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fig1 shows a conventional phacoemulsification instrument 10 being inserted into an eye 11 containing a cataract which is to be removed . the vibrating hollow needle includes a cataract fracturing tip as is known . fig2 shows an infusion sleeve 12 which is circular in cross - section and is concentric with the vibrating hollow needle 14 . normally , infusion fluid is infused into the eye through sleeve 12 and is aspirated from the eye together with the fractured cataract through the interior of the vibrating hollow needle 14 . as can be seen in fig2 infusion sleeve 12 is circular in cross - section and shown in phantom lines is the ellipsoidal shape 16 of the wound incision caused by the insertion of a conventional phacoemulsification instrument in the eye of the person who is being operated upon . thus , gaps exist that are not filled by the infusion sleeve 12 . to rectify this situation , fig3 shows a conventional phacoemulsification instrument in fig3 from the teaching of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 084 , 009 whose infusion sleeve 18 is of a ellipsoidal cross - section . as a consequence of the ellipsoidal shape , there is no wound leakage , pressure in the eye is maintained and the problems associated with wound leakage are avoided . in addition , the infusion sleeve 18 is made of a soft , pliable material . a rigid , noncompressible sleeve 20 is surrounded by this infusion sleeve 18 and acts as a barrier between the infusion sleeve 18 and the needle 14 in the event the infusion sleeve collapses , thereby preventing undesirable rubbing contact . fig4 shows the conventional use of the surgical instrument of fig1 and 3 . here , the concentric relationship between the needle 14 , the rigid , noncompressible sleeve 20 and the infusion sleeve 18 is shown with the forward end of the infusion sleeve tapered . ports 22 are provided in this tapered portion . fig5 shows a conventional set - up for irrigating fluid into the eye and aspirating fluid and tissue from the eye 30 continuously throughout an eye surgery operation . a conventional handpiece 32 is shown , which is constructed in any conventional manner such as that of the conventional phacoemulsification handpiece 10 of fig1 . there is a vibratory drive v for vibrating the hollow needle 14 . an infusion sleeve 12 is provided that defines a chamber between its inner wall and the outside of the vibrating hollow needle 14 . as indicated by the flow arrows , irrigation into the eye is provided normally through this chamber and aspiration from the eye is through the needle 14 . the internal construction of the handpiece , such as seals and connecting linkage with the vibratory drive v have been omitted for the sake of brevity and further since such is conventional . the irrigation is provided from a gravity fed fluid supply 34 and through an infusion tube 36 to the handpiece 32 . aspiration is provided through a discharge tube 38 from the handpiece 32 to a drain receptacle 40 . in a known manner , a gate valve 42 is provided to permit flow through the infusion tube to occur . the fluid supply 34 is at a higher elevation than the eye 30 . a pumping mechanism 43 is present and , when activated , suctions fluid from the eye 30 and through discharge tube 38 . the tubes 36 , 38 may be susceptible to unintentional kinking by medical personnel unless they are made from an incompressible material . if the kinking arises in the discharge tube 38 , the procedure stops but the eye remains inflated under pressure . if the kinking arises in the infusion tube 36 , however , a pressure drop in the eye ensues that leads to its collapse . such a collapse causes unwanted contact of eye tissue . it may be desirable to form at least the infusion tube 36 of a soft , elastic , expandable material such as silicone to counteract the momentary flow surge that eventually results if the outflow through the discharge tube 38 becomes blocked , e . g ., by tissue fragments . when such blockage arises , pressure decreases downstream to the blockage so that when the blockage is removed , there is a momentary surge in the outflow . such a sudden event release tends to deflate the eye . to counter this deflation , the infusion tube 36 could be made to expand under a build - up of pressure , as takes place during blockage of the outflow through the discharge tube 38 . when the blockage is removed , the infusion tube 36 would elastically compress back to its unexpanded state and thereby offset the momentary surge in the outflow . the present invention , therefore , is directed at preventing kinking in the infusion tube 36 where the tube is constructed of a soft , elastic and expandable material such as silicone . this is done through reinforcement of the infusion tube itself as provided by a support running along the length of the tube . fig6 - 7 show a support in the form of a rod 50 extending to the distal end 52 of the tube 36 and adhered to the interior surface 54 of the tube 36 . fig8 - 9 show a support in the form of a rod 50 embedded within the wall 56 of the tube 36 and extending to the distal end 52 of the tube 36 . fig1 - 11 show a support in the form of a rod 50 . the tube 36 is split longitudinally to form a slit and the rod 50 is fitted in the slat to close the slat by being heat sealed to the tube 36 in a leak tight manner . the rod 50 extends to the distal end 52 of the tube . fig1 - 13 show a support in the form of a coil 58 adhered to the external surface of the tube 36 and running to the distal end of the tube 36 . as an alternative , the coal 58 could be fitted over the tube 36 without affixing it since it will not fall off the tube 36 . fig1 - 15 show the support in the form of a ware 60 that is loose within the lumen 62 of the tube 36 . fig1 - 17 show a support in the form of a rod 64 adhered to the exterior surface 66 of the tube 36 and running to the distal end 52 of the tube 36 . the wire , rod or coil is made of a noncompressible material , preferably rigid , such as metal or teflon . the material of the remainder of the tube , apart from the rod or coil , is made of a soft , elastic material such as silicone or a silicone - like material . the rod , wire or coil , therefore , is less soft and pliable than the tube . the cross - sectional shape of the rod , wire or coil may be any geometric shape , such as circular , rectangular , convexly curved , concavely curved , triangular , etc . while using an adhesive is one way to keep the tube and support together where the support is external of the tube , no adhesive is necessary where the support is embedded in the wall of the tube , confined within the lumen of the tube , or coiled about the exterior of the tube . other conventional ways of securing the support to the tube wall other than with an adhesive may be used . for instance , the support and tube could be heat sealed together or integrally formed together . the wire 60 , rod 50 , 64 or coil 58 of the present invention provides rigidity along the infusion tube 36 to prevent it from collapsing due to kinking . the wire , rod or coil may run the entire length of the infusion tube , or only a portion of the full length and need not run all the way to the distal end 52 . preferably , the outside diameter or cross - section of the wire , rod or coil is smaller than the interior diameter of the infusion tube . in accordance with each of the embodiments of the invention , the soft , elastic material of the infusion tube 36 is reinforced by the support , preferably in the form of a single rigid strip sufficient to prevent kinking , but does not adversely compromise the pliability of the wall of the infusion tube . in addition , the support may be bendable to permit the tube 36 to bend where necessary between the handpiece 32 and the fluid supply 34 . the support may be provided in the discharge tube 38 in the same manner as described with respect to the infusion tube 36 . while the preferred embodiment has application to ophthalmological surgical techniques such as phacoemulsification , handpieces are utilized in the performance of other surgical operations , such as orthopedic and cardiovascular surgery and the invention has application to those handpieces as well to prevent kinking of the infusion tube or discharge tube . while the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention , it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention .
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referring now to the drawings , particularly to fig1 the preferred embodiment of a semiconductor memory , according to the present invention , is applied to an asynchronous 3 - port fifo field memory . the semiconductor memory includes a selector 20 . when clear signals clr0 are supplied for the selector 20 , the data is set to 0 to be cleared . the selector 20 is actuated by means of write enable signals we . when clock signals ckw are supplied for the selector 20 , address signals are formed . the selector 20 is connected to writing serial - access memories ( sam ) 21 and 22 which have equal capacities to each other . for example , the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 each have 256 bits of memory capacity , respectively . when data , in which a pixel is formed by 4 bits , are supplied for the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 by means of an input terminal 23 , the data are written on the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 at a predetermined location designated by address signals . the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 respectively have addresses numbered from 0 to 63 corresponding to 64 pixels since they have bits of memory capacity . therefore , 4 - bits of data inputted from the input terminal 23 are , in turn , written on the address designated by the address signals . the data written on the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 are , in turn , picked up by means of a switch circuit 24 and supplied to a memory means , for example , a dynamic random - access memory ( dram ) 25 . the data stored in the sam 21 is transferred to the dram 25 when data is written on the sam 22 and , conversely , the data stored in the sam 22 is transferred to the dram 25 when data is written on the sam 21 . a first port comprises the selector 20 , the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 , the input terminal 23 and the switch circuit 24 . the dram 25 may have , for example , 303 lines of capacity in which each line includes 4096 bits ( 4096 × 303 ) total bits , each line may be divided into 16 blocks having 256 bits for example , the dram 25 is connected to a writing line - address circuit 26 and a writing column - address circuit 27 . the line address circuit 26 produces address signals to designate the line of the dram 25 on which the data is to be written . the column - address circuit 27 produces address signals to designate the column of the dram 25 on which the data is to be written . as a result , each 256 - bit of data outputted from the sam 21 or 22 can be written on a predetermined block of the dram 25 . the dram 25 is also connected to a first read - out line - address circuit 28 and a first read - out column - address circuit 29 . the first read - out line - address circuit 28 produces address signals to designate the line of the dram from which the data is to be read out . the first read - out column - address circuit 29 produces address signals to designate the column of the dram 25 from which the data is to be read out . as a result , the 256 bits of data written on a predetermined block of the dram 25 can be read out . the dram 25 is further connected to a second read - out line - address circuit 30 and a second read - out column - address circuit 31 . the second read - out line - address circuit 30 produces address signals to designate the line of the dram 25 from which the data is to be read out . the second read - out column - address circuit 31 produces address signals to designate the column of the dram 25 from which , the data is to be read out . as a result , the 256 - bits of data written on a predetermined block of the dram 25 can be read out . the output terminal of the dram 25 is connected to a switch circuit 32 . the switch circuit 32 is also connected to sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 which have the same capacity as that of the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 . the sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 are connected to a selector 35 , which can operate in a similar manner to the selector 20 , and an output terminal 36 . a first output buffer means , which is a second port , comprises the sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 , the selector 35 and the output terminal 36 . the address circuits 28 and 29 produce address signals to designate 256 bits of data written on a predetermined block of the dram 25 to be read out . the 256 bits of data are selectively picked up by means of the switch circuit 32 and transferred to the sam 33 or 34 . the data written on the sam 33 is read out while data outputted from the dram 25 is transferred to the sam 34 . conversely , the data written on the sam 34 is read out while data outputted from the dram 25 are transferred to the sam 33 . data stored in the sam 33 or 34 at a predetermined location designated by address signals , which are produced from the selector 35 , is outputted to the output terminal 36 , 4 - bits by 4 - bits , i . e . pixel by pixel . the output terminal of the dram 25 is also connected to a switch circuit 37 . the switch circuit 37 is also connected to sam &# 39 ; s 38 and 39 which have the same capacity as that of the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 . the sam &# 39 ; s 38 and 39 are connected to a selector 40 , which can operate in a similar manner to the selector 20 , and an output terminal 41 . a second output buffer means , which is a third port , comprises the sam &# 39 ; s 38 and 39 , the selector 40 and the output terminal 41 . the address circuits 30 and 31 produce address signals to designate 256 bits of data written on a predetermined block of the dram 25 to be read out . the 256 bits of data are selectively picked up by means of the switch circuit 37 and transferred to the sam 38 or 39 . the data written on the sam 38 are read out while data outputted from the dram 25 is transferred to the sam 39 . conversely , the data written on the sam 39 is read out while data outputted from the dram 25 is transferred to the sam 38 . data stored in the sam 38 or 39 at a predetermined location designated by address signals , which are produced from the selector 40 , is outputted to the output terminal 41 , 4 - bits at a time , i . e . pixel by pixel . according to the preferred embodiment of a semiconductor memory of the invention , a toggle means is provided so that the data transfer from the sam 21 or 22 to the dram 25 does not conflict with the data transfer from the dram 25 , to the sam 33 , 34 , 38 or 39 . one of the data transfers is delayed relative to the other by means of the toggle means . as shown in fig2 the inputted 4 - bit data units can be selected by means of the selector 20 and written on the sam 21 or 22 , which is constituted of an input buffer means , at predetermined locations corresponding to the address numbered from 0 to 63 . as shown in fig3 each of the 4 - bit data units written on the sam 33 or 34 at the addresses numbered from 0 to 63 can be selected by means of the selector 35 and outputted . each 4 - bit data unit written on the sam 38 or 39 at the addresses numbered from 0 to 63 can also be selected by means of the selector 40 and outputted . fig4 shows the input buffer means for transferring data from the sam 21 or 22 to the dram 25 . in fig4 the selector 20 is expressed as a single - pole double - throw switch for reasons of convenience . the selector 20 is associated with the switch 24 . the switch circuit 24 is in contact with an a contact when the selector 20 is in contact with the a contact . conversely , the switch circuit 24 is in contact with a b contact when the selector 20 is in contact with the b contact . therefore , when both the selector 20 and the switch circuit 24 are in contact with the a contact , each of 4 - bit data units inputted from the input terminal 23 is , in turn , written on the sam 21 and simultaneously the 256 - bits data written on the sam 22 is transferred to the dram 25 . conversely , when both the selector 20 and the switch circuit 24 are in contact with the b contact , each of 4 - bits data inputted into the input terminal 23 is , in turn , written on the sam 22 and simultaneously the 256 - bit data written on the sam 21 is transferred to the dram 25 . as shown in fig5 the dram 25 may include 303 lines arranged vertically , each of which may be divided into 16 blocks numbered from 0 to 15 . one block may have 256 bits of capacity and one line may have 4096 bits ( 256 × 16 ) of capacity . therefore , there is a map comprising 16 columns × 303 lines . as mentioned above , each of 256 bits data transferred from the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 is , in turn , written on a predetermined block , the line and column of which are assigned by the address circuits 26 and 27 , respectively , shown in fig1 . fig6 shows the first output buffer means for transferring data from the dram 25 to the sam 33 or 34 . in fig6 the selector 35 is expressed as a single - pole double - throw switch for reasons of convenience . the switch circuit 32 is associated with the selector 35 . the switch circuit 32 is in contact with an a contact when the selector 35 is in contact with the a contact . conversely , the switch circuit 32 is in contact with a b contact when the selector 20 is in contact with the b contact . therefore , when both the selector 35 and the switch circuit 32 are in contact with the a contact , the 256 - bits of data written on the dram 25 at a predetermined block , the line and column of which have been determined by means of the address circuits 28 and 29 shown in fig1 are transferred to the sam 33 and simultaneously 256 bits of data written on the sam 34 are , in turn , outputted 4 - bits at a time . to the contrary , when both of the selector 35 and the switch circuit 32 are in contact with the b contact , the 256 bits data written on the dram 25 at a predetermined block , the line and column of which have been determined by means of the address circuits 28 and 29 , are transferred to the sam 34 and simultaneously the 256 bits of data written on the sam 33 are , in turn , outputted 4 bits at a time . fig7 shows the timing relationship between the dram 25 and the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 which constitute the input buffer means . when clear signals clr 0 are applied to the selector 20 , the 256 - bits of data to be written on the dram 25 at the block 0 are written on the sam serving as a writing sam , for example , the sam 21 add simultaneously the 256 bits of data written on the sam 2 serving as a transferring sam , for example , the sam 22 , are transferred to the block 15 of the dram 25 . secondly , the 256 bits of data to be written on the dram 25 at the block 11 are written on the sam 2 serving as the writing sam and simultaneously the 256 bit of data written on the sam 1 serving as the transferring sam are transferred to the block 0 of the dram 25 . next , the 256 bits of data to be written on the dram 25 at the block 2 are written on the sam 1 serving as the writing sam and simultaneously the 256 bits of data written on the sam 2 serving as the transferring sam are transferred to the block 1 of the dram 25 . data written on one sam is transferred to the dram 25 while data is written on the other sam . this operation is repeated until the transfer of all of the data is finished . fig8 shows the timing relationship between the dram 25 and the sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 or 38 and 39 which constitute the output buffer means . when clear signals clr 1 or 2 are applied to the selector 35 or 40 , the 256 bits of data corresponding to the data stored in the block 0 of the dram 25 , which is written on the sam 1 serving as a read - out sam , for example , the sam 33 or 38 , is outputted 4 bits at a time and simultaneously the 256 bits of data stored in the block 1 of the dram 25 are transferred to the sam 2 serving as a transferring sam , for example , the sam 34 or 39 . secondly , the 256 bits of data corresponding to the data stored in the block 1 of the dram 25 , which is written , on the sam serving as the read - out sam , is outputted 4 bits at a time and simultaneously the 256 bits of data stored in the block 2 of the dram 25 are transferred to the sam 1 serving as the transferring sam . next , the 256 bits of data corresponding to the data stored in the block 2 of the dram 25 , which is written on the sam 1 serving as the read - out sam , is outputted 4 bits at a time and simultaneously the 256 bits of data stored in the block 3 of the dram 25 is transferred to the sam 2 serving as the transferring sam . data are transferred from the dram 25 to one sam while data written on the other sam is outputted . this operation is repeated until all of the data are read out . according to the above - mentioned preferred embodiment of the present invention , the sam having 256 bits of capacity , which is a sixteenth part of 4096 bits corresponding to the memory capacity per line , is used but other types of sam &# 39 ; s having a capacity which is an eighth or fourth part thereof can also be used . fig9 shows another preferred embodiment of a semiconductor memory according to the present invention . in this preferred embodiment , a selector 42 is provided between the switch 24 and the dram 25 . the selector 42 is divided into 16 blocks corresponding to the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 . the 256 - bit data lines are divided by means of the switch 24 into sixteen 16 - bit data lines and introduced into each block of the selector 42 corresponding to the block 0 to 15 of the dram 25 . a selector 43 is also provided between the dram 25 and the switch 32 and 37 . the selector 43 is also divided into 16 blocks corresponding to the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 . each of the 16 - bit data lines is introduced from the dram 25 into each block of the selector 43 corresponding to the block 0 to 15 of the dram 25 . all of the 16 - bit data lines from the selector 43 are gathered together to make a 256 - bit data line which is introduced into the switches 32 and 37 . the selector 42 is controlled by means of address signals produced from the column - address circuit 27 . the selector 43 is controlled by means of address signals produced from the column - address circuits 29 and 31 . as shown in detail in fig1 , the 256 - bit of data lines are divided by means of switch 24 , 32 or 37 into , for example , two 128 - bit data lines horizontally extending from near the center of the switch 24 , 32 or 37 toward the left and right sides , respectively . the left - hand 128 - bit data lines are introduced into the blocks of the selector 42 or 43 corresponding to the blocks 0 to 7 of the dram 25 . the right - hand 128 - bit data lines are introduced into the blocks of the selector 42 or 43 corresponding to the blocks 8 to 15 of the dram 25 . as shown in detail in fig1 , each 16 - bit data line selected from the 128 - bit data lines extends vertically to be introduced into each block of the selector 42 or 43 . in the preferred embodiment , each of the 16 blocks numbered 0 to 15 of the dram 25 is divided into 16 sub - blocks numbered 0 &# 39 ; to 15 &# 39 ; as shown in fig1 . the 16 - bit of data is written on each of the sub - blocks by means of a block of the selector 42 . on the other hand , each of the 16 - bits of data written on each of the sub - blocks is read out by means of a block of the selector 43 . for example , in order to transfer the 256 - bit data stored in the sam 21 to the dram 25 , the 256 - bit of data obtained at the output terminal of the switch circuit 24 are divided into 16 - bit units and each of these 16 - bit data units are , in turn , transferred to one of the even - numbered sub - blocks , i . e . the sub - blocks 0 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;, 6 &# 39 ;, 8 &# 39 ;, 10 , 12 &# 39 ; and 14 &# 39 ; disposed on one of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 by means of each of the blocks of the selector 42 . on the other hand , in order to transfer the 256 - bit of data stored in the sam 22 to the dram 25 , the 256 - bits of data obtained at the output terminal of the switch circuit 24 is divided into sixteen 16 - bit data units and each of these 16 - bit data units , are , in turn , transferred to one of the odd - numbered sub - blocks , i . e . the sub - blocks 1 &# 39 ;, 3 &# 39 ;, 5 &# 39 ;, 7 &# 39 ;, 9 &# 39 ;, 11 , 13 &# 39 ; and 15 &# 39 ; disposed on one of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 by means of each of the blocks of the selector 42 . that is , all of the 256 - bit of data stored in the same 21 , 16 bits at a time , are simultaneously transferred to the sub - blocks 0 &# 39 ; of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 by means of the blocks of the selector 42 . secondly , all 256 bits of data stored in the sam 22 , 16 bits by 16 bits are simultaneously transferred to the sub - blocks 1 &# 39 ; of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 by means of the blocks of the selector 42 . this operation is repeated for all of the other even - and odd - numbered sub - blocks . conversely , in order to transfer the data written on the dram 25 to the sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 , all 16 - bit of data written on one of the even - numbered sub - blocks of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 are simultaneously read out by means of the blocks of the selector 43 to make up 256 - bit ( 16 × 16 ) of data so as to be transferred to the sam 33 through the switch 32 . secondly , all of the 16 - bit data units written on one of the odd - numbered sub - blocks of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 are simultaneously read out by means of the blocks of the selector 43 to make up 256 bits ( 16 × 16 ) of data to be transferred to the sam 33 through the switch 32 . that is , all of the 16 - bit data units written on the sub - blocks 0 &# 39 ; of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 are simultaneously read out by means of the blocks of the selector 43 to make up 256 bits of data to be transferred to the sam 33 through the switch 32 . secondly , all of the 16 - bit data units written on the sub - blocks 1 &# 39 ; of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 are simultaneously read out by means of the blocks of the selector 43 to make up 256 bits of data so as to be transferred to the sam 34 . this operation is repeated for all of the other even - and odd - numbered sub - blocks . when the data written on the dram 25 are transferred to the sam &# 39 ; s 38 and 39 , such an operation is carried out . as mentioned above , according to the present invention , the 256 bit of data , which are alternatively transferred from the sam &# 39 ; s 21 and 22 to the output terminal of the switch circuit 24 , are divided into sixteen 16 - bit data units and all of the 16 bit data units are simultaneously transferred to the like numbered sub - blocks of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 . all of the 16 - bit data units written in the like numbered sub - blocks of the blocks 0 to 15 of the dram 25 are simultaneously read out to make up 256 bits of data to be transferred to the sam &# 39 ; s 33 and 34 or the sam &# 39 ; s 38 and 39 . therefore , the whole wiring area between the switch circuit 24 and the selector 42 and between the selector 43 and the switch circuits 32 and 37 can be small . according the above - mentioned preferred embodiment of the present invention , sam &# 39 ; s having 256 - bits of memory capacity and a dram having 16 horizontal blocks are used but other types of sam and dram can be used . while the present invention has been disclosed in terms of the preferred embodiment in order to facilitate better understanding of the invention , it should be appreciated that the invention can be embodied in various ways without departing from the principle of the invention . therefore , the invention should be understood to include all possible embodiments and modifications to the shown embodiments which can be embodied without departing from the principle of the invention set out in the appended claims .
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referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is seen a particularly preferred structural variant of an evaporator device 1 , with a basic body 2 which is depicted herein in a swung - open position for illustration . accordingly , the basic body 2 includes a first part 28 and a second part 29 , which are joined together through the use of a common parting surface 27 for operation of the evaporator device 1 . in this two - part construction of the basic body 2 , both the first part 28 and the second part 29 each have two receptacles 30 for a respective heating element 5 , which extends over the entire length of the basic body 2 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 39 thereof . electrical connections for a heating element , formed for example with a ptc resistor ( ptc : positive temperature coefficient , or so - called posistor ), are shown in the right - hand region . an upper region of a reactor chamber 21 is formed in the second part 29 , proceeding from the parting surface 27 . only an outflow section 19 of a duct 6 is also formed in the second part 29 . the basic body 2 or the evaporator device 1 is traversed by flow substantially along the longitudinal axis 39 in a flow direction 40 . in this case , a fluid to be treated passes through an inlet line 3 with a predefined line cross section 32 into the first part 28 of the basic body 2 , which is preferably produced from aluminum . a region of the duct 6 which extends over an inflow section 16 is not illustrated herein , since that region is offset with respect to the parting surface 27 in the interior of the first part 28 . it is only in the region of an evaporation section 7 that the duct 6 is guided to the parting surface 27 , where the duct 6 finally has a meandering shape within an evaporator plane 14 . following the evaporation section 7 , the duct 6 has a widening 20 which forms a transition into the outflow section 19 . the widening 20 opens out into the reactor chamber 21 in which , in this case , a honeycomb body 22 that is surrounded by thermal insulation 26 and which is in the form of a hydrolysis catalyst carrier body , is formed or positioned . an outlet line 4 , which has a perforated end region 34 , is illustrated as adjoining the honeycomb body 22 . fig2 shows a plan view of the parting surface 27 of the first part 28 . the duct configuration is aligned substantially along the longitudinal axis 39 , with the duct 6 first being guided to the parting surface 27 in the central region . there , the duct 6 has a meandering course or shape 8 , with in each case one extension 11 being provided at individual deflections . after the duct 6 has been guided over the longitudinal axis 39 several times , for example eight or ten times , the duct 6 is guided centrally with respect to the longitudinal axis 39 again and then widens in terms of duct cross section up to the widening 20 , which finally merges into the reactor chamber 21 . this is made clear once again in a longitudinal section illustrated in fig3 . in this case , it can also be seen that the duct 6 , in the region of the inflow section 16 , is formed in the manner of a bore , in such a way that a duct wall 15 is formed exclusively by the first part 28 . a cooling device 17 , for example in the form of a peltier element , for setting a desired temperature level , is also provided adjacent the duct in the region of the inflow section 16 . a galvanic deposition 18 is also provided in the region of the transition to the inlet line ( which is not illustrated herein ). leaving the inflow section 16 , the duct 6 is guided to the parting surface 27 , with the duct 6 being formed , in particular milled , into the parting surface 27 there . the duct wall 15 is therefore formed by both parts of the basic body 2 in the evaporation section 7 . fig4 is a fragmentary view which shows the meandering course or shape 8 of the duct 6 in the evaporation section 7 . the duct 6 has a predominantly uniform duct cross section 12 . this applies in particular to straight shape regions 9 which are repeatedly interrupted by curved shape regions 10 . in the curved shape regions 10 , an extension 11 is provided as an elongation of the preceding straight shape region 9 . this makes it possible to realize complete evaporation over a relatively short duct section length 13 . furthermore , the duct wall 15 may be provided with a predefined surface roughness , which further assists the evaporation . part of the duct wall 15 may also be hydrolytic coatings , for example aluminum oxide . fig5 schematically shows a possible application variant of the evaporator device 1 . a motor vehicle 35 is provided with a drive 26 , for example an internal combustion engine ( in particular a diesel engine ), the exhaust gas of which is conducted through an exhaust - gas line 33 to the environment . in this case , it is now proposed that , for example , aqueous urea solution be stored in a reservoir 37 and supplied to the evaporator device 1 through the inlet line 3 as required through the use of a fluid conveyor 38 , for example in the form of a pump 31 . after evaporation and “ internal ” hydrolysis , the ammonia gas is introduced into the exhaust - gas line 33 through the outlet line 4 , which preferably has a perforated end region . the ammonia gas can now mix with the exhaust gas , with it also being possible for mixing elements to be provided , if appropriate . the substance mixture then impinges on a catalytic converter 21 , for example a so - called scr catalytic converter , in such a way that the nitrogen oxides can be effectively and substantially converted there . the integration of an , in particular metallic , honeycomb body is expedient specifically if part of the evaporator device 1 is also to include a hydrolysis catalyst . such a honeycomb body 22 is illustrated by way of example in fig6 . the honeycomb body 22 may be formed with a plurality of smooth sheet - metal foils 23 and structured sheet - metal foils 24 , which form flow paths 25 through which the fluid to be treated can flow . the hydrolysis catalyst may then be positioned in the flow paths 25 , for example in the form of a surface coating . in this case , it is firstly possible to provide a separate coating , although it is also possible , for example if the sheet - metal foils include a substantial proportion of aluminum , for oxide generated by the aluminum itself to be used for the conversion or hydrolysis . the honeycomb body 22 may also be surrounded by thermal insulation 26 . according to the invention , the duct 6 may be formed at least in partial regions by at least one pipe 42 . fig7 diagrammatically shows an example of a pipe 42 in a perspective view . the pipe 42 has a wall 43 which delimits an interior space 44 . the wall 43 is preferably cohesively connected to , in particular encapsulated with , the basic body 2 ( not shown therein ). the at least one pipe 42 may have at least one projection 45 into the interior space 44 of the pipe 42 , as diagrammatically shown in fig8 to 10 . this forms a constriction 47 of the duct cross section 12 . the constrictions 47 are illustrated as examples . the at least one projection 45 may , in cross section , encircle the entire pipe 42 or may also be formed only in radial partial regions , and consequently in a partially circumferential manner . in the case of partially circumferential projections 45 , the projections may each at least partially cover other circumferential regions , and may in particular be formed symmetrically oppositely — as shown in fig8 — or offset with respect to one another — as shown in fig9 and 10 . in this case , a projection height 46 of the projections 45 may be uniform or variable . in particular , the projections 45 may be constructed in such a way that their projection height 46 is greater than half of a clear width 49 of the pipe 42 in that region , with the projections 45 being formed radially asymmetrically , preferably substantially on opposite sides and offset with respect to one another , as shown in fig1 . in the case of a round pipe 42 , the clear width 49 corresponds to the pipe diameter . embodiments of ducts 6 are fundamentally preferable which have a clear width 49 of 0 . 1 to 1 mm , preferably 0 . 2 to 0 . 5 mm . in operation , the evaporator device 1 is supplied with a liquid to be evaporated . the projections 45 result in improved evaporation performance , since droplets of the evaporating fluid , which are driven through the duct 6 and / or through the pipe 42 , for example due to a steam or vapor cushion between the droplet and the wall 43 of the duct 6 , impinge on the at least one projection 45 and are at least partially evaporated as a result of the contact with the projection 45 . fig1 shows a portion of the basic body 2 . the basic body 2 includes a pipe 42 as a duct 6 , which is encapsulated with a casting material 48 . this results in a cohesive connection between the pipe 42 and the basic body 2 , which also encompasses the non - illustrated heating elements 5 . the cohesive connection results in a good transfer of heat from the heating elements 5 to the at least one pipe 42 . it is preferable for the casting material 48 to be , or contain , aluminum .
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this invention discloses a heat resistant polyurethane copolymer composition synthesized from a novel two - step process illustrated in fig1 . the following examples show several embodiments of how to practice this invention . it should be noted that these examples are intended only to aid the understanding of this invention ; it should further be understood that the scope of this invention , which is intended to be determined by the appended claims , is by no means limited by these examples . first , 4 . 3448 g ( 0 . 07 mol ) of ethylene glycol was dissolved in 76 ml of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a 250 - ml three - mouth reaction vessel . then , 25 . 03 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after that , 5 . 7636 g ( 0 . 03 mol ) of trimellitic anhydride was added to the solution mixture and the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 150 ° c . carbon dioxide was observed to be produced from the solution . the reaction continued at 150 ° c . for another two hours to obtain the final polymeric varnish of this invention . the varnish , which has a solid content of 30 percent , exhibits excellent filmability . the polymer product has an inherent viscosity of 0 . 97 ( 0 . 5 g / dl in n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone at 25 ° c . ), a tensile strength of 9 . 0 kgf / mm 2 , an elongation ( at break ) of 11 . 08 % and a glass transition temperature ( tg ) of 161 . 06 ° c . 7 . 43 g ( 0 . 07 mol ) of diethylene glycol was dissolved in 83 ml of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a reaction vessel . then , 25 . 03 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after that , 5 . 7636 g ( 0 . 03 mol ) of trimellitic anhydride was added to the solution mixture and the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 150 ° c . the reaction continued at 150 ° c . for another two hours . the final product polymer varnish has a 30 percent solid content . it exhibits excellent filmability after casting , and has an inherent viscosity ( under the same condition as in example 1 ) of 0 . 6 , a tensile strength of 8 . 5 kgf / mm 2 , an elongation of 8 . 0 % ( at break ), and a tg of 127 . 7 ° c . 30 g ( 0 . 03 mol ) of polyester - polyol having an average molecular weight of 1000 was added to 154 ml of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a reaction vessel . then 25 . 03 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after that , 13 . 45 g ( 0 . 07 mol ) of trimellitic anhydride was added to the solution mixture which was stirred for an additional 30 minutes . subsequently the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 150 ° c . the reaction continued at 150 ° c . for another two hours . the final product polymer varnish has a 30 percent solid content . it exhibits excellent filmability after casting , and has an inherent viscosity ( under the same condition as in example 1 ) of 0 . 3 , a tensile strength of 2 . 3 kgf / mm 2 , an elongation of 240 % ( at break ), and a tg of - 15 ° c . 15 g ( 0 . 015 mol ) of polyester - polyol having an average molecular weight of 1000 and 0 . 93 g ( 0 . 015 mol ) of ethylene glycol were added to 121 ml of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a reaction vessel . then , 25 . 03 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after that , 13 . 45 g ( 0 . 07 mol ) of trimellitic anhydride was added to the solution mixture and stirred for an additional 30 minutes . subsequently the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 150 ° c . the reaction continued at 150 ° c . for two hours . the final product polymer varnish has a 30 percent solid content . it has an inherent viscosity ( under the same condition as in example 1 ) of 0 . 6 , a tensile strength of 6 . 0 kgf / mm 2 , an elongation of 22 % ( at break ), and a tg of 128 . 1 ° c . the comparative study involved preparing polyurethane ( i ) and polyamideimide ( ii ) separately , then blending the two products to form the final product ( iii ), which is a polyurethane blend . 5 . 306 g ( 0 . 05 mol ) of diethylene glycol was added to 41 . 6 ml of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a reaction vessel . then 12 . 51 g ( 0 . 05 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . subsequently the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 80 ° c . the reaction continued at 80 ° c . for two hours . a polyurethane varnish ( i ) having a solid content of 30 % was obtained . polyamideimide ( ii ) was obtained by dissolving 19 . 2 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of trimellitic anhydride in 100 g of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone contained in a reaction vessel . the solution was stirred at room temperature until complete dissolution . then , 25 . 2 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate was added to the solution . the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . sub - sequently the reaction temperature was gradually raised to 150 ° c . the reaction continued at 150 ° c . for two hours . the final polyamideimide varnish has a solid content of 30 percent . the final product ( iii ), which was obtained by blending 30 g of polyurethane varnish ( i ) and 70 g of polyamideimide ( ii ) varnish has a tensile strength of 5 . 8 kgf / mm 2 , and an elongation of 7 . 2 % ( at break ). table 1 summarizes the results of all five examples , including the comparative example 5 . as illustrated in fig1 the invention discloses a copolymer composition which involves a two - step process in the manufacturing therefor . first , diol and / or polyol is reacted with diisocyanate at room temperature for 30 minutes . the reaction product is then reacted with trimellitic anhydride at 150 ° c . for two hours . the final product is a linear urethane - amide - imide copolymer whose physical properties are comparable to or even better than those of the polyurethane - polyamideimide blend ( example 5 ). the main difference , however , is that the copolymer composition disclosed in this invention does not show phase separation problems , which are observed from the blends . as illustrated in table 1 , most of the polyurethane copolymers of this invention , except those made from polyols , have a tensile strength better than 8 . 5 kgf / mm 2 . this is better than the 5 . 8 kgf / mm 2 for the polyurethane blend and the 6 kgf / mm 2 for most polyurethane . the urethane - amide - imide copolymer of this invention exhibits excellent quality for use as a wire coating varnish and film material , and as electric insulating material . a wide range of products can be obtained by varying the urethan / amideimide ratio without incurring phase separation problems . as indicated in the aforementioned examples and in table 1 , products having elongation from 8 percent to 240 percent can be obtained . table 1______________________________________ example 5 exam - exam - exam - exam - ( comparative ple 1 ple 2 ple 3 ple 4 example ) ______________________________________urethane 70 70 30 30 70 ( mol %) amideimide 30 30 70 70 30 ( mol %) tg (° c .) 161 . 1 127 . 7 - 15 128 . 1 -- tensile 9 . 0 8 . 5 2 . 3 6 . 0 5 . 8strength ( kgf / mm . sup . 2 ) elongation 11 . 08 8 . 0 240 22 7 . 2 (%) ______________________________________
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illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below . in the interest of clarity , not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification . it will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment , numerous implementation - specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers &# 39 ; specific goals , such as compliance with system - related and business - related constraints , that will vary from one implementation to another . moreover , it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time - consuming , but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure . turning now to the figures , the programmable controller of fig1 includes a central processing unit ( cpu ) 20 , an input / output ( i / o ) controller 22 , a plurality of input / output modules 24 - 26 , and a data communications link 28 which interconnects each i / o module 24 - 26 with the i / o controller 22 these items , exclusive of cpu 20 , generally comprise the input / output system of the controller . the cpu 20 is substantially of conventional design and may include one or more microprocessors for data handling and control , plus memory for storage of operating programs , input / output data , and other computed , interim , or permanent data for use in executing the stored program and for implementation of control . in addition , other conventional elements , such as power supplies , are included as necessary to make the cpu 20 fully functional . the i / o controller 22 provides for control of information exchanged between the various i / o modules 24 - 26 and the cpu 20 . each i / o module 24 - 26 , may be separately located , remote from cpu 20 and i / o controller 22 , and in close proximity to the process being controlled . although only three i / o modules are illustrated in fig1 it will be understood that the actual number may be considerably greater . for example , sixteen separate i / o modules may be readily accommodated in the system to be described herein . each i / o module is independent of the other and each may be devoted to control of a process separate from that controlled by all other i / o modules . in fig1 for example , the nth i / o module 26 is illustrated to control a generalized process 30 . the input and output signals associated with process 30 are conveyed by conductors 32 which run between the process 30 and the i / o module 26 . the process 30 may , of course , take virtually any form . in any case , however , it includes various sensors , switches , etc . ( not specifically illustrated ) for sensing the status and condition of the process 30 . the information from the process is in the form of input signals to i / o module 26 . the process 30 also includes controlled elements ( e . g ., pumps , motors , etc .— also not illustrated ) which receive the output signals from the i / o module 26 and which thereby effect control of the process 30 . in similar fashion each of the other i / o modules 24 , 25 is interconnected to input and output devices and apparatus associated with a process . the data communications link 28 is preferably a serial link although parallel transmission of signals between the cpu 20 and the i / o modules 24 - 26 may be readily provided . in either case , i / o modules 24 - 26 are connected to the communications link 28 for communication with cpu 20 . the communications link 28 may comprise a twisted pair of conductors , a coaxial cable , or a fiber optics cable ; all are acceptable depending on such considerations as cost and availability . in fig1 i / o module 24 illustrates in block diagram form the general overall electronic structure of each i / o module . thus , there is included a microcontroller 36 having an interface port for exchanging information with cpu 20 and including an associated memory ( not illustrated ) for implementation of a stored program of operation according to which the various elements of the i / o modules are controlled and diagnosed for incurred faults ; a plurality of individual i / o points ( or , “ i / o circuits ”) 37 - 39 , each of which may be selectably operated either as an input point or as an output point and each of which interfaces individually through conductors directly to input or output elements of the controlled process ; and a conductor bus 40 for interconnecting the i / o points 37 - 39 to the microcontroller 36 . the number of i / o points 37 - 39 in any particular i / o module 24 - 26 depends on practical considerations such as heat dissipation and the limitations of the microcontroller 36 . as an example , however , it has been found quite practical and convenient to provide sixteen i / o points per i / o module . for verifying the integrity and functionality of the input and output components and for maintenance and troubleshooting , monitoring apparatus 42 is provided . the monitor 42 is preferably sized to be hand held so that it can be readily and conveniently moved from one i / o module to the other . it is adapted for connection into each i / o module by a cable which includes a connector for mating with another connector affixed to the i / o module . the cable and mating connectors are schematically illustrated in fig1 which shows the monitor 42 connected to i / o module 24 through an interface port of the microcontroller 36 . when connected to an i / o module , the hand - held monitor 42 allows the i / o points of that module to be monitored and controlled and provides a display of diagnostic information pertaining to the module . advantageously , the hand - held monitor performs these functions independently of the central processing unit 20 and even without the cpu 20 being present . the monitor 42 is operative for example , to turn output points on and off and to read the state of the input points . in case a fault has occurred , the monitor 42 can also provide an indication of the nature and location of the fault . the hand held monitor 42 may be noted to include a data display panel 44 which displays alpha numeric characters and a set of key switches 46 which provide for address programming and for effecting operation of the i / o modules 24 - 26 . referring now to fig2 preferred physical forms for a hand - held monitor and an individual i / o module are illustrated . thus , the illustrated i / o module 51 is substantially in the form of a terminal block which includes a row of conductor terminals 53 for making connection to the conductors that connect with the input and output devices of the controlled process . the terminals 53 may be in the form of screw - type connections in which the screws are tightened down on a connecting wire or terminal lug . each i / o circuit is assigned to a corresponding terminal connection . in addition , terminals are assigned for connecting an external power source ( ac or dc ) and for making connections to the data communication link as shown in fig1 . visual indicators are provided , in the form of light emitting diodes ( leds ) 55 to indicate the status of each i / o point . additional leds 57 and 58 provide an indication of the operational status of the module 51 . for example , led 57 indicates that a fault condition is present ( either internal or external to the module ) and led 58 indicates normal operating conditions . a connector 59 is provided on the module 51 for mating with a cable connector 60 , and , through cable 61 to hand - held monitor 49 . the illustrated hand - held monitor 49 , as described above and in connection with fig1 is able to exercise the i / o module to which it is connected . that is , the hand - held monitor allows an i / o module to be operated and thoroughly checked out even if it is not connected to a central processing unit as shown in fig1 . the block diagram of fig3 illustrates an i / o module 80 ( substantially the same as any one of modules 24 - 26 of fig1 ) in greater detail . the i / o module 80 thus includes a group of 8 separate i / o points 81 - 88 , each one of which exchanges control and diagnostic information signals with microcontroller 90 . electrical power , either ac or dc , is supplied at terminals h and n . the power source connected to terminals h and n provides power both to an internal dc power supply 94 and to any external output loads ( e . g ., controlled elements ) which are controlled by the programmable controller of which module 80 is a part . power supply 94 is simply the dc power supply for all elements contained in the i / o module 80 which require dc power in their operation . each i / o point 81 - 88 is connected to the microcontroller 90 by a pair of conductors 95 - 102 , respectively . one conductor of each pair , designated the d line , conveys control data to the associated i / o point ; the other line , designated the m line , conveys status and diagnostic information from the i / o point to the microcontroller 90 . each i / o point 81 - 88 is also connected to receive dc power from power supply 94 and each is connected to the power source terminals h and n . if the external power source connected to terminals h and n is a 115 or 230 volt ac line , for example , the h and n terminals merely refer to the hot and neutral sides of the line , respectively . however , if the external power source is dc , the h terminal may be the positive side of the source and the n terminal the negative side . in addition , each i / o module 81 - 88 includes an in / out terminal which is of dual function . if the i / o point is to be operated as an output point , the in / out terminal for that point is connected to the controlled element ( or load ) in the process which that point is assigned to control . on the other hand , if the i / o point is to be operated as an input , the in / out line for that point receives the input signal from the input device . the same in / out line thus serves both functions , depending on the command from the microcontroller 90 and the second ( or reference ) connection of the input or output device . as an example , i / o point 82 is shown operating as an output point , turning power on or off to a load device 89 . load 89 is connected between the in / out line of i / o point 82 and the n line to the power source . by contrast , i / o point 84 is shown operating as an input point with an input switching device 91 connected between the in / out line and the h line of the power source . any one of i / o points 81 - 88 may be operated in the output mode either as a dc source , as a dc sink , or as an ac source . that aspect of the circuitry is discussed more fully herein below . information provided to the microcontroller 90 from each i / o point 81 - 88 , via the m line connection , includes data reporting the status of load current ( high or low ), the level of power supplied to that i / o point , the temperature condition of the i / o point , the status of any input device , and still other information , all of which will be set forth in greater detail subsequently herein . control of each i / o point 81 - 88 is ultimately determined by a central processing unit as outlined in connection with fig1 . in fig3 communication with such a cpu is through an interface port ( preferably a serial port ) of microcontroller 90 and through a data communications link 106 ( 28 of fig1 ). other i / o modules substantially similar to module 80 of fig3 may also be connected to the data communications link 106 . while microcontroller 90 is responsive to the commands of the central processing unit , it also provides localized , distributed control of each i / o point within the i / o module 80 . microcontroller 90 is an operations control unit and operates in accordance with a stored program and as a function of commands from the central processing unit and the signals received on the m line from each i / o point 81 - 88 . although not specifically illustrated in fig3 microcontroller 90 also includes memory for program storage and for storage of other data necessary to carry out program execution and to achieve the intended control . the schematic of fig4 shows a preferred embodiment of an i / o circuit . the i / o point thus includes a switch processor 200 , signal conditioning circuits 202 , and a primary switching section 204 . the switch processor 200 receives , on line data_in 1 ( represented by “ d ” in fig3 ), a control signal from the operations control unit ( e . g ., as from microcontroller 90 of fig3 ) and transmits a diagnostic signal to the microcontroller on line data_out 1 ( represented by “ m ” in fig3 ). the command signal contains switch processor mode information and on / off information that is used by the switch processor to control the primary switch section via signal drive 1 . fig5 and 6 illustrate the relationship between certain signals involved in the operation of the switch processor communications on lines data_in 1 and data_out 1 . the control signal , data_in 1 , is a coded pulse train containing on / off information ( on / off ), zero crossing enable ( zercr ), redundant flag enable ( rdnt ), and timing information ( clk ). data_in 1 includes of a series of “ frames ,” each of which contains two to six pulses followed by the omission of a pulse , i . e ., a “ missing pulse ”. the “ missing pulse ” serves to resynchronize operation of the control and diagnostic signals . each of the pulses has a duty cycle of either twenty - five or seventy - five percent . the time between pulses within a frame , t , is fixed and is also the time duration of the “ missing pulse ”. the control signal is initially applied to a timer within the switch processor 200 wherein the rising edge of the signal causes the timer to reset and to initiate its timing cycle . thus , the timer causes the clk signal to become active approximately 0 . 5t after each rising edge of the control signal . the clk signal is used to latch control data and to update diagnostic data . unless first reset , the timer also causes a synchronizing signal , sync , to become active approximately 1 . 5t after each rising edge of the control signal . the active sync signal resets the communication timing in the switch processor 200 indicating a new frame is about to start . in addition , unless first reset , a loss of communication signal , los , becomes active approximately 1 millisecond after each rising edge of the control signal . the active los signal causes the switch processor 200 to turn the primary switch 204 off . normally , rising edges of the control signal reset the timer before the sync and los signals become active . however , upon the occurrence of a “ missing pulse ”, a time 2t occurs between rising edges of the control signal , causing sync to become active for approximately 0 . 5t . the on / off information passing to the i / o point on line data_in 1 is contained in the first two pulses of each frame of the control signal . a seventy - five percent duty cycle pulse corresponds to a logical “ 1 ” ( switch on ) and a twenty - five percent duty cycle corresponds to a logical “ 0 ” ( switch off ). as will become clear , the clock pulse which occurs at 0 . 5t after the rising edge of a control signal pulse , effectively causes a sampling of the control signal pulse at that time . thus , if a 25 % duty cycle ( 0 . 25t ) pulse has been transmitted , a low level or “ zero ” is obtained at 0 . 5t . on the other hand , if a 75 % duty cycle ( 0 . 75t ) pulse has been transmitted , a high level or “ one ” is obtained at 0 . 5t . the first two pulses are also transmitted redundantly : that is , the first two pulses must agree ( both 1 or both 0 ) in order for the switch processor 200 to respond to the on / off command . if the two pulses are different ( due , for example , to noise interference ), the switch processor 200 maintains the last valid on / off command that was received . if a frame of the control signal contains more than two pulses , then the third and fourth pulses are used to update the zercr and rdnt signals , respectively , and if the fifth and sixth pulses are transmitted , they contain no control information but are used to clock the fifth and sixth pulses of diagnostic information . when zercr is set , the zero crossing turn - on and turn - off feature in the switch processor 200 is enabled . in this case , the switch processor 200 waits until a zero crossing of voltage before turning on the switch 204 and a zero crossing of current before turning off the switch . the value of rdnt forces different diagnostic information to be returned on the data_out 1 line . when rdnt is not set , the first diagnostic pulse describes the state of the load_volts signal , and when rdnt is clear the first diagnostic pulse describes the state of the switch_volts signal . also , when rdnt is set , low line voltage will not generate a fault code in the diagnostic data ( diagnostic codes are discussed further infra ). the waveforms of fig5 illustrate the signal relationships control signal , clk , sync , los , and the on / off signal for various conditions . for the first frame ( the frames are arbitrarily designated with frame numbers for ease of reference ), redundant twenty - five percent duty cycle pulses are sent corresponding to “ 0 ” or an off switch state . clock pulses are produced at 0 . 5t after each rising edge of a control signal pulse . following the two redundant pulses , there is a synchronizing interval or “ missing pulse ”. the missing pulse causes a sync pulse to be produced , signifying the end of a frame . since the two control signal pulses are both of twenty - five percent duty cycle , the on / off value remains low and the los value remains high . for the second frame , the first control signal pulse is of twenty - five percent duty cycle and the second is of seventy - five percent duty cycle . the lack of identity may result from noise interference , for example . in such case the clk and sync pulses are again produced as in the first frame and los remains high . since the control signal pulses are different , however , the on / off signal retains its previous value , which , in this case is low . in the third frame , the control signal pulses are both of seventy - five percent duty cycle duration , signaling that the on / off switch signal should be raised to the on level . this occurs at the rising edge of the clock pulse following the second control signal pulse . for the fourth frame , pulse identity is lost between the control pulses and so the on / off line remains high . the fifth frame returns the on / off line to a low level with the occurrence of redundant pulses both having twenty - five percent duty cycles . the sixth frame of control signal pulses includes four seventy - five percent duty cycle pulses . the sixth frame is somewhat extended in time duration to accommodate the four pulses and the “ missing pulse ”. the first and second control signal pulses return the on / off signal to high . although not shown , the third pulse of the frame causes zercr to go high simultaneously with the rising edge of the resulting clock pulse , and the fourth pulse of the frame causes rdn to go high . in addition to on / off , zercr , and rdnt information , the control signal provides timing for returning status or diagnostic data to the microcontroller . the data_out 1 signal sends out one diagnostic bit for each pulse received on the data_in 1 signal . since there may be two to six pulses , there may be two to six diagnostic bits . the bits are encoded so that the first bit represents whether load voltage is present , the second indicates whether an open load condition is present , the third and fourth bits echo the received zercr and rdnt bits ( in that order ), and the fifth and sixth bits are always set . if a fault condition exists the first and second bits are set , and the remaining four bits indicate the nature of the fault . the microcontroller 90 ( fig3 ) determines how much information is to be received from the switch processor 200 by the number of pulses per frame contained in the control signal , data_in 1 , which is sent to the switch processor 200 . the microcontroller 90 reads the state signal on line data_out 1 immediately after it puts a rising edge of control signal on the data_in 1 line . thus , the number of pulses per frame in the control signal and the number of status bits read back per frame are the same . normally , the microcontroller puts out two pulses per frame and reads back x 0 and x 1 . if x 0 indicates a fault , the microcontroller 90 then shifts to four or six pulses per frame so that it can read a fault message contained in the x 2 and x 3 bits . in the absence of a fault , the four or six pulse mode may be used to write the zercr and rdnt bits that control the switch processor 200 . the switch processor 200 provides diagnostic data based on inputs from the signal conditioning circuitry and control and state information contained in the switch processor . the six diagnostic signals may be used , for example , to indicate : 1 ) that there is an open or disconnected load ; 2 ) that load is in excess of a first high limit value requiring an immediate protective response ; 3 ) a load current in excess of a second high limit value requiring a protective response only if the current remains above the limit for some pre - selected time period ; 4 ) that load voltage has , or has not , been applied ; 5 ) the relative level of the supply voltage ; and 6 ) the relative temperature of the power switching device . various input / output switching circuits may be provided to be controlled by the gate signal emanating from the switch processor section 200 . for example , switching means comprising field effect transistors or silicon controlled rectifiers ( scrs ) may be used as the input / output switching circuits . a preferred switching circuit will , in any case , include a means for providing a signal indicative of the current to a connected load . the switching circuits most preferred , however , make use of an insulated gate transistor , or igt , examples of which are shown in the primary switch section of fig4 such as items u 5 and u 6 . when the switch is used in a dc source output configuration , the positive side of the dc power source is connected directly to the collector of igt u 5 ( the ac_h_ 1 signal ). when the drive 1 signal is applied to the gate terminal of igt &# 39 ; s u 5 and u 6 , current will flow from the collector to the emitter , through the parallel combination of r 9 and r 10 that form a sense resistance , and through diode d 4 before flowing to the high - side of a load . the other side of the load is connected to the dc power return . when the switch is used in an ac output configuration , the same thing occurs on the negative half - cycle of the ac power source except that current flows through igt u 6 and diode d 3 instead of igt u 5 and diode d 4 . when the switch is configured as an input , the igt switch is turned off and an input device switches the external power source to the i 01 signal line where a voltage is developed across pre - load resistor r 90 . transistor q 2 and biasing resistors r 11 and r 12 provide a current limiting means for the primary switches so that if the output load presents a short circuit to the switches , transistor q 2 will be activated , which will reduce the drive 1 signal causing the switches to limit the amount of current they may pass . the signal conditioning circuitry monitors the state of the primary switch and provides this information to the switch processor 200 for control and diagnostic reporting purposes . signals short 1 and open 1 are the outputs of comparators that are set - up to quickly indicate when a short circuit or open load condition exist in the load circuitry . both signals are ignored by the switch processor 200 when the switch is turned off . when the switch is turned on , the switch processor begins to monitor the open 1 signal and waits a short time to allow the short 1 signal to work properly before monitoring it . then , if the short 1 or open 1 signals become active , the switch processor quickly turns the switch off and reports an overcurrent fault or an open load fault , respectively , in the diagnostic data . the i_load 1 , load 1 , line 1 , and temp 1 signals are 0 to 5 volt analog inputs to the switch processor &# 39 ; s analog - to - digital converter circuits ( claim ). these analog signals are converted to digital values by the switch processor 200 once each millisecond and used to perform control operations for the switch and to set diagnostic information . the i_load signal represents the switch current and will set an overcurrent fault and turn off the switch 204 if it exceeds a second threshold within a window of time following the switch being turned on . the first threshold is detected by the short 1 signal and causes the switch to be turned off immediately ( described above ). the second , lower threshold is allowed to exist for a certain amount of time before causing an overcurrent fault . if the switch current exceeds a third threshold , at any time , the switch processor 200 will report an overload diagnostic , but will not turn off the switch 204 . these three current thresholds allow the switch 204 to support a relatively large inrush current that lessens over time . the load 1 signal represents the voltage at signal io 1 , typically the load voltage ( can also be the input voltage ), with respect to the ac_n_ 1 signal , which is the ac power source neutral ( or may be the dc power source positive or negative terminal depending on the switch application ). the line 1 signal represents the voltage of the external power source . the load 1 and line 1 signal are used by the switch processor 200 to generate the load_volts , switch_volts , and low_line diagnostic codes . the load_volts diagnostic code is set in the switch processor 200 if the load 1 signal is less than 50 % of the line 1 signal . the switch_volts diagnostic code is set in the switch processor 200 if the load 1 signal is greater than 10 volts . the low_line diagnostic is set in the switch processor if the line 1 signal is less than twenty volts . the temp 1 signal represents the switch temperature and causes an overtemp fault to be set in the switch processor if the switch temperature exceeds 120 degrees celsius . switch processor 200 advantageously includes firmware to independently process signals and run algorithms using the data represented by the signals as inputs to determine an associated diagnostic code , thus generating the appropriate control response or diagnostic code to be output . turning next to fig7 one embodiment of a truth table relating diagnostic and status data to a four bit coded signal for providing combinatorial logic in a state encoder for the switch processor section of fig4 is shown . an encoder in accordance with the truth table of fig7 may readily be implemented with standard combinational logic elements by one of skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure . the foregoing describes features of an improved input / output system having utility in connection with programmable controllers . while the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention has been described , it is understood that various other modifications may be made therein by those of ordinary skill in the art without departure from the inventive concepts inherent in the true invention . accordingly , it is intended by the following claims to claim all modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .
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referring now to fig1 telecommunications system 10 comprises network element 12 that is connected to another network element , network element 14 , by link 16 . two rings are shown , and two more are partially shown . in this way , there are four rings and link 16 is part of each ring . in fig1 link 16 is optical and has a data rate of 40 gigabits - per - second ( i . e ., oc - 768 ). arrows in fig1 indicate one direction around the ring , the clockwise direction , provides a normal flow of data , and the counterclockwise direction provides protection around a fault . however , since the invention envisions an extension of a blsr sonet / sdh system , the links can be bidirectional . for example , if link 19 breaks , any traffic on link 19 is rerouted on links 21 , 23 , and 16 . a feature of the present invention is that the same link 16 will also be part of the reroute if say link 29 were to break . thus , link 16 and its operation will be an important part of this description . node 12 and 14 are sonet / sdh - like nodes connected to link 16 at high speed nodes 13 and 15 . node 12 and 14 are referred to as sonet / sdh - like because they use a different type of aps protocol than the gr - 1230 aps protocol . gr - 1230 uses the line overhead of sts - 1 specified by the sonet / sdh standards . node 12 and 14 are operating with a new aps protocol , according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention , that is a superset of the gr - 1230 requirements . also connected to node 12 and 14 are rings oc - m - 1 , oc - m - 1 - 2 , through oc - m - 4 . ring oc - m - 1 is shown connected with network element 12 , optical line 19 , network element 20 , optical line 21 , network element 22 , optical line 23 and network element 14 . ring oc - m - 2 is shown connected with network element 12 , optical line 29 , network element 30 , optical line 31 , network element 32 , optical line 33 and network element 14 . ring oc - m - 3 is shown , in part , connected with network element 12 , optical line 39 , optical line 43 , and network element 14 . oc - m - 4 is shown , in part , connected with network element 12 , optical line 49 , optical line 53 , and network element 14 . the intervening topology for oc - m - 3 and oc - m - 4 is inconsequential , as long as the total node count is less than the maximum addressing capacity of the new aps protocol or the total bandwidth ( including oc - m - 1 and oc - m - 2 ) is not more than that of link 16 ( i . e ., 40 gigabits per second if link 16 is oc - 768 or equivalent ). link 16 is part of the four rings oc - m - 1 to oc - m - 4 . it is worth noting that if a ring has more than 16 nodes , then all the node in that ring must be extended sonet / sdh elements . on the other hand , for a ring that has 16 or fewer nodes , only node 12 and 14 need to be extended sonet / sdh . telecommunications system 10 shown in fig1 has one high - speed , wide bandwidth link 16 carrying data from multiple tributary rings . fig1 among other things , illustrates one way to upgrade a portion of a sonet / sdh system that has reached either fiber or bandwidth exhaustion . the upgrading of two node 12 and 14 , and of link 16 leads to an interconnecting of slower data rate lines and node , thereby forming structures known as meshes . without the multiple aps channels provided by the present invention , multiple rings could not be handled as individual entities ; rather , all of the system rings would have to be folded into one large “ ring ”. with such a large single ring , any fault on any one of the links or node would cause a serious slowdown in aps channel traffic performance , which could affect telecommunications system 10 entirely . such a slowdown could increase the recovery time of telecommunications system 10 . the ability to work in large networks without forcing the operation of the aps channel as if it belonged to a single large ring is one of the advantages of the present invention . as will be seen , that ability comes in part by extending blsr sonet / sdh to include multiple aps channels . the implementation and operation of additional aps nodes is provided by extending the gr - 1230 sonet / sdh aps protocol according to the multiple aps channel protocol of a preferred embodiment of the present invention . that protocol for byte 1 , byte 2 and byte 3 within each of extended aps channel 2 , extended aps channel 3 and extended aps channel 4 signaling is given immediately below . each of byte d 4 , byte d 7 , and byte d 10 is byte 1 of extended aps channel 2 , extended aps channel 3 and extended aps channel 4 , respectively . bits 5 - 8 provide extended destination node identifications ( ids ), and bits 1 - 4 provide extended source node ids . each of byte d 5 , byte d 8 and byte d 11 is byte 2 of extended aps channel 2 , extended aps channel 3 and extended aps channel 4 , respectively . bits 1 - 8 provide the same bit coding as the coding of byte k 1 of the standard aps channel 1 . each of byte d 6 , byte d 9 and byte d 12 is byte 3 of extended aps channel 2 , extended aps channel 3 and extended aps channel 4 , respectively . bits 1 - 8 provide the same bit coding as the coding of byte k 2 of standard aps channel 1 . per sonet / sdh standards , the nine bytes d 4 through d 12 are allocated for line data communications . typically , these bytes are used for alarms , maintenance , control , monitoring , administration and other communication needs between line terminating entities . aps channel 1 has the same signaling protocol as the standard gr - 1230 k 1 / k 2 coding . aps channel 2 , aps channel 3 and aps channel 4 use extended aps channel protocol . because the extended aps channels use and extend the k 1 / k 2 coding of gr - 1230 , that extended coding is hereinafter referred to as “ k 1 / k 2 / k 3 .” k 1 / k 2 / k 3 refers to the coding of the bits , not the positions of the k 1 and k 2 bytes in a frame . since byte 2 corresponds to k 1 coding and byte 3 corresponds to k 2 coding , byte 1 logically corresponds to k 3 . an alternative embodiment of the present invention uses bytes z 1 - z 2 - e 2 of the line overhead , instead of bytes d 4 through d 12 or in addition to bytes d 4 through d 12 . bytes z 1 - z 2 - e 2 are also identified in sonet / sdh standards . the addition of using bytes z 1 - z 2 - e 2 would provide for an extended aps channel 5 . the four - bit ( i . e ., bits 5 - 8 ) extended destination node id along with the four request bits coding of k 1 ( i . e ., k 1 bits 1 - 4 ) form an extended destination node id . similarly , the four - bit ( i . e ., bits 1 - 4 ) extended source node id along with the four select bits coding of k 2 ( i . e ., k 2 bits 5 - 8 ) form an extended source node id . together , the extended aps ids provide a possible 256 - node capability in the preferred embodiment . the 256 - node id capability is a needed extension to the way standard gr - 1230 uses source node ids and destination node ids . referring now to fig2 one embodiment of a left - hand portion of fig1 is illustrated . network element 12 is shown connected over link 16 , which in this embodiment is an oc - 768 . network element 12 is also connected over lower speed links 19 , 29 , 39 and 49 , which in the embodiment of fig2 are oc - 48 links . network element 12 manages the connections to links 19 , 29 , 39 and 49 , as well as the connection to link 16 , as “ ring ” connections as far as the extended aps channel protocol is concerned . data from link 19 travels into and out of network element 12 and into and out of link 16 . the last portion of data associated with link 19 is located as indicated by the arrowhead associated with link 19 . data from link 29 travels into and out of network element 12 and into and out of link 16 . the last portion of the data associated with link 29 is located as indicated by the arrowhead associated with link 29 . data from link 39 travels into and out of network element 12 and into and out of link 16 . the last portion of the data associated with link 39 is located as indicated by the arrowhead associated with link 39 . data from link 49 travels into and out of network element 12 and into and out of link 16 . the last portion of data associated with link 49 is located as indicated by the arrowhead associated with link 49 . as mentioned previously , data is organized as frames having 90 - byte columns by 9 rows . the frames include an overhead , 87 bytes of which are moved as shown and 3 bytes of which are terminated by network element 12 . also , for the purposes of simplifying the illustration and description , fig2 does not show any data traffic that is being added or dropped at the node of network element 12 . the traffic on link 16 from links 19 , 29 , 39 and 49 are respectively represented by lower left to upper right hatching ; heavily hatched hatching ; light cross hatching , and upper left to lower right hatching . as shown in fig2 by the dashed lines and by arrows to bit maps of portions of the line overhead , the extended aps channels are provided by sts - 2 line overhead bytes d 4 - d 5 - d 6 ; d 7 - d 8 - d 9 ; and d 10 - d 11 - d 12 and by sts - 3 line overhead bytes d 4 - d 5 - d 6 . thus , in this embodiment , four extended aps channels are provided so four rings can have extended aps channels , with each ring having up to 256 node ids . further , the extended aps channel protocol multiplexes the four extended aps channels from links 19 , 29 , 39 and 49 into a single sonet / sdh data stream on link 16 . this multiplexing is provided by network element 12 by terminating the k 1 / k 2 / k 3 bytes coming in on link 19 , for example , and regenerating the information from k 1 / k 2 / k 3 to bytes d 10 , d 11 and d 12 of link 16 . it is important to note that link 19 and the portion of link 16 carrying the k 1 / k 2 / k 3 data on bytes d 10 , d 11 and d 12 are parts of the same ring . because there are three extended aps channels per line overhead and four incoming data streams , the fourth extended aps channel is moved to d 4 - d 5 - d 6 of sts - 3 . if another three bytes in each line overhead could be used for aps channels , such as z 1 - z 2 - e 2 , then only one overhead of one sonet / sdh frame rather than two would be required to manage four extended aps channels . if more rings need aps channels , the number of extended aps channels can be easily extended further by using more d 4 through d 12 bytes on other stss within the extended aps channel protocol . referring now to fig3 another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . network element 12 is connected to oc - 48 links 49 , 39 and 29 . network element 12 is also connected to oc - 192 link 19 a and oc - 768 link 16 . link 49 and link 39 are multiplexed in network element 12 onto link 16 into a single sonet / sdh stream on an oc - 768 . extended aps channels are used to provide the automatic protection switching features available in this extension of sonet / sdh aps protocol . in fig3 three extended aps channels are represented by line overhead bytes d 4 - d 5 - d 6 ; d 7 - d 8 - d 9 ; and d 10 - d 11 - d 12 of sts - 2 on the link 16 . these extended aps channels provide automatic protection switching for sonet / sdh rings . these rings include a first ring containing link 49 and parts of link 16 , second ring containing link 39 and parts of link 16 , and a third ring containing link 19 a and parts link of 16 . as shown in fig3 only part of the payload of link 19 a is part of the third ring . other extended aps channels are represented by line overhead bytes d 4 - d 5 - d 6 and d 7 - d 8 - d 9 of sts - 2 on link 19 a . an extended aps channel for the ring containing link 29 is provided by d 4 - d 5 - d 6 line overhead bytes of sts - 2 of link 19 a . an extended aps channel of link 19 a is provided by d 7 - d 8 - d 9 line overhead bytes of sts - 2 of link 19 a and by d 10 - d 11 - d 12 line overhead bytes of sts - 2 of link 16 , at least the portion that is part of the same ring as link 19 a . in this way , a fourth ring is represented containing links 29 and part of 19 a , extended aps channels for which are provided by d 4 - d 5 - d 6 overhead bytes of sts - 2 on link 29 and d 7 - d 8 - d 9 overhead bytes of sts - 2 on link 19 a . for every ring ( or part thereof ) defined on network element 12 , there exist two extended aps channels defined on two different links . as illustrated in fig3 the extended aps channel protocol provides multiple aps channels on link 16 and puts them in a single sonet / sdh data stream . also , as in fig2 the extended aps channel protocol can address 256 node ids . network element 12 dynamically conserves bandwidth on the high speed link by removing frames that have already reached their desired nodes . such frames are dropped completely without any placeholder frames being sent over link 16 . this dynamic conservation helps make room on link 16 for any extra sonet / sdh frames sent along link 16 for extended aps channel signaling . it is worth noting that for a single point of presence unit having multiple node with oc - 48 and / or oc - 192 rings similar to fig3 in capability , those multiple node could be replaced with a single high speed network element . in such a case , each of the previous rings will behave the same and enjoy the same protection scheme as existed previously . further , backhaul to digital cross connect systems ( dcss ) that were necessary for previous aps channel protocols to share aps messages among the rings are now unnecessary . such backhaul dcss are avoided by the extended aps channel protocol according to the present invention . thus , the resulting network has a lot less equipment , a lot less floor space and power required , and no need to route traffic to dcss . it is to be understood that the above - described embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and that many variations of the above - described embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , the bytes d 4 through d 12 could be from a line overhead of any sonet / sdh frame instead of sts - 2 and sts - 3 as described above . it is therefore intended that such variations be included within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .
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turning now to the drawings and more particularly , fig1 shows an example of an internet protocol ( ip ) communications system 100 including a digital call capable network 102 , e . g ., capable of voice over ip ( voip ) communications , with energy star ( e - star ) compliant end points ( ep ) 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the system includes digital telephony devices ( e . g ., voip phones ) and multimedia terminal adapters ( mta ), e . g ., keysets at eps 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 . since a network device defines an ep , each ep and a device ( s ) at the ep are referred to herein interchangeably . a suitable proxy server 112 provides a router function to private network 102 . a gateway 114 , e . g ., a state of the art media gateway , connects the network externally , e . g ., to a public switched telephone network / public land mobile network ( pstn / plmn ). a preferred e - star aware softswitch 116 , e . g ., a media gateway controller ( mgc ) remotely located in a data center , manages calls to / from keysets 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 from / to each other or through the gateway 114 . in particular , these digital telephony devices 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 cooperate with e - star aware softswitch 116 to enable e - star compliance in these digital telephony devices according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . preferably , communications in the system 100 are based on the open systems interconnection ( osi ) basic reference model ( osi reference model or osi model ), described in more detail hereinbelow . preferably , digital telephony devices 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 are sophisticated processor based voip devices , each with a local display . a typical such ip network telephony system has considerable messaging that occurs continuously , e . g ., call processing ( call - p ) messaging , status queries and features and availability queries . call - p messages between telephony devices at the eps 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 , and a switch , for example , e - star aware softswitch 116 , may or may not be for a phone call to the device ( s ) 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 . generally , the preferred system 100 does not directly use the queries for signaling a phone call . however , previously , any time an ep device ( the phone or mta processor ) received such a message , the device was required to process the message . processing the message requires the phone or mta to be active . however , e - star aware softswitch 116 is aware of the power state of connected e - star compliant ep devices . thus , the e - star aware softswitch 116 controls messages and suppresses messaging to connected devices to allow these devices to enter and remain in low power except during actual use , e . g ., between calls . a device may enter or change to a power saving state , e . g ., throttle down to a reduced operation level , initiated internally or externally . likewise , devices may exit or change to power saving states , also initiated by internal or external events . external events include , for example , user events or communication partner events . devices may have different power saving states or levels , for different levels of operation . further , except during normal activity ( e . g ., calls ), the e - star aware softswitch 116 allows e - star devices to remain in low power for normal messaging . fig2 shows an example of the osi model 120 , which organizes network communications into layers 122 - 134 , commonly designated l 1 - l 7 . each layer 122 - 134 encompasses a collection of related functions that provide services to the layer above it ( e . g ., 124 - 132 ) and receive service from the layer below it ( e . g ., 132 - 122 ). these layers include a physical layer 122 , a data link layer 124 , a network layer 126 , a transport layer 128 , a session layer 130 , a presentation layer 132 , and an application layer 134 . the physical layer 122 ( l 1 ) is the physical communications media , typically in a binary transmission signal , i . e ., a serial bit stream . the data link layer 124 ( l 2 ) includes physical addressing information in logical link control ( llc ) and media access control ( mac ) sublayers , i . e ., in frames embedded in the physical layer 122 . ethernet is an example of a typical data link protocol . the physical layer 122 and link layer 124 , typically , are handled by hardware ( hw ), e . g ., a state of the art network interface controller ( nic ) chip . the network layer 126 ( l 3 ) provides path determination and logical addressing for packets in the frames . ip is an example of a typical network layer protocol . some hardware may also handle the network layer 126 . these three lower level osi model layers 122 , 124 and 126 are known as the media layers and are used in telecommunications . even in power saving mode , preferred e - star compliant ep device hardware handles the media layers , identifying locally directed frames / packets for the particular device . data transfers , end - to - end in the transport layer 128 ( l 4 ) with messages converted into segments , e . g ., using a transmission control protocol ( tcp ), user datagram protocol ( udp ) or stream control transmission protocol ( sctp ). the session layer 130 ( l 5 ) provides interhost communications between devices , e . g ., keysets 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 and gateway 114 . the presentation layer 132 ( l 6 ) provides data encryption and representation . the application layer 134 ( l 7 ) interfaces directly to , and performs application services for , application processes . the application layer 134 also issues requests to the presentation layer 132 . these four lower level osi model layers 128 , 130 , 132 and 134 are known as the host layers . unlike the media layers 122 , 124 and 126 , responsibility for the host layers 128 , 130 , 132 and 134 resides in software ( sw ) under processor control , e . g ., central processing units ( cpu ) in networked the ep voip phones and mta devices 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 and 112 . the cpus also are responsible for processing applications ( app ). these processing apps may include , for example , a call - p app and a network message processing app . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , when an ep device 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 and / or 112 is in a power saving state , the e - star aware softswitch 116 limits host layer communications to those devices in power saving mode depending on a requested communications level . it should be noted that the host layer communications of e - star aware softswitch 116 always remains active to communicate with any other ep devices that are not currently in power saving mode . communications can be limited , for example , for timing , e . g ., increasing the no messaging time or omitting some messages , or for responding to state and status queries . preferably also , each device and / or the e - star aware softswitch 116 may change device operation level at any time . fig3 shows an example 140 of an e - star device , e . g ., voip phone or mta 106 in system 100 of fig1 , cooperating with e - star aware softswitch 116 , wherein the e - star device 106 may enter a sleep state or even hibernate between calls , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in this example , in 142 a software app of ep device 106 initiates entering a power saving state by signaling a request ( an e - star request ) to a current communication partner ( e . g ., e - star aware softswitch 116 ), and indicates intention to enter a power saving state . further , the ep device 106 indicates the power saving operation level ( level 3 ) as well as the maximum time planned to stay in that state or mode , e . g ., 5 minutes . the e - star aware softswitch 116 maintains a definition of special settings for each power saving operation level , e . g ., in a sleep level table ( not shown ), for each ep partner ( phone / mta ), e . g ., 106 . the e - star aware softswitch 116 responds 144 with an ack message . thereafter , the e - star aware softswitch 116 honors the power saving request for the requested period of time . during that period , 5 minutes in this example , the e - star aware softswitch 116 spools events and communiqués for later , i . e ., when the power saving ends . however , even though the e - star device 106 is in power saving mode , the e - star aware softswitch 116 signals all events characterized as important or wake - up events , e . g ., incoming calls to the e - star device 106 . as the planned low power time expires 146 , the ep device 106 signals another e - star request , indicating ( by power saving operation level 0 ), that the power saving period is ending . the e - star aware softswitch 116 responds 148 with another ack message . the active ep device 106 receives spooled messages 150 , signaling with the e - star aware softswitch 116 . once all spooled messages are received , the e - star device 106 may enter another sleep state period , again signaling an e - star request 152 to the e - star aware softswitch 116 , which responds 154 , with another ack message . so , for example , when an incoming call for the e - star device 106 reaches the e - star aware softswitch 116 , a call message 156 is forwarded to the e - star device 106 . upon receiving the call message 156 , the e - star device 106 terminates power saving mode immediately , prior to the scheduled end , and the call proceeds normally . advantageously , the present invention extends e - star compliance in digital telephony devices for immediate energy savings and corresponding in cost savings , as well as . further , periods of low power are less stressful for the device and , therefore extend device life , which also provides cost savings . moreover , unlike typical telephones that remain at full power during normal operation ( 24 × 7 ), preferred devices in power saving mode uses significantly less power , thereby reducing the need for fossil fuel generated electricity and , correspondingly , facilitating environmental conservation by reducing co 2 emissions . while the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . it is intended that all such variations and modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims . examples and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive .
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referring to fig1 a conventional cabinet is illustrated which includes , in part , a back 10 , a bottom 11 and a front 12 . the front 12 is provided with an access opening indicated by numeral 13 into which a conventional drawer is slidably mounted . the drawer includes a back 14 , a bottom 15 and a front 16 . a pair of sides 17 are also included which extend between the front and back 14 and 16 , respectively . a handle 18 is mounted on the front 16 so that the drawer may be manually withdrawn from the cabinet or pushed into the cabinet . as the conventional practice , the cavity in the cabinet occupied by the drawer includes a channel 20 on which the underside of the drawer is slidably mounted . the channel includes a u - shaped member having parallel side rails indicated by numerals 21 and 22 throughout the present specification . the channel 20 further includes a mounting bracket 23 which is carried on one end of the channel member and includes an upright flange that is screwed to the back or rear board of the cabinet 10 . the channel 20 further includes limit means for restricting movement of the drawer during withdrawal . for example , the extreme edge 24 of the drawer front 16 limits the rearward movement of the drawer when engaged with the cabinet front 12 while an upright projection 25 limits the forward movement of the drawer . the drawer slide of the present invention is mounted on the underside of the bottom 15 of the drawer and is indicated in general by the numeral 26 . the novel drawer slide 26 includes a body portion or slide member 27 having a central strip 28 which is normally biased downward between the parallel rails of the channel 20 . the central strip 28 includes a hooked end 30 which is intended to engage with the upright projection 25 , as shown in fig2 to limit movement of the drawer out of the opening 13 . the drawer may be easily removed by manually pressing or bending the strip 20 upwardly so as to clear the projection 25 . fig2 also illustrates the fact that the slide member 26 is fixedly carried on the underside of bottom 15 of the drawer so that the slide member travels with the drawer . the slide member is attached to the drawer by means of screws such as 34 and 35 at extreme corner of the delta as in fig3 and a central screw 32 as in fig3 . two screws may be fastened into the rear of the drawer back through holes 45 in flange 44 in place of or in addition to central screw 32 . the end of the hook facing to the rear is chamfered or bevelled to ride over the stop 25 as the drawer is put back in place after having been removed from the cabinet . incidentally , as may be noted in fig1 and 2 , the rails 42 and 43 may be provided with reinforcing ribs 29 at each end of the guide and just before and after the hook 28 , 30 . these ribs may be triangular or curved from a low elevation at the center to permit passage of the stop 25 to full height adjacent the rails 42 , 43 for maximum strength . the ribs 29 are not shown in other figures of the drawings . referring now in detail to fig3 it can be seen that the slide member 27 is of a delta configuration or shape having its widest portion at the rear of the drawer and its narrowest portion at the front thereof . it can also be seen that the central strip 28 lies on the central longitudinal axis of the slide member and that the strip is in alignment with the channel 20 between its parallel rails 21 and 22 . the slide member 27 not only includes a mounting screw 32 which is passed through a hole 33 , but includes fastening screws 34 and 35 at opposite sides of the rear of the slide member . the illustrative delta - shaped slide member shown in the drawings is about 5 1 / 4 inches in width by seven inches long . more generally , it is contemplated that the slide may be from 4 to 9 inches long , with the preferred range being from 5 to 8 inches ; and that it may be from 2 to 7 inches wide with the preferred range being from 2 1 / 2 to 6 inches . the channel mounting screw 36 extends through an elongated slot 37 to permit lateral channel adjustment to align the drawer precisely in the drawer opening of the cabinet structure . for conservation purposes as well as providing light weight construction , the delta shaped slide member 27 may include cutout portions 38 and 39 . however , stiffeners may be provided on the opposite edges of the slide member 27 to rigidize or reinforce the construction and are indentified by numerals 40 and 41 in fig4 . if desired , the slide member may be of solid construction without ribs 40 or 41 or cutouts ; and the material may be of suitable plastic or other material having a high strength to weight ratio . high density polyethelene may be employed , for example , for its toughness and self lubricating qualities . other known high strength plastic or other materials may also be employed . fig4 further illustrates that the slide member 27 includes downwardly depending guides 42 and 43 . the downwardly depending guides 42 and 43 are substantially l - shaped in cross section so as to mate with the configuration of the rails 31 and 22 of the channel 20 . the guides 42 and 43 engage with the opposing surfaces of the rails 31 and 22 so that the slide member and drawer are in sliding engagement therewith and no lateral movement is permitted . the underside of the slide guides react with the underside of the inwardly directed channel rail feet to prevent the drawer from tipping down when the drawer is pulled fully open . it can also be seen that the hooked end 30 carried on the end of the cantilevered central strip 28 rides in the center of the channel between the guides 42 and 43 . in fig5 the drawer has not been illustrated so that the slide member can be more clearly shown . the slide member 27 is permitted restricted rectilinear movement between the stop member 25 and the stop formed by the engagement of the fronts 16 and 12 . the guides 42 and 43 are elongated and readily engage with the opposing surfaces of the rails 21 and 22 of the channel 20 so that adequate support is given for the drawer . to further permit rigidity of construction of the slide member as well as to provide an adequate support , a flange 44 is carried at the rear end of the slide member 27 which can be directly attached to the back 14 of the drawer by screws 45 . such construction further insures proper alignment as a means for squaring - up the slide member in relation to the drawer . the delta slide may be secured to the drawer entirely at the rear edge by fasteners through holes 32 , 34 and 35 . in addition . fasteners through holes 45 in flange 44 may be used in place of central screw 32 or in addition to screw 32 . referring now in detail to fig6 another version of the present invention is illustrated wherein the channel 20 is modified to include outwardly extending flanges 46 and 47 rather than the inwardly directed flanges associated with the channel showing in fig1 - 5 . in this embodiment , the slide member 27 includes guides 48 and 49 which include seats that extend around and beneath the flanges 46 and 47 in sliding engagement therewith . therefore , it can be seen that the sliding member of the present invention provides a novel means for slidably mounting a drawer on a channel member . limit stops are provided which cooperate with the hooked member or end of the central strip 28 so that rearward and forward movement of the drawer is restricted . rigidity is achieved by means of the stiffeners 41 and 40 as well as by the flange 44 . the device is lightened by material removable to provide apertures 38 and 39 and the device is readily installed by screws 32 , 34 and 35 , respectively . the central strip 28 is cantilevered from the forward end of the slide member rearwardly and is normally biased by its resilient contruction so that the hooked end substantially rides within the channel 20 between the rails 21 and 22 . by this construction , the slide member is easy to install and is economic to manufacture . another embodiment of the invention is shown in fig7 and 8 . instead of the delta shape shown in the previous embodiment , a rectangular body or member 50 is used with only a pair of screws 51 and 52 for mounting and stability . a smaller amount of material is used . this version includes a resilient strip 28 with a hooked end 30 and guides 42 and 43 as previously described . in closing , the present invention will be reviewed and considered in connection with known prior art references . by way of background , prior patents include : r . h . reiss u . s . pat . no . 3 , 185 , 530 , granted may 25 , 1965 , which shows a complex full length drawer slide which must be moulded for the exact drawer length ; c . j . dean u . s . pat . no . 3 , 923 , 347 , granted dec . 2 , 1975 , which shows a drawer locking mechanism operative at the rear of a drawer assembly ; and k . h . gutner u . s . pat . no . 3 , 658 , 394 , granted apr . 25 , 1972 , showing two sheet metal members forming an &# 34 ; overcomeable stop &# 34 ; in a slide assembly extending the full length of a drawer . in the following paragraphs , some general features , improvements and advantages of the invention will be recapitulated and reviewed in the light of the above prior patents , and commercial drawer construction techniques . specifically , the system of the invention provides a drawer guide means that substantially eliminates side play and tipping of the drawer in relation to the cabinet or piece of furniture in which it is installed . it permits quick mounting and fastening of the guide to the drawer , and by virtue of its unique shape and self rigidizing structure , allows for very economical manufacturing . it can be readily and reliably moulded from a self lubricating plastic which provides for a smooth and quiet operating function when sliding in a metal channel attached to a cabinet or furniture structure . an integral resilient stop arrangement is provided which is a positive , manually released device , not merely a warning device . by their very nature , many of the known drawer guide systems do not adequately provide arrangements to eliminate undesirable side play in a drawer unit unless a substantial amount of time is spent in adjusting rollers , or shimming to make a drawer precisely fit the opening . even then , as the drawer is pulled further from its opening , wobble and side play increase in proportion , or more than proportionately to the withdrawal . certain constructional features contributing to the improved results will now be reviewed . the plastic drawer guide is triangular or delta in shape , having two rail members spaced apart and a cantilevered strip with a hooked end between these at its rear or base portion . this is a unique feature of the delta guide , since prior art drawer guide units that claim to prevent side play ( such as the reiss reference ) show a drawer member that runs the full length of the drawer and fastens onto the back and the front of the drawer structure . the delta guide may be secured to the drawer only at the drawer back . the two screws at each extreme corner provide a very rigid structure and prevent any lateral movement . the two screws through the flange portion prevent the guide from pulling away from the drawer bottom when the drawers center of gravity falls outside the face of the cabinet and the front wants to come down and the back up , such as in a fully extended position , and these screws are then under shear forces . the guide can also be stapled with an air gun stapler along the rear of the delta guide and in the flange near where the screw holes are shown in fig5 for example . the guide of the present invention , because of the flange and short length , can be easily squared with the rear of the drawer back , and a centering jig can be used to center it between the drawer sides prior to fastening . in a mass production shop the one location along the back for fastening results in a great savings of labor since the operator is not shifting the staple gun from one area to another . also , since the delta guide does not fasten to the drawer front as do full length drawer guides , the machining which would be required in some type of drawer construction , to accept the full length drawer guide is eliminated . some prior art drawer guide systems , such as that shown in the reiss patent , have used full length guide members on the drawer with fairly loose tolerances between the cabinet member and drawer member for most of the length of the drawer , and have relied on a device at one end of the drawer guide member to have a frictional contact or close contact with the member secured to the cabinet , to eliminate side play . therefore , as mentioned earlier , the drawer has a fair amount of wobble when extended and only upon closing does it prevent side play . the delta guide , because of its small size relative to the full length drawer guide , permits the securing of a very accurate part from an injection moulding process . the tolerance between the guide and steel channel that the guide slides in is approximately 0 . 005 inch . the matching steel guide may be held to about 0 . 001 inch tolerances . since the guide is only about 7 inches in length and an average size drawer for a kitchen cabinet is 21 inches , this 0 . 005 inch will be multiplied about three times to approximately 0 . 015 inch to 0 . 018 inch at the drawer front . this provides a drawer with a sufficiently low side play tolerance for the highest quality cabinet and furniture applications and in addition , keeps the drawer tracking straight throughout its length . in view of its small size and weight , the delta guide can be moulded from a thermoplastic material for a fraction of the cost of full length systems . also , because of its size , it can be moulded to closer tolerances than larger sizes which of necessity must have larger tolerances due to warpage of materials of this type when they are of substantial length ( such as the reiss guide ). an additional advantage is that the delta guide will fit all drawer depths due to the smaller size and the fact that it does not fasten at the front and back of the drawer but only at the back . this results in a great savings in manufacturing and also for the cabinent or furniture manufacturer since he does not have to inventory a multiplicity of different drawer lengths . particularly for the custom manufacturer who builds cabinets of all depths , all that is necessary is to cut the mating steel channel to the cabinet depth required . in the case of the full length drawer guide of reiss , for example , if this were attempted on the drawer guide member , some function of the guide would have to be cut off in order for it to fit a shorter drawer . the universal applicability of a single guide becomes particularly important when the several thousand dollar cost of a single injection moulding die is considered . thus , the savings achieved extend from manufacturing , through inventory and simplified manufacturing operations . an additional feature of the delta guide , which is an inherent part of its structure is that , when a drawer is picked up at the front , as when the drawer is fully extended , the front of the guide will stay in the channel and allow the drawer bottom to be lifted away from it . the guide possessing enough resiliency in the plastic to be pulled away from the bottom at the front end of the delta guide a considerable distance and still return to a close fit with the bottom with no damage to the guide or excess stress on the fastening means . the drawer however still maintains lateral stability and the drawer can not be untracked from the steel channel and the &# 34 ; moulded in &# 34 ; positive stop . with regard to the stop arrangements shown in the reiss and gutner patents , their &# 34 ; stops &# 34 ; are principally warning devices of either a frictional or resilient nature , or a full length guide system which rely on moulded in areas to achieve the same result . they are both devices which can be overcome by a sustained pull , or lifting the front a small amount , and all are marginal as far as a positive stopping is concerned . as an example , a child who is not mindful of the warning device could pull the drawer out , with danger to himself . also , for recreational vehicles such as mobile homes and campers , the drawers equipped with this invention could not be shaken out of the cabinet by vibration or acceleration while the vehicle is in motion . the stop device does not require any additional cost to manufacture . after the drawer has been removed reinsertion is easy as the cammed end of the cantilevered plastic strip readily overrides the upstanding metal tab in the steel channel . the drawer may be withdrawn at will by merely pressing on the exposed cantilevered strip so that the right angle abutting surface clears the upstanding metal tab . the drawer can then be slid out of the drawer opening without any pulling or lifting up of the drawer front to clear a projection as is required in some prior art arrangements . an additional feature , contributing to smooth and effortless drawer action , is the small surface area of the guide rails in contact with the slide channel as compared to other full length systems , such as that of reiss , which use moulded in areas to reduce frictional contact between the cabinet channel and drawer guide . in conclusion , while particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects , and therefore , the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention .
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a description of an embodiment of the present invention will be given in conjunction with fig1 to 3 . in fig1 and 2 , elements or parts corresponding to those in fig4 are designated with like numerals , thus detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted in fig1 a field current control circuit 2a , serving as a first control means , is equipped with terminals 22 to 25 in the same manner as the foregoing conventional field current control circuit 2 , and is additionally provided with a terminal 26 . a high - voltage load control unit 5a , acting as a second control means , has terminals 51 to 56 like the aforesaid conventional high - voltage load control unit 5 , and further has terminals 57 and 58 terminal 57 is connected to the terminal 26 of the field current control circuit 2a , while the terminal 58 is connected with a terminal 13 of a power generating unit 1 and a terminal 85 of a switching relay 8 . with this arrangement , the high - voltage load control unit 5a monitors the potential difference between the terminals 58 and 54 , that is , the potential difference ( corresponding to the voltage drop ) between a fixed contact 82b and a relay movable contact 82 serving as an opening and closing section of a switching means , thus allowing the voltage drop at the fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 to be detected . the high - voltage load control unit 5a , as will be described later , performs a comparison between the detected voltage drop value and a predetermined reference value , and if the voltage drop value at the fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 exceeds the predetermined reference value , when the switching relay 8 is switched from the high - voltage operating mode to the normal - voltage operating mode a predetermined duty pulse signal , as a control signal is forcefully supplied through the terminal 57 to the terminal 26 of the field current control circuit 2a . whereupon , the field current control circuit 2a operates such that a given field current of a storage battery 3 flows into a field winding 11b of an ac generator 11 , with the result that the ac generator 11 temporarily generates power , and the generation current from the power generating unit 1 passes through the switching relay 8 . accordingly , at the moment when the movable contact 82 of the switching relay 8 is separated from the fixed contact 82b , an arc is generated therebetween , which can destroy the oxide film or the like on the surface of the fixed contact 82b . fig2 is a circuit diagram showing one example of a concrete circuit arrangement of the high - voltage load control unit 5a . in fig2 the high - voltage load control unit 5a is composed of a drive circuit 100 for operating the switching relay 8 , a drive circuit 110 for driving the field current control circuit 2a , and a control circuit 120 for controlling the drive circuits 100 and 110 . the drive circuit 100 includes a transistor 101 , a surge - absorbing diode 102 , and resistors 103 and 104 . the collector of the transistor 101 is coupled to the terminal 52 and further connected through the diode 102 to the terminal 51 , while the emitter thereof is grounded , and the base thereof is connected through the resistor 103 to the terminal 51 and further connected with the output side of a delay circuit 129 of a control circuit 120 which will be described later . in addition , one end of the resistor 104 is in coupled with to the terminal 51 , whereas the other end thereof is connected to the positive power terminal + b . the drive circuit 110 is provided with transistors 111 , 112 , and resistors 113 , 114 , 115 . the resistors 113 , 114 and 115 are connected in series to each other and disposed between the positive power terminal + b and the ground . the node ( junction ) between the resistors 113 and 114 is connected to the terminal 53 , while the node between the resistors 114 and 115 is connected with the collector of the transistor 111 . in addition , the emitter of the transistor 111 is grounded , and the base thereof is connected with the output side of an or circuit 127 of the control circuit 120 which will be described later . the collector of the transistor 112 is coupled to the node between the resistors 113 and 114 , while the emitter thereof is grounded and the base thereof is connected to the output terminal of an exclusive or circuit 131 of the control circuit 120 . the control circuit 120 has comparators 121 to 124 , a pulse generator 125 , a nand circuit 126 , an or circuit 127 , an inverter 128 , delay circuits 129 , 130 , and an exclusive or circuit 131 . the inverting terminal of the comparator 121 is connected with the terminal 54 , and the non - inverting terminal thereof is connected with the terminal 58 . the non - inverting terminal of the comparator 122 is connected with the output side of the comparator 121 , and the inverting terminal thereof is connected to a reference terminal ref to which a given reference voltage is applied which serves as a discrimination ( reference ) value of the arc generation . further , the non - inverting terminal of the comparator 123 is connected with the terminal 55 and the inverting terminal thereof is connected with a reference terminal ref 1 to which a given reference voltage is supplied which is set in relation with the temperature of a high - voltage load 9 . the non - inverting terminal of the comparator 124 is connected relation to the terminal 56 , and the inverting terminal thereof is coupled relation to a reference terminal ref 2 to which a given reference voltage is applied which is determined , for example , in relation to the speed of the engine . the given reference voltage being applied to the reference terminal ref 1 of the comparator 122 and serving as the discrimination value of the arc generation is set to , for a voltage value which is the result of the multiplication of the maximum generation current of the power generating unit 1 at the time of supply to the high - voltage load 9 by the contact resistance of the fixed contact 82b having an oxide film or the like thereon . furthermore , the first input terminal of the nand circuit 126 is connected to the output side of the comparator 122 , the second input terminal thereof is coupled to the output terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 , and the third input terminal thereof is connected with the output side of the pulse generator 125 generating a pulse signal with a given duty ratio . one input terminal of the or circuit 127 is in connection with the output side of the comparator 123 , and the other input terminal thereof takes connection with the output side of the comparator 124 , while the output terminal thereof is connected through the inverter 128 to the input side the delay circuit 129 and further to one input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 . the output side of the delay circuit 129 is connected with the input side of the delay circuit 130 , the output side of the delay circuit 130 being connected with the other input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 . next , a description will be made in conjunction with the time chart of fig3 in terms of the operation of the fig1 and 2 circuits . the operation in this embodiment is basically the same as the operation of the fig4 conventional system except for the operation taken when the voltage drop at the fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 becomes excessive . now , the operation immediately after the switching relay 8 is switched from the high - voltage operating mode side to the normal operating mode side , the detection output ( voltage value ) of the temperature sensor 10 to be applied to the terminal 55 exceeds the reference value of the comparator 123 , or the engine rpm detection output ( voltage value ) from the engine control unit 20 to be applied to the terminal 56 becomes higher than the reference value of the comparator 124 . accordingly , a high - level ( hi ) signal s1 as shown by ( a ) in fig3 takes place at the output side of the or circuit 127 responsive to the outputs of the comparators 123 and 124 will be considered . this signal s1 is delivered to the base of the transistor 111 and further to the inverter 128 . a low - level ( lo ) signal s2 as indicated by ( b ) of fig3 appears at the output side of the inverter 128 inverting the signal s1 . this signal s2 is directly supplied to one input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 and further to the delay circuit 129 before being supplied as a low - level ( lo ) signal s3 ( see ( c ) fig3 ) to the base of the transistor 101 and further led to the delay circuit 130 before being delivered as a low - level ( lo ) signal s4 ( see ( d ) of fig3 ) to the other input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 . whereupon , a low - level ( lo ) signal s5 as indicated by ( e ) of fig3 is sent from the output side of the exclusive or circuit 131 to the base of the transistor 112 . at this time , as indicated by ( f ), ( g ) and ( h ) of fig3 the transistors 111 , 112 and 101 are in the on , off and off states , respectively . accordingly , a voltage ( the voltage across the resistor 114 ) made by the division caused by the resistors 113 and 114 is obtainable as a middle - potential level ( m ) signal s6 as indicated by ( i ) of fig3 at the terminal 53 . this signal s6 is supplied , as the reference value for the control voltage of the power generating unit 1 at the time of the normal operating mode , to the terminal 25 of the field current control circuit 2a , by which supply the normal operating mode starts as described above . secondly , if in the normal operating mode the detection output ( voltage value ) of the temperature sensor 10 to be applied to the terminal 55 becomes lower than the reference value of the comparator 123 and the engine speed detection output ( voltage value ) of e engine control unit 20 to be applied to the terminal 56 also becomes lower than the reference value of the comparator 124 , a low - level ( lo ) signal s1 as indicated by ( a ) of fig3 develops at the output side of the or circuit 127 which receive signals from the comparators 123 , 124 . the signal s1 goes to the base of the transistor 111 and further to the inverter 128 . as a result , a high - level ( hi ) signal s2 as indicated by ( b ) of fig3 is issued at the output side the inverter 128 inverting the signal s1 . this signal s2 is directly input to one input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 . thus , at this time , the transistor first turns off , then the transistor 112 turns on , with the result that a signal s6 with the ground potential , i . e ., a low - potential level ( l ) as indicated by ( i ) of fig3 is obtainable at the terminal 53 . this signal s6 is applied , as the control voltage reference value for the power generating unit 1 to be taken in switching from the normal operating mode to the high - voltage operating mode , to the terminal 25 of the field current control circuit 2a so that the power generating unit 1 comes into a non - generating state . on the other hand , in a state in which the power generating unit 1 is in a non - generating state , the high - level ( hi ) signal s2 developing at the output side of the inverter 128 is delayed by a given time period as indicated by ( c ) of fig3 so as to be supplied to the base of the transistor 101 as the signal s3 which becomes a high level ( hi ) when a given time period elapses after the signal s2 turns into the high level ( hi ). consequently , the transistor 101 comes into the on state so that the relay coil 81 of the switching relay 8 is energized to cause the relay movable contact 82 to switch from the contact 82a side to the contact 82b side , i . e ., switch from the system voltage load 7 side to the high - voltage load 9 side . at this time , the power generating unit 1 is still in the non - generating state , and hence no generation current flows into the switching relay 8 , with the result let no arc generation takes place between the relay movable contact 82 and contact 82b of the switching relay 8 . thereafter , the signal s3 is further delayed by a given time period in the delay circuit 130 so as to be supplied as a high - level ( hi ) signal s4 as indicated by ( d ) of fig3 to the other input terminal of the exclusive or circuit 131 , with the result that a signal s5 at the output side of the exclusive or circuit 131 turns from the high level ( hi ) state into the low level ( lo ) state as indicated by ( e ) of fig3 so that the transistor 112 comes from the on state into the off state . accordingly , the voltage ( the voltage across the resistors 114 , 115 ), being divided with the resistors 113 , 114 and 115 , is obtainable at the terminal 53 as a high - potential level ( h ) signal s6 as shown by ( i ) of fig3 . this signal s6 is led , as the reference value for the control voltage of the power generating unit 1 in the high - voltage operating mode , to the terminal 25 of the field current control circuit 2a , thereby causing the operation to enter into the high - voltage operating mode as described above . moreover , when the detection output ( voltage value ) of the temperature sensor 10 to be applied to the terminal 55 becomes higher than the reference value of the comparator 123 or the engine speed detection output ( voltage value ) of the engine control unit 20 to be applied to the terminal 56 becomes higher than the reference value of the comparator 124 , the operation is switched from the high - voltage operating mode to the normal operating mode . in this case , as well for that as described above , the switching relay 8 is switched after the power generating unit 1 comes into a non - generating state , and hence no arc is generated between the relay movable contact 82 and fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 . next , a description will be made hereinbelow in terms of the operation taken when the voltage drop at the fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 becomes large , more specifically , the operation taken switching from the high - voltage operating mode to the normal operating mode . the high - voltage load control unit 5a monitors , using the comparator 127 , the potential difference between the terminals 58 and 54 , i . e ., the potential difference ( voltage drop ) between the relay movable contact 82 and the fixed contact 82b , and supplies the comparison output to the next - stage comparator 122 as a value corresponding to the voltage drop so as to conduct the comparison with its reference value . if the voltage drop value exceeds the reference value ref 1 , the comparator 122 issues a high - level signal to its own output side to output it to the nand circuit 126 . this nand circuit 126 receives the high - level ( hi ) signal s5 at the time of the switching of the operating mode even as seen from ( e ) of fig3 . therefore , when the high - level signal is delivered from the comparator 122 to the nand circuit 126 , the gate of the nand circuit 126 essentially gets into the open state so as to allow a pulse signal with a given duty ratio from the pulse generator 125 to pass through the nand circuit 126 as the control signal so as to be led through the terminal 57 to the terminal 26 of the field current control circuit 2a . as a result , the field current control circuit 2a intermittently on / off - controls the transistor 21 on the basis of the control signal to the terminal 26 , with the result that a given field current due to the battery 3 flows through the field winding 11b of the ac generator 11 . accordingly , the ac generator 11 temporarily carries out the generation so that the generation current flows from the power generating unit 1 into the switching relay 8 to cause an arc to develop between the movable contact 82 and fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 at the moment when the movable contact 82 is separated from the fixed contact 82b so as to destroy the oxide film or the like on the surface of the fixed contact 82b and other portions . at this time , it is desirable that the field current to the field winding 11b of the ac generator 17 be set to a given value , for example , below 1 / 2 of that in the full - exciting state ( the full - conductive state of the transistor 21 ), thus suppressing the generation current of the power generating unit 1 in order to prevent the contacts and others of the switching relay 8 from being damaged due to the large generation current . for this reason , the duty ratio of the pulse signal from the pulse generator 125 is set to half ( 50 %) relative to the duty ratio ( 100 %) in the full - exciting state so as to satisfy the foregoing conditions . that is , the switching operation of the switching relay 8 is made in a state in which the field current flowing into the field winding 11a of the alternating - current generator is decreased by a predetermined quantity . as described above , according to this embodiment , when switching from the high - voltage operating mode for driving the high - voltage load to the normal operating mode for driving the system voltage load in addition to charging the battery , a given field current is compulsorily made to flow through the power generating unit 1 which in turn , temporarily carries out the generation so that the generation current causes arcing to take place between the relay movable contact 82 and fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 . this can easily break and remove the oxide film and the like attached onto the surface of the fixed contact 82b and so on , thus preventing a conductive failure in the switching relay 8 . in addition , with the field current at the time of the arc occurrence being substantially controlled with a duty ratio , the arc energy is adjustable to keep from shortening the life of the switching relay 8 . a second embodiment of this invention will now be described below . although in the foregoing embodiment the arc is designed to occur when the voltage at the fixed contact 82b of the switching relay 8 becomes large , it is also appropriate for the arc to be made to develop similarly when the voltage drop at the other fixed contact 82a of switching relay 8 exceeds a predetermined value . that is , the high - voltage load control unit 5a monitors , using the comparator 121 , the potential difference between the terminals 51 and 54 , i . e ., the potential difference ( voltage drop ) between the relay movable contact 82 and fixed contact 82a , and compulsorily gives a given field current to the power generating unit 1 to permit the power generating unit 1 to temporarily generate a power as described before , by which generation current the arcing takes place between the movable contact 82 and fixed contact 82a of the switching relay 8 . thus , even in this case , as well as the aforementioned embodiment , it is possible to destroy and remove the oxide film and the like on the surface of the fixed contact 82 etc , thus preventing conductive failure in the switching relay 8 . furthermore , although in the foregoing first and second embodiments the potential difference between the fixed contact and movable contact of the switching relay is detected to use it as the discrimination value for the occurrence of the arc , in a third embodiment of this invention , for example , the high - voltage load control unit 5a includes a timer ( not shown ) in place of the comparator 121 so as to measure the off time period of the transistor 112 to monitor the contact energization time , i . e ., connection time of the movable contact 82 with the fixed contact 82b or 82a so that the arc occurs when the connection time becomes longer than a predetermined reference time preset in the comparator 122 . accordingly , just as in the first and second embodiments , the oxide film and the like on the contacts 82a , 82b are easily breakable and removable , which can prevent conductive failure in the switching relay 8 . in addition , if the given reference time is appropriately set , unnecessary arc occurrence can be prevented to result in slower the deterioration of the switching relay 8 . moreover , in this case , cables and the like between the terminals 54 , 86 and the terminals 58 , 85 becomes unnecessary , thus improving the workability and lowering costs accordingly . in a fourth embodiment , as well as in the foregoing third embodiment , the high - voltage load control unit 5a is equipped with a counter ( not shown ) in place of the comparator 121 so that the counter counts the number of times the transistor 101 is switched on / off . when number of times of the switching operation exceeds a reference value preset in the comparator 22 , the arc is designed to take place . this embodiment can have the same effects as the third embodiment . it should be understood that the foregoing relates to only preferred embodiments of the invention , and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the embodiments of the invention herein used for the purpose of the disclosure , which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , although the description applies to motor vehicles , this invention is also applicable to other fields such as marine vessels and aircraft .
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fig3 illustrates the basic pattern of the novel mesh pad structure . the imd , 10 , is separated into cells by perpendicular arrays of metal filled via trenches . the array 14 is denoted the vertical array and the array 16 the horizontal array . the strength of the imd - via trench structure is higher than that of the traditional imd - via hole structures , such as those depicted in fig1 a , 1 b and 1 c . thus , initiation of cracks in the imd will occur less frequently for the mesh pad structure than for traditional structures utilizing via holes , such as those depicted in fig1 a , 1 b and 1 c . furthermore , even in the remote possibility of initiation of a crack in the imd of a mesh pad structure , the crack could only propagate as far as the metal filled trench which border the imd cells . thus the crack size is limited to be less than about the cell diagonal . in the case of traditional via hole pad structures , such as those depicted in fig1 a , 1 b and 1 c , the crack can propagate over large distances avoiding metal filled via holes . the reduced damage in the case of a mesh pad structure is manifested in substantial improvement of the quality and reliability of the bonding pad . basic elements of a bonding pad structure consist of metal layers , emanating from the terminals of the chip devices , separated by imd layers . also there is an imd layer separating the uppermost metal layer from a bonding metal pattern that is formed over this imd layer and there are metal connectors passing through the imd layers connecting the metal layers to the bonding metal pattern . wires are bonded to the bonding metal pattern and to the chip package forming electrical connections between the chip and the package . a passivation layer covers the surface , except over the bonding sites , to seal the chip from contaminants and for scratch protection . a mesh via trench pattern can be used between any two levels of metal . however , its crack resistance properties are mostly utilized when used between the uppermost metal layer and the bonding metal pattern . to form the via trench pattern , a blanket dielectric layer is first formed over the uppermost metal layer , using techniques well known to those skilled in the art . this dielectric layer is often silicon oxide . composite layers are useful in relieving internal stress in the dielectric , stress that contributes to cracking in the dielectric layer , and preferred embodiments of the invention utilize such layers . composite dielectric layers that are used to relieve internal stress include dual oxide layers , where , for instance , one of the layers is formed using hdp and the other using peteos , for example , 7000 angstroms can be deposited using hdp and 17000 angstroms using peteos . however , composite dielectric layers do not protect the imd layers from cracking as a result of stresses arising during chip packaging . this protection is achieved by the novel mesh pad structures of the embodiments of the invention . in contrast to the traditional bonding pad , in which via holes through the imd layer are used to provide electrical connection between the metal layers , in a mesh pad structure electrical connection is achieved by via trenches . via trenches are formed using the same well known processes as via holes , except that the shapes of the openings are rectangular - like . via trench layouts are designed to separate the imd into small cells , which , when the trenches are filled with metal , are essentially surrounded by metal filled trenches . for trench widths of between about 0 . 1 and 0 . 5 micrometers and for trench lengths between about 0 . 1 and 100 micrometers , which also provides the cell dimension , the imd strength is significantly increased , and crack sizes are limited to less than about the cell diagonal . a via trench layout according to preferred embodiments of the invention in which trenches do not intersect is shown in fig4 . this form of layout will be referred to as the nonintersecting layout . arrays of horizontal , 16 , and vertical , 14 , trenches nearly divide the imd layer , 10 , into cells though they do not intersect . trench widths are between about 0 . 1 and 0 . 5 micrometers and the trench lengths are between about 0 . 1 and 100 micrometers for trenches in both the vertical and horizontal arrays . in this layout there is a separation between a trench and its perpendicular neighbors . an advantage of nonintersecting via trenches is that there is a tendency toward void formation when filling an intersection with metal and nonintersecting via trenches avoids this void formation . in this layout the trenches do not fully surround the imd . however , if the ratio between the spacing of perpendicular trenches , 24 , to the spacing of parallel trenches , 26 , is kept small , less then about ⅕ , cracks will not propagate much beyond a cell before being stopped by a trench . a spacing of perpendicular trenches greater then about 0 . 1 micrometers is required , however , to avoid overlap . another trench layout according to preferred embodiments of the invention is referred to as the bricklaying layout and is depicted in fig5 . here the trenches , 14 and 16 , do actually divide the infd layer , 10 , into closed cells . however , even though the vertical and horizontal trench arrays do not completely cross each other , there is , t - shaped overlap at positions , 18 . void formation still occurs during metal filling of the trenches at overlaps such at positions 18 , however this is at a reduced frequency as compared with crossing intersections . trench widths are between about 0 . 1 and 0 . 5 micrometers and the trench separation is between about 0 . 1 and 10 micrometers for horizontal trenches and between about 0 . 1 and 10 micrometers for vertical trenches . to further reduce the tendency for void formation at the overlaps , a trench layout , denoted as the modified bricklaying layout and shown in fig6 , is utilized in other preferred embodiments of the invention . except for overlap region , 20 , the trench layout and dimensions for the modified bricklaying layout are similar to the trench layout and dimension for the bricklayer layout . the overlap region , 20 , for the modified bricklaying layout is reduced from that of the overlap region , 18 , for the bricklaying layout and results in a reduction in voiding . modified bricklaying overlaps between 0 . 1 and 1 micrometer of the bricklaying overlap achieve significant reductions in voiding , yet provide complete enclosure of the imd in the cells . filling of the via trenches with conductive material is accomplished , in preferred embodiments of the invention , using w plug processes , which are well known to those versed in the art . other embodiments of the invention utilize alternative plug processes , such as al plug , cu plug , or silicide plug processes . following the metal filling of the trenches , chemical / mechanical polishing ( cmp ), a process well known to practitioners of the art , is used to planarize the surface . bonding metal patterns are then deposited , according to procedures well known to those versed in the art . wires are bonded to bonding metal patterns and a passivation layer is formed , using processes , for both , that well known to those versed in the art . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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fig1 shows a general network system including user workstations 1 a , 1 b , 1 c ( e . g ., pcs ) and a centralized printing facility 3 such as is often called a “ central repro department ” ( crd ), all connected by a network 10 such as a local area network , or even the internet . the crd includes a plurality of printing devices 4 a , 4 b , 4 c and a server 5 , which will normally be a pc . the crd may also include a document database 6 or be connected to a central database facility acting as a document database . the devices in the crd are interconnected by a local network 11 , which may be part of the general network 10 . in operation , users prepare documents on their workstations and submit the resulting document data files to the crd for printing and possibly storage in the database 6 . the files for printing are received by the server 5 and are , under the control of a crd operator , transferred to a printer device 4 a , 4 b or 4 c . the server 5 runs program software and so forms a system for editing and specifying the print processing of the print job that produces the prints according to the document file submitted by the users . this software has three separate chapters , as exemplified by fig2 : page - level specification 21 , including page editing functionality , such as page layout specification and image processing ; document - level specification 22 for composing documents from page images ; and production - level specification 23 , directed to the physical production control . the present invention relates to the above - mentioned system for editing and specifying print processing , and in particular the document - level specification 22 thereof the present invention provides a user interface for the system , and is embodied in software running in the server 5 . in operation , the document specification software features a document workspace that offers all functionality that is needed to transform pages into a fully programmed job . in this workspace the user defines the layout , the media and the finishing options . it is also possible to add elements such as page numbers and tab captions . as shown in fig3 , the document workspace offers a document view 30 on the display screen of the server 5 . the document view 30 is divided in two panes , the structure pane 33 and the preview pane 35 , which generally are displayed side - by - side . settings or specifications for programming a print job for a document file can be set in both the structure pane 33 and the preview pane 35 by first selecting one or a group of document pages and then selecting relevant functions . selection of a function can be done by using buttons 38 in the toolbar 37 or a context menu , as will be described below . first , the document view display includes a toolbar 37 , which contains buttons 38 for the most important functionality available in the document view . each button 38 includes an icon ( schematic in fig3 ) and a caption . some of the toolbar buttons are of a “ combined ” type , i . e . they offer multiple ( related ) selectable functions in a dropdown button menu . the button caption displays the selected menu item . the toolbar 37 shown in fig3 is only schematic . it may hold the buttons 38 as shown in table 1 below : second , by right - clicking the mouse on a selected document page anywhere in the document view display , the user may call up a context menu as shown in fig4 a , and select specifications for the print processing of that page . the options available from the exemplary context menu are specified in more detail in table 2 below , and are given as an example only . other , more or less options may be envisaged . in table 2 below , arrowheads indicate the presence of secondary menus . the options of the secondary menus are given directly below the main item in table 2 . furthermore , in table 2 below , “ . . . ” indicates that upon this selection , a secondary window will be opened for specifying the required operation further . menu options preceded by “{ }” are single actions not requiring further specification . in the submenu of “ assign media ”, the “ from catalogue . . . ” item opens a “ media catalogue ” in a secondary window . below this item , a quick pick list ( subset of media catalogue ) is displayed ( fig4 b ). in this list , media icons are displayed in front of the submenu items . the structure pane 33 ( fig3 ) and its operation will now be described in more detail with reference to fig4 a and 4b . the structure pane offers an overview on the document as well as easy navigation and selection of pages . in the structure pane , the pages and blank sheets in the document are displayed in a list 31 , having a sequence number and an icon for each page . ghost pages ( i . e . pages not programmed but nevertheless present , e . g . back sides of single sided prints ) are not displayed . additional information about the pages is displayed in group columns 32 , each dedicated to a particular grouping criterion or property . in the structure pane , pages can be grouped on several criteria . as shown in fig5 , pages may , for instance , be grouped on the criteria ( sub ) section , media and finishing . groups are very handy in the print specification process , since they may be selected and ( re -) programmed at once . groups may be formed by selecting a range of pages in the document view . groups are visualized in the structure pane 33 by means of group columns 32 . every column contains a summary bar 51 , 52 , 53 , containing icons giving feedback about the properties of the group , and group labels displaying these properties in text . within the summary bar , groups have alternatingly different appearances , such as background color and / or , as in fig5 , perimeter line , for better distinguishability . clicking on a group in a summary bar has the effect of selecting the entire group . this may be done for collectively operating on all members of the group , such as changing a group property . for example , in fig3 , page 2 is selected as shown by the dark background color of the corresponding row 36 , as well as by a dark outline in the preview pane , to be described later . each group column has a header icon 55 and a header label 56 displaying the grouping criterion . by double - clicking the header icon 55 of a group column , the group labels may be suppressed ; by again double - clicking the header icon 55 , the group labels are restored . also , the group label area of a group column may be narrowed by dragging the header icon of the neighboring group column into it . in fig5 , group columns are shown for the following grouping criteria ( or property ): ( sub ) section — the sequential pages that belong to the same ( sub ) section form a ( sub ) section group . sections are divisions defined by the user according to document content criteria , such as chapters , and can be subdivided in subsections . several sub - levels are possible . in fig5 , the section column 51 is divided in sections 51 - 1 , 51 - 2 and 51 - 3 of the document . sub - levels are shown in fig6 and will be explained below . media — the sequential pages that have the same media form a media group . the media column 52 is divided in media groups 52 - 1 , 52 - 2 , 52 - 3 , 52 - 4 and 52 - 5 in the document . finishing — the sequential pages that are finished together ( e . g ., a stapled set ) form a finishing group . the finishing column 53 is divided in finishing groups 53 - 1 , 53 - 2 and 53 - 3 in the document . the user can define which group columns are visible in the structure pane 33 , and can change the order and width of the group columns as will be explained below . the present invention is not limited to the grouping criteria disclosed above . other criteria are well within the scope of the present invention , such as , e . g . “ author ” ( e . g ., for multi - authored documents ), date of production , color properties , etc . still other criteria are plexity ( simplex or duplex ) and / or force ( forced use of front side or back side of a sheet ) attribute of a page . this makes it possible to select a range of 1 - sided or 2 - sided pages with one click . fig6 shows an example of the sub - division of sections into subsections . if multiple levels are defined in the document , these may be made visible in the section group column . for every level a summary bar 51 - a , 51 - b and 51 - c is displayed . the group labels 61 display the names of every section level . the group labels are placed behind all the summary bars . it is not always useful to see all levels of ( sub ) sections that are defined in the document . when they are not used , they only clutter the structure pane . therefore , in an additional embodiment of the present invention , the user is enabled to choose how many levels are visible , e . g . in the section column header . the leftmost group column is called the “ active column ”. the active column has different properties than the other columns . in the active column , groups may be collapsed and expanded as will be explained in more detail below . the active state may be visualized by the summary bars of the active column having different colors than those of the other columns . it should be noted that other ways of indicating that a column is the active one , including the positioning , may be contemplated . the user may change the order in which the group columns are displayed by dragging the column header to another position . if another group column is dragged to the leftmost position ( behind the page icon column ) this group column becomes the active column . the user can hide or show group columns in the structure pane by means of the “ view ” item in the windows menu bar and by means of the context menu ( right - click on a column header ). in both cases , a list of all available group columns is shown with clickable tick - marks . a non - ticked group column is not displayed (“ hidden ”). if a group in the active column contains multiple pages / blank sheets the group can be collapsed and expanded in a vertical direction by left - clicking on an expand / collapse icon as shown in fig7 . the expand / collapse icon may have the form of a small rectangle containing a minus sign 71 ( for collapse ) or a plus sign 72 ( for expand ). when a group in the active column is collapsed , the page number field of the collapsed set displays the sequence number range contained in the set . when a section group is collapsed , any subsections belonging to this section are no longer shown . if a group contains only 1 page or blank sheet , the group cannot be collapsed and the expand / collapse icon is not displayed . a group in the active column may be collapsed even though it contains multiple or partial groups in the other columns . fig8 a - 8d show successive steps of collapsing the “ section ” active column of a document having 10 pages . fig8 a depicts the initial situation , where all groups are completely displayed . if there is a group start or a group end in another column , within a collapsed set , then a combined group symbol 82 is shown in the summary bar of that column . the group label associated with a combined group is empty . furthermore , if a group is only partly contained in a collapsed set , the rest of that group remains visible in association with the not collapsed part of the display . this is shown in fig8 b , where the first section , “ chapter 1 ” is collapsed . as can be seen in fig8 b , the first 3 groups of the “ media ” column are collapsed into one combined group 82 and while within the “ finishing ” column , the first and part of the second groups are collapsed into a combined group 83 . the remaining part of the second “ finishing ” group , which falls within the second “ section ” group (“ chapter 2 “) remains visible ( 84 ) in the “ finishing ” summary bar . fig8 c and 8d show the effect of collapsing the sections “ chapter 2 ” and “ chapter 3 ,” respectively . buttons ( 39 , fig3 ) are provided in the footer of the structure pane for collectively expanding and collapsing all groups of the document . the preview pane 35 offers a wysiwyg preview of how the document will be after all production steps ( in - line and off - line ) are completed . to represent the document as realistically as possible , the document is shown in a spread view ( facing pages ) and all settings that effect the appearance of the document are displayed in the preview ( e . g . staples , tab captions , binding , media color , page numbers , etc .). one or more pages may be selected by clicking on them , in any of the preview pane 35 or in the structure pane 33 . tab captions are displayed in the spread view as shown in fig9 . the tabs that are before the left - hand page in the spread view are displayed ‘ behind ’ this page . if these tabs contain a caption at the rear side of the sheet this caption is displayed . likewise , the tabs that are behind the right - hand page in the spread view are displayed ‘ behind ’ this page . if these tabs contain a caption at the front side of the sheet this caption is displayed . if the mouse is over a tab caption a tooltip 92 displays this caption as well . tab captions may also be used for navigation . if a tab caption is clicked , the pane scrolls so that the corresponding page becomes visible . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .
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the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings , wherein like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements . it will be readily understood that the components of the present invention , as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein , could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations . thus , the following more detailed description , as represented in the figures , is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed , but is merely representative of presently preferred embodiments of the invention . referring now to fig1 and 2 , a y - port device 10 is illustrated in an infusion system 12 wherein a patient 14 receives intravenous therapy via the insertion of a catheter tube 16 into the patient 14 . the infusion system 12 comprises a catheter tube 16 , a y - port device 10 , and intravenous tubing 21 . the infusion system may also include a pre - filled sterile container of fluids 22 or any other source of fluid and / or therapeutic agent . the y - port device 10 provides an access point in the catheter tube 16 thereby allowing a user and / or clinician to access the patient &# 39 ; s vascular system 18 without disturbing the catheter insertion site 20 or the pre - filled , sterile container of fluids 22 . the y - port device 10 permits access to the catheter tube via a valve 24 as located with a first tubular member 26 of the y - port device 10 . the valve 24 may be any valve adaptable to the present invention . for example , the valve may be a septum , where the septum may be bypassed in order to access the interior of the y - port device . in one embodiment the valve 24 is a split septum 46 wherein the septum 24 is cut in a generally longitudinal direction 30 such that a split 46 is created through the center of the valve 24 , this split 46 forming an access channel through the center of the valve 24 . the septum split 46 may be biased so as to remain in a closed position until the walls of the split 46 are forced apart by the introduction of a probe 53 into the split 46 . the probe 53 may be a blunt cannula 48 , such as a male luer , or any probe - like structure appropriately sized and adapted to access the fluid channel 38 of the infusion system 12 through the valve 24 . in another embodiment , as illustrated in fig4 , the valve 24 is a penetrable membrane 50 wherein the penetrable membrane 50 comprises a solid or semi - solid plug which may be penetrated by a sharp probe . the sharp probe may be a hypodermic needle 52 or any needle - like structure adapted to penetrate the membrane 24 and access the fluid channel 38 of the infusion system 12 . in one embodiment , the puncturable membrane 50 comprises a material that is capable of being punctured with a needle 52 whereupon the needle 52 cuts through the membrane 50 and creates an access path through the membrane 50 into the fluid channel 38 . the walls of the access path are forced apart by the presence of the needle 52 such that when the needle 52 is removed from the membrane 50 , the access path resumes a closed position thereby preventing a flashback and / or leakage of the fluid contained in the infusion system 12 . again referring to fig1 & amp ; 2 , the patient &# 39 ; s vascular system 18 is accessed as a probe 53 is inserted into the valve 24 whereupon the probe tip 54 is introduced into a flow path 44 . once the probe tip 54 is introduced into the flow path , the user and / or clinicians may access the patient &# 39 ; s vascular system 18 through the infusion system 12 . referring now to fig2 , the y - port device 10 is comprised of a first tubular member 26 having a first end 32 and a second end 34 and extending in a generally longitudinal direction 30 . the first tubular member 26 is generally cylindrical but may include other hollow , tube - like configurations such as square tubing or multi - angular tubing . the first tubular member 26 comprises a rigid , plastic material but may include flexible , pliable or non - rigid materials as well such as nylon tubing , polyurethane tubing , surgical tubing or teflon tubing . in one embodiment , the first tubular member 26 comprises polypropylene material and is rigid . the first tubular member 26 further comprises a first end 32 with an inner diameter to accommodate the fitting of a valve 24 . the inner diameter of the first end 32 is engineered to receive the valve 24 such that the valve 24 fits securely within the first end 32 in a fluidtight fashion . the valve 24 may be secured within the first end 32 by friction , by an adhesive and / or by a complimentary design wherein the valve 24 contains a feature that is complimented by a feature located on the interior surface of the first end 32 of the first tubular member 26 such that the valve 24 and the first end 32 are locked together in a fluidtight fashion . the first tubular member 26 further comprises a second end 34 . the second end 34 is located at the end opposite to the first end 32 and has an inner diameter engineered to support intravenous tubing 16 such that the intravenous tubing 16 is irreversibly supported by the inner walls of the second end 34 of the first tubular member 26 in a fluidtight fashion . the intravenous tubing 16 may be supported by friction , an adhesive and / or by a complimentary design wherein the outer surface of the intravenous tubing 16 contains a feature that is complimented by a feature located on the interior surface of the second end 34 of the first tubular member 26 such that the intravenous tubing 16 and the second end 34 are locked together in a fluidtight fashion . the y - port device 10 further comprises a second tubular member 28 . the second tubular member 28 is generally cylindrical but may include other hollow , tube - like configurations such as square tubing or multi - angular tubing . the second tubular member 28 comprises a rigid , plastic material but may include flexible , pliable or non - rigid materials such as nylon tubing , polyurethane tubing , surgical tubing or teflon tubing . in one embodiment , the second tubular member 28 comprises polypropylene material and is rigid . the second tubular member 28 further comprises a first end 37 with an inner diameter engineered to support intravenous tubing 16 such that the intravenous tubing 16 is irreversibly supported by the inner walls of the first end 37 of the second tubular member 28 in a fluidtight fashion . the intravenous tubing 16 may be supported by friction , an adhesive and / or by a complimentary design wherein the outer surface of the intravenous tubing 16 contains a feature that is complimented by a feature located on the interior surface of the first end 37 of the second tubular member 28 such that the intravenous tubing 16 and the first end 37 are locked together in a fluidtight fashion . the second tubular member 28 further comprises a second end 39 . the second end 39 forms a junction 36 with the first tubular member 26 and the second tubular member 28 intersects the first tubular member 26 an angle θ of 90 ° or greater . for example , in one embodiment the second tubular member 28 intersects the first tubular member 26 at an angle θ of 120 °. in another embodiment , the second tubular member 28 intersects the first tubular member 26 at an angle θ that provides a continuous fluid channel 38 through the interior of the y - port device 10 . in another embodiment , the angle θ is selected to provide adequate clearance between the first end 32 of the first tubular member 26 and the first end 37 of the second tubular member 28 such that a clinician may access the valve 24 without being encumbered by the position of the second tubular member 28 . the junction 36 between the first tubular member 26 and the second tubular member 28 may be formed by various plastic molding techniques including plastic injection molding and compression molding , and / or by various plastic joining techniques including heated tool , hot gas , laser welding , mechanical fastening and chemical bonding . the y - port device comprises a valve 24 , as previously discussed . the valve 24 is positioned within the first tubular member 26 such that a first end 40 of the valve 24 corresponds to the first end 32 of the first tubular member 26 . the second end 42 of the valve 24 is angled at an angle θ ′ generally corresponding to the angle θ of the intersecting second tubular member 28 . for example , in one embodiment , the junction 36 is at an angle θ of 120 ° and the second end 42 of the valve 24 is at an angle θ ′ of 120 °. in another embodiment , the junction 36 is at an angle θ that provides a continuous fluid channel 38 through the interior of the y - port device 10 and the second end 42 of the valve 24 is at an angle θ ′ which is equal to angle θ . the second end 42 of the valve 24 abuts the fluid channel 38 such that there is no recessed cove or gap between the fluid channel 38 and the second end 42 of the valve 24 . the second end 42 of the valve 24 extends up to the fluid channel 38 , but does not extend into the fluid channel 38 . the flow path 44 runs through the fluid channel 38 and is in direct fluid communication with the second end 42 of the valve 24 such that the second end 42 comprises a portion of the perimeter of the fluid channel 38 , but does not disrupt and / or divert the flow path 44 . for example , in one embodiment a fluid enters the fluid channel 38 through the second tubular member 28 and continues through the fluid channel 38 bypassing the valve 24 and following the flow path 44 through the interior of the y - port device 10 , through the second end 34 of the first tubular member 26 and out of the y - port device 10 . in this same embodiment , the fluid bypasses the second end 42 of the valve 24 without changing its velocity or flow pattern due to the presence of the valve 24 . the interface between the second end 42 of the valve 24 and the fluid in the fluid channel 38 results in a uniform flow pattern and velocity of the fluid through the fluid channel 38 of the y - port adapter 10 . referring now to fig2 - 4 , the valve 24 may include a split septum 46 . the valve 24 may include a solid or semi - solid plug that is split in such a way as to allow a probe 53 access to the fluid channel 38 through the septum split 46 ( discussed above in detail ). the first end 40 of the valve 24 may extend to the rim of the first end 32 of the first tubular member 26 such that the first end 40 of the valve 24 may be cleaned and / or sterilized prior to insertion of a probe 53 . for example , in one embodiment the first end 40 of the valve 24 is sterilized with an alcohol swap prior to the introduction of a blunt , male luer into the split 46 of the valve 24 . in another embodiment , the first end 40 of the valve 24 is sterilized with an alcohol swap prior to puncturing the membrane 50 of the valve 24 with a hypodermic needle 52 . the first end 32 of the first tubular member 26 may be modified to include a feature 58 for attaching additional components of the infusion system . for example , in one embodiment the feature 58 is male threads adapted to compatibly receive female threads incorporated into one end of a probe 53 , such as a male luer . in another embodiment , the feature 58 is a raised portion of the outer surface of the first tubular member 26 wherein the raised portion is designed to receive a complementary clip 60 as incorporated into a probe 53 , such as a male luer . in this same embodiment , the complementary clip 60 engages the external feature 58 in a reversible manner such that the complementary clip 60 includes a pressure sensitive clasp or pinching mechanism 62 whereby a user and / or clinician may pinch the mechanism 62 to release the complementary clip 60 from the external feature 58 . it is also anticipated that the first end 37 of the second tubular member 28 and the second end 34 of the first tubular member 26 may also be modified to include a feature 58 for attaching additional components of the infusion system 12 as described above . referring now to fig5 , the valve 24 is positioned such that upon penetration of a probe 53 the probe tip 54 exits the second end 42 of the valve 24 directly into the fluid channel 38 permitting a fluid 56 to be infused directly into the flow path 44 thereby ensuring that all of the intended fluid 56 is infused into the infusion system 12 and into the patient &# 39 ; s vascular system 18 ( not shown ). the fluid channel 38 is configured such that the inner diameter of the fluid channel 38 is greater than the outer diameter of the probe 53 such that the probe 53 may enter the fluid channel 38 without blocking the flow path 44 . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its structures , methods , or other essential characteristics as broadly described herein and claimed hereinafter . for example , the present invention may be incorporated into any system comprising a valve and a fluid channel where undesirable stagnation or concentration of one fluid within another fluid occurs . for example , the present invention may be applied in a coolant system where a fluid with a first temperature is released into a fluid with a second temperature by means of a valve , wherein a concentration or stagnation of the first fluid within the second fluid , due to the recessed positioning of the valve , is undesirable . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims , rather than by the foregoing description . all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .
