, as shown in fig5 . the inside of the lens is filled with low sound velocity fluid which in conjunction with the acoustic window material and its thickness serves to focus the acoustic energy leaving and returning to the transducer onto the piezoelectric elements . the back sides of the piezoelectric elements are acoustically decoupled from the shell by use of a compliant material 40 such as corprene between the acoustic elements and the shell material . the electronics system incorporates a shore - based electronics unit 20 which includes a solar panel 42 which responds to sunlight to continually charge a battery 44 which is connected to the electronics system through a positive direct current line 46 and a ground line 48 . while these power lines are not shown interconnected into the system described below , it will be recognized that battery power ( preferably regulated ) is to be supplied to the various circuits discussed below as required . also forming part of the shore - based unit 20 is a clock which provides a pulse output consisting of a series of timing pulses interspersed at intervals with a wide synchronizing pulse for synchronizing a plurality of sequencers which are actually in the form of bcd ( binary coded decimal ) generators . each of these generators is connected to a switching unit including a large number of electronic switches , each switch of one such unit being connected to one of the many ( 64 ) piezoelectric transducer elements 38 , 38a , 38b , 38c , etc ., and coded to respond to a desired digital signal to connect its particular transducer element to the remainder of the system and other switching units are synchronized to switch corresponding channels in unison , as will appear below . referring now to fig6 a pulse train is shown in a wire 50 supplied from the shore - based electronics unit 20 to a bcd generator 52 and a pulse width discriminator 54 . discriminator 54 senses the periodic extra wide timing pulses on the pulse train and responds by supplying a reset pulse to reset the bcd generator 52 and other bcd generators to zero . the next pulse will then be supplied to cause the bcd generator to generate a binary number one to close the first 56 of the many ( 64 ) switches in the digital switching unit 58 , thus connecting a first transducer element 38 to the system . generator 52 will then respond to a binary number two to open the first switch 56 and close the second such switch 56a to disconnect the first transducer element 38 and connect the second transducer element 38a to the system . the bcd generator 52 will continue to supply coded pulses to the digital switching unit 58 to successively close switches 56b , 56c , 56d , etc ., thereby successively connecting the corresponding transducer elements 36b , 36c , 36d , etc . to the system and disconnecting the previously connected transducer element . fig7 shows an additional part of the electronic circuit including a second bcd generator 60 which is also connected to wire 50 from which it receives the timing pulses from shore - based electronics unit 20 . also connected to wire 50 is a pulse width discriminator 62 which responds to receipt of the wide pulse to provide a reset signal to the reset terminal of bcd generator 60 , as described above . generator 60 operates with an internal binary code to provide binary pulse - coded numbers to the electronic switching unit 64 which is connected to a + 8 - volt power source . generator 60 thus operates to successively connect a series of output lines 66 , 66a , 66b , 66c , 66d , etc ., corresponding to each of the transducers with this voltage source . it will be understood that the individual switches in unit 64 are each closed by means of a signal from bcd generator 60 in the same manner as described above with respect to bcd generator 52 and switching unit 58 . in fig6 a transmitter 68 is shown connected to receive through a wire 70 the timing and reset pulse train on wire 50 . this transmitter responds to the occurrence of each timing pulse to provide on a wire 72 a transmit burst of 30 pulses of approximately 300 khz having a duration of 100 microseconds . because of the action of bcd generator 52 and switching unit 58 , only one of the transducers 38 , 38a , 38b , etc . will be energized with each transmit burst , but all will be energized in sequence to transmit the successive narrow beam patterns which result in the fan - shaped sweep pattern shown in fig1 . following each timing pulse , a timing circuit 74 imposes a delay of approximately one millisecond to permit any transducer &# 34 ; ringing &# 34 ; to decay to an acceptable level , after which a preamplifier 76 is enabled . this preamplifier is connected to receive any sonar return signals which appear on the transducers but will , of course , receive only returns from the transducer which was just previously energized since only its corresponding switching circuit 56 , 56a , 56b , etc . will be closed . also connected to preamplifier 76 is a time - variable gain ( tvg ) circuit 77 which varies the gain of preamplifier 76 with increased time to compensate for increased range of return echoes . signals amplified by preamplifier 76 are then supplied to a buffer 78 and then to an amplifier 80 ( fig7 ) where their level is increased before being supplied to a threshold detector 82 whose reference level is set such that only a signal having a level equal to or greater than the corresponding target strength of the species of fish desired to be counted will pass the detector 82 and actuate a 100 - microsecond monostable multivibrator 84 . each output pulse from the multivibrator 84 , which represents a count of one fish , will be a 100 - microsecond pulse of 8 - volt magnitude ; therefore , at this point all counts passing the threshold detector 82 become the same in terms of duration and signal strength , and all of these appear on a wire 86 which is connected to all of the electronic switches in a switching unit 88 . each of the individual electronic switches 90 , 90a , 90b , 90c , etc . is connected through a wire 92 , 92a , 92b , 92c , 92d , etc . to a corresponding and circuit 94 , 94a , 94b , 94c , 94d , etc . to which the lines 66 , 66a , 66b , 66c , 66d , etc . are also connected . the second input signal to the several and gates is supplied from a plurality of range gates 96 , 96a , 96b , 96c , 96d , etc . which are all connected to receive and be gated &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; by the timing pulses appearing on wire 50 . each range gate includes an individual variable timing adjustment which determines the length of time the gate remains &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, and therefore the length of time its corresponding and circuit will conduct a signal to switch on the corresponding electronic switch 90 , 90a , 90b , 90c , etc . since the monostable multivibrator 84 conducts all echo pulses of such magnitude as to indicate a return from a fish and these all appear on line 86 , the and gates , which through the action of the clock pulses have their output synchronized with the transmit pulses , operate to switch the electronic switches 90 , 90a , 90b , 90c , 90d , etc . in sequence such that each return pulse is connected through the proper electronic switch to its corresponding pulse counter which is one of a group of counters 98 , 98a , 98b , 98c , etc ., each corresponding to one transducer producing one narrow beam pattern . again , the numbers of wires , and gates , range gates , electronic switches and counters , etc . will correspond to the number of transducer elements ( 64 ) per transducer . in this manner it is possible to determine which beams are receiving the most counts , and this gives an indication of just where in the stream the fish may tend to concentrate . it may also aid in helping to determine how to locate a plurality of transducers so as to minimize lost counts from areas not covered by the sonar . on fig1 it will be observed that there is such an area between the two fan - shaped patterns shown and also that the patterns cut off just below the surface . this is done by setting the individual range gates for beams directed such that they would normally reach the surface to shorter periods so that reflections from the surface will arrive after the range gates have turned off the corresponding and gates . the above describes what may be viewed as the essentials of the fish counter per se since it is obvious that one could simply take readings from the individual counters 98 , 98a , 98b , 98c , etc . and add them up for a total count . it is preferable , however , to provide a convenient and flexible display means for displaying and printing the information contained in the counters . to effect this display , an additional sequencer is provided including bcd generator 100 which is connected to a series of electronic switches 102a , 102b , 102c , 102d , etc ., each of which is connected to an output line from one of the counters 98 , 98a , 98b , 98c , 98d , etc . the bcd generator 100 is not synchronized with the other such generators , but is set by the operator to route the counts on the counters to a printer 104 and a digital numerical display device 106 . either or both of printer 104 and digital numerical display device 106 may be operated as selected by the operator on a printer timer and display selector 108 . when the operator decides to display the accumulated counts in counters 98 , 98 a , 98b , 98c , etc ., he adjusts the controls on the display selector to select whether he wants a numerical display on device 106 or a printout on printer 104 . he may also select a time interval between printouts such as to ask the timer and printer to print out the counts every hour , for example . since sequencer 100 may be connected to a plurality of transducers , such as transducers 10 and 12 , the printer , timer and display selector can also be instructed to cause the printer 104 to successively identify and print out the counter tallies of each of said transducers , successively . in operation , the shore - based electronics unit sends a train of pulses , including the reset pulses , along a wire 50 from whence it is supplied to the sequencers 52 and 60 , the transmitter 68 , and the several range gates 96 , 96a , 96b , 96c , etc ., causing each of these units to operate in synchronism . identical electronic units controlling the operation of other transducers are preferably connected to receive the same timing pulses to initiate transmit signals from corresponding transducer elements since the scanning of a plurality of transducers should be coordinated to avoid having one transducer directly receive the transmitted pulse of another . with reference to fig1 when the transducer element on the far left of transducer 10 transmits the beam which radiates to the right closest to the bottom , the corresponding transducer element of transducer 12 should also be energized , causing a beam to radiate toward the right closest to the bottom . as each successive transducer element in transducer 10 is caused to radiate counterclockwise around the fan - shaped radiation pattern shown , the corresponding element in transducer 12 should also be energized . thus the sweep pattern as one looks at fig1 would be something like the pattern of parallel operating windshield wipers except that when the pattern has once been swept , it returns to the beginning instead of sweeping back clockwise . by synchronizing the timing pulses to the transducers as described , transmitted pulses from neighboring transducers are prevented from appearing as echo signals and being counted by each other . referring now to operation of the system described above and recognizing that identical systems for other transducers will be operated exactly in synchronism from the same pulse train , it will be assumed that a reset pulse has just been received which has set the bcd generators 52 and 60 to zero , and no transmission is taking place . no pulses are being received since all of the electronic switches in switching unit 58 are open . sequencer 100 may or may not be operating to display previously stored counts from the counter . upon receipt of the next timing pulse , the binary one signal from bcd generator 52 is initiated to close switch 56 , and the transmit signal from transmitter 68 is supplied through this switch to transducer element 38 . this timing pulse also initiates a one - millisecond delay by timing circuit 74 , after which the preamplifier 76 is enabled so that echo signals from fish in the sector of transducer 38 will be received and amplified , threshold detected in detector 82 , and used to trigger the 100 - microsecond monostable multivibrator 84 which places a standard return pulse on wire 86 . this same initial timing pulse is supplied to bcd generator 60 which causes it to close switch 64 to supply power to and gate 94 , and said pulse also initiates conduction from range gate 96 which , in conjunction with power from gate 94 , causes and gate 94 to conduct , closing switch 90 and making it possible for any counts passing switch 90 to register on counter 98 . the next timing pulse is supplied to energize the transmitter 68 and range gate 96 and to bcd generators 52 and 60 causing these generators to supply the binary number two signal to close switches 56a and 66a , thereby insonifying the next sector counterclockwise from the one closest to the bottom and opening the receiver to receive reflections from this sector . subsequent timing pulses initiate operation of successive transmit beams as described across the fan - shaped pattern . after receipt of 64 such timing pulses , the sweep is complete and the next pulse will be a wide reset pulse which resets the bcd generators 52 and 62 , causing the sweep pattern to begin anew . there are obviously many possible modifications for the system described above . the number of individual transponders or transponder elements in each transponder used may vary with the desired pattern which it is desired to sweep , the beam width pattern of each transducer element and / or its power handling capability , and the frequency of operation . the bcd generator 52 and switching unit 58 are preferably physically located with the transducer and the structure of fig6 in the stream and the remainder of the system with the shore - based unit . one shore - based unit may contain a plurality of the circuits such as shown on fig7 ( one for each transducer ) all operated with a single clock and with a single display means . it is also possible to position the transducers on the bottom of a boat or a plurality of boats such that the fan - shaped pattern or patterns or a modification thereof sweep downward into the water . | 6 |
the present invention is directed to a user friendly female condom that is low cost , easy to put on , comfortable to wear , convenient for the female user and her partner . referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting the same , fig1 ( a ) shows a sliding tampon female condom . the device comprises a balloon sac , a , filled with liquid or air . the balloon sac enwraps a tube , b , which could be made of somewhat flexible material such as silicon or plastic . the tube can be made into solid material or hollow shape . the advantage of the hollow shape is that it allows air to be pumped into or drawn out of the condom through the tube . fig1 ( a ) depicts a liquid balloon made from a liquid rectangle shape folded into a cylinder and sewed to stay as a cylinder by ligated silk , c . fig1 ( b ) illustrates the process of delivering the female condom into a woman &# 39 ; s vagina . first of all , the bottom portion of the balloon a needs to be put into the female condom through the outer ring d while the inside ring e of the female condom is squeezed into an elongated oval shape and tucked into the bottom center of the balloon sac . the inside ring pushes the tube b inside the balloon up toward the top portion of the balloon while the balloon slides down to encapsulate the inside ring . then , the female user can hold the top portion of the balloon including the tube ; slowly and smoothly insert the entire unit into her vagina . the balloon is longer than the woman &# 39 ; s vagina so that after the entire unit is inserted into the vagina , the outer ring and the top of the balloon where the finger is holding are still comfortably outside the vagina . in fig1 ( c ) , the user slowly and gently pushes the tube which could be accomplished alternatively or complimentarily by pumping air via the hollow tube into the condom . this will push the tucked inside ring e out of the balloon a and pop it into the bottom chamber of the vagina , securing the female condom into the vagina . then the balloon can be pulled out together with the tube , leaving the female condom behind . because the balloon is filled with air or liquid , it does not cause discomfort when inserting the entire unit into the vagina . the user uses the balloon aided with the tube to deliver the inside ring into the bottom chamber of the vagina , so she doesn &# 39 ; t have to push her finger ( s ) into her vagina . this is very similar to the usage of a tampon and thus is more acceptable to culturally conservative countries . fig2 is a prototype of the sliding tampon female condom . the balloon was made from a regular balloon filled with water . the tube is a plastic hollow tube . there are many low cost ways to make a liquid balloon sac . this prototype was made with regular banner balloons . flip the bottom of a long banner balloon inside out so that the bottom of the balloon sticks out of the balloon &# 39 ; s top from the inside and the balloon has double walls . fill water between the two walls . cut the bottom of the balloon that sticks out of the balloon top . then seal the two walls together with super - glue or other method in the top so they are water - tight . a 16 cm long plastic tube is inserted into the middle of the double walled balloon . the water in the balloon is fluidic and smooth ; therefore is comfortable and causes no pain . fig3 demonstrates how to use an air pump through the tube to aid the condom insertion process . in fig3 ( a ), balloon sac a is filled with air and enwraps a small plastic tube b , while a silk thread tie , c , at the top of the air balloon prevents air from leaking . in addition , a soft plastic tube connects the small plastic tube with a rubber air ball pump , e , controlled by a switch , f . when the switch f is turned on , e pumps air through soft tube d via plastic tube b into the bottom portion of the air balloon sac . as shown in fig3 ( b ), a female condom a is put onto the air balloon sac one unit of b . not shown in the figure is that the bottom inside ring of the condom is squeezed into oval shape and tucked into the bottom inside of the air balloon sac . then unit b is delivered into the woman &# 39 ; s vagina . after reaching the bottom of the vagina , the switch f is tuned on and the pump e will send high pressure air into the bottom of the air balloon sac , pushing the inside ring out of the balloon sac and depositing the inside ring at the bottom chamber of the vagina . in this embodiment , the balloon sac never touches the vagina and therefore can be used multiple times if the user chooses to do so , therefore decreasing the overall cost even further . fig4 ( a ) explains another embodiment of delivering a condom easily into the vagina . a long cylindrically shaped balloon sac enwraps a plastic tube which has a length equal to or slightly longer than that of the balloon . the balloon sac could be filled with liquid or air . alternatively the long cylinder could be the outer tube of a tampon applicator . a female condom is folded into a small elongated column shape and inserted from the bottom portion of a balloon sac into the center portion of the balloon sac or from back of a tampon applicator outer tube and pushed toward the front of the tube . the folded condom pushes a portion of the plastic tube out of the balloon . alternatively , the outer ring of the condom is folded / bend into an elongated column and pushed through the inner tube of the tampon applicator ( not shown in the figure ). the folded condom is folded and oriented such that its inside ring sits at the bottom portion of the balloon bottom . the whole unit can then be inserted into a user &# 39 ; s vagina by holding the balloon top portion . after reaching the bottom of the vagina , the tube is slowly and smoothly pushed toward the balloon bottom , pushing the inside ring out of the bottom of the balloon , which will pop into the bottom chamber of the vagina , the tube can then be slowly pulled out of the vagina , with the inside ring holding the entire condom in the vagina . since the condom is much longer than the vagina , the outer ring will be left outside the vagina . thus , the whole process is smoothly , comfortable , without inserting the finger into one &# 39 ; s vagina . this usage is very similar to tampon usage . after each use , the balloon needs to be thrown away and can &# 39 ; t be reused . fig4 ( b ) depicts the case when the balloon sac is replaced with the out tube of a tampon applicator where the plastic tube is replaced with the inner tube of the tampon applicator . some people are uncomfortable with the large and hard out ring of the female condom . in addition , its dangling outside the vagina makes the woman feel unattractive . therefore , we have designed a bikini - like condom or condom with strings to improve on this aspect . fig5 is a prototype of the female condom with strings . a female condom without the outer ring may have a much softer outside edge , which could be in ring shape , star fish shape , square , flower pedal shape , heart shape , etc . the prototype here is a female condom with a simple soft outside ring . to prevent the condom getting pushing into the vagina during intercourse and avoid the outside ring dangling unattractively outside the vagina , a few transparent thin and comfortable to the skin strings are attached to the outside ring . in the upper left is a string for right thigh , labeled as r . thin string , with a button at the end . of course , this button can be replaced with other ways to connect or secure the strings . in the upper right is a thin string for the left thigh , labeled as l . thin string , with a button at the end . at the bottom is a thin string loop . fig6 is another design regarding where to place the strings . this embodiment simply had a right thin loop , a left thin loop , and a hanging button . one simply needs to put left thin loop through the left thigh and right thin loop through the right thigh . the left thin loop can be secured by looping through the hanging button in the back . another embodiment is a bikini - like condom to make the condom comfortable to wear and pleasant to look at by everyone . the condom can be worn anytime constantly . when the female needs to urinate , she only needs to open a small covering , which could be artistically designed , without removing the bikini - like condom . fig7 illustrates a bikini - like female condom and how it works . fig7 ( a ) is the back view . as can be seen , dotted lines are the thin strings attached to the condom . in this case , there is a left thigh thin string and a right thigh thin string . in addition , there could be a waist line thin string to further secure the condom into place . fig7 ( b ) is the front view of the bikini - like condom . as shown by the dotted lines to represent the thin strings , there is a left thigh thin string , a right thigh thin string , and a waist thin string . fig7 ( c ) is a bottom view of the bikini - like condom worn by a user . in this case , the female condom has been put into the vagina while the thin left thigh and right thigh strings keep the outside soft edge of the female condom closely attached to the body so it is not flapping around unattractively . if the condom is made into skin color and conforms well to the body , with the thin string essentially invisible , it serves as an effective camouflage . in addition , in fig7 ( c ), the outside ring of the condom is shaped into a rectangle . however , this can be made into any other shapes , for either functional purposes or esthetical effects to please the eyes . for example , the outside edge can be a circle , an upside down heart , a star , a triangle , a flower , a pedal , a smiling face , etc . in one of the embodiments , the edge of the outside ring is made with elastic material so that it stretches smoothly into a relatively flat surface pulled by the strings . with such stretching material as the edge of the outside portion , a smiling face becomes a bigger smile , a circle might become an oval , a flower might become a disproportionate shape , etc ., which could be fun and please to the user and her partner . when the female user needs to go urinate , she can simply adjust the thin strings so that the soft outside ring is pulled forward toward the belly button more to expose the urethra to urinate without removing the bikini - like condom . fig8 is another embodiment of the invention where the female condom is made into a triangle shape such that the cross section is a triangle rather than the typical circle . this makes the condom conform better to the shape of the genital triangle and much easier to attach to the body . the picture show the prototype of the transparent condom made into such triangle shape . the skin colored “ hat ” shape is to illustrate the actual shape of the transparent material which is hard to visualize due to its transparency . there are one string loop on each side of the condom with a total three attached points to the condom . each string loop attaches to the side on one end and jointly attach to the mid - point of the bottom edge of the outside ring . the way , the two strings on the front will fall into the groin area , passing through the iliac crest , then fall on gluteal sulcus , which enables good results of concealment . while the present invention has been described above in terms of specific embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these disclosed embodiments . many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains , and which are intended to be and are covered by both this disclosure and the appended claims . it is indeed intended that the scope of the invention should be determined by proper interpretation and construction of the appended claims and their legal equivalents , as understood by those of skill in the art relying upon the disclosure in this specification and the attached drawings . | 0 |
in a self - timed memory , with the rising edge of the external clock signal , an internal clock signal is generated and latched until a successful operation . in the self - timed memory , the pulse width of the internal clock signal is typically determined by the memory e . g . according to the cut size . for example , the setting of the internal clock latch is done at the rising edge of an external clock signal while resetting is done by an internal reset signal . for example , the reset signal is typically generated after a predetermined time from the start of the internal clock pulse . this reset signal ensures a defined pulse width of an internal clock in order to have a correct operation . also , a soft error on the internal clock latch which may lead to an undesired operation can happen during an active operation or a non - active ( i . e . inactive ) operation . a soft error during an active operation can occur during timing constrained minimum clock high ( tckh ) time , thereby preventing the generation of the internal clock signal and causing a read / write failure . such an error can also occur after tckh time , in which case the internal clock signal is generated but the pulse width , which should normally be determined by the memory reset signal , is disrupted by the soft error , resulting in a spurious / wrong read / write operation . a soft error due to an sbu during a non - active operation can lead to a wrong internal clock signal generation and corrupt the memory . in accordance with a first aspect of an example embodiment , there is provided a circuit for detecting an sbu in a dynamic logic circuit , the circuit configured to generate a flag signal indicative of the sbu in a previous cycle of an external clock signal based on an internal signal indicative of self - timed memory of the dynamic logic circuit . the circuit may comprise a single latch , wherein inputs to the single latch may comprise the resetbar signal and an internal clock signal . the single latch may be configured to set the flag signal at the output of the single latch to logic ‘ 0 ’ by a rising edge of the external clock signal . the single latch may be configured , during an active operation mode , to set the flag signal at the output of the single latch to logic ‘ 1 ’, indicative of a correct previous cycle , only if both the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal are high in a valid sequence . the single latch may be configured , during a non - active operation mode , to set the flag signal at the output of the single latch to logic ‘ 0 ’, indicative of a correct previous cycle , only if both the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal are low . the circuit may comprise two latches , wherein inputs to a first latch may comprise a signal indicative of a rising edge of an internal clock signal and a nand - gate output based on the external clock signal and ck_nand ; and inputs to a second latch may comprise an and - gate output based on the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal , a nand - gate output based on the external clock signal and ck_nand , and an output from the first latch . the first and second latches may be configured to set the flag signal at the output of the second latch to logic ‘ 1 ’, indicative of a correct previous cycle , only if , during an active operation mode , the signal indicative of the rising edge of the internal clock signal is detected and the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal are high in a valid sequence . in accordance with a second aspect of an example embodiment , there is provided a method of detecting an sbu in a dynamic logic circuit , the method comprising using a circuit to generate a flag signal indicative of the sbu in a previous cycle of an external clock signal based on an internal signal indicative of self - time memory of the dynamic logic circuit . the circuit may comprise a single latch , the method may further comprise using the resetbar signal and an internal clock signal as inputs to the single latch . generating a flag signal indicative of the sbu in a previous cycle of the external clock signal may comprise setting the flag signal at the output of the single latch to logic ‘ 0 ’ by a rising edge of the external clock signal . the method may further comprise , during an active operation mode , setting the flag signal at the output of the single latch to logic ‘ 1 ’, indicative of a correct previous cycle , only if both the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal are high in a valid sequence . the method may further comprise , during a non - active operation mode , setting the flag signal at the output of the single latch to logic ‘ 0 ’, indicative of a correct previous cycle , only if both the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal are low . the circuit may comprise two latches , the method may further comprise using a signal indicative of a rising edge of an internal clock signal and a nand - gate output based on the external clock signal and ck_nand as inputs to a first latch ; and using an and - gate output based on the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal , a nand - gate output based on the external clock signal and ck_nand , and an output from the first latch as inputs to a second latch . the method may further comprise setting the flag signal at the output of the second latch to logic ‘ 1 ’, indicative of a correct previous cycle , only if , during an active operation mode , the signal indicative of the rising edge of the internal clock signal is detected and the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal are high in a valid sequence . in one example embodiment , a flag is generated if an undesired operation happens in the memory due to an sbu at the internal clock latch . fig3 shows a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a circuit 300 for detecting an sbu in a dynamic circuit according to an example embodiment . fig4 shows a table summarizing flag status in the circuit of fig3 according to an example embodiment . here , the resetbar signal ( a complementary / inverted version of the reset signal ) is captured by a delayed internal clock signal and transferred as a flag . as shown in fig3 , a resetbar signal and an intck_delayed signal ( a bufferised / delayed version of the internal clock signal intck and having the same polarity with intck ) are provided to a latch 302 , which comprises a plurality of inverters . an output signal from the latch 302 is delayed at delay 304 before generating a flag output flagout . in addition , input signal ckbardelayed ( a complementary / inverted version of the external clock signal ck and having a predetermined amount of delay ) and the external clock signal ck are provided to transistors 306 , 308 for generating the flag output flagout . as illustrated in fig4 , during an active operation mode , the correct flag output at the next ck rising edge is “ 1 ” only if both the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal are high . during a non - active operation mode , the correct flag output at the next ck rising edge is “ 0 ” only if both the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal are low . fig5 shows time - based waveforms of signals in the circuit of fig3 when the memory is in an active operation , e . g . the concrete syntax notation is set to 0 ( csn == 0 ). at each new cycle , e . g . at or around time t 1 , with the rising edge of the external clock signal ck , the flag output is reset to an erroneous state ( e . g . at logic “ 0 ”). if the current cycle is valid , e . g . based on csn information available at the system on a chip ( soc ), the latch 302 captures the resetbar signal , e . g . at time t 2 , and sets the flag output at logic “ 1 ”. at the falling edge of the internal clock signal internal_ck , the flag output remains at logic “ 1 ” and is available for checking at the next rising edge of the external clock signal ck , e . g . at time t 3 . if the flag output is at logic “ 1 ” at that time , the previous cycle is considered a correct cycle . on the other hand , if an sbu causes a wrong transition on the internal clock signal internal_ck during operation , e . g . the internal clock signal closes at time t 4 before the resetbar signal starts , the latch 302 captures logic “ 0 ”, which is the status of the resetbar signal at that time . thus , at the next rising edge of the external clock signal ck , e . g . at time t 5 , this erroneous state informs the user that the previous cycle has been a corrupted / bad cycle . fig6 shows time - based waveforms of signals in the circuit of fig3 when the memory is in a non - active operation , e . g . csn == 1 . during a non - active operation , the flag output remains at logic “ 0 ” and shows the user , e . g . at time tn 1 , that there has been no operation held in the previous cycle . however , if the internal clock is erroneously generated during a non - active cycle , e . g . at time tn 2 , the latch 302 captures logic “ 1 ” because of a non - intended transition on the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal . thus , the flag output is set to logic “ 1 ” which shows the user at the next rising edge of the external clock signal ck , e . g . at time tn 3 , that the previous cycle has been corrupted , since during a non - active operation there should not be any internal clock generation and the flag output should remain at logic “ 0 ” as shown in fig4 . fig7 a shows a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a circuit 700 for detecting an sbu in a dynamic circuit according to an alternate embodiment . in this embodiment , the circuit comprises a first latch 702 connected in series to a second latch 704 . as shown in fig7 , the first latch 702 comprises a plurality of inverters while the second latch 704 comprises a plurality of inverters and a nand logic gate . inputs to the first latch 702 include the external clock signal ck , the ck_nand signal ( a nand output of a delayed external clock signal ck and the csn value ) and the intck_rising signal which comprises short pulses tracking the rising edge of the internal clock signal . in one example embodiment , inputs ck and ck_nand are passed through a nand gate a before being provided to the first latch 702 . an output req_b from the first latch 702 is then provided to the second latch 704 . additionally , other inputs to the second latch 704 include the resetbar signal , the internal clock signal intck , the external clock signal ck and the ck_nand signal . in one example embodiment , the resetbar signal and the internal clock signal intck are passed through an and gate b before being provided to the second latch 704 . also , the external clock signal ck and the ck_nand signals are passed through a nand gate c before being provided to the second latch 704 . the use of signals ck / ck_nand in this embodiment allows coverage of instances where the internal clock does not start , e . g . during inactive cycles . fig7 b shows time - based waveforms illustrating an example flag output of the circuit of fig7 a . in one example embodiment , the flag output ck_co is set to logic “ 1 ” only if three conditions are met , i . e . an operation is expected ( csn ==“ 0 ” and ck == rising ), internal clock signal intck is properly triggered and closed by resetbar pulse . for example , at the beginning of each cycle , the flag output ck_co is reset to logic “ 0 ” after rising edge of the external clock signal ck , e . g . at 712 . at the same time , the first latch 702 captures the output of the nand logic gate a , which is “ 0 ” for an active operation and “ 1 ” for an inactive operation . this latched value is transferred to the flag output ck_co only if the resetbar signal is overlapping with the internal clock signal intck ( i . e . the internal clock is closed by the resetbar signal ). in case of a soft error occurring on the internal clock latch , the flag output ck_co stays at logic “ 0 ”, e . g . at 714 , and is set to “ 1 ” again only after a correct cycle , e . g . at 716 . in an active cycle , the effect of a soft error can be an internal clock pulse that is too short or even no internal clock pulse , and the latched value is not shifted / transferred to the output . in an inactive cycle , the effect can be an unexpected working operation but the latched value , which is shifted , confirms the flag ( failing ) state . the circuit according to this example embodiment can thus detect sbu even if there are two operations within the same cycle , one due to normal operation and another due to a soft error ( during tckl time ). with reference to fig8 a - 8 c , some example detections of sbu events are now described . fig8 a shows time - based waveforms of signals in the circuit of fig7 a illustrating detection of a first failure mode . in fig8 a , an sbu causes an internal clock pulse to be generated one more times between two external clock cycles while the memory is in an active operation mode . here , the first pulse of intck is valid and the second pulse is erroneous . however , such sbu is detected by the output of the gate a which is captured as the wrong status for the second intck pulse generated by sbu . the detection is exemplified by a drop in the flag signal ck_co from logic “ 1 ” to logic “ 0 ” in fig8 a ( the flag signal co_ck should remain at logic “ 1 ” if the sbu does not occur ). fig8 b shows time - based waveforms of signals in the circuit of fig7 a illustrating detection of a second failure mode . in fig8 b , an sbu causes an erroneous internal clock pulse to be generated when the memory is in a non - active state ( csn == 1 ). however , such sbu is detected by the latch circuit because in this case the pulse is generated when csn == 1 ( i . e . the condition csn == 0 is not satisfied ). the detection is exemplified by a drop in the flag signal ck_co from logic “ 1 ” to logic “ 0 ” in fig8 b ( the flag signal co_ck should remain at logic “ 1 ” if the sbu does not occur ). fig8 c shows time - based waveforms of signals in the circuit of fig7 a illustrating detection of a third failure mode . in fig8 c , an sbu causes the internal clock pulse to close early before the resetbar signal is generated . however , such sbu is detected by the latch circuit because in this case the resetbar signal does not overlap the internal clock signal . the detection is exemplified by the flag signal ck_co continuing at logic “ 0 ” in fig8 c ( the flag signal ck_co should change to logic “ 1 ” if the sbu does not occur ). fig9 shows a flow chart 900 illustrating a method of detecting a single bit upset in a dynamic logic circuit according to an example embodiment . at step 902 , a circuit is used to generate a flag signal indicative of the single bit upset in a previous cycle of an external clock signal based on an internal signal indicative of self - timed memory of the dynamic logic circuit . it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous variations and / or modifications may be made to the present invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described . for example , the designation of logic “ 0 ” or “ 1 ” for the flag output may be reversed , as compared to the example embodiments described . also , any delay can be adjusted depending on the operation requirements . the present embodiments are , therefore , to be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive . | 7 |
in the following detailed description , certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 usc 112 , but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims . referring to fig1 , the apparatus 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention includes a contour sensor arrangement supported by a support member , here shown as comprised of an elongated sensor bar 16 which mounts a series of height or thickness sensors 38 extending along the length of the sensor bar 16 . sensor bar support posts 20 , 22 are provided at each end of the manually movable sensor bar 16 , a handle 18 provided at one end to enable convenient manual movement by a user . the posts 20 , 22 locate the sensor bar 16 at a predetermined height above a support surface defined by a table 12 . a motion detector arrangement is provided to generate signals corresponding to the extent and direction of motion of the sensor bar 16 , during manual stroking of the sensor bar 16 over the surface of the table 12 and along an item 14 to be portioned resting on the table 12 . in this embodiment , the motion detector arrangement includes motion detectors 40 , 42 located at the bottom end of each support post 20 , 22 , respectively . as described in the cross referenced co - pending application , a contour sensing arrangement comprised of a linear series of height sensors 38 installed extending along the length of the sensor bar 16 which produce signals corresponding to the height of the upper surface of the item 14 above the support surface defined by the table 12 at points along the cross section of the item 14 aligned with the sensor bar 16 . alternatively , sensors 38 may sense the thickness of the item 14 at points along the section of the item lying below the sensor bar 16 , as described in the co - pending cross - referenced application . this contour sensor arrangement generates signals corresponding to the cross sectional contour of the item 14 at each section lying below and aligned with the sensor bar 16 at successive positions thereof along the item 14 . the height or thickness sensors 38 can be of various types , as described in detail in the cross - referenced co - pending application , such as optical or sonic sensors emitting and receiving light or sound waves respectively and receiving reflections thereof from the item 14 , or penetrating the item 14 and reflecting from the surface of the table 12 . the motion detector and sensor arrangement signals are transmitted to a signal processor 24 which may be a programmable microprocessor contained in a casing 26 as shown in fig2 , which computes the total volume of the selected segment of the item 14 from the motion detector and contour sensor arrangement signals . this calculated volume is converted into a corresponding numeric value , usually the weight or a price based on the weight of a selected segment of the item 14 . this numeric value is displayed substantially contemporaneously in an upright display 30 which may be mounted to the casing 26 as shown in fig1 and 2 . the motion detectors 40 , 42 each generate electronic signals corresponding to the direction and extent of horizontal motion of the bottom end of each support post 20 , 22 respectively as the sensor bar 16 is moved in either direction along the item 14 from a starting or reference position over any selected section of an item 14 to be portioned to reach a position over another selected section of said item 14 . as the sensor bar 16 is moved along the item 14 on the table surface 12 , the bottom end of each support post 20 , 22 is intended to be kept in constant contact with the surface of the table 12 . according to the present invention , the signals generated by each of the motion detectors 40 , 42 are processed to determine the displacement and direction of displacement of the bottom of each post 20 , 22 respectively . the motion detectors 40 , 42 are each preferably comprised of accelerometers included therein , and preferably of accelerometers of a type known as “ mems ” ( micro electro - mechanical systems ) accelerometers . mems accelerometers may be based on various designs and sensing methods some of which are described in an article titled “ design of padless mouse system with mems accelerometers and analog read - out circuitry ” ( by seungbae lee , gi - joon nam , junseok chae , and hanseup kim , department of eecs , university of michigan , usa ). this article discusses some mems accelerometer sensing technologies including piezoelectric , tunneling , and capacitive . other technologies include ( but are not limited to ) strain gauge sensing . this article is hereby incorporated by reference into this application in its entirety . mems accelerometer devices are well known and are also described in u . s . published application 2004 / 0211258 , and u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 392 , 650 ; 5 , 006 , 487 ; 4 , 945 , 765 ; 4 , 699 , 006 ; and 4 , 512 , 192 , also incorporated herein by reference . as described in the referenced article , the use of two such mems accelerometers mounted orthogonally to each other enables the determination of the positions in a plane of a member that is moved over a 2 - dimensional flat surface . also , as described , the use of three orthogonally arranged mems accelerometers enables the determination of the positions in space of a member that is moved about in that space . thus , in a three dimensional implementation , if a member that is moved over a flat surface is lifted off the flat surface or tilted , the three axis arrangement of mems accelerometers will enable detection of that occurrence . each of the motion detectors 40 , 42 associated with the respective sensor bar support posts 20 , 22 may consist of an orthogonal arrangement of two mems accelerometers that enables the sensing of the accelerations of the respective sensor bar support posts 20 , 22 about two orthogonal axes as the sensor bar 16 traverses the table 12 with the support posts 20 , 22 staying in constant contact with the surface of the table 12 . the corresponding generated signals are communicated to and processed by a signal processor 24 to derive signals corresponding to displacements of the end of each sensor bar support post 20 , 22 as the sensor bar 16 is moved along the item 14 . an orthogonally arranged cluster of three mems accelerometers may also be employed as motion detectors 40 , 42 that are associated with the respective sensor bar support posts 20 , 22 . the use of three clustered mems accelerometers enables the detection of three axes of acceleration of the lower free end of each of the respective sensor bar support posts 20 , 22 as the sensor bar 16 is moved along and above the item 14 . the detector signals are communicated to and processed by the signal processor 24 to determine the displacements of the end of each sensor bar support post 20 , 22 as the sensor bar 16 is moved along the item 14 on the table surface 12 . the resultant ability to detect vertical axis accelerations allows detection of lift off of one or both of the sensor bar support posts 20 , 22 from the surface of the table 12 such as when an operator inadvertently lifts one or both of the support posts off the table 12 when passing the sensor bar 16 over the item 14 . an audible alarm 28 ( fig2 ) in the display case 26 may be sounded when this occurs , thus alerting the operator of the need to start over in scanning the item 14 in order to ensure accurate results . the use of a single axis mems accelerometer aligned to sense vertical movement of the sensor bar 16 may also accomplish this same purpose . the sensor bar 16 and support posts 20 , 22 should be consistently held in a substantially vertical orientation . the determination of the support post motion in three axes may be utilized to detect tilting of the sensor bar 16 . for this determination , alternative higher locations of the motion detectors 40 a , 42 a ( as exemplified in fig1 a ) or 40 b , 42 b ( as exemplified in fig1 b ), are preferred , as an out - of - plumb sensor bar 16 position would usually cause a greater sensor bar vertical axis positional change at the top of the support posts 20 , 22 or the sensor bar 16 itself than at the bottom thereof . thus slight tilting will be more easily detectable . an out - of - plumb alarm or indicator 34 ( fig2 ) in the case 26 may be triggered responsive to an excessive tilted orientation of the sensor bar 16 as detected by the motion detectors , 40 a , 42 a , 40 b , 42 b . this arrangement also supplements or could eliminate the need for a separate spirit level 36 ( fig2 ) or other tilt indicator . the orientation of the sensor bar 16 may also be used to mathematically compensate when calculating the weight or price of a selected segment of the item 14 when the sensor bar 16 is tilted , instead of merely activating a tilt alarm 34 . thus , the preferred mems based accelerometers used in the motion detectors 40 a , 42 a or 40 b , 42 b are those that are comprised of a three axis cluster of mems accelerometers that enables the determination of the orientation of the sensor bar 16 as the sensor bar 16 is traversed over the table surface 12 , enables a determination if one or both of the sensor bar support posts 20 , 22 has lifted off of the table surface 12 , and enables the determination of the extent and direction of motion of each of the support posts 20 , 22 . the unlimited variety of locations for the mems accelerometer based motion detectors enables these detectors to be placed in the most secure / stable locations that are less subject to vibrational , physical , or other stresses , thus avoiding possible false readings or displacement detector damage . such stresses would often occur at the lower ends of sensor bar support posts 20 , 22 as this area is in constant contact with the surface of the table 12 as the sensor bar 16 traverses the surface of the table 12 . this versatility in motion detector placement enables a more flexible sensor bar design in order to meet the demands of various applications , manufacturing requirements , or aesthetic requirements . the use of multiple axis clustered accelerometer versions of mems motion detectors 40 , 42 enables detection of lift up of one or both of the support posts 20 , 22 off the table surface 12 by detecting vertical motion thereof . this offers clear advantages over the displacement detectors described in the above cross referenced parent utility application . although optical based displacement detectors described therein can detect a loss of reflected light from the surface of the table 12 due to the lifting of displacement support posts 20 , 22 off the surface of the table 12 , such loss of reflected light can also result from other conditions such as a dirty or dull finished surface of the table 12 . although electromagnetic based displacement detectors also described in the parent application may also detect when sensor bar support posts are lifted off of the surface of the table 12 by sensing the absence of magnetic fields , the use of those displacement detectors requires a specialized digitizer tablet type table surface instead of an off - the - shelf conventional cutting board as can be used with the mems accelerometer motion detectors 40 , 42 . similarly , although previously described firm - pointed stylus pressure sensitive based displacement detectors may detect when support posts 20 , 22 are lifted off the surface of the table 12 by sensing the lack of pressure from the pointed stylus , the use of such displacement detectors requires a specialized pressure sensitive tablet based table surface whereas an off - the - shelf conventional cutting board can be used with the mems accelerometer based motion detectors 40 , 42 . alternatively , separate mems accelerometer based motion detectors that each contain only a single axis mems accelerometer may be placed elsewhere on or in the sensor bar 16 , or carried on or in other components on the sensor bar 16 to determine if the sensor bar 16 has moved upwards ( indicating one or both of the sensor bar support posts 20 , 22 has moved upwards off of the table surface 12 ). mems accelerometer based motion detectors may be utilized in all sensor bar configurations such as those described in this application as well as the cross referenced parent application in place of displacement detectors based on other technologies such as optical , optical - mechanical , electromagnetic , pressure - sensitive tactile , etc . for example , the moiré fringe optical displacement detector described in the parent application may be replaced with one or both of the mems accelerometer based motion detectors 44 a or 44 b as illustrated in fig3 . that is , either one or both of motion detectors 44 a or 44 b may be mounted to respective sides of either upright 46 or 48 as shown in fig3 . alternatively , a single mems accelerometer based motion detector 44 a , 44 b may be mounted to only one of the uprights 46 , 48 or to the connected portion of the sensor bar 16 a to sense single axis motion only along the direction of constrained movement across the table 12 a since the sensor bar 16 a is itself constrained to move along a single axis over the table 12 a . both detectors 44 a , 44 b may be used for the sake of redundancy or to detect skewing caused by bearing wear , etc . the mems based accelerometers 44 a , 44 b are each comprised of a single axis mems accelerometer as only the determination of the extent and direction of linear motion is required . the mems accelerometer based motion detectors used to replace other displacement detectors in the cross referenced co - pending application may incorporate either a combination of two orthogonally oriented mems based accelerometers to sense movements along two orthogonal axes in the plane of the item support surface or a cluster of three orthogonally oriented mems based accelerometers to detect motion along three orthogonal axes in the plane of the item support surface and the space above the support surface . each of the mems accelerometer based motion detectors 40 , 42 , 40 a , 42 a , 40 b , 42 b , 44 a , 44 b are preferably encased in a sealed housing isolated from the environment whereby they are not subject to damage by debris , water , dirt , oils , cleaning products , or other contaminants . furthermore , this sealed environment isolates the mems accelerometer based displacement detector from physical damage ( e . g ., chipping , cracking , scratching , or frictional induced damage ) caused by contact with either the table surface 12 or other materials , surfaces , equipment , or utensils and thus can better withstand operator abuse or neglect such as a standard knife or other kitchen utensil may encounter . mems accelerometer based motion detectors 40 , 42 , 40 a , 42 a , 40 b , 42 b , 44 a , 44 b also do not have any macro moveable components that are subject to macro frictional wear . furthermore , due to the sealed housings and maintenance free aspect of the mems accelerometer based motion detector , the disassembly , removal , or special handling of the motion detectors is not required prior to or during cleaning of the sensor bar 16 . as mems accelerometer based motion detectors 40 , 42 , 44 a , 44 b do not interact with the surface of the table 12 , their operation is independent of the type of table employed as well as the condition of the table surface 12 . hence , acceptable tables may be constructed out of virtually any type of material such as wood , plastic , marble , etc . acceptable surfaces for the table 12 may also be smooth , rough , reflective , non - reflective , greasy , oily , wet , slippery , dusty , etc . the lower ends of the sensor bar support posts 20 , 22 easily maintain constant contact with virtually any table surfaces 12 as they are able to glide on smooth , rough , reflective , non - reflective , greasy , oily , wet , slippery , or dusty surfaces as the sensor bar 16 ( or other sensor arrangement support ) traverses the table surface 12 . these just described surface conditions are common in many situations where for example portioning of fish filets is carried out . as is fully described in the apparatus described in the cross referenced co - pending application , as the sensor bar 16 ( or other sensor arrangement support implementations ) traverses the table surface 12 , the displacement of the sensor bar 16 is continually determined from the signals generated by the motion detectors 40 , 42 employed . such determinations of displacements are required in order to carry out calculations to determine the volume of a segment and thus the weight or price of any selected segment of the item 14 defined between any two selected sections of the item lying below the sensor bar 16 in two positions thereof as described in the cross referenced co - pending u . s . patent application . as described in the cross referenced co - pending patent application , a linear displacement sensor based on a photoelectric reflection array may be used to measure the vertical displacement of plungers 50 shown in fig4 which are used as a sensor arrangement for determining the cross sectional contour of successive sections of the item 14 , or for marking , scoring , or cutting of the item 14 . a linear displacement sensor may also be used to determine when a plunger 50 rests on the top surface of the item 14 , or to determine when a plunger 50 has been fully withdrawn into its retracted position inside of the sensor bar 16 b . each such linear displacement sensor based on photoelectric reflection array technology may be replaced with a mems accelerometer based linear motion detector that utilizes a single axis mems accelerometer , to determine vertical displacements . each mems accelerometer based linear motion sensor detector 52 is shown mounted within the lower end of plunger 50 in fig4 and 6 . another acceptable location of a mems accelerometer based linear motion sensor 52 a ( fig5 ) is between the plunger stem 47 and main plunger body 54 . only one of the single axis motion sensors 52 , 52 a would normally be mounted to each plunger 50 . the use of the mems type accelerometers in detectors 52 , 52 a enables the sensing of the vertical z axis acceleration of the plunger 50 as the plunger 50 moves up and down ( and possibly stops ) through the cavity 58 formed by the solenoid coil windings 56 . as illustrated in fig5 and 6 , by utilizing mems accelerometer based linear motion detectors , 52 , 52 a , the optical components associated therewith described in the cross referenced co - pending application is eliminated , and the plungers 50 may completely occupy the cavity 58 formed by the solenoid coil windings 56 . mems accelerometer based linear motion detectors 52 , 52 a also do not require that the springs 60 have a matte finish . the signals corresponding to the acceleration of the plungers 50 generated by the associated mems accelerometer 52 , 52 a are transmitted to the signal processor 24 ( fig2 ) to compute the relative vertical or z axis displacement of each plunger 50 as the plunger 50 moves up and down ( or stops ) within the above described cavity 58 . the signal processor 24 contained in case 26 ( fig2 ) processes those signals to calculate the cross sectional contour of the section of the item 14 under the sensor bar 16 b , or to determine when a plunger 50 has settled ( without movement ) onto the top surface of the item 14 , or to determine when a plunger 50 has settled ( without movement ) into its fully retracted position inside of the sensor bar 16 b . as the mems accelerometer based linear motion detectors 52 , 52 a are each contained within or otherwise associated with the plunger 50 , the plunger 50 is a one - piece unit which is contained within the cavity 58 formed by solenoid windings 56 . this one - piece construction simplifies the construction of the overall plunger assembly . since the mems accelerometer detector 52 , 52 a of this one - piece unit acts independently of surrounding assemblies or mechanisms , the possibility of misalignment during installation and use is minimal . furthermore , as exemplified by the location of the detectors 52 or 52 a in fig5 and 6 , the mems accelerometer motion detectors 52 , 52 a may be placed in various locations . this provides for flexibility of design and manufacturing and also enables the mems accelerometer motion detectors 52 to be placed in areas less subject to physical and vibrational stresses as undergone at locations near the bottom end of plungers 50 . each of the mems accelerator based linear motion detectors 52 , 52 a are preferably encased in a sealed housing isolated from the environment whereby they are not subject to damage by debris , water , dirt , oils , cleaning products , or the other contaminants . when the position of a sensor bar 16 is used to visually indicate to an observer the sections of the item 14 which define an item segment of interest , it may be desirable to make it easier to see the bounds of the segment of the item as it corresponds to the numeric display . since the sensor bar 16 may have appreciable thickness and is spaced above the item 14 , the exact item section lying directly beneath the sensor arrangement associated with the sensor bar 16 may not be easily ascertained by an onlooker . similarly , the viewing angle of an observer such as a customer or operator may affect his or her ability to determine the exact location of that section . when plungers 50 are used , this is not a problem , but with non - contact sensors it may be desirable to provide a clearer indication to the observer of the exact item segment corresponding to the display . a more accurate discernment of the segment bounds may be enabled by projecting an elongated pattern , i . e ., a narrow band of visible light onto the item 14 extending across the section which contour is being determined from the signals generated by the sensors 38 . this is shown in fig7 where a selected start reference section of the item 14 is temporarily indicated by a curved wire marker element 63 positioned on the surface of the table 12 by the weight of attached blocks 61 , or by magnetic attraction of magnetized blocks 61 to a magnetic support surface 12 . the marker element 63 , is placed in alignment with a narrow light band projected from the sensor bar 16 onto item 14 at a start or reference position of the sensor bar 16 . the sensor bar 16 is then shifted to a second position where a narrow visible light band 62 is projected to impinge onto the item 14 extending across a section spaced from the start position . the light band is projected from the underside of a sensor bar 16 c , 16 d ( fig8 , 9 ). the weight or cost of a segment of the item 14 defined between the start section below wire marker element 63 and the offset section at the light band 62 in the second position of the sensor bar 16 c , 16 d will be numerically shown by display 30 . this provides a more readily seen visual indication of the bounds of the particular segment of the item 14 corresponding to the displayed weight or cost .” fig8 shows one arrangement for producing the projected narrow visible light band 62 . a series of lamps , visible light emitting diodes or other visible light emitters 64 is mounted along the underside of a sensor bar 16 c , suitably masked and focused to project downwardly from the sensor bar 16 c the narrow light band 62 aligned with the sensors 38 on the sensor bar 16 c so that the light band 62 lies on the same item 14 section which is housing its cross sectional contour determined from the sensor 38 signals . thus , the numeric value displayed at any time will correspond to the segment bounded on one side by the light band 62 . the light band 62 is readily visible on the surface of the item 14 to an observer even if he or she is standing some short distance away . this indication removes any problems with parallax effects and is precise enough to satisfy the interests of the on - looking person being served or the server . the sensor bar 16 c will also mount for example , acoustic , optical or other sensors ( not shown ) as described in the cross referenced patent application for determining the cross sectional contours of sections of the item 14 in order to enable calculation of volumes of selected segments of the item described therein . the narrow visible light band should be located to be aligned with the item section which is being scanned at that time by the contour sensors 38 in order to provide an accurate correspondence therebetween . an example of such an arrangement is shown in fig9 where visible light emitters 66 on the underside of a sensor bar 16 d are aligned with and placed between optical triangulation emitter - receiver 68 of a type described in the cross referenced co - pending application or other types of height or thickness sensors . it would also be possible to use visible light in the optical contour measuring sensors 68 themselves therein to project the readily seen narrow band of visible light onto the item 14 . | 0 |
in the first embodiment shown in fig1 a jet nozzle 3 has an outlet that is spaced laterally a short distance from the longitudinal edge 1 of a fiber or paper web 2 . the jet nozzle 3 is swivelably supported upon a swiveling axis 4 . this axis is held stationary relative to the machine support . a pressure cylinder 5 is connected to the nozzle 3 for controllably swiveling the jet nozzle . swiveling axis 4 extends parallel to the direction of movement of the fiber web 2 . the axis is also arranged outside the fiber web width and outside the fiber web plane . the web plane is the plane of the portion of the web that is then moving past the nozzle 3 . as shown in fig1 the swiveling axis 4 lies above the fiber web plane , but it could , of course , alternatively be arranged below this plane . the result of this placement of nozzle 3 and axis 4 is that the liquid or water jet 6 projected from nozzle 3 travels from the near longitudinal edge 1 of the web 2 across the fiber web 2 to the remote longitudinal edge 7 . the jet 6 cuts the fiber web across the fiber web plane when the nozzle 3 is swiveled from its illustrated solid line initial position around swiveling axis 4 in the direction of arrow 8 into its dash - dot - line final position , at which the jet nozzle is designated 3 &# 39 ;. a further result of the placement of the nozzle 3 and the axis 4 is that the water jet 6 from nozzle 3 strikes the fiber web near longitudinal edge 1 at a maximum angle to the fiber web plane , where the danger of a curling of the just cut fiber web edge is greatest . this striking angle decreases as the water jet 6 is moved across the fiber web 2 . as a result , with the single water jet , a very large fiber web width can be covered , without the cut - loose fiber web end being turned over or curled . it is important for the invention that the jet nozzle 3 eject a focused and practically unscattered liquid or water jet . the design details of the nozzle are not shown , however , because such jets are well known . for relatively greater fiber web widths , a jet nozzle 3 of the above described type is arranged at both sides of the fiber web 2 . in fig1 such an additional jet nozzle 30 faces the opposite fiber web longitudinal edge 7 . nozzle 30 is the same type as and is supported on a respective supporting axis in the same manner as nozzle 3 . nozzle 30 is , therefore , shown without any associated further details . jet nozzles 3 and 30 are arranged to face each other and are simutaneously mutually swivelable . the fiber web 2 moves continuously in the direction of arrow 9 in fig2 . because of the relative motion between the movement of the water jet 6 across the web and of the fiber web 2 along the length of the web , the line of separation and / or intersection 10 between cut sections of the web does not run perpendicular to the web moving direction 9 , but instead slants rearward or counter to the direction of web motion . on using two jets 3 and 30 , they are placed so that and move so that both lines of separation 10 according to fig2 meet approximately at the center of fiber web 2 . particular separations can be obtained by a timing adjustment of the jet swiveling speed to web speed . in fig2 the jet nozzles 3 and 30 are arranged so that the theoretical axes 11 and 12 of their outlet orifices run perpendicular to the fiber web moving direction 9 . by contrast , in the second embodiment of fig3 the jet nozzles 3 and 30 are arranged so that the theoretical axes 11 and 12 of their outlet orifices define an acute angle with and are generally aimed toward the fiber web moving direction 9 to converge into it . in fig2 and 3 , the supports for the swiveling nozzle give the nozzle outlets their recited directions . the orientation of the nozzle support in fig3 causes the jet nozzle swiveling plane to intersect the fiber web plane at an angle of less than 90 ° as the planes converge in the moving direction 9 of the web . this has the advantage that warping of fiber web edges 1 and / or 7 is avoided even better than with the perpendicular intersection of these planes according to fig1 and 2 . a slanted alignment of jet nozzle outlet orifice axes 11 and 12 can alternatively be arranged so that contrary to fig3 the jet nozzle swiveling axis 4 intersects with the fiber web moving direction 9 to produce a sharp angle , which converges counter to the moving direction 9 . in fig4 - 6 , elements identical with those in fig1 - 3 are identically numbered . the jet nozzle 3 is arranged in a paper machine near a press roller 13 . the theoretical axis 11 of the jet nozzle outlet orifice and also the jet nozzle swiveling plane substantially run parallel with a tangent 14 on the outer periphery of roller 13 at point 15 around the periphery , at which point the fiber web 2 runs off roller 13 . a roller like roller 13 frequently is a stone roller . the section between stone roller 13 and downstream deflection roller 16 represents the first free pull unsupported area 17 along fiber web 2 . up to this free pull area , the web was always supported by a filter , a felt layer or a roller . this first free pull area 17 includes the point at which the fiber web is usually beat loose and / or cut if breakdown occurs in the fiber web production run . if fiber web 2 is beat loose by the liquid or water jet 6 of nozzle 3 , then the paper following the cut section falls into a container 18 . fiber web 2 runs through the paper machine along the path indicated by arrows 19 in fig4 and 5 . in this case , the web is passed from a machine wire web 20 , to which the fiber suspension is applied via a material headbox ( not shown ), to a supporting felt layer 21 . the web is pressed twice against stone roller 13 , once through pressing slit 22 defined between roller 13 and a pressing roller while the web 2 is in engagement with felt layer 21 , and once again through pressing slit 23 defined between roller 13 and another pressing roller . the web is passed through the latter slit 23 along with a supporting felt layer 26 . the fiber web now passes unsupported through free pull section 17 and around deflecting roller 16 . then , together with felt layer 24 , the web is passed through a further pressing slit 25 defined between to further rollers . with the third embodiment according to the invention shown in fig7 the swiveling axis 4 and also the jet nozzle 3 are not arranged adjacent to the fiber web 2 , but they are preferably above ( or perhaps below ) it , and jet nozzle 3 is swivelable along the pathway indicated by arrow 27 . in all embodiments , water or other liquid is fed to jet nozzles 3 and 30 by respective lines 28 . in jet nozzles 3 and 30 and / or in their feed - in lines 28 , there is a shut - off valve ( not shown ). to supply liquid or water , the valve is automatically opened and jet nozzles 3 and / or 30 are swiveled by a well known ( not shown ) web tear - off control device each time the fiber web inside the paper machine is to be torn off . although the present invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof , many variations and modifications will now become apparent to those skilled in the art . it is preferred , therefore , that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein , but only by the appended claims . | 8 |
first , the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) and ( i ′) of the present invention are described . the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) of the present invention are cobalt oxide particles containing magnesium , and have a composition represented by the formula : when the magnesium content x of the cobalt oxide particles is less than 0 . 001 , the cathode active material obtained by using such cobalt oxide particles may fail to show a sufficient heat stability . when the magnesium content x of the cobalt oxide particles is more than 0 . 15 , it may be difficult to industrially produce single - phase lithium cobaltate therefrom . the cobalt oxide particles ( i ′) of the present invention are cobalt oxide particles containing magnesium and aluminum , and have a composition represented by the formula : when the magnesium content x of the cobalt oxide particles is less than 0 . 001 , the cathode active material obtained by using such cobalt oxide particles may fail to show a sufficient heat stability . when the magnesium content x of the cobalt oxide particles is more than 0 . 15 , it may be difficult to industrially produce single - phase lithium cobaltate therefrom . when the aluminum content y of the cobalt oxide particles is less than 0 . 001 , the cathode active material obtained by using such cobalt oxide particles may fail to show a sufficient good cycle performance . when the aluminum content y of the cobalt oxide particles is more than 0 . 05 , it may be difficult to industrially produce single - phase lithium cobaltate therefrom . the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) and ( i ′) of the present invention have an average particle diameter of usually not more than 0 . 2 μm , preferably 0 . 01 to 0 . 15 μm , more preferably 0 . 05 to 0 . 12 μm . cobalt oxide particles having an average particle diameter of more than 0 . 2 μm may be difficult to industrially produce . the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) and ( i ′) of the present invention have a bet specific surface area value of usually 0 . 5 to 50 m 2 / g , preferably 1 . 0 to 40 m 2 / g , more preferably 5 . 0 to 25 m 2 / g . cobalt oxide particles having a bet specific surface area value of less than 0 . 5 m 2 / g may be difficult to industrially produce . when the bet specific surface area value is more than 50 m 2 / g , the obtained cobalt oxide particles may fail to show excellent particle characteristics when subjected to various processes such as mixing and heat - treatment . then , the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) of the present invention are described . the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) of the present invention are cobalt oxide particles each surface - coated with magnesium hydroxide , and having a composition represented by the formula : when the amount x of magnesium of the cobalt oxide particles is less than 0 . 001 , the cathode active material obtained by using such cobalt oxide particles may fail to show a sufficient heat stability . when the amount x of magnesium of the cobalt oxide particles is more than 0 . 15 , it may be difficult to industrially produce single - phase lithium cobaltate therefrom . the cobalt oxide particles ( it ) of the present invention have an average particle diameter of usually not more than 0 . 2 μm , preferably 0 . 01 to 0 . 15 μm , more preferably 0 . 05 to 0 . 12 μm . cobalt oxide particles having an average particle diameter of more than 0 . 2 μm may be difficult to industrially produce . the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) of the present invention have a bet specific surface area value of usually 0 . 5 to 50 m 2 / g , preferably 1 . 0 to 40 m 2 / g , more preferably 5 . 0 to 25 m 2 / g . cobalt oxide particles having a bet specific surface area value of less than 0 . 5 m 2 / g may be difficult to industrially produce . when the bet specific surface area value is more than 50 m 2 / g , the obtained cobalt oxide particles may fail to show excellent particle characteristics when subjected to various processes such as mixing and heat - treatment . next , the process for producing the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) is described below . the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) can be produced by adding a magnesium salt to a solution containing a cobalt salt ; subjecting the resultant solution to neutralization reaction by adding an aqueous alkali solution thereto ; then subjecting the thus neutralized solution to oxidation reaction ; and , if required , heat - treating then obtained material . examples of the magnesium salt may include magnesium sulfate , magnesium nitrate , magnesium phosphate , magnesium hydrogenphosphate , magnesium carbonate or the like . examples of the cobalt salt may include cobalt sulfate , cobalt nitrate , cobalt acetate , cobalt carbonate or the like . examples of the aqueous alkali solution may include aqueous solutions containing sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , sodium carbonate , ammonia or the like . among these aqueous solutions , an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution , an aqueous sodium carbonate solution and a mixed solution thereof are preferred . the amount of magnesium added is usually 0 . 1 to 20 mol %, preferably 1 to 18 mol % based on cobalt . the amount of the aqueous alkali solution used in the neutralization reaction is preferably 1 . 0 to 1 . 2 equivalents based on one equivalent of a neutralized part of whole metal salts contained in the cobalt oxide particles ( i ). the oxidation reaction may be conducted by passing an oxygen - containing gas through the reaction system . the reaction temperature is preferably not less than 30 ° c ., more preferably 30 to 95 ° c ., and the reaction time is preferably 5 to 20 hours . the process for producing the cobalt oxide particles ( i ′) is described below . the cobalt oxide particles ( i ′) can be produced by adding an aluminum salt to a suspension containing the cobalt oxide particles ( i ); adjusting a ph value of the resultant solution by adding an aqueous alkali solution thereto , thereby coating the surface of the cobalt oxide particle with aluminum hydroxide ; and , if required , heat - treating then obtained material . examples of the aluminum salt may include aluminum sulfate , aluminum nitrate , sodium aluminum or the like . the amount of aluminum added is usually 0 . 1 to 5 mol %, preferably 0 . 1 to 3 mol % based on cobalt . next , the process for producing the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) according to the present invention is described below . the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) of the present invention can be produced by subjecting a solution containing a cobalt salt to neutralization reaction by adding an aqueous alkali solution thereto ; subjecting the neutralized product to oxidation reaction to obtain cobalt oxide particles ; adding a magnesium salt to the reaction solution containing the cobalt oxide particles ; adjusting a ph value of the resultant solution by adding an aqueous alkali solution thereto , thereby coating the surface of the cobalt oxide particle with magnesium hydroxide ; and , if required , heat - treating then obtained material . as the cobalt salt and magnesium salt , there may be used the same as described above . as the aqueous alkali solution , there may be used the same aqueous alkali solutions as described above . the amount of magnesium added is usually 0 . 1 to 20 mol %, preferably 1 to 18 mol % based on cobalt . the amount of the aqueous alkali solution used in the neutralization reaction for obtaining the cobalt oxide particles is preferably 1 . 0 to 1 . 2 equivalents based on one equivalent of a neutralized part of the cobalt salt . the oxidation reaction may be conducted by passing an oxygen - containing gas through the reaction system . the reaction temperature is preferably not less than 30 ° c ., more preferably 30 to 95 ° c ., and the reaction time is preferably 5 to 20 hours . the amount of the aqueous alkali solution used for the surface treatment with magnesium hydroxide is preferably 1 . 0 to 1 . 2 equivalents based on one equivalent of a neutralized part of the magnesium salt . the ph value of the reaction solution upon the surface treatment is preferably 11 to 13 . next , the cathode active material for a non - aqueous electrolyte secondary cell ( hereinafter referred to merely as “ cathode active material ”) according to the present invention is described . in the case where the composition of the cathode active material ( iii ) according to the present invention is represented by the following formula : the magnesium content x is usually 0 . 001 to 0 . 15 , preferably 0 . 01 to 0 . 10 . when the magnesium content x of the cathode active material is less than 0 . 001 , the effect of improving the heat stability of the cathode active material may become insufficient . when the magnesium content x is more than 0 . 15 , the initial discharge capacity of the cathode active material tends to be considerably deteriorated . in the case where the composition of the cathode active material ( iii ′) according to the present invention is represented by the following formula : the magnesium content x is usually 0 . 001 to 0 . 15 , preferably 0 . 01 to 0 . 10 and aluminum content y is usually 0 . 001 to 0 . 05 , preferably 0 . 001 to 0 . 03 . when the magnesium content x of the cathode active material is less than 0 . 001 , the effect of improving the heat stability of the cathode active material may become insufficient . when the magnesium content x is more than 0 . 15 , the initial discharge capacity of the cathode active material tends to be considerably deteriorated . when the aluminum content y of the cobalt oxide particles of the present invention is less than 0 . 001 , the cathode active material obtained by using such cobalt oxide particles may fail to show a sufficient good cycle performance . when the aluminum content y of the cobalt oxide particles is more than 0 . 05 , it may be difficult to industrially produce single - phase lithium cobaltate therefrom . the cathode active material ( iii ) and ( iii ′) of the present invention has an average particle diameter of usually 1 . 0 to 20 μm , preferably 2 . 0 to 10 μm . when the average particle diameter of the cathode active material is less than 1 . 0 μm , the obtained cathode active material suffers from disadvantages such as low packing density and increased reactivity with an electrolyte solution . the cathode active material having an average particle diameter of more than 20 μm may be difficult to industrially produce . as to the lattice constant of the cathode active material ( iii ) and ( iii ′) of the present invention , the a - axis length thereof is usually from 0 . 090x + 2 . 816 å to 0 . 096x + 2 . 821 å , and the c - axis length thereof is usually 0 . 460x + 14 . 053 å to 0 . 476x + 14 . 063 å , wherein x has the same meaning as defined above . when the a - axis and c - axis lengths are less than the above - specified ranges , the lattice constant of the obtained lithium cobaltate particles may become small , thereby failing to attain a sufficient heat stability . when the a - axis and c - axis lengths are more than the above - specified ranges , a large amount of magnesium may be substituted for the cathode active material , resulting in deterioration in initial discharge capacity thereof . the cathode active material ( iii ) and ( iii ′) of the present invention has a bet specific surface area value of preferably 0 . 1 to 1 . 6 m 2 / g , more preferably 0 . 3 to 1 . 0 m 2 / g . the cathode active material having a bet specific surface area of less than 0 . 1 m 2 / g may be difficult to industrially produce . when the bet specific surface area thereof is more than 1 . 6 m 2 / g , the obtained cathode active material may tend to suffer from disadvantages such as low packing density and increased reactivity with an electrolyte solution . the cathode active material ( iii ) and ( iii ′) of the present invention has a volume resistivity value of preferably 1 . 0 × 10 to 1 . 0 × 10 6 ω · cm , more preferably 1 . 0 × 10 to 1 . 0 × 10 5 ω · cm . the cathode active material ( iii ) and ( iii ′) of the present invention has an electron conductivity log ( ωcm ) of preferably − 0 . 5 to − 5 . 0 , more preferably − 0 . 5 to − 4 . 9 . the cathode active material ( iii ) and ( iii ′) of the present invention preferably has a crystallite size of 400 to 1 , 200 å . next , the process for producing the cathode active material according to the present invention will be described below . the cathode active material ( iii ) of the present invention can be produced by mixing the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) or the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) with a lithium compound , and heat - treating the resultant mixture . the mixing of the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) or the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) with the lithium compound may be performed by either a dry method or a wet method as long as these materials can be uniformly mixed with each other . the mixing molar ratio of lithium to a sum of cobalt and magnesium contained in the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) or the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) is preferably 0 . 95 to 1 . 05 . the cathode active material ( iii ′) of the present invention can be produced by mixing the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) or the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) with both of a lithium compound and an aluminum compound such as aluminum hydroxide , aluminum oxide or the like , and heat - treating the resultant mixture . the mixing of the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) or the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) with both of the lithium compound and the aluminum salt may be performed by either a dry method or a wet method as long as these materials can be uniformly mixed with each other . the mixing molar ratio of lithium to a sum of cobalt and magnesium contained in the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) or the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) is preferably 0 . 95 to 1 . 05 . the mixing molar ratio of aluminum to a sum of cobalt and magnesium contained in the cobalt oxide particles ( i ) or the cobalt oxide particles ( ii ) is preferably 0 . 001 to 0 . 05 . the cathode active material ( iii ′) of the present invention can be produced by mixing the cobalt oxide particles ( i ′) with a lithium compound , and heat - treating the resultant mixture . the mixing of the cobalt oxide particles ( i ′) with the lithium compound may be performed by either a dry method or a wet method as long as these materials can be uniformly mixed with each other . the mixing molar ratio of lithium to a sum of cobalt , magnesium and aluminum contained in the cobalt oxide particles ( i ′) is preferably 0 . 95 to 1 . 05 . the heat - treating temperature is preferably 600 to 950 ° c . at which licoo 2 having a high - temperature regular phase can be produced . when the heat - treating temperature is less than 600 ° c ., licoo 2 made of a low - temperature phase having a pseudo - spinel structure is disadvantageously produced . when the heat - treating temperature is more than 950 ° c ., licoo 2 made of a high - temperature irregular phase in which lithium and cobalt are dispersed at random positions , is disadvantageously produced . the heat - treating atmosphere is preferably an oxidative gas atmosphere , and the reaction time is preferably 5 to 20 hours . next , the cathode for a non - aqueous electrolyte secondary cell using the cathode active material ( iii ) or ( iii ′) of the present invention is described . in the case where a cathode is produced using the cathode active material of the present invention , the cathode active material is mixed with a conductive agent and a binder by an ordinary method . as the preferred conductive agent , there may be used acetylene black , carbon black , graphite or the like . as the preferred binder , there may be used polytetrafluoroethylene , polyvinylidene fluoride or the like . a secondary cell ( lithium battery ) according to the present invention comprises a pair of electrodes disposed by means of a separator in the presence of a lithium ion conductive electrolyte . a cathode and an anode are disposed in a container so as to be opposed to each other with a separator composed of a porous thermoplastic resin film . a lithium ion conductive electrolyte is present in the container . in the secondary cell of the present invention , it is only necessary that the above - described specific cathode active material is used for at least one electrode , preferably a cathode active material , and the other active materials may be the known substances which are conventionally used for a lithium battery . the secondary cell produced by using the cathode active material of the present invention , is constituted by the above cathode as well as an anode and an electrolyte . as an active material for the anode , there may be used metallic lithium , lithium / aluminum alloy , lithium / tin alloy , graphite or the like . in addition , as a solvent for the electrolyte solution , there may be used a mixed solvent of ethylene carbonate and diethyl carbonate , an organic solvent containing at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of carbonates such as propylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate and ethers such as dimethoxyethane , and the like . further , as the electrolyte , there may be used a solution prepared by dissolving the above lithium phosphate hexafluoride or at least one lithium salt selected from the group consisting of lithium perchlorate , lithium borate tetrafluoride and the like , in the above solvent . the secondary cell produced using the cathode active material ( iii ) of the present invention exhibits an initial discharge capacity of preferably about 130 to about 165 mah / g , and a heat stability of preferably not less than 200 ° c ., more preferably 205 to 250 ° c . when measured by the below - mentioned evaluation method . the secondary cell produced using the cathode active material ( iii ′) of the present invention exhibits an initial discharge capacity of preferably about 130 to about 165 mah / g , a heat stability of preferably not less than 215 ° c ., more preferably 225 to 250 ° c . when measured by the below - mentioned evaluation method , and a capacity retention percentage after 50 cycles at 60 ° c . as high as not less than 95 %, preferably 95 to 99 %. the point of the present invention is that the cathode active material produced using the cobalt oxide particles ( i ), ( i ′) or ( ii ) as a precursor thereof can show a high initial discharge capacity required for secondary cells , and is excellent in heat stability . the reason why the cathode active material of the present invention can show a high initial discharge capacity , is considered as follow . that is , the cathode active material contains magnesium in such an amount as not to deteriorate the inherent initial discharge capacity of licoo 2 . further , the reason why the cathode active material of the present invention can exhibit a large lattice constant , is considered by the present inventors as follows . that is , since magnesium is incorporated into the cobalt oxide particles ( i ), ( i ′) or ( ii ) at a stage of synthesis thereof , or the magnesium hydroxide is adhered onto the surface of the cobalt oxide particles , magnesium and cobalt are uniformly distributed in the cathode active material at atomic level . therefore , it is suggested by the present inventors that the cobalt sites of the cathode active material obtained by using the cobalt oxide particles ( i ), ( i ′) or ( ii ) can be uniformly replaced with magnesium . on the other hand , when the lithium compound , the cobalt compound and magnesium are dry - mixed with each other and then calcined by conventional methods , magnesium cannot be uniformly distributed in the cathode active material , thereby failing to obtain the effect of the present invention . also , the reason why the cathode active material of the present invention can exhibit an excellent heat stability , is considered as follows , though not clearly determined yet . that is , it is suggested that the crystal structure of the cathode active material can be stabilized by incorporating magnesium thereinto . further , the cathode active material of the present invention can exhibit a lower volume resistivity value and a higher electron conductivity as compared to conventional cathode active materials prepared by a dry method which have the same amount of magnesium . the reason therefor is not clearly determined yet , but is suggested to be that excess electrons are generated by replacing co 3 + with mg 2 + so that the electron conductivity becomes high and the volume resistivity value becomes low . by using the cobalt oxide particles and the cathode active material according to the present invention , it becomes possible to obtain a non - aqueous electrolyte secondary cell capable of retaining a good initial discharge capacity required for secondary cells , and exhibiting an improved heat stability . the present invention is described in more detail by examples and comparative examples , but the examples are only illustrative and , therefore , not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . ( 1 ) the cathode active material was identified using a powder x - ray diffraction analyzer ( manufactured by rigaku denki kogyo co ., ltd . ; cu - kα ; 40 kv , 40 ma ). also , the lattice constant of the cathode active material was calculated from respective diffraction peaks of the powder x - ray diffraction curve . ( 2 ) the crystallite size of the cathode active material was calculated from the respective diffraction peaks of the powder x - ray diffraction curve obtained above . ( 3 ) the volume resistivity of the cathode active material was measured using a wheatstone bridge - type 2768 insulation resistance meter ( manufactured by yokogawa denki co ., ltd .). ( 4 ) the elemental analysis was conducted using an inductively coupled high - frequency plasma atomic emission spectroscope “ sps - 4000 model ” ( manufactured by seiko denshi kogyo co ., ltd .). ( 5 ) the cell characteristics of the cathode active material were evaluated by testing a coin - shaped cell constituted from a cathode , an anode and an electrolyte solution prepared by the following methods . the cathode active material , acetylene black as a conductive agent , and polyvinylidene fluoride as a binder were accurately weighed at a weight ratio of 85 : 10 : 5 , and intimately mixed with each other in a mortar . the resultant mixture was dispersed in n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone to prepare a cathode slurry . then , the thus obtained slurry was applied onto an aluminum foil as a current collector to form a coating film having a thickness of 150 μm , vacuum - dried at 150 ° c ., and then punched into a disc shape having a diameter of 16 mm , thereby producing a cathode plate . a metallic lithium foil was punched into a disc shape having a diameter of 16 mm , thereby producing an anode . lithium phosphate hexafluoride ( lipf 6 ) as an electrolyte was added in an amount of 1 mol / liter to a mixed solution containing ethylene carbonate and diethyl carbonate at a volume ratio of 50 : 50 , thereby preparing an electrolyte solution . in a globe box maintained under an argon atmosphere , the above cathode and anode were fitted via a polypropylene separator in a casing made of sus316 stainless steel . further , the electrolyte solution was filled in the casing , thereby producing a cr2032 - type coin - shaped cell . the above - produced coin - shaped cell was subjected to a charge / discharge cycle test for secondary cells . the charge and discharge cycles were repeated at a cathode current density of 0 . 2 ma / cm 2 while varying the cut - off voltage from 3 . 0 to 4 . 3 v to examine the change in discharge capacity . the above - produced coin - shaped cell was charged until the cell voltage reached 4 . 3 v . then , the cathode active material was taken out from the cell , and filled in a container for thermal analysis , and then the container was sealed . the cathode active material filled in the container was subjected to dsc measurement using a differential scanning calorimeter “ dsc6200 ” ( manufactured by seiko instruments , co ., ltd ) at a temperature rise rate of 10 ° c ./ min . from the measurement results , the heat stability was expressed by the temperature at which heat generation was initiated . meanwhile , the above evaluation procedure was conducted at a temperature of 30 to 400 ° c ., and all works up to filling in the container were performed in the globe box having a dew point of − 60 ° c . or lower . magnesium sulfate ( 5 . 3 mol % based on cobalt ) was added to a solution containing cobalt in an amount of 0 . 5 mol / liter . in addition , an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added in an amount of 1 . 05 equivalents based on one equivalent of a neutralized part of a sum of cobalt and magnesium , to the resultant solution , thereby subjecting the solution to a neutralization reaction . then , the obtained solution was subjected to oxidation reaction at 90 ° c . for 20 hours while passing air therethrough , thereby obtaining magnesium - containing cobalt oxide particles . it was conformed that the thus obtained magnesium - containing cobalt oxide particles were composed of a co 3 o 4 single phase , and had a mg content of 5 . 0 mol % ( x in ( co ( 1 - x ) mg x ) 3 o 4 is 0 . 05 ), an average particle diameter of 0 . 1 μm and a bet specific surface area value of 13 . 2 m 2 / g . the magnesium - containing cobalt oxide particles obtained in example 1 were intimately mixed with a lithium compound such that the molar ratio of li to a sum of cobalt and magnesium was 1 . 03 . the resultant mixed particles were calcined at 90 ° c . for 10 hours under an oxidative atmosphere , thereby obtaining magnesium - containing lithium cobaltate particles . as a result of the x - ray diffraction analysis of the thus obtained magnesium - containing lithium cobaltate particles , it was confirmed that the magnesium - containing lithium cobaltate particles were composed of a lithium cobaltate single phase without impurity phase , and had an average particle size of 5 . 0 μm , a bet specific surface area value of 0 . 5 m 2 / g , an a - axis length of lattice constant of 2 . 821 å , a c - axis length of lattice constant of 14 . 082 å , a crystallite size of 642 å , a volume resistivity value of − 2 . 1 × 10 ωcm and an electron conductivity log ( 1 / ωcm ) of − 1 . 2 . in addition , when the composition of the magnesium - containing lithium cobaltate particles was represented by the formula : lico 1 - x mg x o 2 , it was confirmed that the magnesium content x was 0 . 045 . the thus obtained magnesium - containing lithium cobaltate particles were used as a cathode active material to prepare a coin - shaped cell . as a result , it was confirmed that the thus prepared coin - shaped cell exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 147 mah / g and a heat stability of 239 ° c . the same procedure as defined in example 1 was conducted except that the magnesium content was changed variously , thereby obtaining cobalt oxide particles . essential production conditions and various properties of the obtained cobalt oxide particles are shown in table 1 . the same procedure as defined in example 2 was conducted except that kind of cobalt oxide particles , mixing ratio of lithium and calcination temperature were changed variously , thereby obtaining cathode active materials and producing coin - shaped cells using the respective cathode active materials . essential production conditions are shown in table 2 , and various properties of the obtained cathode active materials and cell characteristics of the obtained coin - shaped cells are shown in table 3 . in comparative example 1 , cobalt oxide particles containing no magnesium were produced . in comparative example 3 , lithium cobaltate particles containing no magnesium were produced . in comparative examples 4 to 6 , the cobalt oxide particles obtained in comparative example 2 were dry - mixed with the magnesium raw material and the lithium raw material , and the resultant mixtures were calcined at the respective temperature , thereby obtaining lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium . essential production conditions are shown in table 2 , and various properties of the obtained cathode active materials and cell characteristics of the obtained coin - shaped cells are shown in table 3 . an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added in an amount of 1 . 05 equivalents based on one equivalent of a neutralized part of cobalt , to a solution containing cobalt in an amount of 0 . 5 mol / liter , thereby subjecting the resultant solution to a neutralization reaction . then , the obtained solution was subjected to oxidation reaction at 90 ° c . for 20 hours while passing air therethrough , thereby obtaining cobalt oxide particles . then , magnesium sulfate ( 1 . 0 mol % based on cobalt ) was added to the resultant reaction solution containing the cobalt oxide particles , and further an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added in an amount required for neutralization of the magnesium salt , thereby treating the surface of the cobalt oxide particles with magnesium hydroxide . the ph value of the obtained reaction solution was 11 . it was conformed that the thus obtained cobalt oxide particles surface - treated with magnesium hydroxide were composed of a co 3 o 4 single phase , and had a mg content of 1 . 0 mol % ( x in ( 1 − x ) co 3 o 4 . 3xmg ( oh ) 2 is 0 . 01 ), an average particle diameter of 0 . 1 μm and a bet specific surface area value of 13 . 5 m 2 / g . the cobalt oxide particles surface - treated with magnesium hydroxide which were obtained in example 17 , were intimately mixed with a lithium compound such that the molar ratio of li to a sum of cobalt and magnesium was 1 . 03 . the resultant mixed particles were calcined at 900 ° c . for 10 hours under an oxidative atmosphere , thereby obtaining magnesium - containing lithium cobaltate particles . as a result of the x - ray diffraction analysis of the thus obtained magnesium - containing lithium cobaltate particles , it was confirmed that the magnesium - containing lithium cobaltate particles were composed of a lithium cobaltate single phase without impurity phase , and had an average particle diameter of 4 . 7 μm , a bet specific surface area value of 0 . 5 m 2 / g , an a - axis length of lattice constant of 2 . 817 å , a c - axis length of lattice constant of 14 . 065 å , a crystallite size of 631 å , a volume resistivity value of 7 . 1 × 10 4 ωcm and an electron conductivity log ( 1 / ωcm ) of − 4 . 9 . in addition , when the composition of the magnesium - containing lithium cobaltate particles was represented by the formula : lico 1 - x mn x o 2 , it was confirmed that the magnesium content x was 0 . 01 . the thus obtained magnesium - containing lithium cobaltate particles were used as a cathode active material to prepare a coin - shaped cell . as a result , it was confirmed that the thus prepared coin - shaped cell exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 161 mah / g and a heat stability of 216 ° c . the same procedure as defined in example 17 was conducted except that the amount of magnesium added for the surface treatment with magnesium hydroxide was changed variously , thereby obtaining cobalt oxide particles surface - treated with magnesium hydroxide . essential production conditions and various properties of the obtained cobalt oxide particles surface - treated with magnesium hydroxide are shown in table 4 . the same procedure as defined in example 18 was conducted except that kind of cobalt oxide particles and mixing ratio of lithium were changed variously , thereby obtaining cathode active materials and producing coin - shaped cells using the cathode active materials . essential production conditions are shown in table 5 , and various properties of the obtained cathode active materials and cell characteristics of the obtained coin - shaped cells are shown in table 6 . thus , it was confirmed that the coin - shaped cells produced using the cathode active materials of the present invention exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 130 to 160 mah / g and a heat stability as high as not less than 200 ° c . on the contrary , as apparent from the results of comparative examples , when the magnesium content x is more than 0 . 2 , the initial discharge capacity was considerably lowered . further , when the respective elements were mixed with each other by a dry method , the effect of improving the heat stability based on the amount of magnesium added was deteriorated . magnesium sulfate ( 1 . 0 mol % based on cobalt ) was added to a solution containing cobalt in an amount of 0 . 5 mol / liter . further , an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added in an amount of 1 . 05 equivalents based on one equivalent of a neutralized part of a sum of cobalt and magnesium , to the resultant solution , thereby subjecting the solution to a neutralization reaction . then , the obtained solution was subjected to oxidation reaction at 90 ° c . for 20 hours while passing air therethrough , thereby obtaining magnesium - containing cobalt oxide particles . successively , aluminum sulfate ( 1 . 0 mol % based on cobalt ) was added to the reaction solution containing the thus obtained magnesium - containing cobalt oxide particles , and further an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added in an amount requiring for neutralizing the aluminum sulfate to the solution , thereby treating the surface of the respective magnesium - containing cobalt oxide particles with aluminum hydroxide . the ph value of the reaction solution treated was 9 . it was conformed that the thus obtained magnesium - containing cobalt oxide particles surface - treated with aluminum hydroxide were composed of a co 3 o 4 single phase , and had a mg content of 1 . 0 mol % and an aluminum content of 1 . 0 mol % ( x and y of ( co ( 1 - x ) mg x ) 3 o 4 . 3yal ( oh ) 3 are both 0 . 01 ), an average particle diameter of 0 . 1 μm and a bet specific surface area value of 13 . 4 m 2 / g . the magnesium - containing cobalt oxide particles surface - treated with aluminum hydroxide obtained in example 25 were intimately mixed with a lithium compound such that the molar ratio of li to a sum of cobalt , magnesium and aluminum was 1 . 03 . the resultant mixed particles were calcined at 900 ° c . for 10 hours under an oxygen atmosphere , thereby obtaining lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum . as a result of the x - ray diffraction analysis of the thus obtained lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum , it was confirmed that the lithium cobaltate particles were composed of a lithium cobaltate single phase without impurity phase , and had an average particle diameter of 4 . 9 μm , a bet specific surface area value of 0 . 5 m 2 / g , an a - axis length of lattice constant of 2 . 817 å , a c - axis length of lattice constant of 14 . 068 å , a crystallite size of 652 å , a volume resistivity value of 7 . 1 × 10 4 ωcm and an electron conductivity log ( 1 / ωcm ) of − 4 . 9 . in addition , as to the magnesium and aluminum contents , when the composition of the lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum was represented by the formula : lico ( 1 - x - y ) mg x al y o 2 , it was confirmed that the magnesium content x was 0 . 01 and the aluminum content y was 0 . 01 . the thus obtained lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum were used as a cathode active material to prepare a coin - shaped cell . as a result , it was confirmed that the thus prepared coin - shaped cell exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 158 mah / g , a capacity retention percentage of 98 % after 100 cycles at 60 ° c ., and a heat stability of 219 ° c . magnesium sulfate ( 1 . 0 mol % based on cobalt ) was added to a solution containing cobalt in an amount of 0 . 5 mol / liter . further , an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added in an amount of 1 . 05 equivalents based on one equivalent of a neutralized part of a sum of cobalt and magnesium , to the resultant solution , thereby subjecting the solution to a neutralization reaction . then , the obtained solution was subjected to oxidation reaction at 90 ° c . for 20 hours while passing air therethrough , thereby obtaining magnesium - containing cobalt oxide particles . it was conformed that the thus obtained magnesium - containing cobalt oxide particles were composed of a co 3 o 4 single phase , and had a mg content of 1 . 0 mol % ( x of ( co ( 1 - x ) mg x ) 3 o 4 is 0 . 01 ), an average particle diameter of 0 . 1 μm and a bet specific surface area value of 13 . 0 m 2 / g . the magnesium - containing cobalt oxide particles obtained in example 27 were intimately mixed with an aluminum compound and a lithium compound such that the molar ratio of li and al to a sum of cobalt , magnesium and aluminum was 1 . 03 and 0 . 01 , respectively . the resultant mixed particles were calcined at 900 ° c . for 10 hours under an oxidative atmosphere , thereby obtaining lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum . as a result of the x - ray diffraction analysis of the thus obtained lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum , it was confirmed that the lithium cobaltate particles were composed of a lithium cobaltate single phase without impurity phase , and had an average particle diameter of 4 . 8 μm , a bet specific surface area value of 0 . 5 m 2 / g , an a - axis length of lattice constant of 2 . 817 å , a c - axis length of lattice constant of 14 . 068 å , a crystallite size of 645 å , a volume resistivity value of 7 . 0 × 10 ωcm and an electron conductivity log ( 1 / ωcm ) of − 4 . 8 . in addition , as to the magnesium and aluminum contents , when the composition of the lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum was represented by the formula : lico ( 1 - x - y ) mg x al y o 2 , it was confirmed that the magnesium content x was 0 . 01 and the aluminum content y was 0 . 01 . the thus obtained lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum were used as a cathode active material to prepare a coin - shaped cell . as a result , it was confirmed that the thus prepared coin - shaped cell exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 158 mah / g , a capacity retention percentage of 98 % after 100 cycles at 60 ° c ., and a heat stability of 220 ° c . an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added in an amount of 1 . 05 equivalents based on one equivalent of a neutralized part of cobalt to a solution containing cobalt in an amount of 0 . 5 mol / liter , thereby subjecting the mixed solution to a neutralization reaction . then , the obtained solution was subjected to oxidation reaction at 90 ° c . for 20 hours while passing air therethrough , thereby obtaining cobalt oxide particles . successively , magnesium sulfate ( 1 . 0 mol % based on cobalt ) was added to the reaction solution containing the thus obtained cobalt oxide particles , and further an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added in an amount requiring for neutralizing the magnesium sulfate to the solution , thereby treating the surface of the respective cobalt oxide particles with magnesium hydroxide . the ph value of the reaction solution treated was 11 . it was conformed that the thus obtained cobalt oxide particles surface - treated with magnesium hydroxide were composed of a co 3 o 4 single phase , and had a mg content of 1 . 0 mol % ( x of (( 1 − x ) co 3 o 4 . 3xmg ( oh ) 2 is 0 . 01 ), an average particle diameter of 0 . 1 μm and a bet specific surface area value of 13 . 5 m 2 / g . the cobalt oxide particles surface - treated with magnesium hydroxide obtained in example 29 were intimately mixed with an aluminum compound and a lithium compound such that the molar ratio of li and al to a sum of cobalt , magnesium and aluminum was 1 . 03 and 0 . 01 , respectively . the resultant mixed particles were calcined at 900 ° c . for 10 hours under an oxidative atmosphere , thereby obtaining lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum . as a result of the x - ray diffraction analysis of the thus obtained lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum , it was confirmed that the lithium cobaltate particles were composed of a lithium cobaltate single phase without impurity phase , and had an average particle diameter of 4 . 8 μm , a bet specific surface area value of 0 . 5 m 2 / g , an a - axis length of lattice constant of 2 . 817 å , a c - axis length of lattice constant of 14 . 066 å , a crystallite size of 650 å , a volume resistivity value of 7 . 1 × 10 4 ωcm and an electron conductivity log ( 1 / ωcm ) of − 4 . 9 . in addition , as to the magnesium and aluminum contents , when the composition of the lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum was represented by the formula : lico ( 1 − x − y ) mg x al y o 2 , it was confirmed that the magnesium content x was 0 . 01 and the aluminum content y was 0 . 01 . the thus obtained lithium cobaltate particles containing magnesium and aluminum were used as a cathode active material to prepare a coin - shaped cell . as a result , it was confirmed that the thus prepared coin - shaped cell exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 158 mah / g , a capacity retention percentage of 98 % after 100 cycles at 60 ° c ., and a heat stability of 218 ° c . | 2 |
thus according to the present invention aripiprazole acid salt on basification ( base is selectively alkali hydroxides , such as sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , lithium hydroxide , ammonia , organic bases such as triethylamine , dimethylamine , methylamine , diisopropyl ethyl amine , diisopropylamine , dibutylamine , more preferably triethylamine , dimethylamine ) at about 50 ° c . to about 90 ° c . in a mixture of water and organic ester solvent , ( the organic solvent selected from ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate ), separating the solvent layers , washing the organic layer with water , concentrating the organic layer to reduce the water content to below 0 . 5 %, raising the temperature to about 65 ° c .- 90 ° c ., maintaining at the temperature at about 65 ° c . to 90 ° c . for about 10 min to 8 hrs , cooling to about 15 ° c . to about 40 ° c ., mixing for about 30 min - 6 hrs , isolating and further drying at temperature of about 40 ° c .- 90 ° c . gives the aripiprazole form - b . in another embodiment of the present invention aripiprazole form - i is prepared from aripiprazole acid salt by basification of aripiprazole acid salt with base ( base selectively alkali hydroxides , such as sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , lithium hydroxide , alkali carbonates such as sodium carbonate , potassium carbonate , lithium carbonate , barium carbonate , bicarbonates such as sodium bicarbonate , potassium bicarbonate , ammonia , organic bases selected from triethylamine , dimethylamine , methylamine , more preferably triethylamine , dimethylamine ) in a mixture of water and water immiscible organic solvent , preferably methylene dichloride for about 10 min to 2 hrs , separating the layers , washing the organic layer with water , removal of the solvent from the organic layer , dissolution of residue in organic polar solvent such as dmf , dma if required by heating 30 ° c .- 65 ° c ., cooling to low temperature about − 15 ° c . to 20 ° c . isolating or optionally adding ante solvent ( ante solvent selectively ketones such as acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , ethers such as diethyl ether , diisopropyl ether , methyl tert butyl ether , hydrocarbons such as cyclohexane , n - hexane , n - heptane , and esters such as ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate ), at temperature of about 35 ° c . to followed by cooling to low temperature such as about − 5 ° c . to about 35 ° c ., preferably 5 ° c . to about 20 ° c ., isolating and drying at temperature of about 35 ° c . to about 65 ° c . gives the aripiprazole form - i . in another embodiment of the present invention aripiprazole acetic acid solvate is prepared from aripiprazole acid salt by basification of aripiprazole acid salt with base ( base selectively alkali hydroxides , such as sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , lithium hydroxide , alkali carbonates such as sodium carbonate , potassium carbonate , lithium carbonate , barium carbonate , bicarbonates such as sodium bicarbonate , potassium bicarbonate , ammonia , organic bases selected from triethylamine , dimethylamine , methylamine , more preferably triethylamine , dimethylamine ) at about 50 ° c .- 90 ° c . in a mixture of water - water immiscible organic solvent selected from ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate , chloroform , toluene , n - butanol for about 10 min - 2 hrs , separating the layers , washing the organic layer with water , concentrating the organic layer , adding acetic acid at about 25 ° c .- 75 ° c ., raising the temperature of the reaction mixture to about 65 ° c .- 90 ° c ., adding ante - solvent which is a hydrocarbon or ether ; ( hydrocarbon such as cyclohexane , n - hexane , n - heptane , methyl cyclohexane , and ether such as methyl tert butyl ether ), maintaining the temperature of 65 ° c . to 90 ° c . for about 10 min to 8 hrs , cooling to about 35 ° c .- 75 ° c ., seeding with aripiprazole acetic acid solvate , followed by further cooling to about 15 ° c .- 40 ° c ., mixing for about 30 min — 6 hrs , isolating and drying at temperature of about 40 ° c .- 90 ° c . gives the aripiprazole acetic acid solvate . in another embodiment of the invention aripiprazole methanol solvate is prepared from aripiprazole acid salt by basification of aripiprazole acid salt with base ( base selectively alkali hydroxides , such as sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , lithium hydroxide , alkali carbonates such as sodium carbonate , potassium carbonate , lithium carbonate , barium carbonate , bicarbonates such as sodium bicarbonate , potassium bicarbonate , ammonia , organic bases such as triethylamine , dimethylamine , methylamine , more preferably triethylamine , dimethylamine ) at about 50 ° c .- about 90 ° c . in a mixture of water - water immiscible organic solvent such as ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate for about 10 min to 2 hrs , separating the layers , washing the organic layer with water , concentrating the organic layer , adding 3 to 6 volumes methanol at about 50 ° c .- 90 ° c . over about 15 min followed by maintaining the temperature at about 50 ° c .- 90 ° c . for about 15 min - 4 hrs , cooling to about 40 ° c .- 10 ° c ., to give the aripiprazole methanol solvate . aripiprazole methanol solvate can be dried and the dry material or the wet cake as such can used for the preparation of various polymorphs ; of aripiprazole . the molar ratio of aripiprazole : methanol is 1 : 1 , in the aripiprazole methanol solvate . in another embodiment of the present invention aripiprazole methanol solvate and aripiprazole acetic acid solvate suspensions in selected organic solvents when heated to about 450 - 90 ° c ., maintaining the temperature at about 45 ° c .- 90 ° c . for about 30 min to 6 hrs , cooling to about 15 ° c .- 35 ° c ., followed by isolation and drying at temperature of about 50 ° c .- about 90 ° c . results in polymorphs of aripiprazole such as aripiprazole form - b , form - d , form - a , type - i crystals and form - i . solvents such as ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate in the above process results in aripiprazole form - b ; solvent such as acetonitrile , thf / n - heptane , ethyl acetate / n - heptane result in form - d ; solvent such as aq . ethanol and water results in aripiprazole form - a and solvent such as ethanol results in aripiprazole type - i crystals ; solvent such as dmf , dma results aripiprazole form - i . in another embodiment of the invention aripiprazole acetic acid solvate is prepared from aripiprazole methanol solvate by dissolution of aripiprazole methanol solvate in organic ester solvent , selected from methyl acetate , isopropyl acetate , adding acetic acid at temperature of 45 ° c . to 75 ° c ., raising the temperature to 60 ° c .- 90 ° c ., followed by slow addition of ante - solvent selected from hydrocarbon of c 5 to c 7 such as cyclohexane , n - hexane , n - heptane , methyl cyclohexane , or aliphatic ether selected from diisopropyl ether , methyl tertbutyl ether , maintenance at temperature of about 60 ° c . to about 90 ° c . for about 10 min to 8 hrs , cooling to about 55 ° c . to 65 ° c ., seeding with aripiprazole acetic acid solvate followed by cooling to about 15 ° c . to 40 ° c ., mixing for about 30 min to 6 hrs , followed by isolation and drying at temperature of about 40 ° c . to about 90 ° c . gives the aripiprazole acetic acid solvate . in another embodiment of the invention the aripiprazole methanol solvate is prepared from aripiprazole acetic acid solvate by raising the temperature of a suspension of aripiprazole acetic acid solvate in methanol to about 40 ° c . to 70 ° c ., then maintaining for the temperature for about 30 min to 6 hrs , cooling to about 10 ° c . to 35 ° c ., isolating and drying at about 30 ° c . to about 60 ° c . for about 1 hr to about 18 hrs to give aripiprazole methanol solvate . yet another embodiment of the invention is a process for preparation of aripiprazole acid salts from 7 - hydroxy - 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril . reaction of 7 - hydroxy - 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril ( i ) with 1 , 4 - dibromobutane ( ii ) is carried out in presence of alkali hydroxide such as sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , phase transfer reagent such as quaternary ammonium salts , preferably tetra butyl ammonium bromide , triethyl benzyl ammonium bromide , in alcohol , ( preferable alcohol is isopropyl alcohol , methanol , ethanol , butanol and more preferably isopropyl alcohol ) at about 45 ° c ., to 90 ° c . for about 3 hrs to 8 hrs , removing the insolubles if any , removing the solvent along with excess 1 , 4 - dibromobutane below 125 ° c ., cooling , adding alcohol , mixing at about 10 ° c .- 40 ° c . preferably at about 15 ° c . to 30 ° c . for about 30 min to 8 hrs , isolating the acid salt , washing with hydrocarbon such as n - hexane , n - heptane , cyclohexane , methyl cyclohexane , toluene and drying at temperature of about 35 ° c . to 75 ° c ., preferably at about 40 ° c . to 50 ° c . to give 7 -( 4 - bromobutoxy )- 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril ( iii ). reaction of 7 -( 41 - bromobutoxy )- 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril ( iii ) with 1 -( 2 , 3 - dichlorophenyl ) piperazine ( iv ) is carried out as follows . 7 -( 4 - bromobutoxy )- 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril ( iii ) is added to sodium iodide in a short chain alcohol such as methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , butanol , n - propanol , mixed for about 30 min , and triethylamine and 1 -( 2 , 3 - dichlorophenyl ) piperazine are added and the temperature is maintained at about 50 ° c . to 75 ° c . for about 12 hrs to 18 hrs followed by cooling to 15 ° c . to 40 ° c . to give crude aripiprazole . the crude aripiprazole is dissolved in a water immiscible solvent selected from methylene chloride , ethylene dichloride , chloroform , ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate more preferably in methylene chloride stirred at about 20 ° c .- 50 ° c . for about 10 min - 2 hrs followed by slow addition of acid to the reaction mass at about 10 ° c . to 30 ° c . over 15 min to 2 hrs then mixed at about 10 ° c .- 30 ° c . for about 1 hr to 8 hrs . the product is isolated and dried at about 35 ° c . to 75 ° c . to give aripiprazole acid salt . the acid used may be an organic acid or inorganic acid . the organic acid is selected from citric acid , p - toluene sulfonic acid , benzene sulfonic acid and salicylic acid ; inorganic acid is hydrobromic acid . the acids may be added as neat solid or in form of solution by dissolving in suitable solvent selected from ethyl acetate , acetone and isopropyl acetate . alternately the aripiprazole acid salts may be prepared from the reaction mass directly without isolating the crude aripiprazole . 7 -( 4 - bromobutoxy )- 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril ( iii ) is added to sodium iodide in an organic polar solvent , such as acetonitrile , thf , mixing for about 10 min to 1 hr at reflux temperature , cooling the reaction mass - 20 ° c . to about 40 ° c ., followed by addition of 1 -( 2 , 3 - dichlorophenyl ) piperazine ( iv ) and triethylamine , maintaining the reaction mass at about 60 ° c . to about 80 ° c . for about 2 hrs to about 6 hrs , followed by removal of solvent under vacuum at temperature below 60 ° c . the residue is dissolved in mixture of water and water immiscible solvent such as methylene chloride , ethylene dichloride , chloroform , ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate followed by the separation of layers . the organic layer is washed with water and concentrated followed by slow addition of acid to the reaction mass at about 10 ° c . to about 30 ° c . over 15 min to about 2 hrs followed by mixing at about 10 ° c . to about 30 ° c . for about 1 hr to about 8 hrs . the precipitated product is isolated and dried at about 35 ° c . to about 75 ° c . to give the aripiprazole acid salt . the aripiprazole acid salts prepared are aripiprazole p - toluene sulfonate monohydrate , aripiprazole benzene sulfonate , aripiprazole salicylate , aripiprazole citrate , and aripiprazole hydro bromide . the advantage of converting the crude aripiprazole into aripiprazole acid — addition salt is removal of bis impurity , ( v ) 7 -( 4 -[ 1 -( 7 - oxy - 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril )] butoxy )- 3 , 4 - dihydro - 2 ( 1h )- quinolinone , formed during the reaction of 7 - hydroxy - 3 , 4 - dihydro carbostyril ( i ) with 1 , 4 - dibromobutane ( ii ), resulting in aripiprazole of 98 % purity . it may be noted that the methods of prior art give purity of 80 - 85 %. purification of aripiprazole acid salt is carried out by mixing the aripiprazole acid salt with methanol at temperature of about 25 ° c . to about 50 ° c . for about 15 min - 4 hrs followed by cooling and maintaining temperature of about 10 ° c .- 30 ° c . for about 30 min - 6 hrs . aripiprazole p - toluene sulfonate salt ( 100 g ) is suspended in a mixture of ethyl acetate ( 2000 ml ), water ( 400 ml ) and the temperature is raised to 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . triethylamine ( 25 . 7 g ) is slowly added over 20 min and the temperature is maintained at 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . for about 30 min . the reaction mass is allowed to settle , the layers are separated and aq . layer is extracted with ethyl acetate ( 300 ml ) at 0 . 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . the organic layers are combined and washed with water ( 2 × 400 ml ) at 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . the organic layer is concentrated to 900 ml by distillation of ethyl acetate ( m / c of the mass is below 0 . 5 %). the reaction mass is maintained at reflux temperature for 15 min . the reaction mass is cooled to 25 ° c . and maintained at 25 ° c .- 30 ° c . for 60 min . the solid is filtered , washed the wet cake with ethyl acetate ( 50 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . till constant weight . the dry wt of the aripiprazole form - b is 58 . 0 g ( yield : 68 . 8 %). the product is identical with the reported aripiprazole form - b by its ftir , dsc and x - ray diffraction values . similarly aripiprazole form - b can be prepared by using other aripiprazole acid - addition salts such as benzene sulfonate , citrate , salicylate , hydro bromide and using the solvents such as ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate . aripiprazole p - toluene sulfonate salt ( 60 g ) is suspended in a mixture of n - butanol ( 600 ml ), water ( 240 ml ) and sodium hydroxide solution ( 4 g in 10 ml of water ) is added . the temperature of the reaction mass is raised to 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . and maintained at that temperature for about 15 min . reaction mass is allowed to settle , and the layers are separated , and the aqueous layer is extracted with n - butanol ( 300 ml ). organic layer is combined , washed with water ( 240 ml ) at 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . and n - butanol is distilled off under vacuum at temperature below 70 ° c . till volume of reaction mass is 160 ml . the reaction mass is cooled to 25 ° c . and maintained at 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . for 60 min . the solid is filtered , and the wet cake is washed with n - butanol ( 30 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . till constant weight . the dry wt of the aripiprazole form - b is 28 . 8 g ( yield : 68 . 3 %). aripiprazole p - toluene sulfonate salt ( 100 g ) is suspended in a mixture of methylene dichloride ( 900 ml ), water ( 400 ml ). triethylamine ( 25 . 7 g ) is added slowly over 20 min and maintained at 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . for about 30 min ., allowed to settle , and the layers are separated and the aqueous layer is extracted with methylene dichloride ( 400 ml ) at 0 . 25 ° c .- 30 ° c . the organic layers are combined , washed with water ( 2 × 400 ml ) and dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate ( 20 g ). the solvent is removed by distillation of methylene dichloride followed by vacuum . dmf ( 70 ml ) is added and distilled off to get the residue under vacuum at temperature below 45 ° c . dmf ( 140 ml ) is added to the residue , the temperature is raised to 50 ° c . to get clear solution and acetone ( 280 ml ) is slowly added at 50 - 55 ° c . over 30 min . the total mass is gradually cooled to 35 ° c . and further cooled to 10 ° c . the temperature is maintained at 5 ° c . to 10 ° c . for 60 min . the solid is filtered , washed with acetone ( 50 ml ) and the wet cake is slurry washed with acetone ( 140 ml ). dried the wet cake at 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . to constant weight . the dry wt of the aripiprazole form - i is 55 g ( yield : 78 . 3 %). the xrd shows peaks at 5 . 4 , 10 . 0 , 10 . 75 , 11 . 6 , 12 . 6 , 15 . 7 , 16 . 3 , 18 . 5 , 19 . 8 , 20 . 4 , 21 . 8 , 22 . 2 , 23 . 3 , 24 . 5 , 26 . 0 , 27 . 1 , 28 . 8 , 32 . 6 and 33 . 6 ± 0 . 2 ° 2 theta ir shows the absorptions at 3193 , 2939 , 2830 , 2804 , 1680 , 1628 , 1593 , 1579 , 1520 , 1479 , 1449 , 1375 , 1270 , 1192 , 1169 , 965 , 949 , 869 , 780 , 712 , 672 and 588 ± 2 cm − 1 aripiprazole form - i can be prepared by using other aripiprazole acid salts , various solvents , and ante - solvents by following the similar procedure as in example - iii and the results are given in the table - 1 aripiprazole p - toluene sulfonate salt ( 100 g ) is suspended in a mixture of isopropyl acetate ( 2000 ml ), water ( 400 ml ) and raised the temperature to 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . triethylamine ( 25 . 7 g ) is added slowly over 20 min and maintained at 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . for about 30 min ., allowed to settle , and the layers are separated and the aqueous layer is extracted with isopropyl acetate ( 300 ml ) at 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . the organic layers are combined and washed with water ( 2 × 400 ml ) at 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . the reaction mass is concentrated to 900 ml by distillation of isopropyl acetate ( m / c of the reaction mass becomes below 0 . 5 %). acetic acid ( 25 ml ) is added , the temperature is raised to reflux ( 83 ° c . to 86 ° c .) and cyclohexane ( 900 ml ) is slowly added at reflux temperature over 30 min . the reaction mass is maintained at reflux temperature ( 75 ° c . to 78 ° c .) for about 1 hr , then cooled to 63 ° c ., seeded with aripiprazole acetic acid solvate ( 500 mg ) and further cooled to 35 ° c . the temperature is maintained at 25 ° c . to 35 ° c . for 30 min . the solid is filtered , washed with cyclohexane ( 50 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 50 ° c . to constant weight . the dry wt of the aripiprazole acetic acid solvate is 51 g ( yield : 72 . 65 %). the xrd shows peaks at 10 . 1 , 17 . 4 , 18 . 0 , 19 . 7 , 23 . 3 , 24 . 2 , 27 . 8 °± 0 . 2 ° 2 theta ir shows the absorptions at 2947 , 2901 , 1674 , 1521 , 1381 , 1274 , 1172 , 1048 , 856 , 781 cm − 1 . aripiprazole acetic acid solvate can be prepared by using other aripiprazole acid salts , various solvents , and ante - solvents by following the similar procedure as in example - iv and the results are given in the table - 2 suspend aripiprazole p - toluene sulfonate salt ( 60 g ) in a mixture of n - butanol ( 600 ml ), water ( 240 ml ) and add sodium hydroxide solution ( 4 g in 10 ml of water ). raise the temperature of the mass to 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . and maintain at that temperature for about 15 min . allow to settle , separate the layers , extract the aqueous layer with n - butanol ( 300 ml ). combine organic layers , wash with water ( 240 ml ) at 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . cool the reaction mass to 10 ° c . and maintain at 10 ° c .- 12 ° c . for 60 min . filter the solid , wash the wet cake with n - butanol ( 30 ml ) and dry at 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . till constant weight . the dry wt of the aripiprazole form - a is 21 g ( yield : 49 . 9 %). the product is identical with the reported aripiprazole form - a by its ftir , dsc and x - ray diffraction values . similarly aripiprazole form - a can be prepared by using other aripiprazole acid salts , ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate instead of n - butanol , without distillation of solvent , by direct cooling following the similar procedure as in example - xv . aripiprazole p - toluene sulfonate salt ( 60 g ) is suspended in a mixture of n - butanol ( 600 ml ), water ( 240 ml ) and sodium hydroxide solution ( 4 g in 10 ml of water ) is added . the temperature of the mass is raised to 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . and maintained at that temperature for about 15 min . it is allowed to settle , the layers are separated , the aqueous layer is extracted with n - butanol ( 300 ml ). the organic layer is combined , washed with water ( 240 ml ) at 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . and n - butanol is distilled off at temperature 75 ° c .- 80 ° c . under vacuum till the reaction mass volume becomes 200 ml . slowly cyclohexane ( 200 ml ) is added at temperature 80 ° c . over 30 min and is maintained at 75 ° c .- 80 ° c . for 1 hr . the reaction mass is cooled to 30 ° c . and maintained at 25 ° c .- 30 ° c . for 30 min . the solid is filtered and the wet cake is washed with cyclohexane ( 50 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . till constant weight . the dry wt of the aripiprazole form - d is 23 . 4 g ( yield : 55 . 6 %). the product is identical with the reported aripiprazole form - d by its ftir , dsc and x - ray diffraction values . similarly aripiprazole form - d can be prepared by using other aripiprazole acid salts , using the solvents such as methyl ethyl ketone , thf and cyclohexane , n - hexane , n - heptane as ante - solvent without distillation of first solvent , addition of ante - solvent and cooling . aripiprazole p - toluene sulfonate salt ( 50 g ) is suspended in a mixture of isopropyl acetate ( 1000 ml ), water ( 200 ml ) and sodium hydroxide solution ( 10 g in 10 ml of water ) is added . the temperature of the reaction mass is raised to 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . and maintained for about 30 min . the ph of the reaction mass is adjusted to 11 . 0 with sodium hydroxide solution . the layers are allowed to settle . the layers are separated and the aqueous layer is extracted with isopropyl acetate ( 150 ml ) at 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . the organic layers are washed with water ( 2 × 200 ml ) at 70 ° c .- 75 ° c . the reaction mass is concentrated to 400 ml by distilling off isopropyl acetate . methanol ( 200 ml ) is added , and the temperature is raised to reflux and maintained at reflux for about 30 min . the reaction mass is cooled to 35 ° c ., the solid is filtered , washed with methanol ( 100 ml ) and suck dried . the wt of the aripiprazole methanol solvate is 36 g ( yield : 95 . 4 %). elemental analysis : c , 59 . 88 %, h , 6 . 60 %, n , 8 . 62 % and calculated values for c 21 h 31 cl 2 n 3 o 3 . c , 59 . 95 %, h , 6 . 45 %, n , 8 . 74 % ir spectrum ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 3196 , 3108 , 2948 , 2819 , 1675 , 1628 , 1595 , 1578 , 1522 , 1449 , 1378 , 1335 , 1274 , 1243 , 1197 , 1173 , 1140 , 1127 , 1040 , 997 , 960 , 859 , 830 , 809 , 784 , 748 , 713 and 532 . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 , ppm ): 1 . 65 - 1 . 85 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 49 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 51 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 59 - 2 . 64 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 89 ( t , 2h ), 3 . 08 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 49 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 97 ( t , 2h ), 6 . 32 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 51 - 6 . 54 ( dd , 1h ), 6 . 94 - 6 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 05 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 11 - 7 . 17 ( m , 2h ), 8 . 04 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , ppm ): 23 . 19 , 24 . 38 , 27 . 14 , 30 . 90 , 50 . 17 , 51 . 08 , 53 . 12 , 58 . 07 , 67 . 7 , 102 . 2 , 108 . 7 , 115 . 5 , 118 . 5 , 124 . 39 , 127 . 31 , 127 . 34 , 128 . 4 , 133 . 8 , 138 . 1 , 151 . 1 , 158 . 5 and 172 . 41 . the xrd shows the peaks at 9 . 4 , 10 . 7 , 11 . 4 , 11 . 8 , 12 . 3 , 13 . 3 , 17 . 3 , 18 . 4 , 19 . 8 , 23 . 3 , 24 . 3 , 25 . 6 , 26 . 8 , 28 . 0 , 28 . 9 , 31 . 2 °± 0 . 2 2 theta values aripiprazole methanol solvate can be prepared similarly by using other aripiprazole acid salts and solvents by following the similar procedure as in example - iv and the results are given in the table - 3 aripiprazole methanol solvate ( 50 g ) is suspended in isopropyl acetate ( 600 ml ) and acetic acid ( 7 ml ) is added . the temperature is raised to reflux and cyclohexane ( 600 ml ) is slowly added at reflux temperature over 20 min . the mass is maintained at reflux temperature for about 1 hr , cooled to 60 ° c . and seeded with aripiprazole acetic acid solvate ( 200 mg ). the reaction mass is cooled to 30 ° c . and maintained at 25 ° c .- 30 ° c . for 30 min . filter , wash the wet cake with cyclohexane ( 50 ml ) and dry at 40 ° c .- 50 ° c . till constant weight . the dry wt of aripiprazole acetic acid solvate is 42 g ( yield 90 . 0 %) the product is identical with aripiprazole acetic acid solvate by its ir , dsc and x - ray diffraction pattern . aripiprazole methanol solvate ( 50 g ) is suspended in ethanol ( 600 ml ), the temperature of the reaction mass is raised to reflux and maintained at reflux for about 2 hrs . the reaction mass is cooled to 30 ° c ., filtered , washed the wet cake with ethanol ( 50 ml ) and dried at 45 ° c .- 50 ° c . till constant weight . the dry weight of aripiprazole type - i crystals is 43 g ( 78 . 5 %) similarly aripiprazole type - i crystals can be prepared by treating the aripiprazole acetic acid solvate with ethanol . aripiprazole methanol solvate ( 50 g ) is suspended in isopropyl acetate ( 600 ml ), the temperature is raised to reflux and maintained at reflux temperature for about 2 hrs . the reaction mass is cooled , filtered , the wet cake is washed with isopropyl acetate ( 50 ml ) and dried at 50 ° c .- 60 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dry wt of aripiprazole form - b is 40 g ( yield 85 . 7 %) similarly aripiprazole form - b can be prepared by treating the aripiprazole methanol solvate or aripiprazole acetic acid solvate with isopropyl acetate , ethyl acetate or by directly drying the aripiprazole methanol solvate at 80 ° c . for about 12 hrs . aripiprazole methanol solvate ( 50 g ) is suspended in acetonitrile ( 600 ml ), the temperature is raised to reflux and maintained at reflux for about 2 hrs . the reaction mass is cooled to 25 ° c ., the solid is filtered , the wet cake is washed with acetonitrile ( 50 ml ) and dried at 55 ° c .- 60 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dry weight of aripiprazole form - d is 43 . 0 g ( yield 91 . 4 %) similarly aripiprazole form - d can be prepared by treating the aripiprazole methanol solvate or aripiprazole acetic acid solvate with acetonitrile , thf / n - heptane , ethyl acetate / n - heptane . aripiprazole methanol solvate ( 50 g ) is suspended in 30 % aqueous ethanol ( 600 ml ), and the temperature is raised to reflux and maintained at reflux for about 2 hrs . the reaction mass is cooled to 25 ° c ., the solid is filtered , the wet cake is washed with aqueous ethanol ( 50 ml ) and dried at 55 ° c .- 60 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dry weight of aripiprazole form - a is 38 . 0 g ( yield 77 . 8 %) similarly aripiprazole form - a can be prepared by treating the aripiprazole methanol solvate or aripiprazole acetic acid solvate with aqueous ethanol , water . sodium hydroxide ( 29 . 5 g , 0 . 737 mole ) is added to a suspension of 7 - hydroxy carbostyril ( 100 g , 0 . 613 mole ) in isopropyl alcohol ( 1850 ml ) and mixed at 25 ° c . to 30 ° c . for about 30 min . tetra butyl ammonium bromide is added ( 5 g , 0 . 015 mole ) followed by 1 , 4 - dibromo butane ( 530 g , 2 . 45 mole ), raised to reflux and maintained at reflux temperature 80 ° c .- 85 ° c . for 3 hrs . the insolubles are filtered in hot condition , and isopropyl alcohol is distilled off from the filtrate under vacuum at temperature up to 110 ° c .- 115 ° c . the reaction mass is cooled and isopropyl alcohol ( 300 ml ) is added to the reaction mass , maintained at 30 ° c .- 35 ° c . for 1 hr . the mass is further cooled and maintained at 20 ° c .- 22 ° c . for 2 hrs , filtered , washed with isopropyl alcohol ( 50 ml ) to give the wet cake of about 250 g . the wet cake ( 250 g ) is suspended in n - hexane ( 300 ml ), raised the temperature to reflux and maintained for about 60 min . the reaction mass is cooled to a temperature of 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . and maintained for 1 hr . the mass is filtered ; washed and dried the wet cake at 40 ° c . to 50 ° c . till becomes constant weight . sodium iodide ( 63 . 7 g , 0 . 424 mole ) is suspended in acetonitrile ( 1275 ml ), mixed for about 10 min and 7 -( 4 - bromobutoxy )- 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril ( 100 g , 0 . 335 mole ) is added . the temperature is raised to reflux maintained for 30 min and cooled to 35 ° c . 1 -( 2 , 3 - dichloro phenyl ) piperazine ( 81 . 5 g , 0 . 352 mole ) is added followed by triethylamine ( 51 . 5 g , 0 . 51 mole ) at 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . to the reaction mass . the temperature of the reaction mass is raised to reflux and maintained at reflux temperature 3 hrs . acetonitrile is distilled off at temperature below 45 ° c . under reduced pressure ; the residual mass is cooled to 35 ° c . methylene chloride ( 1000 ml ), water ( 500 ml ) are added , and the total mass is mixed for 15 min , allowed to settle , the layers are separated and the aqueous layer is extracted with methylene chloride ( 500 ml ). the combined organic layer is washed with water ( 500 ml ) and dried the organic layer over anhydrous sodium sulphate ( 15 g ). methylene chloride is distilled out initially at atmospheric pressure finally under vacuum . further methylene chloride ( 1000 ml ) is added and mixed for 15 min to get a clear solution . p - toluene sulfonic acid solution in ethyl acetate ( 56 g , in 400 ml ) is added to the clear solution at a temperature of 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . over 60 min and maintained at 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . for 2 hrs . the solid is filtered , the wet cake is washed with ethyl acetate ( 50 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 50 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dried material is suspended in methanol ( 650 ml ), the temperature of the mass is raise to 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . and maintained at that temperature for 30 min . the mass is cooled to 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . and maintained for 60 min . filtered , washed the wet cake with methanol ( 65 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 50 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dry weight of aripiprazole p - toluene sulfonate salt is 110 . 5 g ( 51 . 6 %). elemental analysis : c , 56 . 23 %, h , 6 . 13 %, n , 6 . 53 %, s , 4 . 62 % and calculated values for c 30 h 35 cl 2 n 3 o 5 s . h 2 o c , 56 . 42 %, h , 5 . 84 %, n , 6 . 58 %, s , 5 . 02 % ir spectrum ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 3488 , 3208 , 3130 , 3069 , 3026 , 2954 , 1661 , 1621 , 1595 , 1520 , 1474 , 1448 , 1395 , 1373 , 1333 , 1312 , 1264 , 1224 , 1189 , 1170 , 1117 , 1092 , 1057 , 1031 , 1009 , 966 , 950 , 865 , 836 , 824 , 817 , 786 , 764 , 682 , 565 and 547 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 , ppm ): 1 . 75 - 1 . 82 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 28 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 43 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 49 - 2 . 54 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 79 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 99 - 3 . 64 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 99 - 3 . 64 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 44 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 48 - 6 . 52 ( dd , 1h ), 6 . 48 - 6 . 52 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 05 - 7 . 12 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 05 - 7 . 12 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 20 - 7 . 26 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 33 - 7 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 9 . 41 ( s , oh ), 10 . 02 ( s , nh ). 13 c nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 , ppm ): 20 . 32 , 20 . 72 , 23 . 97 , 25 . 76 , 30 . 72 , 47 . 87 , 51 . 31 , 55 . 32 , 66 . 64 , 101 . 7 , 107 . 49 , 115 . 66 , 119 . 86 , 125 . 35 , 125 . 46 , 126 . 08 , 128 . 07 , 128 . 37 , 128 . 60 , 132 . 72 , 137 . 74 , 139 . 20 , 145 . 4 , 149 . 38 , 157 . 67 and 170 . 26 . the step - 1 is carried out in the same way as given in example - xii . sodium iodide ( 69 . 5 g , 0 . 463 mole ) is suspended in methanol ( 1500 ml ), mixed for about 10 min and 7 -( 4 - bromobutoxy )- 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril ( 100 g , 0 . 335 mole ) is charged into the mixture . the reaction mass is maintained at 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . for 30 min and triethylamine ( 69 g , 0 . 68 mole ) is added followed by 1 -( 2 , 3 - dichloro phenyl ) piperazine ( 90 . 0 g , 0 . 39 mole ) at 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . to the reaction mass . the temperature of the reaction mass is raised to reflux and maintained at reflux temperature for 15 hrs . the reaction mass is cooled to 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . and maintained for 30 min . the solid is filtered , and the wet cake is washed with methanol ( 100 ml ). the weight of the wet cake is 120 g . the wet cake is dissolved in methylene chloride ( 1000 ml ) and p - toluene sulfonic acid solution in ethyl acetate ( 48 g , in 400 ml ) is added at temperature of 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . over 60 min and maintained at 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . for 3 hrs . the solid is filtered , and the wet cake is washed with mixture of 1 : 1 methylene chloride , ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 50 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dried material is suspended in methanol ( 650 ml ), the temperature is raised to 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . and maintained the mass at that temperature of for 30 min . the mass is cooled and maintained at 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . for 60 min . the wet cake is filtered , washed with methanol ( 65 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dry weight of aripiprazole p - toluene sulfonate - salt is 140 g ( yield 65 . 44 %). the step - 1 is carried out in the same way as given in example - xii . sodium iodide ( 69 . 5 g , 0 . 463 mole ) is suspended in methanol ( 1500 ml ), mixed for about 10 min and 7 -( 4 - bromobutoxy )- 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril ( 100 g , 0 . 335 mole ) is charged . the reaction mass temperature is raised to 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . for 30 min and triethylamine ( 69 g , 0 . 68 mole ) is added followed by 1 -( 2 , 3 - dichloro phenyl ) piperazine ( 90 . 0 g , 0 . 39 mole ) at 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . to the reaction mass . the temperature of the reaction mass is raised to reflux and maintained at reflux temperature for 15 hrs ; the reaction mass is cooled to 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . and maintained for 30 min . the solid is filtered , washed the wet cake with methanol ( 100 ml ). the wet cake weight is 120 g . the wet cake is dissolved in methylene chloride ( 600 ml ) and benzene sulfonic acid solution in ethyl acetate ( 44 . 6 g , in 400 ml ) is added at a temperature of 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . over 30 min and is maintained at 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . for 30 min . the methylene chloride is distilled off under vacuum , ethyl acetate ( 600 ml ) is added and maintained at 20 ° c .- 22 ° c . for 45 min . the solid is filtered , and the wet cake is washed with ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 50 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dried material is suspended in methanol ( 650 ml ), the temperature of the mass is raised to 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . and maintained for 30 min . the reaction mass is cooled to 25 ° c .- 30 ° c . and maintained for 30 min . the wet cake is filtered and washed with methanol ( 65 ml ) and dry at 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dry weight of aripiprazole benzene sulfonate salt is 88 . 4 g ( yield 43 . 5 %). elemental analysis : c , 57 . 48 %, h , 5 . 41 %, n , 6 . 98 % and calculated values for c 29 h 33 cl 2 n 3 o 5 s . c : 57 . 42 %, h , 5 . 48 %, n , 6 . 93 % ir spectrum ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 3446 , 3194 , 2979 , 2901 , 2706 , 2619 , 1672 , 1627 , 1596 , 1580 , 1521 , 1479 , 144 , 6 , 1422 , 1388 , 1331 , 1319 , 1269 , 1234 , 1191 , 1167 , 1119 , 1068 , 1054 , 1032 , 1015 , 996 , 957 , 943 , 851 , 807 , 784 , 767 , 727 , 713 , 698 , 613 , 566 and 551 . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - ds , ppm ): 1 . 75 - 1 . 91 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 41 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 79 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 99 - 3 . 64 ( m , 10h ), 3 . 94 ( t , 3h ), 6 . 44 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 48 - 6 . 52 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 06 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 20 - 7 . 41 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 9 . 42 ( brs , 1h ), 10 . 02 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , ppm ): 20 . 82 , 24 . 48 , 26 . 26 , 31 . 28 , 48 . 38 , 48 . 30 , 51 . 80 , 51 . 81 , 55 . 81 , 67 . 13 , 102 . 26 , 108 . 0 , 116 . 16 , 120 . 38 , 125 . 86 , 125 . 90 , 125 . 95 , 126 . 59 , 128 . 1 , 128 . 15 , 128 . 88 , 128 . 97 , 129 . 13 , 133 . 23 , 139 . 71 , 148 . 62 , 149 . 88 , 158 . 18 and 170 . 76 . the step - 1 is carried out in the same way as given in example - xii . sodium iodide ( 69 . 5 g , 0 . 463 mole ) is suspended in methanol ( 1500 ml ) and 7 -( 4 - bromobutoxy )- 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril ( 100 g , 0 . 335 mole ) is added . the reaction mass is maintained at 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . for 30 min and triethylamine ( 69 g , 0 . 68 mole ) is added followed by 1 -( 2 , 3 - dichloro phenyl ) piperazine ( 90 . 0 g , 0 . 39 mole ) at 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . to the reaction mass . the temperature of the reaction mass is raised to reflux and maintained at reflux temperature for 15 hrs . the reaction mass is cooled to 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . and maintained for 30 min . the solid is cooled and filtered . the wet cake is washed with methanol ( 100 ml ). the wet cake is dissolved in methylene chloride ( 600 ml ) and salicylic acid solution in ethyl acetate ( 37 . 0 g , in 400 ml ) is added at temperature of 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . over 20 min and maintained at 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . for 60 min . the solid is filtered , washed the wet cake with ethyl acetate ( 120 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 50 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dried material is suspended in methanol ( 600 ml ), the mass is raise to a temperature of 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . and maintained for 30 min . the mass is cooled to a temperature of 25 ° c .- 30 ° c . and maintained for 30 min . the wet cake is filter , washed with methanol ( 60 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dry weight of aripiprazole salicylate salt is 112 . 0 g ( yield 57 . 0 %). elemental analysis : c , 60 . 09 %, h , 5 . 55 %, n , 7 . 12 % and calculated values for c 30 h 33 cl 2 n 3 o 5 . c , 61 . 44 %, h , 5 . 67 %, n , 7 . 16 % ir spectrum ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 3436 , 3203 , 3059 , 2953 , 2879 , 2839 , 1675 , 1626 , 1593 , 1577 , 1520 , 1486 , 1453 , 1423 , 1381 , 1291 , 1276 , 1260 , 1193 , 1173 , 1137 , 1087 , 1044 , 1025 , 979 , 960 , 941 , 859 , 830 , 810 , 795 , 764 , 708 , 667 , 586 and 564 . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , ppm ): 1 . 75 ( s , 4h ); 2 . 39 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 79 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 92 - 3 . 17 ( m , 10h ), 3 . 99 ( t , 2h ), 6 . 45 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 48 - 6 . 50 ( dd , 1h ), 6 . 71 - 6 . 78 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 04 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 15 - 7 . 36 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 71 - 7 . 75 ( dd , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , ppm ): 20 . 86 , 24 . 00 , 26 . 10 , 30 . 74 , 48 . 70 , 48 . 72 , 51 . 40 , 51 . 45 , 55 . 74 , 66 . 88 , 101 . 74 , 107 . 56 , 115 . 56 , 116 . 18 , 117 . 34 , 117 . 78 , 119 . 65 , 124 . 96 , 126 . 07 , 128 . 34 , 128 . 51 , 130 . 23 ; 132 . 71 , 132 . 90 , 139 . 17 , 149 . 98 , 157 . 74 , 161 . 82 , 170 . 26 and 172 . 62 . aripiprazole citrate salt can be prepared similarly by using the citric acid instead of salicylic acid by following the same procedure described as in example - xv the dry weight of aripiprazole citrate salt is 115 . 7 g ( yield 53 . 9 %) elemental analysis : c , 53 . 80 %, h , 5 . 37 %, n , 6 . 35 % and calculated values for c 29 h 35 cl 2 n 3 o 9 . c , 54 . 38 %, h , 5 . 51 %, n , 6 . 56 % ir spectrum ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 3469 , 3211 , 3097 , 3065 , 2969 , 2844 , 2726 , 2623 , 1728 , 1639 , 1589 , 1518 , 1452 , 1403 , 1318 , 1275 , 1261 , 1194 , 1170 , 1096 , 1052 , 1045 , 1030 , 1010 , 958 , 952 , 931 , 894 , 864 , 826 , 785 , 734 , 712 , 670 , 640 and 566 . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , ppm ): 1 . 72 ( brs , 4h ), 2 . 39 - 2 . 88 ( m , 16h ), 3 . 09 ( brs , 2h ), 3 . 93 ( t , 2h ), 6 . 44 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 48 - 6 . 51 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 04 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 17 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 33 ( d , 2h ), 9 . 99 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , ppm ): 21 . 49 , 24 . 03 , 26 . 27 , 30 . 78 , 43 . 35 , 43 . 55 , 43 . 57 , 49 . 40 , 49 . 42 , 51 . 95 , 51 . 97 , 56 . 31 , 67 . 02 , 72 . 03 , 101 . 78 , 107 . 58 , 115 . 58 , 119 . 71 , 124 . 82 , 126 . 09 , 128 . 41 , 128 . 53 , 132 . 71 , 139 . 21 , 150 . 37 , 157 . 83 , 170 . 33 , 171 . 43 , 171 . 45 and 175 . 90 . the step - 1 is to be carried out in the same way as given in example - xii . sodium iodide ( 69 . 5 g , 0 . 463 mole ) is suspended in methanol ( 1500 ml ), mixed for about 10 min and charged 7 -( 4 - bromobutoxy )- 3 , 4 - dihydrocarbostyril ( 100 g , 0 . 335 mole ): the reaction mass is maintained at 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . for 30 min and triethylamine ( 69 g , 0 . 68 mole ) is added followed by 1 -( 2 , 3 - dichloro phenyl ) piperazine ( 90 . 0 g , 0 . 39 mole ) at 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . the temperature of the reaction mass is raised to reflux and maintained at reflux temperature for 15 hrs . then reaction mass is cooled to 25 ° c .- 35 ° c . for 30 min . the solid is filtered and the wet cake is washed with methanol ( 100 ml ). the wet cake is dissolved in methylene chloride ( 600 ml ), and aqueous hydrobromic acid ( 48 %, 30 ml ) is added at a temperature of 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . over 20 min and maintained at 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . for 60 min . the solid is filtered and the wet cake is washed with methylene chloride ( 100 ml ) and dried at 40 ° c .- 50 ° c . till becomes constant weight . the dry material is suspended in methanol ( 750 ml ), the temperature of the mass is raised to 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . and maintained for 30 min . the mass is cooled to 25 ° c .- 30 ° c . and maintained for 30 min . the wet cake filtered and washed with methanol ( 100 ml ) and dry at 40 ° c .- 45 ° c . till becomes - constant weight . the dry weight of aripiprazole hydro bromide salt is 90 . 8 g ( 52 . 7 %) elemental analysis : c , 51 . 99 %, h , 5 . 40 %, n , 7 . 66 % and calculated values for c 23 h 28 brcl 2 n 3 o 2 . c , 52 . 19 %, h , 5 . 33 %, n , 7 . 94 % ir spectrum ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 3426 , 3191 , 3057 , 2953 , 2651 , 2587 , 1692 , 1626 , 1592 , 1520 , 1483 , 1455 , 1378 , 1333 , 1311 , 1271 ′, 1196 , 1171 , 1133 , 1033 , 960 , 866 , 813 , 771 , 737 , 707 and 569 . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , ppm ): 1 . 75 - 1 . 85 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 41 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 79 ( t , 2h ), 3 . 03 - 3 . 65 ( m , 10h ), 3 . 95 ( t , 2h ), 6 . 44 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 49 - 6 . 52 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 06 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 21 - 7 . 41 ( m , 3h ), 9 . 56 ( brs , 1h ), 10 . 02 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , ppm ): 20 . 17 , 23 . 96 , 25 . 85 , 30 . 71 , 47 . 65 , 47 . 67 , 51 . 15 , 51 . 16 , 55 . 22 , 66 . 68 , 101 . 77 , 107 . 48 , 115 . 62 , 119 . 79 , 125 . 27 , 126 . 02 , 128 . 33 , 128 . 60 , 132 . 69 , 139 . 16 , 149 . 38 , 157 . 64 and 170 . 21 . aripiprazole acetic acid solvate ( 50 g ) is suspended in methanol ( 600 ml ), the temperature is raised to reflux and maintained at reflux temperature for about 2 hrs . the reaction mass is cooled , filtered , washed with methanol ( 50 ml ) and dry at 40 ° c .- 50 ° c . for 6 hrs . the dry wt of aripiprazole methanol solvate is 46 g ( yield 84 . 9 %) its dsc , ir and xrd identified the product as aripiprazole methanol solvate | 2 |
the following description and figures depict specific examples to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the best mode of the invention . for the purpose of teaching inventive principles , some conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted . those skilled in the art will appreciate variations from these examples that fall within the scope of the invention . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the features described below can be combined in various ways to form multiple variations of the invention . as a result , the invention is not limited to the specific examples described below , but only by the claims and their equivalents . fig1 illustrates communication system 100 in an example of the invention . communication system 100 includes wireless telephone 101 , wireless network 102 , wireless service node 103 , telephone network 104 , packet network appliance 105 , packet network 106 , and communication platform 107 . wireless service node 103 can communicate with wireless telephone 101 over wireless network 102 . wireless service node 103 is also coupled to telephone network 104 and platform 107 . platform 107 can communicate with packet network appliance 105 over packet network 106 . wireless telephone 101 could be any device or system configured to communicate with wireless service node 103 over wireless network 102 . some examples of wireless telephone 101 include mobile telephones , cellular telephones , computers , and personal digital assistants . wireless network 102 could be any device or system that communicates with wireless telephone 101 over an air interface . some examples of wireless network 102 include code division multiple access ( cdma ) networks , global system for mobile communications ( gsm ) networks , wireless fidelity ( wifi ) networks , and wimax networks . wireless service node 103 could be any device or system that controls communications with wireless telephone 101 over wireless network 102 . wireless service node 103 also interfaces with telephone network 104 and platform 107 . some examples of wireless service node 103 include mobile switching centers , wireless access points , service control points , and soft switches . telephone network 104 could be any device or system that transfers communications between telephones . some examples of telephone network 104 include the public switched telephone network ( pstn ), enterprise telephone networks , ip telephone networks , and wireless telephone networks . packet network appliance 105 could be any device or system that communicates over packet network 106 . some examples of packet network appliance 105 include computers , terminal adapters , ip gateways , personal digital assistants , and packet telephones . the packet format could be ip , asynchronous transfer mode ( atm ), ethernet , or some other packet format . packet network 106 could be any device or system that transfers packets . some examples of packet network 106 include ip networks , atm networks , and ethernet networks . communication platform 107 could be any computer platform with communication interfaces that is configured to operate as described herein . platform 107 may be integrated into other devices and systems . platform 107 may be distributed across several devices and systems . platform 107 could comprise a properly configured centrex server from avaya or broadsoft . fig2 illustrates communication platform 107 in an example of the invention . platform 107 includes signaling server 201 and media server 202 . signaling server 201 and media server 202 could be computerized communication systems with communication interfaces . signaling server 201 and media server 202 communicate over control link 203 . signaling server 201 and packet network appliance 105 exchange telecommunication signaling over signaling link 211 . this signaling could be session initiation protocol ( sip ) signaling or some other signaling format . signaling server 201 and wireless service node 103 exchange telecommunication signaling over signaling link 212 . this signaling could be signaling system seven ( ss7 ) signaling or some other signaling format . signaling server 201 and telephone network 104 exchange telecommunication signaling over signaling link 215 . this signaling could be ss7 signaling or some other signaling format . wireless service node 103 exchanges signaling with wireless telephone 101 over wireless signaling link 215 . this signaling could be any form of wireless telecommunication signaling . signaling server 201 may also exchange signaling with wireless telephone 101 over signaling links 212 and 215 . this signaling may be converted from one format to another by wireless service node 103 . media server 202 and packet network appliance 105 exchange user communications over bearer link 213 . these user communications could be packet voice , text messages , or some other type of packet - based user communication . media server 203 and wireless service node 103 exchange user communications over bearer link 214 . these user communications could be time division multiplex ( tdm ) voice , packet voice , text messages , or some other type of user communication . wireless service node 103 and wireless telephone 101 exchange the user communications over bearer link 215 . thus , media server 202 and wireless telephone 101 can exchange the user communications over bearer links 214 and 216 . these user communications may be converted from one format to another by wireless service node 103 . note that packet network 106 is omitted from fig2 for clarity , but packet network 102 transfers the signaling and user communications between platform 107 and appliance 105 over links 211 and 213 . also note that wireless network is omitted from fig2 for clarity , but wireless service node 102 transfers the signaling and user communications between node wireless service 103 and wireless telephone 101 over wireless links 215 - 216 . fig3 illustrates a call through telephone network 104 to wireless telephone 101 in an example of the invention . a caller ( not shown ) places the call to a telephone number that is shared by wireless telephone 101 and packet appliance 105 . telephone network 104 receives call request signaling for the call , and in response , transfers call request signaling , such as an ss7 initial address message ( iam ), to wireless service node 103 . based on the shared telephone number in the call request , wireless service node 103 transfers a call request signaling to platform 107 — this call request could be the same ss7 iam received from telephone network 104 . wireless service node 103 also accepts a bearer path for the call from telephone network 104 , and extends this bearer path to platform 107 . in response to the call request signaling , platform 107 transfers a ringback tone over the bearer path to wireless service node 103 , to telephone network 104 , and on to the caller to indicate that the call is proceeding . in response to the call request signaling , platform 107 identifies wireless telephone 101 and packet appliance 105 as associated with the called telephone number , and transfers separate ring instruction signaling to wireless service node 103 and packet network appliance 105 . the ring instruction signaling to wireless service node 104 could be an ss7 iam , and the ring instruction signaling to packet network appliance could 105 be a sip invite . platform 107 also extends the bearer path from wireless service node 103 over separate potential bearer paths to wireless service node 103 and to packet network appliance 105 . note that a potential bearer path through packet network 106 may consist of an ip address pair for packet network appliance 105 and platform 107 in response to the ring instruction signaling , packet network appliance 105 alerts the user of an incoming call through a ring , vibration , or other call alert . in response to the other ring instruction signaling , wireless service node 103 transfers ring instruction signaling to wireless telephone 101 , and wireless telephone 101 alerts the user of an incoming call through a ring , vibration , or other call alert . wireless service node 103 also extends the potential bearer path from platform 107 to wireless telephone 101 . wireless service node 103 may need to distinguish the call request signaling transferred by telephone network 104 from the call request signaling ( ring instructions ) transferred by platform 107 , since both could be ss7 iams . wireless service node 103 could distinguish this signaling by analyzing a code , such as the source address of the signaling or some other code inserted by platform 107 in this signaling . wireless service node 103 could identify the code to distinguish the signaling . for call request signaling from telephone network 104 specifying a shared telephone number , wireless service node 103 should forward the signaling to platform 107 . for call request signaling from platform 107 specifying one of the shared telephone numbers , wireless service node 103 should extend the call to the appropriate wireless telephone . note that platform 107 initiates a simultaneous ring on both wireless telephone 101 and packet network appliance 105 in response to a call to the shared telephone number . also note that platform 107 establishes separate potential bearer paths to both wireless telephone 101 and packet network appliance 105 . if desired , platform 107 can route incoming calls to only wireless telephone 101 if appliance 105 is not logged in to platform 107 . if desired , platform 107 can route incoming calls to only appliance 105 if wireless telephone 101 is not on . alternatively , the user can log into platform 107 and select call routing — route to both , route to telephone 101 , or route to appliance 105 . in this example , the user answers wireless telephone 101 . in response to the user &# 39 ; s answer , wireless telephone 101 indicates to wireless service node 103 that it has been answered , and wireless service node 103 transfers answer signaling to platform 107 indicating that wireless telephone 101 has answered the call . in response to the answer signaling , platform 107 transfers answer signaling , such as an ss7 answer message , to telephone network 104 . in response to the answer signaling , node 103 , network 104 , and platform 107 cut through the call over the bearer path to provide duplex communications between the caller and the called party ( the user of wireless telephone 101 ). note that before cut - through , only the portion of the duplex bearer path from the called party to the caller is operational , but after cut - through , the portion of the duplex bearer path from the caller to the called party becomes operational as well . platform 107 transfers stop ring signaling to packet network appliance 105 , and in response , appliance 105 stops alerting the user for the incoming call . platform 107 logs the call by recording the date , time , and telephone numbers associated with the call . platform 107 also logs whether the call uses wireless telephone 101 or packet network appliance 105 . platform 107 also drops the potential bearer path to appliance 105 . at this point , the duplex bearer path for the call extends from the caller ( not shown ) through telephone network 104 to wireless service node 103 to platform 107 then back to wireless service node 103 and on to wireless telephone 101 . fig4 illustrates a call through telephone network 104 to packet network appliance 105 in an example of the invention . a caller ( not shown ) places the call to the shared telephone number . telephone network 104 receives call request signaling for the call , and in response , transfers call request signaling to wireless service node 103 . based on the shared telephone number in the call request , wireless service node 103 transfers call request signaling to platform 107 . wireless service node 103 also accepts a bearer path for the call from telephone network 104 , and extends this bearer path to platform 107 . in response to the call request signaling , platform 107 transfers a ringback tone over the bearer path to wireless service node 103 , to telephone network 104 , and on to the caller to indicate that the call is proceeding . in response to the call request signaling , platform 107 identifies wireless telephone 101 and packet appliance 105 as associated with the called telephone number , and transfers separate ring instruction signaling to wireless service node 103 and packet network appliance 105 . the ring instruction signaling to wireless service node 104 could be an ss7 iam , and the ring instruction signaling to packet network appliance could 105 be a sip invite . platform 107 also extends the bearer path from wireless service node 103 over separate potential bearer paths to wireless service node 103 and to packet network appliance 105 . in response to the ring instruction signaling , packet network appliance 105 alerts the user of an incoming call through a ring , vibration , or other call alert . in response to the other ring instruction signaling , wireless service node 103 transfers ring instruction signaling to wireless telephone 101 , and wireless telephone 101 alerts the user of an incoming call through a ring , vibration , or other call alert . wireless service node 103 also extends the potential bearer path from platform 107 to wireless telephone 101 . in this example , the user answers packet network appliance 105 . in response to the user &# 39 ; s answer , packet network appliance 105 transfers answer signaling to platform 107 indicating that packet network appliance 105 has answered the call . in response to the answer signaling , platform 107 transfers answer signaling , such as an ss7 answer message , to telephone network 104 . in response to the answer signaling , node 103 , network 104 , and platform 107 cut through the call over the bearer path to provide duplex communications between the caller and the called party ( the user of packet network appliance 105 ). note that before cut - through , only the portion of the duplex bearer path from the called party to the caller is operational , but after cut - through , the portion of the duplex bearer path from the caller to the called party becomes operational . platform 107 transfers stop ring signaling to wireless service node 103 , and in response , wireless service node 103 transfers stop ring signaling to wireless telephone 101 , and wireless telephone 101 stops alerting the user for the incoming call . platform 107 logs the call by recording the date , time , and telephone numbers associated with the call . platform 107 also logs whether the call uses wireless telephone 101 or packet network appliance 105 . platform 107 also drops the potential bearer path back to wireless service node 103 , and wireless service node 103 drops the potential bearer path to wireless telephone 101 . at this point , the duplex bearer path for the call extends from the caller ( not shown ) through telephone network 104 to wireless service node 103 to platform 107 and on to packet network appliance 105 . fig5 illustrates a call from packet network appliance 105 through telephone network 104 to a called party in an example of the invention . the user operates packet network appliance 105 to transfer call request signaling , such as a sip invite , to platform 107 . in response , platform 107 transfers a call request , such as an ss7 iam , to telephone network 104 . platform 107 places the shared telephone number as the caller telephone number in the call request signaling to telephone network 104 . thus , the telephone number shared with wireless telephone 101 is delivered to the caller as the automatic number identification ( ani ) on calls placed by packet network appliance 105 . platform 107 establishes a bearer path from packet network appliance 105 to telephone network 104 . platform 107 receives alerting signaling from telephone network 104 indicating that the called party is being alerted . in response to the alerting signaling , platform 107 transfers ringback signaling to appliance 105 , and appliance 105 plays a ringback tone to the caller ( the user of appliance 105 ). platform 107 receives answer signaling from telephone network 104 indicating that the called party has answered the call . in response to the answer signaling , platform 107 and telephone network 104 cut - through the bearer path . platform 107 transfers stop ringback signaling to appliance 105 , and appliance 105 stops playing the ringback tone to the caller . platform 107 also logs the call as described above . at this point , the duplex bearer path for the call extends from packet network appliance 105 to platform 107 to telephone network 104 and on to the called party ( not shown ). fig6 illustrates a call from wireless telephone 101 through telephone network 104 to a called party in an example of the invention . the user operates wireless telephone 101 to transfer call request signaling to wireless service node 103 . in response to the call request signaling from wireless telephone 101 , wireless service node 103 transfers call request signaling to platform 107 and establishes a bearer path to platform 107 . in response , platform 107 transfers a call request , such as an ss7 lam , to telephone network 104 . platform 107 places the shared telephone number as the caller telephone number in the call request signaling to telephone network 104 . thus , the telephone number shared with packet network appliance 105 is delivered to the caller as the automatic number identification ( ani ) on calls placed by wireless telephone 101 . platform 107 also extends the bearer path to telephone network 104 . platform 107 receives alerting signaling from telephone network 104 indicating that the called party is being alerted . in response to the alerting signaling , platform 107 transfers ringback signaling to wireless service node 103 , and wireless service node 103 transfers ringback signaling to wireless telephone 101 . in response to the ringback signaling , wireless telephone 101 plays a ringback tone to the caller ( the user of wireless telephone 101 ). platform 107 receives answer signaling from telephone network 104 indicating that the called party has answered the call , and in response , platform 107 transfers answer signaling to wireless service node 103 . in response to the answer signaling , node 103 , platform 107 , and telephone network 104 cut - through the bearer path . wireless service node 103 also transfers stop ringback signaling to wireless telephone 101 , and wireless telephone 101 stops playing the ringback tone to the caller . platform 107 also logs the call as described above . at this point , the duplex bearer path for the call extends from wireless telephone 101 to wireless service node 103 to platform 107 to telephone network 104 and on to the called party ( not shown ). in the above examples , the user could initiate calls from either wireless telephone 101 or packet network appliance 105 . note that the same telephone number is delivered as the ani on these calls . on incoming calls to the shared telephone number , note that the user has the option of answering the call over either wireless telephone 101 or packet network appliance 105 . this option is facilitated by the use of simultaneous ringing and separate potential bearer paths . advantageously , wireless telephone 101 and packet network appliance 105 share the same telephone number . also note that calls can be routed through platform 107 , so platform 107 can log all calls and apply additional services . fig7 illustrates a messaging service in an example of the invention . communication system 100 now includes message server 108 . message server 108 could support a short message service ( sms ), or some other form of messaging service . when message server 108 receives a message for wireless telephone 101 , message server 108 forwards the message to wireless telephone 101 over a messaging channel — typically a signaling link through wireless service node 103 and network 102 . message server 107 also forwards the message to platform 107 . platform 107 transfers the message to packet network appliance 105 . thus , messages for the user of wireless telephone 101 that are received into message server 108 are transferred to both wireless telephone 101 and packet network appliance 105 . alternatively , when message server 108 receives a message for wireless telephone 101 or packet network appliance 105 , message server 108 forwards the message to platform 107 . in response , platform 107 transfers the message through wireless service node 103 to wireless telephone 101 , and platform 107 also transfers the message to packet network appliance 105 . if desired , platform 107 can discard messages for appliance 105 if appliance 105 is not logged in to platform 107 . if desired , platform 107 can discard messages for wireless telephone 101 if telephone 101 is not on . alternatively , the user can log into platform 107 and select message routing — route to both , route to telephone 101 , or route to appliance 105 . wireless telephone 101 transfers messages to message server 108 over the messaging channel . in response , message server 108 forwards the message to the appropriate recipient . alternatively , wireless telephone 101 could transfer the messages to platform 107 , and platform 107 could transfer the messages to message server 108 . packet network appliance 105 also transfers messages to platform 107 . this message transfer could use sip over signaling link 211 . platform 107 forwards the message to message server 108 . this message forwarding could use sms . in response , message server 108 forwards the message to the appropriate recipient . fig8 illustrates a voice mail service in an example of the invention . communication system 100 now includes voice mail server 109 . when an incoming call is not answered by the user from either wireless telephone 101 or appliance 105 after a set time period or number of rings , platform 107 extends the call to voice mail server 109 . the caller then leaves a voice mail for the user with voice mail server 109 . voice mail server 109 informs platform 107 that a voice message has been received for the shared telephone number . in response , platform 107 transfers a message waiting indicator over a signaling channel to wireless telephone 101 , and wireless telephone 101 indicates the waiting message to the user through a tone , icon , or some other notice . platform 107 also transfers a message waiting indicator over the signaling channel to packet network appliance 105 , and network appliance 105 indicates the waiting message to the user through a tone , icon , or some other notice . the user may access the voice mail through wireless telephone 101 by calling voice mail . wireless service node 103 extends the call to voice mail server 109 , and the user interacts with voice mail server 109 to access the voice mail . the user may also access the voice mail through network appliance 105 by calling voice mail . platform 107 extends the call to voice mail server 109 , and the user interacts with voice mail server 109 to access the voice mail . after the voice mail is accessed by the user , voice mail server 109 informs platform 107 that no messages are awaiting . in response , platform 107 transfers a no message waiting indicator over the signaling channel to wireless telephone 101 , and wireless telephone 101 removes the message waiting indication . platform 107 also transfers a no message waiting indicator over the signaling channel to packet network appliance 105 , and network appliance 105 removes the message waiting indication . in some examples , wireless service node 103 may also have an associated voice mail server ( not shown ). unanswered calls could also be transferred to this voice mail system . thus , the voice mail operations described above could be distributed between voice mail server 109 and the voice mail server associated with wireless service node 103 . note that communication platform 107 typically handles calls to and from the telephone number . this enables platform 107 to maintain a detailed call log for the telephone number by allocating calls into lists for incoming calls , outgoing calls , received calls , and recent calls — even if appliance 105 is used on the call . each list indicates the telephone numbers , time , date , and user device ( telephone 101 or appliance 105 ) associated with each call . the user may access their call log through packet network appliance 105 by accessing platform 107 over packet network 106 . once the user logs - in to platform 107 , platform 107 provides a graphical user interface ( gui ) with options , and one of the options is to view the call log . when viewing the call log through appliance 105 , the user may place another call by selecting one of the calls . platform 107 then initiates a call from appliance 105 to telephone network 104 using the telephone number from the selected entry . wireless telephone 101 could maintain its own call log for the calls it actually handles , or the call log in telephone 101 could be synchronized with the call log in platform 107 over the signaling channel . wireless telephone 101 maintains a personal address book . the personal address book includes a list of names and telephone numbers . platform 107 maintains copy of the personal address book , and the two personal address books can be synchronized over the signaling channel . if the user modifies the personal address book in telephone 101 , then the change is reflected in the personal address book in platform 107 . if the user modifies the personal address book in platform 105 , then the change is reflected in the personal address book in telephone 101 . in addition , the user may access their personal address book in platform 107 through packet network appliance 105 over packet network 106 . once the user logs - in to platform 107 , platform 107 provides a graphical user interface ( gui ) with options , and one of the options is to view and edit the personal address book . when viewing the personal address book through appliance 105 , the user may place another call by selecting one of the address book entries . platform 107 then initiates a call from appliance 105 to telephone network 104 using the telephone number from the selected entry . note that the user can also initiate calls in a similar fashion from telephone 101 using its personal address book . advantageously , wireless telephone 101 and packet network appliance 105 share the same telephone number . communication network 100 integrates several services for wireless telephone 101 and packet network appliance 105 . the user has the option of using either wireless telephone 101 or packet network appliance 105 to place and answer calls , send and receive messages , and access voice mail . the user also has the option of accessing a call log or personal address book from either wireless telephone 101 or packet network appliance 105 . the user may then place calls from either the call log or the personal address book . | 7 |
an optical image capturing system , in order from an object side to an image side , includes a first lens , a second lens , a third lens , a fourth lens , a fifth lens , and a sixth lens elements with refractive power . the optical image capturing system may further include an image sensing device which is disposed on an image plane . the optical image capturing system is to use five sets of wavelengths which are 470 nm , 510 nm , 555 nm , 610 nm and 650 nm , respectively , wherein 555 nm is served as the primary reference wavelength . a ratio of the focal length f of the optical image capturing system to a focal length fp of each of lens elements with positive refractive power is ppr . a ratio of the focal length f of the optical image capturing system to a focal length fn of each of lens elements with negative refractive power is npr . a sum of the ppr of all lens elements with positive refractive power is σppr . a sum of the npr of all lens elements with negative refractive powers is inpr . it is beneficial to control the total refractive power and the total length of the optical image capturing system when following conditions are satisfied : 0 . 5 ≦ σppr /| σnpr |≦ 2 . 5 . preferably , the following relation may be satisfied : 1 ≦ σppr /| σnpr |≦ 2 . 0 . height of the optical image capturing system is hos . when the ratio of hos / f is closed to 1 , it &# 39 ; s favorable for manufacturing a minimized optical image capturing system for image formation with ultra - high pixels . the sixth lens element with negative refractive power may have a concave image - side surface . hereby , the back focal length is reduced for maintaining the miniaturization , to miniaturize the lens element effectively . in addition , at least one of the object - side and the image - side surfaces of the sixth lens element may have at least one inflection point , such that the angle of incident with incoming light from an off - axis view field can be suppressed effectively and the aberration in the off - axis view field can be corrected further . preferably , each of the object - side surface and the image - side surface of the sixth lens element has at least one inflection point . the optical image capturing system may further include an image sensing device which is disposed on an image plane . half of a diagonal of an effective detection field of the image sensing device ( imaging height or the maximum image height of the optical image capturing system ) is hoi . a distance on the optical axis from the object - side surface of the first lens element to the image plane is hos . the following relation is satisfied : hos / hoi ≦ 3 and 0 . 5 ≦ hos / f ≦ 10 . preferably , the following relation may be satisfied : 1 ≦ hos / hoi ≦ 2 . 5 and 1 ≦ hos / f ≦ 9 . hereby , the miniaturization of the optical image capturing system can be maintained effectively , to be carried by lightweight portable electronic devices . in addition , in the optical image capturing system of the disclosure , according to different requirements , at least one aperture stops may be arranged for reducing stray light and improving the image quality . in the optical image capturing system of the disclosure , the aperture stop may be a front or middle aperture . the front aperture is the aperture stop between a photographed object and the first lens element . the middle aperture is the aperture stop between the first lens element and the image plane . if the aperture stop is the front aperture , a longer distance between the exit pupil and the image plane of the optical image capturing system can be formed , such that more optical elements can be disposed in the optical image capturing system and the effect of receiving images of the image sensing device can be raised . if the aperture stop is the middle aperture , the view angle of the optical image capturing system can be expended , such that the optical image capturing system has the same advantage that is owned by wide angle cameras . a distance from the aperture stop to the image plane is ins . the following relation is satisfied : 0 . 3 ≦ ins / hos ≦ 1 . 1 . preferably , the following relation may be satisfied : 0 . 4 ≦ ins / hos ≦ 1 . hereby , features of maintaining the minimization for the optical image capturing system and having wide - angle are available simultaneously . in the optical image capturing system of the disclosure , a distance from the object - side surface of the first lens element to the image - side surface of the sixth lens element is intl . a total central thickness of all lens elements with refractive power on the optical axis is σtp . the following relation is satisfied : 0 . 45 ≦ σtp / intl ≦ 0 . 95 . hereby , contrast ratio for the image formation in the optical image capturing system and defect - free rate for manufacturing the lens element can be given consideration simultaneously , and a proper back focal length is provided to dispose others optical components in the optical image capturing system . a curvature radius of the object - side surface of the first lens element is r 1 . a curvature radius of the image - side surface of the first lens element is r 2 . the following relation is satisfied : 0 . 01 ≦| r 1 / r 2 |≦ 10 . hereby , the first lens element may have proper strength of the positive refractive power , to avoid the longitudinal spherical aberration to increase too fast . preferably , the following relation may be satisfied : 0 . 01 ≦| r 1 / r 2 |≦ 7 . a curvature radius of the object - side surface of the sixth lens element is r 11 . a curvature radius of the image - side surface of the sixth lens element is r 12 . the following relation is satisfied : − 80 & lt ;( r 11 − r 12 )/( r 11 + r 12 )& lt ; 30 . hereby , the astigmatic generated by the optical image capturing system can be corrected beneficially . a distance between the first lens element and the second lens element on the optical axis is in 12 . the following relation is satisfied : 0 & lt ; in 12 / f ≦ 2 . preferably , the following relation may be satisfied : 0 . 01 ≦ in 12 / f ≦ 1 . 9 . hereby , the chromatic aberration of the lens elements can be improved , such that the performance can be increased . central thicknesses of the first lens element and the second lens element on the optical axis are tp 1 and tp 2 , respectively . the following relation is satisfied : 1 ≦( tp 1 + in 12 )/ tp 2 ≦ 10 . hereby , the sensitivity produced by the optical image capturing system can be controlled , and the performance can be increased . central thicknesses of the fifth lens element and the sixth lens element on the optical axis are tp 5 and tp 6 , respectively , and a distance between the fifth lens element and the sixth lens element on the optical axis is in 56 . the following relation is satisfied : 0 . 2 ≦( tp 6 + in 56 )/ tp 5 ≦ 20 . hereby , the sensitivity produced by the optical image capturing system can be controlled and the total height of the optical image capturing system can be reduced . central thicknesses of the third lens element , the fourth lens element , and the fifth lens element on the optical axis are tp 3 , tp 4 , and tp 5 , respectively . a distance between the third lens element and the fourth lens element on the optical axis is in 34 . a distance between the fourth lens element and the fifth lens element on the optical axis is in 45 . a distance from the object - side surface of the first lens element to the image - side surface of the sixth lens element is intl . the following relation is satisfied : 0 . 1 ≦( tp 3 + tp 4 + tp 5 )/ σtp ≦ 0 . 8 . preferably , the following relation may be satisfied : 0 . 4 ≦( tp 3 + tp 4 + tp 5 )/ σtp ≦ 0 . 8 . hereby , the aberration generated by the process of moving the incident light can be adjusted slightly layer upon layer , and the total height of the optical image capturing system can be reduced . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from a maximum effective diameter position to an axial point on the object - side surface of the fifth lens element is inrs 51 ( the inrs 51 is positive if the horizontal displacement is toward the image - side surface , or the inrs 51 is negative if the horizontal displacement is toward the object - side surface ). a distance in parallel with an optical axis from a maximum effective diameter position to an axial point on the image - side surface of the fifth lens element is inrs 52 . a central thickness of the fifth lens element on the optical axis is tp 5 . the following relation is satisfied : 0 & lt ;| inrs 52 |/ tp 5 ≦ 5 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for manufacturing and forming the lens element and for maintaining the minimization for the optical image capturing system . a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the object - side surface of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 51 . a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the image - side surface of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 52 . the following relation is satisfied : 0 ≦ hvt 51 / hvt 52 . hereby , the aberration of the off - axis view field can be corrected effectively . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from a maximum effective diameter position to an axial point on the object - side surface of the sixth lens element is inrs 61 . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from a maximum effective diameter position to an axial point on the image - side surface of the sixth lens element is inrs 62 . a central thickness of the sixth lens element is tp 6 . the following relation is satisfied : 0 & lt ;| inrs 62 |/ tp 6 & lt ; 3 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for manufacturing and forming the lens element and for maintaining the minimization for the optical image capturing system . a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the object - side surface of the sixth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 61 . a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the image - side surface of the sixth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 62 . the following relation is satisfied : 0 & lt ; hvt 61 / hvt 62 . hereby , the aberration of the off - axis view field can be corrected effectively . the following relation is satisfied for the optical image capturing system of the disclosure : 0 . 2 ≦ hvt 62 / hoi ≦ 0 . 9 . preferably , the following relation may be satisfied : 0 . 3 ≦ hvt 62 / hoi ≦ 0 . 8 . hereby , the aberration of surrounding view field for the optical image capturing system can be corrected beneficially . the following relation is satisfied for the optical image capturing system of the disclosure : 0 ≦ hvt 62 / hos ≦ 0 . 5 . preferably , the following relation may be satisfied : 0 . 2 ≦ hvt 62 / hos ≦ 0 . 45 . hereby , the aberration of surrounding view field for the optical image capturing system can be corrected beneficially . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the object - side surface of the sixth lens element is denoted by inf 61 . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the image - side surface of the sixth lens element is denoted by inf 62 . the following relation is satisfied : 0 & lt ; inf 62 /( inf 62 + ct 6 )≦ 5 . preferably , the following relation may be satisfied : 0 . 1 ≦ inf 62 /( inf 62 + ct 6 )≦ 1 . the following relation is satisfied for the optical image capturing system of the disclosure : 1 mm ≦| inrs 52 |+| inrs 61 |≦ 5 mm . preferably , the following relation may be satisfied : 1 . 5 mm ≦| inrs 52 |+| inrs 61 |≦ 3 . 5 mm . thus , it &# 39 ; s favorable for correcting the aberration of surrounding view field for the optical image capturing system by controlling a distance of a maximum effective diameter between adjacent surfaces of the fifth lens element and the sixth lens element . the following relation is satisfied for the optical image capturing system of the disclosure : 0 ≦ inf 62 /| inrs 62 |≦ 120 . hereby , a depth of the maximum effective diameter and positions of appearing inflection points on the image - side surface of the sixth lens element can be controlled , to correct the aberration of off - axis view field and maintain the minimization for the optical image capturing system effectively . in one embodiment of the optical image capturing system of the present disclosure , the chromatic aberration of the optical image capturing system can be corrected by staggering the lens element with high dispersion coefficient and the lens element with low dispersion coefficient . z = ch 2 /[ 1 +[ 1 −( k + 1 ) c 2 h 2 ] 0 . 5 ]+ a 4 h 4 + a 6 h 6 + a 8 h 8 + a 10 h 10 + a 12 h 12 + a 14 h 14 + a 16 h ′ 6 + a 18 h 18 + a 20 h 20 + . . . ( 1 ), where z is a position value of the position along the optical axis and at the height h which reference to the surface apex ; k is the conic coefficient , c is the reciprocal of curvature radius , and a4 , a6 , a8 , a10 , a12 , a14 , a16 , a18 , and a20 are high order aspheric coefficients . the optical image capturing system provided by the disclosure , the lens elements may be made of glass or plastic material . if plastic material is adopted to produce the lens elements , the cost of manufacturing will be lowered effectively . if lens elements are made of glass , the heat effect can be controlled and the designed space arranged for the refractive power of the optical image capturing system can be increased . besides , the object - side surface and the image - side surface of the first through sixth lens elements may be aspheric , so as to obtain more control variables . comparing with the usage of traditional lens element made by glass , the number of using lens elements can be reduced and the aberration can be eliminated . therefore , the total height of the optical image capturing system can be reduced effectively . in addition , in the optical image capturing system provided of the disclosure , the lens element has a convex surface if the surface of the lens element is convex adjacent to the optical axis . the lens element has a concave surface if the surface of the lens element is concaving adjacent to the optical axis . in addition , in the optical image capturing system of the disclosure , according to different requirements , at least one aperture stop may be arranged for reducing stray light and improving the image quality . in the optical image capturing system of the disclosure , the aperture stop may be a front or middle aperture . the front aperture is the aperture stop between a photographed object and the first lens element . the middle aperture is the aperture stop between the first lens element and the image plane . if the aperture stop is the front aperture , a longer distance between the exit pupil and the image plane of the optical image capturing system can be formed , such that more optical elements can be disposed in the optical image capturing system and the effect of receiving images of the image sensing device can be raised . if the aperture stop is the middle aperture , the view angle of the optical image capturing system can be expended , such that the optical image capturing system has the same advantage that is owned by wide angle cameras . the optical image capturing system of the disclosure can be adapted to the optical image capturing system with automatic focus if required . with the features of a good aberration correction and a high quality of image formation , the optical image capturing system can be used in various application fields . according to the above embodiments , the specific embodiments with figures are presented in detailed as below . please refer to fig1 a , fig1 b , and fig1 c , fig1 a is a schematic view of the optical image capturing system according to the first embodiment of the present application , fig1 b is longitudinal spherical aberration curves , astigmatic field curves , and an optical distortion curve of the optical image capturing system in the order from left to right according to the first embodiment of the present application , and fig1 c is a tv distortion grid of the optical image capturing system according to the first embodiment of the present application . as shown in fig1 a , in order from an object side to an image side , the optical image capturing system includes a first lens element 110 , an aperture stop 100 , a second lens element 120 , a third lens element 130 , a fourth lens element 140 , a fifth lens element 150 , a sixth lens element 160 , an ir - bandstop filter 170 , an image plane 180 , and an image sensing device 190 . the first lens element 110 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the first lens element 110 has a convex object - side surface 112 and a concave image - side surface 114 , and both of the object - side surface 112 and the image - side surface 114 are aspheric . the second lens element 120 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the second lens element 120 has a convex object - side surface 122 and a concave image - side surface 124 , and both of the object - side surface 122 and the image - side surface 124 are aspheric . the third lens element 130 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the third lens element 130 has a convex object - side surface 132 and a convex image - side surface 134 , and both of the object - side surface 132 and the image - side surface 134 are aspheric . the fourth lens element 140 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the fourth lens element 140 has a concave object - side surface 142 and a convex image - side surface 144 , and both of the object - side surface 142 and the image - side surface 144 are aspheric . the fifth lens element 150 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the fifth lens element 150 has a convex object - side surface 152 and a convex image - side surface 154 , both of the object - side surface 152 and the image - side surface 154 are aspheric , and the object - side surface 152 has inflection points . the sixth lens element 160 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the sixth lens element 160 has a concave object - side surface 162 and a concave image - side surface 164 , both of the object - side surface 162 and the image - side surface 164 are aspheric , and the image - side surface 164 has inflection points . the ir - bandstop filter 180 is made of glass material without affecting the focal length of the optical image capturing system and it is disposed between the sixth lens element 160 and the image plane 170 . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a focal length of the optical image capturing system is f , an entrance pupil diameter of the optical image capturing system is hep , and half of a maximal view angle of the optical image capturing system is haf . the detailed parameters are shown as below : f = 5 . 2905 mm , f / hep = 1 . 4 , haf = 36 degree and tan ( haf )= 0 . 7265 . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a focal length of the first lens element 110 is f 1 and a focal length of the sixth lens element 160 is f 6 . the following relation is satisfied : f 1 = 7 . 984 mm , | f / f 1 |= 0 . 6626 , f 6 =− 6 . 1818 mm , | f 1 |& gt ; f 6 , and | f 1 / f 6 |= 1 . 2915 . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , focal lengths of the second lens element 120 , the third lens element 130 , the fourth lens element 140 , and the fifth lens element 150 are f 2 , f 3 , f 4 , and f 5 , respectively . the following relation is satisfied : | f 2 |+| f 3 |+| f 4 |+| f 5 |= 27 . 9195 mm , | f 1 |+| f 6 |= 14 . 1658 mm , and | f 2 |+| f 3 |+| f 4 |+| f 5 |+| f 6 |& gt ;| f 1 |+| f 6 |. a ratio of the focal length f of the optical image capturing system to a focal length fp of each of lens elements with positive refractive power is ppr . a ratio of the focal length f of the optical image capturing system to a focal length fn of each of lens elements with negative refractive power is npr . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a sum of the ppr of all lens elements with the positive refractive power is σppr = f / f 1 + f / f 3 + f / f 5 = 2 . 7814 . a sum of the npr of all lens elements with the negative refractive power is σnpr = f / f 2 + f / f 4 + f / f 6 =− 2 . 0611 , σppr /| σnpr |= 1 . 3494 . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance from the object - side surface 112 of the first lens element to the image - side surface 164 of the sixth lens element is intl . a distance from the object - side surface 112 of the first lens element to the image plane 180 is hos . a distance from an aperture stop 100 to the image plane 180 is ins . half of a diagonal of an effective detection field of the image sensing device 190 is hoi . a distance from the image - side surface 164 of the sixth lens element to the image plane 180 is inb . the following relation is satisfied : intl + inb = hos , hos = 8 . 9645 mm , hoi = 3 . 913 mm , hos / hoi = 2 . 2910 , hos / f = 1 . 6945 , ins = 8 . 3101 mm , and ins / hos = 0 . 927 . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a total central thickness of all lens elements with refractive power on the optical axis is σtp . the following relation is satisfied : σtp = 5 . 2801 mm and σtp / intl = 0 . 6445 . hereby , contrast ratio for the image formation in the optical image capturing system and defect - free rate for manufacturing the lens element can be given consideration simultaneously , and a proper back focal length is provided to dispose others optical components in the optical image capturing system . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a curvature radius of the object - side surface 112 of the first lens element is r 1 and a curvature radius of the image - side surface 114 of the first lens element is r 2 . the following relation is satisfied : | r 1 / r 2 |= 0 . 598 . hereby , the first lens element may have proper strength of the positive refractive power , to avoid the longitudinal spherical aberration to increase too fast . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a curvature radius of the object - side surface 162 of the sixth lens element is r 11 and a curvature radius of the image - side surface 164 of the sixth lens element is r 12 . the following relation is satisfied : ( r 11 − r 12 )/( r 11 + r 12 )=− 0 . 7976 . hereby , the astigmatic generated by the optical image capturing system can be corrected beneficially . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , focal lengths of the first lens element 110 , the third lens element 130 , and the fifth lens element 150 are f 1 , f 3 , and f 5 , respectively . a sum of focal lengths of all lens elements with positive refractive power is σpp . the following relation is satisfied : σpp = f 1 + f 3 + f 5 = 18 . 3455 mm and f 1 /( f 1 + f 3 + f 5 )= 0 . 4352 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for allocating the positive refractive power of the first lens element 110 to others convex lens elements , and the significant aberrations generated in the process of moving the incident light can be suppressed . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , focal lengths of the second lens element 120 , the fourth lens element 140 , and the sixth lens element 160 are f 2 , f 4 , and f 6 , respectively . a sum of focal lengths of all lens elements with negative refractive power is σnp . the following relation is satisfied : σnp = f 2 + f 4 + f 6 =− 23 . 7398 mm and f 6 /( f 2 + f 4 + f 6 )= 0 . 3724 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for allocating the negative refractive power of the sixth lens element to others concave lens elements , and the significant aberrations generated in the process of moving the incident light can be suppressed . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance between the first lens element 110 and the second lens element 120 on the optical axis is in 12 . the following relation is satisfied : in 12 = 0 . 8266 mm and in 12 / f = 0 . 1562 . hereby , the chromatic aberration of the lens elements can be improved , such that the performance can be increased . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , central thicknesses of the first lens element 110 and the second lens element 120 on the optical axis are tp 1 and tp 2 , respectively . the following relation is satisfied : tp 1 = 0 . 6065 mm , tp 2 = 0 . 4574 mm , and ( tp 1 + in 12 )/ tp 2 = 3 . 1331 . hereby , the sensitivity produced by the optical image capturing system can be controlled , and the performance can be increased . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , central thicknesses of the fifth lens element 150 and the sixth lens element 160 on the optical axis are tp 5 and tp 6 , respectively , and a distance between the fifth lens element and the sixth lens element on the optical axis is in 56 . the following relation is satisfied : tp 5 = 1 . 0952 mm , tp 6 = 0 . 4789 mm , and ( tp 6 + in 56 )/ tp 5 = 1 . 3378 . hereby , the sensitivity produced by the optical image capturing system can be controlled and the total height of the optical image capturing system can be reduced . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , central thicknesses of the third lens element 130 , the fourth lens element 140 , and the fifth lens element 150 on the optical axis are tp 3 , tp 4 , and tp 5 , respectively . a distance between the third lens element 130 and the fourth lens element 140 on the optical axis is in 34 . a distance between the fourth lens element 140 and the fifth lens element 150 on the optical axis is in 45 . the following relation is satisfied : tp 3 = 2 . 0138 mm , tp 4 = 0 . 6283 mm , tp 5 = 1 . 0952 mm , and ( tp 3 + tp 4 + tp 5 )/ σtp = 0 . 5843 . hereby , the aberration generated by the process of moving the incident light can be adjusted slightly layer upon layer , and the total height of the optical image capturing system can be reduced . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance in parallel with an optical axis from a maximum effective diameter position to an axial point on the object - side surface 152 of the fifth lens element is inrs 51 . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from a maximum effective diameter position to an axial point on the image - side surface 154 of the fifth lens element is inrs 52 . a central thickness of the fifth lens element 150 on the optical axis is tp 5 . the following relation is satisfied : inrs 51 = 0 . 3945 mm , inrs 52 =− 0 . 5015 mm , and | inrs 52 |/ tp 5 = 0 . 4579 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for manufacturing and forming the lens element and for maintaining the minimization for the optical image capturing system . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the object - side surface 152 of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 51 . a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the image - side surface 154 of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 52 . the following relation is satisfied : hvt 51 = 2 . 3446 mm and hvt 52 = 1 . 2401 mm . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the object - side surface 152 of the fifth lens element is inf 51 . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the image - side surface 154 of the fifth lens element is inf 52 . the following relation is satisfied : inf 51 = 0 . 4427 mm , inf 52 = 0 . 0638 mm , hvt 52 /( inf 52 + ct 5 )= 1 . 070 , and tan − 1 ( hvt 52 /( inf 52 + ct 5 ))= 46 . 9368 degree . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance in parallel with an optical axis from a maximum effective diameter position to an axial point on the object - side surface 162 of the sixth lens element is inrs 61 . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from a maximum effective diameter position to an axial point on the image - side surface 164 of the sixth lens element is inrs 62 . a central thickness of the sixth lens element 160 is tp 6 . the following relation is satisfied : inrs 61 =− 1 . 4393 mm , inrs 62 =− 0 . 1489 mm , and | inrs 62 |/ tp 6 = 0 . 3109 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for manufacturing and forming the lens element and for maintaining the minimization for the optical image capturing system . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the object - side surface 162 of the sixth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 61 . a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the image - side surface 164 of the sixth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 62 . the following relation is satisfied : hvt 61 = 0 mm , hvt 62 = 3 . 1461 mm , and hvt 61 / hvt 62 = 0 . hereby , the aberration of the off - axis view field can be corrected effectively . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , the following relation is satisfied : hvt 62 / hoi = 0 . 8040 . hereby , the aberration of surrounding view field for the optical image capturing system can be corrected beneficially . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , the following relation is satisfied : hvt 62 / hos = 0 . 3510 . hereby , the aberration of surrounding view field for the optical image capturing system can be corrected beneficially . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the object - side surface 162 of the sixth lens element is denoted by inf 61 . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the image - side surface 164 of the sixth lens element is denoted by inf 62 . the following relation is satisfied : inf 61 = 0 mm , inf 62 = 0 . 1954 mm , hvt 62 /( inf 62 + ct 6 )= 4 . 6657 , and tan − 1 ( hvt 62 /( inf 62 + ct 6 ))= 77 . 9028 degree . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , the following relation is satisfied : | inrs 52 |+| inrs 61 |= 1 . 9408 mm . thus , it &# 39 ; s favorable for correcting the aberration of surrounding view field for the optical image capturing system by controlling a distance of a maximum effective diameter between adjacent surfaces of the fifth lens element 150 and the sixth lens element 160 . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , the following relation is satisfied : inf 62 /| inrs 62 |= 1 . 3123 . hereby , a depth of the maximum effective diameter and positions of appearing inflection points on the image - side surface 164 of the sixth lens element 160 can be controlled , to correct the aberration of off - axis view field and maintain the minimization for the optical image capturing system effectively . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , the second lens element 120 , the fourth lens element 140 , and the sixth lens element 160 have negative refractive power . an abbe number of the second lens element is na 2 . an abbe number of the fourth lens element is na 4 . an abbe number of the sixth lens element is na 6 . the following relation is satisfied : 1 ≦ na 6 / na 2 . hereby , the chromatic aberration for the optical image capturing system can be corrected beneficially . in the first embodiment of the optical image capturing system , tv distortion for image formation in the optical image capturing system is tdt and optical distortion for image formation in the optical image capturing is odt . the following relation is satisfied : | tdt |= 0 . 96 % and | odt |= 1 . 9485 %. the detailed data of the optical image capturing system of the first embodiment is as shown in table 1 . table 1 is the detailed structure data to the first embodiment in fig1 a , the unit of the curvature radius , the thickness , the distance , and the focal length is millimeters ( mm ). surfaces 0 - 16 illustrate the surfaces from the object side to the image plane in the optical image capturing system . table 2 is the aspheric coefficients of the first embodiment , k is the conic coefficient in the aspheric surface formula , and a1 - a14 is the first through fourteen order aspheric surface coefficients , respectively . besides , the tables in following embodiments are referenced to the schematic view and the aberration graphs , respectively , and definitions of parameters in the tables are equal to those in the table 1 and the table 2 , so the repetitious details need not be given here . please refer to fig2 a , fig2 b , and fig2 c , fig2 a is a schematic view of the optical image capturing system according to the second embodiment of the present application , fig2 b is longitudinal spherical aberration curves , astigmatic field curves , and an optical distortion curve of the optical image capturing system in the order from left to right according to the second embodiment of the present application , and fig2 c is a tv distortion grid of the optical image capturing system according to the second embodiment of the present application . as shown in fig2 a , in order from an object side to an image side , the optical image capturing system includes an aperture stop 200 first lens element 210 , a second lens element 220 , a third lens element 230 , a fourth lens element 240 , a fifth lens element 250 , a sixth lens element 260 , an ir - bandstop filter 270 , an image plane 280 , and an image sensing device 290 . the first lens element 210 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the first lens element 210 has a convex object - side surface 212 and a concave image - side surface 214 , and both of the object - side surface 212 and the image - side surface 214 are aspheric . the second lens element 220 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the second lens element 220 has a convex object - side surface 222 and a convex image - side surface 224 , and both of the object - side surface 222 and the image - side surface 224 are aspheric . the third lens element 230 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the third lens element 230 has a concave object - side surface 232 and a concave image - side surface 234 , and both of the object - side surface 232 and the image - side surface 234 are aspheric . the fourth lens element 240 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the fourth lens element 240 has a convex object - side surface 242 and a convex image - side surface 244 , and both of the object - side surface 242 and the image - side surface 244 are aspheric . the fifth lens element 250 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the fifth lens element 250 has a concave object - side surface 252 and a convex image - side surface 254 , and both of the object - side surface 252 and the image - side surface 254 are aspheric . the sixth lens element 260 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the sixth lens element 260 has a concave object - side surface 262 and a convex image - side surface 264 , both of the object - side surface 262 and the image - side surface 264 are aspheric , and the image - side surface 264 has inflection points . the ir - bandstop filter 270 is made of glass material without affecting the focal length of the optical image capturing system and it is disposed between the sixth lens element 260 and the image plane 280 . in the second embodiment of the optical image capturing system , focal lengths of the second lens element 220 , the third lens element 230 , the fourth lens element 240 , and the fifth lens element 250 are f 2 , f 3 , f 4 , and f 5 , respectively . the following relation is satisfied : | f 2 |+| f 3 |+| f 4 |+| f 5 |= 13 . 59733 mm , | f 1 |+| f 6 |= 5 . 56188 mm , and | f 2 |+| f 3 |+| f 4 |+| f 5 |& gt ;| f 1 |+| f 6 |. in the second embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a central thickness of the fifth lens element 250 on the optical axis is tp 5 . a central thickness of the sixth lens element 260 is tp 6 . the following relation is satisfied : tp 5 = 0 . 388801 mm and tp 6 = 0 . 347001 mm . in the second embodiment of the optical image capturing system , the second lens element 220 , the fourth lens element 240 , and the fifth lens element 250 are convex lens elements , and focal lengths of the second lens element 220 , the fourth lens element 240 , and the fifth lens element 250 are f 2 , f 4 , and f 5 , respectively . a sum of focal lengths of all lens elements with positive refractive power is σpp . the following relation is satisfied : σpp = f 2 + f 4 + f 5 = 10 . 59517 mm and f 2 /( f 2 + f 4 + f 5 )= 0 . 343240363 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for allocating the positive refractive power of the second lens element 220 to others convex lens elements and the significant aberrations generated in the process of moving the incident light can be suppressed . in the second embodiment of the optical image capturing system , focal lengths of the first lens element 210 , the third lens element 230 , and the sixth lens element 260 are f 1 , 13 , and f 6 , respectively . a sum of focal lengths of all lens elements with negative refractive power is σnp . the following relation is satisfied : σnp = f 1 + f 3 + f 6 =− 8 . 56404 mm and f 1 /( f 1 + f 3 + f 6 )= 0 . 287991415 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for allocating the negative refractive power of the first lens element 210 to others concave lens elements . in the second embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the object - side surface 252 of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 51 . a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the image - side surface 254 of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 52 . the following relation is satisfied : hvt 51 = 0 mm and hvt 52 = 0 mm . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the object - side surface 252 of the fifth lens element is inf 51 . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the image - side surface 254 of the fifth lens element is inf 52 . the following relation is satisfied : inf 51 = 0 mm and inf 52 = 0 mm . the detailed data of the optical image capturing system of the second embodiment is as shown in table 3 . in the second embodiment , the presentation of the aspheric surface formula is similar to that in the first embodiment . besides , the definitions of parameters in following tables are equal to those in the first embodiment , so the repetitious details need not be given here . the following content may be deduced from table 3 and table 4 . please refer to fig3 a , fig3 b , and fig3 c , fig3 a is a schematic view of the optical image capturing system according to the third embodiment of the present application , fig3 b is longitudinal spherical aberration curves , astigmatic field curves , and an optical distortion curve of the optical image capturing system in the order from left to right according to the third embodiment of the present application , and fig3 c is a tv distortion grid of the optical image capturing system according to the third embodiment of the present application . as shown in fig3 a , in order from an object side to an image side , the optical image capturing system includes an aperture stop 300 first lens element 310 , a second lens element 320 , a third lens element 330 , a fourth lens element 340 , a fifth lens element 350 , a sixth lens element 360 , an ir - bandstop filter 370 , an image plane 380 , and an image sensing device 390 . the first lens element 310 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the first lens element 310 has a convex object - side surface 312 and a concave image - side surface 314 , and both of the object - side surface 312 and the image - side surface 314 are aspheric . the second lens element 320 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the second lens element 320 has a convex object - side surface 322 and a concave image - side surface 324 , and both of the object - side surface 322 and the image - side surface 324 are aspheric . the third lens element 330 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the third lens element 330 has a concave object - side surface 332 and a convex image - side surface 334 , and both of the object - side surface 332 and the image - side surface 334 are aspheric . the fourth lens element 340 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the fourth lens element 340 has a convex object - side surface 342 and a convex image - side surface 344 , and both of the object - side surface 342 and the image - side surface 344 are aspheric . the fifth lens element 350 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the fifth lens element 350 has a convex object - side surface 352 and a convex image - side surface 354 , and both of the object - side surface 352 and the image - side surface 354 are aspheric . the sixth lens element 360 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the sixth lens element 360 has a convex object - side surface 362 and a concave image - side surface 364 , both of the object - side surface 362 and the image - side surface 364 are aspheric and have inflection points . the ir - bandstop filter 370 is made of glass material without affecting the focal length of the optical image capturing system and it is disposed between the sixth lens element 360 and the image plane 380 . in the third embodiment of the optical image capturing system , focal lengths of the second through fifths lens elements are f 2 , f 3 , f 4 , and f 5 , respectively . the following relation is satisfied : | f 2 |+| f 3 |+| f 4 |+| f 5 |= 118 . 77051 mm , | f 1 |+| f 6 |= 9 . 27761 mm , and | f 2 |+| f 3 |+| f 4 |+| f 5 |& gt ;| f 1 |+| f 6 |. in the third embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a central thickness of the fifth lens element 350 on the optical axis is tp 5 . a central thickness of the sixth lens element 360 on the optical axis is tp 6 . the following relation is satisfied : tp 5 = 0 . 961615 mm and tp 6 = 0 . 555035 mm . in the third embodiment of the optical image capturing system , the second lens element 320 , the fourth lens element 340 and the fifth lens element 350 are convex lens elements , and focal lengths of the second lens element 320 , the fourth lens element 340 , and the fifth lens element 350 are f 2 , f 4 , and f 5 , respectively . a sum of focal lengths of all lens elements with positive refractive power is σpp . the following relation is satisfied : σpp = f 2 + f 4 + f 5 = 18 . 77471 mm and f 21 ( f 2 + f 4 + f 5 )= 0 . 54229333 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for allocating the positive refractive power of the second lens element 320 to others convex lens elements and the significant aberrations generated in the process of moving the incident light can be suppressed . in the third embodiment of the optical image capturing system , focal lengths of the first lens element 310 , the third lens element 330 , and the sixth lens element 360 are f 1 , f 3 , and f 6 , respectively . a sum of focal lengths of all lens elements with negative refractive power is σnp . the following relation is satisfied : σnp = f 1 + f 3 + f 6 =− 109 . 27341 mm and f 1 /( f 1 + f 3 + f 6 )= 0 . 039671591 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for allocating the negative refractive power of the first lens element 310 to others concave lens elements . in the third embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the object - side surface 352 of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 51 . a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the image - side surface 354 of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 52 . the following relation is satisfied : hvt 51 = 0 mm and hvt 52 = 0 mm . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the object - side surface 352 of the fifth lens element is inf 51 . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the image - side surface 354 of the fifth lens element is inf 52 . the following relation is satisfied : inf 51 = 0 mm and inf 52 = 0 mm . the detailed data of the optical image capturing system of the third embodiment is as shown in table 5 . in the third embodiment , the presentation of the aspheric surface formula is similar to that in the first embodiment . besides , the definitions of parameters in following tables are equal to those in the first embodiment , so the repetitious details need not be given here . the following content may be deduced from table 5 and table 6 . please refer to fig4 a , fig4 b , and fig4 c , fig4 a is a schematic view of the optical image capturing system according to the fourth embodiment of the present application , fig4 b is longitudinal spherical aberration curves , astigmatic field curves , and an optical distortion curve of the optical image capturing system in the order from left to right according to the fourth embodiment of the present application , and fig4 c is a tv distortion grid of the optical image capturing system according to the fourth embodiment of the present application . as shown in fig4 a , in order from an object side to an image side , the optical image capturing system includes an aperture stop 400 first lens element 410 , a second lens element 420 , a third lens element 430 , a fourth lens element 440 , a fifth lens element 450 , a sixth lens element 460 , an ir - bandstop filter 470 , an image plane 480 , and an image sensing device 490 . the first lens element 410 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the first lens element 410 has a convex object - side surface 412 and a concave image - side surface 414 , and both of the object - side surface 412 and the image - side surface 414 are aspheric . the second lens element 420 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the second lens element 420 has a convex object - side surface 422 and a concave image - side surface 424 , and both of the object - side surface 422 and the image - side surface 424 are aspheric . the third lens element 430 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the third lens element 430 has a convex object - side surface 432 and a convex image - side surface 434 , and both of the object - side surface 432 and the image - side surface 434 are aspheric . the fourth lens element 440 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the fourth lens element 440 has a concave object - side surface 442 and a concave image - side surface 444 , and both of the object - side surface 442 and the image - side surface 444 are aspheric . the fifth lens element 450 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the fifth lens element 450 has a concave object - side surface 452 and a convex image - side surface 454 , and both of the object - side surface 452 and the image - side surface 454 are aspheric . the sixth lens element 460 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the sixth lens element 460 has a convex object - side surface 462 and a concave image - side surface 464 , both of the object - side surface 462 and the image - side surface 464 are aspheric and have inflection points . the ir - bandstop filter 470 is made of glass material without affecting the focal length of the optical image capturing system and it is disposed between the sixth lens element 460 and the image plane 480 . in the fourth embodiment of the optical image capturing system , focal lengths of the second through fifth lens elements are f 2 , f 3 , f 4 , and f 5 , respectively . the following relation is satisfied : | f 2 |+| f 3 |+| f 4 |+| f 5 |= 49 . 05722 mm and | f 1 |−| f 6 |= 104 . 12902 mm . in the fourth embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a central thickness of the fifth lens element 450 on the optical axis is tp 5 . a central thickness of the sixth lens element 460 is tp 6 . the following relation is satisfied : tp 5 = 1 . 34896 mm and tp 6 = 0 . 775098 mm . in the fourth embodiment of the optical image capturing system , the second lens element 420 , the third lens element 430 , and the fifth lens element 450 are convex lens elements , and focal lengths of the second lens element 320 , the fourth lens element 340 , and the fifth lens element 350 are f 2 , f 3 , and f 5 , respectively . a sum of focal lengths of all lens elements with positive refractive power is σpp . the following relation is satisfied : σpp = f 2 + f 3 + f 5 = 38 . 99902 mm and f 2 /( f 2 + f 3 + f 5 )= 0 . 592278985 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for allocating the positive refractive power of the second lens element 420 to others convex lens elements and the significant aberrations generated in the process of moving the incident light can be suppressed . in the fourth embodiment of the optical image capturing system , focal lengths of the first lens element 410 , the fourth lens element 440 , and the sixth lens element 460 are f 1 , f 4 , and f 6 , respectively . a sum of focal lengths of all lens elements with negative refractive power is σnp . the following relation is satisfied : σnp = f 1 + f 4 + f 6 =− 114 . 18722 mm and f 1 /( f 1 + f 4 + f 6 )= 0 . 036282694 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for allocating the negative refractive power of the first lens element 410 to others concave lens elements . in the fourth embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the object - side surface 452 of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 51 . a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the image - side surface 454 of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 52 . the following relation is satisfied : hvt 51 = 1 . 25913 mm and hvt 52 = 0 mm . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the object - side surface 452 of the fifth lens element is inf 51 . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the image - side surface 454 of the fifth lens element is inf 52 . the following relation is satisfied : inf 51 =− 0 . 03639 mm and inf 52 = 0 mm . the detailed data of the optical image capturing system of the fourth embodiment is as shown in table 7 . in the fourth embodiment , the presentation of the aspheric surface formula is similar to that in the first embodiment . besides , the definitions of parameters in following tables are equal to those in the first embodiment , so the repetitious details need not be given here . the following content may be deduced from table 7 and table 8 . please refer to fig5 a , fig5 b , and fig5 c , fig5 a is a schematic view of the optical image capturing system according to the fourth embodiment of the present application , fig5 b is longitudinal spherical aberration curves , astigmatic field curves , and an optical distortion curve of the optical image capturing system in the order from left to right according to the fourth embodiment of the present application , and fig5 c is a tv distortion grid of the optical image capturing system according to the fifth embodiment of the present application . as shown in fig5 a , in order from an object side to an image side , the optical image capturing system includes an aperture stop 500 first lens element 510 , a second lens element 520 , a third lens element 530 , a fourth lens element 540 , a fifth lens element 550 , a sixth lens element 560 , an ir - bandstop filter 570 , an image plane 580 , and an image sensing device 590 . the first lens element 510 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the first lens element 510 has a convex object - side surface 512 and a concave image - side surface 514 , and both of the object - side surface 512 and the image - side surface 514 are aspheric . the second lens element 520 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the second lens element 520 has a convex object - side surface 522 and a concave image - side surface 524 , and both of the object - side surface 522 and the image - side surface 524 are aspheric . the third lens element 530 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the third lens element 530 has a convex object - side surface 532 and a convex image - side surface 534 , and both of the object - side surface 532 and the image - side surface 534 are aspheric . the fourth lens element 540 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the fourth lens element 540 has a convex object - side surface 542 and a convex image - side surface 544 , and both of the object - side surface 542 and the image - side surface 544 are aspheric . the fifth lens element 550 has negative refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the fifth lens element 550 has a concave object - side surface 552 and a concave image - side surface 554 , and both of the object - side surface 552 and the image - side surface 554 are aspheric . the sixth lens element 560 has positive refractive power and it is made of plastic material . the sixth lens element 560 has a convex object - side surface 562 and a convex image - side surface 564 , both of the object - side surface 562 and the image - side surface 564 are aspheric and have inflection points . the ir - bandstop filter 570 is made of glass material without affecting the focal length of the optical image capturing system and it is disposed between the sixth lens element 560 and the image plane 580 . in the fifth embodiment of the optical image capturing system , focal lengths of the second through fifth lens elements are f 2 , f 3 , f 4 , and f 5 , respectively . the following relation is satisfied : | f 2 |+| f 3 |+| f 4 |+| f 5 |= 27 . 12897 mm , | f 1 |+| f 6 |= 6 . 23646 mm , and | f 2 |+| f 3 |+| f 4 |+| f 5 |& gt ;| f 1 |±| f 6 |. in the fifth embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a central thickness of the fifth lens element 550 on the optical axis is tp 5 . a central thickness of the sixth lens element 560 is tp 6 . the following relation is satisfied : tp 5 = 0 . 2 mm and tp 6 = 2 . 1791 mm . in the fifth embodiment of the optical image capturing system , focal lengths of the second lens element 520 , the third lens element 530 the fourth lens element 540 , and the sixth lens element 560 are f 2 , f 3 , f 4 , and f 6 , respectively . a sum of focal lengths of all lens elements with positive refractive power is σpp . the following relation is satisfied : σnp = f 2 + f 3 + f 4 + f 6 = 27 . 14397 mm and f 2 /( f 2 + f 3 + f 4 + f 6 )= 0 . 587861687 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for allocating the positive refractive power of the second lens element 520 to others convex lens elements and the significant aberrations generated in the process of moving the incident light can be suppressed . in the fifth embodiment of the optical image capturing system , the first lens element 510 and the fifth lens element 550 are concave lens elements , and their focal lengths are f 1 and f 5 , respectively . a sum of focal lengths of all lens elements with negative refractive power is σnp . the following relation is satisfied : σnp = f 1 + f 5 =− 6 . 22146 mm and f 1 /( f 1 + f 5 )= 0 . 410310442 . hereby , it &# 39 ; s favorable for allocating the negative refractive power of the first lens element 510 to others concave lens elements . in the fifth embodiment of the optical image capturing system , a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the object - side surface 552 of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 51 . a distance perpendicular to the optical axis between a critical point on the image - side surface 554 of the fifth lens element and the optical axis is hvt 52 . the following relation is satisfied : hvt 51 = 0 mm and hvt 52 = 0 . 860214 mm . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the object - side surface 552 of the fifth lens element is inf 51 . a distance in parallel with an optical axis from an inflection point to an axial point on the image - side surface 554 of the fifth lens element is inf 52 . the following relation is satisfied : inf 51 = 0 mm and inf 52 = 0 . 013706 mm . the detailed data of the optical image capturing system of the fifth embodiment is as shown in table 9 . in the fifth embodiment , the presentation of the aspheric surface formula is similar to that in the first embodiment . besides , the definitions of parameters in following tables are equal to those in the first embodiment , so the repetitious details need not be given here . the following content may be deduced from table 9 and table 10 . although the present invention has been disclosed in the preceding descriptions , it is not used to limit the present invention . any person skilled in the art is able to modify and retouch it without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . therefore , the protected scope of the present invention is defined on the basis of the following claims . while the means of specific embodiments in present invention has been described by reference drawings , numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims . the modifications and variations should in a range limited by the specification of the present invention . | 6 |