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exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described below by reference to the attached figures . the described exemplary embodiments are intended to assist the understanding of the invention , and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way . like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout . embodiments of the present invention can be used for cutting various shapes and cutouts in many different materials , and is not limited to any particular cutting processes . turning now to fig1 , an known plasma cutting system 100 is depicted . the plasma torch system 100 includes a cutting table 101 and plasma torch 103 . the construction and operation of cutting tables and plasma torches are well known by those of skill in the art and will not be discussed in detail herein . the system 100 can also use a torch height controller 105 which can be mounted to a gantry system 107 . the system 100 can also include a drive system 109 which is used to provide motion to the torch 103 relative to a workpiece positioned in the table 101 . a plasma cutting power supply 111 is coupled to the torch 103 to provide the desired current used to create the cutting plasma . the system 100 can also include a gas console 113 that can be used to regulate gas flow rates and pressures used for both the plasma and shield gas during the cutting operation . the console 113 can also be used to select different gases depending in the cutting operation that is being performed . that is , certain gases may be used for some cutting operations , but would not be used for others . the torch system 100 also includes a computer numeric controller ( cnc ) 115 , which can include a user input / display screen 117 . the screen 117 and cnc 115 are used by the user to input and read cutting operational parameters and data , and allow the system 100 to be used as an automated , programmable cutting system . various input parameters can be input by a user into the cnc , via the screen 117 ( or other means ) including : torch current , material type , material thickness , cutting speed , torch height , plasma and shield gas composition , etc . as stated above , the plasma system 100 can have many different configurations , and embodiments are not limited to that shown in fig1 , which is intended to be exemplary . however , each of the power supply 111 , console 113 , drive system 109 , torch height controller 105 , and cnc have separate and distinct controllers which control their respective operations . for example , the cnc 115 controller communicates with the power supply 111 controller and provides operational parameters to the power supply 111 controller , but then the power supply controller controls the discrete operation of the power supply . this functionality and relationship is true for all of the other components and can cause the issues generally described above , which are obviated by embodiments of the present invention . fig2 depicts an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , where the plasma cutting system 200 utilizes an integrated plasma cutting system 210 . specifically , unlike prior systems , the system 210 contains the power supply electronics module 211 which is used to generate the cutting signal that is sent to the torch 103 . that is , all of the power electronics which are used to generate the cutting current signal are located within the same housing 220 as the system controller 213 . the system controller 213 controls all aspects of the cutting operation . as shown , the controller 213 communicates with the power generation components of the power supply module 211 internal to the housing 220 . further , the controller 213 also directly controls the gas flow by directly communicating with a gas flow control device 225 which controls the flow of gas from the gas supply 221 through the gas line 223 to the flow control device 225 . additionally , the controller 213 directly communicates with the motion control device 209 and controls the operation of the motion control device 209 on the gantry system 107 . in addition to controlling the movement along the gantry 107 the controller 213 also controls the height of the torch 103 during operation of the system 200 , and / or the angling of the torch 103 for any desired bevel cutting . further , to the extent the table 101 has any automated or motion functions , the controller 213 can be coupled to the table 101 to control the table &# 39 ; s operations . for example , if the table is a water table or can move the workpiece , the controller 213 will control this operation . further , in exemplary embodiments , the controller 213 can control multiple torches operating at the same time . as shown , the integrated system 210 has a user input screen 217 and / or a user input device 218 ( like a keyboard ) to allow for the user to input and review various operational parameters and characteristics . it should also be noted that in some applications a second user input device can be positioned remote from the overall system to allow a user to control / operate the system remotely . such a user input device can be any type of device , such as a remote pendant , which allows for control of the system , and can have any known user input means , such as a touch screen , or the like . the remote user input device ( not shown ) can be any type of ios or android based device , or use any type of known or proprietary operating system to control the operation of the system as described herein . the secondary user input device can communicate with the system via any known wired or wireless method or protocol . in further exemplary embodiments , there will be no user interface or input screen on the system 210 , but a remote user interface device or system . in such a system the user interface device would have a separate microcontroller to control the operation of the user interface device , which can be a computer , pendant , or other remote device capable of communicating user input information to the system 210 . the use of such a system eliminates the need for separate control systems to control the operation of the power supply module 211 , gas flow , motion control and / or the torch . that is , the single controller 213 controls all of these operations as a single controller module . this centralized microprocessor architecture allows for the packaging of the power supply module 211 , the torch height control system , motion and process control , and gas control to be on one controller operating by a single microprocessor system . this eliminates the need to have multiple , discrete microprocessing control systems communicating and interacting with each other — which can cause communication issues or otherwise prevent optimal system functionality . for example , the use of the system 210 ( which is all within a single housing ) prevents the need for a stand - alone system controller ( e . g ., 115 ) to communicate with separate and distinct ( and remotely located ) controllers for all of the discrete system operations . as is generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , the controller 213 can be any type of computer system that controls the overall operation of the system 210 ( which then controls the overall operation of the system 200 ). as is general known , a controller 213 has a processor , electronic storage device , and an interface for providing control instructions to a plasma arc torch system 210 . the storage or memory device can be internal or external and can contain data relating to the part to be cut in the workpiece . in other embodiments , the controller 213 can be manually programmed , and in some embodiments the controller 213 can include a computer readable product that includes computer readable instructions that can select or configure operating parameters of the plasma torch system . in further exemplary embodiments the computer readable instructions can be cut charts , nesting software , or cad programs . such instructions typically include cutting information including instructions for the system 210 when cutting various holes , contours , shapes , etc ., taking into account the sizes and shapes of the holes / contours and the material being cut . as is generally understood the controller 213 can allow a user to cut numerous successive holes , contours , shapes or a combination of holes , contours shapes in a workpiece . for example , the operator can select a cutting program that includes both hole and contour cutting instructions , and the controller 213 will determine the order and positioning of the cuts , as well as the various parameters of the cuts based on the user input information . the user interface / screen 217 ( and / or input device 218 ) coupled to a controller 213 illustrates one possible hardware configuration to support the systems and methods described herein , that is being the controller for the system 210 . of course , similar controller type systems can be used to control and / or operate the systems described herein . in order to provide additional context for various aspects of the present invention , the following discussion is intended to provide a brief , general description of a suitable computing environment in which the various aspects of the present invention may be implemented . those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention also may be implemented in combination with other program modules and / or as a combination of hardware and software . generally , program modules include routines , programs , components , data structures , etc ., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types . moreover , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the inventive methods may be practiced with other computer system configurations , including single - processor or multiprocessor computer systems , minicomputers , mainframe computers , as well as personal computers , hand - held computing devices , microprocessor - based or programmable consumer electronics , and the like , each of which may be operatively coupled to one or more associated devices . the illustrated aspects of the invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where certain tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network . in a distributed computing environment , program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices . the controller 213 of the system 210 can utilize an exemplary environment for implementing various aspects of the invention including a computer , wherein the computer includes a processing unit , a system memory and a system bus . the system bus couples system components including , but not limited to the system memory to the processing unit . the processing unit may be any of various commercially available processors . dual microprocessors and other multi - processor architectures also can be employed as the processing unit . the system bus can be any of several types of bus structure including a memory bus or memory controller , a peripheral bus and a local bus using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures . the system memory can include read only memory ( rom ) and random access memory ( ram ). a basic input / output system ( bios ), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer , such as during start - up , is stored in the rom . the controller 213 can further include a hard disk drive , a magnetic disk drive , e . g ., to read from or write to a removable disk , and an optical disk drive , e . g ., for reading a cd - rom disk or to read from or write to other optical media . the controller can include at least some form of computer readable media . computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer . by way of example , and not limitation , computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media . computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile , removable and non - removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules or other data . computer storage media includes , but is not limited to , ram , rom , eeprom , flash memory or other memory technology , cd - rom , digital versatile disks ( dvd ) or other magnetic storage devices , or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by a user interface coupled to the controller . communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media . the term “ modulated data signal ” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal . by way of example , and not limitation , communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct - wired connection , and wireless media such as acoustic , rf , infrared and other wireless media . combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media . a number of program modules may be stored in the drives and ram , including an operating system , one or more application programs , other program modules , and program data . the operating system in the computer or the user interface can be any of a number of commercially available operating systems , or can use a proprietary operating system . in addition , a user may enter commands and information into the computer through a keyboard and a pointing device , such as a mouse . other input devices may include a microphone , an ir remote control , a track ball , a pen input device , a joystick , a game pad , a digitizing tablet , a satellite dish , a scanner , or the like . these and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit through a serial port interface that is coupled to the system bus , but may be connected by other interfaces , such as a parallel port , a game port , a universal serial bus (“ usb ”), an ir interface , and / or various wireless technologies . a monitor or other type of display device , may also be connected to the system bus via an interface , such as a video adapter . visual output may also be accomplished through a remote display network protocol such as remote desktop protocol , vnc , x - window system , etc . in addition to visual output , a computer typically includes other peripheral output devices , such as speakers , printers , etc . a display can be employed with a user interface coupled to the controller 195 to present data that is electronically received from the processing unit . for example , the display can be a liquid crystal display ( lcd ), plasma display , cathode - ray tube ( crt ) type display , light - emitting diode ( led ) type display , or another type of monitor or display that presents data electronically . alternatively or in addition , the display can present received data in a hard copy format such as a printer , facsimile , plotter , etc . the display can present data in any color and can receive data from a user interface via any wireless or hard wire protocol and / or standard . the computer can operate in a networked environment using logical and / or physical connections to one or more remote computers , such as a remote computer ( s ). the remote computer ( s ) can be a workstation , a server computer , a router , a personal computer , microprocessor based entertainment appliance , a peer device or other common network node , and typically includes many or all of the elements described relative to the computer . the logical connections depicted include a local area network ( lan ) and a wide area network ( wan ). such networking environments are commonplace in offices , enterprise - wide computer networks , intranets and the internet . when used in a lan networking environment , the computer is connected to the local network through a network interface or adapter . when used in a wan networking environment , the computer typically includes a modem , or is connected to a communications server on the lan , or has other means for establishing communications over the wan , such as the internet . in a networked environment , program modules depicted relative to the computer , or portions thereof , may be stored in the remote memory storage device . it will be appreciated that network connections described herein are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used . fig3 , depicts diagrammatical representation of the control / communication of systems of the present invention . as shown , the central microprocessor 213 controls the operation of each of the power supply electronics 211 , torch and gantry movement device 209 , torch height device 301 and gas flow control device 225 . of course , it should be understood that embodiments of the present invention do not eliminate all electronics from the peripheral devices ( e . g ., 209 , 301 , 225 ), as these devices will still have electronic devices like motors , servos , and simple control electronics . however , the central microprocessor 213 does provide all of the control and operational signals for all of the peripheral devices and the power supply electronics , and controls the operation of these components . that is , there is no intervening microprocessing controller which acts as an intermediate controller between the controller 213 and the various movement or operating components of the peripheral devices . it should be noted that in some exemplary embodiments , the user interface can have its own microprocessor , separate from the system microprocessor controlling operation of the cutting components . while the subject matter of the present application has been described with reference to certain embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the subject matter . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the subject matter without departing from its scope . therefore , it is intended that the subject matter not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed , but that the subject matter will include other embodiments .
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the present invention includes methods of minimizing the security boundary of a gps receiver , especially while supporting a pps measurement interface . a pps measurement interface is herein defined to be an interface and circuitry adapted to output line - of - sight measurements from a keyed gps receiver together with enough satellite - related data to permit processing of those measurements with full pps accuracy into a solution for user position , velocity , and time . the following terms are referenced in this section and pertain to operation of a keyed gps receiver . a ( u ) following the term indicates that the data represented by the term is unclassified , while an ( s ) indicates that the data represented by the term is classified secret by the department of defense ( dod ). a ( fouo ) indicates that the data represented by the term is unclassified , but restricted for official use only . as used throughout this document , references to data being classified or unclassified is intended to represent the defined dod classification of the data . b = receiver &# 39 ; s or host &# 39 ; s estimate of range bias ( clock phase error x speed of light ) ( u ) d delay = deterministic correction for signal delays due to ionosphere , troposphere , and receiver hardware ( u ) d svclk = deterministic correction for satellite clock error as derived by an unkeyed receiver ( u ) cd svclk = deterministic correction for satellite clock error as derived by a keyed receiver ( with / without wage )( s ) cs = satellite position derived using ephemeris that has been corrected for sa error ( s ) e = unit line of sight vector from user to satellite ( u ) (= r / r , where r = cs - p and r =∥ r ∥) fig1 a diagrammatically illustrates a prior art pps - capable gps receiver 50 utilizing internal pps measurement processing . pps gps receiver 50 includes gps antenna 110 , signal processing functions 115 , and pps only functions 130 . antenna 110 receives gps signals from gps satellites . signal processing functions 115 receive the gps signals as an input and provide as outputs a raw pseudorange pr raw measured by the receiver and extracted downlink data . pps only functions 130 receive the downlink data and implement the various functions to provide the illustrated pps related outputs . as is the case with each of the prior art and inventive gps receivers described and illustrated in the figs ., the illustrated functions are typically implemented in software within one or more microprocessors or other controllers . however , implementation with other circuitry is also possible . in general , a reference to a particular function or step in this description or in the figures is also intended to represent the microprocessor ( s ) ( or functional portions thereof ) and / or other circuitry used to implement the functions . the present invention is not limited to any particular implementation of the illustrated methods . fig1 b diagrammatically illustrates a prior art pps - capable gps receiver 100 similar to gps receiver 50 illustrated in fig1 a , but utilizing a pps measurement interface to pass information to a host device 140 . with the exception of the inclusion of pps measurement interface 120 , receivers 50 and 100 are substantially identical . ( note that fig1 b , for simplicity , does not show internal measurement processing which would normally be retained .) however , in receiver 100 , host device 140 implements some of the illustrated functions such as processing pseudorange measurements outside of the gps receiver . if gps receiver 100 makes corrected satellite position and pseudorange measurements available over an external interface such as pps measurement interface 120 , the external interface is classified secret and the security boundary 150 of the receiver extends to include not only the relevant portions of circuitry and software implementing pps data generating only functions 130 , but also at least portions of the circuitry or software of host device or application 140 . using the standard method employed by prior art pps - capable gps receivers , a keyed gps receiver such as receiver 100 outputs the following classified information over the pps measurement interface : cpr = pseudorange measurement corrected for delays and authorized user satellite clock error ( s ) (= pr raw - d delay + cd svclk ) host device or application 140 can then , using software or other circuitry or functions , compute its own pseudorange residual z host , from the relationship described in equation 1 , and process such residuals from multiple satellites in a kalman filter or other predict - correction algorithm , to obtain a solution for user position , velocity and time ( pvt ) that reflects pps accuracy . this method , along with the resulting security boundary 150 , is depicted in fig1 b . although receiver 50 illustrated in fig1 a does not include a pps measurement interface across which classified information is passed , its method of determining the pseudorange residual z for use in determining the receiver &# 39 ; s pvt still results in an extended security boundary 150 . fig2 a and 2b diagrammatically illustrate pps - capable gps receivers 200 and 260 in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention . receiver 260 is substantially identical to receiver 200 in its method of pps measurement processing , except that no pps measurement interface is involved . the method employed by receivers 200 and 260 minimizes the security boundary 250 in either case . the following discussions of gps receiver 200 apply to gps receiver 260 as well , except that the host device functions are implemented within receiver 260 and interface 220 is therefore omitted . receiver 200 includes gps antenna 110 , signal processing functions 115 , pps measurement interface 220 , and pps only functions 230 . signal processing functions 115 receive the gps signals from antenna 110 and provide as outputs downlink data and raw pseudorange measurements pr raw . using downlink data from signal processing functions 115 , pps data only functions 230 generate corrections to be applied to raw pseudorange . using a method employed by receiver 200 , the keyed gps receiver outputs the following unclassified information over the pps measurement interface 220 : where the lump sum correction d sa for the net effect sa on pseuodrange is determined from equation 2 : d svclk - cd svclk = effect of sa on sv clock error claimed for an unauthorized user . host device 240 can then compute the pseudorange residual z host using the relationship of equation 3 : by substituting the expansion of the pr sa and d sa terms , it can be shown that this pseudorange residual z host is equivalent to the pseudorange residual computed using the standard method , thereby allowing the host to compute a full pps accuracy pvt solution . since s and pr sa are unclassified , these items can reside outside the gps security boundary 250 . only the computation of the d sa term must reside within the gps security boundary 250 , thus allowing all measurement processing ( within or outside the receiver 200 ) to be clear of the security boundary . thus , the embodiment illustrated in fig2 a and 2b minimizes the security boundary 250 such that the security boundary is limited to the pps only functions 230 . fig3 diagrammatically illustrates pps - capable gps receiver 300 , which is an alternate embodiment of the present invention utilizing a passive residual pps measurement interface . receiver 300 includes gps antenna 110 , signal processing functions 115 , pps measurement interface 320 , pps only functions 330 and data processing functions 360 . signal generating functions 115 receive the gps signals from antenna 110 and provide as outputs raw pseudorange pr raw and downlink data . using the downlink data and a position estimate p generated by data processing functions 360 , pps only functions 330 generate pps corrections used to provide the illustrated pps interface signals or data . using a method employed by keyed gps receiver 300 , the gps receiver outputs at interface 320 the following unclassified information : e = corrected unit line of sight vector from user to satellite ( u ) where pr predicted is computed using the relationship shown in equation 4 : the host device 340 computes its own pseudorange residual z host using the relationship shown in equation 5 : this method has the limitation that ( p host - p ) must be relatively small for the first order approximation e ·( p host - p ) to be good . since p , b , e and z are unclassified , these items can reside outside the gps receiver &# 39 ; s security boundary 350 , thus limiting the necessary security review to the corresponding software and / or circuitry of pps only functions 330 . fig4 diagrammatically illustrates pps - capable gps receiver 400 , which is an alternate embodiment of the present invention utilizing an interactive residual pps measurement interface . receiver 400 includes gps antenna 110 , pps measurement interface 420 , signal processing functions 115 , pps only functions 430 and data processing functions 460 . using the downlink data and a position estimate p host from host device 440 , pps only functions 430 provide the illustrated pps corrected data necessary for the generation of the pps interface data to be provided through interface 420 . the method implemented by keyed gps receiver 400 is the same as the passive residual method implemented by receiver 300 , except that the receiver uses the host &# 39 ; s estimates of position p host and range bias b host instead of its own . using the interactive residual method , keyed gps receiver 400 must receive the following inputs from host application or device 440 : using these inputs , gps receiver 400 computes and outputs the following unclassified information over the pps measurement interface 420 : e = corrected unit line of sight vector from user to satellite ( u ) z host = pseudorange residual for the host as computed by the receiver ( u ) the pr predicted term is as defined for the passive residual method , except that estimates by host device 440 of p and b are used instead of the receiver &# 39 ; s estimates , since and z host are unclassified , these items can reside outside the gps receiver &# 39 ; s security boundary 450 . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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the object was , therefore , to provide copolycarbonates and processes for their preparation which avoid these disadvantages . this object is achieved , surprisingly , by the use of one or more compounds of the general formula ( 1 ) r 1 and r 2 represent hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , particularly preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 4 - alkyl , very particularly preferably hydrogen or methyl , and x represents o or s . the present invention accordingly provides copolycarbonates containing at least two different bisphenols as monomers , one bisphenol being selected from at least one of the compounds of formula ( 1 ) r 1 and r 2 represent hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , particularly preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 4 - alkyl , very particularly preferably hydrogen or methyl , and x represents o or s . the present invention further provides the bisphenols of the compounds of formula ( 1 ) r 1 and r 2 represent hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , particularly preferably hydrogen or linear or branched c 1 - c 4 - alkyl , very particularly preferably hydrogen or methyl , and x represents o or s . particularly preferred compounds of formula ( 1 ) are compounds of formulae ( 1a ) and ( 1b ) very particular preference is given to the compounds described by formulae ( 1c ) and ( 1d ): surprisingly , it has been found that the melt viscosity of the resulting copolycarbonates exhibits lower values than in the prior art both at low and at relatively high shear rates ( with the molecular weight being otherwise comparable ). this is important especially for the production of relatively large injection - molded parts , such as , for example , motor vehicle windscreens . filling of the molds using conventional injection - molding machines is more readily possible as a result . the diphenols of formula ( 1a ) which may be used in accordance with the invention are known in the literature . the preparation of these substances is described , for example , in de - a 22 37 762 , de - a 35 32 881 , jp - a 2002 16 73 49 and jp - a 2003 16 05 26 . the properties of a homopolycarbonate based thereon are described in h . schnell , chemistry and physics of polycarbonates , polymer reviews , vol . 9 , interscience publishers , new york 1964 p . 99 ff . the preparation of 3 , 3 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether is described , for example , in journal of polymer science , part a , 1987 , 25 ( 12 ), p . 3413 - 3422 . the preparation of 3 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether is described , for example , in jp - a 53 07 70 28 . in principle , the 4 , 4 ′- hydroxy - substituted diphenyl ethers or diphenyl ether derivatives may be prepared by dimerization of hydroquinone or substituted hydroquinone derivatives , in which the reactants are made to react in the presence of a catalyst , such as , for example , an acidic ion exchanger . a further possibility is the reaction of halo - substituted phenols in a modified ullmann reaction , in which the reactants are made to react under the action of copper salts , such as , for example , cucl . in this manner the meta - linked derivatives , for example , are also obtainable . the particularly preferred compounds are known ( e . g . in a . riemann , w . ude , ger . offen . ( 1986 ), de - a 3506845 or in y . kawamorita , m . hisamura , jpn . kokai tokkyo koho ( 1988 ), jp - a 63136051 ). on the other hand , the prior art teaches nothing about improving the flowability of corresponding copolycarbonates . the amount of the bisphenols according to the invention in the copolycarbonate is generally from 0 . 1 to 40 mol . %, preferably from 1 to 30 mol . %, particularly preferably from 5 to 25 mol . % and very particularly preferably from 10 to 20 mol . %, relative to the molar amount of the aromatic dihydroxy compounds need in the preparation of the copolycarbonate . the copolycarbonates prepared using the described bisphenols of formula ( 1 ) and containing the structural units — o - d - o — derived from the compounds of formula 1 are represented , for example , but not exclusively , by the general formula ( 2 ) wherein the radical o - e - o represents any desired diphenolate radicals excluding diphenolates based on the dihydroxy compounds of the formula ( 1 ) each - e - independently of any others represents an aromatic radical having from 6 to 40 carbon atoms , preferably from 6 to 35 carbon atoms , particularly preferably from 6 to 30 carbon atoms and very particularly preferably from 6 to 25 carbon atoms , which radical may contain one or more aromatic or condensed aromatic nuclei optionally containing hetero atoms and may be substituted by c 1 - c 12 - alkyl radicals , preferably by c 1 - c 10 - alkyl radicals , particularly preferably by c 1 - c 8 - alkyl radicals and very particularly preferably by c 1 - c 6 - alkyl radicals , or by halogen , preferably fluorine , chlorine or bromine , particularly preferably fluorine or chlorine , very particularly preferably fluorine , and may contain aliphatic radicals , cycloaliphatic radicals , aromatic nuclei or hetero atoms as bridging members , k represents an integer from 1 to 1000 , preferably from 1 to 800 , particularly preferably from 5 to 600 and very particularly preferably from 10 to 500 and especially preferably from 15 to 300 , m represents a fraction z / k and n represents a fraction ( k - z )/ k , wherein z represents numbers from 1 to k . preferred diphenolate units of the branched copolycarbonates according to the invention are derived from general structures of formula ( 3 ) wherein the underlying diphenolate radicals are shown in brackets , r 23 and r 24 each independently of the other represents h , linear or branched c 1 - c 18 - alkyl or - alkoxy radicals , halogen such as cl or br , or an optionally substituted aryl or aralkyl radical , preferably h or linear or branched c 1 - c 12 - alkyl radicals , particularly preferably h or c 1 - c 8 - alkyl radicals and very particularly preferably h or methyl , r 1 and r 2 represent linear or branched c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , preferably linear c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , particularly preferably linear c 1 - c 8 - alkyl and very particularly preferably linear c 1 - c 6 - alkyl , and x represents o or s , y represents a single bond , — so 2 —, — co —, a c 1 - to c 6 - alkylene , c 2 - to c 5 - alkylidene , c 5 - to c 6 - cycloalkylidene radical which may be substituted by c 1 - to c 6 - alkyl , preferably methyl or ethyl radicals , or a c 6 - to c 12 - arylene radical , o represents an integer from 1 to 1000 , preferably from 1 to 800 , particularly preferably from 5 to 600 and very particularly preferably from 10 to 500 and especially preferably from 15 to 300 , p represents a fraction z / o and q represents a fraction ( o - z )/ o , wherein z represents numbers from 1 to o . the diphenolate radicals o - e - o in formula ( 2 ) and the diphenolate radicals in the part indicated by the subscript q in formula ( 3 ) are particularly preferably derived from the suitable diphenols mentioned hereinbelow . there may be mentioned as examples of the diphenols which , in addition to the mentioned bisphenols , underlie the general formulae ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) hydroquinone , resorcinol , dihydroxybiphenyls , bis -( hydroxyphenyl )- alkanes , bis -( hydroxyphenyl )- cycloalkanes , bis -( hydroxyphenyl ) sulfides , bis -( hydroxyphenyl ) ethers , bis -( hydroxyphenyl ) ketones , bis -( hydroxyphenyl )- sulfones , bis -( hydroxyphenyl ) sulfoxides , α , α ′- bis -( hydroxyphenyl )- diisopropylbenzenes and compounds thereof alkylated and halogenated at the nucleus , and also α , ω - bis -( hydroxyphenyl )- polysiloxanes . preferred diphenols are , for example , 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ), 2 , 2 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane ( bisphenol a ), 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexane ( bisphenol tmc ), 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- cyclohexane , 2 , 4 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - methylbutane , 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 1 - phenylethane , 1 , 1 - bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - propyl ]- benzene , 1 , 3 - bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - propyl ]- benzene ( bisphenol m ), 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 - methyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 - chloro - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , bis -( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- methane , 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , bis -( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- sulfone , 2 , 4 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - methylbutane , 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dichloro - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane and 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dibromo - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane . particularly preferred diphenols are , for example , 2 , 2 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane ( bisphenol a ), 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ), 1 , 3 - bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - propyl ]- benzene ( bisphenol m ), 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 1 - phenylethane , 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dichloro - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , 2 , 2 - bis -( 3 , 5 - dibromo - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- cyclohexane and 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexane ( bisphenol tmc ). very particular preference is given to 2 , 2 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane ( bisphenol a ), 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ), 1 , 3 - bis [ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - propyl ]- benzene ( bisphenol m ) and 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexane ( bisphenol tmc ). very special preference is given especially to 2 , 2 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- propane ( bisphenol a ) and 1 , 1 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexane ( bisphenol tmc ). the diphenols may be used either alone or in a mixture with one another ; both homopolycarbonates and copolycarbonates are included . the diphenols are known in the literature or may be prepared according to processes known in the literature ( see e . g . h . j . buysch et al ., ullmann &# 39 ; s encyclopedia of industrial chemistry , vch , new york 1991 , 5th ed ., vol . 19 , p . 348 ). the polycarbonates and copolycarbonates may also be branched . for that purpose there are added as so - called branching agents specific small amounts , preferably amounts from 0 . 05 to 5 mol . %, particularly preferably from 0 . 1 to 3 mol . %, very particularly preferably from 0 . 1 to 2 mol . %, based on moles of diphenols used , of trifunctional compounds such as , for example , isatin biscresol ( ibc ) or phloroglucinol , 4 , 6 - dimethyl - 2 , 4 , 6 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - heptene ; 4 , 6 - dimethyl - 2 , 4 , 6 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- heptane ; 1 , 3 , 5 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- benzene ; 1 , 1 , 1 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- ethane ( thpe ); tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- phenylmethane ; 2 , 2 - bis -[ 4 , 4 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- cyclohexyl ]- propane ; 2 , 4 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl - isopropyl )- phenol ; 2 , 6 - bis -( 2 - hydroxy - 5 ′- methyl - benzyl )- 4 - methylphenol ; 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 -( 2 , 4 - dihydroxyphenyl )- propane ; hexa -( 4 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl - isopropyl )- phenyl )- orthoterephthalic acid ester ; tetra -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- methane ; tetra -( 4 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl - isopropyl )- phenoxy )- methane ; α , α ′, α ″- tris -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 1 , 3 , 5 - triisopropylbenzene ; 2 , 4 - dihydroxybenzoic acid ; trimesic acid ; cyanuric chloride ; 3 , 3 - bis -( 3 - methyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydroindole ; 1 , 4 - bis -( 4 ′, 4 ″- dihydroxytriphenyl )- methyl )- benzene and , especially , 1 , 1 , 1 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- ethane and bis -( 3 - methyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydroindole . isatin biscresol and also 1 , 1 , 1 - tri -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- ethane and bis -( 3 - methyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydroindole are preferably used as branching agents . the use of these branching agents yields branched structures . the resulting long - chain branching results in most cases in rheological properties of the resulting polycarbonates , which manifests itself as an intrinsic viscosity as compared with linear types . the present invention relates further to a process for the preparation of the copolycarbonates of formulae ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) according to the invention , which process is characterised in that bisphenols and , optionally , branching agents are dissolved in aqueous alkaline solution and made to react with a carbonate source such as phosgene , optionally dissolved in a solvent , in a two - phase mixture consisting of an aqueous alkaline solution , an organic solvent and a catalyst , preferably an amine compound . it is also possible to carry out the reaction in several steps . such processes for the preparation of polycarbonate are known in principle as two - phase interfacial processes , for example from h . schnell , chemistry and physics of polycarbonates , polymer reviews , vol . 9 , interscience publishers , new york 1964 p . 33 ff and polymer reviews , vol . 10 , “ condensation polymers by interfacial and solution methods ”, paul w . morgan , interscience publishers , new york 1965 , chap . viii , p . 325 , and the conditions underlying such processes are therefore well known to the person skilled in the art . the concentration of the bisphenols in the aqueous alkaline solution is from 2 to 25 wt . %, preferably from 2 to 20 wt . %, particularly preferably from 2 to 18 wt . % and very particularly preferably from 3 to 15 wt . %. the aqueous alkaline solution consists of water in which hydroxides of alkali or alkaline earth metals are dissolved . sodium and potassium hydroxides are preferred . when phosgene is used as the carbonate source , the ratio by volume of aqueous alkaline solution to organic solvent is from 5 : 95 to 95 : 5 , preferably from 20 : 80 to 80 : 20 , particularly preferably from 30 : 70 to 70 : 30 and very particularly preferably from 40 : 60 to 60 : 40 . the molar ratio of bisphenol to phosgene is less than 1 : 10 , preferably less than 1 : 6 , particularly preferably less than 1 : 4 and very particularly preferably less than 1 : 3 . the concentration of the branched polycarbonates and copolycarbonates according to the invention in the organic phase is from 1 . 0 to 25 wt . %, preferably from 2 to 20 wt . %, particularly preferably from 2 to 18 wt . % and very particularly preferably from 3 to 15 wt . %. the concentration of the amine compound , based on the amount of bisphenol used , is from 0 . 1 to 10 mol . %, preferably from 0 . 2 to 8 mol . %, particularly preferably from 0 . 3 to 6 mol . % and very particularly preferably from 0 . 4 to 5 mol . %. bisphenols are to be understood as being the above - mentioned diphenols , with contents of the above - mentioned branching agents . the carbonate source is phosgene , diphosgene or triphosgene , preferably phosgene . when phosgene is used , it is possible , if desired , to dispense with a solvent and to introduce the phosgene directly into the reaction mixture . there may be used as the catalyst tertiary amines such as triethylamine or n - alkylpiperidines . suitable catalysts are trialkylamines and 4 -( dimethylamino ) pyridine . triethylamine , tripropylamine , triisopropylamine , tributylamine , triisobutylamine , n - methylpiperidine , n - ethylpiperidine and n - propylpiperidine are particularly suitable . there are suitable as the organic solvent halogenated hydrocarbons such as methylene chloride and / or chlorobenzene , dichlorobenzene , trichlorobenzene or mixtures thereof , or aromatic hydrocarbons , such as , for example , toluene or xylenes . the reaction temperature may be from − 5 ° c . to 100 ° c ., preferably from 0 ° c . to 80 ° c ., particularly preferably from 10 ° c . to 70 ° c . and very particularly preferably from 10 ° c . to 60 ° c . alternatively , the polycarbonates according to the invention may also be prepared by the melt transesterification process . the melt transesterification process is described , for example , in encyclopedia of polymer science , vol . 10 ( 1969 ), chemistry and physics of polycarbonates , polymer reviews , h . schnell , vol . 9 , john wiley and sons , inc . ( 1964 ) and de - c 10 31 512 . in the melt transesterification process , the aromatic dihydroxy compounds already described in connection with the interfacial process are transesterified in the melt with carbonic acid diesters with the aid of suitable catalysts and , optionally , further additives . carbonic acid diesters within the scope of the invention are those of formulae ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) r , r ′ and r ″ each independently of the others may represent h , c 1 - c 34 - alkyl or c 5 - c 10 - cycloalkyl , c 7 - c 34 - alkaryl or c 6 - c 34 - aryl , c 1 - c 15 - alkyl , c 5 - or c 6 - cycloalkyl , preferably each independently of the others represents h , c 1 - c 16 - alkyl or c 5 - c 6 - cycloalkyl , c 7 - c 16 - alkaryl or c 6 - c 16 - aryl , particularly preferably r , r ′ and r ″ represent h . diphenyl carbonate , butylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - butylphenyl carbonate , isobutylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - isobutylphenyl carbonate , tert .- butylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - tert .- butylphenyl carbonate , n - pentylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( n - pentylphenyl ) carbonate , n - hexylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( n - hexylphenyl ) carbonate , cyclohexylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - cyclohexylphenyl carbonate , phenylphenol - phenyl carbonate , di - phenylphenol carbonate , isooctylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - isooctylphenyl carbonate , n - nonylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( n - nonylphenyl ) carbonate , cumylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - cumylphenyl carbonate , naphthylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - naphthylphenyl carbonate , di - tert .- butylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( di - tert .- butylphenyl ) carbonate , dicumylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( dicumylphenyl ) carbonate , 4 - phenoxyphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( 4 - phenoxyphenyl ) carbonate , 3 - pentadecylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di -( 3 - pentadecylphenyl ) carbonate , tritylphenyl - phenyl carbonate , di - tritylphenyl carbonate , it is also possible to use mixtures of the mentioned carbonic acid diesters . the amount of carbonic acid esters is from 100 to 130 mol . %, preferably from 103 to 120 mol . %, particularly preferably from 103 to 109 mol . %, based on the dihydroxy compound . as catalysts within the scope of the invention there are used in the melt transesterification process , as in the mentioned literature , basic catalysts such as , for example , alkali and alkaline earth hydroxides and oxides , as well as ammonium or phosphonium salts , which are referred to hereinbelow as onium salts . preference is given to the use of onium salts , particularly preferably phosphonium salts . phosphonium salts within the scope of the invention are those of formula ( 6 ) r 1 - 4 each independently of the others represents c 1 - c 10 - alkyl , c 6 - c 10 - aryl , c 7 - c 10 - aralkyl or c 5 - c 6 - cycloalkyl , preferably methyl or c 6 - c 14 - aryl , particularly preferably methyl or phenyl , and x − is an anion such as hydroxide , sulfate , hydrogen sulfate , hydrogen carbonate , carbonate , a halide , preferably chloride , or an alcoholate of formula or , wherein r may be c 6 - c 14 - aryl or c 7 - c 12 - aralkyl , preferably phenyl . the catalysts are preferably used in amounts of from 10 − 8 to 10 − 3 mol ., particularly preferably from 10 − 7 to 10 − 4 mol ., based on one mole of bisphenol . further catalysts may be used on their own or , optionally , in addition to the onium salt in order to increase the rate of polymerisation . such catalysts include salts of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals , such as hydroxides , alkoxides and aryl oxides of lithium , sodium and potassium , preferably hydroxide , alkoxide or aryl oxide salts of sodium . sodium hydroxide and sodium phenolate are most preferred . the amounts of the co - catalyst may be in the range of from 1 to 200 ppb , preferably from 5 to 150 ppb and most preferably from 10 to 125 ppb , in each case calculated as sodium . the transesterification reaction of the aromatic dihydroxy compound and the carbonic acid diester in the melt is preferably carried out in two steps . in the first step , melting of the aromatic dihydroxy compound and of the carbonic acid diester is carried out at temperatures of from 80 to 250 ° c ., preferably from 100 to 230 ° c ., particularly preferably from 120 to 190 ° c ., under normal pressure and in a period of from 0 to 5 hours , preferably from 0 . 25 to 3 hours . after addition of the catalyst , the oligocarbonate is prepared from the aromatic dihydroxy compound and the carbonic acid diester by applying a vacuum ( up to 2 mm hg ) and raising the temperature ( to up to 260 ° c .) by distilling off the monophenol . the major amount of vapours from the process is obtained thereby . the oligocarbonate so prepared has a mean molar mass m w ( determined by measurement of the rel . solution viscosity in dichloromethane or in mixtures of equal amounts by weight of phenol / o - dichlorobenzene , calibrated by light scattering ) in the range of from 2000 g / mol . to 18 , 000 g / mol ., preferably from 4000 g / mol . to 15 , 000 g / mol . in the second step , the polycarbonate is prepared in the polycondensation by raising the temperature further to 250 to 320 ° c ., preferably 270 to 295 ° c ., and a pressure of & lt ; 2 mm hg . the remainder of the vapours are removed from the process thereby . the catalysts may also be used in combination ( two or more ) with one another . when alkali / alkaline earth metal catalysts are used , it may be advantageous to add the alkali / alkaline earth metal catalysts at a later time ( e . g . after the oligocarbonate synthesis during the polycondensation in the second step ). within the scope of the process according to the invention , the reaction of the aromatic dihydroxy compound and the carbonic acid diester to form the polycarbonate may be carried out discontinuously or , preferably , continuously , for example in stirred vessels , thin - layer evaporators , falling film evaporators , stirred vessel cascades , extruders , kneaders , simple disc reactors and high - viscosity disc reactors . analogously to the interfacial process , branched polycarbonates or copolycarbonates may be prepared by the use of polyfunctional compounds . the mean molecular weights ( m w ) of the branched polycarbonates and copolycarbonates according to the invention are in the range of from 6000 to 200 , 000 g / mol ., preferably from 6000 to 100 , 000 g / mol ., particularly preferably from 10 , 000 to 80 , 000 g / mol . and very particularly preferably from 12 , 000 to 70 , 000 g / mol . ( determined by means of gpc and polycarbonate calibration ). preference , particular preference or very particular preference is given to embodiments which make use of the parameters , compounds , definitions and explanations mentioned under preferred , particularly preferred or very particularly preferred , or under preferably etc . however , the definitions , parameters , compounds and explanations mentioned generally in the description or in preferred ranges may also be combined with one another as desired , that is to say between the respective ranges and preferred ranges . the copolycarbonates according to the invention may be worked up in known manner and processed to form any desired molded articles , for example by extrusion , injection molding or extrusion blow - molding . other aromatic polycarbonates and / or other aromatic polyester carbonates and / or other aromatic polyesters may be added to the copolycarbonates according to the invention in known manner , for example by compounding . it is also possible to add to the polycarbonates and copolycarbonates according to the invention the additives conventional for such thermoplastics , such as fillers , uv stabilisers , heat stabilisers , antistatics and pigments , in the usual amounts ; the mold release behaviour , flow behaviour and / or flame resistance may optionally be improved by the addition of external mold release agents , flow improvers and / or flameproofing agents ( e . g . alkyl and aryl phosphites , phosphates , phosphanes , low molecular weight carboxylic acid esters , halogen compounds , salts , chalk , quartz flour , glass fibres and carbon fibres , pigments and combinations thereof . such compounds are described , for example , in wo 99 / 55772 , p . 15 - 25 , and in the appropriate chapters of the “ plastics additives handbook ”, ed . hans zweifel , 5th edition 2000 , hanser publishers , munich ). the polycarbonates and copolycarbonates according to the invention , optionally in admixture with other thermoplastics and / or conventional additives , can , when processed to form any desired molded articles / extrudates , be used wherever polycarbonates , polyester carbonates and polyesters that are already known are used . on account of their property profile they are suitable especially as materials for the injection molding of larger moldings , for example motor vehicle windscreens . however , because of their low water absorption and the improved dimensional stability associated therewith , they are also particularly suitable as substrate materials for optical data storage means such as , for example , cds , cd - rs , dvds , dvd - rs , blue - ray discs or advanced optical discs ( aods ), but they may also be used , for example , as films in the electronics sector , as moldings in vehicle manufacture and as sheets for coverings in the safety sector . further possible applications of the polycarbonates according to the invention are : 1 . safety glazing , which , as is known , is required in many areas of buildings , vehicles and aircraft , and also as visors for helmets . 3 . production of blow - molded articles ( see , for example , u . s . pat . no . 2 , 964 , 794 ), for example 1 to 5 gallon water bottles . 4 . production of transparent sheets , especially of hollow - chamber sheets , for example for covering buildings such as railway stations , greenhouses and lighting installations . 6 . for the production of traffic light housings or road signs . 7 . for the production of foamed materials ( see , for example , de - b 1 031 507 ). 8 . for the production of threads and wires ( see , for example , de - b 1 137 167 and de - a 1 785 137 ). 9 . as translucent plastics having a content of glass fibres for lighting purposes ( see , for example , de - a 1 554 020 ). 10 . as translucent plastics having a content of barium sulfate , titanium dioxide and / or zirconium oxide or organic polymeric acrylate rubbers ( ep - a 634 445 , ep - a 269324 ) for the production of transparent and light - scattering moldings . 11 . for the production of precision injection - molded parts , such as , for example , lens holders . to that end , polycarbonates having a content of glass fibres are used , which optionally contain in addition approximately from 1 to 10 wt . % mos 2 , based on the total weight . 12 . for the production of parts for optical devices , especially lenses for photographic and film cameras ( see , for example , de - a 2 701 173 ). 13 . as light transmission carriers , especially as fibre - optic cables ( see , for example , ep - a 0 089 801 ). 14 . as electrical insulating materials for electrical conductors and for plug housings as well as plug connectors . 15 . production of mobile telephone casings having improved resistance to perfume , aftershave and perspiration . 18 . for the production of lamps , for example headlight lamps in the form of headlamps , headlight lenses or internal lenses . 20 . for foodstuffs applications , such as , for example , bottles , kitchenware and chocolate molds . 21 . for applications in the automotive sector , where contact with fuels and lubricants may occur , such as , for example , bumpers , optionally in the form of suitable blends with abs or suitable rubbers . 22 . for sports articles , such as , for example , slalom poles or ski boot buckles . 23 . for domestic articles , such as , for example , kitchen sinks and letter box casings . 28 . lamp covers for kitchen appliances having improved resistance to cooking steam , especially oil vapours . 31 . for other applications , such as , for example , stable doors or animal cages . this application also provides the molded articles and extrudates produced from the polymers according to the invention . the examples which follow are intended to illustrate the invention without limiting it . synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol a / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 50 : 50 ) 126 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 8 . 088 g ( 0 . 04 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 9 . 132 g ( 0 . 04 mol .) of bisphenol a as well as 7 . 04 g ( 0 . 176 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 126 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 42 g ( 0 . 0028 mol . or 3 . 5 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 11 ml ( 15 . 8 g , 0 . 16 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 11 ml ( 0 . 0008 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 5 . 76 g of polycarbonate . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 176 / 1 . 176 . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 13964 , m n = 7897 , heterogeneity d = 1 . 77 ) glass transition temperature t g : 136 ° c . synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol a / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 95 : 5 ) 131 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 0 . 809 g ( 0 . 004 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 17 . 35 g ( 0 . 076 mol .) of bisphenol a as well as 7 . 04 g ( 0 . 176 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 131 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 36 g ( 0 . 0024 mol . or 3 . 0 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 11 ml ( 15 . 8 g , 0 . 16 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 11 ml ( 0 . 0008 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 19 . 0 g of polycarbonate . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 339 / 1 . 338 . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 33509 , m n = 13308 , heterogeneity d = 2 . 52 ) glass transition temperature t g : 150 ° c . synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol a / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 90 : 10 ) 131 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 1 . 618 g ( 0 . 008 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 16 . 438 g ( 0 . 072 mol .) of bisphenol a as well as 7 . 04 g ( 0 . 176 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 131 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 36 g ( 0 . 0024 mol . or 3 . 0 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 11 ml ( 15 . 8 g , 0 . 16 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 11 ml ( 0 . 0008 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 17 . 29 g of polycarbonate . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 301 / 1 . 303 . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 29570 , m n = 13904 , heterogeneity d = 2 . 13 ) glass transition temperature t g : 151 ° c . synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol tmc / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 50 : 50 ) 130 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 7 . 077 g ( 0 . 035 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 10 . 87 g ( 0 . 035 mol .) of bisphenol tmc as well as 6 . 16 g ( 0 . 154 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 130 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 368 g ( 0 . 0024 mol . or 3 . 5 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 9 . 7 ml ( 13 . 8 g , 0 . 14 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 10 ml ( 0 . 0007 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 14 . 08 g of polycarbonate . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 223 / 1 . 223 . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 22962 , m n = 10974 , heterogeneity d = 2 . 01 ) glass transition temperature t g : 199 ° c . 406 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 12 . 71 g ( 0 . 063 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 0 . 93 g ( 0 . 005 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ) as well as 4 . 4 g ( 0 . 111 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 406 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 263 g ( 0 . 00175 mol . or 3 . 5 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 6 . 9 ml ( 9 . 88 g , 0 . 099 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 07 ml ( 0 . 0005 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 7 . 57 g of polycarbonate . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 52173 , m n = 16921 , heterogeneity d = 3 . 08 ) glass transition temperature t g : 120 ° c . 220 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 8 . 088 g ( 0 . 04 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 1 . 826 g ( 0 . 01 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ) as well as 4 . 4 g ( 0 . 111 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 220 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 263 g ( 0 . 00175 mol . or 3 . 5 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 6 . 9 ml ( 9 . 88 g , 0 . 099 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 07 ml ( 0 . 0005 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 8 . 55 g of polycarbonate . gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 38705 , m n = 16976 , heterogeneity d = 2 . 28 ) glass transition temperature t g : 114 ° c . in addition liquid crystalline behaviour : phase conversion from 190 ° c . 220 ml of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 7 . 077 g ( 0 . 035 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 2 . 793 g ( 0 . 015 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl ( dod ) as well as 4 . 4 g ( 0 . 111 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 220 ml of water . in a one - step procedure , 0 . 263 g ( 0 . 00175 mol . or 3 . 5 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 14 and at room temperature , 6 . 9 ml ( 9 . 88 g , 0 . 099 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 10 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 0 . 07 ml ( 0 . 0005 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol ) of n - ethylpiperidine is added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . precipitation of the polymer in methanol and drying yield 8 . 7 g of polycarbonate . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 460 / 1 . 461 gpc ( calibration against bpa polycarbonate ): molecular weight m w = 35163 , m n = 16189 , heterogeneity d = 2 . 17 ) glass transition temperature t g : 106 ° c . in addition liquid crystalline behaviour : phase conversion from 200 ° c . synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol a / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 95 : 5 ) 31 litres of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 3903 . 9 g ( 17 . 1 mol .) of bisphenol a , 182 g ( 0 . 9 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 1584 g ( 39 . 6 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 31 litres of water . in a one - step procedure , 108 . 14 g ( 0 . 72 mol . or 4 mol . % relative to bisphenol a ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 13 . 4 and at 21 ° c ., 3560 g ( 36 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 1 hour and 20 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 . 6 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 24 . 7 ml ( 0 . 18 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol a ) of n - ethylpiperidine are added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . after replacing the solvent with chlorobenzene , the product is extruded at 290 ° c . using an evaporating extruder . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at a temperature of 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 277 melt volume rate ( mvr ) 300 ° c ./ 1 . 2 kg : 12 . 4 ml / 10 min imvr 1 ) 300 ° c ./ 1 . 2 kg 20 ′: 12 . 4 ml / 10 min vicat vstb 50 : 151 . 7 ° c . yield stress , stretch elongation , resistance to tearing , elongation at tear and modulus of elasticity are determined from the tensile test according to iso 527 . 1 ) the i in imvr stands for intrinsic . imvr describes the mvr with a heating time of 20 or 30 minutes as compared with 6 minutes according to standard iso 1133 ( designation imvr 20 ′ or imvr 30 ′) as the limiting value compared with the mvr according to iso 1133 . for comparison purposes , the mechanical properties of polycarbonates such as makrolon ® 2405 and 2605 are given : synthesis of a copolycarbonate from bisphenol a / 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( molar ratio 90 : 10 ) 31 litres of methylene chloride are added to a solution , rendered inert with nitrogen , of 3698 . 5 g ( 16 . 2 mol .) of bisphenol a , 364 g ( 1 . 8 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 1584 g ( 39 . 6 mol .) of sodium hydroxide in 31 litres of water . in a one - step procedure , 108 . 14 g ( 0 . 72 mol . or 4 mol . % relative to bisphenol a ) of p - tert .- butylphenol ( bup ) are added as chain terminator . at a ph value of 13 . 4 and at 21 ° c ., 3560 g ( 36 mol .) of phosgene are added in the course of 1 hour and 20 minutes . in order to prevent the ph value from falling below 12 . 6 , 25 % sodium hydroxide solution was added during the phosgenation . when the phosgenation is complete , and after rinsing with nitrogen , 24 . 7 ml ( 0 . 18 mol ., 1 mol . % relative to bisphenol a ) of n - ethylpiperidine are added as catalyst , and stirring is then carried out for one hour . the aqueous phase is separated off , and the organic phase is acidified with phosphoric acid and washed with distilled water until neutral and free of salt . after replacing the solvent with chlorobenzene , the product is extruded at 290 ° c . using an evaporating extruder . relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 276 mvr 300 ° c ./ 1 . 2 kg : 13 . 7 ml / 10 min imvr 300 ° c ./ 1 . 2 kg 20 ′: 13 . 9 ml / 10 min vicat vstb 50 : 147 . 2 ° c . for comparison purposes , the mechanical properties of polycarbonates such as makrolon ® 2405 and 2605 are given : determination of the viscosity as a function of the shear rate ( iso 11443 ). the copolycarbonate obtained in example 8 is tested at 280 and 300 ° c . in respect of rheology . the following data are obtained : determination of the viscosity as a function of the shear rate ( iso 11443 ). the copolycarbonate obtained in example 10 is tested at 280 ° c . and 300 ° c . in respect of rheology . the following data are obtained : determination of the viscosity as a function of the shear rate ( iso 11443 ). for comparison purposes , the mechanical properties of polycarbonates such as makrolon ® 2405 and 2605 are given : for comparison purposes , tests are carried out at 280 ° c . and 300 ° c . in respect of rheology . the following data are obtained : a ) makrolon ® 2405 ( relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 255 ): b ) makrolon 2605 ( relative solution viscosity in methylene chloride at 25 ° c . ( 0 . 5 g / 100 ml of solution ): 1 . 276 ): the flow path for the comparison material makrolon ® 2405 was determined as 30 cm and was used as the standard . as will be seen from a comparison of the flow paths , the melt viscosity is lower while the molecular weight is approximately the same . accordingly , the copolycarbonates according to the invention from examples 8 and 10 flow more readily than the comparison material makrolon ® 2605 based on bisphenol a . in a round - bottomed flask fitted with a vigreux column , a reflux divider and a condenser , 77 . 08 g ( 0 . 70 mol .) of resorcinol are dissolved , under argon , in 250 ml of dry pyridine . 84 . 3 g of sodium methoxide solution in methanol ( 30 % solution ) are added dropwise to the reaction mixture , with stirring . methanol is then removed from the reaction mixture by distillation . the reflux divider is then closed and 261 . 9 g ( 1 . 40 mol .) of 3 - bromoanisole are added dropwise . 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 04 mol .) of cucl are also added . the mixture is allowed to boil under reflux for 6 hours . pyridine is then distilled off via the opened reflux divider , during which the sump temperature rises to 150 ° c . the mixture is then allowed to cool and the residue is stirred into 250 ml of semi - concentrated hydrochloric acid . the mixture is extracted with 300 ml of toluene . the organic phase is washed first with semi - concentrated hydrochloric acid and then a further two times with naoh solution ( 10 %). the combined alkaline phases are acidified with dilute hcl and extracted with a diethyl ether / toluene mixture ( 1 : 1 ). after removal of the solvent , 65 . 5 g of a brown oil are obtained . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 7 . 22 - 7 . 17 ( m , 1 h ), 7 . 15 - 7 . 11 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 67 - 6 . 52 ( m , 5 h ), 5 . 52 ( s , 1 h ), 3 . 74 ( s , 3 h ). in a round - bottomed flask , 200 ml of hydrobromic acid ( 48 %) are added , under argon , to 64 g ( 0 . 296 mol .) of 3 -( 3 ′- methoxyphenyloxy )- phenol . 350 ml of hydrobromic acid ( 33 % solution in glacial acetic acid ) are then added . 7 . 5 g ( 0 . 015 mol .) of hexadecyltributylphosphonium bromide are also added . the mixture is then heated , adjusted to the evolution of gas , at 110 ° c . and stirred . when the evolution of gas has ceased , water is added dropwise , with cooling . the batch is extracted five times with diethyl ether . the organic phase is shaken three times using 150 ml of 10 % sodium hydroxide solution each time . this alkaline phase is acidified with 25 % hcl solution and then extracted several times with diethyl ether . the organic phase is washed several times with water and finally with saturated sodium chloride solution , dried over magnesium sulfate and filtered . the solvent is removed in vacuo . the dark brown , crystalline residue is recrystallised from chloroform with the addition of a mixture of activated carbon / tonsil . 24 . 4 g of a yellow solid having a melting point of 92 ° c . are obtained . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 7 . 19 - 7 . 15 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 56 ( m , 4 h ), 6 . 50 - 6 . 49 ( m , 2 h ), 4 . 95 ( s , 2 h ). 35 . 3 g ( 0 . 32 mol .) of resorcinol in 250 ml of pyridine are placed , under argon , in a 0 . 5 litre round - bottomed flask having a stirring apparatus and fitted with a vigreux column and a distillation bridge . 38 . 5 g ( 0 . 21 mol .) of sodium methoxide solution ( 30 % in methanol ) are added to the solution , and the mixture is heated to 60 ° c . methanol , then a portion of the pyridine are distilled off , during which the temperature rises to 11 ° c . 120 g ( 0 . 64 mol .) of bromobenzene and then 1 . 59 g of copper ( i ) chloride are added to the solution at 50 ° c . the distillation bridge is replaced by a reflux condenser and the mixture is heated under reflux for 10 hours . pyridine is then distilled off , during which the sump temperature rises to 150 ° c . the mixture is allowed to cool , and the residue is stirred into 250 ml of semi - concentrated hydrochloric acid . extraction is carried out several times with toluene . the combined organic phases are first washed with semi - concentrated hydrochloric acid and then extracted several times with naoh solution ( 10 %). the combined alkaline phases are re - extracted with a toluene / diethyl ether mixture ( 1 : 1 ). the solvent is removed in vacuo . the crude product is passed over a silica gel column ( eluant : n - hexane / ethyl acetate 1 : 1 ). after removal of the solvent , the product is dried in vacuo and 26 g of a yellow oil are obtained . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 7 . 09 - 7 . 06 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 95 - 6 . 91 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 85 - 6 . 80 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 49 - 6 . 46 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 42 - 6 . 40 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 16 ( s , 1 h ), 3 . 74 ( s , 3 h ). 23 . 8 g of 3 - hydroxy - 4 ′- methoxydiphenyl ether are dissolved under argon in a mixture of 100 ml of hydrobromic acid ( 48 % solution ) and 230 ml of hydrogen bromide in glacial acetic acid ( 33 % solution ), and the mixture is heated , adjusted to the evolution of gas , at reflux . after a total of 6 hours , 300 ml of water are added dropwise with cooling . the batch is extracted several times with diethyl ether . the organic phase is washed five times with water and once with saturated sodium chloride solution , then extracted three times with 10 % sodium hydroxide solution . the alkaline phase is acidified and then extracted several times with diethyl ether . the organic phase is washed several times with water and finally with saturated sodium chloride solution , dried over magnesium sulfate , filtered and concentrated in vacuo . 22 . 7 g of an ochre - coloured solid are obtained , which is passed over a glass suction filter packed with 5 cm of silica gel 60 ( 0 . 063 - 0 . 20 mm ) ( eluant : n - hexane / ethyl acetate 3 : 1 ). the solvent is removed in vacuo and the product is dried in vacuo . 13 . 0 g of a pale solid are obtained . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , ( cd 3 ) 2 so ) δ = 7 . 09 - 7 . 06 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 88 - 6 . 85 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 78 - 6 . 75 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 44 - 6 . 40 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 32 - 6 . 29 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 26 - 6 . 24 ( m , 1 h ). 400 ml of toluene and 88 . 3 g ( 0 . 49 mol .) of sodium methoxide solution ( 30 % in methanol ) are placed , under argon , in a 2 litre round - bottomed flask having a 10 cm vigreux column , a reflux divider ( column head ) and fitted with a reflux condenser . 27 . 5 g ( 0 . 25 mol .) of resorcinol are added to that solution . methanol and toluene are distilled off via the opened reflux divider . 500 ml of pyridine are added at 110 ° c . to the solid that remains . 187 g ( 1 . 0 mol .) of p - bromoanisole are then rapidly added dropwise at about 35 ° c ., and then 7 . 5 g ( 0 . 08 mol .) of copper ( i ) chloride are added . the mixture is heated to reflux and stirred for a further 9 hours . the mixture is allowed to cool , and 600 ml of water are added . acidification is then carried out using about 25 % hcl solution , followed by extraction twice using 250 ml of hexane each time and twice using 250 ml of diethyl ether each time . the combined organic phases are dried over magnesium sulfate . the solvent is removed in vacuo . the crude product is filtered over silica gel with n - hexane as eluant . the solvent is removed in vacuo and bromoanisole contained in the product is distilled off . 22 . 5 g remain in the form of white crystals . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 7 . 19 - 7 . 13 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 99 - 6 . 96 ( m , 4 h ), 6 . 89 - 6 . 85 ( m , 4 h ), 6 . 60 - 6 . 57 ( m , 3 h ), 3 . 79 ( s , 6 h ). 22 g of the above - described compound from example 20 are dissolved , under argon , in a mixture of 60 ml of hydrobromic acid ( 48 % solution ) and 150 ml of hydrogen bromide in glacial acetic acid ( 33 % solution ), and the mixture is heated , adjusted to the evolution of gas , at reflux . after a total of 5 hours , 300 ml of water are added dropwise , with cooling . the batch is extracted several times with a total of 400 ml of diethyl ether . the combined organic phases are washed four times using 400 ml of water each time , dried over magnesium sulfate and filtered . the solvent is removed in vacuo . 20 . 5 g of a crystalline solid are obtained , which was purified over a column with silica gel ( 0 . 063 - 0 . 20 mm ) ( eluant : n - hexane / ethyl acetate 3 : 1 ). the solvent is removed and the product is dried in vacuo . 15 . 8 g of a beige solid are obtained . 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ = 9 . 31 ( s , 2 h ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 20 ( m , 1 h ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 86 ( m , 4 h ), 6 . 79 - 6 . 75 ( m , 4 h ), 6 . 54 - 6 . 50 ( m , 2 h ), 6 . 39 - 6 . 37 ( m , 1 h ). in a flask , 15 . 18 g ( 0 . 0665 mol .) of 2 , 2 - bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane and 0 . 708 g ( 3 . 5 mmol .) of 3 , 3 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether are dissolved at room temperature , under a nitrogen atmosphere , in a mixture of 6 . 16 g of naoh ( 220 mol . %, based on the total bisphenol component ) in 250 ml of water . 250 ml of dichloromethane are added thereto , and stirring is carried out for 5 minutes . 0 . 26 g ( 4 mol . %, based on the total bisphenol component ) of phenol dissolved in 30 ml of dichloromethane is added to the mixture . 13 . 85 g ( 200 mol . %, based on the bisphenol component ) of phosgene are introduced at room temperature ( 20 - 25 ° c .) and with vigorous stirring . the ph value is maintained in the range of ph = 12 . 5 - 13 . 5 by the subsequent addition of 25 % naoh solution . when the introduction is complete , the apparatus is flushed with nitrogen for 5 minutes . after a further 5 minutes , 0 . 0961 g ( 1 mol . %) of n - ethylpiperidine is added to the reaction mixture . stirring is carried out for 60 minutes . the mixture is then diluted with dichloromethane and the organic phase is separated off . after washing the organic phase with an equal volume of 10 % phosphoric acid , the organic phase is separated off and washed with water until the conductivity of the aqueous phase reaches & lt ; 15 μs . ⅔ of the solvent are removed in vacuo , and the viscous solution is dried completely in a vacuum drying cabinet at 80 ° c . yield : 18 . 2 g . this example corresponds to example 22 except that the monomer from example 19 was used instead of 3 , 3 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether . this example corresponds to example 22 except that the monomer from example 21 was used instead of 3 , 3 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether . 1 ) the zero viscosity is the limiting viscosity at a viscosity extrapolated to a shear rate of zero . 1 ) the zero viscosity is the limiting viscosity at a viscosity extrapolated to a shear rate of zero . the relative solution viscosity is determined in dichloromethane at a concentration of 5 g / l at 25 ° c . the content of phenolic oh is obtained by ir measurement . for this purpose , a difference measurement of a solution of 2 g of polymer in 50 ml of dichloromethane compared with pure dichloromethane is carried out and the difference in extinction at 3582 cm − 1 is determined . the colour index was determined as the difference in extinction at 420 nm and 700 nm in dichloromethane at a concentration of 2 . 4 g / 50 ml and a layer thickness of 10 cm . 41 . 09 g ( 0 . 18 mol .) of bisphenol a , 4 . 04 g ( 0 . 02 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( recrystallised ), 44 . 99 g ( 0 . 21 mol .) of diphenyl carbonate and 0 . 0691 g ( 4 × 10 − 3 mol . %) of 5 % phenol solution of tetraphenylphosphonium phenolate , based on bisphenol a , are weighed into a 500 ml three - necked flask having a stirrer , an internal thermometer and a vigreux column ( 30 cm , mirrored ) with a bridge . the apparatus is freed of atmospheric oxygen by applying a vacuum and flushing with nitrogen ( three times ), and the mixture is melted at 190 ° c . and phenol that forms is distilled off . a vacuum of 100 mbar is then applied and distillation is continued for 20 minutes . the temperature is then raised to 235 ° c . and the phenol that forms is distilled off for 15 minutes . the vacuum is then adjusted to 60 mbar in the course of 5 minutes and is maintained for 15 minutes . the mixture is heated to 250 ° c . and the plateau is maintained for 15 minutes . the pressure is then reduced to 5 mbar for 15 minutes , whereupon heating is carried out to 280 ° c . after a further 15 minutes , the vacuum is reduced to 0 . 5 mbar and stirring is carried out for a further 15 minutes . the mixture is then heated to 300 ° c . and the temperature is maintained for 30 minutes . the polycarbonate is then removed at normal pressure under a nitrogen atmosphere . 43 . 38 g ( 0 . 19 mol .) of bisphenol a , 2 . 02 g ( 0 . 01 mol .) of 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl ether ( recrystallised ), 44 . 99 g ( 0 . 21 mol .) of diphenyl carbonate and 0 . 0691 g ( 4 × 10 − 3 mol . %) of 5 % phenol solution of tetraphenylphosphonium phenolate , based on bisphenol a , are weighed into a 500 ml three - necked flask having a stirrer , an internal thermometer and a vigreux column ( 30 cm , mirrored ) with a bridge . the apparatus is freed of atmospheric oxygen by applying a vacuum and flushing with nitrogen ( three times ), and the mixture is melted at 190 ° c . and phenol that forms is distilled off . a vacuum of 100 mbar is then applied and distillation is continued for 20 minutes . the temperature is then raised to 235 ° c . and the phenol that forms is distilled off for 15 minutes . the vacuum is then adjusted to 60 mbar in the course of 5 minutes and maintained for 15 minutes . the mixture is heated to 250 ° c . and the plateau is maintained for 15 minutes . the pressure is then reduced to 5 mbar for 15 minutes , whereupon heating is carried out to 280 ° c . after a further 15 minutes , the vacuum is reduced to 0 . 5 mbar and stirring is carried out for a further 15 minutes . the mixture is then heated to 300 ° c . and the temperature is maintained for 30 minutes . the polycarbonate is then removed at normal pressure under a nitrogen atmosphere . ηrel : 1 . 229 phen . oh : 450 ppm tg : 143 ° c . colour index : 0 . 59 31 . 96 g ( 0 . 14 mol .) of bisphenol a , 13 . 10 g ( 0 . 06 mol .) of bis -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) sulfide , 46 . 70 g ( 0 . 22 mol .) of diphenyl carbonate and 0 . 0691 g ( 4 × 10 − 3 mol . %) of 5 % phenol solution of tetraphenylphosphonium phenolate , based on bisphenol a , are weighed into a 500 ml three - necked flask having a stirrer , an internal thermometer and a vigreux column ( 30 cm , mirrored ) with a bridge . the apparatus is freed of atmospheric oxygen by applying a vacuum and flushing with nitrogen ( three times ), and the mixture is melted at 190 ° c . and phenol that forms is distilled off for 30 minutes . the temperature is then raised to 235 ° c . in the course of 10 minutes and the phenol that forms is distilled off . the mixture is then heated to 300 ° c . in the course of 10 minutes and at the same time the pressure is reduced to 60 mbar . in the following 10 minutes , the vacuum is reduced to 5 mbar , then to 0 . 5 mbar over a further 10 minutes . after 30 minutes , the polycarbonate is removed at normal pressure under a nitrogen atmosphere . although the invention has been described in detail in the foregoing for the purpose of illustration , it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that variations may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as it may be limited by the claims .
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according to one embodiment , the separation device comprises a prism 100 , a microfluidic channel 110 within the prism 100 , and a pair of bulk acoustic wave generators 120 attached to the prism . as shown in fig2 , the prism 100 is generally rectangular in shape and is constructed from poly ( methyl methacrylate ) ( pmma ) in one embodiment , although other rigid polymers or materials can be used . the acoustic wave generators 120 are coupled to opposing external sides 101 of the prism 100 and are used to create standing or traveling waves within the microchannel 110 . however , separation along node lines is more effective in standing wave environments . to create standing waves , the acoustic wave generators 120 are positioned parallel to each other on opposing sides of the channel 110 . in one embodiment , the acoustic wave generators 120 are lead zirconate titanate ( pzt ) transducers ; however , other types of bulk acoustic wave generators can be used . fig2 - 3 depict alternative embodiments of the separation device . the channel 110 is fabricated at an angle with respect to the transducers 120 . this configuration is identified as the “ tilted angle ” geometry . because the standing waves are substantially parallel to the transducers 120 , the standing waves are angled to the direction of flow in the channel 110 . in one embodiment , the angle of the channel 110 relative to the standing waves is between 10 and 45 degrees . however , as will be discussed , the angle of the channel 110 can vary depending on the particles to be separated and other design parameters . fig1 is an illustration of the titled angle geometry where the node lines are shown at an angle to the direction of flow . applying the acoustic force at an angle with respect to the flow is advantageous because the separation distances are limited only by the size of the channel 110 . in contrast , when parallel configurations are used the separation distance is limited to a fraction of the acoustic wavelength . the title angle geometry enables a device with higher throughput and separation of particles closer in size . to introduce the fluid to the prism and collect the effluent , inlet 102 and outlet 103 are provided on the prism 100 . the inlet 102 provides an entry point for the particles into the microchannel 110 . the particles are suspended in a fluid such as water , traveling through the channel 110 in a laminar or streamline flow . in one embodiment , the inlet 102 and outlet 103 are coplanar with the channel 110 . in an alternative embodiment , additional inlets 104 and 105 are provided for sheath flow , as seen in fig6 , around the inlet flow . more specifically , the additional inlets 104 and 105 provide a flow of fluid that does not contain particles around the particle stream , concentrating the particles to the center of the channel 110 . in the embodiment with sheath flow , the particles are concentrated at the center of the channel 110 before separation begins by controlling the ratio of the suspended particle volumetric flow rate to the sheath fluid volumetric flow rate . without sheath flow , the particles start distributed across the channel 110 and the separation will be incomplete since some small particles are positioned at the part of the channel where the larger particles are ending . in addition to focusing particles within the width of the cannel 110 , the particles can be focused towards the mid - height of the channel 110 by making the inlet 103 shallower than the additional inlets 104 and 105 . this is particularly advantageous in bulk acoustic devices since the acoustic wave is present through the depth of the channel 110 . for example , in one embodiment , the node lines in the channel are oriented vertically along the height of the channel and spaced evenly along the width of the channel . the channel must be wide enough to include multiple node lines ( more node lines can allow for greater separation ), but narrow enough for both acoustic uniformity and a sufficient flow velocity ( given the volumetric flow rate ) for separation . when the channel is tilted with respect to the transducers 120 ( and thus tilted to the node lines of the standing waves ), the drag and acoustic forces have components transverse to the channel . because of the difference in the relationship between the acoustic force and the drag force on particles of different sizes in the same acoustic field , larger particles more closely follow the node lines of the acoustic field , taking an undulating path from node line to node line . conversely , the smaller particles more closely follow the streamlines of the flow . thus , the difference in forces enables particle separation . acoustic forces can also affect particles differently based on their density , compressibility , shape , and mass distribution . fig1 depicts the differences in magnitude between drag and acoustic forces for two different sized particles . with the appropriate choice of device and operational parameters , the balance between the acoustic force and the drag force on particles enables separations . however , depending on particle type , flow rate , acoustic energy , and channel size , particles can take different paths within the channel 110 . while it is beneficial to have the particles to be separated follow one of two different paths , several different trajectories are possible depending on the parameters of device construction and operation . in the separation device , a particle can follow one of three distinct trajectories : ( 1 ) the particle follows the fluid streamline with no “ deflection ” by acoustic effects ; ( 2 ) the particle follows an undulating path ; ( 3 ) the particle follows a path to a node line and remains in the node line . fig4 is an example of paths followed by different particle sizes ranging from 3 μm to 9 μm . notice the smallest particle follows a fairly straight path , whereas the largest particle undulates from node to node . plotting acoustic pressure against water velocity , four parabolas are produced that divide the design space into five regions . the plot is shown in fig7 . the condition of four distinct regions ( labeled i through iv ) are described physically as follows . in region i , the acoustic force on a particle is sufficiently large , relative to the fluid force , that 15 μm and 2 μm particles all deflect to a node line , and separation does not occur . in region ii , 15 μm particles deflect to a node line while 2 μm particles follow an undulating path , because the trajectory of a large particle is more sensitive to acoustic pressure than that of a small particle . separation is possible , in principle , but is not maximally effective . in region iii , 15 μm particles deflect to a node line while 2 μm particles do not deflect . this achieves maximal , robust separation . in region iv , 15 μm particles follow an undulating path 2 μm particles do not deflect . separation is possible , in principle , but not maximally effective . ( region v , not labeled , is the area on the abscissa of low acoustic pressure in which neither particle deflects .) given that pmma prisms 101 are rapidly prototyped , different sizes can be created if the velocity and pressure parameters cannot be varied sufficiently to achieve the desired separation . to fabricate the prism 100 , micromachining technology is utilized . for example , the microfluidic channel 110 can be milled at a sub - mm scale on a mini - mill desktop cnc system from minitech machinery corp . in alternative embodiment , the each part of the prism is printed using additive manufacturing techniques ( or 3d printing ). however the device can also be fabricated using embossing or casting techniques . in one example fabrication method using micromachining , the prism 100 is formed from two half - pieces ( a first part 151 and a second part 152 ) joined together . in this example , the first part 151 and the second part 152 are manufactured from pmma stock 3 . 175 - mm thick . as shown in fig2 , the first part 151 is milled is milled with a 0 . 05 inch end mill to create a groove 153 300 microns deep on its surface . the second part 152 has a flat surface . both half - pieces 151 , 152 are milled to form inlet / outlet segments , alignment mechanism 106 , and transducer through - slots . the alignment mechanism 106 ( shown in fig2 ), such as an alignment key , allow ‘ snap - together ’ assembly with sufficient precision to create complex channels 110 and to present a planar face on the exterior of the prism 100 for uniform acoustic coupling . for example , the transducers 120 are contained within slots and coupled acoustically to the prism 100 with water , way oil , or acoustic coupling gel . to complete assembly , the two half - pieces 151 , 152 are bonded by cleaning first with soap and water , ashing the faces to be bonded in a harrick plasma cleaner ( in air ) for five minutes , and then clamping the two pieces between glass plates and baking in an oven at 305 degrees f . for 60 minutes . this fabrication technique allows for very rapid prototyping of different designs . given the relative ease of micromachining a custom channel 120 profile , in one embodiment the method of fabricating a device further comprises simulating the separation dynamics to determine the optimal device configuration . for example , according to one embodiment , comsol 4 . 3b multiphysics software is used to model particle motion in a channel 1270 μm wide and 150 μm deep tilted 20 ° with respect to the acoustic field . however , any simulation software can be used . the fluidic medium is water with a velocity of 10 mm / s . using the particle tracing with mass postanalysis function in comsol , 3 μm to 9 μm diameter particles are simulated including the drag force from the fluid and the force due to the acoustic field . an analytic expression was used for the acoustic force given by : where { circumflex over ( x )} is the particle coordinate along the channel , ŷ is the particle coordinate across the channel , p 0 is the acoustic pressure which controls the amplitude of the force , r is the particle radius , ρ is the density of the particles and the medium , water , p and m respectively , β is the compressibility of the particles and the medium , λ is the wavelength , 200 μm , and θ is the tilt angle of the channel . this equation represents the force from the acoustic field created by acoustic waves incident from both sides of the channel . using this simulation , parameters can be varied to achieve separation for a given particle size . because bulk acoustic waves enter the microfluidic channel from the sides ( unlike a saw device where the waves enter from the bottom ), the nodal separation is dependent only on the acoustic frequency and acoustic velocity in the fluid . thus , node lines with 100 micron spacing require a frequency of about 7 . 41 mhz . in one example device , separation of 2 μm and 15 μm polymer spheres suspended in water was accomplished by driving the transducers 120 with 33v amplitude at 6 . 8 mhz , which is a resonant frequency of some pzt transducers 120 , and gives a node spacing of about 113 microns . this example is shown in fig5 . in one example embodiment , the channel has a width of 1 . 27 mm , a height of 300 μm , a length of about 4 - 5 mm , and a tilt angle of 15 ° or 30 ° with respect to the exterior walls 101 of the prism 100 . in this particular embodiment , the prism 100 has a height of 5 . 08 mm and a width of 4 . 34 mm . however , a wide range of dimensions , shapes , and other design parameters may work . while the disclosure has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modification can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments . thus , it is intended that the present disclosure cover the modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .
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in the prior art shown in fig1 and 2 , a conventional automotive shock absorber , in this case , a macpherson strut , includes a piston rod 2 upon which piston 4 , is fixed . piston rod 2 is received by rod guide 10 which is engaged with working cylinder 8 and outer cylinder 6 . an annular fluid reservoir , 9 , extends between the outer wall of working cylinder 8 and the inner wall of outer cylinder 6 . rod guide 10 is maintained in contact with working cylinder 8 and outer cylinder 6 by means of closure cap 18 which is welded to outer cylinder 6 with knurled weld 22 . closure cap 18 is provided with a separate striker plate 20 which is welded to closure cap 18 . striker plate 20 is a cup - shaped member stamped from mild steel or the like . a disadvantage of the shock absorber shown in fig1 and 2 is that additional parts are needed to form the closure cap and striker plate . also , the heat involved in welding the closure cap to the outer cylinder has been known to damage elastomeric seals used in the rod guide assembly . these seals must retain gas and liquid within the shock absorber , while excluding contaminants . the shock absorber shown in fig1 and 2 is attached to the vehicle by means of lower mounting bracket 26 having suitable holes therein for fixing the shock absorber to a suspension system or wheel spindle . the shock absorber is further provided with threaded fastener 28 which is integral with piston rod 2 and is further provided with spring perch 24 which is welded upon outer cylinder 6 . spring perch 24 is used for the purposes of seating a coil suspension spring ( not shown ). the shock absorber shown in fig1 and 2 is further provided with a jounce bumper 14 having a generally cylndrical configuration which is provided with a frustoconical lower segment 16 which contacts striker plate 20 when the strut is brought to the full jounce position . thus , bumper 14 may be properly termed a jounce bumper . striker plate 20 is not welded to closure cap 18 continuously at their matched radii . rather , an annular gap 30 is provided between the striker plate and closure cap so that any dirt or moisture accumulating on top of rod guide 10 wll not be forced through the rod guide when jounce bumper 14 moves into contact with the striker plate and compresses the air thereby trapped between the closure cap , striker plate , and jounce bumper . fig3 - 7 illustrate formation of the unitary striker plate and closure cap of the present invention as applied to an automotive shock absorber . turning now to fig3 piston rod 2 is slidably received by rod guide 10 which is equipped with a bearing sleeve 12 comprised of bronze impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene or other suitable bearing material . the rod guide is positioned within outer cylinder 6 and face 10a of the rod guide is axially abutted and engaged with working cylinder 8 . rod seal 34 is provided immediately above rod guide and includes an annular seal ring 36 which positions the seal axially . top wiper 38 and bottom wiper 40 prevent dirt , water , or other contaminants from moving along the rod and subsequently passing through the rod guide into the interior of the shock absorber . these wipers also provide a gas tight seal to maintain the working fluid and gas pressurization within the shock absorber . bottom wiper 40 is held in contact with piston rod 2 by means of first garter spring 42 . rod seal 34 further comprises outer sealing lip 44 which maintains sealing contact between the rod guide and the inner wall of outer cylinder 6 . the outer sealing lip further includes second garter spring 46 which maintains contact between the outer sealing lip and the outer diameter of rod guide 45 . annular ring 41 , of steel , helps to maintain the shape of rod seal 34 and provides a solid abutment between seal ring 36 and the upper surface of rod guide 10 . the first step in forming the unitary striker plate and closure cap of the present invention is shown sequentially in fig3 and 4 . as shown in fig3 male piercing die 48 and female piercing die 50 are brought into proximity of portion 6a of outer cylinder 6 . as shown in fig4 the piercing dies are brought together so as to form aperture 49 through outer cylinder wall 6a . aperture 49 is shown in its final position in fig6 and 7 . one or more apertures 49 may be formed and the function of these apertures is analogous to that of annular gap 30 described in connection with the prior art shock absorber illustrated in fig1 and 2 , which freely allows the escape of any air pressure formed during a jounce contact between jounce bumper 14 and striker plate 20 . as previously noted such air pressure could cause contamination of the interior of the shock absorber by forcing contaminants past the top and bottom wipers of rod guide seal 34 . apertures 49 prevent the harmful buildup of pressure between the jounce bumper and the striker plate , thereby preventing contamination . turning now to fig5 as shown in this figure , male creasing die 52 and female creasing die 54 are brought together radially about outer cylinder wall 6a . during this operation axially adjoining segments 6b and 6c are radially displaced inwardly by the creasing action of dies 52 and 54 . this step is of essential importance to the practice of the present invention because the preforming or creasing of the outer cylinder wall allows the cylinder wall to be axially deformed in a later process step in a controlled manner while at the same time using a cylinder component having a wall thickness which is not excessive . the present invention has been practiced using society of automotive engineers ( sae ) 1018 hot rolled steel formed as mandrel drawn steel tubing . it has further been found that outer cylinder wall thickness in the range of 2 - 2 . 5 millimeters produces a satisfactory result with the process of this invention . although fig3 - 7 show the outer cylinder 6 as being of reduced thickness in the area of segment 6a - 6b , this thickness reduction is not necessary to practice the invention and an integral closure cap and striker plate may be formed from a cylinder according to the present invention using hot rolled steel in the thickness range previously mentioned . turning now to fig6 axial pressing die 56 is employed for the purpose of axially compressing the radially displaced segments 6b and 6c in order that segments 6b and 6c will abut each other to form an annular ring having a u - shaped cross section , as shown in fig6 and 7 , with the annular ring extending radially inwardly from the outer periphery of the outer cylinder and abutting rod seal ring 36 . as shown in fig6 segments 6b and 6c are moved into a position wherein they are superimposed upon each other and formed to a tight bend radius over seal ring 36 . it should be noted in this connection that it has been determined that segment 6c should be approximately 10 - 15 percent longer than segment 6b in order that the axial compression by pressing die 56 will produce the desired flat , u - shaped cross section annular ring . during the axial pressing operation , the strut is preferably supported by its end cap 27 as well as by a collar clamped at a convenient position about the strut in the region lying immediately below spring perch 24 . fig6 and 7 show aperture 49 in its final configuration . each aperture extends through the cylinder wall in the region of segment 6b and 6c so as to provide relief for any pressure buildup above the rod seal when the strut is placed into the fully jounce position . alternatively , one or more v - shaped grooves 51 , shown in fig8 may be provided in lieu of apertures 49 . these grooves are v - shaped in cross section and are merely scored into a part of the interior wall surface of outer cylinder 6 prior to the forming operations . fig7 illustrates the formation of flared surface 6d as a final surface formed from outer cylinder 6 . flare 6d is formed by male flaring die 58 and female flaring die 60 which are brought together to radially displace outwardly segment 6d in the manner shown in fig7 . flare 6d provides an engaging surface for the frustoconical segment 16 of jounce bumper 14 and thereby allows operation of the jounce bumper 14 . flare 6d also contains a portion of the jounce bumper when the bumper is in the full jounce position . the flaring operation may be employed to control the overall length of outer cylinder 6 because the extent to which segment 6d is flared directly affects the axial dimension of segment 6d . accordingly , a fixed , repeatable dimension from the bottom of the shock absorber to the top of the flared segment is achievable . this is not possible with most prior art constructions . the ability to easily control the overall length of the shock absorber or macpherson strut is particularly important with units such as that shown in fig1 and 2 and in the improved version in fig3 - 8 , wherein the flared segment serves as a structure for limiting wheel travel in the rebound direction from extending beyond the full jounce position which may occur if jounce bumper 14 becomes worn excessively . using the present invention , suspension designers may reliably predict maximum , metal to metal wheel travel which occurs when segment 6d touches the vehicle &# 39 ; s body and this will materially aid the design process . unlike other constructions which provide only a single thickness of metal in the closure system over the rod guide and seal in a shock absorber or suspension strut , the present invention superimposes segments 6b and 6c over the rod guide so as to provide an economical but yet durable structure which is capable of functioning not only in a shock absorber but also in a suspension strut subjected to extreme loading when the suspension to which the strut is attached move to the full rebound position -- i . e . that position which the strut is fully extended . upon full extension of a suspension strut either the piston or a stop provided on the piston rod is brought up against the rod guide and this results in severe axial impact loading against the closure mechanism . this has , in the past , necessitated use of welded caps to prevent the closure mechanism from becoming detached during full rebound movement of the suspension . the integral closure cap and striker plate of the present invention provides a very secure retention structure for the rod guide because the double thickness annular ring is highly resistant to the conical deformation which accompanies undesired axial detachment of the rod guide . stated another way , it has been determined that axial detachment of the rod guide , such as that which occurs during a failure of the shock absorber during a particularly severe rebound extension will be preceded by conical deformation of the closure cap . the double thickness , pressed annulus of the present invention resists this conical deformation because the thicknesses of material are highly resistant to bending and further because the work hardened section of material at the bight of the u - shaped cross section provides great resistance to bending . the present closure procedure also provides a well defined radius on the inside surface which allows good closure for preventing leakage of strut fluid and gas pressurization inside the shock absorber . the present invention provides a closure structure which is , as previously explained , integrally formed from the outer cylinder of the strut by the economical method illustrated herein . this method is economical for two reasons . first , the material needed to form the outer cylinder may be of reasonable thickness because the multi - step process employed with the present invention includes the creasing step which allows subsequent axial deformation to occur without causing buckling of the outer cylinder which would result from the excessive imposition of forces needed to produce the desired axial deformation in the absence of a previous creasing step . thus , savings in terms of material results in practicing the present invention . secondly , production time will be saved by the practice of the present invention because additional welding steps have been eliminated . elimination of welding is beneficial for another reason because this obviates problems arising from the intense heat generated during welding , which has been found to damage piston rod seals . fig9 - 11 disclose a second embodiment of the present invention in which a shock absorber suitable for use with an automotive bumper system has a rod guide assembled according to the present invention . this shock absorber includes mounting tube 80 at one end for attachment with automotive body structure or bumper and mounting bracket 82 at its other end which is welded to working cylinder 66 . working cylinder 66 is preferably filled with a high viscosity fluid such as gelled silicone . piston 62 , fitted within working cylinder 66 upon piston rod 68 , includes shredder 65 . the shredder and piston each have several large apertures to permit their movement through the gelled silicone when the shock absorber is compressed . piston rod 68 slides through rod guide 74 which is attached to working cylinder 66 . the piston rod abuts rod guide 70 which is held in place according to the present invention . turning now to fig1 , piston rod 68 has a rounded end 68a , which fits into a semi - hemispherical relieved area 70a formed in rod guide 70 . outer cylinder 72 is formed into a unitary closure cap for maintaining engagement of rod guide 70 with outer cylinder 72 . this unitary closure cap comprises segments 72a and 72b of outer cylinder 72 and it is formed according to the method shown in fig5 and 6 . use of the present invention for this type of shock absober is economical because it eliminates welding of the rod guide to the outer cylinder thereby permitting more economical production processes . a further illustration of the economy gained in the manufacturing of shock absorbers with the present invention is provided by the following example . a bumper shock absorber , generally constructed in accord with fig9 but having a welded rod guide , 70 , maintained within a cylinder of mild steel having a wall thickness of 0 . 095 inches , was subjected to axial force . it was found that 7000 - 9000 lbs . of force was required to detach the rod guide from the cylinder . however , when a second shock absorber having a reduced wall thickness of 0 . 065 inches , and having its rod guide 70 attached according to this invention was subjected to the same test , it was found that 12 , 000 - 14 , 000 lbs . of force was required to detach the rod guide . it is therefore possible to construct a shock absorber according to the present invention with lighter , less expensive materials , but with enhanced performance . the second embodiment described herein illustrates use of the present invention to form a closure cap without a striker plate . this type of usage may be employed beneficially with conventional shock absorbers which are not macpherson structs . various modifications and variations will no doubt occur to those skilled in the various arts to which this invention pertains . for example , the particular processing sequence used in conjunction with the disclosed system may be varied . this and all other variations which basically rely on the teachings through which this disclosure has advanced the art are properly considered within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims .
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the following detailed description is for the purpose of illustrating currently preferred embodiments of this invention . other embodiments are still possible without deviating from the spirit and scope hereof . the accompanying drawings and particular elements discussed below use terms meant as examples and not as limitations . functions equivalent to those illustrated in the photographs may be provided by still other device ( s ) or structure ( s ). as used herein , “ releasably attachable ” and “ releasably connectable ” are understood to be equivalent ; “ attach ” and “ connect ” ( and “ attachable ” and “ connectable ”) are also understood to be equivalent ; and “ releasable ,” “ releasably ,” “ releasably attachable ,” and / or “ releasably connectable ” are understood to mean being able to be repeatedly connected / disconnected ( or engaged / disengaged ) through the use of hands , feet , or human appendage , with application of human - scale work effort , not generally requiring the use of a tool let alone any special or customized tool / tooling . fig1 and 2 are full views of a representative roof jack clip 10 before it is used / installed between the boards of a roof for old shingle removal and / or new shingle installation . clip 10 consists of an uppermost tip 12 , a first elbow bend 14 , a short flat portion 16 followed by a second elbow 18 that bends in an opposite direction from first elbow bend 14 . thereafter , the clip 10 includes an elongated flat shaft component 20 whose back end 22 is meant to sit adjacent the roof boards when the jack clip is properly installed therebetween . as better seen in fig2 , a midsection 24 of flat shaft component 20 can be structurally strengthened ( for holding greater user weights ) by welding one or more reinforcement segments 26 thereto . at the lowermost end 28 of flat shaft component 20 , there is provided yet another elbow bend 30 ( which preferably extends substantially parallel with / to first elbow bend 14 ) before the whole clip 10 terminates in a “ shelf - like ” user boot support portion 32 . the foregoing clip 10 leads to a pre - shaped , pre - stressed clip that somewhat resembles a lightning bolt in its zigzag , jagged design . . . but each of the pre - set folds serves a special purpose : the top folds for assisting with clip installation between adjacent roof boards b 1 , b 2 before being hinged or “ flipped ” downwardly against the main surface of the lower of those two adjacent roof boards b 2 . thereafter , the user can safely rest his or her work boot w on the latter , outwardly folded and extending boot rest shelf portion / component 32 . more preferred embodiments will include rubberized coating treatments r to the exterior flat shelf component that otherwise extends adjacent the roof boards . a similar coating treatment of a non - slippery material to the upside of the boot resting shelf will also further enhance user safety especially in potentially moist conditions ( i . e ., from the elements — rain , drizzle , fog , etc . or from the sweat and / or spilled drinks of the workers atop a hot roof in mid summer ). yet another preferred addition ( not currently shown ) is the incorporation of one or more apertures a and / or hook elements into the body proper of each and every clip , most preferably in a common standard area / recess or the like . such a common coordination would allow for a plurality of such clips to be commonly connected ( on a wire , cord , even a large carabiner ) for each user to transport up a ladder ( or scaffolding ) and onto the roof for in situ installations as needed . the main elbow bends of the clip proper are meant to extend substantially perpendicular or at mostly a ninety degree angle relative to the next adjoining clip component . that is most critical toward the bottom end of each clip . the first elbow bend may be less than or greater than 90 degrees and still accomplish the main goals of same , i . e ., assisting with initial installation of the respective clips and , after proper use of same , the removal of the clip for reuse at another installation section of the same roof job . the preferred embodiment depicted has representative measurements of about 1 . 5 to 2 inches for the first section length , 1 inch for the short flat portion , about 8 to 10 inches for the flat shaft region ending in a boot shelf component about 5 to 6 inches long . overall , the total length for each clip , from top to bottom , measures between about 14 to 16 inches . the width of this clip is a consistent 1 . 5 inches as variations in sectional lengths may interfere with the clip laying flat against the pitched roof when properly installed . the components to the aforesaid clip may be made of or from a wide range of materials non - exclusively including aluminum , steel , iron , copper , tin and alloys between and including these and other materials , as well as and / or including composites such as fiberglass , aramid , carbon - fiber , an other fibers combined with resin and / or epoxy . when made from cast iron components ( for enhanced strength ), the resultant clip will weigh roughly 8 to 14 ounces each . fig3 through 8 show the sequential installation of one such clip between adjacent roof boards according to the present invention . particularly , there is the initial insertion of the clip tip 12 into the gap between adjacent boards b 1 , b 2 as seen in fig3 . though not required in subsequent embodiments , the two inward notches n , roughly 2 inches down from the top end of clip 10 provide some indication of how far in to insert the clip head between adjoining roof boards . once inserted a proper distance inwardly between two adjoining roof boards ( as per fig4 ), the whole of the clip may next be flipped down as shown in the first stage of flipping at fig5 until fully “ at rest ” against roof board b 2 . fig6 shows the clip 10 after flipping has been completed . finally , fig7 and 8 show the fully installed clip , in place , and ready for use , from two perspectives / angles . next , fig9 and 10 show the work boots w of a user stepping onto the shelf - like boot support component 32 of a properly installed roof jack clip 10 . the clip itself is still visible in fig9 while the whole leg weight of its user rests on that clip shelf 32 to support him as per the top view at fig1 .
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referring to the drawings and particularly to fig1 and 2 , the aerosol inhalation apparatus of one form of the invention is there shown and can be seen to comprise a housing 22 which includes interconnected front , back , side and bottom walls 24 , 26 , 28 and 30 respectively . attached to housing 22 is a nebulizer means , shown here as a conventional , small volume nebulizer ( svn ) 32 ( fig1 ). a first end 22 a of the main housing is provided with a standard size breathing port 34 for ready patient interfacing with the aerosol system . a second end 22 b of the main housing is provided with an outlet port 36 to which filter means , shown here as a filter assembly 38 can be interconnected ( fig2 ) if so desired . as best seen by referring to fig2 , 8 and 9 , housing 22 includes a main portion 22 c and a chamber defining , insert portion 22 d which is received within main portion 22 c in the manner shown by the solid lines in fig9 . housing 22 also includes a first chamber 40 having an inlet 42 a defined by an inlet port 42 , an outlet 44 and baffle means for providing a circuitous fluid flow path through the first chamber . in the present form of the invention this important baffle means comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced - apart , strategically configured baffles or walls 46 , 48 and 50 . housing 22 also includes a second chamber 52 having an inlet 54 in communication with a first chamber 40 and an outlet 56 in communication breathing port 34 . insert portion 22 d in cooperation with a housing top wall 56 defines a third chamber 58 chamber having an inlet 60 in communication with said second chamber 52 and an outlet 62 , which communicates with outlet port 36 via a first flow control means , here provided as a flapper valve mechanism 64 . as shown in fig1 , nebulizer 32 is interconnected with inlet port 42 for communication with first chamber 40 for nebulizing a fluid medication containing the medicament to produce a particulate laden spray and for introducing said particulate laden spray into first chamber 40 . a second flow control means , shown here as valve member 68 is pivotally movable relative to inlet 54 of said second chamber 52 for controlling fluid flow through the inlet and into second chamber 52 . before discussing the operation of the apparatus of the invention as described in the preceding paragraphs , a brief discussion of the theory of patient inhalation and dose quantification is believed appropriate . in this regard , the breathing cycle for a patient involves an inhalation and exhalation component , usually in a time ratio of one part inhalation and two parts exhalation ( i . e . 1 : 2 ). as an example , if a patient is breathing at a rate of 12 breaths per minute ( bpm ) the complete breathing cycle would involve 5 seconds ( 60 sec ./ 12 bpm = 5 sec . ), and at a 1 : 2 inhalation / exhalation ratio , the exhalation time would be in the order of 3 . 3 seconds . when a normal nebulizer configuration is used , the drug as aerosolized by the nebulizer is blown into the atmosphere for ⅔s of each breathing cycle . if this aerosol could be retained and added to that received during the next patient inhalation , system efficiency would be greatly enhanced and the delivered patient dose should be quantifiable . the reservoir component of the present invention , when used with an air / oxygen flow rate of 7 - 8 liters per minute ( lpm ) to the nebulizer , is the correct volume to allow for this needed medication retention . determination of the minimum volume needed is as follows : 60 sec . 12 bpm ( 5 seconds ) ( 2 / 3 ) = 3 . 3 second exhalation ( 3 . 3 seconds ) ( 7 , 000 ml / min . ) 60 = 385 ml . volume knowing that medication lost is very small , and in general a relatively fixed percentage of that aerosolized , quantification of the patient dose received is very possible using the following equation : where drug concentration is known at the start of the procedure ; dmar is an easily determined fixed number for a given nebulizer at a defined oxygen flow rate ; system efficiency is a relatively fixed number for given system ; and time is the system run time determined prior to start , or just prior to nebulizer sputter . with the foregoing in mind , it can be seen that reservoir chamber 40 consists of a fixed , determinable volume . as indicated by the previous calculations , in practice , chamber 40 preferably has a minimum volume of about 400 ml ., which approximately equals the volume of aerosol produced by the nebulizer 32 during the time of patient exhalation under typical conditions such as an oxygen flow rate of about 7 liters per minute , a breathing rate of approximately 12 breaths per minute and an “ in - out ” ratio of about 1 : 2 . referring to fig1 , it can be seen that upon patient exhalation , the . expired air will pass through chamber 22 and first control means flapper valve number 64 , and exiting the device through port 75 . in so doing air pressure against second flow control means , here shown as a conventional , flapper - type valve member 68 , which is pivotally movable relative to inlet 54 of second chamber 52 , moves from the open position shown in fig2 into the closed position shown in fig1 . with a valve member 68 closed , the aerosol , which is being newly generated by the nebulizer 32 , flows into chamber 40 in the manner indicated by the arrows 69 . as indicated by the arrow 71 in fig1 , as the newly generated aerosol flows into chamber 40 , the residual air contained within the chamber will flow around and about the interior baffles 46 , 48 and 50 in the manner indicated by the arrows 73 in fig9 and will be pushed outwardly through exhaust port 36 in the manner indicated by the arrow 75 of fig1 . as previously discussed , duration of the expiration will be in the order of 3 - 4 seconds or less during which the newly generated aerosol will fill all pathways in chamber 40 . next , upon patient inhalation , atmospheric air will be drawn in through port 36 causing valve member 64 to close and through displacement force all aerosol in reservoir 40 to pass through flow control means 54 and out to the patient . additionally , during this time of patient inhalation , aerosol coming from continuously operating nebulizer member 32 ( fig1 ) is also being received by the patient . it can be readily seen by those skilled in the art that drug is delivered very efficiently , and drug loss is not only minimal but essentially a constant percentage of that aerosolized . in summary , due to the unique design of the apparatus of the invention , essentially all of the aerosolized medication ( only loss — a relatively small percentage retained in the body of the device ) is accessed by the patient and the effects of patient breathing parameters are minimized or eliminated . knowing the initial drug concentration ( mg ./ ml ) and the patient breathing time on the system , the inhaled dose can be easily calculated , generally within ± 12 %. conversely , if the desired inhaled dose is known , the same equation can be revised as follows to determine patient - breathing time required : referring now to fig1 a , an alternate form of the apparatus of the invention , which can be used with a conventional ventilator , is there shown . this apparatus is similar in many respects to that shown in fig1 through 11 and like numerals are used in fig1 a to identify like components . as will be presently described , with proper placement in the breathing circuit this device can deliver drugs with essentially the same efficiencies as that previously described when used in conjunction with patients when connected to ventilators . in this latest embodiment of the invention , insert portion 22 d with flapper valve 64 is omitted , and replaced with a valve means for controlling fluid flow between the outlet port op of the ventilator through an inlet chamber 52 a and into a baffle chamber 40 a of housing 22 a . baffle chamber 40 a is provided with spaced - apart baffles , 46 a , 48 a and 50 a . valve means 68 r , which is the reverse of valve 68 , functions to open and close a port 54 a as needed for injection of pressurized air from the ventilator . this actuation of air pressure forces medicated air / oxygen from chamber 60 a and chamber 40 a through exit port 36 a to the patient . automatic operation of the ventilator circuitry is such that at such time air pressure from port op of the ventilator is applied at port 34 an internal valve vv in the ventilator tightly closes the air exit tube from the patient , creating a completely closed circuit . upon completion of the “ inhalation ” procedure , valve 68 r moves into its closed position , the ventilator valve vv of the ventilator opens and the expired air from the patient flows in the direction of the arrows through conduit 67 which is in communication with the patient . upon closure of valve 68 r , newly generated aerosol once again fills chamber 40 a thereby completing the cycle . turning next to fig1 through 21 an alternate form of the aerosol inhalation apparatus of the invention is there shown and generally designated by the numeral 80 . this alternate form of the apparatus of the invention is similar in some respects to that shown in fig1 through 11 and like numerals are used in fig1 through 21 to identify like , components . as best seen by referring to fig1 and 13 , this latest form of the apparatus can be seen to comprise a housing 82 which includes a generally cylindrically - shaped main body portion 84 having interconnected side and bottom walls 86 and 88 respectively . attached to housing 82 is a nebulizer means , shown here as the previously identified , small volume nebulizer ( svn ) 32 ( fig1 ). a first end 82 a of the main housing is provided with a standard size breathing port 90 for ready patient interfacing with the aerosol system . a second end 82 b of the main housing is provided with an outlet port 92 to which filter means , such as the previously identified filter assembly 38 can be interconnected ( fig1 ). as best seen by referring to fig1 and 20 , housing 82 includes a main portion 82 c and a chamber defining , insert portion 82 d which is received within main portion 82 c in the manner shown in the drawings . the generally cylindrically - shaped portion 84 of housing 82 includes a first chamber 94 having an inlet 94 a defined by an inlet port 96 , an outlet 98 and baffle means for providing a circuitous fluid flow path through the first chamber . in this latest form of the invention this important baffle means comprises a generally spiral - shaped wall 100 ( fig2 ). housing 82 also includes a second chamber 102 having an inlet 104 in communication with a first chamber 94 and an outlet 106 in communication breathing port 90 . insert portion 82 d in cooperation with a housing top wall 110 defines a third chamber 112 chamber having an inlet 114 in communication with said second chamber 102 and an outlet 116 , which communicates with outlet port 92 via a first flow control means , here provided as a flapper valve mechanism 118 . as shown in fig1 , nebulizer 32 is interconnected with inlet port 96 for communication with first chamber 94 for nebulizing a fluid medication containing the medicament to produce a particulate laden spray and for introducing said particulate laden spray into first chamber 94 . a second flow control means , shown here as valve member 120 , is pivotally movable relative to inlet 98 of chamber 102 for controlling fluid flow through the inlet and into chamber 102 . with the previous discussion of the theory of patient inhalation and dose quantification in mind , it can be seen that reservoir chamber 94 consists of a fixed , determinable volume . in practice , chamber 94 preferably has a volume of about 400 ml ., which approximately equals the volume of aerosol produced by the nebulizer 32 during the time of patient exhalation under typical conditions such as an oxygen flow rate of about 7 liters per minute , a breathing rate of approximately 12 breaths per minute and an “ in - out ” ratio of about 1 : 2 . in using this latest form of the apparatus of the invention , upon patient exhalation , the second flow control means , here shown as a conventional , flapper - type valve member 120 , which is pivotally movable relative to inlet 104 of second chamber 102 , moves from the open position shown by the solid lines in fig1 into the closed position shown by the dotted lines in fig1 . with a valve member 120 closed , the aerosol , which has been newly generated by the nebulizer 32 flows into chamber 94 in the manner indicated by the arrows 125 . as the newly generated aerosol flows into chamber 94 , the residual air contained within the chamber will flow through the use or this flow path defined by spiral wall 100 in the manner indicated by the arrows 127 in fig1 ( see also the arrows in fig1 and 15 ) and will be pushed outwardly through exhaust port 92 in the manner indicated by the arrow 129 of fig1 . in response to patient exhalation , valve member 118 is opened in the manner shown by the dotted lines in fig1 . at the same time , exhalation by the patient closes valve 120 . simultaneously the nebulizer 32 is producing medicated aerosol , which replenishes the reservoir chamber , or chamber 94 . in summary , due to the unique design of this alternate form of the apparatus of the invention , essentially all of the aerosolized medication ( only loss — a relatively small percentage retained in the body of the device ) is accessed by the , patient and the effects of patient breathing parameters are minimized or eliminated . knowing the initial drug concentration ( mg ./ ml ) and the patient breathing time on the system , the inhaled dose can be easily calculated , generally within ± 12 %. conversely , as discussed in connection with a first embodiment of the invention , if the desired inhaled dose is known , the same equation can be revised to determine patient breathing time required . having now described the invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes , those skilled in this art will have no difficulty in making changes and modifications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions . such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention , as set forth in the following claims .
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as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “ circuit ,” “ module ” or “ system .” furthermore , aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium ( s ) having computer readable program code embodied thereon . any combination of one or more computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium . a computer readable storage medium may be , for example , but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , or device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ), an optical storage device , a magnetic storage device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . in the context of this document , a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain , or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . a computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein , for example , in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms , including , but not limited to , electro - magnetic , optical , or any suitable combination thereof . a computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate , propagate , or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wireline , optical fiber cable , rf , etc ., or any suitable combination of the foregoing . computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the “ c ” programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other devices to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other devices to cause a series of operational actions to be performed on the computer , other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . turning now to the figures , fig1 is a block diagram of one example of a computing system architecture 100 that may incorporate the claimed subject matter . it should be noted there are many possible computing system configurations that may implement the disclosed technology , of which computing system architecture 100 is only one simple example . a computing system , or “ cs_ 1 ,” 102 includes a central processing unit ( cpu ) 103 , coupled to a monitor 104 , a keyboard 105 and a pointing device , or “ mouse ,” 106 , which together facilitate human interaction with cs_ 1 102 and other elements of architecture 100 . cpu 103 would comprise , among other things , one or more processors . also included in cs_ 1 102 and attached to cpu 103 is a computer - readable storage medium ( crsm ) 107 , which may either be incorporated into cs_ 1 102 i . e . an internal device , or attached externally to cpu 103 by means of various , commonly available connection devices such as but not limited to , a universal serial bus ( usb ) port ( not shown ). crsm 107 is illustrated storing an operating system ( os ) 108 and a configuration knowledge server ( cks ) 109 , which is described in more detail below in conjunction with fig2 and 8 . cs_ 1 102 is communicatively coupled to a network 110 . also coupled to network 110 , and thereby able to communicate with cs_ 1 102 and each other via network 110 , are several other computing systems , i . e ., a cs_ 2 112 , a cs_ 3 122 , a cs_ 4 132 and a cs_ 5 142 . in this example , cs_ 2 112 is also illustrated with a cpu 113 , a monitor 114 , a keyboard 115 , a mouse 116 and a crsm 117 . like elements 104 - 106 , monitor 114 , keyboard 115 and mouse 116 enable human interaction with cs . . . 2 112 . crsm 117 is illustrated storing an os 118 and a configuration checking server ( ccs ) 119 , which is described in more detail below in conjunction with fig4 and 7 . although in this example , css 102 , 112 , 122 , 132 and 142 are communicatively coupled via network 110 , they could also be coupled through any combination of communication mediums such as , but not limited to , a local area network ( lan ) ( not shown ), a wide area network ( wan ) and direct wires . although not shown for the sake of simplicity , cs_ 3 122 , cs_ 4 132 and cs_ 5 142 would also typically include a cpu , monitor , keyboard , mouse and crsm . cs_ 3 122 , cs_ 4 132 and cs_ 5 142 are illustrated storing logic associated with configuration checking agents , i . e ., a cca_ 1 123 , a cca_ 2 133 and a cca_ 3 143 , respectively , which are explained in more detail below in conjunction with fig5 and 6 . cs_ 3 122 is also illustrated storing logic associated with two applications , i . e ., an app_a 124 and an app_b 125 . cs_ 4 132 is illustrated storing logic associated with an application , or app_c 134 . cs_ 5 142 is illustrated storing logic associated with two applications , i . e ., an app_a 124 and an app_d 144 . it should be noted that both cs_ 3 122 and cs_ 5 142 store logic associated with app_a 124 . logic associated with ccas 123 , 133 and 143 and applications 124 , 125 , 134 and 144 is typically stored on crsms ( not shown ) of the corresponding devices and executed on one or more processors ( not shown ) of the corresponding cpus ( not shown ). fig2 is a block diagram of a configuration checker ( cc ) 150 that may implement aspects of the claimed subject matter . cc 150 includes cks 109 ( fig1 ), ccs 119 ( fig1 ). cca_ 1 123 , cca_ 2 133 and cca_ 3 143 . it should be understood that cc 150 is merely one example and that any particular cc may include multiple ccss , each responsible for multiple ccas . ccas 123 , 133 and 143 transmit and receive messages form ccs 119 , which in turn transmits and received messages from cks 109 . the particular messages transmitting and received between ccas 123 , 133 and 143 and ccs 119 and between ccs 119 and cks 109 are explained in more detail below in conjunction with fig6 - 9 . two specific types of communications between ccs 119 and cks 109 represented in fig2 are requests for information on specific configuration changes and responses to the request , represented by a line 152 and updates from ccs 119 to cks 109 on new information typically concerning previously unknown adverse effects of updates and configuration changes on applications , represented by a line 154 . fig3 is a block diagram central knowledge server ( cks ) 109 , first introduces above in conjunction with fig1 and 2 , in greater detail . cks 109 includes an input / output ( i / o ) module 162 , a data module 164 , a validation module 166 , a configuration problem ( cp ) database update module 168 and a graphical user interface ( gui ) module , or simply “ gui ,” 170 . for the sake of the following examples , logic associated with cks 109 is assumed to be stored in crsm 107 ( fig1 ) and execute on one or more processors ( not shown ) of cpu 103 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 1 102 ( fig1 ). it should be understood that the claimed subject matter can be implemented in many types of computing systems and data storage structures but , for the sake of simplicity , is described only in terms of cs_ 1 102 and system architecture 100 ( fig1 ). further , the representation of cks 109 in fig3 is a logical model . in other words , components 162 , 164 , 166 , 168 and 170 may be stored in the same or separates files and loaded and / or executed within system 100 either as a single system or as separate processes interacting via any available inter process communication ( ipc ) techniques . i / o module 162 handles any communication cks 109 has with other components of system 100 , including ccs 119 ( fig1 and 2 ). data module 164 is a data repository for information that cks 109 requires during normal operation . examples of the types of information stored in data module 164 include ccs data 172 , a configuration problem ( cp ) database 174 and cks operating parameters 176 . ccs data 172 stores information that enables cks 109 to receive signals from and respond to suitably configured configuration checker servers ( ccss ) such as ccs 119 . examples of such information may include , but is not limited to , communication address and protocols , apis and data on the environment of a particular ccss . cp database 174 stores information on all know registered applications and any problems , known or reported , for those applications . for example , known problems may include known conflicts among different versions of components . cks operating parameters 176 stores parameters that control the look , feel , administrative preferences and operation of cks 109 . typically , such parameters are set by an administrator employing gui 170 . validation module 166 correlates reported configuration changes ( see 338 , fig7 and 364 , fig8 ) with cp database 174 to identify any known or reported issues corresponding to the configuration change . cp database update module 168 is responsible for handling the formatting and insertion of reported issues ( see 380 , fig9 ) into cp database 174 . gui 170 enables administrators of cks 109 to interact with and to define the desired functionality of cks 109 , typically by the setting of parameters in cks operating parameters 176 . components 162 , 164 , 166 and 168 are described in more detail below in conjunction with fig4 - 9 . fig4 is a block diagram of configuration checker server ( ccs ) 119 , first introduces above in conjunction with fig1 and 2 , in greater detail . ccs 119 includes an input / output ( i / o ) module 182 , a data module 184 , a conflict detection module 186 and a graphical user interface ( gui ) module , or simply “ gui ,” 188 . for the sake of the following examples , logic associated with ccs 119 is assumed to be stored in crsm 117 ( fig1 ) and execute on one or more processors ( not shown ) of cpu 113 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 2 112 ( fig1 ). it should be understood that the claimed subject matter can be implemented in many types of computing systems and data storage structures but , for the sake of simplicity , is described only in terms of cs_ 2 112 and system architecture 100 ( fig1 ). further , the representation of ccs 119 in fig4 is a logical model . in other words , components 182 , 184 , 186 and 188 may be stored in the same or separates files and loaded and / or executed within system 100 either as a single system or as separate processes interacting via any available inter process communication ( ipc ) techniques . i / o module 182 handles any communication ccs 119 has with other components of system 100 , including cks 109 ( fig1 - 3 ) and ccas 123 , 133 and 143 ( fig1 and 2 ). data module 184 is a data repository for information that ccs 119 requires during normal operation . examples of the types of information stored in data module 184 include cks data 192 , cca data 194 , environmental definitions 196 and ccs operating parameters 198 . cks data 192 stores information that enables ccs 119 to receive signals from and respond to a suitably configured configuration knowledge server ( cks ) such as , in this example , cks 109 ( fig1 - 3 ). examples of such information may include , but is not limited to , communication address and protocols and application programming interfaces ( apis ) of cks 109 . cca data 194 stores information on all know and suitably configured and registered ccas such as cca_ 1 123 , cca_ 2 133 and cca_ 3 143 . examples of such information may include , but is not limited to , communication address and protocols and apis of ccas 123 , 133 and 143 . environmental definitions 196 stores information detailing groups of applications and products that integrate with one another to run an application , i . e ., what the applications and products , where they are and any dependencies . environmental definitions 196 also includes a history of changes corresponding to each registered cca 123 , 133 and 143 . ccs operating parameters 198 stores parameters that control the look , feel , administrative preferences and operation of ccs 119 . typically , such parameters are set by an administrator employing gui 188 . conflict detection module 186 is responsible for determining whether or not a changes detected by ccas 123 , 133 and 143 ( see 304 , fig6 ) are known to cause any issues . in addition , conflict detection module 186 is responsible for notifying ccas 123 , 133 and 143 in the event an issue is detected ( see 344 , fig7 ). gui 188 enables administrators of ccs 119 to interact with and to define the desired functionality of ccs 119 , typically by the setting of parameters in ccs operating parameters 198 . components 182 , 184 and 186 are described in more detail below in conjunction with fig5 - 9 . fig5 is a block diagram of a configuration checker agent , which in this example is cca_ 1 123 , first introduced above in conjunction with fig1 and 2 , in greater detail . cca_ 1 123 includes an input / output ( i / o ) module 202 , a data module 204 , a registration module 206 , a configuration change detection module 208 , a performance detection module 210 and a graphical user interface ( gui ) module , or simply “ gui ,” 212 . for the sake of the following examples , logic associated with cca_ 1 123 is assumed to be stored in a crsm ( not shown ) of cs_ 3 122 ( fig1 ) and execute on one or more processors ( not shown ) of a cpu ( not shown ) of cs_ 3 122 . it should be understood that the claimed subject matter can be implemented in many types of computing systems and data storage structures but , for the sake of simplicity , is described only in terms of cs_ 3 122 and system architecture 100 ( fig1 ). further , the representation of cca_ 1 123 in fig5 is a logical model . in other words , components 202 , 204 , 206 , 208 , 210 and 212 may be stored in the same or separates files and loaded and / or executed within system 100 either as a single system or as separate processes interacting via any available inter process communication ( ipc ) techniques . i / o module 202 handles any communication cca_ 1 123 has with other components of system 100 , including ccs 119 ( fig1 and 4 ). data module 204 is a data repository for information that cca_ 1 123 requires during normal operation . examples of the types of information stored in data module 204 include a component registry 214 , a configuration library 216 and cca operating parameters 218 . component registry 214 stores information on components , which in this example are components on cs_ 3 122 that are registered to take advantage of the provided configuration checking service of cc 150 ( fig2 ). in the following example , registered components of cs_ 3 123 include app_a 124 ( fig1 ) and app_b 125 ( fig1 ). as described in more detail below , components may be manually registered by a user or administrator of cs_ 3 122 or come “ configuration checker ready ,” which implies that the component automatically registers itself when installed . examples of stored component information include , but are not limited to , the type and version of a component , communication ports and protocols and apis . configuration library 216 stores information concerning the current and previous configurations of components referenced in component registry 214 . in other words , configuration library 216 stores information on configurations and configuration changes that have been previously implemented on registered components . cca operating parameters 218 stores parameters that control the look , feel , administrative preferences and operation of cca 123 . typically , such parameters are set by an administrator employing gui 212 . registration module 206 is responsible for implementing a registration procedure for components . typically , a particular component is registered when information corresponding to the component is entered into component registry 214 . such information may be entered by an administrator or collected from an external source ( not shown ). for example , information concerning different applications and other types of components may be available over the internet ( not shown ) from manufacturers , vendors or publically information repositories . in addition , as mentioned above , components may be either manually registered or “ configuration checker ready .” configuration change detection module 208 is responsible for detecting a change in the configuration of any registered components or components upon which registered components may depend ( see 304 , fig6 ). performance detection module 210 is responsible for detecting significant changes in the performance of cs_ 3 122 . in such a case , cc 150 may implement a check off all affected components to determine if any configuration issues have arisen . gui 212 enables administrators of cca_ 1 123 to interact with and to define the desired functionality of cca_ 1 123 , typically by the setting of parameters in cca operating parameters 218 . components 202 , 206 , 208 and 210 are described in more detail below in conjunction with fig6 - 9 . fig6 is a flowchart of an example of a configuration monitoring process 300 that may implement aspects of the claimed subject matter . in the following example , logic associated with process 300 is stored in a crsm ( not shown ) of cs 0 . 3 122 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with cca_ 1 123 ( fig1 and 5 ) and executed on one or more processors ( not shown ) of a cpu ( not shown ) of cs_ 3 122 . typically , similar processes would be executing on ca_ 4 132 ( fig1 ) and cs_ 5 142 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with cca_ 2 133 and cca_ 3 143 , respectively . process 300 starts in a “ begin configuration ( config .) monitoring ” block 302 and proceeds immediately to a “ detect config . change ” block 304 . during processing associated with block 304 , a change in the configuration of cs_ 3 122 is detected by cca_ 1 123 . such a change may be , but is not limited to , new or updated hardware or software , a changed configuration or any combination of changes . during processing associated with a “ notify ccs ” block 306 , cca_ 1 123 signals ccs 119 ( fig1 and 4 ) that a configuration change has been detected and includes in conjunction with the signal details of the change , e . g ., a particular software component has been replaced with a different version or product . during processing associated with a “ wait for notification ” block 308 . cca_ 1 123 waits for a response ( see 344 , fig7 ) from ccs 119 with respect to the signal , or notification , transmitted in conjunction with block 306 . during processing associated with a “ receive notification of issue ?” block 310 , a determination is made as to whether or not ccs 119 has responded to the signal transmitted during processing associated with block 306 with an indication that a configuration issue has been detected . it should be noted that process 300 may be configured to either receive a signal indicating “ no issue ” or for cca_ 1 123 to “ timeout ” if no notification is received . whether or not to timeout and the specific length of time may be set by an administrator by setting a parameter of cca operating parameters 218 ( fig5 ). in response to a notification of an issue , control proceeds to an “ alert administrator ” block 312 . during processing associated with block 312 , an appropriate message is transmitted to a party responsible for implementing the reconfiguration of cs_ 3 122 . during processing associated with an “ implement remedy ” block 314 , the responsible party may make changes to the reconfiguration . typically , such changes would be detected by cca_ 1 123 and process 300 would be executed again to validate the changes . finally , if either a notification of no issue is received or a timeout has occurred during processing associated with block 310 , or a remedy has been implemented during processing associated with block 314 , control proceeds to an “ end config . monitoring ” block 319 and process 300 is complete . fig7 is a flowchart of an example of a check configuration process 330 that may implement aspects of the claimed subject matter . in the following example , logic associated with process 330 is stored in crsm 117 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 2 112 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with ccs 119 ( fig1 and 4 ) and executed on one or more processors ( not shown ) of cpu 113 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 2 112 . process 330 starts in a “ begin check configuration ( config . )” block 332 and proceeds immediately to a “ receive notice of config . modification ( mod . )” block 334 . during processing associated with block 334 , ccs 119 receives a signal ( see 306 , fig6 ) from , in this example cca_ 1 123 ( fig1 and 5 ), indicating that a change in configuration has been detected ( see 304 , fig6 ) on cs_ 3 122 ( fig1 ). during processing associated with a “ timestamp and store change ” block 336 , information about the specific reconfiguration on cs_ 3 122 and the time of the notification are stored in cca data 194 ( fig4 ) of data module 184 ( fig4 ) for future reference . during processing associated with a “ notify cks ” block 338 , ccs 119 transmits a request for a configuration check to cks 109 ( fig1 - 3 ). such a request includes details of the potential reconfiguration and current setup of cs_ 3 122 . during processing associated with a “ wait for cks response ” block 340 , ccs 119 waits for cks to analyze the information transmitted during processing associated with block 338 and identify any potential issues ( see 360 , fig8 ). during processing associated with an “ impact detected ?” block 342 , either a report is received from cks 109 or , if so configured , a timeout occurs . a determination is made , based upon the report as to whether or not a negative impact , or issue , has been detected . if so , ccs 119 notifies cca_ 1 123 ( see 308 . fig6 ) during processing associated with a “ notify cca ” block 344 . finally , once cca_ 1 123 has been notified during processing associated with block 344 or either a no issue report or timeout has occurred in conjunction with block 342 , control proceeds to an “ end check config .” block 349 and process 330 is complete . fig8 is a flowchart of an example of a configuration lookup process 360 that may implement aspects of the claimed subject matter . in the following example , logic associated with process 360 is stored on crsm 107 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 1 102 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with cks 109 ( fig1 - 3 ) and executed on one or more processors ( not shown ) of cpu 103 ( fig1 ) of cs_ 1 102 . process 360 starts in a “ begin configuration ( config .) lookup ” block 362 and proceeds immediately to a “ receive notification ” block 364 . during processing associated with block 364 , cks 109 receives a message from ccs 119 ( fig1 and 4 ) ( see 338 , fig7 ). during processing associated with a “ config . check ?” block 366 , a determination is made as to whether or not the message concerns a change in configuration on cs_ 3 122 ( fig1 ). ( see 304 , fig6 ) or a notification of a newly discovered configuration issue ( see 380 , fig9 ). if the message concerns a configuration change , control proceeds to “ correlate with cpd ” block 368 . during processing associated with block 368 , the information received during processing associated with block 364 is correlated with cp database 174 ( fig3 ) to identify any known issues . during processing associated with a “ validate config .” block 370 , the data gathered during processing associated with block 368 is examined ( see 166 , fig3 ) to determine whether or not the proposed reconfiguration of cs_ 3 122 presents any issues . once the reconfiguration has been either validated or not , cks 109 transmits a report on the findings to ccs 119 ( see 340 , fig7 ) during processing associated with a “ notify ccs ” block 372 . if a determination is made during processing associated with block 366 that the notification received during processing associated with block 364 is not a request for a reconfiguration validation , control proceeds to an “ update cpd ” block 374 . typically , if the notification is not a validation request , the notification is related to a newly discovered configuration issue ( see 380 , fig9 ). the newly discovered configuration issue is then stored in cpd 174 so that future validation requests can be made aware of the issue . during processing associated with an “ other cs &# 39 ; s affected ?” block 376 , a determination is made as to whether or not css other than cs_ 1 122 , such as cs_ 4 132 ( fig1 ) or cs_ 5 142 ( fig1 ), may have similar configuration issues related to the newly reported issue . if so , control proceeds to a “ notify affected css ” block 378 during which the affected css are notified . typically , the notification would be transmitted to ccs 119 , which would then forward the information to the appropriate ccas . finally , once ccs 119 has been notified during processing associated with block 372 , ccas have been notified during processing associated with block 378 or a determination is made during processing associated with block 376 that other css are not affected , control proceeds to an “ end config . lookup ” block 379 and process 360 is complete . fig9 is a flowchart of an example of a performance check process 380 that may implement aspects of the claimed subject matter . in the following example , logic associated with process 380 is stored in a crsm ( not shown ) of cs_ 3 122 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with cca_ 1 123 ( fig1 and 5 ) and executed on one or more processors ( not shown ) of a cpu ( not shown ) of cs_ 3 122 . typically , similar processes would be executing on ca_ 4 132 ( fig1 ) and cs_ 5 142 ( fig1 ) in conjunction with cca_ 2 133 and cca_ 3 143 , respectively . process 380 starts in a “ begin performance check ” block 382 and proceeds immediately to a “ detect issue ” block 384 . during processing associated with block 384 , cca_ 1 123 scans cs_ 3 122 to determine if any performance issues have occurred . such issues may be detected by such activities , but not limited to , examining error logs and analyzing performance metrics related to the components of cs_ 1 122 . during processing associated with “ due to configuration ?” block 386 , a determination is made as to whether or not the issue detected during processing associated with block 384 is related to a configuration or reconfiguration of cs_ 1 122 . if so , control proceeds to a “ correlate with cpd ” block 388 during which cp database 174 ( fig3 ) is consulted to determine whether or not the issue is currently known . in one embodiment , such as request would be handled either by means of an application programming interface ( api ) provided by either cks 109 ( fig1 - 3 ) or ccs 119 ( fig1 and 4 ), which would call an api on cks 109 . during processing associated with a “ confirm cause and effect ” block 390 , a determination is made as to the particular cause of the problem and , during processing associated with an “ update cpd ,” a signal is transmitted ( see 366 , 374 , fig8 ) to cks 109 to update cpd 174 . if , during processing associated with block 386 , a determination is made that the issue detected during processing associated with block 384 is not related to a configuration or reconfiguration , control proceeds to an “ address issue ” block 394 during which a system administrator would typically be notified and , if possible , address the issue . finally , once cpd 174 has been updated during processing associated with block 392 or the detected issue has been addressed during processing associated with block 394 , control proceeds to an “ end performance check ” block 399 and process 380 is complete . in this manner , cpd 174 may be maintained in a manner such issues are up to date for all systems . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ” and / or “ comprising ,” when used in this specification , specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . the corresponding structures , materials , acts , and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure , material , or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed . the description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application , and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . the flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture , functionality , and operation of possible implementations of systems , methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention . in this regard , each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module , segment , or portion of code , which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function ( s ). it should also be noted that , in some alternative implementations , the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures . for example , two blocks shown in succession may , in fact , be executed substantially concurrently , or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality involved . it will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , can be implemented by special purpose hardware - based systems that perform the specified functions or acts , or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions .
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the described process can be used to rapidly and sensitively detect the presence of clostridium difficile using a single reaction tube . in addition , the procedure described can identify various mutations in the bacterial genome that correspond to clinically relevant markers of pathogenicity — specifically , the presence of an 18 bp deletion in the regulatory tcdc gene , which is associated with a hypervirulent strain of the bacteria , and the presence of a binary toxin gene that is also present in emerging strains of c . difficile . this invention will be better understood with reference to the following definitions . ( a ) “ multiplex - capable ” shall mean a reaction that can sensitively and selectively amplify at least 3 amplicons from a sample in a single reaction mixture if they are present in the original sample , while non - specific products should not make more than about 10 % ( w / w ) of the dna synthesized in tubes containing the target genes . in this context , sensitively shall be understood to mean detect the presence of an oligonucleotide of the invention at least about 70 % of the time and in some embodiments at least about 80 % of the time , and preferably about 90 % of the time , with particular reference to about 95 % of the time and about 99 % of the time . selectively is a determination of the number of true negatives divided by the number of true negatives + the number of true positives . expressed as a percentage , selective will be understood to mean about 90 % of the time , with particular reference to about 95 % of the time and about 99 % of the time . ( b ) “ primer ” shall mean an oligonucleotide sequence that is designed to hybridize with a complementary portion of a target sequence , a probe , or a ligation product , and undergo primer extension . in the practice of this invention complimentarity is a significant attribute . non - complimentarity of the nucleotides within the primer will greatly lower sensitively . in the practice of this invention , suitable primers have no more than one substitution base . adding or subtracting bases from the ends of the primers will change the annealing temperatures . annealing temperatures for multiplex runs are optimal if they are no more than about 1 . 5 ° c . disparity for all primers . ( c ) in some instances , primers are called probes . “ probe ” are nucleic acid oligomers that hybridize specifically to a target sequence in a nucleic acid , under conditions that allow hybridization , thereby allowing detection of the target or amplified nucleic acid . the probe &# 39 ; s “ target ” generally refers to a sequence within or a subset of an amplified nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes specifically to at least a portion of a probe oligomer by standard hydrogen bonding ( i . e ., base pairing ). a probe may comprise target - specific sequences and other sequences that contribute to three - dimensional conformation of the probe . in the practice of this invention , primers and / or probes are utilized to permit amplification of a c . difficile nucleic acid template containing a tcdb - derived target nucleotide sequence and to optionally introduce additional features into the amplification products . each primer and / or probe contains a nucleotide sequence that is complementary to a region of target nucleotide sequence in the template , in order for each primer to bind ( anneal ) to the template . ( d ) “ clinical sample ” shall mean any tissue or excreta which may contain c . difficile nucleic acid , including , for example , stools ( liquid or soft ), sputum , peripheral blood , plasma , serum , biopsy tissue including lymph nodes , respiratory tissue or exudates , or other body fluids , tissues or materials . in some embodiments , a clinical sample is treated to physically , chemically and / or mechanically disrupt tissue or cell structure or consistency , thus releasing or freeing clinical sample components such as intracellular components . it is contemplated that in some embodiments , clinical sample preparation uses a solution that contains buffers , salts , detergents and the like which are used to prepare the sample for analysis . in one embodiment , dna isolated from clinical stool samples using existing commercial kits are be added to a prepared 50 ul solution containing 5 ul 10 × taq polymerase buffer concentrate ( new england biosciences ), six primers that specifically target three genes — tcdb , tcdc , and cdtb — found in the clostridium difficile genome ( 0 . 167 um each tcdb primer , 0 . 267 um each tcdc primer , 0 . 267 um each cdtb primer ), 5 nm each of 3 dual - labeled probes (“ molecular beacons ”) each corresponding to one of the three target genes listed above that fluoresce in the presence of dna amplified from their respective target gene , 0 . 2 mm each atp , ctp , gtp , and ttp , 0 . 1 u / ul taq polymerase , 0 . 1 ug / ul bovine serum albumin , and 6 mm magnesium chloride . the primers were designed by aligning known sequences of clostridium difficile samples and identifying regions of limited mutation . within these regions , primers ( single - stranded short dna fragments required to initiate replication of dna in vitro ) with good binding energy were designed to specifically amplify dna sequences by the polymerase chain reaction . the primer sequences are listed below , and are named by the gene they amplify ; the fwd and rev suffixes identify the strand of the double - stranded dna ( dsdna ) fragment to which the primer binds . the primers , synthesized by integrated dna technologies ( idt ), coralville , iowa , are listed below by seq id no : note that # 6 , above , overlaps seq id no : 1 as disclosed in us2009 / 0203201 to cockerille ( u . s . ser . no . 12 / 367 , 014 ) ( 5 ′- acc tca tca cca tct tca ata ac - 3 ′ ( seq id no : 10 ))— but is 6 bases shorter . primer design for multiplex - capable reactions requires optimizing the sensitivity and specificity for the target genes while minimizing the binding energy of a primer binding to another primer in the system . the longer primer , seq id no : 1 from us2009 / 0203201 , which includes the sequence of tcdcrev , has a greater binding energy ( is more negative ) to other primers in the system and is unsuitable for the present system . primers of the present invention are less negative ; that is closer to 0 binding energy . molecular beacons as used in the present invention are single - stranded sequences of dna that form a closed hairpin structure ; the ends of each sequence are labeled with a fluorophore that emits light of a specific wavelength when excited by an appropriate wavelength and a quencher molecule that absorbs light emitted by the fluorophore . in the absence of its complementary target sequence , the beacon adopts a closed hairpin structure , a conformation which effectively prevents detection of fluorescence . in the presence of a sequence complementary to the hairpin loop , the beacon binds to its target , thereby separating the fluorophore from the quencher and allowing detection of light . by using different fluorophores , it is possible to distinguish the presence of various gene sequences in a solution . the three target sequences were selected because they are highly conserved in published c . difficile sequences . tcdb detects the gene encoding c . difficile toxin b , the standard target of the enzyme immunoassay used to verify the presence of c . difficile in hospitals . cdtb detects a gene encoding part of an emerging binary toxin that has been observed in some strains of c . difficile . finally , tcdc detects strains of c . difficile that have an 18 bp deletion in a regulatory gene which is associated with an emerging hypervirulent strain . the following beacons ( idt ) are used to detect the presence of these clinically relevant markers : 6 - fam is a fluorescent dye that emits light at 520 nm ; tex is a fluorescent dye that emits light at 613 nm ; cy5 is a fluorescent dye that emits light at 668 nm ; iablfq and iablrq are fluorescence quenchers that absorb light from 420 - 620 nm and 500 - 700 nm respectively . presence of c . difficile dna in clinical samples is verified using a pair of pcr primers for the c . difficile glud gene first reported as “ multicenter evaluation of a new screening test that detects clostridium difficile in fecal specimens ,” zheng , et al ., journal of clinical microbiology , 42 ( 8 ) 3837 - 3840 ( 2004 ). as reported , their procedure curtailed non - specific signals observed on am agilent dna 7500 microfluidic gel electrophoresis chip . also useful is the agilent 2100 bioanalyzer . in one embodiment , a 0 . 2 ml polypropylene pcr tube containing the reaction mixture is placed in a thermal cycling apparatus using the following heating protocol : 30 sec at 61 ° c . to 53 ° c ., decreasing by 0 . 5 ° c . per cycle after amplification , the sealed tube is placed in a fluorometer for quantification of the signal , or observed by visual inspection while excited by a light source to qualitatively determine the presence of the three target genes , based on the color of the emitted light . since the probes have different colored fluorophores , it &# 39 ; s possible to discriminate between the behaviors of each probe in a solution as long as the equipment being used can tell the difference . in some embodiments it is useful to discriminate between probes by determining the melting temperature between one or both of said tcdc probe ( s ) and said tcdc amplification product , wherein said melting temperature confirms said presence or said absence of said c . difficile . a swab was inserted into a clinical sample of stool at various locations and swirled into a tube containing 1 ml of sterile water ( approximately 1 : 10 stool dilution ) and allowed to settle . two hundred microliters of the supernatant was placed into a sample cartridge for dna extraction using the magna pure system with the magna pure lc total nucleic acid isolation kit . dna isolated from clinical stool samples using existing commercial kits ( example 1 ) are added to a prepared 50 ul solution containing 5 ul 10 × taq polymerase buffer concentrate ( new england biosciences ), six primers that specifically target three genes — tcdb , tcdc , and cdtb — found in the clostridium difficile genome ( 0 . 167 um each tcdb primer , 0 . 267 um each tcdc primer , 0 . 267 um each cdtb primer ), 5 nm each of 3 dual - labeled probes (“ molecular beacons ”) each corresponding to one of the three target genes listed above that fluoresce in the presence of dna amplified from their respective target gene , 0 . 2 mm each atp , ctp , gtp , and ttp , 0 . 1 u / ul taq polymerase , 0 . 1 ug / ul bovine serum albumin , and 6 mm magnesium chloride . a 0 . 2 ml polypropylene pcr tube containing the reaction mixture is placed in a thermal cycling apparatus using the following heating protocol : 30 sec at 61 ° c . to 53 ° c ., decreasing by 0 . 5 ° c . per cycle the reaction product is evaluated for the presence of the target amplicons using fluorescent hairpin probes described above . in the presence of the target amplicon a probe opens and fluorescence is observed and measured . with the use of differently colored fluorophores , the presence of multiple amplicons is assessed in the same tube without requiring further purification . measurement is accomplished by exciting the fluorophores with the appropriate wavelength of light and then collecting light of the appropriate emission wavelength . in some embodiments , amplification of each gene product is evaluated using gel electrophoresis to separate the amplicons and then observing the sizes of the amplicons using fluorescent imaging by staining with a nucleic - acid - specific stain such as ethidium bromide . thus , with 3 amplicons , the result is three bands . in the present example , the presence of each gene can be verified by size separation by gel electrophoresis and visualization by ethidium bromide or a similar nucleotide - specific dye . up to three bands corresponding to product lengths of approximately 150 , 300 , and 350 base pairs will verify the presence of the cdtb , tcdc , and tcdb genes , respectively . if a gene is not present or there is a false negative result there will be fewer bands . results of fluorescence measurements show that each of the three beacons designed in the study produced higher fluorescent signals when in the presence of multiplex pcr - amplified dna containing the target gene than when in the presence of amplified dna that lacked the target gene . in addition , the fluorescence emissions for the two negative control conditions tested in each trial , beacon in buffer solution which signifies the beacon &# 39 ; s background fluorescent signal and beacon with non - target dna , were quite similar . such results indicate that each of the molecular beacons bound its respective target with high specificity . it is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof , the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention , which is defined by the scope of the appended claims . other aspects , advantages , and modifications are within the scope of the following claims .