while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described , it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . in various signal processing applications , one must apply an invertible linear transformation . the input vectors are often given as integers , while the transformation has real entries . in some situations , it is convenient to approximate the linear transformation by another ( possibly nonlinear ) invertible transformation which maps integer vectors to integer vectors . there are actually two versions of this problem . the first version exists when the given vectors have a fixed ( probably small ) length n . given a linear map from r n onto r n specified by an n × n matrix a , and a ( probably nonlinear ) bijection φ is needed from z n to z n which is close to a in the sense that ∥ ax − φx ∥ is bounded for xεz n . ( we will use the euclidean norm , but one could use other norms as well . note also the use of the words “ length ” for the number of coordinates in a vector , and “ norm ” for the euclidean magnitude of the vector .) equivalently , we have the standard integer lattice z n and a linearly transformed lattice az n , and we want to find a bijection ψ from the transformed lattice to the original lattice which moves points as small a distance as possible ( so ψ = φ · a − 1 ). please note that we are using the same symbol a for the linear transformation and for its associated matrix . in the second version of the problem , the input vectors are signals which can have unbounded length , but are of bounded amplitude ( i . e ., the values appearing as coordinates of the vector are bounded ). both versions of the problem were described in co - pending and co - filed prior provisional u . s . application ser . nos . 60 / 250 , 829 and 60 / 250 , 850 , each of which are hereby incorporated by reference . several methods providing practical solutions to these problems will be discussed in this document . the image processing methods described herein can be performed in various software systems . for both versions of the problem , the goal is to find an integer bijection φ approximating the given transformation so that the approximation error is bounded over all inputs , preferably with a small bound . ( of course , there are other properties one would like φ to have , such as easy computability of φ and φ − 1 .) as we will see , this is possible only if the determinant is ± 1 in the fixed - length case ; there is a similar restriction in the unbounded - length case . even then it is not obvious that one can get the error to be bounded . in the fixed - length case , one could try some sort of greedy algorithm which initially maps each point in the first lattice to the nearest point in the second lattice and then goes through a correction process to resolve collisions ( two points mapped to the same point ) and gaps ( points in the second lattice not images of any point in the first lattice ), but the corrections might get worse and worse as more points are processed , and it is not at all clear that one can get a bounded - error bijection this way . we start by showing that , in the fixed - length case , a necessary condition for the existence of a bounded - error integer approximation φ to the linear transformation a is that det a =± 1 . suppose that such a φ exists with error bound δ , and let ψ = φ · a − 1 . then for a large positive integer m , the points in the transformed lattice az n within the cube [− m , m ] n are mapped by ψ to standard lattice points in the slightly larger cube [− m − δ , m + δ ] n , and all standard lattice points in the smaller cube [− m + δ , m + δ ] n are reached in this way . so the number of transformed lattice points in the cube [− m , m ] n must be ( 2m + 1 ) n + o ( m n − 1 ) for large m ; this implies that the determinant of the transformed lattice ( i . e ., det a ) is ± 1 . we may as well assume that the determinant is 1 , because , if it is − 1 , we can negate a row of the matrix to change the determinant to + 1 . an integer approximation for the modified matrix easily yields an integer approximation for the original matrix ( just negate the specified coordinate at the end ). the main approach we will use for integer approximations is to divide and conquer : if we have a linear transformation with no obvious suitable integer approximation , then we factor the matrix into parts which we do know how to approximate . the composition of these approximations of parts will be a suitable approximation to the entire transformation . to see this , first consider the two - factor case : if a = a 1 a 2 and we have φ 1 and φ 2 approximating a 1 and a 2 so that ∥ a 1 x − φ 1 x ∥≦ c 1 and ∥ a 2 x − φ 2 x ∥≦ c 2 for all x , then φ 1 · φ 2 approximates a , because a 1 a 2 x - φ 1 φ 2 x ≤ a 1 a 2 x - a 1 φ 2 x + a 1 φ 2 x - φ 1 φ 2 x ≤ a 1 a 2 x - φ 2 x + a 1 φ 2 x - φ 1 φ 2 x ≤ a 1 c 2 + c 1 . we can iterate this : if a = a 1 a 2 . . . a k where each a i can be approximated by an integer mapping with error bound c i , then a can be approximated by the composition of these integer mappings with error bound c 1 +∥ a 1 ∥ c 2 +∥ a 1 ∥∥ a 2 ∥ c 3 + . . . +∥ a 1 ∥∥ a 2 ∥ . . . ∥ a k − 1 ∥ c k . ( 1 . 1 ) if one does the whole computation here at once , rather than iteratively , one gets a slightly improved form of the bound : c 1 +∥ a 1 ∥ c 2 +∥ a 1 a 2 ∥ c 3 + . . . +∥ a 1 a 2 . . . a k − 1 ∥ c k . ( 1 . 2 ) since the goal here is to produce invertible integer approximations to invertible linear transformations , we will also be interested in error estimates for the inverse transform : we will want a bound on ∥ a − 1 y − φ − 1 y ∥ over all integer vectors y . this bound will not in general be the same as the bound for the forward transform , but it is closely related : for any such y , if we let x = φ − 1 y , then a - 1 y - φ - 1 y = a - 1 φ x - x = a - 1 φ x - a - 1 ax = a - 1 ( φ x - ax ) ≤ a - 1 ax - φ x ( 1 . 3 ) a similar computation gives ∥ ax − φx ∥≦∥ a ∥∥ a − 1 y − φ − 1 y ∥, so ∥ a − 1 y − φ − 1 y ∥≧∥ a ∥ − 1 ∥ ax − φx ∥. formulas such as ( 1 . 2 ) indicate that , if multiple factorizations of a given transformation are available , then the ones with fewer factors are likely to have better error bounds ( assuming that the error bounds and norms for the factors in the factorizations are similar ). a special factor that will occur frequently in factorizations and is easy to handle is a permutation matrix which merely rearranges coordinates or bands . in fact , we can generalize this by allowing some of the 1 &# 39 ; s in the permutation matrix to be changed to − 1 &# 39 ; s ( negating some coordinates or bands ). this will be needed because permutation matrices can have determinant − 1 and we usually want to restrict to matrices of determinant 1 . we will often refer to such signed permutation matrices as ‘ permutation ’ matrices . such a matrix is normally a “ free ” factor : it is approximable by an integer mapping with error 0 , and its norm is 1 , so it does not inflate the errors from the other factors in formula ( 1 . 1 ). in fact , since this matrix gives an isometry both of r n and of z n , it cannot have any effect on the error bounds from a factorization if it occurs first or last in that factorization . if it occurs in the middle , then it might have a slight effect on the error by affecting the relation between the two factors it lies between . another type of factor which will be fundamental in the following is an elementary matrix , which differs from the identity matrix only at a single off diagonal entry . applying such a matrix has the effect of adding a multiple of one coordinate to another coordinate . a ( x 1 x 2 ) = ( x 1 + a 12 x 2 x 2 ) , φ ( x 1 x 2 ) = ( 〈 x 1 + a 12 x 2 〉 x 2 ) = ( x 1 + 〈 a 12 x 2 〉 x 2 ) , where & lt ; y & gt ; is y rounded to an integer in a consistent way ( say , round to nearest with half - integers rounded upward ) so that , for any integer n and real number y , y ,& lt ; n + y & gt ;= n +& lt ; y & gt ;. ( consistency is needed only if we want to think of the mapping φ as “ apply a and then round all coordinates to integers .” if we are willing to forget about & lt ; x 1 + a 12 x 2 & gt ; and go straight to x 1 +& lt ; a 12 x 2 & gt ;, then any rounding function can be used .) then we have ∥ ax − φx ∥≦ ½ . and p is invertible : if φ ( x 1 x 2 ) = ( y 1 y 2 ) , then x 2 = y 2 and x 1 = y 1 −& lt ; a 12 x 2 & gt ;. ( note that y 1 −& lt ; a 12 x 2 & gt ; might occasionally be different from y 1 +& lt ;− a 12 x 2 & gt ;. in other words , the inverse of the integer approximation of a need not be the same as the integer approximation of the inverse of a , because the rounding is done slightly differently . however , for elementary matrices the differences should be rare , occurring only when the number to be rounded is equal to or very near a half - integer .) we will see in the section entitled “ larger matrices ” that unit triangular matrices ( i . e ., lower or upper triangular matrices whose diagonal entries are all 1 ) are as suitable as elementary matrices for the purpose of obtaining integer approximations . one can think of the usual full gaussian elimination process as factoring a matrix into elementary matrices , simple permutation matrices ( for pivoting ), and a diagonal matrix . for most applications of such factorizations , the elementary matrices are the ones requiring attention , while the permutations and diagonal matrices are trivial and can be ignored . the present situation is an exception ; elementary matrices ( and permutation matrices ) are easy to handle directly , but diagonal matrices are not . we will investigate the 2 × 2 diagonal matrices extensively in the next section . the linear transformations and the corresponding integer approximations may change the range that the coordinates vary over — an approximation which maps integers to integers need not map 16 - bit integers to 16 - bit integers . it is easy to determine the new ranges after the linear transformation : if the transformation is given by a =( a ij ) n , n and input coordinate number j is bounded in absolute value by b j for each j , then output coordinate number i is bounded in absolute value by σ j = 1 n | a ij | b j . ( similar bounds can be computed if the input coordinates are restricted to intervals not symmetric around 0 .) since the integer approximation is supposed to be within a fixed distance of the linear transformation , one can easily adjust these bounds to get bounds for the approximation . ( however , intermediate results may not lie within these bounds ; one may need to compute ranges for the individual factor matrices in order to bound these .) as mentioned in the previous section , diagonal matrices , which are trivial for most applications , are quite nontrivial when it comes to integer approximations ; here we will factor them into matrices which can be approximated directly . we may assume that the given diagonal matrix has determinant 1 . furthermore , if we have an n × n diagonal matrix of determinant 1 , we can factor it into simpler diagonal matrices of determinant 1 each having only two nontrivial diagonal entries : the n = 3 case is ( d 1 0 0 0 d 2 0 0 0 d 3 ) = ( d 1 0 0 0 d 1 - 1 0 0 0 1 ) ( 1 0 0 0 d 1 d 2 0 0 0 d 3 ) and larger matrices are handled similarly . so we can concentrate on the determinant - 1 2 × 2 diagonal matrix we may assume α & gt ; 0 , since otherwise we can just pull out the scaling factor d = ( 1 r 0 1 ) ( 1 0 s 1 ) ( 1 - r α - 1 0 1 ) ( 1 0 - s α 1 ) ( 2 . 1 ) d = ( 1 0 s 1 ) ( 1 r 0 1 ) ( 1 0 - s α 1 ) ( 1 - r α - 1 0 1 ) ( 2 . 2 ) where rs + 1 = α . − 1 any such factorization leads to a bounded - error integer approximation for d . a plausible choice for r and s would be to “ balance ” the factors by requiring | r |=| sα |, but it is not clear that this will minimize the error bound . the factorizations appearing in the prior art are ( 2 . 1 ) with r = α − α 2 and ( 2 . 2 ) with s =− 1 . or we can factor d into three elementary matrices and a ‘ permutation ’ matrix : d = ( 0 1 - 1 0 ) ( 1 0 α 1 ) ( 1 - α - 1 0 1 ) ( 1 0 α 1 ) , ( 2 . 3 ) d = ( 0 - 1 1 0 ) ( 1 α - 1 0 1 ) ( 1 0 - α 1 ) ( 1 α - 1 0 1 ) . ( 2 . 4 ) one can modify these so as to have the ‘ permutation ’ matrix appear at a different place in the factorization ; this will not affect the error bounds we obtain here . the factorizations ( 2 . 3 ) and ( 2 . 4 ) are closely related : one can get ( 2 . 4 ) from ( 2 . 3 ) by interchanging the two coordinates throughout and replacing α with α − 1 . note that “ interchanging the two coordinates ” is equivalent to conjugation by the reverse - diagonal matrix similarly , one gets ( 2 . 2 ) from ( 2 . 1 ) by interchanging the two coordinates , replacing α with α − 1 , and interchanging r and s . note that these error bounds apply to d in isolation . if the diagonal matrix is just one part of a larger transformation , then when the parts are put together one can often combine factors such as adjacent elementary matrices with the nonzero entry in the same location ; this normally will reduce the resulting error . the factorizations ( 2 . 1 )-( 2 . 4 ) of d can easily be inverted to give factorizations of d − 1 into elementary factors . as noted earlier , the integer approximations for these inverse factorizations are not quite the same as the inverses of the integer approximations for the direct factorizations . however , in the 2 × 2 case the differences only show up when a result lies exactly halfway between two integers and must be rounded to one of them ( assuming rounding to the nearest integer ). since the analysis here will not depend on how such choices are made , we can do error analysis of the inverse factorizations to get error bounds for the inverse transformation . it turns out that we do not need to do any additional work to get the bounds for the inverse transformation here . the inverse of ( 2 . 3 ) is : d - 1 = ( 1 0 α 1 ) - 1 ( 1 - α - 1 0 1 ) - 1 ( 1 0 α 1 ) - 1 ( 0 1 - 1 0 ) - 1 = ( 1 0 - α 1 ) ( 1 - α - 1 0 1 ) ( 1 0 - α 1 ) ( 0 - 1 1 0 ) . ( an isometry which will not affect error bounds and which commutes with the given diagonal matrix ) gives the formula d - 1 = ( 1 0 α 1 ) ( 1 - α - 1 0 1 ) ( 1 0 α 1 ) ( 0 1 - 1 0 ) . this is exactly the same as ( 2 . 3 ) except that the ‘ permutation ’ occurs at the left ( the end ) instead of the right ( the beginning ). it follows that any error bound we obtain for the forward transform for ( 2 . 3 ) will also be a bound for the error in the inverse transform . the same reasoning shows that any forward transform error bound for ( 2 . 4 ) is also an inverse transform error bound . the inverse of ( 2 . 1 ) turns out to be ( 2 . 2 ) with α , r , s replaced with α − 1 , sα , rα − 1 respectively , so we can obtain inverse transform error bounds for ( 2 . 1 ) from forward transform error bounds for ( 2 . 2 ); similarly , forward transform error bounds for ( 2 . 1 ) give inverse transform error bounds for ( 2 . 2 ). ( 1 r 0 1 ) = ( 1 0 r 1 ) = r + r 2 + 4 2 . using this and the combination formula ( 1 . 1 ), one can compute an error bound for the integer mappings coming from each of the factorizations ( 2 . 1 )-( 2 . 4 ). ( each of the 2 × 2 elementary matrices has an error bound of ½ unless it has integer entries , in which case it has error bound 0 .) however , the formulas for these bounds are rather messy ; for instance , the error bound for ( 2 . 3 ) is 1 8 ( 4 + ( 2 + α - 1 + 4 + α - 2 ) ( α + 4 + α - 2 ) ) . as a useful example , let us consider the special case α =√{ square root over ( 2 )}. in this case the error bounds for ( 2 . 3 ) and ( 2 . 4 ) become respectively 1 4 ( 2 + ( 3 + 1 ) ( 2 + 2 ) ) ≈ 2 . 8319512300735069 , 1 2 ( 2 + 2 + 3 ) ≈ 2 . 5731321849709862 . for ( 2 . 1 ) and ( 2 . 2 ) with α =√{ square root over ( 2 )}, the error bound c is still a messy function , this time of the parameter r ( from which s is computable : s =( α − 1 )/ r or s =( α − 1 − 1 )/ r . note that we may assume r & gt ; 0 , since negating r and s yields another valid factorization without changing the norms of the factors . as previously mentioned , a plausible choice of r is r =√{ square root over ( 2 −√{ square root over ( 2 )})}≈ 0 . 7653668647301795 for ( 2 . 1 ) and r =√{ square root over (√{ square root over ( 2 )}− 1 )}≈ 0 . 6435942529055826 for ( 3 . 2 ); these yield error bounds of about 3 . 4167456510765178 and 3 . 1662988562277977 , respectively . numerical optimization on r yields the following values : using more detailed calculations , we can get error estimates more precise than those obtained from norms of matrices . look at a particular elementary factor matrix a i . if the nonzero off diagonal entry of a i is in the upper right , and if φ i x is the result of rounding a i x to integer coordinates , then for any integer vector x i the error vector φ i x i − a i x i will have the form ( e i , 0 ), where | e i |≦ ½ . combining this for all factors in a product a = a 1 a 2 . . . a k , we get d = φ 1 φ 2 . . . φ k x − ax = d 1 + a 1 d 2 + a 1 a 2 d 3 + . . . + a 1 a 2 . . . a k − 1 d k , d i = φ i φ i + 1φ i + 2 . . . φ k x − a i φ i + 1φ i + 2 . . . φ k x is of the form ( e i , 0 ) if a i is elementary with upper right entry nonzero , d i =( 0 , e i ) if a i is elementary with lower left entry nonzero , and d i is the zero vector ( i . e ., term number i in the error bound is omitted ) if a i is an integer matrix . we can now find the maximum possible value of ∥ d ∥ subject to the constraint that | e i |≦ ½ for all i , and this will give an error bound for the integer approximation of a . d = ( e 2 + e 3 α - e 3 + e 4 α - 1 ) . clearly we maximize ∥ d ∥ by letting e 2 , e 3 , e 4 all have absolute value ½ , with e 2 and e 3 having the same sign and e 4 having the opposite sign . this gives the error bound d ≤ 1 2 ( 1 + α - 1 ) 1 + α 2 . because of the known relation between ( 2 . 3 ) and ( 2 . 4 ), we get the error bound for ( 2 . 4 ) by replacing α with α − 1 in the error bound for ( 2 . 3 ): d ≤ 1 2 ( 1 + α ) 1 + α - 2 . these two bounds are actually equal . in the case α =√{ square root over ( 2 )}, the common value of the bound is 1 4 3 ( 2 + 2 ) ≈ 1 . 4783978394802332 . d = ( e 1 + e 2 r + e 3 α e 2 + e 3 s + e 4 α - 1 ) . this leads to case distinctions based on the signs of α − 1 , r , and s . as before , we may assume that r & gt ; 0 ; this means that a − 1 and s have the same sign , since rs = α − 1 . if α & gt ; 1 , and hence s & gt ; 0 , then clearly ∥ d ∥ is maximized when the errors e i are all ½ or all − ½ . so the error bound is : d ≤ ( r α ( r + α + 1 ) ) 2 + ( r ( α + 1 ) + α ( α - 1 ) ) 2 2 r α . one can actually work out the critical points of this function of r ( holding α fixed ) by solving a fourth - degree polynomial equation , but it is probably more convenient to find the optimal value of r numerically . if α & lt ; 1 ( so s & lt ; 0 ), then the choice of signs for the errors e i is much less clear ; aligning them to make one component of d maximal will cause cancellation in the other component . one must consider the various possibilities to see which yields the longest error vector for given values of α and r . ( it is easy to see that e i should be ± ½ , because the most distant point from the origin on a line segment is always one of the two endpoints ; only the signs of the numbers e i are unknown .) the situation for ( 2 . 2 ) is reversed : for α & lt ; 1 one can get a single formula for the maximal error , but for α & gt ; 1 one must look at various cases . again consider the example α =√{ square root over ( 2 )}. for ( 2 . 1 ) we have a single error formula and can proceed directly to numerical optimization to find that the best value for r is about 0 . 5789965414556075 , giving an error bound of about 1 . 9253467944884184 . for ( 2 . 2 ), the error bound is the maximum of four separate formulas ; it turns out that this is minimized where two of the formulas cross each other , at r =√{ square root over ( 2 √{ square root over ( 2 )}− 2 )}/ 2 ≈ 0 . 4550898605622273 , and the error bound is √{ square root over ( 12 + 18 √{ square root over ( 2 )})}/ 4 ≈ 1 . 5300294956861884 . we still have to consider special values of r and s where one of the four matrices in ( 2 . 1 ) or ( 2 . 2 ) is integral , and hence the corresponding e i becomes 0 . among these are several cases giving an error bound matching the value from ( 2 . 3 ), and two cases which give even better bounds : putting r =√{ square root over ( 2 )} in ( 2 . 2 ) gives an error bound of √{ square root over ( 21 + 8 √{ square root over ( 2 )})}/ 4 = 1 . 4211286997265756 , and putting r = 1 − 1 /√{ square root over ( 2 )} in ( 2 . 2 ) gives an error bound of √{ square root over ( 6 + 2 √{ square root over ( 2 )})}/ 2 ≈ 1 . 3614526765897057 . even this does not exhaust the error analysis for ( 2 . 1 )-( 2 . 4 ). the error bounds obtained above are not sharp , because the errors e i are not actually independent of each other . for instance , in the computation for ( 2 . 3 ), e 2 is not independent of e 3 and e 4 : one can show that e 2 + αe 3 − e 4 must be an integer . ( if we start with an integer vector x =( x1 , x2 ), then the second component of φ 4 x is b = x 2 + x 1 α + e 4 and the second component of φ 2 φ 3 φ 4 x is b ′= x 1 α + e 3 α + e 2 ; these are both integers , so b ′− b + x 2 = e 2 + αe 3 − e 4 is an integer .) using this , we can get the following error bound : d ≤ { 1 2 ( α + 1 ) 2 + α - 2 ( 2 ⌈ α / 2 ⌉ - 1 ) 2 if α & gt ; 1 , 1 2 ( α - 1 + 1 ) 2 + ( 2 ⌈ α / 2 ⌉ - 1 ) 2 if α & lt ; 1 . replace α with α − 1 to get the corresponding error bound for ( 2 . 4 ). for α =√{ square root over ( 2 )} the error bounds for ( 2 . 3 ) and ( 2 . 4 ) are √{ square root over ( 14 + 8 √{ square root over ( 2 )})}/ 4 ≈ 1 . 2578182623839374 and √{ square root over ( 4 + 2 √{ square root over ( 2 )})}/ 2 ≈ 1 . 3065629648763765 , respectively . such improvements for ( 2 . 1 ) and ( 2 . 2 ) are available only for special values of r and s , and depend highly on the specific form of these numbers and of α . for instance , in ( 2 . 2 ) for α =√{ square root over ( 2 )} and r = 1 − 1 /√{ square root over ( 2 )}, this method gives an error bound of √{ square root over ( 4 + 2 √{ square root over ( 2 )})}/ 2 , the same as for ( 3 . 4 ) above . these final error bounds for ( 2 . 3 ) and ( 2 . 4 ) are provably sharp when α is irrational , as is the above bound for the instance r = 1 − 1 /√{ square root over ( 2 )} of ( 2 . 2 ). so ( 2 . 3 ) appears to give the best results among these methods when α =√{ square root over ( 2 )}. if α is rational ( and , in the case of ( 2 . 1 ) and ( 2 . 2 ), the parameters r and s are also rational ), then the errors from the integer approximation are periodic in both coordinates , so one can perform a finite computation to get the exact error bound for a particular factorization . one can obtain other integer approximation methods for rational a by constructing a finite configuration on a rectangle in the plane and extending ‘ periodically ’ to get the full mapping . even for irrational α , where a ‘ periodic ’ solution is not available , one can still use integer approximation methods completely different from those obtained via factorization into elementary matrices . as noted before , one can use gaussian elimination to factor an n × n matrix of determinant 1 into elementary matrices , permutation matrices ( or ‘ permutation ’ matrices of determinant 1 ), and a diagonal matrix of determinant ± 1 ; we may assume that the determinant of the diagonal matrix is 1 , because we can transfer a negation to one of the ‘ permutation ’ factors . a diagonal matrix of determinant 1 can be factored into simpler diagonal matrices which have only two entries different from 1 , these entries being reciprocals of each other ; these simpler matrices can then be factored as in ( 2 . 1 )-( 2 . 4 ). so we know that any matrix of determinant 1 can be factored into integer - approximable factors . but this process would yield a very large number of factors . the number of factors can be drastically reduced if we work with a family of factor matrices more general than the elementary matrices but still allowing easy bounded - error integer approximations . the matrices we will use here are the unit triangular matrices , which are ( lower or upper ) triangular matrices whose diagonal entries are all 1 . ( note that any elementary matrix is unit triangular .) fig2 illustrates the process followed to generate the elementary matrices , permutation matrices and diagonal matrix used in the present invention . u = ( 1 a 12 a 13 ⋯ a 1 n 0 1 a 12 ⋯ a 2 n 0 0 1 ⋯ a 3 n ⋮ ⋮ ⋮ ⋰ ⋮ 0 0 0 ⋯ 1 ) , u ( x 1 x 2 x 3 ⋮ x n ) = ( x 1 + a 12 x 2 + a 13 x 3 + … + a 1 n x n x 2 + a 23 x 3 + … + a 2 n x n x 3 + … + a 3 n x n ⋮ x n ) , φ ( x 1 x 2 ⋮ x n ) = ( x 1 + 〈 a 12 x 2 + a 13 x 3 + … + a 1 n x n 〉 x 2 + 〈 a 23 x 3 + … + a 2 n x n 〉 ⋮ x n ) . this will give ∥ ux − φx ∥≦√{ square root over ( n − 1 )}/ 2 for all integer vectors x . and φ is invertible : φ ( x 1 x 2 ⋮ x n ) = ( y 1 y 2 ⋮ y n ) , x n - 1 = y n - 1 - 〈 a n - 1 , n x n 〉 , x n - 2 = y n - 2 - 〈 a n - 2 , n - 1 x n - 1 + a n - 2 , n x n 〉 , x 1 = y 1 - 〈 a 12 x 2 + … + a 1 n x n 〉 . note that φ can be computed in place ( output entries overwriting input entries ) if the output entries are computed in the order y 1 , y 2 , . . . , y n ; φ − 1 can also be computed in place , with the results computed downward from x n to x 1 . again we find that φ − 1 is not the same as the integer approximation to the matrix u − 1 ( which is also unit upper triangular ). the difference here is more substantial than in the 2 × 2 case . for instance , if n = 3 and we apply the approximation for u and then the approximation for u − 1 to the starting integer vector ( x 1 , x 2 , x 3 ), the first coordinate of the result will be x 1 +& lt ; a 12 x 2 + a 13 x 3 & gt ;+− a 12 x 2 − a 13 x 3 + a 12 ( a 23 x 3 −& lt ; 23 x 3 & gt ;) , which is quite likely to be different from x 1 even without boundary effects in the rounding rule . ( in fact , the recursion displayed above in the computation of φ − 1 tends to result in larger error bounds for the inverse transform than for the forward transform .) the same approximation method works for a unit lower triangular matrix ; one merely has to compute the output coordinates in the reverse order . ( again , one can convert between upper triangular and lower triangular using conjugation by a reverse - diagonal matrix j .) actually , there are variants where the coordinates are computed in any specified order ; these are obtained by combining a unit triangular matrix with a ‘ permutation ’ matrix . since a general matrix of determinant 1 can be factored into elementary matrices , it certainly can be factored into unit triangular matrices . the main question now is how many unit triangular factors are required in general . a quick lower bound can be obtained by counting degrees of freedom ( free parameters ). the general matrix of determinant 1 has n 2 − 1 degrees of freedom . a unit triangular matrix has ( n 2 − n )/ 2 degrees of freedom ; hence , at least three such factors are needed to handle the general matrix ( assuming n & gt ; 1 ). note that a product of unit upper triangular matrices is unit upper triangular , and a product of unit lower triangular matrices is unit lower triangular . so , in a factorization into unit triangular matrices , we may assume that the two types of matrix alternate . we just saw that a product of two unit triangular matrices is not general enough to give an arbitrary matrix of determinant 1 . it turns out that the family of matrices that can be expressed as a product of two unit triangular matrices , say in the order lu , is an interesting one . one of ordinary skill in the art would be capable of expressing matrices as a product of two unit triangular matrices since such results are related to the method of expressing the diagonal entries of the upper triangular factor in a standard lu - decomposition as quotients of determinants of leading square submatrices of the original matrix . proposition 3 . 1 . an n × n matrix a =( a ij ) n , n can be expressed in the form lu ( l unit lower triangular , u unit upper triangular ) if and only if , for each k ≦ n , the leading k × k submatrix of a ( i . e ., the upper left k × k submatrix of a , or ( a ij ) k , k , or a k × k ) has determinant 1 . proof . it is easy to see from the special forms of l and u that ( lu ) k × k =( l k × k ) ( u k × k ) for any k ≦ n . since l k × k and u k × k obviously have determinant 1 , ( lu ) k × k must have determinant 1 . suppose a has the specified leading - submatrix property . if we express the unknown l and u as ( b ij ) n , n and ( c ij ) n , n ( so b ii = c ii = 1 , b ij = 0 for i & lt ; j , and c ij = 0 for i & gt ; j ), then lu works out to be ( 1 c 12 c 13 c 14 ⋯ b 21 1 + b 21 c 12 c 23 + b 21 c 13 c 24 + b 21 c 14 ⋯ b 31 b 32 + b 31 c 12 1 + b 32 c 23 + c 34 + b 32 c 24 + ⋯ b 31 c 13 b 31 c 14 b 41 b 42 + b 41 c 12 b 43 + b 42 c 23 + 1 + b 43 c 34 + b 42 c 24 + ⋯ b 41 c 13 b 41 c 14 ⋮ ⋮ ⋮ ⋮ ⋰ ) . so we can set b i1 and c i1 so that the entries of lu in the first column ( below the diagonal ) and the first row ( right of the diagonal ) will match the corresponding entries of a . then we can set b i2 and c 2i so that the remaining off - diagonal entries in the second row and column of lu match those of a . continuing this way , we obtain matrices l and u of the required form so that all off - diagonal entries of lu match the corresponding entries of a . using the fact that a and lu both have the property that all leading square submatrices have determinant 1 , we now show by induction on k that the k &# 39 ; th diagonal entry of lu is a kk . suppose this is true for all k ′& lt ; k . then a k × k and ( lu ) k × k agree except possibly at the lower right entry . if we treat a kk as an unknown , then the equation det ( a k × k )= 1 is a linear equation for a kk and the coefficient of a kk is det ( a ( k − 1 )×( k − 1 ))= 1 , so a kk is uniquely determined . the lower right entry of ( lu ) k × k satisfies exactly the same equation , so it must be equal to a kk . the right - to - left direction could be proved more briefly as follows : given the matrix a , perform the standard lu - decomposition ( no pivoting is needed ) to write a as a product of a unit lower triangular matrix and a general upper triangular matrix ; then , from the above , the diagonal entries of the second factor will all be 1 . a more explicit proof was presented above to show the simplifications that arise in this special case . in fact , given a suitable matrix a =( a ij ) n , n , there is a quite simple algorithm to compute matrices l =( b ij ) n , n and u =( c ij ) n , n as above . start by setting x ij ← a ij for all i , j ≦ n , and do : for i = k + 1 to n for j = k + 1 to n x ij ← x ij - x ik x kj ( 3 . 1 ) then we will have x ij = b ij for i & gt ; j and x ij = c ij for i & lt ; j ( and x ij = 1 ). by reversing the indices both horizontally and vertically , we see that a matrix can be written in the form ul ( with l and u as above ) if and only if all of its lower right square submatrices have determinant 1 . to handle more general matrices of determinant 1 , we need more than two factors . it turns out that three factors ( along with a possible ‘ permutation ’) will always suffice . in fact , since three factors give more degrees of freedom than we need , we can be more specific by requiring one of the three unit triangular factors to have a special form . proposition 3 . 2 . let a =( a ij ) n , n be an n × n matrix of determinant 1 such that all of the submatrices ( a i + 1 , j ) k , k for 1 ≦ k ≦ n − 1 have nonzero determinant . then a can be written in the form u 1 lu where u 1 and u are unit upper triangular , l is unit lower triangular , and the only nonzero entries of u 1 are on the diagonal or the top row . proof we first find a matrix a ′ differing from a only in the first row so that all leading square submatrices of a ′ have determinant 1 . let a ′ 11 , a ′ 12 , . . . , a ′ 1n denote the unknown entries of the first row of a ′. then , once we know a ′ 11 , a ′ 12 , . . . , a ′ 1 , k − 1 , we can determine a ′ 1k so that a ′ k × k will have determinant 1 . this condition is a linear equation for a ′ 1k and the coefficient of the linear term is ± det ( a i + 1 , j ) k − 1 , k − 1 ( define this to be 1 for k = 1 ), which is nonzero by assumption , so there is a ( unique ) value which works for a ′ 1k . so we can proceed from left to right to determine all of the unknown entries of a ′ if we can find a matrix u 1 of the required form so that a = u 1 a ′, then we can use proposition 3 . 1 to express a ′ in the form lu for unit triangular matrices l and u , giving a = u 1 lu as desired . let 1 , u 2 , u 3 , . . . , u n denote the entries of the first row of u 1 . then the unknown values u i must satisfy the equations a 21 u 2 + a 31 u 3 + … + a n 1 u n = a 11 - a 11 ′ , a 22 u 2 + a 32 u 3 + … + a n 2 u n = a 12 - a 12 ′ , a 2 n u 2 + a 3 n u 3 + … + a nn u n = a 1 n - a 1 n ′ . if we just look at the first n − 1 of these equations , then the ( n − 1 )×( n − 1 ) matrix of coefficients is ( a i + 1 , j ) n - 1 , n - 1 t , which has - nonzero determinant , so there are unique numbers u 2 , . . . , u n satisfying these n − 1 equations . this means that the resulting matrix u 1 will be such that u 1 a ′ agrees with a everywhere except possibly at the upper right corner entry . but a and u 1 a ′ both have determinant 1 , and the cofactor of the upper right corner in the computation of these determinants is det ( a i + 1 , j ) n - 1 , n - 1 ≠ 0 , so a and u 1 a ′ must in fact agree everywhere . the special case n = 2 of this proposition is of interest ; it states that any 2 × 2 matrix of determinant 1 with a 21 ≠ 0 can be written as a product of three elementary matrices . it is not hard to work out this factorization explicitly : a = ( 1 a 11 - 1 a 21 0 1 ) ( 1 0 a 21 1 ) ( 1 a 22 - 1 a 21 0 1 ) . ( 3 . 2 ) by transposing everything and reversing the order of the factors , we get a similar factorization for a 2 × 2 matrix of determinant 1 with upper right entry nonzero . so it is only the diagonal matrices which require four factors as discussed above in the section devoted to the 2 × 2 diagonal matrix . ( it is not hard to show that a non - identity 2 × 2 diagonal matrix cannot be written as a product of elementary factors without using at least two upper factors and two lower factors — for instance , if only one lower factor is used , then the nonzero lower left entry of this factor will be the same as the lower left entry of the product .) a given matrix of determinant 1 might not satisfy the hypothesis of proposition 3 . 2 , but this problem can be handled by a small modification of the matrix . given any nonsingular matrix , one can permute the rows so as to get all leading square submatrices to have nonzero determinant . ( expand the determinant of the matrix by minors on the last column ; since the determinant is nonzero , one of these minors has nonzero determinant . so we can swap rows so that the leading ( n − 1 )×( n − 1 ) submatrix has nonzero determinant . now proceed recursively .) then we can move the last row up to the top ( and negate it if necessary to restore the determinant to + 1 ) to get a matrix satisfying the hypotheses of proposition 3 . 2 . therefore : theorem 3 . 3 . any matrix of determinant 1 can be factored in the form πu 1 lu , where π is a signed permutation matrix , u 1 and u are unit upper triangular , l is unit lower triangular , and the only nonzero entries of u 1 are on the diagonal or the top row . there is a version of theorem 3 . 3 which applies to any nonsingular matrix a : one can factor a in the form π u 1 lu where π is a ‘ permutation ’ matrix , l is unit lower triangular , u is unit upper triangular , and u 1 is a matrix which differs from the identity matrix only in its first row . ( so u 1 is like u 1 except that the upper left entry of u 1 may differ from 1 .) to see this , first note that the argument just before theorem 3 . 3 applies here to find a ‘ permutation ’ π such that a = π a where a is such that the submatrices specified in proposition 3 . 2 have nonzero determinant . let d be the determinant of a , and let a ′ be a with its first row divided by d . apply proposition 3 . 2 to factor a ′ in the form u 1 lu , and let u 1 be u 1 with its first row multiplied by d ; then we have a = π u 1 lu as desired . by tracing through the proofs leading up to theorem 3 . 3 , one can extract an algorithm for factoring a matrix of determinant 1 in the specified form , but it will not be a good algorithm . in particular , instead of using trial and error with subdeterminants to choose a ‘ permutation ’ π , we would like to have a method 300 that works faster and produces more numerically stable results . it turns out that the standard lu - decomposition algorithm provides just what is needed . fig3 illustrates a method 300 for generating matrix factors for a given matrix a of determinant 1 . gaussian elimination can be performed on this matrix using elementary operations and permutations on the rows only ( partial pivoting ) to reduce the matrix to upper triangular form 310 . this means that we get the equation { tilde over ( π )} a ={ tilde over ( l )} , where { tilde over ( π )} is a permutation , { tilde over ( l )} is unit lower triangular , and is upper triangular 320 ( it could be factored further into a diagonal matrix { tilde over ( d )} and an unit upper triangular matrix ũ , but we will not need that here ). note that ({ tilde over ( l )} ) k × k =({ tilde over ( l )} k × k ) ( k × k ) and the latter two matrices have nonzero determinant ( the determinant of k × k is the product of its diagonal entries , which is nonzero because the product of all of the diagonal entries of is =( det ({ tilde over ( π )} a ))/( det { tilde over ( l )})=± 1 . so now we can take { tilde over ( π )} a transfer the bottom row to the top , and negate this row if necessary so that the resulting matrix â will have determinant 1 ; then â is a ‘ permuted ’ version of a ( step 350 ) which satisfies the hypotheses of proposition 3 . 2 . let σ = det { tilde over ( π )} be the sign of the permutation given by { tilde over ( π )}. then the top row of â is the bottom row of { tilde over ( π )} a multiplied by (− 1 ) n + 1 σ , and we have â ={ circumflex over ( π )} a , where { circumflex over ( π )} is { tilde over ( π )} with its bottom row moved to the top and multiplied by (− 1 ) n + 1 σ ( step 340 ). now we can write a = πâ , where π ={ circumflex over ( π )} − 1 ={ circumflex over ( π )} t . note that { circumflex over ( π )} and π are ‘ permutation ’ matrices . once we have the proposition 3 . 2 decomposition u 1 lu of â , we will have factored a into the form πu 1 lu , as desired . we will now see that knowing the decomposition { tilde over ( l )} of { tilde over ( π )} a makes it much easier to compute the matrices u 1 , l , and u . ( a ^ 11 a ^ 12 a ^ 13 ⋯ a ^ 1 n ( π ~ a ) ↾ ( n - 1 ) × n ) , where the numbers â 1i are the bottom row of { tilde over ( π )} a ( possibly negated ) ( step 330 ). the modified matrix a ′ from the proof of proposition 3 . 2 will have the form ( a 11 ′ a 12 ′ a 13 ′ ⋯ a 1 n ′ ( π ~ a ) ↾ ( n - 1 ) × n ) , where the numbers a ′ 1i are to be chosen so that the leading square submatrices of a ′ all have determinant 1 ( step 350 ). one obtains from { tilde over ( π )} a by performing elementary row operations as specified by { tilde over ( l )}; each of these operations adds a multiple of an earlier row to a later row . if one performs the same operations ( shifted down one row ) to the lower n − 1 rows of the matrix a ′, one obtains the matrix a ″ = ( a 11 ′ a 12 ′ a 13 ′ ⋯ a 1 n ′ du ~ ↾ ( n - 1 ) × n ) , since these operations again only add multiples of earlier rows to later rows , they are still valid row operations when restricted to any leading square submatrix of the matrix , so they do not change the determinants of these submatrices . so if we find values for a ′ 1i so that the leading square submatrices of a ″ all have determinant 1 , then the leading square submatrices of a ′ will also have determinant 1 . let v ij for 1 ≦ i , j ≦ n be the entries of the matrix ; then v ij = 0 for i & gt ; j . also , let d k = v 11 v 22 . . . v kk ( the product of the first k diagonal entries of ; this is equal to the determinant of the leading k × k submatrix of or of { tilde over ( π )} a ). then one can derive the following formula for the desired values a ′ 1k : a 1 k ′ = ∑ i = 1 k ( - 1 ) i + 1 v ik d i _ . ( 3 . 3 ) this can be re - expressed in various ways : since v kk / d k = 1 / d k − 1 , one can combine the last two terms into ±( v k − 1 , k − 1 )/ d k − 1 and , instead of computing the products d k , one can write the formula in horner form a 1 k ′ = 1 v 11 ( v 1 k - 1 v 22 ( v 2 k - 1 v 33 ( v 3 k - ⋯ ) ) ) . once we have a ′, it is easy to factor it into the form lu , as described earlier . it now remains to find the matrix u 1 so that â = u 1 a ′. as noted in the proof of proposition 3 . 2 , this requires solving a system of n − 1 linear equations in n − 1 unknowns u 2 , u 3 , . . . , u n , and the matrix of coefficients for this system is the transpose of the lower left ( n − 1 )×( n − 1 ) submatrix of â ( step 360 ). but this is just (({ tilde over ( π )} a ) ( n − 1 )×( n − 1 )) t , and the known factorization of { tilde over ( π )} a into two triangular matrices immediately gives such a factorization for this matrix : (({ tilde over ( π )} a ) ( n − 1 )×( n − 1 )) t =({ tilde over ( du )} ( n − 1 )×( n − 1 )) t ({ tilde over ( l )} ( n − 1 )×( n − 1 )) t . using this , we can easily solve for the unknown values u 2 , . . . , u n , thus completing our desired factorization of a . in summary , the method 300 for factoring the determinant - 1 matrix a into the form πu 1 lu is : ( 1 ) use a standard lu - decomposition algorithm ( gaussian elimination with partial pivoting ) to find { tilde over ( π )}, { tilde over ( l )}, and so that { tilde over ( π )} a ={ tilde over ( l )} . keep track of the number k of row interchanges performed during this process , and let { circumflex over ( σ )}=(− 1 ) n + 1 + k . ( 2 ) compute { tilde over ( π )} a . ( perhaps this will be done during step ( 1 ).) ( 3 ) multiply the ( unique nonzero entry in the ) bottom row of { tilde over ( π )} by { circumflex over ( σ )}, move this bottom row up to the top ( moving all the other rows down by 1 ), and take the transpose ( i . e ., invert the permutation ) to get π . ( 4 ) let â be the bottom row of { tilde over ( π )} a multiplied by { circumflex over ( σ )}. ( 5 ) compute the numbers a ′ 11 , a ′ 12 , . . . , a ′ 1n from according to formula ( 3 . 3 ), and let a ′ be the row vector ( a ′ 11 , a ′ 12 , . . . , a ′ 1n ). ( 6 ) using standard backsolving techniques for triangular matrices ( but reversed ), find the row vector u satisfying the equation u { tilde over ( l )} = â − a ′. let u 1 be an n × n identity matrix with the second through n &# 39 ; th entries in its first row replaced by the first through ( n − 1 )′ th entries of u . ( 7 ) form the matrix a ′ consisting of the row a ′ followed by the first n − 1 rows of { tilde over ( π )} a ( step 370 ). apply ( 3 . 1 ) to a ′ to compute the entries of the matrices l and u . note that the last entry in the row vectors â and u will not be used and need not be computed . also note that the nontrivial numbers in the matrices u 1 , l , and u can easily be packed into a single n × n matrix ( with one number to spare ). the form πu 1 lu is only one possible form for a factorization of a given matrix a of determinant 1 ( step 380 ); there are many other options for factoring a into unit triangular matrices and a ‘ permutation ’ matrix . for instance , one could factor a in the form πl n ul , where l n is unit lower triangular with nonzero off - diagonal entries only on the n ′ th row . ( to get this , reverse the coordinates of a , factor in the form πu 1 lu , and reverse again . in other words , conjugate by the reverse - diagonal matrix j .) another possibility is the form lul 1 π , where l 1 is unit lower triangular with its nonzero entries in the first column . ( transpose a , factor in the form πu 1 lu , and transpose again , reversing the order of factors .) yet another possibility is to use full pivoting rather than partial pivoting in the initial lu - decomposition , leading to a factorization a = πu 1 luπ 2 with two ‘ permutation ’ matrices . the form u 1 is particularly suitable for integer approximation purposes , because the integer approximation for this factor requires only one coordinate to be rounded ; thus , the error bound for this factor is ½ , as opposed to √{ square root over ( n − 1 )}/ 2 for the general unit triangular matrix . the same applies to the form l n , but not to the form l 1 . but it is good to have as many options as possible , so one can look for a factorization that gives the best error bounds for the integer approximation as a whole , just as described in the section entitled “ the 2 × 2 diagonal matrix .” in some cases the linear transformation a already sends some integer lattice points to integer lattice points . this may be a fundamental property of the transformation , in which case it will be highly desirable to have the approximating integer map φ match a exactly on these particular points . an example of this situation is presented in the next section . one particular case of this is handled automatically by the factorization shown in the section entitled “ larger matrices .” suppose that we have ae 1 = e 1 , where e 1 is the elementary vector with first entry 1 and remaining entries 0 . this is equivalent to a having first column equal to e 1 . then we have a ( ke 1 )= ke 1 for all integers k , and we would like to have φ ( ke 1 )= ke 1 also . this turns out to be the case : proposition 4 . 1 . any matrix a of determinant 1 such that ae 1 = e 1 can be factored in the form πu 1 lu , where π is a signed permutation matrix , u 1 and u are unit upper triangular , l is unit lower triangular , the only nonzero entries of u 1 are on the diagonal or the top row , and the integer approximation φ to a resulting from this factorization satisfies φ ( ke 1 )= ke 1 for all integers k . proof ; follow the algorithm shown in the section entitled “ larger matrices .” the first step is to use gaussian elimination with partial pivoting to obtain the expression { tilde over ( π )} a ={ tilde over ( l )} . but the initial matrix a already has its first column in the desired form , so the elimination will leave the first row alone and process the remaining rows in order to handle columns 2 through n . therefore , we get { tilde over ( π )} e 1 , = e 1 , and the related matrix π will satisfy π ( ke 2 )= ke 1 ( where e 2 has a 1 in the second position and 0 &# 39 ; s elsewhere ). and the matrix a remaining to be factored has first column e 2 . the entry in position ( 1 , 2 ) of a ( call it a 12 ) becomes the entry in position ( 2 , 2 ) of â . when the matrix a ′ is computed in the next step , its first column is e 1 + e 2 , and the second entry in row 1 comes out to be a ′ 12 = a 12 − 1 . we then get u 2 =− 1 , and the first column of the matrix l is also e 1 + e 2 . so we get the following when applying the matrix a in factored form πu 1 lu to the vector ke 1 : u ( ke 1 )= ke 1 , l ( ke 1 )= k ( e 1 + e 2 ), u 1 ( k ( e 1 + e 2 ))= ke 2 , and π ( ke 2 )= ke 1 . in the corresponding integer approximation , each step of this process is an integer vector anyway , and hence is not altered by rounding . therefore , we get φ ( ke 1 )= ke 1 for all integers k . other cases where the matrix a happens to map certain integer vectors to integer vectors will probably not be preserved exactly by this integer approximation . however , if there is a particular integer vector one is interested in preserving , one may be able to apply a preliminary integral linear transformation to move this vector to e 1 before factoring . for instance , suppose that the linear transformation a maps k1 to ke 1 , where 1 is the vector with all entries equal to 1 . then we can write a as a δ , where δ is a simple integer matrix of determinant 1 which maps 1 to e 1 . then we have a e 1 = e 1 , so we can factor a as above to get a factorization πu 1 luδ of a yielding an integer approximation p which sends k1 to ke 1 . as an example , we consider a transformation for conversion of colors presented in standard red - green - blue coordinates . here we will consider only linear changes of coordinates , ignoring nonlinear visual effects , which are not relevant for the purposes below . a popular coordinate system used for these purposes is the yc b c r coordinate system , described in the international telecommunications union standards document itu - r bt . 601 . coordinate systems such as yc b c r may be more desirable for image transmission and / or compression , because they decrease wasteful correlations between the three coordinates ( brighter parts of an image will tend to have higher values for all three coordinates ) and because coordinate systems in which the most important part of the signal ( brightness or something like it ) is separated out allow different amounts of bandwidth to be used for the different coordinates . these purposes would appear incompatible with the goal of invertibility ; however , it is often desirable for a compression or transmission system to be able to operate in either lossless mode or a lossy compressed mode , so it is not unreasonable to ask for a lossless transformation from rgb to yc b c r . the rgb → yc b c r conversion is actually a family of linear transformations ; a particular member of this family is specified by giving weights a r , a g , a b ( positive numbers summing to 1 ) for the r , g , and b components . the matrix corresponding to these weights is a = ( a r a g a b - a r 2 - 2 a b - a g 2 - 2 a b 1 2 1 2 - a g 2 - 2 a r - a b 2 - 2 a r ) . a g 4 ( 1 - a r ) ( 1 - a b ) this is not a serious problem , though , because for decorrelation purposes it does not matter if a scale factor is applied to the c r and / or c b output components , and the scale factors can be allowed for explicitly in differential data rates . ( we do not want to rescale the y component , for reasons given below .) we might as well use the same scale factor for both of these components . this means that the first step is to pull out a scaling matrix β = 1 2 a g ( 1 - a r ) ( 1 - a b ) , leaving a matrix s − 1 a of determinant 1 to factor . the y output component represents the total luminance ( perceived brightness ) of the specified color . in particular , if the input color is a greyscale value with all three components equal to the same number k , then the y component of the output will be k . ( this is why y should not be resealed .) the other two components are orthogonal to the black - white axis ; they come out to be zero for greyscale input . in other words , we are in the situation described at the end of the previous section : for any k , we have a ( k1 )= ke 1 ( and hence ( s − 1 a ) ( k1 )= ke 1 , since s fixes e 1 ). to ensure that the integer approximation map preserves this property , we start by pulling out a factor δ on the right such that δ has determinant 1 and sends 1 to e 1 . there are many such matrices to choose from ; one simple one is we are now left with a matrix a = s − 1 aδ − 1 to which the algorithms from the section entitled “ larger matrices ” can be applied . these yield the factorization π = ( 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 ) , u 1 = ( 1 - 1 t 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 ) , l = ( 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 t 2 1 ) , u = ( 1 a g - 1 t 3 0 1 t 4 0 0 1 ) , t 1 = 1 - a b 1 - a r - ( 2 - 2 a b ) β a g t 2 = - a g ( 2 - 2 a b ) β t 3 = a b + 1 - ( 2 - 2 a b ) β - a r a g t 4 = ( 2 - 2 a b ) β - a r a g - 1 a special case of interest is presented by the set of values provided in the itu - r bt . 601 standard , which values are as follows : in this case , the numerical values of the non - integer entries in the above matrices are : we can now apply the error analysis methods presented earlier to obtain error bounds for this transformation . note that the integer isometry π has no effect on the errors and can be ignored . the integer approximations to matrices u 1 and l only involve one rounding , because these matrices have only one non - integer row each ; so the error bound for each of these matrices is ½ , while the error bound for u ( which has two non - integer rows ) is √{ square root over ( 2 )}/ 2 . the error bound for the integer matrix δ is 0 . after computing the norms we can apply ( 1 . 2 ) to get a forward error bound of 2 . 5160882629800899 . since the inverse to the integer approximation is computed differently , we cannot bound its error by applying ( 1 . 2 ) directly ; instead we compute ∥( s − 1 a ) − 1 ∥≈ 1 . 8003445245653902 and apply ( 1 . 3 ) to get an inverse error bound of 4 . 5298264824059275 . one gets better bounds by keeping track of the errors from the separate roundings as discussed in the section entitled “ the 2 × 2 diagonal matrix ”. under the worst - case assumption that these errors are independent , one gets error bounds of 1 . 5472559440649816 for the forward transform and 1 . 7941398552787594 for the inverse transform . one can get lower bounds on the error ( and thus gauge the accuracy of the preceding upper bounds ) by testing the approximation on a large collection of sample inputs . one can reduce the computation needed here by using the fact that the factorization preserves the mapping k1 ke 2 . if one applies the approximation to x and to x + k1 , then at every step the two results will be the same except that the second result will have k added to some coordinates ; in particular , the rounding errors will be exactly the same . similarly , the inverse to the approximation will give exactly the same errors for input vectors y and y + ke 1 . for the forward transform , a search through all input vectors ( x 1 , x 2 , x 3 ) εz 3 with | x 2 − x 1 |& lt ; 33000 and | x 3 − x 1 |& lt ; 33000 ( only these relative differences matter ) yielded a largest error of 1 . 5404029289484810 at the input vector ( 19352 , 0 , 20840 ). for the inverse transform , a search through all input vectors ( x 1 , x 2 , x 3 ) εz 3 with | x 2 |& lt ; 33000 and | x 3 |& lt ; 33000 ( the value of x 1 is irrelevant ) yielded a largest error of 1 . 7905956082490824 at the input vector ( 8360 , 31316 , 8995 ). these examples show that the upper bounds given above are either sharp or very close to it . there were a number of choices made in the construction of this factorization ( the form πu 1 lu , the particular matrices s and δ , and so on ). different choices would lead to alternative factorizations , some of which might have better error bounds than the factorization presented here . as mentioned in the section entitled “ introduction ”, the approximation problem in the fixed - length case is equivalent to finding a bijection ψ from a transformed lattice az n to the standard integer lattice z n which moves points as small a distance as possible ( so that the integer mapping φ = ψ · a is a bijection approximating a ). one can imagine many ways of trying to find such a bijection , ψ ; the problem seems to be a combinatorial one . given a matrix a of determinant ± 1 , we know by now that such maps do exist so that the errors ( the distances that points are moved ) are bounded . each such ψ has a supremal error sup xεaz n ∥ ψx − x ∥ ( we cannot say “ maximal error ,” because it may be that there is no single point x for which ƒψx − x ∥ is maximal ). it is natural to ask whether there is a bijection ψ which is optimal in the sense that its supremal error is as small as possible ; it is conceivable that there would be no optimal bijection , because the ultimate error bound could be approached but not attained . this turns out not to be the case : proposition 6 . 1 . for any real n × n matrix a of determinant ± 1 , there is a bijection ψ : az v → z n which is optimal in the sense that sup xεaz n ∥ ψx − x ∥ is minimal over all such bijections . proof , first find an integer approximation ψ 1 with bounded error , and let ε 1 be an error bound for ψ 1 . then we only need to search among bijections with error bounded by ε 1 to find an optimal one ψ . if ε 1 is fixed , then there are only finitely many possibilities for ψx for any given xεaz n ( i . e ., only finitely many standard lattice points within distance ε 1 of x ) and only finitely many possibilities for ψ − 1 y for any given yεz n . now a standard compactness argument can be used to complete the proof . there are several ways to express this argument . one is to note that the space of integer approximations ψ satisfying the error bound ε 1 can be given a metric ( let x 1 , x 2 , . . . list the vectors in az n ∪ z n , and define the distance between distinct approximations ψ and ψ ′ to be 1 / k where k is least so that ψx k ≠ ψ ′ x k or ψ − 1 x k ≠ ψ ′ − 1 x k ) so that it becomes a compact space , and the supremal error is a lower semicontinuous function from this space to the real numbers , so it must attain a minimum value . another is as follows : let ε be the infimum of the supremal errors of approximations ψ . for any finite sets s ⊂ az n and s ′ ⊂ z n , there are only finitely many ways to partially define an integer approximation ψ on s and s ′ ( i . e ., define ψx for xεs and ψ − 1 y for yεs ′) so as to meet the error bound ε 1 ; so there must be one whose partial error bound on this finite configuration is as small as possible . since one can find complete integer approximations with supremal errors as close as desired to ε , the partial error bound must be at most ε . so , for any finite parts of the domain and range lattices , we can define ψ and ψ − 1 on these parts so as to attain the error bound ε ; and there are only finitely many ways to do so . now we can apply könig &# 39 ; s infinity lemma to put these together to obtain a complete integer approximation attaining the bound ε , which is therefore optimal . in general , the optimal lattice bijection is not unique . also , this proof is quite non - constructive , and it is not clear that the optimal bijection ( s ) will be implementable or describable in any useful way . let us now examine the case where the matrix a has rational entries . then the transformed lattice az n will contain many points that are also in the standard lattice z n ; in fact , the intersection l = az n ∩ z n is a full n - dimensional lattice . ( to see this , it is enough to get n independent vectors in l ; one can do this by taking the n independent columns of a and multiplying each by its least common denominator to get an integer vector .) this means that the configuration of points in the two lattices is periodic : the configuration at x looks just like the configuration at x + a for any aεl . now l is a subgroup of z n of finite index ( which can be computed by forming a matrix whose columns are n generating vectors for l and taking the absolute value of its determinant ), and is a subgroup of az n with this same index ( because the determinant of a is ± 1 ). so one can pair off the l - cosets in az n with the l - cosets in z n . any two cosets of l are translates of one another , and such a translation gives a bijection between the cosets . if we take such a translation from each l - coset in az n to the corresponding l - coset in z n , we get a bijection ψ from az n to z n which is of bounded error ; in fact , the maximum error is the largest of the norms of the translation vectors used . just like the lattice configuration , the action of the mapping ψ looks the same near x as near x + a for any as l . in fact , the displacement ψx − x is a periodic function of x . we will refer to such a bijection ψ as a ‘ periodic ’ bijection , and to the corresponding integer approximation φ as a ‘ periodic ’ approximation . there are only finitely many ways to pair off the l - cosets of the two lattices ; and for each pair of cosets there are only finitely many translations from one to the other with translation vector of norm below a specified bound . ( given any point in the first coset , there are only finitely many points in the second coset within the specified distance of the given point ; these give the finitely many translation vectors one can try . clearly there is a best translation vector , although it may not be unique . in fact , the pairing between cosets can be thought of as a bijection between two finite lattices on the n - dimensional torus r n / l with a suitable metric .) so there are only finitely many ‘ periodic ’ bijections meeting any specified error bound ; it follows that there must be an optimal ‘ periodic ’ bijection whose maximum error ( in the ‘ periodic ’ case , a maximum error is attained ) is as small as possible . it turns out that this is optimal among all bijections : proposition 6 . 2 . for any rational n × n matrix a of determinant ± 1 , an optimal ‘ periodic ’ integer approximation to a will in fact be optimal among all integer approximations . proof . it suffices to show that , if there is any bijection ψ from az n to z n meeting error bound ε , then there is a ‘ periodic ’ bijection meeting error bound ε . let m be the index of l in z n ( and in az n ). then , for any n - cube of side - length s , the number of points of any l - coset in the cube is s n / m + o ( s n ). this means that we can find a large cube b and a positive natural number n such that every l - coset contains at least n points inside b and at most n + n / m points within distance ε of b ( because they would lie in a slightly larger cube of side - length s + 2ε ). now , for any k ≦ m , if we put together k of the m cosets of l in az n , we get at least kn points inside b . these are mapped by ψ to at least kn points within distance ε of b . these image points cannot be included in k − 1 cosets of l in z n , because for k ≦ m . so the image points meet at least k cosets of l in z n . therefore , by the marriage theorem , there is a one - to - one pairing ( hence a bijection ) from the source cosets to the target cosets so that , if c i is paired with c i ′, then we can find x i εc i such that ψx i εc ′ i . let a i = ψx i − x i ; then ∥ a i ∥≦ ε . using this coset pairing and the translation vectors a i , construct a ‘ periodic ’ bijection ψ ′; then ψ ′ meets the error bound ε , as desired . propositions 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 also work if one is trying to optimize the approximation error for the inverse transform , or some combination of the forward and inverse errors ( e . g ., the maximum of the two ). note that the inverse of a ‘ periodic ’ approximation is a ‘ periodic ’ approximation to the inverse linear transformation . in the simple case α = 2 . here the lattice l is just 2z × z ( i . e ., the set of integer pairs such that the first coordinate is even ), and there are two cosets of l in each of the lattices dz n and z n . hence , there are only two ways to pair off the cosets ; the one which gives the smaller error is the one which maps l to ( 1 , 0 )+ l and ( 0 , 1 / 2 )+ l to l . this yields a bijection ψ with maximum error 1 . the formula for the corresponding bijection φ approximating d is : φ ( m n ) = { ( 2 m + 1 n / 2 ) if n is even , ( 2 m ( n - 1 ) / 2 ) if n is odd . note that a greedier algorithm for constructing the bijection might have started by mapping all the points in l to themselves ( error 0 ); but then the points in ( 0 , ½ )+ l would have to be mapped to ( 1 , 0 )+ l , leading to a larger overall error of √{ square root over ( 5 )}/ 2 . also , for this particular example the approximation which is optimal for the forward error also happens to be optimal for the inverse error ; there is no reason to believe that this happens in general . for other rational matrices a , there will probably be more cosets to deal with ; in this case , the implementation of a ‘ periodic ’ function will probably be by table lookup . to apply the approximating map φ to a given integer vector x , one will determine which coset c k of the sublattice a − 1 l contains x ( which is equivalent to determining which coset of l in az n contains ax ), find in the table a corresponding rational vector a k , and let φx = ax + a k . note that , for a general lattice a − 1 l , determining which coset contains x may not be trivial . it may be more convenient to use a smaller lattice l ′ ⊂ a − 1 l of the form l ′= m 1 z × m 2 z × . . . × m n z ; this will make the table longer , but will make it much easier to determine which coset contains x . the numbers m j are easily computed : m j is the least common denominator of the rational numbers in column j of the matrix a . finding the best ‘ periodic ’ approximation is a finite combinatorial search problem . there is an algorithm for solving this problem in time polynomial in the number of cosets . determining whether there is a pairing of source cosets with target cosets meeting a given error bound ( and finding one if there is ) is a bipartite matching problem which can be solved in polynomial time by network flow methods . the correct optimal bound will be one of the n 2 distances between a source coset and a target coset ; using a binary search , one can find the optimal bound by solving ┌ 2 log 2 n ┐ bipartite matching problems . of course , if the number of cosets is too large for the optimal ‘ periodic ’ approximation to be implemented ( let alone found ), then one will need to use a different approximation algorithm , even if it is suboptimal . in order to see how sharp computed upper bounds are , or how close to optimal a given bijection might be , it is useful to obtain lower bounds on the possible supremal errors of integer approximations or lattice bijections . one way to do this ( in fact , by the argument of proposition 6 . 1 , essentially the most general way ) is to examine finite parts of the two given lattices and show that one cannot even define a partial bijection on these finite parts without incurring an error of at least ε . one finite configuration is easy to use : if the transformed lattice az n contains a point x which is at distance ( from the nearest point in the standard lattice z n , then any bijection from az n to z n must have error at least d . ( the same applies if some point in z n is at distance at least 6 from the nearest point of az n .) in particular , if az n contains points arbitrarily close to the centers of cubes in the standard lattice z n ( this will be true if , for instance , some column of a has entries a 1j , . . . , a nj such that a 1j , . . . , a nj , 1 are linearly independent over the rationals ), then the supremal error must be at least √{ square root over ( n )}/ 2 . to obtain better lower bounds , one must analyze the interactions between points in the domain lattice — if x ≠ x ′ and ψx = y , then ψx cannot also be y , so it may end up being farther from x ′. such analysis is highly dependent on the particular matrix a . in the case of the 2 × 2 diagonal matrix d , one can substantially improve the lower bound : proposition 6 . 3 . if α & gt ; 0 is given , then , for any integer bijection φ approximating the diagonal matrix d , the error sup xεz 2 ∥ dx − φx ∥ must be at least ε ( α ), where : if α & gt ; 1 is irrational , then ɛ _ ( α ) = ( 1 - ( 2 k - 1 ) α - 1 2 ) 2 + k 2 , where k =┌( α − 1 )/ 2 ┐; if α & gt ; 1 is a rational number r / n in lowest terms , then ɛ _ ( α ) = ( ⌊ m - ( 2 k - 1 ) n 2 ⌋ / m ) 2 + k 2 , where k is as above ; if α = 1 , then ε ( α )= 0 ; if α & lt ; 1 , then ε ( α )= ε ( α − 1 ). proof the case α = 1 is trivial . any bound which works for α also works for α − 1 ( because d ( α − 1 ) is just d ( α ) with the two coordinates interchanged ). so we may assume α & gt ; 1 . let ε be the supremal error for φ ; we must show that ε ≧ ε ( α ). consider the corresponding bijection ψ = ψ · d − 1 from dz 2 to dz 2 , and look at the points of dz 2 on the y - axis . these points are spaced at a distance α − 1 apart , which is too crowded ; some of them will have to be moved by ψ to points not on the y - axis . ( this statement may appear rather vague . to make it more precise , consider a large finite number s . the number of points of dz 2 on the y - axis within distance s of the origin is 2 └ sα ┘+ 1 . these points are sent by ψ to points of z 2 within distance s + ε of the origin ; since the number of such points on the y - axis is only 2 └ s + ε ┘+ 1 , which is smaller than 2 └ sα ┘+ 1 for large s , ψ must map some of these points on the y - axis to points not on the y - axis . the statements in the remainder of this proof can be made precise in the same way , but actually doing so would make the proof far less readable , so we prefer to state the arguments more informally .) in fact , only a fraction 1 / α at most of the domain points on the y - axis can be mapped to range points on the y - axis . similarly , for any other vertical line , ψ maps at most the fraction 1 / α of the domain points on the y - axis to range points on this vertical line . the number k was chosen so that ( 2k − 1 )/ α & lt ; 1 . the map ψ sends at most the fraction ( 2k − 1 )/ α of domain points on the y - axis to range points with x - coordinate of absolute value less than k , because these range points are on 2k − 1 vertical lines . so , for the remaining fraction 1 −( 2k − 1 )/ α of the points on the y - axis , the map ψ introduces an error of at least k horizontally . if α is irrational , then the vertical distances from points on the y - axis in the domain lattice to the nearest points in the range lattice are spread out uniformly over the interval [ 0 , ½ ). so , even if we choose the points of least possible vertical error to be given horizontal error at least k , the vertical errors will have to range up to at least ( 1 −( 2k − 1 )/ α )/ 2 , so the total errors will range up to ε ( α ). if α = m / n in lowest terms , then 1 / m of the domain points on the y - axis will entail no vertical error ( because they are already standard lattice points ), 2 / m of them will entail vertical error of 1 / m at least , 2 / m will entail vertical error at least 2 / m , and so on . if we again try to find the minimum possible vertical errors to combine with the large horizontal errors , we see that we are forced to use vertical errors up to and including └( m −( 2k − 1 ) n )/ 2 ┘/ m , thus leading to a combined error of ε ( α ). in particular , for α =√{ square root over ( 2 )} no integer approximation can have an error bound better than √{ square root over ( 22 − 4 √{ square root over ( 2 )})}/ 4 ≈ 1 . 0106664184619603 ; so the approximation obtained from factorization ( 3 . 3 ) is not very far from optimal . and for any a ≠ 1 the error bound must be at least 1 . there is no reason to expect the lower bound from proposition 6 . 3 to be sharp in most cases ; examination of lattice points other than those on the one line considered in that proof could show that larger errors must occur . the proof of proposition 6 . 3 applies to any matrix a having a column whose only nonzero entry has absolute value less than 1 ; a similar argument works to give a lower bound on the error when there is a column whose only nonzero entry has absolute value greater than 1 . this can be generalized to other situations where a maps a rational subspace to a rational subspace with the “ wrong ” scaling . a number of matrix factorization methods for obtaining integer bijections approximating given linear transformations on fixed - length vectors have been considered . such bijections exist and are easy to implement , and can be made to have additional desirable properties , such as preservation of suitable integer inputs ( which are preserved by the given transformation ). approximation methods that are not based on simple matrix factorizations were also considered . there are many possibilities that remain to be explored , including additional factorizations of matrices , different integer approximations of matrix factors , more integer approximation methods having nothing to do with factorizations , and improved error analysis . for instance , as noted earlier , unit triangular matrices can produce larger error bounds for the inverse transform than for the forward transform , because the inverse transform is computed recursively . one might be able to compute the transform in a different way , perhaps doing the recursion in the forward transform for some factors and in the inverse transform for other factors , so as to balance out the errors . or one could try to use a different sort of factor matrix which does not have this problem . for instance , suppose we partition the coordinates or bands into two groups , and consider two kinds of factors : one where linear combinations of first - group coordinates are added to second - group coordinates , and one where linear combinations of second - group coordinates are added to first - group coordinates . then recursion would not be needed to invert any of these factor matrices , and one may be able to get better overall error bounds . on the other hand , degree - of - freedom counting shows that such factorizations would require at least four factors in the general fixed - length case , if the length is greater than 2 ; and more detailed analysis shows that even four factors is not enough . it is likely that the additional factors will outweigh the benefit from eliminating recursion in the inverse . as for the error analysis , even the simple case of a 2 × 2 diagonal matrix was not analyzed completely . in more complicated cases the analysis was quite selective ; many variant factorizations remain to be examined . and everything was based on the initial assumption that the goal was to minimize the worst - case error in the integer approximation of the transform ( and perhaps the inverse transform ). some applications may entail optimizing with respect to some other parameter , in which case different integer approximations may work better . as discussed earlier , the second version of the problem involves analyzing input vectors for signals having unbounded length ( number of coordinates ), but which are of bounded amplitude ( i . e ., the values appearing as coordinates of the vector are bounded ). such signals are treated as bounded sequences of real numbers that are essentially infinite in both directions . in practice , however , the signals will be of finite length and boundary conditions will be needed at the ends of these sequences . the use of infinite sequences of real numbers imposes two restrictions . the first restriction is a time - invariance condition . strict time invariance or shift invariance would require that shifting the input signal over by one step would result in the same output signal also shifted over by one step . this is too strong , though ; instead we require that the coordinates of the output signal be obtained by applying n time - invariant transformations in rotation ( so shifting the input n steps results in the same output shifted by n steps ). this can also be expressed as applying n time - invariant mappings or “ filters ,” taking only every n &# 39 ; th coordinate of each output signal (“ downsampling ”), and merging the results . in such a case the output signal consists of n different subsignals or “ bands ” merged together . one can also treat the input signal as comprising n bands in the same way . so the input signal is conceptually broken up into blocks of length n ; the j ′ th band consists of the j ′ th component of each block . ( sometimes the input signal is presented in n separate bands already .) so the input and output signals can be thought of as essentially infinite sequences of members of r n , and the linear transformation as a fully time - invariant mapping in this formulation . the second restriction is that a component of the output signal depends on only finitely many components of the input signal ; a transformation with this property is called fir ( finite impulse response ). a time - invariant ( or n - fold time - invariant as above ) fir linear transformation must produce a bounded - amplitude output signal when applied to a bounded - amplitude input signal . the part of the input signal on which a given output coordinate depends ( the “ stencil ” of the transformation ) will often include more than n coordinates . a linear transformation with these properties can be described by n × n matrices m k for kεz , only finitely many of which are nonzero . the input signal x is a sequence of n - vectors x i , and the output signal y = f ( x ) is a sequence of n - vectors y j ; these are related by the formula y j = ∑ k m k x j + k = ∑ i m i - j x i ( the sums are over all integers , but only finitely many terms are nonzero ). this can be more conveniently expressed in terms of the z - transform , which we think of here as a generating function approach . if we introduce the generating functions p ( z )= σ i x i z i and q ( z )= σ j y j z j for the input and output signals ( these can be thought of as series of n - vectors or as n - vectors of series ), and we also define the matrix a ( z ) to be σ k m k z − k , then the formula above becomes simply q ( z )= a ( z ) p ( z ). the z - transform matrix a ( z ) ( commonly called the polyphase matrix of the transformation ) is a matrix whose entries are laurent polynomials over r , i . e ., members of the ring r [ z , z − 1 ]. if no negative powers of z occur in the matrix , then the output vector at time j depends only on the input vectors at time j and earlier times ( the transformation is causal ). just as for fixed - length transformations , composition of transformations here corresponds to multiplication of the associated z - transform matrices . we will assume that the given linear transformation is invertible and that the inverse transformation is also fir ( it is automatically linear and time - invariant ). in this case , the original transformation is said to admit perfect reconstruction . so the inverse transformation is also given by a z - transform matrix b ( z ), and if p ( z ) and q ( z ) are as above , then we have p ( z )= b ( z ) q ( z )= b ( z ) a ( z ) p ( z ). since this holds for all input signals , b ( z ) must be the inverse matrix to a ( z ). we will require our integer approximation maps to be fir and time - invariant ( on n - vectors ), but not necessarily linear . and we impose the same restrictions on the inverse maps . in order to measure the error of an integer approximation , we need a norm on the space of signals ; the euclidean norm does not apply to infinite - length signals . since we are working with bounded - amplitude signals , we could simply take the supremum of the absolute values of the components of the signal . but since we are thinking of the signal y as a sequence of vectors y j εr n , it is natural to define the norm ∥ y ∥ to be sup j ∥ y j ∥. then the error of an integer approximation φ to a given linear transformation a is just the supremum of ∥ ax − φx ∥ over all input signals x . ( we will abuse notation slightly by using a for a transformation and a ( z ) for its z - transform matrix .) as we discussed earlier , in the fixed - length case , a necessary condition for the existence of a bounded - error integer approximation φ to the linear transformation a is that det a =± 1 . we may as well assume that the determinant is 1 , because , if it is − 1 , we can negate a row of the matrix to change the determinant to + 1 . in the unbounded - length case , the linear transformation is given by a matrix a ( z ) over r [ z , z − 1 ]. we are assuming that the inverse transformation is also given by such a matrix , which must be the inverse of a ( z ), so deta must be an invertible element of the ring r [ z , z − 1 ], i . e ., a nonzero monomial cz k . if we look at an integer input signal that is constant on each band , then the output signal will also be constant on each band ; this essentially reduces to the case of vectors of fixed length n . the constant matrix for this fixed - length transformation is just a ( 1 ) since an integer approximation for general signals certainly gives an integer approximation for these particular signals , the matrix a ( 1 ) must satisfy the necessary condition above , det a ( 1 )=± 1 . so the monomial det a ( z ) must be ± z k for some integer k . again we can pull this factor out of one of the bands to reduce to the case of a transformation of determinant 1 ; an integer approximation for the modified matrix easily yields one for the original matrix ( just shift and / or negate one band at the end ). as described earlier , the main approach will be to factor a given z - transform matrix into matrices of special form , mainly ‘ permutation ’ matrices ( ordinary permutation matrices with some entries negated ) and elementary matrices . the ‘ permutation ’ matrices are easy to handle , because they already map integer signals to integer signals ( they just rearrange and possibly negate the bands ). an elementary matrix factor ( differing from the identity only at a single off - diagonal entry ) corresponds to a transformation which adds a multiple of one band ( or , if the off - diagonal entry has several terms , multiples of shifted copies of one band ) to another band . factorizations into such matrices have been considered by a number of those skilled in art , such factors , at least in the 2 × 2 case , are also known as liftings . if a transformation is given by an elementary matrix which adds some modification ( combination of shifts and constant multiples ) of band i to band j , then we get an integer - to - integer approximation to the transformation by simply rounding the modification of band i to an integer before adding it to band j . this is easily invertible : simply subtract the same rounded modification of band i from band j . this applies more generally to matrices given by unit triangular matrices ( lower or upper triangular matrices whose diagonal entries are all 1 ). a number of the calculations presented earlier can be applied without change in the present context , given suitable definitions . in particular , we define the norm ∥ a ∥ of a signal transformation a ( or the norm ∥ a ( z )∥ of its associated z - transform matrix ) to be the supremum of ∥ a i x ∥/∥ x ∥ over all nonzero bounded inputs x ( where ∥ x ∥ is defined as in the preceding section ). then , if a = a 1 a 2 . . . a k where each a i can be approximated by an integer mapping φ i with error bound c i , then a can be approximated by the composition of these integer mappings with error bound c 1 +∥ a 1 ∥ c 2 +∥ a 1 ∥∥ a 2 ∥ c 3 + . . . +∥ a 1 ∥∥ a 2 ∥ . . . ∥ a k − 1 ∥ c k . ( 9 . 1 ) c 1 +∥ a 1 ∥ c 2 +∥ a 1 a 2 ∥ c 3 + . . . +∥ a 1 a 2 . . . a k − 1 ∥ c k . ( 9 . 2 ) also , if φ approximates a , then φ − 1 approximates a − 1 , because if x = φ − 1 y , then in this section , we will concentrate on one - dimensional signals , but the methods are also applicable to multidimensional signal transformations ( i . e ., to matrices whose entries are laurent polynomials in several variables rather than the single variable z ). in particular , elementary matrices are approximable by integer bijections as above even in the multidimensional case . the main difference is that it is more difficult if not impossible to factor a given multidimensional matrix of determinant 1 into elementary matrices . the gaussian elimination method for factoring a matrix over r into elementary matrices and a diagonal matrix ( and maybe a permutation matrix as well ) can be extended to the case of matrices over r [ z , z − 1 ]. this is the laurent polynomial version of the algorithm for reducing a matrix polynomial to smith normal form . the smith normal form and a variety of methods for reducing a matrix polynomial to smith normal form are known by those of ordinary skill in this field , where such methods involve , for instance , a laurent polynomial case for 2 × 2 matrics and a case for n × n matrices . here we are concerned with the perfect reconstruction case , so we assume that the determinant of the given matrix a ( z ) is a nonzero monomial . in fact , by pulling out a diagonal matrix factor to begin with , we can reduce to the case where det a ( z )= 1 . the entries in such a diagonal matrix represent scaling ( the numerical coefficients ) and delays or advances ( the powers of z ) for the corresponding bands . the main part of the algorithm uses elementary row operations ( each of which corresponds to pulling out an elementary matrix factor on the left ). start by selecting a column to reduce ( say , the first column ). if this column has more than one nonzero entry , then choose two nonzero entries , say a ( z ) and b ( z ). suppose that the ‘ degree ’ of a ( z ) is at least as large as the ‘ degree ’ of b ( z ). ( here we define the ‘ degree ’ of a laurent polynomial to be the degree of the highest - degree term minus the degree of the lowest - degree term ; the ‘ degree ’ of 0 is −∞.) then we can perform an elementary row operation which subtracts a suitable multiple of b ( z ) from a ( z ) so that the difference has lower ‘ degree ’ than a ( z ). ( one can actually choose the multiple so that the difference has lower ‘ degree ’ than b ( z ). however , it will be useful later to not require this , even if it means that more reduction steps are needed .) repeat this process until all but one of the entries in the selected column are 0 . since deta ( z ) has ‘ degree ’ 0 , the remaining nonzero entry must be a nonzero monomial . now select a second column , and do the same reduction to all of the entries in this column except the one in the row containing the nonzero entry from the first column ( this row is excluded for now ). so only one such entry will be nonzero , and again this entry must be a nonzero monomial . this means that , with one more row operation , we can zero out the entry in the excluded row in the second column . do the same thing in a third column ( now there are two excluded rows ), and so on until all columns are processed . what remains will be a permuted diagonal matrix , with the nonzero entries being monomials with product 1 . after pulling out a permutation matrix ( or a ‘ permutation ’ matrix of determinant 1 ), we are left with a diagonal matrix of determinant 1 . this can be written as a product of diagonal matrices each of which has only two non - 1 diagonal entries , which are reciprocals of each other . then , if desired , one can write each of these essentially 2 × 2 diagonal matrices as a product of elementary matrices using the formulas discussed previously . in fact , if one really wants to , one can even write the ‘ permutation ’ matrix of determinant 1 as such a product as well , because such a ‘ permutation ’ can be written as a product of simple ‘ permutations ’ each of which just swaps two rows and negates one of them , and such a simple ‘ permutation ’ can be written as a product of three elementary matrices : if one factors all the way down to elementary matrices in this way ( leaving the ‘ permutation ’ matrix unfactored ), then a great many factors might be required . but it turns out that unit triangular matrices are as good for our purposes as elementary matrices ( simple rounding works as an integer approximation method , as discussed previously ); using these , one can get by with far fewer factors , because one permuted unit triangular matrix can replace a large number ( up to n ( n − 1 )/ 2 of elementary matrices . to see this , suppose we are in the process of reducing a column . say p 1 ( z ) is the nonzero entry in this column of lowest ‘ degree ’; use elementary row operations to subtract multiples of p 1 ( z ) from the other nonzero entries to get their ‘ degrees ’ below that of p 1 ( z ). let p 2 ( z ) be the newly modified entry of least ‘ degree ,’ and subtract multiples of p 2 ( z ) from the other nonzero entries ( excluding p 1 ( z )) to reduce their ‘ degrees ’ below that of p 2 ( z ). now choose p 3 ( z ) and reduce the other nonzero entries , excluding p 1 ( z ) and p 2 ( z ); and so on . all of the reduction steps described here can be combined into a single permuted unit triangular matrix . however , there is no fixed bound ( depending on n alone ) for the number of factors needed here , even if these more general factors are allowed ; if the entries of the matrix have very high ‘ degree ,’ then many factors might be required . if one is interested in factoring a causal linear transformation ( one where no negative powers of z occur in the corresponding matrix ) into causal elementary factors , one can do so by following the same procedure as above , using ordinary polynomial degrees instead of ‘ degrees ’. this is just the ordinary reduction of a polynomial matrix to smith normal form . in this case , if the determinant of the matrix has one or more factors z , one may not be able to remove them at the beginning ; instead one follows the smith normal form process ( which is slightly more involved in this case ) and ends up with a diagonal matrix in the middle of the factorization . if this diagonal matrix has determinant ± z k , then one can express it as a constant diagonal matrix of determinant 1 ( which can be factored into elementary matrices , as discussed earlier ) and a diagonal matrix with entries of the form ± z j ( which must be handled some other way ). as described earlier , one can consider the case where the given linear transformation already sends certain integer - valued inputs to integer - valued outputs , and we want the integer - to - integer approximating map to give the same results for these inputs . in particular , let us consider the constant input signal with value k on all coordinates . most filter banks are set up with one low - pass filter and one or more higher - pass filters . the higher - pass filters should have zero response to a constant signal , while the low - pass filter should give a constant nonzero response ( preferably the same constant as the input ). if the low - pass filter appears first in the bank , then the above properties can be expressed in terms of the z - transform matrix m ( z ) for the filter bank by the equation m ( 1 ) 1 = e 1 , where 1 is the vector in r n with all coordinates 1 and e 1 is the vector with first coordinate 1 and remaining coordinates 0 . we also consider the closely related family of matrices a ( z ) such that a ( z ) e 1 = e 1 . such a matrix , when applied to an input consisting of a constant signal on band 1 and zero on all other bands , returns that input unchanged . ( such a matrix would commonly occur for a processing step applied to a signal after it had already been separated into low - frequency and high - frequency bands .) one can convert from a matrix m ( z ) satisfying m ( 1 ) 1 = e 1 to the form a ( z ) by pulling out a constant matrix factor δ which sends 1 to e 1 as described earlier : if m ( z )= a ( z ) δ , then m ( 1 )= a ( 1 ) δ , so m ( 1 ) 1 = e 1 if and only if a ( 1 ) e 1 = e 1 . the condition a ( 1 ) e 1 = e 1 is equivalent to the statement that the leftmost column of a ( 1 ) is e 1 . this means that , in the matrix a ( z ), all entries in the first column are divisible by z − 1 except for the first entry , which has remainder 1 when divided by z − 1 . let be the set of all matrices a ( z ) with entries from r [ z , z − 1 ] which have determinant 1 and satisfy the equation a ( 1 ) e 1 = e 1 . it is easy to see that is a group . the set of matrices m ( z ) of determinant 1 which satisfy m ( 1 ) 1 = e 1 is the right coset δ of . if we have an elementary matrix in , then its standard integer approximation also leaves a constant integer signal in band 1 ( with zeros elsewhere ) unchanged . so any matrix which can be factored into elementary matrices in has an integer approximation which preserves constant signals in band 1 . theorem 11 . 1 . any matrix in the group can be factored into a product of elementary matrices in . proof we perform the same reduction using elementary row operations as in the previous section , but with an extra restriction on the operations . when we have two nonzero entries a ( z ) and b ( z ) in the column we are currently working on , we wish to perform an elementary row operation which either subtracts a multiple of a ( z ) from b ( z ) so as to reduce its ‘ degree ,’ or subtracts a multiple of b ( z ) from a ( z ) so as to reduce its ‘ degree .’ for an elementary row operation to correspond to a matrix in , it must meet the following restriction : if it subtracts a multiple of row 1 from another row , then the multiplier must be divisible by z − 1 . if neither a ( z ) nor b ( z ) is in row 1 , then the restriction does not apply , and the usual reduction step is allowed . now say a ( z ) is in row 1 . if the ‘ degree ’ of a ( z ) is greater than or equal to that of b ( z ), then we can subtract a suitable multiple of b ( z ) from a ( z ); again this is always allowed . if the ‘ degree ’ of a ( z ) is less than that of b ( z ), then we want to subtract a multiple of a ( z ) from b ( z ) so as to eliminate at least one leading or trailing coefficient from b ( z ). ( we are not requiring that the ‘ degree ’ of b ( z ) be reduced all the way below that of a ( z ); reducing it by at least one will suffice .) so in fact we could make the multiplier a monomial cz k chosen so that the leading term of cz k a ( z ) is the same as that of b ( z ). but the multiplier cz k − cz k − 1 would also work to eliminate the leading term of b ( z ), and it would not introduce new trailing terms because the ‘ degree ’ of cz k − 1 ( z − 1 ) a ( z ) is one more than that of a ( z ), and hence not more than that of b ( z ). so this multiplier will give a valid reduction step , while satisfying the restriction . let us require that column 1 be the first column reduced in this way . after column 1 is reduced , the remaining nonzero entry in this column must be in row 1 , because the matrix will still be in . then one can proceed to reduce the other columns as described in the previous section ; these row operations do not involve row 1 , so they are all allowed . and the steps for eliminating the remaining entries in excluded rows never require subtracting a multiple of row 1 from another row ( since row 1 was the first row excluded ), so they are allowed as well . so we can reduce to a permuted diagonal matrix . since the upper left entry of the matrix is still nonzero , the permutation does not move index 1 . so one can perform a sequence of swap - and - negate operations not involving row 1 so as to reduce to an actual diagonal matrix ; these operations can be expressed as elementary operations using ( 10 . 1 ), and these operations are allowed because they do not involve row 1 . we are now left with a diagonal matrix of determinant 1 whose entries are monomials in z ; and the monomial in the upper left corner must have coefficient 1 in order for the matrix to be in . this matrix can be factored into essentially 2 × 2 diagonal factors of the form considered earlier , where each diagonal entry is a monomial in z : one between rows 1 and 2 , one between rows 2 and 3 , and so on . each of these factors can be broken down into elementary matrices using the formula ( this is ( 2 . 1 ) with r = 1 and s = α − 1 ). for the first factor , α is of the form z k , so α − 1 and ( α − 1 ) α are divisible by z − 1 ; thus , the elementary matrices here are in . for the remaining factors the restriction does not apply . this completes the factorization into elementary matrices in . as in the preceding section , one can get by with far fewer factors by using unit triangular matrices rather than elementary matrices in the n × n case . again , if one has a causal transformation of determinant 1 and wants causal elementary factors , one can get them by the same procedure , using ordinary polynomial degrees instead of ‘ degrees ’ and always trying to eliminate leading coefficients rather than “ leading or trailing ” coefficients . ( the entries in the final diagonal matrix will be constants .) so any causal matrix in can be factored into causal elementary matrices in . for a causal transformation whose determinant has z factors , one can first check whether the first column of the matrix is divisible by a power of z ; if so , this power can be pulled out as a diagonal matrix on the right ( which just shifts band 1 , and hence preserves a constant signal in this band ). once this is done , the first column can be reduced as usual , and then the smith normal form process can be applied to the lower right ( n − 1 )×( n − 1 ) submatrix . then a diagonal matrix can be pulled out on the left ( in two parts , as at the end of the preceding section ), and the reduction of row 1 using the remaining rows ( which now look like the identity matrix ) can be completed . in the proof of theorem 11 . 1 , the first row and column of the matrix must be handled specially , but there is no restriction on the remaining rows and columns ; they can be reduced by any euclidean algorithm steps desired . this extra freedom can be used to obtain additional properties of the factorization , if desired . for instance , suppose k & lt ; n is fixed , and we are given an n × n matrix a ( z ) over r [ z , z − 1 ] of determinant 1 with the property that a ( 1 ) e 1 = e 1 for all i ≦ k , where e i is a vector with 1 in entry i and 0 elsewhere . in other words , the transformation given by a ( z ) preserves a single - band constant signal in any of the first k bands . then a ( z ) can be factored into elementary matrices which also preserve constant signals in these bands . to see this , first perform the reduction on the first column as in the proof of theorem 11 . 1 , where now the first k rows are restricted ( any elementary operation with one of these rows as the source must use a multiplier divisible by z − 1 ). we can continue this until no more legal reductions are possible ; at this point all of the unrestricted rows will have been zeroed out . since the determinant of the matrix is 1 , the remaining nonzero entries in the column must have greatest common divisor 1 , so we can obtain the number 1 as a sum of multiples ( by elements of r [ z , z − 1 ]) of these entries . using the same multipliers with an additional factor of z − 1 , we can perform legal elementary operations so as to make the entry in row n of this column equal to z − 1 . now , since the first entry in this column is 1 plus a multiple of z − 1 ( this was true at the start , and all operations preserved it ), we can perform one more elementary operation from row n to row 1 to change this first entry to 1 . now legal elementary operations from row 1 can be used to zero out all of the other entries ( which are multiples of z − 1 ). next we proceed to the second column and do the same thing in rows 2 through n ; then we can easily eliminate entry 1 in this row using the 1 in entry 2 . proceed this way through the first k columns , and then use the unrestricted algorithm to handle the rest . when we factor a z - transform matrix into elementary matrices , we are decomposing the corresponding transformation into steps which allow only a very specific form of interaction between parts of the signal . however , this form of interaction can still be very wide - ranging , because arbitrary powers of z are allowed in the multipliers occurring in the elementary factors . one may want to restrict the factors further so as to require the interactions to be fairly local . let us consider the case of 2 × 2 matrices first . this is the case where the signal ( long sequence of numerical values ) is broken up into two - entry blocks . an elementary matrix factor with nonzero entry in the upper right corner will modify this signal by leaving the second entries in the blocks alone , but adding some linear combination of the second entries to the first entries . if the nonzero entry is in the lower left corner , then a linear combination of the first entries will be added to the second entries . a natural locality restriction would be to require that the number added to a second entry be computed from the two neighboring first entries ( the one in the same block and the one in the next block ), and the number added to a first entry be computed from the two neighboring second entries ( the one in the same block and the one in the previous block ). this means that we allow only elementary matrix factors of the forms ( 1 rz + s 0 1 ) and ( 1 0 rz - 1 + s 1 ) , for n × n matrices where n & gt ; 2 , it is less obvious what the exact meaning of “ small - stencil ” or “ local ” elementary matrix should be . one could allow only nearest - neighbor interactions as in the 2 × 2 case , but this would be extremely restrictive ; it would allow only elementary matrices where the nonzero off - diagonal entry is a constant adjacent to the diagonal , a monomial rz in the upper right corner , or a monomial rz − 1 in the lower left corner . it would be more flexible to allow interactions between the i &# 39 ; th entry in a block and the two closest j &# 39 ; th entries , one on each side . this would allow the nonzero off - diagonal entry of the elementary matrix to occur anywhere , but : if it is above the diagonal , it must be of the form rz + s ; if it is below the diagonal , it must be of the form rz − 1 + s . ( or one may want a different definition here if one is trying to meet particular implementation restrictions .) it turns out that , even with the restrictive nearest - neighbor definition , it is always possible to factor a z - transform matrix of determinant 1 into small - stencil elementary factors . since we already know how to factor such a matrix into unrestricted elementary factors , we just need to express a given elementary matrix as a product of small - stencil elementary matrices . next note that , because of equations such as ( 1 a + b 0 1 ) = ( 1 a 0 1 ) ( 1 b 0 1 ) , ( 12 . 1 ) we may assume that the nonzero off - diagonal entry in the given elementary matrix is a monomial . in terms of the unblocked signal , this transformation adds c times entry number i + kn to entry number j + kn for all integers k , where c , i , and j are given constants ( and j − i is not divisible by n ). if this is not already a nearest - neighbor interaction ( i . e ., | j − i |& gt ; 1 ), then it can be changed into one by using nearest - neighbor swaps to move the interacting entries closer to each other . for instance , if j − i & gt ; 1 , then we can swap entry j − 1 + kn with entry j + kn for all integers k . this will not move the entries in positions i + kn unless j − 1 − i is divisible by n , in which case these entries are moved one place to the right . so the interacting entries will end up one or two places closer to each other . repeat this until the interacting entries are adjacent , do the operation which performs the interaction , and then reverse all the swaps . this factors the nonlocal operation into a sequence of local operations ( including swaps ). we do not want to use literal swaps , though , since they have determinant − 1 as linear operations . instead , we negate one of the two entries being swapped ; this ‘ swap ’ or swap - and - negate is a 90 - degree rotation between two bands . returning to the z - transform matrices , this states that we can factor our non - local monomial elementary matrix into a local monomial elementary matrix and a number of local ‘ swaps .’ a local ‘ swap ’ which does not cross block boundaries looks like an identity matrix except that some 2 × 2 block centered on the diagonal is changed to if the ‘ swap ’ does cross a block boundary , then it is an identity matrix with the four corner entries changed to ( 0 z - z - 1 0 ) or ( 0 - z z - 1 0 ) . ( 1 0 0 0 1 0 7 z 0 1 ) = ( 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 0 1 0 ) ( 0 - 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 ) ( 0 0 z 0 1 0 - z - 1 0 0 ) × ( 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 7 1 ) ( 0 0 - z 0 1 0 z - 1 0 0 ) ( 0 1 0 - 1 0 0 0 0 1 ) ( 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 0 ) it now remains to note that each local ‘ swap ’ can be factored into three local elementary matrices . for the case where the ‘ swap ’ does not cross a block boundary we just use ( 10 . 1 ). if the ‘ swap ’ does cross a block boundary we use a very similar formula : proposition 12 . 1 . any matrix over r [ z , z − 1 ] of determinant 1 can be factored into small - stencil elementary matrices . this holds under either definition of “ small - stencil .” note that a large number of factors may be required . if a given z - transform matrix has determinant a monomial other than 1 , then of course it cannot be factored into small - stencil elementary factors , because it cannot be factored into elementary factors at all . but if we allow a simple one - step shift and / or negation in one band ( i . e ., the identity matrix with one diagonal entry changed to ± z ± 1 or − 1 ) to be considered “ small - stencil ,” then a factorization into small - stencil factors can be achieved . to see this , recall from previous sections that one can factor the given matrix into elementary matrices and diagonal matrices with diagonal entries of the form ± z k ; the elementary parts are handled as above , and the diagonal parts are taken care of by these new factors . similar remarks apply in the next two sections . in the preceding two sections we considered two extra properties that can be achieved in a factorization of a suitable z - transform matrix . is it possible to achieve both of these properties at the same time ? first consider the more flexible definition of “ small - stencil ” from the previous section ; we will see that suitable factorizations do exist in this case . suppose we are given a matrix in the group . we can factor the given matrix into elementary matrices in using the methods discussed in the section entitled “ factors which preserve constant signals ”; some of these have the nonzero off - diagonal entry in the first column , and others do not . for the ones which do not , the off - diagonal entry is unrestricted ; we may assume that the off - diagonal entry is a monomial because of ( 12 . 1 ). this matrix can now be factored into a local elementary matrix and some local ‘ swaps ’ using the method described in the previous section . for the elementary matrices with off - diagonal entry in the first column , we are not allowed to reduce to the case of monomials ; instead , using ( 12 . 1 ), we can reduce to the case where the off - diagonal entry has the form c ( z k − z k − 1 ) for some real constant c and some integer k . this means that c times an entry in the source band is added to an entry in the destination band and subtracted from the next entry in the destination band . by performing a suitable sequence of ‘ swaps ,’ one can arrange for each source entry to lie in between the two destination entries it will affect . then the desired operation will be small - stencil under the flexible definition . afterwards the ‘ swaps ’ can be reversed to restore the bands to their original positions . the factors here are not in the group ; instead of leaving the constant signal alone on the first band , they move it around from band to band . but the elementary operations specified above do leave the constant signal unchanged on whatever band it is currently in when the operations are applied . as for the ‘ swaps ,’ when one of these is factored into three elementary steps , the constant signal may appear on two bands simultaneously , but it will be restored to a single band ( although perhaps negated ) by the time the ‘ swap ’ is complete . so the corresponding integer approximation maps will always leave this integer constant signal unaltered ( somewhere ), and when all of the factors have been performed the constant signal will end up where it started , unchanged by the integer approximation map . now suppose we want to use the restrictive nearest - neighbor definition of “ small - stencil .” here we assume n & gt ; 3 , because the case n = 2 is already handled above . the same procedure described above works here , except that the elementary operation adding the band containing the constant signal to another band ( multiplied by c in one direction and by − c in the other direction ) is no longer allowed and must be decomposed further . suppose that the band currently containing the constant signal is band i , and we want to add it to band j : for each entry x in band i , we are to add cx to the nearest entry to the right in band j and subtract cx from the nearest entry to the left in band j . let j ′ be a band adjacent to j which is not band i . now perform the following procedure : subtract c times band j ′ from band j ; move band i up to band j ′− 1 ; add band j ′− 1 to band j ′; move band j ′− 1 down to band j ′+ 1 ; subtract band j ′+ 1 from band j ′; move band j ′+ 1 up to band i ; add c times band j ′ to band j ; move band i up to band j ′− 1 ; subtract band j ′− 1 from band j ′; move band j ′− 1 down to band j ′+ 1 ; add band j ′+ 1 to band j ′; move band j ′+ 1 up to band i . each “ add ” or “ subtract ” here is a nearest - neighbor elementary operation . “ move band i up to band j ′− 1 ” means that , if band i is not already immediately below band j ′ ( if it is , do nothing ), then ‘ swap ’ band i with band i + 1 ( the band moving from i + 1 to i is the one which is negated ), then ‘ swap ’ band i + 1 with band i + 2 , and so on , wrapping around from n to 1 if necessary , until the band being moved reaches j ′− 1 ( or n if j ′= 1 ). the other “ move ” steps are interpreted similarly . each of these ‘ swaps ’ is factored into three nearest - neighbor elementary operations as usual . one can check that the net effect of this procedure is as desired : for each entry x in band i , the procedure adds cx to the nearest entry to the right in band j and subtracts cx from the nearest entry to the left in band j . when it is applied to input containing a constant signal in band i and nothing elsewhere , the “ subtract c times ” operation has no effect , the next five steps add the constant signal to band j ′ and then subtract it from band j ′ for no net effect , the “ add c times ” step does nothing because there is nothing currently in band j ′, and the last five steps again subtract and add the same signal from band j ′ for no net effect . so this procedure preserves the constant signal in band i . thus , even under the strictest definition of “ small - stencil ,” one can find a factorization of a given matrix in into elementary factors so that the resulting integer approximation map φ preserves a constant signal in band 1 . but suppose one does not want the constant signal to roam from one band to another in this way . is it still possible to achieve a small - stencil and constant - preserving factorization ? in other words , can every matrix in the group be factored into small - stencil elementary factors which are also in the group ? the answer to this also turns out to be yes , if the flexible definition of “ small - stencil ” is used . let us first consider the 2 × 2 case . we can factor the given matrix into elementary matrices in as before . again as before , we can reduce to the case where the nonzero off - diagonal entry of an elementary matrix is a monomial if it is not in column 1 , and is of the form c ( z k − z k − 1 ) if it is in column 1 . if an elementary matrix has as its nonzero entry a monomial at the upper right , we can handle it using the factorization ( 1 cz 2 k + i 0 1 ) = ( z 0 0 z - 1 ) ( 1 cz i 0 1 ) ( z 0 0 z - 1 ) - k , where k is an integer and i is 0 or 1 . the elementary matrix appearing on the right here is small - stencil , and the z - shift diagonal matrix has the following small - stencil factorization in : ( z 0 0 z - 1 ) = ( 1 0 1 1 ) ( 1 z - 1 - 1 0 1 ) ( 1 0 - 1 2 z 1 ) × ( 1 2 - 2 z - 1 0 1 ) ( 1 0 1 2 1 ) ( 1 z - 1 - 1 0 1 ) ( 1 0 - z 1 ) the other elementary matrix , with a binomial at the lower left , is handled by the factorization ( 1 0 c ( z 2 k + i - z 2 k + i - 1 ) 1 ) = ( z 0 0 z - 1 ) - k ( 1 0 cz i ( 1 - z - 1 ) 1 ) ( z 0 0 z - 1 ) k . the elementary matrix on the right here is small - stencil if i = 0 . if i = 1 , we need to factor it further : ( 1 0 c ( z - 1 ) 1 ) = ( 1 c - 1 0 1 ) ( 1 0 cz - 1 - c 1 ) × ( 1 - 1 2 c - 1 z 0 1 ) ( 1 0 2 c - 2 cz - 1 1 ) ( 1 - 1 2 c - 1 0 1 ) this completes the factorization into small - stencil elementary matrices in . for the n × n case , first factor the matrix into elementary matrices in as in the previous section entitled “ factors which preserve constant signals .” each of these elementary matrices only affects two of the n bands , so it can be factored into local elementary matrices by the methods for the 2 × 2 case above ; under the more flexible definition , these factors are small - stencil . if the strict nearest - neighbor definition of “ small - stencil ” is used , then there are n × n matrices in for n & gt ; 3 which cannot be factored into small - stencil elementary factors in . in fact , a small - stencil elementary factor in cannot have its nonzero off - diagonal entry in the first column , so only matrices with leftmost column e 1 can be products of such matrices . proposition 13 . 1 . under either definition of “ small - stencil ,” any n × n matrix a in can be factored into small - stencil elementary matrices so that the corresponding integer approximation preserves constant signals in band 1 . furthermore , any matrix in can be factored into small - stencil elementary matrices in under the flexible definition of “ small - stencil ,” but ( if n ≧ 3 ) not under the strict definition . the results in this section and the preceding one seem to indicate that requiring factors to be small - stencil substantially increases the size of the factorization . however , this is normally true only when one is factoring unusual matrices with long - scale but no short - scale interactions . for more typical matrices consisting of laurent polynomials with no gaps in their coefficients , it is common to obtain the small - stencil property with no additional effort during the factorization process , or with only a small amount of care when one has a choice to make . an example of obtaining the small - stencil property with no added effort is shown in the upcoming section entitled “ example : the 9 - 7 wavelet .” we noted earlier that the algorithms in the sections entitled “ factoring a z - transform matrix ” and “ factors which preserve constant signals ” need only slight modification so that , when applied to a causal matrix ( one where no negative powers of z occur ), they yield causal factor matrices . however , the algorithms in the sections entitled “ small - stencil factorizations ” and “ simultaneous small - stencil and constant - preserving factors ” involve moving bands back and forth , thus introducing non - causal factors even when the original matrix is causal . if one wants a factorization into small - stencil elementary matrices which are also causal , then one will need modified methods , at least . for an elementary matrix to be both causal and small - stenicil , its nonzero off - diagonal entry must be of the form rz + s . if the flexible definition of “ small - stencil ” is used , then the z - coefficient r is allowed to be nonzero only for entries above the diagonal . the strict definition of small - stencil imposes stronger restrictions : the off - diagonal entry must be a constant adjacent to the diagonal or a monomial rz in the upper right corner ( in the 2 × 2 case , a binomial rz + s is allowed in the upper right corner ). it turns out that , in the 2 × 2 case , causal small - stencil factorizations cannot always be attained : proposition 14 . 1 . there exists a 2 × 2 matrix over r [ z ] of determinant 1 which cannot be expressed as a product of causal small - stencil elementary matrices . proof . suppose a given non - constant 2 × 2 matrix a can be written as a product of causal small - stencil elementary matrices . a factor with an entry rz + s can be split up into a factor with entry rz and a factor with entry s . so a can be written as a product of constant matrices of determinant 1 and elementary matrices with upper right entry of the form rz . express a as such a product with a minimal number of factors . ( in this product , the two factor types must alternate , because two adjacent factors of the same type could be combined into one . note that at least one rz factor must occur .) the last factor in this product has at least one nonzero entry in its bottom row ; select a column ( column 1 or column 2 ) whose bottom entry in that last factor is nonzero . ( if the last factor is an rz factor , column 2 will be selected .) now multiply out this product of matrices from right to left . we will show by induction that , at each stage of this process ( starting after the first rz matrix has been multiplied in ), the two entries in the selected column of the partial product will have degrees differing by at most 1 ; in fact , if the last matrix multiplied in was an rz matrix , then the upper entry in the selected column will have degree 1 more than the degree of the lower entry . the partial product just before the first rz matrix is multiplied in is constant , and its selected column has nonzero lower entry . hence , after the rz matrix is multiplied in , the upper entry in the selected column will have degree 1 and the lower entry will have degree 0 . suppose that ( after multiplying by an rz matrix ) the selected column in the current product has upper entry of degree d and lower entry of degree d − 1 . then , after multiplying by a constant matrix of nonzero determinant , one of the two entries will have degree d and the other will have degree d − 1 or d . the only way in which the lower entry will still have degree d − 1 is if the lower left entry of the constant matrix is 0 . now suppose we have just multiplied in a constant matrix of determinant 1 , and are about to multiply in an rz matrix ( not the first ), and the selected column has entries of degrees differing by at most 1 . say the larger of the two degrees is d . the constant matrix just multiplied in cannot have lower left entry 0 , because if it did we would have three consecutive factors of the form ( 1 rz 0 1 ) ( α s 0 α - 1 ) ( 1 r ′ z 0 1 ) , ( 1 ( r + r ′ α 2 ) z 0 1 ) ( α s 0 α - 1 ) , contradicting the minimality of the factorization . so the lower entry of the selected column currently has degree d , while the upper entry has degree d − 1 or d . after multiplying by the new rz matrix , the degree of the upper entry of the selected column will be d + 1 and the degree of the lower entry will be d . this completes the induction . in particular , the selected column of the final product a will have entries with degrees differing by at most 1 . now , the matrix is a 2 × 2 matrix of determinant 1 which has no column whose entries have degrees differing by at most 1 . therefore , this matrix cannot be the matrix a above ; in other words , this matrix cannot be factored into causal small - stencil elementary factors . on the other hand , the presence of a third band yields enough extra freedom to allow causal small - stencil factorizations : proposition 14 . 2 . if n & gt ; 2 , then every n × n matrix over r [ z ] of determinant 1 can be expressed as a product of causal small - stencil elementary matrices . proof . we already know that such a matrix can be written as a product of causal elementary matrices . by ( 12 . 1 ), these elementary matrices can be factored into monomial elementary matrices , where the nonzero off - diagonal entry has the form cz k for some non - negative integer k . so it suffices to show that such a monomial elementary matrix can be written as a product of causal small - stencil elementary matrices . if k = 0 , then we can do this using nearest - neighbor ‘ swaps ’ and one nearest - neighbor elementary matrix as in the section entitled “ small - stencil factorizations ” the resulting factors are all constant and hence causal . for k = 1 , note that the elementary matrix with upper right entry cz ( i . e ., adding cz times band n to band 1 ) is causal and small - stencil ; by combining this with constant nearest - neighbor ‘ swaps ’ ( moving the source band to band n and the destination band to band 1 , without wrapping around ), we can handle an elementary matrix which adds cz times band i to band j . once we know how to add cz k times band i to band j for any i and j , we can add cz k + 1 times band i to band j for any i and j as follows : pick a band j ′ different from i and j , and do : add z times band i to band j ′; add cz k times band j ′ to band j ; add − z times band i to band j ′; add − cz k times band j ′ to band j . what if we want a causal small - stencil factorization which also preserves a one - band constant signal ? let us first assume we are using the flexible version of “ small - stencil .” the strong version of constant preservation where the constant signal must be held in band 1 only ( i . e ., matrices in the group ) cannot be achieved here , because all causal small - stencil elementary matrices in have first column e 1 , so any product of such matrices also has first column e 1 . however , if we put the constant signal in band n instead , then a factorization which is causal , small - stencil , and strongly constant - preserving can be attained . ( it follows that , if the constant band is allowed to “ roam ,” then the factorization can be achieved no matter which band initially contains the constant signal .) to see this , note that , using permissible factors , we can add c ( z − 1 ) times band i to band j if j & lt ; i , we can add c times band i to band j if i & lt ; n , and we can ‘ swap ’ bands i and j if i , j & lt ; n . next , we can add c ( z − 1 ) times band i to band j if i & lt ; j : if j & lt ; n , ‘ swap ’ bands i and j , add − c ( z − 1 ) times band j to band i , and ‘ swap ’ bands j and i ; if j = n , find j ′ different from i and j , add c ( z − 1 ) times band i to band j ′, add band j ′ to band n , subtract c ( z − 1 ) times band i from band j ′, and subtract band j ′ from band n . hence , using the recursive method from proposition 14 . 2 , we can add c ( z − 1 ) k times band i to band j for any distinct i and j , where k is any nonnegative integer if i & lt ; n and k is any positive integer if i = n . now , given a causal matrix which preserves a constant in band n , we can factor it into causal elementary matrices preserving a constant in band n by the methods of described in the section entitled “ factors which preserve constant signals .” such an elementary matrix adds p ( z ) times band i to band j , where the polynomial p ( z ) must be divisible by z − 1 if i = n . to factor this matrix further , just expand p ( z ) in powers of z − 1 ; each term in this expansion can be handled by the above , so , by ( 12 . 1 ), the whole elementary matrix can be factored into permissible factors . for the strict version of “ small - stencil ,” we already know by the argument from the section entitled “ simultaneous small - stencil and constant - preserving factors ” that strong constant preservation cannot be achieved ( this argument works no matter which band contains the constant ). however , if we allow the constant to roam , then a causal small - stencil factorization is possible . for this , it suffices by the above to be able to add c ( z − 1 ) times the constant band to another band ; this can be done by a version of the twelve - step method from the section entitled “ simultaneous small - stencil and constant - preserving factors .” specifically , this method does not “ wrap around ”; instead , it handles the z part by moving the constant band to band n and the intermediate destination band “ j ′” to band 1 . as an example of the methods presented here , we consider a 9 - 7 wavelet which has been found to be well - suited for image compression and is in common use . the exact formulas for the filter coefficients for this wavelet are given in the fbi fingerprint compression standard . the coefficients are expressed in terms of x 1 , where x 1 = ( - 14 15 + 63 1080 15 ) 1 / 3 + ( - 14 15 - 63 1080 15 ) 1 / 3 - 1 6 the referenced formulas also use a complex number x 2 , but they can be expressed in terms of x 1 using the formulas so x 2 is not needed . the filter coefficients then become : h 0 ( 0 ) = - 2 x 1 ( 240 x 1 2 + 160 x 1 + 83 ) / 32 ≈ 0 . 8526986790094034 h 0 ( ± 1 ) = - 2 x 1 ( 160 x 1 2 + 90 x 1 + 37 ) / 32 ≈ 0 . 3774028556126538 h 0 ( ± 2 ) = - 2 x 1 ( 10 x 1 2 - 3 ) / 8 ≈ - 0 . 1106244044184234 h 0 ( ± 3 ) = 5 2 x 1 ( 2 x 1 + 1 ) / 32 ≈ - 0 . 0238494650193800 h 0 ( ± 4 ) = - 5 2 x 1 / 64 ≈ 0 . 0378284555069955 h 1 ( - 1 ) = 2 ( 6 x 1 - 1 ) / ( 16 x 1 ) ≈ 0 . 7884856164056644 h 1 ( - 2 ) = h 1 ( 0 ) = - 2 ( 16 x 1 - 1 ) / ( 64 x 1 ) ≈ - 0 . 4180922432222122 h 1 ( - 3 ) = h 1 ( 1 ) = - 2 ( 2 x 1 + 1 ) / ( 32 x 1 ) ≈ - 0 . 0406894176095584 h 1 ( - 4 ) = h 1 ( 2 ) = - 2 / ( 64 x 1 ) ≈ 0 . 0645388826289384 m ( z ) = ( a 11 ( z ) a 12 ( z ) a 21 ( z ) a 22 ( z ) ) , a 11 ( z )= h 0 (− 4 ) z − 2 + h 0 (− 2 ) z − 1 + h 0 ( 0 )+ h 0 ( 2 ) z + h 0 ( 4 ) z 2 a 12 ( z )= h 0 (− 3 ) z − 1 + h 0 (− 1 )+ h 0 ( 1 ) z + h 0 ( 3 ) z 2 a 21 ( z )= h 1 (− 4 ) z − 2 + h 1 (− 2 ) z − 1 + h 1 ( 0 )+ h 1 ( 2 ) z a 22 ( z )= h 1 (− 3 ) z − 1 + h 1 (− 1 )+ h 1 ( 1 ) z it is already known to those of ordinary skill in the art how to factor m ( z ) into four elementary matrices and a constant diagonal matrix . in fact , these factors have the same symmetry as the matrix itself . the factors are also small - stencil ; however , the integer approximation ( of course , one has to factor the constant diagonal matrix further to get the integer approximation ) does not preserve the constant signal . this is inevitable using symmetric factors , because requiring symmetry makes the factorization essentially unique . we will see that the use of asymmetric factors gives the extra freedom necessary for constant preservation while still using small - stencil factors . since the given matrix is not causal , we do not need to look for causal factors . the determinant of m ( z ) is 1 . however , m ( z ) does not send a constant signal with value k to a constant value k on band 1 ( the low - pass filter ) and zero on band 2 ( the high - pass filter ); it sends this constant signal to a constant by on band 1 and zero on band 2 . we therefore pull out a constant diagonal scaling matrix factor and work with the matrix s − 1 m ( z ) from now on ; for applications such as compression this scaling factor makes little difference anyway and is less important than constant preservation . from the right , leaving a matrix a ( z )= s − 1 m ( z ) δ − 1 satisfying δ ( 1 ) e 1 = e 1 . we will now work out a small - stencil constant - preserving factorization for a ( z ) ( more efficient than the one described earlier in the section entitled simultaneous small - stencil and constant - preserving factors ). we start eliminating in the first column . first we do a row operation to eliminate the z 2 - term from a 11 . ( note that this must also eliminate the z 2 - term from a 12 , because otherwise the determinant of the new matrix would have a z 3 - term .) we have an extra degree of freedom here , so we can eliminate the z − 2 - term from a 11 ( and the z − 1 - term from a 12 ) at the same time ; this is what the usual symmetric factorization process does . next , we do a row operation to eliminate the z − 2 - term from a 21 ; here there is no extra degree of freedom , and we have to break symmetry to maintain constant preservation . the third step eliminates one term from a 11 , and this must be the trailing term ( the z − 1 - term ) in order to make later factors small - stencil . the fourth operation eliminates the z - term from a 21 , and the fifth operation eliminates the z - term from a 11 . the remaining a 11 is a constant , and since the matrix is in the group , the constant must be 1 . in fact , we find that the remaining matrix is elementary ( unit lower triangular ) and small - stencil . this remaining factor can be combined with the factor δ , which is also unit lower triangular . this yields the factorization : s − 1 m ( z )= u 1 ( z ) l 2 ( z ) u 3 ( z ) l 4 ( z ) u 5 ( z ) l 6 ( z ) where u i ( z ) is small - stencil unit upper triangular and l i ( z ) is small - stencil lower triangular : u i ( z ) = ( 1 r i z + s 0 1 ) , l i ( z ) = ( 1 0 r i z - 1 + s i 1 ) . r 1 = 5 x 1 2 / 2 s 1 = r 1 r 2 = ( 20 x 1 2 + 3 ) / 4 s 2 = r 2 r 3 = 0 s 3 = ( - 410 x 1 2 - 90 x 1 + 13 ) / 110 r 4 = - ( 40 x 1 2 + 5 ) / 4 s 4 = - r 4 r 4 = ( - 70 x 1 2 + 45 x 1 + 21 ) / 55 s 5 = 0 r 6 = 5 x 1 2 s 6 = r 6 - 1 r 1 ≈ 0 . 2930671710299618 s 1 ≈ 0 . 2930671710299618 r 2 ≈ 1 . 3361343420599236 s 2 ≈ - 1 . 3361343420599236 r 3 ≈ 0 s 3 ≈ - 0 . 0386222501060046 r 4 ≈ 2 . 4222686841198471 s 4 ≈ 2 . 4222686841198471 r 5 ≈ - 0 . 0475120919539189 s 5 ≈ 0 r 6 ≈ 0 . 5861343420599236 s 6 ≈ - 1 . 5861343420599236 note that , for each i ≦ 6 , there is a simple relation between r i and s i ( or one of them is 0 ). this means that , in each case , the rounded value & lt ; r 1 a + s i b ) for integer arguments a and b can be computed by integer additions or subtractions together with a single operation of the form c & lt ; rc & gt ;, where c is an integer and r is r i or s i . if the latter operation can be performed by lookup in a precomputed table , then floating - point arithmetic can be avoided altogether . since this factorization is not symmetric , it has a mirror - image form which can be obtained by reversing the signal , applying the factorization as above , and reversing again . to do this algebraically , we replace z with z − 1 and conjugate by note that this leaves m ( z ) unchanged . the effect on the factors is to simply interchange r i with s i for each i . we now perform some error analysis for this factorization , starting with the norm method . computing the norm of an arbitrary z - transform matrix appears to be a messy nonlinear optimization problem , but for an elementary matrix it is feasible . let p ( z ) be the nonzero off - diagonal entry of a 2 × 2 elementary matrix b . let b be the absolute value of the constant term of p ( z ), and let a be the sum of the absolute values of the coefficients of the nonconstant terms of p ( z ). then ∥ b ∥ is the maximum value of for real numbers x and y such that x 2 + y 2 = 1 . in fact , the same formula works for the norm of an n × n elementary matrix with nonzero off - diagonal entry p ( z ). here we need to maximize √{ square root over ( x 2 +( y + bx + a ) 2 + x 3 2 +)} x 4 2 + . . . + x n 2 subject to the constraint x 2 + y 2 + x 3 2 + . . . + x n 2 = 1 . this is equivalent to maximizing x 2 +( y + bx + a ) 2 + x 3 2 + . . . + x n 2 −( x 2 + y 2 + x 3 2 + . . . + x n 2 )= 2y ( bx + a )+( bx + a ) 2 under this same constraint . if we hold x fixed , then the new objective function is linear in y , so it is maximized at one of the two extreme values of y ; these extreme values occur when x 3 = . . . = x n = 0 . this reduces the problem to the 2 × 2 case . actually computing this maximum requires he solution of a quartic polynomial equation in general , so one will normally resort to numerical approximation . but there are some special cases where the answer is simpler : b = 2 ( a 4 + 5 a 2 + 2 + a a 2 + 3 ) a 2 + 4 . for the matrices u i ( z ) and l i ( z ), we have a =| r i | and b =| s i |. five of these six matrices fall under the special cases above ; we handle the remaining matrix l 6 ( z ) by numerical methods . the resulting matrix norms are : now we can use ( 2 . 1 ) to compute error bounds : for the forward transform the error bound is about 29 . 0346469116757969 ; for the inverse transform ( which can also be computed using norms because we are in the 2 × 2 case ) we get a bound of 39 . 6038983737180800 . these bounds can probably be improved by direct error analysis in the manner discussed earlier , but this would require analyzing a combination of 17 separate errors ( which are probably not independent ). instead we go to empirical methods . a random sample of over 4 . 6 × 10 9 test cases ( using random integers chosen uniformly from the interval [− 2 16 , 2 16 − 1 ]) yielded the following worst errors : ( - 2522 - 16164 ) , ( - 6636 658 ) , ( - 3046 - 14296 ) , ( 6398 10921 ) , ( - 6254 8138 ) ( 757 10905 ) , ( - 15135 11419 ) , ( - 11480 511 ) , ( 6895 - 1806 ) , ( - 10013 11732 ) ( one needs five successive input pairs of low - band , high - band entries to compute one output pair .) one might expect the alternate mirror - image form of the factorization to have the same error bounds . however , the reflection also changes the pairing between the band - 1 entries and the band - 2 entries . ( when the input signal is split into length - 2 vectors , each band - 1 entry is paired with the entry that immediately follows it in band 2 . after the reflection , these two entries will end up in separate vectors .) so there is no reason to expect the error bounds to be identical . in fact , testing yields inputs with errors slightly worse than those found for the unreflected factorization : ( 12962 12976 ) , ( - 15095 - 13917 ) , ( - 4271 - 3962 ) , ( 12318 6625 ) , ( - 13212 - 5853 ) ( - 4703 - 8068 ) , ( - 12506 - 7893 ) , ( 13822 - 6129 ) , ( 3251 - 14093 ) , ( - 14943 - 5253 ) of course , there are many possible factorizations other than these two ; finding an optimal one appears to be quite a challenge . as we have noted before , a factorization of a z - transform matrix into elementary factors may be much longer than a factorization of a constant matrix ; in fact , there is no fixed bound on the length of the z - transform factorization . the main reason for this is that the entries in the elementary matrices are quotients . we can divide by an arbitrary nonzero number , but we cannot divide by an arbitrary nonzero polynomial because only laurent polynomials are allowed as entries in factor matrices . we will now look at what happens if we relax this restriction . if a = ( a 11 a 12 a 21 a 22 ) has determinant 1 and we can divide by a 21 , then we can factor a into three elementary matrices as described in the section entitled “ preserving particular lattice points : a = ( 1 a 11 - 1 a 21 0 1 ) ( 1 0 a 21 1 ) ( 1 a 22 - 1 a 21 0 1 ) . so when can we divide by a 21 ? clearly we can if a 21 is a nonzero constant or monomial . in other cases the process will be iir ( infinite impulse response ) rather than fir ( finite impulse response ). for instance , suppose a 21 ( z )= 1 − cz . then 1 / a 21 = 1 + cz + c 2 z 2 + . . . , so adding , say , 1 / a 21 times the second band to the first band would involve combining entries from arbitrarily far in the past from the second band to update the current entry in the first band . this also raises the issue of numerical stability . if | c |& gt ; 1 , then we are adding larger and larger multiples of older entries from the second band to the first band , and the process is quite unstable and leads to an unbounded result . if | c |& lt ; 1 , though , then the process is stable and the result of applying it to a bounded signal is still a bounded signal . if p ( z ) is a nonzero laurent polynomial whose zeros ( other than 0 ) all have absolute value greater than 1 , then p can be written as a product of a monomial and some number of factors of the form 1 − cz with | c |& lt ; 1 . since we can divide by each of these factors stably in turn , we can divide by p stably . in fact , the process of dividing by p is just the standard long - division algorithm for ( laurent ) polynonials , starting at the low - degree end . there is no need to factor p into linear factors and divide by them separately ; the result is the same if one just performs the long division by p directly . this also means that one does not have to remember the entire past signal during the long division process ; one only has to remember the current partial remainder , which is no longer than p . let us now return to the polynomial 1 − cz , and assume this time that | c |& lt ; 1 , so we cannot simply perform the division as above . what we can do instead is rewrite 1 − cz as − cz ( 1 − c − 1 z − 1 ). the monomial − cz causes no difficulty , and , since | c |& lt ; 1 , the expression 1 /( 1 − c − 1 z − 1 )= 1 + c − 1 z − 1 + c − 2 z − 2 + . . . has decreasing coefficients and leads to a stable division algorithm . this corresponds to simply doing the long division in the opposite direction , starting from the high end ( which is what one commonly does with polynomial division anyway ). again one can handle multiple factors of this form with a single long division . of course , we are giving up on causality here . in general , suppose a 21 is a laurent polynomial which does not have any ( complex ) zeros of absolute value 1 . then we can factor a 21 into two parts , one having the zeros of absolute value greater than 1 and the other having the zeros of absolute value less than 1 . this lets us express a 21 in the form m ( z ) p ( z ) q ( z − 1 ), where m ( z ) is a monomial and p and q are polynomials ( ordinary , not laurent ) with constant term 1 whose zeros are all of absolute value greater than 1 . dividing by m ( z ) is easy ; we divide by p ( z ) and q ( z − 1 ) successively using iir long division , with the first division proceeding from low to high degree and the second division proceeding from high to low degree . there are some special cases of interest . if a 21 is a symmetric laurent polynomial ( i . e ., a 21 ( z )= a 21 ( z − 1 )) which has no zeros of absolute value 1 , then the polynomials p and q are actually equal ; we can absorb the monomial into the other factors and write a 21 in the form p ( z ) p ( z − 1 ) for some polynomial p ( although this will require complex coefficients if a 21 ( 1 )& lt ; 0 ). another common situation is for the laurent polynomial a 21 ( z ) to have one dominant coefficient whose absolute value is greater than the sum of the absolute values of all of the other coefficients . in this case , it is impossible for a 21 to have a complex zero of absolute value 1 , so we definitely can factor a 21 as above for division purposes . finally , what if a 21 has a complex zero of absolute value 1 ? the simplest case is a 21 = z − 1 . if a constant signal x is multiplied by a 21 , the result will be zero no matter what the constant is . hence , given a 21 x , one cannot recover x ; in other words , division by a 21 is not even well - defined . the same thing happens for any polynomial a 21 with a zero w such that | w |= 1 : there is a nonzero bounded signal x =( . . . w 2 , w , 1 , w − 1 , w − 2 , . . . ) such that a 21 x is zero , so it is impossible to divide by a 21 . ( if a 21 has real coefficients but w is not real , then one can take the real part of the signal x above to get a real nonzero signal annihilated by a 21 .) we have shown here that , in many cases , it is possible to use iir integer - approximable factors for a fir linear transformation , and that this may require fewer factors than a fir factorization ( thus possibly giving faster computation and lower error bounds ). the main drawback of this method is that it requires processing the entire signal even if one only needs part of the output ( say , a subinterval of the transformed signal ). the need for this is frequent enough that it is usually worthwhile to use fir factors even when more of them are required . we have shown that a z - transform matrix ( for a perfect reconstruction fir signal transformation ) of determinant 1 can be factored into elementary matrices ( liftings ) in a variety of ways ; this allows us to find integer approximations to these factors ( and hence to the original transformation ) with additional useful properties , such as locality of interaction , causality , and / or preservation of constant integer signals . just as in the fixed - length case , there are a number of possibilities here that remain to be explored , including additional factorizations of matrices and improved error analysis . also , additional study would be helpful for the case of more than two bands ( as mentioned earlier , one can use unit triangular matrices instead of elementary matrices and thus reduce the number of factors ; algorithms for producing efficient factorizations into such factors would be quite useful ) and for multidimensional signals ( where one cannot always factor a transformation into elementary matrices , and even when one can , such as when there are more than two bands , the number of such matrices may be excessive ). | 6 |
shown in fig1 is an ac coupled inverting operational amplifier 10 which is well known in the prior art . the operational amplifier 10 has its inverting or negative input couled to an input signal source 12 , v in , via coupling capacitor 14 which blocks out all dc inputs . the non - inverting or positive input of the operational amplifier 10 is connected to a common reference voltage , say analog ground v ag . feedback capacitor 20 and load resistor 22 are coupled at the negative input of operational amplifier 10 at node 16 to the output of operational amplifier 10 at node 18 . and therefore the precision of the gain is determined in large part by the exactness of capacitors 14 and 20 . in a standard mos process , the capacitors 14 and 20 can be accurately fabricated to produce a nearly exact gain amplifier or closely matched to produce a precise unity gain amplifier . the low frequency pole of the circuit in fig1 is by utilizing a standard process value for feedback capacitor c 20 of 5 pf and designing a low frequency pole of 10 hertz , the load resistor r 22 would need to be approximately 3 . 18 × 10 9 ohms . such a large resistance is impractical to integrate into the circuit . furthermore , in order to simulate this large resistance by using a switched capacitor , a clocking frequency in the kilohertz range is required to prevent the introduction of offset voltage error from the switching . using a lower clock frequency which is on the order of the input signal frequency would cause discrete modifications to the dc level at frequencies similar to the frequency of the input signal which is being amplified and thus the output would be distorted . therefore , the switched capacitor value would have to be approximately 0 . 001 pf . to overcome these problems , a switched voltage divider circuit 24 as shown in fig2 may be substituted for r 22 in the circuit of fig1 at the nodes 16 and 18 . in the preferred embodiment , the voltage divider 24 comprises the resistors 26 and 28 and switches 30 and 32 wherein the switches are cmos transmission gates having an inherent parasitic capacitance , c p , and which are clocked in a conventional manner by nonoverlapping clock signals a and b ( see fig4 ) by clock generator 34 . initially , switch 30 is on and switch 32 is off so that c p charges to the voltage at node 36 of the divider circuit 24 which is r 28 /( r 28 + r 26 ) of the output voltage , v 0 , at node 18 . switch 30 is switched off and then switch 32 is switched on to couple charge into the inverting operational amplifier 10 . therefore the current i flowing through switch 32 and into node 16 is [ r 28 /( r 28 + r 26 )] v o fc p . it is thus apparent that the equivalent of the resistance which is being simulated between nodes 16 and 18 of voltage divider circuit 24 is [( r 28 + r 26 )/ r 28 ] fc p . the obstacle of not being able to realize an integrated load resistance of 3 . 18 × 10 9 ohms can be overcome by utilizing the proper ratio of resistors r 26 and r 28 . if the switched capacitor has a parasitic capacitance of approximately 0 . 2 pf and a clock frequency of 128 khz is used , the ratio ( r 28 + r 26 ) / r 28 need only be about 81 / 1 to realize an equivalent to a resistor having a value of 3 . 18 × 10 9 ohms . the resulting low frequency pole allows the ac couled operational amplifier 10 to be used at near dc frequencies . this is especially useful since integrated capacitors can be matched more accurately than integrated resistors in an mos fabrication process . higher low frequency poles may be realized by utilizing an actual capacitor in addition to the inherent parasitic capacitance of the switches 30 and 32 . when such a capacitor is used , it is located between the node 38 and the reference voltage , v ag , where the capacitor c p is shown in fig2 and 3 . therefore a totally integrated mos circuit can be made with precise capacitor ratios to provide a precision gain operational amplifier . fig3 illustrates in schematic form , a modified form of voltage divider circuit 24 &# 39 ; which can be substituted for the voltage divider circuit 24 of fig2 in the circuit of fig1 to reduce the total number of resistor units and thus decrease circuit die area . resistors 26 and 40 are each made of 7 units of resistance and resistors 28 and 42 are 1 unit of resistance each so that the ratio of resistors 26 , 28 and 40 to resistor 42 at node 44 is approximately 81 / 1 . the total number of resistance units needed for divider circuit 24 &# 39 ; is therefore 16 as compared to 82 in divider circuit 24 . while the invention has been described in the context of a preferred embodiment , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be modified in numerous ways and may assume many embodiments other than that specifically set out and described above . accordingly , it is intended by the appended claims to cover all modifications of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
the method according to various embodiments provides that in the case of the expanded , partially vaporized agent , the liquid phase is separated from the vapor phase immediately before the condenser . only the vapor phase is supplied to the condenser for condensation . the condensed vapor ( that is to say then liquid ) phase and the separated liquid phase are combined after the condenser but before step 1 , that is to say the increase in the pressure of the liquid agent , in order to produce the liquid agent . the liquid phase therefore bypasses the condenser , thus making it possible to prevent erosion of the condenser . all that is required for this purpose is a separator for separation of the liquid phase from the vapor phase , a bypass line for the liquid phase line to bypass the condenser and a combination means for combining the ( separated ) liquid and condensed vapor ( that is to say then liquid ) phase . the complexity of the circuit is therefore increased only insignificantly . the size of the droplets in the liquid phase in the vapor phase of the agent after expansion is dependent on the pressure of the agent in the condenser . the higher the pressure of the agent is in the condenser , and thus at the outlet of the expansion device , the smaller the droplets . in turn , the smaller the droplets are , the less is the risk of erosion caused by the droplets . on the other hand , however , as the pressure of the agent in the condenser and at the outlet of the expansion device increases , the mechanical energy which can be produced by conversion of heat energy by the expansion device decreases . preferably , therefore , the pressure of the agent during the condensation process is set to an optimum between the droplets of the liquid phase in the vapor phase of the agent being as small as possible and the mechanical energy produced being as great as possible in step 3 . the amount of mechanical energy produced is therefore deliberately reduced in order to prevent erosion of the condenser . because of the enormous efficiency advantage resulting from heating rather than vaporization of the agent by the low - temperature heat source , however , considerable efficiency advantages can nevertheless still be achieved in comparison to conventional circuits in which the agent is vaporized by the low - temperature heat source . according to one embodiment of the method , the condensed vapor ( that is to say then liquid ) phase and the ( separated ) liquid phase are combined in an agent reservoir . since a reservoir such as this is provided in any case in many circuits , there is no need for an additional component for combination of the two phases . in this case , particularly high efficiencies can be achieved if the low - temperature source is at a temperature of less than 400 ° c . the apparatus according to various embodiments has a separator for separation of the liquid phase from the vapor phase of the expanded , partially vaporized agent , wherein the separator is arranged immediately before the condenser in the flow direction of the agent . a combination means is used to combine the ( separated ) liquid phase and the condensed vapor ( that is to say then liquid ) phase of the expanded , partially vaporized agent , wherein the combination means is arranged before the pump in the flow direction of the agent . the separator is connected to the condenser in order to supply the vapor phase to the condenser . the combination means is connected to the separator in order to supply the ( separated ) liquid phase to the combination means , and is connected to the condenser in order to supply the condensed vapor ( that is to say then liquid ) phase to the combination means . the advantages that have been mentioned for the method according to various embodiments apply in a corresponding manner to the apparatus . the pressure of the agent in the condenser can preferably be set to an optimum between the droplets of the liquid phase in the vapor phase of the agent being as small as possible and the mechanical energy produced being as great as possible in the expansion device . according to one embodiment , the combination means is in the form of an agent reservoir . advantageously , a nozzle and a turbine can be arranged successively in the flow direction of the agent in the expansion device in order to expand the heated agent . the agent can be expanded in the nozzle by increasing its volume from a higher inlet pressure to a lower outlet pressure , thus partially vaporizing the agent . the water - steam jet which is created in this way can then be passed to the turbine blades of the turbine , by means of which the kinetic energy of the water - steam jet is converted to mechanical energy of a rotor shaft . instead of only a single nozzle , a plurality of nozzles can also be arranged at the turbine inlet , for example in an annular configuration , through which the agent can flow in parallel . in this case , the nozzle and the turbine may also form a single physical unit , that is to say the nozzles are arranged directly adjacent to the turbine inlet . an apparatus 1 according to various embodiments for conversion of the heat energy of a low - temperature heat source to mechanical energy comprises a thermodynamic circuit in which a heat exchanger 2 , an expansion device 3 , a separator 7 , a condenser 8 , an agent reservoir in the form of a condensate tank 9 and a pump 10 are arranged successively in the flow direction of an agent . the low - temperature heat source is a heat source at a temperature of less than 400 ° c . by way of example , heat sources such as these are geothermal sources ( hot thermal water ), industrial waste - heat sources ( for example waste heat from plants used in the steel , glass or cement industries ) and solar energy . by way of example , a coolant liquid of the r134 type may be used as an agent for temperatures of less than 300 ° c ., and , for example , a cooling liquid of the r245 type may be used for temperatures of more than 300 ° c . the pump 10 is used to pump the liquid agent to an increased pressure . the heat exchanger 2 is used to heat the increased - pressure , liquid agent in the circuit by heat transfer from the low - temperature heat source 20 to the agent without vaporization of the agent , that is to say the agent is only heated and is not vaporized in the heat exchanger 2 . for this purpose , the low - temperature heat source 20 , for example hot geothermal water flows through the primary side of the heat exchanger , and the increased - pressure agent flows through its secondary side . a line 11 connects the secondary side of the heat exchanger 2 to the expansion device 3 . the agent is still liquid at the outlet on the secondary side of the heat exchanger 2 , when it enters the line 11 . the expansion device 3 is used to expand the heated liquid agent , wherein an expanded , partially vaporized agent with a liquid and a vapor phase can be produced by partial vaporization of the heated liquid agent in the expansion device 3 , and heat energy in the heated liquid agent can be converted to mechanical energy . the expansion device 3 for this purpose comprises a nozzle 4 and a turbine 5 , which are arranged successively in the flow direction of the agent . the nozzle and the turbine may in this case form a single physical unit , that is to say the nozzle 4 is arranged immediately adjacent to the inlet of the turbine 5 . instead of only a single nozzle 4 , it is also possible to arrange a plurality of nozzles 4 at the inlet of the turbine 5 , for example in an annular configuration , through which the agent can flow in parallel . on the outlet side , the turbine 5 is connected via a line 12 to the separator 7 . the separator 7 is used to separate the liquid phase from the vapor phase of the agent which has been partially vaporized in the expansion device 3 . the separator 7 is arranged immediately before the condenser 8 in the flow direction of the agent , is connected via a line 13 to the condenser 8 in order to supply the vapor phase to the condenser 8 , and is connected via a line 14 to the condensate tank 9 in order to supply the liquid phase to the condensate tank 9 . the condenser 8 is used to produce the liquid agent by condensation of the partially vaporized agent . the condensate tank 9 is used to combine the liquid phase and the condensed vapor ( that is to say then liquid ) phase of the partially vaporized agent . the condensate tank 9 is arranged after the condenser 8 and before the pump 10 in the flow direction of the agent , is connected via a line 14 to the separator 7 in order to supply the liquid phase , and via a line 15 to the condenser 8 in order to supply the condensed vapor phase to the condensate tank 9 . during operation of the apparatus 1 , in a first step , liquid agent from the condensate tank 9 is raised to an increased pressure by the pump 10 , and is pumped into the heat exchanger 2 . in a second step , the increased - pressure , liquid agent is heated , without being vaporized , in the heat exchanger 2 by transfer of heat to the agent from the low - temperature heat source 20 which flows through the primary side of the heat exchanger 2 . in a third step , the heated , liquid agent is expanded in the expansion device 3 , with the agent being partially vaporized and its heat energy being converted to mechanical energy . the expansion device 3 therefore produces an expanded , partially vaporized agent with a liquid phase and a vapor phase . for this purpose , the heated , liquid agent which is supplied to the nozzle 4 via the line 11 is expanded in the nozzle 4 and in the process is partially vaporized . the kinetic energy of the water - steam jet created in this way is converted in the turbine 5 into mechanical energy of a rotor shaft , and a generator 6 is thus driven , which in turn converts the mechanical energy to electrical energy . the expanded , partially vaporized agent which is produced in the third step and leaves the turbine 5 in the form of a two - phase mixture ( steam / liquid ) is supplied via a line 12 to the separator 7 , in that the vapor phase is separated from the liquid phase of the two - phase mixture . only the vapor phase is supplied to the condenser 8 via the line 13 . in the condenser 8 , the vapor phase is condensed by cooling , for example by direct cooling , air cooling , hybrid cooling or water cooling , and the condensed vapor ( that is to say then liquid ) phase is supplied via the line 15 to the condensate tank 9 . the separated liquid phase , in contrast , bypasses the condenser 8 via the line 14 and only after this , but still before the pump 10 and therefore before the first step , is combined with the condensed vapor ( that is to say then liquid ) phase in the condensate tank 9 . liquid agent from the condensate tank 9 is raised to an increased pressure with the aid of the pump 10 and is pumped into the heat exchanger 2 , thus closing the circuit . erosion of the condenser 8 can be prevented by separation of the liquid phase from the vapor phase of the two - phase mixture leaving the turbine 5 , in the separator 7 , and by the liquid phase then being fed directly into the condensate tank 9 , bypassing the condenser 8 . the pressure of the agent in the condenser 8 is in this case set to an optimum between the droplets of the liquid phase in the vapor phase of the agent being as small as possible and the mechanical energy produced being as great as possible in the third step . this makes it possible to reduce the erosion of the condenser even further . | 5 |
first , the principle of this invention will be explained . the principle of this invention is shown in fig3 where reference number 20 denotes a sub - reflector , number 21 an auxiliary reflector , number 22 an assumed screen , and number 25 denotes radiation field distribution of the feed horn shown by a schematic diagram on the assumed screen 22 , and the numbers 26 , 27 , 28 and 29 denote the electro - magnetic field distribution on the auxiliary reflector 21 , sub - reflector 20 , main - reflector 1 and aperture plane 7 , respectively . as shown in the figure , the distribution of field from the feed horn 3 is modified at each reflector surface and aperture plane in the course of the travelling of the wave . it is the principle of this invention that the field distribution is intentionally deformed by two reflectors 21 and 20 in order to cancel the distortion generated at the main reflector 1 . next , an embodiment of this invention will be explained with reference to fig4 . in the figure , sub - reflector 20 and auxiliary reflector 21 are formed with non - quadratic curved surfaces that satisfy the above principle . the details of design will be explained hereinafter . main reflector 1 , sub - reflector 20 and auxiliary reflector 21 should satisfy the conditions ( 1 ) through ( 5 ) that will be described later in this specification . in fig4 the same reference notations as those in fig1 denote the same parts or concept . in transmission , with the antenna having such configuration , the electric wave radiated from the feed horn 3 travels along the wave path 14 shown by a dot - and - dash line , being reflected at point 13 on the auxiliary reflector 21 , point 12 on the sub - reflector 20 and point 10 on the main reflector 1 , and reaches the point 9 on the aperture plane 7 . in reception , the electric wave travels in the opposite direction along the same path . the wave enters at the point 9 on the aperture plane 7 , passes through point 10 on the main reflector 1 , point 12 on the sub - reflector 20 and point 13 on the auxiliary reflector 21 , and finally focuses on the point 6 . with the antenna of this embodiment , each wave path from the focus point 6 to every point on the aperture plane 7 has a constant length , and the reflection law is satisfied at every reflection point on the reflectors , so that there is no aberration . since the antenna of this embodiment is so constructed as to follow the above principle , the distortion in shape of the antenna aperture field distribution is extremely minimized . a method of designing the sub - reflector and auxiliary reflector employed in the above embodiment will now be explained in detail with reference to fig3 and 4 . ( 1 ) the main reflector surface is specified as a portion of a trace drawn by a rotation of cross sectional curve 4 about the y &# 39 ; axis 5 . ( 2 ) the total length of wave path 14 , from the phase center 6 of the feed horn 3 through point 13 on the auxiliary reflector 21 , point 12 on the sub - reflector 20 and point 10 on the main reflector 1 to the point 9 on the aperture plane 7 , must be kept constant . ( 3 ) the straight line connecting the two points 10 and 9 must be parallel to the z axis . ( 4 ) the light reflection law must be satisfied at points 13 , 12 , 10 on the reflectors . ( 5 ) under predetermined radiation field distribution of the feed horn 3 and desired antenna aperture field distribution , the field distribution 29 over the aperture plane 7 must perfectly coincide with the aimed distribution on the y axis and must well approximate it on the other parts . a shape of the reflector surface satisfying these conditions may be determined by solving a differential equation and optimization problem . the above conditions ( 1 )-( 4 ) will be explained , referring to formulae . vectors indicated by the arrows drawn from the origin 0 to the phase center 6 of the feed horn 3 , to point 13 on the auxiliary reflector 21 , to point 12 on the sub - reflector 20 and to point 10 on the main reflector 1 , respectively , are represented by fo , b , s and m as shown in fig4 . in the following explanation , the notation → represents a vector . according to the condition ( 1 ), the surface of the main reflector 1 is a portion of a rotation trace whose rotation axis is the y &# 39 ; axis . therefore , the vector m is represented generally by the following equation ( 1 ), provided that the cross sectional curve 4 is on y &# 39 ;- z &# 39 ; coordinates . ## equ1 ## where , t and η are parameters for expressing a curved surface and α is an angle between two axes y and y &# 39 ;. the unit normal n m of the main reflector 1 is represented by equation ( 2 ): ## equ2 ## if the surface of the main reflector 1 has a spherical shape with its radius ro centered at the point c ( y &# 39 ;= t c , z &# 39 ;= 0 ) on y &# 39 ; axis , function g ( t ) is represented by the following equation : ## equ3 ## the curved surface of the auxiliary reflector 21 may be represented by the following equation , using polar coordinates with its origin at point 6 as shown in fig4 because a more general reflector surface than the conventional one is used in this embodiment . the f ( θ , φ ) is determined by the condition ( 5 ) as will be explained hereinafter . the vector b representing the straight line between the origin 0 and the point 13 on the auxiliary reflector 21 and the unit normal n b of the auxiliary reflector 21 are expressed , respectively , by the following equations ( 5 ) and ( 6 ): ## equ4 ## where , β is an angle between vertex axis of the polar coordinates with its origin at the point 6 and the z axis . since the wave path extending from the point 9 on the aperture plane 7 to the main reflector 1 is parallel to the z axis ( said condition ( 3 )), the unit vector r m directed from the point 10 on the main reflector 1 to the point 12 on the sub - reflector 20 is given by equation ( 7 ), because of the reflection law applied at the point 10 ( said condition ( 4 )): similarly , the unit vector r b directed from point 13 on the auxiliary reflector 21 to the point 12 is given by equation ( 8 ): moreover , the vectors s representing the straight line from the origin 0 to the point 12 on the sub - reflector 20 is given by equation ( 9 ), provided that λ m is the length of the wave path lying between point 10 on the main reflector 1 and point 12 on the sub - reflector 20 , and λ b is the length of the wave path between the point 13 on the auxiliary reflector 21 and the point 12 . ## equ6 ## if the length of the wave path between point 9 on the aperture plane 7 and point 10 on the main reflector surface 1 is given by λ a , said condition ( 2 ) that the total length of wave path 14 is kept constant lo , leads to the following equation ( 10 ): with a predetermined main reflector 1 and auxiliary reflector 21 , or given functions g ( t ) and f ( θ , φ ), the vector s is obtained by solving equations ( 9 ) and ( 10 ) to determine the surface of the sub - reflector 20 . the equations ( 9 ) and ( 10 ) form simultaneous equations including four variables t , η , λ m and λ b , plus independent variables θ and φ , or the equations including four variables θ , φ , λ m and λ b , plus independent variables t and η . next , an explanation will be made about how to determine the curved surface f ( θ , φ ) of the auxiliary reflector 21 under said condition ( 5 ). the f ( θ , φ ) is determined in the following two step operations : ( a ) to get exact agreement of the aperture field distribution to a desired distribution in connection with the y axis of the antenna aperture plane 7 , the curves within ( y - z ) cross section , i . e ., f ( θ , π / 2 ) and f ( θ ,- π / 2 ), are determined by using an ordinary differential equation . since the cross sectional curve 4 of the main reflector 1 , g ( t ), as described hereinbefore , is predetermined to be hyperbola or circle , f ( θ ,± π / 2 ) can be obtained in the same way as that in the surface correction technique of an ordinary cassegrain antenna when a desired aperture field distribution and a radiation pattern of a feed horn are given . ( b ) the curved surface of the part other than the ( y - z ) cross section of the auxiliary reflector can be determined by the following procedure : using f ( θ , π / 2 ), f ( θ ,- π / 2 ) obtained in the step ( a ), f ( θ , φ ) can be expressed as follows : where ## equ7 ## equation ( 13 ) gives the partial sum of the taylor expansion with respect to spherical coordinates , in which a nm represents a coefficient of the n th and m th term . f ( θ , φ ) may be expressed by any other finite function series which is equal to f ( θ , π / 2 ) and f ( θ ,- π / 2 ) obtained by the step ( a ) and includes finite number of coefficients . the value of the coefficient a nm is adopted such that the field distribution of the aperture plane gives the closest approximation to the desired one . in practice , a nm can be determined by use of the optimization procedure . as an objective function ε , which is a function of coefficients a nm to be minimized , we can use the following equation ( 14 ) for example : where , ed ( ρa , φa ) represents a desired aperture field distribution , and e ( ρa , φa ) represents an actual field distribution of the reflector system . e ( ρa , φa ) of the above equation is expressed by the following using the radiation pattern of the feed horn 3 ep ( θ , φ ): ## equ8 ## where ## equ9 ## the parameter θm is half of the angle viewing the auxiliary reflector 21 from the phase center 6 of the feed horn . as mentioned before , the relation between ( θ , φ ) and ( ρa , φa ) can be obtained by solving the simultaneous equations ( 9 ) and ( 10 ), so we can calculate e ( ρa , φa ) by the equation ( 15 ). the objective function for the optimization problem is not confined to equation ( 14 ), but next equation ( 16 ) can also be used , ## equ10 ## where , ( xm , ym ) is a coordinate point 9 at which the wave path 14 ( along which the wave from the focus 6 travels with angles θ and φ ) crosses the aperture plane 7 , and ( xmo , ymo ) is its desired coordinate point , which is determined by the relation between ep ( θ , φ ) and ed ( ρa , φa ). if the aperture field distribution gives a complete agreement to the aimed distribution , the objective function given by equation ( 14 ) or ( 16 ) will be equal to zero . in the foregoing surface design method , an example is shown in which the function of the surface of auxiliary reflector 21 is expanded as shown in equations ( 11 )-( 13 ). it is , however , apparent that the same design procedure is applicable to the functional expansion of the surface of sub - reflector 20 . an embodiment of an antenna designed in accordance with said reflector surface design method will be explained , with reference to fig5 and 6 and tables 1 and 2 . fig5 shows a ( y - z ) cross section of an antenna , in which the main reflector 1 has a spherical surface with its center at point c . such points on central wave path 15 as point 32 on the auxiliary reflector 21 , point 31 on the sub - reflector 20 and point 30 on the main reflector 1 have the coordinates given below . ______________________________________ point 30 ( 0 , 0 - 1 ) point 31 ( 0 , - 0 . 2634 , - 0 . 5046 ) point 32 ( 0 , - 0 . 2843 , - 0 . 6228 ) point 6 ( 0 , - 0 . 3357 , - 0 . 5615 ) ______________________________________ values of β 0 , β 1 and β 2 are 28 °, 10 ° and 140 °, respectively . furthermore , the parameters θ , ρa are assumed to satisfy the relation ## equ11 ## then , the desired aperture field distribution ed ( ρa , φa ) is given by the following equation ( 17 ): ## equ12 ## where , ρm stands for an antenna aperture radius and its value may be 0 . 23 . the value of θm may be 10 °. the curves f ( θ , π / 2 ) and f ( θ ,- π / 2 ) within ( y - z ) cross section of auxiliary reflector 21 determined in accordance with said design procedure ( a ) under said condition is listed in table 1 . table 1______________________________________φ [ deg ] θ [ deg ] f ( θ , φ ) y . sub . b z . sub . b y . sub . s z . sub . s______________________________________ -- 10 . 00 . 085115 -. 270471 -. 616198 -. 319656 -. 533636 - 90 . 0 8 . 75 . 084740 -. 271962 -. 617360 -. 309883 -. 525399 7 . 50 . 084256 -. 273553 -. 618410 -. 300669 -. 519073 6 . 25 . 083684 -. 275223 -. 619355 -. 292224 -. 514310 5 . 00 . 083038 -. 276956 -. 620204 -. 284662 -. 510802 3 . 75 . 082335 -. 278738 -. 620963 -. 278026 -. 508282 2 . 50 . 081586 -. 280554 -. 621639 -. 272306 -. 506526 1 . 25 . 080805 -. 282394 -. 622240 -. 267457 -. 505346 . 00 . 080000 -. 284250 -. 622771 -. 263412 -. 504594 90 . 0 1 . 25 . 079180 -. 286112 -. 623238 -. 260091 -. 504149 2 . 50 . 078351 -. 287976 -. 623648 -. 257405 -. 503918 3 . 75 . 077521 -. 289834 -. 624003 -. 255266 -. 503830 5 . 00 . 076692 -. 291684 -. 624310 -. 253584 -. 503831 6 . 25 . 075870 -. 293522 -. 624571 -. 252273 -. 503886 7 . 50 . 075056 -. 295345 -. 624789 -. 251249 -. 503060 8 . 75 . 074253 -. 297152 -. 624967 -. 250433 -. 504066 10 . 00 . 073463 -. 298941 -. 625108 -. 249749 -. 504173______________________________________ ρ . sub . m = 0 . 23 , θ . sub . m = 10 ° in table 1 , y b and z b are coordinate values of the cross section of auxiliary reflector 21 calculated with equation ( 5 ), and y s and z s are coordinate values of the cross section of sub - reflector 20 calculated with equations ( 9 ) and ( 10 ) substituted with said values y b and z b . the curved surface of the auxiliary reflector 21 designed in accordance with the method explained in the design procedure ( b ) are represented by equations ( 11 ), ( 12 ) and ( 13 ). values of the expansion coefficient a nm of equation ( 13 ) are tabulated in table 2 , with n = 2 , and m = 3 . table 2______________________________________ a . sub . 10 0 . 01734 a . sub . 11 - 0 . 02967 a . sub . 12 0 . 08213 a . sub . 20 0 . 06052 a . sub . 21 - 0 . 05824 a . sub . 22 - 0 . 05455______________________________________ the antenna of the embodiment described above is constructed with a combination of special reflector surfaces where the aberration and distortion introduced at the main reflector are cancelled by the sub - reflector and auxiliary reflector . therefore , the distribution on the aperture plane 7 of this antenna will be in the shape of almost concentric circles as shown in fig6 provided that the radiation pattern of the feed horn 3 is represented by equi - level lines of concentric circles as shown in fig2 ( a ). it is evident by comparison of fig2 ( b ) and fig6 that the antenna of this embodiment has much reduced distortion compared with a conventional antenna of this kind . the , minimization of distribution distortion leads to an improvement of cross polarization characteristic and tracking characteristic in the higher mode tracking system . as the main reflector in this embodiment has a spherical surface , the feed horn 3 and two reflectors 20 and 21 can be rotated about the center c of the sphere , while their mutual positions are kept unchanged . therefore , it is not necessary to move the main reflector 1 in order to scan the antenna radiation beam . fig7 shows an embodiment of a multiple reflector antenna of this invention used as a multi - beam antenna . since the main reflector 1 has a surface whose shape is drawn by a rotation of a curve about y &# 39 ; axis 5 , plural sets of feed horns 3 , 3 &# 39 ; and reflectors 20 , 20 &# 39 ; and 21 , 21 &# 39 ; placed around rotation axis y &# 39 ; produce a plurality of antenna beams . moreover , every antenna beam is able to scan individually . in this embodiment , the desired aperture field distribution for each antenna beam can be set different from others in order to construct a multi - beam antenna having a different shape of antenna beam . fig8 shows a configuration of antenna apparatus wherein the antenna has its main reflector surface shaped as a sphere according to this invention . in the figure , the reference number 40 denotes a movable member of a feed portion including feed horn 3 , auxiliary reflector 21 and sub - reflector 20 , the number 41 denotes a movable support of sub - reflector 20 , number 42 a supporting deck , and the number 43 denotes rails along which the movable member 40 moves . the movable member 40 is used for rotating the entire feeder around the center of the sphere which forms a spherical reflector , and consists of a mechanism for making a rotation in a plane parallel to the supporting deck 42 and a mechanism making another rotation in another plane perpendicular to it . to rotate the entire feeder in the direction parallel to the supporting deck 42 , the rails 43 are used as the guide . the attitude of the sub - reflector 20 is adjusted slightly at the movable supporting deck 41 . although this way of adjustment will cause deterioration of the antenna characteristic e . g ., by introduction of aberration , it is still available for some applications because of its simplicity . in the figure , the supporting deck 42 is installed horizontal , but it may be installed at an arbitrary angle . as described above , the multi - reflector antenna of this invention has such structure that the aberration and distortion introduced at the main reflector is cancelled by the sub - reflector and the auxiliary reflector , therefore the electro - magnetic field distribution over the antenna aperture surface can be shaped well . this antenna , therefore , has the advantage that the field distribution over the aperture surface is very much less distorted . because of this advantage , this antenna has a better cross polarization characteristic and tracking characteristic in the higher mode tracking systems than the conventional antenna of this kind . since the amplitude distribution on the aperture surface can attain complete agreement with a desired distribution within one cross section , we can obtain a low side - lobe level , high gain antenna . furthermore , since the antenna of this invention has an off - set type structure , it has excellent gain and side - lobe features . because of the above mentioned features , the antenna of this invention can track a satellite without moving the large caliber main reflector , consequently it stands well against a strong wind in case it is used as an earth station antenna for a satellite communication system . | 7 |
referring now to fig1 , an appliance latch 10 of the present invention works with a strike 12 , in this case , a u - shaped rod having a laterally extending strike bar 14 . the strike 12 , may be attached to a first portion 15 of an appliance , for example the appliance door , to be received by the appliance latch 10 attached to a second portion 17 of the appliance , for example , the appliance housing against which the door is closed . the strike bar 14 of the strike 12 may engage a hook opening 16 of a rotating hook 18 . the rotating hook 18 rotates on axle 27 about an axis 25 generally perpendicular to axis 20 and may receive the strike along an axis 20 in a direction 22 . the rotating hook 18 is mounted to a linear carriage 24 of the appliance latch 10 . the linear carriage 24 is supported on a plurality of springs 26 to move in a line substantially along axis 20 . the springs 26 , which may be helical compression springs , urge the linear carriage 24 along direction 22 . a stop 28 is positioned behind the rotating hook 18 with respect to the strike 12 and may be a laterally extending metal bar generally perpendicular to axis 20 . the stop 28 limits translative motion of the rotating hook 18 in direction 22 through interference between the stop 28 and cam surfaces 34 at the radial outer periphery of the rotating hook 18 . the stop 28 may also prevent rotation of the rotating hook 18 under certain circumstances to be described below . the stop 28 is held fixed by a pair of rails 30 ( only one shown in fig1 ) with respect to a latch frame 32 attached to the second portion 17 of the appliance . the rails 30 also provide a sliding support for the linear carriage 24 . referring momentarily to fig5 , the rotating hook 18 may be positioned approximately in the center of the linear carriage 24 and the springs 26 placed at comers of a rectangle circumscribing the rotating hook and symmetrically flanking about the axis of the rotating hook 18 and the rails 30 on which the linear carriage 24 rides to eliminate problems of binding or the like . referring now to fig2 and 4 , before the rotating hook 18 has fully received the strike 12 , the linear carriage 24 will be in a first state with springs 26 highly compressed and the linear carriage 24 moved fully forward in a direction opposite direction 22 . the linear carriage 24 is and held in this position with the springs 26 fully compressed by contact of a high - radius cam surface 34 a of the rotating hook 18 with the stop 28 held by the rail 30 . when strike bar 14 of the strike 12 engages the hook opening 16 it causes a counterclockwise rotation 23 of the rotating hook 18 about axis 25 . this causes high - radius cam surface 34 a to move away from stop 28 to be replaced by low - radius cam surface 34 b . low - radius cam surface 34 b allows the rotating hook 18 to move in direction 22 under the urging of the springs 26 . the backward movement of the rotating hook 18 draws along with it the strike 12 pulling the first portion 15 and second portion 17 of the appliance ( shown in fig1 ) about a gasket 35 . the springs 26 are sized to compress the gasket 35 into a sealing condition . resistance of the gasket 35 to compression causes the rotating hook 18 to experience a clockwise force as the rotating hook 18 pulls against the strike 12 . referring to fig3 and 4 , this clockwise force on the rotating hook 18 is resisted by a radially - extending cam surface 34 c positioned between the high - radius cam surface 34 a and the low - radius cam surface 34 b which blocks clockwise motion of the rotating hook 18 once the linear carriage 24 has moved along direction 22 away from its first position . referring now to fig1 , and 3 , when the linear carriage 24 has fully moved backwards in direction 22 , into a second position with the springs 26 extended in a lower state of compression , the gasket 35 will be compressed into a sealed state and at equilibrium with springs 26 . when it is desired to open the door , a force may be applied to the strike 12 in a direction opposite direction 22 . initially , this force draws the rotating hook 18 and the linear carriage 24 forward without rotation of the rotating hook 18 compressing springs 26 . rotation of the rotating hook 18 is prevented by interference between stop 28 and radially - extending cam surface 34 c . when the linear carriage 24 is pulled fully forward , the radially extending cam surface 34 moves beyond the stop 28 and the rotating hook 18 is free to rotate in a clockwise direction , releasing the strike 12 . rotation of the rotating hook 18 brings high - radius cam surface 34 a back into contact with the stop 28 holding the linear carriage 24 inward by means of interfitting of stop 28 and high - radius cam surface 34 a . referring again to fig2 through 4 , generally free rotation of the rotating hook 18 , absent force from the strike 12 , is prevented by frictional contact between the stop 28 and the high - radius cam surface 34 a or low - radius cam surface 34 b . optionally , however , a restoring clockwise torque may be exerted on the hook 18 by a leaf spring 42 to ensure that the rotating hook 18 stays a fully clockwise position with jarring or vibration . the leaf spring 42 has one end attached to the linear carriage 24 and the other end pressing radially inward against a spiral cam surface 44 so that the inward pressing of the leaf spring 42 provides a slight clockwise bias to the rotating hook 18 preventing it from being misaligned during closing of the appliance door per fig2 . the end of the leaf spring 42 attached to the linear carriage 24 may have a hook end 46 allowing it to be snapped in place onto the linear carriage 24 after assembly of the rotating hook 18 to the linear carriage 24 . this design eliminates the need to install a torsion spring in compression around the axle 27 of the rotating hook 18 such as may prove difficult in manufacture . referring now to fig1 , at times it may be desirable to prevent an opening of the appliance door simply by pulling on the door and accordingly , the present invention provides for lock 48 providing a bolt 50 shown in fig1 and 3 that may move between the latch frame 32 and the strike bar 14 when the appliance latch 10 is closed with the linear carriage 24 in the second position holding the door shut . opening force ( opposite direction 22 ) on the strike 12 pulls a lower lip 52 of the opening 16 of the hook 18 against the bolt 50 so that the rearward flat surface of the bolt 50 abuts a flat cam surface 54 of the lower lip 52 . force on the rotating hook 18 by the strike 12 pulls the flat surface of the lower lip 52 against the flat surface of the bolt 50 so that the lower lip 52 is captured between strike bar 14 and bolt 50 with no net torque being exerted on the rotating hook 18 about axis 25 . accordingly , the rotating hook 18 need not be able to withstand high shear forces exerted on the hook opening 16 by the strike bar 14 . further , because force from the strike 12 is channeled into compression of the lower lip 52 excessive force is not applied to the linear carriage 24 . this permits the hook 18 and linear carriage 24 to be molded of common thermoplastic materials which provide high compression strength . the front surface of the bolt 50 away from the rotating hook 18 is fully supported by the latch frame 32 and ultimately the structure of the appliance housing or door on which the latch frame is mounted so that the bolt 50 also experiences primarily compressive as opposed to bending forces . for this reason , the bolt 50 may also be molded of common thermoplastic materials . referring to fig5 , the bolt 50 may be attached to a slide 56 driven by a bi - directional solenoid 58 of type well - known in the art according to electrical signals provided to terminals 60 . the bi - directional solenoid may move the slide 56 to either of two lateral positions to push the bolt 50 leftward into position under the rotating hook 18 ( per fig3 ) or to retract the bolt 50 rightward ( as shown in fig2 and 5 ). a pair of contacts 63 may communicate with the slide 56 to provide a signal through terminals 64 indicating that the bolt 50 is positioned to block the retraction of the strike 12 and a push button door closure switch 66 provides a signal that the door is closed through terminals 68 . accordingly , a control circuit ( not shown ) attached to the terminals 60 , 64 and 68 may enforce a sequence of operations of the appliance latch 10 allowing the bolt 50 to be moved leftward to lock the appliance latch 10 only when the door is closed as indicated by switch 66 and to allow starting of the appliance only after confirmation of that locking has occurred per contacts 63 . referring to fig5 and 6 , the slide 56 may include a projection 72 extending from the slide 56 in a direction perpendicular to the slide that may engage a spring - loaded lock stop 70 to prevent locking of the appliance latch 10 when the linear carriage 24 has not fully retracted to the second position . when the linear carriage 24 is in the first position , as shown in fig6 , with the springs 26 in a high state of compression , the lock stop 70 interferes with movement of the slide 56 leftward to a locking position by interference between projection 72 and the lock stop 70 . when the linear carriage 24 moves to the second position , as shown in fig7 , the lock stop 70 also moves upward allowing passage of projection 72 and leftward movement of the slide 56 . as shown in fig7 , when the slide 56 is in the leftward position and thus the appliance latch 10 is locked , the linear carriage 24 may be moved slightly by an attempted opening of the door . the lock stop 70 is spring loaded so as to retract slightly in this case , against the projection 72 . the lock stop 70 prevents the appliance latch 10 from being activated when the appliance latch 10 is not fully engaged and yet allows the linear carriage 24 to move slightly within a predefined range when it is in a locked condition . it is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein , but include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims . | 4 |
in accordance with the invention described herein it has been discovered that the efficiency of the desalter in a petroleum refining operation is enhanced by the addition of an amine to the water , commonly referred to as wash water , or to the crude oil charge . the wash water is then blended with the petroleum charge entering the desalter unit . the advantages of this process over the prior art are numerous and include , primarily , the reduction of chloride concentrations in the petroleum charge feeding into the main fractionator unit . second , a substantial reduction in fouling problems caused by an accumulation of mineral deposits , which frequently coincides with caustic treatment programs , results from the practice of the present invention . additional benefits are a reduction in organic acid concentrations and a drop in the levels of numerous metal ions . most importantly , though , this process provides the unexpected result of increasing the yield of wash water removed from the desalter unit . it will be shown how this improvement in the efficiency of the desalter aids the corrosive removal treatment program in a manner not contemplated by the prior art . amines for this application should be any organic amine with a pkb ( the negative log of the kb ) of 2 to 6 and the organic groups contain 1 to 18 carbon atoms per nitrogen . mixtures of these amines may also be used . exemplary amines include : monosubstituted amines -- methylamine , ethylamine , n - propylamine , iso - propylamine , n - butylamine , sec - butylamine , iso - butylamine , tert - butylamine , pentylamine , hexylamine , octylamine , decylamine , dodecylamine , octadecylamine , benzylamine , 1 - phenylethylamine , 2 - phenylethylamine , cyclohexylamine , cyclopentylamine ; disubstituted amines -- dimethylamine , diethylamine , di - n - propylamine , di - iso - propylamine , di - n - butylamine , di - sec - butylamine , di - iso - butylamine , di - pentylamine , di - hexylamine , di - octylamine , didecylamine , methylethylamine , ethyl - n - propylamine , n - propyl - n - butylamine , n - benzyl - n - ethylamine ; trisubstituted amines : trimethylamine , triethylamine , tri - n - propylamine , tri - iso - propylamine , tri - n - butylamine , tri - secbutylamine , tri - iso - butylamine , tri - pentylamine , tri - hexylamine , tri - octylamine , tri - decylamine , n - benzyl - n , n - diethylamine ; alkanolamines : monoethanolamine , diethanolamine , triethanolamine , monopropanolamine , methylmonoethanolamine , dimethylmonoethanolamine , ethylmonoethanolamine , diethylmonoethanolamine , methyldiethanolamine , ethyldiethanolamine , diethylmonopropanolamine ; polyamines : ethylenediamine , diethylenetriamine , triethylenetetramine , tetraethylenepentamine , triethylenediamine , tetraethylenediamine , hexamethylenediamine , n - methylethylenediamine , n , n - dimethylethylenediamine , n , n &# 39 ;- dimethylethylenediamine , n , n , n &# 39 ;- trimethylethylenediamine , n , n , n &# 39 ;, n &# 39 ;- tetramethylethylenediamine , piperazine , n -( 2 - aminoethyl ) piperazine , n -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazine , bis -( 3 - aminopropyl ) piperazine ; the amount of amine to be added to the system is from about 0 . 1 to 100 ptb ( pounds per thousand barrels ). the amine can be added neat or in an appropriate solvent before or at the mixing valve ahead of the desalter . the amine can be added to the wash water or the crude oil charge . in order to show the efficacy of adding amines ahead of the desalter , various tests were performed . the results are presented herein for purposes of illustration and not of limitation . the tests were conducted in a laboratory which contained both a steam distillation unit and a desalter comprising conventional electrically assisted emulsion breaking means . studies were conducted using two different crude petroleum oil samples . in the first test , crude oil was obtained from a texas refinery . various treatment chemicals were added independently to desalter wash water samples in equimolar amounts . the oil and various wash water samples were combined at a ratio of 95 : 5 oil : water . the combination was then emulsified and subjected to electrically assisted demulsification for 17 minutes under the conditions of 5 kv in a 200 ° f . bath . water removed from the emulsion after each sample run was measured for total volume removed , ph and chloride concentration . the desalted oils were then subjected to steam distillation at 620 ° f . the aqueous distillate generated therefrom was collected and measurements were made of its volume and chloride concentration . the different treatment chemicals included potassium hydroxide , sodium hydroxide and ethylene diamine as the representative amine . table i represents an analysis of the wash water obtained from each individual treatment after processing through the desalter . the treatment chemicals were added in the following concentrations ( 0 . 16 mol each ): 8 . 8 ptb ( pounds per thousand barrels ) koh , 6 . 2 ptb naoh and 9 . 4 ptb eda . in addition , 12 ppm of an emulsion breaker was added to each test run . as a control , a test was conducted with just the emulsion breaker as the only additive . table i______________________________________analysis of water after the desalting process . sup . ( 1 ) d . sup . ( 2 ) koh / d naoh / d eda / d______________________________________concentration ( ptb ) 0 8 . 8 6 . 2 9 . 4of treating agents . sup . ( 3 ) water recovery , mls 16 16 23 33ph 2 . 4 5 . 8 6 . 8 7 . 4quantity of cl . sup .- 2 . 7 2 . 6 3 . 9 6 . 2extracted , mgsconcentration of 167 163 170 188cl . sup .- extracted , ppm______________________________________ . sup . ( 1 ) wash water : 48 ml added to crude , initial ph is 5 to 6 , cl . sup .- extracted is 0 . 55 mgs . . sup . ( 2 ) d is a conventional emulsion breaker or demulsifier , which may b characterized as containing aromatic naphthas , phenolic resins and aromatic alcohols . . sup . ( 3 ) ptb = pounds per thousand barrels . these numbers are all equivalent to 0 . 16 moles . as can be seen from the above table , the concentration of cl - , 188 ppm , present in the wash water removed after treatment with eda is higher than with either of the two caustics or the demulsifier alone . however , it has been unexpectedly discovered that eda will provide the additional benefit of allowing for a greater volume of water removed from the desalter . this higher volume of water removed combined with the greater concentration of cl - in the water results in the very desirable objective of removing as much cl - , 6 . 2 mgs , as possible from the petroleum charge during the desalter operation . chlorides removed at the desalter are not available to be hydrolyzed into hcl . if allowed to remain with the petroleum charge , the hcl will vaporize in the fractionating towers and condense onto metal surfaces such as overhead condensing equipment and tower trays , causing corrosion thereto . table ii shows the amount of cl - obtained from the steam condensate collected during distillation at approximately 620 ° f . eda removes more cl - at the desalter thereby permitting less cl - to enter the distillation tower . table ii______________________________________chlorides collected during distillation . sup . ( 1 ) d koh / d naoh / d eda / d______________________________________cl . sup .- evolved , mgs 3 . 6 3 . 1 1 . 5 1 . 1______________________________________ . sup . ( 1 ) 800 mls of crude distilled , corrected to 1200 ml volume to be consistent with other analyses . the primary objective of state of the art treatment programs , such as adding naoh , is to cause the cl - to dissociate from the less thermally stable brine salts , such as mgcl 2 , and form the more thermally stable nacl . additionally , treatment programs as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 819 , 328 , teach adding amines to the desalted petroleum to effect a reduction in the amount hcl in the overhead condensate . the mechanism of this type of program is to tie up the chloride ion by the formation of an amine - chloride salt . this salt is relatively more thermally stable than , for example , the primary brine salt , mgcl 2 . it is important to note that testing performed in accordance with the disclosure of the &# 39 ; 328 patent did not exceed 215 ° c . ( 419 ° f .). however , most petroleum crude unit fractionating towers operate within a temperature range of 600 - 700 ° f . the following table shows that a program such as described in the &# 39 ; 328 patent utilizing the texas crude will not effectively prevent chloride salt hydrolysis at elevated fractionation tower temperatures . table iii______________________________________chloride salt hydrolysis percent hydrolysissalt 450 ° f . 680 ° f . ______________________________________nacl 0 . 08 ± . 02 0 . 6eda . 2hcl 2 . 3 53 . 4mgcl . sub . 2 . 6h . sub . 2 o 32 . 0 ± 2 . 3 41 . 4 ± 6 . 2______________________________________ as shown above , eda will substantially prevent hydrolysis at 450 ° f . however , at typical fractionation tower temperatures , there is a significant increase in the amount of chloride hydrolyzed . consequently , injection of eda downstream of the desalter will not reduce corrosion in the fractionating tower . this is one of the detrimental effects of allowing chlorides to remain with the petroleum product during distillation , even though in the form of relatively more thermally stable salts . the chlorides must be substantially removed from the petroleum in order to effectively reduce corrosion . the process according to the instant invention achieves this objective . tests were also conducted using a louisiana crude oil . the louisiana crude oil was desalted with system wash water . the oil was homogenized with system wash water in a ratio of 95 % oil / 5 % wash water at 60 % power . the test temperature was 200 ° f . and the electric field was applied for a total of 17 minutes . the water drop , ph and the chloride content of the resulting brines were determined when the crude was extracted using untreated wash water , and wash water treated with eda , naoh and a blend of eda and koh ( 20 % eda , 1 . 8 % koh , 78 . 2 % h 2 o ). crude samples which were extracted with eda and naoh treated wash water were then steam distilled . naoh was evaluated at 0 . 65 , 1 . 3 , 2 . 0 , 2 . 6 and 3 . 3 ptb to pinpoint the dosage that yielded a brine ph in the mid to high 7 range . an examination of the data produced from the tests conducted by extracting the louisiana raw crude with system wash water treated with 3 . 3 ptb eda / koh , eda and naoh suggest that naoh was the most efficient extraction treatment . although the measured concentration of chloride in all these treatments as well as the control were comparable (˜ 600 ppm ), the superior brine separation for naoh removed 208 % more chloride from the crude than did eda at equal weight . eda / koh removed practically no more chloride than the control wash . table iv______________________________________brine extractioncontrol eda / koh eda naoh ( no additives ) 3 . 3 ptb 3 . 3 ptb 3 . 3 ptb______________________________________brine ph 6 . 1 8 . 9 7 . 3 7 . 0recovered 15 10 18 34brine , mlbrine 600 576 600 660cl . sup .-, ppmbrine 7 . 2 5 . 8 10 . 0 22 . 5cl . sup .-, mgs______________________________________ the resulting control , naoh and eda washed crudes were each steam distilled at 650 ° f . for 10 minutes . the aqueous distillate was analyzed for chloride content as shown below in table v . the steam distillate from the louisiana crude extracted with a control ( system wash water and demulsifier ) contained 144 % more hyrolyzed chloride than did the eda distillate . these data also show that the eda distillate contained less chloride than the naoh distillate . table v______________________________________aqueous steam distillate distillate distillate distillate distillate ph volume , mls cl . sup .- ppm cl . sup .- mgs______________________________________control 2 . 7 45 173 7 . 8 ( no additive ) eda 2 . 9 40 81 3 . 23 . 3 ptbnaoh 2 . 8 35 111 4 . 03 . 3 ptb______________________________________ the variety of metals present in crude oil in varying concentrations cause fouling due to deposit formation and poisoning of catalysts downstream in the refinery operation . in this regard , sodium is especially troublesome . the addition of eda with the wash water into the desalter and subsequent removal therefrom , not only avoids the introduction of additional metal ions , as is the case with traditional caustic treatments , but it assists in the removal of other metals from the petroleum . the following table shows the comparative effect of the various programs on the texas crude oil after treatment under the test conditions previously described . the oil was analyzed after processing through the desalter . table vi______________________________________oil analysis treatment . sup . ( 1 ) none d koh / d naoh / d eda / d______________________________________neutralization 0 . 65 0 . 32 0 . 17 0 . 01 0 . 15no ., mgkoh / gmmetals . sup . ( 3 ), ppmna 9 . 5 4 . 8 2 . 3 7 . 7 3 . 2k 0 . 5 0 . 4 0 . 3 0 . 4 0 . 3mg 0 . 2 0 . 1 & lt ; 0 . 1 0 . 2 & lt ; 0 . 1ca 2 . 6 1 . 4 0 . 8 2 . 0 1 . 0fe 4 . 5 3 . 6 2 . 9 12 . 0 9 . 1ni 1 . 0 1 . 1 1 . 1 1 . 5 0 . 9v 1 . 0 1 . 1 1 . 0 1 . 2 0 . 9cu 0 . 2 & lt ; 0 . 1 & lt ; 0 . 1 0 . 3 0 . 1zn 1 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 1 0 . 5 0 . 2______________________________________ . sup . ( 1 ) 8 . 8 ptb of koh , 6 . 2 ptb of naoh , 9 . 4 ptb of eda added in equimolar amounts . . sup . ( 2 ) mg in 1200 ml of crude . . sup . ( 3 ) al , cr , mn , pb and sn all at less than 0 . 1 ppm in the raw crude . the above results indicate that naoh is most efficient in removing organic acids , as evidenced by the neutralization value of less than 0 . 01 . eda performs at least as well as koh . although naoh provides better results in this regard , treatment with eda avoids the fouling and catalyst poisoning problems which accompanies the addition of naoh . the invention described hereinabove singly overcomes multiple problems unresolved by the prior art . from the foregoing description various modifications in this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art which do not depart from the spirit of the invention . | 2 |
first , the basic structure and the fundamental operating principle of a pump having an electric motor arranged in a common housing will be generally described , however , it is to be noted at the outset that , in the case of the pump of fig1 a , the housing is not a separate structural part but rather is formed by the exterior areas of the structural elements which perform additional tasks either in connection with supplying the fuel or driving the pump besides the task of forming the pump housing . in general , the fuel supply pump of fig1 a comprises a pumping stage 1 which is attached to an electric motor 2 shown located to the right of the pumping stage in the drawing . the pumping stage 1 comprises a base plate or front flange - like terminal housing part 3 and a pump rotor 4 and , in the illustrated embodiment , is a lateral channel type pump . a suction nozzle 5 is made integral with the base plate 3 to which may be attached a fuel hose ( not shown ) or the nozzle may open directly into the fluid in a tank in an in - tank installation . suction nozzle 5 opens into a suction opening 6 of the lateral channel pump . the impeller 4 is driven by the electric motor 2 which comprises a rotating motor armature 7 as well as the magnetic components 8 . on the side opposite the pumping stage 1 , the collector area of the electric motor is located to which is connected a second flange - like housing part called a terminal housing 10 . a pressure nozzle is formed on the terminal housing , preferably one piece therewith . according to the preferred embodiment of the invention , the fuel supply pump described above , comprises four main structural groups which are partially preassembled . the first structural group comprises the base plate 3 forming a first flange - like terminal housing part of the lateral channel pump , which is a one piece synthetic material extrusion molded , structured on the impeller side to form part of the pump and also formed with the suction nozzle 5 . this base plate 3 is also provided with a rigid axle 12 press - fitted or molded thereto as will be described in detail with reference to fig2 a and 2b . the axle 12 , being an extrusion molded or press - fitted in the base plate 3 , forms an integral part of the terminal housing of the pump . the second structural group comprises two permanent magnets 14a and 14b for the electric motor arranged into a tubular partial housing 15 which also serves as a magnetic grounding tube . the structural unit arranged to rotate on the rigid axle 12 can be considered the third structural group . this group includes a motor armature 7 , the pump rotor 4 extrusion molded directly thereon thus forming a common one - piece part and further having a common bearing on axle 12 for the transmission of rotary motion . finally , as the fourth structural group , there is a flange - like terminal housing 10 on the pressure side of the pump provided with pressure nozzle 11 and with a central bore 16 which fixes the axle 12 on the side opposite the base plate 3 and means for fixedly locating the commutator brushes , brush springs , etc . the molded or extruded parts which form the flange - like terminal housing parts 3 and 10 , and adapted to be located at the ends of the central housing part 15 , have radially extended ring flanges 18 and 19 , so that when the central housing part 15 is slipped over the terminal housing parts 3 and 10 , these ring flanges serve as a stop and the housing is then secured and fixed into this position by means of radially inwardly extending flanges formed on the housing part 15 . to effect this , the ring flanges 18 and 19 on both parts of the pump have recesses 20a and 20b ( see fig2 a and 3a ) distributed over their circumferences into which the radially inwardly extending parts of the housing part can be pressed . this central housing part , of course , also serves as a magnetic grounding tube . thus assembled , the fluid pump is ready for installation in a suitable tank . on the other hand , if the pump is to be employed outside a fuel tank , then o - ring seals with an outer housing must be employed surrounding all the above - mentioned structural parts which will be described in more detail . a more detailed explanation of the individual main structural groups will now be described as to structure and mode of operation so that the simplicity of the structure and its cost effectiveness as a fuel supply pump will become more clear . the first housing terminal or base plate 3 of the pump , being made of extrusion molded synthetic material , is preferably fiber glass reinforced and made fuel - resistant and is provided with the suction nozzle 5 , which may be circular or kidney - shaped in cross section , and which communicates with the lateral channel 21 . the kidney - shaped opening 6 is located at the initial area of the lateral channel as shown in fig2 b . this lateral channel 21 is approximately semicircular with the end area at 23 and opens into a pressure channel 22 centrally of the base plate . again , the axle 12 is molded or press - fitted to the center of the base plate and the pump rotor 4 and armature 7 are mounted on the axle . the pump rotor 4 , in the embodiment shown , is an enclosed impeller having chambers semicircular in cross section distributed equally over the circumference on the side facing the lateral channel 21 and the energy exchange required for the supply fuel takes place in these chambers . a similar arrangement on the side of the base plate is not required since the smoothness of the molded plastic makes the frontal deviation and the upper surface areas sufficient . the lateral channel 21 contains a groove 23a located near the last third of the channel , i . e ., before the fluid therein reaches the pressure channel 22 . this groove 23a is located on the outer periphery of the lateral channel and communicates with a slit 24 ( see fig1 a ) located on the outer diameter of the base plate in an axial direction . the groove 23a and slit 24 serve to divert any volume of gas which may form in the lateral channel 21 so that there is an effective ventilation of the pump . the groove 23a or the slit 24 may have a suitable throttle formed by a change in the cross - sectional area thereof so that there will be no loss of pressure . the ventilation of the pump by the axial slit 24 is possible in an in - tank installation but , in the case of an installation requiring an additional housing surrounding the pump , an additional nozzle or terminal ( not shown ) may be provided for a ventilation line . in operation , the fluid flows through the suction nozzle 5 and entry opening 6 into the lateral channel 21 and there is transported under increasing pressure , in the direction of the arrow , to the interior pressure channel 22 , as shown in fig2 b , resulting from the circular flow produced by the rotating propeller 4 . the fuel then flows out of the pressure channel 22 through suitable axial exit openings 25 ( fig1 a ) spaced about the impeller 4 . these openings communicate in an axial direction into the interior of the housing part and the fuel finally flows via the pressure nozzle 11 of the terminal housing 10 into the system which is to be supplied with fuel under pressure . the motor armature 7 is formed of a laminar packet 26 and a core winding packet 27 , around which a suitable synthetic material 28 is sprayed , which at the same time is part of the impeller 4 of the lateral channel pump 1 . a sliding bearing 30 is pressed into this rotor unit on the pumping side in order to fix this structural unit on the pumping side on the rigid axle 12 ; the sliding bearing can be a bushing , for instance a du bushing , made of a suitable substance . on the collector side , the bearing of the rotor unit on the axle 12 is formed by the synthetic mounting material of the laminar core . this rotor unit , comprising the pump rotor 4 and the motor armature 7 , with a common bearing on the axle 12 , at the same time fixedly locates the collector on the side oriented toward the pump . the collector , in the illustrated example , however , is not embodied as a bushing which axially extends the motor armature , but rather is in the form of a radial disc , so that the axially extending commutator bushings , displaced from the center of the terminal housing 10 , under pressure , can glide on the collector disc . for this purpose , the terminal housing 10 , which is shown in front and rear views in fig3 a and 3b , has reception bores 35a , 35b next to the pressure nozzle 11 , into which threaded terminal nozzles 36 are pressed , one of which is more clearly shown in fig1 b . these terminal nozzles 36 , manufactured from a suitable , sleeve - like synthetic material , have outer screw threads 36a , 36b , with differing thread diameters for conducting the positive and negative supply voltages . these terminal nozzles 36 are electrically connected with brush springs 38 inside a bushing 37 , which in turn are electrically interposed therebetween . the sealing o - rings 45 can be inserted on the outer diameter of the upper base plate 3 and terminal housing 10 of the pump into reception grooves already provided in the synthetic parts . the connection of the tubular outer housing with the terminal housing at either end of the pump can be effected in a number of ways as by means of a conical flanging of the housing , which can be an aluminum tube , as shown at 47 in fig1 a , or by forming the outer terminal housing initially as a deep - drawn aluminum cup , as shown at 48 , into which the structural elements described above can be inserted . finally , the connection of the outer housing 46 can also be effected , as shown at 49 in fig1 b , by an inward flanging of the preferably tubular aluminum housing , or by flanging the aluminum tube at a right angle , as is shown at 50 in fig1 b . further o - rings 51 are inserted into a corresponding recess between the reception bore of the terminal housing 10 and the inserted bushing 37 to effect the sealing of the threaded terminal nozzles 36 . the sealing of the pump can also be effected with the aid of the fuel resistant contraction hose 52 surrounding all the structural elements of the fluid pump . this hose , as is well known , consists of a synthetic material with shape memory , with the ability to contract from an original size under appropriate heating to the significantly smaller dimensions . the contraction hose , which preferably has an interior layer which is more strongly fused , then firmly surrounds the individual pumping parts , securing and sealing them absolutely and through its hardening , further forms rim areas which firmly contact the base plate 3 and the terminal housing 10 . the axial play between the base plate 3 and pump impeller 4 at the motor armature may be infinitely adjusted either by means of the extension of the journal bearing 30 or by means of the inclusion of a spacer disc at this point . the compression force of the commutator brush springs 38 then acts to restrict the axial play . when wear takes place , then the axial play can only be further reduced thus increasing the effectiveness of the pump . the foregoing relates to a preferred embodiment of the invention , it being understood that other embodiments and variants thereof are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention , the latter being defined by the appended claims . | 5 |
the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying claims and drawings describes the invention in which like numerals in the several views refer to corresponding parts . the present invention represents broadly applicable improvements to a delivery device and methods of delivering an object within a patient in a predetermined orientation . the embodiments detailed herein are intended to be taken as representative or exemplary of those in which the improvements of the invention may be incorporated and are not intended to be limiting . the present invention provides an elongated pusher catheter 10 deliverable through a sheath 12 and adaptable for coupling a self - expanding object 14 thereto in a predetermined orientation . without limitation , the self - expanding object 14 has a shape suitable for occluding a pda , however , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the self - expanding object may be provided in several varying shapes and sizes . for example , the self - expanding object 14 may be configured to be particularly well suited for treating an asd , vsd , pfo , a triple a graft for the repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm , or other defect wherein the shape and orientation of the self - expanding object is significant . without any limitation intended , the self - expanding object 14 is preferably made from a tubular metal fabric including a plurality of woven metal strands . a clamp 16 is attached to each outer end of metal fabric , thereby inhibiting unraveling of the metal fabric . at least one of the clamps 24 is adapted for coupling to the end of the pusher catheter 10 for delivery to a preselected site within the patient , as described below in greater detail . once the appropriate self - expanding object 14 has been selected to treat the physiologic condition of the patient , a catheter or other suitable delivery device may be positioned within a channel in a patient &# 39 ; s body to place the distal end of the delivery device 10 adjacent the desired treatment site . the delivery device 10 can be used to urge the self - expanding object through the lumen of a sheath or other tube for deployment in a patient &# 39 ; s body . when the object is deployed out the distal end of the sheath , the object remains attached to the end of the delivery device . once it is confirmed that the self - expanding object is properly positioned within the patient , the pusher catheter 10 can be detached from the self - expanding object 14 and then withdrawn . by keeping the self - expanding object 14 attached to the pusher catheter , the operator can retract the object 14 for repositioning , even after deployment out the end of the pusher catheter 10 , if it is determined that the object is not properly positioned . in a preferred embodiment shown in the figures , the non - symmetric medical occluding self - expanding object 14 is shown attached to the pusher catheter or delivery catheter 10 . the pusher catheter 10 generally includes an elongated , flexible , biocompatible tube having a lumen extending along the longitudinal axis . a guide wire or cable may be positioned within the lumen of the pusher catheter , and extends through the tip of the pusher catheter . the tip of the cable is threaded and screws into the end of the clamp , thereby securing the self - expanding object 14 to the pusher catheter 10 . the diameter of the lumen within the pusher catheter 10 is dimensioned so that the guide wire may be rotated inside of the pusher catheter 10 , yet snug enough to avoid kinking in the cable . the alignment member formed on the tip or distal end of the pusher catheter includes a predetermined shape that mates with a shape formed in the clamp , wherein the alignment member only engages with the clamp in one orientation . the pusher catheter 10 is curved near its distal tip . the shape of the curve is dependent upon where the particular device is designed to be delivered intravascularly . for example , if the pusher catheter is intended to deliver an occluding device adjacent a pda , then the curve of the pusher catheter is shaped to approximate the path between the pulmonary artery and communication adjacent the aorta . as will be described below in greater detail , the orientation of the shape fixed within the distal tip may be controlled to thereby affect the orientation of the self - expanding object attached to the alignment member . the curvature of the pusher catheter contributes to the ability of the alignment member to deliver the device in a predefined orientation . referring now to the figures , the pusher catheter 10 of the present invention is shown generally in fig1 and 2 . the pusher catheter 10 includes an elongated tubular segment 18 having a proximal and distal end 28 and 30 respectively . a cable 20 extends through the lumen of the tubular segment 18 . the distal end 30 of the tubular segment 18 includes an alignment member 24 fixed to the distal end 30 of the tube 18 . the alignment member 24 includes an aperture 26 extending there through , wherein the center of the aperture 26 generally aligns with the center of the lumen . the distal end of the cable 20 is threaded and the distal end of the cable extends out the distal end 30 of the tubular segment 18 through the aperture 26 in the alignment member 24 . a handle 22 is attached to the proximal end of the cable and assists in the rotation of the cable inside the lumen of the tubular segment 18 . [ 0027 ] fig2 and 4 show a self - expanding object 14 attached to the pusher catheter 10 . the self - expanding object 14 includes a connecting member or clamp 16 that attaches to the alignment member 24 ( see fig3 ). in order to adequately occlude the communication between the aorta and pulmonary artery , the object 14 shown in fig3 and 4 only has one preferable orientation . the flange , rim or retention disc 32 extends at an acute angle from the main cylindrical portion of the pda device . in this manner , when the flange 32 rests against the aorta wall , the main cylindrical portion 34 extends into the communication at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the aorta proximate the pda . the non - symmetric object 14 may include a radiopaque marker 44 attached at a predefined position on the asymmetrical device 14 . in this manner , the orientation of the asymmetrical device 14 may be determined through fluoroscopy or another known manner of observation . referring now to fig5 and 6 , the mating shape of the alignment member 24 and clamp or connecting member 16 is shown . the alignment member 24 includes a protrusion 36 having a semicircular shape on one end of the protrusion 36 . the clamp 16 includes a corresponding shape forming a recess 38 formed in the clamp . the protrusion 36 fits within the recess 38 and the distal end of the cable 20 screws into a threaded bore 40 formed in the clamp 16 . alternatively , the protrusion 36 may extend from the clamp 16 and the recess 38 may be formed in the alignment member , as shown in fig7 and 8 . in this manner , the self expanding object 14 may only be attached to the alignment member 24 with one orientation relative to the pusher catheter 10 and , for example , markings 42 on the proximal end of the tube segment 18 . thus , when the object 14 is delivered through the sheath , the orientation of the attached object 14 is known relative to the markings 42 . the delivery sheath 12 ( see fig4 ) is positioned within the patient &# 39 ; s body vessel , wherein a distal end of the sheath 12 is proximate a desired site of delivery . the sheath 12 may also have a preset bend corresponding to the bend in the pusher catheter 10 . alternatively , the pusher catheter 10 and interior lumen 60 of the sheath 12 may be shaped to prevent rotation of the pusher catheter 10 within the sheath 12 ( see fig9 and 10 ). [ 0029 ] fig1 shows an occluding object 46 positioned to occlude a perimembranous ventricular septal defect in the septum 48 . the occluding device 46 is asymmetrical and includes flanges 50 and 52 that engage against the septum 48 and surround the defect . a radiopaque marker 44 is shown attached to flange 50 . in this manner , when the occluding device 46 is delivered , the proper positioning of the device 46 may be confirmed . the connecting member 16 mates with the alignment member 24 of the pusher catheter 10 . as shown in fig1 , the alignment member 24 and connecting member 16 allows for delivery of an asymmetrical device 46 in a preferable orientation , with the longer portion of the flange 52 engaging the septum away from the aortic valve . this invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use embodiments of the invention as required . however , it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different devices and that various modifications can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself . | 0 |
in fig1 a three - phase transformer is generally indicated at 10 and it consists of a magnetic core and coil assembly 12 in which phase windings 14 , 16 , 18 are disposed in inductive relation with a three - phase magnetic core 20 . the core and coil assembly 12 has a cubical form wherein the sides form vertical planar , exterior surfaces , and the top and bottom form horizontal , planar and exterior surfaces . the sealed case or enclosure 22 surrounds the assembly 12 . a tap changer 24 is also contained within the case 22 . bushings 26 , 28 , 30 , which are normally connected to electric leads ( not shown ), extend through the top surface 32 . the tap changer 24 comprises an elongated member or movable contact carrier 34 , a pair of cables 36 , 38 , and a manual control unit or handle 40 . as shown more particularly in fig2 - 5 , the movable contact carrier 34 is a channel member having opposite side walls 42 , 44 , and intermediate or bight wall 46 , and an open side opposite the bight wall ( fig4 ). the movable contact carrier 34 is mounted on a fixed support member or channel 48 having opposite side walls 50 , 52 , and a bight wall 54 from which the side walls extend upwardly . the bight wall 54 is mounted on spaced brackets 56 , 58 ( fig3 ) by suitable means , such as pop rivets 60 . the mounting brackets 56 , 58 in turn are secured to a suitable support frame ( not shown ) within the enclosure 22 and preferably above the phase windings 14 , 16 , 18 . the movable contact carrier 34 and the support channel 43 are mounted channels of a dielectric thermal plastic material such as a combination of glass fiber and polyester resin . as shown in fig1 a series of tap leads 62 , 64 , 66 extend out of the various sections of each transformer phase winding 14 , 16 , 18 , respectively , and are connected to appropriate stationary contacts 68 , 70 , 72 , respectively ( fig2 ). the stationary contacts are preferably comprised of a metal such as copper and are separately secured in spaced relation within the bight wall 54 of the channel 48 . for that purpose the channel 48 includes spaced sets of holes 74 and molded reinforcing collars 76 in which the stationary contacts or studs 68 are imbedded . upper end portions of each stationary contacts 68 extend above the bight wall 54 of the channel 48 . the movable contact carrier 34 ( fig2 , 4 ) and the channel 48 are composed of aligned slots 78 , 80 on opposite side walls of each member and similar mounting bolts 82 extend through the aligned slots to enable sliding or longitudinal movement of the movable contact carrier with respect to the lower channel 48 . the cable 36 ( fig2 ) is attached to a mounting pin 84 within a tubular projection 86 extending from the upper bight wall 46 of the carrier . likewise , the cable 38 is attached to a similar pin 84 extending through a projection 88 on the upper bight wall 46 of the carrier 34 . accordingly , the movable contact carrier 34 may be moved longitudinally to the left broken line position 134 by the cable 36 to a distance equal to the length of the slots 78 , 80 . as shown in fig2 three movable contacts 90 , 92 , 94 are mounted on the bight wall 46 of the movable contact carrier 34 by similar pins 96 . the particular contact 94 ( fig5 ), which is typical of all the movable contacts , is an inverted u - shaped member having opposite side walls 98 , 100 . the contact is comprised of a spring sheet metal stock to enable outward flexing of the side walls 98 , 100 to provide good electrical contact with the stationary contacts 68 , 70 , 72 . more particularly , the lower ends of the side walls 98 , 100 have inturned tabs 102 each of which supports a bridging contact 104 , 106 ( fig5 ). each bridging contact 104 , 106 is formed metal having an inner end portion 104a , 106a having a 180 degree bend for contact with opposite sides of a pair of stationary contacts 72 ( fig6 ). the bent portions 104a , 106a are formed around the inner edge of similar tabs 102 . the remainder of the bridging contacts 104 , 106 extend along the under surfaces of the inturned tabs 102 and through similar notches 108 at the lower ends of the side walls 98 , 100 and include out - turned projections 110 . the combination of the several parts 102 , 104a , 106a , 104 , 106 , 108 , and 110 combine to retain the bridging contacts 104 , 106 in place at the lower end of the side walls 98 , 100 . moreover , the bridging contacts 104 , 106 are comprised of a metal having a high coefficient of electrical conductivity , such as copper , and are all heavy gage stock to enable the conduction of current between adjacent stationary contacts 72 ( fig6 ). inasmuch as the diameter of the stationary contacts 72 is slightly greater than the distance between the bent portions 104a , 106a , the lower end portions 98a , 100a are flexed outwardly to hold the contacts in good electrical contact with the stationary contacts 72 . in accordance with this invention the tap changer 24 also includes the manual control unit or handle 40 ( fig7 , 9 , 10 ) for operating the cable 36 , 38 . the handle 112 is an elongated shaft having an external u - shaped portion 114 and a internal end portion on which a reel or spool 116 is fixedly mounted . end portions of the cables 36 and 38 are wound on the spool 116 in opposite directions where they are secured in place such as by fastening bolts 118 , 120 . a stop plate 122 is fixedly mounted on one side of the spool 116 and a coil spring 124 is disposed between the stop plate and a bushing 126 by which the shaft of the handle 112 is mounted in a wall 128 of the transformer enclosure . a u - shaped mounting 130 is fixedly mounted at 132 of the wall 128 . similar cable adjustment bolts 134 , 136 are mounted on opposite sides of the u - shaped bracket 130 by which the cable 36 , 38 , respectively , are tightened in place between the reel 116 and the pins 84 , ( fig2 ). for that purpose each cable 36 , 38 is enclosed within a cable mesh 138 , 140 the ends of which are secured to the adjustment bolts 134 , 136 ( fig7 ), and the other ends of which are secured to similar adjustment bolts 142 , 144 , respectively ( fig2 ). thus the cables 36 , 38 are retained in tight condition between their respective ends so that rotation of the spool in either direction causes precise movement of the movable contacts 90 , 92 , 94 between the desired pairs of contacts 68 , 70 , 72 . as shown in fig2 there are 18 studs for fixed contacts including 6 contacts 68 , 70 , and 72 for each phase . the voltage is changed by moving the movable contacts 90 , 92 , 94 between the desired pairs of spaced adjacent contacts such as the contacts 72 . if , for example , each fixed contact 72 is 21 / 2 percent of a total voltage of 1400 volts the total voltage change from end to the other of the five pairs of positions is 140 volts . as shown in fig8 and 10 a dial plate 146 is mounted on the tank wall 128 on a pair of mounting bolts 148 . the plate 146 includes five spaced peripheral notches 150 , one for each of the five positions of the pairs of studs or fixed contacts 68 , 70 , and 72 . the u - shaped handle portion 114 is retained in a selected position with the end lodged in one of the notches 150 by the pressure of the spring 124 against the stop plate 122 . to change the position of the handle 112 it is manually pulled outwardly to the right as viewed in fig8 against the pressure of the spring 120 to the broken line position of the plate 122 whereupon the handle 112 is rotated to any other desired notch position and released whereupon the spring 124 returns the handle to the left and into the selected notch 150 . as a result the cables 36 , 38 are wound and unwound upon the reel which in turn moves the several movable contacts 90 , 92 , 94 simultaneously to the desired pair of fixed contacts 68 , 70 , 72 respectively . as shown in fig1 a pair of stop blocks 152 , 154 are provided on the face of the dial plate 146 to prevent inadvertent rotation of the handle too far either counterclockwise or clockwise . thus , when the u - shaped handle 114 is pulled out of position one of the notch 150 the stop clock 152 prevents further counterclockwise rotation of the handle . likewise the stop block 154 prevents rotation of the handle beyond position five of the notches 150 . as shown in fig8 and 9 , the stop plate 122 comprises five spaced peripheral slots 156 and a key 158 is fixedly disposed in position on a u - shaped mounting bracket 160 . as the handle is moved to the right against the pressure of the spring 124 ( fig8 ) the particular slot 156 is moved away from the key 158 to enable rotation of the handle 112 . accordingly , the slots and key mechanism serves as a main means for keying the position of the real 116 with the cables 36 , 38 . in conclusion , the tap changer of this invention incorporates a cable operated mechanism having several advantages including mounting of the manual control switch on the top of a frame near the coil instead of in more remote position as in prior art structures . this in turn reduces the tank width and uses less material and cooling oil . moreover , the lead length from the switch to the coil is reduced . in addition , since the manual control mechanism is no longer mounted near the high voltage bushings , clearance of these components is no longer a problem . furthermore , the control mechanism can be placed anywhere on the front panel of the transformer . finally , the u - shaped movable contacts are mounted in floating positions which facilitate alignment of the movable contacts with the stationary contacts notwithstanding rough tolerances built into the associated parts . | 7 |