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a movable jaw vise indicated generally at 10 has a main frame or base 11 that is adapted to be mounted onto a support . the main frame 11 includes a base wall 13 and upwardly extending side wall members 14 that are attached to the base wall and form part of the main frame . the upper edges of the walls 14 have inwardly directed horizontal ways or rail members 15 , 15 which are spaced apart in the center of the vise as indicated at 16 . the rail members 15 form overhanging ledges , the upper surfaces of which support a movable jaw shown at 30 . a movable jaw actuator nut 17 is mounted on the vise frame and has a threaded central opening indicated generally at 20 through which an actuating screw or jack screw 21 of suitable design is threadably mounted . the actuating screw 21 is rotatably mounted in a frame end member or mounting block 23 forming an upright end wall fixed to the side walls 14 of the main frame 11 . the threaded screw 21 has a collar or washer 24 fastened thereto which bears against a thrust bearing 25 mounted in a suitable receptacle in the mounting block 23 . the outer end of the screw 21 has a manual actuator thereon , and in the present invention all that is needed for an actuator is a rapid actuated control knob shown at 26 on the exterior of the vise that will permit an operator to rotate the screw 21 and thus move the nut 17 along the screw when the screw is rotated . it should be noted in fig3 that screw 21 does not have to extend all the way along the length of the frame . the screw extends only partially into the nut 17 when the nut is in position where the jaws are closed or nearly closed . the movable jaw 30 is constructed substantially the same as that shown in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 397 , 880 , as well as u . s . pat . no . 4 , 098 , 500 , and has an interior receptacle indicated generally at 31 that is on the bottomside of the movable jaw . the jaw 30 rides on the upper surface of the rails 15 . interior receptacle 31 receives an upright projecting boss portion 32 formed as part of the movable nut 17 . this upper end portion of the nut 17 extends between the rails 15 through the slot or opening 16 so that it protrudes above the upper surface of the rails 15 , 15 . the vise also includes a stationary jaw 33 that is fixed to the main frame 11 in any suitable manner , and provides the normal reaction member for the clamping of a workpiece such as that shown at 34 . the boss member 32 of the nut 17 has a slit 50 therein which forms a heavy leaf spring member 35 that has a downwardly and rearwardly inclined surface 36 as shown in fig3 . the surface 36 of spring member 35 engages the movable jaw 31 as the nut is moved in direction to move jaw 30 toward the fixed jaw . the force from nut 17 is applied to the movable jaw 30 through a manual force multiplier , as shown a cam assembly indicated at 40 has a needle bearing cam roller 41 that is rotatably mounted onto an eccentric portion or actuator portion 42 of a cam shaft assembly 43 . the shaft assembly 43 has outer end shaft portions 44 ( fig4 ) that are rotatably mounted in needle bearings 45 which in turn are mounted along the sides of the recess 31 of the movable jaw 30 . the eccentric portion 42 of the cam shaft assembly 43 , and thus the cam roller 41 is mounted in the recess 31 and positioned in relation to the boss 32 and spring member 35 so that as the nut 17 is threaded along the screw 21 , the surface 36 of spring member 35 will engage the roller 41 and move the movable jaw 30 along with it . the cam roller 41 engages surface 36 at locations on the inclined surface 36 so that a component of force is exerted to urge the movable jaw down against the upper surfaces of rails or ways 15 as the movable jaw is moved against a workpiece . the movable jaw thus tends to lock down on workpieces . a set screw 47 is threadably mounted in a threaded opening at the rear of the movable jaw 30 and the set screw is adjusted to engage a resilient block 47a on the back of boss 32 . the set screw serves to retain the movable jaw on the projecting portion or boss 32 of the nut 17 when the nut 17 is moved along screw 21 . the resilient block permits the movable jaw to move slightly in longitudinal direction as it compresses because when cam member 40 is operated there will be relative movement of the jaw and nut . the underside surfaces of side portions of the movable jaw 30 bear down upon the upper surface of the rails 15 in the same manner as that explained in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 397 , 880 when the jaws are clamped . in accordance with this invention , a high force can easily be transmitted from the nut to the movable jaw and to the workpiece by using the effort intensifier . stated another way , the reaction force between the movable jaw and the frame of the vise ( reacted through screw 21 and mounting block 23 ) is multiplied by use of the cam 40 . a spring member such as 35 reacts the force from the main frame to the movable jaw and will yield to permit cam movement to a full high cam position . in order to form the member 35 as a spring which will yield , the slot 50 is cut into the upper end of boss portion 32 . thus the spring member 35 is cantilevered from the main portion of the nut 17 and forms a stiff leaf type spring . the nut 17 can be made of suitable material for use as a spring . the member 35 will thus resiliently bend when the clamp forces from the cam acting against the spring and tending to clamp a workpiece are sufficiently high . the cam roller is actuated from a low cam to a high cam position through a lever on one of the squared ends 44a on the ends of the shaft portions 44 . as can be seen in fig2 one end 44a on the exterior of the movable jaw 30 has an arm 51 mounted thereon . a link 52 is mounted to arm 51 with a pivot pin 53 . the link 52 is formed in a desired shape and is pivotally mounted with a pin 54 to a hand actuating lever 55 . the hand actuating lever 55 in turn is rotatably mounted on a suitable pin or stud 56 also attached to the movable jaw 30 . the lever 55 is made so that as it is actuated , the cam shaft rotates enough so that the center eccentric portion 42 moves from a released or low cam position when the lever 55 is in solid line position as shown in fig2 to a high cam position . as the cam eccentric portion is moved , roller 42 rides against surface 36 and tends to cause the movable jaw 30 to move toward the fixed jaw 33 relative to the nut 17 . the force from the cam movement is reacted by spring member 35 . the amount of cam loading can be controlled by the amount of eccentricity of the cam shaft . a high clamping load can be exerted by a relatively small manual effort after the movable jaw is hand tightened with the control knob because the mechanical advantage of the cam and the actuating lever get very high as the cam moves near its high cam position . the cam rotational movement is in the direction as indicated by the arrow 60 in fig3 and the actual offset or throw may be about 0 . 020 inches . in operation after a workpiece has been placed between the fixed and movable jaws , the hand wheel 26 and screw 21 can be rotated to move nut 17 and the movable jaw 30 toward the fixed jaw until the movable jaw engages the workpiece 34 with hand tightening pressure . then , the lever 55 is moved from its solid line position in fig2 toward its dotted line position where the pivot points of link 52 would go over - center with the pivot of lever 55 to lock the cam in its high cam position . the force for clamping the workpiece increases as the cam moves and the force is reacted back through the spring member 35 to the nut 17 , screw 21 and to the vise frame . the spring therefore permits cam movement to its locked position by yielding an amount determined by the spring rate of the spring member 35 . it should be noted that the notch 52a in the link 52 is used to clear the mounting pin 56 when the lever 55 goes to its over - center locked position . as the spring member 35 of the nut 17 is loaded , it will deflect relative to the rest of the boss member 32 , and tend to close the slot 50 . the movement of the spring member 35 can be detected in a number of ways , including mechanical sensing ( as with a dial indicator ), small pressure sensors , or as shown in fig3 a microswitch 62 can be utilized to sense this motion of spring member 35 so that when the spring member is deflected a desired amount it is known that the load exerted on the movable jaw 30 and the workpiece is above a minimum load . the microswitch 62 is mounted onto the main portion of the boss 32 of the nut 17 . the actuator of the microswitch can be positioned in a desired location , so that when the microswitch is actuated the spring member 35 will have deflected a known amount , and a minimum amount of force has then been applied to the workpiece and reacted back to the vise frame . the microswitch can be used to operate a relay 65 , and the relay can be used to &# 34 ; enable &# 34 ; the controls of a machine control 66 or to actuate a signal device 67 such as a warning light or the like . the machine control 66 is used to make sure that the machine tool with which the vise is to be used cannot be turned on until the clamping force on the workpiece 34 has exceeded a desired level so that it is certain that the workpiece is clamped with the necessary force to hold it for the operations that are to be performed . the signal 67 , as stated , can be a light display to the operator indicating that the clamping force on the workpiece has exceeded a desired level which is indicated by the deflection of the spring member 35 . for releasing the workpiece , the hand lever 55 is moved to its solid line position shown in fig2 which in turn rotates the arm 51 and the cam shaft assembly 40 so that the cam roller 42 releases the load on the workpiece 34 . then the hand screw can be backed off to permit the workpiece 34 to be removed as desired . it should be noted that the arm 51 and lever 55 can be moved to either side of the movable jaw 30 so that the actuator can be out of the way of other components on the machine tool being used . mechanical sensing of spring deflection can be utilized in place of the microswitch . a dial indicator mounted in place of the microswitch can be used . a suitable opening for the indicator can be left in the top of the movable jaw 30 so that the dial can be read . if a force sensor or pressure sensor is used in place of the microswitch , the readout can be directly in the pounds of force that are being exerted on the workpiece through the movable jaw and cam . in fig5 a modified actuator arrangement is illustrated . the movable jaw 30 is constructed in exactly the same manner as before , except that the lever 55 and link 52 have been removed , as well as the pivot pin 56 . an adapter end plate member 70 is mounted with suitable fasteners to the end of the movable jaw 30 opposite from the workpiece engaging portions . the adapter 70 has a pulley 71 rotatably mounted at one corner thereof on a suitable pin 72 . additionally , the adapter 70 has an ear 73 on which a manual lever 74 is mounted with a pin 69 . the lever 74 pivots about an upright axis and thus extends generally horizontally . a control cable 75 is mounted to the lever with a suitable clip 76 which is mounted on a shoulder pin 79 . the control cable passes around the pulley 71 , and is mounted through an end eye 78 with a suitable pin 77 to the arm 51 . actuating the arm 51 and the cam assembly 40 is done by moving lever 74 in direction as indicated by the arrow 80 , which will cause the arm 51 to pivot in the same manner as previously explained , thereby actuating the cam shaft on which the arm 51 is mounted and reacting force from the movable jaw 30 to the nut 17 through the spring member 35 . the lever 74 also is arranged so that it will lock in place by going overcenter as shown in dotted lines to hold the cam locked . in this way the upright hand lever 55 is eliminated , and in certain instances where space requirements dictate , the horizontal lever can be used even though an upright lever could not be used . it should be noted that a spring can be located anywhere along the reaction or force transmitting members between the movable jaw and the vise frame . a suitable adapter attached to a vise frame may be used to carry a spring which yields as the cam is actuated . in a modified form of the mounting of the screw member shown in fig7 and 9 , only the back portion of a vise frame is shown , where the screw is supported on a vise frame cross member . the cross member 111 of a vise frame 110 has an opening 112 at its rear wall , and a jaw actuating screw 113 is used in the same manner as the screw 21 previously described . however , the end of the screw 113 has a coupling 113a carried in an interior opening of a housing or sleeve 114 that slidably mounts in opening 112 relative to the frame 111 . the sleeve 114 is tubular . the housing or sleeve 114 has an annular hub 115 which surrounds the outer cylindrical surface of the end coupling member 113a of the screw 113 , and an annular thrust bearing 116 is mounted between the end of hub 115 and a collar 117 that is fixed to the screw 113 . the housing 114 will slide axially relative to the frame 111 a limited amount , and is controlled as to axial movement through a lever 120 which is mounted on a pivot pin 121 that in turn is connected between side plates 122 which are fixedly attached to the end of the vise frame 111 . the lever has a receptacle mating with the outer end surface of the housing 114 , so that upon pivoting of the lever a limited amount , the housing 114 will react the movement of the lever in axial direction of the screw 113 . the hub 115 , acting through thrust bearing 116 and washer 117 will impart such movement to the screw . a spring plate assembly indicated at 125 is fastened to the outer ends of side plates 122 with suitable through bolts which also clamp the side plates 122 to the vise frame . the spring plate includes a cantilevered spring member 126 . the spring member 126 is positioned between the end plate 127 and the lever 120 . the lower end of the spring member 126 has a pair of spaced hubs 129 which receive and support end shafts 133 of a cam shaft assembly 130 . the cam shaft assembly includes an eccentric center portion 131 which has a needle bearing cam roller 132 over the outer surface thereof and this bearing in turn engages the outer surface of the lower end of the lever 120 . upon rotation of the cam shaft 130 ( in hubs 129 ), from a low cam position to a high cam position , the cam roller 132 engages the lever 120 at a line indicated at 134 and the lever 120 will bear against the housing 114 and transmit load to the screw 113 . the shafts 133 are also mounted in needle bearings . the screw 113 also is rotationally driven through a hand knob 138 on the outside of the end plate 127 . the knob drives a shaft 139 which in turn is rotatably mounted in a provided opening in the end plate 127 . the shaft 139 also passes through clearance hole 126a in the spring member 126 and in the lever 120 and passes through the center opening in the housing 114 . the shaft 139 is drivably connected in the coupling member 113a at the end of the screw 113 . the shaft 139 can be held in the coupling 113a of screw 113 with a suitable pin 140 . when the hand wheel 138 is rotated , the screw 113 will turn and will drive the nut 17 as shown in the first form of the invention , until the nut and the movable jaw 30 engage a workpiece . then , upon rotation of the cam shaft 130 from its low cam to high cam position , the cam roller 132 will react against the lever 120 at location 134 on lever 120 , and the cam and lever will exert a force through the contact lines 114b at the end housing 114 axially along the screw 113 through the collar 117 . the manual effort on the lever will be multiplied by the cam . the spring member 126 deflects to accommodate the cam movement . the gap shown at 128 closes as spring member 126 deflects relative to the end plate 127 . the clamping force is reacted to the vise frame through end plate 127 and side plates 122 . the cam shaft 130 can be actuated with a pivoting lever as in the previous forms of the invention or the shaft 130 also could be driven through a worm gear ( which will lock and prevent reversing ). the manual force is multiplied or intensified to securely hold a workpiece by actuating the cam . the amount of force applied can be indicated by sensing the deflection of the spring members 35 or 126 . in the case of the form of the invention shown in fig6 and 7 , the force is reacted directly to the vise frame , while in the first form of the invention , the forces are reacted to the vise frame through the screw and the nut . indication of load applied through spring 126 can be accomplished in the same manner as in the first form of the invention . however , a mechanical indicator is shown schematically in fig8 . an indicator finger or pointer 143 is pivoted on a pin 144 fixed to one end plate 122 . the pointer 143 has an end portion 145 which bears against spring 126 . a torsion spring 146 can be used for urging the end 145 against the spring 126 . as spring 126 deflects the pointer will pivot and the outer end will swing in relation to an indicator plate 147 fixed to side plate 122 . the movement of the outer end of the pointer is magnified by the location of the pivot . the position of the pointer end indicates the load on the workpiece . the devices disclosed herein thus greatly reduce the manual effort required to operate the vise . the cam shaft used is completely mounted in low friction ( needle ) bearings , including the support shaft portions and the roller or eccentric portion . the actuating lever also is mounted in needle bearings . the combination of the cam and lever provides an extremely low friction device with an almost infinite mechanical advantage over the last few thousands of movable jaw travel . with a conventional vise , the operator typically must expend approximately 100 ft . lbs of effort on the vise handle to get about 8 , 000 lbs . of clamping force between the jaws . with the present device , the operator has to expend only about 5 ft . lbs . of effort to generate the same clamping force between the jaws . the effort required to open the vise is correspondingly reduced . the reaction spring was incorporated primarily to allow the operating handle to be fully locked in its overcenter position no matter how tightly the jaws were initially clamped on the workpiece . if the operator wishes to clamp the workpiece lightly so it will not &# 34 ; squash &# 34 ;, the operator brings the movable jaw up to the workpiece with the vise screw knob very lightly and then moves the hand lever all the way . most of the cam throw motion ( 0 . 020 &# 39 ;) would be taken up by tightening the jaws on the workpiece , therefore the spring deflects very little and the resulting clamping force is low for example approximately 2 , 000 to 3 , 000 lbs . on a 6 inch vise . on the other hand , to clamp the work very tightly , the movable jaw is tightened against the work very tightly with the hand screw knob and again the hand cam lever is actuated . much of the cam throw is then taken up by the spring and the resulting clamping pressure is typically approximately 8 , 000 lbs . on a 6 inch vise . in each of the above examples the hand lever , such as lever 55 must be moved to its overcenter locked position so that the vise jaw cannot back off ( loosen ). unless locked the low friction mounting of the cam and lever will cause the cam to reverse from the jaw force reaction and automatically open to prevent use of the vise until the workpiece is securely held . theoretically , if the movable jaw was tightened against the workpiece so tightly that no further motion of the movable jaw could occur , all of the cam travel caused by throwing the hand lever all the way over would have to be absorbed by the spring . the total clamping force resulting would then be equivalent to the maximum force the spring could exert when it is deflected the full amount of the cam throw . the spring deflection is a built in indicator of load which , particularly where the spring is located on the nut provides an accurate , direct reading of load . the spring member on the nut pushes directly against the movable jaw through the cam and there are no linkages or other mechanisms to cause erroneous readings . also , the back portion of boss 32 provides a convenient place to mount indicators on the microswitch . the vise disclosed herein also can be rapidly actuated . the knobs on the screw for the nut can be rapidly turned until the workpiece is contacted and the cam control can be actuated with the other hand . the reduced manual effort required also speeds up operation . the inclined surface 36 acting on the cam and movable jaw provides the downward force on the jaw for jaw tilt elimination and wear take - up on the movable jaw . the surface 36 is a cam follower surface . further , the actuator cam is a mechanical advantage device giving high force multiplication , particularly in the last portions of the lever throw for low operator effort , fast operation and overcenter locking . the spring provides for reacting clamp force and provides means for indicating the clamp force and for interlocking machine controls or signalling devices . the actuating levers can be pivoted about a horizontal axis or a vertical axis .
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in this invention a bucket is provided having a pivotable handle secured at opposed sides of the bucket . by this invention , integrally molded handle retention chambers are provided on opposed sides of the bucket , with the bucket handle terminating at each end in an enlargement positioned within one of the handle retention chambers . the handle retention chambers each define on its outer surface a first slot opening extending thereacross through which the handle extends . the first slot opening is of insufficient size to allow removal of the enlargement from the handle retention chamber . each handle retention chamber also defines , inwardly from its outer surface , opposed side openings defining a second slot extending thereacross in a direction substantially normal to the direction of the first slot . preferably , the direction of the second slot is substantially normal to the ax is of the bucket , the axis of the bucket being typically the same as the direction of mold opening and closing in the mold which manufactures the bucket . in accordance with this invention a mold assembly is also disclosed for making buckets of the type previously described . by this invention openable and closable first and second mold halves are provided defining a first molding chamber between them of the shape of the bucket and including handle retention chamber - defining means . this last named means includes opposed , movable mold members capable of end - to - end abutment in a molding position , and a spaced relation in a mold - open position to permit removal of the bucket molded therein . the mold members define inner molding chambers formed between them in their end - to - end abutting relation for molding the enlargements on the handle ends . gate means are also provided communicating between the first and inner molding chambers , the molding chambers also forming the opposed side openings and second slots of the buckets which are molded in the mold halves . means are also provided for moving the mold members between the end - to - end abutment and spaced relations . as an advantage of the mold assembly of this invention , the mold members typically move with &# 34 ; square &# 34 ; action in a manner generally perpendicular to the line of motion of the opening and closing mold halves , contrary , for example , to the diagonal action of analogous mold members found , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 476 , 083 . this provides substantial simplification of the manufacture of the mold and also improved operation . the opposed movable mold members may also define the handle - forming mold chamber portion . the mold halves may define a stationary portion , relative to the mold members , which forms a mold chamber portion for forming sections of the bucket handle adjacent to the enlargements . this stationary portion may move with a mold half as may the mold members , so the term &# 34 ; stationary &# 34 ; is understood to mean that the stationary portion does not partake of the specific individual motion of the mold members as they open and close , although the stationary portion may move with the mold halves . it is also preferred for the mold members to contain fluid cooling conduits . this provides a significant shortening of the mold cycle and consequent improvement in the mold operation . in the drawings , fig1 is a perspective view of a bucket having an attached , freely rotatable handle in accordance with this invention . fig2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of fig1 . fig3 is a sectional view taken along line 3 -- 3 of fig2 shown in its as - molded position . fig4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of the bucket of this invention , said portion being analogous to the portion of fig2 . fig5 is a sectional view taken along line 5 -- 5 of fig4 . fig6 is an exploded perspective view of a mold usable for manufacturing either of the buckets of fig1 - 5 . fig7 is a bottom plan view of the upper mold portion of fig6 . fig8 is a top plan view of the lower portion of the mold of fig6 . fig9 a is a sectional view taken along line 9 -- 9 of fig8 showing both the upper and lower mold portions in their closed position to define a bucket mold cavity . fig9 b is a sectional view similar to fig9 a but showing the mold in its open position . fig1 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view of a portion of the structure as shown in fig9 a . fig1 shows one embodiment of a bucket which may be molded within the mold assembly described herein . bucket 10 may be a tapered pail as shown , or it may be straight - walled , having a series of optional annular flanges or ribs 12 near its upper end to provide hoop strength . handle 14 is initially formed integral to the remainder of the bucket 10 in the same molding operation that creates bucket 10 . this integral relation is shown at fig3 where , in the as - molded position , handle 14 can be seen to be connected to the remainder of bucket 10 by means of narrow connection portion 16 . handle 14 is in its as - molded position in the position shown in phantom lines in fig1 . handle 14 may then be rotated to its position of use as shown in full lines in fig1 which causes connecting portion 16 to be severed . thereafter , handle 14 is freely rotatable in the manner of a conventional bucket handle . as shown in fig1 and a more detailed view of fig2 bucket 10 defines integrally molded handle retention chambers 18 on opposed sides of the bucket in which the ends of bucket handle 14 are captured . both handle retention chambers 18 may be of identical design , with handle 14 carrying an integral enlargement 20 at each end , each of which is captured within a handle retention chamber 18 so that handle 14 may not be removed from the bucket . handle retention chamber 18 defines on its outer surface a pair of molded members 22 extending between a pair of annular ribs 12 and defining between them a first slot opening 24 through which handle 14 extends . first slot opening 24 is of insufficient width to allow removal of enlargement 20 from the handle retention chamber . enlargement 20 is thus captured in a cage defined by the two molded members 22 and the annular ribs 12 across which they extend . each handle retention chamber 18 also defines , inwardly from its outer surface , opposed side openings 26 defining a second slot 28 extending across retention chamber 18 in a direction substantially normal to the direction of first slot 24 . for example , as seen from the viewpoint of fig3 first slot 24 extends perpendicular to the plane of fig3 while second slot 28 extends within the plane of fig3 in a horizontal direction . thus slots 24 , 28 are mutually perpendicular . the design of this bucket handle connection provides a simplified and improved structure , which is more efficiently moldable by the mold apparatus of this invention and which exhibits advantages of strength , durability , and compact configuration when compared with the prior art . as a further embodiment of the bucket on this invention , fig4 and 5 illustrate a fragmentary view of a bucket 10a which may also be straight - walled or tapered , in which the bucket 14a may be connected opposite sides of the bucket through a modified design of handle retention chamber 18a , analogous to retention chamber 18 in the previous embodiment and also positioned at opposed sides of the bucket . in bucket 10a optional annular ribs 12 are absent . as in the previous embodiment , enlargement 20a is formed on opposed ends of bucket handle 14a , with the respective enlargements 20a being captured within handle retention chambers 18a . as shown , first slot 24a is defined between molded members 22a as in the previous embodiment , with first slot 24a being of insufficient size to allow removal of enlargement 20a . chamber 18a also defines , in a manner similar to the previous embodiment , opposed side openings 26a positioned inwardly from its outer surface , i . e ., the outer surface of molded members 22a . opposed side openings 26a define second slot 28a , which extends in a direction perpendicular to first slot 24a as in the previous embodiment , being open between opposed side openings 26a . accordingly , either embodiment of the bucket of this invention , as well as other embodiments that can be readily developed from the disclosures herein , provide an effective , useful , one piece molded bucket having a swingable bail handle . referring to fig6 - 10 , the mold assembly for making buckets of the type previously described is disclosed . first mold half 30 , called the &# 34 ; mold cavity &# 34 ;, and second mold half 32 are openable and closable relative to each other by conventional means to define in the closed position a first mold chamber 34 ( fig9 a ) for molding buckets and their integral handles . as shown in fig7 mold cavity 30 defines an outer wall 34a which in turn defines the outer wall of mold chamber 34 . the upper half of handle - forming chamber 36a is also shown . referring to fig8 the inner wall 34b of mold chamber 34 is disclosed , plus the lower half of handle - forming chamber 36b . both mold halves 30 and 32 define cooling water flow channels 38 for providing cooling water to the mold assembly . mold sprue and access channel 40 may be provided in conventional manner to provide molding compound to mold cavity 34 . as shown particularly in fig8 and 9a , alignment pin 42 carried by mold half 32 fits in aperture 44 of mold half 30 to facilitate proper alignment of the mold halves in their respective positions . except as otherwise specified herein , the molding equipment disclosed herein may be of conventional design , exhibiting a conventional mode of operation . in accordance with this invention , means for defining the handle retention chamber means 18 includes opposed movable mold members 46 which may conveniently be of generally semicircular configuration as shown , for example , in fig6 and 8 . mold members 46 are capable of end - to - end abutment at their end portions 48 which abut together in molding configuration to bring end recesses 50 together of respective opposed mold members 46 to form an inner molding chamber 50a ( fig9 a and 10 ) for molding enlargement 20 on each end of handle 14 of buckets molded therein . gate means 52 ( i . e ., a small aperture ) communicates between first molding chamber 34 and inner molding chamber 50a , which is defined by recesses 50 between the abutting ends 48 of mold members 46 . the outer portion of inner molding chamber 50a defines an aperture which communicates with handle - forming mold chamber portion 56 , which is formed in part by the abutting together of the closed mold halves and chamber portions 36a . the opening and closing action of mold members 46 may be accomplished by conventional hydraulic shaft 64 . mold means 46 is shown in open position in fig6 and 9b , and in a closed position in fig9 a . in the closed position , the inner mold chamber 50a is formed , to permit the molding of enlargement 20 . then mold members can open as part of the entire mold opening process for release of the bucket . stationary portions 54 are placed at opposed positions between the respective ends of mold members 46 . stationary portions 54 are shown to be carried on lower mold half 32 . however , both they and / or mold members 46 may be carried on the upper mold half 30 if desired with appropriate modifications of the mold assembly . stationary portions 54 define groove portions 56 which serve to define part of the handle molding chamber in the closed position , as mentioned above . stationary portions 54 also define vertical projections 58 and recessed areas 60 ( fig6 ). when the mold assembly is closed , recessed areas 60 serve to define part of the open chamber area which forms molded members 22 as part of retention chambers 18 , while projection 58 defines slot 24 between molded members 22 . inner mold chamber 50a in the closed position communicates with slot 56 which , in turn , communicates with handle chamber portions 36a and 36b in the mold - closed position , so that an integral handle and bucket can be formed by plastic flowing into mold chamber 34 through sprue 40 . second perpendicular slot 28 of each bucket molded in the apparatus is defined by the steel of mold member 46 surrounding each recess 50 and the like , which , in the closed position , passes in front of portions 60 in spaced relation thereto and into sliding , sealing contact with the face of projection 58 , so that a negative version of the complex structure of the handle - retention members is formed by the mold upon the closing of mold members 46 together in conjunction with stationary members 54 . horizontal grooves 62 are provided to form ribs 12 in the finished buckets produced by the molding apparatus of this invention . there is substantial advantage in the fact that mold members 46 move between their molding and mold - open positions in a direction substantially normal to the direction of opening and closing of mold halves 30 , 32 . particularly , there is less chance of the mold destroying itself upon closing , in the event of a malfunction causing the motion of the parts to get out of phase . to the contrary , when inner mold parts move in a direction having a component which is of the direction of mold opening and closing , the mold can be more easily smashed in the event of a malfunction . referring to fig9 a , stripper ring 61 is shown , being the device by which the molded bucket is removed from lower mold half upon opening of the mold apparatus to a configuration exemplified by fig9 b . after the shot of plastic has entered mold cavity 34 it migrates into the inner cavity for forming the bucket handle and the other parts of the bucket , and is allowed to cool for a predetermined period of time . thereafter , a shot of compressed air is provided through air conduit 63 or a plurality of such conduits , to assist in loosening the adhesion of the newly molded bucket to mold half 32 . push rods 64 advance stripper ring 61 , which may be a solid ring , which , of course , carries with it mold members 46 and stationary members 54 , while impelling the newly molded bucket to separate from the core 66 of lower mold half 32 . this is illustrated in fig9 b . as this happens , angle pins 68 , carried in mold members 46 , force the mold members to move radially outwardly away from the newly formed bucket , this being permitted by the presence of radial slot 70 in stripper plate 61 . thus the lower portion 72 of bucket 10 ( fig9 b ) is separated from the mold chamber - forming walls of mold members 46 as shown . stationary members 54 , of course , do not move outwardly , but it can be seen that bucket 10 can slide upwardly out of engagement with stationary members 54 because there are no undercuts there to retain the bucket . accordingly the bucket may be easily removed , and the mold assembly may then close , ready for another shot . as the mold closes , mold members 46 are guided by angle pins 68 back into their initial , molding position where they are in end - to - end abutment , ready to receive the next portion of the mold shot . accordingly , mold apparatus is provided for molding of a bucket having an initially integral but easily swingable handle . the integrally molded handle retention chambers which retain the bucket handles at each end define a first outer slot which extends typically in the direction of the motion of opening and closing of the mold halves , while a second inner slot of the handle retention chambers extends thereacross through the chamber in a direction substantially normal to the direction of the first slot . it is also contemplated that the outer slot may extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of opening and closing of mold halves , although this creates some additional complexities of structure . in that circumstance the second slot would continue to be in generally normal relation to the direction of the first slot , which would mean that it would extend generally in the direction of mold opening and closing . the above has been offered for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention of this application , which is as defined in the claims below .
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fig1 is a block diagram of an exemplary client - server data processing system in accordance with the present invention . the exemplary system includes a client system 104 , server nodes 106 and 108 , and a global namer system 110 . each of client system 104 , server nodes 106 and 108 , and global namer system 110 is a conventional data processing system , where the particular hardware is selected according to the processing needs of the programs . the client system 104 , server nodes 106 and 108 , and global namer system 110 are coupled to network 111 . the client system 104 hosts client program 102 ; server node 106 hosts a first server program 112 and a first instance of a second server program 114a ; server node 108 hosts a second instance of the second server program , designated as 114b , and a third server program 116 ; and global namer system 110 hosts the global namer module 118 . each of the server nodes 106 and 108 also has a respective port service module 122 and 124 . the exemplary client program 102 is designed to utilize the services of the first instance of the second server program 114a . the first server program 112 and the third server program 116 are shown for illustrative purposes only . each of the port service modules 122 and 124 is responsive to requests made by client program 102 for access to server program 114a - b and requests made by other client programs ( not shown ) to server programs 112 and 116 . the port service modules 122 and 124 maintain a plurality of domain ports , one for each server program . port service module 122 is shown with domain ports 132 , and port service module 124 is shown with domain ports 134 . the domain ports 132 or 134 are used by the respective port service modules to manage communication between a client program 102 and a server program 112 . the port service modules 122 and 124 also manage communication between other client programs ( not shown ) and server programs 112 and 116 . the global namer module 118 is hosted by the global namer system 110 . given a name of a service , the global namer module 118 supplies an identifier for the port service module 122 or 124 and domain port to which a request for the service should be directed . the global namer module 118 maintains an association between names of server programs 112 , 114a - b , and 116 and the domain ports 132 and 134 through which they are accessed . the global namer thereby frees a client program 102 from having to remember and maintain the associations between the domain ports 132 and 134 and the server programs 112 , 114a - b , and 116 . a request from a client program 102 to the global namer module 118 includes a name of a service which is also generally known by other client programs utilizing the service . in response , the global namer module returns a port registration handle . a port registration handle identifies a particular port service module 122 or 124 along with a particular one of the ports 132 or 134 managed by the port service module . the global namer module 118 may be implemented by one skilled in the art , or the global naming system of the cross - referenced patent application may be used as the global namer module . the directional lines of fig1 illustrate an example flow of requests where client program 102 requests the service of second server program 114a - b . note that client program 102 does not explicitly request both of second server programs 114a and 114b , but instead refers by name to the service provided by server programs 114a and 114b . line 1 shows the flow of a request from the client program 102 to the global namer module 118 . the request includes a name of a service , the port service handle , provided by the server program 114a - b . the global namer module 118 returns a port registration handle to the client program 102 as illustrated by line 2 . the port registration handle includes the address of the port service module 122 and identifies the particular port 152 used to access the requested server program 114a - b . line 3 shows the client program making the request for the named service to the port service module 122 via the port registration handle . the port service module then selects the domain port 152 identified by the request , and as shown by line 4 , initiates the first instance of the second server program 114a . based on the definition of domain port 152 and as shown by line 5 , the port service module 124 receives a replication request from domain port 152 . the port service module 124 then initiates the second server program 114b on server node 108 as shown by line 6 . the initiation of the second server program 114b on server node 108 is invisible to the client program 102 . the port service module , based on the definition of port 152 initiates the second server program 114b . an example where a second instance of a server program 114b would be initiated is where data replication services are required . that is , second server program 114b on server node 108 performs the same processing of the same request as does second server program 114a on server node 106 . the second server program 114a - b is freed from having to manage the replication of services ( i . e ., at the first instance 114a and at the second instance 114b ) because the port service module 152 in combination with the port definition manage the desired replication . service replication is but one function that the port service module could manage on behalf of a service . other functions are described elsewhere in this specification . line 7 illustrates an identifier of the second server program being returned from the port service module 122 to the client program 102 . thereafter , the client program 102 communications with the server program 114a via the port service module 122 by reference to the identifier and as shown by line 8 . the identifier of the server program is used where a port service module 122 manages multiple instances of a server program through a single domain port . fig2 is a block diagram that illustrates a port service module 202 . port service modules 122 and 124 are instances of port service module 202 . the port service module 202 is a software component which interacts with client programs and server programs in a manner that depends on the definitions of the domain ports 212 . the definitions for domain ports 212 are stored in memory of the host server node 106 or 108 . each of domain ports 212 is defined by a respective domain port name 212a , 212b , 212c , . . . 212n , a set of respective characteristics 214a , 214b , 214c , . . . 214n , a respective server node list 216a , 216b , 216c , . .. 216n , and a respective client connection list 218a , 218b , 218c , . . . 218n . the characteristics 214a - n for a domain port 212a - n define various operational behaviors for a domain port . for example , the characteristics define selection criteria for selecting which instance of a server program 112 , 114a - b , and 116 to execute , message ordering between a client program 102 and a server program , and various other message processing details . a domain port server node list 216a - n identifies the various server nodes 106 and 108 that host the server program associated with the respective domain ports 212a - n . with domain port 152 , for example , server node 106 and server node 108 would be identified in the domain port server node list . the client connection lists 218a - n respectively identify the various client systems 104 connected to the domain ports . for example in fig1 client system 104 is connected to domain port 152 and would be identified in the respective one of client connection lists 218a - n for domain port 152 and in the client connection list for the corresponding domain port of port service module 124 . the client connection lists 218a - n may be used to inform server programs 112 , 114a - b , or 116 when a client system is not communicating or is removed from the network 111 . fig3 is a block diagram of a characteristics table 214 for a domain port 212a - n . the characteristics table 214 consists of six sets of characteristics : selection criteria 306 , port type 308 , message ordering 310 , execution semantics 312 , error semantics 314 , and a set of miscellaneous characteristics 316 . memory cells are allocated for the characteristics to indicate which characteristics apply to respective one of domain ports 212 . for example , cell 318a is associated with the find next characteristic . each of the sets is described in the following paragraphs . the selection criteria 306 characteristics are directed to selecting an instance of a server program , such as 114a or 114b , to process a request . the find - next characteristic indicates that the next available instance of a server program 112 , 114a - b , 116 is to be selected to process an incoming request . the find - nearest characteristic indicates that a server program hosted by a node which is nearest to the port service module 152 in the network 111 topology is to be selected to process the request . the find - in - specific - node characteristic specifies the server node 106 or 108 that hosts the server program 112 , 114a - b , 116 to be initiated . those skilled in the art will recognize that other selection criteria could be implemented . the port type 308 characteristics are directed to specification of the type of object to which the associated domain port , e . g ., 152 , provides access . for the purposes of the present invention , the port type may be any type of server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 . however , for illustrative purposes , port types related to domain arrays are shown , which are described in the cross - referenced patent program . the exemplary port types are domain array , domain port , domain group , and domain object . the domain array port type indicates that the server program is a domain array as described in the cross referenced patent program . if the associated domain port has a port type 308 of domain port , then the domain port references another domain port . while not shown , those skilled in the art will recognize that a name for the referenced domain port would need to be stored in order to reference another domain port . a domain group characteristic references a group of domain objects that cooperate to perform an program . a domain object characteristic is used to generically reference other types of objects to which access may be obtained via domain ports 212 . a domain port 212 may also possess message ordering 310 characteristics . message ordering characteristics are used by a port service module 122 or 124 to control the exchange of messages between a client program 102 and a server program 112 , 114a - b , and 116 . exemplary message ordering characteristics include unordered , first - in - first - out , partial , priority , and total . the unordered characteristic indicates that messages may arrive and be sent in any order . thus , the port service module 122 or 124 does not need to coordinate the order of messages exchanged . the first - in - first - out characteristic indicates that the port service module 122 or 124 forwards messages from a client program 102 to a server program 112 , 114a - b , 116 in the order they are received by the port service module . message ordering is similar for messages received from a server program 112 , 114a - b , 116 . the specific ordering of messages for the partial characteristic is that ordering occurs only for the server program associated with the domain port . an example usage of the priority ordered characteristic is to send express messages , such as to abort a previous request . the total ordering indicates that messages are ordered for the entire domain port and any associated ports . for example , total ordering relative to fig1 could order all messages between port service modules 122 and 124 for all messages to the second server program 114a . the execution semantics 312 characteristics are also used by a port service module 122 or 124 to enforce a communication protocol to a server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 . the at - most - once characteristic indicates that a message is sent to one and only one server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 , and at most once to the server program . the exactly once characteristic indicates that a message is sent once and only once to a server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 , and the at - least - once characteristic indicates that a message must be sent at least once to a server program . a domain port 212 may also be used to detect errors and take predetermined actions . the error semantics 314 characteristics include bounded time and orphan detection . with the bounded time characteristic , the port service module 122 or 124 times the processing of a request by a server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 and , depending upon program requirements , may notify the client program 102 of the processing time of a request exceeds a predetermined threshold . the orphan detection characteristic indicates that the port service module 122 or 124 will detect a connection to a lost client and perform any necessary clean - up in the domain port and the domain object it supports . the miscellaneous 316 characteristics are used to further define the operational characteristics of a domain port 212 . the exemplary miscellaneous characteristics of voting , rerouting , filtering , mirroring , load balancing , striping , compression , encryption , and message logging are well known to those skilled in the art who will also recognize that other characteristics could be implemented with a domain port 212 . fig4 is a flowchart of the processing performed for creating a domain port 212 . before a domain port 212 may be accessed by a client program 102 , it must be created . the port service module 202 receives as input a port registration handle for a domain port 212 at step 402 . the port registration handle is used in one of the domain port name entries 212a - n . the port registration handle and an associated port service handle are registered with a global namer module 118 in step 404 . the global namer module returns a port service handle , which , in the preferred embodiment is a 64 - bit value that uniquely identifies a server program 112 , 114a - b , 116 or others . if the port registration handle is already registered with the global namer module 118 , the global namer module returns the 64 - bit port service handle along with an identifier of a server node 106 , 108 or of another server node . if the port registration handle is already registered , as in the case of replicated services , decision step 406 directs control to step 408 . otherwise , control is directed to step 410 . the identifier of the server node which was returned from the global namer module 118 is added to the server node list , e . g ., 216a , of the domain port 212 at step 408 . in addition , a message is sent to the server node ( e . g ., 106 , 108 ) which first registered the port registration handle with global namer module 118 indicating the node name . the processing is then complete . if decision step 406 finds that the port registration handle 406 is not yet registered , control is directed to step 410 where the port service handle returned from the global namer module 118 is associated with the port registration handle . the association is used to reference a domain port 212 when a client program 102 references a service with a port service handle . the domain port characteristics are input at step 412 to define operation of the domain port . at step 414 , the characteristics table 214 is updated with the input characteristics . the processing for creating a domain port 212 is then complete . fig5 is a flowchart of the processing performed in selecting a server program , e . g ., 112 , to process a request from a client program 102 . processing begins at step 502 where the client program 102 obtains the server node , e . g ., 106 , identifier and port registration handle which are associated with a desired service . recall from fig1 that the client program 102 obtains the port registration handle from the global namer module 118 . at step 504 , a request is sent to the port service module 122 at the server node 106 identified in step 502 . the request includes the port registration handle which was also identified in step 502 . the port service module 122 obtains the port characteristics 302 of the named domain port at step 506 . the characteristics 214 are used in selecting a server program 112 , 114a - b , or 116 to process the request . decision step 508 tests whether the port type 308 of the domain port , e . g ., 212a , is either domain group or domain object . if so , control is directed to step 510 where the request is forwarded to a service manager for the named service . if the port type 308 is domain port , decision step 512 directs control to step 514 where the request is forwarded to another domain port , e . g ., 212b , for processing . the last exemplary possibility for a port type 308 is domain array . for a domain array port type , control is directed to step 516 where a domain array is selected to process the request . the selection is made based on the selection criteria 306 of the of the domain port characteristics 302 . the selected domain array may be local or remote relative to the port service module 202 . for replicated or mirrored services , both a local and a remote domain array may be selected . at step 520 , an instance of a local domain array is initiated to process the request if a local domain array is selected . the request is forwarded at step 522 to a remote service module , e . g ., 124 , so that an instance in the remote domain array can process the request if a remote domain array is selected . at step 524 , the client connection list , e . g ., 218a , for the domain port is updated . the identifier of the client system 104 is added to the list . the port service handle and server program identifier are returned to the client program 102 at step 526 . the client program 102 may thereafter use the port service handle and server program identifier when sending messages to the server program , e . g ., 112 , via the port service module 122 . fig6 is a flowchart of the processing performed by a port service module , e . g ., 122 , of a communications request from a client program 102 addressed to a server program , e . g ., 114a . at step 602 , the port service module 202 obtains the server program identifier and port service handle from the request . at step 604 , the port service module 122 or 124 looks up the port characteristics 302 of the domain port , e . g ., 212a , associated with the port service handle . note that a server program 112 is &# 34 ; local &# 34 ; relative to a port service module 122 if both are hosted on the same server node 106 . also , the third server program 116 is &# 34 ; remote &# 34 ; relative to port service module 122 because the third server program 116 is hosted on a different server node 108 . if the server program , e . g ., 112 , identified by the server program identifier is local relative to the port service module 122 , at step 608 the request is forwarded , with control determined by the port characteristics 302 , to the local server program for processing . at step 610 , if a remote server program is selected the request is sent to a port service module , e . g ., 124 , of the server node 108 that hosts the remote server program , e . g ., 116 . processing continues at step 612 where the port service module 122 receives a response from the server program , e . g ., 112 . at step 614 , the port characteristics 302 are used in returning the response to the client program 102 . the exemplary embodiments described herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting . therefore , those skilled in the art will recognize that other embodiments could be practiced without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims set forth below .
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vinylpyridine copolymers can be blended into polydiene rubbers in order to make the polydiene rubber cure faster . the polydiene rubbers which can be utilized in the blends of this invention include natural rubber and homopolymers made by polymerizing diene monomers , such as butadiene , isoprene , piperylene , and the like . copolymers of one or more diene monomers can also be utilized as the polydiene rubber in the blends of this invention . the polydiene rubbers utilized in such blends can also be copolymers or terpolymers of diene monomers with one or more other ethylenically unsaturated monomers . some representative examples of ethylenically unsaturated monomers that can potentially be utilized in the polydiene rubbers of such blends include alkyl acrylates , such as methyl acrylate , ethyl acrylate , butyl acrylate , methyl methacrylate and the like ; vinylidene monomers having one or more terminal ch 2 ═ c - groups ; vinyl aromatics such as styrene , α - methylstyrene , bromostyrene , chlorostyrene , fluorostyrene and the like : α - olefins such as ethylene , propylene , 1 - butene , and the like ; vinyl halides , such as vinylbromide , chloroethene ( vinylchloride ), vinylfluoride , vinyliodide , 1 , 2 - dibromoethene , 1 , 1 - dichloroethene ( vinylidene chloride ), 1 , 2 - dichloroethene , and the like ; vinyl esters such as vinyl acetate ; α , β - olefinically unsaturated nitriles , such as acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile : α , β - olefinically unsaturated amides , such as acrylamide , n - methyl acrylamide , n , n - dimethylacrylamide , methacrylamide and the like . the polydiene rubbers which are copolymers of one or more diene monomers with one or more other ethylenically unsaturated monomers will normally contain from about 50 weight percent to about 99 weight percent diene monomers and from about 1 weight percent to about 50 weight percent of the other ethylenically unsaturated monomers in addition to the diene monomers . for example , copolymers of diene monomers with vinylaromatic monomers , such as styrene - butadiene rubber ( sbr ) which contain from 50 to 95 weight percent diene monomers and from 5 to 50 weight percent vinylaromatic monomers are useful in many applications . the vinylpyridine copolymers which are utilized in the blends of this invention are comprised of repeat units which are derived from a diene monomer and vinylpyridine . such copolymers can contain repeat units which are derived from more than one type of diene monomer as well as other ethylenically unsaturated monomers in addition to the diene monomers . from 1 to 75 weight percent of the repeat units in such vinylpyridine copolymers will be derived from vinylpyridine . such repeat units have the structural formula ## str1 ## and differ from the vinylpyridine monomer from which they were derived in that the vinyl double bond was consumed in the polymerization . from 25 to 99 weight percent of the repeat units in such vinylpyridine copolymers are derived from diene monomers and other ethynically unsaturated monomers in addition to diene monomers and vinylpyridine . for example , the vinylpyridine copolymer can be a copolymer containing 50 percent butadiene and 50 percent vinylpyridine ( having 50 percent of its repeat units being derived from vinylpyridine ) which can be represented by the structural formula ## str2 ## indicates that the repeat units derived from butadiene and vinylpyridine can be in any order . the structural formula shown above illustrates the polymer produced when there has been 1 , 4 addition of the butadiene . the vinylpyridine copolymer will preferably have 3 percent to 30 percent by weight of its repeat units being derived from vinylpyridine and from 70 to 97 weight percent of its repeat units being derived from diene monomers and other ethynically unsaturated monomers . most preferably , the vinylpyridine copolymer will contain from 4 to 10 weight percent vinylpyridine and from 90 to 96 weight percent diene monomers . the fast curing blends of this invention will normally contain from 50 to 98 weight percent of at least one polydiene rubber and from 2 to 50 weight percent of at least one vinylpyridine copolymer ( based upon the total rubber in the blend ). preferably , such blends will be comprised of from 55 to 96 weight percent of one or more polydiene rubbers and from 4 to 45 weight percent of one or more vinylpyridine copolymers . most preferably , the fast curing blends of this invention will be comprised of from 60 to 85 weight percent polydiene rubbers and from 15 to 40 weight percent vinylpyridine copolymers . as a general rule , the overall concentration of repeat units derived from vinylpyridine constitutes from about 0 . 1 to about 10 weight percent of the rubber blend ( 0 . 001 to 0 . 1 as a weight fraction ). in other words , the product of the weight fraction of vinylpyridine copolymer in the rubber blend and the weight fraction of repeat units derived from vinylpyridine in the vinylpyridine copolymer will generally range between 0 . 001 and 0 . 1 ( that is , between 0 . 1 and 10 weight percent ). for example , if the vinylpyridine copolymer contains 5 weight percent vinylpyridine and there is 30 weight percent of that vinylpyridine copolymer in the rubber blend , then the product of the weight fraction of said vinylpyridine copolymer in said rubber blend and the weight fraction of repeat units derived from vinylpyridine in said vinylpyridine copolymer is 0 . 015 , that is , 1 . 5 %. preferably , the product of the weight fraction of said vinylpyridine copolymer in said rubber blend and the weight fraction of repeat units derived from vinylpyridine in said vinylpyridine copolymer will range between 0 . 005 and 0 . 05 . more preferably , this product will range between 0 . 01 and 0 . 03 , ( that is , between 1 % and 3 %). even though vinylpyridine copolymers which are derived from a wide variety of different monomers can be blended with polydiene rubbers in order to improve the cure characteristics of the polydiene rubber in the resultant blend , it is preferable to utilize a vinylpyridine copolymer which is compatible with the polydiene rubber in the blend . for example , if the polydiene rubber in the blend is polybutadiene , it would be preferable to utilize a copolymer of vinylpyridine and butadiene as the vinylpyridine copolymer in the blend . if the polydiene rubber utilized in the blend is a styrene butadiene rubber , then it is preferable to utilize a terpolymer of butadiene , styrene , and vinylpyridine as the vinylpyridine copolymer in the blend . in order to optimize compatibility , it is often desirable to utilize the same relative ratio of monomers in the vinylpyridine copolymer as is present in the polydiene rubber . the polydiene rubbers and the vinylpyridine copolymers utilized in the blends of this invention can be prepared using polymerization techniques well known to persons skilled in the art . in most cases , these polymers will be prepared using emulsion polymerization techniques . a wide variety of polydiene rubbers which are suitable for use in the blends of this invention are commercially available . for example , the goodyear tire & amp ; rubber company sells nitrile rubber ( nbr ) under the tradename chemigum ™, styrene butadiene rubber ( sbr ) under the tradename plioflex ™, polybutadiene under the tradename budene ™, and synthetic polyisoprene under the name natsyn ™; exxon chemical americas sells ethylene propylene diene rubber ( epdm ) under the tradename vistalon ™, and polyisobutylene under the tradename vistanex ™; and natural rubber is sold by a number of suppliers . conventional levels of conventional accelerators should be added to the fast curing rubber blends of this invention . such rubber blends can additionally contain other conventional compounding ingredients such as carbon black , sulfur , fillers , oils , waxes , colorants , scorch inhibiting agents , and processing aids . in most cases , the fast curing rubber blends of this invention will consist of ( a ) at least one polydiene rubber , ( b ) at least one vinylpyridine copolymer , ( c ) sulfur and / or a sulfur containing compound , ( d ) at least one filler , ( e ) at least one accelerator , ( f ) at least one antidegradant , ( g ) at least one processing oil ( h ) zinc oxide , ( i ) optionally a tackifier resin , ( j ) optionally a reinforcing resin , ( k ) optionally one or more fatty acids , ( 1 ) optionally a peptizer , and ( m ) optionally one or more scorch inhibiting agents . the fast curing rubber blend will normally contain from 0 . 5 to 5 phr ( parts per 100 parts of rubber ) of sulfur and / or a sulfur containing compound with 1 to 2 . 5 phr being preferred . it may be desirable to utilize insoluble sulfur in cases where bloom is a problem . normally from 10 to 150 phr of at least one filler will be utilized in the blend with 30 to 80 phr being preferred . in most cases at least some carbon black will be utilized in the filler . the filler can , of course , be comprised totally of carbon black . silica can be included in the filler to improve tear resistance and heat build up . clays and / or talc can be included in the filler to reduce cost . the blend will also normally include from 0 . 1 to 2 . 5 phr of at least one accelerator with 0 . 2 to 1 . 5 phr being preferred . antidegradants , such as antioxidants and antiozonants , will generally be included in the blend in amounts ranging from 0 . 25 to 10 phr with amounts in the range of 1 to 5 phr being preferred . processing oils will generally be included in the blend in amounts ranging from 2 to 100 phr with amounts ranging from 5 to 50 phr being preferred . the fast curing blends of this invention will also normally contain from 0 . 5 to 10 phr of zinc oxide with 1 to 5 phr being preferred . these blends can optionally contain from 0 to 10 phr of a tackifier resin , 0 to 10 phr of reinforcing resins , 1 to 10 phr of fatty acids , 0 to 2 . 5 phr of peptizers , and 0 to 1 phr of scorch inhibiting agents . the fast curing rubber blends of this invention do not contain significant amounts ( more than about 0 . 01 phr ) of dicumyl peroxide or lead oxide . in most cases the rubber blends of this invention will not contain any dicumyl peroxide or lead oxide . such fast curing rubber blends can be prepared by simply blending or mixing together the polydiene rubber and the vinylpyridine copolymer . this blending can be accomplished utilizing compounding techniques well known to persons skilled in the art . for example , the polydiene rubber can be mixed with the vinylpyridine copolymer in a banbury mixer or on a mill mixer to produce a blend of the polydiene rubber with the vinylpyridine copolymer . such a blend could also be made by mixing a polydiene rubber latex with a vinylpyridine copolymer latex followed by coagulating the mixed latices . the technique used in the preparation of the blend is not important as long as there is a thorough mixing of the vinylpyridine copolymer throughout the polydiene rubber . fast curing rubber blends can be prepared in a manner so that they have essentially the same physical and chemical properties as the polydiene rubber utilized in them , except of course , for the greatly improved cure properties of the blends . in other words , vinylpyridine copolymers can be blended with diene rubbers to produce blends having improved cure characteristics which have mechanical and chemical properties which are much like those of the diene rubber . in order to minimize the differences in the properties between a diene rubber and a fast curing rubber blend , it will generally be desirable to utilize a vinylpyridine copolymer which is compatible with and which has properties which are similar to those of the diene rubber . for example , the incorporation of vinylpyridine into a polymer will change its glass transition temperature , and it may be desirable to incorporate greater or lesser amounts of other monomers into such vinylpyridine copolymers in order to compensate for this tendency for the vinylpyridine copolymer to have a different glass transition temperature than its vinylpyridine - free counterpart . in any case , since the vinylpyridine copolymer represents only a minority of the fast curing blend , its influence on the overall properties of the blend is minimized and is normally not at all detrimental . this is in contrast to the situation wherein a small amount of vinylpyridine is copolymerized into a rubber in order to improve its cure properties . in many cases , it is desirable to improve the cure rates of conventional rubber blends . for example , it may be desirable to improve the cure rate of a blend of medium vinyl polybutadiene and high cis - polybutadiene . in such cases , one of the components in the blend can be modified by copolymerizing vinylpyridine into it . of course , vinylpyridine copolymers can also be added to such blends as a third component in order to improve the cure rate of the blend without reducing its scorch safety . this invention is illustrated by the following examples which are merely for the purpose of illustration and are not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the invention or manner in which it may be practiced . unless specifically indicated otherwise , parts and percentages are given by weight . a blend containing 70 weight percent medium vinyl polybutadiene and 30 weight percent of an emulsion polymerized copolymer of butadiene and vinylpyridine was prepared . the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in this blend was prepared by standard emulsion polymerization techniques utilizing a 5 weight percent charge of vinylpyridine and had a mooney ( ml / 4 @ 100 ° c .) of 60 . the polymer blend was mixed with carbon black , processing oil , waxes and antioxidant in a laboratory br banbury . a standard cure recipe containing zinc oxide , stearic acid , sulfur and accelerators was included during a final banbury mix . the cure rate of this blend composition was then determined using a monsanto rheometer . the cure time , t 90 , to reach 90 percent of complete cure was determined to be 12 . 5 minutes , and the scorch time , t 2 , to reach a 2 point rise on the rheometer curve from the minimum value was determined to be 5 . 8 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 13 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 6 . 0 minutes . the procedure described in example 1 was repeated except that an emulsion polymerized polybutadiene having a mooney of 66 was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in example 1 . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 20 . 5 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 5 . 3 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 21 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 6 . 5 minutes . the procedure described in example 1 was repeated except that budene ™ 1207 was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer . budene ™ 1207 is a synthetic solution polymerized polybutadiene . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 19 . 0 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 6 . 5 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 17 . 5 minutes with t 2 being determined to be 6 . 3 minutes . the procedure described in example 1 was repeated except that an emulsion polymerized polybutadiene having a mooney of 42 was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in example 1 . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 24 . 0 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 6 . 5 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 22 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 6 . 5 minutes . a blend containing 70 weight percent of emulsion polymerized sbr 1712 and 30 weight percent of an emulsion polymerized copolymer of butadiene and vinylpyridine was prepared . the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in this blend contained a 5 weight percent charge of vinylpyridine and was oil extended with 25 parts per hundred of rubber with an aromatic oil . the oil extended mooney was 54 . the polymer blend was mixed with carbon black , processing oil , waxes and antioxidant in a laboratory br banbury . a standard cure recipe containing zinc oxide , stearic acid , sulfur and accelerators was included during a final banbury mix . the cure rate of this blend composition was then determined using a monsanto rheometer . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 13 . 7 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 6 . 5 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 14 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 6 . 8 minutes . the procedure described in example 5 was repeated except that an oil extended emulsion polybutadiene ( 25 phr aromatic oil , mooney ═ 62 ) was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in example 5 . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 21 . 4 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 7 . 3 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 23 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 7 . 3 minutes . the procedure described in example 5 was repeated except that an oil extended solution polybutadiene ( 25 phr aromatic oil , mooney ═ 50 ) was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in example 5 . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 17 . 8 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 6 . 0 . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 20 . 3 and a t 2 of 7 . 0 minutes . the procedure described in example 5 was repeated except that an oil extended emulsion polymerized copolymer of butadiene and vinylpyridine ( 25 phr aromatic oil , 5 weight percent charge of vinylpyridine , mooney ═ 66 ) was substituted for the vinylpyridine copolymer utilized in example 5 . in this experiment , t 90 was determined to be 15 . 0 minutes and t 2 was determined to be 7 . 0 minutes . a repeat of this experiment with a separate banbury mix gave a t 90 value of 14 . 5 minutes and a t 2 of 6 . 8 minutes . the rheometer data for examples 1 - 8 is summarized in table i . it is very apparent that the cure rate of the blends which contained vinylpyridine copolymers ( examples 1 , 5 and 8 ) was much better ( faster ) than it was in the controls ( examples 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 and 7 ) wherein a vinylpyridine copolymer was not included in the blend . it is also very clear that the scorch safety of the blends containing vinylpyridine copolymers do not differ substantially from that of the controls . while certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the present invention , it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the present invention . table i______________________________________rheometer data maximum minimum t . sub . 90 t . sub . 2example torque torque minutes minutes______________________________________1 36 . 5 10 . 2 12 . 5 5 . 8 36 . 9 10 . 5 13 . 5 6 . 02 35 . 3 10 . 2 20 . 5 5 . 3 35 . 0 10 . 5 21 . 5 6 . 53 36 . 5 10 . 2 19 . 0 6 . 5 36 . 0 10 . 3 17 . 5 6 . 34 35 . 0 9 . 8 24 . 0 6 . 5 35 . 2 9 . 6 22 . 5 6 . 55 29 . 6 7 . 8 13 . 7 6 . 5 29 . 8 7 . 9 14 . 5 6 . 56 28 . 0 8 . 4 21 . 5 7 . 3 28 . 1 8 . 3 23 . 5 7 . 37 30 . 4 8 . 2 17 . 8 6 . 0 30 . 0 7 . 8 20 . 3 7 . 08 29 . 4 7 . 9 15 . 0 7 . 0 29 . 8 7 . 9 14 . 5 6 . 8______________________________________
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referring to fig1 & amp ; 2 : the noc 2 is a centralized location for collecting and processing data to be sent to one or more receiving units 4 receivers . more than one noc can be used , preferably to provide redundancy of function and data ; as such , the nocs will communicate with each other to ensure duplication at each noc . communication can be through , for example , internet , high speed land connections , or other suitable connection means . the sources of data 11 are not critical to the functioning of the noc . usable data sources include , but are not limited to , satellite feeds , received broadcast , mpls , tape , cd , or dvd , internet , ftp , operator input , and text files . content can be comprised of national , local and syndicated programming . processing the noc may perform includes , but is not limited to , gathering , storing , assembling , editing , evaluating , categorizing , filing and scheduling . data is placed in archival storage 12 for processing ; such processing comprising , cataloging , tagging , time sequencing , editing , and scheduling . data can also be collected and processed without archiving 12 a , for example , if needed for emergency situations , alerts , critical system updates , or the like . as necessary , the noc can operate with data from archival files , collected or produced in real - time , or a combination thereof . archiving is preferred when collecting data sources which are broadcast in different time zones and will be archived and sent to the receiving units at a time more convenient for u . s . time zones . in a preferred embodiment , data is processed in the form of a data channel 10 ; each channel comprising one or more data sources which will be combined and then be associated and processed with that channel . processing of channel data processing can comprise : assembling various data sources into a single data channel ; arranging data for scheduling preferences or requirements ; editing for content ; adjusting duration ; formatting ; compression formatting 16 ; inserting , deleting , or replacing advertisement data ; inserting , deleting , or replacing markers for later processing ; removing unnecessary , inappropriate , damaged , or unusable data ; repairing damaged data ; converting stereo to mono audio data ; converting high quality to lower quality data ; and combinations thereof . the order and extent of channel data processing is not fixed and can be varied and different for each channel and each data source . after content processing each data channel 10 is assigned an identifier which is added to the channel data and is then combined with other data channels 18 into a single data stream for further processing and transfer . the single data stream can be processed by inserting additional data such as standard or generic commercial content 20 , geographic specific advertisement content 22 , and other content 21 . this additional data is inserted at markers placed in the individual data channels in the channel data processing 14 . the data stream is then combined 28 with support data 24 , and messaging data 26 and is transferred 30 to one or more transmission servers . this transfer can be achieved by any acceptable means or combination of means for each transmission server . examples of usable transfer means include , but are not limited to , internet , satellite transmission ; mpls , ftp , or the like , or combinations thereof . support data 24 may be comprised of channel transmission schedules ; channel guide information , such as , names of channels , schedule of upcoming programs for channels , names of programs , artists , duration ; additions , changes , and updates to transmission server authorizations , which can be permissions for all or specific transmission server &# 39 ; s , for example , which channels can be transmitted , which channels can be altered / edited , and which advertisements can be inserted ; frequency maps : system updates ; software updates ; advertising content data ; directions , rules , schedules , geographical limits and permissions for advertisement usage ; marketing data ; receiving unit specific data ; directions and content for advertisements for specific receiving units ; and combinations thereof . messaging data 26 may comprise textual data to be sent to , stored , and utilized by receiving units ; for example , emergency notifications and general information for the users of the receiving units . support and messaging data can be sent to the transmission server &# 39 ; s along with the channel data , on a schedule , periodically , on an as needed basis , and any combination thereof . in one preferred embodiment , each channel is assembled into an ip data stream 18 and transferred over the internet 30 . in the ip data stream each data channels is tagged with an ip address ; the ip address can be used at a transmission server to identify the corresponding channel data . referring to fig3 ; in a preferred embodiment all processed channel data is sent to all transmission servers 3 ( and fig1 , 3 a - 3 n ). there is no limit to the number of transmission servers that can be in the system . the location and number of transmission servers is in part determined by market demand , customer demographics , transmitter availability , and geographic location . for example , in a dense population area there may be more than one transmission server to ensure full geographic coverage and prevent loss of signal while traveling throughout the geographic area . another advantage of using more than one transmission server in a geographical location is the ability to take advantage of a particular transmission server &# 39 ; s permanent or temporary transmission status . for example , at a given time or on a given schedule , a particular transmission server will have bandwidth available when another transmission server has no available bandwidth all full or when the cost of using a particular transmission server is lower than other transmission servers in the area . in the present system a receiving unit ( fig1 , 4 ) can determine which transmission server is a preferred or available , transmission server in an area . this can be achieved through the use of frequency maps constructed by the noc . since different transmission servers will transmit on different frequencies , especially in crowded areas , a preferred embodiment uses frequency maps to aid in proper transmitter - receiver communication . a frequency map is maintained and updated at the noc and sent to the transmission server for use and transmission to the receiving units . in one preferred embodiment the transmission frequency in a given geographical region can be changed frequently . this may be achieved by the use of multiple transmission servers in the geographical region . the receiving unit can use a stored frequency map to match it &# 39 ; s given gps location with the available , corresponding transmission server in the geographic region . in addition , certain transmitters can use more than one frequency ; being frequency agile these transmitters can use available bandwidth on different frequencies as it becomes available . using a number of such frequency agile transmitters would greatly increase the geographical coverage of transmissions and increase the transmission and monetary efficiency of the system . in some cases bandwidth on any one transmission server may be available on a limited time basis requiring the receiving unit to change which transmission servers and frequencies it uses on a relatively frequent basis . while a frequency map can still be used in such a frequency changing scenario , the receiving unit can also scan frequencies to find the appropriate system signal . each transmission server receives the data from the noc and processes channel data , support data , and messaging data and prepares the data for transmission to the receiving units . in one embodiment , each transmission server is updated with a channel set . a channel set is comprised of a list of channels that an individual transmission server is allowed to transmit . the contents of a channel list for a transmission server can be determined by factors including : demand for a channel in the transmission server &# 39 ; s service area , licensing limitations and permissions , advertisement revenue for a specific channel or for the service area of a transmission server , calculated audience , prospective audience , and the like . in one embodiment the list comprises the ip address of each allowed channel sent to the transmission server in the ip data stream from the noc . the transmission server will extract any authorized channels from the ip data stream , ignoring unauthorized channels and process the extracted data channels for e . g ., content , advertisement , and scheduling in accordance with any directions , rules or permissions received from the noc . referring to fig3 - 6 , before transmission , the channel data is assembled 40 into a data transfer stream 41 which can be recognized , identified , and subsequently disassembled into the separate , individual data channels by the receiving units . the resulting transfer stream is then sent to a multiplexer 36 where it is prepared for transmission over the transmission server transmitter at the transmission server &# 39 ; s designated frequency 44 , 46 , 48 . in a preferred embodiment the channel data is assembled into a single data transfer stream 41 by processing the channel data through a novel cyclic processor of the present invention , also referred to as a ludwig specific carousel 40 ( lsc ). each transmission server has it &# 39 ; s own lsc . the data for allowed channels ( fig5 a ) are placed at the input of the lsc for processing . a single cycle of an lsc takes a portion of data from each channel ( a data packet ) and produces a single carousel data package comprised of a header ( or sync ) packet followed by one or more data packets ( fig5 b ). this carousel data package is then appended to a transfer stream at the output of the lsc . the lsc repeatedly cycles , progressively taking more data from each of the channels , produces a carousel data package , and continuously appending to the transfer stream . a data packet within the carousel data package may comprise support data . the number and size of channel packets is not limited . conditions and equipment at an individual transmission server , type of channel data , quality of channel data , as well as transmission standards , such as atsc , fm , am , gprs , 3g , satellite , influence the parameters of the data within the lsc . information in the carousel data package header packet may be comprised of : a ) information which identifies the carousel data package as data produced by the lsc ; b ) time data ; c ) synchronization data ; d ) type of compression used ; e ) type of data in each data channel ; f ) data packet information for each data packet within the carousel data package comprising a packet pointer for identifying the starting point of the data packet within the carousel data package and the size of the data packet , wherein the packet pointer may be comprised of a hexadecimal offset ; in the case where a data packet in the carousel data package comprises support data the packet pointer and size correspond to the support data packet . in a preferred embodiment the channel data is assembled into an american systems television committee ( atsc ) compliant data stream . the requirements for an atsc compliant data stream are set out in various atsc standard publications . of particular relevance are atsc specifications a74 , a90 , a95 and a97 , see , e . g ., http :// www . atsc . org / ( hereby incorporated in full by reference ). the present invention can be used and modified to remain compliant with changes or modifications to any of these applicable atsc standards . the resulting atsc data stream is then sent to a multiplexer where it is prepared for transmission over the transmission server transmitter at the transmission server designated frequency . in one preferred embodiment , an atsc compliant carousel package is comprised of up to 52 packets comprising 188 bytes of data per packet . the first 188 byte packet comprises the carousel package header information . subsequent packets are comprised of 4 bytes of data information comprising packet identification information ( pid ) and 184 bytes of packet content data , fig6 . the 4 byte pid may comprise channel identification information or information identifying the packet as containing support information , updates , advertising , or the like . in this embodiment the number of channels , 52 , and size of packets , 188 bytes are used to be compliant with current atsc specifications . the number and size of packets within a carousel data package can be changed to be compliant with new , or changes to , atsc specifications or other transmission specifications which may be used or developed . support data can be transmitted within the atsc transfer stream having been processed through the lsc , in ancillary data packets which are separate from the main data stream as set out in atsc standards , or a combination thereof . the final terminus of the present data transmission system is a plurality of receiving units . each receiving unit is comprised of : a receiver ; an operating system ; data storage ; a screen ; one or more input mechanisms ; and one or more external interfaces . preferred receiving units have gps capability and one or more transmission means . a preferred receiving unit comprises an atsc compliant receiver having the ability to receive atsc data packets such as those defined within atsc specifications a74 , a90 , a95 and a97 . such a receiving unit depacketizes the received and stored data , then sorts and decodes the data , reassembles the separate channel data and support data , and outputs or stores the channel data and support data into memory . while the receiving unit can function in real - time , outputting a data channel as it is received and processed , a preferred receiving unit will store the data in memory for later presentation to the user . the transmission and receipt of the transfer stream can occur at speeds much greater than real - time playback of the channel data would require . the ability to send large amounts of data increases the efficiency of the system : only requiring short transmission times ; the ability to make changes , updates , and notifications quickly ; and conserves bandwidth . in use , the user of a receiving unit selects a channel to access using an input mechanism , external input , or external interface . the receiving unit removes the atsc data packets from memory , depacketizes data , and reassembles the separate channel data of the selected channel . the selected channel data may be processed as necessary to conform to listening or access requirements . an example of such processing includes processing the channel data through a codec to produce and audio stream ; common audio codecs include , but not limited to , mp3 , aac , m4a , wav , vorbis , mpeg , and the like . visual image codecs include , but not limited to , bmp , jpeg , gif , png and the like . an audio stream can be output to a speaker in the receiving unit , to a headphone jack , or to an interface for external use . an image or text can be displayed on the screen or output to an interface for external use or display . audio , visual , or text information can also be processed and output to the user when triggered by an external stimulus such as time of day , temperature , gps location , or marker in channel or support data . each receiving unit has a unique identifier such as an ip address , mac address , serial number , or an id number assigned when it is distributed to a user . this identifier can be used to send data , instructions , updates , advertisements , and the like to any single or group of receiving units specifically . the identifier can also be used to identify any data that is sent from an receiving unit to the noc or to another receiving unit . a preferred receiving unit collects status information and sends this data to the noc . this data can be collected and stored at scheduled intervals , at scheduled times , upon receipt of a request or instructions , upon the occurrence of an event or condition , on startup , before shutdown , or any combination thereof . collected data may comprise : receiving unit identifier ; time and date ; gps information ; channel data use ; duration of use ; external sensor information such as temperature , humidity , or barometric pressure ; and combinations thereof . upon the occurrence of an event , scheduled time , or a transmitted request from the noc , the stored data is sent to the noc using any of one or more transmission schemes . such schemes include , but are not limited to , cellular network , gprs , sms , pager , 3g , wi - fi , and wi - max , for example . in another embodiment the gps information for the receiving unit can be used to activate the visual display or audio playing of data stored on the receiving unit . such data may comprise advertisements , advertisements relevant to the gps location , and emergency notifications directed towards a specific geographical location . the noc collects , compiles and analyzes the status information received from the receivers . in addition user information and listening habits can be cross - matched and compared to available census data for a given region such as : customer ethnicity , location , economic status , etc . in another embodiment the gps location information can also be used in receiving unit to receiving unit communication . receiving units can communicate using cellular network , gprs , sms , pager , 3g , wi - fi , and wi - max , for example . receiving units can be programmed to send out status information ; information input by the user ; and atsc data stream data previously stored . in one example , a receiving unit will broadcast its gps location and unit identifier . other receiving units can receive this information and , if programmed or requested by the user , trigger an action such as displaying the proximity of the broadcasting receiving unit . once notified of their mutual proximity , the users of these receiving units can then communicate between the receiving units using text and images stored on the receiving units or input by the users via an input mechanism or external interface . the ability to receive and send data will allow a receiving unit which is out of range of a transmission server to receive and send the data from a receiving unit which is in range or closer range of a transmission server , enabling the transmission server and the out - of - range receiving unit to communicate via single hop or multiple hops from receiving unit to receiving unit . while this description has set forth a number of examples of the current invention , these examples are not presented or to be interpreted as limiting the system or method of the current invention .
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in fig1 block 10 represents a microphone which is mounted into the head of the stethoscope . the microphone in response to korotkoff sounds initiates a signal . the microphone in a preferred embodiment would be incorporated into the housing of the head of the stethoscope . the signal is fed into an amplifier , block 12 , which boosts the signal about fifty times . the amplified signal is then input to block 14 , a voltage comparator which compares the signal voltage to a reference voltage . if the signal voltage is greater than the reference voltage , the electrical signal passes . the output of block 14 is connected to block 16 which elongates the signal in duration . the output of block 16 is connected to the inputs of blocks 18 and 20 . the counter in block 18 sends an off switch signal to block 20 with each received signal until the operator presses the actuator button block 22 . at this point block 18 sends an on signal for each received signal to block 20 . the counter in block 18 allows a set number of such signals to pass until it again turns the switch to the off position . the switch remains off until the start button , block 22 , is pushed again . the pulse counter block , block 24 , calculates the pulse by starting a timer when the first signal is received . the timer is then stopped after the set number of pulses is received and places the resultant elapsed time into the equation x ( depending on the set number of signals ) divided by the time measured equals the pulse rate per minute . the pulse rate per minute is then sent to a display , block 26 . in fig2 a preferred embodiment is diagrammed showing the stethoscope head and housing 32 with a digital display 34 , preferably an lcd , and an actuator button 36 with flexible tubing 30 and ear pieces 28 . referring now to fig3 a close up of the stethoscope head and housing 32 is shown with the digital display 34 , actuator button 36 in convenient location for one handed usage , diaphragm annulus 40 to secure the diaphragm to the head , and tubing 30 . fig4 is a cross - section of fig3 with the digital display 34 , the actuator button 36 , diaphragm 38 , diaphragm annulus 40 , microphone transducer 42 , and one or more circuit boards 44 located directly beneath the lcd display . the operation of the apparatus of the invention will be readily understood from the following description of its use . starting with the use of a sphygmomanometer , the observer will inflate the air cuff which has been wrapped about the patient &# 39 ; s extremity in the process of taking the blood pressure . the stethoscope head 32 is pressed against the inner aspect of the volar side of the antecubital space where the brachial artery lies as the observer listens with the ear pieces 28 and tubing 30 . the air will be slowly released from the air cuff and the korotkoff sounds will be heard by the observer . with the first loud korotkoff sound the actuator button 36 will be pushed and the apparatus thus described will respond to the sounds . as the observer completes taking the blood pressure by further release of pressure in the air cuff , the apparatus will read out a pulse so obtained . those skilled in the art will recognize that an audible or visual signal of the electrical signal corresponding to the korotkoff sounds would be advantageous as a means of allowing the observer to become the monitor for judging the accuracy of the device . those skilled in the art will also note that it would be advantageous to also have watch functions including a timer , alarm , 24 hour clock functions , and seconds display . it is obvious for one skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made to the apparatus of the invention concerning for example the type of stethoscope , the manner of processing the signal , the manner of counting and calculating the results , the manner in which the pulse rate be electronically monitored , without departing from the scope of the invention . a quality control circuit could be added to the invention in which an irregular pulse rate could set off an alarm to notify the observer of this irregularity . consequently , the invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the particular embodiment described here , it covers on the contrary all variants thereof .
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this invention provides an improved module characterized by improved control of the control motor or motors . to this end , the invention concerns in its most general meaning a motorized steering column module with position control comprising means for moving / shifting the steering wheel in an axial direction , bringing it closer or further away , and in a radial plane for regulating the position up and down with the aid of at least one electric motor control by an electronic means , and means for controlling a variation of the speed of this motor at least in the vicinity of the departure position and the arrival position . this invention also increases the sensation of comfort when controlling the position of the steering wheel by a variation of the control speed . the sensation of robustness is also increased by a greater insensitivity to the variations of the supply voltage . the controller is preferably programmed to control an acceleration of the movement during the motor startup and / or to control a deceleration of the movement during the approaching of the arrival position . according to one aspect , the controller is programmed to ensure a compensation of the voltage variations of the motor supply . the controller is preferably programmed to control a movement speed lower than the maximum speed upon approaching the position at the end of travel . the motor is advantageously coupled to a sensor that delivers a signal that is a function of the real motor speed , which signal is transmitted to this controller . according to another aspect , the controller controls the reduction of the movement speed upon approaching the end of travel . according to yet another aspect , the controller controls a mode of reduced - speed movement when it receives particular control instructions . the controller advantageously generates motor control / command signals in the form of constant tension scrambled at a variable cyclic ratio . the parts activated by the motor preferably comprise at least one position reference sensor . the invention is described below with reference made to a steering column control module comprising a first direct - current motor for adjusting the axial position of the steering wheel and comprising a second direct - current motor for adjusting the height of the steering wheel by tilting a section of the steering column relative to a transversal axis . the control mechanism will not be described in detail because it is known and because the invention applies to all types of such mechanisms . in particular , the invention is also applicable to mechanisms comprising a single motor and one or several clutches or linear , hydraulic or pneumatic motors . the motors can also be constituted by step - by - step / stepping motors controlled by a variable - frequency clock . in one example described in a non - limiting manner , each of the motors is piloted by a power electronic circuit controlled by a controller generating a modulated signal and with variable cyclic ratio ( pwm ( pulse width modulation ) or mli ( modulation of impulse width ) that permits the voltage to be controlled at the motor terminals from 0 % to 100 %. fig1 shows an example of a variation of the motor speed during an activation cycle , then of the stopping of the movement . at rest , the supply voltage of the motor is zero ( range ( 1 )). during the starting of the motor the supply is made with a minimum cyclic ratio ( 2 ) resulting in a non - zero minimal speed . the cyclic ratio then increases ( 3 ) progressively , e . g ., in accordance with a linear law until the cyclic ratio achieves a maximal value corresponding , e . g ., to the nominal or maximal speed . the speed is then maintained constant ( 4 ) until the stop command . this stop command can come from a position sensor , a manual command or an instruction calculated as a function of the prerecorded position sought . the speed then decreases ( 5 ), e . g ., according to a linear law until reaching a slower control speed ( 6 ). then , the motor supply is again reduced to a zero voltage ( 7 ). such a function having a succession of increasing , constant and decreasing slopes is not limiting . a function of the “ gaussian ” type , e . g ., can be envisioned . fig2 represents a schematic diagram of a control circuit for a module in conformity with the invention . it comprises in a customary manner a supply 9 and a controller 10 as well as power circuits 11 , 12 respectively controlling motors 21 , 22 . motors 21 , 22 are respectively coupled to position / speed sensors 31 , 32 . the parts driven by motors 21 , 22 are otherwise equipped with one or two position reference sensors 41 , 51 ; 42 , 52 ). controller 10 receives instructions from shaping circuitry 13 primarily realizing the adaptation of impedance ( or of the leveling of voltage or current ) of the signals coming from the switches “ rise , descent ”, and “ return , exit ”, also “ facilitated exit ” or “ go into a given memorized position ”. the controller also receives instructions coming from another controller of the vehicle or from other switches . these instructions are received in cabled / hard - wired form or multiplexed via the intermediation of messages on a communication bus . in the case of instructions received in cabled form , this module 14 is a shaping circuitry 13 primarily realizing the adaptation of impedance ( or of the leveling of voltage or current ) of signals permitting the recording of predefined positions , e . g ., the preferred positions of different drivers of the vehicle . these positions are recorded in memory in a known manner and called from a command not represented in this scheme . in the case of instructions received in multiplexed form via the intermediation of messages on a communication bus , this module 14 is a controller / transceiver bus circuit . the totality of the messages is not defined here , but it contains the commands “ rise , descent ” and “ return , exit ”, also “ facilitated exit ” or “ go into a given memorized position ” or “ recording of predefined positions ” and return messages about the state of the controller and the command in progress . the controller also receives at its input the real voltage of supply battery 9 as well as position signals coming from sensors 31 , 41 , 51 ; 32 , 42 , 52 ). the controller calculates control / command signals of power circuits 11 , 12 by determining the cyclic ratio in real time as a function of the state of the different inputs . regulation of the speed maintains the speed instruction of the column what ever the supply voltage furnished by the battery is : the cyclic ratio develops inversely proportionately to the supply voltage to compensate variations in voltage . in a particular aspect , the control to a memorized position is made at 100 % of cyclic ratio and every control by transitory actions on the control buttons is made at a reduced speed .
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referring now to the prior art securement system illustrated by fig1 - 11 , the hooks 4 and brackets 5 are vulnerable to impact during handling , at least in part because they protrude from the cargo container . for example , forklift movements or container positioning movements can cause deformation of the hook and / or the bracket . any component that protrudes from the container may be a target for damage . in fact , even one hit can render the securement system unusable . the hook 4 may be bent to prevent its correct cooperation with the bracket . the bracket 5 may be compressed or otherwise deformed in a way that prevents sufficient clearance for the hook 4 to secure thereto . one non - usable hook 4 can render the cargo container unusable because it may no longer comply with certification requirements . another problem with the described hook system is that it can be time - consuming to secure . each hook 4 must be positioned on a bracket 5 . this can be difficult in cold climates , when the loading crew is wearing gloves . this can also be difficult when the containers are positioned on a platform , making the hooks and brackets difficult to reach . additionally , the cover 1 and the net 2 are provided as two separate components . because they are not attached to one another , the cover 1 has a tendency to slide inwards of the cargo container , due to gravity and / or container movement . this can happen even when the net 2 is properly affixed to the container frame 3 . this sliding can create a gap between the cover 1 and the frame 3 , undesirably leaving container contents exposed to the elements . additionally , without a properly positioned net 2 over the cover 1 , cargo container contents may not be properly contained . accordingly , improvements to cargo container cover systems are described herein . the present disclosure provides a system 10 that allows a cargo container 12 to be covered and to have its contents secured without presenting many of these potential damage situations and / or and challenges . as shown by fig1 , the system 10 provides a cargo cover 20 that may have integrated straps 22 . if provided , the integrated straps 22 may be stitched to the cover 20 ( or otherwise secured thereto ). in this manner , the cover 20 is provided as a single component , such that the straps 22 remain secured thereto . there is not a separate net required for securement . the straps 22 may be provided with one or more sizing features 24 to expand and tighten the straps 22 once positioned . in one example , the sizing features 24 may be cam buckles . ( the cam buckles used may be industry standard buckles ; they tension the straps 22 with respect to the cargo container once the cargo cover 20 has been positioned .) in order to position the cargo cover 20 with respect to the container 12 , the cargo container 12 is provided with a frame 14 . this is generally illustrated by fig2 and 3 . as shown by fig4 a - 4b , the frame 14 has straight frame portions , each of which may be formed with an internal profile 16 along one or more of its edges . the internal profile may be an extruded profile that is created upon formation of the frame portion . a plurality of frame portions are then secured to form the cargo container cage . panels are then secured with respect to the frame portions . the internal profile 16 is generally shaped to correspond to a corresponding element 18 . cooperation between internal profile 16 and element is illustrated by fig5 and 6 . the corresponding element 18 may be a c - shaped hook , clip , or lip . the corresponding element 18 may be a curved , concave , or hollowed portion . the corresponding element 18 is shaped to cooperate with and secure with respect to the internal profile 16 of the frame 14 . the element 18 can interlock with the frame extrusion . one or more elements 18 are secured at the end of one or more straps 22 , as shown by fig1 . the tensioning straps 22 may then be pulled tight in order to secure the cover 20 to the main frame structure . referring now more specifically to the described aspects , the frame 14 of the cargo container 12 may be formed out of a plurality of straight portions 30 . in one example , there are vertical lower straight portions 32 , one or more inwardly angled straight portions 34 , and a horizontal upper straight portion 36 . providing straight portions 30 rather than a curved door frame profile or contour can allow manufacturing of the frame edges 14 with the desired internal profile . the straight sections 30 may be extruded into the internal profile 16 of an integrated hook . the straight portions 30 may be secured to one another in any appropriate manner . for example , they may be secured together via gussets and rivets using traditional methods . it is also possible for the frame 14 to be constructed of a single extruded piece , having the desired angles between frame portions . for example , the frame could be formed of a material that can be extruded and bent into the appropriate shape of the cargo frame . the internal profile 16 may be extruded along an entirety of the frame 14 . in other examples , the internal profile 16 may be provided on only some of the entirety of the frame . it is believed that optimal securement options are provided , however , if the internal profile 16 extends along a majority of the frame . referring now to fig4 b , the internal profile 16 may be shaped as an internal hook . the internal hook may have a flat frame surface 40 that is generally parallel with at least a portion of the cargo container wall 42 . the flat frame surface 40 curves inwardly to provide an inwardly curved surface 44 . this surface 44 may be shaped like a j - hook , a c - hook , or any other internal indentation . the inwardly curved surface 44 may then transition to a curved lip 46 . the curved lip 46 provides a support portion onto which the element 18 can secure and grasp with respect to . fig8 b illustrates an element 18 that is secured with respect to the internal profile 16 . as shown , the element 18 has a c - shape profile . the innermost part of the profile of the element 18 receives the curved lip 46 of the internal profile 16 . a first arm 54 of the element 18 reaches into the inwardly curved surface 44 . a second arm 56 of the element supports the element 18 with respect to the cargo container wall 42 . also as illustrated , a strap 22 may be secured to and extend from the element 18 . fig1 illustrates that a plurality of straps 22 are provided on the cargo cover 20 . in use , the personnel installing the cover over the cargo container frame may loosen the straps 22 at the sizing feature 24 ( which may be a buckle or any other securement system ). once the elements 18 are secured with respect to and along the internal profiles 16 of the frame 14 , the sizing features 24 may be tightened . this tightening causes the cover 20 to interface tightly and safely against the cargo container . one option that may also assist with securement and tightening of the cover 20 may be handle straps 60 . the handle straps 60 may be attached to the elements 18 . examples are shown by fig6 b , and 9 . handle straps 60 may be used to allow the installer to obtain a secure grasp on the element 18 during installation . in one example , the handle straps 60 are secured to a flange 62 of the element 18 . the flange 62 may have an opening 64 through which the handle strap 60 may be looped and secured in place . for example , the handle strap 60 may be looped through the flange opening 64 and stitched back upon itself this provides extra grip for handling of the flexible cover door 20 . fig9 illustrates a front perspective view of the cargo container with the door canvas 20 closed . the full straps are not shown in this figure . they may be provided , but need not be . in this example , only handle straps 60 are provided . if the door canvas itself is manufactured of a material that is strong enough to withstand the certification forces and the straps ( such as the handle straps ) can be attached to the canvas in a way that the attachment would withstand the certification forces , a full set of straps 22 does not need to extend all the way across the door canvas . it should be understood that it is also possible to implement this disclosure without the use of straps at all . an upper portion of the cargo cover 20 may be provided with a horizontal top portion 70 . the horizontal top portion 70 may be a stitched rod that is enclosed by an upper flange or insertion area or part of the door canvas . this top portion 70 can be secured into one of the internal profiles 16 along an upper part of the frame 14 in order to secure the cover 20 into place over the container top frame . other securement options are possible in addition or in the alternative . for example , one or more rivets may be positioned at edges of the cover for securement . although an exemplary internal profile is shown and described , it should be understood that alternate internal profile shapes may be provided . for example , the internal profile may be square - like , rectangular , triangular , or any other appropriate shape . the internal profile should generally have a lip or other feature that can secure an element secured to the cover into place . the internal profile shown and described has been tested and found to withstand the high forces required by federal regulations . in general , the cargo containers described can withstand 10 tons of force on the door while maintaining the contents inside the container . it is believed that snaps or magnets or other types of traditional securing systems do not meet the required stringent requirements . they may also become easily damaged or deformed due to pressure , may be difficult to install in cold climates when workers are wearing gloves , and may also become frozen or otherwise damaged . conversely , the examples described have been found to overcome these and other challenges . changes and modifications , additions and deletions may be made to the structures and methods recited above and shown in the drawings without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure or the following claims .
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referring to fig1 , and generally to fig1 - 21 , an anchor 10 may be formed to have a base plate 12 . the base plate 12 will typically be secured to a building in order to support lightning protection cabling interconnecting several points or rods extending upward to cause a high voltage stress field around the distal end or tip thereof . accordingly , such points are typically formed of rod of a suitable diameter , and having a length of from about 8 to about 24 inches . accordingly , each of these points tends to cause a stress concentration field of voltage potential about the distal end thereof . this preferentially causes each of these tips of these points or rods to be the first items struck by lightning , rather than having other structural or electrical components of the building take such a risk . anchors 10 in accordance with the invention may be distributed around walls , parapets , cupolas , or other extremities of a building . typically , a ridge line , a parapet around a roof region , or the like may receive the anchors 10 . the anchors 10 will support various fasteners ( a term of art in lightning protection technology ), which may be thought of as mechanical brackets , or other securement mechanisms to hold cables , the points , and so forth . the base plate 12 may be fabricated with a stud 16 , in a manufacturing process similar to that of manufacturing a bolt , a nail , or the like . in an alternative embodiment , the studs 16 may be attached to the base 12 after individual fabrication of each 12 , 16 . the base plate 12 may be provided with a pad 14 that operates as a seal , and adhesive mechanism , a thermal expansion attenuator , a strain attenuator , and so forth . that is , between the base plate 12 and a corresponding portion of a building , a differential in coefficience of thermal expansion may exist . similarly , temperature variations may change properties . likewise , freezing and thawing may intervene in capillary spaces between the base plate 12 and a building . a freeze - thaw cycle will eventually separate the base plate 12 of the anchor 10 from the building . accordingly , the pad 14 may be , for example , a closed - cell foam of a particular type suitable for the task to form a seal likewise , the pad 14 may be provided with an adhesive material on the opposing surfaces faces in order to bond to a building and to the base plate 12 . in certain embodiments , the pad 14 has been found to serve well if fabricated of an acrylic expanded foam or expanded acrylic , commonly known as a foam likewise , various acrylate adhesives have been found suitable for rendering the pad 14 pressure sensitive , curable or both in bonding to the base 14 . referring to fig1 - 2 , as well as fig3 - 19 ( including 19 a - 19 c ) illustrate various embodiments of an anchor 10 . in these embodiments , the stud 16 protrudes at a right angle or perpendicularly with respect to the front face 18 or surface 18 of the base plate 12 . meanwhile , the back face 20 or surface 20 of the plate 12 receives the pad 14 . the pad 14 is mechanically adhered thereto to support the stress , strain , tension , compression , and shear that may be applied to the pad 14 by loads introduces through the studs 16 to the base 12 . meanwhile , the face 22 or front face 22 of the pad 14 adheres by way of an adhesive applied thereon or forming the face 22 thereof . this will bond to the back face 20 of the base plate 12 . similarly , the rear face 24 or surface 24 of the pad 14 is also provided with an adhesive quality , whether applied as a separate material , or as an integral part of the pad 14 . the face 24 may be covered with a protective layer , not shown , in order to protect the face 24 against debris , and maintain it completely clean and operable . removing the layer exposes the adhesive for adhering the rear face 24 to a suitable surface in a building . the studs 16 may include a tip 26 formed as a screw or bolt . typically , the tip 26 will be slightly tapered , in order to pilot the studs 16 into a threaded fastener or keeper , such as a nut . at the opposite end of the studs 16 is the root 28 and or root portion 28 . the root portion 28 may or may not be threaded . that is , threads 30 near the tip 26 may receive a fastener , such as a keeper , nut , or the like . meanwhile , if the threads 30 continue all the way to the root 28 , then very thin materials may be held snugly against the front face 18 of the plate 12 by such fasteners . nevertheless , in some embodiments , the threads 30 need not proceed all the way to the root 28 of the studs 16 . referring to fig3 - 19 , note that trailing letters indicate drawings or figures in a set , having some relationship . thus , herein , the text may refer to fig1 , to include fig1 a , 19 b , 19 c , and so forth . fig3 - 8 illustrate the orthogonal views of the apparatus of fig1 and 2 . fig2 illustrates a partially cut away pad 14 in order to illustrate the back surface 20 of the plate 12 . in some embodiments illustrated herein , the pad 14 will be removed , and only the plate 12 and stud 16 of the anchor 10 will be illustrated . in other embodiments , or illustrations the pad 14 will be in place . in fig3 - 8 , the various orthogonal embodiments illustrate the rectangular , or square plate 12 with its associated studs 16 . referring to fig9 - 10 , a perspective view from the front and rear of an alternative embodiment is shown , relying on a circular plate 12 . one advantage of a circular plate 12 is that orientation of the plate 12 becomes less significant . for example , with a rectangular or otherwise cornered plate 12 , orientation will be obvious to the eye of a casual observer . in contrast , a circular plate 12 is point symmetric and need not be oriented in a specific manner in order to operate and yet to appear aesthetically pleasing . referring to fig1 - 16 , the various orthogonal views of the embodiment of fig9 - 10 look very similar to those of fig3 - 8 . referring to fig1 a - 17b , a frontal and rear perspective view of an oval embodiment of a base plate 12 needs to be oriented , but the precision required of straight lines may not be required . in this embodiment , the long axis of the elliptical or oval shape will typically be oriented vertically in order to provide more leverage advantage by the base plate 12 , and particularly , a pad 14 . in this way , the leverage of the studs 16 will be reduced against peeling or tipping the base plate 12 and pad 14 away from a wall to which it is attached . referring to fig1 a - 18f , the orthogonal views of the embodiment of fig1 a - 17b are illustrated . again , these views appear very similar to those of fig1 - 16 , with a major and minor axis , rather than a single diameter . referring to fig1 a - 19b , a diamond shape may be suitable for one embodiment of a plate 12 in accordance with the invention . in this embodiment , the vertical dimension is a maximum , again providing additional leverage , compared to a square embodiment . even if the square embodiment of fig1 - 2 were installed in a diamond configuration , the maximum vertical dimension of the installed plate 12 would have about 40 % more length . this may provide , accordingly , more leverage , and a greater supporting “ moment ” as that terms is used in engineering . referring to fig1 c , a front elevation view of the embodiment of fig1 a - 19b illustrates that the other orthogonal views are unnecessary in order to have a clear understanding of the shape from each direction . again , this embodiment militates in favor of a comparatively precise orientation . this is not so much for mechanical strength , which would very little with a matter of a few degrees of rotation of the plate 12 against the surface . rather , it is valuable for aesthetics , where any orientation away from vertical would be immediately noticeable to a casual observer . referring to fig2 , an exploded view of one embodiment of an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention illustrates the pad 14 backing the base plate 12 to which the studs 16 are secured , fabricated , attached , or integrally manufactured . in this embodiment , a keeper 32 , such as a nut 32 is used to thread onto the threads 30 of the stud 16 . this will secure a fastener 34 to the plate 12 , and thus to the mounting surface 35 of a building . in this embodiment , the studs 16 pass through apertures 36 , thus making themselves available for receiving the keeper 32 or the nut 32 . as each nut 32 is threaded toward the root 28 , beginning at the tip 26 of the stud 16 , the fastener 34 is drawn toward the front face 18 of the base plate 12 . in the illustrated embodiment , a stand off 38 extends away from the base plate 12 , in order to support a point 40 . the point 40 is shown in engineering style with the intermediate length continuing as the portions illustrated . in this embodiment , the point 40 may be secured by a securement 42 such as a set screw 42 threaded into a receiver 44 that mounts the point 40 to support it in a vertical orientation . as described hereinabove , the point 40 operates to draw lightning , by increasing the voltage stress field near the distal end thereof ( farthest from the building ). referring to fig2 , while continuing to refer generally to fig1 - 29 , an installation of an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention may include attachment of an anchor 10 by a pad 14 to a surface 35 of a building . in the illustrated embodiment , the surface 35 is part of a covered wall 52 or parapet 52 . the parapet 52 or wall 52 is simply used by way of example . in other embodiments , the surface 35 may be part of a covering on a ridge line or ridge cap from a building , a cupola , gable , eave , or other architectural feature that represents a high point in the structure of a building . accordingly , the parapet 52 or wall 52 represents allocation that permits the point 40 to be the high point of the building by selecting a surface 35 to which the anchor 10 may be installed . thus , the installation 50 or assembly 50 may include , for example , an anchor 10 secured by a pad 14 against a surface 35 of a flashing 54 or cap 54 covering a portion of a wall 52 . in the illustrated embodiment , the cap 54 or flashing 54 , may include a drip edge 55 . the drip edge 55 is instructive . significant effort is taken to assure protection of the wall 52 against the elements , particularly rain , and the freeze - thaw cycle of winter moisture . accordingly , the drip edge 54 proceeds away from the wall 52 , in order to assure that water striking the flashing 54 or cap 54 is conducted away therefrom . this may assure that it drips elsewhere , rather than feeding capillary spaces between the wall 52 and the flashing 54 . likewise , the drip edge 55 militates against water dripping directly from the flashing 54 onto the wall 52 . in the illustrated such as the one embodiments , illustrated in fig2 , a cable 56 is secured by the anchor 10 to run along the wall 52 , attached to the surface 35 of the cap 54 or flashing 54 . in the far left embodiment , as illustrated , the anchor 10 includes a base plate 12 . thus , the anchor 10 a shows an assembled configuration of the anchor 10 b also illustrated . for example , a cable 56 is secured directly against the base plate 12 by tabs 58 that operate as extensions of the base plate 12 . tabs 58 fold over to hold the cable 56 in place . in some embodiments , such a simple , straightforward attachment mechanism may be operable without tools . with the tabs 58 fully open , and extending as if within the plane of the base 12 , an installer may press the pad 14 against the surface 35 of the flashing 54 . this anchoring of the base 12 and pad 14 secures them to the surface 35 and may be used to secure them to each other . after applying pressure and waiting , or otherwise curing the securement of the pad 14 to the surface 35 , an installer may then run the cable across the plate . cable 56 may be fastened in place by bending the tabs 58 over the cable 56 and plate 12 , and specifically over the front face 18 of the plate 12 . in the alternative embodiment of the anchor 10 c , a location 60 may be selected , as shown in the exploded view , for receiving a pad 14 after suitable cleaning . typically , the pad 14 here may be preinstalled on the anchor 10 at a factory , being secured to the base plate 12 . nevertheless , in some embodiments , the pad 14 may be applied in the field . by whatever mechanism , the rear face 20 or back face 20 of the base plate 12 adheres to the pad 14 , by being fastened to the front face 22 thereof . meanwhile , the back face 24 of the pad 14 , after a suitable cleaning of the surface 35 at the location 60 , is adhered to the surface 35 at the location 60 . in the embodiments of the anchors 10 c , and 10 d , a stud 16 protruding from the base 12 receives a fastener 36 , which fastener 36 actually holds the cable 56 . in the illustrated embodiment , the fastener 34 is provided with an aperture 36 to receive the stud 16 therethrough . accordingly , as illustrated in fig2 , a nut 32 or other keeper 32 may secure to the stud 16 , thus capturing the fastener 34 , and the cable 56 held by the fastener 34 to the base plate 12 . of course other embodiments of brackets may simply include loops , clamps , and the like simply supported by the stud 16 and base plate 12 . referring to fig2 , which is detailed in fig2 - 25 , a universal anchor 10 may provide a clip mechanism for quickly securing a cable 56 to a building wall 52 . in the illustrated embodiment , the universal anchor 10 includes arms 62 that operate as springs , being able to deflect . near the center of the anchor 10 , shown here in a vertical orientation , the arms 62 support a horizontal cable captured thereby . the anchor 10 may include a guide 64 or guide portion extending from the arm 62 . cable pushed between opposing guides 64 , will tend to deflect the guides 64 , and the arms 62 as cantilever springs . upon opening a gap between the guides 64 , a cable pressed into the guides 64 will move the guides 64 and arms 62 outboard . moving in an outboard direction opens up a gap to receive the cable 56 . the retainers 66 will hold a cable 56 in place after the cable passes into the cable region 68 . that is , after passing the guides 64 , the cable no longer exerts the outboard pressure on the guides 64 . the guides 64 and arms 62 may again return to their unstressed , unstrained positions , locking the cable 56 in place 68 . typically , the vertex 69 tends to restrict the gap 63 , thus requiring the guides 64 to push the arms 62 as cantilevers . the arms 62 , acting as cantilever springs against the base 12 , are moved away ( outboard ) until the vertex 69 of each guide 64 passes over a center line or center diameter of the cable 56 . thereafter , the retainers 66 tend to ride up on the cable 56 , once in the cable region 68 , thus drawing the cable in against the base plate 12 . this occurs as the arms 62 close back over the cable 56 to their 62 original position . thus , the retainers 66 operate to draw the cable in , against the plate 12 by force of the spring loads presented by the arms 62 and guides 64 . the anchor 10 may be referred to as a combined anchor and bracket 70 or a universal anchor 70 . thus , a particular embodiment of an anchor 10 that includes both the base 12 integrated with a mechanism for bracketing , without requiring an extra piece distinct from the base 12 as a fastener 34 , may be considered a universal or integrated anchor 10 . referring to figures to 23 a - 23 f , the various orthogonal views of the embodiment of fig2 illustrate the details and approximate aspect ratios or relationships between dimensions . meanwhile , these orthogonal views may be seen to present a universal anchor 70 or integrated anchor 70 that may be formed by simply cutting and bending a sheet of material . thus , the material of the integrated bracket 70 or universal bracket 70 may typically be metal , although other materials may be suitable . for example , certain composite materials , polymeric materials , such as certain industrial plastics , and the like , may serve as the material for forming a universal bracket 70 as illustrated . referring to fig2 - 25 , while continuing to refer to fig2 - 23 , and fig1 - 29 generally , the integrated bracket 70 of fig2 is illustrated in an exploded view with the pad 14 and cable 56 not secured . in fig2 , the assembly 50 includes the universal bracket 70 of fig2 - 24 in place , having the cable 56 installed , and the anchor 10 or universal anchor 70 installed on the surface 35 of a cover 54 of a wall 52 . as mentioned hereinabove , the integrated anchor 70 or universal anchor 70 is a particular embodiment of an anchor 10 . referring to fig2 a - 26b , in an alternative embodiment of a universal anchor 70 , a base 12 may include arms 62 and guides 64 that are not necessarily symmetrical with one another . for example , in the illustrated embodiment , the lower arms 62 may be longer , or may be the same length as the upper arms of 62 . meanwhile , the guides 64 are typically not symmetrical , and may be shaped differently to fulfill different purposes . for example , the lower guides 64 operate as guides , tending to bend or deflect away from a cable 58 inserted between the guides 64 . bending the arms 62 away from the cable 58 . the upper arms 62 , and the upper guides 64 b operate similarly . as cantilever springs , each pull away from or draws away from the center or unloaded position according to the force applied by a cable 58 being forced between the guides 64 . however , unlike previous embodiments , the upper guide 64 terminates in a different shape than does the lower guide 64 a . thus , the lower guide 64 a is a continuation or continues on as the retainer 66 a . meanwhile , the lip 66 b is not so large , and simply provides a transition for the guide 64 b . herein , throughout this text , a trailing letter behind a reference numeral simply indicates a specific instance of the item identified by that reference numeral . thus , a guide 64 is also capable of being a guide 64 a , or guide 64 b . put another way , a guide 64 a is a specific instance of a guide 64 generally , and all may be designated as a guide 64 . similarly , a guide 64 b is a specific instance of a generic guide 64 . in similar fashion , the retainer 66 a provides an actual receiver 66 a to hold and to completely cover a cable 58 when placed in the cable 56 when received in the cable region 68 . as illustrated , the cable 56 , when forced toward the base plate 12 between the guides 64 , tends to drive the guides 64 apart , acting as cantilever springs . meanwhile , the guides 64 , in turn , drive the arms 62 apart , also operating as cantilever springs with respect to the base 12 . once the gap 63 between the guides 64 has been traversed , the cable 56 may be drawn in by the retainers 66 as they close in together . the spring force of the guide 64 b pushes the detent 66 toward the cable 56 . accordingly , once the cable 56 , driven in between the guides 64 a , 64 b has sufficient clearance , then the diameter of the cable 56 tends to drive the guide 64 a upward , as the detent 66 b and the arms 62 drive the guides 64 b toward the cable 56 , and toward the arms 62 a . in this way , the upper arm 62 b tends to drive the cable 56 into the retainer 66 a . in summary , an installer forces the cable 56 between the guides 64 a , 64 b . the guides 64 a , 64 b , acting as springs , deflect , also applying and transmitting force to their respective arms 62 a , 62 b . the combined deflection of the guides 64 and the arms 62 opens the gap 63 between the guides 64 , thus receiving the cable 56 . upon the passage of the guide 64 a over the central diameter or maximum diameter of the cable 56 , the cable 56 is seated within the retainer 66 a . meanwhile , the combined forces of the guide 64 b pushing the cable into the cable position 68 under the retainer 66 a , is augmented by the force of the arms 62 b driving the guides 64 b and detent 66 b against the cable 56 , until the cable 56 , is well into the retainer 66 a . referring to fig2 a - 27f , while continuing to refer to fig2 a - 26b , one can see that the integrated anchor 70 provides a cover 66 or a retainer 66 over the outermost surface of the cable 56 . notwithstanding the embodiment of fig2 - 25 , which can easily retain the cable 56 , the embodiment of fig2 a - 27f provides a positive element 66 covering the outside of the cable 56 . referring to fig2 , a process 80 of using an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention may include both a manufacturing process 82 and an installation process 84 . for example , in certain embodiments , the anchor 10 may actually be assembled onsite . in other embodiments , the anchor may be completely manufactured , assembled , and simply applied to a wall . as discussed hereinabove , in certain embodiments brackets 34 may be selected according to a specific need . they may be used to support a cable , a point , or a specialty item in a lightning - protection circuit . in certain embodiments of an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention , brackets 34 may be conventional . they may be mounted to support cables , points , or the like on a structure of a building by an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention . in other embodiments , an integrated anchor 70 may actually include all bracketing and anchoring in a single piece , even a monolithic piece 70 of a simple homogeneous material . by any mode , a method 80 for using anchors 10 in accordance with the invention may include manufacturing and providing 82 , followed by a process 84 of installation . selecting 85 may involve selecting parameters that will govern the performance of an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention . for example , in certain embodiments , the specific material properties may be significant . thus , selecting values corresponding to material properties may be important . in some embodiments , determining whether a material property requires a metal , a polymer , a composite , or the like may hinge on the specific performance characteristics in terms of strength , spring constant , yield values of stress , deflection , maximum working strength , stiffness , and so forth . based on the parameters that are selected 85 , selecting 86 the material properties may be done by specifying what values the parameters must meet . thus , operational parameters may result in the characteristic properties , such as mass , density , maximum tensile stress , maximum strain , weight , dielectric or conduction properties , and so forth . likewise , structural strength , coefficience of thermal expansion with temperature , resistance to corrosion , and so forth may be selected 86 as material properties that will govern construction of an anchor 10 . selecting 87 securement systems may involve securements at opposite extremes ends of each anchor 10 . for example , a securement mechanism to secure a base 12 to a wall 52 of a building may be one securement , while the securement by way of a fastener 34 , keeper 32 , or integrated arms 62 and guides 64 may also be considered securements . accordingly , selecting 87 the types and numbers , as well as the operating mechanisms for various securements may determine what form of anchor 10 , and what mechanical configuration may be required . ultimately , selecting 88 materials for each of the components included in an anchor 10 , may result directly or indirectly the previous selections 85 , 86 , 87 . moreover , selecting 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 may also include , and in an overall context will include , selecting the materials that will be used in the overall lightning protection system . for example , cables may be fabricated of copper , aluminum , or other materials . typically , the duty cycle , weight , electrical conductivity , thermal conductivity , and so forth do not require gold . circuits exist that are fabricated using gold as the conducting material . nevertheless , typically , aluminum tends to be lighter than copper , whereas copper tends to be a better conductor based on area , mass , and various other parameters . by the same token , aluminum is considered more economical . thus , selecting 88 a material for a cable 56 , anchors 10 , brackets 34 , integrated anchors 70 , points 40 , and so forth may significant considerations of material properties , fabrication methods , and so forth . cutting 89 stock into the materials and components to be used applies to both the components of the installation , as well as the anchors 10 and their associated or corresponding parts . for example , cutting the pad 14 , that has been selected 88 , at the dimensions specified will constitute one element . by the same token , cutting 89 anchors 10 , or base plates 12 , or studs 16 , or otherwise fabricating them may be another consideration . similarly , folding of metal sheets after cutting 89 to size , and possibly cutting 89 with separation lines for appropriate folding may also be included . likewise , methods of making and using brackets 34 to support cables 56 , points 40 , or the like may be considered . in one embodiment , cutting 89 integrated anchors 70 may involve stamping a blank , and cutting certain separation lines in that blank to be followed by other manufacturing processes . another manufacturing process 90 or step 90 may include assembly , fabrication , or both for an anchor . for example , in certain embodiments , the stud 16 may be formed as part and parcel of an anchor 10 , as a monolithic , homogeneous , integral portion of the anchor . thus , like a nail , bolt , or the like , the anchor 10 may be formed with a base 12 and stud 16 of a single material , formed , stamped , forged , or otherwise manufactured in a single step , or single process , as a suitable manufacturing method . by the same token , bases 12 and studs 16 may be cut from flat stock and round stock and welded , pressed , threaded , or otherwise fabricated to bond together . likewise , the entire anchor 10 may be fabricated of a polymer material in a molding process or by other suitable approach . other components to be assembled 90 , fabricated 90 , or otherwise manufactured 90 may include a nut 32 or other type of keeper 32 , a fastener 34 , adapted to securely holding a point 40 or cable 56 , or the like . in one fabrication 90 , contemplated within the scope of the present invention , a flat material bender may fold past a yield point the middle of a blank for an integrated anchor 70 . various bends may be required in order to form all the distinct arms 62 , guides 64 , retainers 66 , detents 67 , vertices 69 , and so forth with the appropriate gaps 63 , angles , clearances , or the like likewise , other manufacturing processes , such as quality control , buffing , blasting , painting , heat treating , and so forth may be important to the material properties selected 86 . some process steps may also be done with blanks , finished parts 10 , or the like . packaging 92 the individual anchors 10 or components for the anchor system may be adapted to the ultimate use thereof . for example , in assembling 90 an anchor 10 , the pad 14 may be manufactured , provided , cut 89 , and assembled 90 to go into a packaging step 92 as a system ready to be installed with virtually no tools . in other embodiments , the pads 14 may each be provided as a separate article or a supply to be secured to a base 12 of an anchor 10 at the time of installation . accordingly , providing 91 procedures to installers may include printed instructions , downloadable files , website instructions , or the like . in fact , written procedures that will be packaged 92 with the anchors 10 may be included , while online instructions may also be provided 91 as a back up . finally , distributing 93 the anchors 10 through secondary distribution channels , direct to users , to installers , or the like may be done in a suitable manner . typically , packaging 92 may include warnings , which may also be part of providing 91 procedures . a process 84 or method 84 for installing an anchor 10 in accordance with the invention may begin with accumulating or otherwise gathering specifications for the performance of a lighting - protection system . based on distances , sizes , topography , geology , urbanization , and so forth , one may analyze 94 the specifications for a particular project . this may lead to the consequent points 40 to be supported and cables 56 to be carried by the anchors 10 . selecting 95 sizes , materials , and processes for assembling and installing the anchors 10 and their associated points 40 and cables 56 will appropriately follow . sizes in certain embodiments are standardized and established by building codes . building protection codes for arresting lightning exist in many jurisdictions , and may be determinative of selecting 95 the sizes , materials , and processes for installation . in other jurisdictions , cost , contemplated conditions , and the like may also factor into the selection 95 of materials , their sizes , and their processes for installation . an installer may then apply the systems 96 by obtaining from distribution 93 the quantities of anchors 10 , keepers 32 , points 40 , cables 56 , other fasteners , and install them . typically , anchors 10 will be installed near the highest extrema of a building , thereby protecting the building , it &# 39 ; s metallic components , its structure , and so forth from the high voltages , currents , heating , and the like associated with lightning strikes . in general , lightning protection systems will be grounded to earth . points 40 will extend at their distal ends to increase the voltage stress or provide a stress concentration point at the distal end of a point 40 . thereby , dielectric breakdown in the surrounding air will occur first at a point 40 , and particularly at the distal end of the point 40 . thus , following the initial corona effect that is typical of electrically active atmospheres , the electrical breakdown by lightning will occur at the distal end of a point 40 , sending electrical current through the point 40 , its anchor 10 , and to the associated cables 56 carrying current to a grounding cable 56 that eventually is anchored in the earth . referring to fig2 , in one embodiment of a method in accordance with the invention , an application process 100 may involve sizing 101 anchors 10 for use in an installation . therefore , selecting 102 a material for the pad 14 may be conducted . sizing 103 the pads 14 may include consideration of surrounding materials , clearances , thicknesses , areas , sealing , offsets , or the like . thickness may be governed by structural ( stress , strain ) requirements , installation to tolerances , and relative coefficients of thermal expansion of surfaces 35 , bases 12 , and pads 14 . in certain embodiments , sizing 103 the pads may be dictated by the sizing of the base plate 12 to which each pad 14 will connect . cutting 104 the pads and applying 105 the pads 14 to a base plate 12 may be done at the time of installation , or may be done in a manufacturing process 100 at a factory shipping completed anchors 10 . likewise , applying 105 the pad may involve cutting 104 a pad to size . nevertheless , in some embodiments , applying 105 the pads 14 to the base plates 12 may occur in a factory . installation may then include selecting 106 a location 60 on a building . typically , the location 60 will be near the top of the building , and therefore on a flashing 54 or cap 54 covering a parapet 52 or a wall 52 . cleaning 107 the location 60 may involve mechanical abrasion , chemical cleaning , or simply a solvent wash . typically , slight scrubbing with a solvent will clean off residues . in some embodiments , cleaning 107 may involve removing oxidized material having poor adhesion to the surface 35 of the base material at the location 60 . exposing 108 the pad 14 may involve removing a polymeric film that has low adhesion forces with respect to the adhesive pad 14 . thus , exposing 108 the pad 14 by removing a film , for example , permits a user or installer to apply 109 the anchor 10 by pressing the anchor 10 , and the underlying pad 14 against the location 60 on the surface 35 . in this manner , the adhesive properties of the pad 14 may bond to the surface 35 as an adhesive process . in certain embodiments , it has been found that a pressure sensitive adhesive operates well . structural adhesives exist , and pressure sensitive adhesives exist . accordingly , in one embodiment , the pad 14 is provided with , or as part of a pressure sensitive adhesive system having an expanded polymeric material ( polymer foam ) having adhesive front face 22 and rear face 24 . upon application of pressure , the adhesive may adhere , or actually cure . that is , for example , certain acrylates require a lack of oxygen to cure . other materials , such as epoxies and other materials may cure by heat , light , reagents , other chemicals , or the like . accordingly , the adhesive may be applied as multi - part , single - part , heat - curable , pressure - sensitive , or otherwise . applying 109 an anchor 10 may provide sufficient strength in the bond between the pad 14 and the surface 35 to immediately mount the remainder of the lightning - protection system . in certain embodiments , it may be required to apply 110 a cure condition . for example , time , heat , light , chemicals , or the like may be required to cure the adhesive of the pad 14 . accordingly , applying 110 the condition required to effect a cure may require time , an additional step 110 , or the like . in certain embodiments , applying 110 to cure condition may be simply a matter of waiting for passage of time with or without pressure . finally , positioning 111 a cable 56 in the anchor 10 , or in a position to be supported by the anchor may be followed by binding 112 the cable to the anchors 10 as discussed hereinabove . typically , binding 112 the cable 56 may involve tensioning the cables by binding 112 and end of a segment of cable 56 at one clamp , and pulling a tensile load in the cable 56 , in order to reduce sag , before binding 112 the cable 56 at the next or certain intermediate anchors 10 . what is claimed and desired to be secured by united states letters patent is :
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fig1 will be discussed in detail below . this figure shows schematically and partially a hydraulic system hcu with a receiving body 1 for electrohydraulic valves 2 , 3 and a pump 4 , which may be a reciprocating piston pump , which is arranged between an actuation unit thz ( master cylinder with reservoir ) and wheel brakes b ( load ). the hydraulic system hcu makes possible a pressure modulation . the pump 4 is electric - motor driven . a speed variable motor m may be used , so that the delivery rate can be regulated . a suction path of the pump 4 includes an intake valve 5 which is controlled either by pressure differential or electromagnetically . in addition , the suction path is configured to be switchable by means of a currentlessly closed reversing valve ( not shown ) in such a manner that pressure medium can be drawn either from the actuation unit thz or from a low - pressure accumulator ( not shown ), which in principle is connected to an outlet of a wheel brake b . furthermore , the electrohydraulic valve 2 is designed as a currentlessly open block valve , so that driver - independent actuation is possible in the closed switching state , and conventional brake actuation can take place in the open state . the electrohydraulic valve 3 which can also be seen is designed in principle as a currentlessly open inlet valve for the wheel brake b . the above - described switch - over in the suction path of the pump 4 enables pressure medium to be pumped either in the direction of the actuation unit thz or in the direction of the wheel brake b , depending on the switching state . a pressure regulation valve 6 and an adaptively adjustable damping unit 7 comprising a plurality of damping means are arranged in the pressure path of the pump 4 . in the schematically illustrated arrangement , a damping chamber 8 and an orifice unit connected downstream of the damping chamber 8 are provided . very generally , the orifice unit comprises a fixedly installed orifice 9 and a switchable orifice 10 . as is also symbolically apparent from fig1 , the orifice 9 has a large , relatively wide orifice opening with reduced throttling effect , while the orifice 10 has a small , comparatively narrow orifice opening with a high throttling effect . the adaptive adjustment of the damping unit 7 is effected by switching over . in the embodiment shown , this switching function is represented symbolically by a pressure - differential controlled nonreturn valve 11 which is arranged in parallel to the orifice 10 in a bypass 12 and which closes the bypass 12 in its normal position . the above - described damping unit 7 , which is adjustable adaptively to the prevailing pulsation characteristic , makes possible automatic adaptation of the damping unit 7 to the prevailing pulsation conditions . in this context , at least two different switching states must be distinguished from one another . a ) if the pressure differential exerted on the nonreturn valve 11 is not sufficient to open same , the orifice 10 connected upstream , with small orifice opening , is always initially active . the volume flow then passes through the orifice 9 with large orifice opening . for this switching state the damping unit 7 causes a cascaded , or in other words serially connected , effect of the damping chamber 8 and of the two serially connected apertures 9 , 10 with orifice openings of different sizes . the pressure medium then leaves the damping unit 7 and enters a pressure channel of the pressure path . b ) above a sufficiently large pressure differential acting on an elastically preloaded valve body 13 of the nonreturn valve 11 , the valve body 13 lifts from its valve seat 14 , so that , after passing through the damping chamber 8 , the pulsating volume flow passes directly through the orifice 9 with large orifice opening . in this case , the preloading force on the valve body 13 is specified such that , for example , a comparatively large pulsation effect triggers the switching process . as a result of this switching measure , the damping cascade which is formed comprises only the effect of the damping chamber 8 in combination with the effect of the orifice 9 with large through - opening . one advantage of this adaptively acting damping unit 7 is that it can be integrated simply , with the necessary components , in modular large - volume production , making possible variably configured , adaptive pulsation damping in a simple manner by means of different embodiments equipped in modular fashion , without causing significant costs for modifying , for example , the electrohydraulic valves 2 , 3 , the receiving body 1 , an electronic control system or other components . this is because components of the damping unit 7 can be simply added or omitted as required in the manner of a modular system . the orifice openings of the two orifices 9 , 10 may be of different dimensions . for example , they have very generally a comparatively small diameter of a few tenths of a millimeter . a graduation of the orifice openings may be within a range , for example , from approximately 0 . 2 mm to 0 . 5 mm ( with up to +/− 0 . 25 mm deviation in each case ). consequently , the orifice opening of the orifice 10 is dimensioned only approximately half as large in comparison to the orifice opening of the orifice 9 . turning now to fig3 , the physical effects of the damping unit 7 are in principle as follows : the hydraulic pressure medium dm — although in principle incompressible — is initially slightly elastic , at least in the high - pressure range ( elasticity of the pressure medium ). a further , additional elasticity e is represented symbolically by separate damping means . in addition , the orifices 9 , 10 with their respective orifice openings are dimensioned with regard to certain pulsation characteristics such that a certain banking - up pressure can be built up in the damping chamber 8 , so that the damping chamber 8 makes available elasticity as a result of the pressure medium volume banked up therein . now , an objective of the whole damping unit 7 consists in precisely coordinating its effect in such a manner that all the elasticities e , in conjunction with the banking - up pressure generated , cause a phase shift in relation to an excitation frequency produced by the pump 4 ( which frequency corresponds to a rotational speed of the electric motor drive ), such that the phase shift causes pulsation effects to be cancelled or at least reduced . through the adaptive characteristic of the invention , this object is achieved even within the range of low drive frequencies , for example in the case of comfort functions . the mechanism of an especially successful cancellation or reduction can be seen in fig6 . the background is a cascaded throttling , which can be switched off , of a damping chamber 8 with a pressure medium volume of approximately 100 mm 3 . in both pressure - time diagrams , the upper curve represents a respective pressure p_d in the damping chamber 8 and the lower curve represents a pressure p_vr in a wheel brake . the right - hand diagram in fig6 illustrates a greatly smoothed wheel pressure curve p_vr with a considerable increase of the respective damping chamber pressure p_d in relation to the wheel pressure p_vr . from this there can be inferred a greatly increased banking - up pressure , which causes the phase shift illustrated . as a result , the wheel pressure curve shows substantially no unevenness . in contrast , a damping system according to fig7 is not based on the invention but only on a cascaded throttling of an elastomer membrane 15 of approximately 60 shore hardness ( without the use of a damping chamber ). an uneven , staircase - like wheel pressure curve p_vr can be seen in the right - hand diagram of fig7 , the damping chamber pressure p_d falling at some points to the level of the wheel pressure p_vr . this documents a damping function of the damping unit used which is unsatisfactory in wide regions . in the diagram according to fig4 , a characteristic curve of a volume absorption v in mm 3 is plotted qualitatively as a function of the pressure p in bar in the case of a damping unit 7 according to aspects of the invention . accordingly , fig4 illustrates the elasticity e available in each case . a kink k in the volume characteristic curve clearly shows that the elasticity , and therefore the throttling effect , is reduced under high system pressure by the switching process described , so that the volume absorption in the damping chamber 8 is reduced . for example , the elasticity ( gradient of the characteristic curve ) is , for example , approximately 6 mm 3 / bar in a first section and approximately 0 . 5 mm 3 / bar in a second section . very generally , it is advantageous if the maximum banking - up pressure is limited , since excessively high banking - up pressure in the damping chamber 8 causes increased current consumption and increased wear of the crank drive through hydraulic reactions on the piston and drive eccentric . for this reason the bypass 12 is provided with the nonreturn valve 11 , which limits the maximum banking - up pressure generated . the opening pressure of the nonreturn valve 11 may be selected smaller , the more elastic the coordination of the whole system ( coordination of damping chamber 8 , orifices 9 , 10 and elasticity / pressure medium ). corresponding constructional elements in fig2 are designated by corresponding reference numerals . in addition , an elastic membrane 15 which separates the fluid - filled damping chamber 8 from a pneumatic chamber 16 is arranged in the damping chamber 8 . according to an embodiment , the pneumatic chamber 16 may be separated from the ambient atmosphere u by a closure 17 . alternatively , a pressure equalization takes place between the pneumatic chamber 16 and the ambient atmosphere u . the two orifices 9 , 10 and the nonreturn valve 11 are in the form of an assembly which can be handled separately , and can be inserted , starting from a receiving bore of the damping chamber 8 , in a stepped bore 18 of the pressure channel . in order to form the orifice 10 , the valve seat 14 has a specified chamfer 19 , the cross section of which corresponds to the orifice opening . in order to prevent blockage of fine bores , such as blockage of the orifice opening , a filter 20 ( cf . fig5 ) may be positioned upstream thereof . in order to implement same , an orifice 9 may be provided at the centre of a base 21 of a housing 22 opposite the valve seat 14 ( fig1 ). alternatively — as shown in fig5 — a channel - shaped or slot - shaped orifice opening ( chamfer 19 ) is provided between valve body 13 and valve seat 14 , and the enlarged orifice opening is created as the valve body 13 lifts from the valve seat 14 ( fig5 ). this construction is distinguished by the fact that the cross section of the orifice 9 can even be adjusted variably as a function of the pressure differential acting thereon , whereas according to fig2 a fixed value is always defined . in other words , it is entirely possible to configure either the orifice 9 or the orifice 10 to be variable . in addition , the switching logic can be implemented differently , for example as in fig1 , in that the orifice 10 is switched off because a nonreturn valve 11 opens the bypass 12 , or the orifice 10 is opened as a function of pressure in the manner of a switching orifice ( fig2 ). the damping unit 7 may have self - cleaning properties in that fine orifice bores are flushed free in operation during phases of relatively high pressures / drive speeds . if dirt particles block any orifice openings completely during low pressure phases , the pressure in the damping chamber 8 automatically rises and the nonreturn valve 11 opens . overloading of the pump 4 is therefore prevented , safe operation continues to be ensured and the fine orifice 9 is cleaned during phases of high pressure ( self - curing behavior ). a further , modified embodiment of the invention can be seen in fig5 . in order to shape the volume - pressure behavior of the damping chamber 8 as required , a plurality of metal elastic bodies 23 are accommodated in the damping chamber 8 . the elastic bodies 23 may be in a form , for example , like that of a hermetically sealed , compressible barometric cell . the elastic bodies 23 serve to influence and produce the desired elasticity e . a further advantage is that , as a result of the volume absorption , relatively little brake fluid volume needs to be introduced into the receiving body , and that a defined elasticity is provided at the same time .
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a laser beam scanning optical apparatus according to the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 schematically shows a laser printer having an optical unit 20 embodying the present invention . the printer includes a photoreceptor drum1 disposed approximately centrally thereof to be rotatable in a direction of arrow a . the drum 1 is surrounded by a corona charger 2 , a magnetic brush type developer 3 , a transfer charger 4 , a blade type residual toner cleaner 5 and a residual charge eraser lamp 6 . the constructions and functions of these image - forming elements are well known and not describedherein . recording paper is stored in an autofeed cassette 10 , and is fed sheet after sheet from the top with rotation of a feed roller 11 . a sheet fed tothe printer is stopped temporarily at a timing roller pair 12 , and then transported with appropriate timing to a position between the photoreceptor drum 1 and transfer charger 4 . an image is transferred to the sheet in this position , which image has been formed as a latent image on the drum 1 by the optical unit 20 , which will be described in detail later , and visualized with toner by the developer 3 . subsequently , the toner is thermally fixed to the sheet by a fixing device 13 , and the sheetis discharged through a passage 14 and a discharge roller pair 15 onto a discharge tray 16 on an upper surface of the printer . the optical unit 20 includes an unillustrated light source assembly incorporating a semiconductor laser and a collimator lens , a cylindrical lens 40 ( fig2 ) which will be described in detail later , a polygon mirror23 , a toroidal lens 24 , a half mirror 25 , a spherical mirror 26 , a first reflecting mirror 27 and a second reflecting mirror 28 . these components are mounted in a plastic unit case 30 . the semiconductor laser is modulated ( i . e . turned on and off ) based on image information , and emits a laser beam when turned on . the laser beam is converged by the collimator lens for focusing at a predetermined forward point , and shaped by the cylindrical lens 40 into a substantially linear form . when reaching the polygon mirror 23 , the linear beam has an elongate spot of a shape parallel to a main scanning direction , thereby preventing the influence of a tilt of the polygon mirror 23 . the polygon mirror 23 is driven to rotate at a fixed velocity , to deflect the laser beam at a constant angular velocity in a plane perpendicular to a rotational axis of the polygon mirror 23 . the deflected laser beam travelsto the toroidal lens 24 . the toroidal lens 24 has a fixed refracting power in a direction perpendicular to the plane of deflection . the toroidal lens24 , in combination with the cylindrical lens 40 , causes the laser beam to form a spot on the photoreceptor drum 1 . the laser beam then passes through the half mirror 25 , reflected by the spherical mirror 26 , and reflected upward by the half . mirror 25 . thereafter the beam is reflected by the first and second reflecting mirrors 27 and 28 to travel to the photoreceptor drum 1 through a slit 31 formed in a bottom surface of the unit case 30 . the spherical mirror 26 has an f - theta function to correct amain scanning speed of the laser beam ( correction of distortion ), and a function to correct curvature of field on the photoreceptor drum 1 . fig2 shows the unit case 30 , in which the cylindrical lens 40 is placed on a mount 35 formed integrally with the unit case 30 . a construction and a mounting structure in a first embodiment of the cylindrical lens 40 willbe described with reference to fig3 through 6 . the cylindrical lens 40 is formed of plastic , and includes an effective lens portion 41 , a cylinder 42 surrounding the effective lens portion 41 , and a first projection 43 and a second projection 44 formed peripherally at one end of the cylinder 42 with 180 ° between the two projections43 and 44 . the mount 35 includes a v - shaped lens holder 36 and a groove 37 formed in the bottom of the holder 36 . the cylinder 42 of the cylindrical lens 40 fits in the holder 36 so that the lens axis concurs with a principal ray of the laser beam . the first projection 43 of the cylindrical lens 40 has a width fitting tight in the groove 37 , and a sufficient length for abutting on a step 37aof the groove 37 . when , as shown in fig3 and 4 , the cylindrical lens 40 is placed on the holder 36 with the first projection 43 engaging the groove 37 , the engagement between the first projection 43 and groove 37 determines an inclination of the generating line of the effective lens portion 41 , eliminating the necessity to adjust the inclination . by urgingthe cylindrical lens 40 in a direction of arrow d in fig4 to press the first projection 43 on the step 37a , a focal point is set to reflecting surfaces of the polygon mirror 23 , eliminating the necessity to adjust thefocal point . the second projection 44 has a smaller width than the groove 37 , and a small length not reaching the step 37a ( fig5 and 6 ). when the cylindrical lens 40 is placed on the holder 36 with the second projection 44 opposed to the groove 37 , inclination of the generatrix of the effective lens portion 41 may be adjusted by turning the cylindrical lens 40 in a direction of arrow e or e &# 39 ; in fig5 . the focal point is adjustable by sliding the cylindrical lens 40 in a direction of arrow d ord &# 39 ; in fig6 . the cylindrical lens 40 is pressed in position on the mount 35 by a presser47 as shown in fig2 . the presser 47 is formed by press - working an elasticmetal sheet , and includes a pair of right and left arms 48 . the presser 47 is secured to the mount 35 by fitting positioning bores 49a formed thereinaround small projections 38a formed on upper surfaces of the mount 35 , and inserting unillustrated screws through bores 49b of the presser 47 and turning the screws into threaded holes 38b in the mount 35 . in this state , the arms 48 press the cylinder 42 from above , to fix the cylindrical lens 40 in position . in the second embodiment , the second projection 44 has a sufficient length to abut on the step 37a . the shape and function of the second projection 44 as well as other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment . while , in this embodiment , the first projection 43 eliminates the necessities to adjust inclination of the generatrix and to adjust the focal point , use of the second projection 44 as abutment on the step 37a eliminates also the necessity to adjust the focal point . thus , when the second projection 44 is used , only inclination of the generatrix may be adjusted by turning the cylindrical lens 40 in a direction of arrow e or e &# 39 ; in fig7 . in the third embodiment , the groove 37 is formed through an entire length of the lens holder 36 , with the step 37a eliminated . thus , when the first projection 43 is engaged with the groove 37 , the generatrix requires no inclination adjustment , with the focal point adjustable by sliding the cylindrical lens 40 in a direction of arrow d or d &# 39 ; in fig1 . when the second projection 44 is opposed to the groove 37 , both inclination of the generatrix and the focal point may be adjusted . fig1 and 12 show a fourth embodiment which is similar to the third embodiment except in the manner of fixing the cylindrical lens 40 . in thisembodiment , a mount 50 includes , besides the v - shaped lens holder 36 and the groove 37 formed in the bottom of the holder 36 , a pair of presser claws 51 projecting from opposite sides of the holder 36 . the cylindrical lens 40 may be set on the holder 36 with great facility by snap fitting the lens 40 between the presser claws 51 with the projection 43 or 44 opposed to the groove 37 . when fitting the lens 40 in place , the presser claws 51 flex slightly outward and , as shown in fig1 , hooked ends 52 thereof resiliently contact and retain the cylinder 42 . in this state , the axis of the cylindrical lens 40 concurs with the principal ray of the laser beam emitted from the light source assembly . subsequently , the focal point is adjusted when the projection 43 is fitted in the groove 37 , or the focal point and inclination of the generatrix areadjusted when the projection 44 is fitted in the groove 37 . then the cylindrical lens 40 may be fixed to the mount 35 with an adhesive . this mounting method may of course be applied to the first and second embodiments also . in each of the described embodiments , the projections are formed peripherally of the cylinder of the cylindrical lens , and the groove is formed in the bottom of the holder of the mount . however , it is possible to reverse the positions of the projections and groove . that is , a projection may be formed in the bottom of the holder , with grooves formed in peripheral positions of the cylindrical lens . in this case , the groovesmay have different widths and depths relative to the width and height of the projection , depending on the necessity of adjustment . the laser beam scanning optical apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments but is variable in many ways within the scope of the present invention . for example , the second projection 44 in the first and third embodiments isnot absolutely necessary but dispensable . the location of the cylindrical lens is not limited to a position upstream of the polygon mirror to prevent the influence of a tilt thereof . for example , the cylindrical lens may be disposed immediately upstream of a light - receiving sensor ( sos sensor ) for detecting an image recording startposition in each scan . the presser 47 may comprise a varied type . the cylindrical lens 40 may be fixed in place with an adhesive or the like instead of using the presser . further , although the effective lens portion 41 is shaped cylindrical in the foregoing embodiments , this shape is not limitative . a toric lens or various other anamorphic lenses may be used instead . that is , a similar effect is produced as long as the lens requires adjustment in the positionof rotation and the position along the optical axis , such as a lens having a curved . surface with asymmetry of rotation . although the present invention has been fully described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in theart . therefore , unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart fromthe scope of the present invention , they should be construed as being included therein .
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referring now to the drawings in detail , numeral 10 generally indicates in schematic form a first embodiment of engine cooling system for a railway locomotive . system 10 includes an engine 12 having internal coolant passages 14 for cooling the power developing components of the engine . the engine is turbocharged , the turbocharger including a dynamic intake air compressor 16 for compressing the engine intake air during operation . however , an engine driven compressor could be used if desired . left bank and right bank aftercoolers 18 , 20 cool intake air received from the compressor to remove some of the heat of compression before passing the air into the engine airboxes or other intake air plenums for the left and right cylinder banks of the engine . the cooling system 10 includes a main engine coolant loop 22 having an engine driven main coolant pump 24 , the engine 12 , a pair of main radiators 26 , and an optional oil cooler 28 connected in series by suitable conduit 30 . an optional bypass conduit 32 is connected around the main radiators 26 , which have two pass internal flow and are connected in parallel in the main coolant loop 22 . a separate aftercooler coolant loop 34 includes an engine driven aftercooler coolant pump 36 , the aftercoolers 18 , 20 and a pair of aftercooler radiators 38 all connected in series by conduit 40 . the aftercoolers are connected in parallel with one another and with an optional bypass line 42 in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 . the aftercooler radiators are multipass units connected in parallel with one another . a locomotive air compressor 44 may be connected in an optional loop around the coolant pump 36 . one or more orifices 46 or other bypasses may be located in either of the loops to control fluid pressures in the loops . the separate coolant loops 22 , 34 are interconnected by a first linking conduit 48 and a second linking conduit 50 . first conduit 48 connects the engine 12 in the main coolant loop 22 with the aftercoolers 18 , 20 in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 . second linking conduit 50 connects the radiators 38 in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 with the main coolant pump 24 in the main coolant loop 22 . a linking valve 52 in the first linking conduit 48 is operable between closed and fully open positions , and optionally at any intermediate valve open positions , to respectively prevent or permit coolant flow from the engine 12 in the main loop 22 through the aftercooler radiators 38 in the aftercooler loop 34 and back to the main pump 24 in the main loop 22 . a coolant tank 54 is provided and may be located in the second linking conduit 50 between the aftercooler radiators 38 and the main pump 24 in the first coolant loop 22 . cooling fans 56 are provided for drawing ambient air through both the main and aftercooler radiators for removing heat from the coolant in both of the coolant loops . controllable shutters , not shown , may also be provided at the inlet to a cooling chamber , not shown , in which the radiators are located to further control the cooling air flow through the radiators . in operation , the cooling system is filled with coolant , usually treated water including corrosion inhibitors or a mixture of water and antifreeze . the coolant tank 54 provides a store of coolant connected to both the coolant loops 22 , 34 to supply coolant to them as needed and receive excess coolant from them to accommodate expansion and contraction of the coolant during operation and after shutdown of the engine . the main radiators may have cooling capacity the same as or different than the aftercooler radiators and the flow through the radiators may be controlled in any suitable manner , such as by varying size or speed of the coolant pumps or provision of the bypasses 32 , 42 of the main loop 22 and aftercooler loop 34 . the flow rate may also be varied by differentiating the resistance of two coolant loops , such as by sizing of the conduits or the use of orifices 46 . in the illustrated system , flow in the aftercooler loop is also reduced by providing four or eight pass flow though the aftercooler radiators as compared to two pass flow through the main radiators which normally supply cooling to the engine . in earlier cooling systems for similar locomotives , series connected single pass radiators were generally used for engine and aftercooler cooling . to meet the engine coolant flow requirements , the bypass conduit 32 carries excess coolant flow around the radiators 26 . these radiators are able to provide the cooling needed for the engine at average ambient temperatures and maximum engine loads but cannot carry the full coolant flow needed in the engine . the system is designed so that the pump pressure and coolant flow in the main coolant loop 22 are both higher than in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 . when the engine is operating in average ambient air temperatures up to maximum running power , the linking valve 52 remains closed and the coolant loops remain separate in operation . increased flow resistance through the multipass aftercooler radiators causes reduced coolant flow through the aftercooler radiators . this results in increased heat rejection in the aftercooler radiators which deliver a lower temperature coolant to the aftercoolers 18 , 20 . this provides greater cooling of the compressed engine intake air , resulting in both lower exhaust emissions and reduced fuel consumption ( increased economy ). desirably , the aftercooler loop flow rate is optimized to obtain the lowest possible coolant temperature into the aftercoolers that reduction of the coolant flow rate through the aftercooler radiators can provide with the available equipment . when the engine 12 is operated at higher than average ambient temperatures , high power operation will require more cooling for the engine than the main coolant loop 22 can provide . the linking valve 52 is then opened partially or fully to allow some coolant from the engine to be diverted from the higher pressure coolant loop 22 to the aftercooler radiators 38 in the lower pressure aftercooler loop 34 . the valve 52 may be adjusted so that excess cooling capacity of the aftercooler radiators is utilized to provide the additional cooling needed to maintain the engine coolant below its maximum temperature limit . in these conditions , the temperature of coolant provided to the aftercoolers is proportionally increased but the overall result is lower engine operating temperatures and improved emissions under most , if not all , operating conditions . in order to evaluate the validity of the concepts embodied in the novel cooling system , the performance of cooling system 10 previously described was calculated with the substitution of four different aftercooler radiator arrangements using the same type radiator cores with headers for 8 , 4 , 2 and 1 pass flow . all other components of the system remained the same . after satisfying all other requirements of the system components , the final design characteristics of these four arrangements were compared to one another . table a shows as the results of this comparison , the predicted performance of the same cooling system with 8 , 4 , 2 and 1 pass aftercooler radiators at full load and speed of the engine operating at 90 degrees f . ambient air temperature , with linking valve 52 in the fully closed condition . in table a , the columns 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 show the performance of the system with 8 pass , 4 pass 2 pass and single pass aftercooler radiators . they all have the same radiator cores except the flow arrangement is modified by different inlet and outlet header designs . the resulting flow areas are inversely proportional to the number of passes in the radiators . the pressure drop characteristics of the radiators are all calculated by the manufacturer &# 39 ; s radiator performance design procedures . in table a , the predicted main loop flow and heat characteristics are given on lines 10 through 13 of the table , indicating that the difference between these four cases is negligible . table a 1 columns 1 2 3 4 2 radiators 8 pass 4 pass 2 pass 1 pass 3 aftercooler ( ac ) pump flow - gpm 255 . 1 376 . 6 404 . 2 411 . 5 4 ac core flow , each - gpm 60 . 12 64 . 06 71 70 . 33 5 ac radiator flow , each - gpm 97 . 81 164 . 4 181 . 5 186 . 3 6 ac coolant in temp .- deg . f . 123 . 1 128 . 6 133 . 6 149 . 2 7 ac coolant out temp .- deg . f . 185 . 9 186 . 4 184 . 9 197 . 7 8 temp . difference - deg . f . 62 . 8 57 . 8 51 . 3 48 . 5 9 ac air out temp - deg . f . 127 . 9 132 . 7 137 . 1 152 . 5 10 main coolant pump flow - gpm 1121 1121 1121 1121 11 engine flow - gpm 1116 1116 1116 1116 12 engine coolant out temp .- deg . f . 192 . 4 192 . 5 192 . 8 193 . 8 13 main radiator flow - gpm 469 . 9 469 . 9 469 . 9 469 . 8 14 ac heat rejection - btu / min 62316 61133 59817 55780 the predicted aftercooler loop flow characteristics are shown in lines 4 and 5 in terms of the aftercooler core and aftercooler radiator flow rates respectively . they are both decreasing with an increase in the radiator pass number . lines 6 and 7 show the temperatures at the inlet and outlet of the aftercooler cores . they both decrease with an increase in radiator pass number . moreover , line 8 shows that the difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures increases with an increase in the number of passes . the critical information is found on lines 9 and 14 . line 9 shows the engine inlet air temperature at the outlet of the aftercooler core . this temperature decreases from 152 . 5 to 127 . 9 degrees f . as the number of passes is increased . the heat transfer from the engine inlet air to the aftercooler loop coolant is increased from 55780 to 62316 btu / min or about 11 . 7 %. [ 0026 ] fig2 shows graphically the effects of reducing the coolant flow rate through the aftercooler radiators on the temperature difference across the aftercooler cores and the cooled engine ( airbox ) intake air temperature out of the aftercoolers . curve 57 shows the increase in differential coolant temperature in degrees f as the coolant flow is reduced and curve 58 indicates the corresponding reduction in the engine inlet ( airbox ) air temperature at the outlet of the aftercooler cores . the fact that reducing the flow of coolant in the aftercooler coolant loop can produce lower coolant temperatures at the aftercooler inlet appears counterintuitive when viewed from a component standpoint , as it is well known that the effectiveness of a radiator or aftercooler core increases as the coolant flow is increased . however , the fact that the method of reducing aftercooler loop flow does provide lower coolant loop temperatures and lower engine air inlet temperatures has been confirmed by application of two different mathematical methods : closed form analytic equations and system modeling computer codes . both methods confirmed the effectiveness of the method in the aftercooler system . this application of the inventive concepts to an actual locomotive cooling system design clearly demonstrates that decreasing the flow rate on the aftercooler loop and thus increasing the difference between the inlet and outlet water temperatures at the aftercooler core can increase the cooling capacity of the loop and decrease the airbox ( engine inlet ) air temperature appreciably . in the example described above , increasing the number of passes of the aftercooler radiators and hence increasing their resistance to flow decreases the aftercooler loop flow rate . any other method that would decrease the aftercooler flow rate and increase the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the aftercooler core would be effective to yield the same result . this is a primary basis for application of the present invention . the methods or ways to achieve this end result can be placed in two groups : namely static and dynamic . in the static methods , the characteristics of components are selected in a way to achieve the desired low flow rate at particular engine operating and environmental conditions . the system of fig1 is an example of the static group . at operating conditions different from those specified , the system does not change the characteristics of components so it is not always at an optimum state . in the dynamic methods , one or more of the system components are modified , by an actuator , under the control of a computer which can make modification decisions , using a system model in its memory based on measurements of properties of the working fluids at selected locations of the cooling system . fig3 shows the schematic description of such a locomotive engine cooling system forming a dynamic embodiment of the present invention and generally indicated by reference numeral 60 . engine cooling system 60 includes many of the components and features of the embodiment of fig1 so that in fig3 like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts as to which further explanation is not needed . additional components are also provided including a variable area flow control valve 62 in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 and actuators 64 , 66 for changing the openings of the flow control valve 62 and the linking valve 52 . a coolant pump 68 having a variable speed electric drive motor and controller 70 optionally replaces the previous engine driven pump . a computer 72 is connected to the valve actuators 64 , 66 and / or the pump motor controller 70 for controlling these components in accordance with a preset or changeable process or program in response to selected engine and system related parameters . thus , the computer may receive information from sensors in the cooling system , such as a loop sensor 74 for measuring a condition such as temperature or flow of the coolant in the aftercooler loop , position sensors 76 , 78 for the valves 62 , 52 , a sensor 80 for sensing the aftercooler air outlet ( engine intake ) temperature , an ambient air sensor 82 and one or more additional sensors 84 for sensing any other desired engine or system parameters . for operation of the cooling system , the computor memory includes a performance model of the system for comparison by the computor in reading the sensed parameter signals and sending signals to the actuators 64 , 66 and / or the pump motor controller 70 to position the valves 52 , 62 and / or vary the pump speed to obtain the desired water flow rate for the engine operating conditions . the system components shown and described may of course be modified or substituted for by other components or elements for accomplishing the purposes of the invention . for example any suitable form of valve or flow resistance element may be utilized in the system to adjust the flow rate in the aftercooling loop as long as the operation of the linking valve 52 in directing coolant to the aftercooler radiators 38 for controlling engine temperatures is not interfered with . the electrically driven water pump 68 and the flow control valve 62 may be used individually or together to obtain the desired water flow . other form of water pump drives may alternatively be used . also other control strategies for optimizing the aftercooler water flow may be employed in carrying out the invention . examples are prepared tables from previous data or predictive methodology , or a system model working on time based data measured by the sensors in the system . various alternative mechanisms , devices and components may be substituted in the system for accomplishing the purposes indicated without departing from the principles of the invention . thus , any suitable types of motors , actuators , valves or other devices may be used where applicable . also , any known form of system model based on tests or predictive analyses and involving steady or transient system simulations may be employed . a system in accordance with fig3 was designed in which the use of four pass aftercooler radiators 38 provides effective cooling of the engine under all expected engine operating conditions . the first linking conduit is connected to the main coolant loop 22 between the engine and the main radiators 26 . this is a desirable location because the main loop temperatures are highest at the outlet from the engine and the pressure at this point is sufficiently higher than the aftercooler loop pressure to provide sufficient flow from the engine through the aftercooler radiators when needed . [ 0037 ] fig4 shows a modified portion of an alternative embodiment of engine cooling system 86 . the system is similar to that of fig3 and the aftercooler radiators ( not shown ) use the same cores as radiators 38 but they have modified headers that provide 8 pass coolant flow . in this modified system , the increased flow resistance through the 8 pass radiators causes the pressure in the aftercooler coolant loop 34 to be higher at the connection with the link valve 52 than the pressure of the main coolant loop at the engine outlet . this would prevent flow to the aftercooler coolant loop through the first linking conduit 48 . to remedy this , system 86 disconnects the first linking conduit 48 and link valve 52 from the engine outlet portion of the main coolant loop 22 and instead connects the valve 52 directly through a linking conduit 88 with the main coolant loop between the outlet of the main pump 24 and the engine inlet . here , the coolant pressure is sufficiently higher to provide adequate coolant flow from the main coolant loop 22 to the aftercooler coolant loop 34 when the valve 52 is opened . this is true even though the engine inlet coolant temperature is lower than at the engine outlet , since the temperature difference across the engine is relatively small and the cooling capacity of the 8 pass radiators provides adequate cooling of the main loop coolant bypassed to the aftercooler loop when additional engine cooling is needed . it should be apparent that the linking connections between the main and aftercooler loops may be changed as needed to obtain the needed coolant flow between the loops when the linking valve is open . other means of controlling flow in the system may also be utilized as may best carry out the system functions . however , simplification of the system and the use of available components are preferable where possible in order to minimize cost . thus the modified systems described can provide improved engine efficiency and emissions control while limiting the use of costly new components . while the invention has been described by reference to certain preferred embodiments , it should be understood that numerous changes could be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts described . accordingly , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the disclosed embodiments , but that it have the full scope permitted by the language of the following claims .
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there are a number of techniques which can be used for the preparation of the catalyst useful in the process of this invention . of these , the more facile methods involve preparing the integral catalyst composition prior to calcination . this can be readily and conveniently accomplished by the so - called slurry method in which metal salts , either soluble or not , are mixed in a liquid medium , such as water , the water is removed and the resulting solid is calcined producing the desired catalyst . suitable calcination temperatures range from 400 °- 1000 ° c . applicable periods of calcination range from 2 - 30 hours although longer periods can be used without adverse results . the use of a support or carrier for the catalyst is within the scope of this invention . the support can be included in the slurry preparation mentioned above . useful carriers include colloidal silica or any other form of silica , alumina , pumice , quartz , zirconia , titania , carbon , silicon carbide , etc . the process of this invention can be carried out using catalyst in the form of a fluidized bed reactor , a stirred tank reactor or in a fixed bed or packed bed reactor or any combination of these types of reactors . because of the convenience associated with the use of a fixed bed reactor in a small scale operation , such a reactor will be exemplified herein . in the preferred mode of operation the feed to the reactor comprises a preheated gaseous mixture of the saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid , molecular oxygen , steam and inert diluent gas . in the case in which methacrylic acid is produced from isobutyric acid it may be desirable to include some acetone in the feed to the reactor . a preheat temperature in the range of about 300 ° to 350 ° c . is customarily used . the oxydehydrogenation reaction can be carried out in the range of from 300 ° to 500 ° c . more generally a temperature of from 375 ° to 480 ° c . provides for optimum processing . the mole ratio of molecular oxygen to carboxylic acid is from 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 and more preferably from 0 . 7 to 0 . 75 in the case where the carboxylic acid is isobutyric acid , per se . although steam is not necessary for the reaction , its presence is desirable in the feed because it is believed to act beneficially as a heat sink and in minimizing combustion of the carboxylic acid to undesirable products . the mole ratio of water to the carboxylic acid in the feed should be from about 8 to 20 . the optimum ratio is from 12 to 15 . another important parameter is the concentration of the organic reactant in the feed . the organic reactant carboxylic acid or ester should be present in the feed in from 0 . 1 to 20 mole percent . from the standpoint of achieving a reasonable throughput combined with an acceptable yield , the concentration of the reactant in the feed is from about 3 - 6 mole percent . concentration of reactant in the feed is controlled to a large degree by the amount of inert gas present , the preferred insert gas or diluent is nitrogen although other inert gases such as carbon dioxide , helium , argon , and the like are suitable . air is a very convenient source of oxygen plus inert diluent . another important parameter is contact time in the process of this invention . contact or reaction time is defined for the purpose of this invention as the catalyst volume divided by the volume of gas feed per second at the reaction temperature . the catalyst volume is the bulk volume occupied by the catalyst in the reactor . the term catalyst in this sense not only includes the material identified by the empirical formula above but also includes the support material if present . accordingly , reaction times can range from 0 . 05 to 3 . 0 seconds and more generally , in the range of from 0 . 1 to 1 . 0 second . the reaction is preferably carried out at or near atmospheric pressure although the use of higher pressures up to about 10 atmospheres is contemplated . the process of this invention is further illustrated in the following specific examples . this example illustrates the use of the slurry method for preparing an uranium - tungsten catalyst useful in the process of this invention . a slurry composed of 25 . 11 g . of uo 2 ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o , 11 . 59 g . of wo 3 and 150 ml . of water was heated at 120 ° c . for one day to remove the water . the resulting solid was calcined at 1000 ° c . for one day . the final catalyst was found to have the empirical formula uwo 6 . this example illustrates the use of the catalyst described in example i in the oxydehydrogenation of isobutyric acid to produce methacrylic acid . the procedure involved feeding a preheated mixture of isobutyric acid , air , water and acetone . 0 . 5 g . of catalyst was used in a reactor which was a stainless steel tube 2 &# 34 ; long with 1 / 2 &# 34 ; o . d . and 3 / 8 &# 34 ; i . d . the feed mixture composed of 1080 cc . water , 336 cc . of isobutyric acid and 55 cc . of acetone was fed to the reactor at a rate of 5 . 7 cc . per hour . the oxygen was fed at the same time as air at the rate of 20 standard cc . per minute . the reaction temperatures used and results obtained are given in the following table . table______________________________________experiment 1 2 3 4 5 6 7______________________________________temperature , ° c . 413 413 453 456 454 457 475 % conversion of 14 . 69 17 . 34 28 . 06 34 . 28 25 . 79 28 . 76 46 . 87isobutyric acid % selectivity to 9 . 53 6 . 93 23 . 45 42 . 97 36 . 69 34 . 36 39 . 50methacrylic acid______________________________________
| 2 |
fig1 illustrates an embodiment of an intravascular implant 2 . the implant 2 can have a connector 4 having a first end 6 and a second end 8 . the first end 6 can be attached to an anchor 10 . the anchor 10 can have a central tip 12 . the central tip 12 can be attached to the first end 6 . the anchor 10 can also have multiple tines or arms 14 extending radially from the central tip 12 , such as in an uncovered umbrella structure . the central tip 12 can be rotatably or flexibly attached to the arms 14 . leaves 16 can be attached at two ends to adjacent arms 14 . a flow - through area 18 can be an open port defined by any leaf 16 and the arms 14 to which that leaf 16 attaches . the second end 8 can be attached to a seal 20 . the second end 8 can attach to the seal 20 through an attachment device 22 , for example struts . the attachment device 22 can be integral with the second end 8 , integral with the seal 20 , or an independent part . attachment devices 22 can also be used to attach the connector 4 to the anchor 10 . the seal 20 can have a first proximal end 24 and a first distal end 26 . a second implant 28 can be attached to the seal 20 , for example at the distal end 26 , or the second implant 28 can be an integral part of the seal 20 . fig2 illustrates a single gasket embodiment of the seal 20 . the seal 20 can have a first seal ring 30 at the proximal end 24 . the seal 20 can also have a second seal ring 32 at the distal end 26 . the seal rings 30 and 32 can have radially extending spring force elements or tissue mainstays 33 . the tissue mainstays 33 can be , for example a barb , spike , hook , peg , a coil , pigtail or leaf spring , or any combination thereof . the seal rings 30 and 32 can be made from nickel - titanium alloy ( e . g ., nitinol ), titanium , stainless steel , cobalt - chrome alloy ( e . g ., elgiloy ® from elgin specialty metals , elgin , ill . ; conichrome ® from carpenter metals corp ., wyomissing , pa . ), polymers such as polyester ( e . g ., dacron ® from e . i . du pont de nemours and company , wilmington , del . ), polypropylene , polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ), expanded ptfe ( eptfe ), polyether ether ketone ( peek ), nylon , extruded collagen , silicone , radiopaque materials , or any combination thereof . examples of radiopaque materials are barium , sulfate , titanium , stainless steel , nickel - titanium alloys and gold . the seal 20 can have a first seal cover 34 attached at the proximal end 24 to the first seal ring 30 and at the distal end 26 to the second seal ring 32 . the seal cover 34 can be made from polymers such as polyester ( e . g ., dacron ® from e . i . du pont de nemours and company , wilmington , del . ), polypropylene , ptfe , eptfe , peek , nylon , polylactic acid ( pla ), poly ( lactic - co - glycolic acid ) ( plga ), polyglycolic acid ( pga ), polyurethane , polyethylene , vascular , valvular or pericardial tissue , extruded collagen , silicone , metal mesh , radiopaque materials , or any combination thereof . a seal flow port 36 can be the hole defined by the inner radii of the seal rings 30 and 32 and the seal cover 34 . the seal 20 can have a seal diameter 38 that can depend on the diameter of the vessel in a given patient . the seal diameter 38 can be from about 5 mm ( 0 . 2 in .) to about 50 mm ( 2 . 0 in . ), for example about 30 mm ( 1 . 2 in .). the seal 20 can have a seal height 40 from about 1 mm ( 0 . 04 in .) to about 6 cm ( 2 . 4 in .). fig3 illustrates an embodiment of the seal 20 that can have a first gasket 42 and a second gasket 44 . such a design can incrementally decrease the pressure across a given length so no one gasket 42 or 44 endures the entire pressure . the first gasket 42 can be similar to a single gasket seal embodiment illustrated in fig2 , except that the first seal cover 34 can be attached to the second seal ring 32 at a first gasket distal end 46 . the second gasket 44 can have a second seal cover 48 . the second seal cover 48 can be attached at a second gasket proximal end 50 to the second seal ring 32 and / or the second seal cover 48 can be integral with the first seal cover 34 . the second seal cover 48 can also attach at the distal end 26 to a third seal ring 52 . fig4 illustrates an embodiment of the seal rings 30 , 32 and 52 ( shown as 30 ). the seal ring 30 can have diametrically opposed thin sections 54 and diametrically opposed thick sections 56 . the seal ring 20 can have a seal ring thickness 58 that can vary from a minimum in the thin sections 54 to a maximum in the thick sections 56 . the seal ring 30 can also have a constant thickness along the entire circumference of the seal ring 30 . the seal ring 30 can also have a gap in the circumference of the seal ring 30 , forming a “ c ”- ring ( not shown ) as known to one having ordinary skill in the art . fig5 illustrates an embodiment of the seal 20 that can have a seal volume 60 . the seal volume 60 can be a bladder or collar filled by a fluid , for example saline , plasma , helium , oxygen , radiopaque materials ( including small pieces of solids ), blood , epoxy , glue , or any combination thereof . the bladder can be inflated in vivo by a method known to those having ordinary skill in the art . the seal volume 60 can also be a solid , for example polymers such as polyester ( e . g ., dacron ® from e . i . du pont de nemours and company , wilmington , del . ), polypropylene , ptfe , eptfe , peek , nylon , polylactic acid ( pla ), poly ( lactic - co - glycolic acid ) ( plga ), polyglycolic acid ( pga ), polyurethane , polyethylene , vascular , valvular or pericardial tissue , extruded collagen , silicone , radiopaque materials , or any combination thereof . a first and / or second seal flow ports 62 and 64 , respectively , can be defined , for example as cylinders , within the seal volume 60 . once deployed , multiple seal flow ports 62 and 64 can attach to multiple second implants 28 , or multiple legs of the second implant 28 that can extend distal of the seal into the iliac arteries . a connector port 66 can also be defined , for example as a cylinder , within the seal volume 60 . the second end 8 of the connector 4 can be placed into the connector port 66 . the seal volume 60 can be inflated after the second end 8 is placed into the connector port 66 to constrict and pressure fit the connector port 66 around the second end 8 , thereby fixedly attaching the seal 20 to the connector 4 . fig6 illustrates an embodiment of the seal 20 that can have a helical seal coil 68 having a first end 70 and a second end 72 . the ends 70 and 72 can be dulled , for example by attaching small balls as shown . the seal coil 68 can have a number of turns 74 , for example from about 1 . 25 turns 74 to about 50 turns 74 , for example about 5 turns 74 . fig7 illustrates an embodiment of the seal 20 that can have a structure similar to the anchor illustrated in fig1 but with a vertically inverted orientation . fig8 illustrates an embodiment of the seal 20 that can have a first seal ring 30 and a second seal ring 32 that are mechanically insulated from each other . this structure enables the seal rings 30 and 32 to fit to more easily fit and seal an irregularly shaped vessel . a first hub 76 can be fixedly attached or rotatably attached to first seal struts 78 and a center beam 80 . the first seal struts 78 can slidably connect on the outside or inside of the first seal ring 30 at free points 82 . the first seal struts 78 can be fixedly or rotatably attached to the second seal ring 32 at fixation points 84 . the first seal struts 78 can be fixedly attached or rotatably attached to a first collar 86 . the first collar 86 can be slidably attached to the center beam 80 . a second hub 88 can be fixedly attached or rotatably attached to second seal struts 90 and the center beam 80 . the second seal struts 90 can slidably connect on the outside or inside of the second seal ring 32 at the free points 82 . the second seal struts 90 can be fixedly or rotatably attached to the first seal ring 30 at the fixation points 84 . the second seal struts 90 can be fixedly attached or rotatably attached to a second collar 92 . the second collar 86 can be slidably attached to the center beam 80 . the seal struts 78 and 90 , the hubs 76 and 88 , and the collars 86 and 92 can be from the same materials as the seal rings 30 , 32 and 52 . the seal rings 30 and 32 can be wave - shaped . fig9 illustrates a top view of one embodiment of the wave - shaped seal ring 30 , showing a circular shape from above . fig1 illustrates a side view of the wave - shaped seal ring 30 illustrated in fig8 and 9 , showing two periods of smooth oscillation in a seal ring height 94 . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the seal ring 30 that can have sharp oscillations in the seal ring height 94 . angled seal ring struts 96 can form the seal ring 30 into a zigzag . fig1 illustrates a seal ring 30 that can have a combination of alternating lock zones 98 and angled seal ring struts 96 . the lock zones 98 can be substantially parallel to the circumference of the seal ring 30 . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of cross - section a - a ( shown in fig1 ) of the intravascular implant 2 without the seal 20 . the anchor 10 can have connectors 4 attached to the arms 14 . the second end 8 of each connector 4 can have an integral attachment device 22 . the attachment device 22 can be made of a slide 100 and an interference piece 102 defining a catch 104 there between . the slide 100 can have a slide angle 106 from about 90 ° to about 180 °. the slide 100 can also have a slide height 108 from about 0 . 38 mm ( 0 . 015 in .) to about 6 . 35 mm ( 0 . 250 in . ), for example about 3 . 18 mm ( 0 . 125 in .). the interference piece 102 can have an interference piece depth 110 from about 0 . 38 mm ( 0 . 015 in .) to about 4 . 95 mm ( 0 . 195 in .). the slide 100 and interference piece 102 can be from the same materials as the seal rings 30 , 32 and 52 or seal covers 34 and 48 . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 . the anchor 10 can have a solid ring , and can be fixedly or rotatably attached to about two or more connectors 4 . the seal ring 30 can be vertically surrounded by the slides 100 and the interference pieces 102 . the seal ring 30 can , therefore , be engaged in the catch 104 and fixedly attached to the connectors 4 . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the attachment device 22 . the attachment device 22 can have first and second slides 100 a and 100 b , first and second interference pieces 102 a and 102 b , a catch 104 defined by the slides 100 a and 100 b and the interference pieces 102 a and 102 b . the attachment device 22 can also have a rod slot 112 defined between the first slide 100 a and second slide 100 b , and between the first interference piece 102 a and the second interference piece 102 b . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of cross - section b - b ( shown in fig6 ) of the seal 20 . the two turns of the coil 68 can define the catch 104 . the coil 68 can have a coil wire diameter 114 from about 0 . 03 mm ( 0 . 001 in .) to about 1 . 3 mm ( 0 . 050 in . ), for example about 0 . 64 mm ( 0 . 025 in .). fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 that can be attached to the attachment devices 22 , that can be , in turn , attached to the seal 20 . the connector 4 can be a flexible wire , coil , rod or combinations thereof and can be hollowed . the connector 4 can also be threaded to rotatably fit the anchor 10 and seal 20 or attachment device 22 . the connector can be made from any material listed for the anchor 10 . the attachment devices 22 can be wires , coils , rods or combinations thereof . the connector 4 can also be directly attached to the seal 20 . the connector 4 can be attached to the attachment devices 22 at a connector interface 116 . the connector interface 116 can have a hub , slider , or collar . the connector interface 116 can be a direct attachment . the connector 4 and attachment device 22 can also be an integral part . the seal 20 and attachment device 22 can also be an integral part . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 that can be made from a helical connector coil 118 . the connector coil 118 can be made from a wire , for example a guidewire , having a diameter from about 0 . 46 mm ( 0 . 018 in .) to about 2 . 54 mm ( 0 . 100 in .). fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 that can be made from the connector coil 118 and a connector wire or rod 120 . the connector wire or rod 120 can also be made from a wire , for example a guidewire , having a diameter from about 0 . 46 mm ( 0 . 018 in .) to about 2 . 54 mm ( 0 . 100 in .). fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 that can have sharp oscillations in connector width . angled connector struts 124 can form the connector 4 into a zigzag . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 that can a longitudinal axis 126 . the attachment device 22 can attach the connector 4 to the anchor 10 such that the first end 6 can be substantially on the longitudinal axis 126 . the second end 8 can attach to the seal 20 substantially along a radial perimeter of the seal 20 . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 that can have the attachment device 22 attach the connector 4 to the seal 20 such that the second end 8 can be substantially on the longitudinal axis 126 . the first end 6 can attach to the anchor 10 substantially along a radial perimeter of the anchor 10 . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 that can have multiple connectors 4 . the connectors 4 can rotatably or fixedly attach to each other near their centers at joint points 128 . joined pairs of connectors 4 can form x - beams 128 . the x - beams 128 can define transverse flow ports 132 . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the anchor 10 shaped as a helical anchor coil 134 having a first end 136 and a second end 138 . the ends 136 and 138 can be dulled , for example by attaching small balls as shown . the seal coil 134 can have from about 1 turn 140 to about 10 turns 140 , for example about 4 turns 140 . the anchor 10 can also have an anchor width 142 from about 5 mm ( 0 . 2 in .) to about 50 mm ( 2 in .). the anchor 10 can also have an anchor height 144 . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the anchor 10 . the anchor 10 can have the central tip 12 , the arms 14 , and the leaves 16 as shown and described in fig1 . the arms 14 can also extend radially beyond each attachment point 146 of each arm 14 and each leaf 16 to form a diminishing spring force element or tissue mainstay 148 . the spring force elements or tissue mainstays 148 on the anchor 10 can be the same material and design as the tissue mainstays 33 on the seal 20 , and vice versa . anchor collar 150 can be slidably mounted to the connector 4 to radially extend or contract the arms 14 and to adjust the height between the anchor 10 and the seal 20 to better place the implant 2 with regard to the transverse vessels , for example the renal arteries , and vascular wall abnormalities . the anchor collar 150 can be fixedly or rotatably attached to arm supports 152 . the arm supports 152 can be fixedly or rotatably attached to the arms 14 at support points 154 . the arm supports 152 can also be an integral part of the anchor collar 150 and / or the arms 14 . the central tip 12 , arms 14 , leafs 16 , mainstays 148 , and arm supports 152 can be made from the same materials listed for the seal rings 30 , 32 and 52 . fig2 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of anchor 10 . each leaf 16 can have a first leaf end 156 and a second leaf end 158 . the first leaf end 156 of one leaf 16 can merge with the second leaf end 158 of the neighboring leaf 16 and the intermediate arm 14 into a cover 160 . the cover 160 can be a cylinder with two open ends . the leaf 16 , first leaf end 156 , second leaf end 158 and cover 160 can be fixedly or rotatably attached . the first leaf end 156 and the second leaf end 158 can terminate within the cover 160 . when deployed , the leaf 16 can press against the vascular wall to maintain a substantially circular cross - section of the vessel . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 having the arms 14 supported at support points 154 by the connectors 4 . the seal 20 can also be radially collapsible and expandable . fig2 and 29 illustrate embodiments of the intravascular implant 2 that can have a first anchor 10 and a second anchor 162 . the second anchor can be fixedly or rotatably attached to connectors 4 at support points 154 . the second anchor 162 can also be vertically inverted with respect to the first anchor , as shown in fig2 . the tissue mainstays 33 , shown in fig2 , can be directly attached to the seal rings 30 , 32 or 52 by , for example , melting , screwing , gluing , welding or use of an interference fit or pressure fit such as crimping , or combining methods thereof . to join the connector 4 to the seal 20 . the tissue mainstays 33 and the seal rings 30 , 32 or 52 can be integrated , for example , by die cutting , laser cutting , electrical discharge machining ( edm ) or stamping from a single piece or material . the connector interface 116 , shown in fig1 , can also directly attach to the connector 4 and the seal 20 or be integrated thereto by any method listed for the tissue mainstays 33 and the seal rings 30 , 32 or 52 . the arm supports 152 , shown in fig2 , can also be integrated with the anchor collar 150 and / or the arms 14 by any method listed for the tissue mainstays 33 and the seal rings 30 , 32 or 52 . as shown in fig2 , the leaf 16 , first leaf end 156 , second leaf end 158 and cover 160 can be fixedly or rotatably attached or integrally formed by any by any method listed for the tissue mainstays 33 and the seal rings 30 , 32 or 52 . as shown in fig1 , the connector coil 118 and connector rod 120 can be attached at the first connector end 6 and the second connector end by methods known to one having ordinary skill in the art . integrated parts can be made from pre - formed resilient materials , for example resilient alloys ( e . g ., nitinol , elgiloy ®) that are preformed and biased into the post - deployment shape and then compressed into the deployment shape . any elongated parts used in the intravascular implant 2 and the second implant 28 , for example the tip 12 , the arms 14 , the leafs 16 , the attachment devices 22 , the seal rings 30 , 32 and 52 , the seal coil 68 , the connector coil 118 , the connector rod 120 , the connector strut 124 , the anchor coil 134 and the arm supports 152 , can be ovalized , or have an oval cross section where necessary , to ease crimping with other parts . the intravascular implant 2 can be collapsed or compressed into a deployment configuration to enable minimally invasive implantation into the vasculature of a patient . fig3 illustrates one embodiment of compressing the seal ring 30 , as shown in fig4 , by applying outward radial forces , as shown by arrows 164 , to the thin sections 54 and / or by applying an inward radial force , as shown by arrows 166 , to the thick sections 56 . other embodiments can be compressed by applying inward radial forces spread around the circumference of the implant and / or other methods known to those having ordinary skill in the art . the intravascular implant 2 can be loaded into a delivery catheter 168 by methods known to those having ordinary skill in the art . because the design of the intravascular implant 2 can separate the anchor 10 from the seal 20 , a low profile catheter can be used to deliver the intravascular implant 2 . as illustrated in fig3 , the delivery catheter 168 can be positioned , as shown by the arrow , at a vascular site 170 using a guidewire ( not shown ) and an “ over - the - wire ” delivery method , known to those having ordinary skill in the art . a control line 172 can also extend distally from the implant 2 . the control line 172 can include controls used to manipulate any part of the intravascular implant 2 such as rotating the seal 20 , expanding or contracting the arms 14 , or separating delivery devices from the implant 2 , and / or to deliver a substance such as a medication or radiopaque material , and / or to receive signals such as optical or electrical signals . the vascular site 170 can be adjacent to a vascular aneurysm 174 , for example an abdominal aortic aneurysm , having a proximal neck 176 and transverse vessels 180 , for example renal arteries , proximal to the vascular aneurysm 174 . fig3 illustrates that the catheter 168 can be partially distally retracted , as shown by arrows 182 , thereby exposing the arms 14 while retaining the seal 20 . once exposed , the arms 14 can expand radially , as shown by arrows 184 . expansion of the arms 14 can occur due to resilient material expansion or mechanical manipulation . the tissue mainstays 148 can seat in the wall of the vascular site 170 proximal to the transverse vessels 180 , preventing the anchor 14 from moving distally . multiple , independent arms 14 can adjust to the surrounding vasculature geometry to fit as needed for secure attachment to the vascular wall . the distance between the central tip 12 and the seal 20 can be an effective connector length 186 . the effective connector length 186 can be adjusted after the tissue mainstays 148 have been seated in the wall of the vascular site 170 . the effective connector length 186 can be adjusted by rotating the seal 20 , as shown by arrows 188 , along a threaded connector 4 . fig3 illustrates that the arms 14 can be contracted , as shown by arrows 190 . the anchor 10 can then be easily repositioned , as shown by arrows 192 . the intravascular implant 2 can be made from or combined with radiopaque materials and markers to aid the placement , adjustments and repositioning of the intravascular implant 2 and associated parts with the use of an angiogram . fig3 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 and the anchor 10 that can have a contraction line 193 releasably connected to the anchor collar 150 . contraction line 193 can be formed of coaxial hypotubes . contraction line 193 can also be part of control line 172 . the arms 14 can be biased to radially expand or radially contract . fig3 illustrates that the contraction line 193 can be pulled , as shown by arrow 194 , which can result in a distal movement of the anchor collar 150 , as shown by arrow 196 . the distal movement of the anchor collar 150 can cause the arm supports 154 and , in turn , the arms 14 to rotate inward and radially contract , as shown by arrows 198 . the above process can be reversed and the arms 14 can be radially expanded . the contraction line can be separated from the anchor collar 150 when placement of the anchor 10 is finalized . fig3 illustrates an embodiment of the connector 4 and the anchor 10 that can have a fixed hub 200 that is fixedly held in space , for example by the seal 20 , the delivery catheter 168 and / or the control line 172 , distal to the anchor collar 150 . the fixed hub 200 can also be slidably connected to the connector 4 . fig3 illustrates that the connector 4 can be pulled distally , as shown by arrow 202 , which can cause the anchor collar 150 to butt against the fixed hub 200 and be forced proximally with respect to the connector 4 , as shown by arrow 204 . the proximal movement of the anchor collar 150 can cause outward rotation and radial expansion of the arm supports 154 and , in turn , the arms 14 , as shown by arrows 206 . the above process can be reversed and the arms 14 can be radially contracted . the arms 14 can be locked into place by methods known to those having ordinary skill in the art . fig3 illustrates that the catheter 168 can be retracted distally of the seal 20 , as shown by arrows 208 . retracting the catheter 168 can expose the seal 20 , allowing the seal 20 to radially expand , as shown by arrows 210 . the seal 20 can be placed to seat in the proximal neck 176 . when fully deployed , the intravascular implant 2 can have an open - walled structure , and can therefore be placed adjacent to the transverse vessels 180 without interfering with the flow through the transverse vessels 180 . fig3 illustrates the intravascular implant 2 that can be implanted in the vascular site 170 . the distal end 26 can be attached to a second implant 28 , for example a vascular graft such as an abdominal aortic aneurysm graft , for example a gel weave aortic graft . the second implant 28 can have two branching legs 212 . fig4 illustrates a cross - section of an embodiment of the attachment device 22 and second end 8 of the seal 4 . the seal ring 30 can be proximal to the slides 100 . the seal cover 34 or the second implant 28 can extend from the seal ring 30 . fig4 illustrates pulling the seal ring 30 along the slides 100 , as shown by arrows 214 . movement of the seal ring 30 along the slides 100 can cause the seal ring to radially contract , as shown by arrows 216 . once the seal ring 30 is distally clear of the slides 100 , the seal ring 30 can radially expand , as shown by arrows 218 , and seat into the catch 104 . once in the catch 104 , the seal ring 30 can be held vertically in place by the distal side of the slide 100 and the proximal side of the interference piece 102 . as illustrated in fig4 , the second implant 28 can be attached to the seal ring 30 at the proximal end of the second implant 28 . the seal ring 30 can be releasably attached to deployment rods 220 . as illustrated in fig4 , the deployment rods 220 can be used to position the seal ring 30 proximal to the attachment device 22 and so that the deployment rods 220 align into the rod slots 112 . ( the second implant 28 is not shown in fig4 for clarity ). the deployment rods 220 can be pulled distally , as shown by arrow 222 , thereby moving the seal ring 30 distally . as illustrated in fig4 , the seal ring 30 can then seat into the catch 104 . the deployment rods 220 can be detached from the seal ring 30 and removed from the vascular site 170 . the control line 172 can be removed from the vascular site 170 whenever removal is deemed appropriate during the implantation procedure . fig4 illustrates an embodiment of the intravascular implant 2 deployed at a vascular site 170 . the vascular site 170 can have a severely tortuous region over which the implant 2 is placed . the flexibility of the connector 4 compensates for the contortion in the vascular site , enabling the arms 14 to intersect the wall of the vascular site 170 at a substantially perpendicular angle , and enabling the seal 20 to seat into the proximal neck 176 to open into the at a substantially parallel angle to the body of the second implant 28 . stress and fractures in the intravascular implant 2 and in the tissue at the vascular site 170 can be minimized due to the anchor 10 being mechanically insulated from the seal 20 by use of the connector 4 . additionally , stresses can be reduced because the tissue in the vascular site 170 adjacent to the anchor 10 does not need to seal , and the tissue in the vascular site 170 adjacent to the seal 20 does not need to anchor . additional intravascular implants 2 , as shown , can be deployed at the distal ends 224 of the second implant 2 , for example in the iliac arteries , to additionally secure the second implant 2 . the arms 14 and / or the seal 20 can apply chronic stress to the adjacent tissue in the vascular site 170 causing a controlled migration of the arms 14 and / or seal 20 into the wall of the vascular site 170 to a specified depth predetermined by the tissue mainstays 33 and / or 148 . the predetermined depth can be the length of the tissue mainstay 33 and / or 148 , or a force exerted by the tissue mainstay 33 and / or 148 . the controlled migration is then halted by either a distribution of force along the greater surface area between the tissue mainstay 33 and / or 148 and the wall of the vascular site 170 or the diminishing force on the same surface area once the radially central end ( with respect to the anchor 10 ) of the tissue mainstay 33 and / or 148 has reached the wall of the vascular site 170 , or a combination of both . tissue can then ingrow around the tissue mainstay 33 and / or 148 providing a biologic seal or anchor so that the integrity of the seal or anchor is not purely mechanical . it is apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to this disclosure , and equivalents employed , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . elements shown with any embodiment are exemplary for the specific embodiment and can be used on other embodiments within this disclosure .
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in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the divide by n and the divide by m units 12 , 14 of fig1 are replaced by the clock deletion unit of fig2 . this comprises a clock gating cell 20 which is positioned between the clock and the clock input to a module . this clock gating cell 20 also received an input from a clock deletion control unit 22 . this clock deletion control unit 22 also receives the same clock input as the clock gating cell 20 . in addition , it receives a control input 24 which contains data relating to the required clocking rate , which is to be applied to the module in question . in response to the control input 24 , the clock deletion control unit 22 generates a series of pulses which are applied to the clock gating cell 20 and in turn cause a clock pulse to be generated at the module . thus , the clock deletion control unit 22 of fig2 can be set up to delete any arbitrary clock pulses from the master clock signal within a set clock period , and in any arbitrary order to achieve the effective clock frequency required . furthermore , the control input 24 may be modified at any time to change the effective clock frequency as required by the algorithms running on the module . in a preferred embodiment , each of the divide by n and divide by m units 12 , 14 in fig1 will be replaced by a clock deletion unit shown in fig2 . indeed it may be preferable to provide a clock deletion unit for each of the three modules 2 , 4 and 6 in fig1 , thereby ensuring that each can be controlled at a varying rate , whereby any module which is not required to perform processes at a particular time may have its clocking pulses removed to a clock deletion unit . when the soc is in operation , it will from time to time be necessary to transfer the data between two or more modules . when this is necessary , it must be ensured that the modules are clocked at the appropriate times . this can be achieved in a number of ways , for example , by forcing a clock pulse on both modules at the appropriate times when there is valid data to transfer , or , by using existing two - way handshake wires to naturally control the data flow from one module to the other where the transfer is recognised at both sides . the use of the handshake signal is subverted to allow only data to flow on the occasions when there happens to be a coincident clock pulse on both modules . the two - way handshake protocol used here for illustration is named “ valid - enable ” which recognises the data transfer from one module to the next on the same clock . it is also possible to accommodate two - way handshake protocols which recognise the transfer on different clocks . these require different specific logic designed around the interface protocol for the data transfer . examples of the two methods of transferring the data between the modules which may be used in embodiments of the present invention will be described . in particular , methods for transferring the data between the modules which are clocked at different effective rates will be shown . both techniques may be used on the same soc between any number of modules running at any number of effective clock rates . the best choice for the method selected will depend on whether or not the one - way or two - way hand shake protocol is available . it may also depend on the expected characteristics of the data transfer by the selected interface . the first example is a non - stalling ( known here as ‘ valid - only ’) protocol which can be used at an appropriate module interface . the signals used in the data transfer are shown in fig3 . as can be seen , there is a clock signal shown on the top line . the second line represents a handshake wire ‘ valid ’, when high indicates that the ‘ data ’ wires have a value to be transferred . valid data to be transferred in shown is fig3 as d1 , d2 , d3 and d4 . in the case where both modules are driven by the same clock , the ‘ valid - only ’ protocol works without problem . if , however , the modules are driven at different rates with different clock control settings there is possibility for losing valid data , or for mis - interpreting single words of valid data as multiple words . to avoid this error the valid signal is taken and combined with the clock gating signals from each of the clock control units to force a clock pulse on each module whenever there is the valid data to be transferred . a specific embodiment is illustrated in fig6 . this is a system in which a coincident clock pulse is forced on both sending and receiving modules when the data is ready to be transferred . fig6 shows two modules which can be clocked at different effective clock rates by respective clock deleter circuits . the two modules are modules 1 and module 2 module 1 has a clock deletion control unit 42 which receives clock control 1 . module 2 has a clock deletion control unit 44 which receives clock control 2 at its control input . each of the clock deletion control units 42 and 44 provides control signals to their respective clock gating cells 46 via a respective or gate 48 . the same clock signal so is provided to each of the clock deletion units 42 and 44 and to the two clock gating cells 46 . module 1 has to transfer the data to module 2 . when it is ready to transfer that data it produces a valid signal 52 which is applied to module 2 and which is also applied to the second input of each of the or gates 48 . the effect of the valid signal is to cause the output of each or gate 48 to be enabled irrespective of the outputs of the clock deletion control units 42 and 44 . thus , the or gates 48 provide enable signals to their respective clock gating circuits 46 in response to the valid signal 52 of the outputs of the respective clock deletion control units and 44 , causing the clock signal 50 to pass through the respective clock gating cell 46 when the output of the respective or gate 48 is enabled . sophisticated implementations would account for the additional pulses by deleting extra pulses later so the aggregate clock count matches the required rate over a period of time . when a handshake mechanism is present which allows the receiving module to stall the data transfer an alternative mechanism is employed to ensure the correct data transfer when the modules are clocked at different effective rates . the example protocol used for illustration is known here as a valid - enable transfer which is a two - way handshake protocol . the protocol is illustrated in fig4 . the first line shows the clock signal . the second line shows the ‘ valid ’ signal which originates from the sending module and indicates that the value on the data wires is of interest and to be sent to the receiving module . the third line shows the ‘ enable ’ signal which originates from the receiving module and indicates that the module is ready to accept data . when both the valid and enable signals are high , data is transferred from the sending module to the receiving module , shown in fig4 as d1 , d2 , d3 and d4 . without special treatment , this protocol would also suffer from incorrect data transfer if the sending and receiving modules were clocked by different effective clock rates . to avoid this error , the handshake signals themselves are used to ensure that the data is transferred only when there are appropriate clocks on both modules . a specific embodiment of this alternative arrangement for transferring the data between the modules in the soc is shown in fig5 . this type of arrangement uses a two - way hand shake between the modules whereby one processing element can stall back another processing element which wishes to make a data transfer . the effect of this two - way handshake is to ensure that the data transfer is possible only when there happens to be coincident clock pulses applied to both sending and receiving modules . in this arrangement , module 1 has an enable input which is asserted in response to the output of an and gate 60 . module 2 correspondingly has a valid input which is asserted by the output of an and gate 62 . the enable input to module 1 permits it to send data to module 2 and the valid input of module 2 permits it to receive data from module 1 . a first input of the and gate 60 is an enable signal produced by module 2 when it is in a state in which it is ready to receive the data from module 1 . a first input of the and gate 62 is a valid output from module 1 which is produced when it is able to send the data to module 2 . the respective second inputs of the and gates 60 and 62 are provided by a clocking circuit 64 . the clocking circuit 64 has a clock input 66 . this clocking signal is sent to two clock gating circuits of the type described with reference to fig2 . module 1 has an clock gating unit comprising a clock deletion control unit 42 receiving a clock control signal 1 at its clock control input . the output of the clock deletion control unit 42 and the clock signal 66 are provided to its clock gating cell 48 which provides a clock signal to module 1 . correspondingly , for module 2 , a clock deletion control unit 44 receives a clock control signal 2 at its control input and provides an output to its clock gating cell 48 which in turn provides a clocking signal to module 2 . the output of the two clock deletion control units 42 and 44 are also provided to an additional and gate 68 . the output of this and gate 68 forms the second input to the two and gates 60 and 62 . thus , when the two clock control signals cause the respective clock deletion control units 42 and 44 to provide enabling pulses to their respective clock gating cells 48 , the output of the and gate 68 is asserted , thereby permitting the data to pass from module 1 to module 2 if module 1 produces a valid signal on its valid output line and module 2 produces an enable signal on its enable line , i . e . when module 1 is ready to send the data and module 2 is also ready to receive the data . when this happens , the data is sent from module 1 to module 2 in response to the clock signals provided at their respective clock inputs by the respective clock gating cells 48 . this arrangement works most effectively when the clock deletion circuits have a maximum number of coincident clock pulses between them , thereby minimising the chance of one module being unnecessarily stalled whilst waiting for the data to be transferred to or from the other . a line is shown between the two clock deletion control units 42 and 44 in fig5 and this line represents a linkage between the two clock control inputs to provide some synchronization and thereby ensure maximum number of coincident clock pulses . in these embodiments of the invention , clock control signals may be hard wired to a constant if no control of the clock rate is required . alternatively , they may be wired to a register so that the clock rate may be controlled by software running on a processor . alternatively the control signals may be dynamically adjusted by the module whose clock is being controlled , or indeed by any other module responsible for controlling the clocking rates of other modules . in the dynamic control case , a metric may be used to provide an indication of whether or not the module being clocked is operating correctly in meeting its real time requirements or whether some adjustment to the clocking speed is required . this metric could be generated , for example , by using the fullness of an appropriate fifo buffer or other hardware that could be constructed to provide an indication of how much the module is over or under performing . this metric can then be fed back to drive directly the clock control signals via suitable scaling and offsetting . preferably , each of the plurality of modules is clocked with the minimum possible number of clock pulses in any given period of time . it is generally possible to calculate or deduce the minimum clock frequency that each module needs to be clocked at in order to operate its task . the clocking may be controlled within a time period to have periods of inaction and periods of higher frequency clocking if the flow of the data in the system dictates that this is required . it is preferable to maximise the number of concurrent clock pulses between the modules so that the data is more likely to be transferred between the modules when it becomes available , rather than to wait and possibly slow down the system . for example the system may have three modules that are driven by clock 1 , clock 2 and clock 3 or driven from a common master clock . it may have been deduced that the new clock rates required for clock 1 , clock and clock 3 are four pulses , eight pulses and three pulses respectively for every sixteen clock periods . a possible configuration for this is shown in fig7 with the clock pulses required for clock 1 , clock 2 and clock 3 . in this example , all the clock pulses occur at the beginning of a sixteen period cycle for a respective minimum number of clock cycles to maximise the number of concurrent clock pulses . it is also desirable to take account of the expected rates at which the modules produce or receive the data and modify the clocking pattern appropriately . for example , if module 1 delivers the data to module 2 on average one word every two clock pulses , module 2 needs four clock pulses to deal with each word it receives , the arrangement of clock pulses shown in fig7 being inappropriate . for this situation , the fifo buffer between the modules would be required to maintain smooth data flow . alternatively , this requirement can be eliminated by arranging the waveforms differently as shown in fig8 . in this , the clock pulses applied to clock 1 are spread to enable module 2 to process the data as it receives it from module 1 . to produce waveforms with characteristics such as waveforms shown in fig8 , the clock deletion control unit will need to be configured with frame length corresponding to the number of clock periods before a particular cycle restarts . it would also need to know the number of active cycles , i . e . the number of clock periods within a frame for which a clock pulse is generated , and the number of clock periods between output pulses . this would then enable its clock pulse to be altered to ensure optimum flow of data between modules .
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this invention relates to improvements in apparatus for punching holes in sheet material , more particularly to improvements for punching apparatus for forming via holes in ceramic green sheets . in the semiconductor packaging technology , multilayer ceramic substrates formed of ceramic green sheets with via holes and conductive metal patterns are assembled and fired to provide monolithic ceramic substrates with internal metallurgy systems . the via holes in the green sheet are conventionally punched with mechanical punch apparatus having many very small punches that are very fragile and subject to severe abraision from the ceramic particles in the green ceramic sheet . various malfunction such as punch breakage , blockage of punched holes by punched material , etc . can and do occur that result in blocked or absence of holes in the sheet . these conditions prevent conductive material from completing the metallurgy system , forming an &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; circuit . a single such defect in a multilayer ceramic substrate can render a completed sintered substrate unusable , representing a very significant loss since the finished substrate is a relatively expensive unit . in the manufacture of multilayer ceramic ( mlc ) substrates for integrated circuit semiconductor package structures , a plurality of green ceramic sheets are formed by doctor blading a slurry containing a resin binder , a particulate ceramic material , solvents , and a plasticizer , drying the doctor bladed sheet and cutting it into appropriate size sheets . via holes are then punched for forming electrical interconnections through the sheet , electrically conductive paste is deposited in the holes and in appropriate patterns on the surface of the sheets , the sheets stacked and subsequently fired at a sintering temperature . punching of via holes in ceramic sheets presents formidable engineering problems in view of their small size and density . it is conventional to punch via holes with apparatus of the type disclosed in ibm tdb vol . 13 no . 4 feb . 1971 p . 2536 or ibm tdb vol . 16 no . 12 may 1974 p . 3933 . in these apparatus a plurality of punch elements arranged in the grid are indexed over the green sheet which is covered by an interposer mask . the interposer mask contains openings where holes are desired to be punched . when the punch elements contact the interposer mask as the punch head is moved downwardly , a hole will be punched where the openings occur since the punch element will pass through the openings in the interposer mask , and through the ceramic green sheet . in other areas covered by the interposer mask , i . e ., where holes are not desired , the interposer mask will cause the punch element to be retracted into the head . automated punch apparatus which utilize individually programmable punches have been suggested in ibm tdb vol . 20 no . 4 sept . 1977 p . 1379 . this type of punching apparatus does not require the aforedescribed interposer mask , since the individual punching elements can be activated electrically upon command . in accordance with the present invention we provide improvements in punch apparatus for punching holes in sheet material in which material removed from the sheet is forceably displaced to thereby prevent its being inadvertently drawn back into the punched holes , and also detection structure that will indicate malfunctions of critical elements of the punch apparatus . more specifically a means is provided to generate a current of air beneath the die bushing that blows a punched slug of material from the end of a punch element after it has pierced the sheet . sensors are provided to detect punch movement , and also air pressure within a pressurized chamber that is part of an air spring for biasing the punch elements in a downward position . in the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure fig1 is an elevational view in broken cross section of the punch element of the punching apparatus in which is illustrated various improvements of this invention . fig2 is an elevational view in section of a punch apparatus head illustrating the location and arrangement of the elements thereof . in accordance with the present invention , we provide an improved punched element for forming holes in sheet material , in particular ceramic green sheet . the punch apparatus as depicted in fig2 of the drawings , has a punch head 10 supporting a punch plate 12 . a stripper plate 14 encloses the lower ends of punch elements 16 . stripper plate 14 is biased downwardly by actuating springs 18 surrounding bolts 20 that are slidably supported in aperture 22 in punch head 10 . the length of bolts 20 are adjusted so that the head 21 abuts against surface 23 to position the stripper plate so that the bottom surface 28 is substantially flush with the ends of punch elements 16 . when the stripper plate 14 is forced upwardly compressing the springs 18 the tips 30 of punch elements 16 will protrude beyond surface 28 . guide pins 24 mounted in punch head 10 are slidably received in bushings 26 mounted on stripper plate 14 . the punch elements 16 are resiliently urged downwardly so that the collar 32 is in abutting engagement with bushing 34 by the combination of a pressure chamber 36 a diaphram 38 and link element 40 . the air under pressure in chamber 36 exerts a downward pressure on link 40 through diaphragm 38 to force punch element 16 in a downwardly extending relation . a substrate support 42 is provided to support green sheet 44 and interposer mask 46 . die bushings 48 are provided with an aperture 50 that is in alignment with the tip portion 30 of punch element 16 . green sheet 44 and mask 46 are indexed in both the x and y directions by an indexing mechanism , not shown . in operation , green ceramic sheet 44 is placed over substrate support 42 and an interposer mask 46 , provided with holes 47 corresponding to the apertures desired in the green sheet is placed over sheet 44 . the interposer mask and green sheet are secured at their periphery to the indexing mechanism to provide indexing movement , relating to the punches . the punch head 10 is moved downwardly by a suitable mechanism , not shown , to first force the stripper plate 14 against the interposer mask 46 and to continue urging the head downwardly as the springs 18 are compressed . as the punch head 10 is moved downwardly the tips of punch elements 30 will either contact the interposer mask 46 when there is no hole beneath the punch or be forced through the green sheet when an opening 47 is aligned with the punch element . the punch head is then retracted and the punch elements removed from the green sheet . the stripper plate 14 holds the interposer mask and green sheet against the substrate support as the punches are withdrawn . the green sheet 44 and interposer mask 46 are then indexed by the aforementioned indexing mechanism in the x and / or the y direction and the cycle repeated . in practice the green sheet and mask are indexed in a desired number of steps over the center - to - center spacing of the punch elements in both the x and the y directions . in this manner the entire green sheet 44 is exposed to the action of the punches . when an opening in the interposer mask is aligned with the punch , the punch punches a hole . referring now to fig1 there is illustrated in greater detail an improvement of our invention to the aforedescribed punch apparatus i . e ., a means to forcibly displace slugs of material punched from the substrate from the ends of the punched elements following a punching operation . during the aforedescribed punching cycle the tip 30 of punch element 16 is forced through green sheet 44 pushing the removed slug of material downwardly through aperture 50 of die bushing 48 . when the punch head is withdrawn , the material in a conventional punching apparatus may adhere to the end of the punching element and be drawn back upwardly through aperture 50 and into the previously punched aperture . in our invention there is provided a tube 52 with the end portion adjacent to aperture 50 and a means to cause a current of air , indicated by arrows 54 . the current of air or any other suitable type gas or fluid can be produced by either connecting a source of pressure to the tube 52 or evacuating the chamber 56 leaving the opposite end of tube 52 open to the atmosphere . the desired objective is to blow the slug off the punch tip before it can be drawn back into the green sheet 44 . adherence of the punched slug to the punch element is more likely when the punch tip has been worn . this improvement can be used in solenoid operated punch apparatus as well as the apparatus illustrated . another improvement of our invention to the punching apparatus is the means for urging the punch elements downwardly in extending relation . conventional punch elements are urged downwardly by a metallic spring element . in this apparatus the link element 40 has a curved top surface 58 that interacts with the cylindrical surface portion of link element 40 in the plane of the bottom surface of air chamber 36 . when a punch element contacts an interposer mask , the punch element is forced upwardly moving link element 40 in an upward position . the curved surface of element 40 minimizes the wear on the diaphragm 38 thereby significantly extending its working life . another improvement of our invention to the general punch apparatus is a means to detect broken punch elements . sensor 60 with sensing element 62 is provided above each of the link elements 40 . the position of the sensing element 62 is such to be able to detect when the punch element is forced upwardly into the punched head . if the punch element is broken , contact with an interposer mask fails to force the insert 40 against the sensor 60 . in order to check the condition of the punch elements in the head , a solid plate is placed beneath the punch head , the punch head moved downwardly as in a punching cycle , and the indicating means for sensors 60 observed . no signal or indication will be received from a sensor associated with a broken punch element . the improvement can also be used in solenoid operated punch apparatus with only minor modifications . yet another improvement of our invention to the punch apparatus is a means to detect whether or not the diaphram 38 is ruptured . a passage 70 is in communication with air chamber 36 . a suitable sensor 72 , shown , in fig2 is connected to passage 70 . if the pressure in the air chamber 36 drops below a certain predetermined value , the sensor will detect the condition and produce a suitable signal indicating that the punch apparatus is malfunctioning . the aforedescribed improvements to a punch apparatus , more particularly to a punch apparatus designed to punch very small via holes in green ceramic sheet will very significantly improve the performance and dependability of the punch apparatus . this will result in material improvements to the yield and produce lower production cost . while the invention has been illustrated and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .
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turning now to the drawings , and first to fig1 a portion of a stairway is shown comprising first and second steps 10 and 12 each comprising a respective step top 10 a and 12 a and riser 10 a and 12 b . a step nose extrusion 16 is provided for the step 10 and extrusion 18 is provided for the step 12 , it being understood that a fewer or greater number of steps than those shown may be involved . these extrusions are , for example , typically thirty inches or so wide and extend substantially from end to end of the step edge . they contain a plurality of spaced , small sources of light . wireways 20 and 22 on the respective sides of the steps 10 and 12 are illustrated , and these contain the electrical wiring harnesses for supplying power to lights mounted on the nose extrusions 16 and 18 . the wireways can be installed on both sides as shown or on only one side of the steps , depending on the wiring requirements of the particular installation , and these typically include an extrusion 20 , 22 as shown , along with snap - on cover sections such as 18 b and 18 c as seen to the upper right in fig1 for step 12 . each of the extrusions has an upper clear or frosted lens section 16 a , 18 a which will be explained in greater detail in connection with a discussion of fig2 - 4 . each of the extrusions 16 or 18 , as will be described in detail below , preferably is a plastic extrusion and includes a light directing member therein for directing light upwardly and downwardly , and includes therein a string of lights , either incandescent , led or the like extending substantially from end to end of the extrusion . the light directing member can be designed to reflect the light from the string of lights , or to refract the light as by prism elements or sections , or both reflect and transmit the light upwardly and downwardly , or both transmit and refract the light so as to provide suitable illumination for the top edge of the step when someone is walking down the stairs , and further to provide suitable illumination for the riser and / or the top of a step or steps below as one ascends the stairway . furthermore , the extrusions preferably include slots for receiving carpet edges of carpet on the tops of the steps and on the risers of the steps . turning now to fig2 a first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . this figure is a cross - section view of a stair nose extrusion as well as of a light directing member , along with a lighting strip . for discussion purposes , the extrusion shown in fig2 is considered to be that of the top step , namely extrusion 18 of fig1 . it includes top 18 d and riser 18 e sections at a substantially right angle or l - shaped cross - section to mate and be secured to the top and front edges of a step ( not shown in fig2 ). it further includes a channel 24 for receiving a light directing member 26 and a lighting strip 28 . in this embodiment , light from the strip 28 is reflected by a reflector 30 of the member 26 upwardly , and the strip 28 is positioned to direct light downwardly from the strip 28 through a clear or translucent section 32 of the member 26 . the light reflected upwardly passes through the clear or frosted lens 18 a of the extrusion 18 thereby emanating from the top of the stair nose , and the light through section 32 impinges downwardly directly toward the top of the next lower step and / or onto the riser 12 b . the lighting strip typically has led &# 39 ; s spaced 2 - 4 inches apart across the width of the extrusion ( note the light sources 28 a as seen in fig1 which extend across the nose of each of the steps ). considering the light directing member 26 in greater detail , the same preferably is extruded of clear pvc into the cross - sectional shape as seen in fig2 and extends substantially from one end to the other of extrusion 18 . the reflector 30 thereof preferably is provided via silver polyester tape applied directly to the member at 30 so as to reflect light from light sources 28 a of the strip 28 upwardly through the lens 18 a of the extrusion 18 . the extrusion 18 typically is extruded pvc , with the lens 18 a being extruded simultaneously therewith of clear or no translucent pvc in a conventional manner . the light directing member 26 has a forward edge 34 which abuts a rear facing edge 18 f of the extrusion 18 , and has a rear facing edge 35 that abuts a forward face 18 g of the extrusion 18 . each of 34 , 35 , 18 f and 18 g preferably can be a flat surface or flat edges as seen in fig2 to facilitate sliding the member 26 into the channel 24 of the extrusion 18 . the rear facing edge 35 of member 26 angles or curves rearwardly at 36 thereby forming a hook for causing the member 26 to be retained and secured within the channel 24 by virtue of a corner 18 h of the extrusion 18 as well as the surfaces 18 f and 18 g thereof . the light directing member 26 further includes a concave or essentially a v - shaped upper section 37 which has fingers or ears 38 and 39 for engaging and holding light sources 28 a of the strip 28 . these light sources 28 a are conventional , and typically comprise led &# 39 ; s as noted earlier , and which are connected together by suitable electrical conductors which , in turn , are connected to a low voltage power supply ( not shown ) for supplying current to the light sources . with the configuration of the upper section 37 of the member 26 , it is relatively easy to slide the light sources 28 into the section 37 during manufacture such that members 26 of an appropriate length ( e . g ., of a length to fit into the extrusions 16 and 18 as seen in fig1 ) can be provided . similarly , the extrusions 16 and 18 can be cut to the appropriate lengths at the factory so that when the extrusions and the light directing members are delivered to the job site , they are already cut to the appropriate lengths to thereby simplify assembly onto the edge or nose or the stairs with screws , adhesives , or any other suitable fastening means conventionally used . the extrusion 18 also includes an upper slot 42 for receiving the end of carpet on top of the step , and a lower slot 44 for receiving the end of carpet or other decorative material provided on the riser below . another embodiment is illustrated in fig3 wherein a light directing member 60 uses a reflective surface 62 ( similar to 30 of fig2 ) for reflecting light upwardly from the lighting string 28 , and a fresnel or prism type lens section 64 for refracting and directing the light downwardly . the structure and shape of the member 60 is otherwise the same as member 26 . the extrusion 18 and lighting string 28 are the same as those of fig2 except the extrusion at the carpet slot 44 a does not have a rear vertical leg as in fig2 and thus an end of the carpet is held between the extension 18 at 44 a and the face of the step . the section 18 e of the extrusion 18 thus does not extend out as far ( as that of fig2 ) and accordingly blocks less light aimed at the riser and step below . as in the case of fig2 light directing member 60 preferably is extruded from clear polycarbonate to provide both the lens and a holder for the lighting string 28 . a silver polyester or other reflective tape can also be provided at 60 . this light directing member 60 includes a plurality of segments on each side , such as 64 a and 64 b , to provide the degree of illumination desired for the downwardly directed light to the riser and step below . the remainder of the member 60 is like member 26 in fig2 the difference being in sections 32 in fig2 and 60 in fig3 and each is extruded preferably of clear pvc . the third embodiment of a light directing member 80 is shown in fig4 and is like that of fig2 but uses an additional reflector . it is used with the same type nose extrusion 18 ( not shown in fig4 ). a first reflector 82 ( like 30 of fig2 and 62 of fig3 ) is used and an additional reflector 84 , along with a clear lens section 86 for the light directing member 80 . the extrusion for the member 80 is the same as in fig2 with the exception of the added reflector 84 , and the lighting string 28 is the same . the reflectors 84 and 82 are provided by the silver polyester tape as in the previous embodiments . fig5 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a light directing member 90 , and which is similar to that of fig2 and 3 and combines the best features of both . it has been found that in some applications the prism 64 arrangement of fig3 may not provide as much light as is desired on the step below . in the embodiment of fig5 the overall lens section 92 has both a clear lens section 94 and a prism - type lens section 96 . by eliminating the upper prism section and providing a clear lens section 94 , more light is directed downwardly toward the step below , whereas the prism section 96 directs light toward the riser . it is believed that this configuration provides a better balance of light onto the riser and the step below in some applications than the full prism 64 arrangement of fig3 which provides more light on the riser and less on the step below than the arrangement of fig5 . the light directing member 90 of fig5 includes a reflector 98 similar to the reflectors 30 , 62 and 82 of fig2 - 4 , and the structure and shape of the member 90 is otherwise the same as member 26 . finally , fig6 illustrates a cross - sectional view of a typical wireway extrusion 100 used with the stair nose extrusions 16 , 18 to provide a channel for wires connecting the lighting strips for each of the extrusions to a suitable source of electrical power . this extrusion 100 includes an interior channel 102 for receiving the connecting wires ( not shown ), and which is covered by a cover 104 similar to 18 b and 18 c of fig1 . the cover 104 snaps in at 105 , 106 as seen in fig6 to provide a suitable cover over the electrical conductors . while embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention , and all such modifications and equivalents are intended to be covered .
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referring now more specifically to the drawings , there is illustrated therein an apparatus , generally indicated at 20 , for removing and baling plastic webs from agricultural fields where such webs have been used as mulch . apparatus 20 includes a chassis 21 having a frame 22 supported by springs 23a , 23b on an axle 24 which in turn is supported by a pair of wheels 25a , 25b . frame 22 has a pair of longitudinal side frame members 26a , 26b and a plurality of transverse frame members 27a - g , inclusive , interconnected into a rigid structure . a tongue 28 extends forwardly from the front of the frame 22 to permit apparatus 20 to be towed by a small tractor t or similar towing vehicle ( fig1 ). apparatus 20 includes plastic web feeding means 30 for removing one or more plastic webs p from the planting rows r 1 - r 6 as the apparatus 20 moves across the agricultural field and for feeding the plastic webs p into a plastic web baling means 80 . the feeding means 30 includes a pair of conveyor belts 31 , 32 which cooperate with each other to securely grip the plastic webs therebetween . the lower conveyor belt 31 is trained about rolls 33 , 34 at its opposite ends ( fig5 ). roll 33 is an idler roll and is journaled at its opposite ends in bearings 35a , 35b mounted on side rails 36a , 36b of a conveyor frame 37 . conveyor frame 37 is supported on side rails 26a , 26b by stanchions 38a , 38b . the roll 34 is a drive roll that is journaled for rotation in bearings 40a , 40b carried by side rails 36a , 36b , respectively and is driven in a manner to be described hereinafter . preferably , lower conveyor belt 31 is foraminous to permit dirt and small debris to pass therethrough ( fig4 ). upper conveyor belt 32 is trained about rolls 41 , 42 at its opposite ends . preferably , upper belt 32 is shorter than lower belt 31 so that roll 41 is spaced from roll 33 so that the lower end of lower belt 31 engages and supports the plastic webs before they enter between belts 31 and 32 . roll 41 is an idler roll that is journaled for free rotation in bearings 43a , 43b carried by side rails 44a , 44b ( fig4 ). roll 42 is a drive roll journaled for rotation in bearings 45a , 45b mounted on side rails 44a , 44b . roll 42 is driven in a manner hereinafter described . upper conveyor belt side rails 44a , 44b are mounted on conveyor frame side rails 36a , 36b , respectively , for vertical adjustable movement by mounting means 46a , 46b . mounting means 47a , 47b include bolts 47a , 47b which are slidably received in holes in side rails 36a , 36b and each of which have a head at one end and a nut and washer at the other end . springs 48a , 48b surround the bolts 47a , 47b and engage the underside of the upper flange of side rails 36a , 36b at one end and the washers on the bolts 47a , 47b at their other ends . the upper conveyor belt 32 is thusly spring biased toward lower conveyor belt 31 to accommodate varying thickness of the plastic webs while firmly gripping the plastic webs to generate sufficient pulling force to remove a plurality of such webs from the seed beds . in this regard , upper conveyor belt 32 preferably has a ribbed or otherwise roughened surface to increase the gripping force applied to the plastic webs . guide means 50 is provided on the outer end of the conveyor frame 37 for guiding the plastic webs from the seed beds to the conveyor belts 31 , 32 . guide means 50 includes a roller guide 51 journaled for free rotation at its opposite ends in a u - shaped support bracket 52 ( fig4 and 5 ). bracket 52 is mounted on the outer end of side rail 36a . guide means 50 further includes a stationary guide 53 having a plurality of guiding openings therethrough . stationary guide 53 is mounted on a cross bar 54 which in turn is mounted at its opposite ends on side rails 36a , 36b . in addition to guiding the plastic webs to the conveyor belts 31 , 32 , guide means 50 scrapes or otherwise dislodges a considerable amount of dirt and other debris from the plastic webs . conveyor belts 31 , 32 are driven by an hydraulic motor 60 which is mounted on a housing 61 carried by the upper end of side rail 36a . interiorly of housing 61 , motor 60 has a drive sprocket 62 on the shaft thereof and about which one end of a sprocket chain 63 is entrained . sprocket chain 63 drives sprockets 64 , 65 mounted on rolls 42 , 34 , respectively . hydraulic motor 60 is supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure by a pump 66 connected thereto by suitable hoses 67 ( fig2 ). pump 66 is driven by an internal combustion engine 68 . a reservoir 69 of hydraulic fluid is carried by cross frame members 27b and 27c and is connected to pump 66 by suitable hoses ( not shown ). a hopper 70 of sheet metal is mounted on the top of baling means 80 . hopper 70 includes a pair of substantially vertical side walls 71 , 72 , a front wall 73 which supports the upper , discharge end of conveyor means 30 and slopes downwardly and rearwardly therefrom , and a rear wall 74 which has a vertical portion at the top thereof and a downwardly and forwardly sloping portion at the bottom thereof . the bottom of hopper 70 is open and communicates with the interior of baling means 80 . baling means 80 includes a pair of side walls 81 , 82 carried by chassis frame 22 and extending from a forward end thereof just in front of the hopper 70 to a discharge end spaced substantially rearwardly of the hopper 70 . preferably , side walls 81 , 82 are constructed of sheet metal reinforced by upstanding posts 81a , 82a . a top wall 83 extends rearwardly from the rear wall 74 of the hopper 70 to the discharge end of the baling means 80 . similarly , a bottom wall 84 extends from the forward ends of the side walls 81 , 82 to the discharge end of the baling means 80 . preferably , top and bottom walls 83 , 84 are formed of a plurality of spaced apart , parallel bars 83a , 84a . the top and bottom walls 83 , 84 are connected to the side walls 81 , 82 to form a compaction chamber communicating with the hopper 70 at its forward end and terminating in a bale discharge opening at its rearward end . the bale discharge opening of baling means 80 is selectively opened and closed by a gate 85 . gate 85 is formed of a plurality of spaced apart , parallel bars 86 connected at their opposite ends by cross bars 87 . gate 85 is mounted for pivotal movement between a vertical or closed position and a horizontal or open position by a shaft 90 mounted on the lower end of gate 85 and brackets 91 mounted on cross frame member 27f and having holes therein through which shaft 90 extends . ( fig7 and 9 ). a rest member 92 is mounted on vertical bars 86 in a position to support the upper end of gate 85 on cross frame member 27g when gate 85 is in the horizontal or open position ( fig8 ). a latching means 93 is provided on top wall 83 above gate 85 to latch gate 85 in the vertical or closed position . latching means 93 includes a shaft 94 rotatably mounted on top wall 83 and having a handle 95 mounted on one end thereof . latch plates 96 are carried by shaft 94 and are adapted to engage the rear surface of upper cross bar 87 of gate 85 when latching means 93 is in latched position and to be spaced above upper cross bar 87 of gate 85 when latching means 93 is in the unlatched position ( fig8 ). compaction means 100 is provided for compacting the plastic webs in the baling means 80 . compaction means 100 includes a ram 101 mounted vertically within the compaction chamber defined by side walls 81 , 82 and top and bottom walls 83 , 84 and having a width and height substantially the same as the width and height of that chamber . ram 101 is carried by the outer ends of piston rods 102 , 103 of two hydraulic cylinders 104 , 105 . hydraulic cylinders 104 , 105 are mounted on stanchions 106 , 107 that are in turn mounted on the chassis frame 22 ( fig2 and 8 ). hydraulic cylinders 104 , 105 are connected to pump 66 through a controller 110 ( fig3 ). controller 110 includes suitable control valves and a timing mechanism ( not shown ) that is well know to those skilled in the art of hydraulics . controller 110 controls the hydraulic cylinders 104 , 105 to operate ram 101 between an inactive forward position in which ram 101 is positioned forwardly of the open bottom of hopper 70 and an active rearward position in which ram 101 is positioned rearwardly of the hopper 70 near the gate 85 . a hopper closure plate 111 is carried by ram 101 at its rearward end and extends forwardly thereof to a free forward end . closure plate has a length at least as great as the stroke of ram 101 and is moved with ram 101 to close the open bottom of hopper 70 on the compaction and retraction strokes of ram 101 . retaining means 112 is provided for retaining the compacted plastic webs in the compacted state upon retraction of ram 101 . retaining means 112 includes a plurality of retaining fingers 113 mounted for pivotal movement on a shaft 114 which is journaled for rotation in suitable bearings 115 . bearings 115 are mounted on top wall 83 rearward of hopper 70 but forwardly of the rearward position of ram 101 ( fig7 and 8 ). retaining fingers 113 normally occupy the position shown in fig7 in which they extend downwardly into the compaction chamber and in the path of ram 101 . in this position , the rear surface of fingers 113 will engage the front surface of the compacted mass of plastic webs and retain that compacted mass in the compacted state to prevent the compacted mass from expanding forwardly on the retraction stroke of ram 101 and closing the open bottom of hopper 70 . to complete the baling process , the compacted mass of plastic webs is banded into a bale 120 ( fig1 ). the rear face of ram 101 is provided with three vertical channels 121 , 122 , 123 ( fig1 ) to guide three bands b 1 , b 2 and b 3 into position in front of the compacted mass of plastic webs . if desired , a corrugated cardboard spacer c 1 , may be inserted into the rear end of the compaction space at the time gate 85 is closed . another cardboard spacer c 2 may be inserted in front of the compacted mass through hopper 70 . spacer c 2 will then be pushed rearwardly against the compacted mass by ram 101 . the bands b 1 , b 2 and b 3 are inserted downwardly through spaces between the bars 83a forming top wall 83 and along channels 121 , 122 and 123 and through spaces between the bars 84a forming bottom wall 84 . the bands are then pulled along the spaces between the bars 83a and 84a and the ends are brought together in the spaces between the bars 86 of gate 85 . the overlapped ends of bands b 1 , and b 2 and b 3 are secured together by clips in the normal manner . the bale 120 is then ready to be removed and stored for later disposal . storage racks 124 , 125 are provided on opposite sides of the rear end of the baling means 80 for temporary storage of completed bales 120 ( fig2 and 10 ). rollers 126 , 127 are mounted on the inside of storage racks 124 , 125 to assist in moving bales 126 from the gate 85 onto the storage racks 124 , 125 . the operation of the apparatus 20 will now be described in connection with a typical agricultural field in which row crops are normally grown . as shown in fig1 such an agricultural field typically will have the rows r arranged in groups with six rows r 1 - r 6 to the group . adjacent groups of rows are separated by an access space sufficiently wide for service equipment , such as tractors and trailers , to pass unimpeded therealong . each row r consists of a seed bed that is mounded above the access space and the spaces between rows and each seed bed of each of the rows r 1 - r 6 is covered by a plastic web p 1 - p 6 . the longitudinal edges of the plastic webs p 1 - p 6 are usually weighted down with soil placed on top thereof . holes are then formed along the center of the plastic webs and seedlings are planted in the seed beds through these holes and project upwardly therethrough . usually , a plurality of crops , typically two , are grown before the plastic webs p 1 - p 6 are removed , the seed beds are tilled and reformed and new plastic webs are applied . when the plastic webs p 1 - p 6 are to be removed , the apparatus 20 is towed along the access space between two groups of rows by a small tractor t , pick - up truck or the like . from one to three plastic webs p 1 - p 3 are started manually by having one end thereof picked - up from one end of the row , bunched together , threaded through one of the spaces in guide 53 and placed between the conveyor belts 31 and 32 . this start - up procedure is repeated for each additional plastic web up to three that is to be removed during each pass of the apparatus 20 . the towing vehicle is started moving slowly along the access space toward the opposite ends of the rows and the conveyor means 30 is activated by opening the valve ( not shown ) between hydraulic pump 66 and hydraulic motor 60 . the speed of forward travel of the apparatus 20 is correlated to the feeding rate of conveyor means 30 such that the plastic webs p are removed without undue stretching or tearing , but with sufficient tensile force to aid in removing dirt and other debris therefrom . the roller 51 guides the plastic webs p to the guide means 53 and cooperates with guide means 53 and conveyor belts 31 and 32 in removing dirt and other debris from the plastic webs . the removal of such dirt and debris is important because disposal facilities charge disposal fees based on both weight and volume . conveyor means 30 feeds the plastic webs p into hopper 70 and the plastic webs p fall through the open bottom thereof into the baling means 80 . ram 101 is operated by the hydraulic cylinders 104 , 105 on a timed basis to cycle through its compaction and retraction strokes . on a compaction stroke , the ram 101 is moved rearwardly to compact the plastic webs p against the gate 85 which is in the vertical and latched position and engages and pivots upwardly the retaining fingers 113 . the closure plate 111 closes the open bottom of hopper 70 and the plastic webs p fed into hopper 70 by conveyor means 30 collect on the closure plate 111 until ram 101 is retracted . upon retraction of ram 101 , the retaining fingers 113 pivot downwardly and the compacted mass of plastic webs is retained in the rear portion of the baling means 80 by the retaining fingers 113 . this process is continued until a sufficient amount of the plastic webs p has been compacted to form a bale 120 . at that time , forward motion of the apparatus 20 is terminated and conveyor means 30 is stopped . the plastic webs p 1 - p 3 are severed at the discharge end of conveyor means 30 and ram 101 is activated to compact the remainder of the plastic webs into the rear end of baling means 80 and then retracted . while not necessary , but may be considered desirable , corrugated paperboard spacers c 1 and c 2 may be used on the front and rear of the bale 120 . if such spacers are used , the rear spacer c 1 would have been inserted in front of gate 85 when the gate was raised to the vertical and latched position , and the front spacer c 2 is now inserted through the open bottom of hopper 70 and ram 101 is activated to move the front spacer c 2 rearwardly into contact with the bale 120 . if no spacers are used , ram 101 would not be retracted from its last compaction stroke until banding has been accomplished . a plurality of bands , preferably three , b 1 - b 3 are inserted around bale 120 , and the spacers , if any are used , and the ends thereof are secured together by clips . ram 101 is then retracted to the inactive position . gate 85 is unlatched by rotating handle 95 forwardly and downwardly . gate 85 is then lowered to the horizontal position with the rest 92 on top of frame member 27g . in this position , it is noted that gate 85 is below the level of bottom wall 84 so that bale 120 may be easily pulled from the rear end of baling means 80 and will drop down a short distance onto the gate 85 . bale 120 may then be moved with the assistance of roller 126 or 127 onto storage rack 124 or 125 for temporary storage . gate 85 is then moved upwardly to the vertical position , with or without a spacer , and latched . forward movement of the apparatus 20 and operation of conveyor means 30 and ram 101 is again commenced until another bale is formed . in the drawings and specification , there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention , and although specific terms are employed , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation .
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the following detailed description of the present invention refers to subject matter in the accompanying drawings which show , by way of illustration , specific aspects and embodiments in which the present subject matter may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present subject matter . references to “ an ”, “ one ”, or “ various ” embodiments in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment , and such references contemplate more than one embodiment . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope is defined only by the appended claims , along with the full scope of legal equivalents to which such claims are entitled . fig1 shows a modular connection assembly for a hearing assistance device having a first connector and a second connector , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . modular connection assembly 10 includes a first connector 20 and a second connector 30 . the first connector 20 includes a plurality of contacts 22 connected to a plurality of contacts 32 of the second connector 30 using a plurality of wires in cable 40 . the modular connection assembly 10 of fig1 demonstrates five ( 5 ) contacts per connector , but it is understood that other numbers of contacts may be used without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . the modular connection assembly 10 can be used in a variety of applications , including , but not limited to , hearing aids featuring electronics connected to the first connector and electronics connected to the second connector . in various embodiments , the electronics connected to the first connector 20 include , but are not limited to one or more of a receiver , a microphone , a telecoil , a sensor , or combinations thereof . in various embodiments , the electronics connected to the second connector 30 include , but are not limited to , a behind - the - ear type device , a receiver - in - the - canal type device , a receiver - in - the - ear type device , and an over the ear type of device . various wires can be used in cable 40 , including , but not limited to , stranded litz wires . in various embodiments , the wires in cable 40 are flexible . in various embodiments , the wires in cable 40 are enclosed in tubing . the tubing can be made of any flexible material , including , but not limited to pebax . reinforced tubing , such as reinforced pebax may be used . with reinforcement , improvements in flex modulus of about five ( 5 ) times may be achieved and improvements of about ten ( 10 ) times the tensile and elongation strength of wall sections may be achieved . other amounts of reinforcement improvement can be achieved without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . the connectors 22 and 32 can include a variety of conductors , and can be adapted to connect to a variety of receptacles . in various embodiments , constant contact is ensured by an elastomeric component having conductive and nonconductive portions which is placed under compression when the connector is seated in the receptacle . one such connection approach is includes the use of conductive silicone in making the connections . in one approach , for example , a conductive silicone pad is placed in the receptacle and oriented so that its conductive and insulative regions are in alignment with a series of conductors on the connector and in the receptacle . such designs include , but are not limited to , the approaches set forth in u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 027 , 173 entitled : “ electrical contacts using conductive silicone in hearing assistance devices ” and ser . no . 11 / 857 , 439 entitled : “ system for hearing assistance device including receiver in the canal ,” the specifications of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety . one advantage of such connections is that they provide self - fitted interfaces . another advantage is that if properly designed , such connections can be moisture resistant or moisture proof . another advantage is that such connections reduce the need for very tight tolerance connections , which are difficult to produce and difficult to maintain . in one example application , a pad - to - pad variation of about 0 . 0002 inches ( 0 . 005 millimeters ) is used . other tolerances are possible , and this example is provide to illustrate a use of the present subject matter , but is not intended in an exclusive or exhaustive sense . connectors 20 and 30 may be color coded in various embodiments . connectors 20 and 30 may be symmetrical in various embodiments . connectors 20 and 30 may be asymmetrical in various embodiments . in various embodiments , connectors 20 and 30 include injection molded components . in various embodiments , connectors 20 and 30 include injection molded circuits . in various embodiments , connectors 20 and 30 are made using xylex ; however , it is understood that other polymers can be used without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . fig2 shows an enlarged view of the second connector of the modular connection assembly of fig1 , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . contacts 32 at the end of the connector 30 are visible . these contacts are connected to wires in cable 40 . various strain reliefs are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter and these are shown to demonstrate possible uses of the present technology , but are not intended in a limiting or exhaustive sense . fig3 shows an exploded view of the second connector of the modular connection assembly of fig1 , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . in this example , an injection molded circuit component 39 is employed (“ imc 39 ”). imc 39 is depicted showing five ( 5 ) contacts 32 and five ( 5 ) points of contact 36 are shown to illustrate one imc 39 , but it is understood that other connections are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . for example , in some embodiments connection pads 36 are used to connect wires from the cable to contacts 32 . other numbers of contacts and connection pads and other types of components 39 with different configurations are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . fig6 a - 6h demonstrate different views of two examples of types of components 39 . in fig3 one side of imc 39 is shown with three connection pads 36 , and fig4 shows the other side with two connection pads 36 . imc 39 can be disposed within an insulative two part plug portion 34 and 38 . one advantage of using polymers , such as xylex , is that various connector configurations can be made which allow for a good connection with a receptacle , both mechanically and electrically . the various connection pads 36 of imc 39 are connected to wires in cable 40 . these connections can be made by any type of connection method , including , but not limited to soldering . such connections may be made by hand or using automation . the plug part 38 can be connected to tubing of cable 40 and act as a strain relief . the internal plug portion 34 includes a positive stop that allows the assembly of connector 30 with a receptacle . in embodiments using a flexible conductive interface , such as conductive silicone , the connector 30 is inserted into a receptacle until the stop is reached . this provides compression of the conductive silicone and a mechanical interface is provided which can be secured in position to provide reliable electrical contact and water resistance or water proofing . the stop allows the connector to provide a form fit each time it is used without overstressing the conductive silicone component . it also provides a consistent connection without variation issues incumbent in tight tolerance connectors . fig5 shows a wiring configuration of the cable of the modular connection assembly of fig1 , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . in the example provided herein , five ( 5 ) wires are used to connect to the five point connector of fig1 ; however , it is understood that a different number of wires and connections can be used without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . in the example provided herein , cable 40 includes a twisted pair 42 and a shielded wire bundle 44 . twisted pair 42 can be used for applications such as receiver connections where the twisting reduces conduction of certain types of electromagnetic interference . shielded wire bundle 44 is useful for connections such as microphone connections . the shield is made of any conductive and flexible material , included , but not limited to , braided stainless steel . the shield assists in reducing crosstalk between connections of the microphone and receiver , in applications where a microphone and receiver are used . it is understood that different numbers of conductors may be employed and that other forms of electromagnetic shielding or management may be performed . in one embodiment , the shielding is connected to other electronics or to an equipotential surface . in one embodiment , the shielding is not connected to other electronics or to an equipotential surface . in various embodiments a ferrite is used to limit electromagnetic interference . other approaches are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . fig6 a and 6b show a top view and a bottom view of an injection molded circuit connector ( imc connector ), according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . the imc 60 includes connection pads 66 , traces 67 , and contacts 62 . detailed views of the traces are shown in fig6 d and 6e , according to one embodiment . a side view of imc 60 is shown in fig6 c . an end view of imc 60 is shown in fig6 f . in various embodiments , the contacts are conformed to a shape that is consistent with the imc 60 cross section . that is shown in fig6 f as rounded contacts at the extreme ends of the connector . it is understood that the contacts can be patterned in a variety of shapes and configurations , without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . it is understood also that the contacts may be symmetrical or asymmetrical as desired for any particular design . another embodiment of imc 60 is shown in fig6 g , h , i , j , k , and l . in the embodiment shown in fig6 g to 6l , the traces 67 are continuous to both ends of imc 60 and contacts 62 can be connected to the opposite end of the connector via traces 67 . although fig6 g to 6l relate to a 5 connection example , it is understood that other numbers of connections may be made without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . imc 60 can be used in connector 20 , connector 30 , or in both connectors . use of the same imc can reduce overall cost of manufacture and provide consistent connection designs . fig7 shows a process for construction of an imc connector , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . in this process the connector substrate is molded or cast 71 . such fabrication may include , but is not limited to , injection molding . the substrate is then laser patterned to provide patterns including one or more of connection pads , traces , and contacts 72 . the substrate is then plated with conductive material to provide the one or more of the connection pads , traces and contacts 73 . in one application , laser direct structuring ( lds ) technology is used to create molded interconnect devices . one such process is provided by tyco . the processes discussed herein are used to demonstrate only some processes , but it is understood that other processes are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . in various embodiments , the electronics connected to the first connector 20 and the second connector 30 include a mating receptacle to make a positive mechanical connection and provide good electrical connections . fig8 a - 8e demonstrate a process for connecting a device having a faceplate to a connector of the modular connection assembly , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . device 80 is adapted to be worn by a user of a hearing assistance device . it has a faceplate 88 with a retainer door 82 . in fig8 a the retainer door 82 is open to allow a connector to be inserted into receptacle 89 , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . handle 84 is optional and may be used by the wearer to place the device 80 in or about the ear canal of the wearer . in embodiments of device 80 which include a microphone and a receiver , the five ( 5 ) point electrical connector and cable provided herein can provide microphone and receiver connections . in one embodiment , the connector 20 is inserted into the receptacle 89 and a positive stop is used to seat the connector , which mechanically compresses the conductive silicone portion 86 as discussed herein . in various embodiments a key slot molded into the retainer door 82 is used to guide the connector into the right orientation in receptacle 89 ( fig8 b ). the connector 20 is rotated to a vertical position in fig8 c . the retainer door 82 is closed to lock the connector 20 in place as demonstrated by fig8 d . the modular connection assembly 10 and device 80 are now connected both electrically and mechanically . in various embodiments , the connection is water resistant , water proof , and / or tamper proof . it is understood that other receptacle configurations and other devices may be used without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . the other connector 30 can be attached to a ric device , rite device , bte device , or some other device , including , but not limited to a device that is over the ear . one such ric device , such as the zon ™ by starkey laboratories , inc . fig9 demonstrates one example of how contacts are disposed in a receptacle , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . a high temperature polymer is used to provide insert molded metal contacts 94 for the receptacle 90 . the nub or extension 92 can be used to make a pivoting assembly , such as with the “ hanging basket ” faceplate design 110 of fig1 . the nubs or extensions 92 can fit into apertures 112 to make a pivoting assembly . another design for a receptacle is found in fig1 , where receptacle 100 includes a molded in flex or imc insert 104 for contacts . nubs or extensions 102 can fit into apertures 112 to make a pivoting assembly . in various embodiments , the nubs serve as a retention mechanism , but are not pivoting . other receptacle and contact designs are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . fig1 shows an exploded view of the modular connection assembly , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . plug portions 1 and 2 of connector 20 surround imc 60 , which is soldered to wires in cable 40 in one embodiment . plug portions 38 and 34 surround imc 60 of connector 30 , which is soldered to the wires in cable 40 in one embodiment . fig1 shows that the retainer door 82 is adapted to be mounted in faceplate 88 and a conductive silicone layer 86 is adapted to provide connections to contacts 6 a mounted in receptacle 6 . fig1 demonstrates one use of the modular connection assembly with active components , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . the device 140 includes battery 142 which powers one or more components in device 140 . a retainer door 82 holds the connector in place and compresses the connector against conductive silicone layer 86 , which in turn provides connection to contacts 6 a disposed in the receptacle . it is understood that various embodiments of the present subject matter provide a polymer housing and the ability to include a three - dimensional injection molded circuit which has a number of contacts . in various embodiments the injection molding ( ppa , lcp ) includes a 5 contact insert . the conductive silicone pad provides redundant connection and insulation bars in an existing hearing assistance device housing . it is understood that 2 , 3 , or 5 contacts can be utilized from the same flex . it is understood that the modular connection assembly can be used to connect hearing assistance electronics with one or more other devices , including , but not limited to a receiver , a telecoil , a sensor , a microphone , and / or combinations thereof . in one application a receiver that is adapted to be placed in an open ear configuration is designed to connect to connector 20 and a receiver - in - the ear or ric device is adapted to connect to connector 30 . in various embodiments , connectors 20 and 30 can be interchangeable . in various applications the receiver includes a mechanism to position the receiver within the ear canal . other apparatus can be included , such as another receiver or one or more of a telecoil or microphone or sensor . other variations exist without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . some variations include , but are not limited to , the following additional combinations ; however , it is understood that the present subject matter is not so limited . in various embodiments , the connections are used for a receiver connection in the ear and / or ear canal . such designs can provide increased performance in gain and output . in various embodiments , the connections are used for both a receiver and a telecoil placed closer to the ear canal . this allows for more enhanced usage with telephones and more natural positioning of a telecoil near the ear canal . in various embodiments , the connections are used for a receiver and one or more microphones . such embodiments allow for directional or array microphones with enhanced directionality and / or localization . such embodiments also provide the ability to use the connections for one or more microphones to receive sounds for real ear measurement . in various embodiments , the microphones can be situated on both sides of an ear mold or an ear bud , thereby providing sensing in the canal as well as at the opening of the ear . consequently , the use of microphones near the ear can alleviate space limitations in the behind - the - ear or over - the - ear electronics , in various embodiments . other sensors may be connected using the present system . for example , a gmr sensor ( giant magnetoresistive sensor ) or tmr ( tunneling magnetoresistive sensor ) may be connected using the present system . multiple receivers can also be connected to produce devices capable of transmitting sound on either side of the ear bud or earmold to provide functions , such as noise cancellation . additional combinations include , but are not limited to one or more microphones and a telecoil , one or more microphones and a gmr or tmr sensor , for example . additional embodiments provide connections and optionally conductors for antennas . the present connection system also allows for rechargeable applications and technology . thus , the present subject matter provides connections for a number of available configurations and for a variety of devices . the present connector can also be rapidly replaced for situations where the sensor and / or receiver at the end is desired to be changed . in embodiments where the components situated near the ear are integrated with the connector , the entire connector and component combination can be quickly and reliably interchanged . fig1 shows an isometric view of a microphone and receiver assembly 1500 according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . the assembly includes a microphone 1501 mounted between two receivers 1502 , 1503 . the assembly includes an acoustic spout 1504 for the microphone and an acoustic manifold 1505 with a port 1506 for the two receivers . in various embodiments , the microphone does not include a spout . the proximity of a microphone to a receiver in hearing assistance devices and the respective boundary conditions has been a factor in managing feedback . these constraints , historically , have negatively affected the final size of hearing assistance devices because the necessary suspension systems and multi layer barriers add size . the assembly 1500 reduces the need for the support systems and barriers by placing the microphone 1501 between two receivers 1502 , 1503 oriented such that the receiver diaphragms counteract each other in a manner that substantially negates receiver vibration paths into the microphone 1501 . in various embodiments , the assembly 1500 is enclosed in a housing adapted for wearing in the ear of a user . fig1 shows an isometric view of a microphone receiver assembly 1610 according to one embodiment of the present subject matter with the microphone 1611 offset between the two receivers 1612 , 1613 . such a configuration reduces the size of the receiver manifold 1616 from the embodiment of fig1 and provides additional separation between the microphone input 1614 and the receiver opening 1615 . as illustrated in fig1 , the dimensions of the microphone 1611 , such as the width , may be different than the dimensions of the receivers 1612 , 1613 in various embodiments . acoustic requirements of each application of the assembly often dictate the dimension of the receivers , the microphone or the receivers and the microphone . in some embodiments , the assembly connects to a connector assembly according to the present subject matter for further connection to a second device . the second device can include , for example , but is not limited to , a behind - the - ear type device , a receiver - in - the - ear ( receiver - in - the - canal ) type device , or an over the ear type of device . in various embodiments , the components of the microphone receiver assembly are mounted rigidly to each other to form the assembly and to reduce additional vibration sources . mounting techniques include , but are not limited to , mechanical fasteners , welding including laser welding , and gluing . fig1 shows a modular connection assembly with an integrated telecoil according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . a receiver , contained in upper housing 1701 is connected to the modular connection assembly 1702 . in various embodiments the connection is performed using a first connector , encased in lower housing 1703 which provides electrical and mechanical connections to the receiver . the modular connection assembly 1702 includes a second connector 1704 for connecting to a hearing assistance device . the lower housing 1703 is attached to a flexible retention device 1705 with an integrated telecoil 1706 . the retention device conforms to a wearer &# 39 ; s ear anatomy so that the receiver in upper housing 1701 is retained within a user &# 39 ; s ear in a stable and comfortable manner . in various embodiments , such as that demonstrated by fig1 , the telecoil 1706 is positioned at a distal end of the retention device 1705 . the retention device 1705 includes conducting wires to connect the telecoil 1716 to connector 1704 . such conductors may include contacts which are detachable at lower housing 1703 . these contacts can be a separate connector for quick assembly and disassembly , or can be soldered to make the connection . in various embodiments , the conductors from telecoil 1706 extend through the modular connection assembly 1702 to connector 1704 . in various embodiments , such as that demonstrated in fig1 , the telecoil 1815 is located near the receiver in upper housing 1810 so that the distal end of the retention device 1814 can be trimmed if desired without affecting the electrical nature of the device . this provides the ability to customize retention device 1814 of modular connection assembly 1811 . the connections of the telecoil 1815 can be made by a variety of connector and wiring options including those discussed above for the design of fig1 . thus , a connector in lower housing 1812 can be used to make connections between connector 1813 and a receiver in upper housing 1810 and the telecoil 1815 using the five ( 5 ) wire ( or other number of wires ) harness set forth herein . fig1 shows an exploded view of a modular connection assembly 1920 for a receiver with an integrated telecoil , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . the modular connection assembly includes a connector portion 1921 , cable tubing 1922 , receiver assembly 1923 and a telecoil assembly 1924 . the receiver assembly 1923 is configured for positioning a receiver in an ear of a wearer . the receiver assembly 1923 includes an upper housing 1925 , a lower housing 1926 and a receiver 1927 . the upper 1925 and lower 1926 receiver housings enclose the receiver 1927 . such receivers include , but are not limited to a pulse 4400 receiver or a knowles fk receiver . it is understood that other receivers may be used without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . the receiver 1927 is electrically connected to conductors ( not shown ) passing through the cable tube 1922 . in various embodiments , the conductors are soldered to the receiver 1927 . in various embodiments , receiver conductors are a twisted pair of conductors . as demonstrated by the embodiment of fig1 , the telecoil assembly 1924 couples to the receiver assembly 1923 . the telecoil assembly 1924 includes a telecoil housing 1928 , a telecoil 1929 and a retention element 1930 . the telecoil housing 1928 assembles with the upper 1925 and lower 1926 receiver housings . telecoil conductors pass through a conduit in the connecting portion 1931 of the telecoil housing 1928 from the lower receiver housing 1926 to connect to the telecoil 1929 , such as a ta32 , 3 - pin active telecoil , for example . it is understood that other telecoils may be used with the telecoil assembly without departing from the scope of the present subject matter , including , but not limited to , other active telecoils , other 3 - pin telecoils , and 2 - pin telecoils , including passive telecoils . in various embodiments other magnetic sensing and / or demodulating sensors are employed . for example , a gmr or tmr sensor may be used in conjunction with or instead of the telecoil , according to various embodiments . in various embodiments , the telecoil 1929 ( or other sensor ) is soldered to shielded conductors and is enclosed in the telecoil housing upon assembly . a flexible retention element 1930 couples to the telecoil housing 1928 to enclose the telecoil 1929 . the retention element 1930 is designed to conform to a wearer &# 39 ; s ear anatomy so that the receiver assembly 1923 is retained within the wearer &# 39 ; s ear in a stable and comfortable manner . it can be trimmed to a desired length for a better fit if needed . conductors pass through cable tubing 1922 that is coupled to the lower housing 1926 of the receiver assembly 1923 . the tubing 1922 can be made of any flexible material , including , but not limited to , pebax . reinforced tubing , such as reinforced pebax may be used . opposite the receiver assembly 1923 , the tubing 1922 connects to a connector assembly 1921 . in various embodiments , the connector assembly 1921 is a generic connector for connecting the modular connection assembly 1920 to the electronics of a hearing assistance device . in some embodiments , the connector assembly 1921 is a connector assembly according to the present subject matter ( see fig1 , assembly 30 and fig6 generally ). the illustrated connector assembly 1921 includes a strain relief 1931 for connecting to the cable tube 1922 , a molded interconnect device 1932 for connecting to conductors in the cable tube 1922 and a connector housing 1933 to retain the interconnect device 1932 in the strain relief 1931 and mechanically couple the connector assembly 1921 to a hearing assistance device such as a ric hearing assistance device , for example . the molded interconnect device 1932 includes connection pads , traces , and contacts for connecting to conductors in the cable tube and providing contacts for electrically connecting modular connection assembly 1920 to a hearing assistance device . in various embodiments , conductors from in the cable tube 1922 are soldered to contact pads of the molded interconnect device 1932 . in some embodiments , the molded interconnect device 1932 uses conductive silicone to connect to a hearing assistance device . several embodiments are provided herein . it is understood that other methods of connecting the conductors to the molded interconnect device and the molded interconnect device to a hearing assistance device are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . fig2 shows a cross - section view of a portion of an assembled modular connection assembly 2040 according to one embodiment of the present subject matter . the view includes an upper receiver housing 2041 and a lower receiver housing 2042 enclosing a receiver 2043 . the upper receiver housing 2041 includes an acoustic opening 2044 for directing sound from the receiver 2043 to a wearer &# 39 ; s ear . the assembled upper 2041 and lower 2042 receiver housings form an opening 2045 for coupling a telecoil assembly 2046 to the upper and lower receiver housings . the telecoil assembly 2046 includes a telecoil housing 2047 , telecoil 2048 and retention element 2049 . the telecoil housing 2047 includes a cavity 2050 for housing the telecoil 2048 . a retention element 2049 couples to the telecoil housing 2047 to enclose the cavity 2050 . the retention element 2049 is designed to conform to a wearer &# 39 ; s ear anatomy so that the receiver assembly 2051 is retained within the wearer &# 39 ; s ear in a stable and comfortable manner . a connecting portion 2052 of the telecoil housing includes a conduit 2053 for passing telecoil conductors from the lower receiver housing 2042 to the telecoil 2048 in the cavity 2050 . the lower receiver housing 2042 includes a cable opening 2054 for coupling to cable tubing 2055 . cable tubing protects receiver and telecoil conductors . the tubing 2054 can be made of any flexible material , including , but not limited to , pebax . reinforced tubing , such as reinforced pebax may be used . the telecoil ( or other sensor ) can be eliminated by changing the modular connection assembly if desired , as opposed to purchasing a different hearing assistance device without a telecoil . the external location of the telecoil ( or other sensor ) allows for better sensing of local magnetic fields for switching the hearing assistance device into a telecoil mode . in some cases , the removal of the telecoil from an electronics housing , such as the housings used in a receiver - in - the - ear ( ric ) design , make smaller housing designs possible . manufacturing simplicity can be increased by placing the telecoil in the retention mechanism . such designs can be pre - tested to assure proper operation of the telecoil portion of the device . such designs may provide less product variability and more operational reliability than designs where the telecoil is mounted in the electronics housing of the ric device . it is understood that other positions of the telecoil or other sensor along the length of the retention mechanism are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . in various embodiments , a shielded housing for the receiver reduces interference between the telecoil and the receiver . one type of shielding is magnetic shielding , such as mu - metal . it is understood that other magnetically permeable materials and apparatus can be used to form a shield about the receiver without departing from the scope of the present subject matter . the present subject matter includes hearing assistance devices , including , but not limited to , cochlear implant type hearing devices , hearing aids , such as behind - the - ear ( bte ), receiver - in - the - canal ( ric ), receiver - in - the - ear ( rite ), and such devices that include in - the - ear ( ite ), in - the - canal ( itc ), or completely - in - the - canal ( cic ) type components . it is understood that behind - the - ear type hearing aids may include devices that reside substantially behind the ear or over the ear . such devices may include hearing aids with receivers associated with the electronics portion of the behind - the - ear device , or hearing aids of the type having receivers in - the - canal . it is understood that other hearing assistance devices not expressly stated herein may fall within the scope of the present subject matter . this application is intended to cover adaptations and variations of the present subject matter . it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the present subject matter should be determined with reference to the appended claim , along with the full scope of legal equivalents to which the claims are entitled .
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in fig1 a process control instrument 11 includes a horizontal base plate 13 which serves as the foundation for the mounting of the rest of the components . each of two vertical support arms 15 is secured rigidly to the base plate and has attached to its upper end a thin , flexible tab 17 . each tab in turn is bonded to one of a pair of vertical sections 19 projecting upwardly from either side of a horizontally aligned bracket 21 . flexing of the two tabs permits the bracket to pivot vertically about the arms 15 . an upwardly projecting mechanical stop 23 , also rigidly mounted on the base plate , is positioned beneath the bracket and limits its downward travel . a bellows assembly 25 is disposed between the base plate 13 and the bracket 21 . the top of the bellows assembly is secured to the bracket by a nut 29 , whereby the bracket is constrained to move upwardly and downwardly in conjunction with movement of the bellows . an air inlet line 31 passes through the base plate and communicates with the hollow interior of the bellows . this line connects at its opposite end to an external source of variable pressure ( not shown ) which pressure is either the physical parameter being measured or is directly correlated to another variable physical parameter being measured . as this pressure varies , the internal pressure within the bellows varies accordingly , causing the bellows to expand or contract , and forcing the horizontal bracket to pivot upwardly or downwardly . a spring 33 positioned between the underside of the bracket and an adjustable stop 35 maintains an upward bias force against the bracket . altering the position of the stop , by turning a screw 34 threaded into the stop , either extends or compresses the spring , and changes the upward force . a tension arm 37 , a rectangular - shaped piece of spring - like material , is fastened at one end to the bracket 21 by a screw 39 , and extends generally parallel to the bracket , but is detached at its opposite end from the bracket itself . extending downwardly from the tension arm is a resilient ribbon 41 which is secured to the tension arm by means of a clamp 43 . the ribbon passes over a positioning rod 45 , downwardly through an opening 46 in the tension arm , contacts a bevelled edge 47 of a transverse bar 48 , passes through an opening 49 in the bracket , and continues through a vertical slot 50 cut into a face 51 of a mounting block 52 ( see also fig2 ). at its bottom end the ribbon passes over a second rod 53 and is fastened to the underside of the block by a clamp 54 . the ribbon is under tension because of the upward bias of the bracket - and - tension arm combination , under the influence of the spring 33 . clearly as the tension arm moves upwardly or downwardly with the bracket , under influence of signal pressure in the bellows , the tension applied to the ribbon varies accordingly . the maximum tension applied to the ribbon is limited by a pre - set tension in the arm 37 which serves as an overrange protection device . when both ends of the ribbon have been suitably clamped , the initial ribbon tension , and therefore its initial frequency , is set by applying a bias pressure ( typically 3 psig ) to the bellows 25 and adjusting the spring 33 and a stop screw 55 . when the pneumatic signal pressure within the bellows is increased , tension of the ribbon is increased accordingly . if excessive pressure is applied inadvertently to this bellows , the ribbon tension increases until the tension arm 37 no longer applies any force against the stop screw . beyond this point the tension arm actually separates from the top screw , and the ribbon tension is limited to a safe value determined by the spring rate of the tension arm . although the descriptive term &# 34 ; ribbon &# 34 ; has been used , the ribbon 41 can be replaced by any element which satisfies the more generic description &# 34 ; string &# 34 ;, by which is meant any thin , elongate element , regardless of its cross section , fixed at both ends and under tension , which can vibrate transversely with respect to its ends . as shown more clearly in fig2 and 3 , the plane of the ribbon 41 is parallel to the plane of the vertical face 51 of the mounting block 52 . a nozzle 59 is seated within the mounting block with its outlet port 61 positioned immediately behind the vibratable ribbon . air or other suitable gas is supplied to the nozzle from an external pressurized source ( not shown ) by means of a line 63 passing through the block . the air may be discharged from the nozzle in either a continuous or a pulsed mode . when air is discharged past the ribbon , the ribbon vibrates at its natural resonant frequency due to aerodynamic interaction with the stream of air . the nozzle is positioned behind the ribbon just far enough so as not to be struck by the ribbon as it vibrates to either side of its equilibrium position . typically the air pressures used are in the range of 3 - 20 psig , the commercially accepted standard range of pressures for pneumatic instrumentation , although others can be used . as is well known in the prior art , the resonant frequency of the ribbon is a function of the applied tension . therefore as the tension changes in accordance with the upward or downward movement of the tension arm 37 , the resonant frequency of the ribbon changes . the length of ribbon which actually vibrates is determined by the distance between the edge 48 of the transverse bar 49 and the lower rod 53 . the edge 48 functions in the manner of a bridge on a guitar or other stringed instrument . although in the embodiment of fig1 and 2 the air is supplied to the ribbon by a jet nozzle , other commonly available devices for delivering a flow of air , such as a simple orifice or a capillary tube , may be used . an important consideration is that a high - velocity fluid stream , having sufficient energy to induce vibration , be incident on the ribbon . in the embodiment of fig1 and 2 , the nozzle 59 is shown as being aligned perpendicularly to the flat surface of the ribbon 41 . however , experimentation has shown that other configurations are also successful in stimulating the ribbon into vibration . fig4 a - 6a and 4b - 6b are representative of such variations , and the same reference numerals as in fig1 and 2 are repeated to indicated corresponding elements . in fig4 a and 4b the ribbon is similarly oriented within the slot 50 in the mounting block 52 . however , the nozzle is not situated behind the ribbon , nor does it direct its air stream directly onto its flat surface . rather , the nozzle is at an oblique angle relative to a surface 67 of the block , and the air jet emitted from the nozzle travels across this surface and past the ribbon and slot . it has been found for these alternate configurations that the mode of vibration of the ribbon is determined by the relative position of the ribbon with respect to a top edge 69 of the slot . if the plane of the ribbon is flush with or below the level of this edge , the ribbon is excited into a rayleigh mode of excitation , which is the common transverse vibrational mode typical of a vibrating string . however , if the plane of the ribbon is above the height of the edge , a torsional , or twisting , mode occurs . the resonant frequencies of these two modes are not necessarily the same , however . in fig3 and 4b - 6b the plane of the ribbon is shown as being at the height of the edge , indicating that the rayleigh mode of vibration is intended . advantages of the rayleigh mode are that the amplitude of vibration is more nearly constant over a range of frequencies , and the resonant frequencies are more suitable to the conventional electronic circuitry used with previous vibrating element devices . in fig5 a , a modified block 52 is depicted . a first slot - defining shoulder 71 extends on the right - hand side along the full height of the block , whereas on the left - hand side only a short slot - defining shoulder 73 is present . note , however , that the nozzle 59 is positioned directly opposite this short shoulder section , so that the jet of air interacts with the ribbon within the slot formed between the right - hand and left - hand shoulders . in fig6 a and 6b , there is no slot , but rather a stepped arrangement , in which the ribbon is positioned level with the shoulder 71 . a particularly efficient device for directing air onto the vibrating ribbon , particularly in the orientation of fig1 and 2 , is shown in fig7 . the device 75 , which can be described by the term &# 34 ; impulse nozzle &# 34 ;, includes an outer section of tubing 77 which communicates with the pressurized source of gas or air ( not shown ), and a similar diameter inner section of tubing 79 tightly held within the outer section , and fixed thereto by a weld 81 . a hollow , spherically - shaped vessel 83 is located at the external mouth of the inner section of tubing , and is held in place by a weld 85 or other suitable bonding means . although this vessel is shown as being spherical in shape , enclosures having other shapes and defining an internal volume can be used . an inlet orifice 87 and an outlet orifice 88 are disposed in the outer wall of the vessel , the diameter of the inlet orifice being smaller than that of the outlet orifice . supply air pressure is maintained in a region 89 to the right of the inlet orifice 87 , so that the pressure within the spherical vessel approaches ambient pressure , provided that the vibrating ribbon 41 has not approached the outlet orifice sufficiently close to throttle the flow of air emanating from it . however , as the ribbon approaches the nozzle , it begins to lessen the flow of air from the outlet orifice , and at its point of closest approach the exiting flow rate becomes small compared to the flow rate into the inlet orifice . this results in a sharp rise in pressure within the vessel , provided that the recovery time of the impulse nozzle as measured by its time constant ( a function of the sizes of the orifices and the volume of the enclosure ), is less than or equal to the period of the natural fundamental frequency of the vibrating ribbon . particularly efficient operation of the nozzle , especially in terms of limited air usage and optimum energy transfer , has been observed when the nozzle time constant is less than or equal to approximately one - quarter of this period . since the natural frequency of the ribbon changes with the applied tension , the nozzle time constant must be gauged with respect to the period of the highest natural frequency within the variable range . as the ribbon 41 moves away from the nozzle 59 , the pressure within the spherical vessel 83 rapidly drops again to near ambient . thus the impulse nozzle functions much in the manner of a pneumatic analog to the escape mechanism of a pendulum clock , in that it applies a short duration pneumatic impulse at the proper time to the vibrating ribbon , to replace the energy lost to friction and thus sustain oscillation . the above - mentioned limitation as to the time constant of the impulse nozzle is analagous to that imposed on the time constant of the mechanical escapement . this limitation insures that the nozzle builds up the requisite pressure in the time between successive cycles of the vibrating ribbon . the time constant ↑ is given by the familiar formula ↑= rc , where r is a measure of the resistance to air flow , which is a function of the diameter of the inlet orifice 87 , and c represents the storage capacity of the nozzle , a function of the volume of the vessel 83 . determination of such time constants is well known to one skilled in the pneumatic arts . once the range of resonant frequencies of a particular vibratable ribbon has been identified , r and c are selected to yield the appropriate time constant and flow rate necessary for reliable operation . the following calculations , based on a representative impulse nozzle configuration , illustrate the efficiency of such a device . this example is offered solely for illustrative purposes , and should not be interpreted in any limiting sense . the ribbon , measuring approximately 0 . 001 inch thick by 0 . 020 inch wide by 1 . 0 inch in length , is configured to have a maximum resonant frequency of 5 , 000 hertz , and therefore a period of 0 . 0002 seconds . the time constant of the nozzle should be not greater than one - fourth of this period , i . e ., ↑= rc = 0 . 00005 second , and r and c must be chosen accordingly . for a supply pressure p of 10 psig , a supply flow rate f of 0 . 278 cubic inch / second , and an inlet orifice 87 of 0 . 006 inch diameter , ## equ1 ## accordingly , ## equ2 ## the volume v o of the vessel is determined from c according to the formula c = v o / p . thus ## equ3 ## this nozzle , when positioned relative to the ribbon in the manner depicted in fig1 and 2 , causes the ribbon to vibrate in its fundamental rayleigh mode , with a double amplitude swing of approximately 0 . 002 inch . this oscillation is achieved with an air flow rate , as mentioned above , of only 0 . 278 in 3 / sec , which comes to a little more than one - half standard cubic foot per hour . this extremely low flow rate represents a highly efficient energy consumption , and would present minimal demands on a typical pneumatic system . in fact , in case of a failure to the main air supply , it is conceivable that the ribbon could continue to be driven for a considerable time with a back - up supply in the form of a portable pressurized gas bottle . fig8 depicts an alternative construction of an impulse nozzle , one whose time constant is determined by slightly different factors . a length of capillary tubing 90 with a small central bore 91 is held tightly within an outer section of tubing 92 , the outer section being in fluid comunication with the source of pressurized air ( not shown ). whereas in the nozzle of fig7 the time constant ↑ is a function of r and c , in this version ↑= l / r , where l is a measure of the inertance of the system , as determined by the inertia of an air column within the bore of the capillary , and r is not only a function of the diameter of the capillary bore but of its length as well . similar to the previous case , r and l must be set to yield the appropriate time constant , in view of the resonant frequency of the ribbon . an advantage of either version of the impulse nozzle is that it concentrates the total energy available in the flow stream and releases it at the appropriate time . therefore the impulse nozzle is more efficient in its air usage than the conventional jet nozzle with its continuous high velocity air stream . since it is well known that the resonant frequency of the ribbon or other vibrating string varies in accordance with its tension and in turn in accordance with the changes in the physical parameter being measured ( as communicated through the bellows assembly 25 [ see fig1 ]), the frequency of vibration has to be detected , so that a correlation to the ultimate parameter being measured can be made . although any one of a variety of conventional detecting schemes can be used advantageously , a particularly useful scheme is an optical system similar to that disclosed in a copending patent application , ser . no . 350 , 687 , filed feb . 22 , 1982 , having the same assignee as the present application . referring to fig9 the optical detection system operates as follows . a power supply 93 provides voltage to a light - emitting diode ( led ) 95 , to generate a beam of light incident on a beamsplitter 97 . the light emitted by the led can be generated in either a continuous or a pulsed fashion , whichever is suitable to the application . the beamsplitter is designed so that for light incident from the left - hand direction , some of the light is transmitted straight through into a lens 99 , and some is reflected upwardly . the lens concentrates the transmitted light into an attached optical fiber 101 , the end of which is fixed within the mounting block 52 ( see also fig1 ), adjacent the ribbon 41 . the light is directed by the probe onto the rapidly vibrating ribbon . as the ribbon alternately moves toward , and then away from , the fiber 101 , the intensity of the light reflected by the outer surface of the ribbon back into the fiber varies periodically , at the same rate as the ribbon &# 39 ; s frequency of vibration . the outer surface of the ribbon can be coated with an optically reflective material to enhance the amount of reflection . this intensity - modulated reflected light travels back along the same optical fiber 101 to the beamsplitter 97 , where a portion of the light is reflected into a photodetector 105 . the photodetector converts the variable intensity light beam into an electrical signal whose level varies at the same frequency . the electrical output from the photodetector is amplified by an amplifier 107 and is fed into a conventional electronic circuit 109 , which correlates the frequency signal to the magnitude of the process parameter being measured . the output of this circuit can be used to operate a display or be further processed to serve other process control functions . an advantage of combining the optical detection scheme with the pneumatic drive mechanism is the inherent intrinsic safety of the combination . only passive , non - spark producing components such as the optical fiber 101 , the vibrating ribbon 41 and the pneumatic nozzle 59 , need be located within the process environment being monitored ( indicated schematically by the dotted line 111 ), should the environment contain an explosive atmosphere . the electrical and electronic control circuity , on the other hand , is located at a remote control station 113 , separated from the explosive environment by thousands of feet , yet actively communicating with the distant components via safe light signals . although the present invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying figures , certain modifications and changes will become apparent to those skilled in the art . for example , modifications in the mounting of the vibrating ribbon , in the physical relationship between the ribbon and the driving nozzle , or in the structure of the ribbon itself may be envisioned , as well as alternate schemes for detecting the frequency of oscillation , whether by optical or non - optical means . nevertheless it is intended that such modifications be encompassed within the scope of the following appended claims .
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now , having illustrated the improvement of the present invention there is shown the construction of the prophylactic ( 1 ). as shown in the close - up window detail view of fig1 the prophylactic ( 1 ) includes incorporated fabric ( 2 ). fabric ( 2 ) is constituted by a patterned weave consisting essentially of inelastic extremely thin filaments ( 3 ), which filaments ( 3 ) constitute the weft of the weave connected to extremely thin elastomeric filaments ( 4 ) that constitute the warp of the weave of the fabric ( 2 ) incorporated into the prophylactic ( 1 ). fabric ( 2 ) is incorporated in the following manner : a base latex layer ( 11 ) is shaped on which a second layer ( 12 ) being also of latex is arranged ( 12 ). once both layers ( 11 ) and ( 12 ) are consolidated and superposed , such as is illustrated in detail in fig1 the fabric ( 2 ) base of the present improvement to the basic body of the prophylactic ( 1 ) is interpolated in solidarity with the body of the prophylactic ( 1 ) in an integral set , through a coating of the assembly with a lasting and extremely thin latex layer ( 13 ). the prophylactic ( 1 ) is finally shaped in definitive form in a simple and effective manner since the fabric ( 2 ) shaped by the weft ( 3 ) and the warp ( 4 ) is allowed to have an elastic adjustment of the improved unit in a radial direction to the axis of prophylactic ( 1 ), following a deformation in the direction illustrated by arrows f - f &# 39 ; thereby avoiding the stretching in the longitudinal direction of the prophylactic ( 1 ). this construction of prophylactic ( 1 ) with woven fabric ( 2 ) removes the possibilities of producing cracks in the prophylactic ( 1 ) or the breaking of same , since woven fabric ( 2 ) eliminates the longitudinal stretching , which longitudinal stretching is precisely the cause that most frequently produces same . optionally , further layers may constitute a plurality of layers with layers ( 11 ), ( 12 ) and ( 13 ) of prophylactic ( 1 ). fig2 shows a close - up view of the embodiment of the incorporated fabric of the prophylactic , as shown in fig1 showing the elastomeric filaments 4 of the fabric 2 and the elasticity of the fabric warp , and its elasticity in a sense direction and the rigid filaments 3 of the weft interweaving on the above mentioned warp , which filaments 3 , 4 are incorporated in the improvement illustrated in fig1 . fig3 shows an alternate embodiment for a variant of the improved prophylactic illustrated in fig1 in the construction of which prophylactic there is provided the elastomeric filaments 4 &# 39 ; of the warp , showing the expansion sense of the warp ; as well as the inelastic longitudinal filaments 3 &# 39 ; of the waft , which are interweaved with the elastomeric filaments 4 &# 39 ; of the warp . the elastomeric filaments 4 &# 39 ; of the warp are shown in the expansion direction , as well as the inelastic longitudinal filaments 3 &# 39 ; that constitute the waft in the fabric of the improved prophylactic of the present invention . it is hereby clarified that although the above mentioned construction of the prophylactic of the present invention is shown arranged a simple illustrative example , of the embodiments made therein , the fabric may be incorporated among any of the latex layers with which the prophylactic is manufactured , without same affecting the scope or essence of the present invention as noted in the appended claims .
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an inertial electrostatic confinement ( iec ) particle generator is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 232 , 764 ( miley et al .) which was filed on apr . 25 , 1994 and is incorporated herein by reference . the inertial electrostatic confinement device disclosed therein includes a vacuum vessel which is held at ground potential and contains internally and concentric to the vessel , a wire grid which acts as a cathode . the cathode may be made from a variety of metals having structural strength and appropriate secondary electron and thermionic electron coefficients . the cathode wire grid is connected to a power source to provide a high negative potential ( 30 kv - 70 kv ), while the vessel itself is conductive and maintained at a ground potential . deuterium or a mixture of deuterium and tritium gas is introduced into the vessel . a voltage is applied to the cathode wire grid and the pressure is adjusted in order initiate a glow discharge . to maximize the neutron yield per unit power input while maximizing grid life - time by reducing collisions with a grid , operational conditions are used to create a “ star ” glow discharge mode . the glow discharge generates ions which are extracted from the discharge by the electric field created by the cathode grid . these ions are accelerated through the grid openings and focused at a spot in the center of the spherical device . the resulting high energy ions interact with the background gas ( beam - background collisions ) and themselves ( beam - beam collisions ) in a small volume around the center spot , resulting in a high rate of fusion reactions . the result is a neutron generator producing neutrons as one of the d - t fusion reaction products . where the ejection rates are high , the ejected ions may provide a deep - self generated potential well that confines trapped beam ions , creating even higher reaction rates . the device may be modified by using a field gas mixture of deuterium and helium - 3 to be a source of protons as well as neutrons . one geometrical form of the device is spherical and as seen in fig1 . this device is based upon the principle of an ion accelerator with a plasma target . in a neutron - generator embodiment , deuterium - deuterium fusion reactions takes place in the plasma target and produce energetic neutrons . the device acts as a simple spherical plasma diode , having a ground potential on the outer sphere and a negative potential on a nearly geometrically transparent inner spherical grid . the spherical inertial electrostatic confinement device 10 is illustrated in fig1 where a conductive vacuum chamber 11 is connected to a ground potential at contact 17 . the device has a cathode grid 12 which defines a small sphere within the chamber and has a grid design that provides a high geometric transparency . in operation , however , this grid design has an even higher effective transparency , due to the effect of a concentration of ions into a “ microchannels ”, as subsequently described . a source of power 14 is connected by a high voltage feed through to the internal cathode grid 12 . the voltage has a negative value , thereby providing a bias between the relatively positive walls of the vacuum chamber and the central grid area . gas is introduced into the vacuum chamber 11 by a control valve 15 and is evacuated by a pump 18 . upon application of a potential to the cathode grid , under certain grid - voltage , gas pressure , gas type and grid - configuration conditions , high density ions and electron beams will form within the iec device initiating a “ star ” mode of operation . in this mode , high density space charged neutralized ion beams are formed into microchannels that pass through the open spaces between the grid wires . as the ions avoid contact with the wires , this mode increases the effective grid transparency to a level above the geometric value . these microchannels significantly reduce grid bombardment and erosion and increase power efficiency . for conventional star mode operation , the grid and microchannel beams are symmetric so that a convergent high - density core develops . the inertial electrostatic confinement device serves as a valuable source of neutrons or protons . the spherical inertial electrostatic confinement ( iec ) device has been used as a plasma fusion reactor . in a plasma fusion reactor , the energy production must compete with inevitable losses , and the role of the processes which result in such losses is crucial in determining the operating temperature of a plasma fusion reactor . some energy losses can be minimized by a suitable choice of certain design parameters , but others are inherent in the reacting system ; one of these is bremsstrahlung radiation . the efficiency of neutron production competes with the inevitable losses of bremsstrahlung radiation that are inherent in the reacting system . high intensity x - rays were measured in experiments hirsch &# 39 ; s x - ray measurement . previously , the goal was to minimize the bremsstrahlung radiation by a suitable choice of certain design parameters . affirmative use of this property can permit a device to serve as x - ray source . an iec plasma x - ray source may have the general structure as seen in fig2 wherein electrons are injected into the center of a spherical iec device 400 , formed from two spherical concentric electrodes . the inner electrode 401 ( anode ) made of a highly transparent grid (& gt ; 90 %, preferably & gt ; 95 %, transparency ) is charged to a positive voltage , preferably in a range of 1 kv to 150 kv , relative to the outer grounded electrode 402 ( cathode ), at driving currents varying from 1 ma to 100 ma . the outer electrode is a hermedically sealed vacuum chamber that supports a pressure of less than 10 − 6 torr . electrons emanating from the cathode 402 are attracted to the anode 401 , and pass through the anode ( grid ) many times before being captured by the grid . due to spherical convergence , the injection of electrons constitute an accumulation of electrons that forms a dense electron cloud which then can be used to accelerate and heat ions . the electrons are injected by electron emitters 409 which are electrically heated to generate the electrons . there are at least two , preferably four to eight , such assemblies , and each assembly is comprised of an electron emitter and an electron extractor . the operation generates intense bremsstrahlung radiation in the spherical center due to the strong electron — electron interactions at a relativistic speed accelerated by the grid bias . the energy spectrum of the emitted x - rays shifts as the grid bias is changed . notably , the bias on this configuration is opposite to that seen in fig1 wherein the central grid is a cathode and the chamber 11 serves as an anode . as is well known , the plasma in a thermonuclear reactor consists of stripped nuclei of hydrogen isotopes together with electrons . from such a plasma , energy will inevitably be lost in the form of bremsstrahlung , that is , radiation emitted by charged particles , mainly the electrons , as a result of deflection by the coulomb fields of other charged particles . an expression for the rate of electron - ion bremsstrahlung energy emission of the correct form l . spitzer , usaec report nyo - 6049 ( 1954 ), p . 9 ., but differing by a small numerical factor from the result obtained by a more rigorous procedure , can be derived from the classical expression for the rate p e at which energy is radiated by an accelerated electron , namely , p e = 2 e 2 3 c 3 a 2 ( 1 ) where e is the electron charge , c is the velocity of light , and a is the electron acceleration . the total power p br radiated as bremsstrahlung per unit volume has been calculated in a maxwellian distribution of velocity among the electrons in a system containing a single ionic species of charge z . s glassston and r . h . lovberg controlled thermonuclear reactions , van nostrand reinhold company , 1960 , chapter 2 . p hr = 16 π 2 3 1 / 2 ( kt e ) 1 / 2 e 6 m e 3 / 2 c 3 h n e niz 2 ( 2 ) where t e is the kinetic temperature of the electrons in a maxwellian distribution , n e and n i are the density of electron and ion , respectively , m e is the electron rest mass , and h is planck &# 39 ; s constant . the classical expression for the rate of bremmstrahlung emission per unit volume per unit frequency interval in the frequency range from v to v + dv is dp v = 16 π 2 3 1 / 2 ( kt e ) 1 / 2 e 6 m e 3 / 2 c 3 n e niz 2 exp ( - hv / kt e ) dv . ( 3 ) upon integration over all frequencies , this expression leads to equation ( 2 ). for arbitrary electron and ion densities , the equation ( 3 ) expressed in terms of wave length , the relative values of dpλ ,/ dλ have been plotted as a function of wave length in fig4 ( from c . t . ulrey : phys . rev ., 11 : 401 ( 1918 ), as cited on page 616 , evans , the atomic nucleus , mcgraw - hill , inc ., ( 1972 ). while this calculation was performed for a thick tungsten target , the shape of the spectra is expected to be quite similar to that obtained from the ied due to the similarity of the x - ray production mechanisms . to the left of the maximum for each curve , the energy emission as bremsstrahlung is dominated by the exponential term and decreases rapidly with decreasing wave length . the bremsstrahlung power distribution is calculated assuming a maxwellian electron velocity distribution . for monoenergetic electron velocity , the distribution is expected to be narrower . at temperature below 50 kev , the bremsstrahlung from a plasma arises almost entirely from electron - ion interactions . at high temperatures , the production of bremsstrahlung due to electron — electron interactions , as distinct from those resulting from the electron - ion interactions , will be significant . provided relativistic effects do not arise , there should be no electron — electron bremsttrahlung , but at high electron velocities such is not the case and appreciable losses can occur from this form of radiation . the following results will provide a general indication of the situation . at an electron kinetic temperature of 25 kev the ratio of electron — electron bremsstrahlung energy to that for electron - ion interaction is estimated to be 0 . 06 , at 50 kev it is 0 . 13 , and at 100 kev it is 0 . 34 . c . f . wandel , et al , nuclear instr ., 4 , 249 ( 1959 ). r . f . post , ann . rev . nuclear sci , 9 , 367 ( 1959 ). in the iec configuration , under proper conditions of current - voltage - pressure , a virtual cathode can form . [ g . miley et al , inertial - electrostatic confinement neutron / proton source , aip conf . proc . 299 . editors : m . haines , a . knight .] in that case , deceleration of the electrons as they approach the virtual cathode makes an additional contribution to the x - ray yield . [ r . eisberg , quantum physics of atoms , molecules , solids , nuclei , and particles , 2nd ed ., john wiley and sons , 1985 .] this term can equal or dominate the electron / electron collisional contributions , depending of the height of the virtual cathode . since electrons can lose their entire energy x - rays in this case , the effect generally causes a shift of the x - ray spectrum to higher energies . experimental measures of the x - ray spectrum have been carried out using the experiment setup described in fig2 . results are shown in fig3 . as expected , the data follows along a curve very similar to calculated spectra , previously shown in fig4 . the iec spectrum in fig3 was taken with the applied voltage set at 30 kv . the measured spectrum is somewhat broad having a 15 kev full - width at half - maximum ( fwhm ) for a spectrum ranging up to 230 kv ( comparable to a 12 kev fwhm for e - 30 kev in fig4 ). the peak of the distribution can be shifted by varying the applied grid voltage to give a series of spectra similar to that of fig4 . for many experiments , a broad - range spectrum of this nature is quite useful . however , in some cases it may be desirable to employ a narrow band of x - ray energies . if so , a narrower spectrum or “ band ” can be selected by bragg reflection from crystal surfaces , or by diffraction gratings , or by using other “ conventional ” x - ray optics techniques ( j . b . murphy et al ., “ synchrotron radiation resources and condensers for projection x - ray lithography ,” appl . optics , vol . 32 , no . 34 , pp . 6920 - 6929 ( dec . 1 , 1933 ); i . a . artyukov et al ., “ on the efficiency of grazing incidence optics : the spiral collimator ,” in short wavelength lasers and their applications , nova science publishers , inc ., n . y ., pp . 299 - 310 ( 1992 ); h . takenaka et al ., “ heat resistance of mo - based and w - based multilayer soft x - ray mirrors ,” in laser interaction and rolation plasma phenomena , 12 international conference , osaka , japan 1995 , part ii , american institute of physics , pp . 808 - 813 ( 1992 ).) such x - ray band selection is especially desirable in certain types of experiments or industrial applications where a narrow range of x - ray energies is desired . by using band selection techniques , the iec voltage is first tuned to optimize the overall x - ray spectrum in the range desired . the x - ray band selector is then employed to further narrow the range of x - ray wavelengths striking the target or spectrum under treatment . this process is illustrated in fig5 . assuming that x - rays in the wavelength range 0 . 45 - 0 . 55 nm are desired , the iec voltage is first raised to 50 kv . this shifts the maximum intensity of the broad x - ray spectrum such that , as seen in the figure , the peak lies over the desired range . then , an appropriate band selection technique ( diffraction grating , etc .) is employed to select the 0 . 45 - 0 . 55 nm band . as observed from the figure , this procedure , adjusting the iec x - ray spectrum followed by band selection , optimizes the x - ray intensity obtained in the desired range . if the iec voltage had not been optimized , e . g ., left at 30 kv or lower , the figure shows that the intensity in the desired band would be reduced by 50 % or more . otherwise , if a narrow wavelength of x - rays is not required , the tuned iec x - ray can be used directly . coupling of the band selection optics to the iec x - ray source can be accomplished in a variety of ways . two characteristic methods , illustrated in fig6 a and 6 b , differ by inserting the selection optics and target inside the iec vacuum chamber 11 , or using external optics 501 with x - rays extracted from the vacuum vessel through a thin , vacuum - tight , metallic x - ray window 502 . fig6 a uses “ conventional ” x - ray diffraction optics 451 ( c . v . azaroff , x - ray spectroscopy mcgraw - hill , n . y ., ( 1973 ).) for band selection . it and the target 452 are located in an expanded port 453 on the side of the iec . the port 453 is connected through an opening 404 in the main vacuum vessel such that x - rays escape the iec grid region and enter the optics system while the port volume is maintained under vacuum conditions through the main chamber pumping system . a double valve 455 arrangement on the end of the port allows convenient insertion and removal of targets / specimens without breaking the main chamber vacuum . this method has the advantage that the x - rays escaping the iec are not attenuated by use of a vacuum window ( such as in fig6 b ), and the target can be maintained under vacuum conditions . on the other hand , insertion and removal of the target / speculum through the double gate valve system is a complication . if a slightly reduced x - ray intensity is tolerable , and if the target need not be maintained under vacuum , the external arrangement of fig6 b can be used . here x - rays from the iec chamber 11 escape through a low - z metallic window 502 . a low - z material such as be would be used to minimize x - ray attenuation which maintaining structural strength to hold vacuum conditions . select glasses containing a minimum concentration of high - z materials like lead could also be employed if visual observation into the chamber were desired . the two arrangements in fig6 are considered typical examples . a number of variations in geometry , and selection optics , target / spectrum insertion / removal could be considered for specific applications . for example prisms also may be used . other applications of the iec x - ray source 601 involve x - ray imaging . such techniques for using soft x - rays are well - known , e . g ., i . h . hutchinson , principles of plasma diagnostics , cambridge university press , n . y ., ( 1987 ). a typical approach for adapting the iec to this use is illustrated in fig7 . in this figure , the x - rays 600 are passed through a conventional pinhole camera system 604 , the image being recorded on a detector 605 as shown or on photographic film . the subject 603 being photographed would be placed in the x - ray path in the appropriate position desired to obtain the focal length . the subject would be sufficiently thin that x - ray transmission through it would be possible . an x - ray window is used in the arrangement illustrated in analogy with fig6 b . however , if a vacuum arrangement is desired , a geometry similar to fig6 a could be employed . the foregoing characteristics of the bremsstrahlung effect in a plasma can be the basis for the proper selection of parameters in an iec device such that a turnable x - ray source can be achieved . as seen in fig2 in an iec - ss system 400 electrons from electron emitters 409 , which are heated by application of an electric current of 1 a to 15 a at a driving voltage of 5 - 15v , from a source 410 , are accelerated 10 &# 39 ; s kev up to 100 kev by a spherical anode grid 401 that is disposed within a spherical vacuum confinement vessel 402 , which also serves as a cathode . the spherical wire grid 401 is a self - supporting structure , free from internal supports , having a plurality of openings through which electrons may flow . the grid also may be formed of a plurality of vanes , joined together in a geometric pattern which provides a thin profile when viewed in a radial direction in order to achieve a high geometric transparency . due to the spherical convergence , the energetic electrons 403 collide in the center of sphere 404 . the interactions between the high energy electrons create intense x - rays . the x - ray spectra are dependent on the electron energy controlled by the grid bias 405 . the x - rays are directed to a window 406 in a wall of the vessel and transmitted via a cylindrical passage 407 to a detector 408 . within the passage or at other convenient locations in the path of the x - rays , a means for narrowing the spectrum of the x - rays could be disposed . such means could be a device using bragg reflection from a crystal surface , diffraction gratings , prisms , or the like . the iec - ss makes possible the generation of x - rays using relatively low - energy electrons . the iec - ss has a number of potentially unique and attractive features which may serve a variety of applications . these features include compactness , relatively low cost , tunability , high photon energy operation . the relatively narrow natural line - width associated with the iec - ss can provide less unusable radiation which could damage optics and target samples . in addition , by varying the electron pulse energy in an iec - ss pulsed mode , chirped x - ray pulses may be generated . the pulse structure , tunability and high photon energy capability of the iec - ss may provide an important tool for studying ultra - fast phenomena . furthermore , the relatively low cost and compactness of a iec - ss can make synchrotron light sources more readily available to users . extended x - ray absorption fine structure ( exafs ), which is a powerful tool for structural determination in the materials , biomedical , and many other scientific fields , has been studied usually at synchrotron radiation ( sr ) facilities , so far . the development of instruments for exafs measurements in a laboratory is important because of their complementary usefulness for experiments with sr , especially when special sample preparation and / or quick feedback of the analysis are required . the problem with exafs measurements performed in a laboratory is mainly the degradation of spectrum caused by strong characteristic x - ray lines from the source . it is important to develop an x - ray source for dedicated use in exafs experiments . so far , the x - ray sources have been mostly used for x - ray diffractometry . therefore , the electron gun is usually designed to operate at high tube voltage to provide strong characteristic x - rays . on the contrary , an exafs experiment requires intense continuum x - rays . the use of laboratory base iec - ss may alleviate e this problem . one practical application of the e iec - ss x - ray beam is to significantly enhance the imaging ability of low concentration of trace elements in the human body . specifically , it could be used in digital differential angiography ( dda ), a new medical x - ray diagnostic concept . p . r . moran , et al , physics today , july ( 1983 ); also in “ optics today ,” edited by j . n . howard ( aip , new york , 1986 ), p . 308 . this new technique is a differential x - ray absorption diagnostic procedure for imaging blood vessels . in conventional angiography , x - ray imaging of blood vessels is achieved by intravenously injecting an x - ray absorbing substance such as iodine . the available x - rays used for imaging are extremely broad band and large doses of both iodine and x - rays are required . a tunable x - ray beam , using a differential x - ray absorption technique , would be a very sensitive diagnostics tool for measuring low concentrations of iodine at a reduced radiation dose . iodine has a k - edge absorption at a photon energy of ˜ 33 kev . in dda , two x - ray beams are used : on at 33 kev ( energy for peak absorption in iodine ) and the other at ˜ 30 kev . the mass attenuation coefficients for these two photon energies differ by a factor of ˜ 8 . the photon flush through the tissue is proportional to the exponent of the mass attenuation coefficient times the mass thickness of the tissue . therefore , the difference between the 33 kev photon image and the 30 kev photon image is a direct and sensitive measure of the concentration of iodine , while the images of the bones and other tissues not containing the iodine is suppressed . this differential x - ray absorbing technique would use much lower concentrations of iodine injected “ noninvasively ” into the heart via the bloodstream . the imaging and subtraction of the two x - ray beams would be performed at the same time and , therefore , patient movement during the imaging process would not be a factor . while the present invention has been described in connection with several preferred embodiments , the invention is not limited thereto , and its scope is to be defined by the following claims .