a method for evaluating or quantifying resolution of a volumetric imaging system such as for example , a multislice ct ( msct ) scanner is disclosed . during the method , volumetric image data of an image phantom is acquired and processed to determine the modulation transfer function ( mts ) of the volumetric imaging system as well as the directional dependence of the mts . the image phantom provides for the simultaneous measurement of volumetric imaging system resolution in virtually all directions as well as the independent measure of resolution in any direction , without the need for repositioning or alignment of the image phantom . during display of reconstructed volumetric images , a graphical object or icon is also displayed identifying the resolution of the volumetric imaging system in the direction of the volumetric image being viewed . further specifics will now be described with reference to fig1 to 3 . fig1 a and 1 b show an msct scanner generally identified by reference numeral 50 . as is well known to those of skill in the art , msct scanner 50 comprises a gantry 52 accommodating an x - ray source 54 and collimator 56 . rows of detectors 58 are also accommodated by the gantry 52 diametrically opposite the x - ray source 54 and collimator 56 . in this embodiment , the gantry 52 accommodates at least thirty - two ( 32 ) rows of detectors 58 . an image reconstruction computer 60 communicates with the detectors 58 and reconstructs volumetric images from the volumetric image data output by the detectors 58 . a monitor 62 communicates with the image reconstruction computer 60 and displays the generated volumetric images . the gantry 52 has a central opening 64 into which a patient supporting table 66 extends . the gantry 52 is rotatable about the table 66 and tiltable with respect to the table 66 to allow a full compliment of images of a patient or object supported on the table 66 to be acquired . in order to evaluate the resolution of the msct scanner 50 , the msct scanner 50 is conditioned to scan an image phantom using the selected scanning protocol . during scanning , the x - ray source 54 outputs an x - ray beam 70 that is fanned by collimator 56 . the fanned x - ray beam 70 , after passing through the image phantom , impinges on the multiple rows of detectors 58 . in response , the detectors 58 output volumetric image data ( voxels ) that are received by the image reconstruction computer 60 . at the same time , the gantry 52 is rotated about the table 66 and the table 66 is translated relative to the opening 64 in the gantry 52 so that the image phantom is fully scanned . the gantry 52 in this case is rotated about the table 66 at a rate less than or equal to one ( 1 ) rotation per second . the image reconstruction computer 60 in turn processes the volume image data received from the detectors 58 thereby to reconstruct volumetric images of the image phantom that are displayed on monitor 62 . as mentioned above , the configuration of the image phantom is such so as to allow the resolution of the msct scanner 50 to be evaluated . turning now to fig2 a and 2 b , the image phantom is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral 100 . as can be seen , image phantom 100 comprises a sphere 102 generally centrally positioned within a cylinder or puck 104 . the sphere 102 and cylinder 104 are formed of generally uniform materials having low atomic numbers to help produce volumetric image data sets that are free from x - ray beam hardening artifacts . in this embodiment , sphere 102 is formed of teflon ® which has an effective atomic number equal to 8 . 47 and a mean value of 900 houndsfield units ( hu ). as will be appreciated the effective atomic number of teflon ® is very close to that of soft tissue . the increased hu mean value of the sphere 102 as compared to soft tissue is primarily due to its density . the cylinder 104 is formed of curable liquid silicone having a mean value equal to 190 hu . the attenuation coefficient of the sphere 102 is at least three times greater than the attenuation coefficient of the cylinder 104 . the sphere contrasts the cylinder sufficiently to allow the sphere to be differential from the cylinder in acquired volumetric images . the diameter of the sphere 102 is selected to be at least three times greater than the voxel spacing of the volumetric images of the image phantom 100 . in this embodiment , the sphere 102 has a diameter equal to 0 . 5 inches . the cylinder 104 has a diameter equal to 4 inches and a height equal to 4 inches . as will be appreciated , the shape of the sphere 102 has a curvature that emulates biological structures making it particularly suited to msct scanner resolution evaluation . also , the symmetry of the sphere 102 permits measurement of blur in virtually any direction without requiring special alignment as will be described . during formation of the image phantom 100 , the image phantom 100 is molded in a two - part procedure under low pressure to position centrally and immerse the sphere 102 within the cylinder 104 and to ensure the cylinder 104 is free of entrapped air bubbles . in order to evaluate the resolution of the msct scanner 50 , the reconstructed volumetric image data is processed to generate a surface spread function ( ssf ) representing the edge response function for the msct scanner 50 that is used to quantify the resolution of the msct scanner in all directions . the ssf is a graphical plot which maps the intensity value of each voxel as a function of the voxel &# 39 ; s distance from the centroid of the sphere 102 . the ssf is then differentiated to produce a plane spread function ( pisf ). the results are then interpreted using full width at half maximum ( fwhm ), and fourier transforming to generate a modulation transfer function ( mtf ). the fwhm represents the apparent width ( blur ) in the image space of an infinitely thin sheet while the mtf quantifies how spatial frequencies are modulated as they pass through the msct scanner 50 . turning now to fig3 , the processing of reconstructed volumetric image data in order to evaluate the resolution of the msct scanner 50 will be further described . initially , the volumetric image data of the image phantom 100 is thresholded into voxels interior to and exterior to the sphere 102 , by comparing the gray - level values of the voxels with a threshold value that is intermediate the mean interior and exterior gray - level values of the sphere ( step 200 ). voxels within the sphere 102 are set to an intensity of one , while voxels outside of the sphere 102 are set to an intensity of zero . following the thresholding procedure , the voxels within the sphere 102 are processed to calculate the centre of mass of the sphere 102 thereby to determine the centroid of the sphere 102 ( step 202 ). the thresholded volumetric image data is also used to calculate the radius of the sphere 102 by determining the extent of the voxels that are set to unity intensity ( step 204 ). the original unthresholded volumetric image data is then used for the remainder of the analysis . all voxels a distance greater than eight voxel dimensions from the centroid of the sphere 102 and less than three sphere radii from the sphere centroid are used to assemble the surface spread function ( ssf ) ( step 206 ). the distance of each of these voxels from the sphere centroid is calculated and the distances are placed into the bins of a histogram one tenth the size of the in - plane resolution . the gray - level values of the voxels are accumulated into one set of bins , and the numbers of voxels at given distances are accumulated into another set of bins . following this procedure , the accumulated gray - level values are divided by the numbers of voxels in the bins to yield an averaged ssf curve ( step 208 ). a bspline algorithm using cubic basis functions is used to smooth the averaged ssf curve ( step 210 ). control points are placed at four times the spacing in the averaged ssf curve ( still two and a half times the original in - plane image resolution ). the smoothed ssf curve is evaluated from the bspline coefficients at the original coordinates , preserving the spacing at one tenth the original in - plane resolution . the binned , smoothed ssf curve is digitally differentiated by evaluating the difference between successive ssf values thereby to yield a resulting pisf curve ( step 212 ). the full width at half maximum ( fwhm ) is then determined from the pisf curve ( step 214 ). the pisf curve is fourier transformed using an algorithm adapted from the realfi routine from numerical recipes ( step 216 ). this algorithm replaces a real - valued function with the positive - frequency half of its complex fourier transform . for this algorithm , the data must be radix 2 , so the pisf curve data is zero padded to increase the array size to the nearest power of two prior to fourier transforming . the magnitude of the resulting complex array is calculated , and normalized to unity at zero spatial frequency thereby to yield the mtf ( step 218 ). the 10 % mtf represents the limiting spatial resolution of the msct scanner 50 . the directional dependence of the mtf is then evaluated by approximating the mtf along the positive and negative directions of each coordinate axis , in other words , by evaluating six independent mtf curves ( step 220 ). in particular , axial and trans - axial resolution of the msct scanner is evaluated . during axial resolution evaluation , a ray is drawn from the sphere centroid subtending 30 degrees to the positive axial direction ( superior ) rotated to produce a cone . similarly , a second cone is drawn subtending 30 degrees to the negative axial direction ( inferior ). the voxels within these two cones are used to assemble the ssf curves in the positive and negative axial directions , respectively . fig4 shows the cones from which the voxels are recruited to assemble the ssf curves . the procedure for assembling the ssf curves is the same as that described above , with the exception that the contribution from each voxel is weighted by the squared ratio of its axial coordinate to its distance from the sphere centroid , thereby assigning increased weight to voxels located closer to the axial axis . for trans - axial resolution evaluation , a ray is drawn from the centroid subtending 60 degrees to the positive axial direction rotated to produce a cone . however , in this case the anti - cone outside this cone and above the transverse plane is used . the union of the anti - cone and the similar anti - cone below the transverse plane is further subdivided into four quadrants defined by the planes x = y and y =− x . the voxels within these four quadrants are used to assemble the ssf curves in the positive and negative x ( right - left ) and y ( anterior - posterior ) directions . the anti - cone from which voxels are recruited to assemble the ssf curves is shown as the shaded volume in the left side of fig5 . the x = y and y =− x planes that bisect the anti - cone are shown in the right side of fig5 . once again , the contribution from each voxel is weighted by the squared ratio of its coordinate along the relevant axis to its distance from the sphere centroid , thereby assigning greater weight to voxels located closer to the axis in question . following the assembly of the six independent ssf curves , the procedure of smoothing the ssf curves with bsplines , differentiating the smoothed ssf curves to obtain the pisf curves , and fourier transforming to obtain the mtf curves , is the same as that described above . the axial and trans - axial resolutions evaluated for the msct scanner are recorded . during subsequent imaging of patients using the msct scanner , the recorded resolutions are used to update a graphical icon presented on the monitor 62 with the displayed volumetric image so that the resolution of the msct scanner in the particular direction being viewed is also displayed . in this manner , variations in image quality resulting from changes in msct scanner resolution can be visually determined inhibiting such variations from being wrongly interpreted as image artifacts . imaging of the image phantom 100 may be repeated by varying the position of the image phantom radially , and axially , to evaluate the resolution of the volumetric imaging system throughout the scan field . for example , the image phantom may be placed at the middle of the scan field , 20 % of the radius , 50 % and 80 % of the radius to evaluate the spatial resolution as a function of radial position within the scan field . in addition , the resolution loss due to table motion in helical scans may be quantified by scanning the image phantom using a helical scanning protocol . turning now to fig9 and 10 , alternative embodiments of an image phantom are shown . in these embodiments , the spheres are suspended in one dimension within cylindrical contours by support structures . the spheres in these cases may be surrounded by air or the volume encompassed by the containers may be evacuated to create a vacuum therein . volumetric scans of the image phantom 100 were acquired with two commercially available clinical volumetric ct scanners , namely a general electric healthcare lightspeed vct ( ge vct ) and the siemens medical systems somatom sensation 64 - slice ( sms 64 ). scanning parameters were matched as closely as possible for the two ct scanners , and reflect typical protocols used in 30 clinical practice at hfhs . the spiral scanning protocol used to acquire the volumetric scans is shown in table 1 below . during scanning , the image phantom 100 was positioned such that sphere 102 was located approximately at iso - centre . volumetric scans were acquired using the spiral scanning protocol of table 1 with a table speed of 20 mm / sec and a pitch of 1 . 0 for three ( 3 ) sphere diameters , namely 0 . 5 inches , 1 inch and 1 . 5 inches in order to investigate the influence of sphere diameter on measured resolution . a larger sphere diameter is desirable due to increased over - sampling but should be constrained to a size that does not cause significant x - ray beam hardening which would distort the measurement of spatial resolution five ( 5 ) additional scans of the image phantom 100 having a 1 inch sphere diameter were acquired with the ge vct to determine the precision of the measurement technique . to study azimuthal blur , the image phantom 100 was positioned at the periphery of the scan field of view with the sphere 102 located at approximately 180 mm from iso - centre in the right - left direction . volumetric image data was acquired with gantry speeds of 1 . 0 and 0 . 4 seconds per rotation . the diameter of the spheres 102 was measured at 8 points , along 6 lines of longitude , to assess sphericity . the variation in diameter was found to be less than 25 gm , for a given sphere . visual inspection of the clear silicone cylinders 104 did not show any inclusions of air . reconstructed images of the image phantom were copied from the ct scanner console in the slice based dicom file format and converted into a single volume data file . voxel values from the single volume data set were used to assemble the ssf in order to compute the fwhm and 10 % mtf for the scanning modes which were investigated . fig6 shows an image slice through a reconstructed volumetric image of the image phantom together with a profile line plot taken through the image slice . fig7 shows the resulting ssf curve derived from the profile line plot of fig6 . fig8 shows the resulting pisf curve from which the fwhm is measured together with the derived mtf identifying the limiting spatial frequency of the ct scanner . precision measurements were made for the ge vct only . the variability of measurement of fwhm and 10 % mtf was higher for axial ( superior - inferior ) measurements than trans - axial ( left - right , anterior - posterior ) measurements . this is likely due to the fact that fewer points are used to assemble the axial ssf curves and therefore there is less noise averaging in the binning procedure as compared to the formation of the trans - axial ssf curves . the respective mean values and standard deviations for the ge vct are shown in table 2 below . the variation in measurement of resolution as a function of sphere size is shown in table 3 below for sphere diameters of 0 . 5 inch , 1 inch and 1 . 5 inches , for both the ge vct and sms 64 . the variation in measurements of resolution as a function of sphere size is shown in the table 4 below for sphere diameters of 0 . 5 inch , 1 inch and 1 . 5 inches , for the ge vct . table 5 below compares the fwhm and the 10 % mtf spatial frequency for protocols with no table motion during scanning ( axial ) and a table speed of 20 mm / sec ( spiral ). those of skill in the art will appreciate that the described resolution evaluation method may be applied to other volumetric imaging modalities such as for example magnetic resonance imaging , ultrasound , optical , spect and pet imaging . although a preferred embodiment has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings , those of skill in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims . | 0 |
the present invention provides a magnetic agarose bead with a medium size diameter of 5 - 1000 μm , having a pore size that offers potential for both fast kinetics and high capacity regarding biomolecule adsorption . this is advantageous as compared to several of the currently existing products for lab scale applications , and also offers the possibility to use the same type of media for large scale applications . in addition to these criteria , the beads are chemically stable with regard to metal leakage . the present inventors have found that encapsulated magnetic materials can be introduced into hydrophilic , porous materials such as agarose . to avoid the problem of metal leakage the magnetic material is first covered or coated with a chemically stable material . in a preferred embodiment , the magnetic material is encapsulated in small crosslinked polystyrene beads that are used as core particles in the preparation of agarose beads . this approach results in beads that are chemically stable towards metal leakage and at the same time posses an outer layer that offers a more suitable environment for e . g . protein and cell separations . the following examples are provided for illustrative purposes only , and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims . 5 g of iron oxide powder ( particle size & lt ; 5 μm ) is added to 50 ml of oleic acid in an ehrlenmeyer flask . the flask is left on a shaking table at room temperature for an hour . the iron oxide is allowed to sediment , and as much as possible of the oleic acid is removed by decantation . 0 . 4 g 2 , 2 ′- azobis ( 2 - methylbutyronitrile ) ( ambn ) is dissolved in 20 g divinyl benzene ( dvb ), tech . 80 %, and after complete dissolution of the initiator , the iron oxide particles are added . 85 g of the methocel solution is added to a 250 ml three - necked round - bottom flask , followed by the organic phase prepared as above . the stirring speed is set at 175 rpm . after 30 minutes the reactor is immersed in an oil bath set at 70 degrees , and the polymerisation reaction is left overnight . the product particles are sedimented a number of times in water , to remove fines . the particles are then washed on a glass filter with water , 5 m hcl and ethanol . no yellow colour ( indicating iron leakage ) was observed during the acid wash . 16 g of iron oxide ( 9 nm , 20 - 30 nm or & lt ; 5 μm ) are wetted by 3 - 6 ml oleic acid . 1 . 25 g ambn is dissolved in 62 . 4 g divinyl benzene . the iron oxide particles are added to the monomer / initiator mixture . 260 g water phase consisting of methocel 1 . 8 % and sds 0 . 35 % is prepared in a jacketed reactor mounted with an anchor stirrer and a continuous n 2 gas flow . the organic phase is added to the reactor and the stirrer speed is increased to 500 - 600 rpm . after 30 minutes the circulation flow in the reactor of 70 ° c . water is started and the polymerisation reaction is left to proceed over night . the product particles are washed by repeated centrifugation in water and ethanol . 1 . 25 g ambn is dissolved in 62 . 4 g divinyl benzene . 16 g iron oxide particles and 0 . 16 g n - octadecyl phosphonic acid or 0 . 8 ml dimethyl dichlorosilane 2 % are added to the monomer / initiator mixture . 260 g water phase consisting of methocel 1 . 8 % and sds 0 . 35 % is prepared in a jacketed reactor mounted with an anchor stirrer and a continuous n 2 gas flow . the organic phase is added to the reactor and the stirrer speed increased to 500 - 600 rpm . after 30 minutes a circulation flow of 70 ° c . water in the reactor was started and the polymerisation reaction was left to proceed over night . the product particles are washed by repeated centrifugation in water and ethanol . 16 g of iron oxide ( 9 nm , 20 - 30 nm or & lt ; 5 μm ) is wetted by 3 - 6 ml oleic acid . 1 . 25 g ambn is dissolved in 1 . 68 - 2 . 50 g divinyl benzene and 25 . 2 - 37 . 90 g styrene . the treated iron oxide particles are added to the monomer / initiator mixture . 260 g water phase consisting of methocel 1 . 8 %, sds 0 . 35 % and ki 0 . 65 % is prepared in a jacketed reactor mounted with an anchor stirrer and a continuous n 2 gas flow . the organic phase is added to the reactor and the stirrer speed increased to 500 - 600 rpm . after 30 minutes the circulation flow of 70 ° c . water in the reactor is started and the polymerisation reaction was left to proceed . after 3 h of polymerisation 0 - 0 . 83 g divinyl benzene and 0 - 12 . 4 g styrene was added to the reactor . the polymerisation reaction was allowed to proceed over night . the product particles are washed by repeated centrifugation in water and ethanol . 43 . 5 g magnetic polymer particles , 40 ml diethylene glycol monovinylether and 0 . 85 g ambn is added to a 100 ml round - bottomed reactor . the slurry is purged with n 2 gas for at least 30 minutes before the reactor is immersed in an oil bath of 70 ° c . the reaction is allowed to proceed over night under a continuous flow of n 2 . the hydrophilized particles are washed by repeated centrifugation with 50 % ethanol in water . agarose ( 0 . 6 g ) and sedimented magnetic dvb beads ( 3 ml ) was added to water ( 7 ml ) and the agarose was dissolved by heating to 95 ° c . for 30 min . the suspension was cooled to 60 ° c . and was added to toluene ( 100 ml ) and prisorine 3700 ( 0 . 67 g ) in an emulsification vessel . the emulsification vessel was equipped with a 40 mm turbine stirrer . the speed of the stirrer was kept at 300 rpm and the temperature was kept at 60 ° c . after 5 minutes the speed of the stirrer was increased to 700 rpm during 15 minutes , maintaining the temperature at 60 ° c . thereafter the emulsion was cooled and the beads were allowed to gel . the beads were washed with water and ethanol and enriched using a magnet . approximately half of the agarose beads formed contained magnetic dvb beads . these agarose beads comprise at least one inner bead of magnetic dvb , preferably at least two , such as 3 - 5 inner beads . according to the invention , the method used for the preparation of magnetic poly ( divinyl benzene ) beads is suspension polymerisation . an important step in the preparation is that the magnetic entity , such as iron oxide powder , is pre - treated with an amphiphilic agent , such as oleic acid , which will render the material more hydrophobic so as to be dispersable in the divinyl benzene phase during synthesis . this synthesis method uses emulsification of a oil - in - water suspension . this method results in a highly magnetically active material where the magnetite ( fe 3 o 4 ) particles , are encapsulated within the bead ( fig1 ). this means that the risk of leakage at acid ph is minimised , since the poly ( divinyl benzene ) is chemically inert at all ph commonly used in chromatography ( ph 1 - 14 ). this material is suited as the basis for further coating with a hydrophilic polymer , e . g . agarose or a hydrophilic synthetic polymer , resulting in a magnetic material encapsulated in the chemically stable poly ( dvb )- material and with an external hydrophilic layer ( fig2 ). the outer agarose layer is also suited for further derivatisation with any desirable ligand that fulfils the needs for the intended application . such applications can be protein , nucleic acid , virus or cell separation / concentration or any diagnostic application . the magnetic beads of the invention may be used for column chromatography , chromatography in fluidised beds , batch - wise procedures , protein arrays on solid phase or in solution , high throughput analysis etc . the beads according to the invention are also suitable for cell cultivating purposes . the above examples illustrate specific aspects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope thereof in any respect and should not be so construed . those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings of the present invention as set forth above , can effect numerous modifications thereto . these modifications are to be construed as being encompassed within the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims . | 8 |
a cost - effective solar energy collection system for use with steam driven generator equipment for producing electric power is illustrated in fig1 as consisting of various temperature stages , each temperature stage comprising structure that is most efficient at that temperature range . the first temperature stage 12 of the system is preferably a solar pond . solar ponds are well known . an example of a superior solar pond can be found in copending patent application u . s . ser . no . 762 , 363 filed on jan . 25 , 1977 for solar pond by charles g . miller and james b . stephens . the function of the solar pond is to raise the temperature of cold ( 40 °- 70 ° f .) water to a temperature of 200 ° f . by any well known and convenient means , the 200 ° f . water is transmitted over interconnect 14 to a line - focus secondary reflector tracking system 16 , of the type more fully described herein . the line - focus secondary reflector tracking system 16 would raise the temperature of the received 200 ° f . water to approximately 600 ° f . this 600 ° f . steam is then supplied , by way of interface 18 to a spot - forming focus secondary reflector tracking system 20 , of the type more fully described hereinafter . the spot - forming focus tracking system 20 of the type described herein would raise the temperature of the 600 ° f . received water to approximately 800 ° f . the 800 ° f . fluid may be raised to even higher temperatures by a three - dimensional tracking parabolic dish system 24 , such as is well known in the art . the parabolic dish system 24 receives the 800 ° f . fluid over interface 22 and raises its temperature to approximately 1300 ° f . this 1300 ° f . superheated fluid may then be supplied by way of interface 26 to generator equipment for use in the generation of electricity . one embodiment of a tracking solar energy collection system according to the present invention is illustrated in fig2 . the ground - based reflector 11 can be made up of a plurality of identical sections 13 , 15 , each section having its own fluid - carrying vessel 87 , 89 , respectively , for collecting the solar energy reflected from the respective modular surfaces 13 , 15 . the width of each modular section is preferably within the capability of present day concrete road laying machinery . the sawtooth segments 25 , 23 , 17 , 21 , 22 , 27 , and 29 will make up one module 13 that can be laid by a process that utilizes standard highway construction or airstrip construction methods . one example of how the primary reflector modules may be formed follows . a sifter mechanism mounted on wheels having a width equal to or slightly greater than the width of a primary reflector module is utilized . this sifter mechanism may have the following structure . a sifter body is divided into multiple segments , each segment utilizing a rotary screen type mechanism for accepting a different particle size . conveniently , four segments of the following particle grades may be used : rocks , coarse , medium and fine . the aggregate containing all these grades of particles is supplied to the sifter by a conveyer mechanism , the aggregate being inserted at the &# 34 ; fine &# 34 ; end of the sifter . the entire sifter mechanism moves in a direction whereby its coarse segment is always in the front . consequently the rocks or very large particles are laid down first , then the coarse particles , then the medium particles , and then the fine particles . this aggregate material may be the in - situ soil . or , if the in - situ soil is unsuitable , suitable material may be brought in . as the aggregate is being delivered to the sifter a binder material such as cement is mixed in with it . consequently all the various graded particles will be associated with the binder . as each graded particulate is ejected from the sifter , it is sprayed with water . the moistened particulate of each graded layer is partially shaped to the desired contour of the primary reflector by a screed attached to the moving sifting mechanism for each . a plurality of pipes 62 in fig2 having orifices therein , are preferably laid into the multi - layer substrate thus formed in the medium or fine layers . the multi - layered substrate having binder material throughout is finished to the desired sawtooth segmented cross - section by a roller mechanism that preferably has the following structure . a roller having the inverse curvature of the desired profile and being the width of a primary reflector module travels along the graded aggregate substrate in front of a sled having the same contour as the roller . the sled has mounted thereon acoustic vibrators that operate at high frequency to provide a very smooth surface to the sawtooth segmented primary reflector . the depth of the various segmented steps with varying radii of curvatures 25 , 23 , 17 , 21 , 22 , 27 , and 29 is determined mainly by the slump factor of the thus stabilized soil during its curing process . an aluminized mylar sheeting material , 0 . 00025 inches thick , or equivalent reflective material is laid over the slip - formed profile . the reflecting material is held down by a slight vacuum created at the surface of the reflector profile by drawing a vacuum on the pipes laid therein . since concrete is a porous substance , drawing a vacuum on the pipes within the concrete will create a low pressure region at the surface of the concrete . this will hold the reflective film material in place without the necessity of glue or some other such fastening means . holding the reflector covering in place by a vacuum also facilitates rapid replacement of torn or dirty reflector material . a vacuum level , which varies in intensity suitable to the prevailing wind velocity , is preferred . any suitable method of drawing a vacuum may be utilized . an inexpensive method of producing the vacuum is by steam ejection , using the steam supplied by the system . each segmented module of the reflector , such as module 13 has a flat section 31 which can provide access to the curved reflector segments for maintenance and inspection purposes , using a gantry - type vehicle . one type of support structure that may be used comprises a plurality of stanchions 51 , 53 , 55 equidistantly spaced along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of each reflector module of the reflector 11 . the stanchions 51 , 53 , 55 , for example have a four - bar linkage 75 , 77 , 79 , respectively , attached thereto which supports the fluid - bearing pipe 87 . a hydraulic or electrical actuating device of well - known construction 63 , 65 , 67 is respectively located on the stanchions 51 , 53 , 55 for moving the four - bar linkages 75 , 77 , 79 in synchronism . this synchronous movement of the linkage causes the fluid - bearing pipe collector 87 to be transversely shifted in an area relative to the reflecting module 13 . the movement of the pipe collector can be controlled either by a programmed source correlated to stored data relating to the apparent sun movement in the area , or alternatively be sun sensing and following systems similar to that used for attitude control on spacecraft . every other module of the reflector 11 is similarly constructed . each module , such as module 15 , for example , has a flat walkway portion 33 in which the plurality of stanchions 57 , 59 and 61 are placed . these stanchions support respective four - bar linkages 81 , 83 and 85 . each bar linkage supports a portion of the fluid - carrying pipe 89 which is moved transversely in an arc by actuation of motive means 69 , 71 and 73 respectively connected to the bar linkage devices . the cylindrical segments 40 , 41 , 35 , 37 , 36 , 43 , and 45 of the reflector module 15 may have the same radius of curvature as the segments 25 , 23 , 17 , 21 , 22 , 27 and 29 , respectively of module 13 . these optimum width modules of the reflector surface 11 may be laid side by side , in the manner illustrated in fig2 for any desired distance . the length of each reflective module , along the longitudinal axis , may also be any length desired . it is envisioned that a reflector surface a mile square could be utilized in a staged solar energy collection system used to generate sufficient heat for a 100 megawatt power plant . the height of the stanchions for each reflector module depend upon the radius of curvature of the troughs , as will be more fully explained hereinafter . the radius of curvature of the troughs depend upon the width of each module . the depth depends on the slump factor limitations of the stabilized soil or concrete used to form the primary reflector profile . this will also be more fully explained hereinafter . an alternate and preferred support structure for high temperature reflector sections according to the instant invention comprises the use of a single rigid assembly for the absorber pipes , and utilizing inlet and outlet manifolds , thereby eliminating the requirement of high pressure and rotary slip - joints , as will be seen hereinafter . a variation of the stanchions of the type shown in fig2 is shown in fig3 . a plurality of upright support members 28 , 30 are provided for each primary reflector module . each upright support member supports at least a pair of transverse support members 34 , 36 , 40 , 42 , and 44 . transverse support members 34 , 38 , and 42 are located at a first level . transverse support members 36 , 40 , and 44 are located at a second higher level . four - bar linkages 46 are suspended from the transverse support members at appropriate locations . each four - bar linkage is moved by actuating devices 32 as described hereinabove . each four - bar linkage fastens to and supports a secondary reflector mechanism 48 that swings in an arc and pivots about its central axis as the four - bar linkages are moved . exactly how this is accomplished will be more fully explained hereinafter . each secondary reflector mechanism 48 supports an absorber pipe 50 that carries a heat - absorbing fluid . the exact structure of the absorber pipe will be more fully explained hereinafter . each absorber pipe 50 in each secondary reflector 48 is connected to the other pipes 50 by an inlet manifold 54 and an outlet manifold 56 , for supplying a cool heat - absorbing fluid and removing the hot heat - absorbing fluid , respectively . the absorber pipes are connected to the manifolds by high - pressure joints 52 , thereby forming a rigid network that moves in unison as the four - bar linkages are caused to move . it is well known in the art , that a parabolic reflecting trough focuses received parallel light rays , ( that arrive in a direction such that a plane perpendicular to the directrix sheet contains the light rays in question ,) into a line focus along a line parallel to the vertex line and passing through the axis . if the received light rays , arriving parallel at a parabolic trough , arrive in such a direction that they make an angle with the above - mentioned plane perpendicular to the directrix sheet , the line focus suffers from coma and the focus becomes diffuse . it is for this reason that parablic trough reflectors must be guided so that they always face the incoming sunlight squarely . it is possible to achieve many of the results of the tracking parabolic trough , with a non - tracking reflecting trough if the cross - section is made to be circular . cylindrical reflecting surfaces of circular cross section approximate the parallel line focusing action of an optimally - positioned parabolic cylinder , if only small segments of the circular cylinder surfaces are utilized . incoming parallel light is brought to a substantial line focus for most angles of approach of the sunlight to the circular trough , albeit the location of the line focus varies with the angle of approach of the sunlight . fig4 illustrates a circular trough 92 receiving a plurality of differently angled parallel light beams . if only a small segment of the circular trough 92 is considered , such as segment 94 , for example , parallel light rays 97a , 95a , 93a impinging upon the segment are reflected at the surface of the radius of curvature with an angle of incidence that equals the angle of reflection . as a consequence , rays 93a , 95a and 97a are reflected as rays 93b , 95b and 97b . these rays intersect at a point 105 lying on the focal surface 109 . rays 99a , 101a and 103a of the cylindrical segment 94 are reflected as rays 101b 103b and 99b that intersect at a point 107 on the focal surface 109 . other skewed light rays , such as rays 116a for example would impinge upon the cylindrical surface 92 and be reflected in a direction 116b , and so on . the focal point 105 for parallel lines 95a , 97a , and 93a , and the focal point 107 for parallel lines 101a , 103a and 99a turn into focal lines that run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical trough when sheets of light rays parallel to 99a , 101a and 103a but extending into and out of the paper are considered . the focal surface 109 therefore becomes a cylindrical focal trough . because a shallow reflecting surface is desired from the standpoint of economy in construction and maintenance , the maximum height 111 to which any reflecting surface may peak should not exceed approximately 12 inches . this problem can be overcome by segmenting the cylindrical surface 92 into a sawtooth - like reflecting surface . thus , for example , segment 119 is the segment 117 of the cylindrical surface 92 brought down to lie on a common plane with segment 94 . likewise , segment 115 is segment 113 of the cylindrical surface 92 brought down to lie on the same common plane . these segments all have a common height 111 . this segmented reflecting surface , however , will not function to focus parallel lines into a line focus on the surface of focal trough 109 . although the radius of curvature of the various segments are the same as the radius of curvature of the cylindrical trough 92 , the distance from the center of curvature of the cylindrical trough 92 varies for each segment . as a consequence , ray 116a , for example , will be reflected from surface segment 115 along reflected light beam 118b . light beam 116a travels an extra distance 118a before it strikes a reflecting surface 115 . the focal point for all parallel light rays striking reflective surface 115 will lie at point 122 which is on a different focal surface of curvature 120 than the focal surface 109 of cylindrical surface 92 . each segmented radius of curvature such as 119 for example may well have a different focal surface . in order to provide a segmented one - dimensional linear reflecting element that is within the range of 4 to 12 inches in height , the radius of curvature of the various segments must be chosen so that no matter which segment of the equivalent flattened reflective surface 119 , 94 and 115 , for example , is impinged upon by parallel light rays , these light rays will intersect in the surface of a common focal surface . fig5 illustrates how the radii of curvatures for the various segments of the reflector 123 are determined . the largest segment 125 of the reflecting profile 123 is chosen to have a radius of curvature ( r a ) 127 that , for example , is 10 to 20 feet , this distance being a practical distance for the height of the stanchions . conceivably , higher stanchions may be utilized . however , the cost of stanchions higher than 20 feet goes up considerably . having determined the radius of curvature for the main segment from the cylindrical center of curvature 145 to be approximately 20 feet , the focal surface 131 is located 10 feet , from the surface of segment 125 . this focal surface distance is equal to half the radius of curvature ( 1 / 2 ) r a . the radii of curvature of the other segments such as 133 and 139 , for example , must then be chosen so that the distance from each surface to the chosen focal surface 131 is equal to half of its radius of curvature . segments 133 , as shown in fig5 can be seen as having a radius of curvature 135 , termed r b extending from a center of curvature 147 . the location of point 147 is chosen so that the distance from surface 133 to point 147 is twice the distance from surface 133 to the selected focal surface 131 . for this reason , the focal surface of segments 133 will be located on a cylinder with its center at point 147 and having a radius ( 1 / 2 ) r b . from the geometry , the focal surface of segments 133 will be almost exactly coincident with focal surface 131 , the focal surface for segment 125 . therefore , an absorber pipe travelling along focal surface 131 and receiving reflected energy from segment 125 , will , at the same location , receive energy reflected from segments 133 . in a similar fashion , segments 139 are given a radius of curvature r c , extending from a point 149 . the location of point 149 is chosen so that the distance from segment surface 139 to point 149 is twice the distance from segment surface 139 to the earlier - selected focal surface 131 . therefore , the focal surface of segments 139 will be located on a cylinder having its center at point 149 and a radius of ( 1 / 2 ) r c . thus , the focal surface of segments 139 will be almost exactly coincident with focal surface 131 , the focal surface of segments 126 . by choosing the radii of curvature of the various segments in the trough reflecting surface 123 in this manner , a reflecting surface that effectively functions like the deep trough 117 of fig4 but is actually shaped as shown at 123 in fig5 is obtained . the reflector - concentrator cross - sectional profile 123 illustrated in fig5 can be slip - formed according to the process above described . rather than slip - forming the reflector surface to have straight edges 128 , sloping edges 130 at an obtuse angle are formed . the reason for interleaving the segments in this manner is that the area 132 within each valley between the imaginary straight edge 128 and the real sloped edge 130 is not effective as a reflecting surface because of shading by the upper corner of edge 128 . as will be more fully explained hereinafter , by choosing the slope of edges 130 carefully , light rays striking those edges can be reflected to the line focus of an adjacent collector . the orientation of the longitudinal axis of the segmented trough reflector surface will determine the extent of movement required by the collector pipe along the focal surface , in order to track the movement of the sun diurnally and seasonally . an east - west longitudinal axis orientation is the preferred orientation for the reason that a minimum of collector movement will be required . fig6 illustrates the various positions that the collector must take during various times of the day and throughout the year , in order to be at the focal line of the solar energy reflected from the surface 151 , at all times . the various segments of the reflector 151 have radii of curvature that will cause a substantial part of the parallel light impinging on most parts of the reflector surface to be reflected to a common point on arc 155 . the longitudinal axis of the reflecting surface 151 is assumed to be oriented in the east - west direction so that the troughs of the reflecting surface are parallel with the east - west direction . broken line 153 represents the local vertical axis , shown here for purposes of reference . for an example relating to a location at latitude 34 ° n , a light ray 157a , at an angle of 11 ° to the local vertical , depicts the angle of incidence of solar energy impinging upon the refelector surface 151 at about 12 noon on june 21 , i . e ., the summer solstice . this light is reflected by surface 151 as a light beam 157b , and intersects the focal arc 155 at point 165 . as the afternoon wears on , the angle with the local vertical increases , causing the reflected light beam 157b to move toward point 161 on the focal arc 155 . at approximately 3 : 00 p . m ., the reflected light rays 157b are intersecting the focal arc 155 at point 161 . at 9 : 00 a . m . that same day , the light rays 157a impinging on surface 151 were reflected to cross the focal arc 155 at the same point 161 . thus , in the morning , these reflected rays will move from point 161 on the focal arc 155 towards point 165 , and back toward point 161 in the afternoon . the light ray 159a depicts the solar energy from a noon time sun on december 21 . this energy is reflected by surface 151 as light rays 159b to intersect the focal arc 155 at point 179 . at about 3 : 00 p . m ., the reflected rays 159b are intersecting the focal arc 155 at point 183 . at 9 : 00 a . m . of that same day , the rising sun causes the reflected beam 159b to intersect the focal arc 155 at point 183 . thus , the sun &# 39 ; s movement causes the reflected rays to start at point 183 , gradually move to point 179 , at noon , reverse itself and go back to point 183 . segment 193 of the focal arc 155 depicts the swing of the reflected sun &# 39 ; s rays during the month of january . at about 9 : 00 a . m ., the reflected light rays cross the focal arc at point 181 . during the morning , they move toward point 177 where they cross at noon time . in the afternoon they move back toward 181 where they cross at 3 : 00p . m . segment 191 of focal arc 155 depicts the movement of the reflected sun &# 39 ; s rays during the month of february . intersection 173 is the noon time intersection and intersection 195 being the ± 3 hours from noon intersection point . intersection point 172 of focal arc 155 represents the intersection of the reflected light rays during the month of march . there is minimal movement of the reflected light rays at the equinox date because the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west on this date . the segment 189 of the focal radius 155 represents the movement required during the month of april , intersection point 171 being the noon time intersection point . intersection point 169 is the ± 3 hours from noon intersection point . segment 187 of focal arc 155 is the movement required during the month of may , intersection point 167 being the noon time intersection point . intersection point 163 is the ± 3 hours from noon intersection point . as already noted , segment 185 of the focal arc 155 is the movement required for the month of june , intersection 165 being the noon intersection point and intersection point 161 being the ± 3 hours from noon intersection point . for the month of july , the reflected sun &# 39 ; s rays again move along segment 187 of focal arc 155 as they did in may . in august the reflected sun &# 39 ; s rays move along segment 189 of focal arc 155 as they did in april . in september the sun again rises directly in the east and sets directly west as it did in march . in october the reflected sun &# 39 ; s rays again traverse segment 191 of focal arc 155 as it did in february . in november the reflected sun &# 39 ; s rays again traverse segment 193 of focal arc 155 as it did in january . in order to track the sun &# 39 ; s movements diurnally and seasonally , the collector must traverse the focal arc 155 as the sun moves in the sky . as can be seen from fig5 however , the movement of the collector during each day is quite small . thus , for example , during december the collector need only move within segment 185 . at the equinox dates of march and september , however , the collector pipe is substantially stationary at point 172 . by not requiring large transversal movements on a daily basis , the drive mechanism for moving the collector pipe along the focal arc 155 is considerably simplified . fig7 illustrates one embodiment for suspending the high pressure steel , heat - absorbing , fluid - bearing collector pipes that are moved to always be at the focal line of the reflected sun &# 39 ; s rays . the pipes 201 , 217 preferably carry water or other fluid that is heated by the reflected solar energy from the reflecting surface 199 . as was explained earlier , the fluid - bearng pipes 201 and 217 must move along the focal arcs 215 , 233 , respectively , in order to track the sun &# 39 ; s movements . there exists for every set of distance and size relationships between the modules that make up the solar collector , an obtuse angle for the edges 130 of the segments of the primary reflector 199 that is most effective in reflecting the incident light rays to an adjacent collector . for example , an incident light ray 206a hitting segment surface 132 is reflected as ray 206b to collector 201 . because of the obtuse angle of slope of edge 130 , the entire surface 132 of that segment is an effective reflector . light rays , such as ray 208a incident on edge surface 130 are reflected as rays 208b to the collector 217 for the adjacent module . likewise collector 201 will receive some light rays reflected from the edge surface 130 of its adjacent module . one parallel line of stanchions would be required for each transversely movable collector pipe . the heat - absorbing pipe 201 is connected to a vertical intake pipe member 205 and a vertical outlet pipe member 203 . water ( preferably treated or distilled in liquid , vapor or steam form ) is supplied to vertical pipe member 205 from pipe 209 through a high - pressure slip joint 213 . steam from the vertical pipe member 203 is supplied to pipe 207 through a high - pressure slip joint 211 . the assembly consisting of pipes 205 , 201 , and 203 can be seen to make up a trapeze that pivots at slip joints 213 and 211 to swing in the focal arc 215 . in order for the pipe 201 to swing along this focal arc 215 the distance from the slip joints to the pipe must be equal to half the focal radius of the basic segment in the reflector surface 199 . as was illustrated in fig2 another parallel line of stanchions may support another fluid - bearing pipe memer 217 suspended to swing along the focal arc 233 . the vertical inlet pipe 219 , the vertical 221 and the heat - absorbing pipe 217 again form a trapeze that swings about the slip joints 229 and 231 that connect the inlet pipe 225 and the outlet pipe 227 to the trapeze assembly . the length of the heat - absorbing pipe assembly is determined by the length of each modular section of the primary reflecting surface . the number of heat - absorbing pipes utilized is determined by the number of modules forming the entire primary reflecting surface . the structure for supporting the heat - absorbing pipe assembly of fig7 and transversely moving it along the focal arc is illustrated in fig8 . a stanchion having an upright member 239 and a slanting member 241 supports a bar linkage arrangement consisting of linkage 247 , 249 and 251 . these linkages are connected together by pivot joints 263 , 261 and are connected to the stanchion member 241 by pivot joints 257 , 255 . the heat - absorbing pipe 253 is fastened to the bar linkage 251 . a secondary reflector 265 may be placed over the pipe . a hydraulic or electric , or other suitable motive means 243 having a transversely movable arm 245 is pivotally connected at a point 259 on bar linkage member 249 . the transverse movement of the arm 245 , as directed by motive means 243 , causes the entire linkage assembly to shift the heat - absorbing pipe 253 along the focal arc of the primary reflecting surface 237 . fig9 more clearly illustrates the movement of the bar linkage mechanism to cause the collector to swing along the focal arc 275 . during the winter months the bar linkage of the trapeze assembly is located in the general area of bar link 269 of focal arc 275 . the oscillatory motion of the bar linkage will be within the one segment , as described in connection with fig4 . during the equinox months , or march and september , the trapeze assembly , consisting of bar links 249 , 247 , and 251 are located as shown in solid lines . very little oscillatory motion is necessary during these months . the secondary reflector 267 is angled to receive the reflected solar energy 273 from the primary reflecting surface 237 . during the summer months the bar linkage member of the linkage assembly is located in the general area of link 271 on the radial arc 275 . the bar linkage will oscillate along the radial arc 275 within the segments described in connection with fig4 . it can be seen that although the swings required of the bar linkage from the winter to summer months is great , the daily swing of this linkage is minimal . thereby , tracking the daily movement of the sun &# 39 ; s image requires minimal movement of the trapeze mechanism . as can be seen this trapeze tracking mechanism is relatively small and therefore allows low cost , low maintenance and minimal windage problems . the reflecting surface of the present invention is not optically perfect . even if it were , the environmental condition in which it must operate would detract from its optical reflective characteristics in time . this situation will cause the reflected solar energy to scatter somewhat rather than being reflected as a clear , sharp energy beam . in order to gather in as much of this scattered , reflected energy as possible , a two - dimensional secondary reflector 277 such as illustrated in fig1 a is placed around the heat - absorbing collector pipe 275 . the secondary reflector 277 is shown as being substantially a u - shaped member having straight or angled legs . the closed end of the u - shaped member of the secondary reflector 277 is form - fitted around the heat - absorbing pipe 275 . any solar energy rays falling within the open mouth of the secondary reflector 277 will be substantially directed towards the pipe 275 . the preferred material out of which the secondary reflector 277 is made is aluminium , or any equivalent thereof . fig1 b is a cross - sectional view of an alternate embodiment for the secondary reflector in which the angled legs 282 and 284 of the reflector are curved , rather than being straight . the distance between the angled legs 284 and 282 at the open end 285 of the reflector is preferably twice the diameter of the heat - absorbing pipe at the closed end 283 of the reflector . it is conceived that a collector pipe diameter of four inches would be utilized . therefore , the distance between the curved leg members 284 and 282 would be eight inches . in order to retard reradiation and convection heat loss , as a first step for use on the low temperature section , the outside and back of the secondary reflector and the heat - absorbing pipe may be covered with an insulating material , as shown in fig1 c . the heat - absorbing pipe 275 carrying the secondary reflector 281 is shown to be completely covered with insulating material 279 that may be magnesia or some such other high temperature insulation . the open end and inside of the field collector are left exposed , to receive the reflected solar energy rays . the system described so far has a relatively high concentration ratio since it is a tracking trough system and can deliver high heat fluxes to the absorber pipe . as the temperature of the fluid in the pipe rises , it progresses from the inlet end toward the outlet end , the protection afforded by the insulating material around the secondary reflector shown in fig1 c becomes inadequate . this is so , because radiant heat loss and convective heat loss through the unprotected open end of the secondary reflector becomes unacceptably large for high temperature operation . when dealing with higher temperature sections of the absorber pipe , that is those sections of pipe further from the inlet end and closer to the outlet end , a modification of the secondary reflector becomes economically justified , and is shown in fig1 . the secondary reflector of fig1 is compared with the secondary reflector of fig1 which shows the features from which the secondary reflector of fig1 evolved . fig1 , shows a more detailed version of a sophisticated curved - side secondary reflector than that shown in fig1 b and 10c . this secondary reflector functions to focus light entering its mouth 284 having a size d b within its acceptance angle 280 onto the d a length 282 of the collector . this two - dimensional reflector is made up of two parabolically curved sides 288 and 290 , chosen so their respective focal points 294 and 292 fall on the corner of the opposite parabolic side . the relationship of the distance d b across the mouth 284 to the distance d a at the collector 282 is thus , if the distance d a is chosen to be approximately four inches , the diameter of the collector pipe , the distance d b across the mouth would be approximately 5 . 6 inches . the relationship between the two distances d b and d a and the l length 286 of the two - dimensional reflector is : for d b = 5 . 6 inches and d a = 4 inches , l is approximately 4 . 8 inches . the secondary reflector of fig1 and 11 accept solar energy through their whole acceptance angle , and also allow the absorber pipe to emit energy in the form of infrared rays through the same acceptance angle . in order to decrease the radiation of heat from the absorber pipe body a two - dimensional secondary reflector of the type illustrated in fig1 may be used . this constitutes an improvement . this additional complexity is justified for those sections of the absorber pipe where the fluid therein is at a relatively high temperature so that an appreciable amount of infrared energy will be radiated away if the simple secondary reflector of fig1 were used . the secondary reflector of fig1 functions to prevent a significant fraction of the re - emitted infrared radiation from escaping the reflector . the trapped infrared radiation is returned to the absorber pipe by the shelves 304 . the overall curvature of the two sides 296 and 298 of the secondary reflector of fig1 follow the parabolic curvatures 290 , 288 of the secondary reflector shown in fig1 . the focal point of parabolic curvature 296 is point 300 . the focal point of parabolic curvature 298 is point 302 . the shelf - type indentations 304 in the sides 296 , 298 of the two - dimensional reflector act to reduce the radiation of heat from the collector . the shelves 304 act as retroreflectors by being covered with retroreflective material such as glass beads or being indented by cube - corner embossing . any radiation coming from the absorber pipe will have a random directionality with a lambertian distribution . the rays that strike the shelves will be reflected back to the absorber . this reduces the heat loss of the absorber , thereby increasing the overall efficiency . a tracking solar energy collection system as described above , using line - focusing secondary reflectors of the type shown in fig1 is relatively efficient within a temperature range of 200 ° f . to 400 ° f . a tracking system of this type could therefore be used as the line - focus tracking stage 16 in the staged system of fig1 . in order to obtain higher energy concentration ratios for higher temperature results , a refocusing secondary reflector , according to the present invention , must be utilized . a preferred embodiment of a refocusing secondary reflector is illustrated in fig1 as consisting of a plurality of compound curvature reflecting segments 297 . each segment has a parabolic curvature along the direction parallel to the heat - absorbing collector pipe 289 and a circular curvature along a direction perpendicular to the collector pipe 289 . an insulating material 291 , is placed around the pipe 289 . this insulating material may be magnesia or some other suitable high - temperature insulating material . a plurality of recesses 293 having sloping sides that leave a small area 295 of the pipe exposed are formed in the insulating material and spaced to be directly underneath each compound curvature reflecting surface 297 . solar energy rays 299a reflected from the reflector surface 287 as rays 299b , strike the compound curvature reflecting surface 297 and are focused thereby into a spot on the heat - absorbing collector pipe 289 . the insulating material around the pipe prevents reradiation and convection losses , except at the relatively small exposed spots at the bottom of the recesses . the concentration of the rays 299b into a spot focus on the collector pipe generates a higher temperature than would be obtainable from a line - focus , and can produce temperatures in the range of 400 ° f . to 800 ° f . the use of the secondary refocusing collector , such as shown in fig1 , with the fixed ground - imbedded linear primary reflector of fig2 can be viewed as equivalent to a dish - concentrator , since the image from any given area of the ground - imbedded reflector has diminished in size both longitudinally and transversely in forming a spot . alternately , if the system is considered as a trough collector system , all the collected energy enters the absorber pipe , as in any linear - focus system . however , since the absorber pipe is covered with insulation , only a small fraction , for example 1 / 10 of the total surface area , is available for loss by reradiation . the system then can be considered as equivalent to a linear - focus trough collector system with an absorptivity / emissivity ( α / ε ) ratio of 10 , for example . since this high ratio of effective α / ε is achieved geometrically and not by surface coatings on the pipe , it can be expected to remain constant with time . appropriate thin film dichroic coating , nickel - oxides or chemical coatings such as calcium fluorides , for example , have a tendency to deteriorate with age . for this reason , it becomes difficult and costly to maintain a high absorptivity / emissivity ratio in conventional linear pipe collecting systems over a substantial period of time using such coatings . as a consequence of the consistently high α / ε ratio obtainable with the secondary refocusing reflector of this invention , this system will provide considerably higher temperatures than conventional trough systems can provide , over an extended time period . the temperatures obtainable will approach those obtainable from a tracking dish reflector . the compound curvature reflecting surfaces 297 , shown in fig1 , are preferably made out of a reflecting material such as aluminum which can easily be stamped out in large quantity at a very reasonable cost . any convenient means may be utilized to movably suspend the reflecting surfaces over the heat - absorbing pipe 289 . a motive means ( not shown ), such as a cam mechanism , is utilized to move the reflecting surface assembly 297 back and forth in the direction indicated by the arrow 301 . this movement of the reflecting assembly 297 is required to maintain the spot focus of each reflector within the area of its respective recess as the sun &# 39 ; s image changes position during the day . fig1 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a refocusing secondary reflector . the secondary reflectors 305 , 307 for this embodiment consist of bell - shaped members that are suspended from the heat - absorbing collector pipe 301 at their closed end . the collector pipe 301 actually runs through the interior of the bellshaped members 305 , 307 at their closed ends . the bell - shaped members have compound paraboloid curvatures therein that are chosen for the optimal refocusing of solar energy 309 entering their open mouth into a small spot area on the pipe running through their closed end . the depth of the field collectors 305 , 307 decrease reradiation and convection heat loss from the exposed pipe 301 . these bell - shaped field collectors 305 , 307 are spaced as densely as possible along the heat - absorbing pipe 301 to provide a series of high intensity spot focuses of solar energy on the pipe 301 . to prevent convection heat loss from the pipe itself , a high temperature insulating material 303 is wrapped around the pipe 301 . due to the generally inverted shape of the bell members , with the open mouth disposed downwardly , the hot spot on the pipe heats the air in the upper closed end of the bell member . as a result , hot air convection currents cannot circulate , thus avoiding another potential loss of heat energy from the pipe . the bell - shaped members thus , not only focus the incoming light rays into a spot but also diminish convection loss , and diminish reradiation loss , which effectively give a high α / ε ratio . it may be helpful at this point to remember that the reentrant secondary reflectors already described utilized the directionality character of absorbed light ( omnidirectional when reradiated ) to advantage by structural means . for example , the linear - focusing secondary reflector of fig1 utilized shelves that were retroreflectors to reflect reradiated energy back to the absorber pipe . the spot - image forming refocusing secondary reflector of fig1 , likewise can be structured to reduce the amount of reradiated energy leaving the structure . to enhance the reentrant capability of the three - dimensional secondary reflector of fig1 to prevent further radiation of heat , retroreflector shelves may be used therein . in order to enhance the effective α / ε ratio even further , an additional improvement in the system shown in fig1 may be used . this improvement is shown in fig1 and emphasized as items 313 and 317 . item 313 takes advantage of the difference in wavelength of incoming light and infrared radiated energy . this can be accomplished by placing a window of glass over the open mouth of a spot focus - forming secondary reflector such as shown in fig1 . the glass will be transparent to light coming in and opaque to the long - wave infrared energy rays radiated from the hot absorber pipe . this will decrease the outflow of energy from the hot absorber pipe , which is equivalent to an increase in the effective α / ε ratio . this is accomplished by geometrical means which is the result of a chosen structural configuration and so is not subject to degradation as are the presently used high α / ε surface coatings . the cover 313 , thus provides a greenhouse effect , freely passing incoming visible energy , but not allowing reradiated infrared radiation from the hot absorber pipe 315 to carry energy away . item 317 represents the use of a microscopic surface structure on the exposed spots of the absorber pipe 315 . this surface structure is analogous to anechoic chamber energy trapping structure that is used in radio - frequency anechoic chambers or acoustic anechoic chambers , but of a microscopic surface feature size , consonant with the minute wavelength here involved . fig1 is a cross - section of a focus - forming secondary reflector 311 that is closed at its mouth by a sheet of glass 313 or an equivalent functioning plastic , in selected cases coated with a dichroic surface . besides returning a large portion of the infrared energy radiated from the exposed spot 317 of the collector 315 , the cover 313 provides a closed environment . by purging this environment with a dry , clean gas such as nitrogen through a pipe 316 , a nondeteriorating environment for dichroic and anechoic surfaces is created . an anechoic surface of titanium , tantalum or tungsten crystal structures 321 are formed on the absorber pipe surface 317 within this protected environment , as shown in fig1 . the titanium crystals are formed by , for example , chemical vapor deposition techniques at a thickness of approximately one wavelength of light ( 0 . 001 mm ). the pyramidal shape of these crystals 321 on the collector surface 317 detailed in fig1 substantially reduces the reradiation of heat energy from the collector 317 . the lambertian distribution characteristic of the heat rays leaving the absorber surface 317 is absorbed by the walls of the exposed spicules to a large extent instead of being freely radiated away . an additional advantage is that the surface 321 of fig1 is an efficient absorber for visible light energy so that the factor α , the absorptivity of the surface , in the expression α / ε is high compared to conventional absorber pipe surfaces heretofor used in solar collection systems . an additional step may be taken , when preparing the absorber pipe for use in the higher temperature stages of the collection system . this consists of placing a dichroic layer 323 ( fig1 ) of , for example , calcium fluroide , approximately 0 . 001 mm in thickness on the absorber pipe 317 to prevent reflections from the absorber pipe surface . this is also effective in causing the heat to be trapped in the absorber pipe . it should be understood that any combination of the above described means to affect the α / ε ratio may be used , the particular combination chosen depending on cost effectiveness for a particular application , such as the different stages of the seriatim cooperating stages shown in fig1 using different combinations of the above described improvements to make the overall efficiency for the entire system the highest value . in order to provide a solar energy collection system that is capable of generating high temperature energy during periods when the sun &# 39 ; s rays are not strongly evident , such as at night or on overcast days , the solar energy collection system is supplemented with a chemical energy storage system . as will be more fully explained hereinafter , the chemical energy storage system may be utilized to not only supply needed energy when the sun &# 39 ; s energy is of insufficient strength , but may also be used to enhance the heating capacity of the solar energy system during periods when the sun &# 39 ; s energy is being collected . this type of 24 - hour system preferably will utilize the suspension , tracking mechanism and collecting mechanisms generally illustrated in fig3 . that is , the network of absorber pipes illustrated are rigidly interconnected and are suspended within their respective secondary reflectors that are in turn suspended by their respective four - bar linkages . the entire network of absorber pipes moves to follow the focal surface defined by the primary reflector , hereinabove described . the network 325 of absorber pipes is more clearly illustrated in fig1 . the network consists of a plurality of absorber pipe sections 50 . these absorber pipe sections are the ones that actually receive the solar energy reflected from the primary ground - based reflector of fig3 . each of the absorber pipes 50 is connected to an inlet manifold pipe 56 by way of rigid pipe joints 52 that are capable of withstanding high pressures and temperatures . the other ends of absorber pipes 50 are connected to an outlet manifold pipe 54 by like high pressure , high temperature rigid couplings 52 . the manifold pipes , both inlet 56 and outlet 54 are of course connected to a utilization device ( not shown ) by standard , well - known valving techniques , which include pressurizing and pressure - relief devices , matched to the system operating pressure . such systems being well within the purview of a person of skill in the art , they are not further disclosed herein . in operation , water would be supplied to the network 325 through the inlet manifold 56 , traverse the lengths of the absorber pipes 50 , picking up solar energy therefrom and leave the network by outlet manifold 54 . the entire network is preferably covered with high temperature insulation 327 . the cool inlet manifold pipe 56 is adapted to provide room for the absorber pipes 50 to expand and contract as a result of thermal variations therein . each absorber pipe 50 is suspended within a secondary reflector which may be a line - image refocusing type , as illustrated in fig1 and 20 , or a spot - image refocusing type , as illustrated in fig2 and 22 . the function and structure of line - imaging and spot - imaging secondary reflectors has been described hereinabove in connection with fig1 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 and 15 . fig1 and 20 illustrate an absorber pipe 50 suspended within a line - imaging secondary reflector 329 . the secondary reflector 329 directs off - angle light rays received from the primary reflector to the absorber pipe 50 thereby essentially forming a line focus on absorber pipe 50 . the secondary reflector has slightly curved legs and extends the length of the absorber pipe . the interior of the absorber pipe 37 would carry a heat - absorbing fluid such as water . the absorber pipe itself is preferably a high - pressure steel pipe . the secondary reflector 329 rotatably suspends the absorber pipe 50 by way of bearing surfaces 331 located around the pipe 50 . the bearing surface may be steel ball bearings nesting in respective bearing retainer rings ( like ordinary bearing retainers ) 337 in the secondary reflector pipe housing or in a high temperature ball bearing track or any other convenient retaining means capable of withstanding high temperatures . the secondary reflector may be fastened to the absorber pipe 50 by way of bolts through flanges 33 thereby retaining the bottom and top part together against the absorber pipe mechanism 50 by way of the bearing surfaces . a high - temperature insulation , such as steam pipe insulating material 335 , preferably surrounds the entire secondary reflector housing 329 except the light ray aperture thereof . the light ray aperture is preferably covered with a transparent window 333 , which may conveniently be glass or equivalent . this window as noted hereinabove not only provides a closed environment for the absorber pipe 50 , but , to some extent , prevents loss of infrared radiation from the absorber pipe 50 . the spot - image - forming refocusing secondary reflector 345 may similarly be associated with an absorber pipe 50 . as noted hereinabove , three - dimensional refocusing secondary reflectors are bell - shaped members that provide a plurality of spot focus points on the absorber pipe 50 rather than a continuous line focus as do two - dimensional reflectors described hereinabove . in order to provide for temperature boosting of a solar energy collection system and to provide for energy storage that may be utilized during periods of low solar activity , the above - described solar energy collection system may be supplemented with a chemically implemented temperature transformer system . such a temperature transformer system is described in a copending u . s . patent application , filed dec . 12 , 1974 , having title &# 34 ; low - to - high temperature energy conversion system &# 34 ;, by charles g . miller and having u . s . ser . no . 536 , 786 . briefly , the temperature transformer system , as described in the copending patent application , utilizes a complex chemical to transform a low temperature energy source into a high temperature one . this is accomplished by utilizing a reversible chemical reaction in which an endothermic reaction takes place at the low temperature level and an exothermic reaction takes place at a significantly higher temperature . as will be more fully explained hereinafter , the three - dimensional tracking stage of a solar collector system as described herein may be utilized to provide the low temperature energy required to produce the endothermic reaction that disassociates the complex chemical into its constituent parts . fig2 and 22 illustrate the preferred structure for housing the chemical reaction . the absorber pipe 50 containing a fluid such as water is in turn contained within a high pressure steel pipe 339 . the pipe 339 is rotatably suspended by bearing surfaces 331 within the spot - image - forming secondary reflector housing 345 . the entire reflector housing is covered by a high temperature insulating material 335 , except for the light ray opening thereof which is covered by a transparent window 333 for the purpose , as hereinabove explained , of forming a closed environment and retaining heat within the structure . the atmosphere 349 within the three - dimensional refocusing secondary reflectors 345 may be dry nitrogen . the hot end of the absorber pipe network , in other words , the outlet manifold 54 is covered with high temperature insulation 335 but is separated from the insulation on the absorber pipe 50 by a slip joint 347 . this slip joint prevents the rotary motion of the secondary collectors about the absorber pipe from effecting the non - rotating outlet manifold section 54 . the outlet manifold 54 which carries a heat - absorbing fluid is contained within another outlet manifold 346 . this outlet manifold is connected to the pipe 339 containing the complex chemical by a high pressure pipe joint 343 . the entire structure is contained within the three - dimensional secondary reflector structure 345 . the high temperature outlet manifold 346 is restrained by elements 341 placed between the secondary reflector housing 345 and the outlet manifold 347 . this way the hot end of the absorber pipe network is restrained causing the cooler end to exhibit the expansion and contraction that will occur as a result of temperature changes in the network . the fluid carrying absorber pipe 50 is supported within the larger high pressure pipe 339 that forms the reactant chamber for the endothermic and exothermic chemical reactions , more fully described in the above noted copending patent application , by means of a plurality of weirs 352 . assuming that the illustration of fig2 and 24 represent the endothermic reaction chamber , the constituent parts of the complex chemical such as a metal hydride would be found in the area between the external high pressure pipe 339 and the internal fluid carrying pipe 50 . a plurality of metal hydrides are available which are suitable for this application . however , it should be understood that the complex chemical utilized herein need not be limited to metal hydrides since there are other complex chemicals available such as ammonia which exhibit a reversible endothermic , exothermic reaction cycle . for purposes of convenience , however , the discussion will proceed under the assumption that metal hydrides are being utilized . a magnesium hydride ( mgh 2 ) is preferred because it disassociates at a pressure of approximately 200 psi and a temperature of 752 ° f . other metal hydrides that are also satisfactory can be found in a text titled &# 34 ; the solid - state chemistry of binary metal hydrides &# 34 ; by g . g . libowitz published by w . a . benjamin company , 1965 . assuming magnesium hydrides were being used in the illustration of fig2 and 24 and the reaction chamber therein was for the endothermic reaction in which the magnesium hydride is disassociated into its constituent elements of magnesium and hydrogen , the atmosphere 361 around the pipe 50 would be hydrogen . the top layer 357 at the bottom of the pipe 339 would be the as yet not disassociated magnesium hydride and the bottom layer at the bottom of the pipe 359 would be disassociated magnesium . the hydrogen gas 361 can be easily removed by conventional pumping techniques leaving the solids magnesium and magnesium hydride behind . in order to take advantage of the exothermic qualities of the process during periods of low solar activity whereby the exothermic reaction becomes the primary heat source , rather than the solar energy , the entire secondary reflector mechanism would be racked so that the transparent window of the secondary reflector is well insulated . as can be seen from fig2 , the secondary reflector mechanism 48 attached to the four - bar linkage 46 rotates about its axis which is perpendicular to the plane of the paper , as the bar linkage 46 tracks the sun &# 39 ; s movement , in a manner hereinabove described in connection with fig9 . in a period of low solar activity four - bar linkage 46 is moved so that the secondary reflector is located at position 48 &# 39 ;&# 39 ;&# 39 ;. in this position the transparent window of the secondary reflector 48 may be covered by an insulated mirrored surface 365 that can be conveniently slid into place from a storage position 365 &# 39 ;. it should be remembered that the position of the secondary reflector 48 &# 39 ;&# 39 ;&# 39 ; is assumed only when the solar activity is too low to provide thermal energy to the absorber pipe contained within the secondary reflector , thereby requiring an alternate heat source . an exemplary illustration of a staged seriatim solar energy collection system utilizing a closed loop endothermic , exothermic chemical reaction process for the purpose of supplying an alternate thermal source or boosting the thermal output of the solar collection system is illustrated in fig2 . water at local ambient temperature is supplied to the system over input line 365 to a solar pond 367 , of the type described in the copending u . s . patent application noted hereinabove . the output of the solar pond 367 in the form of water having increased thermal energy therein is supplied to a linear - image forming tracking solar energy collection stage 377 through a valve 371 and lines 373 . the two - dimensional tracking stage 377 may take the form described hereinabove . the output of this two - dimensional tracking stage in line 379 , containing even more thermal energy , is supplied by way of valves and piping to a first spot - image - forming tracking stage 381 of the type illustrated and described herein . the output of this three - dimensional tracking stage on line 383 is supplied to a second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 which may be of similar , if not identical , construction as to the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 of the system . the output of this , the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 on line 393 would normally have a temperature at approximatley 100 ° f . this may be supplied to utilizing equipment by way of the valve 437 and output line 445 . in order to provide the function of thermal boost or alternate thermal source , the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 and second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 of the solar energy collection system is constructed according to the principles illustrated in fig3 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 . in addition a compressor 387 , a turbine 401 and a gas storage facility is utilized . the gas constituent of the disassociated complex chemical found in the reaction chamber of the first three - dimensional tracking system 381 and of the second three - dimensional tracking system 391 are removed therefrom at high pressure which is reduced by turbine 401 before being supplied to a gas storage facility 407 for later retrieval . the gas removed from the storage facility 407 is retrieved when additional thermal energy is required . at such time the gas is supplied to either the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 or the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 whereupon an exothermic reaction is created generating considerable thermal energy . assume now that the system of fig2 is operating in the thermal boost or superheating mode and that the initial condition of the chemical constituents 417 in the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 is magnesium hydride ( mgh 2 ) and that the chemical constituent 421 in the second three - dimensional tracking stage is magnesium . heated water from the solar pond 367 would be supplied by way of line 369 , valve 371 and line 373 to the two - dimensional tracking stage 377 . this tracking stage would heat up the water to its peak efficiency temperature and then supply it over line 379 valve 431 , line 441 and valve 433 to the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 . while this higher temperature water is being supplied to the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 , thermal energy is being absorbed by the absorber pipe and chemical reaction chamber within this tracking stage at a temperature sufficient to cause disassociation of the magnesium and hydrogen , thereby creating a hydrogen atmosphere 415 and a magnesium hydride and magnesium particulate 417 within the reaction chamber . as the hydrogen is created by the endothermic reaction , resulting from the elevated temperature , a portion of the hydrogen is drawn off by way of line 397 and valve 399 to drive turbine 401 which may be used to supply power to compressor 387 . the hydrogen not drawn off from the reaction chamber and the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 is supplied by way of line 385 to a compressor 387 that compresses the hydrogen considerably and supplies it over line 389 to the chemical reaction chamber of the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 . during the time that this is occurring , the water flowing through the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 is also heated by the solar energy being absorbed and is supplied by way of valve 435 and line 383 to the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 . as it travels through the absorber pipes and the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 , the compressed hydrogen being supplied to the reaction chamber around the absorber pipes causes the magnesium metal 421 and the compressed hydrogen atmosphere 419 in the reaction chamber to recombine in an exothermic reaction causing thermal energy to be released which in turn superheats the water flowing within the absorber pipes . this heat superheats the water leaving the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 on line 393 through valve 437 to output line 445 . it should be observed that the chemical reaction chamber within the three - dimensional tracking stages 381 and 391 are limited in their capacity to hold the reactant materials . for the example of magnesium hydride , 2 . 8 pounds of magnesium hydride disassociated is equivalent to the storage of 1 kilowatt hour of thermal energy . upon the magnesium hydride 417 in the first tracking stage 381 being completely disassociated into its constituent part of magnesium and hydrogen , only magnesium will be left in the reaction chamber . the contents of the chemical reaction chamber in the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 , as a result of the exothermic recombining reaction will be the complex chemical magnesium hydride . at this point , the valves of the system are actuated to cause water flowing in line 379 to be first directed to the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 and then to the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 . thus , for example , the output flow of stage 377 is routed over line 379 through valve 431 which routes the fluid over lines 439 to valve 437 , to line 393 and the second three - dimensional tracking tracking stage 391 . as a consequence of solar energy being absorbed by this second three - dimensional tracking stage the magnesium hydride therein creating an endothermic reaction that generates hydrogen and magnesium . the hydrogen is drawn off by way of line 425 and valve 423 , and supplied to turbine 401 . the gas output of the turbine 409 is supplied to the gas storage device 407 by way of line 403 and valve 405 . the hydrogen gas not removed by way of line 425 is supplied over line 389 to compressor 387 that in turn supplies such gas over line 385 at an elevated pressure to the chemical reaction chamber in the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 . in turn , the water from the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 is supplied over line 383 and valve 435 to the first three - dimensional tracking stage , where , besides absorbing the thermal energy from the solar heat , it absorbs thermal energy from the exothermic reaction occurring thereat . the resultant superheat steam leaves the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 by way of valve 433 and output line 443 to a desired utilization device . it can thus be seen that the chemical reaction in which a complex chemical is disassociated and recombined in a closed loop endothermic / exothermic manner as more clearly explained in the copending patent application by charles g . miller , having u . s . ser . no . 536 , 786 , creates a considerable temperature boost to a solar energy collection system . the gas constituents stored in gas storage device 407 which may be of the type used for storing natural gas can be removed over lines 409 by way of valve 411 line 413 , valve 426 and lines 429 and 427 to enhance the thermal boost or superheat process . assume now for purposes of example that conditions of very low solar activity exist , as would occur during night time . in order to provide thermal energy during such periods , the system would be reconfigured so that the output of the solar pond 367 on line 369 would be routed by way of valve 371 to line 375 , the solar pond 367 constructed according to the description in the above noted copending application acts as a thermal storage device and the output of the water on lines 369 therefrom are fairly constant over a long period . the water in line 375 may be supplied either to the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 or the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 of the solar collector system by way of valve 435 depending on which stage was being utilized for exothermic recombination reaction . assuming that the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 was being utilized because the chemical constituent 417 in the reaction chamber was magnesium , the hydrogen gas from the gas storage device 407 would be supplied over lines 429 to the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 for the purpose of delivering it to compressor 387 over line 389 which would considerably increase the pressure at which the gas is delivered to the reaction chamber over line 385 of the first three - dimensional tracking stage 381 . as the water is being delivered to this section 381 , the exothermic reaction created as a result of the introduction of high pressure hydrogen into the reaction chamber would cause recombination of the magnesium and hydrogen to form magnesium hydride delivering substantial thermal energy to the fluid leaving the stage 381 on line 443 . a similar situation would exist for the second three - dimensional tracking stage 391 except that the gas from the storage facility 407 would be delivered by way of valve 426 over lines 427 to the first tracking stage 381 to be compressed by compressor 387 and thereafter supplied to the second tracking stage 391 over line 389 . it is conceived that the gas stored in storage facility 407 and the magnesium contained in one of the reaction chambers would be sufficient to generate high temperature energy for an extended period of time . in summary what has been described in a large - scale solar power system that is sufficiently efficient , cost effective to be competitively attractive compared to alternative large scale , prime power sources to be used for example to supply large scale utility power generating equipment in the same sense that coal or nuclear generated steam supplies utility power generating equipment . the solar power system is preferably made up of several stages , each stage operating within its optimum temperature range . as can be seen in fig1 the early stages may be of the higher efficiency , lower working temperature type . for several stages a fixed linear ground - based linear primary reflector is constructed by relatively inexpensive processes utilizing available road - building machinery . the basic tracking system is optimized for particular temperature ranges by use of various secondary reflectors that help to concentrate the light energy on the collector or heat absorber and also substantially reduce the reradiation of infrared energy from the collector . the solar energy collection system is also adapted to provide superheat steam over limited and extended periods of time by utilizing the exothermic reactive properties of such complex chemicals as metal hydrides . obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is to be understood , therefore , that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | 5 |
reference will not be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiment of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . in the following description , like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views . also , in the following description , it is to be understood that such terms as &# 34 ; forward &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; rearward &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; left &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; right &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; upwardly &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; downwardly &# 34 ;, and the like , are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms . referring now to the drawings , and particularly to fig1 there is shown a partially sectioned elevational view with parts broken away for clarity of a fuel assembly constructed in accordance with well known practices , generally indicated by the numeral 10 , which incorporates a preferred embodiment of the invention . the fuel assembly 10 basically comprises a lower end structure or bottom nozzle 12 for supporting the assembly on the lower core plate ( not shown ) in the core region of a reactor ( not shown ). a number of longitudinally extending control rod guide thimbles 14 project upwardly from the bottom nozzle 12 . a plurality of transversely extending fuel rods spacer grids 16 are axially spaced along the guide thimbles 14 . an organized array of elongated fuel rods 18 are transversely spaced and supported by the spacer grids 16 . an instrumentation tube 20 is located in the center of the assembly . an upper end structure top nozzle , generally designated by the numeral 22 , is attached to the upper ends of the guide thimbles 14 in a manner more fully described below to form an integral assembly capable of being conventionally handled without damaging the assembly components . the top nozzle 22 includes a transversely extending adapter plate 24 having upstanding sidewalls 26 secured to the peripheral edges thereof and defining an enclosure or housing . an annular flange 28 is secured to the top of the sidewalls 26 . suitably clamped to the annular flange 28 are holddown springs 30 ( only one of which is illustrated in fig1 for clarity ) which cooperate with the upper core plate ( not shown ) in a conventional manner to prevent hydraulic lifting of the fuel assembly caused by upward flow of coolant through the assembly while also allowing for changes in the fuel assembly length due to core - induced thermal expansion and the like . disposed within the opening defined by the annular flange 28 is a conventional rod cluster control assembly 32 having radially extending flukes 34 connected to the upper end of the control rods 36 for vertically moving the control rods in the control rod guide thimbles 14 in a well known manner . with the exception of the top spacer grid 38 , each of the spacer grids 16 may be of any suitable , conventional design for laterally spacing and supporting the fuel rods 18 . the fuel assembly 10 depicted in the drawings is of the type having a square array of fuel rods 18 with the control rod guide thimbles strategically arranged within the fuel rod array . further , the bottom nozzle 12 and likewise the top nozzle 22 are generally square in cross section . the specific fuel assembly represented in the drawings is for illustration only ; it is to be understood that neither the shape of the nozzles nor the number and configuration of the fuel rods and guide thimbles are to be limiting and that the invention is equally applicable to shapes , configurations , and arrangements other than the ones specifically illustrated . to form the fuel assembly 10 , the transverse spacer grids 16 are attached to the longitudinally extending guide thimbles 14 at predetermined axially spaced locations . the fuel rods 18 are inserted through the spacer grids 16 in order to form the fuel rod array . the lower nozzle 12 is suitably attached to the lower ends of the guide thimbles 14 and the top nozzle 22 is attached to the upper ends of the guide thimbles 14 in the manner described below in accordance with the improved attaching structure of the present invention . referring now to fig2 a and 3 , a first preferred embodiment of the improved attaching structure for removably mounting the top nozzle 22 on the upper end of the guide thimbles 14 and the top spacer grids 38 will be discussed . although each of the guide thimbles 14 compressively supports the top nozzle 22 , the description that follows is directed to the support arrangement for only one of the guide thimbles , the other guide thimbles supporting the top nozzle in the same manner . similarly , although each side of the top fuel rod spacer grid 38 has an skirt extension 40 for tensively supporting the top nozzle 22 , the description which follows is directed to the arrangement between the top nozzle 22 and only one of the spacer grid skirt extensions 40 . it should however be understood that each of the four available skirt extensions 40 are preferably used . the improved structure for removably supporting and attaching the top nozzle 22 includes thimble collars 44 which are welded or otherwise secured to the guide thimbles 14 and which are radially dimensioned to support the top nozzle 22 by bearing against the adapter plate 24 under compressive loading , and skirt extensions 40 formed in the top spacer grid 38 which removably attach , preferably without any loose attachment parts , to the sidewall 26 of the top nozzle 22 in order to support the fuel assembly under tensile loading . details of these elements and connections as well as another preferred embodiment of a quick disconnect top nozzle fuel assembly will now be described . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , compressive loads from the top nozzle 22 , such as loads imposed by the holddown springs 30 , are transmitted via the load collars 44 on the guide thimbles 14 , while tensive loads , such as lifting loads , are transferred through the top nozzle 22 onto upwardly extending skirt extensions 40 of the top spacer grid 38 . the top spacer grid assembly 38 may be fastened in any conventional manner , for example , by bulging techniques , to the guide thimbles 14 . thus , any tensive loads on the grid skirt extensions 40 are transferred through the spacer grids 38 to the guide thimbles 14 eliminating many of the costly , complex and loose components previously used to connect the guide thimbles to the top nozzle . as alluded to above , the guide thimbles 14 are clearance fitted into apertures 46 in the adapter plate 24 . the amount of radial clearance is preferably small , on the order of about two mils . preferably , at least the portion of the guide thimble 14 in the vicinity of the top nozzle 22 is formed of stainless steel and the load collar 44 is formed from a coaxial stainless steel sleeve brazed , welded , or otherwise attached on to the guide thimble in the vicinity of its top end . the load collar 44 is radially dimensioned to be larger than the aperture 46 , thereby any compressive load on the top nozzle 22 will be borne by the guide thimble 14 via the load collar 44 . however , the clearance fit between the guide thimble 14 and the apertures 46 permits the top nozzle to be removed from the guide thimbles in the manner described below and require no unlocking , unscrewing , or other detachment operations between the guide thimble 14 and the top nozzle 22 . the grid skirt extension 40 may be of any desired geometry for providing mechanical support to the fuel assembly while permitting adequate coolant flow through the fuel assembly . the skirt extention 40 extends along the sidewall 26 of the top nozzle 22 . it should be understood that the sheet metal skirt extensions 40 , while strong under tensive stresses , will buckle relatively easy under compressive loading and are therefore not primarily relied upon to provide compressive strength . each of the grid skirt extensions 40 includes means for securing the top spacer grid assembly 38 to the top nozzle 22 in a manner whereby it can support tensive loads . such means may include aperture 42 in the grid skirt extension which aligns with apertures 48 in the sidewalls 26 . each sidewall 26 has a spring steel tang 50 extending generally parallel to the sidewall 26 to form therebetween a space for the skirt extension 40 . a number of generally orthgonally locking pins 52 , corresponding to the number of aligned apertures 42 and 48 , are provided in the grid skirt extensions 40 . the tangs 50 may be welded , integrally formed with , or otherwise secured to the sidewall 26 or to the annular flange 28 . as best seen in fig2 a , the tang 50 preferably includes a notched end 54 which may be easily gripped by the end 56 of a pull - back tool 58 . as best seen in fig3 the end 56 of the pull back tool is complementary shaped with respect to the notched end 54 of the tang 50 . in use , the top nozzle 22 may be removed by pulling back the tang 50 , i . e . to the left as viewed in fig2 a , until the locking pin 52 clears the aperture 42 whereupon the top nozzle may be simply lifted off of the clearance fitted guide thimbles 14 . for reassembly , the tang 50 need only be pulled back with respect to the sidewall 26 enough to provide sufficient clearance between the sidewall and the locking pin 52 for passage of the grid skirt extension 40 . thereupon , the apertures 46 in the adapter plate 24 can be aligned with the guide thimbles 14 and the apertures 42 aligned with the apertures 48 and the locking pin 52 . upon release of the tang 50 , the locking pins 52 will lock the sidewall 26 to the grid skirt extensions 40 . turning now to fig4 a , and 5b , a second embodiment of the invention will be described . in the embodiment of fig4 the spacer grid skirt extensions 40 terminate in a tang 58 which is designed to engage the complementary slot 60 formed in the sidewall 26 of the top nozzle 22 . each tang 58 preferably has an upstanding flange portion 62 designed to be engaged by a combination lift and release tool 64 as described below . the sidewall 26 of the top nozzle is preferably provided with a hole 68 through which a skirt extention deflecting portion 66 of the lift release tool 64 is designed to protrude . the protruding portion 66 of the tool 64 may simply comprise a small cylindrical member sized to clearance fit through the hole 68 and protrude far enough to deflect the tang 58 out of engagement with the slot 60 . this is best seen in fig5 a . in this position , the top spacer grid 38 is unlatched from the top nozzle 22 . the tool 64 further comprises a tang capture portion 70 having a notched end 72 designed to capture a flange 62 on the tang 58 and hold the tang in a position deflected away from the sidewall 26 and out of mating engagement with the slot 60 so that when the protruding portion 66 of the tool 64 is withdrawn from contact with the tange 58 , i . e . moved to the right as viewed in fig5 b , the tang capture portion 70 of the tool 64 can be lowered to engage the the flange 62 allowing the top nozzle to be lifted . during lifting , the portion of the tool 64 which bears against the annular flange 28 may be used to support the top nozzle . thus , by modifying the top spacer grid assembly to support tensive loads on the fuel assembly and by providing load collars on the guide thimbles to support compressive loads , a fuel assembly according to the present invention can be quickly and simply constituted and reconstituted and individual fuel rods in a fuel assembly can be handled on a routine basis at the end of each fuel cycle merely by removing the top nozzle in the manner described above . in addition to the other advantage described above , the quick disconnect top nozzle permits the enrichment of fuel rods within each fuel assembly to be more precisely tailored to more closely approximate the optimum hydrogen to uranium ratio for a given burnup . further , the quick disconnect top nozzle permits rapid access to the fuel rods while eliminating the many costly , intricate , and loose attaching components of prior art attachment designs . the foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings . other quick disconnect latching schemes between the top grid assembly and the top nozzle can be used and other compressive load supporting devices than simple load collars can be employed . the embodiments presented were choosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use comtemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto . | 6 |
as hereinbefore stated , the use of alpha emitters provides substantial advantages in the treatment of cancer . it is also possible to treat inflamed joints particularly rheumatoid arthritis with radioisotopes . for the reasons that alpha emitters are useful in the treatment of cancer , they are also useful in the treatment of arthritic joints . radiation synovectomy has substantial advantages over the treatment by surgery , not the least which is that it can be repeated if the condition reoccurs . other therapies often result in the eventual replacement of the joint . as before stated , radiation synovectomy suffers from leakage of the radioactive material from the joint . the use of alpha emitters which have a very short range of effectiveness is somewhat helpful in alleviating this condition , particularly when combined with the carrier hereinafter described . colloids labeled with radionuclide have been used in the past for the treatment of cancer and also for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis . because the alpha emitters are effective over a relatively short cellular range , labelling thereof with colloids has not been popular . this is particularly true where the radionuclide normally would be distributed evenly throughout the colloid because the distance that the alpha particles travel from the center of the colloid to the outside of the colloid is such that very little effective radiation remains to be delivered to the affected situs . the use of colloids labeled with alpha emitting radionuclides are advantageously employed both for treating cancer cells and also for inflamed joints provided that there is some mechanism for plating the radionuclide essentially on the outer surface of the colloid and only on the outer surface . it has now been discovered that ferric hydroxide can be manipulated in such a way as to plate the radionuclide essentially on the outer surfaces of the colloid . radionuclides which are useful in the present invention include 211bi , 212bi , 213bi , 214bi , 212pb , 228th , 224ra , 211at , 254esm , 238np , 234np , 242am and various mixtures thereof . many of these materials are produced in reactors or cyclotrons , but it is well within the skill of the art to manufacture and isolate the above listed alpha emitters . for instance , the preparation of various bismuth isotopes as well as the lead - 212 is disclosed in the atcher et al . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 663 , 129 , issued may 5 , 1987 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . methods of producing and separating astatine - 211 as well as certain bismuth radioisotopes has been reported in the literature , see for instance appl . radiat . isot . vol . 39 . no . 4 , pp . 283 - 286 , 1988 , reporting a paper on radiation oncology . see also , official journal of the american rheumatism association , arthritis and rheumatism , vol . 29 , no . 2 , february , 1986 in which the use of beta emitters for treatment of arthritic joints has been reported . the colloid of the present invention must be prepared in such a manner that rather than having the radioactive isotope uniformly distributed throughout the colloid as is the usual circumstance , the radionuclide is essentially only on the outer surfaces thereof . in order to make this particular colloid , a ferrous salt such as a sulfate is treated with a hydroxide such as ammonium hydroxide to provide ferrous hydroxide . after the addition of radioactive 212pb in the form of lead iodide , the ferrous hydroxide lead iodide mixture is mixed in air to oxidize the ferrous hydroxide to a ferric hydroxide colloid in which the lead isotope is attracted to and plates onto the outside surface of the colloid particles . the ferrous hydroxide may be formed either by starting with ferrous chloride or ferrous sulfate in an acid solution , such as a dilute hydrochloric acid . a suitable hydroxide such as ammonium hydroxide in reagent grade is used to convert the ferrous salt to the ferrous hydroxide . a vortex mixer is used to convert the ferrous hydroxide which does not attract the lead iodide in solution to ferric hydroxide which does attract the lead iodide in solution , the ferrous ion also converting the lead iodide to lead metal . in a specific example , ferrous chloride at a concentration of 5mg / ml in dilute hydrochloric acid is mixed with a 2 molar solution of hydriodic acid containing lead212 . reagent grade ammonium hydroxide , 14 . 5 molar , is added to the mixture to form a bluish green ferrous hydroxide precipitate in a solution with the ph greater than 7 . at this time the lead iodide remains in solution and is not attracted to the ferrous hydroxide particles . an air vortex mixer is used to agitate the ferrous hydroxide and lead iodide solution for approximately 30 seconds whereupon the bluish - green mixture disappears to be replaced by a dark yellow - brown mixture of ferric hydroxide which attracts the 212pb to the surface principally as a metallic lead although a portion of the lead is present as lead hydroxide . this method of forming a colloid results in a ferric hydroxide colloid having radioactive 212pb on the outer surface of the colloid either as lead metal or lead hydroxide and since the lead daughter , 212bi , is an alpha emitter , provides a colloid with the most effective positioning of the radioisotope . to study in - vivo the therapeutic effect of the intraperitoneal instillation of the radiocolloid , 212pb ferrous hydroxide , the ehrlich ascites carcinoma model was used . this carcinoma spontaneously arose in the ovary of the mouse . the carcinoma has been maintained by intraperitoneal inoculation and passage in swiss - webster mice . the virulence of the tumor was evaluated by inoculating groups of 10 mice ip with 10 0 to 10 7 cells . survival was then measured from the day of inoculation . the therapeutic effect of ip administration of 212pb ferrous hydroxide was evaluated by treating groups of 10 animals inoculated with 106 cells with single graded doses of 0 , 5 , 15 , and 50 uci &# 39 ; s and measuring survival . the effect of delaying therapy was determined by observing survival in groups of 10 animals with 10 6 cells treated with 50 uci &# 39 ; s of the radiocolloid 48 and 72 hours later . the cytotoxicity of 212pb was compared to x - rays . ehrlich carcinoma cells were grown in - vitro in 5cc of serum culture containing 72 . 5 % dulbecco &# 39 ; s modification of eagle &# 39 ; s media , 22 . 5 % ham &# 39 ; s nutrient mixture f - 12 , 5 % fetal bovine serum , 20 mg / ml epidermal growth factor , 5 ug / ml transferrin , 2 × 10 - 11 m 3 , 3 &# 39 ;. 5 triiodo - 1 - thyronine , 10 - 10 m cholera toxin , 1 . 8 × 10 - 4 m adenine , 0 . 4 ug / ml hydrocortisone , 50 units / ml mycostatin , 100 u / ml penicillin , and 100 ug / ml streptomycin . survival experiments were done on exponentially growing cells . cells were removed from flasks using trypsin suspended in serum containing media and seeded into 10 cm dishes at low density . between 500 and 40 , 000 cells were plated and allowed to enter exponential growth . to determine cellular survival after 212pb irradiation , the radionuclide complexed to dpta was diluted in complete culture medium . the activity of an aliquot was determined by counting the gamma rays in a spectrometer which was calibrated with a 228th source . cells were incubated at 37 ° c in media containing various radioactive concentrations of 212pb dpta . after the appropriate dose accumulated , the cells were washed and fed fresh media . control incubations were done in an identical fashion except the 212pb was replaced by 212pb which had decayed to determine chemical toxicity . for x - ray survival experiments cells were irradiated 18 hours after plating with a 250 kv maxitron operating at 26 ma ° at 0 . 8 gy / min . cultures were incubated for 18 to 24 days and then fixed and stained with crystal violet . colonies greater than 50 were scored as survivors . data points were analyzed by least square regression . the intrinsic radiosensitivity ( do ) was defined as the inverse of the slope of the exponential portion of the survival curve . the cell s ability to accumulate sublethal damage was measured by the extrapolation number , n , which is the back extrapolation of the slope of the ordinate . the ehrlich carcinoma cells were extremely virulent . the intraperitoneal injection of graded doses from 10 0 ( 1 cell ) to 10 7 cells caused ascites leading to the death of the animal within 57 to 58 days , respectively ( table 1 ) a tumor inoculum as small as 1 cell caused death in 80 % of the animals . treating animals 24 hours later inoculated with 10 6 tumor cells with graded doses of 212pb ferrous hydroxide prolonged survival . in the untreated inoculated animals the mean survival was 16 days . the mean survival after the injection of cold colloid along , 5 , 15 , or 50 uci &# 39 ; s of the radiocolloid was 15 , 49 , 63 , and 81 days , respectively ( table 2 ). the percentage of animals cured was related to the dose of the radionuclide administered . the cure rate was 0 , 10 , 23 and 40 %, respectively for the doses administered . delaying therapy to allow the tumor to progress decreasing survival . the mean survival in animals inoculated with 10 6 cells decreased to 45 and 34 days by delaying treatment 48 or 72 hours , respectively . in - vitro the ehrlich cells were more radiosensitive to alpha particles than x - rays ( table 3 ). the survival curve had a steeper slope after 212pb therapy . the radiosensitivity ( do ) was 220 cgy after x - ray and 65 cgy after 212pb irradiation . cells which were able to accumulate sublethal damage after x - rays were unable to do so after 212pb irradiation . there was a shoulder ( n = 1 . 7 )- an indication of the ability of the cells to accumulate sublethal damage - present on the x - ray survival curve . with 212pb treatment there was no shoulder ( n = 1 ) on the survival curve . the intraperitoneal administration of 212pb prolonged the median survival and produced cures in the ehrlich ascites tumor model . this tumor was extremely virulent with the injection of one cell capable of producing tumor and death in the animals . the survival was dose related with higher doses of 15 and 50 uci &# 39 ; s increasing survival threefold . the total eradication of tumor was seen in 24 % of the animals injected with these doses . the most compelling reason for the increased effectiveness of these particles if the direct ionization over a very short path length without the dependence upon cellular oxygenation for cytotoxicity . the use of these emitters may be most effective against microscopic disease . tumor burden present appears to be an important factor when considering the use of these emitters . by delaying the intraperitoneal instillation of 212pb up to 72 hours and allowing the tumor burden to increase both the survival and cure rates decreased . clinically alpha emitting radionuclides have the potential to be more efficacious than other beta - emitting radionuclides previously used such as gold - 198 and phosphorus - 32 . the cellular radiosensitivity was markedly increased in comparison to conventional gamma ( x - ray ) irradiation . survival was better with cells having no ability to accumulate sublethal danger after x - ray therapy . in comparison to beta - emitters , it is estimated that alpha irradiation has one - hundredth the range and may have up to ten times the energy deposition per unit path length making it more efficient in killing a tumor cell while perhaps sparing normal cells . as seen in the decay chain of 212pb both beta and alpha particles are produced ; however , considering that the total average energy per disintegration of 212pb , the beta energy contribution to the dose is negligible . table 1 . ______________________________________survival of animals inoculated with graded doses ofehrlich ascites tumor cells . number of days survivingcells injected minimum maximum mean % dead______________________________________10 . sup . 7 8 18 14 10010 . sup . 6 12 20 16 10010 . sup . 5 17 29 18 10010 . sup . 4 17 34 22 10010 . sup . 3 19 28 23 10010 . sup . 2 19 30 26 8010 . sup . 1 28 38 33 8010 . sup . 0 28 57 41 80______________________________________ table 2 . ______________________________________survival and cure of animals inoculated withehrlich ascites tumor cells treated 24 hours laterwith lead - 212 ferrous hydroxide . tumor survival ( days ) inoculum treatment min . max . mean % cure______________________________________10 . sup . 6 none 12 20 16 010 . sup . 6 cold colloid 12 22 15 010 . sup . 6 5 uci 212pb 21 150 49 610 . sup . 6 15 uci 212pb 26 150 63 1310 . sup . 6 50 uci 212pb 22 150 81 24______________________________________ table 3 . ______________________________________summary of the radiosensitivities of ehrlichcarcinoma tumor cells to x - rays and lead - 212 . do n______________________________________x - rays 220 1 . 7212pb 65 1______________________________________ do = radiosensitivity n = ability to accumulate sublethal damage rbe = relative biological effectiveness the use of these nuclides have the potential to add another treatment modality for microscopic carcinoma confined to the abdominal cavity . however , the concept is applicable to treatment of other types of carcinoma located in otherwise difficult areas . for instance , tumors of the liver are difficult to treat , but the colloid can be delivered through arterial blood flow to the liver , or for that matter , to any organ . delivery of the labelled colloid to inflamed joints , such as knees , fingers , toes and wrists promises an alternative therapy . while there has been disclosed what is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the present invention , it is understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the spirit , or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention . | 0 |
it is often desirable to automate the transfer of a fluid medium containing an analyte , e . g ., blood cells , from a sample container to an analytical device . automated transfer is also beneficial in situations where the analysis requires a relatively constant flow of fluid medium at relatively low flow rates , and avoiding sedimentation of any particles or separation of immiscible fluids is desirable . it may also be desirable to mix a sample with appropriate diluents , e . g ., those containing anticoagulants or other reagents , to facilitate subsequent processing and analysis . automated sample processing is also important for samples that may create hazardous aerosols or be biohazards or susceptible to contamination or degradation . with such samples , processing without a technician needing to open the container is preferable . furthermore , when a sample is being delivered to an analytical device , especially a microfluidic device , for analysis , methods that enhance wetting of the device in order to avoid entrapping bubbles , which could interfere with the analysis , are desirable . biological samples are frequently of low volume , and the ability to transfer a high percentage of the sample to an analytical device is desirable , particularly when a low quantity of an analyte from the sample is to be analyzed or detected by the device . several embodiments of a system that delivers a fluid medium , e . g ., a homogeneous or non - homogeneous mixture of particles , such as blood , to an analytical device , while also providing the ability to mix diluents with the sample , are described below . each of these embodiments will be described specifically with respect to a blood sample , but the methods and devices are broadly applicable to other fluid media , e . g ., solutions , suspensions , or mixtures of particles in a fluid medium . furthermore , although the following discussion focuses on mixtures of samples and diluents , any two or more fluid media may be combined using the methods and systems of the invention . this system is described with reference to fig1 a - 1 c . the system is based on positive displacement of blood from a sample container with inline dilution , control of sedimentation , and optional enhancement of mixing . a positive displacement pump , e . g ., a syringe pump , drives a pressurizing fluid , such as air or immiscible oil , into the sample container through an inlet , e . g ., a needle penetrating a septum . this influx of fluid displaces blood through an outlet , e . g ., a second needle penetrating the septum ( fig1 a ). in order to enable extraction of the majority of the blood sample from the sample container , the outlet is preferably long enough to reach the bottom of the tube . sedimentation is prevented by mechanically rocking the container through an angle of slightly less than 180 °, such that the tip of the inlet does not contact the blood . this arrangement avoids entrainment of pressurizing fluid in the blood to be delivered to an analytical device . diluent may be supplied from a reservoir by a second positive displacement pump to provide any desired level of dilution of the blood sample . because of the low reynolds - number laminar - flow regime of the sample and diluent , a means to enhance mixing of the streams , by putting energy into the system , may be employed . one method for accomplishing this is through the use of an acoustic transducer or mechanical fluid mixer ( fig1 b ). an alternate approach is to create a zone of higher reynolds - number flow , in the turbulent regime , e . g ., through the use of a microfabricated channel on the front end of a microfluidic device ( fig1 c ). mixing would be very rapid because of convective transport in this zone , and particle damage can be minimized by keeping the length of the turbulent zone short . fluids may also be mixed by diffusion . the system is based on the serial fluidic connection of a blood container , an analytical device , and a diluent reservoir . the system makes use of both inlet and outlet connections to the analytical device to enable priming or wetting of the device while diluting the blood sample to any desired volume . fig2 a is a schematic representation of the system . the system is operated as follows : a mechanical rocker holds a blood sample in the sample container , diluent from the reservoir is pushed by a positive displacement pump ( s 1 ) into the sample container through line l 1 , a fluidic switch , e . g ., a microprocessor controlled solenoid manifold , actuated to block flow to l 4 , l 2 , the analytical device , e . g ., a microfluidic device , and l 3 at a chosen flow rate to enable priming of the device and timely dilution of the blood . the flow rates may range from 0 . 1 - 200 ml / hr . once the blood is diluted to the desired volume , the pumping of s 1 is terminated , the diluted blood sample is then pumped by a positive displacement pump ( s 2 ) at a desired flow rate through l 3 , the device , l 2 , the fluidic switch actuated to block flow to l 1 , and l 4 into a waster container . the above steps can be repeated multiple times until sufficient sample fluid is contacted with the analytical device . in some embodiments , s 2 drives a pressurizing fluid , e . g ., air , into the sample container and displaces the blood through l 3 , the device , and out to waste via l 4 . a portion of the sample or the entire sample may be passed through the analytical device . in any of the embodiments herein , multiple sample containers may be connected to an analytical device via a branched l 3 or a plurality of l 3 connections . the plurality of sample containers can have independent displacement pumps ( s 2 ) or use a joint pump . at the end of the run , the pumping of s 2 is terminated . further processing may then occur . for example , s 1 is reengaged to flush diluent through the device and into the sample container , which now serves as a second waste container . in additional embodiments , additional fluid sources may be coupled to the fluidic switch , as shown in fig2 b . in these embodiments , s 3 may pump reagents into the analytical device , e . g ., to fix and prepare captured blood cells for staining with fluorescent probes , and additional pump s 4 may be used to introduce fluorescent probes , e . g ., fish reagents , into the device ( fig2 b ). additional fluid sources or reservoirs can also be coupled to the valve , l 1 , l 2 , l 3 , or l 4 . moreover , additional pumps ( s 5 , s 6 , s 7 . . . s 100 ) are also contemplated by the present invention and can be coupled to the valve or other elements of the system . additional diluent rinses may also be effected through s 1 or additional reservoirs attached to the system . in a preferred embodiment , the sample container has a small diameter cone bottom to contain and submerge the tip of l 3 in blood at all times with minimal loss of unprocessed sample ( fig2 c ). with reference to fig3 , another embodiment of the device , which is designated as a “ chip ,” disposes the blood in a sample container , e . g ., a syringe , s 2 and the diluent in another container , e . g ., a second syringe , s 1 . s 1 is connected to one port of an analytical device , and s 2 is connected to another port of the device . diluent is pumped through the device by displacement , e . g ., a combination of push and pull of syringes . the diluent primes the device and dilutes the blood in s 2 . s 2 may be in constant rotation to aid in mixing of the blood and buffer and to prevent cell sedimentation in the container during processing . a coupler may be employed to prevent rotation induced twisting of the fluid line connecting s 2 to the device . at least a portion of the diluted blood sample is then passed through the device and into s 1 . in this embodiment , the system contains two containers in series , a sample container and a diluent reservoir . an amount of blood is pumped by positive displacement from the sample container into the diluent reservoir , both of which are disposed on a mechanical rocker for mixing and sedimentation control . in this embodiment , dilution occurs in a pre - determined volume of buffer in a second tube . a controllable vent may be kept open until the blood sample is displaced into the second tube , after which the vent may be closed to allow subsequent positive displacement pumping to be used to displace the mixed sample ( e . g ., diluted sample ) from the second tube into an analytical device . a frit or filter on the vent outlet would prevent the discharge of any analyte - containing , e . g ., cell - containing , aerosols , and any contamination from the outside environment . with reference to fig4 , another embodiment of the system is based on positive displacement of blood contained in a sample container comprising an inlet and an outlet , e . g . a 100 - ml syringe , and buffer contained in a diluent reservoir comprising an inlet and an outlet , e . g . a 100 - ml syringe . the blood sample is optionally pre - diluted or otherwise manipulated before being placed in the sample container . the sample container and diluent reservoir are each fluidically coupled to an analytical device . the inlet of the sample container is disposed within a chamber capable of being pressurized , and optionally the inlet of the diluent reservoir is disposed within the same chamber or another chamber . in fig4 , the chamber is formed by a cap placed over a sample container and a diluent reservoir . a positive displacement pump , e . g ., a syringe pump , drives an immiscible pressurizing fluid , such as air , into the chamber . this influx of pressurizing fluid displaces blood through the outlet , and also the diluent , if present . the pressure inside the chamber may be controlled manually or by an external computer . in order to enable extraction of the majority of the blood sample from the sample container , pressure is maintained at an appropriate level within the chamber for a duration sufficient to effect partial or substantially complete emptying of this container . the progress of the sample delivery is timed or otherwise monitored by the external computer in order to determine when to stop . the sample container may be in constant rotation or otherwise agitated to prevent cell sedimentation in the container during processing . one skilled in the art may alter the specific components of the systems described in the above - examples to achieve the same purpose . for example , controlling the sedimentation of particles ( or otherwise maintaining a homogenous fluid medium ), i . e ., agitation , may be achieved by any means , including introduction of mechanical or acoustical energy or by circulating the fluid . examples include mechanical rocking , magnetic stirring , sonication , use of a bubble actuator , or fluid circulating . the frequency and amplitude of sonic waves may be optimized for the particular analyte involved , e . g ., living biological cells , to aid in mixing without any deleterious effects on the analyte . for magnetic stirring , a small magnet , preferably poly ( tetrafluoroethylene )- coated , could be placed in container requiring mixing , with the container located on a magnetic stir - plate . a relatively low rotational speed such as 1 per second may be employed to avoid damaging the analyte . furthermore , although separate input and output are described in the above - examples , a spike containing both or a co - axial input and output may be employed . it is also envisioned that a pressure relief device , e . g ., a valve , may be incorporated into any container to be pressurized to avoid hazardous release of analyte , e . g ., aerosolized blood , or loss of sample , in the event of a blockage of the tubing or flow passage to the analytical device . any suitable positive displacement pump may be used to transport fluids . examples include syringe pumps , introduction of a pressurizing fluid , preferably immiscible in the sample , to a container or through the use of a syringe attached to a syringe pump as a sample container , and regulated pressure sources . one advantage of using a regulated pressure source to drive fluids is that the pressure in the system is limited to the regulated source pressure . multiple , independently controlled positive displacement pumps may be used to provide any desired amount of one or more fluid media to the sample . for example , a pump controlling the displacement of a diluent may provide any desired level of dilution of a blood sample . fluids may also be transported via gravity feed , negative displacement ( e . g ., vacuum ), gas pressure , or an immiscible fluid , such as mineral oil . mixers may also be employed when two fluids are introduced into a connector , e . g ., a transfer line , when the reynolds number is low and when diffusional mixing is insufficient . such mixers may be employed in the connector or at an appropriate point in the analytical device . such mixers are known in the art . transfer lines , i . e ., fluidic connections , between components of the system may be any material suitable for use with the analytes and fluids employed , e . g ., plastics , ceramics , glass , or metals . connections between components can be made by any suitable , liquid tight connection , as known in the art . in addition , when small sample volumes are employed , connections that have low dead volume are preferable . for embodiments employing a chamber , any suitable chamber capable of being pressurized may be used . for example , a chamber may be formed by placing a cap over the inlet of the sample container , or over the entire sample container . alternatively , the sample container may be placed inside the chamber , e . g ., through an adjustable opening in the chamber . the chamber may be integrated with the device , entirely separate from the device , or formed by placing a cap in contact with the device . the chamber may also be a channel , e . g ., a tube , fitted to an inlet of a fluid containing reservoir and through which a pressurizing fluid may flow . the chamber , once pressurized , may be at any pressure greater than the pressure inside the analytical device . the chamber may or may not form an airtight seal when pressurized . the diluent reservoir may also be placed in the same chamber , or a second chamber capable of being pressurized may be used for the diluent reservoir . when two or more chambers are employed , they may be pressurized together or independently , e . g ., to provide different fluid flow rates . if a diluent reservoir is present , any diluent contained therein need not dilute sample in the methods and systems of the invention . in general , any sample container having at least one fluid port ( e . g ., an outlet ) and being suitable to contain the fluid medium of the sample may be employed in the methods and systems described . such containers may be made of any size , shape , or material . sample containers may also contain more than one port , e . g ., for output and to introduce diluent or a pressurizing fluid ( such as air , nitrogen , or a fluid immiscible in the sample on the time scale of pumping ). an outlet port may be used to deliver a sample to an analytical device , and an inlet port may be used to introduce a second fluid sample . a single port may also be used for dual purposes , e . g ., input of diluent and output of mixed sample ( e . g ., diluted sample ), as described . in one embodiment , the sample container is closed with a plug as shown in fig5 . this plug contains two ports , an outlet in the center of the plug and an inlet spaced apart from the outlet . the inlet is preferably not located within the depression . when the plug is inserted into a sample container , e . g ., a 50 ml tube , the tube is inverted , and the sample contacts the plug by gravity . the outlet is connected to a depression on the top of the plug in contact with the sample . a depression of the plug can be of any shape , e . g ., round or angular . the diameter of the depression is , for example , between ⅛ and ½ the diameter of the plug . when a pressurizing fluid , e . g ., air , is introduced into the container through the inlet , the resulting pressure buildup forces sample through the outlet , which may be threaded to fit small compression fittings . other types of fittings could be used in conjunction with corresponding machined details . the depression isolates a small volume of sample being introduced in the outlet at a given point in time and prevents entrainment of the pressurizing fluid into the sample . the design of the plug also reduces the possibility of pressurizing fluid from being introduced into the outlet during mechanical rocking , while also enabling withdrawal of a greater percentage of the fluid in the vessel . sealing may be provided by a pair of o - rings , e . g ., sized to fit typical 50 ml conical tubes . other tube sizes can be accommodated by appropriately sized plugs and o - rings . alternative sealing arrangements are also possible . for example , the plug may be fabricated from an elastic material and compression fit in the sample container . this plug is advantageous over the use of two needles , one short needle located near the top of a container and one long needle located at the bottom of the container , because of the difficulty of maintaining the long needle on the centerline of the vessel and the limited volume that can be delivered without uncovering the tip of the long needle during mechanical rocking . the plugs disclosed herein can be used with any system known in the art which requires delivery of a fluid medium from one container to a location outside the container . the plug is especially useful for partial or substantially complete removal of a fluid sample . for example , the systems and plugs herein can remove more than 95 %, 99 %, 99 . 5 %, 99 . 9 % or 99 . 99 % of a fluid sample from a sample container . the plug and system herein also allow for an automated high - throughput system for delivery of a solution to an analytical device . in some embodiments , sample flow rate and data obtained from an analytical device are simultaneously processed using a single computing unit . the methods of the invention may be employed in connection with any analytical device . examples include affinity columns , particle sorters , e . g ., fluorescent activated cell sorters , capillary electrophoresis , microscopes , spectrophotometers , sample storage devices , and sample preparation devices . microfluidic devices are of particular interest in connection with the systems described herein . exemplary analytical devices include devices useful for size , shape , or deformability based enrichment of particles , including filters , sieves , and deterministic separation devices , e . g ., those described in international publication nos . 2004 / 029221 and 2004 / 113877 , huang et al . science 304 , 987 - 990 ( 2004 ), u . s . publication no . 2004 / 0144651 , u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 837 , 115 and 6 , 692 , 952 , u . s . application nos . 60 / 703 , 833 and 60 / 704 , 067 , and the u . s . application entitled “ devices and methods for enrichment and alteration of cells and other particles ” and filed on sep . 15 , 2005 ; devices useful for affinity capture , e . g ., those described in international publication no . 2004 / 029221 and u . s . application ser . no . 11 / 071 , 679 ; devices useful for preferential lysis of cells in a sample , e . g ., those described in international publication no . 2004 / 029221 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 641 , 628 , and u . s . application no . 60 / 668 , 415 ; and devices useful for arraying cells , e . g ., those described in international publication no . 2004 / 029221 , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 692 , 952 , and u . s . application ser . nos . 10 / 778 , 831 and 11 / 146 , 581 . two or more devices may be combined in series , e . g ., as described in international publication no . 2004 / 029221 . in particular embodiments , the analytical device may be used to isolate various analytes from a mixture , e . g ., for collection or further analysis . in one desirable embodiment , rare cells are retained in the device or otherwise enriched compared to other cells , as described , e . g ., in international publication no . 2004 / 029221 . exemplary rare cells include , depending on the sample , fetal cells , e . g . fetal nucleated red blood cells ( fnrbcs ), progenitor cells , stem cells ( e . g ., undifferentiated ), foam cells , cancer cells , immune system cells ( host or graft ), epithelial cells , endothelial cells , connective tissue cells , bacteria , fungi , viruses , and pathogens ( e . g ., bacterial or protozoa ). such rare cells may be isolated from samples including bodily fluids , e . g ., blood , or environmental sources , e . g ., pathogens in water samples . fetal red blood cells may be enriched from maternal peripheral blood , e . g ., for the purpose of determining sex and identifying aneuploidies or genetic characteristics , e . g ., mutations , in the developing fetus . cancer cells may also be enriched from peripheral blood for the purpose of diagnosis and monitoring therapeutic progress . bodily fluids or environmental samples may also be screened for pathogens , e . g ., for coliform bacteria , blood borne illnesses such as sepsis , or bacterial or viral meningitis . rare cells also include cells from one organism present in another organism , e . g ., cells from a transplanted organ . an analyte retained in or enriched by the device may , for example , be labeled , e . g ., with fluorescent or radioactive probes , subjected to chemical or genetic analysis ( such as pcr , rt - pcr , dna sequencing , mass spectrometry , or fluorescent in situ hybridization ), or , if biological , cultured . analytical devices may or may not include microfluidic channels , i . e ., may or may not be microfluidic devices . the dimensions of the channels of the device into which an analyte is introduced may depend on the size or type of analyte employed . preferably , a channel in an analytical device has at least one dimension ( e . g ., height , width , length , or radius ) of no greater than 10 , 9 . 5 , 9 , 8 . 5 , 8 , 7 . 5 , 7 , 6 . 5 , 6 , 5 . 5 , 5 , 4 . 5 , 4 , 3 . 5 , 3 , 2 . 5 , 2 , 1 . 5 , or 1 mm . microfluidic devices employed in the systems and methods described herein preferably have at least one dimension of less than 1 , 0 . 9 , 0 . 8 , 0 . 7 , 0 . 6 , 0 . 5 , 0 . 4 , 0 . 3 , 0 . 2 , 0 . 1 , or even 0 . 05 mm . the dimensions of an analytical device can be determined by one skilled in the art based on the desired application . in some embodiments , it may be desirable to wet the analytical device prior to use in order to prevent entrapment of , for example , gas bubbles . any wetting agent , such as those known in the art , may be used for purposes of wetting an analytical device herein . the wetting agents used may be contained in one or more wetting reservoirs and dispensed by one or more of the methods disclosed herein . for example , the wetting agent can be in a reservoir enclosed with a plug of the invention and an independent pressurizing system . removal of the wetting agent from the reservoir to the analytical device can be actuated by delivering a pressurizing fluid such as a gas to the reservoir through a first inlet to cause the wetting agent to be removed from a first outlet in the reservoir . in devices that rely on the uniform flow of fluid media , such as buffer - diluted blood , supplied by the dispensing systems described herein , it is preferable to avoid uneven wetting of the analytical device , e . g ., in microfluidic channels , that can cause uneven flow because of entrapped gas bubbles in unwet regions . any wetting method or agent can be employed in combination with an analytical device used in the systems described herein . the wetting agents used can be contained in one or more wetting reservoirs and dispensed by one or more of the methods disclosed herein . for example , the wetting agent can be in a reservoir enclosed with a plug of the invention and an independent pressurizing system . removal of the wetting agent from the reservoir to the analytical device can be actuated by delivering a pressurizing fluid such as a gas to the reservoir through a first inlet to cause the wetting agent to be removed from a first outlet in the reservoir . methods that address wetting include : 1 ) initial flow of buffer containing surfactant : this approach involves using a special buffer tailored to enhance wetting by incorporating a surfactant . this concentration is desirably low enough to avoid damaging the integrity of any analytes . 2 ) initial flow of buffer while exposing the device to acoustic vibrations : acoustic vibration , especially in the ultrasonic regime , can have a beneficial effect in promoting the wetting of surfaces . in this approach , the ultrasonic transducer may be incorporated into the device . 3 ) coating portions of the device , e . g ., the device lid , with a chemical layer chosen to enhance wetting , e . g ., a dried aqueous solution of sugar . 4 ) plasma etching of the device : a reactive plasma etch process can reduce the surface tension of aqueous solutions on polymers and other surfaces . for example , improving the wettability of the device lid , e . g ., a polymer film , can improve the wettability of the entire device . 5 ) assemble the device while submerged under buffer to ensure that the device is substantially wetted and free of gas ( e . g ., air ) bubbles . purging the device with carbon dioxide : the purge drives out air , and residual co 2 is rapidly dissolved into incoming priming buffer because of the high solubility of co 2 in aqueous solutions . other gases may be employed in other solvent systems . all publications , patents , and patent applications mentioned in the above specification are hereby incorporated by reference . various modifications and variations of the described method and system of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . although the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments , it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments . indeed , various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention that are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the invention . | 1 |
under a variety of reaction conditions and ratios of reagents , the reaction of 2 - nonafluorobiphenyl lithium and alcl 3 all appear to lead to the formation of a compound with the formula ar f 3 fal . sup .⊖ li . sup .⊕, resulting from fluoride abstraction by the strongly lewis acidic trisperfluoro - biphenyl aluminum species generated in situ ( fig1 ). ion exchange metathesis of this lithium salt with ph 3 ccl results in the formation of stable trityl perfluorobiphenyl aluminate ( pba . sup .⊖). the structure of pba . sup .⊖ has been characterized by x - ray diffraction and shows a non - associated trityl cation and aluminate anion . isolation and characterization of cationic group 4 complexes derived from pba the reaction of pba . sup .⊖ with various metallocene dialkyls readily generates the corresponding cationic complexes ( fig2 a - 2c ). the pba . sup .⊖ anion is weakly coordinated to the metal center via f . sup .⊖ bridges in these complexes . this coordination is evident from the large downfield shift (≧ 30 ppm ) of the al -- f f resonance in the 19 f nmr as compared to that of free pba . this coordination lowers the symmetry of the cation portion as well . furthermore , the coordinated anion is chiral . the relatively stable chirality of the anion stems from the bulkiness of the molecule which suppresses the rotation of the perfluoroaryl rings and renders the geometry fixed , resulting in nine ( 9 ) sets of characteristic resonances in the 19 f nmr . the influence of the anion chirality on the cation portion can be observed spectroscopically . in the reaction product of fig2 a , there are two diastereotopic ch 2 ph protons with 2 j value of 11 . 4 hz and two magnetically nonequivalent cp rings , which reflects the chiral environment of the coordinated anion . with diastereotopic ring substitution in the metallocene , the structure of the reaction product shown in fig2 b offers unique nmr probes for a better understanding of the molecular structure . coordination of an achiral anion such as ch 3 b ( c 6 f 5 ) 3 . sup .⊖ to the metal center of the cation portion of fig2 b results in the observation of two diastereotopic cp methyls and three types of cp ring protons having different chemical shifts . however , in the reaction product of fig2 b with a coordinated chiral anion , all the cp methyls ( four types ) and cp ring protons ( six types ) have different chemical shifts , clearly indicating the chiral induction of the anion . constrained geometry catalysts ( fig2 c ) activated by pba exhibit two distinct silyl methyls and four different cp methyls . the structure of the reaction product of fig2 c has been characterized by x - ray diffraction and reveals a chiral pba . sup .⊖ anion coordinated via an f - bridge with a zr -- f bond length of ( 2 . 123 )( 6 ) å . the zr -- ch 3 of bond distance of 2 . 21 ( 1 ) å is almost identical to that in ( cgc ) zr ( me )[ meb ( c 6 f 5 ) 3 ] ( 2 . 224 ( 5 )) å , reflecting the cationic character of the zirconium center . in cases where the bulkiness of cationic portion is increased , thereby pushing the anion away from the coordinative periphery , the product formed from the reaction appears neither stable nor isolable , e . g ., [( c 5 me 5 ) 2 zrme . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ]. however , this distant contact cation - anion pair exhibits extremely high activity for olefin polymerization when generated in situ . ph 3 . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ has been synthesized in essentially quantitative yields as compared to the 30 - 50 % yields experienced with b ( c 6 f 5 ) 3 , currently a very important lewis acidic cocatalyst in the polyolefin industry . more particularly , reaction of ph 3 c . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ with group 4 methyls proceeds cleanly to yield cationic complexes such as set forth below . ## str1 ## cpcp &# 39 ;= cp *= η 5 - c 5 me 5 = cp &# 34 ;= η 5 - 1 , 2 - me 2 c 5 h 3 r = phch 2 , ch 3 , alkyl or aryl group with c ≦ 20 ; hydride cpcp &# 39 ; mr . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ may be any cyclopentadienyl , substituted cyclopentadienyl or bridged cyclopentadienyl complex paired with pba . sup .⊖, such as cp 2 zrch 2 ph . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ; cp 2 &# 34 ; zrch 3 . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ; ( 1 , 3 -( sime 3 ) 2 c 5 h 3 ) 2 zrch 3 . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ; cp &# 39 ; 2 zrch 3 . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ; ( cgc ) zrch 3 . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ; ( cgc ) tich 3 . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ; and rac - me 2 si ( ind ) 2 zrch 3 . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ( cgc = t bun me 2 si ( η 5 - me 4 c 5 ); ( ind = η 5 - c 9 h 6 ). for polymerization of olefin monomers , catalytic activities of the cations generated from pba . sup .⊖ can be greater than those of monomeric cations generated from b ( c 6 f 5 ) 3 in cases of bulky cp and cp &# 39 ; ligands presumably because pba . sup .⊖ functions as a non - coordinating anion as compared to the weakly coordinating anion meb ( c 6 f 5 ) 3 . sup .⊖. polymerization reactions show very high activities for α - olefin polymerization , and identify pba . sup .⊖ to be a truly non - coordinating anion . when polymerizing α - olefins larger than ethylene and particularly propylene and styrene , high isotacticity can be observed . all manipulations of air - sensitive materials were performed with rigorous exclusion of oxygen and moisture in flamed schlenk - type glassware on a dual - manifold schlenk line or interfaced to a high - vacuum line ( 10 - 6 torr ), or in a nitrogen - filled vacuum atmospheres glovebox with a high capacity recirculator ( 1 - 2 ppm o 2 ). argon ( matheson , prepurified ) and ethylene ( matheson , polymerization grade ) were purified by passage through a supported mno oxygen - removal column and an activated davison 4 å molecular sieve column . ether solvents were purified by distillation from na / k alloy / benzophenone ketyl . hydrocarbon solvents ( toluene , pentane ) were distilled under nitrogen from na / k alloy . all solvents for vacuum line manipulations were stored in vacuo over na / k alloy in teflon - valved bulbs . deuterated solvents were obtained from cambridge isotope laboratories ( all ≧ 99 atom % d ) and were freeze - pump - thaw degassed and dried over na / k alloy and stored in resealable flasks . non - halogenated solvents were dried over na / k alloy and halogenated solvents were distilled over p 2 o 5 and stored over activated davison 4 å molecular sieves . brc 6 f 5 ( aldrich ) was vacuum distilled over p 2 o 5 . alcl 3 , ph 3 ccl and buli ( 1 . 6m in hexanes ) were purchased from aldrich . the zirconocene and titanocene complexes cp 2 zrme 2 ; cp 2 zr ( ch 2 ph ) 2 ; ( 1 , 2 - me 2 c 5 h 3 ) 2 zrme 2 ; [ 1 , 3 -( sime 3 ) 2 c 5 h 3 ] 2 zrme 2 ; ( c 5 me 5 ) 2 zrme 2 ; me 2 si ( me 4 c 5 )( t bun ) zrme 2 ; and me 2 si ( me 4 c 5 ) t buntime 2 were prepared according to known procedures . nmr spectra were recorded on either varian vxr 300 ( ft 300 mhz , 1 h ; 75 mhz , 13 c ) or varian germini - 300 ( ft 300 mhz , 1 h ; 75 mhz , 13 c ; 282 mhz , 19 f ) instruments . chemical shifts for 1 h and 13 c spectra were referenced using internal solvent resonances and are reported relative to tetramethylsilane . 19 f nmr spectra were referenced to external cfcl 3 . nmr experiments on air - sensitive samples were conducted in teflon valve - sealed sample tubes ( j . young ). melting temperatures of polymers were measured by dsc ( dsc 2920 , ta instruments , inc .) from the second scan with a heating rate of 20 ° c ./ min . n - butyllithium ( 1 . 6m in hexanes , 25 ml , 40 mmol ) was added dropwise to bromopentafluorobenzene ( 18 . 0 g , 9 . 1 ml , 72 . 9 mmol ) in 100 ml of diethyl ether cooled by a cold - water bath . the mixture was then stirred for a further 12 h at room temperature . removal of the solvent followed by vacuum sublimation at 60 - 65 ° c ./ 10 - 4 torr gave 12 . 0 g of 2 - bromononafluorobiphenyl as a white crystalline solid . yield : 83 . 3 %. 19 f nmr ( c 6 d 6 , 23 ° c . ): - 126 . 77 ( d , 3 j f - f = 25 . 4 hz , 1 f , f - 3 ), - 135 . 13 ( d , 3 j f - f = 18 . 9 hz , 1 f , f - 6 ), - 138 . 85 ( d , 3 j f - f = 17 . 2 hz , 2 f , f - 2 &# 39 ;/ f - 6 &# 39 ;), - 148 . 74 ( t , 3 j f - f = 20 . 8 hz , 1 f , f - 4 ) - 150 . 13 ( t , 3 j f - f = 21 . 7 hz , 1 f , f - 4 &# 39 ;), - 154 . 33 ( t , 3 j f - f = 21 . 4 hz , 1 f , f - 5 ), - 160 . 75 ( t , 3 j f - f = 23 . 9 hz , 2 f , f - 3 &# 39 ;/ f - 5 &# 39 ;). to the above 2 - bromononafluorobipyhenyl ( 8 . 29 g , 21 . 0 mmol ) in a mixed solvent of 70 ml of diethyl ether and 70 ml of pentane was gradually added 13 . 2 ml of n - butyllithium ( 1 . 6m in hexanes , 21 . 0 mmol ) at - 78 ° c . the mixture was stirred for an additional 2 h , and aluminum trichloride ( 0 . 67 g , 5 . 0 mmol ) was then quickly added . the mixture was stirred at - 78 ° c . for 1 h and the temperature was then allowed to slowly rise to room temperature . a white suspension resulted after stirring for an additional 12 h . the mixture was filtered and the solvent removed from the filtrate in vacuo . to the yellow sticky residue was added 100 ml of pentane and the mixture was stirred for 1 h . the resulting white solid was collected by filtration and dried in vacuo to give 3 . 88 g of ar f 3 fal . sup .⊖ li . sup .⊕. oet 2 : yield : 72 . 4 % 1 h nmr ( c 7 d 8 , 23 ° c . ): 2 . 84 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 4h , 2 - ch 2 o ), 0 . 62 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 6h , 2ch 3 ch 2 o --). 19 f nmr ( c 6 d 6 , 23 ° c . ): - 122 . 80 ( s , br , 3 f , f - 3 ), - 134 . 86 ( s , 3 f , f - 6 ), - 139 . 12 ( s , 6 f , f - 2 &# 39 ;/ f - 6 &# 39 ;), - 153 . 95 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f , f - 4 ), - 154 . 52 ( t , 3 j f - f = 20 . 2 hz , 6 f , f - 4 &# 39 ;/ f - 5 ), - 162 . 95 ( s , 6 f , f - 3 &# 39 ;/ f - 5 &# 39 ;), - 176 . 81 ( s , br , 1 f , al -- f ). the above lithium salt ( 1 . 74 g , 1 . 62 mmol ) and ph 3 ccl ( 0 . 48 g , 1 . 72 mmol ) were suspended in pentane and stirred overnight and the resulting orange solid was collected by filtration and washed with pentane . the crude product was then redissolved in ch 2 cl 2 and filtered through celite to remove licl , followed by pentane addition to precipitate the orange solid . recrystallization from ch 2 cl 2 / pentane at - 78 ° c . overnight gave 1 . 56 g of orange crystals of the title compound . yield : 70 . 5 %. analytical and spectroscopic data for pba are as follows : 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 23 ° c . ): 8 . 25 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , p - h , ph ), 7 . 86 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 6h , m - h , ph ), 7 . 64 ( dd , j = 8 . 4 hz , j = 1 . 2 hz , 6h , o - h , ph ), 1 . 28 ( m ), 0 . 88 ( t ) ( pentane residue ). 19 f nmr ( cdcl 3 , 23 ° c . ): - 121 . 05 ( s , 3 f , f - 3 ), - 139 . 81 ( s , 3 f , f - 6 ), - 141 . 19 ( s , 6 f , f - 2 &# 39 ;/ f - 6 ), - 156 . 93 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 6 f , f - 4 / f - 4 &# 39 ;), - 158 . 67 ( s , 3 f , f - 5 ). - 165 . 32 ( s , 6 f , f - 3 &# 39 ;/ f - 5 &# 39 ;), - 175 . 60 ( s , br , 1 f , al -- f ). anal . calcd for c 60 h 15 alf 28 . c 5 h 12 : c , 57 . 12 ; h , 1 . 99 . found : c , 57 . 16 ; h , 1 . 43 . cp 2 zr ( ch 2 ph ) 2 ( 0 . 081 g , 0 . 20 mmol ) and ph 3 c . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ( 0 . 261 g , 0 . 20 mmol ) were charged in the glove box into a 25 - ml reaction flask with a filter frit and the flask was reattached to the high vacuum line . toluene ( 15 ml ) was then vacuum - transferred into this flask at - 78 ° c . the mixture was slowly allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred for 4 h . the volume of toluene was next reduced to 5 ml and 10 ml of pentane was condensed into the flask at - 78 ° c . a suspension which formed was quickly filtered and the orange crystalline solid which was collected was dried under vacuum overnight . yield , 0 . 22 g ( 84 . 4 %). large orange crystals were obtained by slowly cooling a pentane solution of the compound to - 20 ° c . over a period of several days . 1 h nmr ( c 6 d 6 , 23 ° c . ): 6 . 95 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 2h , m - h , ph ), 6 . 80 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h , p - h , ph ), 6 . 46 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , o - h , ph ), 5 . 45 ( s , 5h , cp ), 5 . 42 ( s , 5h , cp ), 2 . 47 ( d , j = 11 . 4 hz , 1h , -- ch 2 ), 1 . 92 ( d , j = 11 . 4 hz , 1h , -- ch 2 ). 19 f nmr ( c 6 d 6 , 23 ° c . ): - 117 . 09 ( t , 3 j f - f = 20 . 5 hz , 3 f ), - 133 . 17 ( t , 3 j f - f = 15 . 2 hz , 3 f ), - 138 . 60 ( d , 3 j f - f = 27 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 139 . 53 ( t , 3 j f - f = 21 . 2 hz , 3 f ), - 146 . 34 ( s , br , 1 f , al -- f ), - 152 . 01 ( t , 3 j f - f = 24 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 153 . 15 ( t , 3 j f - f = 20 . 9 hz , 3 f ), - 153 . 92 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 160 . 82 ( d , 3 j f - f = 21 . 4 hz , 3 f ), - 162 . 52 ( t , 3 j f - f = 24 . 53 hz , 3 f ), 13 c nmr ( c 7 d 8 , 23 ° c . ): 129 . 20 ( d , 3 j ch = 156 . 2 hz , ph ), 128 . 26 ( d , 3 j ch = 157 . 1 hz , ph ), 127 . 52 ( s , ipso - ph ), 125 . 42 ( d , 3 j ch = 158 . 1 hz , ph ), 114 . 77 ( d , 3 j ch = 176 . 5 hz , cp ), 66 . 68 ( t , 3 j ch = 122 . 8 hz , -- ch 2 ), anal . calcd for c 53 h 17 alf 28 zr : c , 48 . 82 ; h , 1 . 31 . found : c , 48 . 77 ; h , 1 . 36 . the procedure is the same as that of synthesis of example 2 above . yield : 81 . 7 %. 1 h nmr ( c 2 d 2 cl 4 , 23 ° c . ): δ 5 . 95 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 h 3 me 2 ), 5 . 77 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 h 3 me 2 ), 5 . 72 ( s , br , 1h , ( c 5 h 3 me 2 ), 5 . 46 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 h 3 me 2 ), 5 . 70 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 h 3 me 2 ), 5 . 40 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 h 3 me 2 ), 2 . 11 ( s , 3h , c 5 h 3 me 2 ), 1 . 98 ( s , 3h , c 5 h 3 me 2 ), 1 . 76 ( s , 3h , c 5 h 3 me 2 ), 1 . 70 ( s , 3h , c 5 h 3 me 2 ), 0 . 28 ( d , 1 j ch = 120 . 3 hz , zr -- 13 ch 3 ). 19 f nmr ( c 2 d 2 cl 4 , 23 ° c .) is similar to the product of example 2 except for a different chemical shift for the bridging f at - 143 . 38 ppm . anal . calcd for c 51 h 21 alf 28 zr : c , 47 . 71 ; h , 1 . 65 . found : 47 . 46 ; h , 1 . 37 . c 5 h 3 ( sime 3 ) 2 zrme . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ( 3 ) this complex was prepared as described in example 2 above . it decomposes in toluene solution within 2 h at 25 ° c . and undergoes rapid decomposition to a myriad of unidentified products at higher temperatures . characterization of the complex is based on very clean nmr scale reactions . this complex was generated in situ for polymerization studies . 1 h nmr c 7 d 8 , 23 ° c . ): δ 6 . 88 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 h 3 tms 2 ), 6 . 71 ( t , j = 2 . 1 hz , 1h , c 5 h 3 tms 2 ), 6 . 31 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 h 3 tms 2 ), 6 . 23 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 h 3 tms 2 ), 5 . 79 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 h 3 tms 2 ), 5 . 71 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 h 3 tms 2 ), 0 . 70 ( s , br , 3h , zr -- ch 3 ). 0 . 17 ( s , 3h , c 5 h 3 tms 2 ), 0 . 10 ( s , 3h , c 5 h 3 tms 2 ), - 0 . 05 ( s , 3h , c 5 h 3 tms 2 ), - 0 . 07 ( s , 3h , c 5 h 3 tms 2 ). 19 f nmr ( c 7 d 8 , 23 ° c . ): δ - 112 . 12 ( d , 3 j f - f = 12 . 2 hz , 3 f ), - 133 . 22 ( t , 3 j f - f = 15 . 5 hz , 3 f ), - 137 . 49 ( s , 3 f ), - 138 . 40 ( t , 3 j f - f = 21 . 7 hz , 3 f ), - 144 . 23 ( s , br , 1 f , al -- f ), - 153 . 41 ( m , 6 f ), - 154 . 15 ( t , 3 j f - f = 21 . 2 hz , 3 f ), - 161 . 80 ( d , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 162 . 82 ( t , 3 j f - f = 21 . 4 hz , 3 f ). ( cp &# 39 ; 2 zrme . sup .⊕ ( pba ). sup .⊖ ( 4 ) is too thermally unstable at 25 ° c . to isolate . the 1 h nmr monitored reaction of cp &# 39 ; 2 zrme 2 and ph 3 c . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ in c 2 d 2 cl 4 clearly reveals the formation of ph 3 cch 3 ( δ 2 . 15 ) and a broad singlet at δ 0 . 25 assignable to the zrch 3 . sup .⊕ group . more than 4 cp methyl resonances at δ 1 . 97 - 1 . 72 ppm with different intensities are observed indicating the decomposition . complex 4 was generated in situ for polymerization studies . 19 f nmr ( c 2 d 2 cl 4 ): δ - 114 . 77 ( s , br , 3 f ), - 132 . 11 ( t , 3 j f - f = 15 . 2 hz , 3 f ), - 136 . 84 ( t , 3 j f - f = 22 . 0 hz , 3 f ), - 137 . 29 ( s , br , 3 f ), - 150 . 90 ( t , 3 j f - f = 20 . 9 hz , 3 f ), - 151 . 85 ( t , 3 j f - f = 23 . 9 hz , 3 f ), - 152 . 47 ( t , 3 j f - f = 24 . 5 hz , 3 f ), - 155 . 78 ( s , br , 1 f al -- f ), - 160 . 02 ( d , 3 j f - f = 16 . 5 hz , 3 f ), - 161 . 06 ( t , 3 j f - f = 21 . 2 hz , 3 f ). me 2 si ( me 4 c 5 )( t bun ) zrme 2 ( 0 . 148 g , 0 . 4 mmol ) and ph 3 c . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ( 0 . 523 , 0 . 4 mmol ) were reacted in the same manner as in example 2 to yield 0 . 35 g of the above complex as a white crystalline solid . yield : 64 . 8 %. the complex is quite soluble in pentane and cold pentane was used to wash the product . 1 h nmr ( c 7 d 8 , 23 ° c . ): 67 1 . 98 ( s , 3h , c 5 me 4 ), 1 . 82 ( s , 3h , c 5 me 4 ), 1 . 76 ( s , 3h , c 5 me 4 ), 1 . 27 ( s , 3h , c 5 me 4 ), 0 . 93 ( s , 9h , n - t bu ), 0 . 24 ( s , 3h , sime 2 ), 0 . 18 ( s , 3h , zr -- ch 3 ), 0 . 15 ( s , 3h , sime 2 ), 19 f nmr ( c 7 d 8 , 23 ° c .) δ - 108 . 92 ( s , br , 1 f , al -- f ), - 117 . 26 ( s , br , 3 f ), - 133 . 19 ( t , 3 j f - f = 12 . 1 hz , 3 f ), - 139 . 25 ( s , 6 f ), - 152 . 53 ( t , j f - f = 21 . 2 hz , 3 f ), - 153 . 00 ( d , 3 j f - f = 21 . 2 hz , 3 f ), - 153 . 00 ( d , 3 j f - f = 21 . 4 hz , 3 f ), - 153 . 76 ( t , 3 j f - f = 24 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 160 . 94 ( t , 3 j f - f = 22 . 6 hz , 3 f ), - 162 . 80 ( t , 3 j f - f = 21 . 4 hz , 3 f ). 13 c nmr ( c 7 d 8 , 23 ° c . ): δ 130 . 19 ( c 5 me 4 ), 129 . 09 ( c 5 me 4 ), 127 . 18 ( c 5 me 4 ), 126 . 44 ( c 5 me 4 ), 124 . 33 ( c 5 me 4 ), 56 . 63 ( n -- cme 3 ), 38 . 58 ( q . j = 120 . 6 hz , n -- cme 3 ), 32 . 70 ( q . j = 120 . 8 hz , zr -- ch 3 ), 15 . 75 ( q , j = 127 . 9 hz , c 5 me 4 ), 14 . 05 ( q , j = 128 . 0 hz , c 5 me 4 ), 12 . 00 ( q , j = 127 . 8 hz , c 5 me 4 ), 10 . 18 ( q , j = 128 . 1 hz , c 5 me 4 ), 8 . 49 ( q , j = 121 . 0 hz , sime 2 ), 6 . 52 ( q , j = 120 . 9 hz , sime 2 ). anal . calcd for c 52 h 30 alf 28 nsizr : c , 46 . 37 ; h , 2 . 25 ; n , 1 . 04 . found : c , 46 . 65 ; h , 2 . 13 ; n , 0 . 89 . me 2 si ( me 4 c 5 )( t bun ) time . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ me 2 si ( me 4 c 5 )( t bun ) time2 ( 0 . 065 g , 0 . 2 mmol ) and ph 3 c . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ( 0 . 261 , 0 . 2 mmol ) were reacted in the same manner as in example 2 to yield 0 . 12 g of the above complex as a yellow crystalline solid . yield : 46 . 0 %. due to its good solubility in pentane , a significant amount of the product remained in the filtrate , resulting in a low isolated yield . an nmr scale reaction indicates the formation of the compound in quantitative yield when the isolation is not required . 1 h nmr ( c 6 d 6 , 23 ° c . ): δ 2 . 01 ( s , 3h , c 5 me 4 ), 1 . 72 ( s , 3h , c 5 me 4 ), 1 . 61 ( s , 3h , c 5 me 4 ), 1 . 20 ( s , 3h , c 5 me 4 ), 0 . 93 ( s , 9h , n - t bu ), 0 . 75 ( d , j = 3 . 9 hz , 3h ), 0 . 21 ( s , h ), 0 . 06 ( s , 3h ). 19 f nmr is similar to that of 3 except slightly for different chemical shifts . anal . calcd for c 52 h 30 alf 28 nsiti : c , 47 . 91 ; h , 2 . 32 ; n , 1 . 07 . found : c , 47 . 47 ; h , 1 . 96 ; n , 0 . 87 . me 2 si ( ind ) 2 zrme 2 ( 0 . 082 g , 0 . 20 mmol ) and ph 3 c . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ ( 0 . 261 , 0 . 20 mmol ) were reacted in the same manner as for the synthesis of 1 above to yield 0 . 19 g of the title complex as an orange crystalline solid . yield : 68 . 6 %. two diastereomers are found in a 1 . 3 : 1 ratio . 1 h nmr ( c 6 d 6 , 23 ° c .) for diastereomer a ( 56 %): δ 7 . 45 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , c 6 -- ho , 7 . 27 - 6 . 88 ( m , 4h , c 6 -- h ), 6 . 67 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , c 6 -- h ), 5 . 88 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h , c 6 -- h ), 6 . 82 ( t , j = 3 . 3 hz , 1h , c 5 - βh ), 5 . 96 ( d , j = 3 . 3 hz , 1h , c 5 - βh ), 5 . 69 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 - αh ), 5 . 19 ( d , j hf = 2 . 1 hz , 3h , zr -- ch 3 ). diastereomer b ( 44 %): δ 7 . 94 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , c 6 -- h ), 7 . 27 - 6 . 88 ( m , 4h , c 6 -- h ), 6 . 58 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , c 6 -- h ), 5 . 79 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h , c 6 -- h ), 6 . 42 ( d , j = 3 . 3 hz , 1h , c 5 - βh ), 5 . 85 ( d , j = 3 . 3 hz , 1h , c 5 - βh ), 5 . 56 ( s , br , 1h , c 5 - αh ), 4 . 80 ( d , j = 3 . 3 hz , 1h , c 5 - αh ), 0 . 46 ( s , 3h , sime 2 ), 0 . 25 ( s , 3h , sime 2 ), - 0 . 64 ( d , j hf = 2 . 1 hz , 3h , zr -- ch 3 ). 19 f nmr ( c 6 d 6 , 23 ° c .) for diastereomer a ( 56 %): δ - 115 . 86 ( s , br , 3 f ), - 132 . 23 ( s , br , 1 f , al -- f ), - 133 . 76 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 138 . 53 ( s , br , 3 f ), - 139 . 40 ( t , 3 j f - f 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 153 . 10 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 153 . 44 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 154 . 72 ( t , 3 j f - f = 21 . 2 hz , 3 f ), - 161 . 18 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 162 . 86 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ). diastereomer b ( 44 %): δ - 113 . 48 ( s , br , 3 f ), - 133 . 76 ( t , 3 j f - f = 21 . 2 hz , 3 f ), - 134 . 44 ( s , br , 1 f , al -- f ), - 137 . 89 ( s , br , 3 f ), - 139 . 09 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 153 . 10 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 153 . 28 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 153 . 73 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 161 . 03 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ), - 162 . 68 ( t , 3 j f - f = 18 . 3 hz , 3 f ). 13 c nmr ( c 6 d 6 , 23 ° c . ): δ 134 . 02 , 132 . 96 , 132 . 43 , 128 . 31 , 127 . 67 , 127 . 28 , 126 . 95 , 126 . 64 , 126 . 21 , 125 . 90 , 125 . 81 , 124 . 88 , 124 . 20 , 124 . 10 , 123 . 57 , 122 . 89 , 122 . 01 , 121 . 98 ( c 6 - ring ), 119 . 16 , 116 . 56 , 115 . 96 , 114 . 94 , 112 . 90 , 112 . 79 ( c 5 - ring ), 91 . 82 , 90 . 95 , 89 . 30 , 89 . 20 , ( c 5 - si ), 51 . 46 , 51 . 73 , ( zr -- ch 3 ), - 1 . 31 , - 2 . 13 , - 2 . 88 , - 3 . 51 ( sime 2 ). anal . calcd for c 57 h 21 alf 28 sizr : c , 49 . 47 ; h , 1 . 53 . found : c , 49 . 09 ; h , 1 . 27 . in a glove box , a 250 ml flamed , 3 - necked round - bottom flask equipped with a magnetic stirring bar was charged with metallocene ( 5 - 10 mg ) and cocatalyst ph 3 c . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖, in a 1 : 1 molar ratio and the flask was then reattached to the high vacuum line . a measured amount of dry toluene ( 50 ml for this study ) was next condensed onto the solids and the mixture was warmed to room temperature with stirring for 10 min to preactivate the catalyst . the resulting solution was then equilibrated at the desired reaction temperature using an external constant temperature bath . gaseous ethylene or propylene was next introduced with rapid stirring and the pressure was maintained at 1 . 0 atm by means of a mercury bubbler . after a measured time interval , the reaction was quenched by the addition of 2 % acidified methanol . the polymer was collected by filtration , washed with methanol , and dried on the high vacuum line overnight to a constant weight . highly isotactic polypropylene is the result of propylene polymerization using pba . sup .⊖ as a catalyst . the reaction parameters and results are set forth in the table . table__________________________________________________________________________ethylene polymerization activities with metallocene / ph . sub . 3 c . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖ catalysts and polymerproperties activity . sup . aex . tp μmol of reaction polymer ( g polymer / mol t . sub . m . sup . d ah . sub . uno . catalyst (° c .) cat . time ( min ) yields ( g ) of cat · amt · h ) m . sub . w . sup . c mw / mn (° c .) ( cal / g ) __________________________________________________________________________ 9 cp . sub . 2 zrme . sub . 2 25 20 20 0 010 cp &# 34 ; zrme . sub . 2 25 20 30 0 . 18 1 . 80 × 10 . sup . 4 5 . 46 × 10 . sup . 5 6 . 0 139 . 4 40 . 511 ( cp . sup . tms . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 zrme . sub . 2 25 15 2 . 0 0 . 54 1 . 08 × 10 . sup . 6 1 . 26 × 10 . sup . 6 5 . 6 142 . 3 2912 cp &# 39 ;. sub . 2 zrme . sub . 2 25 15 0 . 67 1 . 15 6 . 90 × 10 . sup . 6 8 . 97 × 10 . sup . 4 4 . 6 138 . 0 53 . 913 cgczrme . sub . 2 25 15 10 0 014 cgctime . sub . 2 60 30 30 0 . 20 1 . 33 × 10 . sup . 4 2 . 05 × 10 . sup . 6 3 . 9 139 . 2 19 . 515 cgctime . sub . 2 110 30 5 . 0 0 . 20 8 . 00 × 10 . sup . 4 2 . 05 × 10 . sup . 6 3 . 1 142 . 5 24 . 416 rac - me . sub . 2 si ( ind ). sub . 2 zrme . sub . 2 60 20 120 0 . 65 1 . 63 × 10 . sup . 4 2 . 34 × 10 . sup . 4 3 . 59 145 -- __________________________________________________________________________ . sup . a carried out at 1 atm of ethylene and 50 ml of toluene on a high vacuum line . sup . b reproducibility between runs = 10 - 15 % . sup . c gpc relative to polystyrene standards . sup . d dsc from the second scan . sup . e for propylene polymerization the table summarizes ethylene polymerization activities by various metallocene catalysts activated with ph 3 c . sup .⊕ pba . sup .⊖. cp 2 zrme 2 exhibits virtually no activity for ethylene polymerization . this is presumably caused by the anion coordination through a zr -- f -- al bridge ( fig2 a ). however , as the ligand framework of the cation portion changes from cp ( c 5 h 5 ), to cp &# 34 ;( 1 , 2 ,- me 2 c 5 h 3 ), to [ 1 , 3 -( sime 3 ) 2 c 5 h 3 ], to cp &# 39 ;( c 5 me 5 ), the activity for ethylene polymerization increases dramatically ( examples 9 - 12 ) and reaches the highest level of 6 . 90 × 10 6 g of pe /( mole of cat - atm - h ) with the cp &# 39 ; 2 zrme 2 catalyst ( example 12 ). the polyethylene produced is highly linear with a melting temperature t m of 139 . 4 ° c . and crystalline with heat of fusion δhμ of 53 . 9 cal / g . as the bulkiness of cation portion increases , the degree of anion coordination drops significantly , clearly reflecting the relationship between the polymerization activity and the relative tightness of cation - anion pairing structure . in the case of the cp &# 39 ; ligand , the separation of cation and anion reaches an optimum condition for reactivity that results in the maximum polymerization activity and instability of the cationic complex derived therefrom as well . such a dramatic influence of the ligand framework substituents on polymerization activity is unprecedented and suggests the special features of the subject anion . pba . sup .⊖ is apparently such a large anion that separation of anion and cation can be easily and substantially tuned and optimized by selecting the appropriate bulky cation . for the sterically more accessible cgc type of catalyst , pba . sup .⊖ promotes no catalytic activity at room temperature , resulting from the strong anion coordination as reflected by the 66 ppm down - field shift of the al -- f f resonance as compared to pba . sup .⊖ ( fig2 c , example 13 ). however , as the temperature of polymerization increases , the polymerization activity increases dramatically ( examples 13 - 15 ) presumably due to a higher degree of separation of cation - anion pairs at higher temperatures . while the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims . various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims . | 8 |
reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of the invention that are illustrated in accompanying drawings . whenever possible , the same or similar reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts or steps . the drawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale . for purposes of convenience and clarity only , directional terms such as top , bottom , left , right , up , over , above , below , beneath , rear , and front , may be used with respect to the drawings . these and similar to directional terms are not to be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any manner . the words attach , connect , couple , and similar terms with their inflectional morphemes do not necessarily denote direct or intermediate connections , but may also include connections through mediate elements or devices . the feed mechanism for the sewing machine may be separate from the rest of the machine or incorporated as a part thereof . it can feed the fabric independent of the other sewing machine mechanisms and , with the addition of the rotational or cross feed components of the feed mechanism , fabric can be fed in any direction . the feed dog moving in an elliptical path transports material over the throat plate . there are three computer controlled servo drive motors driving the feed mechanism : a vertical drive motor ( feed lift ), a horizontal drive motor ( feed travel ), and a rotational drive motor or a cross drive travel drive motor , all linked to a motor controller , a programming device or computer , and operator control panel or display . in the case of the rotational feed mechanism a “ joy stick ” type input device can be used to “ steer ” the fabric in any desired direction or path . typical sewing machines to which this feed mechanism can be adapted to include , but are not limited to : lockstitch machines — 301 type stitch , differential feeds , top feeds , feed - off - arm type machines , chainstitch machines — 401 type stitch , feed - up - arm type machines , coverstitch machines , blindstitch machines , zig - zag machines , overlock machines ( sergers ), tackers , and pattern sewers . referring now to fig1 , the sewing machine feed mechanism 200 is provided by a grouping of parts including the feed bar 152 . the feed lift bracket 150 communicates with the feed bar 152 at one end with pivot bracket 154 at the other end of feed bar 152 . the feed travel bracket 156 is secured to the feed bar 152 adjacent to the pivot bracket 154 . first drive block 160 communicates with the pivot cradle 174 on pivot bracket 154 . second drive block 162 communicates with the feed travel drive block cradle 172 on the feed travel bracket 156 . then third drive block 164 communicates with feed lift drive block cradle 170 on the feed lift bracket 150 . thus , front end 180 of feed bar 152 supports the feed lift bracket 150 . the top end 182 of feed bar 152 receives the feed dog 240 . the back end 184 of feed bar 152 has a pivot bracket 154 secured thereto . the bottom side 186 of feed bar 152 has feed travel bracket 156 secured thereto . the feed lift eccentric 190 communicates with third drive block 164 and is driven by feed lift servo motor 210 . the feed travel eccentric 191 communicates with second drive block 162 and is driven by feed travel servo motor 210 . pivot pin 214 cooperates with first drive block 160 . this structure provides cooperation between vertical feed lift motion 230 of third drive block 164 and horizontal feed travel motion 234 of drive block 162 . elliptical motion 232 of the feed dog 240 on the feed bar 152 occurs when the feed lift servo motor 210 and the feed travel servo motor 212 are rotated in conjunction . the vertical or feed lift servo motor 210 , and horizontal servo drive motor or feed travel servo motor 212 are capable of being programmed to achieve an elliptical motion . in addition , the motors can be programmed to achieve non - elliptical feed motions . for example , the feed motion could rise slowly vertically so as to reduce damage to the fabric , then move horizontally and retract down quickly and return horizontally quickly . also , the feed motion stitch length can be programmed by adjusting the time span for the vertical motion or by advancing the vertical motion partially and then retracting ( partial rotation of the motor ). the motors can also be programmed to do reverse feeding simply by changing the timing of when the vertical motion is activated relative to the horizontal motor . the “ tacking ” operation can be done with this type of sewing machine feed mechanism by simply programming the motors to move the fabric forward one stitch length and back one stitch length for a set number of sewing machine cycles . finally , this feed mechanism with separately driven motors can feed the fabric while not sewing . this can be used to achieve any desired stitch length for example by feeding the fabric in increments , sewing one stitch , and feeding the fabric again in increments and sewing one stitch , the effect is a long stitch length . this can be used to do “ basting ” where one or several stitches are put into a sewn product to temporarily hold pieces together . this is done in a number of areas that could now be programmed into a pattern where the product is moved automatically to the various points where basting is done without operator involvement . a third programmable servo motor or rotation servo motor 140 can be added to this feed mechanism to achieve fabric feeding in a desired or any direction or pattern as will be described next . adding fig2 to the consideration , rotation feature 106 is depicted . needle plate 110 is connected to support plate 112 . support plate 112 is supported by one or two of support post 114 . support post 114 , singly or more , receive rotation base plate 116 . rotation base plate 116 supports two sets of groove rollers 120 . one set of grooved rollers 120 is connected to guide rails 126 . the other set of grooved rollers 120 is optionally connected to guide rails 126 . guide rails 126 rest on rail support plate 118 . segment gear 130 is connected to rotation plate 116 and meshes with pinion gear 132 . pinion gear 132 is operated by rotation servo motor 140 . rotation servo motor 140 is in turn operated by motor controller 242 . input device 244 feeds information to motor controller 242 to control servo motor 140 . input device 244 and motor controller 242 may be joint or separate devices . motor controller 242 or input device 244 may be a joy stick , a computer or other appropriate device . with such a structure , the elliptical motion 232 of fig1 may be adjusted to any desired shape . the structure of motor controller 242 and input device 244 may be applied to the feed lift servo motor 210 or the feed travel servo motor 212 of fig1 or any other servo motor herein . referring to fig3 , sewing machine feed device 100 is positioned on sewing machine 102 under a right turn indicator 104 where needle plate 110 rotates . the feed device 200 and the rotation feature 106 provides a fabric transport method through the sewing machine 102 that is programmable , that can feed fabric in any direction and that is readily controllable and flexible . in fig4 , sewing machine feed device 200 is shown with its rotation feature 106 . needle plate 110 is mounted over support plate 112 . support plate 112 sits on a pair of support posts 114 . support posts 114 provide connection between support plate 112 and rotational base plate 116 . below the rotational base plate 116 is a rail support plate 118 . mounted between rotational base plate 116 and rail support plate 118 is guide rail 126 . while guide rail 126 is secured to support plate 118 , it is not directly secured to rotational base plate 116 . grooved rollers 120 are secured to rotational base plate 116 , preferably in a rotational fashion . the grooved rollers 120 are four in number and positioned on opposing sides of guide rail 126 . segment gear 130 is mounted and secured to rotational base plate 116 . segment gear 130 contacts and meshes with pinion gear 132 . pinion gear 132 is mounted on and secured to the rotational servo motor 140 , so that a desired rotation can occur . rotational servo motor 140 , mounted in this structure , permits efficient feeding of material through a sewing machine 102 ( fig3 ). in fig5 , the linear drive feature 200 is further explained in block diagram form as connecting to needle plate 110 . more particularly feed dog 240 communicates with needle plate 110 . feed dog 240 also communicates with feed bar 152 . feed bar 152 is connected to feed lift bracket 150 , pivot bracket 154 , feed travel bracket 156 . depending on the desired function , at least one of three procedures are followed . in fact elliptical systems and variations thereof may be achieved . in one case , feed lift bracket 150 is optionally connected to third drive block 164 . third drive block 164 is connected to feed lift eccentric 190 . feed lift eccentric 190 is operated by feed lift servo motor 210 . feed lift servo motor 210 is operated motor controller 242 and input device 244 as above described . in another case , feed bar 152 is connected to feed travel bracket 156 . feed travel bracket 156 cooperates with second drive block 164 , which in turn is connected to feed travel eccentric 191 . feed travel eccentric 191 is operated by feed travel servo motor 212 , which in turn , is controlled input device 244 as above described . in still another function , pivot bracket 154 cooperates with first drive block 160 as mounted on pivot pin 214 . the set ups are selectively operated in any desired combination . with the rotational feature 106 , the feed mechanism can now feed the fabric in any direction . with the feed dogs in the down position the needle plate is rotated by the rotational servo motor so that the feed dogs are pointing in the desired direction . when the feed dogs are on the vertical portion of their elliptical path they engage the fabric and then move the fabric horizontally in the direction set by the rotational motor . the feed dogs then retract down , the rotational motor repositions to the next desired direction and the cycle repeats . the fabric must be held stationary by the presser foot during the needle plate rotation . by a combination of programming the rotational motor with the forward and reverse directions of the horizontal and vertical motors any fabric direction can be achieved . the control of the fabric movement can be accomplished with a joystick . a joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling . the left , right , forward , and backward motion of the fabric could be controlled with a joystick . the fabric motion can also follow a programmed path . the location of each stitch can be inputted into a computer and stored . various programs can then be called up and used to drive the fabric feed mechanism and sewing machine to produce an infinite variety of paths , curves , patterns , and stitch types . fig6 depicts another embodiment of a sewing machine feed mechanism with second sewing machine feed device 300 . this top feed arrangement can be incorporated into a typical blindstitch machine . in this case , the feed dog 270 grips the fabric from the top . the primary feed dog 270 again moves in an elliptical motion driven by the vertical servo motor or feed lift servo motor 210 and its eccentric 190 and first drive block 160 and the horizontal servo motor or the feed travel servo motor 212 and its eccentric 191 and second drive block 162 . the primary feed dog 270 may also grip the fabric from the top and pulls the fabric through the sewing machine 102 . pivot pin 214 works to hold first drive block 160 in position pivot bracket 154 of motion bracket 152 . feed travel bracket 156 of motion bracket 152 receives second drive block 162 . feed lift bracket 150 of motion bracket 152 receives third drive block 164 . this structure permits the feed dog 270 to operate efficiently . in fig7 , another embodiment of sewing machine feed device 100 in the form third sewing machine feed device 400 is shown . a differential feed is accomplished . two mechanisms are arranged side - by - side such that the first feed dog 250 is behind the second feed dog 260 . each side can be activated separately . when first feed dog 250 is programmed to move a greater horizontal distance than second feed dog 260 the fabric is gathered . when first feed dog 250 is programmed to move less than second feed dog 260 the fabric is stretched . having the capability to program the sewing machine , when the fabric is to be gathered or stretched , can be important when sewing knit materials that act differently when pulled in different directions . in this case , there are two feed mechanisms placed side - by - side . the motors can be programmed so that the first feed dog 250 can move a greater horizontal distance than the second feed dog 260 resulting in stretching the fabric . when the first feed dog 250 is programmed to move a lesser horizontal distance than the second feed dog 260 the fabric 110 is gathered as desire . this is basically a duplicate version of fig6 . each of first feed dog 250 can move a greater horizontal distance than the second feed dog 260 motion is driven by its own vertical servo motor or feed lift servo motor 210 and its own eccentric 190 and first drive block 160 ; and the horizontal servo motor or the feed travel servo motor 212 and its eccentric 191 and second drive block 162 . each pivot pin 214 works to hold first drive block 160 in position pivot bracket 154 of motion bracket 152 . feed travel bracket 156 of motion bracket 152 receives second drive block 162 . this applies to each feed lift bracket 150 of motion bracket 152 receives third drive block 164 . fig8 provides an exploded view of a fourth embodiment for an omni - directional feed mechanism in the form of lateral eccentric guide 500 . in this case , a lateral component ( left or right ) is added to the sewing machine feed device 100 of fig1 , which fig1 is shown in phantom without numbers as cooperating with lateral eccentric guide 500 . this arrangement allows the three motions to move completely independent from one another . for the lateral eccentric guide 500 , first cross travel guide plate 502 and second cross travel guide plate 504 are positioned on opposite sides of sewing machine feed device 100 . third cross travel guide plate 506 aligns with first cross travel guide plate 502 . fourth cross travel guide plate 508 aligns with second cross travel guide plate 504 . four spacers 546 in two pairs are positioned between the third cross travel guide plate 506 and first cross travel guide plate 502 , and fourth cross travel guide plate 508 and second cross travel guide plate 504 . the four spacers 546 include first spacer 520 and second spacer 522 , and third spacer 524 and fourth spacer 526 . the first set of four apertures 548 appear in pairs in each of first cross travel guide plate 502 and second cross travel guide plate 504 . the second set of four apertures 550 appear in pairs in each of third cross travel guide plate 506 and fourth cross travel guide plate 508 . first spacer 520 and second spacer 522 connect a pair of the first set of apertures 548 and a pair of the second set of apertures 550 . third spacer 524 and fourth spacer 526 connect a separate pair of the first set of apertures 548 and a separate pair of the second set of apertures 550 . the cross travel servo motor 510 connects to the cross travel eccentric 512 , which in turn connects to the cross travel bracket 514 . centered in the cross travel bracket 514 is the cross travel drive block 516 . the cross travel bracket 514 is connected to the cross travel guide plate 518 . bushings 566 contact cross travel guide plate 518 and guide rods 544 . guide rods 544 also contact second set of apertures 550 at the opposing end thereof . more particularly , bushings 566 include first bushing 560 , second bushing 562 , third bushing 564 , and fourth bushing 566 . guide rods 544 include first guide rod 528 , second guide rod 530 , third guide rod 532 and fourth guide rod 534 , each of which contact its own member of the second set of apertures 550 . likewise first bushing 560 cooperates with first guide rod 528 . second bushing 562 cooperates with second guide rod 530 . third bushing 564 cooperates with third guide rod 532 . fourth guide rod 534 cooperates with fourth bushing 564 . this structure provides an inward movement 540 and an outward movement 542 , as shown by the respective arrows . the lateral eccentric motion 552 is depicted by an arcuate arrow . turning now to fig9 , sewing machine feed device 100 cooperates with lateral eccentric guide 500 . sewing machine feed device 100 has feed lift bracket 150 cooperating with third drive block 164 . the third drive block 164 is connected to the feed lift eccentric 190 , which is in turn connected to motor controller 242 . feed bar 152 is connected to both pivot bracket 154 and feed travel bracket 156 . feed travel bracket 156 is optionally connected to second drive block 162 . second drive block 162 is connected to feed travel eccentric 191 , which is in turn connected to feed travel servo motor 212 . feed travel circular 212 connects to motor controller 242 . motor controller 242 follows instructions from input device 244 . also connected to pivot bracket 154 is first drive block 160 which receives pivot pin 214 . motor controller 242 is connected to the feed cross travel servo motor 510 of the lateral eccentric guide 500 . the feed cross travel servo motor 510 is connected to the feed cross travel eccentric 512 , which in turn cooperates with the feed cross travel guide block 516 . the feed cross travel guide block 516 cooperates with the feed cross travel guide bracket 514 , which is connected to the center feed cross travel guide plate 518 . guide rods 544 supports the center feed cross travel guide plate 518 and the right feed cross travel guide plate 550 . spacers 546 separate the right feed cross travel guide plate 550 and left feed cross travel guide plate 548 . these arrangements allow fabric to be moved in any direction in the x - y horizontal plane ( x axis being the feed cross travel and y axis being the feed travel ). this method of fabric movement is useful for all sewing machines that produce a lockstitch ( stitch type 301 ) where the stitch can be formed with the fabric moving forward , reverse , left , or right . arcuate or elliptical movements are also permitted , especially with the structures as shown in fig8 and fig9 . for sewing machines that produce chainstitches ( stitch types 401 , 500 &# 39 ; s ) the fabric must have some forward component of movement in order to properly form the stitch . a single omni - feed mechanism as described above can be used to replace the feed mechanism in single and multi - needle chainstitch machines and sergers to do curved or straight patterns . by combining two omni - feed mechanisms these types of machines can produce closed patterns that include inside and outside turns . the material can be rotated 360 degrees by placing one feed dog behind the needle and the other feed dog in front of the needle . by programming the two cross feed motors to move in opposite directions the fabric can be rotated . this application , taken as a whole with abstract , specification , claims , and drawings being combined , provides sufficient information for a person having ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention as disclosed and claimed herein . any measures necessary to practice this invention are well within the skill of a person having ordinary skill in this art after that person has made a careful study of this disclosure . because of this disclosure and solely because of this disclosure , modification of this method and device can become clear to a person having ordinary skill in this particular art . such modifications are clearly covered by this disclosure . | 3 |
referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals designate similar and corresponding parts throughout the several views , in fig1 through 8 , inclusive , a peeling apparatus 40 is illustrated , according to my invention . an apple 41 , shown in phantom , is mounted on an arbor 42 which rotates about an axis &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;, it being understood that my invention is applicable to most fruits and vegetables , including but not limited to , pears , onions , potatoes and turnips . for purposes of description , as used herein , directions such as &# 34 ; forward &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; upward &# 34 ; and the like are indicated by the arrows &# 34 ; f &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; u &# 34 ;, respectively , in the drawings . the peeling apparatus 40 generally comprises a means for maintaining the location of a fruit or vegetable with respect to a peeling blade 43 ; a means for rotating the fruit or vegetable with respect to the peeling blade 43 during peeling . a distinguishing feature of my invention is that a continuous peeling strip 45 is produced rather than small peeling segments . with reference to fig1 - 3 , the arbor 42 cooperates with a pair of surfaces to maintain the location of the apple with respect to the peeling blade 43 . as shown in fig3 one surface is a surface of a counter top 74 while the other surface is the surface of a steady rest portion 59 of a handle 58 . it will be appreciated that surfaces of articles such as a table , chopping block or a custom block can be used in place of the counter top 74 . the arbor 42 is preferably detachable and is mounted in an end portion of a handle 44 . the handle 44 further serves as the means for rotating the apple 41 . as best seen in fig7 and 8 , the arbor 42 consists of three thin radial fins 46 which are equally spaced about an axis of the arbor 42 . the corners of the arbor 42 are rounded to facilitate the mounting of the apple 41 . the ends of the fins 46 opposite the rounded corners are attached to a short hex shaped shaft 47 . the axis of the arbor 42 is coincident with an axis &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; about which the apple 41 rotates . during the rotation of the apple 41 in the direction of arrow &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; in fig3 the apple 41 engages a sharp cutting edge 51 of the blade 43 to produce the continuous peeling strip 45 . the detachable arbor 42 is desirable for several reasons . it allows the use of optional arbors to accommodate differences in size , shape , hardness and texture of fruits and vegetables . it also simplifies the mounting and removal of the apple 41 and a cleaning of the arbor 42 . the odd number of fins 46 prevents planar stresses from developing which could split the apple 41 in half as the apple 41 is pressed on to the arbor 42 . the short hex shaft 47 at the end of the arbor 42 engages a corresponding shaped aperture at the end of a handle 44 . an existing screw driver handle which is used with interchangeable bits may be used , or a special handle having a hex aperture for attaching the arbor 42 . adjacent to the inner ends of the fins 46 is a circular collar 48 which is used for grasping the arbor 42 during the mounting or removal of the apple 41 . the construction of the peeling blade 43 which is an important element of my peeling apparatus 40 is best understood by reference to fig4 , 9 and 10 . the peeling blade 43 is a generally rectangular blade comprised of an arcuate front strip 49 joined to an arcuate rear strip 50 . the rear edge of the front strip 49 is spaced apart from the front edge of the rear strip 50 and is ground to a sharp knife edge 51 . the arcuate shape is desirable for generating the continuous peeling strip because of variations in the contours of fruits and vegetables . the arcuate shape allows the cutting edge 51 to generate a peeling strip as it follows the contour of the apple 41 . however , for fruits and vegetables in which abrupt changes in curvature do not occur , straight blades can be used with my invention . at the ends of the rear strip 50 are tabs 52 which extend forwardly to attach the rear strip 50 with small screws 53 to the ends of the front strip 49 . other tabs 54 extend outwardly from the ends of the rear strip 50 to engage apertures 55 in spaced apart arm portions 56 of the handle 58 to pivotally mount the blade 43 . the centers of the apertures 55 lie on an axis &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; about which the blade 43 may rotate a small amount to engage the cutting edge 51 with the apple 41 . the maximum amount of rotation of the blade 43 rotation about the axis &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; is governed by a small protuberance 57 which projects inwardly from one of the arms 56 to contact the rear strip 50 . limiting the amount of blade rotation is desirable for initially engaging the blade 43 with the apple 41 . the precise rotation of the blade 43 during peeling is determined by the contact of rear strip 50 with the apple 41 . the handle 58 which carries the blade 43 also serves as a means for controlling the motion of the blade 43 with respect to the apple 41 during peeling . the two - piece blade 43 is preferable over a single piece blade because it allows the front strip 49 to be made of a simple strip 49 of quality steel which is capable of maintaining a sharp cutting edge 51 and the rear strip 50 to be stamped of an easily formable low carbon steel . however , a single stamping can be used having a narrow slot for separating and offsetting the front and rear portions of the blade 43 . referring to fig9 and 10 , the relationship of the front strip 49 to the rear strip 50 is important to properly engage the cutting edge 51 with the apple 41 . as shown in fig9 the cutting edge 51 is offset below the pivot axis &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; and is offset below the rear strip 50 by small amounts . the cutting edge 51 is further offset forwardly of the pivot axis &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; and offset forwardly of rear strip 50 . during peeling , the engagement of the cutting edge 51 produces a torque which causes the rear strip 50 to rest on the apple 41 . the contact of the rear strip 50 with the apple 41 sets the depth of cut of the blade 43 and thickness of the peeling strip 45 . in an alternate embodiment 60 illustrated in fig3 - 33 , a narrow tab 61 extends rearwardly on the rear strip 50 to further control the rotation of the blade 43 and depth of cut of the cutting edge 51 . in an alternate embodiment illustrated in fig3 , a pair of blades 43 are mounted on a common handle for peeling large 63 and small 64 apples . in fig2 , 28 and 29 , embodiments 65 , 66 are disclosed for selectively adjusting the position of the apple 41 with respect to the cutting edge 51 . in an embodiment 65 shown in fig2 and 28 , the location of the surface of the steady rest which constrains the apple 41 with respect to the cutting edge can be adjusted . a small cylindrical post 67 in the center of an auxiliary steady rest 68 engages an aperture 69 of a steady rest 70 . a small rubber &# 34 ; o &# 34 ; ring 71 on the center post 67 provides a snug fit of the center post 67 in the aperture 69 . in the embodiment 66 of fig2 , a small cylindrical post 72 engages a threaded aperture 73 of a steady rest . the peeling apparatus 40 of fig1 through 8 is used in the following manner . the apple 41 is mounted on the arbor 42 as shown in fig1 and 2 by piercing the center of the apple 41 with the arbor &# 39 ; s fins 46 . the arbor 42 is next attached to the handle 44 by engaging the arbor &# 39 ; s hex end portion 47 with the handle 44 . after the arbor 42 is attached , the handle 44 is grasped with one of the user &# 39 ; s hands and the other handle 58 which carries the blade 43 is grasped with the other of the user &# 39 ; s hands and the apple is placed on the counter top 74 . the apple 41 is next oriented and engaged with the cutting edge 51 of the blade 43 as shown in fig3 . after the cutting edge 51 is engaged , the arbor 42 is continuously or non - continuously rotated with the user &# 39 ; s hand about the axis &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; in the direction of arrow &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;, and the blade 43 is traversed from side to side across the apple 41 in the direction of arrows h -- h to produce either a continuous peeling strip 45 or segments ( not shown ). during the traversal of the blade 43 across the apple 41 , the blade 43 may also be rotated with the handle 58 in the direction of the arrows g -- g as shown in fig3 to engage the outer portions of the cutting edge 51 with the apple 41 . after peeling has been completed , the apple 41 and arbor 42 are removed from the handle 44 , the collar 58 is grasped with a user &# 39 ; s hand and the apple 41 is removed from the collar 58 . in place of a manual means , such as the handle 44 of fig1 - 8 , a small batter operated or conventional ac motor may be used to rotate the apple 41 , it being necessary to control the motor &# 39 ; s speed by the usual gear or electronic means . in the alternate embodiment 75 of fig1 - 13 , the arbor 42 is detachably mounted in an existing power screwdriver 76 . the screwdriver 76 is exemplary of a batter operated means for rotating the apple 41 and cooperates with the arbor 42 to locate the apple 41 with respect to the blade 43 . the screwdriver 76 is mounted on a charging stand 77 which is supplied with the screwdriver 76 . the stand 77 rests on a counter to 78 such that the apple 41 overhangs an edge of a sink 79 to deposit the peeling 45 into the sink 79 . in fig1 , the charging stand 77 has been deleted to illustrate that the charging stand 77 is not an indispensable element of my invention . referring to fig1 through 17 , an embodiment 80 is shown wherein the arbor 42 is detachably mounted in a manual crank 81 which serves as the rotating means . the crank 81 cooperates with the arbor 42 to provide the means for positioning the apple 41 with respect to the blade 43 . the crank 81 is mounted in a housing 82 which rests on a surface 83 of a table or a counter top . the housing 82 is secured to the surface 83 with suction cups 84 at each of the corners of a base 93 . in the embodiment 86 of fig1 through 20 , the manual crank 81 and peeling blade 43 are supported on a common base 87 . a lower end portion of a handle 94 is rotatably connected to an intermediate member 92 which is pivotally connected to a slider plate 89 . the slider plate 89 is free to move in opposite directions in a track 88 of the base 87 . the handle 94 , intermediate member 92 , slider plate 89 and base 87 cooperate to provide the means for controlling the motion of the blade 43 during the continuous peeling . during peeling , the motion of the handle 94 is controlled with one of the user &# 39 ; s hands . in fig2 through 24 an embodiment 95 is shown which is exemplary of the use of an ac motor for rotating the apple 41 . in this embodiment 95 , the arbor 42 is detachably mounted in a conventional electric can opener 96 and cooperates with the can opener 96 to locate and rotate the apple 41 with respect to the blade 43 . in fig2 and 26 , an embodiment 97 is shown wherein a conventional electric mixer 98 is used in place of the can opener 96 . peelings from the apple 41 are deposited in a bowl . from the foregoing it will be apparent that my invention provides numerous advantages over existing peeling devices . moreover , my improved , efficient , easy - to - use peeler provides these advantages in homes , restaurants and other commercial establishments . a unique feature of my invention is that my invention can be used in a continuous or interrupted manner for peeling fruits and vegetables . although i have illustrated and described only several embodiments of my invention , it is not my intention to limit my invention to these embodiments , since other embodiments can be developed by obvious changes in material , shape as well as substitution , elimination and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit thereof . | 0 |
referring to fig1 a conventional endoscope system comprises an endoscope 2 and a light source unit 4 . as is known well , the endoscope 2 has an insertion section 6 to be inserted into a body cavity , a control section 10 for controlling the endoscope 2 to bend a bending portion 8 of the insertion section 6 , and an eyepiece section 14 for allowing the operator to observe an image on a region of interest through the insertion section 6 and a light guide 20 ( not shown ) extending in the control section 10 . a universal cord 16 extends from the control section 10 and has a plug or connector 18 at its end . the light guide 20 extends through the insertion section 6 , the control section 10 and the universal cord 16 . an end portion of the light guide 20 projects from the plug 18 , as shown in fig2 . the eyepiece section 14 has a mount 22 to which a camera unit ( not shown ) is attachable and terminals ( not shown ) connected to a motor and a photometer within the camera unit when the camera unit is mounted on the eyepiece section 14 . electrical power lines and signal lines connected to the terminals extend into the plug 18 through the control section 10 and the universal cord 16 . these lines are then connected to terminal rods of the plug 18 , respectively . referring to fig2 one of the electrical power lines 24 is shown and is connected to a corresponding terminal rod 26 . the plug 18 has a hollow case 27 through which the light guide 20 and the electrical power line 24 extend . a plug cover 28 made of an insulator is screwed in an opening of the hollow case 27 . the light guide 20 extends through the plug cover 28 . a cylindrical holder 30 for protecting the light guide 20 and the terminal rod 26 are embedded in the plug cover 28 . referring to fig2 the cylindrical holder 30 is projected from the end face of a cylindrical projecting portion 29 of the plug cover 28 in parallel with the central axis of the plug 18 . similarly , the surface of the terminal rod 26 which contacts with the cylindrical projecting portion 29 extends substantially parallel to the central axis of the plug 18 . further , the terminal rod 26 projects from the side surface of the cylindrical projecting portion 29 . other terminal rods ( not shown ) are arranged on the same circumference of the plug 18 and are embedded in the plug cover 28 . surfaces of the other terminal rods which contact with the cylindrical terminal rods 26 extend substantially parallel to the axis of the plug 18 and project from the side surface of the cylindrical projecting portion 29 . a knurled fastening ring 32 is rotatably fitted around the plug hollow case 27 . threads 34 are formed on the inner surface of the fastening ring 32 . a socket 38 having a structure as shown in fig3 is disposed on a front panel 36 of the light source unit 4 . the light source unit 4 has a light source 41 comprising an ellipsoidal mirror 40 and a lamp 42 , a power source circuit ( not shown ) and a photometer control circuit ( not shown ). the electrical power lines and the signal lines extend from the power source circuit and the photometer control circuit , respectively , to the socket 38 . these lines are connected to terminal plates fixed on the sockets 38 . referring to fig3 one of electrical power lines 43 is shown and is connected to a corresponding terminal plate 42 - 1 . an attachment ring 44 is inserted into a hole formed in the front panel 36 so as to bring a flange 46 of the attachment ring 44 in contact with the front surface of the front panel 36 . a ring - shaped fastening nut 48 is screwed on an annular portion 47 of the attachment ring 44 projecting from the rear surface of the front panel 36 . therefore , the front panel 36 is clamped by the flange 46 and the fastening nut 48 and the attachment ring 44 is fixed properly at the front panel 36 . threads 52 on which the fastening ring 32 is screwed are formed on an outer circumference of a ring portion 50 of the attachment ring 44 projecting outwardly from the front panel 36 . an annular stepped portion is formed on the inner surface of the ring portion 50 . a socket body 54 is made of an insulator and has an outer shape which corresponds to the inner shape of the attachment ring 44 . the socket body 54 is fitted in the attachment ring 44 . thus , the annular stepped portion on the outer circumferential surface of the socket body 54 comes in contact with the annular stepped portion of the ring portion 50 . a ring nut 56 is screwed in the annular portion 47 of the attachment ring 44 and the socket body 54 is clamped between the annular stepped portion of the ring portion 50 and the ring nut 56 . the socket body 54 has a cylindrical recess or hollow 58 which corresponds to the shape of the projecting portion 29 of the plug cover 28 . as shown in fig4 slots 60 - 1 , 60 - 2 , 60 - 3 , 60 - 4 and 60 - 5 which are open to the recess are axially formed in the socket body 54 around the axis of the socket and are substantially parallel thereto . terminal plates 42 - 1 , 42 - 2 , 42 - 3 , 42 - 4 and 42 - 5 having elastically deformable structure are received in the slots 60 - 1 , 60 - 2 , 60 - 3 , 60 - 4 and 60 - 5 , respectively . vertex portions 62 of the terminal plates 42 - 1 to 42 - 5 are completely received in the slots 60 - 1 to 60 - 5 , respectively . ends 64 of the terminal plates 42 - 1 to 42 - 5 are located short of the opening end of the socket body 54 . the width of the slots 60 - 1 to 60 - 5 is slightly larger than that of the terminal plates 42 - 1 to 42 - 5 . the terminal plates 42 - 1 to 42 - 5 are fixed by screws 68 to the socket body 54 through bending portions 66 , as shown in fig3 . a through hole 70 into which the cylinder holder 30 is inserted is formed in the socket body 54 . the plug 18 is fitted in the socket 38 , as shown in fig5 . the end face of the cylinder holder 30 of the plug 18 is faced to the through hole 70 of the socket 38 , and the end face of the plug cover 28 or the cylindrical projecting portion 29 is faced to the recess 58 of the socket 38 . then , the plug 18 is rotated to a predetermined position so that the cylinder holder 30 and the cylindrical projection portion 29 are inserted into the through hole 70 and the recess 58 respectively , the terminal rod 26 of the plug 18 is inserted into the corresponding slot 60 - 1 and other terminal rods are inserted into the corresponding slots 60 - 2 to 60 - 5 , respectively . when the fastening ring 32 of the plug 18 is rotated , the threads 34 of the plug 18 are engaged with the threads 52 of the attachment ring 44 of the socket 38 . therefore , the plug 18 is fixed in the socket 38 completely . the terminal rod 26 which is inserted in the slot 60 - 1 comes in contact with the vertex end 62 of the terminal plate 42 - 1 in the slot 60 - 1 . the terminal rod 26 is electrically connected to the terminal plate 42 - 1 properly . the end face of the light guide 20 within the cylindrical holder 30 inserted in the through hole 70 is located on the optical path of the light source 41 . therefore , light from the light source 41 can be guided in the light guide 20 . with the above arrangement , the plug 18 is completely and properly fixed in the socket 38 . further , when the plug 18 is detached from the socket 38 , an electrical hazard resulting from the terminal plate being contacted is prevented , assuring safe operation . even if a finger is inserted in the recess 58 of the socket 38 , the terminal plates 42 - 1 to 42 - 5 are not exposed and the finger can hardly be brought into contact with the terminal plates 42 - 1 to 42 - 5 within the slots 60 - 1 to 60 - 5 . further , since the terminal plates 42 - 1 to 42 - 5 are received in the corresponding slots , respectively , and are separated from the wall of the plug body , dust or water may not cause short - circuiting of the terminal plates . therefore , electronic components may not be damaged and electric shock can be prevented . | 0 |
in fig1 , a customer &# 39 ; s telephone 102 is connected via twisted pair lines 104 to a cross - box 106 at a central office ( co ) 101 . the cross - box 106 is commonly referred to in the industry as a main distribution frame ( mdf ). typically , when the customer is being provided only plain old telephone service (“ pots ”), then a connection in the cross - box or connection frame 106 , connects the twisted pair lines 104 through connection wires 108 to low frequency lines 110 connected to class 5 switches 112 at the co 101 . the class 5 switches 112 interpret the dialed telephone number and work with the public switched telephone network (“ pstn ”) 114 to connect the customer &# 39 ; s call to its destination . when the customer has a personal computer 116 or otherwise wishes to add digital subscriber line (“ dsl ”) service , a dsl access multiplexer ( dslam ) 118 implemented at and / or in conjunction with the co 101 is added to the circuit for the customer . typically , the dsl service is used by the subscriber to connect to an internet protocol network 119 . to add the dslam 118 , a low frequency side of the dslam 118 is connected to the low frequency lines 110 to the class 5 switches 112 . this connection is done by breaking or disconnecting connection lines 108 in the cross - box 106 , and connecting the low frequency lines 110 to low frequency lines 111 with connection lines 120 in the cross - box 106 , as shown in fig1 . at the same time , a connection passing all frequencies from the dslam 118 and the customer is made by adding connection lines 122 between the lines 104 and lines 124 . lines 104 , 110 , 111 and 124 are usually twisted pair lines . now there is a twisted pair connection from the customer &# 39 ; s lines 104 through the connection lines 122 and through lines 124 to dslam 118 . if the connection lines 120 and 122 are not properly installed , then the dsl service to the customer will not operate . as illustrated in fig1 , to test the proper connection of the dslam 118 to the customer lines 110 via the cross - box 106 , a multi - loop tester 113 at the co 101 provides a test signal over the low frequency lines 110 , 111 and the connecting lines 120 to a signature circuit 126 implemented in connection with the dslam 118 . the signature circuit 126 will generate a signature signal in response to this test signal , which may be subsequently detected by the multi - loop tester 113 of the co 101 through the low frequency lines 110 , 111 and connecting lines 120 , and class 5 switches 112 . one embodiment for the signature circuit 126 will be described hereinafter with references to fig2 and 3 . the signature circuit 126 might be most easily applied to the network by incorporating it into a protector circuit 128 . the protector circuit 128 is used to protect the dslam 118 from voltage or current surges due to lightning strikes . as is well known , such lightning strikes can occur anywhere and , thus , may induce voltages and / or currents on any of the lines 104 , 108 , 110 , 111 , 122 , 124 and 130 and / or , more generally , within any of the devices and / or systems illustrated in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , the protector circuit 128 is coupled to the dslam 118 via internal and / or external lines 130 . thus , the protector circuit 128 and the signature circuit 126 may be integral to the dslam 118 and / or be distinct from the dslam 118 . these protector circuits 128 are regularly serviced and replaced . accordingly , incorporating the signature circuit 126 into the protector circuit 128 provides an easy method for installing the signature circuit 126 . a test signal to test low frequency lines 110 and 111 and their proper connection through line 120 in the cross - box 106 is supplied from the multi - loop tester 113 through the class 5 switches 112 . fig2 shows one preferred embodiment for the signature circuit 126 . the voltage polarity of the test signal is indicated in fig2 between line 111 a and line 11 lb ( i . e . wires of twisted pair line 111 of fig1 ). diode 206 allows current to flow only from node 201 to node 203 . however , an avalanche break - down diode , or zener diode , 208 will not permit a current flow i 1 until the voltage across zener diode 208 exceeds its breakdown voltage vz . when this occurs , the voltage between nodes 210 and 203 will be very close to the break - down voltage vz for the zener diode 208 as the forward bias voltage across diode 206 will be very small . above the breakdown voltage vz of zener diode 208 , current i 1 will flow through resistor 212 , zener diode 208 , and diode 206 and the magnitude of such current will be substantially equal to ( v 1 - vz )/ r the resistance of resistor 212 . thus , by applying a voltage pulse greater than vz between lines 111 a and 111 b and observing the current through the lines 111 a and 111 b during the pulse , a proper connection at the dslam 118 can be tested remotely from the co 101 . in fig3 , the voltage pulse v 1 is the test signal , and the resultant current signal i 1 is the signature signal . when a test signal v 1 ( voltage pulse for example ) is applied on twisted pair wires 111 a and 111 b and the magnitude of the pulse exceeds the breakdown voltage vz of the zener diode 208 , current will flow through the signature circuit 126 , and this current can be sensed as the signature signal . if the signature circuit 126 does not detect the test signal and generate the signature signal , then it is likely that the connection line 120 ( fig1 ) in the cross - box 106 has been improperly installed . of course other signature circuits might be designed to provide a voltage response , a frequency response , or a phase response . if the test signal were a frequency signal , the signature circuit would be designed to detect the test frequency signal and generate and return a signature frequency to the tester at the central office . the signature frequency would differ from the test frequency . if the test signal were a phase signal , the test signal would be transmitted as frequency pulses at a predetermined phase , the signature circuit would detect the frequency pulses , and send back to the central office frequency pulses with the phase shifted relative to the test signal pulses . in fig4 , a dslam 402 is connected to a cross - connection frame 400 through a cable 404 carrying multiple paired wires for multiple lines . each wire pair pin connection in the cable 404 will have a pair of pins in the connector 410 . fig4 illustrates an embodiment of the testing system and method where a signature circuit is embodied in a shoe 414 plugged between connectors 410 and 412 . in the shoe there are multiple signature circuits — one signature circuit between each telephone - line , wire - pair connection in the shoe . each signature circuit in test shoe 414 can be installed to connect between each pair of pins . between one of connectors 406 and 408 or connectors 410 and 412 , a signature circuit test shoe 414 is inserted . in fig4 , the test shoe 414 has pins that plug into sockets of connector 410 . the test shoe 414 has sockets to receive pins ( not shown ) of connector 412 . thus , test shoe 414 is connected between connector 410 and connector 412 . connector 412 connects to the connection frame 400 where wiring patches are made to connect the dslam 412 to the customer &# 39 ; s lines . without dsl service , the customer lines would be connected by patch lines 418 . with dsl service , the patch lines 418 are disconnected and low frequency patch lines 420 are connected between a dslam connection array 421 and a public switching telephone connection array 422 . patch lines 424 are connected between the dslam connection array 421 and a customer connection array 425 . a particular signature circuit has been shown and described , but it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that any number of voltage signal , current signal , frequency signal , signature devices could be inserted as a signature circuit to implement the present invention . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with referenced to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
as shown in fig1 and 2 of the drawings , an earth boring bit generally designated by the reference number 10 includes a main bit body 12 supporting three rotatable conical cutter members 14 , 15 and 16 with only two of the cutter members 14 and 16 being shown in fig1 . each of the cutter members are arranged so that its axis of rotation is oriented generally toward the centerline 18 of the bit which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the borehole 20 . a central passageway 22 extends downwardly into the bit body 12 along the centerline 18 . the bit body 12 also includes an external threaded pin portion 24 for allowing the bit 10 to be connected to the lower end of a string of hollow drill pipe . the bit body 12 includes three depending arms with only two of the arms 26 and 28 being shown . each of the depending arms is provided with a journal portion and a bearing pin for rotatably supporting a respective cutter member in a conventional manner . each of the three arms of the bit 10 terminates in a shirttail that is disposed in close proximity to the wall of the borehole 20 . as is well known in the art , each of the rotary cone cutting members includes an internal cavity for receiving its respective bearing pin . bearing means are provided between each of the cone cutter members and the bearing pin within the internal cavity . the bearing means include a system of either friction or roller bearings and a system of ball bearings . with reference again to fig1 and 2 of the drawings , a multiplicity of tungsten carbide inserts 30 are embedded in the outer surface of the cone cutting members 14 , 15 and 16 for disintegrating the formations as the bit is rotated and moved downward . drilling fluid is forced downward through the center of the hollow drill pipe , passing into the central cavity 22 . passages 32 divide the flow of fluid passing through the cavity 22 into three distinct streams . the streams flow downwardly through the passages 32 to nozzles 34 which direct the fluid between the cutters to the bottom 36 of the borehole 20 , cleaning the borehole 20 and carrying the cuttings to the surface . as might be expected , the cutters 14 , 15 and 16 are subjected to the direct blast of fluid flowing through the nozzles 34 as well as the effect of the fluid deflected from the bottom of the borehole 36 . also , the cutter members 14 , 15 and 16 are continuously running in the cuttings generated as the cutter members engage the borehole bottom 36 . thus , the cutter members are subjected to extremely abrasive and / or erosive conditions that tend to wear , erode and abrade the material forming the exterior or cone shell of the cutter members . the cone shells of the cutter members 14 , 15 and 16 include grooves 38 and insert lands 40 . when drilling in relatively soft , abrasive formations where the bit is penetrating at a rapid rate , it can be expected that the abrasive formations will be in contact with the cone shells on the areas at the outer and inner edges of the insert lands 40 , as well as between the inserts 30 due to the penetration depth of the individual carbide cutting inserts 30 . when this cone shell contact occurs , the softer cone shell material will erode away next to the carbide inserts 30 until the inserts 30 become exposed enough that the retention ability in the cone shell is weakened , thus causing the loss of the inserts 30 and a reduction in bit life . conditions often exist where the pressure , volume , and weight of the circulating fluid is inadequate for flushing of the cuttings from the borehole . under these conditions , the cuttings generated by the action of the bit on the bottom of the borehole are not efficiently removed and tend to fall back to the bottom until a time when regrinding by the bit reduces the individual particles to a size small enough to be lifted by the circulating fluid . it can readily be appreciated that the bit will be working in a bed of abrasive cuttings under these conditions . as shown more clearly in fig2 of the drawings , each of the cutter members 14 , 15 , and 16 is provided with a plurality of spaced , circumferential rows of inserts 30 . the inserts are preferably formed from an extremely hard material , such as carbide . the inserts function is to penetrate and , to some extent , disintegrate the formations encountered by the bit during the drilling of the well borehole . each of the cutter members 14 , 15 and 16 includes a plurality of circumferential grooves 38 and lands 40 with the inserts 30 being located in the lands 40 . with reference to fig1 and 2 of the drawings , specific areas on each of the lands 40 and grooves 38 are applied with hardfacing material 42 by a process that will be described hereinafter . the provision of the hardfacing material 42 in the areas of the lands 40 and grooves 38 as will be described serves to increase the life and effectiveness of the bit by reducing the abrasion and / or erosion of the relatively soft cutter member material that supports the inserts . bits incorporating large amounts of bit offset will increase the degree of cutter sliding action in contact with the formation . with this extreme sliding action , the erosive wear on the cutter lands occurs at an accelerated rate . referring now particularly to fig2 the areas of major concern occur substantially at the inner 44 and outer 46 edges of the cutter lands 40 since this is where the least amount of cone shell section is found due to the limited space provided to allow for the next row of cutting inserts 30 on an adjacent cone . these areas can withstand little wear before exposing the inserts and reducing the retention ability of the cone . the edges formed by the junction of the lands 40 and grooves 38 will experience the most wear as follows : beginning at the gage row 48 , the wear is most pronounced at its inner edge 44 ; each successive inner row 50 will experience the most pronounced wear on both the inner 44 and outer 46 edges ; the final , or nose row 52 will experience the most pronounced or damaging wear on its outer edge 46 . current bits with a large degree of bit offset and high penetration rates have made cone shell erosion a significant factor in limiting bit life . in accordance with the present invention , the disposition of hardfacing material in these specific / critical areas in patterns that accommodate the placement of the insert cutters and prevent wear of these edges provides a simple , economical , timely , and effective means of protecting the valuable cone shell material and , thereby , prevents the loss of inserts during drilling operations . fig2 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the disposition of a band 54 of hardfacing material on the edges of the grooves 38 and semi - circular patterns 56 of hardfacing on the edges of the lands 40 adjacent to the inserts 30 . it will be understood that the greatest wear occurs on the inner edge 44 of the gage row 48 land 40 ; on the inner 44 and outer 46 edges of the inner row 50 lands 40 ; and on the outer edge 46 of the nose row 52 land 40 . fig3 illustrates another embodiment of a hardfacing pattern in accordance with the present invention wherein slot patterns 58 of hardfacing are located between the inserts 30 in the place of the semi - circular patterns 56 shown in fig2 . the cutter members 14 , 15 , and 16 of fig3 are the same as those of fig1 and 2 with the exception of a variation in the hardfacing pattern . as previously mentioned , the inserts 30 are retained in the cutter members 14 , 15 and 16 by the &# 34 ; hoop &# 34 ; tension generated as the inserts are pressed therein . fig4 - a through 4 - f illustrate a method of the present invention utilized to successfully and economically protect the lands and grooves immediately adjacent the inserts without losing the &# 34 ; hoop &# 34 ; tension . although fig4 a - 4f are directed to one of the lands 40 of the cutter member 14 having insert retaining holes 60 , it is to be understood that the present method applies to all of the lands 40 on each of the cutter members 14 , 15 and 16 . with reference to fig4 a - 4f of the drawings , the cutter members 14 , 15 , and 16 are machined to the desired configuration providing the lands 40 and grooves 38 after the inner bearing surface has been carburized . after machining , with the number and arrangement of the inserts predetermined , the pattern for the hardfacing of the lands 40 is marked , preferably with a numerically controlled ( n / c ) machine using conventional milling cutters and spacing ( indexing ) identical to that of the spacing of the insert holes 60 . as shown in fig4 - a , the appropriate hardfacing pattern on the lands 40 is seen as semicircular shapes 62 etched into the land surface . the shapes are designed to maintain a minimum of 1 / 16 &# 34 ; clearance from where the insert hole 60 will be . fig4 - b reflects a cross - sectional view which shows that the marking operation results in a relatively shallow depth of cut 64 . at this point , the location of the band 66 of hardfacing material ( see fig4 - f ) on the edge of the groove 38 does not have to be etched into the cutter . in place of etching or machining the hardfacing pattern , the lands 40 may be masked where the insert holes are to be drilled by a protective covering to be removed following the hardfacing application . after the marking procedure is complete , the surface of the cutter member , that is , the surface of the lands 40 and grooves 38 are cleaned , preferably by heating . after cooling , the marked patterns 62 are painted with a bonding agent , such as a silicate , covering and staying within the areas marked , the bonding agent is also used to create the width of the circumferential bands 66 at the edge of the grooves 38 adjacent to the lands 40 . a relatively fine particulate carbide 68 is then sprinkled on the silicate as shown in fig4 - c and 4 - d . manifestly , any suitable type of hardfacing material can be utilized with or without a bonding agent as required . when the silicate has dried , heat is applied to the hardfacing material 68 in any suitable manner , such as by the use of an atomic hydrogen or oxy - acetylene torch to permanently bond the hardfacing material 68 to the surface of the lands 40 and grooves 38 . upon completion of the application of hardfacing material 68 and after the cutter member has been heat treated ( quenched ), the cutter member is aligned on a numerically controlled ( n / c ) drilling machine 1 / 2 pitch out of sink with the hardfacing patterns 62 pitching sequence , the holes 60 are automatically drilled in proper sequence , avoiding the hardfacing material . then , the inserts 30 are pressed into the holes 60 by conventional means . as can be seen in fig4 - e and 4 - f , the hardfaced patterns 62 protect the edges of the land 40 adjacent the holes 60 . the patterns 62 and hole spacing are designed so that a minimum of 1 / 16 &# 34 ; clearance is maintained between the pattern 62 and the edge of the hole 60 at their nearest point . the circumferential bands of hardfacing 66 are substantially 1 / 8 &# 34 ; to 1 / 4 &# 34 ; wide and provide protection at the relatively thin section between the grooves 38 and the wall of the insert holes 60 ( see fig4 - f ). the method described hereinbefore provides a means of hardfacing material application in patterns for specified critical and vulnerable areas of the cutter member lands 40 and grooves 38 . the application economically prevents erosion and / or abrasion , yet does not destroy the ability of the cutter member to provide the tension force necessary to maintain the inserts 30 in their holes 60 . by drilling the holes 60 in the cutter member after heat treating , the cutter member material hardness is increased without the risk of deforming or damaging the holes 60 which is critical in maintaining uniform &# 34 ; hoop &# 34 ; tension around the holes 60 . at the same time , the foregoing procedure avoids the formation of stress around the insert holes . thus it will be appreciated that as a result of the present invention a highly effective drill bit and method is provided by which the principal object and others are completely fulfilled . it is contemplated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawing illustrations that variations and / or modifications of the disclosed embodiment may be made without departure from the invention . for example , a variety of patterns of hardfacing material may be applied to the upper surface of the lands 40 provided that there is sufficient distance between the insert holes 60 and the hardfacing to allow for the minimum preferred clearance of 1 / 16 of an inch between the hardfacing and the edge of the holes 60 at their nearest point . accordingly , it is expressly intended that the foregoing description and accompanying drawings are illustrative of a preferred embodiment only , not limiting , and that the true spirit and scope of the present invention be determined by reference to the appended claims . | 8 |
further description of the present invention is provided with reference to the drawings and in particular to fig1 and 2 which depicts a plan view of microfluidic device 10 with a plurality of microchannels pathways formed in a substrate 12 . the microchannels 11 can be formed in any suitable substrate known in the art . in one embodiment , an excimer laser system is used to form microchannels 11 in a polycarbonate substrate . the dimensions of the microchannels are approximately 50 μm wide and 90 μm deep with a slightly rounded bottom as is best shown in fig2 . the polycarbonate microchannel chip , i . e ., substrate 12 is covered with an acrylic lid 13 containing a plurality of 2 - mm diameter holes 14 to provide fluid access to the microchannel 11 . the two pieces , i . e ., substrate 12 and lid 13 , were clamped together between glass slides and bonded by placing in a circulating air oven at 103 ° c . for 30 minutes . hydrogel plug 15 is formed in microchannel 11 using a modified procedure similar to the one described by rehman et al . ( rehman , f . n . ; audeh , m . ; abrams , e . s . ; hammond , p . w . ; kenney , m . ; boles , t . c ., nucleic acids research 1999 , 27 , 649 - 55 ) which is directed to fabricating dna copolymers on optical fibers . rehman et al . is herein incorporated by reference . hydrogel plug 15 is a porous matrix into which is incorporated , ligands to be used as a probe for analyzing a sample containing an analyte . in forming hydrogel plugs 15 , the microchannel 11 is filled with a solution containing 0 . 0006 % ( w / v ) riboflavin , 10 % ( w / v ) 19 : 1 acrylamide : bis - acrylamide , 10 - 15 μm acrylamide - modified oligomer , 0 . 125 % ( v / v ) temed , and 0 . 00007 % fluoresbrite beads in 1 × te ( 10 mm tris - hcl , 1 mm edta , ph 7 . 4 ) buffer , with an equivalent amount of the same solution placed into each of the fluid reservoirs . fluoresbrite beads were used as visualization markers to minimize fluid flow prior to photopolymerization . the microchannel 11 was illuminated with 515 - 560 nm light and the emission from the beads was detected at 590 nm . the movement of the fluoresbrite beads was then monitored while adjusting the volumes of each of the fluid reservoirs and the volumes of each of the fluid reservoirs was adjusted to balance the fluid reservoirs and minimize fluid flow in the microchannel 11 . the microchannel 11 was then illuminated with 340 - 380 nm light focused on a portion of the microchannel 11 for five minutes to effect polymerization . an adjustable aperture in the microscope illumination path was used to define the size of the illuminated spot ( typically between 500 μm and 600 μm diameter ) and , therefore , the size of the resulting hydrogel plug . after polymerization the photopolymerization solution was rinsed from the open channels on either side of the hydrogel plug 15 and replaced with either a buffer solution containing 0 . 5 m nacl and 1 × te ( 10 mm tris - hcl , 1 mm edta , ph 7 . 4 ) buffer or the same buffer containing complementary dna . the microfluidic device 10 was refrigerated and filled with 0 . 5 m nacl and 1 × te ( 10 mm tris - hcl , 1 mm edta , ph 7 . 4 ) buffer when not in use . platinum electrodes 24 a , 26 a are placed in contact with the solution in reservoirs 16 a and 17 a , respectively , and simultaneously electrodes 24 b , 26 b are placed in contact with the solution in reservoirs 16 b and 17 b and all electrodes 24 a , 24 b , 26 a , 26 b are connected to a high voltage power supply 18 . the current through the microchannel 11 is determined by measuring the voltage drop across a 100 kω resistor connected to the power supply in series with the microchannel 11 . the geometry of the microfluidic device 10 permits easy flushing and replacement of solutions in microchannel 11 on both sides of the hydrogel plug 15 after polymerization . in addition , the side - by - side microchannels 11 a , 11 b facilitate the concurrent photopolymerization of two adjacent microchannels allowing comparison of two channels photopolymerized under the same conditions , but containing different dna copolymers . it should be noted that chemical modifications of the microchannel walls is not required before photopolymerization to obtain stable hydrogel plugs . it is believed that the polymers are not chemically bound to the microchannel surface , but nonetheless are able to withstand pressures up to three psi and voltages as high as 100 v for short periods of time . the polymers are stable for extended periods of time to routine exposure to multiple 10 - minute applications of 10 - 25 v . for example , one microfluidic device was utilized for a total of several hours over the course of two days . advantageously , the exposure period of greater than 25 minutes at a voltage of 10 - 25 v should be avoided as such conditions could lead to polymer failure . the hydrogel filled microchannel 11 can be used to detect an analyte in a sample . for example , if the hydrogel plug 15 contains single strand dna ( ssdna ), it is possible to use the hydrogel plug 15 ( i . e ., polymer - filled microfluidic channel 11 ) to detect complementary dna via hybridization , as depicted in fig3 . the reproducibility and regeneration of dna detection of hydrogel plug 15 has been demonstrated . in an example , the hydrogel plug 15 a in microchannel 11 a contains an immobilized acrylamide - modified 20 - base oligomer gca cct tgt cat gta cca tc ( seq . id no . 1 ) identified as s 1 , and microchannel 11 b holds a hydrogel plug 15 b containing a second , different immobilized acrylamide - modified 20 - base oligomer agg ccc ggg aac gta ttc ac ( seq . id no . 2 ) identified as s 2 . a 12 μm solution of fluorescein - tagged s 1 complement and 0 . 5 m nacl in 1 × te buffer was electrophoresed into both hydrogel plugs 15 a , 15 b and rinsed with 0 . 5 m nacl in 1 × te buffer to remove unhybridized dna . the bound s 1 complement was denatured by the electrophoresis of 0 . 4 m naoh / 0 . 5 m nacl in 1 × te buffer through both hydrogel plugs 15 a , 15 b . the process was repeated in two instances , but in a third , the unbound dna is removed from the noncomplementary hydrogel plug by inverting the polarity of the electric field for both microchannels 11 a , 11 b and thereby reversing the movement of the unbound dna out of the hydrogel plugs 15 a , 15 b . in all examples , the hydrogel plug in microchannel 11 a contains an immobilized acrylamide - modified 20 - base oligomer s 1 , and the microchannel 11 b holds a hydrogel plug 15 b containing a second , different immobilized acrylamide - modified 20 - base oligomer s 2 . initially the wells 16 a - 19 a and 16 b - 19 b and associated segments of the microchannel 11 were filled with 12 μm of the s 1 complement tagged with fluorescein in a solution containing 0 . 5 m nacl and 1 × te ( 10 mm tris - hcl , 1 mm edta , ph 7 . 4 ) buffer . the wells 20 a - 17 a and 20 b - 17 b and associated segments of the microchannels 11 a , 11 b were filled with the 0 . 5 m nacl - 1 × te buffer alone . in the initial example , the complementary dna solution was electrophoresed into the polymer plug for five minutes at an applied potential of 25 v . once the hydrogel plugs 15 a , 15 b appeared to be full of the complementary dna , the wells 16 a - 19 a , 16 b - 19 b , 20 a - 17 a , 20 b - 17 b , and the associated microchannels segments , were all rinsed with 0 . 5 m nacl in 1 × te buffer and the clean buffer solution was then electrophoresed through both hydrogel plugs 15 a , 15 b at 25 v for 5 minutes . fluorescence images of the hydrogel plugs indicate that s 1 complement remains in the hydrogel plug 15 a which contains the immobilized s 1 probe , while the s 1 complement is largely flushed from the hydrogel plug 15 b which contains the noncomplementary s 2 probe . the remaining fluorescence at the edges of the hydrogel plug 15 b appears slightly different than the fluorescein fluorescence of the hydrogel plug 15 a , possibly as a result of riboflavin remaining in the hydrogel plug 15 b from the polymerization process . the hybridization of complementary dna targets with the probe dna - containing hydrogel plug is reversible . duplexes formed in the copolymer can be denatured either electrophoretically or chemically and the hybridization process repeated . for example , if the microchannels 15 a , 15 b are rinsed with 1 × te buffer containing no nacl and electrophoresis is re - initiated , a gradual , but incomplete , loss of complement from the hydrogel plugs occurs over a span of 10 - 15 minutes . a faster and more efficient method for removing the hybridized target dna is to electrophorese a denaturation solution of 0 . 4 m naoh / 0 . 5 m nacl into the polymer plug at 10 v for 10 min ., which removes not only the complement but also the riboflavin remaining from the photopolymerization process . in the other examples referred to above , the process is essential the same , with one change , namely , the rinsing of the wells 16 a - 19 a , 16 b - 19 b , 20 a - 17 a , 20 b - 17 b and associated segments of microchannels 15 a , 15 b is eliminated , and the electrophoresis voltage is simply inverted , just as the end of the polymer fills with dna . thus voltage inversion reverses the unbound dna out of the polymer hydrogel plug . treatment with aqueous naoh is a commonly used denaturation procedure in southern blot chemistry , and acrylamide hydrogels are known to be chemically stable under these conditions . the dna hydrogel plug 15 also acts to scavenge complementary dna and low concentrations of complementary dna in solution can be accumulated and concentrated in the hydrogel plug 15 . the ability of the hydrogel plugs 15 a , 15 b to concentrate dna is demonstrated by the following example with data presented in fig3 ( a ) to 3 ( d ). in fig3 ( a ) to 3 ( d ), a solution containing 150 nm tamra - tagged s 2 complement in 0 . 5 m nacl in 1 × te buffer was electrophoresed into an s 2 - containing hydrogel plug . this concentration is sufficiently low such that fluorescence was not observed from the solution in the open channel . however , with continued electrophoresis the tamra - tagged s 2 complement accumulated in the hydrogel plug over time . concentration profiles of accumulating tamra - tagged s 2 complement with increasing time of electrophoresis are shown in fig3 ( a ) to 3 ( d ). concentrations were determined by generating a calibration curve of fluorescence intensity vs . dna concentration after measuring the fluorescent intensities of solutions of tamra - tagged s 2 complement of varying known concentrations . then the fluorescence intensity of the hydrogel plug during the accumulation experiment was compared against the tamra - tagged s 2 complement calibration curve , resulting in concentration values for the tamra - tagged s 2 complement hybridizing in the hydrogel plug . the fluorescence was averaged across the entire width of the microchannel 11 for each data point along the length of the hydrogel plug 15 . the potential variation in tamra fluorescence intensity between solution and the hydrogel plug 15 environments was not considered in calculating concentrations . the sharp peak of tamra - tagged s 2 complementary dna seen on the far left is the accumulation of the complement in the open channel at the solution - plug interface due to the interface acting as an electrophoretic dam . after 25 minutes of electrophoresis , the fluorescence intensity reaches a plateau at a distance of approximately 40 to 100 μm into the plug . the intensity of the plateau roughly corresponds to a concentration of 20 μm in the plug , some two orders of magnitude higher than the initial 150 nm concentration of the solution in the microchannel . although the exact concentration of the acrylamide - modified ssdna in the hydrogel plug were not analytically measured , based on the operating conditions , it is calculated that the concentration of ssdna s 2 complement captured is 20 μm based on a hydrogel plug photopolymerization solution containing 15 μm of acrylamide - modified ssdna and the hydrogel plug which has not been rinsed with 0 . 5 m nacl in 1 × te buffer . it is possible to average the fluorescence intensity over a rectangle encompassing the entire hydrogel plug , thereby calculating the average concentration of complementary dna throughout the entire hydrogel . it is also instructive to calculate the position of the leading edge of fluorescence along the hydrogel plug , which was defined from concentration profiles like those shown in fig3 ( a )- 3 ( d ) as the distance from the left edge of the hydrogel at which the concentration first reaches 3 μm . the average concentration of complementary dna throughout the entire hydrogel plug and the position of the leading edge of fluorescence in the polymer plug , plotted as a function of electrophoresis time , is generally linear . the linear behavior of both the position of the edge and the average concentration indicate that , under these conditions , the rate of capture of dna targets is limited by the speed at which dna can be electrophoresed into the plug . the ability of this polymeric system to detect complementary dna can be considered an integrative process , where sensitivity will depend on the concentration of dna target , the concentration of dna probe in the hydrogel , and time allotted for electrophoresis . in another embodiment of the present invention , fig4 ( a ) and 4 ( b ) depict a single microchannel fluidic device 410 which can be used for multi - analyte detection . detection of multi - analytes can be realized by using different color fluorescing tags or by spatially localizing hydrogel plugs that contain different dna probes . three spatially - separated hydrogel plugs linear sections , 415 a , 415 b , 415 c , contain different sequence dna probes or no dna whatsoever where photopolymerized in the same microchannel 11 but located in a different linear section of the microchannel 411 . hydrogel plug section 415 a contains dna probes complementary to a fluorescein tagged target , s 1 , while the hydrogel plug section 415 c contains dna probes complementary to a tamra tagged target , s 2 best shown in fig4 ( b ). the two dna - containing plugs are separated by hydrogel plug section 415 b that does not contain probe dna . initially the entire chip or microfluidic device 410 was filled with a photopolymerization solution containing acrylamide - modified s 2 , and the hydrogel plug section 415 c was created by focusing uv light on the far right portion of the microfluidic channel 411 . the wells sections 414 , 417 , 419 and wells sections 420 , 421 , 422 and associated sections of the microchannel 411 were rinsed with 0 . 5 m nacl in 1 × te buffer and well section 417 - 421 of the microchannel 411 was rinsed by electrophorescing the 0 . 5 m nacl in 1 × te buffer through the section 417 - 421 of the microchannel 411 with the application of + 25 v from reservoir 420 to reservoir 419 . the wells sections 420 , 421 , 422 of the microchannel 411 were then filled with a photopolymerization solution containing no dna , and the hydrogel plug section 415 b was created by electrophorescing the polymerization solution through the hydrogel plug section 415 c and into the wells sections 417 - 421 of microchannel 411 via a + 25 v from reservoir 420 to reservoir 419 . uv light was then focused onto the center of the section 417 - 421 of microchannel 411 . the rinse and buffer electrophoresis was repeated , and in the third step a photopolymerization solution containing acrylamide - modified s 1 was introduced into the well sections 420 , 421 , 422 of the microchannel 411 . the hydrogel plug section 415 a was formed by electrophorescing the polymerization solution through hydrogel plug 415 c containing the s 2 and hydrogel plug 415 b having no dna and uv light was focused on the far left portion of the microfluidic channel 411 . a final rinse of the well sections 414 , 417 , 419 and well sections 420 , 421 , 422 of the microchannel 411 with 0 . 5 m nacl in 1 × te buffer completes the fabrication process . to demonstrate multi - analyte detection , a solution containing complements to both s 1 and s 2 was introduced into the well section 420 , 421 , 422 of the microchannel 411 and was electrophoresed through all three hydrogel plugs sections 415 a , 415 b , 415 c . after rinsing the well sections 414 , 417 , 419 and well sections 420 , 421 , 422 of the microchannel 411 with 0 . 5 m nacl in 1 × te buffer and electrophoresis of the buffer through the hydrogel plug sections 415 a , 415 b , 415 c to remove unbound dna complements at + 25 v from reservoir 420 to reservoir 419 , green fluorescence is observed predominantly from the hydrogel plug section 415 a indicating capture of the s 1 complement . conversely , red fluorescence is observed solely from the hydrogel plug section 415 c , indicating the presence of bound s 2 complement . although dna has been used herein as an exemplary ligand for use in the present microfluidic device , numerous additional ligands may be employed for use in the present device . a potentially useful list of ligands that could be immobilized in hydrogels for a variety analysis including single stranded dna for capturing dna and rna targets , double stranded dna for determination of protein - dna interactions , protein or enzymes for capturing target proteins for proteomic applications , dna aptamers for capturing target proteins for proteomic applications , and antibodies or antigens for immunoassay applications . further , catalytic dna or rna may be used for analysis of the metal ions , small molecules , metabolites , or proteins . in the case of catalytic nucleic acid applications , the catalytic dna or rna is immobilized in a first hydrogel and an analyte is electrophoresed or pumped through the first hydrogel where the catalytic dna or rna undergo self - cleavage . the cleaved strand , having been previously labeled with a fluorophore or suitable group , is then transported to a second hydrogel that contains an immobilized capture strand that is complimentary to the cleaved strand where it is captured . as a result , all cleaved strands are concentrated in the second gel and sensitivity is enhanced . in addition , multi - analyte detection is also possible using the present device where multiple catalytic dna &# 39 ; s or rna &# 39 ; s are immobilized in a first hydrogel and all are labeled with the same fluorophore . spatially separated additional hydrogels contain appropriate complimentary sequences which capture cleaved strands . spatial separation of the captured regions permits the same fluorescent tag to be used for all catalytic reactions . further , although previously described herein the analyte is electrokinetically driven through the porous matrix is generated by analyte flow , application of a pressure gradient can be used to induce flow of fluid and analyte through the pores of the matrix , thereby bringing analyte into contact with the ligands immobilized in the matrix . it will now be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention offers advantages previously not found in the art for use in achieving rapid multiplexed analysis of biological species in applications such as genomics , proteomics , and drug discovery , via biological ligands immobilized in hydrous gel plugs that are contained in microfluidic channels . further , different ligands can be immobilized in series in a single microfluidic channel by sequential photopolymerization of hydrogel plugs containing the different ligands . further , the present invention offers the advantage over prior systems by ensuring that target molecules collide with a captured ligand as the targets are electrophoresed through the hydrogel plugs . the primary advantages of the microfluidic hydrogel plugs versus two - dimensional bio - array formats include a greatly increased capacity relative to two - dimensional formats where monolayers of captured ligands are typically used because they three - dimensional nature of the gel plugs . in addition , the three - dimensional nature of the plugs generally increases the probability that the targets will encounter a captured ligand and biologically bind . further , mass transport of biological targets to capture ligands is greatly enhanced because all targets are electrophoretically driven through the gel plugs . therefore , analysis times are greatly reduced . because the gel plugs are confined to the reduced space of a microchannel , the driving of sample through the plugs results in a concentrating effect . in addition , hydrous plugs containing different ligands can be mobilized in series in microphoretic channels thereby allowing multiplexed detection of targets ( i . e ., analytes ). although the invention has been described above in relation to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be made in these preferred embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . | 1 |