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the compounds of formula i can be readily prepared by one of ordinary skill in the art . suitable synthetic methods are found , for example , in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 766 , 114 , 3 , 758 , 528 and 3 , 821 , 249 , all of malen et al ., and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 441 , 165 of blanchard et al ., the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . certain compounds of formula i , such as tianeptine ( see formula ii , below ), possess an asymmetric carbon . the position of the asymmetric carbon is denoted by an asterisk (*) in formula i ; for this carbon to be considered asymmetric , each of the four groups attached to it must be nonequivalent . one skilled in the art can readily determine which compounds of formula i possess an asymmetric carbon . those compounds of formula i which have this asymmetric carbon can exist as both ( r ) and ( s ) enantiomers . typically , the ( r ) and ( s ) enantiomers of a given compound of formula i exist as a racemate . in the practice of the present invention , both racemates and individual ( r ) or ( s ) enantiomers of a compound of formula i can be used to treat ibs or nud . according to certain embodiments of the invention , an ( r )- enantiomer of a compound of formula i which is substantially free of the corresponding ( s )- enantiomer , or an ( s )- enantiomer of a compound of formula i which is substantially free of the corresponding ( r )- enantiomer , is used to treat ibs or nud . to isolate the individual ( r )- and ( s )- enantiomers of a compound of formula i , the racemate of that compound must be resolved . this resolution can be achieved by converting a racemic compound of formula i into a pair of diastereomers , for example by covalently bonding to an optically active moiety or by salt formation with an optically active base or acid . either method provides a molecule with a second chiral center , thus generating a pair of diastereomers . the diastereomeric pair can then be separated by conventional methods , such as crystallization or chromatography . for example , racemic compounds of formula i can be converted to the ( s )- dibenzoyltartaric acid salt , which is a diastereomeric mixture of ss and rs configurations . the pairs of diastereomers ( r , s ) and ( s , s ) possess different properties ( e . g ., differential solubilities ) that allow for the use of conventional separation methods . fractional crystallization of diastereomeric salts from a suitable solvent is one such separation method . racemic compounds of formula i can be separated into enantiomers without diastereomer formation , for example , by differential absorption on a chiral stationary phase of a chromatography ( e . g ., hplc ) column . preparative hplc columns suitable for diastereomer separation are commercially available with a variety of packing materials to suit a broad range of separation applications . stationary phases suitable for resolving racemic compounds of formula i include : ( i ) macrocyclic glycopeptides , such as silica - bonded vancomycin which contains 18 chiral centers surrounding three pockets or cavities ; chiral α 1 - acid glycoprotein is a highly stable protein immobilized onto spherical silica particles that tolerates high concentrations of organic solvents , high and low ph , and high temperatures . human serum albumin is especially suited for the resolution of weak and strong acids and zwitterionic and nonprotolytic compounds , but is also used to resolve basic compounds . cbh is a very stable enzyme that that is typically immobilized onto spherical silica particles for separating enantiomers of basic drugs from many compound classes . other chromatographic techniques suitable for resolving racemic compounds of formula i include chiral chromatography using macrocyclic glycopeptide as a stationary phase on a chirobiotic v ™ column ( asteac , whippany , n . j .) as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 080 , 736 , the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference , and chiral chromatography using a chiral α 1 - acid glycoprotein as a stationary phase on a chiral - agp ™ column ( chromtech , cheshire , uk ), as described in fitos et al ., j chromatogr ., 1995 , 709 : 265 , the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference . a preferred compound of formula i for use in the present methods is tianeptine , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . the structure of tianeptine is given in formula ii : the bond designated by indicates that the absolute conformation about the asymmetric carbon can be either ( r ) or ( s ). tianeptine can be readily obtained by one of ordinary skill in the art , for example by the synthetic techniques described above . tianeptine is also sold commercially as stablon ®. the ( r ) or ( s ) enantiomers of tianeptine can be isolated , for example , by the techniques discussed above . thus , in preferred embodiments of the present invention , the ( r )- enantiomer of tianeptine which is substantially free of the corresponding ( s )- enantiomer , or the ( s )- enantiomer of tianeptine which is substantially free of the corresponding ( r )- enantiomer , is used in the present methods . in the practice of the invention , the compounds of formula i described above can take the form of a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt . the term “ salts ”, embraces salts commonly used to form alkali metal salts and to form addition salts of free acids or free bases . for example , pharmaceutically - acceptable acid addition salts may be prepared from an inorganic acid or from an organic acid . suitable inorganic acids include hydrochloric , hydrobromic , hydroiodic , nitric , carbonic , sulfuric and phosphoric acid . suitable organic acids include aliphatic , cycloaliphatic , aromatic , araliphatic , heterocyclic , carboxylic and sulfonic classes of organic acids , such as formic , acetic , propionic , succinic , glycolic , gluconic , lactic , malic , tartaric , citric , ascorbic , glucuronic , maleic , fumaric , pyruvic , aspartic , glutamic , benzoic , anthranilic , mesylic , salicylic , 4 - hydroxybenzoic , phenylacetic , mandelic , embonic ( pamoic ), methanesulfonic , ethanesulfonic , benzenesulfonic , pantothenic , 2 - hydroxyethanesulfonic , toluenesulfonic , sulfanilic , cyclohexylaminosulfonic , stearic , algenic , beta - hydroxybutyric , galactaric and galacturonic acid . suitable pharmaceutically acceptable base addition salts of the compounds of formula i , include metallic salts made from calcium , magnesium , potassium , sodium and zinc , or organic salts made from n , n ′- dibenzylethylenediamine , chloroprocaine , choline , diethanolamine , ethylenediamine , meglumine ( n - methylglucamine ) and procaine . all of these salts can be prepared by conventional means from the corresponding compound of formula i by reacting , for example , the appropriate acid or base with the compound of formula i . the compounds of formula i , in particular tianeptine , can be used to treat ibs or nud in a subject who has been diagnosed with either disorder . as used herein , a “ subject ” is includes humans and non - human mammals . non - human mammals include bovines , ovines , porcines , equines , canines , felines , and rodents ( e . g ., rat , mouse , guinea pig and rabbit ). preferably , the subject is a human . diagnosis of ibs is within the skill in the art . for example , ibs can be diagnosed on the basis of the modified “ rome criteria .” the modified rome criteria are ( a ) the presence for at least 12 weeks ( not necessarily consecutive ) in the preceding 12 months of abdominal discomfort or pain that cannot be explained by structural or biochemical abnormalities ; and ( b ) at least two of the following three symptoms : ( i ) pain relieved with defecation ; ( 2 ) pain , when the onset thereof is associated with a change in the frequency of bowel movements ( diarrhea or constipation ); and pain when the onset thereof is associated with a change in the form of the stool ( lose , watery , or pellet - like ). the diagnosis of nud is also within the skill in the art . for example , criteria for diagnosing nud include the presence of chronic or recurrent upper abdominal pain or discomfort for a period of more than three months &# 39 ; duration , which has no apparent organic cause . these symptoms must be present for more than 25 percent of the time . bloating , nausea , early satiety , eructation and heartburn may also be present . see , e . g ., fisher rs , parkman hp , new engl j med 1998 ; 339 : 1376 - 1381 and locke gr , mayo clin proc 1999 ; 74 : 1011 - 15 , the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . nud can be differentiated from ibs by determining whether the abdominal pain reported by the subject is associated with abnormal bowel habits . if such an association is present , the condition is considered to be ibs rather than nud . see freidman ls , new engl j med 1998 ; 339 : 1928 - 30 , the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference . in the practice of the invention , ibs or nud are treated by administering an effective amount of at least one compound of formula i to a subject in need of such treatment , such that the symptoms of ibs or nud are reduced . as used herein , an “ effective amount ” of a compound of formula i used to treat ibs refers to the amount of the compound that prevents or alleviates one or more symptoms of ibs . a physician can readily determine when symptoms of ibs are prevented or alleviated , for example through clinical observation of a subject , or through reporting of symptoms by the subject during the course of treatment . likewise , an “ effective amount ” of a compound of formula i used to treat nud refers to the amount of the compound that prevents or alleviates the symptoms of nud . again , a physician can readily determine when symptoms of nud are prevented or alleviated through clinical observation of a subject or through reporting of symptoms by the subject during the course of treatment . one skilled in the art can readily determine an effective amount of a compound of formula i to be administered , by taking into account factors such as the size , weight , age and sex of the subject , the extent of disease penetration or persistence and severity of symptoms , and the route of administration . generally , an effective amount of the compounds of formula i administered to a subject is from about 2 to about 100 mg / kg / day , preferably from about 5 to about 60 mg / kg / day , and more preferably about 30 mg / kg / day . higher or lower doses are also contemplated . the compounds of formula i can be administered to a subject by any route , for example by enteral ( e . g ., oral , rectal , intranasal , etc .) and parenteral administration . parenteral administration includes , for example , intravenous , intramuscular , intraarterial , intraperitoneal , intravaginal , intravesical ( e . g ., into the bladder ), intradermal , topical or subcutaneous administration . also contemplated within the scope of the invention is the instillation of the compounds of formula i into the body of the subject , for example in a controlled release formulation , with systemic or local release of the compound to occur over time or at a later time . preferably , the compound of formula i is localized in a depot for controlled release to the circulation or to a local site such as the gastrointestinal tract . in the practice of the present methods , compounds of formula i can be administered in the form of a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one compound of formula i and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . pharmaceutical formulations of the invention can comprise from 0 . 1 to 99 . 99 weight percent of at least one compound of formula i . the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention can be formulated according to standard practices in the field of pharmaceutical preparations . see alphonso gennaro , ed ., remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences . 18th ed ., ( 1990 ) mack publishing co ., easton , pa . suitable dosage forms can comprise , for example , tablets , capsules , solutions , parenteral solutions , troches , suppositories , or suspensions . by “ pharmaceutically acceptable carrier ” is meant any diluent or excipient that is compatible with the other ingredients of the formulation , and which is not deleterious to the recipient . the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier can be selected on the basis of the desired route of administration , in accordance with standard pharmaceutical practices . pharmaceutical compositions of the invention for parenteral administration can take the form of an aqueous or nonaqueous solution , dispersion , suspension or emulsion . in preparing pharmaceutical compositions of the invention for parenteral administration , at least one compound of formula i can be mixed with a suitable pharmaceutically acceptable carrier such as water , oil ( particularly a vegetable oil ), ethanol , saline solutions ( e . g ., normal saline ), aqueous dextrose ( glucose ) and related sugar solutions , glycerol , or glycols such as propylene glycol or polyethylene glycol . pharmaceutical compositions of the invention for parenteral administration preferably contain a water - soluble salt of at least one compound of formula i . stabilizing agents , antioxidizing agents and preservatives can also be added to the pharmaceutical compositions for parenteral administration . suitable antioxidizing agents include sulfite , ascorbic acid , citric acid and its salts , and sodium edta . suitable preservatives include benzalkonium chloride , methyl - or propyl - paraben , and chlorbutanol . in preparing pharmaceutical compositions of the invention for oral administration , at least one compound of formula i can be combined with one or more solid or liquid inactive ingredients to form tablets , capsules , pills , powders , granules or other suitable oral dosage forms . for example , at least one compound of formula i can be combined with at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier such as a solvent , filler , binder , humectant , disintegrating agent , solution retarder , absorption accelerator , wetting agent absorbent or lubricating agent . in one embodiment , at least one compound of formula i is combined with carboxymethylcellulose calcium , magnesium stearate , mannitol and starch , and is formed into tablets by conventional tableting methods . in a preferred embodiment , tianeptine is formulated into a tablet comprising cellulose and a calcium salt , as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 888 , 542 , the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference . pharmaceutical compositions of the invention can also be formulated so as to provide controlled - release of at least one compound of formula i upon administration of the composition to a subject . preferably , a controlled - release pharmaceutical composition of the invention is capable of releasing at least one compound of formula i into a subject at a desired rate , so as to maintain a substantially constant pharmacological activity for a given period of time . formulation of controlled - release pharmaceutical compositions of the invention is within the skill in the art . controlled release formulations suitable for use in the present invention are described in , for example , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 674 , 533 ( liquid dosage forms ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 059 , 595 ( gastro - resistant tablet ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 591 , 767 ( liquid reservoir transdermal patch ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 120 , 548 ( device comprising swellable polymers ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 073 , 543 ( ganglioside - liposome vehicle ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 639 , 476 ( stable solid formulation coated with a hydrophobic acrylic polymer ), the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . biodegradable microparticles can also be used to formulate controlled - release pharmaceutical compositions suitable for use in the present invention , for example as described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 354 , 566 and 5 , 733 , 566 , the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference . in one embodiment , controlled - release pharmaceutical compositions of the invention comprise at least one compound of formula i and a controlled - release component . as used herein , a “ controlled - release component ” is a compound such as a polymer , polymer matrix , gel , permeable membrane , liposome and / or microsphere that induces the controlled - release of the compound of formula i into the subject upon exposure to a certain physiological compound or condition . for example , the controlled - release component can be biodegradable , activated by exposure to a certain ph or temperature , by exposure to an aqueous environment , or by exposure to enzymes . an example of a controlled - release component which is activated by exposure to a certain temperature is a sol - gel . in this embodiment , at least one compound of formula i is incorporated into a sol - gel matrix that is a solid at room temperature . this sol - gel matrix is implanted into a subject having a body temperature high enough to induce gel formation of the sol - gel matrix , thereby releasing the active ingredient into the subject . the practice of the invention is illustrated by the following non - limiting example . the model used in the present study is predictive of agents that can be used to treat the alterations in propulsion of intestinal contents that occur in ibs . the model is sensitive to test compounds which produce inhibitory effects on propulsive motor activity , but is not sensitive to test compounds which increase colonic propulsive motility . the model thus provides a direct measure of colonic propulsion by measuring movement of a glass bead through the mouse colon . test compounds that slow the rate at which the glass bead is expelled are predicted to have utility in the treatment of ibs . the model used in the present study can also evaluate test compounds that may cause constipation , have antidiarrheal activity , or have selective visceral anti - nociceptive activity . thus , the model is useful for evaluating test compounds for treating nud as well as ibs . for the present study , 48 female , 6 week old swiss webster mice ( 18 - 30 g ) were divided into the following test groups : three treatment groups receiving , respectively , 10 mg / kg tianeptine ( n = 9 ), 30 mg / kg tianeptine ( n = 10 ), and 60 mg / kg tianeptine ( n = 9 ); a control group receiving 10 mg / kg of the antidiarrheal loperamide ( n = 9 ); and a control group receiving vehicle only ( n = 10 ). each animal was dosed orally with either tianeptine , loperamide or vehicle , as appropriate . thirty minutes after dosing , a 3 mm glass bead was inserted through the anus of each animal into the distal colon to a depth of 2 cm , using a glass rod . the animals were observed for expulsion of the bead , and the time of expulsion was noted . any animal that had not expelled the bead within a cut - off time of 60 minutes after bead insertion was sacrificed , and the position of the bead in the lumen of the colon was verified . mean and standard error of the mean were calculated for the expulsion times for each group . the data are summarized in table 1 below . the animals were also observed for signs of gross toxicity and / or behavioral changes during the 60 - 90 minute interval after dosing . such observations included gross evaluation of skin and fur , eyes and mucous membranes , respiratory , circulatory , autonomic and central nervous system , somatomotor activity and behavioral patterns . particular attention was directed to observation of tremors , convulsions , salivation , diarrhea , sleep and coma no signs of gross toxicity or behavioral changes were observed . these data show that tianeptine produces a dose - related inhibition of colonic propulsion . the 30 mg / kg tianeptine dose was equivalent in effect to a 10 mg / kg dose of loperamide . thus , compounds of formula i , in particular tianeptine , are useful in the treatment of ibs and nud . all references cited herein are incorporated by reference . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and , accordingly , reference should be made to the appended claims , rather than to the foregoing specification , as indication the scope of the invention .
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the compositions of the present invention are prepared by activating a carrier to provide a labile center reactive with the tertiary amine of choice . in view of their physical characteristics their ready commercial availability and comparatively low cost as well as their potential , under certain circumstances , to be regenerated , polymer resins form a useful class of carrier although the invention should not be considered as limited thereto . the majority of polymeric resins have a polystyrene backbone . a further readily available although minor category of polymeric resin has a methacrylate backbone . the resins may be prepared in microporous or macroporous structural form . the most readily available polystyrene resins are crosslinked with certain crosslinking agents among which the most common is divinylbenzene ( dvb ), although again the invention is not considered to be limited to the use of particular crosslinking agent . the skeletal matrix of the resin , suitably of the dvb crosslinked polystyrene resin is then activated to provide a labile center which will react with the tertiary amine . an inexpensive and readily available labile group is the chloromethyl group . chloromethylating agents and the mode of reacting them with a polymeric skeletal matrix are well known in the art . indeed , chloromethylated dvb crosslinked polystyrene resin is commercially available . the chloro moiety of the chloromethyl group will provide the counterion of the quaternary ammonium salt ultimately produced . thus , if it is desired to utilize a counterion other than chloride , it can be introduced later by simple and conventional ion exchange procedures . from the point of view of safety , the anion of any pharmaceutically acceptable acid may be utilized as the counterion . while , from the point of view of safety any pharmaceutically acceptable anion may be employed , for example hydrochloric , hydrobromic hydriodic , sulphuric , phosphoric , nitric , acetic , propionic , lauric , benzoic , salicylic , cinamic , lactic , maloic , fumaric , pyruvic , glutamic , oxalic , methane sulphonic , benzene sulphonic , glucose - 1 - phosphoric , or the like , from the point of view of effectiveness halide , suitably chloride , bromide and iodide have been found to be totally effective in the tests for effectiveness which have been carried out are especially preferred . the amine reagent utilized is a tertiary amine or a bistertiary aminoalkane having the general structure ## str6 ## r 1 and r 2 may be the same or different and may be alkyl , alkenyl or cycloalkyl , suitably straight or branch chain lower alkyl of one to eight carbon atoms suitably methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , n - butyl , isobutyl , pentyl , oxalyl or the like , straight or branch chain lower alkenyl of two to six carbon atoms such as ethenyl , propenyl , isopropenyl , butenyl , isobutenyl , tertbutenyl , pentenyl , hexenyl and the like or cycloalkyl of three to six carbon such as cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl . also included are the corresponding cycloalkenyl moieties of four to six carbon atoms , either r 1 or r 2 may have the values of r 3 below . r 1 and r 2 may also be joined together to yield in conjunction with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached a heterocyclic moiety of five to seven atoms in the ring . this heterocyclic moiety may be saturated , partially unsaturated , or fully unsaturated that is to say aromatic . included in this category would be aziridyl , pyrrolidyl , pyrrolyl , pyridyl , piperidyl , azepinyl , perhydroazopinyl and the like . of the foregoing , the pyridyl moiety is particularly preferred . the foregoing heterocyclics may , if desired , be substituted by alkyl moieties appropriate to the r 1 and r 2 groups constituting the carbon portion of the heterocyclic ring . r 3 may be alkyl , suitably midalkyl of ten to sixteen carbon atoms which may be straight or branch chain , the former being preferred . r 3 may also be aryl , alkaryl , or aralkyl . the aryl moieties may be carbocyclic or heterocyclic , suitable carbocyclic , such as phenyl or naphthyl , similarly the alkaryl moieties may be carbocyclic or heterocyclic and are suitably substituted by lower alkyl substituents containing 1 - 5 carbon atoms . these substituents may number from one to the maximum available number of positions on the ring . thus , where the aryl moiety is phenyl , there may be from 1 - 5 substituents and where the aryl moiety is naphthyl there may be from 1 - 7 substituents ; with respect to the aralkyl moieties , the aryl portion may be carbocyclic or heterocyclic , suitably carbocyclic , and may be substituted or unsubstituted phenyl or naphthyl . the substitution is , suitably , by halogen or lower alkyl moieties of 1 - 6 carbon atoms located at from one to the maximum number of available positions on the ring . similarly , the alkyl segment of the aralkyl moiety is suitably lower alkyl of 1 - 6 carbon atoms . the disinfectant compositions of the present invention in the form of quaternary ammonium salts are prepared by reacting the amine of general formula ( iiia ) or ( iiib ) above with the activated carrier , suitably the activated cross - linked polymeric resin where the resin is a cross - linked polystyrene or cross - linked polymethylmethacrylate . most suitably the reaction is carried out with commercially available chloromethylated divinylbenzene cross - linked polystyrene . in this procedure the activated polymeric resin is swelled prior to amination suitably by immersion in an excess of water miscible reaction inert organic solvent , suitably an alkanol , a ketone or a water miscible ether preferably a cyclic ether such as dioxane . the resin is immersed , suitably at ambient temperature , for from about 24 to about 60 hours . the mixture in the solvent is cooled to under about 5 ° c . suitably to between - 10 ° c . to about + 5 ° c . and an excess ( based on active centers on the resin ) of the amine of choice is added . the amine is , suitably , pre - cooled to the temperature of the resin / solvent mixture . where the amine does not dissolve readily in the swelling solvent upon agitation , the entire mixture is warmed just enough to permit solution of the amine , re - cooled to the aforementioned range , and retained at that temperature for about 24 to about 60 hours suitably for about 48 hours . the aminated resin is then separated , suitably by filtration . it is held in dilute acid suitably dilute mineral acid such as aqueous hydrochloric acid at ambient temperatures , suitably for from about 24 to about 60 hours , and then washed alternately with aqueous acid and aqueous base suitably dilute hydrochloric acid and dilute sodium hydroxide followed by aqueous saline and finally deionized distilled water in which it is stored . the resulting material is then cycled in acid and base , suitably in dilute aqueous hydrochloric acid and dilute aqueous sodium hydroxide , and then washed , first with several portions of dilute aqueous sodium chloride and finally with deionized , distilled water until the effluent is free of chloride ion . the quaternary ammonium salts in resin form prepared in accordance with the foregoing procedures may be utilized to disinfect drinking water by any contact method known to the water purification art . the preferred mode , however , is to prepare a bed of the composition , suitably in column form , but not being restricted thereto , and causing the water which is to be disinfected to pass through the column . in accordance with accepted water purification techniques , it is desirable to remove as much solid or colloidal material as possible prior to contact with the resin . this may be done by any prefiltration method known to the water purification art among which may be included filtration through sand , charcoal ( in activated or other form ), sintered glass , glass fiber beds , or any other suitable and available prefiltration medium . the material of the present invention is effective not only against bacteria and viruses , but also against fungi , algae and protozoa . observations indicate that when a carrier bed loses its effectiveness as a disinfectant medium that loss is not due to chemical reactions or loss of reactive groups on the bed but rather to the blocking of the active sites by the debris of the biological material . the bed can therefore be regenerated by removing this absorbed microscopic debris from the surface and interstices of the disinfectant composition . it has been found that the resin may be regenerated by treatment with aqueous alkanolic acid , suitably with mixtures of ethanolic aqueous hydrochloric acid , suitably by utilizing between 6 and 12 n aqueous hydrochloric acid in an hcl : etoh ratio of between 1 : 19 to 3 : 17 . the mode of regeneration of the resin should not be considered to be limited to this method . the results of bactericidal tests carried out on a disinfectant composition within the scope of the present invention n , n - dimethyldodecyl ammonium /( methylated / dvb crosslinked polystyrene ) chloride are illustrated in fig1 . this test indicates that utilizing a 1 ml bed of 0 . 8 cm 2 cross - section a total kill was noted up to an applied level of 5 . 8 × 10 7 microorganisms ( viz : b . subtilis ) in another experiment no viable cells emerged from the bed until 8 . 2 × 10 8 cells of a total of 9 . 4 × 10 8 cells had contacted the resin bed and thereafter less than 1 % of the additionally applied bacteria emerged in viable form . in contrast , where the parent polymer resin itself is utilized without quaternizing with the amine moiety , the percentage viability for between 10 7 and 6 × 10 7 applied cells ranges from approximately 50 % to approximately 80 %, indicating that some absorption but no real disinfection occurs . chloromethylated crosslinked polystyrene ( 5 g , 200 - 400 mesh , 2 % divinyl benzene ) is immersed in dioxane ( 250 ml ) for 48 hours at ambient temperature ( ca . 20 ° c .). the mixture is cooled to 0 ° c . and n , n - dimethyl dodecyl amine ( 75 ml ), precooled to 0 ° c . added . the mixture is warmed slightly to dissolve the amine and is then cooled again and held at 0 ° c . for 48 hours with intermittent stirring . the mixture is filtered , the filtrate discarded and the residual resin suspended in dilute aqueous hydrochloric acid ( 75 ml , 2 m ) for 48 hours at ambient temperatures . the resulting suspension is again filtered and the resin washed with three cycles of aqueous hydrochloric acid ( 2 m , 50 ml × 3 ) and aqueous sodium hydroxide ( 0 . 1 m , 50 ml × 3 ), thereafter with dilute saline ( 2 m , 25 ml × 5 ) and with deionized , distilled water until the effluent is free of chloride . the resultant quaternary ammonium salt in resin form is stored in deionized distilled water . in accordance with the above procedure , but where in place of n , n - dimethyldodecyl amine there is utilized n , n - dimethyldecyl amine , n , n - dimethylmyristyl amine , n , n - dimethylbenzylamine , n - dodecyl - n - methyl - 3 , 4 - dichlorobenzylamine , quinoline , isoquinoline , pyridine n - n - didecylmethylamine , n - octyl - n - decylmethlamine , n - cetyl - n - dimethylnaphthylamine , a similar composition is obtained . in accordance with the above procedure , but where in place of the tertiary amines set forth above there is utilized 1 , 10 - bis ( n , n - dimethylamino ) decane or 1 , 2 - bis ( n , n - didodecylamino ) ethane , there is obtained a similar product . in accordance with the above procedure and using any of the aforementioned amines but utilizing the resins in macroporous form , a similar product is obtained . further , in accordance with the above procedure but utilizing in place of a polystyrene resin a methylated crosslinked polymethylmethacrylate resin in macro porous or micro porous form there is obtained the corresponding product . bacillus subtilis ( np - 40 ) was grown at 40 ° c . for 14 - 16 hrs in buffered glucose broth . the cells were centrifuged at 24 ° c . ( 5000 rpm / 7 min ) in a sorval superspeed rc - 2 automatic refrigerated centrifuge . the pellet was suspended in sterile tris buffer ( ph 7 . 6 , 250 ml , 0 . 01 m ). samples of this suspension ( 10 ml ) were diluted with more buffer up to total volumes of 2000 ml . prior to each experiment a control solution was maintained under identical conditions to the test solutions . resin prepared in accordance with example 1 as well as control materials i . e . ( dowex 1x2 and the parent chloromethylated divinylbenzene crosslinked polystyrene ) were slurried in deionized distilled water . 1 ml of deionized distilled water was added to a 6 cm cm × 0 . 8 cm 2 fritted glass column and the meniscus marked on the column . the slurried resin was added so as to settle into a bed to the height of the mark . the resin of example 1 was utilized in chloride form except where indicated to the contrary . the test solutions were run through the column at flow rates of between 10 to 12 ml / min . effluents were collected in 100 ml fractions at predesignated intervals in 100 ml fractions ( monitored at 200 , 400 , 800 , 1200 , 1500 , 1800 , 1900 , 2100 and 2300 ml points ). collection was in sterile enclosed beakers . portions of diluted and undiluted effluent were plated out on nutrient agar and incubated overnight at 40 ° c . thereafter the plates were examined for viable cells . the test results of various batches of the n , n - dimethyldodecyl ammonium /( methylated / dvb crosslinked polystyrene ) chloride of example 1 are summarized in table i below . comparative tests with the chloromethylated divinylbenzenepolystyrene resin itself ( i . e . without quaternization ) or with the chloride form of a polystyrene benzyltrimethyl ammonium ion exchange resin ( dowex 1 type ) show no anti microbial activity although in preliminary experiments a slight reduction in the number of viable cells is noted due to a &# 34 ; filtration &# 34 ; effect . the chloride counterion of the principle composition of example 1 was displaced with the following ions : bromide , iodide , thiocyanate , ethanesulfonate , n - pentane sulfonate by passing an aqueous solution of the corresponding sodium salt through the column . test experiments in accordance with the foregoing procedures but utilizing an application of 1600 ml of test solution containing 2 . 4 × 10 9 cells of b . subtilis per charge yielded the following proportion of viable cells in the last 100 ml fraction . the resin , after exhaustion ( arbitrarily defined as 50 % viable of b . subtilis organisms to pass therethrough ) was regenerated by passing through the column a mixture of aqueous hydrochloric acid ( 12 n ) and ethanol in a ratio of both 1 : 19 and 2 : 9 followed by sterile tris hydrochloride buffer ( ph 7 . 6 , 250 ml , 0 . 01 m ). the regenerated columns were then resubjected to passage of b . subtilis suspension as set forth above . table i______________________________________kill capacity of resin 12tem - pera - resin kill % viableture batch amount cells applied capacity * of total______________________________________24 ° c . 1 a 9 . 4 × 10 . sup . 8 / 2300 ml 8 . 2 × 10 . sup . 8 & lt ; 1 b same same same35 ° c . 1 a 9 . 6 × 10 . sup . 8 / 1800 ml ≧ total 0 b same same same24 ° c . 2 a 9 . 4 × 10 . sup . 8 / 2300 ml ≧ total & lt ; 1 b same same same24 ° c . 3 a 2 . 4 × 10 . sup . 9 / 1600 ml ≧ total 0 b same same same______________________________________ * operationally defined as the total number of cells applied to first appearance of viable cells in column effluent .
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fig3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a thermoelectric module 300 according to the present invention . module 300 includes a plurality of p - type thermoelectric semiconductors 302 and n - type thermoelectric semiconductors 304 , each of which is interconnected to one another in a suitable manner across a connecting layer 306 using printed conductors 308 . printed conductors 308 may , for example , be made of copper . printed conductors 308 are located on a base support 310 which includes a graduated metal matrix composite ( mmc ). the graduation of the mmc is identified by an arrow 311 pointing in the direction of increasing metal content . in the example from fig3 , the graduation is discrete , i . e ., base support 310 includes a total of five different layers denoted by reference numerals 312 - 320 . the layers vary in the porosity of the preform from which base support 310 was manufactured or they vary correspondingly with respect to metal content . however , the graduation may also be designed to be continuous . specifically , layer 312 , which lies on side 322 of base support 310 facing printed conductors 308 and is used as a support and insulator for printed conductors 308 , may , for example , be made of up to 100 % of a ceramic material , i . e ., the original preform had 0 % porosity in the area of layer 312 . on the other hand , when module 300 is used as a generator , layer 320 lying on side 324 of base support 310 facing away from printed conductors 308 is itself used as a back plate , heat exchanger and / or for connecting to a heat exchanger which represents a hot side of a system , and is therefore made of 100 % metal . layers 314 , 316 and 318 located between insulator layer 312 and heat exchanger or connection layer 320 have a graduated metal content of , for example , 25 %, 50 %, 75 % metal content , the preform having by analogy , for example , a porosity of 25 %, 50 %, 75 %. another exemplary embodiment of a thermoelectric module 400 according to the present invention is shown in fig4 . thermocouples of n - type 402 or p - type 404 are applied to conductor structures 406 , which in this example are designed integrally with the base plate or base support 408 . the integral design of base support 408 having conductor structures 406 simplifies in particular the manufacture of module 400 . in contrast to exemplary embodiment 300 of fig3 in which gradient 311 passes unilaterally , a bilateral gradient 410 is present in the case of base support 408 including conductor structures 406 . this gradient has a minimum metal content in an area 412 on a side 413 facing printed conductors 406 , while both an area 414 on side 418 facing away from conductor structures 406 and an area of printed conductors 406 each have a maximum metal content . the metal content in areas 416 or 414 must be suitable for making ( 416 ) an interconnection of thermocouples 402 , 404 or a thermal connection to the system in which module 400 is to be used ( 414 ). the metal content in areas 416 and / or 414 may thus vary from 100 %. another exemplary embodiment of a thermoelectric module 500 according to the present invention is shown in fig5 . in this example , thermocouples of n - type 502 and p - type 504 are applied to conductor structures 506 which were introduced into recesses of a base plate 508 . the introduction may be accomplished , for example using die casting , squeeze casting or gas pressure infiltration of metal . in the example of fig5 , a gradient 510 in the metal content of support 508 is unilateral and passes , for example , from 0 % porosity of a ceramic preform of base plate 508 in an area 512 on side 513 of base support 508 facing printed conductors 506 to a maximum in the metal content in an area 514 on side 515 facing away from printed conductors 506 for connection to a system . based on the flow chart shown in fig6 , a method for manufacturing a thermoelectric module ( 602 ) is described . in step 604 , a ceramic preform having a porosity gradient is provided as a base support of the later thermoelectric module . in step 606 , the ceramic preform is infiltrated with metal . in this step , a gradient is accordingly produced in the metal content of the later base support . in step 608 , another material having 0 volume percent metal is applied to one side of the preform . alternatively , this material may already be represented using step 604 . in step 610 , an area having 100 volume percent metal is applied to another side of the preform . alternatively , the area having 100 volume percent metal may be produced on the side facing away from the base support in step 606 . the manufacturing process ends in step 612 . while gradient 311 in fig3 is a graduated gradient , a bilateral gradient ( 410 ) or a unilateral gradient ( 510 ) may also pass without graduations , i . e ., continuously from a minimum value to a maximum value of the metal content ( or a porosity of a ceramic preform ). the metal matrix composite of support 310 , 408 or 508 may be manufactured from porous ceramic preforms via metal infiltration , for example , using pressure support , for example , die casting , squeeze casting or gas pressure infiltration ( step 606 ). this makes it possible to adapt the coefficient of thermal expansion ( cte ) within the module to the system requirements , simultaneously ensuring high thermal conductivity . the ceramic preform may have a porosity gradient of , for example , 0 vol % in areas 312 , 412 , 512 to , for example , a maximum of 50 vol %, 75 vol %, in particular approximately 65 vol % in areas 318 , 414 , 514 , sufficient mechanical stability still being ensured . areas 312 or 512 having 100 vol % ceramic or 0 vol % porosity may also be applied to the preform or the base support ( step 608 ) using a sinter bonding method , optionally before or after a metal infiltration . areas 320 , 414 or 514 in which the porosity reaches 100 vol % or the metal content reaches 100 vol % may be applied to the base support , for example , by recasting of metal during the metal infiltration ( step 610 ). the present invention thus makes it possible to form an integral connection between insulator layer 312 , 412 or 512 and the heat exchanger or connection side to system 320 , 414 or 514 . this ensures optimal thermal transfer with simultaneously minimal thermomechanical stresses within the module or generator . base support 310 , 408 or 508 made from a metal matrix composite continues to offer an insulating base for circuit routing 308 , 406 or 506 on the insulator or ceramic side , while a boundary surface having its coefficient of thermal expansion ( cte ) adapted is available on the side having a high metal content 318 / 320 , 414 and 514 for the metals of heat exchangers of the generator or system and / or the corresponding hot or cold side of the system . since the cte in the module may be optimally adapted to the system requirement , the module designed according to the present invention offers significantly higher reliability with regard the thermomechanical loads compared to conventional tems . simultaneously , the flexibility is increased with regard to the usable design and connection techniques and with regard to the installation space ( required volume and required shaping ) within the system when used as a thermoelectric generator . this is of significance for applications , for example , in the exhaust branch of an internal combustion engine . according to the present invention , thermoelectric modules or generators made of graduated preform mmcs may be used economically at comparably low costs and increased energy efficiency for the efficient utilization of the waste heat of , for example , internal combustion engines or electric motors in the transportation industry ( vehicle construction ).
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this specification includes two pages of computer program code configured to carry out the steps in accordance with the present invention . the computer program code is incorporated herein by reference it its entirety for all purposes . the present invention is directed to a system and method that allows an organization such as an application service provider ( asp ) to create a virtual uniform resource locator ( url ), also referred to as virtual web domain name for a third party such as , for example , a customer . the virtual url has a url of the third party &# 39 ; s web site that prominently displays the name of the third party in the virtual url . the third party can be a customer that engages the asp to host its web site and to provide related services , such as electronic commerce services . the present invention allows the asp to automatically generate a web site for a new customer and have the web site up and running immediately . furthermore , the url of the new web site is not necessarily a long string comprising of one or more nested subdirectories . as will be explained in further details , the url , which will be called the virtual web domain name , associated with the web site need not be registered and assigned a new ip address . thus , the web site can be deployed immediately . moreover , the invention allows the customer to avoid the costs associated with finding and obtaining a new registration of a new domain name by using a virtual domain name . consider , for example , a scenario where an asp hosts an e - commerce site for its customer , customer1 . according to the present invention , the url for the new e - commerce site of customer1 will be customer1 . aspsite . net , which is a virtual domain name . this url can be used on print media , billboards , television , other web sites and other ads . this url prominently displays the name customer1 before the name aspsite . net . thus , it will appear to viewers of the url on the print media , billboard , television , other web site or the ad , that customer1 is serviced by aspsite . net . by having customer1 as the first name of a url , viewers will more likely remember it . the url customer1 . aspsite . net has the desired affect of enhancing the prominence of the name customer1 . in one embodiment of the invention , the asp registers a wildcard domain name *. aspsite . net , and associates to it an ip address . any viewer making any http request of the form anyname . aspsite . net will be directed to the same web page , namely the home page associated with aspsite . net , such as , for example , www . aspsite . net / index . html . this home page contains , among other data , a list of all the customer urls that are serviced by the asp , and these are hotlinked to their respective web sites that are hosted by the asp . these websites comprise web pages that reside in subdirectories of the main aspsite web site www . aspsite . net . the home page www . aspsite . net / index . html also provides that , if the name anyname . aspsite . net is included in its list of urls , then the viewer is automatically redirected to the web site corresponding to anyname . aspsite . net . if the name anyname . aspsite . net is not included in the list of urls in the home page , then the viewer sees the page www . aspsite . net / index . html . the viewer can then manually search for the right customer url in the list of customer urls . according to the invention , when customer1 registers for a service , a web site for customer1 is created with a new url www . aspsite . net / customer1 . this new url , however , is not advertised . rather the web site is promoted with the url customer1 . aspsite . net . the url customer1 . aspsite . net links to the aspsite . net home page www . aspsite . net / index . html , wherein the code in the homepage first extracts the name customer1 . aspsite . net from the data stream it receives via the http request , next determines that customer1 . aspsite . net is a name on its list of urls , and then automatically redirects the viewer to the home page of the newly created site www . aspsite . net / customer1 . when a user either enters customer1 . aspsite . net or clicks on any hyperlink to customer1 . aspsite . net in a document that supports hyperlinking , such as , for example , a web page , the viewer is taken automatically to the home page of the site www . aspdirectory . net / customer1 . if the url www . aspsite . net / customer1 is not found in the list of urls in www . aspsite . net / index . html , then the home page www . aspsite . net / index . html is returned to the viewer &# 39 ; s browser . when a user is taken to www . aspsite . net / index . html , which includes a list of all customer urls , the user can look up any desired customer on this web page . upon finding the desired url , the viewer can click on it and be directed to its associated web site . if the user incorrectly types customer1 &# 39 ; s name but still correctly types aspsite . net , then the user would be directed to www . aspsite . net / index . html where the user would likely find the correct url . customers may wish to create sites corresponding to various hierarchies of their organization . for example , a customer may want several distinct sites corresponding to several distinct functions or sub - organizations within the customer &# 39 ; s organization . for example , the customer may be a retail shop with several departments . for example , customer1 may have distinct sites for various departments dept1 , . . . , deptn with addresses www . aspsite . net / customer1 / deptj , where j = 1 , . . . , n . these urls are not advertised . rather the web sites for the departments are promoted with the urls deptjatcustomer1 . aspsite . net . these urls link to the aspsite . net home page www . aspsite . net / index . html , wherein the name deptjatcustomer1 . aspsite . net is extracted from the data stream it receives via an http request , next determines that deptjatcustomer1 . aspsite . net is a name on its list of urls , and then automatically redirects the viewer to the home page of the newly created site www . aspsite . net / customer1 / deptj . another example of a hierarchical structure of sites has customer1 a charitable organization with regional offices in various places placej , each hosting various events event ( j , k ). sites are created for customer1 at www . aspsite . net / customer1 / placej / event ( j , k ). often the events event ( j , k ) all have the same name event ( k ) for all locations placej . for example , a charitable organization may have events called walkamerica in many locations . sites for these events may be of the form in another embodiment , the home page contains , among other data , a list of the names of all the customers that are serviced by the asp , and these are hotlinked to their respective web sites that are hosted by the asp . the home page www . aspsite . net / index . html also provides that if the customer name is contained in its list of names , then the viewer is automatically redirected to the web site associated with that customer . otherwise , if the customer name is not contained in the list of customer names in the home page , then the viewer sees the home page www . aspsite . net / index . html . the viewer can then manually look up the correct customer name in the list of customer names . [ 0044 ] fig1 illustrates a system block diagram of one embodiment of the invention . in fig1 user 104 a would like to log onto an organization org1 &# 39 ; s web site . user 104 b would like to log onto org2 &# 39 ; s web site and user 104 c would like to log onto org 3 &# 39 ; s web site . org1 , org2 and org3 are engaged in a fundraising campaign , and have all engaged an asp ( asp - provider . net ) to assist in their fundraising campaign . consider the case of user 104 a . according to the invention , user 104 a types the url http :// org1 . asp - provider . net on a computer terminal . the url org1 . asp - provider . net prominently displays the name of the organization ( org1 ). the url is processed by a dns server 108 that returns an ip address corresponding to a web page 112 for www . asp - provider . net . user 104 a is then directed to the web page 112 . the web page 112 includes a virtual web domain name server 116 that translates the url http :// org1 . asp - provider . net to www . asp - provider . net / org1 , where org1 is a subdirectory of the web site asp - provider . net . the subdirectory asp - provider . net / org1 is also referred to as a virtual web site . thus , user 104 a uses the url org1 . asp - provider . net to reach the subdirectory asp - provider . net / org1 . likewise , users 104 b and 104 c are directed to the subdirectories asp - provider . net / org2 and asp - provider . net / org3 , respectively . [ 0046 ] fig2 illustrates a flow diagram of the operational method steps of one embodiment of the invention . the flow starts in step 204 and proceeds to step 208 where a user types in a url , such as , for example , http :// org1 . asp - provider . net . in step 212 , a dns server returns an ip address of the asp &# 39 ; s web site . in step 216 , the user is directed to the asp &# 39 ; s web site www . asp - provider . net . in step 220 , a virtual web domain name service translates the url http :// org1 . asp - provider . net to one that directs the viewer to the subdirectory www . asp - provider / org1 . in one embodiment the home page www . aspsite . net / index . html has a search engine that allows a user to search a customer web site hosted by the asp . the search engine may prompt the user with specific questions related to the customer . answers provided to these questions can help narrow the search for the desired web site . the home page may also have spell - checking capabilities that are designed to handle spelling errors . thus , if the user misspells the name customer1 , the spell - checker may suggest sites with names that closely match those that the user spelled . if customer sites are constructed in hierarchical fashion as described above , the home page may have the list of sites displayed in hierarchical fashion . this is particularly useful when a user does not know the exact name or url of an event and has to search for the event on the home page . thus , in the example of customer1 with multiple events called walkamerica in many locations , the list of event names may be in outline form , with customer1 as first level entry , then event name as second level entry , and location as third level entry . such organization helps in the search process . in one specific embodiment , *. aspsite . net is a wildcard page for an asp that services a charitable , a nonprofit , a political or any other organization in its fundraising events . a home page for an event can have a url eventname . aspsite . net , where eventname is the name of the event . the name eventname is chosen by the organization with an eye towards maximum recognition and prominence . the fundraising event can include an athletic , a gala , a concert , or any other event hosted to assist in fundraising . the asp can provide an event template that an organization can customize with the organization &# 39 ; s logo and messages . the asp can provide an online event registration form that can be completed by the organization . after customizing the template and submitting the completed form , an automatic web site for the fundraising event will be generated automatically . the url for the web site will be eventname . aspsite . net , where eventname is the name of the event .
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reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers ( optionally including different suffixes ) are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts . fig2 , 3 , 5 , and 10 show examples of components that could be included in an embodiment of a system according to the present invention . as shown in fig2 , the system preferably includes at least one guide tube 10 having at least one inner lumen extending from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion . the distal end portion of the guide tube 10 preferably includes a releasable anchoring element 12 for releasably anchoring the distal end portion of the guide tube 10 in at least one vertebra . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the anchoring element 12 is at least one thread on an outer surface of the guide tube 10 . the thread permits the guide tube 10 to be removably threaded into a hole bored in a vertebra . the guide tube 10 is preferably made of stainless , surgical steel but may be made of metal composites , ceramic composites , surgical polymers or surgical plastics . preferably , the guide tube 10 includes a suitable tracking element 14 configured to interact with a computer controlled surgical navigation system ( not shown ) using a detector for determining the position of the guide tube 10 with respect to a known reference in 3d space . by way of example only , the tracking element 14 could be at least one led emitter / reflector located on a proximal end portion of the guide tube 10 . the tracking element 14 could also be any structure that is capable of being detected / tracked by means of a surgical navigation system that uses any sonic , optical , electromagnetic , or other suitable technology known in the art . for example , the tracking element 14 is particularly capable of being used with a surgical navigation system constructed according to the teachings of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 383 , 454 ; pct application no . pct / u . s . 94 / 04530 ( publication no . wo 94 / 24933 ); and / or pct application no . pct / u . s . 95 / 12894 ( publication no . wo 96 / 11624 ), the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference . the guide tube 10 includes a lumen that extends from its proximal end portion to its distal end portion . preferably , the lumen is sized to allow for passage therethrough of at least one tool , such as the drilling tool 20 shown in fig3 . the drilling tool 20 preferably includes a bit 22 ( i . e ., burr ) configured to abrade soft tissue or bone , such as portions of an intervertebral disc or a vertebra . the bit 22 is preferably a high speed drill bit made of hardened surgical , stainless steel and optionally coated with teflon or other coatings to prevent aggregation or sticking of osseous material . the bit 22 is coupled to a flexible , rotatable drive member 24 , such as a cable , that is rotatably driven by an external motor ( not shown ) to rotate the bit 22 . the drive member 24 passes through a tubular member 26 that is preferably configured to be steerable . as shown in fig3 , the tubular member 26 includes a number of segments 28 a - 28 e . hinge members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c and 30 d couple adjacent pairs of the segments 28 a - 28 b , 28 b - 28 c , 28 c - 28 d , 28 d - 28 e together to permit relative pivotal movement of the segments in each of the pairs . an axially movable steering element 32 , such as a cable , passes freely through the segments 28 b - 28 e and has a distal end connected to the distal segment 28 a . axial movement of the steering element 32 causes bending at one or more of the hinge members 30 a - 30 d in a plane to vary the position of the distal end portion of the tubular member 26 with respect to the remainder of the tubular member 26 . this enables steerable movement of the drilling tool 20 , especially when the movement at the distal end portion is combined with rotation of the tubular member 26 and / or axial movement of the tubular member 26 . of course , there are many different ways in which the drilling tool 20 could be constructed to provide steering . a tracking element 34 could be provided on the drilling tool 20 to interact with a computer controlled surgical navigation system to determine the location of the bit 22 with respect to a known reference point . for example , the tracking element 34 could be provided on the steering element 32 and constructed like the tracking element 14 shown in fig2 . the drilling tool 20 is preferably made of surgical steel , but the drive member 24 and steering element 32 could be made of metal composites , surgical polymers , or other suitable materials . preferably , at least a portion of the drilling tool 20 is capable of being imaged with fluoroscopic imaging . the drilling tool 20 could be constructed to be connected to a stereotactic device that could be used to determine the position of the bit 22 . structure could be provided on the drilling tool 20 to remove materials with suction . for example , the drilling tool could include a lumen capable of being coupled to a suction source . for example , a flexible tube , such as surgical polymer tubing , could be provided in the tubular member and have an open end extending adjacent to the bit 22 . although the steerable drilling tool 20 is described below as being used in a spinal fusion procedure , the drilling tool 20 could be used in a number of different spinal or non - spinal procedures . the system according to the invention also preferably includes at least one inflatable balloon implant 40 shown in fig1 - 12 . the balloon implant 40 is configured to be filled with material to provide fusion in a cavity that is formed at least partially in an intervertebral disc , as described below . the balloon implant 40 is preferably made of a biodegradable substance such as collagen . the balloon implant 40 and the material used to fill it may include growth factors , such as bone morphogenic proteins or fibroplast growth factor , genetically modified cells for replacement therapy , or mesenchymal stem cells to further promote bony fusion . the system according to the present invention could include other components , such as a device for providing suction and / or irrigation of a surgical site . preferably , all or some of the components are made of permanent or disposable materials that are capable of being sterilized . the present invention also includes one or more preferred methods of fusing a spinal region . these procedures are explained with reference to the structural embodiments described above . however , it should be understood that the method of the invention could be practiced with structure other than that disclosed herein . in addition , the structure of the present invention could be used with processes other than those described herein . in one method according to the present invention , a patient is placed on an appropriate operating surface . optionally , imaging equipment , such as fluoroscopy , is used to visualize a region of the spine . small stab incisions are made in the back and a conventional drill is preferably used to drill a hole through corticle material on the outer surface of the pedicle of a vertebra . for the procedure shown in fig4 , a first hole is drilled in the pedicle of a first vertebra and a second hole is drilled in a pedicle of a second vertebra adjacent to the first vertebra . although fig4 - 11 show these holes as being substantially parallel to the plane of the disc , the holes are preferably angled from about 30 degrees to about 45 degrees with respect to the plane of the disc so that the axes of the holes form an angle having a vertex at the disc . a respective guide tube 10 a , 10 b is placed in contact with each of the vertebrae . preferably , each guide tube 10 a , 10 b is releasably anchored in the corresponding pedicle hole by engaging the threads on the guide tube 10 a , 10 b in the vertebrae . once the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b have been inserted , an x - ray , ct scan or other diagnostic scan could be used to localize the anatomical position of the tubes 10 a and 10 b , identify the best position for fusion and identify the best insertion points for subsequent instrumentation . after anchoring the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b , at least one of the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b is moved to thereby position one or more of the vertebrae . for example , as shown in fig5 , a distraction tool 50 is coupled to the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b to force the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b apart from one another and thereby distract one or more of the vertebrae away from the disc . the distraction tool 50 could be constructed in many different ways . for example , this device could have a ratchet adjustment . in addition to moving the guide tubes 10 a , 10 b toward or away from each other , one or more of the anchored guide tubes 10 a , 10 b could be rotated ( or translated ) to thereby rotate ( or translate ) one or more of the vertebrae . preferably , a computer - controlled surgical navigation device is used to determine the movement of the guide tubes , for example , by interacting with the tracking element 14 shown in fig2 . this preferably enables a surgeon to visualize the repositioning of the vertebrae . one or more steerable drilling tools 20 a and 20 b are inserted though the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b . the drive member 24 ( fig3 ) of each drilling tool 20 a , 20 b is rotated to thereby rotate each bit 22 . each drilling tool is moved further through the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b , as shown in fig7 , and the bit 22 abrades material in the respective vertebra , including medullary material spaced away from the disc . as shown in fig8 , each of the drilling tools 20 a and 20 b are preferable steered toward the disc , for example by axially moving the steering element 32 ( fig3 ), and the drilling tools 20 a and 20 b abrade at least a portion of the end plates of the disc between the vertebrae . the material abraded by the drilling tools 20 a and 20 b is preferably removed through one or both of the guide tubes 10 a , 10 b . for example , a suction and / or irrigation device could be passed into one of the tubes 10 a and 10 b , while one of the drill tools is passed through the other of the tubes 10 a and 10 b . the position of the distal end of the drilling tools 20 a and 20 b is preferably determined , for example , by using a computer controlled surgical navigation device that interacts with the tracking element 34 ( fig3 ). after abrasion of all material , the drilling tools 20 a and 20 b are pulled out of the tubes 10 a and 10 b , and the further removal of any remaining loose material occurs via suction , irrigation , flexible forceps , or other means for clearing such loose material . eventually , all of the interior of the disc , including its nucleus , is removed to form a cavity extending through the disc and preferably into portions of the adjacent vertebrae . preferably , none of the circumferential segments of the annulus fibrosis are abraded or removed during the procedure , such that at least a portion of the fibrosis extends around the cavity . in a preferred practice of the invention , the inflatable balloon implant 40 is preferably inserted into the cavity via one of the guide tubes 10 a and 10 b . the balloon is preferably filled with a contrast agent , as shown in fig1 , and the balloon is viewed with appropriate imaging equipment , such as a fluoroscope . one possible imaging agent that could be used to inflate the balloon is omnipaque . since the inflated balloon preferably fills the entire cavity , the imaging of the balloon can be used to evaluate whether the cavity is properly configured . it can also be used to ascertain proper anatomic alignment or position and to verify complete filling of the cavity . in the event that further material needs to be removed to enlarge the cavity , the implant 40 could be removed from the cavity , and abrasion with one or more of the steerable drilling tools could be continued . when the cavity is properly formed , a flowable fusion substance is preferably passed into the cavity via one of the guide tubes 10 a , 10 b . preferably , the fusion substance is a substance capable of solidfying such that it is no longer readily flowable . for example , the fusion substance could be a solidifying agent including polymethacrylate , such as methylmethacrylate or cranioplastic methacrylate , hydroxyapatite , another polymer , and / or a biological matrix . the flowable substance may include growth factors , such as bone morphogenic proteins or fibroplast growth factor , genetically modified cells for replacement therapy or mesenchymal stem cells to further promote bony fusion . in addition , the fusion substance could include antibiotics such as tobramycin , for example . in one possible practice of the invention , the balloon implant used for the imaging is removed from the cavity before the fusion substance alone is passed into the cavity . alternatively , the balloon implant 40 used for the imaging could be drained of the imaging agent and then filled with the fusion substance via one of the guide tubes 10 a , 10 b . in another alternate practice of the invention , the balloon implant 40 used for the contrast agent is removed from the cavity and another balloon implant is inserted in the cavity and filled with the fusion substance . filling a balloon implant with the fusion substance is preferred in order to contain the fusion substance and prevent migration into unintended areas , such as the area near the spinal chord . after passing the fusion substance into the cavity , the tubes 10 a and 10 b are removed from the vertebrae . fig1 shows the balloon implant 12 in place after being filled with the flowable agent and after solidification of the fusion substance . fig1 shows an alternate embodiment of a balloon implant 40 a that is configured to fill a relatively larger cavity extending into two adjacent discs positioned near a spinal fracture . in the preferred practice of the invention , the guide tubes 10 a , 10 b could be moved at various times during the procedure to reposition one or more of the vertebrae . for example , the movement shown in fig5 could take place after the cavity is fully formed . in addition , the vertebrae could be retained in their repositioned state until the fusion substance solidifies . fig1 - 17 show an alternative procedure like that shown in fig4 - 13 , but involving a single guide tube 10 . as shown in fig1 , the guide tube 10 is used to remove the inner material from a disc with suction applied though the guide tube 10 . as shown in fig1 - 17 , a balloon is inserted into a cavity formed in the disc and eventually filled with the fusion substance to fuse the spinal region . the method and apparatus according to the invention could be used for noninvasive or minimally invasive spinal disc distraction , rotation or translation and subsequent stabilization . the invention could be used for treatment of spinal disorders including , but not limited to , scoliosis , lordosis , kyphosis , spinal fractures , spinal instability , tumors , spinal degeneration due to disease , disc bulges , herniations , and tears . preferably , the invention will stabilize the spine and correct anatomic misalignment caused by the above disorders . for example , the movement of one or more of the guide tubes to reposition one or more vertebrae could be used to correct scoliosis prior to spinal fusion . the method and apparatus according to the present invention could be used for procedures in many different areas of the spine . although the invention has particular advantages in association with procedures for the lower spinal area , the invention could also be used for procedures for the thoracic area or the cervical area , for example . preferably , the present invention shortens the time a patient is being operated on by speeding up the repair of the spinal disorders and thereby reduces risks associated with pre - and post - operative complications . the invention also preferably decreases pain by decreasing pressure on nerve roots , improves mobility , and improves long - term alignment of the spine , thereby providing improved outcomes for spinal disorder patients . the invention could be used to fuse regions of various sizes . for example , the invention could be practiced to fuse two adjacent spinal discs or may be used across more than two . there are a variety of different ways in which the various instruments could be guided during a procedure . for example , stereotactic guidance could be used . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure and methodology of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .
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referring now to fig1 , a large rotating toothed wheel 10 is shown as a moving machine in an industrial application system . the wheel 10 may be used in any various industrial applications , such as a turbine engine , a gear on an assembly line or a cooling fan . the wheel 10 may rotate with varying speeds ranging from stationary to as fast as the industrial system will allow , and could come alternatively in other shapes and with other periodic motions , such as a toothed rod moving linearly back and forth . in close proximity to the wheel 10 is a sensor 20 which may detect variations in the electromagnetic field produced by the physical motion of the wheel 10 across a gap 12 . the sensor 20 may be for example a variable reluctance sensor comprising a permanent magnet and a pick up coil as known in the art . in response to variations in the electromagnetic field , the sensor 20 produces an electrical input signal of varying frequency and amplitude that approximately corresponds to the periodic motion of the wheel 10 . in other words , a low speed rotation of the wheel 10 would result in the sensor 20 producing a weak electrical input signal having low frequency and small amplitude , whereas a high speed rotation of the wheel 10 would result in the sensor 20 producing a strong electrical input signal having high frequency and large amplitude . the electrical input signal produced by the sensor 20 is then transmitted along a conductor 22 through an optional filter , such as ferrite bead 24 , which may serve to filter noise and distortion due to emi . the source of emi may include the operation of other machinery in the factory environment , or cross - coupling from neighboring channels , such as another electrical input signal from another nearby conductor , sensor and toothed wheel . conductors 28 may be for example neighboring channels with electrical input signals from other conductors , sensors and toothed wheels , which may be sources of emi by cross - coupling with conductor 22 . ferrite bead 24 may alternatively be any other resistor , inductor and / or capacitor network if desired for advantageously improving signal integrity as known in the art . the electrical input signal then continues along conductor 26 to industrial i / o controller circuit 30 . conductor 26 , as well as conductors 28 , may connect to controller circuit 30 via screw terminals , though other methods of electro - mechanical connection to controller circuit 30 are possible as known in the art . the controller circuit 30 adaptively measures the frequency of the electrical input signal received on conductor 26 , as well as conductors 28 if so configured . the controller circuit 30 then externally communicates digital data with the industrial system over a bus or backplane 32 , which may include several other industrial control circuits or other modules connected to the backplane 32 , such as industrial control module 40 . the digital information communicated over backplane 32 may include , for example , configuration information for configuring the controller circuit 30 , and measured frequency data as reported by the controller circuit 30 . module 40 may include a data connection 42 , such as an ethernet connection , to data terminal equipment 50 which may be used to configure , monitor and control the industrial system by a user . referring now to fig2 , in one embodiment the controller circuit 30 has an input port 100 for receiving the electrical input signal produced by the sensor 20 . from the input port 100 , the electrical input signal passes through a voltage divider comprised of resistors 110 and 112 , and then to an input 114 of a threshold detector 118 , which may be , for example , the non - inverting input of an analog comparator or an operational amplifier configured to operate in saturation . the threshold detector 118 compares the electrical input signal received at its input 114 to a threshold level provided by a threshold generator 130 that is received at another input 116 of the threshold detector 118 , which may be , for example , the inverting input of an analog comparator or an operational amplifier . in operation , if the electrical input signal received at the input 114 is detected by the threshold detector 118 to be below the threshold level received at the other input 116 , then the threshold detector 118 will produce an electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 having a first digital state , such as a logic zero . if the electrical input signal received at the input 114 is detected by the threshold detector 118 to be above the threshold level received at the other input 116 , then the threshold detector 118 will produce an electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 having a second digital state , such as a logic one . the threshold detector 118 thereby produces a square wave digital output signal at conductor 150 . the electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 is transmitted to a threshold generator 130 , which may be a microcontroller or other programmable logic , comprising a digital to analog converter ( dac ) 132 , a counter 134 , a timer 136 and processing logic 138 . in one embodiment , the electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 is received by the threshold generator 130 at the counter 134 , which may count the transitions between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal and report the counted transitions to the logic 138 . the timer 136 provides a time base to the logic 138 , so that the logic 138 may continuously or occasionally measure the frequency of the electrical digital output signal by dividing the count received by the counter 134 over a length of time indicated by the timer 136 , e . g . cycles per second ( hz ). the controller circuit 30 may also have a communication port 170 coupled to logic 138 , which may externally communicate bi - directional digital data over backplane 32 according to known protocols . the digital data communicated may include reporting the measured frequency or other data to the industrial system , or receiving configuration information or other data from the industrial system . the threshold generator 130 is operative to adjust the threshold level received at the input 116 of the threshold detector 118 in response to the frequency measured by the logic 138 . for example , if the logic 138 measures a lower frequency , e . g . 10 hz , then the logic 138 may digitally control the dac 132 to provide a lower threshold level to the input 116 of the threshold detector 118 . if the logic 138 measures a higher frequency , e . g . 5 khz , then the logic 138 may digitally control the dac 132 to provide a higher threshold level to the input 116 of the threshold detector 118 . the logic 138 may digitally control the dac 132 to adjust the threshold level dynamically , such as by continuously adjusting the threshold level in response to changes in frequency to the granularity that the dac 132 allows . in addition , in a preferred embodiment , the logic 138 may digitally control the dac 132 to adjust the threshold level to a predetermined value in response to reaching a predetermined frequency amount . alternatively , some combination of adjusting dynamically and then at predetermined frequency amounts may be used . the logic 138 could also adjust the threshold level with additional intelligence . for example , if the logic 138 measures a frequency of 2 . 75 khz , causing the logic 138 to digitally control the dac 132 to apply a threshold level of 10 v , and then the logic 138 measures a frequency of 3 . 0 khz , causing the logic 138 to digitally control the dac 132 to apply a threshold level of 12 v , the logic 138 could be advantageously configured not to lower the threshold level again below 12 v until an even lower frequency is measured , such as 2 . 5 khz . this may avoid undesirable rapid changes in the system . the various parameters used by logic 138 , including the time base over which frequency is measured , how often frequency is measured , whether the threshold level adjusts dynamically or based on predetermined values or both , the predetermined values corresponding to the predetermined frequencies , etc ., may be hard coded in logic 138 , supplied by the industrial system via communication port 170 , or any combination thereof . referring now to fig3 a , an electrical input signal 300 is shown as it might appear at the input port 100 of the controller circuit 30 . the electrical input signal 300 has a low frequency and small amplitude which may indicate a weak signal from slowly moving machine . the electrical input signal 300 is also more susceptible to emi and has poor signal integrity , including noise 306 . as the electrical input signal 300 crosses the threshold level 310 , the threshold detector 118 produces the electrical digital output signal 320 shown in fig3 b . the electrical input signal 300 transitioning up and crossing the threshold level 310 at the intersection 312 produces the electrical digital output signal 320 moving from the logic low state to the logic high state 322 . the electrical input signal 300 then transitioning down and crossing the threshold level 310 at the intersection 314 produces the electrical digital output signal 320 moving from the logic high state to the logic low state 324 . here , the threshold level 310 allows the threshold detector 118 to produce the electrical digital output signal 320 at the correct frequency . referring now to fig4 a , the same electrical input signal 400 now appears later in time having a high frequency and large amplitude , which may indicate a stronger signal from a more quickly moving machine . the high frequency and large amplitude of the electrical input signal 400 results in an overshoot 402 and ringing 404 . using the same low threshold level 310 from before , despite the increase in frequency and amplitude , causes the threshold detector 118 to produce an electrical digital output signal 420 with an incorrect doubled frequency shown in fig4 b . in other words , due to the increased overshoot 402 and ringing 404 , the electrical input signal 400 crosses the threshold level 310 at additional intersections 414 and 416 . as a result , the electrical digital output signal 420 incorrectly includes additional transitions 424 and 426 , resulting in an incorrectly doubled frequency . however , with the threshold generator 130 operative to adjust the threshold level 310 to a higher threshold level 410 in response to the measured higher frequency , the threshold detector 118 produces the correct electrical digital output signal 440 shown in fig4 c . the increased overshoot 402 and ringing 404 does not result in crossing the higher threshold level 410 at additional intersections . thus , the proper frequency is produced . referring again to fig2 , the controller circuit 30 may also include a hysteresis generator 160 to provide hysteresis feedback to the electrical input signal . hysteresis feedback may be applied to resist undesirable rapid changes . referring briefly to fig5 , a hysteresis diagram is shown with a hysteresis range 500 in which a first state 510 is maintained by a system until a first value 520 causes a transition 530 to a second state 540 , but then the second state 540 is maintained by the system until a second value 550 less than the first value 520 is causes a transition 560 back to the first state 510 . by using a hysteresis range having lower and upper values depending from the current state , as opposed to using a single value independent of the current state , undesirable rapid changes may be avoided . referring back to fig2 , the hysteresis generator 160 is shown using a digitally programmable resistor 162 configured by logic 138 ( a static resistor may be used instead if adjustability is not desired ). the resistor 162 receives the electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 and provides feedback to strengthen the electrical input signal at the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 . as a result , if the threshold detector 118 produces an electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 having a high logic state , the resistor 162 will feed back part of the electrical digital output signal to the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 thereby adding to the electrical input signal . if however the threshold detector 118 produces an electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 having a low logic sate , the resistor 162 will feed back part of the electrical digital output signal to the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 thereby subtracting from the electrical input signal . the result is an increased opposition of the electrical input signal from crossing the threshold level again , which may avoid undesirable rapid change . this is analogous to the operation of a schmitt trigger . in an alternative embodiment , feedback from the electrical digital output signal may instead be provided to the input 116 of the threshold detector 118 , thereby adding to or subtracting from the threshold level . similar to the threshold generator 130 , the hysteresis generator 162 may be operative to adjust the amount of hysteresis feedback based on the measured frequency . in this case , the hysteresis generator 160 may utilize the same microcontroller or other programmable logic functioning to serve the threshold generator 130 , if present . the hysteresis generator 162 may comprise the counter 134 , the timer 136 , the logic 138 and the resistor 162 . referring again to the embodiment shown in fig2 , the electrical digital output signal at conductor 150 is received by the hysteresis generator 160 at the counter 134 , which may count the transitions between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal and report the counted transitions to the logic 138 . the timer 136 provides a time base to the logic 138 , so that the logic 138 may continuously or occasionally measure the frequency of the electrical digital output signal by dividing the count received by the counter 134 over a length of time received by the timer 136 , e . g . cycles per second ( hz ). the logic 138 may then adjust the resistor 162 in response to the measured frequency , thereby adjusting the amount of hysteresis feedback to the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 . for example , if the logic 138 measures a lower frequency , e . g . 10 hz , then the logic 138 may digitally control the resistor 162 to provide less feedback to the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 . if the logic 138 measures a higher frequency , e . g . 5 khz , then the logic 138 may digitally control the resistor 162 to provide more feedback to the input 114 of the threshold detector 118 . again , in an alternative embodiment , feedback may instead be provided to the input 116 of the threshold detector 118 . the logic 138 may digitally control the resistor 162 to adjust the amount of feedback dynamically , such as adjusting the amount of hysteresis feedback continuously in response to changes in frequency to the granularity that the resistor 162 allows . in addition , in a preferred embodiment , the logic 138 may digitally control the resistor 162 to apply a predetermined amount of feedback in response to reaching a predetermined frequency amount , or to apply some combination of adjusting dynamically and then at predetermined times . as described above , the various parameters used by logic 138 may be hard coded in logic 138 , supplied by the industrial system via communication port 170 , or any combination thereof . with the hysteresis generator , and referring now to fig6 a , an electrical input signal 600 is shown as it might appear at the input port 100 of the controller circuit 30 . the electrical input signal 600 has a low frequency and small amplitude which may indicate a weak signal from a slowly moving machine . the electrical input signal 600 is also more susceptible to emi and has poor signal integrity , including noise 606 and 616 . as the electrical input signal 600 crosses the upper value 610 at the intersection 612 , the threshold detector 118 produces the electrical digital output signal 620 transitioning to the logic one state 622 shown in fig6 b . however , despite the electrical input signal then falling back below the upper value at intersection 614 , and despite noise induced ringing 616 on the electrical input signal , the electrical digital output signal 620 stays in the logic one state . as the electrical input signal 600 crosses the lower value 618 at the intersection 619 , the threshold detector 118 produces the electrical digital output signal 620 transitioning to the logic zero state 624 shown in fig6 b . here , the upper value 610 and lower value 618 provided by the hysteresis generator 160 allows the threshold detector 118 to produce the electrical digital output signal 620 at the correct frequency . referring now to fig7 a , the same electrical input signal 700 now appears later in time having a high frequency and large amplitude , which may indicate a stronger signal from a more quickly moving machine . the high frequency and large amplitude of the electrical input signal 700 results in an overshoot 702 and ringing 704 . using the same upper value 610 and lower value 618 from before , despite the increase in frequency and amplitude , causes the threshold detector 118 to produce an electrical digital output signal 720 with an incorrect doubled frequency shown in fig7 b . in other words , due to the increased overshoot 702 and ringing 704 , the electrical input signal 700 crosses the lower value 618 and upper value 610 at additional intersections 714 and 716 , respectively . as a result , the electrical digital output signal 720 incorrectly includes additional transitions 724 and 726 , resulting in an incorrectly doubled frequency . however , with the hysteresis generator 160 operative to adjust the amount of hysteresis feedback in response to the measured higher frequency , and thus the upper value 710 and lower value 719 , the threshold detector 118 produces the correct electrical digital output signal 740 shown in fig7 c . the increased overshoot 702 and ringing 704 does not result in crossing the lower value 719 and upper value 710 at additional intersections , thus , the proper frequency is produced . referring now to fig8 , in an alternative embodiment , the controller circuit 30 has an input port 800 for receiving the electrical input signal produced by the sensor 20 . from the input port 800 , the electrical input signal passes to a programmable gain amplifier 804 which may be digitally controlled to produce an amplified signal 806 . the programmable gain amplifier 804 in turn connects through a voltage divider comprised of resistors 810 and 812 , and then to an input 814 of a threshold detector 818 , which may be , for example , the non - inverting input of an analog comparator or an operational amplifier configured to operate in saturation . the threshold detector 818 compares the electrical input signal received at its input 814 to a threshold level provided by a reference voltage 830 that is received at another input 816 of the threshold detector 818 , which may be , for example , the inverting input of an analog comparator or an operational amplifier . in operation , if the electrical input signal received at the input 814 is detected by the threshold detector 818 to be below the threshold level received at the other input 816 , then the threshold detector 818 will produce an electrical digital output signal at conductor 850 having a first digital state , such as a logic zero . if the electrical input signal received at the input 814 is detected by the threshold detector 818 to be above the threshold level received at the other input 816 , then the threshold detector 818 will produce an electrical digital output signal at conductor 850 having a second digital state , such as a logic one . the threshold detector 818 thereby produces a square wave digital output signal at conductor 850 . similar to the embodiment described in fig2 , the controller circuit 30 further includes a hysteresis generator 860 to provide hysteresis feedback to the electrical input signal at the input 814 of the threshold detector 818 . the hysteresis generator 860 may be operative to adjust the amount of hysteresis feedback based on the measured frequency . in operation , the electrical digital output signal at conductor 850 is transmitted to a hysteresis generator 860 , which may comprise a microcontroller or other programmable logic , comprising a counter 834 , a timer 836 , processing logic 838 and a digitally programmable resistor 862 . the electrical digital output signal at conductor 850 is received by the hysteresis generator 860 at the counter 834 , which may count the transitions between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal and report the counted transitions to the logic 838 . the timer 836 provides a time base to the logic 838 , so that the logic 838 may continuously or occasionally measure the frequency of the electrical digital output signal by dividing the count received by the counter 834 over a length of , time received by the timer 836 , e . g . cycles per second ( hz ). the controller circuit 30 may also have a communication port 870 coupled to logic 838 , which may externally communicate bi - directional digital data over backplane 32 according to known protocols . the data communicated may include reporting the measured frequency or other data to the industrial system , or receiving configuration information or other data from the industrial system . the logic 838 may then adjust the resistor 862 in response to the measured frequency , thereby adjusting the amount of hysteresis feedback to the input 814 of the threshold detector 818 . for example , if the logic 838 measures a lower frequency , e . g . 10 hz , then the logic 838 may digitally control the resistor 862 to provide less feedback to the input 814 of the threshold detector 818 . if the logic 838 measures a higher frequency , e . g . 5 khz , then the logic 838 may digitally control the resistor 862 to provide more feedback to the input 814 of the threshold detector 818 . in an alternative embodiment , feedback may instead be provided to the input 816 of the threshold detector 818 . the logic 838 may digitally control the resistor 862 to adjust the amount of feedback dynamically , such as adjusting the amount of hysteresis feedback continuously in response to continuous changes in frequency to the granularity that the resistor 862 allows . in addition , the logic 838 may digitally control the resistor 862 to apply a predetermined amount of feedback in response to reaching a predetermined frequency amount , or to apply some combination of adjusting dynamically and then at predetermined times . as described above , the various parameters used by logic 838 may be hard coded in logic 838 , supplied by the industrial system via communication port 870 , or any combination thereof . the logic 838 may similarly adjust the programmable gain amplifier 804 in response to the measured frequency , thereby adjusting the amount of gain produced at amplified signal 806 . for example , if the logic 838 measures a lower frequency , e . g . 10 hz , then the logic 838 may digitally control the programmable gain amplifier 804 to provide more gain in producing amplified signal 806 . if the logic 838 measures a higher frequency , e . g . 5 khz , then the logic 838 may digitally control the programmable gain amplifier 804 to provide less gain in producing amplified signal 806 . the logic 838 may digitally control the programmable gain amplifier 804 to adjust the amount of gain dynamically , such as adjusting the amount of gain continuously in response to continuous changes in frequency to the granularity that the programmable gain amplifier 804 allows . in addition , the logic 838 may digitally control the programmable gain amplifier 804 to apply a predetermined amount of gain in response to reaching a predetermined frequency amount , or to apply some combination of adjusting dynamically and then at predetermined times . again , the various parameters used by logic 838 may be hard coded in logic 838 , supplied by the industrial system via communication port 870 , or any combination thereof . referring now to fig9 , a method for measuring the frequency of an electrical input signal in an industrial i / o controller is shown . the method comprises receiving an electrical input signal 902 having a frequency provided by a sensor , providing a threshold level 904 , and comparing the electrical input signal to the threshold level to produce an electrical digital output signal 906 . if the electrical input signal is detected below the threshold level 908 , the electrical digital output signal will have a first state 910 . if the electrical input signal is not detected below the threshold level 912 , and the electrical input signal is detected above the threshold level 914 , the electrical digital output signal will have a second state 916 . if the electrical input signal is not detected below the threshold level 912 , and the electrical input signal is not detected above the threshold level 918 , such as an electrical input signal in the hysteresis range , the previous state is maintained and the method continues receiving the electrical input signal 902 . the electrical digital output signal having the first state 910 , or having the second state 916 is then used to measure the frequency of change between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal 920 , which is then reported to the industrial system 922 . the method may then adjust the threshold level 924 in response to the frequency of change between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal . measuring the frequency of change 920 and adjusting the threshold level 924 may further comprise counting one or more transitions between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal over a length of time . the method may further comprise setting the threshold level to a predetermined value in response to the frequency of change between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal reaching a predetermined amount . the method may also provide hysteresis feedback 926 from the electrical digital output signal to the electrical input signal , which feedback may also be adjusted in response to the frequency of change between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal . the method may also set the amount of hysteresis feedback to a predetermined amount in response to the frequency of change between the first state and the second state of the electrical digital output signal reaching a predetermined amount . certain terminology is used herein for purposes of reference only , and thus is not intended to be limiting . for example , terms such as “ upper ,” “ lower ,” “ above ” and “ below ” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made . such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above , derivatives thereof , and words of similar import . similarly , the terms “ first ,” “ second ” and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context . when introducing elements or features of the present disclosure and the exemplary embodiments , the articles “ a ,” “ an ,” “ the ” and “ said ” are intended to mean that there are one or more of such elements or features . the terms “ comprising ,” “ including ” and “ having ” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features other than those specifically noted . it is further to be understood that the method steps , processes , and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated , unless specifically identified as an order of performance . it is also to be understood that , additional or alternative steps may be employed . references to “ a microcontroller ” can be understood to include one or more microcontrollers , processors or microprocessors that can communicate in a stand - alone and / or a distributed environment ( s ), and can thus be configured to communicate via wired or wireless communications with other microcontrollers , where such one or more microcontrollers can be configured to operate on one or more microcontroller - controlled devices that can be similar or different devices . furthermore , references to “ logic ,” unless otherwise specified , can include one or more microcontroller - readable and accessible logic or memory elements and / or components that can be internal to the microcontroller - controlled device , or external to the microcontroller - controlled device , and can be accessed via a wired or wireless network . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention , including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods . the patentable scope of the invention 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 languages of the claims . it is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein and the claims should be understood to include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims .
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the present invention generally provides an endoscopic elevator and an endoscopic assembly having enhanced features of grasping and reduced scraping of a medical device . embodiments of the present invention allow a practitioner to relatively firmly grasp the medical device within an endoscope , while reducing the risk of scraping , tearing , or stripping of the medical device ( e . g ., catheter , wire guide . in one embodiment , a polymeric endoscopic elevator generally comprises inner sides defining a slot within which a medical device ( e . g ., catheter , wire guide ) is disposed . each of the inner sides has a grasping ridge or rib formed thereon . in another embodiment , the elevator generally includes a polymeric grasping cover disposed over the elevator . the grasping cover includes a body having an open lip defining an opening through which the elevator is received . the grasping cover has the at least one surface projection disposed thereon for enhanced grasping and reduced scraping . fig1 - 3 illustrate an endoscopic system comprising an endoscope having an elevator with a distal tip . in one example , this system represents a modification to the olympus v - scope ™. additional details relating to the endoscopic system discussed herein are described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 827 , 683 , entitled “ endoscope system and medical treatment method ” issued dec . 7 , 2004 to takashi otawara , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . fig1 a illustrates an endoscopic system 10 comprising an endoscope 11 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , the endoscope 11 comprises an insertion tube 12 to be inserted into a body cavity for various endoscopic procedures including gastroscopy , sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy , esophago gastro duodenoscopy ( egd ), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography ( ercp ), and bronchoscopy . the insertion tube 12 has a channel port through which endoscopic units may be disposed . in one embodiment , endoscopic units disposed in one of the ports may include one embodiment of an improved elevator having a distal tip . as shown in fig1 a and 1 b , the endoscope 11 further includes a control system 14 that is in mechanical and fluid communication with the insertion tube 12 . the control system 14 is configured to control the insertion tube 12 and endoscopic parts disposed therein . as shown , the control system 14 includes first and second control knobs 16 , 18 . the control knobs 16 , 18 are configured to be in mechanical communication with the insertion tube 12 . the control knobs 16 , 18 allow the physician to control and guide , by known means , the insertion tube 12 through vessels and cavities of a patient . the control system 14 further includes valve switches ( e . g ., suction valve 20 , air / water valve 21 , camera valve 22 ), each of which are in communication with one of the channel ports 13 of the insertion tube 12 . for example , the suction valve switch 20 , when activated , allows a vacuum from a suction source through a suction channel port for suctioning unwanted plaque and debris from the patient . in one example , the distal end of the insertion tube 12 is inserted , rectally or orally , to a predetermined endoscopic location within a patient . insertion of the insertion tube 12 may be rectally or orally depending on the endoscopic procedure . the endoscope , in combination with the elevator having the distal tip , reduces the risk of tearing or scraping of the wire guide . in this embodiment , the insertion tube 12 comprises an operating portion 25 connected to the control system 14 and extending to an insertion protecting member 26 . a control system 14 is connected to the operating portion 25 and is configured to control the insertion tube 12 . in this embodiment , the insertion tube 12 is composed of components that include a flexible tube 28 , a flexure 29 connected to the flexible tube 28 , and an endoscope tip 30 connect to the flexure 29 . a universal cord 31 , on one end , is connected and in communication with the control system 14 . on the other end , the cord 31 has a connector 18 attached thereto . the connector 18 is in communication to a light guide tube and electrical contact , and is connected to a light source apparatus 32 and an image processing apparatus 33 ( external devices ). these external devices may include a monitor 34 , an input keyboard 35 , a suction pump apparatus 36 , irrigation bottle 37 , and other suitable apparatus that are installed on a rack 39 equipped with rollers 38 . as shown in fig1 c and 2 , a cutout 40 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tip 30 . in this embodiment , a channel opening 42 is formed on one side of the cutout 40 , and an objective lens 44 and a light source 46 are disposed on another side of the cutout 40 for imaging . both the objective lens 44 and the light source 46 are positioned adjacent to the channel opening 42 . the tip 30 further comprises a nozzle 48 extending from a back wall surface 50 of the cutout 40 . the nozzle 48 allows a stream of water , air , or the like to be sprayed towards the outer surface of the objective lens 44 to clean the lens surface . fig1 c and 2 further illustrate the elevator 43 comprising a grasping slot 91 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the grasping slot may take on any suitable shape or form for grasping of a medical device . in this embodiment , the grasping slot 91 is narrowly formed by inner sides 92 that define the grasping slot 91 formed through the elevator 43 . preferably , the grasping slot 91 is centrally formed through the elevator 43 for receiving a medical device ( e . g ., catheter or wire guide ) and grasping the device during operation of the endoscope . as depicted in fig2 , tip 30 further includes a guide catheter 52 and a wire guide 56 disposed through the guide catheter 52 . the tip 30 further includes an elevator 43 configured to receive the guide catheter and / or wire guide for elevating the guide catheter 52 or wire guide 56 . as will be described in greater detail below , the elevator 43 is comprised of polymeric material and has a grasping slot formed therethrough for enhanced grasping and reduced scraping purposes . the elevator 43 is pivotally attached to the tip 30 and is configured to receive the medical instrument ( e . g ., catheter or wire guide ) for elevating the medical instrument . as shown in fig3 , the distal tip houses the elevator 43 in channel opening 42 . the elevator 43 is used to orient medical instruments such as a catheter . as discussed in greater detail below , this is accomplished by engaging the medical instrument and pivoting away from the distal tip thereby laterally moving the distal end of the medical instrument away from the distal tip . the elevator 43 thus secures the distal end of the medical instrument relative to the endoscope . that is , as the medical instrument is received in slot 91 of the elevator 43 , the medical instrument laterally moves relative to the tip 30 when the elevator 43 pivots therefrom . fig3 illustrates that the endoscope tip 30 includes a cuff 60 as the main body of the tip 30 , and a sleeve or cover 62 that covers the perimeter of the cuff 60 . as shown , the cover 62 is formed using a nonconductive member such as any suitable polymeric material , e . g ., high density polyethylene or polypropylene . in this embodiment , the cover 62 is attached to the cuff 60 by any suitable means , e . g ., by adhesive bonding . the cuff 60 is disposed adjacent the working channel 63 , which acts as a passageway for the insertion of the medical instrument , e . g ., wire guide or catheter . in this embodiment , a channel 67 ( fig1 c ) is formed through the tip 30 such that the tip opening of the treatment instrument is able to be disposed through channel opening 42 . fig3 further illustrates an elevator wire 90 connected to the elevator 43 . in this embodiment , the elevator wire 90 is located at the operating portion 25 and extends through a guide tube 92 and a guide pipe 93 connected to the guide tube 92 . the elevator wire 90 is in mechanical communication with the control system 14 so that manipulations at the control system 14 result in movement of the elevator wire 90 relative to the endoscope . fig3 depicts ( in phantom ) movement of the elevator 43 when the elevator wire 90 is actuated at the control system 14 , moving the position of the elevator 43 about the elevator turning support 68 as the elevator wire 90 is retracted or pulled . in this embodiment , the elevator 43 is moved about the elevator turning support 68 by manipulating or actuating the control system 14 to pull or retract the elevator wire 90 . as shown in fig5 , the result moves the wire guide 56 in the direction of the arrow p and pushes the elevator 43 against the cuff 60 . because the wire guide 56 is formed from a relatively axially stiff material , it tends to remain straight when pushed against the cuff 60 , creating a reactive force in the direction of the arrow fr in fig5 . by means of this reactive force , the wire guide 56 is pressed against the slot 91 . moreover , as the elevator 43 and the cuff 60 press against one another , the wire guide is secured . in another embodiment , fig4 and 5 illustrate the elevator 43 having a transverse passageways 102 and 103 formed therethrough , each having optional metal sleeves 104 and 105 , respectively , disposed thereon . the metal sleeves are configured to provide transverse rigidity to the elevator . the proximal end of the elevator 43 is attached so as to pivot around the elevator turning support 68 provided to the cuff 60 . the elevator 43 is preferably comprised of polymeric material . the polymeric material may include polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ), polyethylene , polypropylene , perfluoroelastomer , fluoroelastomer , nitrile , neoprene , polyurethane , silicone , styrene - butadiene , rubber , or polyisobutylene , or a mixture thereof . the polymeric material aids the elevator in relatively firmly grasping the medical device while reducing the risk of tearing , scraping , or striping of the medical device . fig6 illustrates the elevator 43 comprising a grasping slot 130 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the grasping slot may take on any suitable shaped or form for grasping of a medical device . in this embodiment , the grasping slot 130 is narrowly formed by inner sides 132 that define the grasping slot 130 through the elevator 43 . preferably , the grasping slot 130 is centrally formed through the elevator 43 for receiving a medical device ( e . g ., catheter or wire guide ) and grasping the device during operation of the endoscope . fig6 and 7 illustrate the elevator having inner sides 132 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . as shown , inner sides 132 include side surface projections 134 formed thereon . in this embodiment , side surface projections 134 are ridges or ribs that are oppositely formed laterally across each of the inner sides . of course , the side surface projections may be formed on either or both of the inner sides , in any suitable shape , and in staggered configuration . for example , the inner surface projections may be formed longitudinally or in various patterns without falling beyond the scope or spirit of the present invention . in use , the control system of the endoscope may be manipulated to actuate the elevator , moving the elevator to engage the medical device , e . g ., catheter or wire guide . by force , the medical device is worked through the grasping slot 130 of the elevator 43 , thereby engaging the medical device with the inner sides 132 of the elevator 43 . the side surface projections 134 engage the device and , due to the polymeric material of the elevator 43 , partially deform and absorb the device to reduce the risk of scraping thereof . in use , the side surface projections 134 receive the medical device when disposed within the slot for enhanced grasping and reduced risk of scraping of the medical device . in addition to reducing the risk of tearing and scraping , the formation of the slot allows a physician to more firmly grasp and secure the distal end of an instrument or wire guide relative to other endoscopes . to avoid further stripping or otherwise damaging an instrument or wire guide , cuff 60 can be provided with an elastomeric outer surface 66 ( see fig3 ). fig8 a - 8 c further illustrate various configurations of grasping slots 140 , 150 , 160 formed through the elevator . as mentioned above , the grasping slots may take on any desirable or suitable shape for grasping of a medical device of an endoscope . for example , as shown in fig8 a , the grasping slot 140 of elevator 141 may have a cross - sectional shape that is semi - circular or arcuate . in this embodiment , the grasping slot 140 has an arcuate side 142 that defines the grasping slot 140 . as shown , the arcuate side 142 includes surface projections 144 formed thereon for grasping the medical device . fig8 b illustrates grasping slot 150 of elevator 151 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention . as shown , the grasping slot 150 has inner and arcuate sides 152 that define the slot 150 . in this embodiment , the sides 152 include surface projection 154 formed thereon for grasping the medical device . in this embodiment , the grasping slot 150 takes on a keyhole shape , having relatively narrow planar sides 151 and widening to an arcuate side 153 . in use , the medical instrument , e . g ., a catheter or a wire guide , may be worked between the planar sides 151 and received by the arcuate side 153 . as shown , the surface projections 154 disposed immediately proximate the arcuate side 153 on the planar sides serve to hold or biased the medical instrument within the grasping slot 150 against the arcuate side 153 . this provides enhanced grasping of the medical instrument within the apparatus . fig8 c illustrates grasping slot 160 of elevator 161 in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention . as shown , the grasping slot 160 has tapered and arcuate sides 162 that define the slot 160 . in this embodiment , the sides 162 include surface projections 164 formed thereon for grasping the medical device . in this embodiment , the grasping slot 160 once again takes on a keyhole shape , but having planar sides 161 that flare outwardly to receive a medical instrument such as a catheter or a wire guide . as shown , the planar sides 161 then extend to an arcuate side 163 . in use , the medical instrument may be worked between the planar sides 161 and received by the arcuate side 163 . as shown , the surface projections 164 that are disposed immediately proximate the arcuate side 163 on the planar sides serve to hold or biased the medical instrument within the grasping slot 160 against the arcuate side 163 . this provides enhanced grasping of the medical instrument within the apparatus . fig9 illustrates the elevator 43 comprising a grasping cover or tip 212 disposed on the elevator 43 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , the tip 212 is disposed over the elevator 43 and adhered thereon by any suitable means , e . g ., sonic bonding , thermal bonding , or adhesive bonding . as shown , the tip 212 comprises a body 213 having a plurality of lateral ridges or ribs 214 formed thereon . the body 213 has an open lip 215 defining an opening 216 through which the elevator 43 is received . the body 213 is disposed on the elevator 43 with at least one and preferably a plurality of surface projections or ridges 214 positioned thereacross to receive and contact the device . the surface projections 214 may be formed across the body 213 in any suitable manner , e . g ., laterally or longitudinally thereacross . the grasping cover or tip 212 may be made of any suitable material that will cooperate with the device to absorb and deform when in contact therewith , thereby reducing the risk of tearing or scraping of the wire guide . preferably , the grasping cover 212 is made of polymeric material . for example , the grasping cover 212 may be made of at least one of the following components : polytetrafluoroethylene , polyethylene , polypropylene , perfluoroelastomer , fluoroelastomer , nitrile , neoprene , polyurethane , silicone , polytetrafluroethylene , styrene - butadiene , rubber , and polyisobutylene . as shown in fig9 and 10 , the lateral ridges 214 are configured to contact and engage the device , e . g ., wire guide or catheter , within the endoscope during usage thereof . the lateral ridges 214 aid in retaining and guiding the wire guide 56 , while also reducing the risk of tearing or scraping the wire guide . this is accomplished due to the lateral structure of the ridges 213 and the composition thereof . the ridges 214 may take on any desirable or suitable formation to contact the device ( e . g . wire guide ). in addition to reducing the risk of tearing and scraping , the tip 212 allows a physician to more firmly grasp and secure the distal end of an instrument or wire guide relative to the endoscope as compared to endoscopes having bare , rigid elevators . to avoid further stripping or otherwise damaging an instrument or wire guide , cuff 60 can be provided with an elastomeric outer surface 66 ( see fig3 ). fig1 a - 11 c further illustrate various configurations of ridges or ribs 214 , 220 , 224 , respectively , formed on the elevator . as mentioned above , the ridges 214 may take on any desirable or suitable shape for contact with the wire guide . as shown in fig1 a - 11 c for example , the ridges 214 , 220 , 224 may have a cross - sectional shape that is semi - circular or arcuate ( fig1 a ), triangular ( fig1 b ), or rectangular ( fig1 c ). while the present invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments , it will be understood , of course , that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made to those skilled in the art , particularly in light of the foregoing teachings .
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the various features of the invention will now be described with reference to the figures , in which like parts are identified with the same reference characters . in the following description , for purposes of explanation and not limitation , specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practices in other embodiments that depart from these specific details . in other instances , detailed descriptions of well known methods , devices , and circuits are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention . prior to discussing exemplary embodiments of the present invention in detail , a brief description of the application of the ici algorithm in connection with a gsm receiver which receives both gsm modulated and edge modulated signals is presented below in connection with fig5 - 7 to highlight some of the principals upon which the present invention is based . specifically , the discussion below in connection with fig5 - 7 illustrate the general applicability , as well as the limitations , of the ici algorithm when the modulation of the received signal is unknown . [ 0047 ] fig5 illustrates an exemplary transmitter that generates gsm and edge modulated signals and a gsm receiver in accordance with the present invention . the transmitter 510 includes gsm burst generation 515 , gmsk modulation 520 , switch 535 , edge burst generation 525 , and 8psk modulation 530 . the gsm receiver 550 includes receive filter 555 , sampler 560 , derotation unit 565 and toa estimation 570 . assume that the signal which is transmitted over the radio channel is selected randomly to obtain a uniform distribution of gsm and edge transmitted signals . as illustrated by the addition blocks in fig5 the radio channel may subject the transmitted signal to either or both awgn and cci . the receiver filter 555 can be a 4 - th order butterworth receiver filter with cut - off frequency of 93 khz . the filtered signal is sampled at symbol rate by sampler 560 and de - rotated by π / 2 radians by derotation unit 565 . the so obtained received sequence is used for the ici toa estimation algorithm . assume that the interference signal ( i . e ., either awgn or cci ) is generated in the same way as the useful signal , i . e . gsm and edge modulated interfering signals are randomly generated with same probability . [ 0048 ] fig6 illustrates toa estimation performance in a “ one - peak ” propagation channel for different number of ( normal ) bursts with additive white gaussian noise , where edge and gsm bursts are transmitted with the same probability . fig7 illustrates toa estimation performance in a “ one - peak ” propagation channel for different number of normal bursts with interference , where edge and gsm bursts are transmitted with the same probability . if only one burst is used for toa estimation and no information about the modulation is available at the receiver , then the performance of the toa estimation algorithm is completely random . the same is true for the 2 bursts case , however , the probability that at least one of the two bursts consists of a gsm burst is now higher . the more bursts used for toa estimation , the higher is the probability , in this example , that gsm modulated bursts are in the received sequence and the better is the toa estimation performance . if more than 8 bursts are used for toa estimation the performance is acceptable . for example , using 8 bursts a toa estimate is possible for e s / n 0 & gt ;− 2 db . if all bursts have the same modulation , then in the 8 burst case a toa estimate is possible for e s / n 0 & gt ;− 8 db , as can be seen from fig1 i . e . there is a loss of 6 db . the loss reduces with increased number of bursts , and for 32 bursts the loss is 4 db . in principle , if the number of bursts used are large ( i . e ., much greater than 32 ) the loss in performance will be 3 db , since only half of the used bursts in this example will have the assumed modulation format ( i . e . ˜ gmsk ). therefore , the ici algorithm can in principle also be used if the modulation of the received signal is unknown . the algorithm uses the available bursts and if at least a few bursts have the assumed modulation ( gmsk in this example ), a toa estimate is possible . the probability that at least a few bursts have the assumed modulation format increases with increased number of bursts used for toa estimation . the correlation results for the edge bursts contribute to the ici sum like noise . accordingly , the basic ici algorithm can in principle be applied directly on mixed gmsk / edge bursts , with some performance degradation . this performance degradation is especially notable when only a few bursts are used for integration . a more serious drawback is that the above - described method requires that at least a few bursts of the assumed modulation type is present in the received signal . in reality , it may happen that one operator allocates the complete bcch to gmsk , which would make the edge tuned toa receiver useless . other operators may choose to have all edge traffic on the bcch frequency , which deteriorates the performance of the gmsk adapted toa receiver i . e ., gsm receiver . therefore it is necessary to develop a method which does not suffer from the above mentioned problems . in order to avoid the above mentioned problems , the present invention provides a modified ici algorithm which makes more efficient use of the possible modulation types that may be present in the received signals . [ 0054 ] fig8 illustrates an exemplary apparatus for implementing a modified version of the above - described ici algorithm . the apparatus includes an input 810 , an rotator unit 820 , correlators 830 and 840 , training sequence generator 850 and ici block 860 . the output of a gsm receiver , i . e ., a signal demodulated in accordance with gmsk demodulation , is sent to input 810 . the input signal is split along two paths . in one path the input signal is rotated by π / 8 by rotator unit 820 and then passed to correlator 830 . the apparatus illustrated in fig8 assumes that it is receiving a gsm signal , i . e ., a signal which has been gmsk demodulated by a gsm receiver . accordingly , the π / 8 radian rotation removes the edge modulation of the received signal . the π / 8 rotation results from a rotation of the received signal by π / 2 by the gsm receiver to remove the gmsk rotation and then a de - rotation by 3π / 8 per symbol to remove the rotation used for edge signal , i . e ., π / 2 - 3π / 8 . the input signal is then correlated in correlators 830 and 840 using a training sequence generated by training sequence generator 850 . the correlated signals are passed from correlators 830 and 840 to ici block 860 . the two correlations are summed during the processing in ici block 860 . the summation performed in ici block 860 can be selected from any of the equations 2 - 5 presented above . for example , if it is desired to weight the summation based upon an estimated snr then equation 3 can be used . alternatively , in view of the difficulty associated with estimating the weights used in equation 3 , the algorithm described in equations 4 and 5 can be used for the ici process . [ 0056 ] fig9 illustrates an exemplary method for using the modified ici algorithm to determine toa in accordance with the present invention . initially a demodulated data burst is received from the receiver ( step 905 ). the data burst is demodulated by the gsm receiver by π / 2 because the gsm receiver assumes that it is receiving gsm data bursts . the received data burst is split into a first and second copy ( step 910 ) and one copy is rotated by π / 8 ( step 915 ). a correlation is performed using the training sequence on one copy and the rotated copy of the signal ( step 920 ). the results of the correlation are summed using the ici algorithm in accordance with one of the equations 2 - 5 described above ( step 925 ). next it is determined if all bursts have been processed ( step 928 ). if not all bursts have been processed (“ no ” path out of decision step 928 ), then the next burst is received from the receiver ( step 905 ). if all bursts have been processed (“ yes ” path out of decision step 928 ) then the toa is determined using the results of the ici ( step 930 ). [ 0057 ] fig1 and 11 respectively illustrate the toa performance using the apparatus illustrated in fig8 for a channel which experiences awgn and cci . by comparing fig1 and 11 with fig6 and 7 , the improvement using the modified ici algorithm in accordance with the present invention can be seen . in fact , by comparing the fig1 and 11 with fig1 and 2 , it can be seen that the modified version of the ici algorithm in accordance with the present invention in an environment where gsm and edge signals co - exist results in almost the same performance as in the gsm or edge only case , where a loss of about 1 db only can be observed . it should be noted that no detection of the modulation format is necessary . although the present invention has been described above in connection with a gsm receiver , the present invention is equally applicable to a edge receiver . in case of an edge receiver , rotator unit 820 would perform a derotation of − π / 8 . the remainder of the processing would be performed in accordance with the description above . it should be noted that exemplary methods of the present invention are not limited to application described above . the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments to facilitate understanding . the above embodiments , however , are illustrative rather than restrictive . it will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that departures may be made from the specific embodiments shown above without departing from the central spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , the invention should not be regarded as being limited to the above examples , but should be regarded instead as being fully commensurate in scope with the following claims .
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referring now to the invention in more detail , in fig1 through fig1 , there is shown various embodiments of the present invention as a portable , multi - platform friction drive system with retractable motor drive assembly , along with various examples of it installed in the operating position of various bicycles and scooters . fig1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention with the retractable motor drive assembly in a retracted state , with the motor drive assembly secured inside the carrying case for transport or storage . the overall carrying case for an embodiment of the portable friction drive system 10 is pictured with the retractable motor drive assembly 12 in its stored position , attached to the carrying case via motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 . optionally , the carrying case can include a carrying handle 16 for easy portability . fig2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention with the retractable motor drive assembly in an expanded state , with the motor drive assembly rotated out from the carrying case and in position to drive the bicycle tire or scooter wheel . the overall carrying case 10 is pictured with the retractable motor drive assembly 12 in its expanded position , swung out from the carrying case via rotation of the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 . the motor drive assembly is now in position to place the drive motor or wheel 18 directly against the bicycle tire or scooter wheel to enable a friction drive mechanism . optionally , the carrying case can include a carrying handle 16 for easy portability . fig3 shows a rear view of an embodiment of the present invention with the retractable motor drive assembly in an expanded state , with the motor drive assembly rotated out from the carrying case and in position to drive the bicycle tire or scooter wheel . the overall carrying case 10 is pictured with the retractable motor drive assembly 12 in its expanded position , swung out from the carrying case via rotation of the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 . the motor drive assembly is now in position to place the drive motor or wheel 18 directly against the bicycle tire , scooter wheel , or other vehicle wheel when the carrying case 10 is installed onto a suitable mount by means of inserting the mount into the mount receptacle 30 and connecting the motor drive assembly 12 to the mount , thereby pressing the drive motor or wheel 18 against the bicycle tire , scooter wheel , or other vehicle wheel . fig4 shows a front perspective view of a common bike share bicycle 20 with an embodiment of the present invention attached and ready for operation . the overall carrying case 10 is pictured with the retractable motor drive assembly 12 in its expanded position , swung out from the carrying case via rotation of the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 . the carrying case 10 and the motor drive assembly 12 are both mounted on to the bike share docking mount 22 by means of inserting the mount 22 into the mount receptacle 30 and connecting the motor drive assembly 12 to the mount 22 , so that the motor drive assembly 12 is now in position to press the drive motor or wheel 18 directly against the bicycle tire 24 . the drive motor or drive wheel 18 is now able to power the bicycle wheel when it is activated by the battery and controller contained in this embodiment , which are controlled by an external throttle ( not shown ) operated by the rider . another embodiment could have the motor activation controlled by a pedal assist sensor . fig5 shows a side perspective view of a common bike share bicycle 20 without a friction drive system attached . the public bike share docking mount 22 , used to dock the share bike in a bike share docking station , is clearly visible . fig6 shows a side perspective view of a common bike share bicycle 20 with an embodiment of the present invention mounted and attached to the public bike share docking mount 22 , by means of inserting the mount 22 into the mount receptacle 30 and connecting the motor drive assembly 12 to the mount 22 . the retractable motor drive assembly 12 is in its expanded position , rotated out from the carrying case via rotation of the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 , and the motor drive assembly 12 is now in position to press the drive motor or wheel 18 directly against the bicycle tire 24 . the drive motor or drive wheel 18 is now able to power the bicycle wheel when it is activated by the battery and controller contained in this embodiment , which is controlled by the external throttle ( not shown ) operated by the rider . another embodiment could have the motor activation controlled by a pedal assist sensor . fig7 shows a rear perspective view of the front wheel area of the public bike share bicycle 20 without a friction drive system attached , highlighting the triangular docking mount 22 used by this bicycle to secure it in a bike share docking station , and also used as a mounting point for embodiments of the present invention . fig8 shows a rear perspective view of the front wheel area of a common bike share bicycle 20 with the motor drive assembly 12 attached by itself for clarity . the carrying case 10 and pivot arms 14 are excluded for illustration purposes . the motor drive assembly 12 is fastened to the public bike share docking mount 22 by means of the sliding plunger mechanism 32 contained inside the motor drive assembly 12 being inserted into the docking mount plunger hole 28 fig9 shows a close - up perspective view of the front wheel area of a common bike share bicycle , demonstrating a cut - away view of the motor drive assembly 12 attached by itself to the mount 22 for clarity . the carrying case 10 and pivot arms 14 are excluded for illustration purposes . the motor drive assembly 12 is fastened to the public bike share docking mount 22 by means of the sliding plunger mechanism 32 contained inside the motor drive assembly 12 being inserted into the docking mount plunger hole 28 . fig1 shows a rear perspective view of the front wheel area of the public bike share bicycle 20 , now with the carrying case 10 and pivot arms 14 shown as in use . the carrying case 10 is positioned onto the triangular docking mount 22 by insertion of the docking mount 22 into the mount receptacle 30 , a triangular recess designed to fit exactly over the triangular docking mount 22 . the retractable motor drive assembly 12 is in its expanded position , swung out from the carrying case via rotation of the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 and attached to the docking mount 22 via the plunger hole in docking mount 28 by means of insertion of the sliding plunger mechanism 32 . thus the carrying case 10 is also held firmly in place by the pivot arms 14 , which are held in place firmly by the retractable motor assembly 12 . the drive motor or wheel 18 is now in position to drive the front wheel 24 via friction drive . fig1 shows a cut - away view of the inside of the carrying case 10 , exhibiting the battery packs 34 and electronic control unit 36 contained inside . fig1 shows the front wheel 40 and front fork 42 of a kick scooter along with the custom mount 38 for said kick scooter that replicates closely the bike share docking mount 22 and thus enables embodiments of the present invention to attach to the kick scooter and power it via friction drive in the same manner as it attaches to the bike share bicycle . fig1 shows an embodiment of the present invention mounted to the kick scooter of fig1 by means of inserting the custom mount 38 into the mount receptacle 30 , rotating out the motor drive assembly 12 and fastening it to the custom mount 38 by means of inserting the sliding plunger 32 into the plunger hole of the custom mount 38 , thereby securing both the carrying case 10 and the motor drive assembly 12 in position to press the drive motor or wheel 18 into the kick scooter front tire 40 and power the kick scooter via friction drive when the motor is activated . fig1 shows an embodiment of the present invention mounted to a custom mount for a folding bike 44 that replicates closely the bike share docking mount 22 by means of inserting the custom mount 44 into the mount receptacle 30 in the carrying case 10 , rotating out the motor drive assembly 12 and fastening it to the custom mount 44 by means of inserting the sliding plunger 32 into the plunger hole of the custom mount 44 , thereby securing both the carrying case 10 and the motor drive assembly 12 in position to press the drive motor or wheel 18 into the folding bike front tire 46 and power the folding bike via friction drive when the motor is activated . fig1 shows an embodiment of the present invention carried by a person by means of the handle 16 while the retractable motor drive assembly 12 is contained inside the carrying case 10 , thereby rendering the unit as compact as possible , protecting the person from dirt and debris on the motor , and further protecting the person from any possible danger caused by accidental activation of the drive motor or wheel . in further detail , still referring to the embodiment of fig1 through fig1 , the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 are both attached to the portable friction drive system carrying case 10 via a pivoting hinge . additionally , the retractable motor assembly 12 is attached to both motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 via a rotating hinge mechanism so that the retractable motor assembly 12 can rotate freely as the motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 swing inside the carrying case 10 for retraction while the friction drive system is not in use or swing outside the carrying case 10 for extension while the friction drive system is in use . this enables the retractable motor assembly 12 to rotate such that the drive motor or wheel 18 is protected inside the case when the portable friction drive system is not in use and being transported . and this enables the retractable motor assembly 12 to rotate such that the drive motor or wheel 18 is exposed and in a position to drive the tire or wheel when the portable friction drive system is in use and mounted to a bicycle , scooter , or other wheeled vehicle . while this embodiment is shown installing on a mount adjacent to the front wheel for front - wheel friction drive , other embodiments of the present invention could similarly install on a mount adjacent to the rear wheel and drive the rear wheel via friction drive in a similar manner . also , while this embodiment is shown installing on and interfacing with a triangular shaped mounting bracket common to a specific type of public bike share bicycles ( model pbsc / alta / bixi shown as example ), other embodiments could utilize multiple different types and shapes of brackets , including but not limited to rectangular brackets , cylindrical brackets , t - shaped brackets , l - shaped brackets , or others , as well as different sizes and configurations of mounting and docking points . further , while this embodiment is designed and tailored for bicycles and kick scooters , other embodiments of the present invention might have it configured and installed on other wheeled personal transport vehicles , including but not limited to freight bicycles , tandem bicycles , recumbent bicycles , trikes and tricycles , quadracycles , handcycles , rowing cycles , cabin cycles , velomobiles , cycle rickshaws , paddle boats , water cycles , hydrofoils , skateboards , wheelchairs , strollers , and other human powered vehicles or personal transport vehicles . the construction details of the embodiments of the invention as shown in fig1 through fig1 are that the carrying case 10 , retractable motor assembly 12 , motor drive assembly pivot arms 14 , carrying handle 16 , and sliding plunger mechanism 32 , as well as the custom mounts 38 and 44 and any other custom mounts designed for other bicycles , kick scooters , or other wheeled vehicles may be made of plastic , metal , or any other sufficiently rigid and strong material such as high - strength plastic , metal , and the like . the drive motor or wheel 18 can be engineered as an outrunner - type direct motor friction drive or as a secondary friction drive wheel powered by a separate motor . further , the various components can be made of different materials . additionally , desired speed and power inputs from the rider can come from a wired or wireless throttle held by the rider or attached to the bicycle or scooter , or from a pedal assist sensor installed on the bicycle pedals or cranks and connected to the present invention by a wired or wireless connection . the advantages of embodiments of the present invention include , without limitation , reduced size when the friction drive system is not in use and the motor assembly has been retracted into the carrying case . additionally , because of the pivoting and retracting motor assembly mechanism , the motor drive assembly is not exposed when it is retracted into the carrying case , thus protecting the user from dirt and grime that accumulates on the drive wheel or motor . further , the pivoting and retracting motor assembly mechanism which results in the motor drive assembly being enclosed when it is retracted into the carrying case protects the user from injury should there be an accidental activation of the drive motor or wheel while the portable friction drive system is being transported . the advantages of embodiments of the present invention for bike share bicycle use include , without limitation , the ability to use electric power to ride a bike share bicycle without requiring the expense or complexity of conventional electric bicycles , which typically require battery swap functionality and multi - battery docking stations for bike share use . additionally , embodiments of the present invention allows individuals to add electric power to a bike share bicycle when it would otherwise not be available . this allows individuals to experience the benefits of electric bicycles including reduced effort , faster speed , and longer range , while taking advantage of the benefits of a bike share program . embodiments of the present invention also allows bike share operators to benefit from increased membership due to the attractiveness of electric power to individuals , and higher asset utilization of their bike share fleet , as the higher speeds enabled by electric power shorten the time needed for an individual to complete a trip and allow the bike to be returned to the dock and checked out by another user more quickly . the advantages of embodiments of the present invention to non - bike share bicycle use include , without limitation , the ability to add or remove electric friction drive power to a standard non - electric bike in seconds , the ability to use electric friction drive on multiple bikes interchangeably , the ability to use electric friction drive on multiple kick scooters interchangeably , and the ability to carry spare electric friction drive power in a briefcase or bag to be used whenever it is needed . while the foregoing written description of various embodiments of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof , those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations , combinations , and equivalents of the specific embodiments , methods , and examples herein . the invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiments , methods , and examples , but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention .
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an information processing device to which the present invention is applied is a device including a cpu and the other pertinent parts and capable of performing a schedule registration . such a device may comprises : a portable telephone , a pda ( personal digital assistant ), a pc ( personal computer ), a notebook computer , a digital camera , a digital video camera , and the like . the portable telephone will be exemplified as the information processing device and described in the following embodiments . hereinafter , preferred embodiments of the portable telephone according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . the portable telephone of this first embodiment includes an arrangement similar to that as shown in fig1 . its outer appearance is similar to that as shown in fig2 . next , let us consider an example of a schedule management program used in the portable telephone . fig3 is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating the schedule management program used in the portable telephone of this first embodiment according to the present invention . in fig3 , like parts similar to those of fig7 are labeled with corresponding numerals and therefore their explanations are omitted . timer means 33 outputs the current time to comparator means 52 and a schedule management means 53 as needed . numeric value deciding means 51 decides whether or not a numeric value obtained from an input controlling means 31 can be appropriate or identified as hour and minute . if the numeric value is decided to be appropriate as hour and minute , the numeric value is outputted to the comparator means 52 as hour and minute for a schedule . the comparator means 52 compares the hour and minute for the schedule obtained from the numeric value deciding means 51 to the current hour and minute acquired from the timer means 33 and then sets year , month and day for the schedule . subsequently , the comparator means 33 outputs a scheduled time consisting of year , month , day , hour and minute for the schedule to a schedule management means 53 . the schedule management means 53 registers as the schedule both of the scheduled time obtained from the comparator means 52 and a preset default schedule content . also , the schedule management means 53 outputs an instruction of an alarm to alarm controlling means 34 when an alarm time set for the schedule and the current time acquired from the timer means 33 are equivalent to each other . further , the schedule management means 53 outputs an instruction of a display of a registration screen , a registered content , and the like to a display controlling means 32 . next , let us consider a schedule registration processing performed by the schedule management program used in the portable telephone according to this first embodiment . fig4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the schedule registration processing which will be performed in the portable telephone according to this first embodiment . fig5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a series of screens that are to be sequentially transited along with the schedule registration processing . first of all , stand - by display 61 is used in an initial state of the portable telephone . on the waiting screen 61 , if a user inputs numerals by using dial buttons 25 ( s 21 ) and depresses a menu button 22 ( s 22 ), then the numeric value deciding means 51 decides whether or not the inputted numerals constitute a number with four digits ( s 23 ). if the inputted numerals do not constitute the number with four digits ( s 23 : no ), then a numerical menu screen appears on the portable telephone ( s 26 ) on which a normal numerical menu processing is performed in response to the user &# 39 ; s subsequent input ( s 27 ). thereafter , this control flow ends . this normal numerical menu means a menu without a “ regisration into schedule ” of a plurality of menu items on the numerical menu screen 63 for the schedule registration . on the other hand , if the inputted numerals constitute the number with four digits ( s 23 : yes ), it is decided whether this numeric value of four digits can be appropriate as hour and minute , i . e ., whether the first and second digits fall within a range of 00 - 23 and whether the third and fourth digits fall a range of 00 - 59 ( s 24 ). if the numeric value of four digits can not be appropriate as hour and minute ( s 24 : no ), then the display controlling means 32 displays the normal numerical menu screen ( s 26 ) on which the normal numerical menu processing is performed in response to the user &# 39 ; s subsequent input ( s 27 ). thereafter , this control flow ends . on the other hand , if the numeric value can be appropriate as hour and minute ( s 24 : yes ), the display controlling means 32 performs a display of the numerical menu screen 63 for the schedule registration ( s 25 ). in an example of fig5 , a numeral inputting screen 62 displays a numeric value “ 1234 ” inputted by the user . the numeric value deciding means 51 decides that the numeric value “ 1234 ” is of four digits and that the numeric value can be appropriate as hour and minute . next , on the numerical menu screen 63 , the user selects the “ regisration into schedule ” by using cursor buttons 24 and depresses the decision button 23 ( s 28 ), then the numeric value deciding means 51 outputs the numeric value of four digits as hour and minute for the schedule to the comparator means 52 . the numeric value deciding means 51 as shown in fig5 outputs the numeric value “ 1234 ” as “ 12 : 34 ” of scheduled hour and minute to the comparator means 52 . the comparator means 52 decides whether the year , month and day for the schedule is today , i . e ., whether the hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the hour and minute for the schedule is larger than that representative of the current hour and minute ) ( s 29 ). if the hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current hour and minute ( s 29 : yes ), then the comparator means 52 sets the year , month and day for the schedule as today ( s 30 ). however , if the hour and minute for the schedule is earlier than ( or previous to ) the current hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the hour and minute for the schedule is smaller than that representative of the current hour and minute ) ( s 29 , no ), then the comparator means 52 sets the year , month and day for the schedule as tomorrow ( s 31 ). as the example of fig5 , assuming that the current time is “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 10 : 55 ”, the comparator means 52 decides that the hour and minute “ 12 : 34 ” for the schedule is today &# 39 ; s schedule because the scheduled hour and minute is later than the current hour and minute “ 10 : 55 ” and then sets “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 12 : 34 ” as the scheduled time . as another example , assuming that the current time is “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 13 : 00 ”, the comparator means 52 decides that the inputted hour and minute “ 12 : 34 ” for the schedule is tomorrow &# 39 ; s schedule because the inputted hour and minute is earlier than ( or previous to ) the current hour and minute “ 13 : 00 ” and then sets “ aug . 23 , 2002 — 12 : 34 ” as the scheduled time . next , the schedule management means 53 decides whether the same time as the scheduled time as above has already been registered as a scheduled time for another schedule ( s 32 ). if 5 another schedule has already been registered at that same time ( s 32 : yes ), then the display controlling means 32 performs a display of the non - shown error screen and thereafter performs a display of stand - by display 65 ( s 34 ), whereafter this control flow ends . however , if no schedule has already been registered at that same time ( s 32 : no ), then the schedule management means 53 registers the scheduled time set by the comparator means 52 and the default schedule content while the display controlling means 32 performs a display of the waiting screen 65 after a display of a registration completion screen 64 ( s 33 ), whereafter this control flow ends . here , the schedule content consists of items similar to those appeared on the content setting screen 45 as shown in fig9 . also , in an example of the default content , a time is “ inputted four - digit number ”; a tile of schedule is “ quick schedule ”; a memo with respect to the schedule is “ null ”; a kind of an icon displayed on the calendar screen is “ asterisk ”; the presence or absence of an alarm repetition is “ null ”; a kind of an alarm is “ alarm sound ”; an alarm volume is “ 4 ”; and the presence or absence of a pre - alarm is “ null ”. as described above , according to this first embodiment , the numerical menu screen 63 for use in the schedule registration is displayed after numeral input and then the “ registration into schedule ” is selected to activate the schedule registration . however , the present invention is not limited to it . for example , in the event that the numeric value deciding means 51 decides that the inputted numerals can be appropriate as hour and minute , it may be possible to activate the schedule registration without displaying the numerical menu screen 63 for use in the schedule registration after the numeral input . also , the portable telephone according to this first embodiment , it may be possible to perform the conventional schedule registration as explained above by using fig8 and 9 , in addition to the schedule registration performed by input of the number with four digits according to this first embodiment . furthermore , it may be possible to change at a later time the schedule content registered as a default according to this first embodiment by a method similar to the conventional schedule registration . as described above , in accordance with this first embodiment , a time for a schedule can automatically be decided only by the user &# 39 ; s input of the number with four digits which are representative of hour and minute , as a result of which the schedule can quickly be registered into the portable telephone together with the default schedule content . in this second embodiment , a schedule registration will be performed with a scheduled time decided by inputting the number with eight digits . the portable telephone of this second embodiment is similar configuration and outer appearance to those of this first embodiment as shown in fig1 and 2 . next , a schedule management program used in the portable telephone will be described in detailed . the schedule management program according to this second embodiment is configured with the schematic functional block diagram as shown in fig3 , similarly to this first embodiment . the numeric value deciding means 51 decides whether or not numeric values obtained from the input controlling means 31 can be appropriate or identified as month , day , hour and minute . if the numeric values are decided to be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute , the numeric values are outputted to the comparator means 52 as month , day , hour and minute for a schedule . the comparator means 52 sets year for the schedule by comparing the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule obtained from the numeric value deciding means 51 to the current month , day , hour and minute acquired from the timer means 33 and then outputs a time consisting of the year , month , day , hour and minute for the schedule to the schedule management means 53 . next , let us consider a schedule registration processing performed by the schedule management program used in the portable telephone according to this second embodiment . fig6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the schedule registration processing which will be performed in the portable telephone according to this second embodiment . in fig6 , like processing steps similar to those of fig7 are labeled with corresponding numerals and therefore their explanations are omitted . on the waiting screen 61 , if the user inputs numerals by using dial buttons 25 ( s 21 ) and depresses a menu button 22 ( s 22 ), then the numeric value deciding means 51 decides whether or not the inputted numerals constitute a number with eight digits ( s 41 ). if the inputted numerals do not constitute the number with eight digits ( s 41 : no ), then a numerical menu screen appears on the portable telephone ( s 26 ) on which a normal numerical menu processing is performed in response to the user &# 39 ; s subsequent input ( s 27 ). thereafter , this control flow ends . on the other hand , if the inputted numerals constitute the number with eight digits ( s 41 : yes ), it is decided whether this numeric value of eight digits can be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute , i . e ., whether the first and second digits fall within a range of 01 - 12 , whether the third and fourth digits fall a range of the number of days for the month represented by the first and second digits , whether the fifth and sixth digits fall within a range of 00 - 23 , and whether the seventh and eighth fall within a range 00 - 59 ( s 42 ). if the numeric value of eight digits can not be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute ( s 42 : no ), then the display controlling means 32 displays the normal numerical menu screen ( s 26 ) on which the normal numerical menu processing is performed in response to the user &# 39 ; s subsequent input ( s 27 ). thereafter , this control flow ends . on the other hand , if the numeric value can be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute ( s 42 : yes ), the display controlling means 32 performs a display of the numerical menu screen 63 for the schedule registration ( s 25 ). for example , it is assumed that numerals “ 08221234 ” are inputted by the user . the numeric value deciding means 51 decides that the numerals “ 08221234 ” are of eight digits and can be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute . next , on the numerical menu screen 63 similar to that of fig5 , the user selects the “ regisration into schedule ” by using cursor buttons 24 and depresses the decision button 23 ( s 28 ), then the numeric value deciding means 51 outputs this numeric value of eight digits as month , day , hour and minute for the schedule to the comparator means 52 . the numeric value deciding means 51 outputs the numeric value “ 08221234 ” as “ august 22 — 12 : 34 ” of scheduled month , day , hour and minute to the comparator means 52 . the comparator means 52 decides whether the year for the schedule is this year , i . e ., whether the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current month , day , hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule is larger than that representative of the current month , day , hour and minute ) ( s 51 ). if the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current month , day , hour and minute ( s 51 : yes ), then the comparator means 52 sets the year for the schedule as this year ( s 52 ). however , if the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule is earlier than ( or previous to ) the current month , day , hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the month , day , hour and minute for the schedule is smaller than that representative of the current month , day , hour and minute ), then the comparator means 52 sets the year for the schedule as the next year ( s 53 ). here , assuming that the current time is “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 10 : 55 ”, the comparator means 52 decides that the month , day , hour and minute : “ august 22 — 12 : 34 ” for the schedule is this year &# 39 ; s schedule because the scheduled month , day , hour and minute is later than the current hour and minute “ august 22 — 10 : 55 ” and then sets “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 12 : 34 ” as the scheduled time . as another example , assuming that the current time is “ aug . 22 , 2002 — 13 : 00 ”, the comparator means 52 decides that the month , day , hour and minute : “ august 22 — 12 : 34 ” for the schedule is the next year &# 39 ; s schedule because the scheduled month , day , hour and minute is earlier than ( or previous to ) the current month , day , hour and minute “ august 22 — 13 : 00 ” and then sets “ aug . 22 , 2003 — 12 : 34 ” as the scheduled time . incidentally , processing steps for deciding whether the schedule according to this second embodiment can be registered are similar to the processing steps s 32 - s 34 in the flow chart as shown in fig4 . as described above , according to this second embodiment , the numerical menu screen 63 for use in the schedule registration is displayed after numeral input and then the “ registration into schedule ” is selected to activate the schedule registration . however , the present invention is not limited to it . for example , in the event that the numeric value deciding means 51 decides that the inputted numerals can be appropriate as month , day , hour and minute , it may be possible to activate the schedule registration without displaying the numerical menu screen 63 for use in the schedule registration after the numeral input . also , the portable telephone according to this second embodiment , it may be possible to perform the conventional schedule registration as explained above by using fig8 and 9 , in addition to the schedule registration performed by input of the number with eight digits according to this second embodiment . furthermore , it may be possible to change at a later time the schedule content registered as a default according to this second embodiment by a method similar to the conventional schedule registration . also , as described above , in accordance with this second embodiment , a time for a schedule can automatically be decided only by the user &# 39 ; s input of the number with eight digits which are representative of month , day , hour and minute , as a result of which the schedule can quickly be registered into the portable telephone together with the default schedule content . further , the schedule registration performed by inputting the number with four digits has been described in the first embodiment while the schedule registration performed by inputting the number with eight digits has been described in the second embodiment . however , in accordance with the present invention , it is possible to perform the schedule registration by inputting the number with six digits . specifically , after the user has inputted that number having first and second digits representative of day , third and fourth digits representative of hour , and fifth and sixth digits representative of minute , the numeric value deciding means 51 decides that the inputted numerals can be appropriate as day , hour and minute . if it has been decided to be appropriate , the numeric value deciding means 51 outputs the numeric value as day , hour and minute for the schedule to the comparator means 52 . the comparator means 52 decides whether the year and month for the schedule is this month , i . e ., whether the day , hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current day , hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the day , hour and minute for the schedule is larger than that representative of the current day , hour and minute ). if the day , hour and minute for the schedule is later than the current day , hour and minute , then the comparator means 52 sets the year and month for the schedule as this month . however , if the day , hour and minute for the schedule is earlier than ( or previous to ) the current day , hour and minute ( or a numeric value representative of the day , hour and minute for the schedule is smaller than that representative of the current day , hour and minute ), then the comparator means 52 sets the year and month for the schedule as the next month . furthermore , in accordance with the present invention , it is possible to perform the schedule registration by inputting the number with twelve digits . specifically , after the user has inputted that number , as any year , month , day , hour and minute , having first through fourth digits representative of year , fifth and sixth digits representative of month , seventh and eighth digits representative of day , ninth and tenth digits representative hour and eleventh and twelfth digits representative of minute , the numeric value deciding means 51 decides whether the inputted numerals of twelve digits can be appropriate or identified as year , month , day , hour and minute . if it has been decided to be appropriate , the numeric value deciding means 51 decides the numeric value to be the year , month , day , hour and minute for the schedule . in this case , the comparator means 52 is not used . according to the present invention , the user can rapidly perform a schedule registration by only inputting appropriate numerals as a time for a schedule because the time will automatically be decided as the scheduled time and a default schedule content will be registered together with the scheduled time . while preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above , it is to be understood that further adaptations of the invention described herein can be obtained by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention . accordingly , although preferred configurations of devices , methods , and programs embodying the present invention have been described , it should be understood that these devices , methods , and programs may take on a wide variety of configurations and arrangements without departing from the scope of the present invention . therefore , the scope of the present invention should be considered in terms of the following claims and should not be limited to the details of the devices , methods , and programs shown and described above .