the exemplary systems and methods described herein are related to various systems and methods that allow for the real space mapping of ionic diffusion and electrochemical reactivity in energy storage and conversion and electroresistive materials and devices based on spm - based detection of local strains induced by ion transport ( for example , diffusion or migration or both ), and interfacial and bulk electrochemical processes . more particularly , the systems and methods may allow for the spatially resolved qualitative and quantitative measure of local ion dynamics on the nanometer scale through the detection of strain that is developed due to ion redistribution when electrical fields are applied to electrochemically active storage materials . the methods described herein may be universally applied to study of cationic and anionic motion at the nanoscale volume level with high resolution in energy storage and generation systems such as , but not limited to , li - ion batteries , oxygen - containing fuel cells , and electroresistive and memristive devices . the specific embodiments described herein relate to the methodology employed to enable real space mapping of ionic diffusion and electrochemical reactivity in li - ion batteries and in oxygen - ion conductive solid surfaces . in one aspect of the disclosure , the oxygen reduction / evolution reaction phenomena on oxygen - conductive surfaces is mapped on the scale of several nanometers , well below the limit of micro - contact measurements . this allows for direct identification of local electrochemical reactivity and providing insight into local kinetic parameters . in another aspect li ion electrochemical activity is mapped in a li ion battery material . in accordance with the disclosure , bias - induced ionic dynamics including both transport and reactions are determined in a nanoscale surface region of a specimen through bias - induced volumetric changes are determined within a very small portion of the specimen . the mobile ion electrochemical activity in such extremely small volumes of a specimen is detected and measure through contact of a surface of the specimen with an spm probe . the spm probe has a tip that is extremely small and is capable of detecting very small changes in the surface of a material in contact with the probe tip . in accordance with the disclosure , a method and an apparatus for performing the method are described in which a quantitative measure of local ion dynamics on the nanometer scale is carried out through the detection of strain by means of contact with an spm probe tip . the strain in the material in contact with the probe is developed as a result of electrochemically - induced ion redistribution ( either transport or reaction ) when electrical fields are applied to an electrochemically active material . this technique is defined herein as electrochemical strain microscopy ( esm ). to enhance the performance of the probe tip , the tip can be coated with a solid electrolyte that is sensitive to a specific mobile ion . for example , the probe tip can be coated with a cation - containing electrolyte , such as a li or na - containing electrolyte or other anion , or a anion - containing electrolyte , such as an electrolyte including oxygen , fluorine , hydroxyl , and the like . in one exemplary embodiment , a high - frequency period voltage bias is applied between the cathode and the anode electrodes of a specimen , such as battery electrode material , and the spm probe acts as a passive probe of the local periodic surface displacement generated by the ion redistribution and the associated changes in the molar volume of the specimen . in another exemplary embodiment , the ( spm ) tip concentrates a periodic electric field in a nanoscale volume of material . in either method , the associated changes in molar volume result in local surface expansion and contraction , or lateral motion , or both that is transferred to the spm probe and detected by microscope electronics coupled with the probe . in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure , the extremely measurement high sensitivity of dynamic spm , potentially on the order of at least about 1 picometer and including , for example , a range of about 3 to about 10 picometers , enables the detection of ion concentration changes on the order of 10 % in 300 nm 3 volumes for typical values of chemical expansivity ( vegard ) coefficients . fig1 schematically illustrates the two methods described above . in fig1 a , a specimen 1 is subjected to analysis by an spm probe 2 . a pulsed voltage is applied to electrodes 3 and 4 to impart a periodic electric bias to an electrochemically active material 5 . an electric field 7 is set up in electrochemically active material 5 causing mobile ions to undergo chemical reactions with atoms making up the grain structures within the material 5 . these reactions lead to changes in a nanoscale volume v of material 5 creating a strain force 8 that causes surface 9 of material 5 to deform . the surface deformation is detected by spm probe 12 . fig1 b illustrates the alternative embodiment in which the spm probe 2 generates a periodic electric field in a nanoscale volume v of material 5 . spm probe 2 detects strain force 8 in the nanoscale volume v as a vertical or lateral , or a combined vertical and lateral displacement of surface 9 . the volumetric changes are created by the chemical reactions and transport of mobile ions in the nanoscale volume . fig2 illustrates an exemplary scanning probe microscopy ( spm ) system 10 that implements an electrochemical strain microscopy ( esm ) method of the present disclosure . the esm method is based on the application of a high - frequency periodic electric bias between an anode and a cathode of a li - ion thin film battery . a lock - in technique or equivalent is used to determine an oscillatory surface displacement on top of the li - ion thin film battery . the amplitude of the surface oscillations may be directly related to the concentration changes of li ions that is induced by the applied electrical bias ( v ac ) in small material volumes . a relationship between a local lattice parameter and the li ion concentration within a thin film battery is defined by the vegard tensor , or by defining the dependence of molar volume compounds on ion concentration . the amount of bias - induced li - ion flow is determined both by li - ion migration ( field driven ) and diffusion ( concentration driven migration ), both of which are essential for battery functionality . the alternative modes of excitation can include , but are not limited to the multifrequency ( for example , two or more ) at the fixed frequency , multiple frequency excitations with the use of the feedback loop to maintain resonance conditions , frequency sweeps at each spatial / voltage location , and broad band excitation ( band excitation ) without or with feedback . these alternative excitation methods are used to ensure the imaging at the cantilever resonance ( or adjusting driving frequency for variations in contact resonance frequencies along sample surface ). imaging at the resonance is preferred , but is not a required mode of esm . spm system 10 includes an atomic force microscopy ( afm ) system , although other spm implementations may be used . in one embodiment , spm system 10 includes an afm 12 , a sample 16 , a scanner 18 , and an add - on module 20 , shown in phantom . afm 12 may be any of a number of commercially - available afm systems , or equivalent instrumentation , such as , for example , a nanoindentor or a profilometer , or the like . cantilever 24 is equipped with a probe tip 26 , referred to simply as a “ tip .” afm 12 further includes a light source 28 such as a laser diode that generates a beam of light that is directed towards cantilever 24 and reflected toward a detector 30 , such as , for example , a four - quadrant photodetector . in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure , the reflected beam contains information regarding the deflection undergone by cantilever 24 . afm system 10 may include additional components , such as additional circuitry , firmware and / or processing modules . portions of afm system 10 may be implemented by one or more integrated circuits ( ics ) or chips . furthermore , controller module 22 and add - on module 20 may respectively include one or more modules or components . fig3 a depicts the topography of the polycrystalline licoo 2 surface of sample 16 . fig3 b depicts the deflection images of the polycrystalline licoo 2 surface using the tip . fig3 c illustrates a schematic drawing of the electrical connection of the tip in contact with sample 16 . in the present embodiment , sample 16 includes an all - solid thin - film li - ion battery test structure including a layered licoo 2 bottom cathode 24 , a lithium phosphorous oxynitride ( upon ) electrolyte 26 , and a top amorphous si anode 28 , all of which are deposited on a au / ni - coated al 2 o 3 substrate ( shown in fig9 ). layered licoo 2 is widely used as a cathode material in rechargeable lithium ion batteries and is relatively stable when in contact with ambient and aqueous environments . through the images illustrated in fig3 d and 3e , the utilization of a bias pulse to control local lithium concentration within the polycrystalline licoo 2 surface in accordance with the disclosure can be visualized . fig3 d illustrates a cantilever deflection image of the licoo 2 surface prior to the application of several approximately 2 - ms bias pulses of approximately 12 volts to the stationary tip 26 ( shown in fig6 ). tip 26 is positioned at a single point a in contact with the licoo 2 surface in an area where step edges are present within sample 16 . the afm measurements described in the present disclosure were performed with tip 26 in direct contact with the licoo 2 surface in air atmosphere and without any additional protective coating . referring to fig3 e , this image illustrates the cantilever deflection image of the licoo 2 surface after the application of the approximately 2 - ms bias pulses ( fig6 ). in comparing fig3 e and fig3 d , the topography of the licoo 2 surface at point b in fig3 e has changed relative to point a of fig3 d . this topography change indicates that a variation in material volume occurred as a result of a change in lithium concentration in the material following the application of the bias pulses . as seen in fig3 d and 3e , the step edge geometry of the licoo 2 surface remained substantially invariant prior to and after the application of the approximately 2 - ms bias pulses . the comparative images illustrated in fig3 d and 3e demonstrate the affect of applying local , short , high - voltage pulses that are well above the equilibrium redox potentials , to the licoo 2 surface ( in particular the cathode material ) of sample 16 . in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure , the induced electrochemical activity of the li ions , caused by the intercalated or de - intercalated lithium ions in the sample , enables the detection of molar volume changes and deformation of the licoo 2 surface . accordingly , the redistribution of lithium ions permits the quantitative mapping of ionic drifting and electrochemical activity in this class of materials using an spm technique . in one embodiment , a high - frequency periodic voltage vac is applied to the tip to measure ionic currents resulting from the local redistribution of lithium ions at the licoo 2 surface ( indicated as v ac in fig3 c ). as previously described , the electric field generated by the application of the periodic voltage v ac alters the local electrochemical potential of the lithium ions within the licoo 2 surface of sample 16 . the application of the periodic single frequency , multiple frequency , or band excitation voltage v ac changes the local concentration of the lithium ions , causing the lithium ions to diffuse through the solid , which changes the lattice volume of the licoo 2 surface at a contact region or area between tip 26 and the licoo 2 surface (“ tip - surface contact ”). in the demonstrated embodiment using the band excitation method , the use of a resonance enhancement technique enhances the sensitivity by a factor of approximately 30 to approximately 100 . ac voltages of varying frequencies are applied using a band excitation method to take advantage of the contact resonance enhancement . the ac voltage frequency can range from about 1 khz to about 10 mhz and including smaller ranges , for example , about 300 khz to about 400 khz . the tip - surface contact may be characterized as a harmonic oscillator having a resonant frequency determined by the young &# 39 ; s modulus of licoo 2 and the contact area between tip 26 and sample 16 . an amplitude of the resonance of the surface displacement at the tip - surface contact corresponds to the lithium ion mobility under the influence of an electric field . based on the utilization of a lock - in technique or its equivalents , the resonant amplitude of the surface displacement , measured in nanometers , may be determined , which yields information about the local bias - induced lithium concentrations and thus the lithium transport in the licoo 2 surface . the mathematical description for the tip - surface phenomena can be developed for several simplified cases . in the following description , it is assumed that the lithium ion transport processes are diffusion - limited and that the contribution of ion migration is minimal . in this case , the amplitude of the oscillating surface displacement u 3 , in units of distance , is ( in the high frequency regime ) represented by equation ( 1 ): where v ac is an alternating current ( ac ) voltage amplitude , d is the lithium diffusion coefficient , and the linear relation between an applied field and chemical potential is described by η . the coefficient β is an effective vegard coefficient that expresses an approximate and empirical linear relationship between lattice size and lithium concentration . referring to fig4 a to 4d , an exemplary map of the licoo 2 surface is shown . fig4 b depicts the measured contact resonance peaks resulting from an ac bias of approximately 1 v ( peak - to - peak ) applied to tip 26 at the three locations designated as circles “ a ”, “ b ”, and “ c ,” shown in fig4 a . fig4 c illustrates the spatial distribution of the resonance frequencies on the surface of sample 16 . the spatial distribution is indicative of a strong systematic variation that reflects changes in the effective young &# 39 ; s modulus for the different grain orientations and surface topography variations . fig4 d illustrates a spatial map of resonant amplitude indicative of regions of dissimilar response of the licoo 2 . in other words , the spatial map illustrates variations in lithium diffusion and intercalation behavior based on the high - frequency excitation at the three locations a , b , and c . li ion concentration was investigated spm probe analysis at a grain boundary and in at a location away from the grain boundary of sample 16 ( polycrystalline licoo 2 ) shown in fig3 c . fig5 illustrates the change in li ion concentration measured consecutively in two different locations on the anode surface following the application of a voltage pulse having an amplitude of − 18 v and a length 30 ms . to minimize electrostatic effects and reactivity at the tip — surface junction , the pulse was applied to the cathode ( the bottom electrode ) of the battery with the anode ( top electrode ) grounded . the pulse length was set in the millisecond range in order to minimize the changes in the charge state of the battery during imaging and to keep the measurement time of a single point sufficiently low to enable mapping on spatially resolved grids with a large number of sampling points . to induce a measurable li - ion flow with the millisecond voltage pulses , the applied pulse amplitudes were much higher than typical battery operation voltages . however , the battery showed no signs of damage ( such as rapid irreproducible changes and slow drifts in the esm image contrast , visible surface damage ), since the millisecond pulses are also much shorter than possible decomposition reaction kinetics . if the measurement is performed locally by the spm probe at a boundary - like feature , the esm response is increased after the voltage pulse and decays with a relaxation time on the order of about 100 ms . the relaxation is directly related to the redistribution of the li ions by diffusion transport , since the measurements are performed in the zero - field state , following the initial voltage pulse . assuming the diffusion coefficient for a li - ion is about 10 − 14 to 10 − 12 m 2 / s , the length scale over which li - ions diffuse during 100 ms can be about 30 - 300 nm , which is consistent with the signal generation volume for spm . to study the bias - dependent li - ion flow at each spatial location , in this voltage spectroscopy method , a slowly varying (˜ 1 - 10 hz ) dc bias v dc was applied between the cathode and anode in form of voltage pulses of 2 ms lengths and up to ± 15 v amplitude . the saw tooth voltage pulse is shown in fig6 . after each bias pulse the li - ion distribution was probed by applying 1 v ac to the battery during the bias - off state . in this manner , the li - ion flow on the time scale of the waveform ( about 0 . 1 - 1 s ) is probed through the changes of the esm response . similar to the pulse experiments , the time scale of the dc sweep is chosen such that corresponding li - ion diffusion length is comparable to the effective tip size , hence providing an optimal compromise between spatial resolution and signal strength . this time scale is also compatible with spectroscopy mapping , where the data is acquired over a grid of points over the sample surface . the advantage of using positive and negative voltages ( with zero time - average ) is that the li redistribution due to voltage pulses is ( at least partially ) reversible and the overall li profile within the material remains almost constant . the measured esm response during the bias sweep show hysteretic behavior , and the mechanisms for hysteresis loop formation can be qualitatively understood from the relaxation curve in fig5 . if the application of the bias pulse of given amplitude does not result in li - ion redistribution , or the induced relaxation is much faster than the time interval of the measurements in the bias - off state , the esm signal remains constant ( horizontal line ). another explanation is the total lack of li ions in the probed volume . if the relaxation time is larger than the time between the voltage pulse and the measurement , the hysteresis loop opens up . the area under the loop is directly proportional to the changes in li - ion concentration induced during the voltage cycle , and hence can be used to investigate the li - ion motion in amorphous si under the influence of an electric field . to map spatially resolved li - ion flows , esm loops with v dc =± 15 v and 7 hz frequency were measured on a 100 × 100 grid over a 1 μm by 1 μm area of sample 16 . the loop opening at 0 v dc associated with hysteresis of the strain response , was chosen as a convenient measure of the li - ion flows into or out of the region under the probe during the voltage sweep . the higher the loop opening , the larger amount of li - ions re distributed by the electric field , indicative of either higher li - ion concentration or a higher ionic mobility . fig7 a clearly shows the highest hysteretic response at the sharp boundary feature . in addition , strongly enhanced li - ion flow on the smoother boundary and a number of “ hot spots ” not associated with visible topographic defects are clearly seen . the observed behavior is highly reproducible and the high resolution maps acquired in the areas marked b and c in fig7 a of the scan are shown in fig7 b and 7c , respectively . the maps of fig7 a - 7b illustrate a 300 nm scan size with 6 nm grid size and show that the observed contrast ( hot spots within columnar grains ) are measured reproducibly and that the loop opening is not homogeneous along the boundaries , providing information on li - ion conduction channels on the nanometer scale . fig8 shows extracted displacement loops from the three different areas indicated by the circles in fig7 c . circle “ a ” indicates the boundary , circle “ b ” indicates a hot spot area within the grain , and circle “ c ” indicates a low - response region . the very sharp boundary features of the order of 20 nm lateral size suggests that the signal generating strain is very close to the surface . if the strain would be generated at the lipon / si interface , the measured strain on top of the si layer would appear diffuse , on the length scales of the film thickness ( except for the case of film formed by mechanically isolated columns , which is clearly not the case here ). a number of possible explanations exist for the origins of the observed sharp contrast at the topography minima . for example , a higher amount of li - ions in the sharp boundary regions can be explained by topographic field enhancement induced by the roughness of si - lipon interface . amorphous si films can exhibit a network of low density regions forming channels through the film . these low - density channels may offer a preferred or hindered li conduction path . the esm data identifies the high - contrast regions as those at which li - diffusion times are comparable with the experimental time , while zero contrast in grains can be attributed both to much higher and much lower diffusion times , or the lack of li - ions . alternatively , the mismatch in the electric conductivity between low - and high - density material can lead to the electric field enhancement at the topography minima , stimulating the one - dimensional electromigrative transport through the si . finally , the stray reactions at the tip - surface junction cannot be completely excluded ( however , this model does not offer any explanation for the formation of hot - spots not associated with any topographic features ). further insight into the origins of esm contrast and nanoscale mechanisms of battery functionality can be obtained from the esm hysteresis evolution during long - term spectroscopic imaging . here , repeated measurements ( cycling at 7 hz with ± 15 v dc ) over prolonged intervals have shown that the observed esm hysteresis slowly evolve with time . the systematic study of the influence of cycling on the local displacement loops was performed on a pristine battery sample . voltage spectroscopy maps were taken after different numbers of sinusoidal cycles ( 7 hz , 15 v amplitude ) up to 6 × 10 5 cycles . fig9 a - 9d show the evolution of the loop opening in the same area for repeated sinusoidal cycles of 1 × 10 4 , 3 × 10 4 , 1 × 10 5 , and 6 × 10 5 cycles , respectively . the hot spots visible in fig9 a continuously disappear , while , as shown in fig9 b - c , the li - ion flow at boundary - like features strongly increases . this shows that the li - ions saturate the low density channels first , followed by sideways diffusion , resulting in broader features in the map shown in fig9 d . fig1 shows the evolution of the hysteretic esm loops for the boundary regions with increasing cycle number . note that the sequence of images in fig9 a - 9d provides a direct nanoscale view in the li ion flow in the si anode on a nanoscale surface volume , and the li ion evolution with the charge state as further described below . to establish the origin of the observed changes in the esm signal of the battery test structure during high - frequency cycling , charge curves were measured for sample 16 in a pristine condition and for sample 16 in a strongly cycled condition using a constant current of 0 . 2 and 0 . 1 μa , respectively . fresh sample and cycled sample charge curves are shown in fig1 . for both of these batteries , the si was coated with a thin cr current collector prior to electrochemical characterization . before charging , the open circuit voltages of the pristine and cycled sample were both near zero as would be expected for an uncharged pristine si — licoo 2 battery . the fresh sample was charged up to 4 v and the capacity of the battery can be extracted to 1 . 62 μah , which is somewhat above the theoretical calculated capacity of 1 . 16 μah , estimated for extraction of half of the lithium , to li 0 . 5 coo 2 . the cycled sample , ( also shown in fig9 d ), was charged up to 4 . 2 v , but showed a strongly reduced capacity of only 0 . 44 μah compared to the theoretical one of 1 . 07 mah . these results suggest that high - frequency , high - voltage cycling partially charges the battery . further battery cycling following the results of fig1 is almost irreversible : only a fraction of the capacity is detected on the subsequent discharge curve . this irreversible capacity loss is well - known problem for si - anode materials , and could be related to the local li - ion transport through the si grain boundary - like feature . while various embodiments of the invention have been described , it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the invention . for example , those skilled in the art will recognize that nanoindentation is another method that can be used measurement of volumetric changes in a material . in this technique , an indenter having a pyramid geometry is employed and the area of the indent is determined using the known geometry of the indentation tip . various parameters , such as load and depth of penetration are measured and a load - displacement curve is used to determine the mechanical properties of the material . accordingly , the invention is not restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 a high pressure mercury arc lamp is indicated by reference character 11 . as is understood , lamp 11 emits light at a variety of wavelengths and must be cooled by a continuous flow of air . the lamp is positioned so that the arc is located essentially at one focus of an elliptical reflector 13 which collects the light given off by the lamp . light collected by the elliptical reflector 13 is directed , by way of a cold mirror 15 , through a window 16 which constitutes the entrance of a succession of filters , designated collectively by reference character 17 . the cold mirror 15 transmits wavelengths above 500 nanometers to a heat sink 24 while reflecting only shorter wavelengths into the optical projector system . heat sink 24 is provided with a cooling flow of air as described in greater detail hereinafter . the reflector 13 is focused at a first lens cell 19 . mounted on lens cell 19 are filters which block g - line and deep ultraviolet ( duv ) radiation . the light then passes through a narrow band filter 20 which isolates the i - line . this selected light is collected by a lens group 21 and is reflected off a mirror 23 . the light reflected by mirror 23 is directed by a further lens group 26 through a shutter assembly 29 into a kaleidoscope assembly 30 . the shutter assembly 29 is operated in coordination with the step - and - repeat mechanism for determining exposure at each position on the wafer . the kaleidoscope assembly 30 effects a spatial averaging of the light intensity . the light path is turned by additional mirrors 31 and 32 to reach a condenser lens 33 . condenser lens 33 directs the light through a reticle 34 which contains the pattern to be projected . an image of the reticle is projected onto a resist coated wafer 41 by a high resolution reduction lens 43 . the wafer 41 is carried on an x - y stage 45 so that different regions or sites on the wafer can be brought into the field of the projection lens 43 for successive exposures . the lamp 11 , elliptical reflector 13 , mirror 15 and window 16 are enclosed in a housing 51 . as indicated previously , lamp 11 requires a continuous flow of cooling air . this cooling air is drawn through housing 51 by a blower 53 which is connected to an air outlet 55 in the housing as illustrated in fig2 . air is admitted to the housing through an inlet 57 . the air drawn by the blower 53 is directed , through suitable ducting 54 , to the house exhaust which is typically provided at semiconductor fab facilities . the house exhaust system is also employed to draw cooling air past the heat sink 24 which is associated with the cold mirror 15 . preferably , air from outside the fab line clean room is ducted in to the heat sink to avoid draining the highly filtered fab line air . although the environmental air in a semiconductor fab line is heavily filtered , this filtering is directed at extracting particulate matter which could produce flaws in the image projected on the wafer or , if deposited on the reticle , could be reproduced on the wafer . this conventional filtering does not to any substantial extent remove volatile or gaseous compounds and many such compounds are present in a semiconductor fab line environment . in accordance with one aspect of the present invention , it has been discovered that hexamethyldisilazine ( hmds ) is commonly used to improve the adhesion of resists employed in semiconductor integrated circuit manufacture and that the photopolymerization products of hmds included silicon dioxide which is highly absorbtive at wavelength of 365 nanometers though it is highly transmissive at wavelengths which are only slightly longer and is almost transparent for visible light so that the presence of coatings of this material was not previously noticeable . in accordance with one aspect of the present invention , it has been found that most volatile photopolymerizable compounds and particularly hmds can be removed from an air stream by passing the air stream through a bed of activated carbon , e . g . activated charcoal . in the apparatus of fig1 and 2 , a composite filter 61 including an activated carbon bed is attached to the cooling air inlet 57 to the illuminator housing 51 . the construction of the composite filter 61 is illustrated in greater detail in fig3 . air enters through an opening 63 in a housing assembly 65 . a frame 67 creates an entrance plenum space and various filtering elements are assembled into the enclosure after the frame . a bed of activated carbon is provided as indicated by reference character 73 and this is followed by a hepa or so - called absolute filter 75 which blocks any particles shed by the activated carbon bed . in the commercially available filter illustrated , a retainer screen 67 and a coarse dust extracting media 69 are incorporated but do not provide a significant function in the system of the present invention . the filter assembly is completed by a cover 77 which provides an exit plenum space and an outlet connector 79 . the particular composite filter assembly shown in fig3 is available from the barneby & amp ; sutcliffe company of columbus , ohio as its model qdf . in view of the foregoing it may be seen that several objects of the present invention are achieved and other advantageous results have been attained . as various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention , it should be understood that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . | 6 |
fig1 depicts a network environment in which the invention may be employed . as seen in fig1 , network 10 may include servers 11 and 12 , client workstation 13 , and peripheral devices 14 , 15 , 16 and 17 connected to network 18 . network connection 18 may be a local area network ( lan ), a wide area network ( wan ), or any other type of network . of course , the invention is not limited to the network shown in fig1 and many other devices may be included within the network environment . for instance , network 10 may include routers , additional computer workstations , additional servers , and additional peripheral devices . therefore , since virtually an unlimited number of devices could be included within network 10 , fig1 merely depicts a few of the devices that may be included for the sake of brevity . client workstation 13 is preferably a computer workstation and may be , for example , an ibm - compatible personal computer , a macintosh personal computer , a unix workstation , a sun microsystems workstation , or any other type of workstation . client workstation 13 preferably includes an ldap client application program that allows users to access a directory server application program in servers 11 and / or 12 , and to make changes in the directory server application ( hereinafter referred to as a “ directory server ”). some examples of directory server application programs are microsoft active directory server , netscape directory server and novell directory server . of course , these are merely examples of some directory server application programs that may be utilized in practicing the invention and the invention is not limited to these particular applications , but may be implemented with any directory server application . client workstation 13 is also preferably capable of communication utilizing a tcp / ip protocol . as will be described below , tcp / ip is utilized for receiving multicast messages that are multicast by a plug - in in the directory server . the ldap client application program in client workstation 13 communicates with the directory server application running in servers 11 and 12 via network 18 . communication between client workstation 13 and the directory server in servers 11 and 12 will be described in more detail below with regard to fig3 . additionally , the ldap client application program receives and processes multicast messages that are multicast by a multicast plug - in of the directory server in servers 11 and 12 . it should be noted that the ldap client application in client workstation 13 may be configured to either allow a user to make changes in the directory server , but not to receive multicast messages from the multicast plug - in , to only receive multicast messages from the multicast plug - in , but not to allow a user to make changes in the directory server , or to allow user to make changes in the directory server and to also receive multicast messages . additionally , it is not necessary that the ldap client application in client workstation 13 correspond to the directory server application in servers 11 and 12 in order for the ldap client application to be able to make changes in the directory server . that is , if the directory server application in servers 11 and 12 is netscape directory server , the ldap client application in client workstation 13 does not have to be a netscape directory server ldap client in order for a user to make changes in the directory server . since the communication between the ldap client and the directory server is being performed with the ldap protocol , any ldap client application could be utilized in client workstation 13 to make changes in the netscape directory server in servers 11 and 12 . an ldap client application in client workstation 13 is not the only way to make changes in the directory server application in servers 11 and 12 . changes could also be made in the directory server in servers 11 and 12 via a native application in servers 11 and 12 themselves . additionally , changes could be made by an embedded ldap client within a device on the network , or via a directory proxy . accordingly , the invention does not require that changes be made in the directory server by an ldap client application in client workstation 13 and it is an object of the invention to manage communication between various different types of devices on the network and the directory server for changes made in the directory server . peripheral devices 14 , 15 , 16 and 17 may be any type of peripheral device that may be included within network 10 . that is , they may be printers , copiers , facsimiles , routers , etc ., and although fig1 depicts them as being printers and copiers , they are not limited to such . however , for the sake of brevity , peripheral devices 14 , 15 and 16 will be described as printers and peripheral device 17 will be described as a network copier . it can readily be recognized that various types of printers and copiers may be included within network 10 . for instance , network 10 may include some printers that include newer network communication technology and some that include older network communication technology . that is , some of the printers may include the latest technology that provides the ability to communicate with the directory server directly . this type of printer may include an embedded ldap client . on the other hand , some of the printers on the network may be older printers , such as a legacy printer , that communicate via snmp and do not have the ability to communicate with the directory server directly . as such , this type of printer may require an intermediary device to be able to communicate with the directory server utilizing the ldap protocol . moreover , some of the printers on the network may be hybrid devices that include both an embedded ldap client that can communicate directly with the directory server utilizing the ldap protocol , and also include an snmp client that requires an intermediary for communicating with the directory server . for the sake of brevity , in network 10 , printer 14 is assumed to be a printer that includes an embedded ldap client that communicates directly with the directory server , printer 16 and copier 17 are assumed to be a legacy printer and a legacy copier , respectively , and therefore communicate utilizing snmp , and printer 15 is assumed to be a hybrid printer that includes an embedded ldap client and also communicates utilizing snmp . fig2 depicts an architecture of the communication protocols between each of devices 13 to 17 and the directory server in , for example , server 11 . as seen in fig2 , directory server 25 communicates with ldap client 27 , embedded ldap client device 28 , directory proxy 29 , and hybrid device 31 utilizing the ldap protocol . ldap client 27 may be , for example , an ldap client application as described above running in client workstation 13 . thus , ldap client 27 communicates directly with directory server 25 for making changes in the directory server . embedded ldap client 28 and hybrid device 31 may be printers , such as printers 14 and 15 respectively , that each include an embedded ldap client . one difference between embedded ldap client 28 and hybrid device 31 may be that hybrid device 31 also includes the capability of performing communication via snmp while embedded ldap client 28 communicates via ldap alone . directory proxy 29 communicates with directory server 25 via ldap for making changes in directory server 25 and acts as an intermediary , or translator between snmp device 30 and hybrid device 31 with directory server 25 . directory proxy 29 will be discussed in more detail below . directory server 25 also includes plug - ins 26 and 40 to 43 . plug - in 26 is a notification plug - in and will be described in more detail below , but briefly , notification plug - in 26 is called by directory server 25 whenever a change is made in directory server 25 . when the notification plug - in is called , it manages notification processes for notifying the appropriate devices on the network of the change . for instance , notification plug - in 26 may send out a unicast message to ldap enabled devices on the network , or it may call one of the multicast plug - ins ( 40 to 43 ) for sending a multicast message . when multicast plug - ins 40 to 43 are called by notification plug - in 26 , they generate an information packet about the change made in directory server 25 and multicast the packet to a multicast ip address . multicasting and unicasting will be described in more detail below . fig3 depicts a more detailed view of the internal architecture of server 11 . server 12 may be similar to server 11 and for brevity , only server 11 will be discussed . server 11 may be a server such as a compaq prosignia server or any other type of server . however , server 11 does not have to be a server per se , but may be any computer that is capable of running a directory server application program . as shown in fig3 , server 11 is connected to network 18 by connection 19 which is interfaced to network interface 35 . network interface 35 is preferably a network card which controls transmission and reception of information by server 11 over the network . interfaced with network interface 35 is tcp / ip layer 36 . tcp / ip is the preferred protocol for performing unicasting and multicasting , but any other protocol could be used instead . for a better understanding of unicasting and multicasting using tcp / ip , consider the following . there are generally three different categories of ip addresses : communication , broadcast and multicast . for the present discussion , only communication and multicast are pertinent and therefore , a discussion of broadcast will be omitted . for communication , a range of ip addresses are assigned that are utilized to specifically identify each device on the network . for example , each device attached to the network shown in fig1 would be assigned a different ip address that identifies that device on the network . each device may be manually assigned an ip address that it maintains , or an ip address may be automatically assigned by an application program each time the device is connected to the network . therefore , in performing unicasting , the ip address of each device that is to receive an information packet from the directory server plug - in 26 is setup in the plug - in configuration . as such , when the notification plug - in generates an information packet after a change has been made in the directory server , it transmits the packet to each device on the network that has been setup in the notification plug - in configuration . in multicasting , a range of ip addresses are assigned in which messages transmitted to one of the ip addresses are received only by members who have registered with the ip address . unlike the communication ip addresses , the ip addresses in the multicast range are not assigned to a specific device . rather , they are virtual addresses that represent a multicast group that receives messages sent to it and which then distribute the received messages to members who have registered with the group . thus , information packets are multicast by the directory server multicast plug - ins to a designated multicast group whereby they are distributed to registered members of the group . returning to fig3 , interfaced to tcp / ip layer 36 is ldap protocol layer 37 . ldap protocol layer 37 provides for communication between an ldap client and the directory server , such as directory server 25 in server 11 . the ldap protocol layer is utilized to communicate with directory server 25 regardless of whether the ldap client performing a change in the directory server is an ldap client in client workstation 13 , an embedded ldap client in embedded ldap client 28 or hybrid device 31 , or an ldap client in directory proxy 29 . thus , utilizing the ldap protocol , an ldap client can make changes in a directory server . fig4 depicts an example of an architecture of a messaging system and flow of multicast messages from server 11 to clients that have registered as members of at least one multicast group . fig4 only depicts an architecture for performing multicasting and unicasting will be described in more detail below . the messaging system of fig4 preferably uses a plug - in feature of the directory server application program . that is , when a change is made in the directory server , and the notification plug - in determines that a multicast message is to be sent out , the directory server calls the multicast plug - in which generates an information packet and multicasts it to a multicast group . however , a plug - in is not required and any other implementation which generates multicast information packets and multicasts them to a corresponding multicast group could be employed . in the present discussion , plug - ins that are supported as part of netscape directory server will be described , although plug - ins particular to other applications may be implemented similarly . as seen in fig4 , four types of multicast plug - ins may be implemented in netscape directory server 25 : add plug - in 40 , delete plug - in 41 , modify plug - in 42 , and search plug - in 43 . one type of plug - in supported by netscape directory server are post - operation plug - ins . as such , each of the foregoing multicast plug - ins for directory server 25 are preferably implemented as a post - operation plug - in . a post - operation plug - in is one in which , after an operation has been performed ( i . e . post - operation ), the appropriate plug - in is called . accordingly , when a change is made in the directory server , the directory server calls the appropriate multicast plug - in corresponding to the type of change made . that is , if a new object was added in the directory server , then the directory server would call an add plug - in . when the add plug - in is called , it generates an information packet about the add change and multicasts it to a multicast group corresponding to the type of change , whereby registered members of the multicast group receive the information packet . to send the information packet by multicasting , multicast addresses corresponding to each of the plug - ins are established . as such , each multicast plug - in has a corresponding multicast address that it sends the information packet to . for example , as seen in fig4 , add plug - in 40 sends information packets to multicast group 45 that is designated to receive the add information multicast packets . likewise , delete plug - in 41 has corresponding multicast group 46 , modify plug - in 42 has corresponding multicast group 47 and search plug - in 43 has corresponding multicast group 47 . an example of multicast ip addresses for each of the foregoing multicast groups may be as follows : when changes are made in the directory server by the ldap client , the notification plug - in calls the appropriate multicast plug - in , if required , whereby the multicast plug - in generates an information packet and multicasts the packet over the network to its corresponding multicast ip address . in order to receive the multicast messages , members register with each multicast group corresponding to the type of change information packet that they wish to receive . for example , as seen in fig4 , client 50 registers as a member of multicast groups 45 and 46 . therefore , it receives multicast messages corresponding to add and delete operations performed in directory server 25 . client 51 registers with multicast groups 45 , 46 , 47 and 48 and therefore receives multicast messages about add , delete , modify and search operations performed in directory server 25 . client 52 registers as a member of multicast groups 47 and 48 and therefore only receives multicast messages relating to modify and search operations performed in directory server 25 . in the present discussion , directory proxy 29 may register as a member of each of the foregoing multicast groups . thus , as described above , an ldap client interfaces with the directory server to make changes in the directory server , the directory server calls a notification plug - in that , when required , calls a multicast plug - in corresponding to the type of change made , the multicast plug - in generates a post - operation information packet and multicasts it over the network to a multicast group corresponding to the type of change , and clients who have registered with the multicast group receive the multicast message . for unicasting , notification plug - in 26 would be configured to send a change information packet for a change operation performed on a specific ldap enabled device on the network at an appropriate time . for example , notification plug - in 26 may be configured so that when a change is initiated by the directory server for a directory entry of an ldap enabled device , it generates an information packet and unicasts it to the device . notification plug - in 26 only sends a unicast message to the particular device that was changed in the directory server and not to other devices on the network . for instance , if the configuration of printer 14 were changed in directory server 25 , notification plug - in 26 would unicast a message only to printer 14 and not to printer 15 ( which is a hybrid printer that is also ldap enabled ). however , as will be described below , one caveat with unicasting is that , before the notification plug - in sends the unicast message , it first determines what ldap client performed the change operation . that is , if the ldap client in printer 14 initiated the change , then the plug - in would not send a unicast message to printer 14 informing it of the change since it was the ldap client in printer 14 that initiated the change . however , if the change was initiated by the ldap client in client workstation 13 , then the notification plug - in would send a unicast message to printer 14 to inform it of the change since the change was not initiated by the ldap client in printer 14 . fig5 depicts a more detailed configuration of the internal architecture of directory proxy 29 and its communication with various devices on the network . as shown in fig5 , directory proxy 29 includes ldap client 60 , snmp device discovery module 61 , snmp device monitoring / polling module 62 , snmp client 63 and ldap / snmp translator 64 . ldap client 60 communicates with directory server 25 utilizing the ldap protocol for performing changes in directory server 25 and for receiving ldap commands from directory server 25 that are to be translated and sent to snmp enabled devices on the network . ldap client 60 also receives multicast messages from various multicast groups , such as multicast groups 45 to 48 described above with regard to fig4 . additionally , ldap client 60 receives ldap commands from , and sends ldap commands to ldap / snmp translator 64 . snmp client 63 communicates with all snmp enabled devices on the network , including legacy ( snmp ) printer 16 and hybrid ( snmp / ldap ) printer 15 . snmp client 63 sends snmp commands to , and receives snmp commands from all snmp enabled devices on the network . additionally , snmp client 63 communicates with snmp discovery module 61 and snmp device monitoring / polling module 62 to transmit messages between modules 61 and 62 and all snmp enabled devices on the network . further , snmp client 63 communicates with ldap / snmp translator 64 to send snmp commands to , and to receive snmp commands from the translator . ldap / snmp translator formats snmp commands received from snmp client 63 into ldap format and sends the ldap commands to ldap client 60 . additionally , ldap / snmp translator 64 receives ldap commands from ldap client 60 , formats them into snmp commands , and sends them to snmp client 63 . snmp device discovery module 61 performs query operations through snmp client 63 to obtain information about all snmp devices on the network . additionally , snmp device discovery module 61 receives responses to the queries from all snmp devices on the network and sends snmp commands to snmp client 63 based on the responses . snmp device monitoring / polling module 62 also performs query operations through snmp client 63 to obtain information about all snmp devices on the network . one difference between modules 61 and 62 is that module 61 generally performs queries on startup of the directory proxy , whereas , module 62 generally performs periodic queries after startup to obtain update information from all of the snmp enabled devices . the operations of modules 61 and 62 will be discussed in more detail below . generally , there are three different types of devices that are connected to network 18 , a device with an embedded ldap client , an snmp device that does not have an embedded ldap client , and a hybrid device that is both an snmp device and also has an embedded ldap client . each of the devices on the network , their configuration information is maintained in a directory entry in directory server 25 . that is , directory server 25 includes a directory of all snmp enabled devices , all embedded ldap client devices and all hybrid devices . the directory entry is generally formatted according to a standardized schema and may include a schema extension . the standardized schema includes a source flag that indicates the source of changes made in the directory entry for the device . the source flag is set by notification plug - in 26 and may be set to 0 if the change is initiated by the directory server , i . e . by a native application or by an ldap client in workstation 13 , or may be set to 1 if the change is initiated by the device . each of these three types of devices , and how changes to the configuration of each of them may be made in the directory server will now be discussed with reference to fig6 . fig6 depicts three possible scenarios of how changes may be initiated for each of the three device types . in one scenario , changes are initiated for a device with an embedded ldap client . the changes for embedded ldap client devices may be initiated by the embedded ldap client in the device itself , or by the directory server , i . e . by an ldap client in workstation 13 or by a native - application in server 11 . in a second scenario , changes are initiated for an snmp device . the changes may be initiated by the snmp device itself or by the directory server . in a third scenario , changes are initiated for a hybrid device . again , the changes may be initiated by the device itself , in this case by either the snmp client in the device or by the embedded ldap client in the device , or the changes may be initiated by the directory server . each of these three scenarios will now be discussed in more detail . it should be noted that the following discussion generally describes changes being made to the configuration of devices for which an entry in directory server 25 already exists . however , it can readily be understood that other changes , such as deletion of devices from the network and addition of new devices to the network , would operate in a similar manner . therefore , for the sake of brevity , only operations involving changes to the configuration of devices already existing on the network will be discussed . as stated above , changes in the configuration of each of the devices on the network could be initiated either by the device itself or by the directory server . in the following discussion , both of these will be discussed by presenting two examples , one with a network administrator changing the ip address of the device at the device itself , and the another with the network administrator changing the ip address of the device in the directory server . the first type of device that will be discussed is a device with an embedded ldap client , such as printer 14 . printer 14 includes an embedded ldap client and does not include an snmp client . as such , it is a pure ldap enabled device and is not a hybrid device . as previously discussed with regard to fig2 , the embedded ldap client communicates directly with the directory server via the ldap protocol . therefore , changes in the configuration of the device are communicated between the device and the directory server directly via ldap , without the need for a translator . fig6 depicts a flowchart of process steps of how changes in each of the three types of devices are managed , including how changes in a device with an embedded ldap client are managed . in the first example of the embedded ldap client scenario , the administrator changes the ip address utilizing the embedded ldap client in printer 14 itself . in the first example , in step s 601 the administrator performs a process utilizing the embedded ldap client in printer 14 to change the ip address in printer 14 . when the change has been committed to printer 14 by the embedded ldap client , the embedded ldap client initiates communication with directory server 25 via the ldap protocol . once communication has been established , the embedded ldap client self publishes the change to the directory server utilizing an ldap_modify command . the embedded ldap client also sets the source flag to 1 . when the change has been committed to directory server 25 , notification plug - in 26 is called ( step s 602 ). once the change has been committed to the directory server , in step s 603 , the directory server notification plug - in 26 looks at the source flag to determine what notification process is to be performed . if the flag is set to 1 , then notification plug - in 26 knows that the change was initiated by the device and that it does not need to notify the device of the change . therefore , in the present example flow proceeds to step s 604 whereby notification plug - in 26 resets the source flag to 0 and the notification process ends . in the second example of the embedded ldap client scenario , the administrator changes the ip address of printer 14 in directory server 25 utilizing an ldap client at client workstation 13 . to make the change , the administrator activates the ldap client application at workstation 13 . the ldap client application is configured to access directory server 25 and more particularly , to access the objectclass that contains printer 14 . once the ldap client has been configured , the ldap client establishes communication with directory server 25 via the ldap protocol . once communication has been established , the ldap client application presents the administrator with a display of the directory structure for the objectclass that contains printer 14 on a display of client workstation 13 . utilizing the ldap client at workstation 13 , the administrator changes the ip address of printer 14 in directory server 25 ( step s 601 ). the ldap client application also sets the source flag to 0 . when the change has been made , the directory server calls notification plug - in 26 ( step s 602 ). in step s 603 , notification plug - in 26 determines if the source flag is set to 0 . in the present example , the source flag is set to 0 and therefore flow proceeds to step s 605 . in step s 605 , notification plug - in 26 looks at the directory entry for printer 14 to determine if the device is ldap enabled . this determination is performed in order for the notification plug - in to determine whether it is to send a unicast message to the ldap enabled device , or if it is to call one of the multicast plug - ins for sending a multicast message to be received by the directory proxy . if the notification plug - in determines that the device is ldap enabled , and in the present example printer 14 is ldap enabled since it has an embedded ldap client , then flow proceeds to step s 606 . in step s 606 , notification plug - in 26 generates a unicast message to inform the embedded ldap client of printer 14 that a change has been made in the directory entry of directory server 25 for printer 14 . the unicast message sent by notification plug - in 26 is merely a notification to the embedded ldap client that a change has occurred and does not contain any specific information about the change itself . upon receiving the unicast message , the embedded ldap client of printer 14 establishes communication with directory server 25 and reads the directory entry to obtain the change information ( step s 607 ). having obtained the change information , the embedded ldap client then updates the configuration of the device ( step s 608 ) and the process is complete . as a result of the foregoing second example , the ip address of printer 14 was changed in the directory server by an ldap client in workstation 13 , a notification plug - in in the directory server notified the embedded ldap client in printer 14 that a change has occurred in the directory server , and the embedded ldap client read the change information in the directory server and updated the configuration of printer 14 . in the second scenario , a pure snmp device will be discussed . fig6 also depicts process steps for how changes in snmp devices are managed . before describing examples of changes for snmp devices , however , a more detailed description will be made of how the directory proxy obtains information about snmp devices on the network , including obtaining information on startup ( snmp device discovery module 61 and it associated flowchart of fig7 ) and obtaining updates to all snmp devices on the network ( snmp monitoring / polling module 62 and its associated flowchart of fig8 ). in fig7 , snmp device discovery module 61 generally obtains network information about all snmp enabled devices on the network and then the information is processed through the directory proxy to the directory server . discovery module 61 obtains the network information from the devices either on startup of the directory proxy or during periodic polling operations for new devices . when the directory proxy is started , discovery module 61 detects all snmp devices on the network . to detect snmp devices on the network , discovery module 61 sends out a query ( snmp_query ) for network identification information about all snmp devices on the network ( step s 701 ). all snmp enabled devices on the network submit a reply to the query to discovery module 61 ( step s 702 ). the reply from the snmp enabled devices includes network identification information such as the device &# 39 ; s ip address , device type , model , mac address , device name , and mib board type . when discovery module 61 receives the reply from each device , it utilizes the network identification information of each device and sends out snmp_get commands to each of the devices that replied to the query ( step s 703 ). the snmp_get commands are sent to the snmp devices to obtain information from the snmp device &# 39 ; s mib , such as the network settings of the device , the status of the device and features of the device . each snmp device that receives the request reply with the requested information to discovery module 61 ( step s 704 ). upon receiving the requested information , discovery module 61 then communicates with snmp client 63 and sends the snmp device &# 39 ; s information to snmp client 63 ( step s 705 ). snmp client 63 then sends the snmp device &# 39 ; s information to ldap / snmp translator 64 ( step s 706 ). translator 64 formats the device &# 39 ; s information into ldap format , communicates with ldap client 60 and sends the ldap formatted snmp device &# 39 ; s information to ldap client 60 ( step s 707 ). ldap client 60 then establishes communication with directory server 25 to self publish the snmp device &# 39 ; s information to the directory server ( step s 708 ). ldap client 60 first utilizes an ldap_add command to attempt to add the snmp device &# 39 ; s information in directory server 25 . if an entry for the snmp device is already present in directory server 25 , then an error message is returned by the directory server to ldap client 60 . ldap client 60 then utilizes an ldap_modify command to replace the directory entry information in the directory entry of directory server 25 for the existing device . thus , changes can be initiated by the directory proxy on startup if a new device is detected on the network , or if the configuration of an existing device is changed prior to the directory proxy being started . this process of performing changes by the directory proxy on startup results in the same device management operations as if a change is initiated in the device . therefore , the discussion below regarding changes initiated in the device and the monitoring / polling module applies equally to changes that are initiated by the directory proxy &# 39 ; s discovery module . fig8 depicts process steps performed by snmp device monitoring / polling module 62 . snmp device monitoring / polling module 62 may operate in one of two modes , monitoring or polling . in a polling mode , module 62 generally performs periodic queries on the network to determine if any of the snmp devices have been updated . in this mode , after startup of directory proxy 29 and after discovery module 61 has completed its processing , monitoring / polling module 62 may perform periodic polling operations by sending out a change query message for updated information . for instance , module 62 may be configured to perform a polling operation every one second to query for selected mib data updates from all of the snmp devices detected on the network ( step s 801 ). if no updates have been performed , then none of the devices respond and the process ends after a set time - out period . if the configuration of any of the devices has been changed , then upon receiving the query , only those devices on the network which have been updated reply to the query with a change information reply indicating to monitoring / polling module 62 that a change has been made ( step s 802 ). upon receiving the change information reply message , module 62 then sends a request for the updated information to each device that replied ( step s 803 ). when the snmp device receives the request , it sends the updated information to module 62 ( step s 804 ). then , like module 61 , module 62 sends the information to snmp client 63 ( step s 805 ), snmp client 63 sends the information to ldap / snmp translator 64 ( step s 806 ) which formats the snmp information into ldap and sends the ldap formatted information to ldap client 60 ( step s 807 ), with ldap client 60 establishing communication with directory server 25 and self publishing the change in the directory server ( step s 808 ). rather than polling the network for updates , monitoring / polling module 62 could also monitor the network to listen for update messages from all snmp devices on the network regarding updates . in this regard , each snmp device on the network could send out a message on the network when a change has been made in the device . module 62 listens for the update messages and upon receiving a message , performs a request for the device that sent out the message to reply with the updated information . in this manner , steps s 803 to s 808 would be performed in the same manner as described above , with steps s 801 and s 802 merely being changed to listen for messages rather than polling the network for updates . returning now to the description of fig6 , changes in snmp devices and directory proxy 29 will now be discussed . as described above with regard to fig7 , upon startup of directory proxy 29 , discovery module 61 obtains information about all devices on the network and the information is processed through directory proxy 29 to ldap client 60 . ldap client 60 attempts to perform an ldap_add operation in directory server 25 , but receives an error message if an entry for the snmp device is already present in the directory server . ldap client 60 then performs an ldap_modify command to replace the directory entry of the snmp device in the directory server ( step s 601 ). ldap client 60 also sets the source flag to 1 for all snmp devices that have been added or modified . upon making the change in the directory server , notification plug - in 26 is called ( step s 602 ). then , in step s 603 notification plug - in 26 determines that the source flag is set to 1 and flow proceeds to step s 604 where the notification plug - in resets the source flag to 0 and the process ends . next , an example where the ip address of an snmp device , such as printer 16 , has been changed at the device itself will be discussed . it will be assumed that the directory proxy has been started and that monitoring / polling module 62 is currently polling the network for updates . an administrator changes the ip address of printer 16 at the printer . after the change has been committed to printer 16 , a polling operation of module 62 sends out an update query message on the network . since the configuration of printer 16 has been updated , printer 16 replies with an update information reply message . module 62 then sends a request to printer 16 for the updated information and printer 16 sends the updated information to module 62 . module 62 then sends the updated information to snmp client 63 , snmp client 63 sends the information to ldap / snmp translator 64 , and translator 64 formats the information from snmp into ldap and sends the ldap information to ldap client 60 . ldap client 60 establishes communication with directory server 25 , performs the change in directory server 25 and sets the source flag to 1 ( step s 601 ). then , notification plug - in 26 is called ( step s 602 ). in step s 603 , notification plug - in 26 determines that the source flag is set to 1 and therefore flow proceeds to step s 604 where notification plug - in 26 resets the source flag to 0 and the process ends . thus , the configuration of an snmp enabled device is changed at the device itself , the change is detected by the directory proxy by polling the network for updated information , and the change is performed in the directory server by the ldap client of the directory proxy . a description will now be made of a change to the ip address of an snmp enabled device ( printer 16 ) being made in the directory server utilizing an ldap client application in client workstation 13 . the ip address for printer 16 is changed in directory server 25 utilizing the ldap client of workstation 13 in the same manner described above with reference to the ip address being changed for embedded ldap client printer 14 . therefore , the discussion of the change being made in the directory server and the source flag being set to 0 ( step s 601 ) will not be repeated here . once the ip address for printer 16 has been committed in the directory server , notification plug - in 26 is called ( step s 602 ). then , in step s 603 notification plug - in 26 determines that the flag has been set to 0 in step s 601 and therefore it knows that it needs to notify the device of the change and flow proceeds to step s 605 . in step s 605 , notification plug - in 26 determines from the directory entry for printer 16 that printer 16 is an snmp enabled device and that it does not include an embedded ldap client . therefore , flow proceeds to step s 609 where notification plug - in 26 calls one of multicast plug - ins 40 to 43 , depending on the type of change operation made in the directory server . in the present case , modify plug - in 42 is called since a modify operation has been performed in directory server 25 . modify plug - in 42 generates an information packet and multicasts it to multicast group 47 . all registered members of multicast group 47 receive the information packet . in this regard , directory proxy 29 , and possibly other directory proxies on the network , register as members of multicast group 47 and therefore receive the information packet from the multicast plug - in ( step s 610 ). as such , directory proxy 29 may monitor the network for multicast messages about changes made in directory server 25 . the multicast message generally includes information that a change has been made and directory entry identification information of which directory entry was changed . upon receiving the multicast message , ldap client 60 of directory proxy 29 establishes communication with directory server 25 and reads the updated directory entry ( step s 610 ). upon obtaining the updated information , ldap client 60 sends the information to ldap / snmp translator 64 where the updated information is formatted into snmp and then sent to snmp client 63 ( step s 611 ). snmp client 63 communicates the updated information to printer 16 ( step s 611 ) where the new ip address is set in the mib of printer 16 . thus , as described above , changes in the configuration of snmp devices on the network are made in the directory server , the directory server notification plug - in calls a multicast plug - in that sends out a multicast message that is received by the directory proxy , the ldap client of the directory proxy communicates with the directory server , reads the updated information and sends it to the translator in the directory proxy , the translator formats the information from ldap into snmp and sends it to the snmp client in the directory proxy , and the snmp client sends the information to the snmp device where the new information is updated in the device . in the third scenario , i . e . a hybrid snmp enabled and ldap enabled device such as printer 15 , two examples will be discussed : one where changes are initiated in the directory server , and another where changes are initiated at the device itself . as previously discussed with regard to fig2 , a hybrid device communicates directly with the directory server via ldap and also communicates with the directory server via the directory proxy ( snmp ). therefore , the flow of communication in hybrid devices may include parallel processes ( ldap and snmp ) being performed at the same time . for example , during the discovery mode when printer 15 is first connected to the network , during startup of the directory proxy or during periodic polling operations of discovery module 61 for new devices , printer 15 may attempt to communicate with the directory server via two communication protocols , ldap and snmp . in this scenario , both protocols perform parallel processes to attempt to add an entry to the directory server for the new device at the same time . for instance , printer 15 includes an embedded ldap client that , when printer 15 is connected to the network , the embedded ldap client establishes communication with directory server 25 and attempts to add a new directory entry for printer 15 . however , printer 15 also communicates with directory proxy 29 via snmp and therefore , when the new device is connected to the network , discovery module 61 in directory proxy 29 detects the new device and obtains the device &# 39 ; s snmp information as described above with regard to fig7 . then , ldap client 60 of directory proxy 29 establishes communication with directory server 25 and attempts to add a new directory entry for printer 15 . in this scenario where parallel processes are being performed , i . e . both ldap and snmp , the process that establishes communication with the directory server first is the process that performs the add operation and the other process is managed , as will be described below , by the notification plug - in logic . that is , the notification plug - in in the directory server controls the management of hybrid devices . therefore , if the embedded ldap client in printer 15 establishes communication with directory server 25 first , it publishes the new entry for printer 15 in directory server 25 . then , when ldap client 60 establishes communication with directory server 25 and attempts to perform an ldap_add operation , it receives an error message because the embedded ldap client in printer 15 has already added the directory entry . therefore , ldap client 60 performs an ldap_modify operation to change the directory entry . as such , the notification plug - in in directory server 25 sees that the source flag has been set to 1 and does not perform further processing to notify printer 15 of the change by directory proxy 29 . however , if ldap client 60 of directory proxy 29 establishes communication with directory server 25 first , it adds the new directory entry for printer 15 . then , when the embedded ldap client of printer 15 establishes communication with directory server 25 , it performs the change and the notification plug - in sees that the source flag is 1 and therefore it does not perform further processing to change notify the device of the change . changes in the configuration of hybrid printer 15 may also be made to the directory entry in directory server 25 utilizing an ldap client in client workstation 13 or a native application program in server 11 as described above . the process for making changes in the configuration of printer 15 utilizing the ldap client of workstation 13 or a native application is the same as that described above for the embedded ldap client printer and the snmp printer and therefore , this process will not be repeated here . when the change is made in the directory entry of directory server 25 in step s 601 the source flag is set to 0 and notification plug - in 26 is called ( step s 602 ). notification plug - in 26 determines in step s 603 that the source flag is set to 0 , and determines in step s 605 that printer 15 is ldap enabled by referring to the directory entry . since notification plug - in 26 detects that printer 15 is ldap enabled , notification plug - in 26 unicasts a message to the embedded ldap client in printer 15 ( step s 606 ). the remaining process is the same as described above for printer 14 in that the embedded ldap client of printer 14 establishes communication with directory server 25 and reads the changed information ( step s 607 ), and the embedded ldap client performs the change in printer 15 ( step s 608 ). however , because printer 15 is a hybrid device , once the change is made in the configuration of printer 15 by the embedded ldap client , directory proxy 29 detects the change via monitoring / polling module 62 . upon detecting the change , module 62 then operates as described above to obtain the updated information from printer 15 and the updated information is processed through directory proxy 29 to ldap client 60 . ldap client 60 in directory proxy 29 establishes communication with the directory server 25 and may update the directory entry . in this regard , directory proxy 29 may be configured to recognize ldap enabled devices and to not perform further processing for these devices . that is , if directory proxy recognizes that a device is a hybrid device , it may be configured so that when it detects a change in a hybrid device , it allows the ldap client to handle the change and the directory proxy does attempt to perform the change . on the other hand , directory proxy 29 may overwrite the directory entry even if it has already been made by the ldap client . in this case , the source flag is set to 1 by the directory proxy when it makes the change . when notification plug - in 26 sees that the source flag is set to 1 , flow proceeds to step s 604 where notification plug - in 26 resets the source flag to 0 and the notification process ends . updates in the configuration of printer 15 may also be made at printer 15 itself . in this case , the update is performed in the same manner described above for updates in embedded ldap client devices . as described above , the embedded ldap client establishes communication with the directory server and the ldap client self publishes the change in the directory entry . upon committing the change to the directory server , the embedded ldap client set the source flag to 1 . then , notification plug - in 26 is called in step s 602 . in step s 603 , notification plug - in 26 determines that the source flag is set to 1 and flow proceeds to step s 604 where the plug - in resets the flag to 0 and the notification process ends . when the change is made in printer 15 utilizing its embedded ldap client , monitoring / polling module 62 of directory proxy 29 detects the change and obtains the changed information , whereby it is processed through directory proxy 29 to ldap client 60 . again , directory proxy 29 may be configured to ignore changes in ldap enabled devices . however , in a case where directory proxy 29 processes the change , ldap client 60 establishes communication with directory server 25 , publishes the change again and sets the source flag to 1 . notification plug - in 26 is called ( step s 602 ) and detects that the source flag is set to 1 ( step s 603 ). therefore , notification plug - in 26 resets the source flag to 0 and the process ends ( step s 604 ). thus , for hybrid devices , changes made at the device are communicated to the directory server via the embedded ldap client , and in some cases the directory proxy detects the change made by the embedded ldap client and performs the change again . in other cases , the directory proxy detects the change but determines that the device is ldap enabled and therefore allows the ldap client to handle the change . for changes made in the directory server , the change is communicated to the hybrid device via the embedded ldap client and the directory proxy detects the change and either allows the ldap client to handle the change or performs the change again . the invention has been described with particular illustrative embodiments . it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments and that various changes and modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
the process of preparation of a memory thermoplastic composition from polycaprolactone and from polyurethane , according to the invention , is characterised in that the formation of the polyurethane from at least one polyol and from at least one polyisocyanate is carried out within the polycaprolactone . the simple mixing of pcl with previously polymerised pu not being suitable from the point of view of the mechanical properties , it is very important , according to the invention , for the formation of the polyurethane from polyol and from polyisocyanate to be effected or to be continued in the polycaprolactone in the softened state , so that the polymerisation of the pu is effected with interlocking of the network of the weakly thermoplastic or non - thermoplastic pu , in the highly thermoplastic network of the pcl . in brief , it will be possible for this purpose to employ two variations a and b , variation a being the preferred variation : mix the pcl with the means forming the pu , namely the polyols and the polyisocyanates , and then proceed with the polymerisation reaction of the pu ; initiate the polymerisation reaction forming the pu from its constituent compounds , mix the resulting reaction medium with the pcl so that the polymerisation of the pu continues in the pcl . according to an advantageous embodiment of of the present invention , the formation of the pu is carried out by the operational methods given above , from a means i selected from among the group constituted by polyisocyanates and their mixtures , and a means ii selected from the group constituted by polyols and their mixtures , the means i and ii being such that before the polymerisation reaction , the number of free nco groups of means i is substantially equal to the number of free oh groups of means ii . advantageously , the thermoplastic product according to the invention will be prepared by the reaction of means i and ii in the pcl , so that a final composition is obtained comprising : ( a ) - 60 to 100 parts by weight of pcl , and if necessary , the formation of the pu in the pcl will be carried out in the presence of one or several adjuvants , particularly at least one means selected from among the group constituted by inorganic fillers , colouring matters and plasticisers . it will thus be possible to use per 60 to 100 parts by weight of pcl ( c ) - at the most 35 parts by weight of inorganic filler , and / or ( d ) - at the most 5 parts by weight of plasticising agent . the preferred amounts are from 5 to 35 parts by weight for the means c and from 1 to 2 parts by weight for the means d , when , of course , means c and / or d are used . among mineral fillers which are suitable , may be mentioned particularly zno , caco 3 , tio 2 , ta 2 o 5 and talc ; and among plasticisers which are suitable , may be mentioned particularly stearic acid which plays also the role of lubricating agent . 1 . the mixture with stirring of the pcl with the means i and ii , at a temperature comprised between 75 and 130 ° c ., for 1 to 10 minutes , to initiate the formation of the pu in the pcl network , then 2 . the continuation of the formation of the pu in the network of the pcl at a temperature higher than or equal to 60 ° c . ( and preferably comprised between 60 ° c . and 100 ° c . ), for 10 to 30 minutes . the means c and / or c , when they are present , will be incorporated at stage 1 . advantageously , it is recommended at stage 1 . to carry out malaxation in a fluid type kneader , at 50 - 300 r . p . m ., and preferably at 150 r . p . m . the malaxation can be carried out under a nitrogen atmosphere particularly when it is effected at a temperature comprised between 100 and 130 ° c . preferably , it is recommended to carry out the malaxation at 80 ° c ., for 5 minutes , at 150 r . p . m . as indicated above , it is recommended that at the stage 1 , the means i and ii should be such that the number of free nco groups of the means i is substantially equal to the number of free oh groups of the means ii . at stage 2 it is recommended advantageously to pursue the polymerisation of the pu in the pcl at a temperature of the order of about 60 ° c . to about 80 ° c ., for about 20 minutes . in certain cases , it will be observable that the polymerisation of the pu in the network of the pcl is not completed at the end of stage 2 ; said polymerisation will then be left to continue by itself during cooling which takes place generally after stage 2 , or during storage after stripping . in addition , accordingly to the final destination of the product , the stage 2 may be employed in the course of a moulding operation [ moulding at a temperature of 60 to 100 ° c . ( preferably at a temperature of 60 to 80 ° c .) for 10 to 30 minutes ( preferably for 20 minutes ) in the case of use in orthopedics ], may be followed by moulding ( also in the case of use in orthopedics ), or again may be followed by an extrusion operation ( particularly in the case of other uses ). the means i which are suitable are polyisocyanates containing at least 2 free nco groups per molecule . among those may be mentioned particularly ( i ) the di -, tri - and tetra - isocyanates of formula r ( nco ) n , ( where n is a whole number having a value comprised between 2 and 4 , and r is particularly an aliphatic , cycloaliphatic , aryl or aralkyl group comprising from 4 to 15 carbon atoms ) such as 2 , 4 - toluenediiasocyanate , 2 , 6 - toluenediisocyanate , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethanediisocyanate , 1 , 6 - hexamethylenediisocyanate , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanediisocyanate , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dicyclohexylmethanediisocyanate , and isophoronediisocyanate ( i . e . the diisocyanate derived from 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - heptadiene - 4 - one ), ( ii ) prepolymers of the polyurethane type containing free nco groups and obtained by the reaction of an excess polyisocyanate with a polyol , a polyolether and / or a polyolester , and ( iii ) their mixtures . among the means i mentioned above , the most preferred polyisocyanates are 2 , 4 - toluenediisocyanate , 2 , 6 - toluenediisocyanate and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethanediisocyanate , the preferred means being 2 , 4 - toluenediisocyanate and commercial toluenediisocyanate which contains 80 % by weight of 2 , 4 isomer and 20 % by weight of 2 , 6 isomer . the means ii which are suitable are polyols containing at least 2 free oh groups per molecule . among the latter may be mentioned particularly polyetherpolyols having an equivalent molecular weight comprised between about 80 and about 400 , and containing at least 2 free oh groups per molecule . these polyether - polyols are generally obtained by condensation of an alkylene oxide ( abbreviated oa ) such as ethylene oxide and propylene oxide with a diol such as ethyleneglycol , propyleneglycol , diethyleneglycol , hexamethyleneglycol , tetramethyleneglycol and cyclohexyl - 1 , 4 - dimethanol , a triol , a tetraol such as pentaerythritol , a pentol , a hexol such as dulcitol and sorbitol , and their mixtures . this condensation is carried out generally in the proportion of 1 to 20 oa groups per free oh group of polyol . among polyols ii which are suitable may be mentioned particularly polyester - polyols such as the products marketed under the name &# 34 ; isonol &# 34 ; rmj 101 and rmj 104 by the upjohn company , and under the name &# 34 ; scuranol &# 34 ; p 440 , p 460 , p 4004 and p 4001 by the rhone - poulenc company . advantageously it is possible to use commercially available polyether - polyols and in particular products manufactured and marketed by the pechiney - ugine - kuhlmann company under the names ugipol 1004 , 1010 , 1020 , 1061 , 1092 and 1093 which are condensation products of alkylene oxide with one or several diols , ugipol 1130 , 1131 , 1171 , 1180 , 1340 1370 , 1371 and 1372 which are condensation products of alkylene oxide with one or several triols , ugipol 3310 , 3320 , 3400 , 3420 , 3450 , 3460 and 3602 which are condensation products of alkylene oxide with one or several tetraols , pentols and / or hexols . if necessary , the means c and / or d , is useful in several applications . it is particularly suitable as orthopedic setting means , in accordance with the present invention ; it is also suitable as ( i ) means for detecting heat , ( ii ) insulating or connecting means , particularly in the field of seals and that of protective sheaths for electrical conductors and ( iii ) means for fastening inserts particularly for replacing pegs , as indicated respectively in french patent applications n ° 82 - 00857 and n ° 82 - 00858 , filed the same day as the present invention . there will now be considered the application of the product according to the invention as orthopedic setting means . the product is obtained according to three modifications a 1 and b 1 ( discontinuous ) and c 1 ( continuous ): modification a 1 : after stage 1 the malaxation is stopped , stage 2 placed in operation in the kneader , then the resulting product is molded or rolled ; modification b 1 : after stage 1 stage 2 is placed in operation in a mold ; and modification c 1 : stage 1 is carried out continuously in a fluid - tight kneader , then continuously the resulting mixture is injected into molds where stage 2 is put in operation . a product is obtained ( particularly in the form of a disc or sheet ) having a thickness comprised between about 1mm and about 7mm , and preferably between 2 . 5mm and 4 . 5mm . for use as orthopedic setting means , it is recommended advantageously to employ stage 1 so that there is a final composition containing ( a ) - 60 to 95 parts by weight of pcl , and ( b ) - 5 to 40 parts by weight of pu , in association , if necessary , with means c and / or d . thus a final thermoplastic product is provided which may be easily shaped and re - shaped hot ( hence reuseable ), which is endowed with an elastic memory , which is rigid at room temperature and / or the temperature of the body , which softens from 55 ° c . whilst keeping a part of its mechanical strength at 60 ° c ., and which possesses the advantage of not being opaque to x - rays . other advantages and characteristics of the invention will be better understood on reading the following examples of preparation which are in no way limiting but given by way of illustration . ( a ) in a fluid - tight bladed kneader in which a temperature of 80 ° c . and a stirring of 150 rpm is maintained , are introduced successively 800 g of polycaprolactone ( producted marketed by the by the union carbide company under the name &# 34 ; pcl 700 &# 34 ; and having an average molecular weight of about 40 , 000 ); when the polycaprolactone is softened ( that is to say about 2 to 5 minutes after the introduction of the pcl ), 70 g of polyether - polyol ( product marketed by the pechiney - ugine - kuhlmann company under the name of &# 34 ; ugipol 3602 &# 34 ; and having an equivalent molecular weight of about 140 ), then when the resulting mixture is softened and homogeneous ( that is to say about 2 to 5 minutes after the introduction of the polyether - polyol ), the stoichiometric amount ( 43 g ) of 2 , 4 - toluenediisocyanate . the resulting mixture is kept at 80 ° c . with stirring ( 150 rpm ) for 10 minutes . ( b ) the stirring is stopped and the mixture so obtained left to stand in the kneader at 80 ° c . for 10 minutes . ( c ) the mixture so obtained is poured into a rectangular mold and pressed at 80 ° c . for 10 minutes . a sheet having a thickness comprised between 2 and 4 mm is obtained which is left to cool to ambient temperature ( 15 °- 20 ° c .). ( a ) procedure was as indicated in example 1 ( a ) with a fluid - tight screw kneader replacing the 2 , 4 - toluenediisocyanate by commercial toluenediisocyanate which comprises 80 % by weight of 2 , 4 isomer and 20 % by weight of 2 , 6 isomer . ( b ) the mixture so obtained was continuously injected into molds and pressed at 80 ° c . for 20 minutes . ( c ) the molds were cooled to room temperature and from each mold was obtained a sheet having a thickness of 3 to 3 . 5 mm . ( a ) procedure was as indicated in example 1 ( a ) from 700 g of pcl (&# 34 ; pcl 700 &# 34 ;), from 25 g of polyether - polyol (&# 34 ; ugipol 3602 &# 34 ;) and from 15 g of commercial toluenediisocyanate . ( b ) the mixture so obtained was poured into a mold and pressed at 75 ° c . for 20 minutes . ( c ) the mold was cooled to room temperature to obtain a sheet having a thickness of 3 mm . ( a ) into a fluid - tight bladed kneader , in which a temperature of 75 ° c . and stirring of 200 rpm are maintained , are introduced successively : 1000 g of polycaprolactone ( having an average molecular weight of about 35 , 000 ); when the pcl is softened , 100 g of polyether - polyol ( 50 g of &# 34 ; ugipol 3602 &# 34 ; and 40g of &# 34 ; ugipol a004 &# 34 ;), then when the resulting mixture is softened and homogeneous 50g of commercial teluenediisocyanate . the temperature is kept at 75 ° c . and stirring at 200 rpm for 8 minutes . ( b ) the stirring is stopped and the polymerisation reaction of the pu is left to develop for 10 minutes at 80 ° c . ( c ) the resulting mixture is poured into a mold and pressed at 60 ° c . for 10 minutes . a sheet of 4 mm thickness is obtained . by proceeding as indicated in example 2 from the required amounts of pcl , ugipol 3602 and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethanediisocyanate , a sheet of 3 to 4mm thickness is obtained containing 80 parts by weight of pcl and 20 parts by weight of pu . into a bladed kneader in which is maintained , under a nitrogen atmosphere , a stirring of 180 r . p . m ., is prepared a prepolymerisate of means i and ii by reaction at 110 °- 130 ° c ., for 2 to 5 minutes , of 100 parts by weight of &# 34 ; teracol 1000 &# 34 ; [ mixture of polytetramethylene - etherglycols of the formula where n is a number comprised between 6 and 42 and has an average value 13 . 63 , manufactured by the dupont de nemours company ] previously heated to 100 °- 105 ° c . for less than 1 hour under vacuum to remove traces of moisture , with 53 parts by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenyl - methanediisocyanate previously heated to 70 ° c . in the reaction mixture thus obtained is introduced at 75 ° c . with stirring and under a nitrogen atmosphere 13 . 4 parts by weight of stearic acid , then 502 . 5 parts by weight of pcl having a molecular weight of about 40 , 000 , and finally 14 . 4 parts by weight of 1 , 4 - cyclohexyl - dimethanol . the mixture thus obtained is left under stirring for 5 minutes at 75 ° c . to continue the polymerisation of the pu . the resulting mixture is then run into rectangular moulds and pressed at 100 ° c . for 20 minutes to obtain , after cooling at 15 °- 20 ° c ., sheets having a thickness of 3 to 3 . 5 mm . under these operational conditions where the 1 , 4 - cyclohexyl - dimethanol , teracol 1000 and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethanediisocyanate are in a molar ratio of about ( 1 : 1 : 2 ), a final sheet product is obtained containing approximately 2 parts by weight of stearic acid , and 25 parts by weight of pu interlocked in the network of 75 parts by weight of pcl . by proceeding as indicated in example 6 from 100 parts by weight of &# 34 ; teracol 1000 &# 34 ;, 53 parts by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethanediisocyanate , 19 . 4 parts by weight of stearic acid , 805 parts by weight of pcl of molecular weight about 40 , 000 , and 11 . 8 parts by weight of 1 , 6 - hexanediol , are obtained , after molding , sheets of 3 to 3 . 5 mm thickness , the final sheet product containing approximately 2 parts by weight of stearic acid , and 17 parts by weight of pu interlocked in the network of 83 parts by weight of pcl . the sheets according to the invention , and in particular those of examples 1 to 5 , lend themselves easily to molding on the portion of the surface of the body which needs orthopedic immobilising means , without force being necessary to stretch them . they are heated to 60 ° c ., particularly by immersion in water at this temperature before applying them to the skin . when hot , they are self - adhesive and adhere well to one another on simple pressure . after cooling , they have very good resistance to separation , high rigidity , cutting up then being done with scissors . after manipulation it is observed that they do not show any trace of the fingers of the manipulator , and after application to a portion of the skin and then cutting up to be removed there is observed on the inner surface of the splint the impressions of the skin ( pores , lines of the hand , etc . ); these findings and observations show that the sheets according to the invention , due to the fact of their elasticity , avoid by slight retraction any wobbling of the splint without occasioning excessive pressure on the surface to be molded . in other applications described in the above - indicated french patent applications , advantageously products obtained at stage 2 according to the invention will be used containing : ( ii ) for use particularly as insulating or connecting means ( protective seals and sheets ): | 8 |
the energy transformation of the wind power plant from translatory air movement to energy of rotation takes place by means of the rotor blades 10 which are pivotally mounted on the rotor hub 12 , and whose setting angle can be modified by means of the blade adjustment 14 . by means of the gear 16 which is driven on the rotor side by the hub 12 , the speed of the driven shafts is raised to 1500 to 3000 min − 1 . at the rapidly rotating driven shafts are driven , an auxiliary generator 18 and one or more pressure pumps 20 . the electric power generated by the auxiliary generator 18 is temporarily stored by a battery supplying the regulating device . these components are located in the gondola 22 of the wind power plant continuously oriented in accordance with the variable wind direction by means of the wind direction tracking system 24 . by means of a rotary passage 26 , the sea or brackish water 44 is fed into the storage tank 27 and supplied by means of valve 31 to the pressure pump 20 in the rotary gondola 22 . the pressure pump 20 places under pressure the sea or brackish water supplied . the pressure reservoir or tank 28 compensates load peaks , and therefore smooths the pressure distribution per time unit . by means of the regulating device 32 using the regulating valve 30 , the volume flow of the pressurized sea or brackish water and via the blade adjustment 14 , the output of the rotor are regulated so that they are matched to one another . below the gondola 22 , the filter units 36 and reverse osmosis unit 38 are located in a jointly rotating frame 34 . as a result of the suspension rotating with the gondola 22 , the pressure pipes can be firmly connected between the pressure pumps 20 and the filter unit 36 , as well as the reverse osmosis unit 38 . the drinking water tank 40 , which serves as a reservoir , is located below the reverse osmosis unit 38 . as a result of the overall height of the tank above the ground , the static pressure can feed the water via the drinking water pipe 42 over long distances . in the proposed solution , the wind power plant is installed directly at the sea or brackish water 44 so that the plant is surrounded on all sides by sea or brackish water 44 . by means of an untreated water filter 46 , the water passes into an untreated water reservoir 48 located below the water surface . by means of an electrolytic chlorination system 50 , the water is chemically pre - treated . an electrically operated lifting pump 52 feeds the sea or brackish water 44 via the untreated water lifting pipe 54 , the rotary passage 26 , and the storage tank 27 to the pressure pump 20 in the gondola 22 . parallel to the untreated water lifting pipe 54 is located the waste water pipe 56 which returns the salt water concentrate and filter sludge from the filter unit 36 to the sea or brackish water 44 . these pipes are arranged centrally to the outer pipe and are located in the climb - through pipe 58 within the drinking water tank 40 . said pipe 58 is also used for the ascent of personnel for maintenance or repair purposes , the lower tower part being reached through the entrance door 60 . the entire plant is connected by means of the foundation part 62 to the sea bed . the tower 66 is connected to the foundation part 62 by the bottom flange 64 . the tower 66 comprises the lower tower segment with the drinking water tank 40 , and the upper tower segment with the filter unit 36 and reverse osmosis unit 38 . both tower parts are interconnected by means of the connecting flange 68 . for maintenance purposes on the filter unit 36 and reverse osmosis unit 38 , the rotating frame 34 contains two maintenance platforms 70 , in each case below the subassemblies . equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in the same manner in the same way for achieving the same result . | 8 |
referring now to the drawings , fig1 depicts in purely schematic manner the disposition , within an electron beam column of a pattern - writing machine , of a deflector unit for deflecting an electron beam to enable scanning of a substrate surface for the purpose of writing an integrated circuit layout or other desired pattern . this use of the deflector unit is merely by way of example and such units can be employed for deflecting electron beams for other purposes . in the illustrated example , the column , which has a vertical orientation , comprises an electron gun eg generating an electron beam eb of desired electron voltage for propagation along the column vertical centre axis a and focusing by way of a conventional series of three lenses c 1 , c 2 and c 3 and intervening spray apertures ( not shown ) to form a spot on a suitably prepared writing surface of a movably mounted substrate s . a deflection unit d is located between the second and third ( final ) lenses of the series and serves to deflect the beam in a directionally controlled manner at , for example , two different rates to cause the focused beam spot to trace the intended pattern on the substrate surface in a field - by - field progression , in which connection the pattern is fractured into main fields and each of these is in turn into subfields . a slower rate of deflection , such as 100 khz , is provided for beam spot displacement between subfields of a main field to achieve coarse positioning of the spot to , for example , a nearest 20 microns and a faster rate of deflection , such as 25 mhz , is provided for fine spot displacement within each subfield to write pattern features within a range of , in this instance , 20 microns . the beam deflection is generally undertaken in a sequential process , as indicated by the dashed - line beam axis a ′, of bending the beam away from the column axis a through a predetermined first angle and then bending the beam back towards the axis through a predetermined second angle greater than the first angle by a factor dependent on the positional relationship of the deflector unit d to , in particular , the third lens c 3 . the deflection process has a twisting effect such as to impart to the beam an approximately helical course . the maximum displacement of the beam spot achievable by the beam deflection is typically 0 . 8 mm , with displacement beyond that range being produced by movement of the substrate itself relative to the column axis . the deflector unit shown in fig2 for providing the requisite dual rate beam deflection is constructed to function on the principle of variable intensity magnetic fields constraining the beam path away from and then back towards the column axis , the magnetic fields being generated by axially spaced sets of coils distributed around the axis in a specific configuration of diametrical opposition . opposed coils in each set are then controlled in opposite sense so that as field intensity is increased on one side it is decreased on the other to provide a desired beam deflection as described further below . the coils are carried by a coil former assembly 10 consisting , in the illustrated embodiment , of two coaxial hollow cylindrical inner formers 11 a , 11 b and two coaxial hollow cylindrical outer formers 12 a , 12 b . the outer formers are sleeved together at a complementary recess and sleeve projection 13 and internally stepped to provide recesses 14 receiving the inner formers , so that the latter are enclosed by the outer formers . the inner formers 11 a , 11 b are located in the recesses 14 in a fixed angular relationship to each other and to the outer formers 12 a , 12 b by keying . the assembly 10 is terminated at an upper , i . e . beam entry , end by a locating ring 15 serving to locate the assembly in a mount in the column in a fixed angular relationship thereto by keying . the formers and locating ring are glued together by , for example , cyanoacrylate or other suitable heat - resisting adhesive . the resulting assembly , which after fitting of the coils can be encapsulated in an electrically insulating bonding material , has a cylindrical shape with a continuous throughbore 16 of constant diameter made up of mating bores of the formers and defining a passage for the electron beam . in the mounted state of the deflector unit , the axis 17 of the throughbore 16 is coincident with the column vertical axis . each of the coil formers houses two diametrically opposite , radially inner coils 18 each wound in generally square or oblong shape and two similarly arranged and shaped , radially outer coils 19 arranged at 90 ° to the inner coils . each coil is disposed to lie in a cylinder wall segment of the respective former in such an orientation that two opposite sides of the rectangle defined by the coil winding extend parallel to the cylinder axis of the former and the other two sides extend in the circumferential direction of the former . each coil extends around approximately 120 ° of the former circumference with the result that in the circumferential direction the two outer coils 19 overlap the two inner coils 18 , the overlapping coil regions , however , being electrically separated . in addition , the coil sets 18 , 19 of the inner formers 11 a , 11 b are positioned to be slightly closer to the axis of the respective former than in the case of the coil sets 18 , 19 of the outer formers 12 a , 12 b , the closer the proximity of the coils to the beam the greater the achievable deflection sensitivity . the shape and overlapping arrangement of the coils in one of the coil formers , in particular the lower outer former 12 b , is apparent from fig3 . the relative arrangement of the four coil formers and the four sets of coils they carry is such that , with respect to the vertical orientation of the deflector unit when mounted in the column , the coil set 18 , 19 of a first or upper one 11 a of the inner formers is followed , in the direction of beam propagation , by that of a first or upper one 12 a of the outer formers and this in turn is followed by the coil set 18 , 19 of a second or lower one 11 b of the inner formers and finally by that of a second or lower one 12 b of the outer formers . the thus axially spaced coil sets 18 , 19 of the inner formers 11 a , 11 b are assigned to deflection of the beam for fine or subfield scanning and the axially spaced coil sets 18 , 19 of the outer formers 12 a , 12 b are assigned to deflection of the beam for coarse or main - field scanning . for ease of reference , the four formers are termed upper and lower subfield coil formers 11 a , 11 b and upper and lower main - field coil formers 12 a , 12 b in the following description . beam deflection is achieved by reciprocal change in energisation of the coils of one pair of opposite coils 18 or 19 in a former and / or of the coils of the other pair of opposite coils 18 or 19 in the same former , whereby the beam is deflected by magnetic field effect relative to the column axis through a given angle depending on the degree of reciprocal change and in a given direction within a 360 ° range depending on the relative action on the individual coils ; action solely on the coils of one pair 18 or 19 produces deflection in a direction of — by way of arbitrary designation − 0 ° or 180 ° and action solely on the coils of the other pair 18 or 19 produces deflection in a direction of 90 ° or 270 °, whilst selective action on the coils of both pairs 18 and 19 produces deflection in any desired intervening angle in the 360 ° range . for initial coarse scanning , the coil set of the upper main - field former 12 a is appropriately influenced to firstly push the beam away from the column axis through a first angle , after which the coil set of the lower main - field former 12 b is influenced in reverse sense to pull the beam back through a second angle greater than the first angle so that the beam passes through the focal centre of the final lens c 3 at such an inclination relative to the column axis that it can impinge on the substrate surface with a desired offset ( amount and direction ) from the point of intersection of the axis with the surface . the thus coarsely positioned beam spot can then be finely positioned during actual pattern writing , by analogous sequential influencing of the coil sets of the upper and lower subfield formers 11 a , 11 b . the beam deflection for fine scanning by the spot is undertaken at a preset clock rate selected to provide an intended electron dose at each dwell point of the spot for the purpose of writing by , for example , electron - induced erosion or other change in an electron - sensitive layer on the substrate surface . it is to be emphasised that the described numbers , arrangement and functional interaction of the coils of the coil formers are merely by way of example . a considerable degree of freedom exists for tailoring the number , size , shape and disposition of the coils to the requirements of an individual column and a particular scanning task . each coil is composed of a winding 20 or windings 21 of thin copper wire with an electrically insulating coating , the coils of the subfield coil formers 11 a , 11 b for higher - speed beam deflection over small distances each consisting of a single winding 20 and those of the main - field coil formers 12 a , 12 b for lower - speed deflection over greater distances each consisting of multiple windings 21 . due to their low inductance , the single windings 20 accept a faster rate of change in supplied current and consequently offer a faster rate of beam deflection for the small increments of beam spot movement within the 20 micron range . the coils are formed in each main - field ( outer ) former 12 a or 12 b by insertion of the respective winding wires into corresponding square or oblong slot receptacles produced in the formers by intersecting , externally open longitudinally oriented incisions 22 and circumferentially oriented incisions 23 , the longitudinal incisions 22 for the radially inner coils 18 being deeper than those for the radially outer coils 19 . in the case of the subfield ( inner ) formers 11 a , 11 b the coils are formed by insertion of the wires into externally open longitudinal incisions 24 and internally open longitudinal incisions 25 at the respective former and by laying the wires in circumferential direction on steps 26 at the ends of the former . the paths of the incisions 22 , 23 and windings 21 disposed therein to define the coils 18 , 19 are shown more clearly in fig3 . the provision of four coils in each set , overlapping of the coils and recessing in slot receptacles create unfavourable conditions of heat transmission to the surrounding former material under quasi - continuous operation of the coils , with limited scope for effectively cooling the coils and coil formers by forced air currents or other such measures . heat retention in the formers in such circumstances leads to expansion of and other stresses in both the coils and the formers , which in turn produce distortions in the magnetic fields generated by the coils and consequent undesired influences on the beam path when deflected . these influences cause errors in the writing of patterns , for which a high level of accuracy is usually essential . to eliminate or at least significantly mitigate these thermal influences , each former is made from a high - strength , non - magnetic and electrically non - conductive ceramic material which is selected so that the parameters of high thermal conductivity and low coefficient of expansion have primacy over the otherwise important factor of compatibility with machining requirements , but which still allows production of sufficiently robust components . a particularly suitable ceramic material is the translucent machinable aluminum nitride ceramic marketed as shapal - m ( registered trade mark ), which has a high thermal conductivity in the preferred range of above 50 w / m ° c ., in particular 90 to 100 w / m ° c ., but retains a sufficiently low coefficient of expansion of 4 . 4 to 5 . 2 × 10 − 6 /° c . the coefficient of expansion is generally similar to that of the conventionally used polyetheretherketone plastics material , but the thermal conductivity is markedly higher so as to provide enhanced dissipation of heat from the coils and substantially reduced tendency of the coils to expand under constant resistive heating during use . other ceramics , for example certain boron nitrides , may have satisfactory or even better thermal characteristics , but insufficient mechanical strength to satisfactorily withstand the stresses arising in manufacture and servicing of coil formers made from this material . due to its hardness ( 560 on the vickers scale ), the above - mentioned aluminum nitride ceramic imposes some machining constraints in production by comparison with more readily processible ceramics . the starting ceramic product in bar form is firstly heated in a furnace to allow machining , then turned and milled to define external and internal profile shapes and thereafter cut by a precision saw to form the incisions 22 to 25 for the slot receptacles . the hardness results in comparatively rapid consumption of machining tool bits and blades , which consequently require more frequent replacement ; this penalty is acceptable in terms of the piece numbers usually involved and in view of the substantial operational advantages gained from the stated thermal properties . other , more easily machinable ceramics do not offer the desired high level of thermal conductivity with retention of a low coefficient of thermal expansion . a coil former produced from the specified ceramic material can thus be used individually or incorporated in a coil former assembly to provide a deflector unit with significantly reduced susceptibility to thermally - induced magnetic field distortions and pattern writing error attributable to such distortions . the benefits are particularly noticeable in the case of coil former assemblies with multiply wound coil sets recessed in the formers , the high rate of heat conductance from the coils to the former material and from that material to the sub - atmospheric environment of the column then being such as to counteract the otherwise strong heat sink effect of the formers . | 7 |
referring first to fig2 wherein like numerals designate the same element throughout the several drawings , there are three fibers with at least one fiber being an optical fiber 10 braided together into an interwoven strand or braid 16 . in the preferred embodiment , the spatial bend frequency of the braid 16 corresponds to the optimum microbend frequency for the optical fiber 10 . the spatial bend frequency is thus set to obtain the greatest amount of microbending loss in the optical fiber . this maximizes the sensitivity to changes in length . alternatively , under some circumstances , it may be beneficial to decrease the sensitivity to changes in length ( e . g ., to increase the range of measurement ) through using a spatial bend frequency for the braid which is either greater or less than the optimum spatial bend frequency for the optical fiber used . the braid or strand 16 is then attached to a workpiece or structure to be measured at attachment points 18 and tensioned with a tension adjustment 20 . alternatively , the braid or strand 16 may be held in the desired level of tension by a tensioning means prior to and during its attachment to the workpiece or structure ; the tensioning means may then be removed following the attachment thus eliminating the tensioning means as a potential source of error and permitting a single tensioning means 20 to be used to install multiple braids . the braid 10 is thus preloaded in tension when installed on the workpiece or structure . this establishes the zero or reference length of the braid 10 and permits the measurement of both increases and decreases in the length of the workpiece or structure . alternatively , if the direction of the change in length to be measured is known in advance , the initial tension may be adjusted to produce the maximum range or sensitivity for the measurement . an optical signal applying means 22 is a source to provide light into each of the active optical fibers as is illustrated by the arrow in entering optical fiber 10 in fig2 . the light exiting the optical fiber 10 is directed to a photo - detector 28 which measures the intensity of the optical signal transmitted through the optical fiber 10 . conveniently , the optical signal applying means 22 includes a light source 24 and a light splitting means 26 connected to one end of each optical fiber 10 for simultaneously applying the optical signal . suitable light sources include a light emitting diode ( led ), laser , or laser diode . the detection means may include any means of detecting changes in the intensity of the optical signal at the wavelength of the optical signal applying means , such as a photodiode . an example of the light splitting means 26 includes a 3 db coupler with the aid of known optical splices . a beneficial arrangement of the splitting means includes a provision for a portion of the signal from the optical applying means to pass directly to a reference photodetector without passing through the optical fiber 10 . the signal from the photodetector 28 may then be ratioed to the signal from the reference photodetector to provide an output signal which is independent of any source intensity variations . the degree of sensitivity to microbend loss depends on the wavelength of the light employed and the fiber characteristics ; these establish the optimum spatial bend frequency for maximum attenuation as a result of microbending . the sensitivity of the braid or strand 16 can be altered by changing these parameters , or through changing the physical parameters of the braid . for a given spatial bend frequency , the longer the braid is , the greater the sensitivity is because of the larger number of spatial bends . conversely , a shorter braid has less sensitivity because the number of spatial bends is less . similarly , increasing the number of active optical fibers in the braid increases the number of spatial bends ; i . e ., for a given length and spatial bend frequency , a braid with two active optical fibers has twice the sensitivity of a braid with a single active optical fiber . the sensitivity of the braid or strand 16 may also be altered or adjusted through means which increase or decrease the amount of microbending which occurs as a result of a given change in length of the braid 16 ; such means include changing the relative stiffness of the filler strands relative to the active optical fiber ( s ). the output of the photodetector or other intensity detection means may be directed to some form of recording or graphing instrument ( not shown ) to provide a permanent record of any changes in length . also , a microprocessor 32 or other suitable linearizing electronics connected to the photodetector 28 via the transmission line linearizes the output of the photodetector for easy calculations or display . as the structure of the workpiece or strut 34 changes length between points 20 and 18 , the braid 16 tightens or loosens resulting in a change in the microbending loss in the optical fiber 10 . the light which was launched through the fiber changes in intensity as a result of the change in the microbend losses . this is readily related to the change in the length of the braid 16 through the microprocessor 32 , or other electronic means , and thereby to the change in length of the structure or workpiece to which the braid is attached . the braid or strand 16 comprises a plurality of fibers with at least one of the fibers being an optical fiber 10 . it can be seen that the plurality of optical fibers which comprise the braid 16 may consist of a single optical fiber 10 which is folded or bent back upon itself one or more times , such that with a suitable braiding means , the same continuous optical fiber 10 makes two or more passes through the braid 16 structure to provide increased sensitivity while simplifying the application of the sensor by decreasing the number of splitting means and optical splices required . this method may also be used to place the optical applying means and detecting means at the same or opposite ends of the braid 16 as may be required for a specific application . the braid can be readily embedded , suiting it for application in composite materials , cast refractories or concrete . it can be readily protected from mechanical damage with a simple tube , or by coating the braid with a compliant coating such as a silicon rubber . an aluminum coated glass - on - glass fiber is preferred , but any optical fiber which demonstrates microbending losses is suitable , including polyimide or plastic coated glass - on - glass or plastic optical fiber . the remaining fibers can be made of any suitable material that allows for braiding . for applications where the optimum sensitivity is unknown , it can be seen that it is beneficial for all of the fibers to be optical fibers , thus permitting the user to select the number of fibers which will be active and the number which will act only as fillers to achieve the required sensitivity . while a three - fiber braid is described , additional optical fibers can be readily added , improving sensitivity and permitting the sensor to be fabricated on commercial braiding or stranding equipment . the sensitivity of the fiber optic microbend sensor is increased with the addition of optical fibers to the braid . fig3 illustrates preliminary calibration data for the distributed microbend elongation sensor . a braided fiber length of 0 . 70 meters was used for these tests , with two active optical fibers and one filler fiber . the total sensor elongation range is about 1 mm and the response is nonlinear but repeatable over this range . it is straightforward to linearize a sensor output using appropriate microprocessor based electronics such as omos integrated circuits to detect and amplify the photodetector signal for example . the worst case response for small displacements about the initial length is approximately 0 . 1 mv / 1 , 000 nm . the elongation range will scale to about 5 mm for a 3 meter braid ( and strut ) length . the fiber optic microbend sensor in fig3 had a 2 - foot gage length , i . e ., length of optical fiber conductor 10 , using two active ( optical ) and one dummy ( non - optical ) fiber . it had a range of 0 . 040 inch and a resolution of 0 . 00002 inch ( 0 . 05 % of full scale ). the present invention is easily applied to the measurement of strain as well as elongation . through measurement of strain or displacement , it is also applicable to a variety of transduction applications including position , pressure , flow , or temperature . while a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles . one such example is that while the preferred embodiment has shown three optical fibers braided together , another embodiment is one optical fiber with two dummy fibers . another such example would be to perhaps braid as many as six optical fibers for increased sensitivity , for simplicity and low cost of manufacturing or for flexibility in application . | 6 |
embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . note that the following embodiments are merely examples as implementing means of the present invention , and can be applied to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . fig1 is a diagram of a mechanical branch current detection circuit according to the first embodiment . reference numeral 1 denotes a piezoelectric vibrator ; 2 , a pulse generating means for outputting to the piezoelectric vibrator 1 a pulse having a frequency corresponding to a frequency command output from a cpu 11 ( described below ); 3 , an inductor element which suppresses a rush current ; 4 , a capacitor for detecting a mechanical branch current flowing in the piezoelectric vibrator 1 ; 5 and 6 , voltage dividing resistors each of which detects the mechanical branch current ; 7 , a differential amplifier which detects a difference between the voltage applied to a connection portion between the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and capacitor 4 and that applied to a connection portion between the voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 ; 8 , a differential amplifier which detects a voltage applied across the piezoelectric vibrator 1 ; 9 , an amplitude detection means for detecting the amplitude of an output voltage from the differential amplifier 7 ; 10 , a phase difference detection means for detecting a phase difference between the applied voltage to the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and the output voltage from the differential amplifier 7 ; and 11 , the cpu which receives the amplitude and phase difference information from the differential amplifier 8 and phase difference detection means 10 to output a frequency command signal to the pulse generating means 2 . fig2 is a circuit diagram around the piezoelectric vibrator 1 when showing the piezoelectric vibrator 1 in an equivalent circuit . the principle of detection of the mechanical branch current will be described below with reference to fig2 . im = j ω ( ac0 ) k - 1 + j ω ( k + ka - 1 ) c0 ( r + j ( ω l - 1 ω c ) ) ( v1 - v2 ) ( 1 ) where ac 0 (= cs ) is the electrostatic capacitance of the capacitor 4 , c 0 is the electrostatic capacitance of the damping admittance of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 , v 1 is the voltage applied to the connection portion between the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and capacitor 4 , v 2 is the voltage - divided output voltage from the voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 , ω is a driving angular frequency , and k = r 2 /( r 1 + r 2 ) where r 1 is the resistance value of the voltage dividing resistor 5 , and r 2 is the resistance value of the voltage dividing resistor 6 . im =− jω ( 1 + a ) c 0 ( v 1 − v 2 ) ( 2 ) equation ( 2 ) is modified to obtain an output voltage ( v 1 − v 2 ) by v1 - v2 = - j 1 ω ( 1 + a ) c0 im ( 3 ) for example , when selecting the electrostatic capacitances of the damping admittance c 0 and capacitor cs to be equal to each other , a = 1 . hence , the output voltage is obtained by multiplying the mechanical branch current im by a value half the impedance of c 0 . also , the phase of the output voltage is leading by 90 ° from the mechanical branch current im . when k = 1 / 2 , r 1 = r 2 . also , if cs = ac 0 , r 1 = ar 2 . hence , even when the value of c 0 is not equal to that of cs , the mechanical branch current can be detected by changing the ratio of r 1 and r 2 . in this method , as compared with a conventional current detection method using a resistor , a power loss is smaller by an amount corresponding to the absence of a resistor in a current path to the piezoelectric vibrator 1 . additionally , the relatively high voltage can be detected since the current is detected using the impedance of the damping admittance . for example , when c 0 = 10 [ nf ], the current can be detected by multiplying the amplitude of the mechanical branch current 275 times , provided that a and the frequency are set to 1 and 30 ( khz ), respectively . note that since r 1 and r 2 are merely used as only the voltage dividing means , the voltage dividing circuit may be arranged by a capacitor , inductor , and the like . therefore , the amplitude of the output voltage from the differential amplifier 7 is proportional to that of the mechanical branch current . the amplitude detection means 9 converts the amplitude of an ac voltage into a dc voltage by using a circuit for obtaining an effective value and a rectifying means such as a diode . the output from the differential amplifier 7 is then input to the cpu 11 by using an a / d conversion means ( not shown ). the phase difference detection means 10 detects a phase difference between the voltage applied to the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and the output voltage from the differential amplifier 7 , and then outputs the phase difference to the cpu 11 . for example , the cpu 11 controls the mechanical branch current to a predetermined amplitude , and also controls the phase difference between the mechanical branch current and the applied voltage to a predetermined value . when the value of the mechanical branch current is smaller than the predetermined value , or the phase difference between the mechanical branch current and the applied voltage is larger than a predetermined value , the cpu 11 operates such that a driving frequency comes close to a resonance frequency . otherwise , the cpu 11 operates such that the driving frequency is separated from the resonance frequency . in order to control the amplitude of the mechanical branch current , the cpu 11 may control a voltage amplitude in place of the frequency of the applied voltage as an operational parameter . when the mechanical branch current is smaller than the predetermined value , the cpu controls the amplitude of the applied voltage to be large . otherwise , the cpu controls the amplitude of the applied voltage to be small . note that when monitoring the resonance state of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 by using the information of the phase difference between the applied voltage and the mechanical branch current , the phase shift of 90 ° from the actual value must be considered . when calculating the phase difference between the driving voltage and the mechanical branch current , the detected phase must be shifted by 90 °. the phase of the value corresponding to the mechanical branch current obtained in equation ( 3 ) is leading from that of the actual mechanical branch current , and is inversely proportional to an angular frequency . no problem is posed when the driving frequency is fixed . however , in order to control the amplitude by operating the driving frequency , the proportionality between the mechanical branch current and the detection value is slightly shifted . as a measure against this problem , the differentiating circuit which differentiates a detection signal may be added . this process is shown in the following equations . the actual waveform of the mechanical branch current is given by v1 - v2 = 1 ω ( 1 + a ) c0 im 0 ( j cos ω t - sin ω t ) ( 5 ) ( v1 - v2 ) ′ = - 1 ( 1 + a ) c0 im 0 ( j sin ω t + cos ω t ) = 1 ( 1 + a ) c0 im ( 6 ) from equation ( 6 ), the sign of the output voltage is changed with respect to the mechanical branch current by differentiating the output voltage . however , the amplitude value is not changed even if the angular frequency ω is changed . fig3 shows an example of the differentiating circuit . reference numeral 12 denotes an operational amplifier . the gain g of this differentiating circuit is obtained by where c 1 is the electrostatic capacitance of the capacitor , and r 3 is the resistance value of a feedback resistor . ( v 1 - v 2 ) g = c1r3 ( 1 + a ) c0 im0 ( cos ω t + j sin ω t ) = c1r3 ( 1 + a ) c0 im ( 8 ) from equation ( 8 ), the amplitude value does not change even if the angular frequency ω changes , as in equation ( 6 ). since the gain is negative , the phase matches that of the mechanical branch current . as described above , the differential operation can be executed in a simple circuit arrangement , and the mechanical branch current can be accurately detected by adding the differentiating circuit . assume that the phase of the mechanical branch current is not important for an application . in order to obtain only the amplitude of the mechanical branch current , the gradient of the waveform at the center ( the waveform average or about 0 ) of the waveform in equation ( 3 ) or ( 5 ) can be detected . fig4 shows an example . reference numeral 13 denotes a comparator ; and 14 , a reference voltage generating means 14 . the reference voltage generating means generates a voltage d 0 with a waveform slightly shifted from the center of the waveform . the comparator 13 compares an output signal vs from the differential amplifier 7 and the reference voltage d 0 , to output a signal at high level when the output from the differential amplifier 7 is larger than the reference voltage d 0 . the duty of the output signal from the comparator 13 slightly shifts from the duty of 50 %, and a time at high level is different from that at low level . reference numeral 15 denotes a pulse measurement means for detecting a difference between the time at high level and that at low level . fig5 shows waveforms of the respective parts in the circuit in fig4 . as shown in fig5 , the time difference between high level and low level is 2 t 1 . gradient g 1 is obtained by where vd is the voltage of the reference signal d 0 at the center of the waveform of the signal vs . g 1 corresponds to the amplitude in equation ( 6 ), and becomes a value corresponding to the amplitude of the mechanical branch current independent of the angular frequency ω . since the frequency has been known in advance , the value corresponding to the amplitude of the mechanical branch current independent of the frequency can be obtained by detecting the mechanical branch current and then multiplying the detection value by the frequency . since the vibration actuator generally has the driving voltage with a plurality of phases in detecting the mechanical branch current of the vibration actuator , the mechanical branch currents with the respective phases can be detected . however , when the phases of the plurality of currents are almost the same , it suffices a mechanical branch current with one phase is detected as a representative , and the values of the phases of the remaining currents are made almost equal to that of the detected phase . also , the mechanical branch current can be detected even when changing the order of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and capacitor 4 . fig6 is a diagram of a mechanical branch current detection circuit according to the second embodiment . reference numeral 16 denotes an amplitude detection means for detecting the voltage amplitude of a connection portion between a piezoelectric vibrator 1 and a capacitor 4 ; 17 , an amplitude detection means for detecting the voltage amplitude of a connection portion between voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 ; 18 , a phase difference detection means for detecting a phase difference between the voltage of the connection portion between the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and the capacitor 4 , and that at the connection portion between the voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 ; 19 , a phase difference detection means for detecting a phase difference between a voltage applied to the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and that of the connection portion between the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and the capacitor 4 ; and 20 , a calculation means for receiving outputs from the amplitude detection means 16 and 17 and outputs from the phase detection means 18 and 19 to obtain the amplitude and phase of the difference voltage between the voltage at the connection portion between the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and the capacitor 4 and that of the connection portion between the voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 . the calculation means 20 calculates a phase difference ps between the difference voltage and the voltage applied across the piezoelectric vibrator 1 , and the amplitude vs of the difference voltage . the amplitude vs and the phase difference ps can be obtained by vs = vc 2 + vr 2 - 2 · vc · vrcos ϕ ( 10 ) ps = tan - 1 ( ( vc + vr ) ( vc - vr ) tan ( ϕ 2 ) ) - tan - 1 ( vc + ( 1 + a ) vr ) ( vc - ( 1 + a ) vr ) tan ( ϕ 2 ) ) ( 11 ) where vc is the output from the amplitude detection means 16 , vr is the output from the amplitude detection means 17 , φ is the output from the phase difference detection means 18 . in equation ( 11 ), φ 0 which is the output from the phase difference detection means 19 may be used instead of φ . as described above , the amplitude and phase of the waveform difference can also be obtained by obtaining the respective amplitudes and relative phase differences of the voltage of the connection portion between the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and capacitor 4 and that of the connection portion between the voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 . the value of ps is shifted by 90 ° from the actual mechanical branch current . hence , as in the first embodiment , the phase needs to shift by 90 ° to detect the resonance state . note that the phase difference between the applied voltage and mechanical branch current in the resonance state is generally 90 °. in order to shift the phase by 90 °, a differentiating means can be used as in the first embodiment other than a simple subtraction process . in the first embodiment , the differentiating means is inserted to the output of the differential amplifier 7 . however , in this embodiment , the differentiating means are inserted after the amplitude detection means 16 and 17 , respectively . the differentiating means is arranged as shown in fig3 and 4 . in this embodiment , the amplitude detection means 17 detects the amplitude of the voltage divided by the voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 . however , the amplitude detection means 17 may detect the undivided voltage at the connection portion between the inductor element 3 and the piezoelectric vibrator 1 , and the calculation means 20 may multiply the value corresponding to the voltage dividing ratio of the voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 by the output value from the amplitude detection means 17 , to divide the voltage . fig7 is a diagram of a mechanical branch current detection circuit in the third embodiment . in the above embodiments , a voltage is applied to a piezoelectric vibrator 1 via an inductor in the series circuit of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and a capacitor 4 , to ground the capacitor 4 . however , in this embodiment , a voltage is applied across the series circuit of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and capacitor 4 via a transformer to ground a connection portion between the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and the capacitor 4 . in fig7 , reference numeral 21 denotes a transformer . in this embodiment , the voltage at the connection portion between the piezoelectric vibrator 1 and the capacitor 4 is 0v . hence , although the differential amplifier 7 detects the mechanical branch current in the above embodiments , the voltage at the connection portion between voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 represents a signal corresponding to the mechanical branch current in this embodiment . therefore , from equation ( 3 ), the voltage v 4 at the connection portion of the voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 is obtained by v4 = j 1 ω ( 1 + a ) c0 im ( 12 ) a phase difference detection means 10 detects a phase difference between an applied voltage v 3 and the voltage v 4 corresponding to the mechanical branch current , thereby detecting the resonance state of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 . note that since the phase of the voltage at the connection portion between the voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 is 90 ° leading from that of the mechanical branch current , the phase shift of 90 ° must be considered in detecting the resonance state . also , the phase shift of 90 ° may be corrected by differentiating the output voltage at the connection portion between the voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 as in the above embodiments . in this embodiment , the voltage dividing resistors 5 and 6 are used as voltage dividing means . however , an intermediate tap may be arranged on the secondary side of the transformer to apply a driving voltage and also output the divided voltage . fig8 shows an example of this arrangement . reference numeral 22 denotes a transformer with a center tap on the secondary side . when c 0 = cs for a = 1 in equation ( 12 ), the intermediate tap may serve as the center tap which is a median on the secondary side . fig9 is a diagram of a mechanical branch current detection circuit in the fourth embodiment . in this embodiment , there are three or more voltage dividing resistors . of course , a voltage dividing element may be a capacitor or inductor in addition to the resistor . reference numeral 23 denotes a voltage dividing means which has output terminals corresponding to a plurality of voltage dividing ratios ; 24 , a selection means for selecting one of output voltages of the plurality of output terminals of the voltage dividing means ; and 25 , a temperature sensor . since the value of damping admittance c 0 of a piezoelectric vibrator 1 changes in accordance with temperatures , the ratio of the value of c 0 and that of cs of a capacitor 4 undesirably changes . hence , the voltage dividing ratio of the voltage dividing means needs to be modified in accordance with the change in ratio . thus , a relationship between a temperature detected by the temperature sensor 25 in advance and the optimal voltage dividing ratio is obtained to store data . when detecting the mechanical branch current , the voltage dividing ratio is determined from the data stored in accordance with the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 25 . the selection means 24 then selects an output terminal of the output terminal 23 corresponding to the voltage dividing ratio , to output the voltage . fig1 is a flowchart of a method of changing the voltage dividing ratio . first , the temperature sensor 25 detects the temperature of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 ( step s 1 ). the electrostatic capacitance of a damping admittance corresponding to the temperature is referred to from the data ( step s 2 ). the ratio ( a ) of the referred electrostatic capacitance and that of the capacitor 4 is obtained ( step s 3 ). an output terminal where the voltage dividing ratio of the voltage dividing means 23 is closest to the ratio of ( a ) is determined ( step s 4 ). finally , the selection means 24 selects the output terminal determined by the selection means 24 to output the voltage . as described above , the voltage dividing ratio which is most suitable to detect the mechanical branch current is selected . also , the voltage signal corresponding to the mechanical branch current can be detected by , e . g ., differentiating the output from the selection means 24 as in the conventional case . in the fourth embodiment , the relationship between temperature and voltage dividing ratio is obtained in advance . however , in this embodiment , an ac voltage with a predetermined frequency is applied such that a piezoelectric vibrator 1 hardly vibrates , and the voltage dividing ratio is set such that the voltage value output from a voltage dividing means 23 is smaller than a predetermined amplitude . that is , when the piezoelectric vibrator 1 hardly vibrates , the mechanical branch current is small . hence , a selection means 24 selects a terminal with the smallest amplitude of the output terminals of the voltage dividing means 23 . fig1 is a diagram of a mechanical branch current detection circuit in the fifth embodiment . reference numerals 26 and 27 denote low - pass filters . the low - pass filter 26 detects a signal in a main vibration frequency range of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 from the output signals from the selection means 24 . the low - pass filter 27 detects the signal in the main vibration frequency range of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 from the voltages applied to the piezoelectric vibrator 1 . reference numeral 28 denotes a bandpass filter which detects the signal of a harmonic component contained in a driving voltage , from the output signals from the selection means 24 ; and 29 , an amplitude detection means for detecting the amplitude of the output signal from the bandpass filter 28 . fig1 a to 12 c are timing charts showing waveforms of respective portions . since the driving voltage applied to the piezoelectric vibrator 1 has a voltage waveform vs which deforms in a vertically symmetrical trapezoid , the driving voltage contains an odd - numbered harmonic component . therefore , when the band of the bandpass filter 28 has a characteristic corresponding to a frequency 3 times the frequency of the ac voltage , and the band of the low - pass filter 26 has a characteristic corresponding to a frequency 1 . 5 times the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 , the harmonic component and a fundamental wave can be detected . as a result , an output vl of the low path filter 26 is a sine wave with a frequency equal to the driving frequency , and an output vb from the bandpass filter 28 is a sine wave corresponding to a frequency 3 times the driving frequency . since the selection means 24 switches the output terminal of the voltage dividing means 23 to obtain the smallest output of the amplitude detection means 29 , the output can be set to obtain the optimal voltage dividing ratio while vibrating the piezoelectric vibrator 1 . fig1 shows a flowchart of setting the optimal voltage dividing ratio . first , 1 is assigned to a selection number n ( step s 11 ), and the selection means 24 selects the nth output terminal of the voltage dividing means ( step s 12 ). the output from the amplitude detection means 29 is then assigned to a variable s 0 ( step s 13 ). if the selection number n is the last selection number , the process is ended . otherwise , 1 is added to the selection number n , and then the selection number n is set to the selection means 24 ( steps s 14 , s 15 , and s 16 ). the output from the amplitude detection means 29 is received , and assigned to a variable s 1 ( step s 17 ). the size of the variable s 0 is compared with that of the variable s 1 . when the size of the variable s 0 is smaller , 1 is subtracted from the selection number n , and the selection number n is set to the selection means 24 to end the process ( steps s 18 , s 19 , and s 20 ). when the size of the variable s 0 is equal to or larger than that of the variable s 1 , the variable s 1 is assigned to the variable s 0 , and this process is repeated until the selection number is determined ( step s 21 ). as described above , the output terminal of the voltage dividing means 23 is selected such that the minimum output voltage can be obtained from the amplitude detection means 29 . the higher the predetermined frequency is obtained , the higher the output voltage is obtained when shifting the voltage dividing ratio . hence , a sufficiently higher frequency than the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric vibrator 1 is used , the more easily the optimal voltage dividing ratio is set . in this embodiment , the harmonic component is used . however , the actual driving may be executed after actually applying the high - frequency driving voltage before actuating , to obtain the optimal voltage dividing ratio . the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and various changes and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention . therefore , to apprise the public of the scope of the present invention the following claims are made . this application claims priority from japanese patent application no . 2003 - 385189 , entitled “ current detection circuit and current detection method ” and filed on nov . 14 , 2003 , which is hereby incorporated by reference herein . | 7 |
the present invention relates to synthetic peptides that are based on the cdr of monoclonal pathogenic autoantibodies isolated from mice with experimental sle . such monoclonal antibodies are obtained from supernatants of hybridomas produced by fusion , for example , of spleen cells of c3h . sw mice immunized with an anti - 16 / 6 id mab , with x63 . 653 plasmacytoma cells ( waisman and mozes , 1993 ). examples of such peptides are those of formulas ia to va herein , based on , respectively , the cdr1 , cdr2 and cdr3 regions of the heavy chain of mab 5g12 and the cdr1 and cdr3 regions of the heavy chain of mab 2c4c2 ( waisman and mozes , 1993 ), and analogs thereof . analogs of parent peptides ia - va contemplated by the invention include substitution , deletion and addition analogs as described herein . substitution analogs have amino acid substitutions at different positions , these substitutions being made based on the volume , hydrophobic - hydrophilic pattern and charge of the amino acids . amino acids may be divided along the lines of volume , hydrophobic - hydrophilic pattern and charge . with respect to volume , those of ordinary skill in the art understand that the amino acids with the largest volume are trp , tyr , phe , arg , lys , ile , leu , met and his , while those with the smallest volumes are gly , ala , ser , asp , thr and pro , with others being in between . with respect to hydrophobic - hydrophilic pattern , it is well known that the amino acids gly , ala , phe , val , leu , ile , pro , met and trp are hydrophobic , whereas all of the remaining amino acids are hydrophilic . among the hydrophilic amino acids , ser , thr , gln , and tyr have no charge , while arg , lys , his and asn have a positive charge and asp and glu have negative charges . in selecting peptides to be tested for their potential in inhibiting the proliferative response of t lymphocytes of mice that are high responders to sle - inducing autoantibodies , it is important that the substitutions be selected from those which cumulatively do not substantially change the volume , hydrophobic - hydrophilic pattern and charge of the corresponding portion of the unsubstituted parent peptide . thus , a hydrophobic residue may be substituted with a hydrophilic residue , or vice - versa , as long as the total effect does not substantially change the volume , hydrophobic - hydrophilic pattern and charge of the corresponding unsubstituted parent peptide . it should be understood that other modifications of the peptides and analogs thereof are also contemplated by the present invention . thus , the peptide or analog of the present invention is intended to include a “ chemical derivative ” thereof which retains at least a portion of the function of the peptide which permits its utility in preventing or inhibiting t cell proliferative responses and autoimmune disease . a “ chemical derivative ” of a peptide or analog of the present invention contains additional chemical moieties not normally a part of the peptide . covalent modifications of the peptide are included within the scope of this invention . such modifications may be introduced into the molecule by reacting targeted amino acid residues of the peptide with an organic derivatizing agent that is capable of reacting with selected side chains or terminal residues . many such chemical derivatives and methods for making them are well known in the art . also included in the scope of the invention are salts of the peptides and analogs of the invention . as used herein , the term “ salts ” refers to both salts of carboxyl groups and to acid addition salts of amino groups of the peptide molecule . salts of a carboxyl group may be formed by means known in the art and include inorganic salts , for example , sodium , calcium , ammonium , ferric or zinc salts , and the like , and salts with organic bases such as those formed for example , with amines , such as triethanolamine , arginine , or lysine , piperidine , procaine , and the like . acid addition salts include , for example , salts with mineral acids such as , for example , hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid , and salts with organic acids , such as , for example , acetic acid or oxalic acid . such chemical derivatives and salts are preferably used to modify the pharmaceutical properties of the peptide insofar as stability , solubility , etc ., are concerned . and substitution analogs thereof in which met at position 5 is substituted by either ala or val ; gln at position 6 is substituted by either asp , glu or arg ; trp at position 7 is substituted by ala ; val at position 8 by ser ; and lys at position 9 is substituted by either glu or ala ; and deletion analogs thereof in which up to 5 amino acid residues are deleted from the c - terminal of peptide ia . and substitution analogs thereof in which thr in positions 9 and 10 are each substituted by either val or ala ; tyr at position 11 is substituted by phe ; asn at position 12 is substituted by asp ; gln at position 13 by glu ; lys at position 14 by glu ; and phe at position 15 by tyr , and deletion analogs thereof in which up to 5 amino acid residues are deleted from the c - terminal of peptide iia and substitution analogs thereof in which phe at position 6 is substituted by either thr or gly ; leu at position 7 is substituted by either ala or ser ; trp at position 8 is substituted by ala ; glu at position 9 is substituted by lys ; met at position 13 by ala ; and asp at position 14 by either lys or ser ; and deletion analogs thereof in which up to 5 amino acid residues are deleted from the c - terminal of peptide iiia . and substitution analogs thereof in which met at position 4 is substituted by ala ; asn at position 5 is substituted by either asp or arg ; trp at position 6 is substituted by ala ; val at position 7 by ser ; lys at position 8 by glu ; gln at position 9 by ala ; lys at position 13 by glu ; and ser at position 14 by ala ; and deletion analogs thereof in which up to 5 amino acid residues are deleted from the c - terminal of peptide iva . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 y y c a r s g r y g n y w g q g t l ( v ) and substitution analogs thereof in which ser at position 6 is substituted by phe ; gly at position 7 is substituted by ala ; arg at position 8 is substituted by either ala or glu ; asn at position 1 is substituted by asp ; tyr at position 12 by phe ; and trp at position 13 by either his or ala ; and deletion analogs thereof in which up to 5 amino acid residues are deleted from the c - terminal of peptide va . once an analog in accordance with the present invention is produced , its ability to inhibit the proliferative response of t lymphocytes of mice that are high responders to sle - inducing autoantibodies may be readily determined by those of ordinary skill in the art without undue experimentation using tests such as those described herein . one test which may be readily conducted is for the ability of substituted peptides to inhibit in vitro the proliferative responses of certain t cell lines and clones specific to sle - inducing autoantibodies . the t cell lines and clones may , for example , be the t cell lines and clones specific to the 16 / 6 id mab ( fricke et al ., 1991 ) established from immunized lymph node cells of mice by previously described methodology ( axelrod and mozes , 1986 ). cells are exposed to the stimulating antibody presented on irradiated syngeneic spleen cells in the presence of enriched medium every two weeks . the t cell lines are cloned by the standard limiting dilution technique . the proliferative responses of these t cell lines and clones are tested , for example , by the method described in materials and methods , section ( g ), herein . another test which can be conducted in order to select analogs having the desired activity is to test for the ability of the substituted peptides to inhibit the ability of the t cell lines and clones to provide help to peptide - specific b cells in the presence of the parent peptide . the substituted peptides may also be tested for their ability to bind directly , following biotinylation , to mhc class ii products on antigen - presenting cells of the relevant strains . for this purpose , n - terminal biotinylation of the relevant peptides is performed at 0 ° c . with an excess of biotin - n - hydroxysuccinimide in aqueous solution ( mozes et al ., 1989 ). mouse splenic adherent cells or human peripheral blood lymphocyte ( pbl )- adherent cells ( 1 × 10 6 / sample ) are incubated with biotinylated peptides in pbs containing 0 . 1 % bovine serum albumin ( pbs / bsa ) at 37 ° c . for 20 hr , followed by incubation with phycoerythrin - streptavidin for 30 min at 4 ° c . after each incubation , the cells are washed twice with the above solution . thereafter , the cells are analyzed by flow cytometry using facscan . in each analysis , a minimum of 5000 cells are examined ( for above procedures , see , for example , mozes et al ., 1989 ; zisman et al ., 1991 ). a further test which can be conducted is to test for the ability of the analogs to inhibit cytokine secretion by the t cell line or by t lymphocytes oh lymph nodes of mice that are high responders to sle - inducing autoantibodies . the cytokines are detected as follows : il - 1 activity is assessed either by elisa using a pair of capture and detecting antibodies ( as described below for il - 4 , il - 6 , il - 10 ) or using the lbrm - 33 ( 1a5 ) assay ( conlon , 1983 ) in which 1a5 cells are stimulated in the presence of phytohemagglutinin ( pha ), with either supernatants or recombinant il - 1 at various concentrations to secrete il - 2 . following an overnight incubation , supernatants of 1a5 cells are transferred to the il - 2 dependent cytotoxic t lymphocyte ( ctll ) line . stimulation of the ctll line by il - 2 is measured after 24 hr by incorporation of 3 [ h ]- thymidine . il - 2 is directly detected using the il - 2 dependent ctll line or by elisa . levels of il - 4 , il - 6 , il - 10 , infγ and tnfα in the supernatants are determined by elisa using antibodies to the various cytokines ( phamingen , san diego , calif ., usa ) according to the manufacturers instructions . peptides which test positive in one or more of these in vitro tests will provide a reasonable expectation of in vivo activity . however , in vivo tests can also be conducted without undue experimentation . thus , for example , adult mice may be injected with the candidate peptide at either day − 3 or day 0 . the mice are then immunized with the disease - inducing autoantibody or with the peptide . ten days later , lymph node cells of the mice are tested for their ability to proliferate to the immunogen in order to find out the inhibitory capacity of the candidate peptide . another such in vivo animal test consists in measuring the therapeutic activity directly in the murine model in vivo for the production of sle as described above . the peptides can be injected into the mice in which experimental sle is induced by different routes at different dosages and at different time schedules . in order to determine the pharmnacokinetic parameters of the analogs , including volume of distribution , uptake into antigen - presenting cells and clearance , one can use biotinylated derivatives of the analogs . the concentration of the soluble fraction of the analogs in the various body fluids can be determined by elisa , using avidin - coated plates and specific anti - peptide antibodies . cell bound analogs can be analyzed by facs , using fluorochromo - conjugated avidin or streptavidin . furthermore , the treated mice can be tested periodically in order to determine the effect of the peptides on the autoantibody responses and on disease manifestations elicited in the mice by the sle - inducing autoantibody . another in vivo procedure consists in tolerizing newborn mice with the candidate peptide followed by immunization of the mice with the pathogenic autoantibody , such as 16 / 6 id +, or with the same peptide , and following the disease manifestations , such as serological findings associated with leukopenia , elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate , proteinuria , abundance of immune complexes in the kidneys and sclerosis of the glomeruli . it can thus be seen that , besides the preferred embodiments which have been shown to be operable in the examples herein , those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to determine additional analogs which will also be operable following the guidelines presented herein without undue experimentation . a relatively simple in vitro test can also be conducted in order to assay for the expected therapeutic efficacy of any given substituted peptide on any given sle patient . in order to assess the ultimate goal of producing peptides that will bind with high affinity to the appropriate mhc class ii molecules but will not lead to further activation of t cells and will therefore have a therapeutic effect on sle patients , the peptides may be assayed , following biotinylation , for their ability to bind directly to hla class ii products on antigen - presenting cells in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of the sle patients . healthy control donors and control peptides may be used in such assays to verify their specificity . a preferred form of the therapeutic agent of the invention is a peptide selected from the group of peptides of formulas i to v herein , including peptides ia to va and substitution and / or deletion analogs thereof . another preferred form of the therapeutic agent in accordance with the present invention is the form of a multi - epitope single peptide . thus , in a preferred embodiment , dual petides consisting of two different peptides selected from the group of peptides of formula 1 - v herein , are covalently linked to one another , such as by a short stretch of alanine residues or by a putative site for proteolysis by cathepsin . see , for example , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 126 , 249 and european patent 495 , 049 with respect to such sites . this will induce site - specific proteolysis of the preferred form into the two desired analogs . alternatively , a number of the same or different peptides of the present invention may be formed into a peptide polymer , such as , for example , polymerization of the peptides with a suitable polymerization agent , such as 0 . 1 % glutaraldehyde ( audibert et al . ( 1981 ), nature 289 : 593 ). the polymer will preferably contain from 5 to 20 peptide residues . such peptide polymers may also be formed by crosslinking the peptides or attaching multiple peptides to macromolecular carriers . suitable macromolecular carriers are , for example , proteins , such as tetanus toxoid , and linear or branched copolymers of amino acids , such as a linear copolymer of l - alanine , l - glutamic acid and l - lysine and a branched copolymer of l - tyrosine , l - glutamic acid , l - alanine and l - lysine ( t , g )- a - l -, or multichain poly - dl - alanine ( m . sela et al . 1955 , j . am . chem . soc . 77 : 6175 ). the conjugates are obtained , for example , by first coupling the peptide with a water - soluble carbodiimide , such as 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 ′- dimethylaminopropyl ) carbodiimide hydrochloride , and then performing the conjugation with the macromolecular carrier as described by muller , g . m . et al . ( 1982 ) proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 79 : 569 . the contents of the coupled peptide in each conjugate are determined by amino acid analysis , in comparison to the composition of the carrier alone . according to one embodiment of the present invention , one or more active peptides may be attached to a suitable macromolecular carrier or may be polymerized in the presence of glutaraldehyde . the peptides , polymers thereof or their conjugates with suitable macromolecular carriers , will be given to patients in a form that insures their bioavailability , making them suitable for treatment . if more than one peptide analog is found to have significant inhibitory activity , these analogs will be given to patients in a formulation containing a mixture of the peptides . the invention further includes pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one synthetic peptide according to the invention , a conjugate thereof with a suitable macromolecular carrier or a polymer thereof optionally with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . any suitable route of administration is encompassed by the invention , including oral , intravenous , subcutaneous , intraarticular , intramuscular , inhalation , intranasal , intrathecal , intraperitoneal , intradermal , transdermal or other known routes , including the enteral route . the dose ranges for the administration of the compositions of the present invention should be large enough to produce the desired effect , whereby , for example , an immune response to the sle - inducing autoantibody , as measured by t cell proliferation in vitro , is substantially prevented or inhibited , and further , where the disease is significantly treated . the doses should not be so large as to cause adverse side effects , such as unwanted cross reactions , generalized immunosuppression , anaphylactic reactions and the like . effective doses of the peptides of this invention for use in treating sle are in the range of about 1 μg to 100 mg / kg body weight . the dosage administered will be dependent upon the age , sex , health , and weight of the recipient , kind of concurrent treatment , if any , frequency of treatment , and the nature of the effect desired . the synthetic peptides and analogs of the invention , particularly those of sequences i to v herein , are aimed at inhibiting or suppressing specific antigen responses of sle patients , without affecting all other immune responses . this approach is of the utmost importance since most diagnosed patients are young women that have to be treated for many years and the currently accepted treatment for sle involves administration of immuno - suppressive agents , such as corticosteroids and / or cytotoxic drugs , that are both non - specific and have multiple adverse side effects . the present invention will now be described in more detail in the following non - limiting examples and the accompanying figures : a ) mice : mice ( balb / c and sjl / j ) were obtained from the jackson laboratory , bar harbor , me ., usa and from olac , show &# 39 ; s farm , bicesper oxon , england . mice were used at the age of 6 - 12 weeks . in some studies neonatal mice were also used . b ) human mab 16 / 6 id : the human mab 16 / 6 is an anti - dna antibody originally of the igm isotype and switched in culture to iggl . the mab was derived from a patient and expresses a common idiotype , the 16 / 6 id ( shoenfeld et al ., 1983 ; mendlovic et al ., 1988 ). the hybridoma cells secreting this mab are routinely grown in culture , and the antibody is isolated from culture supernatants using an affinity column of protein g coupled to sepharose ™. c ) production of mouse mab 5g12 and 2c4c2 : experimental sle was induced in c3h . sw female mice by immunization with the previously described murine anti - 16 / 6 id mab ( mendlovic et al ., 1989 ). four months later , two mice were sacrificed and their spleen cells were fused with x63 . 653 plasmacytoma cells . hybridoma cells that secreted autoantibodies were cloned by limiting dilution in 96 - well microtiter plates . the sequence characteristics of nine monoclonal autoantibodies secreted by nine of the hybridoma clones were characterized ( waisman and mozes , 1993 ). the mab designated 5g12 and 2c4c2 were isolated and affinity purified from the hybridoma supernatants using a goat anti - mouse ig - sepharose ™ 4b column . the 5g12 mab was found to be an anti - dna mab that bear the 16 / 6 id and have the igg2a isotype . the 2c4c2 mab was found to be an anti - dna and anti - cardiolipin mab and to be of the igm isotype . the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences for the v h of both 5g12 and2c4c2 mab are presented in fig1 of waisman and mozes , 1993 , in which figure the cdr regions are boxed . d ) induction of experimental sle in mice : mice were injected with the human monoclonal 16 / 6 id ( 1 μg / mouse ) or the murine 16 / 6 id mab , e . g . mab 5g12 ( 20 μg / mouse ), in complete freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant in the hind footpads . three weeks following injection , the mice were boosted with the same amount of the immunizing antibody in phosphate - buffered saline ( pbs ). the mice were then tested for autoantibody production and clinical manifestations characteristic of experimental sle . e ) detection of sle - associated clinical manifestations : the erythrocyte sedimentation rate was determined by diluting the heparinized blood in pbs at a ratio of 1 : 1 . the diluted blood was then passed to a microsampling pipette and the sedimentation was measured 6 hours later . white blood cell counts were determined after the hemolysis of heparinized blood . proteinuria was measured in a semi - quantitative manner , using a combistix kit ( ames , stoke poges , slough , u . k .). immunohistology was performed by incubation of fixed frozen cryostat sections with fitc - labeled antibodies to mouse ig . staining was visualized via use of a fluorescent microscope . f ) enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay ( elisa ): elisa was utilized for the detection and quantitation of antibodies in experimental mice , and in humans . polystyrene microtiter plates were coated with the relevant antigen or antibody , and sera dilutions or supernatants derived from the human or mouse cell cultures were added to the blocked plates . specific binding was determined following the addition of peroxidase - conjugated antibodies against the appropriate immunoglobulin ( ig ) ( e . g . goat anti - human or goat anti - mouse peroxidase - conjugated antibodies ) and the peroxidase substrate . optical densities were read at 414 nm using an elisa reader . g ) proliferative responses of splenic and lymph node cells : cells ( 0 . 5 × 10 6 / well ) derived from the spleen and lymph nodes of treated and untreated mice were cultured in microtiter plates in the presence of different concentrations of the various immunizing pathogenic autoantibodies . at the end of 96 hours incubation , 0 . 5 μci of 3 h - thymidine was added for an additional 18 hours , after which cells were harvested and radioactivity was counted . h ) treatment of experimental mice : in order to either prevent induction of experimental sle or to cure mice afflicted with the disease , the following procedures were used : ( i ) newborn mice were tolerized with a peptide of the invention ( 100 μg of the peptide in pbs , intraperitoneally at 24 and 72 hours after birth ). six weeks later , the mice were immunized with the pathogenic autoantibody , e . g . 5g12 ( 16 / 6 id +) and examined for disease manifestations ; ( ii ) a first group of adult mice was injected with various concentrations of the peptides before disease induction with the pathogenic autoantibody or pathogenic t cell line ; another group was injected with the peptides to be tested for their therapeutic effect six weeks following immunization at the peak of the serological response ; and a further group was treated at 4 - 6 months post - immunization after the establishment of the overt sle disease . the number of injections with the peptides was determined based on their effect on the disease induction and progression . the effect of the peptide treatment on t cell proliferation , on the autoantibody production and on the disease manifestations was then evaluated . i ) proliferative responses of t cell lines and clones : t cell lines and clones specific to the 16 / 6 id were established from immunized lymph node cells as previously described ( axelrod and mozes , 1986 ). cells were exposed to the stimulating antibody presented on irradiated syngeneic spleen cells in the presence of enriched medium every two weeks . the t cell lines were cloned by the limiting dilution technique . cells ( 10 4 / well ) were cultured with 0 . 5 × 10 6 irradiated ( 3000 rad ) syngeneic spleen cells in the presence of different concentrations of either the specific stimulator of the line or control reagents . at the end of 48 hours incubation , 0 . 5 μci of 3 h - thymidine were added for an additional 18 hours , after which cells were harvested and radioactivity was counted . j ) proliferation and cytokine production by peripheral blood lymphocytes ( pbl ): pbl from human sle patients and of the appropriate control donors ( 2 × 10 5 / well ) were cultured in microtiter plates in enriched medium containing 10 % pooled ab sera in the presence of the human or mouse monoclonal 16 / 6id antibody , in the presence of peptides of the invention or in the presence of phytohemagglutinin ( pha ). the rate of proliferation was evaluated by the incorporation of 3 [ h ]- thymidine in the cell culture . non - relevant peptides were used as specificity controls . antigen and mitogen - stimulated cytokine production was quantitated in the supernatants of the above cultures using either the cytokine - dependent lines or the appropriate pairs of antibodies in elisa assays . inhibition of the proliferative responses was performed iii vitro by adding increasing doses of the tested peptide analogs into the proliferative culture mixtures . k ) human t cell lines and clones : human t cell lines specific to the 16 / 6id may be established from pbl of either sle patients or controls following stimulation in vitro with either the human or mouse mab 16 / 6 id or the peptides . the maintenance and cloning of the lines was performed similarly to that described above for the murine t cell lines , with the exception that the stimulation was performed using either autologous irradiated cells or ebv - transformed lines of autologous pbl ( used as antigen - presenting cells ). l ) biotinylation of peptides : n - terminal biotinylation of the peptides was performed in 0 . 1n sodium bicarbonate solution at room temperature , with excess of biotinamnidocaproate n - hydroxysuccinimide ester ( sigma , st . louis , mo .) dissolved in 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone ( sigma ). m ) direct binding of biotinylated peptides to apc : spleen cells suspended in rpmi 1640 medium containing 10 % fcs were incubated in petri dishes for 60 min at 37 ° c . thereafter , non - adherent cells were removed , the plates were washed , and the adherent cells were collected from the plates using a rubber policeman ( costar , mass ., usa ). these cells ( 1 × 10 6 / 100 μl / tube ) were incubated with the biotinylated peptides in pbs containing 0 . 1 % bsa ( high purity grade , amresco , ohio , usa ) for 16 hr at 37 ° c ., followed by incubation with phycoerythrin ( pe )- streptavidin ( jackson immunoresearch ) for 30 min at 4 ° c . thereafter the samples were incubated with biotinylated anti - streptavidin ( 1 : 60 , vector laboratories , burlingame , calif .) and for an additional period with pe - streptavidin , all for 30 min at 4 ° c . the cells were washed twice with cold pbs / bsa solution after each incubation . thereafter , cells were analyzed by flow cytometry using the facsort cytometer and cellquest software ( beckton - dickinson , mountain view , calif .). three antibodies were used for inhibition of binding in these experiments : 34 - 5 - 3 ( anti - i - a b , pharmingen , san diego , calif . ); mkd6 ( anti - i - a d , beckton - dickinson ) and 10 . 3 . 6 . 2 ( anti - i - a s ( zamvil et al ., 1988 )). the synthetic peptides of the invention of the formulas ia , iia and iiia herein as well as control peptides were prepared with an automated synthesizer ( applied biosystem model 430a , germany ) using the manufacturer &# 39 ; s protocols for t - butyloxycarbonyl ( boc ) procedure ( see kent et al ., 1984 ; schnolzer et al ., 1992 ). briefly , in this procedure , commercially available side - chain protected amino acids were used , the amino acids being added at each step with at least 99 % efficiency . the protecting groups were removed from the peptides and were cleared from the resin with anhydrous hf . subsequently , the peptides were purified by extraction with ethyl acetate or isopropyl acetate and by hplc . the purity of the peptides ia , iia and iiia so obtained was then verified by hplc and amino acid analysis . for the preparation of peptides iva and va herein and analogs of the peptides ia to va of the invention , the same procedure as noted above may be used . the peptides ia , iia and iiia were then analyzed for their biological activity and other characteristics as set forth in examples 2 - 14 below . it is to be understood that the other peptides not so - tested may be subjected to the same analysis . detection of anti - dna antibodies in the sera of mice immunized with peptides ia and iiia sjl / j and balb / c female mice ( 6 - 8 week old ) were immunized with 20 μg of peptide ia or iiia of the invention , or with a control peptide designated p278 ( the peptide designated pep 278h described in published pct international application wo 94 / 03208 ) or with mab 5g12 emulsified in complete freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant ( cfa ) in the foot pads . three weeks later the mice received a booster injection with the same amount of peptide or mab , in pbs . thereafter , blood was drawn every two weeks . a fifth group included non - immunized mice . [ 0100 ] fig1 depicts the anti - dna antibodies in the sera of mice three months after the booster injection , and is very similar to the amount of the autoantibodies produced in later periods . as shown in fig1 a , sjl / j mice that were immunized with the peptide iiia ( open circles ) show a high level of anti - dna antibodies , that is higher than that of mice immunized with the whole antibody 5g12 ( open boxes ). low levels of anti - dna antibodies were observed in the sera of sjl / j mice immunized with either the peptide ia ( open diamonds ), control peptide p278 ( open triangles ) or normal non - immunized mice ( crossed square ). as shown in fig1 b , balb / c mice that were immunized either with the whole antibody 5g12 ( open boxes ) or the peptide ia ( open diamonds ) show presence of anti - dna antibodies in the sera . however , sera of balb / c mice immunized with either the peptide iiia ( open circles ), p278 ( open triangles ) or normal non - immunized mice ( crossed square ) did not show presence of anti - dna antibodies . elisa was utilized to test the presence of the anti - dna antibodies in the sera of the mice , as follows : plates ( nunc ) were coated for 90 min with 10 μg / ml of methylated bsa . thereafter the plates were washed ( all the washes were 3 times with pbs / 0 . 05 % tween 20 ( sigma )) and incubated for an additional 90 min with 10 μg / ml of single - stranded dna ( calf thymus dna ( sigma ) that was heated for 15 min at 90 ° c . and fast - cooled ). the plates were washed and blocked overnight with 1 % ovalbumin in pbs ( sigma ). thereafter , the plates were washed and incubated with the sera of the mice diluted in the blocking reagent , followed by wash and incubation with 1 : 500 dilution of goat anti - mouse igg ( fc receptor specific ) polyclonal antibody conjugated to peroxidase . the plates were then washed and developed using abts substrate ( sigma ), and the color was read using an elisa reader at 414 nm . results are expressed as mean od of each mouse group ( 5 mice per group ). detection of anti - nuclear extract ( ne ) antibodies in the sera of mice immunized with the peptides ia and iiia five groups of mice were immunized according to example 2 , and their sera were tested for the presence of anti - ne antibodies . as shown in fig2 a , sjl / j mice immunized with the mab 5g12 ( open squares ) or with the peptide iiia ( open circles ) produced a high level of anti - ne antibodies , whereas mice immunized with the peptide ia ( open diamonds ) or p278 control peptide ( open triangles ), or normal non - immunized mice ( crossed squares ), produced lower levels of anti - ne antibodies . as shown in fig2 b , balb / c mice immunized with the mab 5g12 ( open squares ) or with the peptide ia ( open diamonds ) produced high levels of anti - ne antibodies , whereas very low level of anti - ne antibodies was detected in the sera of balb / c mice immunized with the peptide iiia ( open circles ). no anti - ne antibodies were detected in the group of mice immunized with p278 control peptide ( open triangles ) or in normal non - immunized mice ( crossed squares ). elisa was utilized to test the presence of the anti - ne antibodies in the sera of the mice , as follows : plates ( nunc ) were coated with 5 μg / ml of of hela cells ne for 90 min . thereafter plates were washed and blocked , and elisa was continued the next day , as described in example 2 for anti - dna antibodies . detection of anti - rnp , sm , ro and la antibodies in the sera of mice immunized with the peptides ia and iiia the same sera of the mice as described in examples 2 and 3 were used for detection of anti - rnp , sm , ro and la antibodies . as shown in fig3 a , sjl / j mice immunized with the peptide iiia ( lined box ) produced extremely high levels of anti - ro autoantibodies , antibodies that are typical for sle in humans . high levels of anti - rnp , anti - sm and anti - la antibodies were detected not only in sjl / j mice immunized with the peptide iiia ( lined box ), but also with the peptide ia ( closed box ), as compared to normal mice ( open box ) or to mice immunized with the control peptide p278 ( dotted box ). as shown in fig3 b , balb / c mice immunized with the peptide ia ( closed box ) or the peptide iiia ( lined box ) produced very high levels of anti - rnp antibodies . however , balb / c mice immunized with the peptide iiia ( lined box ) showed very low levels of anti - sm , anti - la and anti - ro antibodies , as compared to balb / c mice immunized with the peptide ia ( closed box ) which produced detectable antibodies in the sera . plates were purchased as pre - coated plates and were blocked with 1 % ovalbumin in pbs for 2 hr . thereafter the plates were washed as in example 2 above , incubated in duplicates with 1 : 10 diluted sera , washed again and elisa was carried out as described in example 2 above . clinical manifestations of sle in mice immunized with the peptides ia and iiia balb / c and sjl mice were immunized with mab 5g12 or with peptides ia and iiia , and five months later were checked by two criteria for manifestation of sle : white blood cell count ( wbc ) and proteinuria . ( i ) white blood cell count ( wbc ): the mice were bled , their blood was diluted 1 : 10 with 1 % ( vol / vol ) acetic acid in order to eliminate the red blood cells , and white blood cells were counted under a normal light microscope . proteinuria : the urine of the mice was tested using combisticks ( combistix kit , ames ) for the presence of protein . high levels of protein in the urine are indicative of kidney damage , a typical manifestation of sle . the results for both wbc and proteinuria are shown in table 1 : mice immunized with either the mab 5g12 or the peptides ia or iiia had a lower number of white blood cells in comparison to non - immunized mice or those immunized with p278 control peptide . high levels of protein were measured in the urine of both balb / c and sjl mice immunized with mab 5g12 , of sjl mice immunized with the iiia peptide and of balb / c mice immunized with the ia peptide , while a smaller increase in protein level was detected in the urine of both mice immunized with control peptide p278 , of iiia - immunized balb / c mice anf of ia - immunized sjl mice . as shown in previous examples , the peptides ia and iiia were used for the immunization of different mouse strains , in parallel to their immunization with the whole monoclonal antibody . the draining lymph nodes of the mice proliferated to the immunizing peptides to different extents , depending on the mouse strains . thus , balb / c mice were found to be high responders to peptide ia , whereas sjl mice were found to be high responders to peptide iiia . both peptides were used in attempts to induce experimental sle using the protocol utilized for the pathogenic autoantibodies . it was found that sjl mice that were immunized with peptide iiia and balb / c mice that were immunized with peptide ia produced elevated levels of autoantibodies including anti - dna ( see fig1 ) and anti - ne antibodies ( see fig2 ). moreover , the immunized mice developed leukopenia and proteinuria ( see table 1 ) similarly to mice in which experimental sle has been induced using the murine anti - dna , 16 / 6id + pathogenic 5g12 mab . kidney analysis of the peptide - injected mice revealed mild immune complex deposits in part of the mice . these results indicate that peptides ia and iiia are important t cell epitopes of the whole molecule of the pathogenic autoantibody . in order to assess the correlation between the peptides of the invention and t cells , a t cell line specific to peptide iiia of sjl origin ( high responders to the peptide iiia ) was established . the t cells of the line proliferated specifically to the peptide iiia but not to non - relevant control peptide p278 , and upon stimulation with peptide iiia , secreted the thi - type cytokines , namely , il - 2 , ifnγ and tnfα . injection of the t cell line into syngeneic healthy mice led to the production of autoantibodies and development of clinical manifestations that are characteristic to mice with experimental sle . these results confirm the role of the cdr - based peptides of the invention in experimental sle and demonstrate the role of the peptide - specific t cells in the autoimmune disease . detection of anti - dna and anti - ne antibodies in the sera of balb / c mice tolerized with the peptide ia and immunized with either peptide ia or mab 5g12 in order to further elucidate the role of the peptides in sle , peptide ia was utilized for the induction of tolerance in balb / c mice . newborn mice were injected twice ( at day 1 and 3 ) with either peptide ia or a control peptide . thus , neonatal balb / c mice , 24 hr old , were injected intraperitoneally ( i . p .) with 100 μg of the peptide ia or the control peptide p307 ( a peptide related to myasthenia gravis described in published pct application no . wo 94 / 00148 ) in pbs , and received a second injection 48 hr later with the same amount of peptide . six to seven weeks after injection , the mice were immunized as described in example 2 above with either the mab 5g12 or the peptide ia . the mice were bled two weeks after boost ( and then periodically every two weeks ) and the sera of the mice were tested for the presence of anti - dna or anti - ne antibodies , as described in examples 1 and 2 above . the assays performed to measure these autoantibody titers in the sera of the experimental mice indicated that the mice that were tolerized with peptide ia did not produce significant titers of antibodies to either dna or nuclear extract antigens , whereas mice tolerized to the control peptide p307 prior to their immunization with peptide ia or the mab 5g12 produced high autoantibody titers . as shown in fig4 a - b , balb / c mice that were either tolerized with the peptide ia and then immunized with the mab 5g12 ( half - filled squares ), or tolerized with the peptide ia and then immunized with the same peptide ia ( filled squares ) produced lower levels of anti - dna and anti - ne antibodies in comparison with mice that were tolerized with the non - relevant peptide p307 and then immunized with the mab 5g12 ( filled triangles ), or tolerized with peptide 307 and then immunized with peptide ia ( filled circles ). this indicates that neonatal tolerization with the peptide ia could lower the levels of autoantibodies in the sera of mice later immunized with the peptide ia or the mab 5g12 . in vivo inhibition of lymph node cell ( lnc ) proliferation responses to the cdr - based peptides ia and iiia balb / c ( fig5 a ) and sjl ( fig5 b ) mice were immunized with peptides ia and iiia ( 20 μg / mouse in cfa i . d . in the hind footpads ), respectively . the mice were also injected i . v . with 200 μg of the above peptides in pbs either 3 days prior to immunization ( open squares ), at the immunization day ( open circles ) or at both dates ( open triangles ). ten days later the mice were sacrificed and their lymph nodes were removed and tested for proliferation in the presence of different concentrations of the immunizing peptide . control groups were of lnc taken from mice that were immunized but not treated ( filled squares ), or treated with control peptide , p307 ( half filled squares ). the culture mixtures were incubated for 96 hours in enriched rpmi medium containing 1 % normal mouse serum prior to addition of 3 h - thymidine . sixteen hours later cells were harvested and radioactivity was counted . results are expressed as mean cpm of triplicates . sd values did not exceed 10 %. as shown in fig5 a - b , both peptides ia ( 5 a ) and iiia ( 5 b ) inhibited proliferative responses of lnc of balb / c and sjl mice , respectively , when injected to the mice either 3 days prior to , or at the immunization day : up to 95 % of the proliferative capacity of the cells was inhibited by the peptides . the inhibition was specific since the proliferative responses of the lnc to con a were not inhibited by peptides ia and iiia ( not shown ). in vivo inhibition of lnc proliferation of mice immunized with mab 5g12 and treated with peptides ia and iiia balb / c ( fig6 a ) and sjl ( fig6 b ) mice were immunized with mab 5g12 ( 20 μg / mouse in cfa i . d . in the hind footpads ) and were injected ( 200 μg / mouse i . v . in pbs ) with either peptide ia or iiia , respectively . proliferation responses to mab 5g12 were measured in lnc taken from mice that were immunized and not treated ( filled squares ), treated concomitantly with immunization with the control peptide p307 ( half filled squares ) or treated with the appropriate cdr - based peptide ia ( 6 a ) or iiia ( 6 b ) ( open squares ). proliferation responses to the immunodominant cdr - based peptide ia and iiia was also monitored in lnc taken from non - treated mice ( filled circles ) or from mice treated with the appropriate cdr - based peptide ia or iiia ( open circles ). results are expressed as mean cpm of triplicates . sd values did not exceed 10 %. as shown in fig6 a - b , proliferative responses to mab 5g12 of lnc taken from mice treated with the appropriate cdr - based peptide were inhibited comparing to the responses of non - treated mice . in vivo inhibition of lnc proliferation to the human monoclonal anti - dna 16 / 6id antibody balb / c ( fig7 a ) and sjl ( fig7 b ) mice were immunized with human mab 16 / 6id ( 1 μg / mouse in cfa i . d . in the hind footpads ) and were injected ( 200 μg / mouse i . v . in pbs ) with either peptide ia or iiia , respectively . proliferation responses to mab 16 / 6id were measured in lnc taken from immunized but not - treated mice ( filled squares ), from mice treated concomitantly with immunization with the control peptide p307 ( half filled squares ) or from mice treated with the appropriate cdr - based peptide ia or iiia ( open squares ). proliferation responses were also shown to the immunodominant cdr - based peptide ia or iiia of lnc taken from 16 / 6id immunized non - treated mice ( filled circles ) or from mice treated with the appropriate cdr - based peptide ia or iiia ( open circles ). results are expressed as mean cpm of triplicates . sd values did not exceed 10 %. as shown in fig7 a - b , proliferative responses to mab 16 / 6id of lnc taken from mice treated with the appropriate cdr - based peptide ia or iiia were inhibited comparing to the responses of immunized but not treated mice , or mice treated with the control peptide p307 . binding of cdr - based peptides ia and iiia to the surface of splenic antigen - presenting cells ( apc ) splenic adherent cells ( 10 6 / 100 μl / tube ) isolated from balb / c , sjl , c3h . sw or c57bl / 6 mice were incubated for 16 hours with biotinylated cdr - based peptide ia or iiia followed by incubation with pe - streptavidin for 30 min at 4 ° c . thereafter the samples were incubated with biotinylated anti - streptavidin and for an additional period with pe - streptavidin , all at 4 ° c . for 30 min . after washing , the cells were analysed by flow cytometry using the facsort cytometer and cellquest software . the results are shown in fig8 : staining of cells that were incubated with the biotinylated cdr - based peptides is marked by solid lines , and background staining with non - biotinylated peptide is marked by broken lines . splenic antigen - presenting cells derived from all tested mouse strains ( except for c57bl / 6 mice that are resistant to induction of sle ) showed significant binding of both cdr - based peptides ia and iiia to mhc class ii products , indicating that their binding capacity agrees with the susceptibility of the mouse strains to sle induction . binding of the cdr - based peptides ia and iiia to apc was determined as described in materials and methods herein and the results are shown in table 2 . binding percentage was about 38 - 53 % for all strains , except for apc from c57bl / 6 strain which showed only 19 . 3 % and 8 . 5 % binding with peptides ia and iiia , respectively the binding was inhibited by the relevant anti - ia antibodies showing the specificity of the binding to mhc class ii products . the results are shown in table 3 : inhibition of binding was specific and ranged from 60 % to 100 %. [ 0130 ] table 3 inhibition of binding of peptides ia and iiia to apc by anti - ia mab % inhibition mouse strain h - 2 mab pep ia pep iiia balb / c d anti i - a d ( mkd6 ) 76 . 7 100 balb / c d anti i - a b ( 34 - 5 - 3 ) 0 0 sjl s anti i - a s ( 10 . 3 . 6 . 2 ) 100 92 . 8 sjl s anti i - a d ( mkd6 ) 0 0 c3h . sw b anti i - a b ( 34 - 5 - 3 ) 60 84 . 4 c3h . sw b anti i - a d ( mkd6 ) 0 25 c57bl / 6 b anti i - a b ( 34 - 5 - 3 ) 82 59 . 3 c57bl / 6 b anti i - a d ( mkd6 ) 0 0 detection of antibodies against peptides ia , iia and iiia , and anti - 16 / 6 id antibodies in the sera of sle patients and healthy controls human sle patients ( 32 patients ) were bled and their sera were tested by elisa for their ability to bind the peptides ia , iia and iiia , a control peptide p195 - 212 ( a myasthogenic peptide described in pct publication no . wo 94 / 00148 ) or mab 5g12 . detection of the antibodies was conducted on plates that were coated with 10 μg / ml of peptides ia , iia , iiia or p195 - 212 or mab 5g12 , in pbs for 2 hr , washed and blocked with 1 % ovalbumin in pbs for an additional 2 hr . elisa was continued as described after blockage in example 2 above , using goat anti - human igg polyclonal antibody conjugated to peroxidase . as shown in fig9 sle patients exhibited significantly higher levels of antibodies that bind either peptide ia ( open squares ), iia ( open diamonds ) or iiia ( open circles ), or mab 5g12 ( open triangles ), in comparison to healthy controls ( peptide ia - healthy — closed diamonds ; peptide iia - healthy — crossed circles ; peptide iiia - healthy — inverted open triangles ; 5g12 - healthy — half filled squares ). no binding could be observed when either sera of patients or controls were tested on plates coated with the non - relevant peptide p195 - 212 ( p195 - 212 - sle — crossed squares ; p195 - 212 - healthy — half filled diamonds ). the results indicate a correlation between the whole antibody molecule and the cdr - based peptides on the level of antibody titers . proliferation of pbl from sle patients and healthy controls in the presence of human 16 / 6 id mab and peptides peripheral blood lymphocytes ( pbl ) were isolated from the blood of sle patients or healthy controls using ficol gradient . thereafter , the pbl were incubated in the presence of different concentrations of the peptides ia , iia or iiia , or the human 16 / 6 id mab for 24 hr , when a sample was taken for il - 2 measurement . the assay was continued for a total of 7 days , and 3 h - thymidine was added for the last 16 hr . proliferation was detected by reading the amount of radioactivity incorporated into the dna of the cells . as is seen in table 4 , a lower proportion of the pbl taken from sle patients reacted to the peptides or to the 16 / 6 id mab , when compared to the healthy controls . the results are expressed in percentage of responder ( 34 % in the first line ) and the actual number of patients ( 11 out of 32 : 11 / 32 ) similar results were obtained when the levels of the il - 2 produced by the pbl in the presence of the peptides or the 16 / 6 id mab were tested , as shown in the next example . pbl were isolated from blood of sle patients or healthy controls using ficol gradient , and were incubated as in example 13 . a sample of 50 μl was removed 24 hr after the assay was started , and incubated in the presence of il - 2 sensitive cells ( ctld ) for 24 hr , after which 3 h - thymidine was added for 16 hr , and the plates were harvested and counted on a beta counter . as in table 4 , it can also be seen from table 5 that a lower proportion of the pbl taken from sle patients reacted to the peptides or to the 16 / 6 id mab , when compared to the healthy controls , thus indicating that the response to the peptide corresponds to that of t cells of the patient to the pathogenic human autoantibody . | 0 |
reference is made first to fig1 a which is a perspective view of the detector tube system of the present invention shown fully assembled with the rear face of the tube positioned upright towards the top of the page and the front face of the tube hidden from view . detector tube system 10 of the present invention , when fully assembled , is shown to be constructed from container body 12 that is welded to a rear end cap ( not seen beneath the potting material ) at rear end cap weld 20 . electrical feed through conductors 24 are shown to extend through potting material 28 . exhaust port 30 ( to be connected to a vacuum source ) is also shown extending through potting material 28 and is designed to be pinched off during the manufacturing process . reference is next made to fig1 b which shows a cross - sectional view of the detector tube stack 10 of the present invention . the assembly comprises a container body 12 which holds and positions a number of plates 32 , 34 , and 36 , in a stacked configuration as shown . ceramic spacers / insulators 18 a - 18 d provide substrates for a plurality of electrical connections 26 . a formed end cap 16 is structured on the front of the container body 12 , as well as a second formed end cap 14 on the rear of the container body 12 . appropriate welds 20 & amp ; 22 are positioned and made as indicated . electrical feed through conductors 24 ( five in the preferred embodiment ) are positioned and terminate in electrical connections 26 ( again five in the preferred embodiment ) as shown . an exhaust port 30 is placed and positioned as shown and is pinched off during the manufacturing process ( as described in more detail below ). a quantity of potting 28 is positioned within the formed end cap ( rear ) 14 of the container body 12 . the exhaust port 30 and electrical feed through connections 24 extend through the potting material 28 . fig2 is a detailed cross - sectional view of the stack configuration shown generally in fig1 b . the potting material 28 of thickness is shown at the top of this cross - section view where it is supported by the formed end cap ( rear ) 14 of the container body 12 . a collector plate 32 is positioned within the container body 12 using the spacers and insulator substrates 18 as described above . the collector plate 32 , having a thickness , is positioned in spaced relationship from formed end cap ( rear ) 14 , a distance , and from detection plate 34 ( neutron sensitive material in the example shown ) a distance , positioned within the center of the container body 12 . detection plate 34 , having a thickness , is positioned in spaced relationship from electron generating plate 36 a distance of . the electron generating plate 36 , having a thickness , is positioned immediately inside the formed end cap ( front ) 16 of the container body 12 separated by a distance . the electron emissions from the electron generating plate 36 bombard the neutron micro channel plate ( mcp ) 34 during the scrubbing process . the process is proximity focused rather than beam focused as in the prior art . the bias voltage across the neutron mcp creates a cascade typical of normal mcp operation . the current ( electron flow ) is collected by the anode ( collector ) plate 32 . the components described above are mechanically located and fixed in position by the series of ceramic insulators and conductive contact surfaces as required . all of these components are sealed inside of the metal container that provides for a hermetic ultra high vacuum ( uhv ) environment for the device to function . as shown , the container includes electrical feed through connections , a pinch off pumping port , and a flashable getter . referencing back to fig1 b , the various plates , spacers , and electrical connections associated with the detector tube stack are characterized according to the normal functionality associated with each of the individual plates and layers . as shown in fig1 b , various electrical contacts are provided on the appropriate surfaces of the spacers to which electrical conductors may be connected to provide the necessary voltages for operation of the electron source during the manufacturing process , as well as the operation ( signal detection ) off of the detector plate after the detector tube stack manufacturing process is complete . these electrical connections may vary according to the specific construction of both the electron generating source ( i . e ., the number of electron generating plates in the component ) as well as the particular arrangement of the spacers and the required electrical contacts . the electrical conductor representation shown in fig1 b and further in fig3 ( described below ) are merely representative of a number of possible structures for making electrical connection to the internal components of the closed detector tube stack . five such contacts are specified in the preferred embodiment as providing two contacts to the electron generating plate , two contacts to the detector plate , and a single contact to the collector plate . in addition , the metal can enclosure may be held at a set electrical potential . fig3 is a top plan view of the detector tube system of the present invention shown with the potting material removed for clarity . in this view , detector tube system 10 is again shown to be constructed primarily of container body 12 on top of which is positioned formed end cap ( rear ) 14 . a representative ceramic spacer 18 a is shown in dashed outline form in this view for purposes of identifying the alignment of one or more electrical feed through conductors 24 a - 24 c . rear end cap weld 20 is shown as the seam between container body 12 and formed end cap rear ) 14 . in addition , exhaust port 30 is shown as a cylindrical tube extending through formed end cap ( rear ) 14 and welded to the same at exhaust port weld 31 . electrical feed through conductors 24 a - 24 c ( five shown in this particular embodiment ) are sealed against apertures formed in formed end cap ( rear ) 14 in the manner shown and are further sealed by the use of the potting material ( not shown ) as described above . fig4 is a top plan view of the plate stack of the present invention shown removed from the container body as a manner of clarifying the various diametrical sizes of the spacers and plates within the detector tube stack . in this view , ceramic spacers 18 a , 18 b , and 18 d are shown . plate stack 19 in this view is shown to comprise collector plate 32 ( positioned on the top in this view ), as well as detector plate ( neutron sensitive material ) 34 shown in dashed outline form as hidden in this particular orientation . the relative differences between the diameters of the various components in the detector tube stack shown are established primarily to allow for ready access to the necessary electrical contacts positioned on each of the spacer components , and to center the various operational plates within the detector tube stack . a given exposed area for each of the relevant functional plates ( collector plate 32 , detection plate 34 , and electron generating plate 36 ) will vary according to the overall requirements of the detector . this cross - sectional functional diameter is best seen in fig1 b where internally each of the functional plates are oriented and positioned parallel and in proximity to one another to define a circular exposure area between them that in turn defines the functional characteristics of the detector tube , both in the manufacturing process and in its operation . the novel concepts of the invention include the use of a scrub source ( the electron generating plate ) inside of the packaged device . this allows for a completely welded metal container that is very robust and simple to manufacture . the scrub source can be used as a signal generator after the device is sealed to test and calibrate the device . the use of the getter ( the collector plate ) allows for residual gas pumping after the device is sealed and burned in . the method of manufacture is generally as follows . the components include : the scrub source plate ; the neutron sensitive plate ; and the anode plate . these components are arranged in a stack using metal rings for electrical contacts and ceramic spacers to insulate each component from one another . ceramic spacers are also located at the top and bottom of the stack to insulate the metal can from the sensor stack up . each component plate has appropriate electrical connections and is attached to a feed through conductor . the assembly process is as follows . a quality check is made of all components . the stack up of components is assembled with the scrub source plate , the neutron plate , the anode plate , the metal contact rings , and the contact spacers , as shown in fig1 a , 1 b & amp ; 2 . the above components are stacked up with the correct spacing and are placed into the base section of the metal container ( can ). the electrical connections are made and the cover is placed onto the can . the cover is welded ( laser or tig ) in place with a hermetic quality weld . the pinch off tube is connected to a helium leak detector and the can is leak checked . reference is next made to fig5 a for a furthe description of the individual device assembly process of the method of the present invention . assembly process 100 begins at step 102 whereby a quality check of all components to be assembled is carried out . this is followed at step 104 by the arrangement of the component stack to include the scrub source plate , the neutron detection plate , the anode plate , as well as the various metal contact rings and the contact spacers described above . at step 106 the arranged component stack is then installed into the base of the metal enclosure . various electrical connections are made at step 108 . the can cover is positioned and welded in place at step 110 and the helium leak check is performed at step 112 . the individual device assembly being completed , the process then proceeds to the multi - device process at step 114 . the next part of the process may be carried out on a number of detector enclosures being produced at the same time . an array of containers may be configured on assembly trees and processed in steps as a group . an advantage of this tree system of processing is that it is scalable . that is , tree one may carry out loading ; tree two may carry out pumping and bake out ; tree three may carry out scrubbing ; and tree four may carry out pinch off , sealing , and unloading . the manufacturing process is scalable since trees can be added anywhere on the line . it is likely that there would be multiple trees scrubbing at the same time , for example . if each process took one day to complete ( for example ), then day five would begin the second loading of tree one and every day would yield finished product after that . reference is next made to fig5 b which is a flow chart describing the multi - device manufacturing process of the method of the present invention . multi - device process 120 is initiated at step 122 where multiple manufactured containers are arranged on an assembly tree as described above . at step 124 a vacuum source is connected and pumps down the containers to a pre - bake out pressure . the method than proceeds at step 126 to carry out the container bake out process before initiating electron scrubbing at step 128 . the duration of the scrubbing is adjusted according to power level and the desired signal to noise ratio for the detector at step 130 . the multi - device process then proceeds at step 132 by pinching off the tubing components on each of the devices and then sealing and unloading the individual containers from the assembly tree . this results in the finished product at step 134 . the manufacturing process is therefore highly efficient since there is less investment in assembly processing than with a hot or cold indium sealing process . additionally , if the container / can fails a leak check , it can be re - worked and checked again many times . if the can is deemed unusable , it can be disassembled and the components can be re - used with little risk of damage . one key feature is that the sensor is packaged and sealed into the container / can before it is pumped . when the leak check is passed , the container / can is attached to a pumping station . a pumping station can accommodate a large quantity of containers / cans to be processed . the tree is then “ pumped down ” to a pre - bake out base pressure . an oven is placed around the loaded tree and the process is performed . when the bake is completed the scrubbing process can begin . depending on the ev ( power level of the scrub source ), and required signal to noise ratio of the finished sensor , this scrubbing step in the process can take several days . the various components in the assembly of the present invention may be constructed of various materials known in the art for such elements internally operational in a vacuum environment . the collector plate , for example , should be constructed of a conductive metal with an oxidation free surface that does not insulate against or resist the electrons that are generated by the internal workings of the detector . a nickel based material may be preferred , but polished aluminum or stainless steel may also be utilized for the material of the collector plate . the basic concepts of the present invention may be implemented in conjunction with detector tube stacks that contain more than one electron generating plates and more than one neutron sensing micro channel plates ( mcp ). the multiple plates in each case would of course dictate additional electrical contacts in order to carry out the operation of each of the components either during the manufacturing process or during the operational process . the typical exhaust port of the present invention may be constructed from copper vacuum tubing and may exit any surface of the detector , although the preferred embodiment places the same onto the rear end cap where each of the electrical penetrations are also made . the exhaust port may be directed straight out of the detector as shown in the figures , or may bend ninety degrees relative to the indicated attachment surfaces . some flexibility with regard to the tubing is desired in order to allow multiple detectors to be variously stacked or arranged during processing in the multi - device manufacturing method described . the relative dimensions and spacing in the detector tube stack ( seen most accurately in fig2 ) may also vary according to the specific characteristics required of the detector . in fig2 the direction of particle detection is from the bottom of the page to the top , i . e ., from the front of the detector to the rear . formed end cap ( front ) 16 of the detector housing is a vacuum tight metal skin such as % inch to ¼ inch thick stainless steel or aluminum . such thicknesses are necessary in order to prevent the vacuum within the detector from collapsing or crumpling the skin wall . the electron generating plate must be far enough away from this front face enclosure wall as to prevent any arcing . a preferred dimension ( ) may be 0 . 050 inches , or a distance in the range of 0 . 020 inches to 0 . 250 inches . electron generating plates are available in thicknesses similar to standard micro channel plates ( mcp ) such as 0 . 4 mm , 0 . 5 mm , or 1 . 0 mm thick . the spacing between the electron generating plate and the detection plate ( ) may be as small as 0 . 010 inches but is preferably in the range of 0 . 025 inches to 0 . 050 inches , again simply to avoid arcing between the plates . the thickness of the micro - channel plate ( detector plate ) may be a standard thickness , as described above ranging from 0 . 4 mm to 1 . 0 mm . again these include commercially available products such as 0 . 4 mm , 0 . 5 mm , 0 . 6 mm , 0 . 8 mm , and 1 . 0 mm thick plates . the spacing from the mcp to the detector output ( collector plate ) may be similar to the spacing between the remaining plates as described above . in the case that the detector output contact anode consists of a phosphor coated optic , a generally greater voltage is applied which requires increased spacing between the component and the formed end cap ( rear ) of the overall enclosure . this spacing may preferably be from 0 . 020 inches to 0 . 100 inches as higher voltages are usually used to accelerate detector signal electrons to surfaces requiring additional photonic output . the collector anode for the detector may be a thin sheet of metal as described above , such as 0 . 5 mm thickness . detectors , no matter how well they are pumped out in initial processing , are not immune to having less than all molecules or atoms of volatile species initially pumped out of the detector prior to the processing , or immune from bulk materials used to construct the detector that may outgas volatile species over the life of the detector . in either case gas may accumulate inside the detector after it has been sealed and a non - evaporable getter is normally positioned within the detector to sequester the molecules to the getter and remove them the operational internal surfaces of the detector plates . during the burn - in of a detector , a slow initial activation of the detector for the first time , care is taken to not electrically arc the internal components . the various electrical contacts internal to the system ( see fig1 b ) will have wire conductors welded or soldered to them that provide the various isolated voltages at the detector contact surfaces . these electrical conductors are attached and soldered to the inner post of the electrical feed through during the assembly phase prior to attaching them . welding and electrical testing is typically done by hand . the loaded detector enclosures are baked under vacuum to several hundred degrees centigrade ( between 300 and 500 degrees centigrade ). the electron scrubbing occurs after the manufacturing systems and detectors have substantially cooled down to between room temperature and 100 degrees centigrade . assembly trees of loaded detectors may run with global common voltages to the same functional feed - through conductors or each detector may have dedicated power supplies as necessary . the level of process control tends to be better with dedicated power supplies to each of the individual detector components . voltages and currents are slowly ramped up during mcp activations ( scrubbing of the mcp component ) to normal detector voltages and currents . additional quality checks are carried out during the manufacturing process . a clean pumped out detector is interfaced or connected to a helium leak detection system wherein a small partial pressure of helium is introduced to the outer surfaces of the detector and a leak checker senses for small levels of helium penetrating through or around the detector &# 39 ; s seals or surfaces . the present invention again provides for multi - detector assembly steps that exceed the typical loading levels and output rates of traditional detector vacuum processing systems . the present invention may in practice hold several times more detectors than traditional vacuum manufacturing systems ( twelve versus fifty detectors on - line at a time per system ). although the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a round ( cylindrical ) package at a 40 mm diameter format , various other configurations are possible . 50 mm or 75 mm round formats may function in the same manner as described above . it is also possible for a square 50 mm by 50 mm format to operate at the same manufacturing structures and through the same manufacturing steps as described above . on balance , the manufacture of a round detector is more efficient than that of a square detector but certain applications may prefer square detectors in their final use and in assemblies with various components in which the detector functionality will be carried out . although the present invention ( apparatus and methods ) has been described in conjunction with a preferred embodiment , those skilled in the art will recognize alternate embodiments appropriate for use with different types of detectors and different manufacturing environments . the example provided relates primarily to a neutron detector although other types of particle and em radiation detectors could also be manufactured using the principles of the present invention . in addition , the specific geometry ( shape and size ) shown for the detector stack is likely to vary depending on the particular application to which the detector is placed . in the example shown the basic neutron detector might use , for example , a 40 mm tube body with a welded anode ; an 18 mm neutron detector mcp style plate ; and an 18 mm electron generating plate . the adaptor rings would be designed and fabricated to fit the 18 mm and 40 mm components as required and provide electrical contact to the tube body connections . the desired front end spacing would be set by the spacer placements and thicknesses . the welds would engage the typical indium trough at the front end of the 40 mm tube body . the construction would include a sensor stack container that would completely envelope the 40 mm tube body when the lid is attached and would further include five high vacuum electrical feed throughs , a nickel pinch off tube with cf flange attachment for pumping system connection , upper and lower ceramic spacers to insulate and stabilize the tube body inside of the can , all of which will minimize overlaps and virtual leak paths . the basic methodology which may be adapted ( again to specific types of detectors and specific manufacturing environments ) includes the steps of : arranging and constructing the stack ( and surrounding components ); leak checking ( re - working as necessary ); connecting ; pumping ; baking ; scrubbing ; testing ( basic operational ); pinching off ; and final testing ( particle source ). a further improvement to the manufacturing process may be achieved through the use of an ion pump that is maintained on the container / can . this would provide the added benefits of removing any gasses released during testing and / or burn in . the ion pump may also function as a vacuum gauge to quantify any noise or sensitivity data during testing . component damage can be avoided if the vacuum pressure is monitored and is not too high . | 8 |
referring now to fig1 which schematically illustrates a processing system 3 in accordance with the present invention , processing system 3 includes a photographic processor 5 . photographic processor 5 is preferably a self contained processor which includes no external plumbing for supplied processing chemical solutions . self - contained processor 5 could include internal or external plumbing for waste solution . processor 5 can be any one of a number of types of processors . non - limiting examples of processors that could be used in the present invention include processors such as is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 383 , 727 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 784 , 661 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 864 , 729 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 890 , 028 , copending u . s . application ser . no . 09 / 920 , 495 , or co - pending gb application no . 0122457 . 5 . in addition to these processors and their methods for applying processing solutions to film , methods such as inkjet or spray bar application of processing solutions , for example , as is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 477 , 301 or u . s . pat . no . 5 , 758 , 223 , may be employed in the present invention . processor 5 is adapted to be fluidly connected with a processing solution supply system or cartridge 12 which supplies known processing solutions for processing photographic film or material in processor 5 . processing solution supply system or cartridge 12 is adapted to hold and supply developer solution , bleach solution , fix solution and a final rinse or cleaning solution to processor 5 . optionally , processing solution supply system 12 could include a waste cartridge for collecting waste solution after having gone through a processing cycle in processor 5 , and further , the waste cartridge could include a device for treating the waste solution . a processing solution supply system or cartridge 12 which can be utilized in the present invention is described in co - pending u . s . application ser . no . 09 / 823 , 076 or in research disclosure no . 408110 . as a still further option , and in order to conserve packaging material used by processing system 5 , processing solution system or cartridge 12 could be adapted to be refurbished at a refurbishing station 14 , for re - use in processor 5 . the features of the refurbishment basically involves at least cleaning out the processing solution containers and replacing those containers where damage or wear causes the container to no longer be used . a refurbishing system in accordance with the features of the present invention is described in research disclosure no . 408110 or co - pending application ser . no . 09 / 823 , 076 . a refurbishing system as described in this co - pending application involves a method of distributing photoprocessing solution from a source of manufacture to a photofinishing site which utilizes a packaging system that can be re - used several times , until damage or wear causes its physical integrity to render it unusable . the repeated re - use of the robust container reduces the amount of packaging materials consumed per unit area of imaging materials processed . as a still further feature of processing system 3 of the present invention , processor 5 could include a heat recovery system 7 as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 290 , 404 . this provides for an efficient use of energy for processing system 3 by capturing and using heat generated by the mechanical , electrical or electro - mechanical components of the processor to process photographic material . also , a water recovery and supply system 9 provides for efficient re - use of water within the system of processing 5 . more specifically , an efficient water recovery system includes water recovery from humid air sources for reuse in the processing system as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 383 , 727 . wash water recovery and supply system 9 could be separate or integrated with processor 5 . as described above , the interaction of the consumption of chemistry , water , packaging material and energy contribute to the total efficiency of a photographic processor . however , the nature of the relationship between the different parameters makes it difficult to design an efficient processor which takes into account all of these parameters since an improvement in one category may have an adverse effect on another . applicants note that a processor which exhibits preferred eco - efficiency characteristics is a konica qp - 32 film processor ( originally offered for use with the konica qd - 21 minilab system ) and this processor is used as a reference processor in the present invention . more specifically , the values representing the consumption of chemistry , water , packaging material and energy per unit amount of film processed in the konica qp - 32 film processor are used as reference values . in the konica qp - 32 film processor , it has been determined that for a unit amount or roll of film processed , the processor consumes 0 . 0085 kg of chemistry per roll ; 0 . 071 liter of water per roll ; 0 . 0057 kg of packaging material per roll ; and 0 . 77 mj of energy per roll . with respect to the present invention , these values will be considered reference values for determining an fpei for a processor . therefore , the fpei for the konica qp - 32 is 1 . 0 . eco - efficiency is generally expressed as a ratio of product or service value divided by environmental influence . in the present invention , the product value of a fully automated color film processor is defined as the number of rolls or unit amount of film developed . as noted upon , four environmental influences or parameters have been defined : water consumption ; chemistry consumption ; packaging consumption ; and energy consumption . all of these influences or parameters have been cited by the wbcsd as relevant to product eco - efficiency . in order to avoid a mathematical error in the ratio when one or more environmental influences is reduced to a value of zero , the conventional eco - efficiency ratio noted above has been inverted with respect to the present invention , and is expressed as follows : the fpei is preferably composed of four elements : liters of water consumed per roll or unit amount of film developed ( wt ); kilograms of chemistry consumed per unit amount or roll of film developed ( ch ); kilograms of packaging material consumed per unit amount or roll of film developed ( pk ); and megajoules of electrical power consumed per roll or unit amount of film developed ( en ). the fpei is calculated by the following formula ( equation ( 1 ): wtref = a reference amount of water needed to develop a unit amount of film ; wtact = an actual amount of water consumed per unit amount of film developed in the photographic processor ; chref = a reference amount of chemistry needed to develop the unit amount of film ; chact = an actual amount of chemistry consumed per unit amount of film developed in the photographic processor ; pkref = a reference amount of packaging material needed to develop the unit amount of film ; pkact = an actual amount of packaging material consumed per unit amount of film developed in the photographic processor ; enref = a reference amount of energy needed to develop the unit amount of film ; and enact = an actual amount of energy consumed per unit amount of film developed in said photographic processor . as indicated above , a unit amount can refer to a single roll of film or multiple rolls spliced together to form a batch . wt is calculated by adding the amount of water contained in all photochemical supply solutions ( wss ) to the water replenished during the processor operation ( wr ). both volumes are expressed in liters per standard roll or unit of film . a standard roll or unit includes 24 exposures of 35 mm film . ch is calculated by adding the mass ( less water ) of the chemical ingredients contained in all photochemical supply solutions consumed in order to process a standard roll of film . pk is calculated by adding the mass of all the packaging materials that are consumed in association with processing a standard roll of film . packaging materials include , but are not limited to , items associated with the supply of water or photochemistry such as bottles , closures , boxes , dividers , wrappers and cases , and specifically , the items with respect to the photofinishing solution chemical supply cartridge or system 12 . en is calculated by assuming that a typical film processor has four modes of power consumption during operation : sleep mode , warm - up mode , idle mode , and processing mode . in sleep mode , the processing solutions are not heated , but some type of timing device may be active to enable the processor to begin heating solutions at a predetermined time . in practice , a processor may operate in sleep mode for twelve hours per day . warm - up mode is a transient condition in which the processor components are heated to a desired temperature state . no processing occurs during warm - up mode . the time period for warm - up ( t warm - up ) is dependent upon the processor design . in processing mode , film is actively being processed ; solutions are held at a defined temperature , and drive motors and dryers are operating . in practice , a processor may operate in this mode each day for the amount of time required to process 25 standard rolls of film ( t processing ), end to end . t processing is dependent on processor design . idle mode is the state in which the processor can begin processing film immediately , but is not actively processing . typically , a processor operates in idle mode for the balance of the day ( t idle ( hrs )= 24 − 12 − t warm - up − t processing ( hrs )). power consumption in sleep , idle , warm - up and processing modes can be measured with a standard wattmeter . these values are denoted as watts sleep , watts idle , watts warm - up and watts processing . accordingly , the following formula ( 2 ) is used to calculate en : en ( mj / roll )={ 0 . 0036 mj / watt - hr *[( watts sleep * 12 )+ watts processing * t processing + watts warm - up * t warm - up + watts idle * t idle ]}÷ 25 . ( 2 ) improvements in eco - efficiency are realized in a fully - automated color film processor by combining the attributes or parameters noted above . more specifically , improvements in eco - efficiency can be achieved by minimizing the mass and / or the volume of photochemical solution that is heated by the processor , managing the intelligent energy of the electrical components of the processor , simplifying the processor design to minimize power consumption , minimizing the time required to process the film , recovering waste heat produced during operation of the processor , recovering and re - using water evaporated during operation of the processor , minimizing the mass of packaging material , re - using packaging materials , and applying integrated silver recovery technology for simplified waste handling . inclusion of these attributes and using the reference values for the konica qp - 32 processor , equation ( 1 ) results in a fpei of greater than 1 . 0 , preferably greater than or equal to 1 . 05 , and most preferably greater than or equal to 1 . 1 . in designing an eco - efficient processor in accordance with the present invention , processing system 3 includes photographic processor 5 as shown in fig1 as well as a solution supply system 12 . processor 5 is preferably designed as a self - contained processor that has no external plumbing for supplying or discharging the chemical processing solutions to or from the processor , while the solution supply system is basically designed as a cartridge that is adapted to be fluidly connected to the processor . solution supply system 12 is adapted to supply chemical processing solution or water to photographic processor 5 to process photographic film . in the design of photographic processor 5 , an average consumption of water , chemistry , packaging material and energy per unit amount of photographic film processed in the processor is based on equation ( 1 ) noted above . that is , in determining the fpei for a particular processor , first , it is needed to determine the value that you will use for the reference amount of water needed to develop a unit amount of film . for this purpose , the konica qp - 32 film processor is utilized and it is known that this processor uses 0 . 071 liters of water per roll . this value is divided by the actual amount of water consumed per unit amount of film developed in processor 5 . additionally , a reference amount of chemistry needed to develop the unit amount of film is determined . again , the konica qp - 32 film processor can be used as a reference value and it is known that this processor uses 0 . 0085 kg of chemistry per roll . the reference value of chemistry is thereby divided by the actual amount of chemistry consumed per unit amount of film developed in processor 5 . additionally , a reference amount of packaging material needed to develop the unit amount of film is determined . again , using the konica qp - 32 film processor as a reference value , it is known that this processor uses 0 . 0057 kilograms of packaging material per roll . this value is divided by the actual amount of packaging material consumed per unit amount of film developed in processor 5 . finally , a reference amount of energy needed to develop the unit amount of film is determined . using the konica qp - 32 film processor as a reference value , it is noted that this processor uses 0 . 77 mj of energy per roll of film . this value is divided by the actual amount of energy consumed per unit amount of film developed in photographic processor 5 . all of the above is in accordance with equation ( 1 ). the sum of the above noted values is thereafter divided by four to provide for the fpei , also in accordance with equation ( 1 ). knowing the parameters necessary to provide for a preferred fpei , processor 5 of the present invention can be designed so as to provide for an index score that is greater than 1 . 0 , which is an fpei for a processor ( konica qp - 32 film processor ) that is considered to have acceptable eco - efficient properties . therefore , processor 5 can be designed to take into account the interrelationship with respect to the amount of water , the amount of chemistry , the amount of packaging material and the amount of energy used and / or consumed by the photographic processor per unit amount or roll of film , to provide for an efficiency index for the photographic processor which is greater than 1 . 0 . as noted above , a desired fpei should be greater than 1 . 0 , preferably greater than or equal to 1 . 05 and most preferably greater than or equal to 1 . 1 . by using the fpei equation noted above , it is possible to adjust the parameters noted above with respect to equation ( 1 ) to design a processor which takes into account all of the above parameters . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.