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the breakaway coupler 1 of the present invention comprises a first receptacle 100 , a second receptacle 200 , and a coupling member 300 . see fig1 b . the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 are each configured to removably attach to the respective ends of the two separate wire segments 10 , 20 , and the coupling member 300 connects the first receptacle 100 to the second receptacle 200 . the coupling member 300 is sacrificial , configured to fail upon the application of a sufficient disconnecting force upon it , such as from a falling tree 50 landing on one or more wire segments 10 , 20 , resulting in the first receptacle 100 and the second receptacle 200 being separated from each other . see fig6 b . the coupling member 300 may be configured to withstand varying levels of force , dependent upon the configuration of the wire segments 10 , 20 and structures 40 . for example , a coupling member 300 used in a breakaway coupler 1 to connect heavier wire segments 10 , 20 will have to withstand a greater force before failing , to account for the greater weight of the wire segments 10 , 20 . similarly , a coupling member 300 used in a breakaway coupler 1 to connect wire segments 10 , 20 to smaller utility poles will have to fail upon being subjected to a lesser force , to prevent the smaller utility poles from breaking . the first receptacle 100 of the breakaway coupler 1 is elongated and has an outer surface 110 defining a substantially hollow interior space 130 . the first receptacle 100 has a first wire retaining end 140 and a first coupling end 150 located opposite the first wire retaining end 140 . the first receptacle 100 may have any suitable shape and size . in the preferred embodiments the first receptacle 100 is substantially cylindrical in shape . in the most preferred embodiments the cylindrical shape of the first receptacle 100 terminates at the first wire retaining end 140 in a taper , with the opening 142 at the first wire retaining end 140 having a smaller inside diameter than the inside diameter of the first receptacle 100 at its midpoint . see fig1 a . the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 will have an opening 152 with an inside diameter that is substantially the same as the inside diameter of the first receptacle 100 at its midpoint , or slightly larger . in some embodiments the inside diameter of the opening 152 of the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 may be slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the first receptacle 100 at its midpoint . the largest inside diameter of the first receptacle 100 will be between one half inch and four inches , and the smallest inside diameter of the first receptacle 100 will be between an eighth of an inch and three inches . the length of the first receptacle 100 , from the first wire retaining end 140 to the first coupling end 150 , will be between two inches and twenty - four inches . the first receptacle 100 may be made of any suitable material , as long as it is substantially rigid , durable , and resistant to environmental degradation . the first receptacle 100 may be made of metals , such as aluminum , copper , stainless steel , and the like , alloys , composites , polymers , and other materials . where the coupler 1 is to be used to connect electrically conducting wire segments 10 , 20 , the material that the first receptacle 100 is made from must be electrically conductive . in the preferred embodiments the first receptacle 100 is made of aluminum . the first wire retaining end 140 of the first receptacle 100 has a first wire retaining aperture 142 which allows access into the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 . the first wire retaining aperture 142 is configured to allow the insertion end 12 of the first wire segment 10 to be inserted at least partially into the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 . in the preferred embodiments the first wire retaining aperture 142 is round , though in other embodiments it may have an oval shape , or a polygonal shape , or even an irregular shape . in the most preferred embodiments the inside diameter of the first wire retaining aperture 142 is slightly larger than the outside diameter of the insertion end 12 of the first wire segment 10 . the first receptacle 100 further comprises a first wire retaining member 160 and a first anchor member 190 . see fig1 a . the first wire retaining member 160 is located within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 at the first wire retaining end 140 . it is configured to retain the insertion end 12 of the first wire segment 10 within the first receptacle 100 . the first anchor member 190 is located at the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 . it provides a point of connection for the coupling member 300 to connect to the first receptacle 100 . the second receptacle 200 is configured substantially identically to the first receptacle 100 , in size , shape , material of construction , and components . it thus also has an outer surface 210 defining a substantially hollow interior space 230 , a second wire retaining end 240 , a second wire retaining aperture 242 , a second coupling end 250 , a second wire retaining member 260 , and a second anchor member 290 . these elements and components are configured substantially identically to those of the first receptacle 100 and perform the same functions ( although in the case of the second wire retaining member 260 it is configured to retain the insertion end 22 of the second wire segment 20 within the second receptacle 200 , and in the case of the second anchor member 290 it is configured to provide a point of connection for the coupling member 300 to connect to the second receptacle 200 ). the sacrificial coupling member 300 is configured to be connected to the first anchor member 190 of the first receptacle 100 and to the second anchor member 290 of the second receptacle 200 . when so connected , the first receptacle 100 and the second receptacle 200 are attached to each other . as explained previously , the coupling member 300 is configured to release from at least one of the first anchor member 190 and the second anchor member 290 when a disconnecting force is exerted on it . this may occur by the coupling member 300 breaking , if it is made of a non - deformable material , or by the coupling member 300 deforming its shape , if it is made of a deformable material . in different embodiments the amount of force needed to cause the coupling member 300 to release from either or both of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 can be varied by changing one or more of the shape , dimensions , and materials from which the coupling member 300 is made . the breaking strength of the coupling member 300 should be calculated as a function of the breaking strength of the wire segments 10 , 20 to be joined by the coupler 1 , the length of the wire segments 10 , 20 ( and thus their weight ), and the strength of the attachment points of the wire segments 10 , 20 to their supporting structures 40 . see fig6 a . the coupling member 300 may be of any suitable shape . the coupling member 300 must be able to remain connected to the first and second anchor members 190 , 290 of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 , respectively , until a disconnecting force is applied to it . it may be shaped as a closed ring , a partially opened ring , a double ended member having a closed ring at each end , a doubled ended member having partially opened rings at each end , a double ended member having one closed ring at one end and one partially opened ring at the other end , or any other suitable shape . see fig4 a - 4e . the rings may be circular , ovoid , polygonal , or irregularly shaped . the partially opened rings may take the form of hooks . in the preferred embodiments the coupling member 300 is a closed ring . in the most preferred embodiments the coupling member 300 has an ovoid shape . the coupling member 300 may be made of any suitable material , as long as it is durable and resistant to environmental degradation . the coupling member 300 may be made of metals , such as aluminum , copper , stainless steel , and the like , alloys , composites , polymers , and other materials . the coupling member 300 may be substantially rigid , or it may be substantially flexible , constructed out of wire , cable , chain links , rubber , or the like . in the preferred embodiment the coupling member 300 is constructed of aluminum . in some embodiments of the present invention the breakaway coupler 1 is electrically conductive . that is , electricity is capable of flowing from the first wire segment 10 to the second wire segment 20 through the breakaway coupler 1 , and vice versa . in such embodiments a minimum number of components of the breakaway coupler 1 must also be electrically conductive . in a preferred embodiment , the first receptacle 100 is electrically conductive , the first wire retaining member 160 is electrically conductive , the first anchor member 190 is electrically conductive , the second receptacle 200 is electrically conductive , the second wire retaining member 260 is electrically conductive , the second anchor member 290 is electrically conductive , and the coupling member 300 is electrically conductive . the first wire segment 10 is in contact with the first wire retaining member 160 , which is in contact with the first receptacle 100 , which is in contact with the first anchor member 190 , which is in contact with the coupling member 300 , which is in contact with the second anchor member 290 , which is in contact with the second receptacle 200 , which is in contact with the second wire retaining member 260 , which is in contact with the second wire segment 20 . there is thus an unbroken connection of electrically conductive components between the first wire segment 10 and the second wire segment 20 , allowing an electric current to pass between the wire segments 10 , 20 . in other embodiments where the breakaway coupler 1 is electrically conductive , the breakaway coupler 1 further comprises a conductive collar 400 . see fig2 a . the conductive collar 400 is made from an electrically conductive material , such as aluminum or steel . the conductive collar 400 has a first end 410 and a second end 420 . the first end 410 of the conductive collar 400 is suitably configured to engage with the outer surface 110 of the first receptacle 100 proximate to the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 . the second end 420 of the conductive collar 400 is suitably configured to engage with the outer surface 210 of the second receptacle 200 proximate to the second coupling end 250 of the second receptacle 200 . see fig2 b . in this configuration , the conductive collar 400 is electrically conductive , the first receptacle 100 is electrically conductive , the first wire retaining member 160 is electrically conductive , the second receptacle 200 is electrically conductive , and the second wire retaining member 260 is electrically conductive . there is no need for the first anchor member 190 , the second anchor member 290 , or the coupling member 300 to be electrically conductive ( though they may be electrically conductive , if desired ). the first wire segment 10 is in contact with the first wire retaining member 160 , which is in contact with the first receptacle 100 , which is in contact with the conductive collar 400 , which is in contact with the second receptacle 200 , which is in contact with the second wire retaining member 260 , which is in contact with the second wire segment 20 . there is thus an unbroken connection of electrically conductive components between the first wire segment 10 and the second wire segment 20 , allowing an electric current to pass between the wire segments 10 , 20 . in the preferred embodiments where a conductive collar 400 is used , the conductive collar 400 is substantially cylindrical , as are the first receptacle 100 and the second receptacle 200 . the conductive collar 400 has a first opening proximate to its first end 410 with an inside diameter which is substantially the same as the first outer diameter of the first receptacle 100 proximate to the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 . the conductive collar 400 has a second opening 422 proximate to its second end 420 with an inside diameter which is substantially the same as the second outer diameter of the second receptacle 200 proximate to the second coupling end 250 of the second receptacle 200 . so configured , the conductive collar 400 is placed over the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 and over the second coupling end 250 of the second receptacle 200 , such that that first and second coupling ends 150 , 250 of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 are positioned within the substantially hollow interior space 430 of the conductive collar 400 . see fig2 b . to facilitate installation of the conductive collar 400 , the conductive collar 400 may be configured with a longitudinal slot 440 running from its first end 410 to its second end 420 , oriented substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the conductive collar 400 . if the conductive collar 400 is made of a deformable material , its longitudinal slot 440 may be forced open to allow for insertion of the first and second coupling ends 150 , 250 of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 into the interior of the conductive collar 400 , thereafter returning to its original shape . alternatively , the conductive collar 400 may have a longitudinal hinge located opposite the longitudinal slot 440 and substantially parallel thereto , to facilitate the opening and closing of the conductive collar 400 . in the most preferred embodiments using the conductive collar 400 , the conductive collar 400 has a longitudinal slot 440 as described above , as well as a first flange 450 and a second flange 460 . the first flange 450 is substantially planar and extends outward from one side of the longitudinal slot 440 , and the second flange 460 is substantially planar and extends outward from the other side of the longitudinal slot 440 . the first and second flanges 450 , 460 are oriented substantially parallel to each other and may be slightly spaced apart from each other or in contact with each other . there may be one or more securing members 470 present , configured to secure the first flange 450 to the second flange 460 . in one embodiment the first flange 450 of the conductive collar 400 has one or more flange apertures 480 , each flange aperture 480 corresponding to a securing member 470 . similarly , the second flange 460 of the conductive collar 400 has one or more flange apertures 480 , each flange aperture 480 corresponding to a securing member 470 . each flange aperture 480 of the first flange 450 is substantially aligned with a corresponding flange aperture 480 of the second flange 460 . each of the securing members 470 may be comprised of a threaded bolt and a threaded nut , with each bolt configured to pass through a flange aperture 480 of the first flange 450 and a corresponding flange aperture 480 of the second flange 460 and to be secured by a corresponding threaded nut being threaded onto the threaded bolt . other configurations of the securing members 470 are also contemplated , for example , the securing members 470 could be cotter pins . alternatively , the flange apertures 480 may be threaded and the threaded bolts are threaded into the flange apertures 480 without need for retaining nuts . so configured , the flanges 450 , 460 facilitate the opening of the longitudinal slot 440 to allow for insertion of the first and second coupling ends 150 , 250 of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 into the conductive collar 400 ; thereafter , the securing members 470 tightly secure the conductive collar 400 to the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 . notwithstanding the secure fit of the conductive collar 400 to the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 , however , the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 are capable of sliding out of the conductive collar 400 if the coupling member 300 releases due to a disconnecting force acting upon it . in yet other embodiments , the conductive collar 400 provides a tight enough fit to the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 so that a separate coupling member 300 and the first and second anchor members 190 , 290 are not required . instead , the conductive collar 400 serves as the coupling member , holding together the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 until a sufficient force applied to the wire segments 10 , 20 causes either or both of the first and second receptacles 100 , 200 to slide out of the conductive collar 400 . in other embodiments , a non - conductive collar may be used , to increase the stability of the breakaway coupler 1 . the non - conductive collar is configured the same as the conductive collar 400 , with the exception that it is made of a non - conducting material . the non - conductive collar is intended for use where the wire segments 10 , 20 attached to the breakaway coupler 1 are not electrically conductive . ( of course , a conductive collar 400 may be used with a breakaway coupler 1 even if the wire segments 10 , 20 are not electrically conductive .) if the breakaway coupler 1 is intended to be used with electrically conducting wire segments 10 , 20 , then if a non - conductive collar is used , the first anchor member 190 , the second anchor member 290 , and the coupling member 300 must be electrically conductive . in some embodiments of the present invention , the first receptacle 100 comprises a pair of lateral circular apertures 154 located proximate to its first coupling end 150 . see fig1 a . each of these lateral circular apertures 154 passes through the outer surface 110 of the first receptacle 100 and provides access into the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 . the lateral circular apertures 154 have substantially similar diameters and are oriented on opposite sides of the first receptacle 100 from each other , such that a straight line passing through their centers is oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first receptacle 100 . in these embodiments , the first anchor member 190 is a substantially cylindrical rod having an outside diameter just slightly smaller than the diameter of each lateral circular aperture 154 . the first anchor member 190 has a first end 192 , a second end 196 , and a middle portion 198 located between the first and second ends 192 , 196 . the length of the first anchor member 190 from its first end 192 to its second end 196 is greater than the distance between the pair of lateral circular apertures 154 . the first anchor member 190 is configured to be placed into and through the pair of lateral circular apertures 154 such that the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 extends beyond the outer surface 110 of the first receptacle 100 , the second end 196 of the first anchor member 190 extends beyond the outer surface 110 of the first receptacle 100 , the middle portion 198 of the first anchor member 190 is located within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 , and the first anchor member 190 is oriented substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first receptacle 100 . the coupling member 300 is configured such that a portion of the coupling member 300 is capable of being inserted through the coupling end aperture 152 at the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 and into the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 , wherein the coupling member 300 is placed in connection with the middle portion 198 of the first anchor member 190 . in preferred embodiments the first anchor member 190 is removably attached to the first receptacle 100 . this enables use of a closed ring coupling member 300 , as follows : the first anchor member 190 is removed from the first receptacle 100 , a portion of the closed ring coupling member 300 is inserted into the coupling end aperture 152 of the first receptacle 100 , then the first anchor member 190 is replaced into the first receptacle 100 , with the middle portion 198 of the first anchor member 190 passing through the closed ring of the coupling member 300 . in these embodiments the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 comprises a first removable retaining device 193 , such that when the first removable retaining device 193 is removed from the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 , the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 is capable of passing through both of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 . when the first removable retaining device 193 is engaged with the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 , the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 cannot pass through either of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 . in addition , the second end 196 of the first anchor member 190 may comprise a stop member 197 . see fig1 a . the stop member 197 has a dimension larger than each of the diameters of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 such that the second end 196 of the first anchor member 190 cannot pass through either of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 . the stop member 197 may be the head of a bolt . it may also be a threaded nut configured to be inserted onto threads formed onto the second end 196 of the first anchor member . other configurations of the stop member 197 are also contemplated . in some configurations the first removable retaining device 193 is a cotter pin configured to be inserted into an aperture formed through the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 . see fig1 a . in other configurations the first removable retaining device 193 is a threaded nut configured to be inserted onto threads formed onto the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 . in yet other configurations the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 comprises a hinged retaining device 194 . see fig5 a - 5b . the hinged retaining device 194 is capable of being aligned substantially along the longitudinal axis of the first anchor member 190 and being capable of being aligned substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first anchor member 190 . when the hinged retaining device 194 is aligned substantially along the longitudinal axis of the first anchor member 190 , the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 passes through both of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 . see fig5 a . when the hinged retaining device 194 is aligned substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first anchor member 190 , the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 cannot pass through either of the lateral circular apertures 154 of the first receptacle 100 . see fig5 b . other configurations of the first removable retaining device 193 are also contemplated by the present invention . in alternative embodiments , the first anchor member 190 may be fixedly attached to the first receptacle 100 . in such embodiments , the length of the first anchor member 190 is substantially the same as the inside diameter of the coupling end aperture 152 of the first receptacle 100 . the first anchor member 190 is located within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 proximate to the first coupling end 150 of the first receptacle 100 , with the first end 192 of the first anchor member 190 fixedly attached to the inside surface of the first receptacle 100 and the second end 196 of the first anchor member 190 fixedly attached to the inside surface of the first receptacle 100 . the attachment may be by any suitable means ; in the preferred embodiment , the first anchor member 190 is welded to the first receptacle 100 . where a fixed first anchor member 190 is used , the coupling member 300 must have at least one opened ring configuration so as to be capable of being placed onto the middle portion 198 of the fixed first anchor member 190 . the second anchor member 290 is configured substantially identically to the first anchor member 190 , in size , shape , material of construction , and means of integration . it thus also has a first end , a second end , and a middle portion , and may be removably attached to the second receptacle 200 through lateral circular apertures 254 or fixedly attached thereto . where the second anchor member 290 is removably attached to the second receptacle 200 , it comprises a second removable retaining device 293 configured substantially the same as the first removable retaining device 193 of the first anchor member 190 . where a fixed second anchor member 290 is used , the coupling member 300 must have at least one opened ring configuration so as to be capable of being placed onto the middle portion of the second anchor member 290 . the first wire retaining member 160 may be configured in any manner so long as it is capable of securely retaining an end 12 of the first wire segment 10 within the first receptacle 100 . in one embodiment , where the first receptacle 100 is tapered at its first wire retaining end 140 , the first wire retaining member 160 is comprised of a pair of mated jaws 170 , which when brought together form a substantially frustoconical shape . see fig1 a . the first wire retaining member 160 has an outside diameter which is greater than the inner diameter of the first wire retaining aperture 142 and smaller than the inner diameter of the first receptacle 100 . as such , the first wire retaining member 160 cannot pass through the first wire retaining aperture 142 of the first receptacle 100 , but it can move freely within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 outside of the taper at the first wire retaining end 140 . when the first wire retaining member 160 is moved into the tapered end of the first receptacle 100 it becomes wedged therein . each jaw of the mated pair of jaws 170 of the first wire retaining member 160 has an inner surface 172 and a substantially semi - cylindrical concave channel 174 inscribed within its inner surface 172 . when the pair of jaws 170 are placed together their respective inner surfaces 172 face each other and the channels 174 define a substantially cylindrical passageway 176 through the first wire retaining member 160 . this passageway 176 is configured to contain therein the end 12 of the first wire segment 10 . the inner surfaces 172 of the mated jaws 170 further comprise a plurality of unidirectional gripping members 178 which allow the end 12 of the first wire segment 10 to move over the gripping members 178 in a direction away from the first wire retaining end 140 of the first receptacle 100 but which impede movement of the end 12 of the first wire segment 10 in a direction toward the first wire retaining end 140 of the first receptacle 100 . see fig3 . thus , when the end 12 of the first wire segment 10 is inserted into the first receptacle 100 , it moves into the passageway 176 defined by the pair of jaws 170 of the first wire retaining member 160 , pushing the jaws 170 apart somewhat while moving over the gripping members 178 and pushing the first wire retaining member 160 away from the first wire retaining end 140 of the first receptacle 100 . then , the first wire segment 10 is pulled in the opposite direction . the gripping members 178 impede the wire segment &# 39 ; s 10 movement within the passageway , thereby drawing the first wire retaining member 160 towards the tapered end of the first receptacle 100 , which in turn forces the jaws 170 closer together , increasing their hold on the wire segment 10 . in some embodiments the first wire retaining member 160 further comprises a biasing spring 180 to facilitate movement of the jaws 170 toward the tapered end . where a biasing spring 180 is used , the first receptacle 100 further comprises an inside planar surface 120 , where the inside planar surface 120 is located within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 between the first wire retaining end 140 and the first coupling end 150 , with the inside planar surface 120 being oriented substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first receptacle 100 . the biasing spring 180 is then located within the substantially hollow interior space 130 of the first receptacle 100 between the inside planar surface 120 and the first wire retaining member 160 . the biasing spring 180 is biased to move the mated jaws 170 of the first wire retaining member 160 towards the first wire retaining end 140 of the first receptacle 100 . this configuration of the first wire retaining member 160 allows for very easy use of the breakaway coupler 1 . a user simply takes the end of a wire segment and inserts it as far as it can go into the first receptacle 100 through its first wire retaining aperture 142 , then pulls on the wire segment until the first wire retaining member 160 is tightly wedged into the tapered end of the first receptacle 100 . the breakaway coupler 1 can thus be installed onto a wire segment in seconds . the second wire retaining member 260 of the second receptacle 200 is configured substantially identical to the first wire retaining member 160 of the first receptacle 100 . the second receptacle 200 may also have an inside planar surface to accommodate a biasing spring . the second wire segment 20 is inserted into the second receptacle 200 in the same manner as described above . modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments of the present invention without departing from the subject or spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims .
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this invention discloses the sending of power metadata over the power signal for dynamic cost calculation and provider selection . for purposes of the present invention , power is defined as an energy resource , such as electricity used by businesses and individual consumers over a given unit of time . all power line communication systems operate by impressing a modulated carrier signal on the wiring system . different types of power line communications use different frequency bands , depending on the signal transmission characteristics of the power wiring used . low - frequency ( about 100 - 200 khz ) carriers impressed on high - voltage transmission lines may carry one or two analog voice circuits , or telemetry and control circuits with an equivalent data rate of a few hundred bits per second ; however , these circuits may be many miles ( kilometers ) long . high frequency ( 6 - 80 mhz ) has much higher data rates in excess of 1 gbits per second , but only over considerably shorter distances . the flow diagram of fig1 shows a typical power supplier 10 , such as an electrical power plant , or an electric grid . the supplier has a need or willingness to communicate power consumption costs or other information to selected consumers or to all of its consumers . the supplier first converts , or arranges for the conversion , of such information to metadata at 20 using conversion equipment and software that is customarily used in the art . this metadata is transmitted to an end user 30 where the metadata is converted into usable form , such as with a decoder at 40 . decoders for this purpose are readily available . then , the information is viewed at 50 by the end user who may then transmit a response back to the power supplier either along the same line on which the metadata was conveyed to the end user , or along a separate line 60 . alternatively , the information may be viewed by a service provider 35 who then communicates with the end user along line 80 . then either the service provider 35 sends a response to the power supplier 10 along line 70 , or the end user transmits the response to the power supplier along line 60 . the following lists some of the attributes of power that may be included in such a transmission to the end user : cost of power ; provider name and / or unique provider identifier ; geographic source of generation ( e . g ., abc plant in sampletown , n . y . ); geographic source ( s ) of raw materials ( e . g ., bituminous coal : 82 % pennsylvania origin , 18 % west virginia origin ); methods used to generate , such as solar , wind turbine , renewable sources , or coal ; maximum amount available ; duration of time the current rate will be available . note that , within the bounds of the present invention , some of these fields and corresponding data values may be omitted and others may be added as needed . advertisement of rates may be offered in a controlled manner , to prevent exceeding provider capacity and also to offer preferential pricing . this invention discloses metadata describing the power to be sent over the power signal . it may utilize any known or future methods of providing data over a power line . it provides for an open forum where any provider may post its power rates so long as that provider has access to provide power on the grid in question , allowing large corporations or other consumers to make choices . with this grid , each consumer knows the cost / unit as it is using power and amount available at that price point . this enables awareness of power cost and other attributes in a distributed environment . however , this may or may not reflect anything similar to today &# 39 ; s web browsers . instead , it may represent a “ get data as needed ” function for obtaining the desired information . among the strategies for sending and receiving metadata over power lines are the following : ( 1 ) metadata describing the power itself is sent along the power line at a different frequency than the transmitted power . a device is placed into each endpoint ( home , business data center , etc .) that wishes to use the metadata . this device measures the higher frequency signals which are sent along with the power . in the preferred embodiment , the metadata signal is sent constantly and can be read by the endpoint recipients at any given time , or constantly if so desired . once the end point recipients read the data , actions can be taken as described below . ( 2 ) independent of whether a full internet connection is available through the utility line , a news ticker - like flow of information would present the relevant fields to some form of software / hardware collection point ( e . g ., workload dispatcher ) on the consumer site . this crawler would present these fields for service providers available to the consumer , updated periodically , at regular intervals so that consumer could choose accordingly . ( 3 ) a microcosm of internet - like functionality could be provided , such that a hardware / software unit ( e . g ., workload dispatcher ) could access data “ as needed ” in a look - up method analogous to today &# 39 ; s http requests . the concepts of high - speed communications are applied over the power grid , to offer data minute - by - minute , or hour - by - hour power rates between all providers . similarly , consumers such as data centers , businesses or individuals , may then return over the same in - band mechanisms , a response with their choice of energy provider . rates and other metadata may be provided in a continuous , repeating stream or on set intervals . additionally , this invention considers the maximum capacity of a given service provider to ensure that the provider &# 39 ; s capacity threshold is not exceeded . for example , if xyz energy suddenly advertises the cheapest rates , then everyone may rush to acme energy . acme would obviously not be able to meet all those needs . thus , the necessity of an upper boundary is seen . prenegotiated quality of service ( qos ) contracts may determine which consumers are preferred and get first priority at the lower rates . rates may be advertised in a phased manner , as shown in the following scenario : first tier platinum consumers are offered the low rate for the first hour ; if capacity is still available , the next tier gold consumers are offered the price for two hours ; if capacity is still available , the low price is now opened up to all consumers . referring now to fig2 , an exemplary computerized implementation 100 of the invention includes a computer 104 deployed within a computer infrastructure 108 such as one existing at the information technology center of a business firm , a manufacturing company , or governmental agency . the computer infrastructure 108 receives input from the power supplier 10 . the input is processed and is transmitted to one or more end users ( consumers ) 50 . the end user then has the ability to transmit directly to the power supplier 10 along route 60 ( see fig1 ), through a service provider 35 , or back through the computer infrastructure 108 . this fig2 is intended to demonstrate , among other things , that the present invention could be implemented within a network environment ( e . g ., the internet , a wide area network ( wan ), a local area network ( lan ), a virtual private network ( vpn ), etc . ), or on a stand - alone computer . in the case of the network environment , communication throughout the network can occur via any combination of various types of communication links . for example , the communication links can comprise addressable connections that may utilize any combination of wired and / or wireless transmission methods . as shown , a computer system 100 comprises a computer 104 within a computer infrastructure 108 . the computer 104 includes a processing unit 112 , a memory 116 , a bus 120 , and input / output ( i / o ) interfaces 124 . further , the computer 104 is shown in communication with external i / o devices / resources 128 and storage system 132 . in general , the processing unit 112 executes computer program code , such as the code to implement various components of the computer 104 , which is stored in memory 116 and / or storage system 132 . it is to be appreciated that two or more , including all , of these components may be implemented as a single component . while executing computer program code , the processing unit 112 can read and / or write data to / from the memory 116 , the storage system 132 , and / or the i / o interfaces 124 . the bus 120 provides a communication link between each of the components in the computer 104 . the external devices 128 can comprise any devices ( e . g ., keyboard , pointing device , display , etc .) that enable a user to interact with the computer 104 and / or any devices ( e . g ., network card , modem , etc .) that enable the computer 104 to communicate with one or more other computing devices . the computer infrastructure 108 is only illustrative of various types of computer infrastructures for implementing the invention . for example , in one embodiment , computer infrastructure 108 comprises two or more computing devices ( e . g ., a server cluster ) that communicate over a network to perform the various process steps of the invention . moreover , the computer 104 is only representative of various possible computers that can include numerous combinations of hardware . to this extent , in other embodiments , the computer 104 can comprise any specific purpose - computing article of manufacture comprising hardware and / or computer program code for performing specific functions , any computing article of manufacture that comprises a combination of specific purpose and general - purpose hardware / software , or the like . in each case , the program code and hardware can be created using standard programming and engineering techniques , respectively . moreover , the processing unit 112 may comprise a single processing unit , or be distributed across one or more processing units in one or more locations , for example , on a client site or on a server . similarly , the memory 116 and / or the storage system 132 can comprise any combination of various types of data storage and / or transmission media that reside at one or more physical locations . further , i / o interfaces 124 can comprise any system for exchanging information with one or more of the external device 128 . still further , it is understood that one or more additional components ( e . g ., system software , math co - processing unit , etc .) not shown in fig2 can be included in computer 104 . however , if the computer 104 comprises a handheld device or the like , it is understood that one or more of the external devices 128 ( e . g ., a display ) and / or the storage system 132 could be contained within the computer 100 , not externally as shown . the storage system 132 can be any type of system ( e . g ., a database ) capable of providing storage for information under the present invention . to this extent , the storage system 132 could include one or more storage devices , such as a magnetic disk drive or an optical disk drive . in another embodiment , the storage system 132 includes data distributed across , for example , a local area network ( lan ), wide area network ( wan ) or a storage area network ( san ) ( not shown ). in addition , although not shown , additional components , such as cache memory , communication systems , system software , etc ., may be incorporated into the computer 104 . in the illustrated embodiment , the computer 104 communicates with external devices 128 such as an external system communicating with the controller 112 over a path which may be a wired bus 120 ( as shown ) or wireless . while shown and described herein as a method and a system , it is understood that the invention further provides various alternative embodiments . for example , in one embodiment , the invention provides a computer - readable / useable medium that includes computer program code to enable a computer infrastructure to perform the process steps of the invention . to this extent , the computer - readable / useable medium includes program code that implements each of the various process steps of the invention . it is understood that the terms “ computer - readable medium ” or “ computer useable medium ” comprise one or more of any type of physical embodiment of the program code . the medium contains instructions for converting power - related information into a metadata format and transmitting the metadata over transmission route to be read by a recipient . in particular , the computer - readable / useable medium can comprise program code embodied on one or more portable storage articles of manufacture such as a compact disc , a magnetic disk , or a tape . alternatively , or in addition , the code can be embodied on one or more data storage portions of a computing device , such as the memory 116 and / or the storage system 132 such as a fixed disk , a read - only memory , a random access memory , or a cache memory . in another embodiment , the invention provides a business method that performs the process steps of the invention on a subscription , advertising , and / or fee basis . that is , a service provider 35 could offer to manage the computer 104 to convert power - related information into metadata and to transmit the data for use by an end user 35 . furthermore , wireless or wired transmission 70 occurs between the service provider 35 and the power supplier 10 . the metadata and / or instructions and feed back are routed along 80 between the service provider 35 and the end user 50 . in this case , the service provider 35 can create , maintain , and support a computer infrastructure , such as the computer infrastructure 108 that performs the process steps of the invention for one or more consumers . in return , the service provider can receive payment from the consumer ( s ) under a subscription and / or fee agreement and / or the service provider can receive payment from the sale of advertising content to one or more third parties . in still another embodiment , the invention provides a computer - implemented method for executing the computer 104 . in this case , a computer infrastructure , such as computer infrastructure 108 , can be provided and one or more systems for performing the process steps of the invention can be obtained ( e . g ., created , purchased , used , modified , etc .) and deployed to the computer infrastructure . to this extent , the deployment of a system can comprise one or more of : ( 1 ) installing program code on a computing device , such as computer system 100 , from a computer - readable medium ; ( 2 ) adding one or more computing devices to the computer infrastructure ; and ( 3 ) incorporating and / or modifying one or more existing systems of the computer infrastructure to enable the computer infrastructure to perform the process steps of the invention . as used herein , it is understood that the terms “ program code ” and “ computer program code ” are synonymous and mean any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a computing device having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : ( a ) conversion to another language , code or notation , and / or ( b ) reproduction in a different material form . to this extent , program code can be embodied as one or more of : an application / software program , component software / a library of functions , an operating system , a basic i / o system / driver for a particular computing and / or i / o device , and the like . the foregoing description of various aspects of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed and , obviously , many modifications and variations are possible . such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims .
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fig2 shows a gain curve g over time during dropping of active channels with feed forward controlling in a single - stage erbium - doped fiber amplifier , with the pump power required with reduced input power for maintaining the gain being set at the point at which the load changes . an undershoot is completely suppressed in this case . a description is given below of how , starting from a known operating state of the fiber amplifier , the pump power required to maintain the gain p pump after can be calculated . the method is explained with reference to a suitable modeling of the amplifier process in the erbium - doped fiber . all the power specifications below relate to the start or the end of the doped fiber . available measuring devices ( including photo diodes ) are however generally calibrated to record powers present at the input or output of the amplifier or the amplifier card . passive components such as couplers and isolators are mostly located between the inputs and outputs of the amplifier card as well as the corresponding ends of the amplification fiber . in this case a correction of the power specifications by the attenuation losses of the upstream and downstream components is also required . likewise losses between the measuring device for the pump light and the coupling - in point in the erbium - doped fiber are taken into consideration . the powers actually coupled into or out of the doped fiber are the result of the correction . in addition a further correction step is required in order to determine the actual effective pump power , since , as a result of the loss mechanism in the fiber , not all photons coupled into the doped fiber participate in the amplification process . this is especially required for the use of pump sources with an emission wavelength in the range of 980 nm , since in this case ions which have already been excited , which are at a higher energy level , can absorb pump power , whereby pump photons are lost to the actual amplification process . this process is referred to as the “ pump excited state absorption ( esa )”. to make a distinction , the term for the effective pump power peff is introduced which designates the pump power effectively available to the amplification process . all power variables subsequently specified are to be used in the linear scale ( mw ). starting from the pump power p pump coupled - in in the fiber the effective pump power peff can be calculated with the aid of the equation p eff = p 0 · ln { 1 + p pump p 0 } , with the symbol p 0 standing for a correction parameter . this should be known during the operation of the amplifier in a transmission system and is best defined on calibration of the amplifier card . the characteristic parameters p 0 are therefore determined together with a second characteristic parameter g norm before the calculation process within the framework of the fiber amplifier through measurement . with this measurement the pump power required for maintenance of a predetermined gain value is plotted against the input or output power of the fiber amplifier . in this case it is of advantage not to change the channel assignment and to realize different input powers by the same attenuation of all channels . the measurement process makes use of the fact that the pump power required to maintain a predetermined gain value of an erbium - doped fiber without loss mechanisms is a linear function of the input power . for the larger pump power values , a deviation from a straight line occurs . this deviation is conditional on the pump esa . the parameter p 0 is now determined by fitting . to this end , the effective pump powers produced from the measured pump powers are calculated for different values of p 0 and the curve is approximated by a straight line in accordance with the minimum error square criterion . the total of the error squares is shown as a function of p 0 . the value now selected for p 0 is that value which leads to a minimum total of the error squares . this value produces a curve , which describes the effective pump power p eff as linear function of the input power of the amplifier . the second characteristic parameter g norm for the fiber amplifier can now be derived from the slope of the straight lines determined in this way . the change in the effective pump power p eff is logically combined with corresponding changes to the input power via the proportionality constant . α = λ _ signal λ pump · g sig - 1 g norm . where the two wavelengths λ signal and λ pump designate the mean signal wavelength or the pump wavelength . the parameter generally represents the relationship between an input signal power and an output signal power . since , apart from g norm , all other variables are known , the second characteristic parameter can now be uniquely determined . the value of g norm typically lies in the range between 0 . 95 and 1 . 00 . after the determination of the two calibration parameters p 0 and g norm the pump power required to maintain the gain after a switching process p pump after is now calculated . starting from the measured pump power p pump before before the switching process , the effective pump power p eff before can be calculated with the following formula p eff before = p 0 · ln { 1 + p pump before p 0 } . ( 1 ) with the sum signal power p sig vor before the switching process the value of the effective pump power for the signal power p sig before after the switching process is produced as p eff after = p eff before + λ _ signal λ pump · 1 g norm · { p sig , out after - p sig , in after - p sig , out before + p sig , in before } ( 2 ) p sig , out after the accumulated output power produced after the switching process with the gain remaining the same ( i . e . stable state ), p sig , in before the accumulated output power after the switching process , the two wavelengths λ signal and λ pump stand for the average signal wavelength after the switching process or for the pump wavelength respectively . from the effective pump power to be set after the switching process , the actual pump power to be set by the control at the fiber input can now be defined by inversion of equation ( 1 ), which leads to the result p pump after = p 0 · [ exp { p eff after p 0 } - 1 ] . ( 3 ) as a general rule , the precise channel occupancy after the switching process is only known with a clear delay and is thus not available for regulation . in this case , the average wavelength of the signal with full occupancy of the amplification band can be employed for the average signal wavelength . under specific circumstances , equation ( 2 ) can be simplified , so that simplifications of the amplifier structure become possible . two possible simplifications are illustrated below : for calculating the pump power p pump after after the switching process , in accordance with eqn . ( 2 ) the accumulated powers on the input and output side must be known both before and also after the switching process . because of the required regulation times of a few μs , both the measurement devices at the input of the amplifier stage and also those at the output have short measurement times . this demand for short measurement times can however be restricted to the point in time after the switching process , since it is assumed that the switching process starts from a stable state . individual amplifier stages typically exhibit a gain of 20 db or more , which means that the output powers are approximately two orders or magnitude greater than the input powers . especially critical as regards the dynamic behavior are also switching processes in which the accumulated input power and thus also the accumulated output power fall sharply ( e . g . by more than 10 db ). this means however that the second term in the curly brackets of eqn . ( 2 ) p sig , in nach , is far smaller than the other terms and can consequently be ignored . this means that the equation for p eff after ≈ p eff before + λ _ signal λ pump · 1 g norm · { p sig , out after - p sig , out before + p sig , in before } ( 4 ) can be simplified . in this equation p sig , out after is the only variable for which only short periods are available for its measurement . thus the use of the fastest possible photo diodes is only appropriate for measurement of the accumulated output powers whereas slower measurement equipment can be used to measure the accumulated output power . this is of interest , since by dispensing with a bias voltage , the sensitivity of photo diodes can be increased because of the lower dark current . on the other hand , a simplification of eqn . ( 2 ) is produced for the case in which the average amplifier gain does not change , which poses a significant problem for the calculation of the output power produced after the switching process where the gain curve remains the same . in this case equation ( 2 ) can be transformed into p eff after = p eff before + λ _ signal λ pump · g sig - 1 g norm · { p sig , in after - p sig , in before } g sig = p sig , out before p sig , in before . ( 5 ) again only a fast measuring device is required , in this case for measurement of the accumulated output power . the equation can however be rewritten so that short measurement times are only needed for the measurement equipment at the output of the erbium - doped fiber . it should be pointed out here however that the gain of an amplifier stage of an edfas is as a rule , especially if does not contain a smoothing filter , different for the individual channels . when a number of pump sources are used in the optical amplifier the basic method is identical to the method with only one pump source . initially the pump powers available in the reference state are converted separately in accordance with equation ( 1 ) into effective pump powers , with under some circumstances different parameters p 0 having to be used for the individual pump sources . the effective pump powers p eff , i before are then subsequently weighted with the quotients from the average signal wavelength λ signal and the relevant pump wavelength λ i pump . the sum of these variables produces an auxiliary variable x eff before : x eff before = ∑ i = 1 n λ pump i λ _ signal · p eff , i before , with n designating the number of pump sources the auxiliary variable x eff after to be set after the switching process correspondingly produces : x eff after = x eff vor + 1 g norm · { p sig , out after - p sig , in after - p sig , out before + p sig , in before } . it is of little consequence for the maintenance of the gain how greatly the individual pump sources contribute to this required value . however there can be preferences , which , for example , are the result of the requirement for the optimum possible noise figure and depend on the selected pump configuration . once the contributions of the individual pump sources are defined , these are multiplied by the quotients from the average signal wavelength λ signal and the corresponding pump wavelength λ i pump . this means that the relevant effective pump powers are now available again , which are converted according to equation ( 3 ) into the actual pump powers p pump after ( i ). the method described above is based on the assumption , which is almost always fulfilled , that the pump powers coupled - in at the location of an amplifier fiber feature wavelengths from different absorption bands . fig3 shows an example of the curve of gain g as a function of the wavelength for 80 channels of a wdm signal . as an example the case in which all channels except for the marked surviving channel uk are dropped is now considered . the actual goal of the regulation is not to keep the average gain , as results from an overall power measurement at the input and at the output of the stage , constant . instead , it is necessary to make sure that the gain curve does not change over the wavelength , since only then does the power which falls on the relevant receiver remain constant over time . in the above example this requires a change of average gain . the dynamic properties of an erbium - doped fiber are helpful in determining a new required gain . even with a sudden change of the input power the average occupancy inversion and thereby the gain profile only changes slowly . fig4 shows a section of the gain over time of the solid line curve already shown in fig1 for a pump power which remains constant with a jump in the input power of 19 db and for example for the surviving channel uk , which for large periods of time asymptotically approaches a limit value of 30 db . within the first 10 μs after the switching process , the gain of the observed channel only changes slightly however . this period of time can therefore be used to determine the desired output power after the switching process and the corresponding average gain with changed spectral power distribution . for the exemplary embodiment presented above , in which all of 80 channels except one channel are preferably dropped at 1531 . 9 nm , the dynamic behavior of the fiber amplifier edfa is shown in the further fig5 and 6 . the changes in gain for individual channels over time dg ( t ) are shown for different wavelengths ( curves shown in the range of 0 db ) as well as the change in the average gain ( curve shown with a jump at appr . 25 db ) in relation to the state before the switching process at t = 0 ms . the dashed horizontal line shown at appr . 2 5 db specifies the gain change after the synchronized state is reached . fig6 is slowed - down version of fig5 in the range of a few milliseconds before and after the switching process of channels . the next figure , fig7 shows a required , i . e . nominal pump power p_pump shown by solid curves ka , kb , kc , kd as a function of the input power p_in of the fiber amplifier , which is to be set for maintaining different average gain values 5 , 10 , 15 , 20 db according to a switching process according to fig4 to 6 . for verification of the method described above , starting from the data point with the maximum input power in each case , the pump power is determined in accordance with the above method according to the equations ( 1 ) to ( 6 ) and the relevant result is shown by dots in fig7 . in this case there is a very good match between the pump powers determined by simulation with the previously calculated values . by way of illustration fig8 shows , in accordance with curves ka , kb , kc , kd and the points entered from fig7 , the relative deviation dev between the required nominal pump power and the inventive prior calculation of the pump power . in this case the maximum relative deviation amounts to appr . 5 %. it was previously assumed that the input power when channels are dropped falls immediately from a start value to an end value . in the following section , a method is now described with effects occurring on the remaining overshoots of the gain for the case described , in which the input power during a fall time ( see fig1 a to 10 e with fig1 ) falls linearly from its start value to the end value . under these assumptions fig9 shows a dynamic control concept for executing the method . initially a check is made as to whether the input power has been constant for a predetermined period of time ( step 1 ). if it has been , the amplifier is driven with the conventional control concept with feedback ( step 11 ) ( see e . g . mann , schiffelgen , froriep , “ einführung in the regelungstechnik ( introduction to control technology )”, hanser - verlag , munich , 7th edition , 1997 ). if a stable state is reached here ( step 12 ), this is defined as a new reference state ( step 13 ). if on the other hand the input power is not constant , i . e . if a change of the input power is detected during the predetermined period ( step 1 ), a switch is made to the inventive feed forward operation ( step 21 ). the pump powers to be set are calculated ( step 22 ) and set ( step 23 ) in this case after each time interval based on the last reference state and the current values for the input power and the output power . subsequently another check is again made as to whether the input power has already been constant for a constant period of time ( step 1 ). as before , starting from 80 channels , all channels except for one are preferably dropped at 1531 . 9 nm . changes in gain over time of the surviving channel with different drop times or periods of 1 μs , 10 μs , 100 μs and 1 ms are shown in fig1 a , 10 b , 10 c and 10 d by means of a solid line curve and also for fall times of between 10 ns and 1 ms in fig1 e overlaid over each other , with the time and the value of the maximum change in gain g max being shown by a dot . for better understanding , the curve shown by a dotted line shows the timing of the falling input power in the linear scale . a slight overshoot is typically produced with a sudden change in the input power , and an exact advance calculation of the pump power needed in the stable state . basically the opportunity would exist for these errors to accumulate with a repeated application of the predictive setting of the pump power using the current measured output power and for a divergence of the method to result . this is however not the case . in fig1 e the changes in gain produced for the different fall times in the range of 10 ns to 1 ms of the “ surviving ” channel are shown overlaid , with the dots again marking the maximum change in gain g max in each case . notably the synchronization process for large lengths of time is only slightly dependent on the fall time . to supplement fig1 e , fig1 shows the overshoot occurring dev max as a function of the fall time t fall . for fall times of less than 1 μs a constant value is produced , whereas for larger fall times the strength of the overshoot reduces the more the fall time increases . furthermore fig1 shows the controlled power distribution opt_pow of a three - stage fiber amplifier consisting of the amplifier stages s 1 , s 2 and s 3 , of which the gain can be varied with the aid of a variable attenuation element att connected between the first amplifier stages s 1 , s 2 . a further optical module dcf can be inserted between the two last stages s 2 , s 3 , which for example allows the adding and dropping of wavelength - related channels or compensation of the link attenuation . in this case the power distribution opt_pow along the entire fiber amplifier for different operating states is shown . the power curve pow 1 shows the power distribution obtaining in the fiber amplifier before the switching process , which has reached a stable state and offers and for which an existing channel occupancy offers an optimum noise figure . to avoid overshoots and undershoots or to keep them as low as possible , the individual amplifier stages are kept at constant gain directly after the switching process with the aid of feed forward controlling , so that a second power curve shown pow 2 is produced directly after the switching process . since however this is not optimal as regards the noise figure , a slow regulation after the input signal is stable ensures that the power curve slowly moves from the second power curve pow 2 to a further power curve pow 3 shown here as a broken line . this process takes place slowly so that this function can be undertaken using conventional regulation . since the gain of the individual amplifier stages s 1 , s 2 , s 3 should not change in a first time interval , the accumulated signal powers to be set after the switching process at the input of each stage can be calculated independently of each other . the pump powers required can be determined directly on the basis of the formulae already presented . under some circumstances the available computing power is not sufficient to calculate the new pump powers required in real time after the switching process . in this case there is the option of prophylactically creating a table directly after a stable state is reached which contains the pump power required for maintenance of the gain for a suitable number of signal input powers which serve as reference values for in interpolation in the switching processes . while the invention has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof 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 embodiments 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 .
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an illustration of an embodiment of the invention is shown in fig5 . a hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 is deposited on a seed layer structure 200 comprised of at least a first underlayer 220 with a thickness 230 , a second underlayer 260 and a first interlayer 240 with a thickness 250 located between the first underlayer 220 and the second underlayer 260 . an illustration of another embodiment of the invention is shown in fig6 . an additional third underlayer 280 and second interlayer 270 are added to seed layer structure 265 , where the second interlayer 270 is located between the second underlayer 260 and the third underlayer 280 . an illustration of another embodiment of the invention is shown in fig7 . an addional fourth underlayer 300 and third interlayer 290 are added to seed layer structure 285 , where the third interlayer 290 is located between the third underlayer 280 and the fourth underlayer 300 . in a final embodiment of the invention ( not shown ), a plurality of alternating additional pair of layers , each with an interlayer and an underlayer , are added to the seed layer structure 285 . the additional interlayer in each pair is located between the underlayer from the previous pair of layers and the additional underlayer in the current pair of layers . the material for the hard magnet 210 includes alloys of copt , such as co y pt 1 - y , where 0 . 25 ≦ y ≦ 0 . 9 , and coptcr . ion beam deposition and sputtering are suitable techniques for depositing the hard magnet 210 . the material for the first underlayer 220 and the second underlayer 260 is typically a metal and includes cr and alloys of crmo ( cr x mo 1 - x , where 0 . 1 ≦ x ≦ 0 . 3 ), alloys of crmn ( cr x mn 1 - x ), alloys of crti ( cr x ti 1 - x ) and alloys of crv ( cr x v 1 - x ). the appropriate alloy is selected in part based on the need to closely match the lattice spacing of the material in the hard magnet 210 and the ability of the alloy to foster growth of the hard magnet 210 with the magnetic axis oriented in - plane . specifically , body centered cubic ( bcc ) metals with crystallographic planes & lt ; 200 & gt ; growing in - plane and where the lattice mismatch with the hard magnet 210 is in the range 0 – 3 %. an example includes crmo 20 . ion beam deposition and sputtering are suitable techniques for depositing the first underlayer 220 and the second underlayer 260 . the material for the first interlayer 240 is typically a dielectric and includes oxides of aluminum , oxides of tantalum , oxides of silicon and oxides of hafnium . examples include al 2 o 3 , ta 2 o 3 , sio 2 , hfo and their thin - film , non - stoichiometric equivalents . ion beam deposition is a suitable technique for depositing the first interlayer 240 . while not shown in fig5 – 7 , an additional base layer of alumina beneath the first underlayer 220 in the seed layer structure 200 as well as a substrate , such as altic , can be added as is known in the art . laminated structures with intercalated layers are used in the prior art to break up coherent growth and reduce strain especially in polycrystalline films and when a relatively large total thickness is desired . however , such laminated structures are primarily used to control grain size . in addition , simply forming a laminated structure is insufficient to achieve the benefits of this invention . this is illustrated in fig8 , which shows the measured x - ray intensity as a function of the diffraction angle at grazing incidence for two samples , each of which is a non - optimal embodiment of the present invention . a third sample has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 of 7 . 6 nm and with seed layer structure 200 comprised of crmo first underlayer 220 with thickness 230 of 5 . 0 nm , cr first interlayer 240 with thickness 250 of 2 . 0 nm and crmo second underlayer 260 with a thickness equal to thickness 230 . the x - ray diffraction data 412 for the third sample is shown in fig8 . a fourth sample has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 of 7 . 6 nm and with seed layer structure 265 comprised of crmo first underlayer 220 with thickness 230 of 3 . 0 nm , cr first interlayer 240 with thickness 250 of 1 . 0 nm and crmo second underlayer 260 with a thickness equal to thickness 230 , cr second interlayer 270 with a thickness equal to thickness 250 and crmo third underlayer 280 with thickness equal to thickness 230 . the x - ray diffraction data 422 for the fourth sample is shown in fig8 . the presence of peak 424 in data 412 and 422 corresponding to the & lt ; 11 { overscore ( 2 )} 0 & gt ; direction in co 3 pt are indicative of grains with out - of - plane c - axis crystallographic orientation and the non - optimal nature of the seed layer structure 200 in the third sample and the seed layer structure 265 in the fourth sample . the results presented in fig8 should be contrasted with those in fig9 , which shows the measured x - ray intensity as a function of the diffraction angle at grazing incidence for two samples , each of which is an embodiment of the present invention . a fifth sample has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 of 7 . 6 nm and with seed layer structure 200 comprised of crmo first underlayer 220 with thickness 230 of 5 . 0 mm , al 2 o 3 first interlayer 240 with thickness 250 of 1 . 0 nm and crmo second underlayer 260 with a thickness equal to thickness 230 . the x - ray diffraction data 432 for the fifth sample is shown in fig9 . a sixth sample has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 of 7 . 6 nm and with seed layer structure 265 comprised of crmo first underlayer 220 with thickness 230 of 3 . 0 nm , al 2 o 3 first interlayer 240 with thickness 250 of 1 . 0 nm and crmo second underlayer 260 with a thickness equal to thickness 230 , al 2 o 3 second interlayer 270 with a thickness equal to thickness 250 and crmo third underlayer 280 with thickness equal to thickness 230 . the x - ray diffraction data 442 for the sixth sample is shown in fig9 . the absence of peak 444 corresponding to the & lt ; 11 { overscore ( 2 )} 0 & gt ; direction in co 3 pt are indicative of grains with in - plane c - axis crystallographic orientation and the preferred nature of the seed layer structure 200 in the fifth sample and the seed layer structure 265 in the sixth sample . fig1 a – d show magnetic hysteresis loops measured in a vsm for two samples with the magnetic field applied in - plane . the magnetization of the film is monitored with a vector coil arrangement that permits simultaneous detection of the in - plane ( fig1 a and 10 c ) and out - of - plane ( fig1 b and 10 d ) components of magnetization as the applied field is scanned . the in - plane and out - of - plane magnetic properties associated with the preferred and the non - preferred c - axis crystallographic orientation of the grains in hard magnet 210 are thereby measured . the magnetization in fig1 a – d is scaled to that of an equivalent thickness of nife . using the index numbers from fig2 , a seventh sample is representative of the prior art , and has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 118 with a thickness 124 of 7 . 6 nm and a crmo seed layer 126 with seed layer thickness 128 of 12 . 0 nm . the in - plane 452 and out - of - plane 454 magnetic hysteresis loops are shown in fig1 a and 10 b . using the index numbers from fig5 , an eighth sample has 2 . 0 nm thick ta cap layer on co 3 pt hard magnet 210 with thickness 212 of 7 . 6 nm and with seed layer structure 200 comprised of crmo first underlayer 220 with thickness 230 of 5 . 0 nm , al 2 o 3 first interlayer 240 with thickness 250 of 1 . 0 nm and crmo second underlayer 260 with a thickness equal to thickness 230 . the in - plane 462 and out - of - plane 464 magnetic hysteresis loops are shown in fig1 c and 10 d . in agreement with the x - ray diffraction measurements shown in fig4 and 9 , the seventh sample has an out - of - plane hysteresis loop 454 while the out - of - plane magnetic hysteresis loop 464 of the eighth sample is significantly suppressed . specifically , the ratio of the in - plane and out - of - plane remnant magnetization for the seventh sample is approximately 80 while the ratio of the in - plane and out - of - plane remnant magnetization for the eighth sample is approximately 1200 , an improvement of 15 fold . based on these results , it is clear that the seed layer structure 200 in this invention yields unexpected results : certain materials are suitable as the interlayer and not all underlayer and interlayer thicknesses work . for the interrlayer , the thickness 250 range is substantially between 0 . 1 nm to 10 nm . for example , for al 2 o 3 a typical value is 1 nm . the lower bound is set by that necessary to define a continuous film . the upper bound is determined by incoherence in the film . for the underlayer , the thickness 230 is substantially greater than 3 nm . for thickness 230 less than this value , the hard magnet 210 becomes magnetically unstable and the out - of - plane c - axis crystallographic orientation is not suppressed . the total thickness of the seed layer structure 200 is adjustable and can be dictated by the requirements of the ucj arrangement in the magnetic sensor . the examples provided in this invention have underlayers with the same underlayer thickness 230 and interlayers with the same interlayer thickness 250 . one skilled in the art may incorporate the advantages embodied in this invention in samples having multiple underlayers with different values of the underlayer thickness 230 so long as the underlayer thickness 230 of each underlayer in the seed layer structure 200 is substantially greater than 3 nm . similarly , one skilled in the art may incorporate the advantages embodied in this invention in samples having multiple interlayers with different values of the interlayer thickness 250 so long as the interlayer thickness 250 of each interlayer in the seed layer structure 200 is substantially between 0 . 1 nm and 10 nm . a wide variety of magnetic sensors that have hard bias will benefit from the seed layer structure 200 in this invention including those based on amr , gmr , top spin valve , bottom spin valve , cip 113 , current perpendicular to the plane ( cpp ) and magnetic tunnel junction or spin tunneling also known as tunnel valve sensors . for an example of a magnetic tunnel junction sensor see u . s . pat . no . 6 , 473 , 279 . the invention benefits both hard bais structures with a single hard magnet 210 layer as well more complex hard bias structures with synthetic antiferromagnetic bias ( for example , see u . s . pat . no . 6 , 266 , 218 ). in summary , the seed layer structure 200 in this invention suppresses out - of - plane c - axis crystallographic orientation and accommodates a total thickness that meets the requirements of the ucj arrangement in the magnetic sensor while preserving the other benefits such as an appropriate epitaxial relationship with the material in the hard magnet 210 . in view of the above , it will be clear to one skilled in the art that the above embodiments may be altered in many ways without departing from the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be determined by the following claims and their legal equivalents .
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my invention generally provides elongate body 9 having band fastening structure 10 in the forward portion of the body with yoke structure 11 extending forwardly therefrom and stretching mechanism 12 carried in the rearward portion of the body to extend forwardly to the yoke structure . body 9 provides elongate body beam 13 defining laterally extending fastening ears 14 in its rearward end portion for interconnection of a handle structure by fasteners 15 extending fastenably therebetween . the forward end portion of body beam 13 carries annular support 16 defining medial channel 17 extending therethrough to allow passage of a tensioning rod and interconnected elastic band while providing guidance limits for their positional maintenance and a chamber for containment and deformation of a fastening clip . the rearward portion of body beam 13 interconnects handle body 18 carrying structurally joined depending handle 19 . handle body 18 defines forwardly extending connector plate 20 , of similar peripheral configuration to fastening ears 14 of the body beam 13 , to receive fasteners 15 extending in threaded engagement into the connector plate 20 to structurally interconnect the handle body and body beam . the handle body 18 defines medial cavity 21 to receive and carry portions of band stretching mechanism 12 . the forward wall of handle body 18 defines tensioning rod hole 23 to allow slidable passage of a tensioning rod through the handle body . handle 19 preferably supports forwardly extending grip portion 22 to make the handle more easily and comfortably grippable by a user . band fastening structure 10 of this tool is substantially the same as the structure disclosed in my prior u . s . pat . no . 5 , 188 , 637 and the fastening clip 65 used in the structure is also substantially the same as the fastening clip there disclosed . the channel for holding the fastening clip 65 is defined by the appropriate configuration of the inner wall of annular support 16 that defines the medial channel 17 therein . the annular support 16 defines axially aligned slot 66 to allow passage of the forward part of crimping lever 67 therethrough to fastenably deform a fastening clip . the medial forward part of the crimping lever 67 is pivotally carried on pivot pin 68 supported in the lower forward portion of body beam 13 for pivotal motion to allow the forward part of the crimping lever to move through slot 66 and into medial channel 17 to crimp a fastening clip in the channel upon a fastening band passing through the fastening clip . yoke structure 11 provides a generally flat , u - shaped band holding yoke formed by back 24 interconnecting forwardly and laterally outwardly extending legs 25 . back 24 of the yoke is structurally carried by the forward end portion of body beam 13 immediately rearwardly of annular support 16 . the forward outer end portions of each leg 25 carry band fastening dogs 26 pivotally mounted on the undersurface of the legs 25 by fasteners 27 extending through both elements . each band fastening dog 26 defines fastening groove 28 on its forward laterally outer edge to aid positional maintenance of an elastomeric band extending between the fastening dogs and defines a rearwardly protruding fastening lug 29 on its laterally inner edge to aid positional maintenance of the fastening dog against rotation . band release yoke 30 , 31 defined by back 30 and forwardly and laterally outwardly extending legs 31 is of a configuration similar to band holding yoke 24 , 25 except that the forwardly extending legs are somewhat shorter to avoid interference with fasteners 27 of the band holding yoke . the band release yoke 30 , 31 is carried for limited slidable motion in an elongate direction on the upper surface of the band holding yoke 24 , 25 by plural threaded fasteners 32 extending through plural elongate slots 33 defined through the band release yoke and into threaded engagement in cooperating holes defined in appropriate positions in legs 25 of the band holding yoke , so that the band release yoke may move forwardly and rearwardly for a limited distance relative to the band holding yoke . fastening pins 34 are carried by the forward portion of each leg 31 of the band release yoke 30 . 31 to depend through elongate slots 69 defined in appropriate position in each leg 25 of the band holding yoke , and project spacedly beneath the band holding yoke to contact fastening lugs 29 of the band fastening dogs 26 for selective positional maintenance of the fastening dogs against rotation . back 30 of the band release yoke 30 , 31 carries similar opposed upstanding release lever brackets 35 that support laterally extending release lever pin 36 therebetween . angulated release lever 37 is pivotally carried on the release lever pin 36 rearwardly of annular support 16 , with depending arm 37a adjacent to the annular support and manipulation arm 37b extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom . with this structure as the angulated manipulation arm 37b is pivoted downwardly , the depending arm 37a will not move by reason of support against the rearward surface of annular support 16 and the band release yoke 30 , 31 will responsively move rearwardly to remove support of fastening pins 34 from fastening lugs 29 to allow pivotal motion of the band fastening dogs 26 to release a tensioned elastic band supported between the fastening dogs . band stretching mechanism 12 provides elongate stretching rod 38 slidably supported in holding block 41 that is carried in medial cavity 21 defined in handle body 18 . the stretching rod 38 has a length to extend from a point spacedly rearwardly of holding block 41 forwardly to the band fastening dogs 26 . the stretching rod defines band holding notch 39 in its forward end portion and structurally carries &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; ring 40 in its rearward end portion to aid manipulation . the stretching rod is carried for slidable motion in channel 64 defined in holding block 41 and in channel 17 of annular support 16 for some positional restraint of its forward portion . the stretching lever mechanism provides similar opposed mounting levers 42 pivotally carried on each side of holding block 41 by inner mounting bolt 43 extending therebetween and through the holding block . the mounting levers 42 carry medial mounting bolt 44 extending therebetween spacedly above the upper portion of holding block 41 to pivotally mount similar spaced rearwardly extending stretching rod levers 45 and the inner portion of stretching lever 46 therebetween . the outer end portions of mounting levers 42 carry outer mounting bolt 47 which extends pivotally through the medial portion of stretching lever 46 . the rearward end portions of stretching rod levers 45 pivotally carry laterally extending stretching rod lever bolt 48 extending therebetween and pivotally through stretching lever block 49 . the stretching lever block 49 defines lower elongate channel 50 to slidably receive the stretching rod 38 which extends in an elongate direction through the stretching lever block 49 and an upper channel carrying canting lever fastener 51 to movably mount stretching lever block canting lever 52 forwardly of the block . canting lever 52 depends from fastener 51 to define stretching rod hole 53 to allow movable passage of the stretching rod 38 therethrough . compression spring 54 is carried about the stretching rod 38 , between the rearward surface of canting lever 52 and an adjacent surface of stretching lever block 49 , to bias the lower portion of the canting lever 52 forwardly . with this structure canting lever 52 will bind on the stretching rod 38 to require the stretching rod move rearwardly with rearward motion of the stretching lever block 49 , but will allow free forward motion of the stretching lever block on the stretching rod responsive to motion of the stretching lever . stretching rod canting lever 55 is carried in handle chamber 21 between the forward portion of holding block 41 and the rearward surface of the handle body 18 that defines the forward surface of handle chamber 21 . this canting lever 55 is vertically elongate with medial upper hole 56 defined therein to allow free slidable passage of stretching rod 38 through the canting lever . the upper portion of the forward wall of handle body 18 threadedly carries adjustment screw 57 to extend rearwardly through the handle body and into contact with the upper portion of canting lever 55 above hole 56 to provide an adjustably positional stop to limit the forward motion of the upper part of the canting lever . compression spring 58 is carried below stretching rod 38 between canting lever 55 and the adjacent portion of holding block 41 to bias the lower portion of the canting lever 55 forwardly . with this structure the stretching rod 38 may freely move rearwardly through canting lever 55 , but the canting lever prevents forward motion of the stretching rod by binding upon the rod by reason of a slight forwardly angulated relationship thereto . the stretching rod 38 may be released from this binding action to allow forward motion of the rod through the canting lever by moving the lower portion of the canting lever rearwardly , so that the lever assumes a substantially perpendicular position relative to the stretching rod and will not bind thereon . a second species of simple band holding yoke 11a having a unitary structure is shown in fig4 . the body 9 and stretching mechanism 12 of this second species of yoke are the same as those members used with the first species 11 of yoke . the yoke 11a provides a simple unitary flat u - shaped structure defined by back 60 interconnecting similar forwardly and laterally outwardly extending legs 61 . the forward end portions of legs 61 each define curvilinear band grooves 62 extending inwardly at the forward lateral portions of the legs to define band holding portions 63 extending forwardly from the laterally inward edges of the legs . an elastic band carried by this yoke is released by manual manipulation of the tool rather than by separate mechanical release structure such as provided in the first species by yoke 11 . having described the structure of my tool , its operation may be understood . a tool of the first species of fig1 - 3 , constructed according to the foregoing specification , is provided with an appropriately constituted endless elastic band 59 . the elastomeric band 59 must be of such structure and elastic nature that when stretched about the neck of the scrotal pouch of an animal and there fastened , it has sufficient elastic force to cause ligation , and at the same time it must allow expansion sufficiently for passage of the scrotal pouch and contained testicular structure of a large mature animal such as a bovine bull through the orifice defined by the stretched band without breakage . the band must also provide sufficient material to allow fastening in a tensed condition by a deformable metallic fastening clip or similar fastening structure . normally such a band formed of natural rubber will require a cross - sectional area of approximately 0 . 1 to 0 . 4 square inch when the cross - sectional configuration is of a rectangular form . such a band normally will have a relaxed diameter of from approximately one to three inches . these parameters may vary generally with the nature of the elastomeric material and particularly for specific purposes while such bands remain operative for castration , and such variant bands are within the ambit and scope of my invention . for use of the tool , band release yoke 30 , 31 is moved to its forwardmost position and band fastening dogs 26 are rotated to a position whereat fastening lugs 29 are adjacent the associated fastening pins 34 in a position that prevents inwardly directed rotary motion of the forward portion of the band fastening dogs . with the fastening dogs 26 in this position elastic band 59 is manually placed on the band holding yoke 24 , 25 to extend between fastening grooves 28 of the opposed band fastening dogs . elastic band 59 and the band holding yoke preferably for convenience are configured so that when the band is placed between the fastening dogs it has some tension in it to create friction between the band and fastening dogs to aid positional maintenance of the band on the fastening dogs . the lower portion of canting lever 55 is then moved rearwardly to allow forward motion of stretching rod 38 therethrough and the stretching rod is moved forwardly to the elastic band 59 . one course of that band is inserted within band holding notch 39 of the stretching rod so that the band is maintained in that notch . stretching lever 46 is then manually operated with a reciprocating motion so that the rearward component of motion of the stretching lever will move stretching lever block 49 rearwardly , which in turn moves stretching rod 38 rearwardly by reason of the binding action of stretching rod canting lever 52 carried by the stretching lever block on the stretching rod . as the stretching lever 46 is moved forwardly the stretching lever block 49 will move forwardly on the stretching rod 38 because the stretching rod is prevented from forward motion by the binding force created on it by canting lever 55 . this reciprocating stretching lever motion is continued until the stretching rod is moved rearwardly a distance sufficient to create a configuration in elastic band 59 that allows placement of the band over the scrotal pouch of an animal and creates appropriate tension in the band for ligation . it is to be noted that in this stretching rod motion the band holding notch 39 and the rearward portion of the elastomeric band 59 fastened therein will be moved rearwardly through channel 17 of annular support 16 and the channel of a fastening clip 65 carried therein . the elastic band , while maintained in this stretched condition by the tool , is manually manipulated by means of the tool , and manipulation of the scrotal pouch of an animal if required , to pass the scrotal pouch and its contents through the orifice defined by the stretched band , which will be of a generally triangular shape within the yoke 11 by reason of its three point support by the yoke and the stretching rod . with the elastomeric band 59 thusly placed , it is moved to the ligation site at the neck of the scrotal pouch adjacent the animals &# 39 ; s body , and fastening clip 65 , then extending about the band at a point adjacent to the band portion about the animal scrotal pouch , is crimped to fasten the band portion about the scrotal pouch together with the existing tension in it . the band portion not about the scrotal pouch is then released from the stretching rod 38 by moving the stretching rod forewardly and rotating it appropriately if necessary to allow the release of the portion of the band from holding notch 39 . the band portion about the scrotal pouch is then released from the band holding yoke by moving the upper , rearwardly extending portion of release lever 37b downwardly to move band release yoke 30 , 31 rearwardly . the rearward motion of the band release yoke responsively moves fastening pins 34 rearwardly and out of contact with the band fastening dogs 26 to allow rotation of the forward portion of the fastening dogs inwardly toward each other by reason of the tensioned band portion extending between them and thusly releases the elastic band from the yoke . the elastic band then will be in place in position on the animal to accomplish its ligation function and the portion not about the scrotal pouch may be trimed if desired . the tool may also be removed from a placed and fastened band by releasing the band portion about the scrotal pouch from the yoke in the same fashion as described and thereafter releasing the band portion carried by the stretching rod . the placement of an elastomeric band with the second species of yoke of fig4 is accomplished in the same fashion as described for the first species of fig1 - 3 . after the band is tensioned , placed in proper position about the scrotal pouch and fastened by a clip as described , the stretching rod 38 is moved forwardly to release tension in the rearward band portion not about the scrotal pouch and the band is released from interconnection with the stretching rod . the tool then is manually manipulated by an operator to pull away from the tensioned portion of the band about the animal &# 39 ; s scrotal pouch so that the band is released from support on the forward portions of the arms of yoke 11a and remains in place to accomplish its ligation function . the foregoing description of my tool is necessarily of a detailed nature so that a specific embodiment of it might be set forth as required , but it is to be understood that various modifications of detail and rearrangement of parts might be resorted to without departing from its spirit , essence or scope .
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for purposes of description herein , the terms “ upper ,” “ lower ,” “ right ,” “ left ,” “ rear ,” “ front ,” “ vertical ,” “ horizontal ,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in fig1 . however , it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations , except where expressly specified to the contrary . it is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings , and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims . hence , specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting , unless the claims expressly state otherwise . with reference to fig1 and 2 , a vehicle door handle assembly 1 includes a handle member 5 having an elongated central portion 6 , a forward end portion 8 , and a rearward end portion 10 . the forward end 8 may include a hook 12 that movably interconnects handle member 5 to a pivoting connector 14 of a vehicle door structure 16 ( see also fig3 ) in a known manner to thereby permit outward rotational movement of handle 5 in the direction of the arrow “ a ” ( fig3 ) to an open position “ 5 a ” ( fig3 ). handle assembly 1 may also include a bezel 18 that is secured to door structure 16 by a threaded fastener 20 ( fig3 ) and threaded insert 22 ( fig2 ) or other suitable arrangement . as discussed in more detail below , outward movement of handle member 5 pulls on inner strand 24 of cable 26 to thereby unlatch a latch mechanism 28 , and a speed - based cable lock mechanism 4 may be utilized to prevent unlatching of latch mechanism 28 in the event handle 5 is opened rapidly . latch mechanism 28 may comprise a conventional latch having a catch or claw that engages a post or striker to retain the vehicle door in a closed position , and a pawl that prevents rotation of the claw unless the pawl is shifted to a released position by inner cable strand 24 . an example of a typical latch of this type is shown in fig3 of u . s . pat . no . 8 , 544 , 901 , the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference . the structure and functions of this type of latch are well known to those skilled in the art , and a detailed description of the latch mechanism 28 is therefore not believed to be required . referring again to fig2 and 3 , bezel 18 includes a ramp structure 30 having first and second ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b , respectively forming a gap 34 between the surfaces 32 a and 32 b . the ramp structure 30 generally extends from an outer portion 38 of the door structure 16 into an interior space or cavity 36 defined between inner and outer door panels 16 a and 16 b , respectively of the vehicle door structure 16 . the ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b generally face forwardly and inwardly , and include planar central portions 40 a and 40 b , respectively . the handle member 5 includes a connector structure 42 that extends inwardly from rearward end portion 10 of handle 5 . as shown in fig3 , the connector structure 42 extends through an opening 44 in bezel 18 , and through an opening 46 in door structure 16 . the connector structure 42 may comprise first and second hook structures 48 a and 48 b ( fig2 ) that are spaced apart to form a gap 50 therebetween . the hooks 40 generally include inwardly - extending base portions 52 a and 52 b , and forwardly extending end portions 54 a and 54 b . the forwardly extending portions 54 a and 54 b define guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b , respectively . the guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b may be substantially planar , and face outwardly . however , guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b could also be concave , convex , or other suitable configuration . in general , the guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b also extend in a fore - aft direction . with reference to fig2 , 3 , and 5 , an end fitting 58 is secured to an end 60 of inner cable 24 . fitting 58 includes first and second portions 62 a and 62 b having cylindrical outer surfaces 64 a and 64 b , respectively . the portions 62 a and 62 b may be pivotable about a pin 66 that is secured to cable strand 24 . the outer surfaces 64 a and 64 b of fitting 58 contact the ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b and simultaneously contact the guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b as shown in fig3 . the connector structure 42 / hooks 48 a and 48 b are shown in dashed lines in fig5 to more clearly illustrate the engagement of end fitting 58 with ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b . however , it will be understood that the guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b of forwardly extending portions 54 a and 54 b of hooks 48 a and 48 b , respectively , simultaneously contact the outer surfaces 64 a and 64 b of fitting 58 and the ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b as shown in fig2 and 3 . referring again to fig3 , cable 26 includes an outer sheath 25 and fittings 27 a and 27 b that are attached to the outer sheath 25 . fitting 27 a is connected to a bracket 23 a of door structure 16 , and fitting 27 b is connected to a second bracket 23 b that is also connected to door structure 16 . a washer or retainer 68 is secured to an end 70 of inner cable strand 24 , and a spring 72 is disposed between second bracket 23 b and washer 68 such that movement of inner cable strand 24 in the direction of the arrow “ b ” compresses spring 72 . thus , spring 72 biases inner cable strand 24 in a direction opposite the arrow b to thereby bias surfaces 64 a and 64 b of fitting 58 into contact with guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b , and ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b . when assembled , end 70 of inner cable strand 24 is operably connected to the pawl ( not shown ) of latch mechanism 28 such that movement of inner cable strand 24 in the direction of the arrow b shifts the pawl to unlatch the latch mechanism 28 . referring again to fig3 , in use handle 5 is rotated outwardly as shown by the arrow a to the outer or open position 5 a . as handle 5 moves outwardly , the hooks 48 a and 48 b of connector structure 42 move outwardly and move the end fitting 58 in the direction of the arrow “ c ” to the position 58 a , with inner cable strand 24 moving to the position 24 a . in general , the fitting 58 moves outwardly a distance “ l 1 ” ( fig4 ), and forwardly by an amount “ l .” the angle and size of ramp structure 30 can be configured as required to provide the necessary length of travel of inner cable strand 24 . due to the angled ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b , inner cable strand 24 shifts longitudinally as shown by the arrow b as end fitting 58 moves in the direction of the arrow c . the longitudinal shifting of inner cables strand 24 moves the end 70 of inner cable strand 24 , thereby unlatching the latch mechanism 28 . as the handle 5 is returned to the closed position ( i . e . handle 5 is moved in a direction opposite the arrow a ), the fitting 58 travels in a direction opposite the arrow c , and spring 72 creates tension on cable strand 24 , thereby ensuring that end fitting 58 remains in contact with ramp surfaces 32 a and 32 b and with guide surfaces 56 a and 56 b . in contrast to known exterior door handles for vehicle doors , the handle assembly 1 of the present invention does not include a bellcrank and other linkage to convert outward movement of the handle into lengthwise movement of the cable . the ramp structure 30 and connector structure 42 are very simple and low cost features . the handle assembly 1 of the present invention also does not include inertia counterweights or the like to prevent outward movement of handle 5 in the event of a side impact on the vehicle . rather , the handle assembly 1 is utilized in connection with a speed - based cable lock mechanism 4 that prevents rapid movement of inner cable strand 4 . the speed - based cable lock 4 may comprise a mechanism as described in detail in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 14 / 282 , 663 entitled “ vehicle door closure system including speed - based latch release ,” filed on may 20 , 2014 , the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference . with further reference to fig6 , a handle 1 a according to another aspect of the present invention includes a handle 5 a having a hook 12 a that rotatably mounts the handle 5 a to a door structure 16 a in substantially the same manner as described in more detail above in connection with fig1 - 5 . handle assembly 1 a includes a ramp structure 130 that extends inwardly from rearward portion 110 of handle 5 a to define outwardly and forwardly extending ramp surfaces 132 a and 132 b . a connector structure 142 including hooks 148 a and 148 b are secured to door structure 16 a . in use , an end fitting 158 of an inner cable strand 124 moves in the direction of the arrow “ c 1 ” as end fitting 158 moves along ramp surfaces 132 a and 132 b . this shifts cable 124 in the direction of arrow “ b 1 ” to unlatch a latch mechanism 28 ( fig1 ). thus , the handle 1 a operates in substantially the same manner as the handle 1 described in more detail above in connection with fig1 - 5 , except that the ramp surfaces 132 a and 132 b are formed on handle 5 a , and connector structure 142 is formed on door structure 16 a . it is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention , and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise .
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a block diagram of the rf plasma power monitor is depicted in fig1 . the power monitor has two basic modules , sensing head 10 and processing unit 11 . sensing head 10 is made in two separable units , sensing attachment 12 and sample and hold frequency converters 14 . units 12 and 14 plug solidly together , but are made separable so that the sensing attachment may be changed to accomodate wide variations in plasma power level . sensing attachment 12 is shown in greater electrical detail in fig2 . sensing attachment 12 is connected to frequency converters 14 by three rf connectors , 15 , 16 and 17 . sensing attachment 12 may be in the form of a rectangular aluminum box containing the sensing components . two further rf connectors , 20 and 21 are for connecting to a load and an rf power source . rf conductor 22 is mounted between connectors 20 and 21 . conductor 22 is suitably a rod of metal that may be as large as 3 / 8 inch or more in diameter depending on the rf power range being handled . a bare single conductor has been used and has been insulated from the enclosure and connected to central terminals of connectors 20 and 21 . three sensing taps , 25 , 26 and 27 , are made to conductor 22 . tap 25 is a toroid transformer encircling conductor 22 so that conductor 22 acts as the transformer primary . taps 26 and 27 are soldered , brazed or otherwise directly electrically and physically connected to conductor 22 . tap 27 could be connected capacitively . tap 25 senses the rf current in conductor 22 . tap 26 senses the dc bias level on conductor 22 and thus at the plasma load . tap 27 senses the rf voltage on conductor 22 . tap 25 is connected by rf connector 15 through current limiting resistors 28 to microwave - switch - mixer 30 . tap 27 is connected through resistor 32 , rf connector 17 and capacitor 33 to resistor 34 which in turn is connected to ground reference 35 . resistors 32 and 34 act as a voltage divider while capacitor 33 is for dc blocking . the junction of capacitor 33 and resistor 34 is connected to microwave - switch - mixer 36 . oscillator 37 is a precision frequency source together with frequency dividers or multipliers as needed to provide a square wave at the frequency of the rf power source plus a frequency offset . buffer 38 provides a high impedance to the oscillator and provides fast fall and rise times at its output . buffer 38 is connected to both microwave - switch - mixers 30 and 36 . gallium arsenide microwave switches have been used . low pass filters 40 and 41 connected to the outputs of mixers 30 and 36 respectively , filter out most of the higher frequencies , leaving the difference frequency predominant . this is not the conventional mixing action , but rather a &# 34 ; sample and hold &# 34 ; action in which the microwave switches are turned on and off periodically by the square wave output from the oscillator . each time a switch is turned on , its output is held in the capacitors of the low pass filter . buffers 42 and 44 are high input impedance amplifiers , suitably operational amplifiers , that provide both gain and further reduction of high frequency components . the remaining tap , 26 , has the sole purpose of sensing any dc voltage buildup on the line to plasma load 90 . resistors 45 are a voltage divider the output of which is connected through rf connector 16 to r / c filter 46 . r / c filter 46 removes the rf voltage riding on the dc voltage . the above describes the circuitry of sensing head 10 . sensing head 10 senses the voltages and current on the plasma load line and reduces all significant frequency components to 1 mhz or less for easy processing . the output of sensing head 10 is connected to processing unit 11 , suitably by a flexible cable . the components of processing unit 11 are known state - of - the - art devices with little need of detailed description . the following description is with reference to fig1 . the heart of processing unit 11 is data processor 50 which can be a small general purpose computer specially programmed for this purpose . the outputs of buffers 42 and 44 are connected to rms converters 52 and 54 respectively . the outputs of rms converters 52 and 54 are then connected through analog - to - digital converters 55 and 56 respectively to digital input ports of processor 50 . the outputs of buffers 42 and 44 are also connected to inputs 56 and 58 of multiplier 60 which multiplies these two signals together . the output of multiplier 60 is connected to the input of integrator 62 to provide an average dc level representative of rf power . the output of integrator 62 is connected through analog - to - digital converter 63 to data processor 50 . these connections may include an adjustable gain buffer amplifier preferably connected between integrator 62 and converter 63 . the outputs of buffers 42 and 44 are still further connected to the inputs of zero cross detectors 64 and 65 respectively . detectors 64 and 65 are connected to inputs 66 and 67 respectively of flip - flop 68 . the purpose of this circuit is to determine whether the rf voltage leads or lags the rf current . the output of flip - flop 68 is connected to a digital input of data processor 50 and is used to assign the sign to the impedance phase calculations . the output of r / c filter 46 ( fig2 ) is connected through analog - to - digital converter 70 to data processor 50 . in the usual monitoring setup , rf generator 80 includes sensors for sensing forward power and reflected power . forward power is connected out to processor 50 by lead 82 while reflected power is connected by lead 83 . processor 50 provides output 84 to enable rf generator 80 and output 85 to set the power output level of generator 80 . all these connection leads are shown as going through common cable 86 . output connection 87 from data processor 50 goes to display terminal 88 . display terminal 88 may be a video display or a simple digital character display . the display may be continuous , sequential or responsive to commands from a keyboard which may be part of display terminal 88 . in manufacture each unit is tested and the data processor adjusted to provide the necessary correction factors for true readings . one use is in plasma etching using an rf plasma frequency of 13 . 56 mhz . an oscillator frequency of 13 . 585 mhz has been used providing a monitor processing frequency of 25 khz . the sensing attachment is connected between rf matching network 75 and plasma load 90 by connectors 20 and 21 . the connection being made as close to plasma load 90 as convenient . the closer to load 90 , the more accurate this monitoring . data processor 50 is set to provide a specific power level to plasma load 90 and sends an enable signal to start the flow of rf power . the rf current and voltage are sensed and reduced in frequency in sensor head 10 . then multiplier 60 multiplies the two together to provide a signal representing rf power . this signal is then converted to digital and processed in data processor 50 , first to apply a correction factor to obtain true power and then to provide a correction signal to rf generator 80 so as to provide the set power at load 90 . the true power as well as the true rms voltage and true rms current are processed through data processor 50 and provided at display 88 . comparing these data with the forward power and reflected power from lines 82 and 83 of generator 80 , the magnitude and phase angle of the load impedance is also calculated and displayed . the magnitude of the load impedance is derived by the equation : z mag = e rms / i rms , where z mag is the magnitude of the load impedance , e rms and i rms are the true root means square voltage and true root mean square current . the phase angle of the load impedance is derived by the equation : z 0 = arccos [ p real /( e rms × i rms )], where z 0 is the phase angle of the load impedance and p real is the true power . these derivations are performed in data processor 50 under software control . connection 87 to display terminal 88 is typically an rs - 232 serial port capable of bidirectional communication with a variety of devices . the dc bias parameter from tap 26 is the dc level that is self - induced by a plasma load . it is often a critical process controlling parameter in plasma deposition processes and is made available for that and other purposes . while the invention has been described in relation to a specific embodiment and use , it is to be understood that variations within the skill of the art are contemplated as included in the invention . for example , much of the processing performed by data processor 50 can be hard wired . with sufficient control of mass manufacture , correction factors can be hard wired for true readings . it is also possible to use other sensors than toroid transformers and direct soldered connections . thus , it is the intention to cover the invention as set forth in the following claims .
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fig1 a and 1b are schematic views of an example of a positionable element 104 that is repositionable within a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer 102 at a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations 108 a - d along the proximal reamer 102 . in the configuration shown in fig1 a and 1b , the positionable element 104 is positioned at longitudinal location 108 c . a distal end of the proximal reamer 102 can define a distal opening into an interior of the proximal reamer 102 . the positionable element 104 can be positioned longitudinally within the proximal reamer 102 . a distal end of the positionable element 104 can be configured to abut a distal reamer 106 insertable into the distal opening , thereby limiting longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer 102 in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer 106 , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer 106 . distal reamers are surgical instruments that are well - known to one of ordinary skill in the art . the positionable element 104 can be locked to the proximal reamer 102 at each of the plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations 108 a - d along the proximal reamer 102 . in some examples , the positionable element 104 can be unlocked from the proximal reamer 102 , can be repositioned longitudinally within the proximal reamer 102 to another of the discrete , specified longitudinal locations 108 a - d , and can be locked once again to the proximal reamer 102 . fig2 - 10 show various configurations of the proximal reamer and positionable element , as well as various examples of the mechanisms with which they can be locked to each other and unlocked from each other . in some examples , such as the examples of fig2 - 5 , the positionable element is a stop element . in some examples , such as the examples of fig6 - 10 , the positionable element is a driver . other suitable proximal reamers , positionable elements , and configurations can also be used . fig2 is a side view of an example of a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer 200 . the configuration of fig2 is but one example ; other suitable proximal reamers can also be used . a distal end 202 of the proximal reamer 200 can define a distal opening 204 into an interior of the proximal reamer 200 . the distal end 202 of the proximal reamer 200 can include at least one cutting flute 206 surrounding the distal opening 204 . the cutting flute 206 can include one or more helical blades on its exterior surface . the blade or blades can have a shape and geometry that can vary with the particular surgical application . the proximal reamer 200 can further define a first longitudinal slot 208 formed in an outer surface 218 of the reamer . in some examples , the first longitudinal slot 208 can extend fully along the longitudinal extent of the proximal reamer 200 . in other examples , the first longitudinal slot 208 can terminate proximal of the distal end 202 of the proximal reamer , and / or can terminate distal of a proximal end 212 of the proximal reamer 200 . the proximal reamer 200 can further define a first plurality of enlarged aperture regions 210 disposed along the first longitudinal slot 208 . in some examples , the enlarged aperture regions 210 can be circular ; in other examples , other suitable shapes can be used . in some examples , an enlarged aperture region 210 can be disposed at one longitudinal end of the first longitudinal slot 208 . in some examples , two enlarged aperture regions 210 are disposed at opposite longitudinal ends of the first longitudinal slot 208 . in some examples , the proximal reamer 200 can include first and second longitudinal slots formed on opposite sides of the proximal reamer 200 . in these examples , the proximal reamer 200 can further define first and second pluralities of enlarged aperture regions along the first and second longitudinal slots , respectively . in these examples , each enlarged aperture region in the first plurality can be positioned at the same location as a corresponding enlarged aperture region in the second plurality . in other examples , the proximal reamer can include more than two longitudinal slots , located circumferentially around the proximal reamer . in these examples , the enlarged aperture regions can be positioned at the same longitudinal locations along the longitudinal slots . the proximal reamer 200 can further include a reamer quick - connection 214 positioned on the proximal end 212 of the proximal reamer 200 . the quick - connection 214 can be a hudson style , or any other suitable configuration . the proximal reamer 200 can further include indicia 216 . the indicia can include one or more of colored markings , colored bands , letters , and numbers , all of which can provide a visual indication of a particular configuration of proximal reamer 200 and / or a particular longitudinal location along the proximal reamer 200 . fig3 is a side view of an example of a stop element 300 . during use , the stop element 300 can be disposed within the interior of the proximal reamer . the stop element 300 can be switchable between an unlocked state , in which the stop element 300 is longitudinally positionable with respect to the proximal reamer ( for example , proximal reamer 200 of fig2 ), and a locked state , in which the stop element 300 is locked to or engages the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ) at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ). the configuration of fig3 is but one example ; other suitable stop elements can also be used . a distal end 302 of the stop element 300 can be configured to contact a proximal end of a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer ( for example , distal reamer 106 of fig1 ). in some examples , the distal end 302 can be flat and perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the proximal reamer 200 . in some examples , the distal end 302 can be convex . in some examples , the distal end 302 can be rotationally symmetric with respect to the longitudinal axis of the proximal reamer 200 . for these examples , the stop element 300 can be rotationally decoupled from the distal reamer . in other examples , the distal end 302 can include one or more features that can rotationally couple the stop element 300 to the distal reamer . the stop element 300 can include a first prong 304 biased to extend radially outward from within the proximal reamer . a first portion 306 of the first prong 304 can be sized larger than a circumferential diameter of the first longitudinal slot ( 208 ; fig2 ) and smaller than the enlarged aperture regions ( 210 ; fig2 ) in the first plurality . when the stop element 300 switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the first portion 306 of the first prong 304 snaps into or engages one of the enlarged aperture regions ( 210 ; fig2 ) in the first plurality , thereby locking the stop element 300 to the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ). the stop element 300 can include a first button 308 disposed on the first prong 304 and configured to transmit radially - inward force to the first prong . when the stop element 300 is locked to the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ), the radially - inward force can radially compress the stop element 300 , thereby unlocking the stop element 300 from the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ). when the stop element 300 is in the unlocked state , a user can apply a longitudinal force to the first button 308 , which can longitudinally translate the stop element 300 with respect to the proximal reamer ( 200 ; fig2 ). in some examples , the stop element 300 can include first and second buttons 308 , 314 disposed on the first and second prongs 304 , 310 , respectively , and configured to transmit radially - inward force to the first and second prongs 304 , 310 , so that when the stop element 300 is locked to the proximal reamer , the radially - inward force can radially compress the stop element 300 , thereby unlocking the stop element 300 from the proximal reamer . in some examples , such as the example of fig3 , the stop element can be u - shaped . in some examples , a bottom of the u - shape can be configured to abut the distal reamer . in some examples , a top of the u - shape can include the first and second prongs 304 , 310 . fig4 is a cross - sectional view of a portion of the stop element 300 of fig3 , disposed within the proximal reamer 200 . in some examples , the stop element 300 can include first and second prongs 304 , 310 biased to extend radially outward in opposite directions from within the proximal reamer 200 . a first portion of the first prong 304 can be sized larger than a circumferential diameter of the first longitudinal slot 208 and smaller than the enlarged aperture regions 210 in the first plurality . likewise , a first portion of the second prong 310 can be sized larger than a circumferential diameter of a second longitudinal slot 414 and smaller than enlarged aperture regions 416 in the second plurality . when the stop element 300 switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the first portions of the first and second prongs 304 , 310 snap into corresponding enlarged aperture regions 210 , 416 in the first and second pluralities , thereby locking the stop element 300 to the proximal reamer 200 . fig5 is a perspective view of an example of the stop element 300 disposed within the proximal reamer 200 . the configuration of fig5 is but one example ; other suitable configurations can also be used . when the stop element 300 is in the unlocked state , the first button 308 , or the first and second buttons 308 , 314 , can longitudinally translate the stop element with respect to the proximal reamer 200 . the buttons can be used to unlock the stop element from a first opposing pair of enlarged aperture regions ( by pressing the buttons together , thereby radially compressing the stop element ), reposition the stop element along opposing longitudinal slots to a second opposing pair of enlarged aperture regions , and lock the stop element ( by allowing the prongs to snap radially outward through the second opposing pair of enlarged aperture regions , thereby radially expanding the stop element ). the proximal reamer 200 can optionally include indicia 216 , such as one or more letters , one or more numbers , one or more patterns , one or more colors , and others . the indicia 216 can provide visual identification of the corresponding enlarged aperture region 210 . in some examples , an adjustable reaming device can include the proximal reamer and the stop element . in other examples , the adjustable reaming device can include the proximal reamer , the stop element , and a longitudinally - elongated distal reamer , such as 106 ( fig1 ). the distal reamer can be insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer . the distal reamer can be rotationally uncoupled from the proximal reamer . the stop element limits longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer . in the examples of fig2 - 5 , a positionable element locks to a proximal reamer by using outwardly - biased prongs that snap radially outward into enlarged aperture regions when the positionable element is suitable positioned along the proximal reamer . to unlock the positionable element from the proximal reamer , a user forces a pair of buttons against each other , thereby forcing the prongs radially inward and releasing them from the enlarged aperture regions . this is but one example of a locking / unlocking mechanism . the examples of fig6 - 10 can use a locking / unlocking mechanism in which a user locks the positionable element to the proximal reamer by pivoting the positionable element about its longitudinal axis , with respect to the proximal reamer . as the user pivots these elements with respect to each other , an outward - extending prong can travel along a circumferential slot . the end of the circumferential slot can include a spring mechanism that locks the prong to the end of the slot . the user can unlock the positionable element from the proximal reamer by pivoting the elements in the opposite direction with a torque that exceeds a specified threshold , thereby overcoming the spring mechanism . the examples of fig6 - 10 are but one locking / unlocking mechanism ; other suitable mechanisms can also be used . fig6 is a perspective view of another example of a proximal reamer 600 . the configuration of fig6 is but one example ; other suitable proximal reamers can also be used . a distal end 602 of the proximal reamer 600 can define a distal opening 604 into an interior of the proximal reamer 600 . the distal end 602 of the proximal reamer 600 can include at least one cutting flute 606 surrounding the distal opening 604 . the proximal reamer 600 can define at least one longitudinal slot 608 formed in an outer surface 618 of the reamer , as well as a plurality of circumferential slots 610 therethrough . each circumferential slot 610 in the plurality can have a first end that is connected to the longitudinal slot 608 . each circumferential slot 610 in the plurality can have a second end that includes a spring mechanism ( discussed below and shown in fig9 and 10 ). the proximal reamer 600 can be elongated along longitudinal axis 612 . the proximal reamer 600 can also include indicia 614 , which can provide visual identification for each of the circumferential slots 610 . fig7 is a perspective view of an example of a driver 700 . during use , the driver 700 can be partially or fully disposed within the interior of the proximal reamer ( 600 ; fig6 ). the driver 700 can be elongated along longitudinal axis 706 . a distal end 702 of the driver 700 can be configured to contact a proximal end of a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening ( 604 ; fig6 ) of the proximal reamer ( 600 ; fig6 ). the driver 700 can include a prong 704 extending radially outward from within the proximal reamer ( 600 ; fig6 ). the prong 704 can be sized to fit within the longitudinal slot ( 608 ; fig6 ) and the circumferential slots ( 610 ; fig6 ) in the plurality . the driver 700 can include a reamer quick - connection 708 positioned on a proximal end of the driver . fig8 is a perspective view of an example of the proximal reamer 600 of fig6 having the driver 700 of fig7 disposed therein . during use , the reamer quick - connection 708 on the driver 700 can extend proximally beyond a proximal end of the proximal reamer 600 . during use , the longitudinal axes of the driver 700 and the proximal reamer 600 can coincide , along longitudinal axis 808 . during use , the driver 700 can be switched between an unlocked state , in which the driver 700 is longitudinally positionable with respect to the proximal reamer 600 , and a locked state , in which the driver 700 is locked to the proximal reamer 600 at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer 600 . when the driver 700 switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the driver 700 can be positioned longitudinally so that the prong ( 704 ; fig7 ) aligns with one of the circumferential slots ( 610 ; fig6 ), then the driver 700 is rotated about longitudinal axis 808 so that the prong ( 704 ; fig7 ) traverses the circumferential slot ( 610 ; fig6 ) and engages the spring mechanism ( discussed below and shown in fig9 and 10 ). fig9 more clearly shows the prong 704 on the driver 700 , and the longitudinal slot 608 , circumferential slot 610 , and spring mechanism 910 on the proximal reamer 600 . fig9 omits some features from the driver 700 and the proximal reamer 600 , in order to emphasize the prong 704 , the longitudinal slot 608 , the circumferential slot 610 , and the spring mechanism 910 . the prong 704 can be sized to fit into both the longitudinal slot 608 and the circumferential slot 610 . in particular , the prong 704 can have a circumferential diameter matched to a circumferential diameter of the longitudinal slot 608 . the prong 704 can also have a longitudinal diameter matched to a longitudinal diameter of the circumferential slot 610 . fig1 is a perspective view of an example of the portion of the driver of fig9 , attached to the example of the portion of the proximal reamer of fig9 . a user can engage the driver 700 and the proximal reamer 600 with a push - and - twist motion . the user can push , moving the prong 704 along the longitudinal 608 until the prong is longitudinally aligned with a one of the circumferential slots 610 . the user can then twist , moving the prong 704 along the circumferential slot 610 . at the end of the twisting motion , the prong 704 can engage the spring mechanism 910 . the spring mechanism can engage when a torque or a force exceeds a particular engagement threshold . in the example of fig9 , the spring mechanism 910 includes a relatively thin spring member , which forms a wall of the circumferential slot 610 . the spring member deforms when the prong 704 passes through the circumferential slot 610 , and returns to an undeformed or relaxed state when the prong 704 reaches the end of the circumferential slot 610 . the deformation of the spring member holds the prong 704 in place at the end of the circumferential slot 610 . the spring mechanism 910 can be disengaged by applying the twisting motion in the opposite direction . the spring mechanism can disengage when the torque or force exceeds a particular disengagement threshold . in some examples , the disengagement threshold is the same as the engagement threshold . in some examples , an adjustable reaming device can include the proximal reamer and the driver . in other examples , the adjustable reaming device can include the proximal reamer , the driver , and a longitudinally - elongated distal reamer , such as reamer 106 ( fig1 ). the distal reamer can be insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer . the distal reamer can be rotationally uncoupled from the proximal reamer . the configuration limits longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer . fig1 is a flow chart of an example of a method 1100 for adjusting a reaming device . the method can be executed by the adjustable reaming device of fig2 - 5 , the adjustable reaming device of fig6 - 10 , or another suitable adjustable reaming device . the method of fig1 is but one example ; other suitable examples can also be used . at 1102 , method 1100 provides a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer , such as 200 ( fig2 ) or 600 ( fig6 ), or other suitable proximal reamers . a distal end of the proximal reamer can define a distal opening into an interior of the proximal reamer . at 1104 , method 1100 positions a positionable element longitudinally within the proximal reamer . in some examples , the positionable element can be a stop element , such as 300 ( fig3 ). in other examples , the positionable element can be a driver , such as 700 ( fig7 ). a distal end of the positionable element can be configured to abut a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening , thereby limiting longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer . at 1106 , method 1100 locks the positionable element to the proximal reamer at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer . the locations can be defined by the proximal reamer , the positionable element , or by both the proximal reamer and the positionable element . in some examples , method 1100 can further include unlocking the positionable element from the proximal reamer . in some examples , method 1100 can further include repositioning the positionable element longitudinally within the proximal reamer to another of the discrete , specified longitudinal locations in the plurality . in some examples , method 1100 can further include locking the positionable element to the proximal reamer . the following non - limiting list of examples can further illustrate the present adjustable reaming device and method for adjusting a reaming device . in example 1 , an adjustable reaming device can comprise a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer , a distal end of the proximal reamer defining a distal opening into an interior of the proximal reamer , the distal end of the proximal reamer including a cutting flute surrounding the distal opening ; and a stop element disposed within the interior of the proximal reamer , a distal end of the stop element being configured to contact a proximal end of a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer ; wherein the stop element is switchable between an unlocked state , in which the stop element is longitudinally positionable with respect to the proximal reamer , and a locked state , in which the stop element is locked to the proximal reamer at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer . in example 2 , the adjustable reaming device of example 1 can optionally be configured such that the proximal reamer further defines a first longitudinal slot and a first plurality of enlarged aperture regions along the first longitudinal slot ; and the stop element includes a first prong biased to extend radially outward from within the proximal reamer , a first portion of the first prong being sized larger than a circumferential diameter of the first longitudinal slot and smaller than the enlarged aperture regions in the first plurality . in example 3 , the adjustable reaming device of example 2 can optionally be configured such that when the stop element switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the first portion of the first prong snaps into one of the enlarged aperture regions in the first plurality , thereby locking the stop element to the proximal reamer . in example 4 , the adjustable reaming device of example 3 can optionally further comprise a first button disposed on the first prong and configured to transmit radially - inward force to the first prong , so that when the stop element is locked to the proximal reamer , the radially - inward force radially compresses the stop element , thereby unlocking the stop element from the proximal reamer . in example 5 , the adjustable reaming device of example 4 can optionally be configured such that when the stop element is in the unlocked state , an applied longitudinal force on the first button longitudinally translates the stop element with respect to the proximal reamer . in example 6 , the adjustable reaming device of one of examples 1 - 5 can optionally be configured such that the proximal reamer further defines first and second longitudinal slots on opposite sides of the proximal reamer ; the proximal reamer further defines first and second pluralities of enlarged aperture regions along the first and second longitudinal slots , respectively , each enlarged aperture region in the first plurality being positioned at the same location as a corresponding enlarged aperture region in the second plurality ; and the stop element includes first and second prongs biased to extend radially outward in opposite directions from within the proximal reamer , a first portion of the first prong being sized larger than a circumferential diameter of the first longitudinal slot and smaller than the enlarged aperture regions in the first plurality , a first portion of the second prong being sized larger than a circumferential diameter of the second longitudinal slot and smaller than the enlarged aperture regions in the second plurality . in example 7 , the adjustable reaming device of example 6 can optionally be configured such that when the stop element switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the first portions of the first and second prongs snap into corresponding enlarged aperture regions in the first and second pluralities , thereby locking the stop element to the proximal reamer . in example 8 , the adjustable reaming device of example 7 can optionally further comprise first and second buttons disposed on the first and second prongs , respectively , and configured to transmit radially - inward force to the first and second prongs , so that when the stop element is locked to the proximal reamer , the radially - inward force radially compresses the stop element , thereby unlocking the stop element from the proximal reamer . in example 9 , the adjustable reaming device of example 8 can optionally be configured such that when the stop element is in the unlocked state , applied longitudinal forces on the first and second buttons longitudinally translate the stop element with respect to the proximal reamer . in example 10 , the adjustable reaming device of example 9 can optionally be configured such that the stop element is u - shaped ; a bottom of the u - shape is configured to abut the distal reamer ; and a top of the u - shape includes the first and second prongs . in example 11 , the adjustable reaming device of one of examples 1 - 10 can optionally further comprise a reamer quick - connection positioned on a proximal end of the proximal reamer . in example 12 , the adjustable reaming device of one of examples 1 - 11 can optionally further comprise a longitudinally - elongated distal reamer insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer , the distal reamer being rotationally uncoupled from the proximal reamer ; wherein the stop element limits longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer . in example 13 , an adjustable reaming device can comprise a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer , a distal end of the proximal reamer defining a distal opening into an interior of the proximal reamer , the distal end of the proximal reamer including at least one cutting flute surrounding the distal opening ; and a driver disposed within the interior of the proximal reamer , a distal end of the driver being configured to contact a proximal end of a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer ; wherein the driver is switchable between an unlocked state , in which the driver is longitudinally positionable with respect to the proximal reamer , and a locked state , in which the driver is locked to the proximal reamer at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer . in example 14 , the adjustable reaming device of example 13 can optionally be configured such that the proximal reamer defines a longitudinal slot and a plurality of circumferential slots , each circumferential slot in the plurality having a first end that is connected to the longitudinal slot , each circumferential slot in the plurality having a second end that includes a spring mechanism . in example 15 , the adjustable reaming device of example 14 can optionally be configured such that the driver includes a prong extending radially outward from within the proximal reamer , the prong being sized to fit within the longitudinal slot and the circumferential slots in the plurality . in example 16 , the adjustable reaming device of example 15 can optionally be configured such that when the driver switches from the unlocked state to the locked state , the driver is positioned longitudinally so that the prong aligns with one of the circumferential slots , then the driver is rotated about a longitudinal axis so that the prong traverses the circumferential slot and engages the spring mechanism . in example 17 , the adjustable reaming device of one of examples 13 - 16 can optionally further comprise a reamer quick - connection positioned on a proximal end of the driver . in example 18 , the adjustable reaming device of one of examples 13 - 17 can optionally further comprise a longitudinally - elongated distal reamer insertable into the distal opening of the proximal reamer , the distal reamer being rotationally uncoupled from the proximal reamer ; wherein the driver limits longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer . in example 19 , a method for adjusting a reaming device can comprise providing a longitudinally - elongated proximal reamer , a distal end of the proximal reamer defining a distal opening into an interior of the proximal reamer ; positioning a positionable element longitudinally within the proximal reamer , a distal end of the positionable element being configured to abut a distal reamer insertable into the distal opening , thereby limiting longitudinal motion of the proximal reamer in the distal direction , with respect to the distal reamer , but not in the proximal direction , with respect to the distal reamer ; and locking the positionable element to the proximal reamer at one of a plurality of discrete , specified longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer . in example 20 , the method of example 19 can optionally further comprise unlocking the positionable element from the proximal reamer ; repositioning the positionable element longitudinally within the proximal reamer to another of the discrete , specified longitudinal locations in the plurality ; and locking the positionable element to the proximal reamer . in example 21 , the adjustable reaming device or method of any one or any combination of examples 1 - 20 can optionally be configured such that all elements , operations , or other options recited are available to use or select from . the above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings , which form a part of the detailed description . the drawings show , by way of illustration , specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced . these embodiments are also referred to herein as “ examples .” such examples can include elements in addition to those shown or described . however , the inventors also contemplate examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided . moreover , the inventors also contemplate examples using any combination or permutation of those elements shown or described ( or one or more aspects thereof ), either with respect to a particular example ( or one or more aspects thereof ), or with respect to other examples ( or one or more aspects thereof ) shown or described herein . in this document , the terms “ a ” or “ an ” are used , as is common in patent documents , to include one or more than one , independent of any other instances or usages of “ at least one ” or “ one or more .” in this document , the term “ or ” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or , such that “ a or b ” includes “ a but not b ,” “ b but not a ,” and “ a and b ,” unless otherwise indicated . in this document , the terms “ including ” and “ in which ” are used as the plain - english equivalents of the respective terms “ comprising ” and “ wherein .” also , in the following claims , the terms “ including ” and “ comprising ” are open - ended , that is , a system , device , kit , article , composition , formulation , or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim . moreover , in the following claims , the terms “ first ,” “ second ,” and “ third ,” etc . are used merely as labels , and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects . the above description is intended to be illustrative , and not restrictive . for example , the above - described examples ( or one or more aspects thereof ) can be used in combination with each other . other embodiments can be used , such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description . the abstract is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure . it is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims . also , in the above detailed description , various features can be grouped together to streamline the disclosure . this should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim . rather , inventive subject matter can lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment . thus , the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description as examples or embodiments , with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment , and it is contemplated that such embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations . the scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims , along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled .
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while this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms , there will herein be described in detail one or more embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated . a cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin to which the invention is applied is a copolymer of cyclic - olefin and α - olefin , i . e ., a copolymer with α - olefin containing a repeating unit indicated by a following chemical equation 21 and derived from cyclic - olefin , or a polymer that hydrogen is added to cyclic - olefin indicated by a chemical equation 22 undergone ring - opening polymerization . r 1 to r 29 in the chemical equation 21 and the chemical equation 22 may differ , or may be same , and each of which is a substituent containing hydrogen atoms , deuterium atoms , hydrocarbon radical having carbon number of 1 to 15 , halogen atoms , or hetero atoms , such as oxygen , or sulfur , and forms a monocyclic or polycyclic structure with one another . note that m and n are integers greater than or equal to zero . cyclic - olefin monomer which constitutes the foregoing resin has a structure indicated by a chemical equation 23 , and examples of preferable monomer are , for example , bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene ( norbornene ), 5 - methylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 7 - methybicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - ethylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - propylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - n - butylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - isobutylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 1 , 4 - dimethylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - bromobicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - chlorobicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - fluorobicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 , 6 - dimethylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , dicyclopentadiene , tricyclopentadiene , tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 5 , 10 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 2 , 10 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 11 , 12 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 2 , 7 , 9 - trimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 - ethyl - 2 , 7 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 - isobutyl - 2 , 7 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 - isobutyl - 2 , 7 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 , 11 , 12 - trimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 - ethyl - 11 , 12 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 9 - isobutyl - 11 , 12 - dimethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 5 , 8 , 9 , 10 - tetramethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - hexyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - stearyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - methyl - 9 - ethyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - cyclohexyltetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - ethylidenetetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - chlorotetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - bromotetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - fluorotetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 , 9 - dichlorotetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , hexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - deptadecene , 12 - methylhexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - deptadecene , 12 - ethylhexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - deptadecene , 12 - isobutylhexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - deptadecene , 1 , 6 , 10 - trimethyl - 12 - isobutylhexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - deptadecene , 5 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - ethyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - n - propyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - n - butyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 , 6 - dimethyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 6 - ethyl - 5 - phenylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 , 6 , 6 - trimethyl - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 1 , 4 , 5 - trimethylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 , 6 - diethyl - 5 - phenylbicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - bromo - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - chloro - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - fluoro - 5 - phenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 -( tert - butylphenyl )- bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 -( bromophenyl )- bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 -( chlorophenyl )- bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 -( fluorophenyl )- bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 -( α - naphthyl )- bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 5 - methyl - 5 - antracenyl - bicyclo [ 2 , 2 , 1 ] hept - 2 - ene , 8 - methyl - 8 - phenyl - tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - ethyl - 8 - phenyl - tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - n - propyl - 8 - phenyl - tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - n - butyl - 8 - phenyl - tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 8 - chloro - 8 - phenyl - tetracyclo [ 4 , 4 , 0 , 1 2 . 5 , 1 7 . 10 ]- 3 - dodecene , 11 - methyl - 11 - phenyl - hexacyclo [ 6 , 6 , 1 , 1 3 . 6 , 1 10 . 13 , 0 2 . 7 , 0 9 . 14 ]- 4 - heptadecene , 1 , 4 - methano - 4a , 9 , 9 - trimethyl - 1 , 4 , 9a - trihydrofluorene . such various monomers can be basically made by a thermal diels - alder reaction of corresponding dienes and olefins , and adding hydrogen or the like appropriately makes it possible to produce a desired monomer . r 30 to r 48 the chemical equation 23 may differ or may be same , and each of which is a substituent including hydrogen atoms , deuterium atoms , hydrocarbon radical having carbon number of 1 to 15 , halogen atoms , or hetero atoms , such as oxygen and sulfur , and forms a monocyclic or polycyclic structure with each other . note that m and n are integers greater than or equal to zero . an example of α - olefin suitably used for the copolymer indicated by the chemical equation 21 is α - olefin having a carbon number of 2 to 20 , preferably , a carbon number of 2 to 10 , and includes , for example , ethylene , propylene , 1 - butene , 1 - pentene , 3 - methyl - 1 - butene , 3 - methyl - 1 - pentene , 1 - hexene , 1 - octene , 1 - decene , and those can be used individually or combined . ethylene and propylene are preferable in those , and ethylene is particularly preferable from the standpoint of practical aspects , such as copolymer characteristic , and economic efficiency . in the copolymer indicated by the chemical equation 21 , the preferable mole ratio ( α - olefin / cyclic - olefin ) between the α - olefin and the cyclic - olefin is within a range from 10 / 90 to 90 / 10 , and further preferably , with in a range from 30 / 70 to 70 / 30 . the mole ratio in copolymer is decided based on 13 c - nmr ( 400 mhz , temperature : 120 ° c ./ solvent : 1 , 2 , 4 - trichlorobenzene / 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 - deuterated tetrachloroethane mixing system ). the thermal imprint resin of the invention is adjusted in such a way that the glass transition temperature tg (° c .) thereof and a value ([ m ]) of mfr at 260 ° c . satisfy the following equation 1 . the weight average molecular weight mw of the cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin indicated by the chemical equation 21 or the chemical equation 22 is within 10 , 000 to 1 , 000 , 000 , preferably , 20 , 000 to 500 , 000 , and further preferably , 50 , 000 to 200 , 000 , and the value [ m ] of mfr at 260 ° c . is greater than or equal to 10 , preferably , greater than or equal to 20 , and further preferably , greater than or equal to 30 . accordingly , the fluidity of the resin becomes high , thus facilitating a filling of the resin in the pattern of a mold , so that the imprint characteristics ( transferability , mold release characteristic , and the like ) can be improved without deteriorating the resin property . in considering the application of the resin on which a minute pattern is transferred by thermal imprint , it is preferable that the heat resistance of the resin should be high , and the glass transition temperature should be greater than or equal to 80 ° c ., preferably , greater than or equal to 90 ° c ., and further preferably , higher than the boiling temperature of water , i . e ., beyond 100 ° c . in view of the practicality . a polymerization method for producing the resin is not limited to any particular ones , and well - known methods , such as a method of coordination polymerization using ziegler - natta catalyst or single - site catalyst , and further , causing a copolymer to be subjected to hydrogen addition in accordance with necessity , and a method of adding hydrogen after ring - opening polymerization using metathesis polymerization catalyst . as a method of adding hydrogen , well - known methods can be employed , and this can be carried out using a catalyst containing metal components , such as nickel , and palladium . examples of the single - site catalyst used for producing the copolymer indicated by , for example , the chemical equation 21 are various kinds of metallocene compounds , and methylene ( cyclopentadienyl ) ( tetracyclopentadienyl ) zirconiumdichloride or the like disclosed in , for example , japanese unexamined patent application laid - open publication no . 2003 - 82017 can be preferably used . a promoter used for a polymerization reaction is not limited to any particular one , but methyl aluminoxanes can be used preferably , and other organic aluminum compounds may coexist and polymerize in accordance with a reaction . such a polymerization reaction can be preferably carried out within a range from a room temperature ( 25 ° c . or so ) to 200 ° c ., but it is desirable to carry out such a reaction within a range from 40 to 150 ° c . in view of the reactivity and the stability of a catalyst . an organic solvent used for a polymerization reaction is not limited to any particular one , and for example , aromatic solvents , such as benzene , toluene , xylene , and ethyl benzene , saturated hydrocarbon solvents , such as hexane , cyclohexane , heptane , methyl cyclohexane , and octane , or a mixed solvent thereof can be preferably used . after the resin is produced , hetero atoms , such as oxygen atoms and sulfur atoms can be arbitrarily introduced by a radical reaction . in accordance with necessity , greater than or equal to one of additives , such as an anti - oxidizing agent , a heat resistance stabilizer , a weathering stabilizer , a light stabilizer , an antistatic agent , a slipping agent , anti - blocking agent , an anti - fog additive , a lubricant , a color , a pigment , a natural oil , a synthetic oil , and a wax , can be added and mixed , and the mix ratio thereof can be set arbitrarily . additives ( anti - oxidizing agent , lubricant , and the like ) are not limited to any particular ones , and well - known compounds can be used preferably . according to the invention , addition of an oxidizing agent prevents an oxidization of the resin when heated , a creation of a gel originating from the staining of the resin and a bridge formation of the resin molecular chain , and a deterioration of physical property due to a disconnection of the resin molecular chain . according to the invention , addition of a lubricant improves the mold release characteristic , after imprint , and the productivity ( throughput ) of imprint products . furthermore , there is an effectiveness such that the resin can be easily put into a pattern on a mold when fabricating the resin . further , without deteriorating the physical properties required in the application fields of an imprint product , a rubber component can be added to improve the durability of the resin plate , and a well - known compound can be used . examples of the applications of the imprint product are optical devices , such as an optical waveguide , a light guiding plate , and a diffraction grating , biochips , fluidic devices , such as a micro flow channel , and a micro reactor , media for saving data , and circuit substrates . the method of manufacturing an injection molded body is not limited to any particular one , and a well - known method can be applied . the thickness can be arbitrarily selected in accordance with an application of an imprint product , and molding is possible if the thickness is greater than or equal to 300 μm . preferably , the imprint product is suitable for an injection molded body having a thickness of greater than or equal to 500 μm , and more preferably , is suitable for an injection molded body having a thickness of greater than or equal to 1 mm , and further preferably , is suitable for an injection molded body having a thickness of greater than or equal to 2 mm . the injection molded body using the thermal imprint resin of the invention can be formed in any shapes , but for example , can be formed in an approximately planer shape as a substrate . in this case , it is preferable to make the flatness high as much as possible , and for example , it is preferable that it should be formed as to be less than or equal to , for example , 1 μm , more preferably , less than or equal to 100 nm , and further preferably , less than or equal to 10 nm , and still further preferably , less than or equal to 1 nm . various products can be used as a device for imprinting , and can be selected arbitrarily . various sizes , such as less than or equal to 100 μm , less than or equal to 50 μm , less than or equal to 10 μm , less than or equal to 1 μm , and less than or equal to 500 nm can be selected as the size of a transferred pattern for the thermal imprint resin of the invention . next , an explanation will be given of a method of performing imprinting on an injection molded body comprising the resin of the invention . to realize a process having the improved imprint characteristics ( transferability , mold release characteristic , and the like ), it is preferable to reduce a molding pressure and to shorten the retention time at molding . this is because that if the molding pressure when performing imprinting is too high and the retention time of a pressure is too long , the resin adheres to the mold , so that the pattern is elongated or damaged in mold releasing , and the transfer precision of the pattern is reduced . specifically , in using an injection molded body of the resin of the invention , the molding pressure in performing imprinting should be less than or equal to 2 . 3 mpa , and more preferably , less than or equal to 1 . 2 mpa . further , the retention time in performing molding should be less than or equal to 30 seconds , more preferably , less than or equal to 15 seconds . further , to realize a process having the improved productivity ( throughput ), it is preferable to reduce the temperature of the mold , and to shorten the retention time in performing molding . this is because that if the mold temperature is low , the cooling time can be shortened , and if the retention time at which the mold and the injection molded body are pressed is short , then the molding time can be shortened . specifically , it is preferable to use an injection molded body comprised of the resin of the invention , and to set the temperature in performing molding to less than or equal to the glass transition temperature tg + 60 ° c ., and more preferably , less than or equal to tg + 45 ° c . it is preferable that the temperatures of the mold in mold releasing and the injection molded body should be greater than or equal to tg − 40 ° c ., and more preferably , greater than or equal to tg − 25 ° c . examples of the invention will be explained below , but the invention should not be limited to the following examples . regarding the weight average molecular weight ( mw ), the number average molecular weight ( mn ), and the molecular weight fractionation ( mw / mn ) of the resin to be used , an gpc device manufactured by wasters was used by the gel permeation chromatography method ( gpc ), and those were measured under a condition such that column . k - 805l / k - 806l manufactured by shodex , column temperature : 40 ° c ., solvent : chloroform , flow rate : 0 . 8 ml / minute . the glass transition temperature tg (° c .) of the resin used was acquired from the heat absorption peak in heat up using a differential scanning calorimeter ( model : exstar 6000 , dsc 6200 ) manufactured by seiko . further , regarding the value [ m ] of mfr at 260 ° c ., the melt indexer ( model : l248 - 2531 ) manufactured by technol seven co ., ltd . was used , and a value measured at a loading of 2 . 16 kgf . for imprint evaluations , an imprint device ( vx - 2000n - us ) manufactured by scivax was used , and the evaluations were carried out under condition described in the examples , respectively , using a mold of 30 mm by 30 mm . table 1 shows imprint characteristics inherent to presence / absence of correlations ( represented by equation 1 ) between a structure of a resin or a glass transition temperature tg (° c .) and mfr at 260 ° c . for evaluation of imprint characteristics , acquired minute bumpy patterns were observed through an electronic microscope , and if a pattern similar to a mold was well transferred , a circular mark is filled , if a resin was filled in a pattern , but the resin adhered to a mold , and a deficit of a pattern was formed , then a triangle mark is filled , and if a pattern failure ( insufficient filling , elongation , deficit ) was confirmed , then a cross mark is filled . first , an explanation will be given of the production method of an injection molded body used in the examples and comparative examples . samples 1 to 6 were injection molded bodies made of resins which satisfied the foregoing equation 1 , and samples 7 and 8 were injection molded bodies made of resins which did not satisfy the equation 1 . note that polymers used for injection molding contained an anti - oxidizing agent and a lubricant , as long as any particular explanations will be given for product examples . ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 135 ° c ., mfr = 41 . 4 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 1 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 109 ° c ., mfr = 39 . 9 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 2 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 230 ° c ., and mold temperature : 95 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 106 ° c ., mfr = 72 . 8 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 3 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 230 ° c ., and mold temperature : 90 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 138 ° c ., mfr = 60 . 1 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 4 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / tetracyclododecene copolymer ( tg = 135 ° c ., mfr = 37 . 5 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 5 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). hydrogeneration of cyclic - olefin based ring - opening polymer ( tg = 100 ° c ., mfr = 45 . 8 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 6 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 220 ° c ., and mold temperature : 85 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 135 ° c ., mfr = 9 . 6 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 7 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). hydrogeneration of cyclic - olefin based ring - opening polymer ( tg = 138 ° c ., mfr = 7 . 7 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 8 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 2 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 132 ° c ., mfr = 51 . 2 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 9 ) having a thickness of 1 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 1 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 130 ° c ., mfr = 12 . 0 @ 260 ° c .) was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 10 ) having a thickness of 1 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 1 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 135 ° c ., mfr = 41 . 4 @ 260 ° c .) containing no additive was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 11 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 1 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). ethylene / norbornene copolymer ( tg = 135 ° c ., mfr = 41 . 4 @ 260 ° c .) containing only an anti - oxidizing agent as an additive was injection molded , and a transparent injection molded body ( sample 12 ) having a thickness of 2 mm was produced ( mold size : 10 cm by 10 cm by 1 mm , cylinder temperature : 260 ° c ., and mold temperature : 120 ° c .). sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : line / space ( l / s )= 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 1000 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 and table 3 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 1 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 2 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 91 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 144 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 91 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 2 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 91 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 144 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 91 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 2 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 91 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 144 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 500 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 91 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 2 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 91 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 144 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 91 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 3 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 88 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 131 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 88 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 4 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 173 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 4 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 173 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 5 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 5 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 500 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 5 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 5 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 5 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 6 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 82 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 135 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 82 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 6 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 82 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 135 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 82 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 6 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 82 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 135 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 82 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 6 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 82 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 135 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 82 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 4 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : flow channel , width 50 μm / depth 50 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 32 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 1 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 500 n , it was held for 60 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 1 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 9 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 114 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 167 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 114 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 9 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 114 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 167 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 114 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 2 . sample 9 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 114 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 167 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 114 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that a good pattern was transferred . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 1000 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 and table 3 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 180 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 160 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 7 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 163 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 173 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 183 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 163 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 173 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 45 ° c . ( i . e ., 183 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 25 ° c . ( i . e ., 163 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 750 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 173 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 200 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 8 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 120 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : flow channel , width 50 μm / depth 50 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 32 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 1 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 500 n , it was held for 60 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 120 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 1 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 1 . sample 10 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 112 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 165 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 112 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 2 . sample 10 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 112 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : hole , diameter 1 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 165 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 112 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 2 . sample 10 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 112 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : pillar , diameter 0 . 5 μm / depth 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 165 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 112 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the resin was not filled in the pattern , so that the pattern was no good . the observation result is shown in table 2 . sample 11 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the pattern adhered to the mold , and had a deficit . the observation result is shown in table 3 . sample 12 was fixed on a plate which was heated to a glass transition temperature tg − 18 ° c . ( i . e ., 117 ° c . ), a mold ( pattern : l / s = 1 μm / 1 μm ) which was preheated to a molding set temperature tg + 35 ° c . ( i . e ., 170 ° c .) was pressed against the surface of the resin substrate at a speed of 100 μm / second , and when the load sensor attached to the upper part of the mold reached 350 n , it was held for 10 seconds by that load . thereafter , it was cooled to tg − 18 ° c . ( 117 ° c .) while maintaining the displacement of the mold , and after the completion of cooling , the mold was released from the substrate at a speed of 10 μm / second . it was observed through an electronic microscope that the pattern adhered to the mold , and had a deficit . the observation result is shown in table 3 . it becomes apparent from table 1 and table 2 that cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin having a specific correlation ( indicated by equation 1 ) between a glass transition temperature tg (° c .) and mfr at 260 ° c . has a superior thermal imprint characteristic at a low temperature and a low pressure . furthermore , it becomes apparent from table 3 that in case of a cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin 1 ( sample 7 ) which does not have a specific correlation ( indicated by equation 1 ) between a glass transition temperature tg (° c .) and mfr at 260 ° c ., a resin is not sufficiently filled in a pattern , and in case of a cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin 2 ( samples 11 , 12 ) which has a specific correlation between a glass transition temperature tg (° c .) and mfr at 260 ° c ., and which has no lubricant added , a resin is filled in a pattern , but a pattern adheres to a mold , and may have a deficit , and in case of a cyclic - olefin - based thermoplastic resin 3 ( sample 1 ) which has a specific correlation ( indicated by equation 1 ) between a glass transition temperature tg (° c .) and mfr at 260 ° c ., and which has a lubricant added , the thermal imprint characteristic at a low temperature and a low pressure is superior . therefore , a lubricant improves the mold release characteristic after imprint , and improves the productivity ( throughput ) of an imprint product . it is again emphasized that the above - described embodiments of the present invention , particularly , any “ preferred ” embodiments , are possible examples of implementations merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention . many variations and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments of the invention without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the invention . all such modifications are intended to be included herein within the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the accompanying claims .
| 2 |
fig1 schematically shows a coordinate measuring machine 1 , as it is used according to the method according to the invention . the coordinate measuring machine has a measuring table 20 , which carries a mask 2 . likewise it is possible that the measuring table 20 carries a mask 2 , which is inserted in a mask holder 2 b . the measuring table 20 is a mirror element , wherein the position of the measuring table 20 is determined via a respectively arranged laser interferometer system 24 . the measuring table 20 is movable on bearings 21 in x coordinate direction and in y coordinate direction . in a preferred embodiment , the bearings 21 are designed as air bearings . the measuring table 20 rests on a block 25 , which defines a plane 25 a . the block 25 is preferably made of granite . the position of the measuring table 20 is determined , as already mentioned , by the laser interferometer system 24 . for this purpose , the laser interferometer system 24 emits a measuring light beam . the block 25 is positioned on vibration absorbers 26 . it is obvious for a skilled person that the provided plane 25 a , in which the measuring 20 can be moved , can be made from any other material . the block 25 being made of granite shall be regarded by no means as limiting the invention . the mask 2 carries a plurality of structures 3 , which are to be measured due to the position with reference to a coordinate system . a light source 14 in the reflected light beam path or a light source 14 in the transmitted light beam path is provided for illuminating the mask 2 . the light source 14 in the reflected light device emits light into the reflected light beam path 5 . the light source 6 in the transmitted light device emits light into a transmitted light beam path 4 . light from the transmitted light device is directed by a condenser 8 onto the mask 2 . the light from the light source 14 of the reflected light device reaches the mask 2 via the measuring objective 9 . the measuring objective 9 is arranged in a shiftable manner with a shifting device 15 in z coordinate direction for focusing . the reflected light beam path 5 is furthermore provided with a decoupling device 12 which channels the light emitted from the mask 2 and cumulated from the objective 9 onto a camera 10 , wherein said camera 10 has a detector 11 . the detector 11 is connected with a computer which determines an intensity profile of the structure 3 just being observed by the measuring objective 9 from the received signals . with the measuring intensity profile it is possible to determine the position of at least one edge of the structure with reference to a coordinate system . fig2 shows a schematic view wherein a mask 2 is inserted in a measuring table 20 . thereby the mask 2 rests onto three supporting points 50 . the supporting points 50 are mounted on the measuring table 20 . according to a further embodiment ( see fig3 ), the mask 2 is inserted in a mask holder 2 b . this mask holder 2 b is finally inserted in the measuring table 20 . thereby , the mask holder 2 b rests on the two supporting points , which are provided on the measuring table 20 . the mask holder 2 b has three supporting points 51 , onto which the mask 2 rests . fig4 shows a system 30 , which has further elements besides a coordinate measuring machine 1 , wherein the elements are used for handling the mask 2 and for the positioning of the mask 2 in the coordinate measuring machine 1 . thereby , the coordinate measuring machine 1 and the further additional elements are arranged in a housing 30 . the coordinate measuring machine 1 is very schematically shown for the sake of clarity , so that only the measuring table 20 and the mask 2 positioned on the measuring table 20 are provided here . the coordinate measuring machine 1 is provided within the housing 30 with a tempering station 32 , a rotator 34 and a transfer station 38 . likewise , a transport robot 36 ( handler ) is provided within the housing 30 , wherein said transport robot 36 ( handler ) is moved along the double arrow 40 . the transport robot 36 is responsible for transporting the mask 2 to the different stations and from and to the coordinate measuring machine 1 respectively . likewise , the transport robot 36 is responsible for positioning the mask 2 in the orientation adjusted with the rotator 34 or positioning a mask 2 which rests in the mask holder 2 b in the orientation thus positioned onto the measuring table 20 of the coordinate measuring machine 1 . likewise , the transport robot 36 is responsible for positioning the mask 2 with a respective predefined shift on the measuring table 20 of the coordinate measuring machine 1 . furthermore , at least on one housing wall 30 a a transfer opening 35 is provided through which masks 2 can be inserted from the outside into the housing 30 of the coordinate measuring machine 1 . the housing 30 is a climate chamber . this is advantageous since generally no tempering times need to be adhered to when handling the masks 2 within the housing 30 . the masks 2 can thus be immediately measured with the coordinate measuring machine 1 apart from a minor temperature adjustment . fig5 a shows a mask 2 in an initial orientation . thereby , the mask 2 can have a relevant area 2 c , which is responsible for imaging the structures on the surface of a wafer . the plurality of structures 3 is arranged in this relevant area 2 c . likewise , a marking in form of a bar code 54 can be provided on the surface of the mask 2 . it is also possible that an alpha numeric marking 56 is on the mask 2 . fig5 b shows the mask 2 in a rotated orientation by 180 °. on the basis of the alpha numeric marking 56 or also on the basis of the bar code 54 the set orientation of the mask 2 can thus be determined . fig6 schematically shows an arrangement with which the orientation of a mask 2 can be determined and controlled respectively . the rotator 34 is provided with a camera 60 in the embodiment shown here . the rotator 34 has a rotating plate 34 a onto which the mask 2 and the mask holder 2 b with the mask 2 respectively are positioned . the orientation necessary for calibration can be adjusted via the rotator 34 . the respective markings ( bar code 54 or the alpha numeric marking 56 ) can be detected on the mask 2 with the camera 60 . on the basis of this detection , the afterwards set orientation of the mask 2 can be detected . the data recorded with the camera 60 are evaluated with the computer 16 , which finally determines the rotating position of the mask 2 depending on the x position and the y position on the basis of the recorded measuring parameters . furthermore , the computer 16 can have a display 62 onto which the relevant data are shown to a user . likewise , the data of the orientation of the mask 2 , which were set by the rotator 34 , can be transferred to the transport robot 36 , so that said transport robot 36 positions the mask 2 in the respective adjusted orientation on the measuring table 20 . likewise , the shift of the mask 2 , which is necessary for the calibration , can be set via the computer 16 , so that the transport robot 36 positions the mask 2 with the required shift on the measuring table 20 . the thought behind the improved correction strategies always is the one that error components exist which merge into themselves for the measured substrate positions ( rotation and / or shift ) and thus are generally not detectable . such error components are not avoidable in principle yet it is possible , however , to reduce those highly so that these error components do not occur in a real arrangement . more precisely , these error components are to be regarded then as insignificant . during correction , the correction functions are applied on the measuring parameters , wherein the measuring parameters are the positions of the structures on a substrate or a mark with reference to the coordinate system of the coordinate measuring machine . a not corrected position ({ right arrow over ( r )}) becomes a position with improved accuracy : the correction function is determined such that the back transformations { circumflex over ( t )} jk from the substrate positioning j to k supplies possibly corresponding parameters , i . e . : { right arrow over ( r )} k ≈{ circumflex over ( t )} jk ( { right arrow over ( r )} j ) ( 2 ) possibly corresponding could be interpreted for example within the meaning of the gaussian least square error , thus thereby , the index i refers to the measurement of the measuring object ( structure ) i . a reduction of the maximum difference is also possible , however . likewise , other methods , preferably robust estimation procedures such as ransac are possible . a substrate having structures , on the basis of which the substrate shall be measured , is a rigid object , a mask for the production of semiconductor structures on a wafer , ( at least calculated rigid for example by deflection correction ). thus the matter with the back transformation is rotation and shift : { circumflex over ( t )} jk ({ right arrow over ( r )})={ circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )}+{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk with : rotation { circumflex over ( r )} jk and shifted by { right arrow over ( δ )} jk ( 3 ) the equation ( 2 ) refers to corrected measuring parameters ; said equation ( 2 ) can be rewritten by the equations ( 1 ) and ( 3 ) into : { right arrow over ( r )} k +{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} k )≈ { circumflex over ( r )} jk ·( { right arrow over ( r )} j +{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} j ))+{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk { right arrow over ( r )} k +{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} k )≈ { right arrow over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )} j +{ right arrow over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} j )+ { right arrow over ( δ )} jk ( 4 ) lets consider the case that a portion of the correction function under { circumflex over ( t )} jk ({ right arrow over ( f )}({ right arrow over ( r )})) merges into itself , i . e . the request for translations invariance of a function combined : { right arrow over ( f )} ({ right arrow over ( r )})={ right arrow over ( f )}( { right arrow over ( r )} +{ right arrow over ( δ )} { circumflex over ( r )}·{ right arrow over ( f )} ({ right arrow over ( r )})={ right arrow over ( f )}( { circumflex over ( r )}·{ right arrow over ( r )} ) { circumflex over ( r )}·{ right arrow over ( f )} sym ({ right arrow over ( r )})= { right arrow over ( f )} sym ( { circumflex over ( r )}·{ right arrow over ( r )}+{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk ) ( 5 ) typical substrate dimensions ( mask sizes ) are 100 mm on 100 mm , and the typical dimension of the correction is 1 μm . one can experience always under 10 000 measurements on the substrate , thus the typical distance of the measuring positions is always & gt ; 1 mm or the thousand times of the correction parameter . thus , the parameters of a practically determinable correction function are always very much smaller than the distance of the measuring positions , so that the following assumption is just : f ( { right arrow over ( r )} k )≈ f ( { right arrow over ( r )} k )= f ( { circumflex over ( t )} jk ( { right arrow over ( r )} j ))≈ f ( { circumflex over ( t )} jk ( { right arrow over ( r )} j ))= f ( { circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )} j +{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk ) f ( { circumflex over ( r )} k )≈ f ( { circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )} j +{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk ) thus , the final equation for determining the correction ( 4 ) can be written as : { right arrow over ( r )} k +{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} k )≈ { right arrow over ( r )} k + f ( { circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )} j +{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk )≈ { circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( r )} j +{ circumflex over ( r )} jk ·{ right arrow over ( f )} ( { right arrow over ( r )} j )+{ right arrow over ( δ )} jk if any symmetrical function { right arrow over ( f )} sym ( see equation ( 5 )) is added to the correction function , the equation can be written as : thus , if one adds a function which is symmetrical for a respective rotation and translation , to the correction , then accordance of the substrate positions does not change . thus , such a correction component is generally not determinable . the obviously not detectable error component is the enlargement (“ errors during meter definition ”). it is described by the following function : { right arrow over ( f )} 0 ({ right arrow over ( r )})= a ·{ right arrow over ( r )} f 0 is symmetrical for any rotations and shifts and thus ( naturally ) not determinable . with a correction determination , the indeterminable components must be symmetrical to all transformations between the substrate positions . in prior art documents one tried to limit the symmetrical correction function components by letting the substrates rotate about different rotating centers ( see german patent application de 10 2007 000 999 a1 ). according to the present invention one tries to minimize the symmetry by rotation plus shift . from the mathematical point of view all symmetry components except for f o can thus be relatively easily find out . the practical limitation is however : that the hardware of the coordinate measuring machine is able to realize rotation positions being no multiple of 90 °, wherein a great deal of time and effort is expended . with the finite measuring accuracy , an approximate symmetry is already adequate in order to make it possible carrying out the determination of the symmetric correction components with major errors only . the unavoidable shift and rotation during the mechanical positioning of a substrate on the measuring table of the coordinate measuring machine is typical for such an error . this does not solve the symmetry problem , since the correction function remains practically unchanged with minor positioning changes ( see explanation for equation ( 6 )). firstly , the substrate is measured in the not rotated position ( measurement in 0 °); afterwards the substrate is rotated by 90 ° and measured in the rotated position ( measurement in 90 °); then a shift by 10 mm in x coordinate direction and a shift by 9 mm in y coordinate direction is carried out . by means of the first two steps all not 90 ° symmetrically rotatable components can be detected . the shift by 10 mm in x coordinate direction reduces the undeterminable components to 90 ° symmetrically rotatable periodical components with period lengths of 10 mm / n with n = 1 , 2 , 3 , and the shift by 9 mm in y coordinate direction furthermore limits to 9 mm / m with m = 1 , 2 , 3 . thus , only the component with period 1 mm ( i . e . n = 10 and m = 9 ) is undetectable . further shifts and rotations do improve the quality of the correction even more . while this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims .
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while the present invention is capable of being embodied in various forms , the description below of several embodiments is made with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention , and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated . headings are provided for convenience only and are not to be construed to limit the invention in any manner . embodiments illustrated under any heading may be combined with embodiments illustrated under any other heading . the use of numerical values in the various quantitative values specified in this application , unless expressly indicated otherwise , are stated as approximations as though the minimum and maximum values within the stated ranges were both preceded by the word “ about .” in this manner , slight variations from a stated value can be used to achieve substantially the same results as the stated value . as used herein , the terms “ about ” and “ approximately ” when referring to a numerical value shall have their plain and ordinary meanings to one skilled in the pertinent art at issue . also , the disclosure of ranges is intended as a continuous range including every value between the minimum and maximum values recited as well as any ranges that can be formed by such values . also disclosed herein are any and all ratios ( and ranges of any such ratios ) that can be formed by dividing a recited numeric value into any other recited numeric value . accordingly , the skilled person will appreciate that many such ratios , ranges , and ranges of ratios can be unambiguously derived from the numerical values presented herein and in all instances such ratios , ranges , and ranges of ratios represent various embodiments of the present invention . without being held to a particular theory , it is believed that eicosapentaenoic acid is a competitive inhibitor of arachidonate metabolism in the cyclo - oxygenase pathway and that reduction of pgd 2 levels by epa attenuates niacin flushing . in addition to attenuating niacin - induced flushing , it is also believed , without being bound by theory , that epa can provide beneficial cardiovascular effects such as reduced platelet aggregation , vasodilation and plaque stabilization , which are independent of an in crease in hdl - c as seen at low doses of niacin . as such , in one embodiment of the invention , a combination of low dose niacin with epa ( or pre - treatment with epa followed by low dose niacin ) is provided . in another embodiment , such therapy provides effective cardiovascular benefits with reduced side effects compared to conventional niacin dosing . in one embodiment , compositions of the invention comprise eicosapentaenoic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester , derivative , conjugate or salt thereof , or mixtures of any of the foregoing , collectively referred to herein as “ epa .” the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable ” in the present context means that the substance in question does not produce unacceptable toxicity to the subject or interaction with other components of the composition . in one embodiment , the epa comprises an eicosapentaenoic acid ester . in another embodiment , the epa comprises a c 1 - c 5 alkyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid , in another embodiment , the epa comprises eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester , eicosapentaenoic acid methyl ester , eicosapentaenoic acid propyl ester , or eicosapentaenoic acid butyl ester . in another embodiment , the epa is in the form of ethyl - epa , lithium epa , mono -, di - or triglyceride epa or any other ester or salt of epa , or the free acid form of epa . the epa may also be in the form of a 2 - substituted derivative or other derivative which slows down its rate of oxidation but does not otherwise change its biological action to any substantial degree . in another embodiment , the epa comprises an epa - fatty acid conjugate , in one embodiment , the epa - fatty acid conjugates are diesters formed between epa , a second fatty acid or epa , and a linker as shown in structures ( i )-( ii ), wherein r 1 and r 2 are acyl fatty acid groups derived from epa or another fatty acid . r 1 and r 2 may both be derived from epa ( epa - epa ) or may be derived from epa and a different fatty acid ( epa - fatty acid ). r 3 is generally either hydrogen , fully hydrocarbon , or containing heteroatoms , and is preferably a c 1 - c 4 alkyl group . the linker may be any suitable diol including , for example , an alkyl diol such as 1 , 3 - propanediol , an alkenyl diol , an alkynyl diol , an aryl diol such as 1 , 4 - dihydroxybenzene ( hydroquinone ), etc ., or a geminal diol , for example a c 1 - c 4 alkyl geminal diol , an alkyl geminal diol , etc . the second fatty acid may be any suitable fatty acid including for example epa , la , aa , ala , sta , eta , or dpa . synthesis of the diester conjugate is accomplished according to methods well known in the art , including for example , using metals , metal - chlorides , or organic acids as catalysts ; using fatty acid chlorides such as epa - chloride , γ - linolenic acid chloride ( gla - chloride ), dihomo - γ - linolenic acid chloride ( dgla - chloride ), linoleic acid chloride ( la - chloride ), arachidonic acid chloride ( aa - chloride ), conjugated linoleic acid chloride ( cla - chloride ), ala - chloride , sta - chloride , eta - chloride , dpa - chloride , etc . ; and the use of immobilized enzymes as catalysts . in another embodiment , a composition of the present invention includes a mixture of epa - fatty acid diesters . in a related embodiment , compositions of the present invention include less than 20 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 15 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 10 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 9 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 8 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 7 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 6 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 5 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 4 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 3 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 2 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 1 % epa - dha conjugate , less than 0 . 5 % epa - dha conjugate , or less than 0 . 1 % epa - dha conjugate , by weight of all fatty acids present . in another embodiment , a composition of the present invention includes at least 96 % epa - epa conjugate , at least 97 % epa - epa conjugate , at least 98 % epa - epa conjugate , or at least 99 % epa - epa conjugate by weight of all fatty acids present . in another embodiment , a composition of the present invention contains not more than 10 %, not more than 9 %, not more than 8 %, not more than 7 %, not more than 6 %, not more than 5 %, not more than 4 %, not more than 3 %, not more than 2 %, not more than 1 %, not more than 0 . 6 %, not more than 0 . 5 %, not more than 0 . 4 %, not more than 0 . 3 %, not more than 0 . 2 , or not more than 0 . 1 % of any epa - fatty acid conjugate other than epa - epa diester by weight of all fatty acids present . in another embodiment , epa is present in a composition of the invention in an amount of about 50 mg to about 5000 mg , about 75 mg to about 2500 mg , or about 100 mg to about 1000 mg , for example about 75 mg , about 100 mg , about 125 mg , about 150 mg , about 175 mg , about 200 mg , about 225 mg , about 250 mg , about 275 mg , about 300 mg , about 325 mg , about 350 mg , about 375 mg , about 400 mg , about 425 mg , about 450 mg , about 475 mg , about 500 mg , about 525 mg , about 550 mg , about 575 mg , about 600 mg , about 625 mg , about 650 mg , about 675 mg , about 700 mg , about 725 mg , about 750 mg , about 775 mg , about 800 mg , about 825 mg , about 850 mg , about 875 mg , about 900 mg , about 925 mg , about 950 mg , about 975 mg , about 1000 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1100 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1200 mg , about 1225 mg , about 1250 mg , about 1275 mg , about 1300 mg , about 1325 mg , about 1350 mg , about 1375 mg , about 1400 mg , about 1425 mg , about 1450 mg , about 1475 mg , about 1500 mg , about 1525 mg , about 1550 mg , about 1575 mg , about 1600 mg , about 1625 mg , about 1650 mg , about 1675 mg , about 1700 mg , about 1725 mg , about 1750 mg , about 1775 mg , about 1800 mg , about 1825 mg , about 1850 mg , about 1875 mg , about 1900 mg , about 1925 mg , about 1950 mg , about 1975 mg , about 2000 mg , about 2025 mg , about 2050 mg , about 2075 mg , about 2100 mg , about 2125 mg , about 2150 mg , about 2175 mg , about 2200 mg , about 2225 mg , about 2250 mg , about 2275 mg , about 2300 mg , about 2325 mg , about 2350 mg , about 2375 mg , about 2400 mg , about 2425 mg , about 2450 mg , about 2475 mg or about 2500 mg . in one embodiment , a composition of the invention contains not more than about 10 %, not more than about 9 %, not more than about 8 %, not more than about 7 %, not more than about 6 %, not more than about 5 %, not more than about 4 %, not more than about 3 %, not more than about 2 %, not more than about 1 %, or not more than about 0 . 5 ° a , by weight , docosahexaenoic acid or derivative thereof , by weight of the total composition or of all fatty acids present . in another embodiment , a composition of the invention contains substantially no docosahexaenoic acid or derivative thereof . in still another embodiment , a composition of the invention contains no docosahexaenoic acid or derivative thereof . in another embodiment , epa comprises at least 60 %, at least 70 %, at least 80 %, at least 90 %, at least 95 %, at least 97 %, at least 98 %, at least 99 %, or 100 %, by weight of all fatty acids present in a composition . in another embodiment , a composition of the invention contains less than 10 %, less than 9 %, less than 8 %, less than 7 %, less than 6 %, less than 5 %, less than 4 %, less than 3 %, less than 2 %, less than 1 %, less than 0 . 5 %, less than 0 . 25 %, by weight of the total composition or by weight of the total fatty acid content , of any fatty acid other than epa . illustrative examples of a “ fatty acid other than epa ” include linolenic acid ( la ), arachidonic acid ( aa ), docosahexaenoic acid ( dha ), alpha - linolenic acid ( ala ), stearadonic acid ( sta ), eicosatrienoic acid ( eta ) and / or docosapentaenoic acid ( dpa ). in another embodiment , a composition of the invention has one or more of the following features : ( a ) eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester represents at least 96 %, at least 97 %, or at least 98 %, by weight , of all fatty acids present in the composition ; the composition contains not more than 4 %, not more than 3 %, or not more than 2 %, by weight , of total fatty acids other than eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester ; ( c ) the composition contains not more than 0 . 6 %, 0 . 5 %, or 0 . 4 % of any individual fatty acid other than eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester ; the composition has a refractive index ( 20 ° c .) of about 1 to about 2 , about 1 . 2 to about 1 . 8 or about 1 . 4 to about 1 . 5 ; the composition has a specific gravity ( 20 ° c .) of about 0 . 8 to about 1 . 0 , about 0 . 85 to about 0 . 95 or about 0 . 9 to about 0 . 92 ; contains not more than 20 ppm , 15 ppm or 10 ppm heavy metals , contains not more than 5 ppm , 4 ppm , 3 ppm , or 2 ppm arsenic , and / or has a peroxide value not more than 5 , 4 , 3 , or 2 meq / kg . in one embodiment , a composition of the invention comprises nicotinic acid ( also referred to herein as “ niacin ”, “ 3 - pyridine carboxamide ” and / or “ vitamin b3 ”). in another embodiment , the nicotinic acid is in crystalline form . in one embodiment , the epa and nicotinic acid are not covalently linked . in one embodiment , the nicotinic acid is present in a composition of the invention in an amount of about 5 mg to about 1200 mg , about 10 mg to about 800 mg , about 15 mg to about 750 mg , about 20 mg to about 500 mg , about 25 mg to about 400 mg , or about 50 mg to about 200 mg , for example in an amount of about 25 mg , about 50 mg , 75 mg , about 100 mg , about 125 mg , about 150 mg , about 175 mg , about 200 mg , about 225 mg , about 250 mg , about 275 mg , about 300 mg , about 325 mg , about 350 mg , about 375 mg , about 400 mg , about 425 mg , about 450 mg , about 475 mg , about 500 mg , about 525 mg , about 550 mg , about 575 mg , about 600 mg , about 625 mg , about 650 mg , about 675 mg , about 700 mg , about 725 mg , about 750 mg , about 775 mg , about 800 mg , about 825 mg , about 850 mg , about 875 mg , about 900 mg , about 925 mg , about 950 mg , about 975 mg , about 1000 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1100 mg , about 1125 mg , about 1150 mg , about 1175 mg , or about 1200 mg . in various embodiments , the nicotinic acid can be in immediate - release , extended - release or sustained - release form . the term “ immediate - release ” in the present context refers to nicotinic acid formulations from which nicotinic acid , upon ingestion by a human subject , is absorbed at a rate of about 400 to about 600 mg / hr , for example about 500 mg / hr . typically , immediate - release nicotinic acid is not coated with any release - modifying barrier or layer . the immediate - release nicotinic acid can be in crystalline form . niacor ® ( upsher - smith laboratories ) is an illustrative immediate - release nicotinic acid formulation . the term “ extended - release nicotinic acid ” herein refers to nicotinic acid formulations from which nicotinic acid , upon ingestion by a human subject , is absorbed at a rate of about 80 to about 200 mg / hr , for example about 100 mg / hr . niaspan ® ( kos pharmaceuticals ) is an illustrative extended - release nicotinic acid formulation . the term “ sustained - release ” in the present context refers to nicotinic acid formulations from which the nicotinic acid , when ingested by a human subject , is absorbed at a rate of about 25 mg / hr to about 75 mg / hr , for example about 50 mg / hr . in one embodiment , nicotinic acid and epa are present in a composition of the invention , or are co - administered in a weight ratio of about 1 : 1000 to about 1000 : 1 , about 1 : 500 to about 500 : 1 , about 1 : 100 to about 100 : 1 , about 1 : 50 to about 50 : 1 , about 1 : 25 to about 25 : 1 , about 1 : 10 to about 10 : 1 , about 1 : 5 to about 5 : 1 , about 1 : 4 to about 4 : 1 about 1 : 3 to about 3 : 1 , about 1 : 2 to about 2 : 1 or about 1 : 1 . in another embodiment , an additional cardiovascular agent is co - formulated with epa and / or nicotinic acid , or is co - administered with epa and / or nicotinic acid . the additional cardiovascular agent can illustratively include a 3 - hydroxy - 3 - methyl glutaryl coenzyme a ( hmg - coa ) reductase inhibitor ( also referred to as a “ statin ”), a fibrate , or a bile salt sequesterant or binding resin . in one embodiment , a composition of the invention comprises epa and a statin . non - limiting examples of suitable statins that can be used in accordance with various embodiments of the invention include prevastatin , lovastatin , simvastatin , atorvastatin , fluvastatin , pitavastatin and rosuvastatin and salts thereof . in a related embodiment , the composition contains not more than 10 % dha or derivative thereof , if any . in another related embodiment , the composition contains no dha or derivative thereof such as ethyl - dha . a statin , if present in a composition or compositions of the invention , can be present in an amount of about 1 to about 300 mg , about 5 mg to about 200 mg , about 10 mg to about 180 mg , about 20 mg to about 150 mg , about 30 mg about 100 mg , or about 40 mg to about 60 mg . pravastatin ( pravachol ®; manufactured by bristol - myers squibb , princeton , n . j .) is hydrophilic and is best absorbed without food . prevastatin can be present in a composition of the invention ( or co - administered therewith ) in an amount of about 1 to about 80 mg , about 5 mg to 60 mg , or about 10 mg to about 40 mg . lovastatin ( mevacor ®; by merck , whitehouse station , n . j .) can be present in a composition of the invention ( or co - administered therewith ) in an amount of about 1 mg to about 100 mg , about 5 mg to about 80 mg , or about 10 mg to about 40 mg . simvastatin ( zocor ® by merck , whitehouse station , n . j .) can be present in a composition of the invention ( or co - administered therewith ) in an amount of about 1 mg to about 80 mg per day , about 2 mg to 60 about mg , or about 5 mg to about 40 mg . atorvastatin ( lipitor ® by pfizer , new york , n . y .) can be present in a composition of the invention ( or co - administered therewith ) in an amount of about 1 mg to about 100 mg , about 5 mg to about 80 mg , or about 10 mg to about 40 mg . fluvastatin , ( lescol ® by novartis , new york , n . y .) can be present in a composition of the invention ( or co - administered therewith ) in an amount of about 5 mg to about 160 mg , about 10 mg to about 120 mg , or about 20 mg to about 80 mg . rosuvastatin ( crestor ® by astra zeneca , wilmington , del .) the dosage of rosuvastatin , in the combined administration of concentrated omega - 3 fatty acids is from 1 to 80 mg , preferably 2 to 60 mg , and more preferably from 5 to 40 mg per dosage of concentrated omega - 3 fatty acids . in another embodiment , a pharmaceutical composition consisting of , or consisting essentially of , epa , nicotinic acid ( and optionally a statin and / or a fibrate ) and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients is provided . in another embodiment , a pharmaceutical composition containing active ingredients consisting of , or consisting essentially of , epa and nicotinic acid niacin is provided . in another embodiment , a pharmaceutical composition containing active ingredients consisting of , or consisting essentially of , epa , nicotinic acid and a statin is provided . in one embodiment , compositions of the invention are orally deliverable . the terms “ orally deliverable ” or “ oral administration ” herein include any form of delivery of a therapeutic agent or a composition thereof to a subject wherein the agent or composition is placed in the mouth of the subject , whether or not the agent or composition is swallowed . thus “ oral administration ” includes buccal and sublingual as well as esophageal administration . in some embodiments , compositions of the invention are in the form of solid dosage forms . non - limiting examples of suitable solid dosage forms include tablets ( e . g . suspension tablets , bite suspension tablets , rapid dispersion tablets , chewable tablets , melt tablets , effervescent tablets , bilayer tablets , etc ), caplets , capsules ( e . g . a soft or a hard gelatin capsule filled with solid and / or liquids ), powder ( e . g . a packaged powder , a dispensable powder or an effervescent powder ), lozenges , sachets , cachets , troches , pellets , granules , microgranules , encapsulated microgranules , powder aerosol formulations , or any other solid dosage form reasonably adapted for oral administration . epa , nicotinic acid , a statin and / or any other desired active ingredient can be co - formulated in the same dosage unit , or can be individually formulated in separate dosage units . the terms “ dose unit ” and “ dosage unit ” herein refer to a portion of a pharmaceutical composition that contains an amount of a therapeutic agent suitable for a single administration to provide a therapeutic effect . such dosage units may be administered one to a plurality ( i . e . 1 to about 10 , 1 to 8 , 1 to 6 , 1 to 4 or 1 to 2 ) of times per day , or as many times as needed to elicit a therapeutic response . in one embodiment , a composition of the invention comprises nicotinic acid and / or a statin dispersed or suspended in epa , wherein the dispersion or suspension is present in a capsule ( for example gelatin or hpmc capsule ), sachet , or other dosage form or carrier as described herein . in another embodiment , the dispersion or suspension is substantially uniform . in still another embodiment , where co - administration of two or more dosage units is desired , the epa is present in a first dosage unit , for example a suspension in a capsule , and the nicotinic acid is present in second dosage unit , for example a tablet . optionally , any desired statin can be present in a third composition . in another embodiment , composition ( s ) of the invention can be in the form of liquid dosage forms or dose units to be imbibed directly or they can be mixed with food or beverage prior to ingestion . non - limiting examples of suitable liquid dosage forms include solutions , suspension , elixirs , syrups , liquid aerosol formulations , etc . in one embodiment , compositions of the invention , upon storage in a closed container maintained at room temperature , refrigerated ( e . g . about 5 to about 5 - 10 ° c .) temperature , or frozen for a period of about 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , or 12 months , exhibit at least about 90 %, at least about 95 %, at least about 97 . 5 %, or at least about 99 % of the active ingredient ( s ) originally present therein . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients . the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable excipient ” herein means any substance , not itself a therapeutic agent , used as a carrier or vehicle for delivery of a therapeutic agent to a subject or added to a pharmaceutical composition to improve its handling or storage properties or to permit or facilitate formation of a unit dose of the composition , and that does not produce unacceptable toxicity or interaction with other components in the composition . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable diluents as excipients . suitable diluents illustratively include , either individually or in combination , lactose , including anhydrous lactose and lactose monohydrate ; starches , including directly compressible starch and hydrolyzed starches ( e . g ., celutab ™ and emdex ™); mannitol ; sorbitol ; xylitol ; dextrose ( e . g ., cerelose ™ 2000 ) and dextrose monohydrate ; dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate ; sucrose - based diluents ; confectioner &# 39 ; s sugar ; monobasic calcium sulfate monohydrate ; calcium sulfate dihydrate ; granular calcium lactate trihydrate ; dextrates ; inositol ; hydrolyzed cereal solids ; amylose ; celluloses including microcrystalline cellulose , food grade sources of α - and amorphous cellulose ( e . g ., rexcel ™) and powdered cellulose ; calcium carbonate ; glycine ; bentonite ; polyvinylpyrrolidone ; and the like . such diluents , if present , constitute in total about 5 % to about 99 %, about 10 % to about 85 %, or about 20 % to about 80 %, of the total weight of the composition . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable disintegrants as excipients . suitable disintegrants include , either individually or in combination , starches , including sodium starch glycolate ( e . g ., explotab ™ of penwest ) and pregelatinized corn starches ( e . g ., national ™ 1551 , national ™ 1550 , and colocorn ™ 1500 ), clays ( e . g ., veegum ™ hv ), celluloses such as purified cellulose , microcrystalline cellulose , methylcellulose , carboxymethylcellulose and sodium carboxymethylcellulose , croscarmellose sodium ( e . g ., ac - di - sol ™ of fmc ), alginates , crospovidone , and gums such as agar , guar , xanthan , locust bean , karaya , pectin and tragacanth gums . such disintegrants , if present , typically comprise in total about 0 . 2 % to about 30 %, about 0 . 2 % to about 10 %, or about 0 . 2 % to about 5 %, of the total weight of the composition . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more antioxidants . illustrative antioxidants include sodium ascorbate and vitamin e ( tocopherol ). one or more antioxidants , if present , are typically present in a composition of the invention in an amount of about 0 . 001 % to about 5 %, about 0 . 005 % to about 2 . 5 %, or about 0 . 01 % to about 1 %, by weight . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable binding agents or adhesives as excipients . such binding agents and adhesives can impart sufficient cohesion to a powder being tableted to allow for normal processing operations such as sizing , lubrication , compression and packaging , but still allow the tablet to disintegrate and the composition to be absorbed upon ingestion . suitable binding agents and adhesives include , either individually or in combination , acacia ; tragacanth ; sucrose ; gelatin ; glucose ; starches such as , but not limited to , pregelatinized starches ( e . g ., national ™ 1511 and national ™ 1500 ); celluloses such as , but not limited to , methylcellulose and carmellose sodium ( e . g ., tylose ™); alginic acid and salts of alginic acid ; magnesium aluminum silicate ; peg ; guar gum ; polysaccharide acids ; bentonites ; povidone , for example povidone k - 15 , k - 30 and k - 29 / 32 ; polymethacrylates ; hpmc ; hydroxypropylcellulose ( e . g ., klucel ™); and ethylcellulose ( e . g ., ethocel ™). such binding agents and / or adhesives , if present , constitute in total about 0 . 5 % to about 25 %, about 0 . 75 % to about 15 %, or about 1 % to about 10 %, of the total weight of the composition . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable wetting agents as excipients . non - limiting examples of surfactants that can be used as wetting agents in compositions of the invention include quaternary ammonium compounds , for example benzalkonium chloride , benzethonium chloride and cetylpyridinium chloride , dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate , polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ethers , for example nonoxynol 9 , nonoxynol 10 , and octoxynol 9 , poloxamers ( polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene block copolymers ), polyoxyethylene fatty acid glycerides and oils , for example polyoxyethylene ( 8 ) caprylic / capric mono - and diglycerides ( e . g ., labrasol ™ of gattefossé ), polyoxyethylene ( 35 ) castor oil and polyoxyethylene ( 40 ) hydrogenated castor oil ; polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers , for example polyoxyethylene ( 20 ) cetostearyl ether , polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters , for example polyoxyethylene ( 40 ) stearate , polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters , for example polysorbate 20 and polysorbate 80 ( e . g ., tween ™ 80 of ici ), propylene glycol fatty acid esters , for example propylene glycol laurate ( e . g ., lauroglycol ™ of gattefossé ), sodium lauryl sulfate , fatty acids and salts thereof , for example oleic acid , sodium oleate and triethanolamine oleate , glyceryl fatty acid esters , for example glyceryl monostearate , sorbitan esters , for example sorbitan monolaurate , sorbitan monooleate , sorbitan monopalmitate and sorbitan monostearate , tyloxapol , and mixtures thereof . such wetting agents , if present , constitute in total about 0 . 25 % to about 15 %, about 0 . 4 % to about 10 %, or about 0 . 5 % to about 5 %, of the total weight of the composition . compositions of the invention optionally comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable lubricants ( including anti - adherents and / or glidants ) as excipients . suitable lubricants include , either individually or in combination , glyceryl behapate ( e . g ., compritol ™ 888 ); stearic acid and salts thereof , including magnesium ( magnesium stearate ), calcium and sodium stearates ; hydrogenated vegetable oils ( e . g ., sterotex ™); colloidal silica ; talc ; waxes ; boric acid ; sodium benzoate ; sodium acetate ; sodium fumarate ; sodium chloride ; dl - leucine ; peg ( e . g ., carbowax ™ 4000 and carbowax ™ 6000 ); sodium oleate ; sodium lauryl sulfate ; and magnesium lauryl sulfate . such lubricants , if present , constitute in total about 0 . 1 % to about 10 %, about 0 . 2 % to about 8 %, or about 0 . 25 % to about 5 %, of the total weight of the composition . suitable anti - adherents include talc , cornstarch , dl - leucine , sodium lauryl sulfate and metallic stearates . talc is a anti - adherent or glidant used , for example , to reduce formulation sticking to equipment surfaces and also to reduce static in the blend . talc , if present , constitutes about 0 . 1 % to about 10 %, about 0 . 25 % to about 5 %, or about 0 . 5 % to about 2 %, of the total weight of the composition . glidants can be used to promote powder flow of a solid formulation . suitable glidants include colloidal silicon dioxide , starch , talc , tribasic calcium phosphate , powdered cellulose and magnesium trisilicate . compositions of the present invention optionally comprise one or more flavoring agents , sweetening agents , and / or colorants . flavoring agents useful in the present invention include , without limitation , acacia syrup , alitame , anise , apple , aspartame , banana , bavarian cream , berry , black currant , butter , butter pecan , butterscotch , calcium citrate , camphor , caramel , cherry , cherry cream , chocolate , cinnamon , citrus , citrus punch , citrus cream , cocoa , coffee , cola , cool cherry , cool citrus , cyclamate , cylamate , dextrose , eucalyptus , eugenol , fructose , fruit punch , ginger , glycyrrhetinate , glycyrrhiza ( licorice ) syrup , grape , grapefruit , honey , isomalt , lemon , lime , lemon cream , magnasweet ®, maltol , mannitol , maple , menthol , mint , mint cream , mixed berry , nut , orange , peanut butter , pear , peppermint , peppermint cream , prosweet ® powder , raspberry , root beer , rum , saccharin , safrole , sorbitol , spearmint , spearmint cream , strawberry , strawberry cream , stevia , sucralose , sucrose , swiss cream , tagatose , tangerine , thaumatin , tutti fruitti , vanilla , walnut , watermelon , wild cherry , wintergreen , xylitol , and combinations thereof , for example , anise - menthol , cherry - anise , cinnamon - orange , cherry - cinnamon , chocolate - mint , honey - lemon , lemon - lime , lemon - mint , menthol - eucalyptus , orange - cream , vanilla - mint , etc . sweetening agents that can be used in the present invention include , for example , acesulfame potassium ( acesulfame k ), alitame , aspartame , cyclamate , cylamate , dextrose , isomalt , magnasweet ®, maltitol , mannitol , neohesperidine dc , neotame , prosweet ® powder , saccharin , sorbitol , stevia , sucralose , sucrose , tagatose , thaumatin , xylitol , and the like . flavoring agents , sweetening agents , and / or colorants can be present in compositions of the invention in any suitable amount , for example about 0 . 01 % to about 10 %, about 0 . 1 % to about 8 %, or about 1 % to about 5 %, by weight . compositions of the invention optionally comprise a suspending agent . non - limiting illustrative examples of suitable suspending agents include silicon dioxide , bentonite , hydrated aluminum silicate ( e . g . kaolin ) and mixtures thereof . one or more suspending agents are optionally present in compositions of the invention in a total amount of about 0 . 01 % to about 3 . 0 %, about 0 . 1 % to about 2 . 0 %, or about 0 . 25 % to about 1 . 0 %, by weight the foregoing excipients can have multiple roles as is known in the art . for example , starch can serve as a filler as well as a disintegrant . the classification of excipients above is not to be construed as limiting in any manner . excipients categorized in any manner may also operate under various different categories of excipients as will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art . in one embodiment , compositions of the invention are useful for treatment and / or prevention of a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder . the term “ cardiovascular - related disease or disorder ” herein refers to any disease or disorder of the heart or blood vessels ( i . e . arteries and veins ) or any symptom thereof . non - limiting examples of a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder include hypertriglyceridemia , hypercholesterolemia , mixed dyslipidemia , coronary heart disease , vascular disease , stroke , atherosclerosis , arrhythmia , hypertension , myocardial infarction , and other cardiovascular events . the term “ treatment ” in relation a given disease or disorder , includes , but is not limited to , inhibiting the disease or disorder , for example , arresting the development of the disease or disorder ; relieving the disease or disorder , for example , causing regression of the disease or disorder ; or relieving a condition caused by or resulting from the disease or disorder , for example , relieving , preventing or treating symptoms of the disease or disorder . the term “ prevention ” in relation to a given disease or disorder means : preventing the onset of disease development if none had occurred , preventing the disease or disorder from occurring in a subject that may be predisposed to the disorder or disease but has not yet been diagnosed as having the disorder or disease , and / or preventing further disease / disorder development if already present . in one embodiment , the present invention provides a method of blood lipid therapy comprising administering to a subject in need thereof 1 to a plurality of dosage units comprising a composition or compositions as disclosed herein . in another embodiment , the subject being treated has a baseline triglyceride level , prior to treatment with a composition of the present invention , greater than about 150 mg / dl or greater than about 175 mg / dl , for example about 200 mg / dl to about 600 mg / dl or about 200 mg / dl to about 500 mg / dl . in a related embodiment , upon treatment with a composition of the present invention , for example over a period of about 1 to about 200 weeks , about 1 to about 100 weeks , about 1 to about 80 weeks , about 1 to about 50 weeks , about 1 to about 40 weeks , about 1 to about 20 weeks , about 1 to about 15 weeks , about 1 to about 10 weeks , about 1 to about 5 weeks , about 1 to about 2 weeks or about 1 week , the subject or subjects exhibit one or more of : ( a ) reduced triglyceride levels compared to baseline , ( b ) reduced apo b levels compared to baseline , ( c ) increased hdl - c levels compared to baseline , ( d ) no increase in ldl - c levels compared to baseline , ( e ) a reduction in ldl - c levels compared to baseline , ( f ) a reduction in non - hdl - c levels compared to baseline , and / or ( g ) no flushing or reduced flushing compared to : ( i ) treatment with more than 1 g per day of nicotinic acid , ( ii ) treatment with more than 3 g per day of nicotinic acid , or ( iii ) treatment with a combination of about 1 to about 3 g per day of nicotinic acid plus about 4 g of omacor ®. each omacor ® capsule contains 900 mg of the ethyl ester of omega - 3 fatty acids — approximately 465 mg epa and 375 mg dha — and 4 mg α - tocopherol . relevant serum total cholesterol , hdl - c , non - hdl - c , and ldl - c levels can be measured in accordance with any of the well known analytical methods available in the art , for example using a synchron 4cx ® 4ce to perform a blood panel analysis . in one embodiment , subjects fast for up to 12 hours prior to blood sample collection . in another embodiment , upon treatment with a composition of the present invention , the subject or subjects exhibit one or more of ( a ) a reduction in triglyceride level of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % as compared to baseline ; ( b ) a reduction in non - hdl - c levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % as compared to baseline ; ( c ) an increase in hdl - c levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % as compared to baseline ; ( d ) a reduction in ldl - c levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % as compared to baseline ; ( e ) a reduction in apo b levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % as compared to baseline ; and / or ( f ) no flushing or reduced flushing compared to : treatment with 1 g or more per day of nicotinic acid or 3 g or more per day of nicotinic acid , or a combination of about 1 to about 3 g per day of nicotinic acid plus omacor ®, for example about 4 g per day of omacor ®. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a method of treating or preventing primary hypercholesteremia and / or mixed dyslipidemia ( fredrickson types iia and iib ) in a subject in need thereof , comprising administering to the subject one or more compositions as disclosed herein . in a related embodiment , the present invention provides a method of reducing triglyceride levels in a subject or subjects when treatment with a statin or nicotinic acid extended - release monotherapy is considered inadequate ( frederickson type iv hyperlipidemia ). in another embodiment , the present invention provides a method of treating or preventing risk of recurrent nonfatal myocardial infarction in a subject with a history of myocardial infarction , comprising administering to the subject one or more compositions as disclosed herein . in another embodiment , the present invention provides a method of slowing progression of or promoting regression of atherosclerotic disease in a subject in need thereof , comprising administering to a subject in need thereof one or more compositions as disclosed herein . in another embodiment , the present invention provides a method of treating or preventing very high serum triglyceride levels ( e . g . types iv and v hyperlipidemia ) in a subject in need thereof , comprising administering to the subject one or more compositions as disclosed herein . in another embodiment , the present invention provides a method of treating subjects having very high serum triglyceride levels ( e . g . greater than 1000 mg / dl or greater than 2000 mg / dl ) and that are at risk of developing pancreatitis , comprising administering to the subject one or more compositions as disclosed herein . in another embodiment optionally associated with any of the methods disclosed herein , administration of any composition or compositions disclosed herein to a subject results in an absence of flushing or reduced flushing by comparison with administration of conventional high dose ( e . g . & gt ; 1 . 5 g , for example about 2 g to about 3 g maintenance dose ) immediate - release , extended - release or sustained - release nicotinic acid therapy or combination therapy . the term “ flushing ” herein includes facial flushing or flushing associated with any other area of the skin , for example redness , itching , burning and / or tingling sensations that typically occur on the face , neck , chest , and back . in another embodiment , administration of a composition of the invention to a subject or plurality of subjects results in no flushing , tolerable flushing or decreased flushing by comparison with : ( a ) 3 g or more per day of nicotinic acid therapy , ( b ) 2 g or more per day of nicotinic acid therapy , ( c ) 1 g or more per day of nicotinic acid therapy , ( d ) at least 2 g , 3 g or 4 g of omacor ® per day plus greater than 1 g per day of nicotinic acid therapy , or ( e ) at least 2 g , 3 g or 4 g omacor ® per day plus 2 g or more per day of nicotinic acid therapy or 3 g or more per day of nicotinic acid therapy . in another embodiment optionally associated with any of the methods disclosed herein , administration of any of the compositions of the invention to a subject or plurality of subjects results in substantially no or no liver toxicity or reduced liver toxicity compared to administration of extended - release or sustained - release nicotinic acid dosage units to a subject or plurality of subjects in an amount of more than 1 . 5 g per day or greater , for example 2 g per day or greater , or 3 g per day or greater . in still another embodiment , administration of any of the compositions disclosed herein to a subject results in no flushing or decreased flushing , and no increase in ldl or reduced increase in ldl by comparison with daily co - administration of four 1 g omacor ® capsules plus 3 g of immediate - release nicotinic acid . in still another embodiment , administration of any of the compositions disclosed herein to a subject results in increased subject compliance and or decreased subject withdrawal from treatment by comparison with daily administration of four 1 g omacor ® capsules plus 3 g of immediate - release nicotinic acid . in another embodiment , subject compliance (% of subjects substantially complying with the prescribed dosage regimen ) is greater than 70 %, greater than 80 %, greater than 90 %, greater than 93 %, greater than 95 %, or greater than 98 %, for example over a period of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 or 20 days , and / or subject withdrawal or non - compliance due to flushing (% of subjects substantially not complying with the prescribed dosage regimen due to flushing effects ) is less than 8 %, less than 7 %, less than 5 % or less than 3 %, for example over a period of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 or 20 days . one embodiment of the invention comprises treating or preventing a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder as defined herein by administering to a subject in need thereof about 50 mg to about 1500 mg per day of immediate - release nicotinic acid , about 50 mg to about 5 g per day of epa , for example ethyl ester epa containing no dha , and / or about 10 mg to about 300 mg per day of a statin . in another embodiment , a composition of the invention is administered to a subject in an amount sufficient to provide a daily maintenance dose of nicotinic acid of about 5 mg to about 1500 mg , about 10 mg to about 1000 mg , about 20 mg to about 800 mg , about 50 mg to about 500 mg , or about 75 mg to about 450 mg , for example in a daily amount of about 25 mg , about 50 mg , 75 mg , about 100 mg , about 125 mg , about 150 mg , about 175 mg , about 200 mg , about 225 mg , about 250 mg , about 275 mg , about 300 mg , about 325 mg , about 350 mg , about 375 mg , about 400 mg , about 425 mg , about 450 mg , about 475 mg , about 500 mg , about 525 mg , about 550 mg , about 575 mg , about 600 mg , about 625 mg , about 650 mg , about 675 mg , about 700 mg , about 725 mg , about 750 mg , about 775 mg , about 800 mg , about 825 mg , about 850 mg , about 875 mg , about 900 mg , about 925 mg , about 950 mg , about 975 mg , about 1000 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1100 mg , about 1125 mg , about 1150 mg , about 1175 mg , about 1200 mg , about 1225 mg , about 1250 mg , about 1275 mg , about 1300 mg , about 1325 mg , about 1350 mg , about 1375 mg , about 1400 mg , about 1425 mg , about 1450 mg , or about 1475 mg . in one embodiment , a composition of the invention is administered to a subject in an amount sufficient to provide a daily epa dose of about 1 mg to about 10 , 000 mg , 25 about 5000 mg , about 50 to about 3000 mg , about 75 mg to about 2500 mg , or about 100 mg to about 1000 mg , for example about 75 mg , about 100 mg , about 125 mg , about 150 mg , about 175 mg , about 200 mg , about 225 mg , about 250 mg , about 275 mg , about 300 mg , about 325 mg , about 350 mg , about 375 mg , about 400 mg , about 425 mg , about 450 mg , about 475 mg , about 500 mg , about 525 mg , about 550 mg , about 575 mg , about 600 mg , about 625 mg , about 650 mg , about 675 mg , about 700 mg , about 725 mg , about 750 mg , about 775 mg , about 800 mg , about 825 mg , about 850 mg , about 875 mg , about 900 mg , about 925 mg , about 950 mg , about 975 mg , about 1000 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1100 mg , about 1025 mg , about 1050 mg , about 1075 mg , about 1200 mg , about 1225 mg , about 1250 mg , about 1275 mg , about 1300 mg , about 1325 mg , about 1350 mg , about 1375 mg , about 1400 mg , about 1425 mg , about 1450 mg , about 1475 mg , about 1500 mg , about 1525 mg , about 1550 mg , about 1575 mg , about 1600 mg , about 1625 mg , about 1650 mg , about 1675 mg , about 1700 mg , about 1725 mg , about 1750 mg , about 1775 mg , about 1800 mg , about 1825 mg , about 1850 mg , about 1875 mg , about 1900 mg , about 1925 mg , about 1950 mg , about 1975 mg , about 2000 mg , about 2025 mg , about 2050 mg , about 2075 mg , about 2100 mg , about 2125 mg , about 2150 mg , about 2175 mg , about 2200 mg , about 2225 mg , about 2250 mg , about 2275 mg , about 2300 mg , about 2325 mg , about 2350 mg , about 2375 mg , about 2400 mg , about 2425 mg , about 2450 mg , about 2475 mg or about 2500 mg . in another embodiment , the statin is administered to the subject in a daily amount of about 1 to about 300 mg , about 5 mg to about 200 mg , about 10 mg to about 180 mg , about 20 mg to about 150 mg , about 30 mg about 100 mg , or about 40 mg to about 60 mg . nicotinic acid , epa and / or a statin can be administered as a co - formulation or as individual dosage units . where the nicotinic acid , epa and / or a statin are co - administered as separate dosage units , each dosage unit can be administered to a subject over a time period of 24 hours , 18 hours , 12 hours , 10 hours , 8 hours , 6 hours , 4 hours , 2 hours , 1 hour , 0 . 5 hours , or substantially simultaneously . in another embodiment , nicotinic acid , epa and / or a statin can be administered sequentially . for example , epa can be administered to a subject as a sole agent during an epa loading period . the loading period can be , for example , 1 day , 2 days , 4 days , 6 days , 2 weeks , 3 weeks , 4 weeks , 5 weeks , 6 weeks , 7 weeks , 8 weeks , 9 weeks or 10 weeks . after any such loading period , nicotinic acid and / or statin treatment can be initiated together with epa or in place of epa treatment . in another embodiment , epa is administered to a subject in the morning , for example from about 4 am to about 10 am , and low dose nicotinic acid ( i . e . less than 1500 mg is administered to the same subject in the afternoon or evening , for example from about 12 pm to about 11 pm . in a related embodiment , upon treatment in accordance with the present invention , for example over a period of about 1 to about 200 weeks , about 1 to about 100 weeks , about 1 to about 80 weeks , about 1 to about 50 weeks , about 1 to about 40 weeks , about 1 to about 20 weeks , about 1 to about 15 weeks , about 1 to about 12 weeks , about 1 to about 10 weeks , about 1 to about 5 weeks , about 1 to about 2 weeks or about 1 week , the subject or subject group exhibits one or more of the following outcomes : ( i ) an increase in apo a - i / apo b ratio compared to baseline ; ( o ) a reduction in fasting plasma glucose ( fpg ) compared to baseline ; ( p ) a reduction in hemoglobin a 1c ( hba 1c ) compared to baseline ; ( q ) a reduction in homeostasis model insulin resistance compared to baseline ; ( r ) a reduction in lipoprotein associated phospholipase a2 compared to baseline ; ( v ) a reduction in high sensitivity c - reactive protein ( hscrp ) compared to baseline ; ( x ) an increase in red blood cell membrane epa compared to baseline ; and / or ( y ) a reduction or increase in one or more of serum phospholipid and / or red blood cell content of docosahexaenoic acid ( dha ), docosapentaenoic acid ( dpa ), arachidonic acid ( aa ), palmitic acid ( pa ), staeridonic acid ( sa ) or oleic acid ( oa ) compared to baseline . in one embodiment , methods of the present invention comprise measuring baseline levels of one or more markers set forth in ( a )-( y ) above prior to dosing the subject or subject group . in another embodiment , the methods comprise administering a composition as disclosed herein to the subject after baseline levels of one or more markers set forth in ( a )-( y ) are determined , and subsequently taking an additional measurement of said one or more markers . in another embodiment , upon treatment with a composition of the present invention , for example over a period of about 1 to about 200 weeks , about 1 to about 100 weeks , about 1 to about 80 weeks , about 1 to about 50 weeks , about 1 to about 40 weeks , about 1 to about 20 weeks , about 1 to about 15 weeks , about 1 to about 12 weeks , about 1 to about 10 weeks , about 1 to about 5 weeks , about 1 to about 2 weeks or about 1 week , the subject or subject group exhibits any 2 or more of , any 3 or more of , any 4 or more of , any 5 or more of , any 6 or more of , any 7 or more of , any 8 or more of , any 9 or more of , any 10 or more of , any 11 or more of , any 12 or more of , any 13 or more of , any 14 or more of , any 15 or more of , any 16 or more of , any 17 or more of , any 18 or more of , any 19 or more of , any 20 or more of , any 21 or more of , any 22 or more of , any 23 or more , any 24 or more , or all 25 of outcomes ( a )-( y ) described immediately above . in another embodiment , upon treatment with a composition of the present invention , the subject or subject group exhibits one or more of the following outcomes : ( a ) a reduction in triglyceride level of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) as compared to baseline ; ( b ) a less than 30 % increase , less than 20 % increase , less than 10 % increase , less than 5 % increase or no increase in non - hdl - c levels or a reduction in non - hdl - c levels of at least about 1 %, at least about 3 %, at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) as compared to baseline ; ( c ) an increase in hdl - c levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) as compared to baseline ; ( d ) a less than 30 % increase , less than 20 % increase , less than 10 % increase , less than 5 % increase or no increase in ldl - c levels or a reduction in ldl - c levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) as compared to baseline ; ( e ) a decrease in apo b levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) as compared to baseline ; ( f ) a reduction in vldl levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual ° a change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( g ) an increase in apo a - i levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( h ) an increase in apo a - i / apo b ratio of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( i ) a reduction in lipoprotein ( a ) levels of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( j ) a reduction in mean ldl particle number of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( k ) an increase in mean ldl particle size of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( l ) a reduction in remnant - like particle cholesterol of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( m ) a reduction in oxidized ldl of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( n ) a reduction in fasting plasma glucose ( fpg ) of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( o ) a reduction in hemoglobin a 1c ( hba 1c ) of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, or at least about 50 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( p ) a reduction in homeostasis model index insulin resistance of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( q ) a reduction in lipoprotein associated phospholipase a2 of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( r ) a reduction in intracellular adhesion molecule - 1 of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( s ) a reduction in interleukin - 2 of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( t ) a reduction in plasminogen activator inhibitor - 1 of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( u ) a reduction in high sensitivity c - reactive protein ( hscrp ) of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, or at least about 100 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( v ) an increase in serum phospholipid epa of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 100 %, at least about 200 % or at least about 400 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( w ) an increase in serum phospholipid and / or red blood cell membrane epa of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, r at least about 50 %, at least about 100 %, at least about 200 %, or at least about 400 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; ( x ) a reduction or increase in one or more of serum phospholipid and / or red blood cell dha , dpa , aa , pa and / or oa of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline ; and / or ( y ) a reduction in total cholesterol of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 15 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 30 %, at least about 35 %, at least about 40 %, at least about 45 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 55 % or at least about 75 % ( actual % change or median % change ) compared to baseline . in one embodiment , methods of the present invention comprise measuring baseline levels of one or more markers set forth in ( a )-( y ) prior to dosing the subject or subject group . in another embodiment , the methods comprise administering a composition as disclosed herein to the subject after baseline levels of one or more markers set forth in ( a )-( y ) are determined , and subsequently taking a second measurement of the one or more markers as measured at baseline for comparison thereto . in another embodiment , upon treatment with a composition of the present invention , for example over a period of about 1 to about 200 weeks , about 1 to about 100 weeks , about 1 to about 80 weeks , about 1 to about 50 weeks , about 1 to about 40 weeks , about 1 to about 20 weeks , about 1 to about 15 weeks , about 1 to about 12 weeks , about 1 to about 10 weeks , about 1 to about 5 weeks , about 1 to about 2 weeks or about 1 week , the subject or subject group exhibits any 2 or more of , any 3 or more of , any 4 or more of , any 5 or more of , any 6 or more of , any 7 or more of , any 8 or more of , any 9 or more of , any 10 or more of , any 11 or more of , any 12 or more of , any 13 or more of , any 14 or more of , any 15 or more of , any 16 or more of , any 17 or more of , any 18 or more of , any 19 or more of , any 20 or more of , any 21 or more of , any 22 or more of , any 23 or more of , any 24 or more of , or all 26 or more of outcomes ( a )-( y ) described immediately above . parameters ( a )-( y ) can be measured in accordance with any clinically acceptable methodology . for example , triglycerides , total cholesterol , hdl - c and fasting blood sugar can be sample from serum and analyzed using standard photometry techniques . vldl - tg , ldl - c and vldl - c can be calculated or determined using serum lipoprotein fractionation by preparative ultracentrifugation and subsequent quantitative analysis by refractometry or by analytic ultracentrifugal methodology . apo a1 , apo b and hscrp can be determined from serum using standard nephelometry techniques . lipoprotein ( a ) can be determined from serum using standard turbidimetric immunoassay techniques . ldl particle number and particle size can be determined using nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ) spectrometry . remnants lipoproteins and ldl - phospholipase a2 can be determined from edta plasma or serum and serum , respectively , using enzymatic immunoseparation techniques . oxidized ldl , intercellular adhesion molecule - 1 and interleukin - 2 levels can be determined from serum using standard enzyme immunoassay techniques . these techniques are described in detail in standard textbooks , for example tietz fundamentals of clinical chemistry , 6 th ed . ( burtis , ashwood and borter eds . ), wb saunders company . in one embodiment , subjects fast for up to 12 hours prior to blood sample collection , for example about 10 hours . in another embodiment , the invention provides the use of nicotinic acid , epa and optionally a statin or fibrate in the manufacture of a medicament for treatment or prevention of a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder such as hypertriglyceridemia , hypercholesterolemia , mixed dyslipidemia , coronary heart disease , vascular disease , stroke , atherosclerosis , arrhythmia , hypertension , myocardial infarction , and other cardiovascular events . in one embodiment , the composition contains not more than 10 % dha , if any . in another embodiment , the composition contains no dha . in another embodiment , the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising nicotinic acid and epa for the treatment and / or prevention of a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder , wherein the composition contains not more than 10 % dha , if any . in a related embodiment , the composition contains no dha . in one embodiment , the invention provides a method of treating a cardiovascular - related disease or disorder in a subject in need thereof comprising providing the subject with epa pre - treatment followed by one or more doses of nicotinic acid . in one embodiment , the dose of nicotinic acid is sufficient to provide the subject with not more than 3000 mg , not more than 2000 mg , not more than 1000 mg , not more than 750 mg , not more than 500 mg , or not more than 250 mg of nicotinic acid . the term “ pre - treatment ” in the present context means providing the subject with one or more doses of epa about 0 . 1 to about 96 hours , about 1 to about 48 hours , about 2 to about 24 hours , about 3 to about 15 hours , or about 4 to about 12 hours prior to providing the subject with an initial dose of nicotinic acid as set forth herein , for example a dose of not more than 3000 mg , not more than 2000 mg , not more than 1000 mg , not more than 750 mg , not more than 500 mg , or not more than 250 mg of nicotinic acid . in a related embodiment , the subject is pre - treated with epa in an amount of about 1 mg to about 5000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 4000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 3000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 2000 mg per day , or 1 mg to about 1000 mg per day for a period of about 1 to about 30 days , ito about 20 days , 1 to about 15 days , 1 to about 10 days , ito about 8 days , 1 to about 6 days , 1 to about 4 days or 1 to about 2 days . in another embodiment , the invention provides a method of preventing or reducing niacin - induced flushing in a subject comprising ( a ) providing a subject that is to begin niacin therapy , ( b ) pre - treating the subject with epa and ( c ) administering niacin to the subject after said pre - treatment . in one embodiment , the niacin is administered at a dose of not more than 3000 mg , not more than 2000 mg , not more than 1000 mg , not more than 750 mg , not more than 500 mg , or not more than 250 mg per day . in another embodiment , the subject is pre - treated with epa in an amount of about 1 mg to about 5000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 4000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 3000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 2000 mg per day , or 1 mg to about 1000 mg per day for a period of about 1 to about 30 days , 1 to about 20 days , 1 to about 15 days , 1 to about 10 days , 1 to about 8 days , 1 to about 6 days , 1 to about 4 days or 1 to about 2 days . in another embodiment , the invention provides a method of reducing or attenuating niacin - induced flushing in a subject on niacin therapy , comprising ( a ) identifying a subject on niacin therapy and that is experiencing flushing and ( b ) administering epa to the subject . in one embodiment , the niacin is administered at a dose of not more than 3000 mg , not more than 2000 mg , not more than 1000 mg , not more than 750 mg , not more than 500 mg , or not more than 250 mg per day . in another embodiment , the epa is administered to the subject in an amount of about 1 mg to about 5000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 4000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 3000 mg per day , 1 mg to about 2000 mg per day , or 1 mg to about 1000 mg per day . in other embodiments , any of the methods disclosed herein are used in treatment or prevention of a subject or subjects that consume a traditional western diet . in one embodiment , the methods of the invention include a step of identifying a subject as a western diet consumer or prudent diet consumer and then treating the subject if the subject is deemed to consume a western diet . the term “ western diet ” herein refers generally to a typical diet consisting of , by percentage of total calories , about 45 % to about 50 % carbohydrate , about 35 to about 40 % fat , and about 10 % to about 15 % protein . a western diet may further be characterized by relatively high intakes of red and processed meats , sweets , refined grains , and desserts , for example where half or more or 70 % or more calories come from these sources . the following example is for illustrative purposes and is not to be construed as limiting the invention in any manner . an analysis was performed to assess the impact of red blood cell ( rbc ) epa incorporation on arachidonic acid formation . in various studies , patients were randomized , on a double - blind basis , to receive either placebo ( liquid paraffin ) or 0 . 5 1 , 2 or 4 g of 97 % pure ethyl - epa / day for 12 weeks . all the doses were administered in eight identical appearing capsules . rbcs were analyzed for epa and aa following in general the methodology of manku et al . m . s . manku , d . f . horrobin , y . s . huang and n . morse , fatty acids in plasma and red cell membranes in normal humans . lipids 18 ( 1983 ), pp . 906 - 908 ). venous blood was collected into a tube pretreated with edta and centrifuged at 1500 gav for 15 min . the plasma layer and the buffy coat were separated off and the red cells washed with an equal volume of 0 . 9 % saline . samples were stored at − 80 ° c . prior to analysis . on thawing , the rbcs were suspended in nacl / h 2 so 4 aq . ( 17 mmol / l nacl , 1 mmol / l sulfuric acid , 1 . 8 ml ), then shaken with methanol ( 3 ml ). chloroform ( 6 ml ) and c 17 : 0 internal standard were added and the sample was stirred vigorously using a vortex mixer . after centrifugation at 2000 gav for 10 min , the lower layer containing the total lipid extract was carefully removed and filtered through anhydrous sodium sulphate before evaporation to dryness . the lipids were transesterified using sulfuric acid / methanol . the methyl esters were purified by loading onto an isohexane - washed silica column prior to elution with isohexane : diethyl ether ( 95 : 5 ). the resulting methyl esters of the fatty acids were separated and measured using a hewlett - packard hp5890 series ii plus gas chromatograph ( cp - wax 52cb 25m capillary column , chrompack uk ). the carrier gas was hydrogen ( 1 ml / min ). the oven temperature was programmed to rise from 1701 to 2201 ° c . at 41 ° c ./ min . the detector temperature was 300 ° c . and injector temperature 230 ° c . retention times and peak areas were automatically computed by hewlett - packard hp 3365 chem . station . as shown in fig1 , increasing rbc epa incorporation results in decreasing arachidonic acid formation . the figure below is a average for all data collected from several clinical studies .
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the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the fig9 through 18 . fig9 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention . packet data , such as an mpeg2 standard transport data stream , are input to an input terminal 21 . in addition to video data packets , other data packets are transmitted . each data packet is assigned with a pid so that the different types of data packets can be discriminated . in addition , identification table packets showing the relationships between the pids and the different types of packet data are that transmitted at prescribed intervals . packet data are supplied to a demultiplexer ( dmpx ) 22 . the demultiplexer 22 separates the data packets according to type based on the pids contained in the data packet , outputs identification table packets to an identification table decoder 23 and a packet memory 24 , and outputs video packets to a trick play video packet generator 25 . the identification table decoder 23 decodes and outputs an identification table showing the relationship between the pid and the type of data to the demultiplexer 22 . the demultiplexer 22 separates the packets by type based on the identification tables . the trick play video packet generator 25 generates trick play video data ( trick play frame data ) from the video data packets , produces trick play video packets by packetizing the generated trick play frame data , and outputs the packets to the multiplexer ( mpx ) 26 . further , the trick play video packet generator 25 detects the top of the trick play frame in the trick play video packet and outputs a timing signal to the packet memory 24 at the time of detection . the packet memory 24 stores the identification table packet and outputs it to the multiplexer 26 at the time the timing signal is sent . the multiplexer 26 multiplexes an identification table packet and a trick play video packet from the trick play video packet generator 25 and outputs them to a trick play packet memory 27 as a trick play record packet . the trick play packet memory 27 stores the output of the multiplexer 26 and outputs to a multiplexer 28 . in addition , the data packets which are input to the input terminal 21 are also supplied to a normal reproduced packet memory 29 . the normal reproduced packet memory 29 stores the input data packets and outputs to the multiplexer ( mpx ) 28 . the multiplexer 28 rearranges the trick play video packets from the trick play packet memory 27 and the normal reproduced packets from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 into the recording data sequence and outputs the packets to a recording section ( not shown ) as recording data . further , the recording section adds a prescribed header and an error correction code to the recording data and records all of the data on a magnetic tape ( not shown ) after a prescribed modulation process . the recording section is also capable of recording the trick play video packets in the trick play data recording areas provided at prescribed positions on a magnetic tape and recording normal reproduced packets in other areas on the tape . next , the operation of the embodiment in the construction as described above will be explained referring to fig1 . fig1 is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence of recording data with the frames . fig1 ( a ) shows the recording tracks , fig1 ( b ) shows the recorded data in the trick play data recording area and fig1 ( c ) shows the frame display timing at the time of reproduction . further , the numerical figures shown at the lower end of fig1 ( a ) show track numbers . the scale of the x axis in fig1 ( c ) indicates the display time of one frame . the data packet input through the input terminal 21 is supplied to the demultiplexer 22 . the demultiplexer 22 detects the pid of the data packet and outputs the data packet with the 0th pid to the identification table decoder 23 as the identification table packet . the identification table decoder 23 generates an identification table by decoding the identification table packets and outputs the identification table to the demultiplexer 22 . the demultiplexer 22 separates the sequentially input data packets into identification table packets , video packets and other packets based on the identification table . the identification table packets are supplied to the packet memory 22 for storage . the video packets are supplied to the trick play video packet generator 25 . the trick play video packet generator 25 generates trick play video data ( trick play frame data ) from the video data packets and produces trick play video packets by packetizing the generated trick play frame data . the trick play video packet generator 25 also detects the top of the trick play frame contained in the trick play video packet and outputs a timing signal to the packet memory 24 at the time of detection . the packet memory 24 outputs the stored identification table packet to the multiplexer 26 according to the timing signal . the multiplexer 26 multiplexes the trick play video packet and the identification table packet from the packet memory 24 and outputs them to the trick play packet memory 27 . thus , the output of the multiplexer 26 contains the identification table packet in trick play frames . the output of the multiplexer 26 is retained in the trick play packet memory 27 . on the other hand , the data packets input through the input terminal 21 are stored in the normal reproduced packet memory 29 and supplied to the multiplexer 28 . the multiplexer 28 outputs the trick play video packets from the trick play packet memory 27 on a magnetic tape during the period corresponding to the trick play data recording area and outputs the normal reproduced packets from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 during the period corresponding to the areas other than the trick play data recording area . the output of the multiplexer 28 is supplied to the recording section ( not shown ) as recording data and recorded on a magnetic tape with a prescribed header and an error correction code after a prescribed modulation process is applied . fig1 ( a ) shows the recording tracks of a magnetic tape recorded by the recording section . on a magnetic tape 31 , the trick play data recording areas t1 , t2 , etc . ( the shaded areas ) have been provided for recording trick play data of a prescribed speed . data based on the trick play video packets from the trick play packet memory 27 , have been recorded in these trick play data recording areas t1 , t2 etc . further , data based on the normal reproduced packets from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 have been recorded in other areas . fig1 ( b ) shows data recorded in the trick play data recording areas t1 , t2 , etc . the shaded sections in fig1 ( b ) indicate identification table packets with the 0th pid . as illustrated in fig1 ( b ), in trick play data recording area t1 , identification table packet a1 with the 0th pid , the 0th frame data , identification table packet a2 and a part of the first frame data were recorded . in trick play data recording area t2 , a part of the first frame data , identification table packet a3 , and a part of the second frame data were recorded . in trick play data recording area t3 , a part of the second frame data , identification table packet a4 with the 0th pid , and a part of the third frame data were recorded . in trick play data recording area t4 , a part of the third frame data , identification table packet b1 with the 0th pid , and the fourth frame data were recorded . as described above , the identification table packet is inserted into the trick play video packets at the top of each frame data by the packet memory 24 . in other words , the preceding identification table packet is repeatedly recorded for every frame until the next identification table packet is transmitted . for instance , identification table packets a1 through a4 are based on the same identification table packet , and the same identification table is transmitted until identification table packet b1 transmits an identification table which is different from identification table a1 . now , it is assumed that the playback mode is changed from the normal speed mode to the trick play mode . in this case , the first effective trace after the mode change is assumed to be trace 35 to reproduce data from trick play data recording area t2 . then , a part of the first frame data , identification table packet a3 and the top data of the second frame in the trick play data recording area t2 are first reproduced by trace 35 . of these reproduced data , the first frame data is not used for decoding because its top portion has not been reproduced . however , the top data of the second frame can be identified as being a trick play video packet because identification table packet a3 has been decoded . thereafter , the reproduced data obtained by traces 36 and 37 can be decoded using the decoding data of identification table packets a3 , a4 , etc . similarly , when the first effective trace after switching from the normal speed playback mode to the trick play mode is , for instance , trace 36 , data which are reproduced after identification table packet a4 can be decoded . fig1 ( c ) shows a timing chart for displaying a restored image when the first effective trace after changing from the normal speed playback mode to the trick play mode is trace 34 . in this case , reproduced data subsequent to the 0th frame is decoded since identification table packet a1 has been reproduced , as illustrated in fig1 ( c ). the decoded video data of the 0th frame are retained and displayed repeatedly until the decoding process of the first frame is completed . similarly , the decoded data of each frame is retained and displayed repeatedly until the decoding process of the next frame is completed . in this embodiment , since a trick play video packet to be recorded in the trick play data recording area is generated with an identification table packet inserted repeatedly for every trick play frame , the identification table packet can be reproduced whenever the top portion of a frame is reproduced , regardless of when the trace in the trick play mode is started . therefore , it is possible to restore and display a trick play image immediately after the playback mode is shifted from the normal speed mode to the trick play mode . further , although the identification table packet is output for every trick play frame from the packet memory and inserted into the trick play video packet in this embodiment , the identification table packet can be inserted at any other cycle as well . fig1 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , reference numerals used in fig9 will be used to designate the same elements and the explanations of these elements will be omitted . this embodiment differs from the first embodiment shown in fig9 in that the packet memory 24 was deleted , a trick play video packet generator 40 has been substituted for the trick play video packet generator 25 , and a trick play identification table packet generator 41 has been provided . the identification table decoder 23 outputs an identification table to the demultiplexer 22 and to the trick play identification table packet generator 41 . the trick play identification table packet generator 41 sets up pids which are different from the pids used for the normal reproduced packets by changing the identification table and outputs the new pids as trick play pids to the trick play video packet generator 40 . further , the trick play identification table packet generator 41 outputs the changed identification table packet to the multiplexer 26 as trick play identification table packets . the trick play video packet generator 40 generates trick play frame data from video data packets and produces trick play video packets by packetizing the generated trick play frame data . in this case , the trick play video packet generator 40 uses a trick play pid from the trick play identification table packet generator 41 as a pid in the trick play video packets . the trick play video packets are supplied to the multiplexer 26 . the multiplexer 26 multiplexes the identification table packet from the trick play identification table packet generator 41 and the trick play video packet from the trick play video packet generator 40 and outputs them to the trick play packet memory 27 as a trick play recording packet . for instance , the multiplexer 26 outputs the identification table packet in the trick play frames contained in the trick play video packet . in the embodiment in the construction as described above , the identification table decoded by the identification table decoder 23 is supplied to the demultiplexer 22 and to the trick play identification table packet generator 41 . the trick play identification table packet generator 41 sets up a pid for the trick play video packet which is different from the pid for the normal reproduced packet . the new pid output is output as the pid for trick play to the trick play video packet generator 40 . thus , the pid for the trick play video packet generated by the trick play video packet generator 40 differs from the pid for the normal reproduced packet from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 . the multiplexer 26 outputs the identification table packet with the changed pid by inserting it into the trick play video packet in the trick play frames . other operations are similar to the embodiment shown in fig9 . since the pid for the trick play video packets , which are recorded in the trick play data recording areas , differs from the pid for the normal reproduced packets which are recorded in other areas , it is possible to extract only the trick play video packets from reproduced data by identifying the pid at the decoder side . it is therefore not necessary to record separate information for discriminating whether packets are normal reproduced packets or trick play packets when recording them . fig1 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , the reference numerals used in fig9 will be assigned to the same component elements and their explanation will be omitted . this embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in fig9 in that the packet memory 24 was deleted and a trick play video packet generator 51 has been adopted for the trick play video packet generator 25 . the trick play video data packet generator 51 generates trick play frame data from the video data packets and produces trick play video packets by packetizing the generated trick play frame data . in this case , the trick play video packet generator 51 changes the pid for each trick play packet to the pid for trick play of a prescribed code which is not used for the normal reproduced packets from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 . this trick play video packet is output to the trick play packet memory 27 . in other words , in this embodiment , the identification table packets are not recorded in the trick play data recording areas on the magnetic tape . instead , only trick play video packets from the trick play video packet generator 51 are recorded . fig1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a reproducing apparatus for playing back a magnetic tape recorded by the recording apparatus shown in fig1 . reproduced data , obtained by applying the demodulation process and the error correction process to reproduced signals obtained by tracing a magnetic tape ( not shown ), is supplied to an input terminal 61 . this reproduced data is applied to a demultiplexer ( dmpx ) 62 . the demultiplexer 62 detects the pids of packets contained in the reproduced data and separates normal reproduced packets from the trick play video packets based on the detected pids . that is , the multiplexer 62 separates the packets for normal speed playback and the video packets for trick play according to whether the pids are used for the normal reproduced packets or for the trick play packets . the demultiplexer 62 supplies the normal reproduced packets to terminal a of switch 63 and the trick play video packets to a multiplexer ( mpx ) 64 . the multiplexer 64 is also supplied with the output of a trick play identification table generator 65 . the trick play identification table generator 65 generates an identification table responding to the pid for trick play and outputs the identification table to the multiplexer 64 . the multiplexer 64 inserts the identification table packet in the trick play video packet and outputs it to terminal b of switch 63 . the multiplexer 64 may insert the identification table packet immediately after the playback mode has been shifted from the normal speed mode to the trick play mode or at some other prescribed timing . the switch 63 selects terminal a in the normal speed playback mode and terminal b in the trick play mode , and outputs the input data packet to an output buffer 66 . the output buffer 66 outputs the input data packet to a decoder ( not shown ) at a selected reproduction rate . in the recording apparatus shown in fig1 in the construction as described above , trick play video packets are generated by a trick play video packet generator 51 . in this case , the pid for the trick play video packet is changed to a new trick play pid which is not used for normal reproduced packets . the trick play video packet is supplied to the multiplexer 28 via the trick play packet memory 27 . that is , the output of the trick play packet memory 27 contains no identification table packet . the multiplexer 28 outputs the trick play video packet from the trick play packet memory 27 during the period corresponding to the trick play data recording area of a magnetic tape and the normal reproduced packet from the normal reproduced packet memory 29 during the period corresponding to areas other than the trick play data recording area . on the other hand , in the reproducing apparatus shown in fig1 , reproduced data is supplied to the demultiplexer 62 . using the fact that the pid code used for normal reproduced packets differs from the pid used for trick play video packets , the demultiplexer 62 separates the normal reproduced packets from the trick play video packets . the trick play identification table generator 65 generates an identification table responding to the pid for trick play and outputs the table to the multiplexer 64 . the multiplexer 64 inserts the identification table into the trick play video packet and outputs to the switch 63 . the switch 63 selects terminal b in the trick play mode . thus , the output of the multiplexer 64 is output at a selected reproduction rate via the output buffer 66 . the identification table has been inserted into the trick play video packet from the multiplexer 64 , for instance , immediately after the shifting to the trick play mode . therefore , it is possible to decode video data of the trick play video packet by decoding the identification table with the decoder ( not shown ). as described above , in the embodiments shown in fig1 and 13 , the pids used for the trick play video packets are set at a prescribed code which is not used for the normal reproduced packet . only trick play video packets are recorded in the trick play data recording areas of a magnetic tape without recording the identification table packet and thus , it is possible to improve the recording rate . further , it is possible to decode trick play video packets in the trick play mode by generating and inserting the identification table packet corresponding to the trick play pid into the trick play video packet at the reproduction side . trick play images can be restored and displayed with certainty even immediately after shifting from the normal speed playback mode to the trick play mode . further , in the embodiments described above , trick play images have been explained as frame data , but they may be field data or data in prescribed areas on a screen . as described above , the first aspect of the present invention can restore trick play images with certainty even immediately after the playback mode is shifted from the normal speed mode to the trick play mode . in addition , the invention can reproduce trick play data in the trick play mode accurately without the recording of information for discriminating whether packets are for normal speed playback or for trick play . hereinafter , preferred embodiments according to the second aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a data packet recording apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention . packet data such as a transport data stream of the mpeg2 standard , etc ., are input to an input terminal 110 . in addition to video and audio data packets , other data packets are also transmitted . each data packet is assigned with a pid so that the type , etc ., of data packet can be discriminated . in addition , an identification table showing the relationship between the pids and the data packet types is transmitted by the pmt packet , and information indicating the pid of the pmt packet is transmitted by the pat packet . the input data packets are supplied to a multiplexer ( hereinafter referred to as mpx ) 111 and also , to a demultiplexer ( hereinafter referred to as dmpx ) 112 . the dmpx 112 detects a pid contained in the data packet and decodes a pat packet and a pmt packet having a specific pid . the dmpx 112 separates the data packets into its various types based on the pids and the decoding results of the packets and outputs the pat , pmt and video packets to a trick play packet generator 113 . the trick play packet generator 113 generates trick play packets based on the input data packet . further , the embodiment shows an example using only video packets for generating trick play data . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of the trick play packet generator 113 shown in fig1 . video packets are supplied to a depacketizer 116 through a terminal 115 , and pat and pmt packets are supplied to a pat / pmt memory 118 through a terminal 117 . the depacketizer 116 restores the condition of the coded video data stream before packetization by depacketizing the video packets and outputs the coded video data stream to a trick play stream generator 119 . the trick play stream generator 119 generates a trick play data stream by extracting a part of , for instance , the input video data stream . for example , the trick play stream generator 119 may extract intra - frame compression data and various header information as a trick play data stream . further , the trick play stream generator 119 may extract dc components of a coefficient of a dct transform and various header information as a trick play data stream . the trick play stream generator 119 also may use inter - frame compression data as a trick play data stream . the trick play stream generator 119 outputs the generated trick play data stream to a packetizer 120 . the packetizer 120 then produces trick play video packets by packetizing the input trick play data stream and provides the data stream to an mpx 120 . the trick play stream generator 119 supplies information at the top of the trick play frame when generating the trick play data stream to the pat / pmt memory 118 . the pat / pmt memory 118 records the pat and pmt packets which are input through the terminal 117 and outputs the stored pat and pmt packets to the mpx 121 at the timing based on the information in the top position . the mpx 121 multiplexes the pat and pmt packets from the pat / pmt memory 118 with trick play video packets from the packetizer 120 and outputs the packets to the mpx 111 through the output terminal 122 . packet data which are input through the terminal 110 are also supplied to the mpx 111 . the mpx 111 has a buffer ( not shown ) for retaining the trick play packets from the trick play packet generator 113 and the input packets , and the mpx 111 outputs trick play data packets at a timing corresponding to the trick play data recording areas of a magnetic tape and also outputs the input data packets as normal reproduced packets at another timing . further , the output of the mpx 111 is recorded on a recording medium after the recording format process , the error correction code adding process and the modulation process are applied . next , operation of the embodiment as described above will be described with reference to fig1 . fig1 is a diagram illustrating the output of the mpx 121 . in fig1 , the checkered portion indicates the pat packet and the shaded portion indicates the pmt packet . packet data which are input through the input terminal 110 are supplied to the dmpx 112 , which in turn detects a pid of the data packet . if , for instance , a transport data packet of the mpeg2 standard is supplied to the dmpx 112 as a data packet , the dmpx 112 detects a pid of a pmt packet from a pat packet having the 0th pid and identifies the types of the data packets from the pmt packet identification table . the dmpx 112 then sorts the packets into video packets , audio packets , pat and pmt packets and other packets and outputs the video packets and pat and pmt packets to the trick play packet generator 113 . now , it is assumed that the pat packet indicates that the pid of the pmt packet is 13 and the pmt packet indicates that the pid of video packet is 19 . in fig1 , a video packet with pid 19 is supplied to the depacketizer 116 of the trick play packet generator 113 for depacketizing . the depacketizer 116 restores the input video packet to an original video coded bit stream and supplies the bit stream to the trick play stream generator 119 . the trick play stream generator 119 generates a trick play data stream using , for instance , intra - frame compression data out of the input bit stream . in this case , the trick play stream generator 119 outputs the information at the top of the trick play frame whenever outputting a trick play data stream based on a different trick play frame . the generated trick play data stream is packetized again in the packetizer 120 . the trick play video packet from the packetizer 120 is supplied to the mpx 121 . on the other hand , pat and pmt packets are supplied to the pat / pmt memory 118 through the terminal 117 . the pat / pmt memory 118 stores the pat and pmt packets and outputs the stored pat and pmt packets at a timing based on the top position information . the pat and pmt packets from the pat / pmt memory 118 are supplied to the mpx 121 . now , it is assumed that nine trick play video packets are generated according to the trick play data stream based on a first trick play frame . the mpx 121 outputs these nine trick play video packets by adding the pat and pmt packets to the top of the first frame as shown in fig1 . further , with respect to the first trick play frame in fig1 , the pids of the pat packet , the pmt packet and the trick play video packet are assigned to the 0th , 13th and 19th positions , respectively . next , it is assumed that five trick play video packets are generated by the trick play data stream according to a second trick play frame . further , with respect to the original second frame of the second trick play frame , the pid of the pmt packet is assigned to the 13th position and the pid of the video packet is assigned to the 39th position . the pat and pmt packets input through the terminal 117 are supplied to the mpx 121 via the pat / pmt memory 118 . thus , the mpx 121 outputs five trick play video packets of the second trick play frame by adding the pat and pmt packets to the top of these video packets . then , it is assumed that eight trick play video packets are generated by the trick play data stream according to a third trick play frame . further , with respect to the original third frame of the third trick play frame , the pid of the pmt packet is assigned to the 15th position and the pid of the video packet is assigned to the 25th position . the pat and pmt packets input through the terminal 117 are supplied to the mpx 121 via the pat / pmt memory 118 . thus , the mpx 121 outputs eight trick play video packets of the third trick play frame by adding the pat and pmt packets to the top of these video packets . the trick play packets from the mpx 121 are supplied to the mpx 111 through terminal 122 . these trick play packets are retained in a buffer in the mpx 111 . on the other hand , the data packets input through the input terminal 110 are also supplied to the mpx 111 for storing in the buffer ( not shown ). the mpx 111 outputs trick play packets during the period corresponding to the trick play data recording areas of a magnetic tape and outputs the data packets supplied from the input terminal 110 during the period corresponding to areas other than the trick play data recording areas . the output of the mpx 111 is supplied to a recording section ( not shown ) as recording data , and the recording data is recorded on a magnetic tape after a prescribed header and an error correcting code are added and a prescribed modulation process is applied . since the trick play packets are generated with pat and pmt packets inserted in the trick play frames in this embodiment , it is possible to detect a reproduced packet at the boundary between the trick play frames and rearrange the packets in trick play frames without having to insert a flag indicating the frame boundary in the packets or sync - blocks . therefore , it is possible to decode and reproduce a series of reverse trick play frames easily . further , the packetizer 120 uses the same pid as the data packets input through the terminal and as the pid of trick play packets in this embodiment . however , a pid different from the pid of the input data packets may be set up by changing data of the pat / pmt memory 118 . fig1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a data packet reproducing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention . this embodiment is for restoring an image by playing back a magnetic tape recorded using the data packet recording apparatus of the embodiment shown in fig1 . reproduced packet data are supplied to an input terminal . this reproduced packet data are obtained by demodulating data reproduced from a recording medium after an error correction process and a record unformat process are applied . the reproduced packet data are supplied to terminal a of a switch 132 and a packet start position detector 133 . the packet start position detector 133 detects the top of the packet of reproduced packet data using , for instance , the sync byte . as described above , the sync byte is periodically transmitted every 188 bytes if a packet length is 188 bytes and therefore , the top of the packet can be detected by the sync byte . further , since the sync byte is a specific code , some recording apparatus may remove the sync byte . even in this case , however , the top of the packet can be obtained if information conforming to the sync position , which is obtained when data packets are reproduced and errors are corrected , is input . the packet start position detector 133 outputs the information in the top of the packet together with a reproduced data packet to a pid extractor 135 and a rearrange buffer 134 . the pid extractor 135 detects the position of the data packet based on the information on the top of the packet and sequentially extracts pids from a series of data packets and outputs the pids to a pid inspection block 136 . the pid is transmitted in a 13 bit length starting from the fourth bit away from the sync byte as shown in fig1 and the pid extractor 135 extracts these 13 bits . further , if no sync byte is recorded , the same result can be obtained if a sync byte is recorded while outputting data packets from the output terminal 138 . further , even when data packets have been recorded with information in addition to the sync byte removed , it is possible to get the pid position if the sync position information indicating a boundary between data packets is input . the pid inspection block 136 inspects whether the extracted pid is a specific pid showing the top of the trick play frame and outputs the inspection result to a read address controller 137 . the read address controller 137 generates a read address of the rearranging buffer 134 based on the inspection result and supplies the read address to the rearranging buffer 134 . the rearranging buffer 134 stores the reproduced packet data from the packet start position detector 133 in the order of input , reads the read address stored based on the read address from the read address controller 137 , and outputs the reproduced packet data to terminal b of the switch 132 . the switch 132 selects terminal a for normal speed playback and trick play in the forward direction and outputs the reproduced packet data from the input terminal 131 directly from the output terminal 138 . the switch 132 selects terminal b for reverse trick play and outputs the data packet from the rearranging buffer 134 from the output terminal 138 . the operation of this embodiment in the construction as described above will be explained now . here , it is assumed that four trick play packets can be recorded in one trick play data recording area of a magnetic tape ( not shown ). that is , 28 data packets of the 1st through the 3rd trick play frames in fig1 can be recorded in seven trick play data recording areas t1 through t7 . the packet s1 , pmt packet s2 , and trick play video packets p1 , p2 of the 1st trick play frame are recorded in trick play data recording area t1 , and trick play video packets p3 through p6 are recorded in trick play data recording area t2 . similarly , in trick play data recording areas t3 through t7 , packets p7 through p9 , s3 ; packets s4 ; p10 through p12 , packets p13 , p14 , s5 , s6 packets p15 through p18 ; and packets p19 through p22 are recorded , respectively . therefore , during the reverse trick play , reproduced data are obtained in order of the packets p19 , p20 , p21 , p22 ; the packets p15 , p16 , p17 , p18 ; packets p13 , p14 , s5 , s6 ; packets s4 , p10 , p11 , p12 ; packets p7 , p8 , p9 , s3 ; packets p3 , p4 , p5 , p6 ; and packets s1 , s2 , p1 and p2 . a series of the reproduced packet data are supplied in order to the rearranging buffer 134 through the packet start position detector 133 for storage . the packet start position detector 133 detects the top position of each reproduced packet . the pid extractor 135 extracts the pid of every packet based on the information of the top position of the packet and outputs the pid to the pid inspection block 136 . the pid inspection block 136 inspects whether the pid is assigned to the 0th position and supplies the inspection result to the read address controller 137 . for instance , if the reproduced packet data s5 is input to the rearranging buffer 134 , the pid inspection block 136 inspects the data to confirm that the pid is 0 and outputs the inspection result . then , after storing the packets up to a packet next to the reproduced packet data s5 in the rearranging buffer 134 , the read address controller 137 generates read addresses to output the stored data in reverse order in every four packets . that is , the rearranging buffer 134 first outputs the data packet s5 and s6 recorded in the trick play data record area t5 and then outputs data packets p15 through p18 recorded in the trick play data recording area t6 and then outputs the data packet p19 through p22 recorded in the trick play data recording area t7 . next , the data packets p15 through p22 , which are required for decoding the third trick play frame , can be output to the switch 132 . the reproduced packet data s4 , p10 , p11 and p12 are input to the rearranging buffer 134 and then the reproduced packet data p7 , p8 , p9 and s3 are input in order . when the reproduced packet data s3 is input , the pid inspection block 136 outputs the inspection result showing that a pid is a specific pid . then , the read address controller 137 outputs addresses to the rearranging buffer 134 and outputs the stored reproduced packet data s3 , s4 and p10 through p14 in order . thus , the data packets p10 through p14 , which are required for decoding the second trick play frame , can be output to the switch 132 . similarly , it is also possible to output the data packets p1 through p9 , which are required for decoding the first trick play frame , to the switch 132 . in the reverse trick play mode , the switch 132 selects terminal b and outputs the sequentially input data packets in the reverse order of the frames to the output terminal 138 . it is possible to display trick play images in the reverse order of the frames by decoding the data packets from the output terminal 138 in order . further , in normal speed playback mode and trick play in the forward direction , the switch 132 selects terminal a and directly outputs the input reproduced packet data . as described above , in this embodiment the top of the trick play frame is detected by inspecting whether a pid is a specific one , and a read address of the rearranging buffer 134 is generated . the data packet of each frame can be sequentially output in the reverse order of the frames . thus , it becomes possible to restore a reverse trick play image without inserting a flag in any packets or sync blocks . fig1 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment according to the second aspect of the present invention . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , each trick play packet is recorded one at a time on a recording medium . however , when , for instance , the recorded data are reproduced in the reverse direction at 8 times speed , the trick play data recording areas are traced at intervals of eight tracks . therefore , if each trick play packet is recorded one at a time in every trick play data recording area , it is required to bring the tracking phases in agreement with each other at eight track intervals . similarly , for instance , when the recorded data are reproduced in the reverse direction at 16 times speed , it is required to bring the tracking phases in agreement with each other at 16 track intervals . however , a pilot system which is capable of on - tracking at a cycle of four tracks has been adopted in consumer - use digital vtrs , etc . so , in this embodiment the same trick play packet is recorded a multiple number of times so that the trick play packet can be reproduced at any timing allowed in the on - tracking . fig1 shows an example where every trick play packet is recorded two times , which is provided for reverse direction reproduction at 8 times speed . the shaded portions in fig1 show the trick play data recording areas . the solid lines in fig1 show the actual traces k1 , k2 , etc ., and the broken lines show available traces k1 &# 39 ;, k2 &# 39 ;, etc . thus , in either tracking phase , whether traces k1 , k2 , etc ., are obtained or whether the traces k1 &# 39 ; and k2 &# 39 ; are obtained , trick play data can be reproduced accurately when the same trick play data are recorded in two trick play data recording areas which are adjacent to each other at intervals of four tracks . in this embodiment , the apparatus can be constructed with circuits which are nearly the same as those in the embodiment shown in fig1 with a buffer added , and the apparatus retains and repeatedly outputs the output of the trick play packet generator 113 in fig1 so that the mpx 111 outputs the same trick play packet at a timing corresponding to multiple trick play data recording areas at intervals of four tracks . other operations and effects are the same as those of the embodiment shown in fig1 . the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above . for instance , 0 has been selected for a specific pid in the embodiments , but packets having other pids may be added in trick play frames . further , the boundary between the trick play images is detected at the time of reproduction by arranging a packet having a specific pid immediately before the trick play images in the embodiments described above , but the packets may be recorded by adding the packet having a specific pid at the end of every trick play image instead . further , the packets may be recorded by arranging the packet having a prescribed pid at a specific position . for instance , if the packet having a specific pid is added at the position three packets before the data packet train , the packets may be rearranged from the packet which is three packets behind from the packet detected to have a specific pid in the trick play . thus , when data packets are recorded with a packet having a specific pid arranged at a prescribed position of a packet train for a trick play image , and by detecting the specific pid in the trick play , it is possible to rearrange data packet in trick play images . as described above , the second aspect of the present invention has such an effect that data can be restored without recording information in the packets or sync blocks indicating a packet at the boundary between frames when a packet having a specific packet id is recorded in the prescribed number of packets provided for trick play frames . as described above , the present invention can provide an extremely preferable data packet recording apparatus and reproducing apparatus therefor . while there have been illustrated and described what are at present considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made , and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true scope of the present invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teaching of the present invention without departing from the central scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention , but that the present invention includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . the foregoing description and the drawings are regarded by the applicant as including a variety of individually inventive concepts , some of which may lie partially or wholly outside the scope of some or all of the following claims . the fact that the applicant has chosen at the time of filing of the present application to restrict the claimed scope of protection in accordance with the following claims is not to be taken as a disclaimer or alternative inventive concepts that are included in the contents of the application and could be defined by claims differing in scope from the following claims , which different claims may be adopted subsequently during prosecution , for example , for the purposes of a divisional application .
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‘ spiralpole ’ ( spiral - dipole ) antenna embodiments have two radiating parts : the shaft and the one - wing spiral . it performs similarly to a resonant half - wave dipole . a representative dipole &# 39 ; s length is : where the spiral length , l spiral , is measured from the opening of the transmission line . for this embodiment , the resonant frequency of the antenna is given by : fig1 depicts an antenna geometry perspective view 100 of an embodiment . spiral 105 connects to center conductor 110 at antenna feed 115 . spiral 105 is coincident with dielectric 120 . in embodiments , the spiral is conductive ( metal ) such as copper etc ., and the handle is dielectric such as teflon ® or plastic such as polyether ether ketone ( peek ). teflon ® is a registered trademark of e . i . du pont de nemours and company corporation , delaware , u . s . a . peek ™ is also a trademark of zeus , inc . of orangeburg , s . c ., u . s . a . center conductor 110 is comprised with probe 125 , which , in embodiments , probe 125 is metal . probe 125 has length l probe 130 , and spiral has length l spiral 140 . toward probe end opposite spiral 105 is sensor 135 . in this embodiment , the spiral - dipole antenna ( one loop - dipole antenna ) has only one turn ( loop ) comprising this antenna element . other embodiments vary from one loop . fig2 depicts plan and elevation views 200 of a spiral - dipole antenna embodiment with a one turn ( loop ) antenna configured in accordance with the present invention . portrayed are top plan view 205 and side elevation view 210 . embodiment particulars include handle 215 outer diameter of 2 . 44 inches and antenna 220 showing an outer diameter of 2 . 146 inches . side elevation 210 includes handle portion height 225 ( 0 . 984 inches in an embodiment ). handle shaft connection 230 to probe has a 0 . 394 inch diameter in embodiments . probe shaft length 235 is 3 . 740 inches in an embodiment . probe shaft outer diameter 240 is 0 . 197 inches in embodiments . in embodiments , probe shaft has a tip tapered 245 at 24 degrees . in embodiments , the tapered portion of the probe shaft tip 250 is 0 . 394 inches long . fig3 depicts an elevation detail view 300 of a shielded wire spiral - dipole antenna embodiment with a one turn ( loop ) antenna . antenna 305 is within handle affixed to probe shaft . handle shaft connection to probe differential radius 310 is 0 . 098 inches in embodiments . tip section contains saw sensor depicted by cross section detail a 315 to be shown in fig4 . fig4 depicts views 400 of perspective and elevation sensor - end detail of an embodiment configured in accordance with the present invention . underside perspective view 405 presents the intersection of the handle and the probe shaft . probe shaft end detail 410 shows cross section detail a 315 of fig3 . ground sleeve is soldered to ground pad 415 . sensor component 420 is located proximate connection wire 425 . for a semi - rigid cable , the inner conductor can be copper or other conductor material in embodiments . fig5 depicts views 500 of an antenna geometry embodiment perspective and corresponding dipole representation configured in accordance with the present invention . in perspective 505 , a spiral antenna is shown with a corresponding dipole representation 510 . perspective 505 portrays spiral 515 of antenna element having length l spiral . probe 520 has length l probe . dipole representation 510 represents a resonant one - half wavelength ( λ / 2 ) resonant dipole 530 with length 535 of l spiral plus l probe . fig6 depicts a perspective diagram 600 of a coaxial cable component embodiment configured in accordance with the present invention . coaxial cable 605 spans between antenna and sensor . coaxial center conductor 610 is formed as antenna element 615 . coaxial cable inner insulator 620 , shield 625 , and outer insulator 630 are shown for antenna and sensor ends . saw ( or awd ) sensor component 635 is at distal end from antenna . in embodiments , the cable is flexible , semi - flexible , and rigid . in embodiments , outer insulator 630 , outer jacket or conductor 625 & amp ; 620 are combined and comprise shielding . in embodiments , shield 625 is connected to the shaft , providing a common ground connection . for embodiments , stainless steel or other conductive tubing is used as an outer conductor . teflon ® tubing is placed inside the outer tubing and serves as insulation for embodiments . other insertions are used in embodiments , such as shrink - tubing . within the teflon ® tubing is a teflon ® wire where the teflon ® tube is sized to american wire gauge ( awg ) dimensions . embodiment component suppliers comprise zeus , inc . of orangeburg , s . c ., u . s . a . other inner conductors can be used . in embodiments , impedance is thereby maintained , with decreased cost . fig7 depicts a cross - section view 700 of another embodiment configured in accordance with the present invention . antenna 705 is in a t - handle probe section connecting to probe tip comprising saw sensor 710 . antenna 705 comprises first loop antenna component 715 and second loop antenna component 720 . in embodiments , loop antenna components 715 and 720 comprise multiple loop turns . in embodiments , loop antenna components 715 and 720 are symmetric . fig8 depicts a cross - section view 800 of another embodiment configured in accordance with the present invention . normal mode antenna arm 805 is encapsulated 810 in peek or silicon in embodiments . ground arm 815 extends between and connects antenna arm 805 and temperature sensor 820 . in embodiments , antenna arm 805 comprises a plurality of helical spiral portions and interfaces with ground arm 815 at the termination of the proximate loop 825 . fig9 depicts a cross - section view 900 of another embodiment configured in accordance with the present invention . normal mode antenna arm 905 is encapsulated 910 in peek or silicon in embodiments . ground arm 915 extends between and connects antenna arm 905 and temperature sensor 920 . in embodiments , antenna arm 905 comprises a plurality of loop spiral portions and interfaces with ground arm 915 at an intermediate location 925 between terminal ends of antenna element of antenna arm 905 . fig1 is a graph 1000 of theoretical versus calculated resonant frequency results for embodiments configured in accordance with the present invention . simulation values 1005 and theory model values 1010 are shown for probe lengths from 20 mm to 140 mm and resonant frequencies between 400 mhz and 650 mhz . graph 1000 provides a comparison of the analytical data to the numerical modeling data . more particularly , this shows theory data versus finite element method ( fem ) data for an antenna with a length of the spiral of 205 mm and a probe length varying from 30 mm to 140 mm . confirmation of equations ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) is given by comparison with the numerical simulations as produced in ansys hfss . agreement shown is good , improving toward probe lengths of 100 mm to 140 mm . fig1 is a flow chart 1100 of a method configured in accordance with the present invention . steps comprise providing a spiralpole antenna sensor device 1105 ; transmitting an excitation signal to antenna of a saw ( or awd ) device 1110 ; receiving the excitation signal at the spiralpole antenna 1115 ; reacting , at the saw ( or awd ) device , to the excitation signal conveyed from the spiralpole antenna 1120 ; transmitting from the spiralpole antenna , a response signal conveyed from the saw device 1125 ; and receiving , at a receiver , the response signal 1135 . application environments comprise ovens including , but not limited to , residential microwave ovens , commercial ovens , and conventional thermal ovens . in nonlimiting embodiments the probe is flexible , semi - rigid , and or rigid . the handle , in embodiments , is one - piece , molded over the antenna component . for embodiments , the sensor comprises at least one saw resonator . the probe antenna radiation pattern , in embodiments , is omnidirectional , multi - lobed , or elliptical . for embodiments , the probe radiation pattern is circularly polarized or of mixed polarization . antenna radiation performance is considered for the probe in free space , partially embedded , and fully embedded in a subject for temperature measurement . for embodiments , the antenna is mismatched but provides a broad radiation pattern . for further embodiments , the antenna is mismatched and unbalanced . system embodiments comprise matched and unmatched circuits with or without matching components such as a loading coil . in embodiments , antenna components are orthogonal to the probe shaft . in other embodiments , antenna components are not orthogonal to the probe shaft . antenna embodiments provide a single loop antenna element and multiple , spiral arm , elements . frequency ranges , in embodiments , comprise about approximately 400 mhz to 700 mhz . probe lengths , in embodiments , comprise about approximately 15 mm to 200 mm . transmitter / receiver antennas can be unitary or of multiple component construction . benefits comprise direction independence of performance ; i . e . movement or orientation of the temperature subject does not impact the accuracy or resolution of the temperature measurement . probe configurations support shorter lengths , smaller overall size for given performance , eased insertion into temperature subjects , support for multiple probes through differential operating frequencies of awd components in multiple probes , higher field strengths ( 13 . 5 db in embodiments ), and sensor evaluation for ‘ doneness ’ in addition to raw temperature . in embodiments , the measurand includes and is other than temperature . one or more measurands are detected , implemented with one or more acoustic wave devices ( awds ). in embodiments , the saw sensor is extended to include other awds in addition to those considered as ‘ surface ’ acoustic wave devices . nonlimiting examples include those sensor devices disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 033 , 852 , 7 , 569 , 971 , 7 , 667 , 369 , 7 , 633 , 206 , 7 , 855 , 564 , 11 / 875 , 162 , 12 / 610 , 642 , 12 / 429 , 300 , 12 / 884 , 931 , and 61 / 411 , 130 ( provisional application ), whose contents are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference . the foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . each and every page of this submission , and all contents thereon , however characterized , identified , or numbered , is considered a substantive part of this application for all purposes , irrespective of form or placement within the application . this specification is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure .
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[ 0017 ] fig1 represents a mosfet device 10 that includes a semiconductor substrate 12 , a pair of wells 14 that serve as the source and drain of the device 10 , a gate dielectric 16 overlying a channel 20 between the source and drain wells 14 , and a gate electrode 18 overlying the gate dielectric 16 . while the device 10 represented in fig1 will be used to illustrate and explain the present invention , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is applicable to various other mos devices having structures that differ from that represented in fig1 . in accordance with conventional practice , the substrate 12 may be formed of various semiconductor materials , though silicon is preferred and the focus of the present invention . examples of other suitable semiconductor materials include ge and sige alloys , and semiconductor materials such as ingaas with deposited oxide layers . silicon dioxide is a preferred material for the gate dielectric 16 , though it is foreseeable that other dielectric materials could be used , such as high - k dielectrics including y 2 o 3 , la 2 o 3 , al 2 o 3 , zno 2 , hfo 2 , and mixtures thereof . the substrate 12 and source and drain wells 14 are appropriately doped to be n or p - type as necessary for the particular device 10 , and in accordance with known practices . finally , the gate electrode 18 is formed by a metal layer . though not necessary for practicing this invention , in a preferred embodiment the mosfet device 10 is a fully - depleted , ultra - thin cmos - soi device , and scaled to have a gate length of less than 0 . 1 micrometer , more preferably about ten nanometers or less . furthermore , the metal of the gate electrode 18 preferably has a midgap workfunction to permit the use of an undoped or lightly - doped channel 20 , e . g ., a doping concentration of not more than about 10 17 cm − 2 . for this purpose , a preferred material for the gate electrode 18 is tungsten , though other suitable gate electrode materials include tungsten and cobalt silicides and tantalum nitride . however , the present invention is generally applicable to gate electrodes formed of essentially any metal that renders the electrode 18 impermeable to molecular hydrogen . finally , the gate dielectric 16 is preferably ultra - thin , which as used herein refers to thicknesses of about 5 nm or less for a silicon dioxide gate dielectric , and thicknesses of about 20 nm or less for other gate dielectric materials . while the teachings of the invention are particularly well suited for the device 10 as it has been described above , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the teachings of this invention are applicable to other mos devices formed with other materials . the present invention is directed to passivating the interface between the semiconductor substrate 12 ( at the channel 20 ) and the gate dielectric 16 , whereby the semiconductor - dielectric interface state ( trap ) density ( d ito ) is reduced to a very low level , preferably less than 5 × 10 10 / cm 2 - ev . in the past , passivation of an si / sio 2 interface beneath an aluminum gate electrode has been performed by forming gas annealing ( fga ) treatments , typically using a mixture of about 5 to 10 % hydrogen and about 90 to 95 % nitrogen and annealing temperatures of about 250 ° c . to about 450 ° c . it is believed that atomic hydrogen is produced during fga by the reaction of aluminum with water vapor adsorbed at the al - sio 2 interface . however , similar fga treatments of mos devices with tungsten electrodes of comparable thickness have not resulted in suitable passivation of the si / sio 2 interface . in an investigation leading to this invention , tungsten gate mos capacitors were processed using fga treatments to evaluate the ability of fga to passivate a semiconductor - dielectric interface beneath a tungsten layer . tungsten was deposited by chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) performed at a process temperature of about 680 ° c . and using w ( co ) 6 as the source material , preferably in accordance with the process disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 789 , 312 to buchanan et al ., which is incorporated herein by reference . tungsten was deposited to a thickness of about 100 nm directly on a thermally - grown silicon dioxide layer formed on n - type silicon test wafers ( resistivities of about 1 to 2 ohm - cm ). the silicon dioxide layers were 4 or 20 nm in thickness , the former being termed “ ultra - thin ” as used herein . for this investigation , the mos structure was either defined by conventional photolithography , or defined with a hard etch mask formed by shadow - evaporated aluminum , in which a layer of aluminum remained on the upper surface of the tungsten layer to form an aluminum - tungsten electrode stack . following fabrication , fga ( 5 - 10 % h 2 / 90 - 95 % n 2 ) was performed on each specimen at a temperature of about 350 ° c . for a duration of about thirty minutes . a combination of quasi - static ( 45 mv / sec ) and high frequency ( 10 khz ) capacitance - voltage ( c - v ) curves were then obtained through measurements to extract the interface state density using the well - known high - low method , disclosed in m . kuhn , solid - state electronics , volume 13 , pp . 873 ( 1970 ). the results for both sets of specimens are represented in fig2 and 3 , which evidence that the passivation of the mos structures was completely different . in fig3 those specimens with the aluminum - tungsten stack can be seen to be very well passivated , exhibiting interface state densities ( d ito ) in the low 10 10 / cm 2 - ev range . in contrast , fig2 evidences that interface state densities of the mos structures without the aluminum layer were only somewhat passivated after the same fga treatment , exhibiting interface state densities in the mid - 10 11 / cm 2 - ev range , i . e ., very near the interface state density exhibited in the as - deposited condition . the latter results evidenced that a tungsten layer having a thickness of about 100 nm is substantially impervious to molecular hydrogen . subsequent fga &# 39 ; s performed on the same specimens in the same atmosphere at higher temperatures ( such as about 550 ° c .) were not effective in reducing the interface state density . instead , an increase in interface state density was actually observed . further attempts to passivate specimens without an aluminum layer by annealing in atmospheres containing nitrogen , oxygen and water vapor , both together and separately , also failed to substantially passivate their si / sio 2 interfaces . fga treatments were then performed on additional specimens formed to have an aluminum - tungsten electrode stack by annealing in an inert ambient , such as nitrogen . these treatments were carried out at a temperature of about 350 ° c . for a duration of about thirty minutes , with the result that excellent passivation was again achieved ( e . g ., interface state densities of about 3 × 10 11 / cm 2 - ev ). these results strongly suggested that passivating elements were already present in the aluminumtungsten electrode stack , and that these elements are able to diffuse through a 100 nm - thick layer of tungsten and into an underlying si / sio 2 interface . since aluminum is known to be a source of atomic hydrogen by reacting with a monolayer of water vapor adsorbed on surfaces of a mos structure , it was concluded that the passivating element in each of the specimens equipped with an aluminum - tungsten electrode stack was atomic hydrogen . it was further concluded that atomic hydrogen was somehow stored between the aluminum and tungsten layers of the stack , and that the mos structure was annealed at a temperature sufficient to cause the atomic hydrogen to diffuse through the tungsten layer and into the si / sio 2 interface . suitable temperatures for this purpose are believed to be in the range of about 250 ° c . to about 400 ° c ., though lower and higher temperatures might also yield acceptable results . on the premise that atomic hydrogen was the passivating element , two additional tests were devised to evaluate mos structures with tungsten electrodes , but with atomic hydrogen being made available through other sources , namely , implanted hydrogen and hydrogen plasma . in a first of these additional investigations , three samples with tungsten gate capacitors were provided with atomic hydrogen by ion implantation . the capacitors were mos structures identical to those defined by conventional photolithography in the previous investigation ( i . e ., 100 nm cvd tungsten without an aluminum overlayer ). two different implant energies were selected to set the implant ranges : 10 kev with range in tungsten of 535a and straggle of 300a , and 5 kev with range in tungsten of 300a and straggle of 156a . implant range and straggle were determined using implantation simulation software available under the name trim from international business machines . in addition , two different doses ( 1 × 10 13 / cm 2 and 1 × 10 14 / cm 2 ) were used for the 5 kev samples . the quasi - static and high frequency c - v characteristics for each sample measured as - implanted were severely stretched out for all samples , i . e ., characterized by the lack of a sharp and deep drop in the capacitance value , indicative of a very high interface state density . the heavier - dose , deep - implant specimen particularly exhibited a very high interface state density , likely due to implant damage . following a post metal anneal ( pma ) performed at about 350 ° c . in nitrogen for about 30 minutes , the interface state densities of the specimens were reduced , as evidenced in fig4 . the interface state density ( d ito ) of the sample implanted at 5 kev with a dose level of 1 × 10 14 / cm 2 , was lowered to about 1 × 10 11 / cm 2 - ev . this experiment clearly demonstrated that atomic hydrogen can act as the passivating species . it was theorized that interface state density could be further lowered if the implant energy and dose were optimized . ideally , implant energy and dose should be chosen so as not to implant atomic hydrogen directly into the dielectric layer and the surrounding semiconductor substrate . on this basis , it is believed that suitable atomic hydrogen dose levels are in the range of about 2 × 10 12 / cm 2 to about 2 × 10 14 / cm 2 . a suitable temperature range for the anneal following implant is believed to be about 300 ° c . to about 550 ° c ., though lower and higher temperatures might also yield acceptable results . in the second test , atomic hydrogen was generated by a treatment with hydrogen plasma . samples were again tungsten electrode mos capacitors identical to those of the implantation investigation , i . e ., 100 nm cvd tungsten defined by conventional photolithography and without an aluminum layer . the plasma was created using a single frequency microwave cavity in accordance with cartier et al ., appl . phys . lett ., volume 63 , no . 11 , pp . 1510 ( 1993 ), and brought directly to the samples in a vacuum chamber . in a first procedure , it was shown that a room temperature hydrogen plasma treatment plus a post anneal at 350 ° c . was not sufficient to introduce atomic hydrogen into the si / sio 2 interface of the mos capacitors . in another procedure , a hydrogen plasma treatment was conducted with samples maintained at about 350 ° c ., whereby the efficiency of hydrogen introduction to the si / sio 2 interface was greatly improved , as evidenced by the interface state density being reduced to about 3 . 5 × 10 10 / cm 2 - ev . however , further post anneals at higher temperatures , such as 400 ° c ., was found to deteriorate the passivation , as indicated in fig5 . further plasma treatments were then performed at plasma anneal temperatures of 300 ° c . and 350 ° c ., and hydrogen flow pressures of 100 and 200 mtorr . c - v data represented in fig6 indicates that the quality of passivation was very sensitive to lower treatment temperatures ( 300 ° c .) and lower flow pressures ( 100 mtorr ). the best passivation was produced with hydrogen plasma treatments conducted with a hydrogen flow pressure of about 200 mtorr and a temperature of about 350 ° c . for a duration of about 10 minutes . however , it is believed that suitable results could be obtained with plasma treatment temperatures between 250 ° c . and 400 ° c ., and with a hydrogen flow pressure of about 10 mtorr to about 1000 mtorr . in a final investigation , the ability of molecular hydrogen to diffuse through very thin layers of tungsten was evaluated . this investigation was pursued to determine whether the role of tungsten in preventing passivation performed under conventional fga conditions is simply as a diffusion barrier to molecular hydrogen . for the investigation , mos capacitors were prepared identically to those prepared for the previously described investigations , with the exception that the tungsten electrodes had thicknesses of 20 nm . the samples then received either a 30 minute or a 150 minute fga treatment at about 350 ° c . the c - v data for two specimens are plotted in fig7 which clearly shows that the si / sio 2 interfaces of both samples were passivated , with those samples receiving the longer fga treatment receiving the better passivation . the interface state density measured on the sample annealed for 150 minutes was reduced to about 9 . 5 × 10 10 / cm 2 - ev . in contrast to those earlier samples with a thick ( 100 nm ) tungsten electrode , the improvements in passivation exhibited by these mos devices when subjected to long and low temperature fga treatments suggested that the diffusion of molecular hydrogen through a tungsten layer is possible if the tungsten layer is sufficiently thin ( e . g ., about 20 nm or less ). in summary , the present invention demonstrated that a relatively thick ( above 20 nm , e . g ., about 100 nm ) tungsten electrode prevents passivation of an underlying si / sio 2 interface by conventional fga treatments , because the electrode is impermeable to molecular hydrogen ( though relatively thinner ( 20 nm ) tungsten electrodes may allow passivation by conventional fga ). however , passivation is achieved with thick tungsten electrodes if hydrogen is available in atomic form , such as by implantation into the tungsten electrode or from a source of atomic hydrogen such as hydrogen plasma or the aluminum layer of an aluminum - tungsten electrode stack . it is believed that further optimization can be achieved through enhancements to the annealing process and a fuller understanding of the reaction kinetics relating to the complex interplay between the diffusivity of different species of hydrogen and surface reaction rates . nevertheless , the present invention evidences that passivation of a si / sio 2 interface of a mos device through a tungsten electrode can be achieved . it is believed that the above investigations suggest that passivation of other semiconductor - dielectric interfaces may be possible through other metal electrodes that are impermeable to molecular hydrogen . furthermore , while a particular mos device 10 is represented in fig1 those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is applicable to various other mos devices , including advanced mos devices with sidewalls that might prevent hydrogen gas diffusion into the semiconductor - dielectric interface . accordingly , while the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment , it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art . therefore , the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims .
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as for the construction of such a column that is free from voids some preferred embodiments will be described along with the manufacturing process thereof : ( a ) into a stainless steel tube is inserted a tube 1 of fluoride resin or fluorocarbon resin , e . g ., polytrifluorochloroethylene , followed by packing or stuffing under pressure of a packing material 2 , to which are applicable all sorts of packing materials conventionally used for liquid chromatography , e . g ., porous polymers , fully porous silica - gel , and etc . having a substantially uniform particle size of a sphere , as shown in fig2 ranging from several tens microns to several microns ( μ ), preferably 40 - 10 μ , in other words , followed by packing or stuffing under pressure of particles made of such packing material into the tube of fluoride resin in such a way as the particles being in a close contact relationship with each other ; ( b ) when the packing materials 2 is packed under pressure after the tube 1 of fluoride resin has been gently pre - heated to such an extent as to be slightly softened , the contact between the packing material 2 and the resin tube 1 would be even better than at a moderate temperature ; ( c ) the tube may be made simply of the aforementioned fluoride resin without the stainless steel external tube , wherein when the packing material is packed thereinto under pressure a column of fluoride resin free from the voids can be obtained , with the external surface thereof being rugged or uneven , due to an appropriate yielding of the internal tube ; and ( d ) packing the end portions of the column with a filter made of quartz wool or the like over a suitable length is surely preferable . the detailed process of manufacturing the column will not be described , as it is not an essence of this invention . since the inventors of this invention have already completed the manufacturing process thereof , an example will be cited from the patent application to the japanese patent office no . toku - gan - sho 49 - 72108 hereinunder . the packing material is mixed with a solvent at a predetermined ratio into a suspension , which is sucked into a soft tube of fluoride resin . upon having securely packed a filter at the ends of the tube , the solvent is extruded out of the tube at a pressure ranging from 100 to 200 kg / cm 2 , leaving the packing material of solid phase in a jammed or close contact state . as a result of this process the particles of the packing material are closely contacted with each other and also with the inner surface of the tube which has yielded to be adapted thereto , as can be seen in fig2 the particles being arranged in multi - layers radially extending , in a fashion that every other layer is repeatedly the same . in the column thus obtained the particles of the packing material are packed in an externally touching relation with each other so that the clearance between the particles may be repeated with a minimum void volume or dead volume having a constant pattern . the hollow tubular body made of softenable or flexible material , when the particles of the packing material are packed under pressure to come to a close contact therewith , yields to be adapted to the shape of the particles , and eventually can be closely contacted with all the particles located on the radially outermost periphery . the yielded or transformed condition may remain as it is even after the removal of the pressure ; a transformation by solidifying with cooling . the tubular body of the column , which may be a column itself or an internal tube of the column according to the situation , can be yielded or changed in form , according to the shape of the particles packed thereinto , to have a rugged or uneven external surface , which has brought about a complete elimination of large or irregular voids observed in the conventional columns . a column comprising such a transformed hollow tubular body and the packing material , the particles of which are packed in close contact with each other and with the inner surface of the tubular body , can be practicable one for liquid chromatography only after having been packed with a filter at the open ends thereof . the column in accordance with this invention has succeeded in preventing the irregularity of flow speed according to positions of the eluent passing therethrough , the turbulence of flowing and / or the local stagnation of flowing , by means of virtually eliminating the presence of fairly large voids 3 which might appear conventionally between the particles of the packing material and the inner surface of the tubular body of the column . this invention enables in this way the enhancing the separating ability and the obtaining of the exact analytical results . in concluding the description on the merits of this invention can be summed up as follows : a . a column of high separating ability suitable for microanalysis having a small internal diameter is obtained ; b . the above column enables high speed microanalysis under high pressure with less fluid to be analyzed ; c . the soft material constituting the inner surface of the tubular body makes it easy to arrange the particles closely and regularly , which enables the diminishing of the column dimension drastically ; and d . the reduction of the column size enables in turn the saving of expensive packing material , that is economizing the manufacturing cost . it will be obvious 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 in the drawings and described in the specification .
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please refer first to fig1 . item 1 is the moveable saddle post which slides inside of the frame saddle downtube 2 . the horizontal frame tube is 3 , and one of the backstays to the rear axle is 4 . item 5 is a portion of the handlebar on which is mounted the grip 7 . the construction of the frame at the intersection of items 2 , 3 and 4 is normal to the art , with a slot 6 at the top of the rear of the said saddle frame downtube 2 which can be closed around the said saddle post 1 to lock it in position . normally this closure means is a bolt , passing through two tubular bosses welded on opposite sides of said slot 6 . however in may invention , a different embodiment is used to effect this closure as will be described . not a part of this invention , but a benefit thereto is a boss 13 on top of said horizontal tube 3 , to which is a spring 12 is mounted . said spring at the other end is attached to the said saddle post 1 by a means such as an adjustable clamp 14 . this embodiment is the subject of angell &# 39 ; s patent . on the handle bar 5 , near the grip 7 is a mount 30 on which a thumb lever 8 is rotatably mounted . this lever operates a push pull cable 11 the outer sheath 10 of which is socketed in the anchor 15 , which in turn is welded to said horizontal frame member 3 . said inner cable 11 is attached to a special pivot bolts 18 on the clamping mechanism . the internal mechanism within the housing 9 that moves the said cable 11 is not part of this invention . item 29 is a variable friction adjusting knob for the thumb lever 8 . said mechanism 9 , including the hand lever 8 , the adjuster 29 and the mounting clamp 30 is a well known item of commerce as an operator of deraileur chain shifting mechanisms , a typical example being the suntour &# 34 ; xc &# 34 ; power thumb shifter &# 34 ;. now please refer to fig3 . my clamping mechanism consists of two essentially rectangular blocks 20 and 21 welded on each side of said slot 6 near the top of said downtube 2 . said slot 6 extends also between said blocks 20 and 21 as shown . the left hand first block 20 has a short stop screw 25 threaded into the rearmost face and a hole in the outer leftmost corner through which freely passes a pin 23 that also goes through two short levers 17 , one on top of and one below the said block 20 . the pin does not pass through the long lever 16 . the right hand second block 21 has a long stop screw 26 threaded into its rearmost face , and a spherical pocket on the rightmost face which receives a spherical ball 22 partway . said long lever 16 is of a channel shape , with a partition 32 at the right end having a setscrew 19 threaded therein , said setscrew 19 having a cup shaped end partially enveloping said ball 22 opposite to said spherical pocket in block 21 . in a position and size to clear the bodies , but not the heads of stop screws 25 and 26 respectively , are holes 24 and 27 in the rearmost wall 33 of lever 16 . the leftmost end of said long lever 16 extends beyond said first block 20 sufficiently to permit said pivot bolt 18 to pass freely through the a hole in the lever itself then through holes in said short levers 17 , thereby pivoting the long lever 16 and the two short levers 17 together . the said short stop screw 25 has its head positioned between the block 20 and the inside of said rear wall 33 of lever 16 , while the long stop screw 26 has it &# 39 ; s head positioned outside of the said wall 33 . the said pivot bolt 18 has a hole through its body about midway of the griplength which accepts a cable 11 , said cable 11 being clamped in said hole by any suitable means such as a clamping screw ( not shown ). said cable 11 enters a housing 10 at a point where the housing is held in an anchor 15 which is welded to the said frame tube 3 . said housing 10 with the contained cable 11 , extends up to one side of the handlebar 5 , where it enters the body 9 of a hand lever actuator mechanism . said body 9 is rigidly but adjustably mounted on the said handlebar 5 , by the clamp 30 so the hand lever 8 is convenient to the handgrip 7 . item 29 is said friction adjustment dial for the thumblever 8 . item 12 is a torsion spring mounted on boss 13 which is welded to frame member 3 , and to a clamp 14 surrounding the saddle post 1 by suitable fasteners ( not shown ). please refer first to fig4 a . in 4a , the position of the pivot points ( centers of the parts 18 , 32 and 22 ) and the levers 16 and 17 are shown in the clamped position of the mechanism . in fig4 b , when the pivot point 18 is rotated counterclockwise to 18a , lever 17 rotates counterclockwise also . by this rotation , point 22 forced by the displacement of lever 16 , moves to the right to position 22a , thus increasing the distance between points 23 and 22 by an amount 28 . since pivot points 23 and 22 act on blocks 20 and 21 respectively , said blocks also change relative position by the amount 28 thus changing the width of said slot 6 both between the said blocks and said downtube 2 . in the unclamped position illustrated by by fig4 b , the said downtube 2 is undeflected , and said saddle post 1 can move freely up and down within the inner diameter of said downtube 2 . as pivot point 18a is moved clockwise back to point 18 of fig4 a , the distance between points 23 and 22 decreases , pulling said blocks 20 and 21 together , thus deflecting the wall of said downtube 2 as the slot 6 closes . ultimately the downtube closes around and grips the saddle post 1 . the movement of lever 16 is limited in the clockwise direction by the short stop screw 25 , and in the counterclockwise direction by the long stop screw 26 . the closure of said slot 6 is resisted by several forces : 1 . deflection of the wall of downtube 2 is a springlike action wherein the force is a function of the deflection of the tube wall . 2 . the saddle post 1 must be gripped by a frictional force sufficient to prevent movement of said saddle post under the rider &# 39 ; s weight plus acceleration loads . 3 . friction developed in all of the pivots during the closing movement . practically , the sum of these forces can reach 1500 to 2000 pounds during the closing movement . however in reopening , the deflection force 1 aids the opening , and the friction force 3 of the pivots is minimal , so the forces to unclamp are far lower . the clamping load between the saddle post 1 and the downtube 2 decreases almost instantly . the force ratios of the lever system change very rapidly as the pivots approach alignment and displacements are very small . a long lever 16 made of alignment is nowhere near as satisfactory as a steel one because of the lower modulus of elasticity of the alignment : it deflects too much under load . with proper materials and fits , it is possible to obtain operating forces on the pivot 18 as low as 0 to 5 pounds unclamping and 10 - 16 pounds clamping , well within practical operation by the thumb lever mechanism 9 . the unclamping force is very dependent on the setting of the short stop screw 25 , but the clamping force is primarily determined by the lever length ratio and low friction pivots ( hard metals ). the long stop screw 26 has little influence on the loads ; it primarily limits the lever travel , hence the travel of the thumb lever 8 . the setscrew 19 in the long lever bulkhead 32 is used to adjust the clamping force between the deflected downtube 2 and the saddle post 1 . with the lever system in position 4a , clamping , and short stop screw 24 set to have the point 18 slightly counterclockwise of the center line , setscrew 19 is tightened as desired to obtain adequate clamping force . now the unclamping force on point 18 can be fine tuned by readjusting short stop screw 25 . this adjustment is a balance between the allowable &# 34 ; push &# 34 ; capability of the cable 11 , the amount of friction load set into the thumb lever actuator 9 , and the desires of the rider . the latch load is not adjustable ; it is designed into the lever ratio . please refer again to fig1 . in the embodiment shown , the thumb lever assembly 9 is a readily available commercial product . it contains an adjustable friction mechanism which operates one way only to resist the outward movement of the cable ( push ) but contains a ratchet mechanism so there is no friction when the cable is pulled . the cable sheath 10 is also an incompressable type that when anchored at the outer end 15 , aids in the &# 34 ; push &# 34 ; action of the cable 11 . it is possible however to operate my clamping mechanism with a simple pivoted lever of suitable proportions , with or without a friction drag element , although the presence of an adjustable friction element simplifies the adjustment of the clamp mechanism itself . other embodiments of the clamping mechanism are possible : for instance , the blocks 20 and 21 can be attached to a separate narrow band surrounding the top portion of the downtube 2 , said band acting to squeeze the said top of said downtube to accomplish the clamping action . also , the blocks 20 and 21 can be shaped to enter the holes , or surround the conventional bolt bosses as conventionally used at the top of the downtube to accept a bolt for clamping purposes . setscrew 19 and pivot point 22 may be one piece or a screw with a cup - shaped end and a ball . thus the reader can see that my invention serves as a lightweight , simple way of accomplishing a necessary function needed to adjust the bicycle saddle height without stopping or going through hazardous maneuvers while riding . while the above description contains many specifics , these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention , but rather as an example of one preferred embodiment thereof . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than the embodiments illustrated or described .
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as indicated above , the invention involves a phototropic photopolymerizable composition comprising : a . at least one component capable of curing crosslinking or polymerizing upon suitable initiation , b . an initiator for said component that is potentiated by actinic radiation , c . a colorformer capable of becoming more intensely colored upon contact with a color activator , d . a latent activator for the colorformer that is capable of activating the colorformer under the influence of actinic light , comprising a carbonylic halide . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; phototropic &# 34 ; is intended to identify the capability of a system , such as the composition described above , to darken in response to actinic light ; the term is derived from &# 34 ; photo &# 34 ; -- indicating light or radiant energy and &# 34 ; tropic &# 34 ; -- changing or tending to change in a specified manner in response to a specified stimulus . as indicated , there is contemplated a photosensitive compound that contains at least one component capable of curing , crosslinking or polymerizing upon suitable initiation . in one aspect , this component contains at least one polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated group of structure ## str1 ## capable of curing , crosslinking or polymerizing under the influence of free radicals . of these materials , one important class is characterized by the presence of at least one acrylyl or methacrylyl group of formula : ## str2 ## where r is hydrogen or methyl . monomers , polymers , oligomers and compositions whose functionality is attributable to the presence of acrylate and / or methacrylate groups include acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , acrylamide , methacrylamide , methyl acrylate , methyl methacrylate , ethyl acrylate , ethyl methacrylate , hexyl acrylate , cyclohexyl methacrylate , 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate , butoxyethoxyethyl acrylate , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 - yl acrylate , dicyclopentenyl acrylate , isodecyl acrylate , ethylene diacrylate , diethylene glycol diacrylate , glycerol diacrylate , glycerol triacrylate , ethylene dimethacrylate ; ethylene glycol diacrylate , ethylene glycol dimethacrylate , 1 , 2 , 4 - butanetriol trimethacrylate , 1 , 4 - benzenediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanediol diacrylate , neopentyl glycol diacrylate , triethylene glycol diacrylate , tetraethyleneglycol diacrylate , pentaerythritol mono -, di -, tri - or tetracrylate or mixtures thereof , pentaerythritol tri - or tetramethacrylate , 1 , 5 - pentanediol dimethacrylate , trimethylol propane mono -, di , or triacrylate or mixtures thereof , 2 - phenoxyethyl acrylate , glycidyl acrylate , 2 - ethoxyethyl acrylate , 2 - methoxythyl acrylate , 2 -( n , n - diethylamino ) ethyl acrylate , omega - methoxyethyl ( undecaoxyethylene ) acrylate , omega - tridecoxyethyl ( undecaoxyethylene ) acrylate , trimethoxyallyloxymethyl acrylate , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 - en - 5 - ylmethyl acrylate , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 - en - 5 , 6 - diyl diacrylate , vinyl acrylate , 2 - hydroxypropyl acrylate , 2 - hydroxyethyl acrylate , ( methyl carbamyl ) ethyl acrylate and the bis - acrylates and methacrylate of polyethylene glycols of molecular weight 200 - 1500 . one group of acrylyl and methacrylyl esters that are particularly useful have the general formula ## str3 ## where the acrylyl compound has the formula ## str4 ## m is h or ch 3 m &# 39 ; is cycloalkyl of 5 to 12 carbon atoms ( such as cyclopentyl , dicyclopentyl , methyclyclopentyl , dimethylcyclopentyl , etc .) cycloalkenyl of 5 to 12 carbon atoms ( such as cyclopentenyl , methylcyclopentenyl , dicyclopentenyl , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 - en - yl , etc .) m &# 34 ; is hydrogen , hydroxyl , phenoxy , alkoxy of 1 to 8 carbon atoms ; and where the acrylyl compound has the formula ## str5 ## g is a polyvalent alkylene group of formula ( for example , divalent alkylene when y ═ o such as -- c 2 h 4 --, c 3 h 6 -- iso -- c 3 h 6 --, -- c 5 h 10 --, neo -- c 6 h 12 etc ; trivalent alkylene when y = 1 such as ## str6 ## or tetravalent alkylene when y is 2 , such as ## str7 ## etc .) or g is a divalent ether or ester group of formula where t is an integer from 1 to 5 and q is an integer from 2 to 4 ( such as oxyethylene , oxypropylene , oxybutylene , polyoxyethylene , polyoxypropylene , polyoxybutylene , etc .) and r is the valence of g and can be 2 to 4 . triethyleneglycol diacrylate , tetraethylene glycol diacrylate , pentaerythritol triacrylate , trimethylolpropane triacrylate and pentacrythritol tetraacrylate are especially useful . acrylate or methacrylate functionality can be incorporated in polymers and oligomers having carboxyl , hydroxyl oxirane or isocyanate groups via reaction with acrylic monomers . addition reactions of isocyanates to form urethanes or oxiranes to form esters are relatively straightforward . other methods of acrylation involving condensation or ester interchange reactions are well known . thus , there can be used epoxy acrylates obtained by reacting an epoxy resin with acrylic or methacrylic acid or obtained by reacting a hydroxyalkyl acrylate with an anhydride and reacting that product with a diepoxide . oils , such as soybean oil and linseed oil , can be epoxidized and acrylated . polyester resins , for example from a glycol - dibasic acid condensation , can be acrylated by using acrylic or methacrylic acid to complete the esterification . another method uses the reaction of an anhydride with a mixture of propylene oxide and glycidyl acrylate to obtain an acrylated polyester . acrylated alkyd resins are obtained by the reaction of , for example , a triol , dibasic acid , phthalic anhydride and a fatty acid such as hydrogenated castor oil . after reaction is complete acrylation is achieved by direct esterification with acrylic acid . urethane acrylates can be prepared directly by the reaction of a diisocyanate with an hydroxyalkyl acrylate , such as 2 - hydroxyethyl acrylate . oligomers are obtained by using an isocyanate - terminated urethane prepolymer for reaction with the hydroxyalkyl acrylate . the urethane prepolymer can be of the polyether or polyester type . acrylate functionality can be incorporated in a variety of polymer backbones by incorporating glycidyl methacrylate into the polymer chain and then reacting the pendant oxirane groups with acrylic or methacrylic acid . other curable systems are based on unsaturated polyesters such as are obtained from fumaric acid , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- stilbenedicarboxylic acid , maleic acid , and diallyl ether . cinnamate ester groups are also useful , for example in a polyvinyl alcohol - cinnamate ester combination and in conjunction with a variety of polymer materials : polycarbonate cinnamate ; polyurethane cinnamate ; cinnamyl - modified poly ( meth ) acrylates ; polyepichlorohydrin / cinnamate ; poly ( cinnamyl methacrylate ); epoxy cinnamylidene acetate ; carboxycinnamate modified polyesters . curable materials are also obtainable from the 2 - phenylmaleimido group , allyl ester - maleimide combinations , allthioether polymers , aromatic polysulfone polymer , polysiloxanes , chalcones , sorbic acid derivatives , itaconic acid derivatives and mixtures containing itaconic acid ; polyvinyl alcohol , polyvinyl acetate , polyvinyl butyral . another polymerizable or curable polymer system is based on the free - radical addition of a thiol to an olefinic double bond : when a polyene and a polythiol are admixed and a stimulus that generates free - radicals is present , rapid curing occurs by simultaneous chain extending and crosslinking reactions . other crosslinkable , polymerizable or curable materials include the nitriles such as acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile ; the olefins such as dodecene , styrene , 4 - methylstyrene , alphamethylstyrene , cyclopentadiene , dicyclopentadiene , butadiene , 1 , 4 - hexadiene , 4 - methyl - 1 - pentene , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 - ene , bicyclo ( 2 . 2 . 1 ) hept - 2 . 5 - diene , cyclohexene ; the vinyl halides such as vinyl chloride , vinylidene chloride ; the vinyl esters such as vinyl acetate , vinyl butyrate , vinyl benzoate , vinyl butyral , vinyl methacrylate , vinyl crotonate ; the vinyl ketones such as vinyl methyl ketone , vinyl phenyl ketone , isopropenyl methyl ketone , divinyl ketone , alpha - chloro - vinyl methyl ketone , vinyl phenyl ketone ; acrolein and methacrolein ; the vinyl ethers and thioethers such as methyl vinyl ether , ethyl vinyl ether , divinyl ether , isopropyl vinyl ether , the butyl vinyl ethers , 2 - ethylhexyl vinyl ether , vinyl 2 - chloro - ether , vinyl 2 - methoxyethyl ether , n - hexadecyl vinyl ether , vinyl methyl sulfide , vinyl ethylsulfide , divinyl sulfide , 1 - chloroethyl vinyl sulfide , vinyl octadecyl sulfide , vinyl 2 - ethoxyethyl sulfide , vinyl phenyl sulfide , diallyl sulfide ; the miscellaneous sulfur and nitrogen containing monomers such as divinyl sulfone , vinyl ethyl sulfone , vinyl sulfonic acid , vinyl ethyl sulfoxide , sodium vinyl sulfonate , vinyl sulfonamide , vinyl pyridine , n - vinyl pyrollidone , n - vinyl carbazole . other curable materials are readily apparent to oneh skilled in the art of polymerization chemistry . the specific compounds mentioned are illustrative only and not all - inclusive . they can be polymerized alone or in mixtures of two or more thereof with the proportions thereof dependent upon the desire of the individual . they can also be blended with polymers . the component capable of curing , crosslinking or polymerizing upon suitable initiation can be used alone in mixtures and / or in conjunction with one or more preformed polymers . among the polymers that can be used one can include , for example , the polyolefins and modified polyolefins , the vinyl polymers , the polyethers , the polyesters , the polylactones , the polyamides , the polyurethanes , the polyureas , the polysiloxanes , the polysulfides , the polysulfones , the polyformaldehydes , the phenolformaldehyde polymers , the natural and modified natural polymers , the heterocyclic polymers . the term preformed polymer as used herein includes the homopolymers and copolymers and includes the olefin polymers and copolymers such as polyethylene , poly ( ethylene / propylene ). poly -( ethylene / norbornadiene ), poly ( ethylene / vinyl acetate ), poly ( ethylene / vinyl chloride ), poly ( ethylene / ethyl acrylate ), poly ( ethylene / acrylonitrile ), poly ( ethylene / acrylic acid ), poly ( ethylene / styrene ), poly ( ethylene / vinyl ethyl ether ), poly ( ethylene / vinyl methyl ketone ), polybutadiene , poly ( butadiene / styrene / acrylonitrile ), poly ( vinylchloride ), poly ( vinylidene chloride ), poly ( vinyl acetate ), poly ( vinyl methyl ether ), poly ( vinyl butyral ), polystyrene , poly ( n - vinylcarbazole ), poly ( acrylic acid ), poly ( methyl acrylate ), poly ( ethyl acrylate ), polyacrylonitrile , polyacrylamide , poly ( methacrylic acid ), poly ( methyl methacrylate ), poly ( ethyl methacrylate ), poly ( n , n - dimethyl acrylamide ), poly ( methacrylamide ), polycaprolactone , poly ( caprolactone / vinyl chloride ), poly ( ethylene glycol terephthalate ), poly ( captolactam ), poly ( ethylene oxide ), poly ( propylene oxide ), copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide with starters containing reactive hydrogen atoms such as the mixed copolymer using ethylene glycol or glycerol or sucrose , etc ., as starter , the natural and modified natural polymers such as gutta percha , cellulose , methyl cellulose , starch , silk , wool , and the siloxane polymers and copolymers , the polysulfides and polysulfones , the formaldehyde polymers such as polyformaldehyde , formaldehyde resins such as phenol - formaldehyde , melamineformaldehyde , urea - formaldehyde , aniline - formaldehyde and acetone - formaldehyde . selection of the preformed polymer will usually depend on the properties desired of the ultimate , cured product . the materials utilized as curing , crosslinking or polymerization initiators are radiation - sensitive catalyst precursors that are potentiated by radiation to provide an effective initiator species . ultraviolet light irradiation is the preferred mode of irradiation . the known photoinitiators include the azo compounds , organic dyes , sulfur containing compounds , metallic salts and complexes , oximes , amines , polynuclear compounds , peroxides , various halogen - containing compounds and organic carbonyl compounds ; they can be used alone , in combination with each other or in combination with various synergistic agents . the aromatic carbonyl compounds are a quite important group of photoinitiators and include benzoin and the benzoin ethers , benzophenone and derivatives of benzophenone , the monoaryl ketones , the diketones , the xanthones , the thioxanthemones , the quinones , and the thioketones . in the group of benzoin and the benzoin ethers are included such ethers as benzoin methyl ether ; benzoin ethyl ether ; benzoin allyl ether ; benzoin propyl ether ; benzoin isopropyl ether ; benzoin butyl ether ; benzoin isobutyl ether ; benzoin see - butyl ether ; benzoin thiophenyl ether ; benzoin amyl ether ; benzoin hexyl ether ; benzoin octyl ether ; benzoin 2 - ethylhexyl ether ; benzoin nonyl ether ; benzoin trimethyhexyl ether ; benzoin diethyl ether ; benzoin phenyl ether ; hydroxyethyl benzoin ether ; ethylene glycol benzoin ether ; 2 - chloroethylbenzoin ether ; benzoin isobutoxymethyl ether ; α - alkoxybenzoin ethers ; benzoin carbamates . in the group of benzophenone and derivatives of benzophenone are the 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- di ( loweralkyl ) benzophenones ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- di ( lower alkoxy ) benzophenones ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diallylbenzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- divinylbenzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- di ( loweracyl ) benzophenone ; the alkylamino - benzophenones including 4 &# 39 ;( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 - hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;-( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 - hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;-( diethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 - acryloxy - 4 &# 39 ;-( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 - methoxy - 4 &# 39 ;-( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( diamino ) benzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis -( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis -( diethylamino ) benzophenone ; and p - dichloromethylbenzophenone ; 4 - iodobenzophenone ; p - chlorobenzophenone ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( bromomethyl ) benzophenone ; p - hydroxybenzophenone ; 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxybenzophenone - 5 - sulfonic acid ; p - acryloxybenzophenone ; o - methoxybenzophenone ; p - methoxybenzophenone ; glycidyl ethers of benzophenone ; vinyl - substituted benzophenone ; 2 - isopropenylbenzophenone ; monocarboxyl - substituted benzophenone ; polycarboxyl - substituted benzophenone ; p - nitrobenzophenone ; m - benzophenonesulfonyl chloride ; p - p &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) thiobenzophenone ; phenylthiomethylbenzophenone ; benzylthiomethylbenzophenone ; benzopinacolone ; anthrone ; benzanthrone ; benzanthronesulfonyl chloride ; 9 - fluorenone ; hydroxyfluorenones ; aminofluorenones ; 2 - bromoethyl - 9 - fluorenonesulfonyl chloride ; 2 - methylfluorenone ; 1 - propylfluorenone ; 2 , 7 - dimethylfluorenene ; 2 - vinylfluorenone ; 2 - benzylfluorenone ; 2 - ethoxyfluorenone ; 2 , 6 - dimethoxyfluorenone ; 2 , 4 , 5 - trimethylfluorenone ; 2 - acetylfluorenone ; 2 - chlorofluorenone ; 2 , 7 - dichlorofluorenone ; dibenzosuberone ; 1 - chloromethyl - 6 - chlorosulfonyl - 2 - naphthylphenyl ketone ; n - methylacridone ; poly ( vinyl benzophenone ). the monoaryl ketones include acetophenone , propiophenone , butyrophenone , 3 - methylacetophenone , 4 - vinylacetophenone , 4 -( 2 - ethylhexyl )- acetophenone , 3 - allylacetophenone , 4 - vinylacetophenone , 4 - hexylpropiophenone , 3 - butenylbutyrophenone , 4 - tolylacetophenone , 3 - benzylacetophenone , 3 - xylylacetophenone , 3 - methoxyacetophenone , 3 - methoxybutyrophenone , 3 - decoxyacetophenone , 4 - heptoxypropiophenone , 3 - bromoacetophenone , 4 - chloroacetophenone , 3 - chloropropiophenone , 4 - iodoacetophenone , 1 , 4 - diacetylbenzene , 1 , 3 - diacetylbenzene , 1 , 3 , 4 - triacetylbenzene , 1 , 4 - dipropionylbenzene , 1 , 4 - dibutyrobenzene , 3 , 4 - dimethylacetophenone , 1 - chloroacetophenone , 1 - bromoacetophenone , 1 , 1 &# 39 ;- dichlorobenzophenone , 1 - chloroanthraquinone , 1 - bromoanthraquinone , 1 - chloroxanthane , 1 - chlorothioxanthone , 2 - chlorothioxanthane , 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- dipyridylketone , 2 - benzolypyridine , 3 - benzoylpyridine , 4 - benzoylpyridine , 3 , 4 - dihexylacetophenone , 3 , 4 - diethylpropiophenone , 3 - methyl - 4 - methoxyacetophenone , chloroalkylphenyl ketones ; α - bromoacetophenone ; ortho - bromoacetophenone ; trichloroacetophenone ; trichloroethylidineacetophenone ; 2 , 2 - dichloro - 4 &# 39 ;- tertiary - butylacetophenone ; 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloro - 4 &# 39 ;- tertiary - butylacetophenone ; α - bromoisobutyrophenone ; 2 , 2 - dibromo - 2 ( phenylsulfonyl ) acetophenone ; α , α - dialkoxyacetophenone ; 2 , 2 - dimethoxyacetophenone ; 2 , 2 - dimethoxy - 2 - phenylacetophenone ; 2 , 2 - diethoxyacetophenone ; o - methoxyacetophenone ; m - methoxyacetophenone ; p - methoxyacetophenone ; 2 - butoxy - 2 - phenylacetophenone ; 2 - phenylthio - 2 - phenylacetophenone ; ethyl benzoylacetate ; para - aminophenyl ketones ; cyclohexylphenyl ketone ; pivalophenone ; valerophenone ; and acetonaphthone . the diketones include biacetyl ; benzil dimethyl ketal ; 2 , 3 - dibenzoyl - 2 - norbornene ; benzoylbenzal chloride ; 2 , 2 - dibromo - 2 -( phenylsulfonyl ) propanedione ; a - naphthil ; 2 , 3 - butanedione ; benzil ; pentanedione ; 1 - aryl - 1 , 2 - propanediones ; 2 , 3 - bornanedione ; phenylpyruvic acid ; 2 , 4 - pentanedione . the xanthones and thioxanthenones include xanthone , 2 - methylxanthone , 3 - pentylxanthone , 2 , 6 - diethylxanthone , 2 - tolyxanthone , 2 - methoxyxanthone , 4 - methoxyxanthone , 2 - acetylxanthone , 2 , 7 - diacetylxanthone , 3 - chloroxanthone , 4 - bromoxanthone , 2 - chloroxanthone , 2 , 7 - dichloroxanthone , 2 - chloro - g - nonylxanthone , 2 - iodo - 5 - methoxyxanthone , thioxanthenone ; 2 - methylthioxanthenone ; 3 , 6 - bis ( dimethylamino ) thioxanthenone ; 2 - chlorothioxanthenone . the quinones include p - benzoquinone ; o - benzoquinonediazide ; anthraquinone ; alkylanthraquinones ; 2 - methylanthraquinone ; 2 - ethylanthraquinone ; 2 - tertiary - butylanthraquinone ; 2 , 6 - dimethylanthraquinone ; 1 , 5 - diethylanthraquinone ; 2 - vinylanthraquinone ; 2 - xylylanthraquinone ; 2 , 6 - dimethoxyanthraquinone ; 2 , 7 - diethoxyanthraquinone ; 2 - acetylanthraquinone ; 2 - chloroanthraquinone ; 2 , 4 , 8 - trichloranthraquinone ; 2 - bromoanthraquinone ; aminoanthraquinone ; 1 , 5 - diaminoanthraquinone ; piperidinoanthraquinones ; anthraquinonesulfonyl chloride ; benzanthraquinone ; 1 , 4 - napthoquinone derivatives ; phenanthrenequinones ; a - chloroanthraquinone ; the azo compounds that are useful include azo compounds , azido compounds and diazonium salts . azo and azido compounds include 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- azobisisopropane ; azobisisobutyronitrile ; 2 - phenylazobisisobutyronitrile ; azobisisobutyramide ; azobis ( isobutyl acetate ); di -( 2 , 4 , 6 - tribromophenyl )- 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- azobis ( 4 - cyanovalerate ); p - azidobenzaldehyde ; b - naphthalenesulfonyl azide ; diazomethane ; bis ( phenylsulfonyl ) diazomethane ; diazonaphthalenes ; diazothioethers ; quinone diazides ; m , m &# 39 ;- azoxystyrene . the sulfur containing compounds include n - dodecyl mercaptan ; 2 - mercaptobenzimidazole ; diphenyl sulfide ; cyclohexylphenylsulfide ; benzoin thioethers ; benzoin thiophenyl ether ; phenylthiomethylbenzophenone ; s , s &# 39 ;- diphenyl dithiocarbonate ; calcium sulfide ; metallic tellurides ; diaryl disulfides ; diphenyl disulfide ; dithiolane ; dibenzoyldisulfide ; dixanthate ; benzothiazoles ; 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- dithiobis ( benzothiazole ); 2 - mercaptobenzothiazole ; thiazolines ; thiocarbamates ; dithiocarbamic esters ; dithiocarbamic anhydrides ; thiurams ; toluene sulfonic acid ; sulfonyl chlorides ; m -( chlorosulfonyl ) benzyl chloride ; naphthalenesulfonyl chloride ; 2 - bromoethyl - 9 - fluorenonesulfonyl chloride ; 2 , 2 - dibromo - 2 ( phenylsulfonyl ) acetophenone ; 2 , 2 - dibromo - 2 ( phenylsulfonyl ) propanedione ; benzophenonesulfonyl chloride ; diphenyl disulfone . the polynuclear compounds include naphthalene ; halogenated naphthalenes ; 2 , 3 , 6 - trimethylnaphthalene ; a - naphthol ; 1 - aminonaphthalene ; 1 - methoxynaphthalene ; 2 , 3 - diphenylquinoxaline ; anthracene ; aminoanthraquinone ; phenanthrene ; naphthacene ; fluorene ; 9 - fluorenone ; stilbene ; trinitrofluorenone ; polynuclear quinones . the metal salts and complexes include zinc chloride ; zinc bromide ; zinc sulfide ; ferric chloride ; chromium chloride ; nickel chloride ; tin chloride ; stannous chloride ; vanadium tetrachloride ; vanadium oxychloride ; vanadium naphthenate ; aluminum chloride ; aluminum bromide ; aluminum iodide ; silver halides ; gold salts ; sodium chloraurate ; mercury salts ; mercury iodosulfide ; titanium tetrachloride ; cadmium sulfide ; boron trifluoride ; boron trichloride ; ceric salts ; thallium salts ; uranyl salts ; cobalt octoate ; cobalt naphthenate ; magnesium oxide ; zinc oxide ; titanium dioxide ; alumina ; cupric oxide ; chromium oxide ; silver oxide compounds ; metal chelates ; metal amine complexes ; cobalt edta complexes ; iron edta complexes ; metal acetylacetonate ; manganese tris ( acetylacetonate ); metal salt - saccharide complexes ; metal oxalato complexes ; p - benzoquinone complexes ; copper ( i ) complexes ; manganese carbonyl ; rhenium carbonyl ; osmium carbonyl ; iron carbonyls ; metal thiocarbonyls ; trialkylaluminum ; diethylaluminum chloride ; triphenylmethyldiethyltitanium chloride ; bis ( 2 - chloroethyl ) diethyltitanium ; tetrabenzyltitanium ; ferrocene ; cyclopentadienylmanganese tricarbonyls . the peroxides include hydrogen peroxide ; benzoyl peroxide ; tertiary - butyl peroctoate ; t - butyl a - cyanoperacetate ; t - butyl hydroperoxide ; di - t - butyl peroxide ; cumene hydroperoxide ; a - cumyl peroxide ; ergosterol peroxide ; fluorenone hydroperoxide ; acetyl peroxide . organic dyes that are useful include acridines ; benzacridine ; benzidines ; b - carotene ; chlorophyll ; crystal violet ; eosin ; erythrosine ; fluorescein ; indanthrene yellow ; irgazin yellow ; methyl violet ; methylene blue ; pyronine - g ; rhodamines ; riboflavin ; rose bengal ; thiazine dyes ; thionine ; xanthene dyes ; xanthophyll ; iodoeosine . where the component capable of curing , crosslinking or polymerization contains an ethylenically unsaturated group , and notably an acrylyl or methacrylyl group , the preferred free radical photoinitiators are the benzoin ethers , benzophenone , the alkylamino benzophenones , the xanthones , the thioxanthones as well as combinations of said photoinitiators with each other and with chain transfer agents such as organic amines . as colorformer , there can , in one aspect , be used the free base of : as ketone imine dyestuffs , there can be used the free bases of auramine o and auramine g , c . i . 41000b and 41005 . the amino triarylmethane dyestuffs whose free bases can be used , can be generally represented by the formula ## str8 ## where ar 1 , ar 2 and ar 3 are carbocyclic aryl groups that are unsubstituted or substituted by one to three of : lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower acyl , carboxyl , carboloweralkoxy , sulfo , including the alkali , alkaline earth metal and ammonium salts thereof , nitro , halo , hydroxyl and amino of formula ## str9 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; each independently is hydrogen , lower alkyl , phenylloweralkylene , phenyl , sulfoloweralkylene , lower acyl , naphthyl , and where said phenyl and naphthyl groups are optionally substituted by one to three of nitro , sulfo , hydroxyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkyl , amino , sulfamyl , carboxyl , carbamyl , phenylimino and halogen and provided that at least one of ar 1 , ar 2 and ar 3 contains at least one amino group of formula ## str10 ## and where ar 3 can additionally be indolyl that is optionally substituted . the triarylmethane dyes whose free bases are of particular interest herein can be more specifically represented by the following formula : ## str11 ## where r is carbocyclic or heterocyclic aryl of formula ## str12 ## where r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 each independently is hydrogen , hydroxyl , or amino of formula ## str13 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; each independently is hydrogen , lower alkyl , lower acyl , sulfoloweralkylene , phenylloweralkylene , phenyl or naphthyl , said phenyl or said naphthyl groups being unsubstituted or substituted by one to three of nitro , sulfo , hydroxyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkyl , amino , sulfamyl , carbamyl , carboxyl , lower acyl , carboloweralkoxy , halogen or phenylimino where said phenyl group may be substituted as described ; and where at least one of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 is amino of formula ## str14 ## and r 10 , r 11 , r 12 , r 20 , r 21 , r 22 , r 30 , r 31 , r 32 , r 40 , r 41 , r 42 , r 50 , r 51 , and r 52 , each independently is hydrogen , lower alkyl , hydroxyl , carboxyl , sulfo including the ammonium , alkali or alkaline earth metal salt thereof , nitro , halo , phenylazo , loweralkoxy , lower acyl , carboloweralkoxy , or amino of formula ## str15 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are as previously defined and r 6 is lower alkyl or phenyl and r 7 is hydrogen or lower alkyl . the free bases of triarylmethane dyestuffs of the following formula are a preferred class of dyes ## str16 ## where the substituents are all as previously defined . within the family of dyes described by the formula immediately preceding , preferred are those where r 1 , r 2 and r 3 are hydrogen or ## str17 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; each independently is hydrogen , alkyl of one to four carbonatoms , benzyl , phenyl , sulfoethylene and where said phenyl and benzyl are unsubstituted or substituted in the aromatic moiety by one to three of nitro , sulfo , hydroxyl , alkyl of one to four carbonatoms , alkoxy of one to four carbonatoms , amino or chloro . of the dyes set out immediately above , particularly preferred are those where r 1 and r 2 are ## str18 ## and r 3 is hydrogen , sodium sulfo or ## str19 ## and where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; each is hydrogen , methyl , ethyl , phenyl or sodium sulfo phenyl . especially preferred are the free bases of the dyestuffs having the formula ## str20 ## where r 3 is hydrogen or dimethyl amino . the xanthene dyestuffs , whose free bases are useful herein , can be represented by the general formula : ## str21 ## where r 8 is hydrogen or optionally substituted carbocyclic aryl r 60 is oxo , lower alkoxy , hydroxy or ## str22 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are as previously defined ; m is an integer from one to three and r 61 and r 62 are selected from the same group as r 10 and when m is two or three , the substituents can be the same or different . a preferred group of xanthene dyestuffs are represented by the following structural formula : ## str23 ## where r 60 is ## str24 ## m is one or two and r 30 , r 31 and r 32 each independently is hydrogen , sulfamyl , sodium sulfo , halo , carboxyl , carboloweralkoxy , or hydroxyl . a particularly preferred subgroup of compounds have the formula ## str25 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are hydrogen , lower alkyl , phenyl that is unsubstituted or substituted by lower alkyl or lower alkoxy r 61 is lower alkyl m is one r 32 is carboxyl or carboloweralkoxy r 30 and r 31 each independently is hydrogen , chloro , carboxyl or hydroxyl . amino derivatives of acridine dyestuffs whose free bases can successfully be employed herein have the general formula : ## str26 ## where r 70 is hydrogen or lower alkyl r 71 is hydrogen , lower alkyl or phenyl that is unsubstituted or substituted by amino , carboxyl or di ( loweralkyl ) amino , m is one , two or three r 72 and r 73 each independently is hydrogen , lower alkyl or halogen r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are hydrogen or lower alkyl . the methine and polymethine dyestuffs whose free bases can be used are those having colour index numbers c . i . 48010 through 48080 . it should be noted that the dyestuffs described hereinabove are independently known to the art , for example , the amino derivitives of triarylmethane dyestuffs that are useful are those having the indicated formula and having a colour index number between c . i . 42 , 000 and c . i . 4 , 520 ; useful amino derivitives of xanthene dyestuffs are those having the indicated formula and having a colour index number between c . i . 45 , 000 and c . i . 45 , 505 ; the acridine dyestuffs are those having a colour index number between c . i . 46 , 000 and c . i . 46 , 080 . fluoran colorformers contemplated herein are those having the following formula : ## str27 ## where r a is hydrogen or an aliphatic group of one to 12 carbon atoms that is unsubstituted or optionally substituted and that may be interrupted by ## str28 ## and that is bound directly via carbon or oxygen ; r b is an amino group where one or both hydrogen atoms are optionally replaced by unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic groups , cycloaliphatic groups , aromatic groups or mixed aliphatic - aromatic groups or r b is a heterocyclic group of 3 to 12 ring members bound via a ring nitrogen and containing in addition to nitrogen , one or more of oxygen and sulfur as hetero ring members or r a and r b together form a condensed aromatic nucleus ; r c is hydrogen , halogen , an aliphatic group of one to 12 carbon atoms that is unsubstituted or substituted and that may be interrupted by nitrogen or oxygen and that is bound directly via carbon or oxygen , or r c is an amino group where one or both hydrogen atoms are optionally replaced by unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic groups , cycloaliphatic groups , aromatic groups , mixed aliphatic - aromatic groups or where r c is a heterocyclic group with three to twelve ring members containing one or more of nitrogen , oxygen and sulfur as hetero ring members or r c is an aromatic group that is unsubstituted or optionally substituted or a mixed aliphatic - aromatic group or an aromatic ether or aliphatic - aromatic ether group ; r d is hydrogen , lower aliphatic or an amino group where one or both hydrogen atoms are optionally replaced by unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic groups , cycloaliphatic groups , aromatic groups , mixed aliphatic - aromatic groups or r d is a heterocyclic group of 3 to 12 ring members containing one or more of nitrogen , oxygen and sulfur as hetero ring members ; r e and r f each independently is hydrogen , unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic of one to 12 carbon atoms which may be interrupted by oxygen or nitrogen , and which is bound directly via carbon , cycloaliphatic groups , aromatic groups , mixed aliphatic - aromatic groups , or r e and r f , together with the nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic group of 3 to 12 ring members , optionally containing , in addition to nitrogen , one or more of sulfur and oxygen as hetero ring members ; ( r g ) m represents one to 3 , independently , of hydrogen , lower aliphatic bound directly via carbon or oxygen , or is halogen , acetamido or optionally substituted amino . preferably , at least one of r b , r c and r d is an amino group , as defined . particularly useful are the 2 - amino fluoran compounds of formula ## str29 ## where r 1 is hydrogen , halogen , alkyl of one to 12 carbon atoms , alkoxy of one to 12 carbon atoms r 2 and r 3 each independently is hydrogen , alkyl of one to 12 carbon atoms , alkenyl of 2 to 12 carbon atoms alkoxyalkyl of 2 to 8 carbon atoms , alkoxycarbonylalkyl of 3 to 9 carbon atoms , cycloalkyl of 5 or 6 carbon atoms , acyl of one to 12 carbon atoms , phenyl , naphthyl or benzyl that are unsubstituted or substituted in the aromatic nucleus by one to 3 of amino , mono - or di - alkyl amino of one to 5 carbon atoms , alkyl of one to 7 carbon atoms , alkoxy of one to 7 carbon atoms , carboxyl , alkoxycarbonyl or 2 to 7 carbon atoms , acyl or acylamino of one to 5 carbon atoms , or meso 3 -- where me is alkali metal or r 2 and r 3 together with the associated nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic radical of 3 to 12 ring members selected from pyrrolidinyl ; piperidyl , pipecolinyl , perhydroazepinyl , heptamethyleneimino , octamethyleneimino , indolinyl , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydroquinolinyl , hexahydrocarbazolyl , morpholinyl , thiomorpholinyl , piperazinyl , n - alkyl piperazinyl where the alkyl group contains one to 4 carbon atoms , pyrazolinyl , or 3 - methyl pyrazolinyl r 4 is hydrogen , alkyl of one to 12 carbon atoms , alkoxy of one to 12 carbon atoms , halogen , amino that is unsubstituted or substituted by one or two of the substituents as defined for r 2 and r 3 , or r 4 is phenyl , phenoxy , benzyl or benzyloxy that is unsubstituted or substituted in the aromatic nucleus by one to 3 of amino , mono - or di - alkyl amino of one to 5 carbon atoms , lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , carboxyl , alkoxycarbonyl of 2 to 7 carbon atoms , acyl of one to 5 carbon atoms or meso 3 -- where me is alkali metal r 5 is hydrogen , lower alkyl , lower alkoxy or amino that is unsubstituted or substituted by one or two of the substituents as defined for r 2 and r 3 , including the heterocyclic members , r 6 and r 7 , each independently is selected from the same group as defined for r 2 and r 3 , including the heterocyclic members thereof ; ( r 8 ) m represents one to 3 members independently selected from hydrogen , alkyl of one to 7 carbon atoms , alkoxy of one to 7 carbon atoms , halogen , acetamido , amino or mono - or di - alkyl amino of one to 7 carbon atoms . of the compounds described above , those wherein r 1 r 5 and r 8 are hydrogen are of particular interest . these compounds have the general formula ## str30 ## where r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 6 and r 7 are all as previously defined . r 2 is hydrogen , alkyl of one to 7 carbon atoms or acyl of one to 7 carbon atoms r 3 is hydrogen , alkyl of one to 7 carbon atoms , acyl of one to 7 carbon atoms , phenyl , benzyl or naphthyl or where r 2 and r 3 together with the associated nitrogen atom form morpholinyl , piperazinyl , pyrrolidinyl or piperidinyl r 4 is hydrogen , alkyl of one to 7 carbon atoms or alkoxy of one to 7 carbon atoms r 6 and r 7 is each alkyl of one to 5 carbon atoms or together with the associated nitrogen form morpholinyl , piperazinyl , pyrrolidinyl or piperidinyl . especially preferred are the compounds of formula ## str31 ## where r 3 is hydrogen or phenyl r 4 is hydrogen , ( c 1 - c 3 ) alkyl or ( c 1 - c 3 ) alkoxy r 6 and r 7 is each ( c 1 - c 3 ) alkyl ; the compounds found to be notably useful are these where r 6 and r 7 are both ethyl and where r 4 is hydrogen , methyl or methoxy . fluoran compounds as described herein are known in the art ; they are prepared by reacting a suitable benzophenone with an appropriate phenol derivative in the presence of an acidic condensing agent according to the following general formula ## str32 ## where r a , r b , r c , r d , r e , r f and r g are as previously defined and r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are hydrogen or lower alkyl , preferably hydrogen . the reaction is typically carried out at 10 ° to 100 ° c . in the presence of a condensing agent such as acetic anhydride , sulfuric acid , zinc chloride , phosphorous oxychloride and polyphosphoric acid for from 3 to 6 hours ; after cooling , the solution is poured into ice water and the product is neutralized with suitable alkali such as an alkali metal hydroxide solution . the crystals are then recovered and purified in known manner , as by recrystallization . the benzophenone compound can be prepared by reacting a phenol derivative with a phthalic anhydride in an organic solvent such as benzene , toluene , xylene and chlorobenzene , at reflux : ## str33 ## the general art of making fluoran compounds useful herein is described in u . s . patent nos . in describing the activators within the scope of this invention , it must be understood that the colorformers described herein are converted to dark - colored products by contact with an acidic substance . the acidic materials are those falling within the definition of a lewis acid , that is , an electron acceptor . thus the activators useful herein will either generate a lewis acid or will facilitate the production of a lewis acid from some other source . the activators of this invention are the combination of a proton donor and a carbonylic halide in the presence of a free radical type photoinitiator . while not wishing to be bound to any theoretical explanation for the chemistry of this activator system , the perceived results may be explained as follows . the proton donor ( pd ), whether by the effect of the free radical initiator ( in ) or otherwise , provides protons that are effective to convert the colorformer to the dark colored reaction product . the carbonylic halide compound , functioning as an electron sink , pushes the reaction to the right , encouraging proton formation : ## str34 ## the proton donor can be an amine , an arsine or a phosphine and can be represented by the formula ## str35 ## where d is n , as or p r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ;, each independently is hydrogen , linear or branched alkyl of from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms , linear or branched alkenyl of from 2 to about 12 carbon atoms , cycloalkyl of from 3 to about 10 ring carbon atoms , cycloalkenyl of from 3 to about 10 ring carbon atoms , aryl of from 6 to 12 ring carbon atoms , alkaryl of from 6 to about 12 ring carbon atoms , aralkyl of from 6 to about 12 ring carbon atoms , r &# 39 ;&# 34 ; has the same meaning as r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; except that it cannot be hydrogen and cannot be aryl when both r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are aryl ; the aryl groups can be unsubstituted or substituted by one or more of amino , mono - or di ( lower alkyl ) amino loweralkylcarbonyl , loweralkoxycarbonyl , loweralkylcarbonyloxy , phenylcarbonyl or aminophenylenecarbonyl where the amino group is unsubstituted or substituted by lower alkyl . additionally , r &# 34 ; and r &# 39 ;&# 34 ; together with d can form a heterocyclic group . thus r &# 34 ; and r &# 39 ;&# 34 ; together can be divalent alkylene of 2 to 12 carbon atoms , divalent alkenylene of 3 to 12 carbon atoms , divalent alkadienylene of 5 to 10 carbon atoms , divalent alkatrienylene of from 5 to 10 carbon atoms , divalent alkyleneoxyalkylene having a total of from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or divalent alkyleneaminoalkylene having a total of from 4 to 12 carbon atoms . because of ready availability , lower toxicity and stability , the amines are preferred ; representative specific organiamines include methylamine , dimethylamine , trimethylamine , diethylamine , triethylamine , propylamine , isopropylamine , diisopropylamine , triisopropylamine , butylamine , tributylamine , 1 - butylamine , 2 - methylbutylamine , n - methyl - n - butylamine , di - 2 - methylbutylamine , trihexylamine , tri - 2 - ethylhexylamine , dodecylamine , tridodecyl amine , tri - 2 - chloroethylamine , di - 2 - bromoethylamine , methanolamine , ethanolamine , diethanolamine , triethanolamine , n - methyldiethanolamine , n , n - dimethylethanolamine , n - methyldiethanolamine , isopropanolamine , propanolamine , diisopropanolamine , triisopropanolamine , n - butylethanolamine , dihexanolamine , 2 - methoxyethylamine , di - 2 - ethoxyethylamine , tri - 2 - ethoxyethylamine , 2 - hydroxyethyldiisopropylamine , 2 - aminoethylethanolamine , allylamine , butenylamine , dihexadienylamine , cyclohexylamine tricyclohexylamine , trimethylcyclohexylamine , bis - methylcyclopentylamine , tricyclohexenylamine , tricyclohexadienylamine , tricyclopentadienylamine , n - methyl - n - cyclohexylamine , n - 2 - ethylhexyl - n - cyclohexylamine , phenyldimenthylamine , p - acetylphenyldimethylamine , p - caprylyphenyl dimethylamine , methylphenylamine , ditolylamine , p - dimethylaminophenyl acetate , p - dimethylaminophenyl valerate , triphenethylamine , benzyldimethylamine , benzyldihexlamine , ethyl dimethylaminobenzoate , heptyl dimethylaminobenzoate , trischlorophenethylenimine , n - methylethylenimine , n - cyclohexylethylenimine , piperidine , n - ethylpiperidine , 2 - methylpiperidine , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydropyridine , 1 , 2 ,- dihydropyridine , 2 -, 3 - and 4 - picoline , morpholine , n - methylmorpholine , n - 2 - hydroxyethylmorpholine , n - 2 - ethoxyethylmorpholine , piperazine , n - methylpiperazine , n , n &# 39 ;- dimethylpiperazine , 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - bis [ 3 -( n - morpholinyl )- propionyloxyl ] propane , 1 , 5 - bis [ 3 -( n - morpholinyl )- propionyloxy diethyl ] ether , n , n - dimethylbenzylamine , ethyldiethanolamine ; triethanolamine ; p - nitroaniline ; n - acetyl - 4 - nitro - 1 - naphthylamine ; aminoanthraquinone . a preferred group of amines are the p - aminophenyl ketones of general formula ## str36 ## where r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; are alkyl of one to 4 carbon atoms and r &# 34 ;&# 34 ; is alkyl of one to 12 carbon atoms , alkoxy of one to 12 carbon atoms , phenyl , loweralkyliminophenylene or di ( loweralkyl ) aminophenylene . representative compounds include p -( dimethylamino ) acetophenone ; p -( dimethylamino ) propiophenone ; p -( dimethylamino ) butyrophenone ; p -( dimethylamino ) valerophenone ; p -( dimethylamino ) myristylphenone ; the p -( diloweralkylamino ) benzoic acid esters such as p -( dimethylamino ) benzoic acid ethyl ester ; p -( dimethylamino ) benzoic acid butyl ester ; p -( dimethylamino ) benzoic acid lauryl ester ; p -( dimethylamino ) benzoic acid myristyl ester ; 4 - dimethylaminobenzophenone ; 4 - dimethylamino - 4 &# 39 ;- propylaminobenzophenone ; and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone . as indicated , the compositions of this invention are formulated with carbonylic halides . these include the aliphatic ketones , the cycloaliphatic ketones and the esters and amides of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids . the use of the above mentioned carbonylic halides leads to a marked improvement in the intensity of fluoran and free base of a dyestuff colorformers when contrasted with the effects of the prior art such as aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 4 , 065 , 315 . while all members of this class will be operative , particularly preferred results are obtained when the halogen atom is located adjacent to the carbonyl group . it may be hypothesized that the carbonyl group affects the alpha - halogen atoms in a manner analogous to the effect of the carbonyl group on the alphahydrogens ; in any event the preferred carbonylic halides are those having at least one halogen atom on a carbon atom alphato a carbonyl group . especially preferred are the carbonylic halides having two halogen atoms on an alpha - carbon atom . one group of halogenated aliphatic ketones has from 3 to about 13 carbon atoms and from one to 4 carbonyl groups ; these compounds are represented by the general formula ## str37 ## where r aa is alkyl of one to eleven carbon atoms or said alkyl containing halogen atoms ; r bb is alkylene of one to ten carbon atoms , or said alkylene containing halogen atoms , or r bb represents a covalent bond ; r cc is alkyl or alkoxy of one to eleven carbon atoms or said alkyl or alkoxy that contains halogen atoms ; another group of carbonylic halides is formed by the cyclic ketones containing one or two ring carboxyl groups ; preferred are the carbocyclic ketones of formula ## str38 ## where e is the halogenated residue of a carbocyclic ketone which , together with the bound carbonyl groups contains from 4 to about 8 carbon atoms in the ring ; a can be substituted , in addition to halogen , by lower alkyl , lower alkoxy or acyl of two to 6 carbon atoms ; nn is 1 or 2 . another group of compounds useful herein are the esters and amides of formula : ## str39 ## where r aa &# 39 ; is amino that is unsubstituted or substituted by one or two of lower alkyl or halogenated lower alkyl , or r aa &# 39 ; is alkoxy or halogenated alkoxy of one to 4 carbon atoms , or r aa &# 39 ; is ## str40 ## where d is alkoxy or haloalkoxy of one to 4 carbon atoms and -- a -- is alkylene or haloalkylene of one to 4 carbon atoms ; r bb &# 39 ; is a covalent bond , alkylene or haloalkylene of one to 4 carbon atoms or the group ; ## str41 ## where a and b each independently is alkylene or haloalkylene of one to 4 carbon atoms ; r cc &# 39 ; is amino that is unsubstituted or substituted by one or two of lower alkyl or halogenated lower alkyl , or r cc &# 39 ; is alkoxy or haloalkoxy of one to 4 carbon atoms . these compounds will contain up to about 12 carbon atoms and are illustrated by : from the foregoing , it is apparent that in one aspect the invention relates to a phototropic photosensitive composition comprising : a . an ethylenically unsaturated component capable of free radical initiated curing , crosslinking or polymerization ; where the free radical generator is a combination that includes a hydrogen donor , such as benzophenone , and an amine , such as an alkylamino benzophenone , another hydrogen donor need not be added . thus an amine , if present , can perform two functions : as a chain transfer agent and as a proton donor in connection with activation of the fluoran colorformer . 2 . a carbonylic halide selected from aliphatic ketones of 3 to 13 carbon atoms , carbocyclic keto of 4 to 8 ring carbon atoms , esters and amides of dicarboxylic acids and esters and amides of keto acids . the particularly preferred embodiments are those where the photoinitiator is one or more of a benzoin ether , benzophenone , a derivative of benzophenone , a monoaryl ketone , a xanthone , a thioxanthone , or a quinone , the fluoran colorformer colorformer is a 2 - amino fluoran and the amine is a tertiary amine and the carbonylic halide contains at least one alpha halogen . b . a benzoin ether , benzophenone , a loweralkylamino benzophenone , a monoaryl ketone , a xanthone , a thioxanthone , a quinone or mixture thereof 2 . a carbonylic halide containing at least one alpha halogen , selected from halogenated aliphatic ketones of 3 to 13 carbon atoms , halogenated carboxylic ketones of 4 to 8 ring carbon atoms , esters and amides of halogenated dicarboxylic acids containing up to 12 carbon atoms and esters and amides of halogenated keto acids containing up to 12 carbon atoms . the compositions of the present invention may be used in relatively thick layers or may be cast as thin films having thicknesses of from about 0 . 25 to about 5 mils or even more . when prepared in the form of an assembly comprising a support , composition and transparent sheet , i . e ., dry film photoresist , the composition will generally be from 0 . 5 to 5 mils thick . suitable base or support materials include metals such as steel , aluminum , and copper in the form of plates , sheets and foils ; film - forming synthetic resins or high polymers such as addition polymers and copolymers of vinyl chloride , vinylidine chloride , vinyl acetate , acrylonitrile , ethylene propylene , etc . ; and condensation polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyamides and thermoset composites such as fiberglass - epoxy and paper - phenolic laminates . ______________________________________ broad range preferred rangecomponent ( weight %) ( weight %) ______________________________________preformed polymer binder 40 - 70 % 50 - 70 % polymerizable , curable 30 - 50 % 30 - 40 % or crosslinkable componentphotoinitiator ( s ) 1 - 10 % 1 - 5 % fluoran colorformer 0 . 01 - 2 % 0 . 5 - 1 . 5 % carbonylic halide 0 . 1 - 5 % 0 . 5 - 2 % amine 0 . 1 - 10 % 0 . 2 - 5 % ______________________________________ the dry film phototropic photosensitive composition can additionally contain other conventional compounds such as thermal polymerization inhibitors , antioxidants , adhesion promoters and the like . in use , the photopolymerizable dry film is exposed to a source of actinic radiation which may be through a halftone image or a process transparency ; e . g ., a process negative or positive , stencil or a mask . exposure may also be through a continuous tone , negative or positive image . the exposure can be by the contact or projection method , with or without a cover sheet over the photopolymerizable layer or by projection using a cover sheet . these procedures are well known to those skilled in the art . the photoresist compositions are generally used in conjunction with ultraviolet light and the radiation source should furnish an effective amount of this radiation ; point or broad radiation sources are effective . such sources include carbon arcs , mercury - vapor arcs , fluorescent lamps with ultraviolet radiation emitting phosphors , argon glow lamps , electronic flash units and photographic flood lamps . of these , the mercury arcs , particularly the sun lamps , are most suitable . the dry film photoresist compositions after exposure can be developed in known manner , for example by impingement of spray jets , with agitated immersion , brushing or scrubbing to desirable images with an organic solvent or mixture thereof capable of washing away the unexposed portions of the resist film . useful solvents include cellosolve acetate , ethyl acetate , methyl ethyl ketone , acetone , trichloroethylene , carbon tetrachloride , tetrachloroethylene , the alkanols of one to four carbon atoms , butyl cellosolve , chlorobenzene and dimethylformamide . where the resist has been formulated to be developed by aqueous alkali , solutions of sodium carbonate , sodium hydroxide , trisodium phosphate and the like can be used , either alone or in admixture with each other or with one or more solvents . the phototropic compositions are also useful in ultraviolet - curable coating and printing compositions . one advantage that attends such compositions formulated with the phototropic dye systems is that thicker coatings can be employed than was previously the case since actinic light can penetrate through to the bottom of the coating before the color of the composition has intensified . since color can now be obtained without pigments and the like which interfere with the penetration of actinic light , thicker , more resistant coatings are obtainable . the coating and printing compositions will generally contain from about 0 . 1 to about 2 % of fluoran compound , from about 0 . 1 to about 5 % of carbonylic halide from 0 . 1 to 10 % of amine ; the compositions will generally contain from about 1 to 10 % by weight of photoinitiator . the balance of the compositions will be monomeric ( including reactive oligomers ) compounds , polymeric binders , plasticizers , adhesion promoters , antioxidants , fillers , thixotropic agents and leveling agents . pigments can be added if desired . these compositions can be applied by screen or other printing techniques or by brushing , roller coating , knife coating , curtain coating , etc . the acrylyl and methacrylyl compounds , notably the acrylyl oligomers and esters , as described above , are particularly useful . one useful class of oligomers is obtained by reacting an organic polyether or polyester polyol with a diisocyanate to provide an isocyanate - terminated prepolymer . this product can be reacted with an unsaturated alcohol , such as a hydroxy alkyl acrylate to provide , either alone or in combination with other unsaturated monomers , a material that will polymerize under the influence of free radicals to form a hard , tough , adherent film . in a variation of the foregoing , a polymercaptoester such as trimethylolpropane - tris -( thioglycolate ); trimethylolpropane tris -( mercaptopropionate ); pentaerythritol tetrakis ( thioglycolate ); pentaerythritol tetrakis -( mercaptopropionate ); and the like are reacted with a diisocyanate to provide a polythiourethane intermediate which can be reacted with an unsaturated alcohol , such as a hydroxy acrylate to provide , either alone or in combination with other unsaturated monomers , a free radical polymerizable material having excellent film properties after crosslinking . another illustration of a useful oligomer is an acrylate - capped polycaprolactone polyurethane , obtained by reacting a hydroxy - terminated polycaprolactone with a diisocyanate and thereafter reacting the isocyanate - terminated intermediate with an unsaturated alcohol such as a hydroxylalkyl acrylate . still another useful class of oligomers is obtained by reacting an epoxy resin with acrylic acid to obtain an epoxy diacrylate . for example , an epichlorohydrin / bisphenol a - type epoxy resin can be reacted with a stoichiometric amount of acrylic acid . such products are available commercially as under the trademark &# 34 ; epocryl &# 34 ; from shell chemical company . such materials can be combined with a variety of acrylic esters including neopentyl glycol diacrylate , hydroxyethyl acrylate and dicyclopentenyl acrylate and other unsaturated esters of polyols including such esters of methylene carboxylic acid such as , ethylene glycol diacrylate ; diethylene glycol diacrylate ; glycerol diacrylate ; glycerol triacrylate ; ethylene glycol dimethacrylate ; 1 , 3 - propylene glycol dimethacrylate ; 1 , 2 , 4 - butanetriol trimethacrylate ; 1 , 4 - benzenediol dimethacrylate ; pentaerythritol tetramethacrylate ; 1 , 3 - propanediol diacrylate ; 1 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate ; the bis - acrylates and methacrylates of polyethylene glycols of molecular weight 200 - 500 ; trimethylolpropane triacrylate ; pentaerythritol triacrylate ; and other ethylenically unsaturated compounds , to polymerize under the influence of free radicals to form films of excellent adhesion and toughness . another composition comprises a combination of a terminally unsaturated urethane composition ( polyene ) and a polythiol which are polymerizable under the influence of free radicals generated by the action of actinic light on a photoinitiator . the coating and printing ink compositions will contain a predominant amount of film - forming materials and photosensitizer and a relatively minor amount of fluoran compound halogen compound and amine . for example , a typical composition will contain from 15 to 70 % by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated compound as described above , 10 - 50 % of one or more unsaturated monomers or of a preformed polymeric binder , 0 . 1 to 10 % by weight of a photoinitiator ; 0 . 01 to 2 % by weight of fluoran compound as described above , 0 . 1 to about 5 % of carbonylic halide and 0 . 1 to 10 % of amine . a more narrow range is from about 40 to about 55 % by weight of ethylenically unsaturated compound , from 30 - 45 % of monomer or of polymeric binder from 1 to 5 % of initiator , from 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 % of fluoran compound , from 0 . 5 to 2 % of halogen compound and from 0 . 2 to 5 % of amine . examples a through h illustrate the preparation of a variety of useful fluoran colorformers . 2 - anilino - 6 - diethylaminofluoran ## str42 ## heat together 2 . 2 parts by weight of 2 - carboxy - 4 &# 39 ;- diethylamino - 2 &# 39 ;- hydroxybenzophenone , 1 part by weight of p - nitrophenol and 40 parts by weight of 90 weight percent h 2 so 4 for about 1 hour at 150 ° c . thereafter pour the mixture into about 225 parts by weight of ice and raise the ph to about 8 by addition of dilute nh 4 oh . extract this solution with benzene and thereafter wash the benzene with 10 percent by weight aqueous naoh and then with water . purify the washed benzene extract by passage through an activated alumina chromatograph column . concentrate the resulting solution by evaporation , add petroleum ether and recrystallize . reduce the product with stannous chloride solution , extract with benzene and recrystallize to obtain 2 - amino - 6 - diethylaminofluoran . reflux 7 . 8 parts by weight of this product , 4 parts by weight of o - bromobenzoic acid , 2 . 8 parts by weight of potassium carbonate , 0 . 1 part by weight of copper powder and 40 parts by weight of amyl alcohol for about 3 hours . cool and add petroleum ether to separate the crude reaction product . heat the crude reaction product to 250 °- 260 ° c . to decarboxylate , then dissolve in benzene and wash twice with 1 weight percent aqueous sodium carbonate and once with water . concentrate the benzene solution by evaporation and precipitate with petroleum ether . dissolve the product in benzene , purify over activated alumina , recrystallize using petroleum ether and recover the product . 2 -( 2 &# 39 ;- methoxycarbonyl anilino )- 6 - diethylamino fluoran ## str43 ## the crude reaction product of example a is methylated by refluxing 1 part by weight of said reaction product with 0 . 3 parts by weight of dimethylsulfate , 0 . 5 parts by weight of dicyclohexylamine and 12 parts by weight of acetone for about 15 minutes . evaporate the solvent and then heat over a steam bath for an additional 15 minutes . extract with benzene and purify through activated alumina . concentrate by evaporation and add petroleum ether to crystallize the reaction product . 2 -( 2 &# 39 ;- methoxycarbonyl - anilino )- 3 - methyl - 6 - diethylaminofluoran ## str44 ## following the procedure of example a , but using 3 - methyl - 4 - nitrophenol in place of p - nitrophenol , there is obtained 2 - amino - 3 - methyl - 6 - diethylaminofluoran . reacting this product with o - bromobenzoic acid in the manner described in example a provides the carboxylic acid - containing crude reaction product . methylating this crude reaction product according to example b provides the desired product . 2 - anilino - 3 - methyl - 6 - diethylaminofluoran ## str45 ## decarboxylation of the carboxylic acid - containing crude reaction product of example c as described in example a , provides the desired product . by an alternate route , one gram of 2 &# 39 ;- carboxy - 4 - diethylamino - 2 - hydroxybenzophenone can be dissolved in a mixture of 4 ml . of concentrated sulfuric acid and an equal volume of fuming sulfuric acid at an so 3 content of 20 % with mechanical stirring , and externally cooled to about 15 ° c . add 1 . 9 grams of 4 - amino - 3 - methylphenol gradually and continue stirring over 16 hours at about 20 ° c . thereafter , pour the reaction mixture into about 200 grams of ice - water , raise the ph to about 8 with a 10 percent by weight aqueous solution of naoh and extract with benzene . wash the benzene successively with 10 % naoh , 2 % nacl and then water . concentrate by evaporation , purify over activated alumina , elute with a 3 : 3 : 1 mixture of benzene : ether : ethyl acetate , evaporate and recover the product . 2 - anilino - 6 - diethylamino - 3 - methoxyfluoran ## str46 ## following the alternate procedure described in example d but using 4 - amino - 3 - methoxyphenol instead of 4 - amino - 3 - methylphenol , there is obtained the indicated product . 2 -( n - benzylamino )- 6 - n - pyrrolidinylfluoran ## str47 ## stir a mixture of 77 . 75 grams of 2 &# 39 ;- carboxy - 2 - hydroxy - 4 - n - pyrrolidinylbenzophenone 75 . 6 grams n - benzyl - p - anisidine and 250 ml of 98 % h 2 so 4 at 60 ° c . for 5 hours and then quench into 2 , 750 ml . ice water . filter the solid , wash with water and add the solid to a mixture of 500 ml . water , 250 ml . methanol and 26 . 8 grams naoh at 70 ° c . boil this mixture for 2 hours and cool to 85 ° c . filter the solid product , wash with hot water , recrystallize from methanol / acetone and dry . the starting benzophenone compound can be prepared by heating a mixture of 74 grams phthalic anhydride 81 . 5 grams 1 -( 3 &# 39 ;- hydroxyphenyl ) pyrrolidine and 335 ml . xylene for 6 hours at 125 ° c . cool to 25 ° c ., filter the precipitate , wash with methanol and recrystallize from ethanol . 2 , 6 - di -( n - pyrrolidinyl ) fluoran ## str48 ## following the procedure of example f , but condensing the 2 &# 39 ;- carboxy - 2 - hydroxy - 4 - n - pyrrolidinylbenzophenone with 1 -( 4 &# 39 ;- hydroxyphenyl ) pyrrolidine , instead of n - benzyl - p - anisidine , there is obtained the indicated product . 2 - methyl - 4 - amino - 6 - diethylaminofluoran ## str49 ## react 2 &# 39 ;- carboxy - 2 - hydroxy - 4 - diethylamino benzophenone with 4 - methyl - 2 - nitrophenol according to the procedure of example a and then reduce the product by suspending one part by weight of product in a solution of 2 . 5 parts by weight of stannous chloride , 2 parts by weight of hcl having a specific gravity of 1 . 15 and about 0 . 6 parts by weight of water ; warm and stir the suspension until a solution forms . cool the solution to room temperature , dilute with about 2 parts by weight of water and raise the ph to about 12 with a 10 weight percent aqueous naoh solution . recover and purify the precipate by washing , extraction and recrystallization , as indicated in the previous examples . colorformers are evaluated with respect to phototropic capacity in the following composition : ______________________________________ parts by wt . ______________________________________acryloid a - 101 . sup . ( a ) 60 . 3 ( solids basis ) trimethylolpropane triacrylate 19 . 6tetraethylene glycol diacrylate 9 . 82 - chlorothioxanthenone 3 . 42 , 2 &# 39 ;- methylene bis ( 4 - ethyl - 6 - . 18t - butyl ) phenolmodaflow . sup . ( b ) . 15tricresyl phosphate 4 . 314 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone 0 . 45halide . sup . ( c ) 1 . 51colorformer 0 . 3 100 . 0methyl ethyl ketone 195______________________________________ . sup . ( a ) an acrylic ester polymer in organic solvent from rohm & amp ; haas company . . sup . ( b ) a hydrocarbon flow control agent from monsanto chemical co . . sup . ( c ) tbcy = 2 , 2 , 6 , 6tetrabromocyclohexanone ddb = dimethyldibromomalonate the composition is coated onto a 1 - mil thick polyester film and dried in air . the dry thickness of the photosensitive composition is 1 - 2 mils . the dried layer is covered with a 1 - mil thick polyethylene film . the phototropic capacity is determined visually by removing the polyethylene film , laminating the photopolymerzable composition to a copper - clad panel , placing a light mask over the assembly and exposing this combination to a mercury vapor lamp for 30 seconds . the image is read immediately . zero means no image , a negative rating indicates the dye system is photofugitive ( i . e ., fades ) while a positive rating indicates the system has darkened in response to the light and is phototropic . __________________________________________________________________________ ## str50 ## phototropic developed capacityr . sub . a r . sub . b r . sub . c r . sub . d r . sub . e r . sub . f color tbcy ddb__________________________________________________________________________ ## str51 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 green + + h ## str52 ## ch . sub . 3 h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 purple - black + + h ## str53 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 black + + h ## str54 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 dark green + + h ## str55 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 black + + h ## str56 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 green + + h ## str57 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 black + + h ## str58 ## ch . sub . 3 h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 black + + h ## str59 ## h h ## str60 ## green + + h ch . sub . 3 h nh . sub . 2 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 orange + + h nh . sub . 2 ch . sub . 3 h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 purple + + h ## str61 ## och . sub . 3 h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 black + + h cl ch . sub . 3 h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 red + + h h cl h h ## str62 ## yellow - orange + + ## str63 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 pink + + ## str64 ## h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 blue + + h ## str65 ## h h ## str66 ## green + + h ## str67 ## h h ## str68 ## black + + h nch . sub . 3 h h c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 red + + __________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________rhodamine b base red + + malachite green base blue - green + + c . i . solvent blue 2 red - blue + + c . i . solvent blue 5 red - blue + + c . i . solvent red 49 red - violet + + c . i . solvent violet 10 red - violet + + c . i . 42510b red - violet + + c . i . 42535b blue - violet + + c . i . 42600 blue - violet + + c . i . 44520 violet + + c . i . 45006 red + + c . i . 45015 red + + c . i . 46025 yellow + + c . i . 46055 orange + + c . i . 48013 red - violet + + ______________________________________ a photoresist composition useful to evaluate various combinations of colorformers and carbonylic halides is prepared from the following ingredients : ______________________________________ parts by wt . ______________________________________poly ( methyl methacrylate ). sup . ( 1 ) 60 . 0pentaerythritol triacrylate 32 . 0benzophenone 3 . 22 , 2 &# 39 ; methylene - bis -( 4 - ethyl - 6 - t - butylphenol ) . 9colorformer . 9carbonylic halide 2 . 24 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone . 8methyl ethyl ketone 150 . 0______________________________________ . sup . ( 1 ) a medium molecular weight product available from e . i . dupont de nemours & amp ; co ., inc ., wilmington , delaware under the trademark elvacite 2010 . the composition is made by dissolving the methyl methacrylate polymer in the solvent , using conventional equipment at low to medium speeds , then adding the monomer and then adding the remaining ingredients . the solution is coated onto a 1 mil thick polyester film and dried in air . the dry thickness of the sensitized layer is 1 - 2 mils . the dried layer is covered with a 1 mil thick polyethylene film . the following table indicates the phototropic capacity of six representative colorformers in the presence of a variety of carbonylic halides ; phototropic capacity is determined as described in example 1 . ______________________________________halogenated compound a b c d e f______________________________________hexabromoacetone + + + + + + 3 , 4 - diiodo - 2 - butanone + + + + + + 3 , 3 - dibromo - 2 - butanone + + + + + + 3 , 3 - dibromo - 2 - heptanone + + + + + + 1 , 1 - dibromo - 4 - ethoxy - 2 , 4 - butanedione + + + + + + 1 , 4 - diiodo - 2 , 3 - butanedione + + + + + + 4 , 4 - dibromo - 2 , 3 - hexanedione + + + + + + 3 , 3 - dibromo - 2 , 4 - hexanedione + + + + + + perchloro - 2 - cyclobuten - 1 - one + + + + + + 2 , 2 , 6 , 6 - tetrabromocyclohexanone + + + + + + 3 , 6 - diiodo - 1 , 2 - cyclohexanedione + + + + + + hexachloro - 2 , 4 - cyclohexanedione + + + + + + 2 - iodo - 1 , 3 - cyclohexanedione + + + + + + 2 , 2 - dibromo - 5 , 5 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - cyclo - + + + + + + hexanedionedibromomalonamide + + + + + + iodomalonamide + + + + + + dimethyl dibromomalonate + + + + + + diethyl iodomalonate + + + + + + 3 - iodo - 2 - ketoglutaramide + + + + + + dimethyl 3 - iodo - 4 - ketopimaleate + + + + + + diethyl - 1 , 3 - diiodo - 1 , 3 - acetone - + + + + + + dicarboxylatediethyl - 3 , 6 - diiodo - 1 , 4 - cyclohexane - + + + + + + dione - 2 , 5 - dicarboxylate______________________________________ when the procedure of example is repeated using color - formers a , b , c , d , e and f and dimethyl dibromomalonate , dibromomalonamide , diethyl - 1 , 3 - dibromo - 1 , 3 - acetone dicarboxylate and tetrabromocyclohexanone as the carbonylic halide with a variety of amines as hydrogen donors , the systems display phototropic capacity : __________________________________________________________________________carbonylic halide i ii iii ivcolorformer a b c d e f a b c d e f a b c d e f a b c d e f__________________________________________________________________________propylamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + diisopropanolamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + triethylamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + dimethylethanolamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + n , n -- dimethyl butylamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + p - acetylphenyl dimethylamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + p - caprylphenyl dimethylamine + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + p - dimethylaminophenyl acetate + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + p - dimethylaminophenyl + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + valerateethyl dimethylaminobenzoate + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + amyl dimethylaminobenzoate + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + p - dimethylamino acetophenone + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 4 - dimethylamino benzophenone + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis -( dimethylamino )- + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + benzophenone__________________________________________________________________________ i = dimethyl dibromomalonate ii = dibromomalonamide iii = diethyl1 , 3 - dibromo - 1 , 3 - acetonedicarboxylate iv = tetrabromocyclohexanone combinations of photoinitiators and amines can be evaluated using the following composition and the procedures described in examples 2 and 3 . ______________________________________ parts by wt . ______________________________________poly ( methyl methacrylate ). sup . ( 1 ) 60 . 0pentaerythritol triacrylate 30 . 0photoinitiator 3 . 22 , 2 &# 39 ;- methylene - bis -( 4 - ethyl - 6 - t - butylphenol ) . 9colorformer . 92 , 2 , 6 , 6 - tetrabromocyclohexanone 2 . 2amine 2 . 8methyl ethyl ketone 150 . 0______________________________________ . sup . ( 1 ) elvacite 2010 from du pont . the following table indicates phototropic capacity of representative colorformers a and b of example 2 with a variety of photointiators and amines . ______________________________________photoinitiator 1 2 3 4colorformer ab ab ab ab______________________________________dimethylethylanolamine ++ ++ ++ ++ n , n -- dimethyl butylamine ++ ++ ++ ++ p - acetylphenyl dimethylamine ++ ++ ++ ++ p - caprylylphenyl dimethylamine ++ ++ ++ ++ p - dimethylaminophenyl acetate ++ ++ ++ ++ p - dimethylaminophenyl valerate ++ ++ ++ ++ ethyl dimethylamino benzoate ++ ++ ++ ++ amyl dimethylamino benzoate ++ ++ ++ ++ p - dimethylamino acetophenone ++ ++ ++ ++ 4 - dimethylamino benzophenone ++ ++ ++ ++ 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone ++ ++ ++ ++ ______________________________________ the following solution is coated onto a 1 mil thick polyester film to provide a dry thickness of about 0 . 001 inch , and dried in air . the dried film is covered with a 1 mil thick polyethylene film . ______________________________________ingredients parts by wt . ______________________________________copolymer of 75 % styrene and 25 % methacrylic 57 . 0acid ; viscosity of a 40 % solution in mek is10 , 360 cpstrimethylolpropane triacrylate 24 . 0tetraethyleneglycol diacrylate 12 . 2benzophenone 4 . 04 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis -( dimethylamino )- benzophenone 0 . 62 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethylaminofluoran 0 . 3diethyliodomalonate 1 . 5benzotriazole . 4methyl ethyl ketone 160 . 0______________________________________ a piece of copper clad , epoxy - fiberglass board is cleaned by scouring with an abrasive cleaner , swabbing and thoroughly rinsing in water . it is given a 20 second dip in dilute hydrochloric acid solution ( 2 volumes water plus 1 volume concentrated hydrochloric acid ), a second rinse with water and then dried with air jets . the polyethylene cover film is removed from a section of the sandwiched photoresist dry film described above . the bared resist coating with its polyester support is laminated to the clean copper with the surface of the photoresist in contact with the copper surface . the lamination is carried out with the aid of rubber covered rollers operating at 250 ° f . ( 121 ° c .) with a pressure of 3 pounds per lineal inch at the nip at a rate of 2 feet per minute . the resulting sensitized copper clad board protected as it is by the polyester film can be held for later use if desired . exposure to light is had through a high contrast transparency image in which the conducting pattern appears as transparent areas on an opaque background . exposure is carried out by placing the sensitized copper clad board ( with polyester film still intact ) and the transparency into a photographic printing frame . exposure is maintained for a period of 90 second to a 400 watt , 50 ampere vapor lamp at a distance of 12 inches . it is seen that the areas of the resist that have been exposed to light have darkened in color considerably , to a black color which contrasts substantially with the unexposed portions of the resist . the polyethylene terephthalate support film is peeled off and the exposed resist layer developed by agitating the board in a tray containing 2 % trisodium phosphate in water for 2 minutes followed by a water rinse . the resulting board which contained a deeply colored resist pattern of the clear areas of the exposing transparency is then etched in ferric chloride solution , rinsed and dried . the resist is removed from the remaining copper by dipping for 2 minutes in a 3 % solution of sodium hydroxide in water at 70 ° c . the result is a high quality printed circuit board . in an alternative embodiment , the surface of the exposed copper obtained after developing is further cleaned by dipping the board into a 20 % ammonium persulfate bath for 30 seconds , washing copiously with water , dipping for 30 seconds in a 20 % solution of hydrochloric acid in water , rinsing with water , then drying the board with jets of air . this cleaned board is then plated for 45 minutes at 30 amperes per square foot in a copper pyrophosphate plating bath at 55 ° c . a copper clad piece of epoxy - fiberglass board is cleaned as described in example 5 above . the cleaned , dried board was sensitized by flowing the following solution over the surface of the board : ______________________________________ingredients parts by wt . ______________________________________copolymer of 37 % styrene and 63 % monobutyl 60 . 0maleate , average mol . wt . 20 , 000 , viscosityof 10 % aqueous solution of ammoniumsalt = 150 cps . pentaerythritol tetraacrylate 34 . 2benzophenone 2 . 54 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis -( dimethylamino )- benzophenone 0 . 3benzotriazole 0 . 22 , 2 &# 39 ;- methylene - bis -( 4 - ethyl - 6 - tert - butylphenol ) 0 . 92 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethylaminofluoran 0 . 42 , 2 , 6 , 6 - tetrabromocyclohexanone 1 . 5methyl ethyl ketone 150 . 0______________________________________ the excess solution is drained off the board at room temperature for 2 minutes . the coating is further dried by heating in a forced air oven at 60 ° c . for 5 minutes . after cooling , the coated board is exposed as described in example 5 above , and it is seen that where the board is exposed to light , a dark color that dramatically contrasts with the unexposed portions is visible . the resist is developed by agitating the board in a solution of 2 % trisodium phosphate in water for one minute , followed by a water rinse . the board is etched in ferric chloride as described in example 5 , and after etching , the exposed resist is stripped from the protected copper by immersing the board in a 3 % solution of sodium hydroxide in water at 50 ° c . for 2 minutes . the result is a high quality printed circuit board . ______________________________________ composition , parts by wt . components i ii iii iv v______________________________________pcp . sup . ( a ) 36 . 2 -- -- -- -- epoa . sup . ( b ) 4 . 8 4 . 5 -- -- -- e . d .. sup . ( c ) 16 . 2 57 . 0 54 . 5 59 . 5 47 . 6npgda . sup . ( d ) 14 . 2 18 . 1 17 . 3 19 . 0 19 . 0eha . sup . ( e ) 14 . 2 9 . 0 8 . 7 9 . 5 9 . 5dcpa . sup . ( f ) 9 . 6 6 . 9 15 . 2 7 . 2 19 . 0benzophenone 4 . 8 4 . 5 4 . 3 4 . 8 4 . 9colorformer . sup . ( g ) 0 . 9 0 . 9 0 . 9 0 . 9 . sup . ( h ) 0 . 9 . sup . ( i ) dibromomalonamide 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 54 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) . 5 . 5 . 5 . 5 . 5benzophenone______________________________________ . sup . ( a ) 80 % solution of union carbide pcp0300 polycaprolactone / toluene diisocyanate oligomer in 20 % hydroxyethyl acrylate . sup . ( b ) polyacrylate of epoxidized soya bean oil available from union carbide . sup . ( c ) epocryl ( epoxy diacrylate ) . sup . ( d ) neopentyl glycol diacrylate . sup . ( e ) 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate . sup . ( f ) dicyclopentenyl acrylate . sup . ( g ) 2 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethylaminofluoran . sup . ( h ) 2 - anilino - 6 - diethylaminofluoran . sup . ( i ) 2 - piperidine - 6 - diethylaminofluoran the compositions are prepared by combining the monomers and mixing in conventional equipment at low to medium speeds until dissolved . the photoinitiator is added and the other ingredients are incorporated . the coatings are applied to a cellulosic substrate ( hardboard ) by direct roller coating . the wet coated substrate is then exposed to uv radiation by being placed on a chain link conveyor and passed under a 200 watt / lineal inch hanovia quartz ultraviolet lamp at a distance of about two inches at a speed of approximately 12 feet per minute . an ink composition is prepared as follows by mixing together the following components in conventional manner . ______________________________________epoxy acrylate 60 . 0ultraflex microcrystalline wax 3 . 3pentaerythritol tetraacrylate 29 . 2benzophenone 4 . 54 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone . 502 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethylaminofluoran 1 . 0dibromomalonamide 1 . 50______________________________________ when this ink is silk screened onto a paper substrate and exposed to light using a 200 watt / linear inch medium pressure mercury vapor lamp at a distance of 4 inches for about 5 seconds , there is obtained a dry , tack - free dark - printed substrate having good gloss and adhesion . when the colorformer is replaced by the colorformers described in example 1 , there is obtained an ink that cures to a dry , tack - free , deeply colored product . to a reaction vessel equipped with stirrer , reflux condenser , thermometer and heating means charge ______________________________________ parts by weight______________________________________1 , 3 - butylene glycol 12 . 681 , 6 - hexanediol 66 . 64adipic acid 20 . 58dibutyl tin oxide . 10______________________________________ using a nitrogen sparge . heat to a reflux and react to an acid value less than 3 . the product will have an equivalent weight of about 501 and a molecular weight of about 1000 . to a reaction vessel equipped with a stirrer , thermometer and nitrogen sparge charge 15 . 22 parts by weight of 2 , 4 - tolylene diisocyanate and heat to 50 ° c . add a mixture of 10 . 13 parts by weight of 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate and 0 . 0035 parts by weight of phenothiazine over a two hour period , maintaining the temperature at 60 ° c . during this period . hold at 60 ° c . for an additional three hours . cool to 50 ° c . and add 43 . 83 parts by weight of the polyester previously prepared over a one hour period , maintaining the temperature at 60 ° c . ; thereafter hold the temperature at 70 ° c . for 3 hours . cool to 60 ° c . ; add 0 . 35 parts by weight of methanol to obtain zero free isocyanate and hold an additional 1 / 2 hour at 60 ° c . cool and store the product . a . a uv curable composition can be prepared having the following composition : ______________________________________ parts by weight______________________________________acrylated polyester 66 . 61 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate 14 . 5pentaerythritol triacrylate 4 . 6methyl ethyl ketone 1 . 92 - ethylhexyl acrylate 4 . 7dibromomalonamide 2 . 02 - chlorothioxanthenone 3 . 02 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethyl - . 7aminofluorandimethylamino ethanol 2 . 0______________________________________ the composition is mixed until homogeneous . the photopolymerizable composition is applied to a wooden test piece , having a smooth surface , at the rate of 100 grams per square meter and the coated surface is covered with a 30 mm . thick untreated polyethylene film exercising care to ensure that no air bubbles are entrained . this is then exposed to actinic rays with a 2 - kw high pressure mercury - vapor lamp for 30 seconds at a radiation distance of 30 mm . when the polyethylene film is stripped , it is seen that a smooth cured coating is obtained having good hardness , good adhesion to the wood and that is black in color . b . a second uv - curable system can be prepared having the following composition : ______________________________________ parts by weight______________________________________acrylated polyester 65 . 3pentaerythritol tetrakis 26 . 0 ( β - mercaptopropionate ) benzophenone 3 . 02 - anilino - 3 - methoxy - 6 - diethylaminofluoran . 74 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( dimethylamino ) benzophenone 3 . 0dibromomalonamide 2 . 0______________________________________ when coated on a wood test specimen and treated as in part a above , there is obtained a cured coating having a black color .
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referring first to the fig1 and 4 of the drawings wherein a conventional modern compound cable bowstring archer &# 39 ; s bow is illustrated as comprising a mounted quiver of the invention . therein the bow is illustrated as comprising a cable bowstring having drawing cable 11 a and non - drawing , harness cables 11 b and 11 c , riser 12 , detachable resilient limbs 13 and 14 , and bowstring eccentric wheels 15 and 16 . riser 12 connects with first and second limbs 13 and 14 at connection / adjustment junctions 19 and 19 a respectively . riser 12 comprises an arrow rest 21 , on which a nocked arrow can rest aligned in the shooting position , and hand grip 24 which comprises a slip resistant gripping surface . cable guide 25 is illustrated as having an elongate guide member 25 a extending into the arc of the bow , with an offset mounting end 25 b extending angularly from elongate member 25 a and comprising a hole for mounting the cable guide , by means of bolt 18 , to mounting hole 17 of riser 12 . cable guide 25 is depicted as comprising cable harness restraint 26 , which engages among harness cables 11 b , 11 c and cable guide 25 . the quiver of the invention is depicted as comprising arrow head receiver unit 40 and arrow shaft receiver unit 47 . nocked arrow 30 is depicted in fig1 only , and comprises arrow shaft 31 , arrow nock 32 and arrow tip 33 . in the illustrated embodiment of fig1 and 2 , the cable drawstring is illustrated as comprised of drawing cable 11 a and two harness cables 11 b , arranged with opposite ends of the drawing cable mounted to opposite wheels 15 and 16 and ends of the harness cables mounted to opposite eccentric supporting shafts , the drawing cable and harness cables arranged in an eccentric pulley mechanical advantage which reduces the force necessary to draw a bow . both the harness cables and drawing cable extend tautly from axle end to axle end of the bow with cable being wound around the eccentrics as the arc of the bow is compressed by drawing the drawing cable . it should be understood that the depicted arrangement of cables and pulleys is merely illustrative and multiple different arrangements of eccentrics , wheels , cables and the like are contemplated as within the scope of the invention . the draw cable and longitudinal central axis of the bow define an arrow launch plane , extending from about the longitudinal axis of the bow to about the longitudinal axis of the drawn cable , in which a drawn arrow passes during shooting . nocking an arrow centers the rear of the arrow upon the axis of the drawing cable and maintains the rear of the arrow in the launch plane through release of the arrow from the draw cable . modern bows generally comprise a riser which is notched 22 along the launch plane of the bow and an arrow rest 21 which places the front shaft of the arrow along the longitudinal axis of the bow at about its centerline , enabling accurate passage of the arrow along the launch plane through launch of the arrow from the bow . harness cables would generally cross the launch plane , and to avoid interfering with the arrow during nocking and launching , is held in an angled position to the side thereof , by means of a cable guide . in the illustrated embodiments of the figures , cable guide 25 comprises a cable harness restraint 26 , which comprises cable slots 26 a , 26 b arranged for slidably capturing harness cables 11 b and 11 c . elongate guide member 25 a of cable guide 25 is offset from mounting end 25 b to enable adjustment of elongate member 25 a in a plane spaced from the arrow launch plane . elongate member 25 a comprises a rounded surface 25 c through at least a portion of its length , while cable harness restraint 26 comprises a rounded surface 26 c which is configured to matingly engage with rounded surface 25 c of elongate member 25 a in an arrangement which enables slidable engagement of cable harness restraint 26 along at least a portion of the length of elongate member 25 a , while holding the harness cables spaced from the launch plane . as drawing cable 11 a is pulled by the archer , the bow is bent into an arc by the shortening of harness cables 11 b and 11 c , and cable harness guide 26 slidably moves from a non - drawn rest position along elongate guide member 25 a nearer to the riser to a drawn position along cable guide 25 spaced further from the riser , and back to the rest position with the archer &# 39 ; s release of the drawing cable , while maintaining the harness cables spaced from the launch plane . fig4 illustrates in detail the quiver arrangement of fig1 and 2 . therein arrow shaft receiver unit 47 is illustrated as comprising holding plate 46 and resilient elastomeric element 45 mounted thereto . each elastomeric element 45 comprises a plurality of integral “ u ” shaped resilient gripping clips 45 a - c formed therein arranged to engage the shaft of the arrow . the holding plate is illustrated as screw 48 mounted to cable guard surface 25 d arranged generally opposite curved surface 25 c of elongate member 25 a of cable guide 25 . in a preferred embodiment , a generally flat surface is formed in the cable guard for mounting the holding plate , and the surface is angled from the offset attachment end 25 a to enable general alignment of the stored arrows with the arrow head receiver unit and / or access to the cable guard mounting screw . it should be understood that any suitable means mounting the arrow shaft receiver unit to the cable guide and / or the elastomeric element to the holding plate is contemplated as within the broad invention . the clips are configured in spaced apart alignment on the elastomeric element and have internal radii , which is sized to securely grip along the shaft of an arrows but allow ready removal of the arrow when desired . such arrangement of clips allows the archer to easily remove and load an arrow by manipulating the arrow shaft with a finger and / or thumb and / or by forcibly inserting a finger and / or thumb between the arrow and the unit , without significant hand or arm movement . arrow head receiver unit 40 is also illustrated in exploded format , and is shown as comprising hood 41 , arrow head support element 42 and mounting plate 43 . hood 41 comprises spacer plate 41 a and holes 41 b through which screws 44 mounted to threaded holes 43 a of mounting plate 43 . mounting plate 43 is mounted to attachment hole 20 of riser 12 by bolt 23 . arrow head support element 42 is illustrated as comprising a formed block of foamed material , preferably a foamed resilient polymeric material , which is configured to grippingly engage a plurality of arrow heads . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , mounting plate 43 is mounted closely spaced from the launch plane of the bow and generally parallel thereto . in a further preferred embodiment , spacer plate 41 a is beveled so that when the hood is mounted to the mounting plate it is angled to generally align with the arrow shaft receiver unit . i should be understood that it is contemplated as within the invention that the mounting plate and / or hood may be angled to provide suitable alignment , and / or that the foamed material be configured to accept a plurality of arrows at an aligned angle with the arrow shaft receiver unit . fig1 and 2 illustrate the balanced arrangement of the mounted quiver of the present invention . therein arrow shaft receiver unit 47 is mounted to an interior surface of offset elongate member 25 a of the cable guide , and the offset of the guide arranged so that arrow shaft receiver unit 47 is positioned closely proximate to the launch plane of the bow , but below handgrip 24 . attachment plate 43 , attaches to the bow above handgrip 24 , with arrow head receiver unit 40 being bolt mounted thereto retaining the arrow head receiver unit spaced from the launch plane of the bow . in such arrangement , the head of the arrows are maintained in the quiver closely proximate one side of the launch plane , while the notched end of the arrows are maintained to the other side of the launch plane . such retention of the arrows provides a balanced weight distribution of the arrows about at the launch plane , which minimizes torque of unbalanced distribution . fig3 is a rear perspective view of a bow riser 52 comprising another quiver arrangement for holding a plurality of arrows in accordance with the invention . in this arrangement , cable guide 55 is illustrated as being attached to a mounting hole of riser 52 above handgrip 54 by bolt means 58 . as in fig2 cable guide 55 is depicted as comprising offset mounting end 55 b and elongate guide member 55 a having rounded surface 55 c for slidably engaging a mating rounded surface of cable harness restraint 59 . arrow shaft ma receiver unit 60 is illustrated being mounted to a surface of the cable guide generally opposite rounded surface 55 c of elongate guide member 55 a as shown in fig1 and 4 . in this embodiment , the offset of the cable guide is arranged so that arrow shaft receiver unit 60 is positioned closely proximate to the launch plane of the bow , but above handgrip 24 , such that the shafts of stored arrows cross the launch plane of bow at a point below the handgrip . in the embodiment of fig3 the arrow head receiver unit is illustrated in exploded format , as being closely similar to the arrow shaft receiver unit and comprising a holding plate 66 and a resilient elastomeric element 65 mounted thereto , with elastomeric element 65 comprising a plurality of integral “ u ” shaped resilient gripping clips 65 a - c formed therein arranged to engage the shaft of the arrow . the holding plate is illustrated as screw mounted to mounting plate 63 by screws 64 , the mounting plate being in turn mounted to riser 52 by bolt 69 . in this embodiment , the arrow is supported at the shaft thereof just below the arrow head . in the mounting arrangement of fig3 the distance between the arrow head receiver and the arrow shaft receiver is shortened , and the angle at which arrows cross the launch plane of the bow is shallower than that illustrated in fig1 and 2 , providing a bow silhouette that is slimmer while continuing to enable balanced weight distribution at about the centerline of the bow .
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the present invention is useful in addressing the concerns mentioned above relating to the ability to pinpoint the source ( s ) of , for example , ingress in an hfc communication system . in particular , the present invention is directed to the utilization of a distributed set of test points to monitor both downstream and upstream communications , and provide information regarding the location of the communication problem within the network topology . fig1 illustrates a portion of an exemplary hfc network 10 . network 10 serves a plurality of endpoints 12 , where each endpoint 12 may comprise a separate home or office , connected to network 10 via a cable modem . the network portion illustrated in fig1 includes three branches , labeled “ a ”, “ b ”, and “ c ”, all feeding into a cable modem test system ( cmts ) 14 . branch a includes a first group of endpoints 12 a tapping off of a first cable communication path 16 a , branch b includes a second group of endpoints 12 b similarly connected along a second cable communication path 16 b , and branch c is formed of a third group of endpoints 12 c tapping off of a third cable communication path 16 c . in accordance with the present invention , a separate hfc test point 18 is disposed in each path between endpoints 12 and cmts 14 . particularly , a first hfc test point 18 a is located at the “ top ” of branch a between endpoints 12 a and cmts 14 , a second hfc test point 18 b is located at the “ top ” of branch b between endpoints 12 b and cmts 14 and , similarly , a third hfc test point 18 c is located at the “ top ” of branch c between endpoints 12 c and cmts 14 . it is to be noted that this topology is exemplary only , and various other arrangements of test points may be deployed . for example , each branch may include two or more test points , so as to be able to further isolate the location of ingress without having to affect communication along the other portions of the branch . referring back to fig1 a network management system 20 is includes and receives as inputs “ alarm ” signals from cmts 14 regarding error conditions within the network . network management system 20 then provides as outputs , to the test points , specific control signals to mitigate the error condition . the control signals may include , for example , attenuating a particular signal level to reduce a noise signal , switching to a different frequency within an assigned channel , or alternatively , completely turning off a certain problematic channel . in most circumstances , cmts 14 is used to monitor , for example , the digital detection of ingress . that is , cmts 14 includes a predetermined bit error rate ( ber ) threshold that is considered acceptable for receiving valid communication along the upstream communication signal paths . when the predetermined ber threshold is exceeded along one of the branches associated with cmts 14 ( meaning that ingress exists along that branch ), an alarm message is created and sent to monitoring system 20 . in response , monitoring system 20 communicates with the particular test point 18 associated with the affected branch to isolate the source of ingress and mitigate its effect on the rest of the network . as will be discussed below , there exist many alternative structures that may be used within test point 18 , but in general each embodiment is used to isolate ( and at times mitigate ) the source of ingress . fig2 illustrates an exemplary arrangement of network 10 utilizing a plurality of active notch filters 30 as test points within the network . as with the basic arrangement illustrated in fig1 each cable branch a - c in communication with cmts 14 includes a separate active notch filter 30 a - 30 c . in operation , cmts 14 tracks ber as mentioned above . the errors are categorized by branch and frequency within cmts 14 . when the associated ber is exceeded , an alarm message is sent to management system 20 . in turn , management system 20 sends a control signal to the proper active notch filter 30 , instructing the notch filter to be centered at the frequency experiencing the error and either attenuate or “ shut off ” any signals being sent upstream at this frequency . the source of ingress , therefore , is isolated by using the active notch filter test point of the present invention . cmts 14 , in conjunction with management system 20 , may also instruct endpoints 12 along the affected branch to move the upstream transmission from the “ noisy ” channel to a “ cleaner ” channel ( as indicated by the dotted line between management system 20 and exemplary endpoint 12 a ). fig3 illustrates an alternative test point arrangement 40 , where one such test point arrangement 40 would be disposed at the top of each branch within the network just as each branch illustrated in fig2 includes a separate notch filter 30 ). in general , test point 40 comprises ( essentially ) a conventional broadband / telephone interface ( bti ) unit , with the “ downstream ” communication direction between cmts 14 and a set of endpoints 12 ( collectively referred to as “ plant ” in fig3 ) in indicated by an arrow with the letter “ d ”; the upstream is similarly marked with an arrow and the letter “ u ”. a pair of high pass filters 42 , 44 are located at the input and output of downstream path d and a pair of low pass filters 46 , 48 are located at the input and output of upstream path u . a monitoring unit 50 included within arrangement 40 comprises a downstream receiver 52 coupled to downstream path d between filters 42 , 44 and an upstream transmitter 54 coupled to upstream path u between filters 46 , 48 . as with the arrangement discussed above in association with fig2 cmts 14 continues to monitor each branch a - c to perform digital detection of ingress and , when detected , send an “ alarm ” signal to management system 20 . in response to the receipt of an alarm , management system 20 transmits a control signal the cable modem endpoints , instructing the endpoints to move from the “ noisy ” channel to a “ cleaner ” channel . once the move is completed , the “ noisy ” channel will be vacant ( in terms of signal transmission ). isolation of the source of ingress is accomplished by test points 40 of the present invention by each test point analyzing the proper channel . the particular test point 40 which receives the noise signal within its upstream transmitter 54 is then associated with the source of ingress , providing isolation of the ingress source and allowing for subsequent repair of the network at that point . the arrangement of fig3 utilizes the monitoring of one specific upstream channel associated with transmission from the endpoints 12 upward into hfc network . fig4 illustrates as an alternative a scanning test point arrangement 60 , where scanning test point 60 includes a scanning upstream receiver 62 , used in conjunction with the arrangement described above in association with fig3 . in operation , scanning receiver 62 functions to scan all possible upstream channels ( for example , 8 channels , in general , n channels are possible ). each upstream channel is dwelled on for a predetermined period of time and the scanning functions to monitor the “ health ” of all possible channels , not just the single channel currently being used . as an alternative to scanning all n upstream channels , a separate upstream receiver can be used to continuously monitor each upstream channel . fig5 illustrates one exemplary embodiment 70 of this arrangement , using a plurality of separate receivers 72 1 , 72 2 , . . . 72 n . in this arrangement , detection of ingress noise on any channel may be found more quickly than in an arrangement which requires scanning each channel in turn . there exist monitoring systems in the prior art that operating by analyzing the upstream signal as it enters the network at the endpoint . such a system is thus incapable of recognizing and troubleshooting ingress problems that are introduced into the network along the signal paths between the endpoints and the headend . in contrast , the utilization of a distributed set of test points in accordance with the present invention allows for various sources of ingress to be detected , isolated , and repaired without affecting the performance of the remainder of the network . in general , the monitoring arrangement of the present invention is capable of being implemented with any desired network topology . for example , two or more test points may be included along each signal branch , with monitor 20 thus able to pinpoint the source of ingress with greater accuracy . thus , the scope of the present invention is considered to be limited only by the claims appended hereto .
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in the drawings , the perspective view of fig1 schematically illustrates a spiral conveyor system 10 in which a conveyor belt 11 travels in a helical path through a series of tiers 12 in a driving tower 14 . the conveyor 12 normally rises through the helix defined by the driving tower , exits off the upper end of the tower at 16 and passes over a series of rollers 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 , etc . as schematically shown in the drawing , ultimately to be fed back into the bottom of the helical path of the conveyor tower at 30 . as is well known , a spiral conveyor system normally has a support frame 32 which includes a series of columns 34 around the circumference of the conveyor belt , and these have inwardly - extending cantilevered beams or bars 36 , some of which are indicated in the schematic view of fig1 . these , in the typical steel spiral conveyor belt system , support two or sometimes three tracks that follow the helical path to support the width of the belt 11 . these tracks ( not seen in fig1 ) are spaced apart and in the case of two tracks , for example , most of the width of the belt must span between them , the steel belt having considerable beam strength for this purpose . a driving cage 38 is seen in the drawing , located centrally within the frame 14 , for frictionally engaging the inner sides of the spiral conveyor belt 11 to drive the belt in its helical path through the system . in many systems the belt is also driven a series of driving sprockets outside the helical path , in the portion between the exit at 16 and the re - entry to the helix at 30 . fig2 through 4 show an arched - top or curved - top conveyor belt 39 , of the general type as shown in kvp u . s . pat . no . 5 , 613 , 597 . this is an arched - top radius conveyor belt , for travel around curves or in straight travel , such as , for example , kvp no . is6200 with curved top ( 2 inch pitch ) or a similar belt with 2½ inch pitch . a 2½ inch pitch belt may be used for replacement of a typical 2 inch pitch steel belt ( or these pitches can be larger or smaller ). from the side elevation or section view of fig2 , as well as fig5 , it can be seen that a central spine 40 of the belt is taller than the remainder of the belt , because of the curved or arched top 42 , with the spine 40 being located substantially at the highest , deepest point in the belt . fig2 shows a portion of the conveyor belt 39 , illustrating three rows of modules , each module row generally identified as 44 . each module has link ends extending in both directions , including link ends 46 preferably with circular apertures 48 extending in one direction and opposing link ends 50 extending in the opposite direction and having slotted apertures 52 , as are well known in modular plastic conveyor belts for allowing travel through curves . connecting rods are shown at 49 . in curving travel the inner side of the belt collapses closely together while the outer side of the belt in the curve remains fully extended , and in fact accepts essentially all tension in the belt . fig2 a shows a slightly modified module configuration with the center spine 40 a larger rectangular beam for further increased rigidity . fig3 shows in perspective a proportion of the width of an arched - top conveyor belt such as the belt 39 , with the belt traveling over one or a series of driving sprockets 54 . fig3 shows an important function of an arched top conveyor , explained in kvp u . s . pat . no . 5 , 613 , 597 , which is incorporated herein by reference . when the arched top conveyor , with the curving tops being at a prescribed radius , travels over a driving sprocket 54 , the adjacent module rows pivot on the connecting pins 49 and form essentially a true arc while following the sprocket , defining a portion of a circular cylinder as shown in the drawing . this enables a transfer plate 56 , which may have an angled forward edge 58 , to be positioned very closely alongside ( or in contact with ) the cylindrical surface as the belt travels on the sprocket , for effective and seamless transfer articles onto and off the conveyor belt surface . the arched top conveyor , although used for many different products , is especially adaptable for flat - bottomed articles and articles for which minimum contact with the belt is desired , and these types of articles are very efficiently transferred onto or off the belt transfer plate 56 . in addition , scraping the belt is efficiently accomplished , to clean residue off the belt . a scraper 59 is shown in contact with the cylindrical surface formed by the belt in fig3 . fig4 shows an arched top radius conveyor belt such as the belt 39 in a curve , with the outside of the curve shown at 60 , and from this is it is seen that the module rows collapse together at the inner side of the belt . again , this may be a 2½ pitch belt . fig5 shows a short fragment of the belt 39 traveling over a roller 62 such as is typical in spiral conveyor systems for portions of the belt that are not on the spiral tower , where the belt changes plane of direction . this schematic view illustrates that a larger - pitch modular plastic belt 39 may be used on a roller 62 designed for a smaller - pitched steel belt . for smoother action around the roller 62 , the bottom surfaces of the arched - top belt module rows can have arcuate undercuts on a 64 , each undercut defining a short arc of a cylinder at the bottom side of the module row . this causes the belt rows to better conform to the roller when passing over the roller and thus smoother action . another benefit of the undercut is , in the case of a 2½ inch pitch belt on a roller designed for a 2 inch belt ( or any similar conversion using a larger - pitch belt as replacement ), that the cylindrical outer surface 66 can be maintained as the belt passes over the roller , allowing a transfer plate to be used against this surface if desired . the undercut allows the bigger pitch belt to perform in the place of a smaller pitch belt . six - inch diameter rollers and sprockets tend to be standard on most spiral conveyors . so , the undercut allows the benefits of a bigger pitched belt , but still fitting in place of and performing similar to a smaller pitch belt . most spiral conveyors use a scraper to scrape off residue from the top of the belt . this residue can be anything from breading , glaze , marinade , ice or a number of things that would be associated with the product or the process . the arched top surface of the belt and the undercut allow for this belt design to go around the standard six - inch diameter roller or sprocket and to make an almost perfect circle on the outside surface of the belt . this allows for better transfer of the product , but also allows for a scraper to come in contact with almost all of the top surface of the belt , making the belt cleaner and reducing buildup that could reduce airflow or adversely affect the performance of the belt . these benefits outweigh the small loss of beam strength caused by the reduced height at the undercut . the undercut 64 for the roller is also shown in the side view of fig2 . fig6 and 7 show an example of the current belt 39 in plan view , with fig7 being an enlarged view showing the outer side of the belt where two module rows are connected together . in fig6 the spine 40 is seen as extending in a normal thickness through most of the width of the belt . the spine may be at a lesser width ( front to back ) at a region 40 a of the spine near the inner side of the belt as regards travel on a curve . the spine still retains its height ( essentially at the top of the arch ) in this region 40 a , but the thickness is less so that the belt can collapse more closely together at the inside of the curve , to maintain preferably about a 1 . 0 to 1 . 6 turn radius . fig6 shows a belt 39 which has rows made up of several side by side modules , assembled in a staggered or brick laid configuration . the joints in the rows cause some loss of strength across the belt , made up for in part by the staggering of the seams or joints . the advantage of the multiple - module rows is in the ability to fashion a belt of almost any desired width by use of multiple pieces to make up a row . however , more common belt widths can be molded as single - module rows for added strength . the connecting rod also takes some of the bending moment under load , and the rod size and material can be a factor in the beam strength of a belt . as shown in both fig6 and 7 , heavier link ends 50 a , 46 a and 46 b are shown at the outer side of the belt , and similarly , heavier inner link ends 50 b and 46 c are shown at the inner edge of the belt . at the outer edge , these heavier link ends accept nearly all tension in the belt when traveling around a curve . at the inner edge of the belt , the heavy link ends are not under tension as at the outer edge but the stout edge knuckle with a larger area of surface contact with the driving cage will reduce chatter and slippage ; also , the inside edge knuckle 46 c is the portion of the belt that sees the most lateral force as the belt is being pushed up against the cage or wearstrip . in addition , the size of the inner knuckle 46 c provides room to add accessories such as side guards and radius plugs ( which limit the degree of collapse at the inner edge ). further , with the inner edge knuckle formed in the same size and design as the outer edge knuckle , this allows for the connecting rod to be inserted and to lock into the inside knuckle , outside knuckle or both . with both the link end or knuckle 46 c and the adjoining link end 50 b larger than the mid - belt link ends 50 , this helps if the belt ever must go into a reverse curve situation in the return path of the belt . a larger knuckle will be able to handle more tension load than a small knuckle . the larger knuckle can also help absorb more shock if the inside edge of the belt becomes snagged on anything . at both the inner and outer edges of the belt , the edge portions preferably are not arched , but follow the same height from front to back of each module . this accommodates engagement with a hold down guide or slot at the edge of the belt , especially at the outer edge in the spiral , preventing the belt from lifting . the slots 68 seen in the link ends 46 a , 46 b and 46 c are to receive accessories , such as a snap - in side guard . a round hole 69 seen on the link ends 46 c is for a radius limit adjustment plug as noted above . fig7 shows that the link ends preferably are configured to minimize bending moment on the connecting rod 49 that holds module rows together . in the regular link ends 46 and 50 through nearly all the width of the belt , these link ends have wider ends 70 at the ends of the apertures , for increased strength in withstanding pressure against the connecting rod or pin and also for minimizing space where the connecting rod would be exposed between link ends . at the heavier edge link ends 50 a , 46 a and 46 b , these link ends have special rod - supporting lateral projections 72 and 74 as illustrated . the special projections 72 , 74 circumscribe only part of the rod , which may be about 90 ° of the rod , and they overlap in position between link ends of one module row and the interdigited link ends of the adjacent module row , as can be seen in fig7 . this provides a greater width of engagement against the rod , spreading the pressure of belt tension against the rod over a wider area and reducing or effectively eliminating the gap between knuckles by which unsupported portions of the rod would be subject to bending . the illustrated structure reduces bending moment on the rod between the link ends pulling in opposite directions in this outer edge region of the belt . on the knuckles 46 a and b and 50 a the protrusions 72 and 74 preferably actually overlap each other and support the rod without a rod gap between them . this prevents the rod from bending and changes how the tension force is applied . the tension force no longer is applied in a manner which tends to bend the rod ; the rod is now subjected to shear forces and compression between the projections 72 and 74 on its opposite sides , making the connection stronger and enhancing failure resistance and yield resistance . in this way the current design does not simply depend on bending resistance or shear strength of the rod , but the effective strength of the rod is enhanced by the knuckles themselves . a further extrapolation of this design can be one in which modified protrusions 72 and 74 actually contact and lock together each other when the belt is in tension , transmitting the tension load more to the link ends directly and less of this force to the rod . this is shown in fig7 a , where a modified heavier link end 50 d has a lateral projection 74 a that actually engages with and locks onto an enlarged lateral projection 72 a of the adjacent heavy edge link end 46 d of the adjacent module row . here the lateral projection 72 a circumscribes the rod 49 or at least extends across the side of the rod facing the opposing projection 72 a . this can be configured to take away some or all of the force on the rod at this point at the edge of the belt . the engagement between lateral projections could occur on both sides of the link and rod if desired . fig8 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the lower , non - arched edges of the belt 39 . the lower profiled edges are indicated generally at 80 and 82 for the outer and inner edges of the belt 39 , respectively . these outer and inner edges are , of course , made up of the edge components shown in fig4 , 6 and 7 , as indicated . in this view support rails are also shown at 84 and 86 , in positions which might be expected in a conversion situation from a steel spiral belt . each support rail carries a wearstrip 88 against which the belt rests , as is typical . the positions of the support rails can be , for example , about two inches from the inner edge of the belt and about four inches from the outer edge of the belt , for a belt in a width range of about 12 inches to about 60 inches ( most are about 24 inches to about 42 inches ). the lower profile edges allow for clearance on retrofits , especially for any guide strips that hold the belt down . for example , the lower edge height at both outside and inside edges as shown in fig8 can be about 0 . 72 times the maximum height at arches ( more broadly about 0 . 6 to 0 . 8 times maximum height ). one example of maximum and edge heights is about 0 . 83 inch and about 0 . 60 inch . the tips of link ends in the majority of the belt module can be about at the edge height ( e . g . 0 . 6 inch ). an example of a spiral conveyor belt conversion , from steel to a modular plastic conveyor in accordance with the principles of the invention , is as follows : the plastic conveyor belt described above can be used to replace either steel belts or plastic belts . an example of a steel belt spiral system might have two supporting rails for belts up to 36 ″ in width , and three rails for belts up to 54 ″ in width . strength requirements for spanning between these rails always depends on the type of product , product load weight and distribution . the plastic modular belt of the invention can replace steel belts in nearly all spiral configurations of this general type . the above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention , but not to limit its scope . other embodiments and variations to these preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .
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persons of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description of the present invention is illustrative only and not in any way limiting . other embodiments of the invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons . referring now to fig4 , a block diagram illustrates a typical environment in which the present invention may be employed . fig4 shows a system including a microcontroller 10 connected to a ddr - sdram device 12 through a ddr memory controller 14 . an input clock signal , shown at reference numeral 16 , provides a clock reference signal to dqs delay circuitry 18 . the function of dqs delay circuitry 18 is to delay the dqs ( 0 ) and dqs ( 1 ) signals from ddr - sdram device 12 to produce a delayed dqs ( 0 ) and a delayed dqs ( 1 ) signal to control reading data from ddr - sdram device 12 . it is to a dqs delay circuitry 18 that the present invention is directed . as may be seen from an examination of fig4 , the delayed dqs ( 0 ) and delayed dqs ( 1 ) signals are used to clock d - flip - flops 20 and 22 , respectively . d - flip - flops 20 and 22 are used to latch the lower - order and upper - order data bits read from ddr - sdram device 12 and presented to microprocessor 10 on rdata bus 24 . in addition , gated clock 26 and write - data logic 28 in ddr memory controller 14 generate the signals necessary to write data from microprocessor 10 into ddr - sdram device 12 . as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art , bi - directional buffers 30 and 32 are interposed between ddr - sdram device 12 and dqs delay circuitry 18 and bi - directional buffer 34 is interposed between ddr - sdram device 12 and ddr memory controller 14 . these buffers are controlled as known in the art to pass data in the proper direction for read and write operations by conventional circuitry ( not shown ). to make the dqs signal delay stable , a programmable delay line must be used and tuned with regard to variations in the derating factor . this tuning will be automatically performed by a locked loop circuit . therefore a programmable delay line more complex than a simple delay line is used in the present invention . such a programmable delay line employs a programmable number of basic delay units as will be disclosed herein . independent master circuitry is used to keep track of the derating variations to select , in real - time , the number of basic delay elements used in the programmable delay line to provide a given delay for the dqs signal input . the respective dqs and data phases may also vary from one printed circuit board to another due to different printed circuit board topologies and different internal circuit topologies of memory devices , resulting in the necessity to tune the delay applied to the dqs signal . the phase of the dqs signal may also vary due to de - rating factors such internal or external voltage drops . this kind of tuning , used to modify the delay amount , is totally different from automatic tuning of the master locked circuitry . the tuning performed by the present invention provides the capability to adjust a delay around the theoretical value of ¼ of the clock period independent master circuitry is provided with a stable delay reference and locks on to the stable delay reference using a number of basic delay cells identical to the programmable delay line used to delay the dqs signal input . the locked system ensures tracking variations in the derating factor . the stable time reference entered into the master circuitry is the clock signal of the ddr - sdram memory controller or a clock signal having a frequency which is a sub - multiple ( divided by 2 , etc .) of the frequency of the memory controller to make the dqs delay circuitry more simple to design and to make the reference entered into the master circuitry more predictable especially when duty - cycle of the ddr - sdram controller may not be stable or different from a known value such as 50 %. the slave circuitry receives the dqs signal as input and delays it by the stable delay ( about ¼ ddr clock period , subject to fine tuning to match dqs and data phase variations ). therefore the output of the slave circuitry driven by the master circuitry can be used as data sampling command . referring now to fig5 , a simplified schematic diagram shows an illustrative example of dqs delay circuitry 40 that provides the aforementioned features according to the present invention . a simplified schematic includes blocks 42 , 44 , 46 , and 48 . the reference delay will be provided by block 42 , then master locked loop circuitry 44 will determine the number of basic delay elements to cascade to obtain the reference delay . this number of delay elements will be converted in block 46 to get the final number of basic delay elements to delay the dqs signals by means of slave delay lines 48 . block 42 allows obtaining a programmable reference delay by employing circuitry that multiplies the input frequency on line 50 by the programmable ratio n / m in multiplier 52 , whose output has a frequency value equal to [( n / m )* f input ], where f input is the input frequency on line 50 . the output of block 42 is the system clock of the dqs delay circuitry 40 and will act as a reference signal delay . this programmable value allows modification of the optimal data sampling point . the theoretical value of the optimal data sampling point is ¼ of the ddr - sdram clock period , but due to different printed circuit boards on which data and dqs signals are routed with different wire lengths and / or capacitances , plus differences in the internal circuits of the memory devices , the terminal points of these signals may be differently phased . therefore , the optimal sampling point will be nominally about ¼ of the clock period but may end up to be a little bit more or less . as these conditions can vary from one printed circuit board to another , it is important to provide the capability to tune the sampling point through the user interface of the ddr - sdram controller . different methods exist to generate a programmable delay , and the module 40 of fig5 is one example . the fractional coefficient multiplier can use a phase - locked loop ( pll ) and two simple clock dividers to get a fractional divider as will be shown with reference to fig6 . for the descriptions of next modules , it is assumed that module 42 provides an output clock period on signal line 54 being twice the input clock period provided to the ddr - sdram device ( i . e . if the ddr - sdram is clocked at 100 mhz , the frequency at signal line 54 is 50 mhz ). block 44 contains the circuitry that locks on the reference delay provided by module 42 . it allows determination of the number of basic delay elements of a delay line 56 to obtain a delay which is a fraction of the system clock period . the number of delay elements determined by block 44 will be a known fraction of the number of elements required to delay the dqs signal from ddr - sdram devices . the delay line used in module 44 is designed with the same basic delay elements as the one that will be used in the slave delay line to delay the dqs signal . in the following example , the module 44 is designed in such a way that it locks on half of a system clock period . this leads to a simplified circuit architecture to reach the lock state from initial or reset state or from lock to lock state ( due to a derating factor variation ). as in all locked systems , the architecture comprises a phase detector circuit to provide the information necessary to add or remove basic delay elements in the programmable delay line 56 to match the reference delay provided by stable clock signal 54 . in the example shown in fig5 , the phase detector circuit includes d - flip - flops 58 and 60 , delay line elements 62 including a limited number of basic delay elements such as buffers or an even number of inverters , a nor gate 64 and an and gate 66 . the circuit is driven by clock input 54 , and uses the output of delay line 62 and the output of the programmable delay line 56 as a feedback clock . when system reset is asserted on line 68 , the d - flip - flops 58 and 60 are cleared , the programmable master delay line provides a feedback clock at the output of master programmable delay line 56 delayed by a single basic delay element because the up / down counter 70 is set accordingly from the outputs of nor gate 64 and an and gate 66 . after de - assertion of system reset on line 68 , the d - flip - flops 58 and 60 start sampling logical “ 0 ” ( the low portion of the waveform at the output of master programmable delay line 56 ). when the outputs of both d - flip - flops are cleared , the 2 - input nor gate 64 provides a logical 1 at the “ up ” input of up / down counter 70 to indicate that the phase detector 44 is unlocked and requires more basic delay elements to be included in the master programmable delay line to reach the lock state . the 2 - input and gate 66 drives the “ down ” input of the up / down counter 70 with a logical “ 0 ” to indicate that there is no need to remove delay elements in the programmable delay line 56 . an example of this state is shown in fig8 a . the up / down counter 70 modifies its output to instruct master programmable delay line 56 to add more delay . the programmable delay line increases its internal delay accordingly by selecting 1 more basic delay . the phase detector module 44 is still in its unlocked state . if the delay becomes greater than the reference delay provided by the clock period of system clock at its output 54 , both d - flip - flops 58 and 60 sample a logical “ 1 .” the 2 - inputs nor gate 64 returns logical “ 0 ” to the “ up ” input of up / down counter 70 and the 2 - input and gate 66 provides a logical “ 1 ” to the “ down ” input of up / down counter 70 . under these conditions , up / down counter 70 modifies the value provided on its output to instruct the master programmable delay line 56 to remove one basic delay element . the master programmable delay line decreases its internal delay accordingly . the phase detector 44 is still in its unlocked phase . an example of this state is shown in fig8 c . when the programmable delay line 56 delays the system clock on signal line 54 by half the system clock period ( locked state ), d - flip - flop 58 samples a logical “ 1 ” whereas d - flip - flop 60 samples a logical “ 0 .” this difference of sampled values is possible due to the presence of delay line 62 in the path of the data input of d - flip - flop 58 . delay line 62 allows locating the falling edge of the delayed feedback clock at the output of delay line 62 to a time after the rising edge of system clock on line 54 and locating the falling edge of the feedback clock prior to the rising edge of the system clock on line 54 . in this case both nor gate 64 and and gate 66 provide logical “ 0 ” to the “ up ” and “ down ” inputs of up / down counter 70 . the output of up / down counter 70 does not change , indicating that the phase error provided by the phase detector is zero and the phase detector 44 is locked . an example of this state is shown in fig8 b . the delay line 62 can be designed with basic delay elements such classical inverters or buffers . there is no need for more complex delay elements as will be disclosed with reference to the master programmable delay line 56 . the propagation delay between the input of delay line 62 and its output must be greater than a value defined as the sum of the setup and hold time of the d - flip - flops 58 and 60 . this will limit the metastable behavior on both d - flip - flops for each sampling point . if one of the delayed signals to the data inputs of d - flip - flops 58 and 60 arrives in the metastable period of one d - flip - flop , then the other signal cannot be in the metastable period of the second one . persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that there is still a probability of one of the d - flip - flops sampling data in a setup or hold period . there is no way to avoid this situation but an improvement exists in the definition of the intrinsic delay value ( in delay line 62 ) of phase detector 44 . if the propagation delay of phase detector 44 is greater than the higher value of the metastable period among d - flip - flops 58 and 60 plus the minimum delay in the programmable delay line 62 , the phase detector will stay in a locked state without metastable behavior of d - flip - flops 58 and 60 . metastable states will occur in transient phases . in its locked state , the phase detector 44 defines a number of basic delay elements needed to delay the system clock by half the system clock period . a main objective of the present invention is to get ¼ of the dqs period or ¼ of the ddr - sdram device clock period . therefore a conversion must be performed and applied to programmable delay line connected to dqs control input signals . referring now to fig6 , an illustrative programmable delay line circuit 80 to use as a programmable delay line such as master programmable delay line 56 in fig5 is shown . the illustrative programmable delay line circuit 80 in fig6 is shown having a plurality of cascaded unit delay elements 82 , 84 , 86 , 88 , 90 , and 92 . each unit delay element includes an inverter and a multiplexer . the inverter of each unit delay element being cascaded with the inverter of the next unit delay element and the multiplexer of each unit delay element has one input cascaded with the inverter of the previous unit delay element . thus unit delay element 82 includes inverter 94 and multiplexer 96 ; unit delay element 84 includes inverter 98 and multiplexer 100 ; unit delay element 86 includes inverter 102 and multiplexer 104 ; unit delay element 88 includes inverter 106 and multiplexer 108 ; unit delay element 90 includes inverter 110 and multiplexer 112 ; unit delay element 92 includes inverter 114 and multiplexer 116 . the purpose of inverter 118 is to balance the capacitive load for each stage of the programmable delay line and therefore balance the propagation delay of each stage . an input buffer 120 and an output buffer 122 are provided to provide a correct input edge and provide a load - independent output . multiplexers 96 , 100 , 104 , 108 , 112 , and 116 are controlled by select inputs s 0 , s 1 , s 2 , s 3 , . . . s ( n - 1 ) and s ( n ) , respectively . if the select input of a unit delay element is set to logic zero , its multiplexer selects the inverted output of the multiplexer in the next unit delay element . if the select input of a unit delay element is set to logic one , its multiplexer selects the output of its own inverter . thus , only one select input in the programmable delay line circuit 80 need be set to logic one , in which unit delay element the signal is turned around and is directed back down through the chain of multiplexers and ultimately to the output buffer 122 . any select inputs further downstream in the chain that are set to logic one do not affect the operation of the programmable delay line circuit 80 . as an example , if the select input s 0 and s 1 are set to logic zero and the select input s 2 is set to logic one , the signal will pass through the input buffer 120 , inverters 94 , 98 and 102 , multiplexers 104 , 100 and 96 , and through output buffer 122 . the states of select inputs s 3 , . . . s ( n - 1 ) and s ( n ) will not affect the operation of the circuit . referring again to fig5 , block 46 functions to convert the data from the output of up / down counter 70 to a value that may be used by the slave programmable delay line circuits 130 and 132 in block 48 of the circuit of fig5 . slave programmable delay line circuits 130 and 132 may also be configured as shown in fig6 . module 46 in the circuit of fig5 performs a converter function and allows to modification of the slave programmable delay lines 130 and 132 at appropriate locations during operation . the delay locked loop comprising phase detector 44 is locked on half the clock period ( i . e . the programmable delay line 56 delays the input clock signal on line 54 by half the clock period ). thus , using an identical slave programmable delay line to delay the dqs input control signal by ¼ of the clock period provided to the ddr - sdram device , the number of basic delay elements to select is ¼ of the value reported by up / down counter 70 because the lock is performed on the half period of a clock which is divided by 2 versus the clock provided to the ddr - sdram memory . block 46 includes a fractional coefficient multiplier 134 , whose input may be updated as necessary by the output of up / down counter 70 . its output is presented to d - flip - flop 136 via multiplexer 138 . the data latched in d - flip - flop 136 is used to drive slave programmable delay lines 130 and 132 of block 48 . the select input of multiplexer 138 is driven by the update delay line signal at line 140 . as long as the update signal is not asserted , the output of d - flip - flop 136 is fed back to its data input through multiplexer 138 . when the update signal 140 is asserted , the input of d - flip - flop 136 is driven by the output of up / down counter 70 . due to the structure of the programmable delay line 56 as has been shown and described with reference to fig6 , the input value to supply to the switching inputs of the multiplexers in the delay line to select the delay amount is not a decimal coded value but rather a one - hot value . therefore to divide the input value by 4 , fractional coefficient multiplier 134 may be configured as a look - up table . the functionality of fractional coefficient multiplier 134 can be seen as a fractional coefficient multiplier on a non - decimal base . table 1 shows an example of look - up table embedded in fractional coefficient multiplier 134 . care must be taken when changing the delay value . the value returned by fractional coefficient multiplier 134 cannot be applied to the slave programmable delay line at any time . it is preferable to apply a new value when there is no access being made to data from the ddr - sdram device . if this value is altered when the memory device is being accessed , the value must be held to avoid modifying the dqs delay when the dqs signal is in use to avoid the risk of a parasitic pulse when switching from one delay to another one in the programmable delay line . at any rate , if accesses are performed without interruption , there is a need to update the delay to take into account the possible derating factor variations . the ddr - sdram devices need to periodically interrupt the accesses to be able to refresh their contents . the times of these refresh cycles are known by the memory controller . this information can be used to safely enable the update of the slave delay line during refresh operations when the dqs signals are not used by the ddr - sdram memory controller and glitches on that line will not matter . if such a scheme is used , when the memory controller ( not shown ) instructs the ddr - sdram device to perform refresh , it asserts a signal on line 140 , thereby refreshing the contents of d - flip - flop 136 . as soon as refresh period is finished , the line 140 is de - asserted and the multiplexer 138 re - circulates data to d - flip - flop 136 . referring now to fig7 , an illustrative circuit for multiplier 52 of fig5 is shown . a n / m multiplier may be formed from a pll 150 and two clock dividers 152 and 154 . as an example , the pll 150 can multiply the input signal by 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , or 12 and the divide the resulting frequency by 10 . the range of frequency on clock line 54 will be within +/− 20 % of the initial frequency . as a consequence , the delay locked loop module 42 will lock on a different reference delay and the user will have the ability to modify the delay of the dqs signal . the fractional coefficient multiplier can be a single value and , in such a case , the design is simpler than a pll . it can be a simple divider by two ( dff with negated output connected on its data input ). while embodiments and applications of this invention have been shown and described , it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications than mentioned above are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . the invention , therefore , is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims .
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a first embodiment of this invention will be described referring to fig1 through 12 . a facsimile apparatus according to this embodiment comprises a reading section 1 and a printing section 2 disposed on the printing section 1 . the reading section 1 is constructed as shown in fig1 and is operated in the following way . when a document p 1 is set on a glass document table 10 with a surface thereof having an image facing the table 10 , an exposure lamp 11 irradiates the document p 1 and the light reflected on the document p 1 is guided through mirrors 12 , 13 and 14 to be focused by a lens 15 , whereby the image is projected on a ccd 16 . the ccd 16 converts the image into an electric signal and transmits it to another facsimile apparatus on the other terminal of a line 54 ( fig2 ). the lens 15 is an image reducing optical system for projecting the document image on the ccd 16 with a specified reduction ratio , and the exposure lamp 11 and the mirrors 12 , 13 and 14 are movable to the right and left ( fig1 ) so as to scan the document image . the printing section 2 comprises a laser head section 20 and a developing and fixing section 30 disposed below the laser head section 20 as shown in fig1 and is operated in the following way . a laser diode 21 receives an electric signal from the facsimile apparatus on the other terminal through the line 54 , converts the electric signal into an optical signal and outputs it as a laser beam . then , a polygon mirror 22 scans the laser beam , and the scanning light exposes a photoconductive drum 31 through an f - θ lens 23 and another mirror 24 . since the drum 31 is already charged by a main charger 32 before exposed , an electrostatic latent image is formed on the drum 31 when the drum 31 is exposed . then , the drum 31 is supplied with a toner from a developing unit 33 to form a toner image , and the toner image is transferred by a transfer charger 34 onto a paper p 2 which is sent from a feeding section 35 at an appropriate timing . the paper p 2 having the image transferred thereon is separated from the drum 31 , sent to a fixing device 37 by a transport belt 36 to have the image fixed and delivered to a tray 38 . the data transmitting / receiving operation is controlled by the control section 4 shown in fig2 and 3 in the manner below . first , the data transmitting operation will be explained . when the reading section 1 reads the image of the document p 1 , the ccd 16 converts the image into a binary code and outputs it to a compressing section 50 . the compressing section 50 compresses the binary code by the mr , mh or mmr ( modified modified read ) mode and the compressed data is written into a memory 51 . when the data is completely written in the memory 51 , completion of data writing is informed to a control section 4 , more precisely a cpu 40 ( fig3 ). the cpu 40 sends a specified line connection command to a line connecting section 53 through a control signal line 40a , whereby the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment is connected with another facsimile at the other terminal . in this way , the data stored in the memory 51 is sent to the other terminal through a data link control section 52 , the line connecting section 53 and the line 54 . a signal line 40b ( fig2 ) shows a path for transmitting the data from the compressing section 50 without through the memory 51 . this path is used when the data can be transmitted immediately after the document image is read , for example , when data is transmitted while being read . signal lines 40c show paths which are used when the data stored in the memory 51 has a different compressing mode from the addressee compressing mode of the other terminal . in this case , the data of the memory 51 is first output to an expanding section 55 for restoring the data into its original form and then sent back to the compressing section 50 , where the data is compressed with the addressee compressing mode for transmission . the data receiving operation will be described below . when the facsimile apparatus on the other terminal inputs a line connecting command to the cpu 40 , the cpu 40 executes line connection through the line connecting section 53 . the received data is temporarily stored in the memory 51 through the sections 53 and 52 and then output to the expanding section 55 . then , the section 55 expands the received signal ( a binary code compressed by the mr , mh or mmr mode ) and outputs it to the printing section 2 as the image data . the printing section 2 converts the signal into an optical signal and records it on the paper p 2 as described before . although the cpu 40 controls the above sections through the control signal line 40a in the above , the control operation may be done from one section to another without through cpu 40 . ( the sections 1 , 2 , 50 through 53 and 55 will be referred to as controlled sections for easier explanation .) the control section 4 ( fig3 ) comprises the cpu 40 , a ram 41 for storing information of the other terminal such as a directory number , line number and compressing mode , a timer ic 42 for setting transmission start time . when the above information is input from a key matrix 61 of a display 60 to the cpu 40 , the cpu 40 writes it into or reads it from the ram 41 . the cpu 40 also displays various messages on an lcd display 68 . as shown in fig9 the ram 41 has multiple memory areas , each having seven addresses such as addresses 00 - 06 or 07 - 0d . a first address of each area ( 00 , 07 , . . . ) is used as a directory number area , a second through a sixth addresses ( 01 - 05 , 08 - 0c , . . . ) are as line number areas , and a seventh address ( 06 , 0d , . . . ) is as a compressing mode number area . in fig9 the addresses 00 - 06 store contents of directory number 1 and the addresses 07 - 0d store contents of directory number 2 . more practically , address 00 stores &# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ; indicating the directory number is 1 , addresses 01 - 05 store &# 34 ; 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 &# 34 ; indicating the line number of directory number 1 , and address 06 stores &# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ; indicating the compressing mode of directory number 1 is mr . in the same way , address 02 stores &# 34 ; 02 &# 34 ; indicating the directory number is 2 , address 08 - 0c store &# 34 ; 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 &# 34 ; indicating the line number of directory number 2 , and address 0d stores &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ; indicating the compressing number of directory number 2 is mh . as shown in fig4 the display 60 comprises , for example , a control panel 6 having the key matrix 61 thereon . the key matrix 61 comprises ten keys 62 , a stop key 63 for stopping the operation of the facsimile apparatus , a transmitting key 64 for starting transmission , a register key 65 for putting the apparatus into a register mode , a multiple addressing key 66 for selecting a multiple addressing mode or registering the addressees for multiple addressing during a register mode , a mode key 67 for registering the compressing modes during the register mode , and keys * and #. multiple addressing will be described in detail hereinafter . multiple addressing means transmitting the same data to multiple addressees by connecting the addresser with one addressee after another . for multiple addressing , the cpu 40 controls the above - mentioned controlled sections , a main routine of which operation is shown in fig5 . the cpu 40 is initiated in a specified way ( s1 ) and i / o processing from and to the key matrix 61 , the reading section 1 and the printing section 2 is conducted ( s2 ), thereafter the cpu 40 checks the control mode number stored in a work area of the ram 41 ( s3 ). the control mode number indicates the operation mode of the control section 4 . the cpu 40 executes waiting mode processing when the control mode number is 0 ( s4 ), multiple addressing mode processing when the number is 1 ( s5 ), and register mode processing when the number is 2 ( s6 ). after s4 , s5 or s6 , the operation goes back to s2 . in a waiting mode , the cpu 40 waits for commands from the key matrix 61 or a signal from the facsimile apparatus of the addressees . in the multiple addressing mode , the cpu 40 controls the controlled sections so as to execute multiple addressing . in the register mode , the addressees and compressing modes are registered . fig6 shows a subroutine of the waiting mode processing . in this mode , the cpu 40 detects which keys of the key matrix 61 are on , whereby to execute the following operation . when the register key 65 is turned on in s101 , the control mode number is set 2 ( s103 ) in order to put the apparatus into the register mode and the operation returns to the main routine . when the multiple addressing key 66 is turned on in s102 , the control mode number is set 1 ( s104 ) in order to put the apparatus into the multiple addressing mode and the operation returns to the main routine . when the register key 65 and the multiple addressing key 66 are both off , the operation goes to s105 for judging whether some of the ten keys 62 are on or not and executing necessary processing , thereafter the operation returns to the main routine . fig7 a and 7b show a subroutine of the register mode processing . when the multiple addressing key 66 is turned on in s201 , the lcd display 68 displays message 1 ( fig8 a ) &# 34 ; input the directory number &# 34 ; ( s202 ). then , which keys among the ten keys 62 and the * and # keys are turned on is detected in s203 , and the operation advances to the next step in accordance with the keys are turned on . when some of the ten keys 62 are turned on , the input value indicated by the keys is stored in a buffer area of the cpu 40 ( s204 ). when the * key is turned on , the value stored in the buffer area is cleared ( s205 ). if the key to turn on is 2 but the 1 key is turned on by mistake , the input of 1 is cancelled by pushing the * key so that the 2 key may be turned on . when the # key is turned on , the value stored in the buffer area is stored in the directory number area as the directory number ( s206 ). practically , if the value stored in the buffer area is n , this value is stored in the address ( n - 1 )× 7 ( the directory number area of the n &# 39 ; th memory area ). instead of n , the directory number may be some other value which indicates that area is not blank . the value may be stored in the directory number area of the smallest - numbered memory area among the blank memory areas . how a line number is registered will be explained hereinafter . after s206 , the operation goes to s207 , where the lcd display 68 displays message 2 ( fig8 b ) &# 34 ; input the line number &# 34 ;. after some of the ten keys 62 are turned on as the line number , the number is stored in a buffer area ( s209 ). when the * key is turned on , the number is cleared ( s210 ). when the # key is turned on , the number is stored in a line number area following the above directory number area ( s211 ). in this way , the directory number and the corresponding line number are registered consecutively . how a compressing mode number is registered will be explained . after s211 , the operation goes to s212 , where the lcd display 68 displays message 3 ( fig8 c ) &# 34 ; input the compressing mode number . mh = 0 , mr = 1 , mmr = 2 &# 34 ;. when the * key and some of the 3 to 9 keys are turned on , &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is stored in a compressing mode number area following the above line number area ( s214 ), &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; indicating the mh mode . also when the 0 key is turned on , &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is stored in the above area ( s215 ). when the 1 key is turned on , &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; indicating the mr mode is stored in the above area ( s216 ). when the 2 key is turned on , &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ; indicating the mmr mode is stored in the above area ( s217 ). when the # key is turned on , the value stored in the compressing mode number area is left as it is but the control mode number stored in the work area of the ram 41 is set 0 in order to put the apparatus into the waiting mode , and the operation returns to the main routine . fig1 shows a subroutine of the multiple addressing mode processing . the cpu 40 judges whether the transmitting key 64 has already been turned on or not , namely , whether it is set to start transmitting at a specified time or not ( s301 ). if so , a first , second and third compressing modes are determined as described below ( s302 ). then , the cpu 40 judges whether the above specified time has come or not based on a signal from the timer ic 42 ( s303 ), and if not , the operation returns to the main routine or repeats the judgment . this judgment may be done immediately after s301 . this judgment is not necessary if the data is transmitted immediately after the transmitting key 64 is turned on . when the cpu 40 judges that the specified time has come , transmission control processing is executed ( s304 ). after the transmission control processing is finished , the control mode number is set 0 in order to put the apparatus into the waiting mode ( s305 ) and the operation returns to the main routine . the compressing mode determination is executed in the following way . the cpu 40 has therein three counters c a , c b and c c ( fig3 ), which respectively count the numbers of the compressing modes stored in the ram 41 . the results are used to determine the first , second and third compressing modes as shown in fig1 a and 11b . the cpu 40 clears all the contents of the counters c a , c b and c c ( s400 ) and a directory number retrieval pointer ( referred to as the first pointer ) is set 1 ( s401 ). then , which compressing mode is registered together with the directory number 1 ( corresponding with the value of the first pointer ) is checked ( s402 ). if the mode is mh , the counter c a is incremented ( s403 ); if the mode is mr , the counter c b is incremented ( s404 ); and if the mode is mmr , the counter c c is incremented ( s405 ). each time one of the counters is incremented , the first pointer is incremented ( s406 ). then , whether all the directory numbers have been retrieved or not is judged ( s407 ). the operation of s402 through 407 is repeated until all the directory numbers are retrieved . on confirming retrieval of all the directory numbers , the operation goes to s408 , where a value a of the counter c a , another value b of the counter c b , and still another value c of the counter c c are compared . in other words , the numbers of addressees registered with the mh , mr and mmr modes are compared . if a & gt ; b & gt ; c , namely , if the number of the addressees registered with the mh mode is largest , mh is set as the first compressing mode ( s409 ), mr as the second compressing mode and mmr as the third compressing mode ( s410 ). the first , second and third modes are used for transmission in this order . if a & gt ; c ≧ b , mh is set as the first mode ( s411 ), mmr as the second and mr as the third ( s412 ). if b ≧ a & gt ; c , mr is set as the first mode ( s413 ), mh as the second and mmr as the third ( s414 ). if b & gt ; c ≧ a , mr is set as the first mode ( s415 ), mmr as the second and mh as the third ( s416 ). if c ≧ a & gt ; b , mmr is set as the first mode ( s417 ), mh as the second and mr as the third ( s418 ). if c ≧ b ≧ a , mmr is set as the first mode ( s419 ), mr as the second and mh as the third ( s420 ). on completing the above setting , the operation returns to the subroutine of multiple addressing mode processing . the relationship between the values of the counters c a , c b and c c and the compressing modes is mentioned in table 1 . table 1______________________________________ compressing modescounter 1st 2nd 3rd______________________________________a & gt ; b & gt ; c mh mr mmra & gt ; c ≧ b mh mmr mrb ≧ a & gt ; c mr mh mmrb & gt ; c ≧ a mr mmr mhc ≧ a & gt ; b mmr mh mrc ≧ b ≧ a mmr mr mh______________________________________ as apparent from the above , when some or all of a , b , and c have the same value , the compressing mode having the higher or highest compressing ratio may be given the priority . a subroutine of transmission control processing will be described referring to fig1 a and 12b . the image data read out by the reading section 1 is compressed in the compressing mode and stored in the memory 51 ( s500 ). then , another directory number retrieval pointer ( referred to as the second pointer ) is set 1 ( s501 ). the cpu 40 judges whether or not the compressing mode which is registered together with the directory number 1 ( corresponding with the value of the second pointer ) is the same as the first compressing mode ( s502 ). if so , the data in the memory 51 is transmitted to the addressees registered with that compressing mode ( s503 ) and the operation advances to s504 . if not , the operation directly goes to s504 . in s504 , the cpu 40 judges whether all the directory numbers are retrieved or not , and if not , the second pointer is incremented ( s507 ). the operation of s502 through s504 and s507 is repeated until the image data is transmitted to all the addressees registered with the first compressing mode . if so in s504 , the operation advances to s505 . after s505 , the image data is transmitted to the addressees registered with the second compressing mode as explained below . the second pointer is set 1 ( s505 ), and the image data in the memory 51 is restored to the original form by the expanding section 55 , thereafter the data is compressed with the second compressing mode and stored in the memory 51 ( s506 ). after that , the data is transmitted to the addressees registered with the second compressing mode as in s502 through 504 and s507 ( s508 through s510 and s513 ). after the above transmission is finished , the data is transmitted to the addressees registered with the third compressing mode in the same way ( s514 through s517 ). when transmission to all the addressees is finished , the operation returns to the subroutine of multiple addressing mode processing . a second embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in that the control section 4 is equipped with a switch 43 ( fig1 ) and that the control section 4 operates in a slightly different way . the identical construction and operation as those of the first embodiment will be omitted . when the compressing mode is changed by , for example , apparatus replacement on the other terminal , the switch 43 switches to effect or not a function for automatically changing the present compressing mode into another one . the switch 43 comprises a dip switch provided in the apparatus . the second embodiment is operated in the same way as the first embodiment in the main routine , the subroutine of waiting mode processing and the subroutine of multiple addressing mode processing ( fig5 and 10 ), but differently in the subroutines of register mode processing , compressing mode determination and transmission control processing . as shown in fig1 , the register mode processing subroutine is the same as that of the first embodiment ( fig7 a and 7b ) except that s206 &# 39 ; is added . after the directory number is stored in the directory number area of the ram 41 in s206 , a value , for example , &# 34 ; 99 &# 34 ; is stored in the compressing mode number area ( s206 &# 39 ;). the value &# 34 ; 99 &# 34 ; indicates that no compressing mode number is registered in this area . as will be described later , when the data is transmitted to an addressee , a value corresponding with the addressee compressing mode of that addressee ( table 1 ) is stored in this compressing mode number area . usable instead of &# 34 ; 99 &# 34 ; is &# 34 ; 255 &# 34 ;, which is a maximum value of 8 - bit binary code . after the line number is registered in s207 through s211 ( same as in fig7 a and 7b ), the control mode number is set 0 ( s218 ) and the operation returns to the main routine without registering the compressing mode number . therefore , message 3 ( fig8 ) is not displayed . as shown in fig1 a and 15b , the subroutine of compressing mode determination is operated differently from that of fig1 a and 11b in s402 and thereafter . after the first pointer is set 1 ( s401 ), which compressing mode is registered with the directory number 1 ( corresponding with the value of the first pointer ) is checked . in addition , whether any compressing mode is registered with that directory number or not is judged . if not , that means the addressee registered with the directory number 1 is a new one . the new addressee is ignored for compressing mode determination . therefore , the operation goes to s406 without incrementing any counter c a , c b or c c . the subroutine of transmission control processing will be described referring to fig1 a and 16b hereinafter . the second pointer is set 1 ( s600 ). the data read by the reading section 1 is compressed with the compressing mode and is stored in the memory 51 ( s601 ). then , whether all the directory numbers have been retrieved or not is judged ( s602 ), and if not , whether the compressing mode registered with the directory number 1 ( corresponding with the value of the second pointer ) is the same as the first compressing mode or not is judged ( s603 ). if not , the operation directly advances to s605 without transmission processing . if so in s603 , transmission processing is executed ( s604 ) and the operation advances to s605 . after the second pointer is incremented in s605 , the operation goes back to s602 , thereafter the operation of s602 through s605 is repeated , whereby transmission is executed to all the addressees registered with the first compressing mode . on confirming all the directory numbers have been retrieved , the operation advances to s606 . next , transmission is executed to the addressees registered with the second compressing mode . the second pointer is set 1 ( s606 ), and the image data is restored to its original form in the expanding section 55 and compressed with the second compressing mode to be stored in the memory 51 ( s607 ). then , the data is transmitted to the addressees registered with the second compressing mode as in s602 through s605 ( s606 through s611 ). on finishing transmission to all the addressees registered with the second compressing mode , transmission to the addressees registered with the third compressing mode is executed in the same manner ( s612 through s617 ). in s618 through s622 , transmission is executed to new addressees whose line numbers are registered not but compressing modes . whether &# 34 ; 99 &# 34 ; is stored in each compressing mode number area or not is judged ( s620 ). if not , transmission is executed . after transmission is completed to all the addressees , the operation returns to the subroutine of multiple addressing mode processing . the subroutine of transmission processing will be described referring to fig1 . this subroutine is used when the line number and the compressing mode number are registered , when only the line number is registered , or neither of them is registered ( manual dialing ). after the line number of the addressee is dialed and the line connection is conducted , specified control signals are exchanged ( s701 ), whereby the addressee compressing mode is read out based on the bit information in the frame data using the dis ( digital identification signal ) sent from the addressee . then , dtc ( digital transmit command ) is sent to the addressee . after that , whether the line connection was conducted based on the registered line number or by manual dialing is judged ( s702 ). if by manual dialing , the operation goes to s705 where transmission is executed using the addressee compressing mode obtained in s701 without registering it . if based on the registered line number , whether &# 34 ; 99 &# 34 ; is stored in the compressing mode number area corresponding to the line number or not is judged ( s703 ). if so , the addressee compressing mode is stored in that compressing mode number area ( s704 ). in this way , the addressee compressing mode is automatically registered when the first transmission is executed to that addressee only by registering the line number . after that , the image data is transmitted ( s705 ). if necessary , the data stored in the memory 51 is expanded and compressed so that the data may correspond to the addressee compressing mode before the transmission . then , operation returns to the subroutine of transmission control processing . if the addressee compressing mode is registered in s703 , whether the switch 43 is on or off is judged ( s707 ). if on , the operation advances to s708 , where whether the addressee compressing mode is the same as the registered compressing mode or not is judged . if not , a new compressing mode number is stored ( s704 ). after that , the data in the memory 51 is expanded in the expanding section 55 , compressed with the addressee compressing mode obtained in s701 and transmitted ( s705 ). if the two compressing modes are the same in s708 or if the switch 43 is off in s707 , the data is transmitted in s705 . although the multiple addressing has been explained with the facsimile apparatus according to this invention in the above embodiments , the multiple addressing may be applied to any form of transmission which is conducted by storing line numbers , for example , redialing or coded dialing . or the multiple addressing may be executed based on information on addressees such as recording paper size or vertical resolution as well as compressing mode . although the present invention has been fully described by way of embodiments with references to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention , they should be construed as being included therein .
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the following examples serve to illustrate the present invention without , however , limiting the same thereto . 99 . 5 g . of amino methane diphosphonic acid are dissolved in 400 g . of a 20 % sodium hydroxide solution . 66 g . of ethylene oxide are conducted into the resulting solution at such a speed that the temperature does not exceed 40 ° c . thereafter , the reaction mixture is stirred for two hours at room temperature and is then heated to 80 ° c . for about one hour in order to complete the reaction . after concentrating the solution partly by evaporation in a vacuum preferably at a temperature between about 40 ° c . and about 60 ° c ., methanol is added thereto in an amount sufficient to cause complete precipitation of the crystalline reaction product . preferably twice the amount of methanol is added to the concentrated solution . the precipitated reaction product consists to 90 % of the sodium salt of n , n - bis -( 2 - hydroxy ethane ) amino methane diphosphonic acid or di - ethanol amino methane diphosphonic acid . the remainder is the sodium salt of n -( 2 - hydroxy ethane ) amino methane diphosphonic acid . the crystalline reaction product is converted into the free phosphonic acid by dissolving it in water and treating its aqueous solution with a cation exchange agent . analysis : calculated : 21 . 52 % c ; 5 . 02 % n ; 22 . 19 % p . found : 21 . 1 % c ; 5 . 2 % n ; 22 . 8 % p . 41 g . of amino ethane diphosphonic acid are added , while stirring , to a solution of 45 g . of potassium hydroxide in 150 cc . of water . after cooling the solution to room temperature , 9 g . of ethylene oxide are introduced thereinto within half an hour . thereafter , the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 2 hours and is heated to 80 ° c . for one hour in order to complete the reaction . the tripotassium salt of n -( 2 - hydroxy ethane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid is precipitated by adding methanol to the reaction mixture . the reaction product is purified by contacting its solution with a cation exchange agent and drying it in a vacuum at 80 ° c . to 100 ° c . analysis : calculated : 19 . 28 % c ; 5 . 62 % n ; 24 . 87 % p . found : 20 . 4 % c ; 4 . 9 % n ; 25 . 8 % p . when using , in place of ethylene oxide , 11 g . of trimethylene oxide and otherwise proceeding as described hereinabove , the tripotassium salt of n -( 3 - hydroxy propane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid is obtained . 20 . 5 g . of 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid are added to a solution of 16g . of sodium hydroxide in 150 cc . of water . 13 g . of glycidic acid amide or , respectively , 18 g . of glycidic acid ethyl ester , are added thereto while stirring vigorously . after continuing stirring at room temperature for 30 minutes , the temperature of the reaction mixture is gradually increased to 100 ° c . within about two hours . the reaction mixture is kept at said temperature for 30 minutes . the resulting solution is diluted with water to three times its volume and the diluted solution is treated with a cation exchange agent . after concentrating the thus purified and acidified solution by evaporation and adding ethanol thereto , n -( 1 , 1 - diphosphono ethane )- 3 - amino - 2 - hydroxy propionic acid is obtained . analysis : calculated : 20 . 49 % c ; 4 . 78 % n ; 21 . 13 % p . found : 19 . 8 % c ; 5 . 2 % n ; 22 . 1 % p 45 . 6 g . of 2 - carboxy - 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid are dissolved in 160 g . of a 35 % sodium hydroxide solution . after cooling , 11 g . of ethylene oxide are introduced into said solution in such a manner that the temperature does not exceed 40 ° c . the reaction mixture is stirred for two hours and heated to 80 ° c . for a short period of time . the sodium salt of 2 - carboxy - n - 2 - hydroxy ethane - 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid is precipitated from said solution by the addition of acetone . the substantially pure acid is obtained by treating the aqueous solution of the sodium salt with a cation exchange agent . analysis : calculated 20 . 56 % c ; 4 . 80 % n ; 21 . 21 % p . found : 20 . 8 % c ; 4 . 9 % n ; 22 . 0 % p . 95 g . of amino methane diphosphonic acid are dissolved in 400 g . of a 20 % sodium hydroxide solution while stirring . 63 g . of 1 , 2 - propylene oxide are added drop by drop to said solution at a temperature of 30 ° c . to 40 ° c . within one hour . the temperature of the reaction mixture is then maintained at 40 ° c . for 2 hours and the mixture is heated to 100 ° c . for 2 hours while stirring . after concentrating the resulting solution by evaporation in a vacuum , the sodium salt of n , n - bis -( 2 - hydroxy propane ) amino methane diphosphonic acid is obtained . said salt is contaminated with about 5 % of the sodium salt of n -( 2 - hydroxy propane ) amino methane diphosphonic acid . after treating the solution of said sodium salt with a cation exchange agent , a slightly yellowish colored compound is obtained . analysis : calculated : 27 . 37 % c ; 4 . 56 % n ; 20 . 17 % p . found : 26 . 2 % c ; 4 . 5 % n ; 20 . 6 % p . 53 . 4 g . of benzylamino diphosphonic acid are added to a mixture of 44 . 8 g . of potassium hydroxide and 300 cc . of water while stirring . after cooling , 9 . 5 g . of ethylene oxide are introduced into said solution in such a manner that its temperature does not exceed 30 ° c . to 40 ° c . the reaction mixture is then stirred at 50 ° c . for 2 hours . the potassium salt of n -( 2 - hydroxy ethyl ) benzylamino diphosphonic acid is obtained from the reaction solution by precipitation with methanol . the solution of the potassium salt is treated with a cation exchange agent and evaporated to dryness in a vacuum at 80 ° c . analysis : calculated : 34 . 74 % c ; 4 . 50 % n ; 19 . 91 % p . found : 33 . 9 % c ; 4 . 7 % n ; 19 . 8 % p . 55 g . of 1 - amino propane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid are dissolved in 200 g . of a 20 % sodium hydroxide solution . 35 . 6 g . of 2 , 3 - epoxy - 1 - propanol ( glycidol ) are gradually added thereto at room temperature while stirring . the temperature increases during said addition slowly to 45 ° c . the reaction mixture is then heated slowly to 100 ° c . and is kept at said temperature for 1 hour in order to complete the reaction . after cooling , the solution is concentrated by evaporation in a vacuum . the remaining viscous oil is stirred with ethanol for 3 to 4 hours . the solvent is removed by decanting and the free acid is obtained by treating the aqueous solution of the resulting salt with a cation exchange agent . analysis : calculated : 29 . 44 % c ; 3 . 81 % n ; 16 . 87 % p . found : 29 . 0 % c ; 3 . 9 % n ; 16 . 1 % p . 102 g . of 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid are converted into the tetrasodium salt by dissolving the acid in 400 g . of a 20 % sodium hydroxide solution . 73 g . of 2 , 3 - epoxy - 1 - propanol ( glycidol ) are added thereto at 40 ° c . within 1 hour . the reaction mixture is heated to 100 ° c . for 2 hours . the resulting solution is concentrated by evaporation and the crystalline reaction product which consists of the sodium salt of n -( 1 , 2 - dihydroxy propane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid is washed with ethanol . the free acid is obtained by treating the solution of the sodium salt with a cation exchange agent . analysis : calculated : 21 . 52 % c ; 5 . 02 % n ; 22 . 19 % p . found : 22 . 3 % c ; 4 . 9 % n ; 21 . 7 % p . 50 g . of 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid are dissolved in a solution of 40 g . of sodium hydroxide in 300 cc . of water . 58 g . of epichlorohydrin are added drop by drop thereto at 50 ° c . within one hour . the reaction mixture is stirred at said temperature for 1 hour and is boiled under reflux for two more hours in order to effect saponification . the reaction solution is passed through a cation exchange agent . the resulting solution is concentrated by evaporation . the n , n - bis -( 1 , 2 - dihydroxy propane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid is precipitated by the addition of a mixture of acetone and ethanol in the proportion of 1 : 1 to 1 : 2 . analysis : calculated : 27 . 20 % c ; 3 . 97 % n ; 17 . 54 % p . found : 28 . 5 % c ; 4 . 1 % n ; 17 . 2 % p . the yield of the novel n - hydroxy alkane amino alkane diphosphonic acids , when produced according to the process of the present invention , is between about 70 % and about 95 %. any commercial cation exchange agents can be used for converting the alkali metal salts into the corresponding free n - hydroxy alkane amino alkane diphosphonic acids . suitable cation exchange agents are , for instance , those sold under the trademarks &# 34 ; duolite &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; lewalit &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; amberlite &# 34 ;, and others . the following examples serve to illustrate the manner in which the new n - hydroxy alkane amino alkane diphosphonic acids and their alkali metal salts are used on account of their high sequestering power such as for preventing scale and deposit formation in aqueous systems as they are employed , for instance , in bleaching , in water used for sterilizing cans , for preventing formation of resinous deposits in the manufacture of paper , and the like . 15 g . of desized cotton fabric of a starting degree of whiteness of 58 . 6 , as determined with the &# 34 ; elrepho apparatus with filter r 46 &# 34 ;, and of a degree of polymerization value of 1842 are bleached with the compositions as given hereinafter in a laboratory equipment of the &# 34 ; multicolor &# 34 ; type of the firm pretema a . g . the proportion of fabric to bath was 1 to 20 . bleaching was effected at a temperature of 150 ° c . for 30 minutes ( hot temperature process ). x cc ./ l . of a sodium hydroxide solution in an amount sufficient to adjust the ph - value of the bleaching bath to a ph of 12 , the composition is the same as that of bleaching bath a but with the addition of 4 mg ./ l . of ferric ions to the aqueous bath . the composition is the same as that of bleaching bath a but water of 5 ° german hardness ( magnesium hardness ) is used for making up the bleaching solution . ______________________________________bleaching results : degree of degree of polymerization whiteness______________________________________bleaching bath a 1500 75 . 3bleaching bath b 1400 72 . 1bleaching bath c 1580 75 . 3______________________________________ it is evident from these tests that the degree of whiteness is very considerably increased while the degree of polymerization is reduced by only about 14 % to about 24 % although bleaching is effected at the high temperature of 150 ° c . the following test was carried out in an upright autoclave of a capacity of 10 l . of water . the autoclave was operated at about 4 atmospheres gauge and at a temperature of 140 ° c . the autoclave was charged with conventional tin plate cans . before sterilization of the cans 5 cc . of n -( 2 - hydroxy ethane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid were added to the water . addition of said phosphonic acid resulted in keeping not only the sterilized cans but also the autoclave free of incrustations . the cans had a glossy and shiny appearance . 250 kg . of bleached sulfite pulp known for its property of causing continuously difficulties on the paper machine due to resin deposition were beaten to a 3 % suspension in water . the resulting stock suspension was ground in a hollander beater to about 78 ° schopper - riegler , i . e . so as to form a well beaten pulp suitable for producing dense sheets of parchment - like paper . the ph - value of the resulting slurry was 6 . 0 . before starting beating , 0 . 5 kg . of the trisodium salt of n -( 2 - hydroxy ethane )- 1 - amino ethane - 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid were added to the slurry in the hollander beater . after beating and refining , 0 . 8 kg . of the same phosphonic acid were admixed thereto . when proceeding in this manner , no resinous deposits were observed on the walls of the hollander beater and also not on the pipe lines and subsequently on the paper machine . the same or similar results as described in examples 10 to 12 were observed when using other n - hydroxy alkane amino alkane diphosphonic acids as obtained , for instance , according to examples 1 to 9 . of course , many changes and variations in the process of preparing the novel n - hydroxy alkane amino alkane diphosphonic acid of the present invention and in their use as complex forming and sequestering agents , for preventing pitch formation during the manufacture of paper , cardboard , boxboard , and the like , and for other purposes can be made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the principles set forth herein and in the claims annexed hereto .
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a preferred embodiment of the present invention and its advantages are better understood by referring to the figures , like numerals being used for like and corresponding parts of the accompanying figures . a system , method , and product are disclosed in a data processing system for verifying a condition of the media of a rewritable storage drive , such as a hard disk drive , dvd ram device , or rewritable cd - rom drive . the storage drive is coupled to a host computer system . the storage drive receives a single command from the host to verify the storage drive &# 39 ; s media . in a preferred embodiment , this command is a scsi command received via a scsi bus that is used to physically connect the host to the drive . when the storage drive receives this command , the storage drive will disconnect itself from the host by going offline . the storage drive will then verify the condition of its media by attempting to read all of the drive &# 39 ; s logical block addresses . if a logical block address is non - readable or requires error recovery procedures in order to be readable , the storage drive will reassign the logical block address . the storage drive will increment through all logical block addresses until the entire media has been verified . the customer data currently stored in the drive will not be altered by the verification process . after the verification process has been completed by the drive , the storage drive will reconnect to the host by going back online . the storage drive may then report its condition to the host . in addition , the host may query the drive by sending the drive a request sense command while the drive is offline performing the verification process . the drive will respond to the host with sense data containing the percentage completion of the verification process , a list of lbas where hard errors occurred during the verification process , and other information . in this manner , a storage drive may be sent only one command from the host that the storage drive needs to execute in order to verify the condition of the drive &# 39 ; s entire media . the drive may also reassign lbas when executing this command . recoverable data errors will be reassigned if the automatic read reassign enable or arre bit on mode select page 1 is set to 1 . also , if it is desired to reassign unrecoverable data error lbas , a bit in the verify command descriptor block cdb ( whose location has to be defined by the ansi scsi committee ) has to be enabled . this verification and repair process is executed by the storage device offline so that the host &# 39 ; s resources are not occupied in the verification process . when an lba is read during the verification process that requires a level or error recovery , that the disk drive vendor believes could result in the data being lost the next time the lba was read , the lba is reassigned . when an lba is encountered that is non - readable , and the hard error reassign bit is set in the verify cdb , the lba will be reassigned . otherwise , if the parameter indicates that reassignment is not permitted , the lba will not be reassigned . it may be preferred that non - readable lbas not be reassigned . when an lba that is non - readable is reassigned , an initialization pattern is written into the data field of the reassigned block . the next time this location is read , no error would occur because the initialization data would be returned if this situation is not preferred , the parameter may be set indicating that reassignment of non - readable lbas is not permitted . during the time the drive is performing the verification process , the host system may determine the progress of the verification process by issuing a request sense command to the drive . bytes 16 - 17 of the sense data field may contain the progress indication field that indicates the current percentage complete . after all of the customer accessible lbas were read , the drive would reconnect to the scsi bus and return good scsi completion status . the g - list , which is a list maintained by the drive that contains a list of all of the lbas that have been reassigned , would be updated so that the host system could issue the scsi read defect list command to determine how many lbas have been reassigned and determine their location . if one or more lbas were encountered that were non - readable , the drive , when it reconnected to the scsi bus , would return a check condition completion status . the sense data would contain a sense key of 03 and a sense code of 1101 which would indicate that one or more unrecoverable data errors had been encountered during the verification process . the request sense data has 19 required bytes ( defined by the appropriate scsi specification ) one of them being the additional sense length field ( byte 7 ). the lba location of the hard error locations would be listed after these bytes with any other vendor specific sense data . the length of the additional bytes would be 8 times the number of unrecoverable errors encountered . the maximum number of unrecoverable errors then would be 255 less than the number of sense bytes normally returned by the drive divided by 8 . if the number of defective lbas exceeds this number , the drive would return a sense key of 03h with a sense code of 11x1 where x would be a hex value assigned by the ansi ( scsi ) committee to represent the fact that not all of the unrecoverable errors could be reported . with reference now to the figures , fig1 depicts a pictorial representation of a network of data processing systems in which the present invention may be implemented . network data processing system 100 is a network of computers in which the present invention may be implemented . network data processing system 100 contains a network 102 , which is the medium used to provide communications links between various devices and computers connected together within network data processing system 100 . network 102 may include connections , such as wire , wireless communication links , or fiber optic cables . in the depicted example , a server 104 is connected to network 102 along with storage unit 106 . in addition , clients 108 , 110 , and 112 also are connected to network 102 . these clients 108 , 110 , and 112 may be , for example , personal computers , network computers , or other computing devices . in the depicted example , server 104 provides data , such as boot files , operating system images , and applications to clients 108 - 112 . clients 108 , 110 , and 112 are clients to server 104 . network data processing system 100 may include additional servers , clients , and other devices not shown . in the depicted example , network data processing system 100 is the internet with network 102 representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the tcp / ip suite of protocols to communicate with one another . at the heart of the internet is a backbone of high - speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers , consisting of thousands of commercial , government , educational and other computer systems that route data and messages . of course , network data processing system 100 also may be implemented as a number of different types of networks , such as for example , an intranet , a local area network ( lan ), a wide area network ( wan ), or a wireless network . fig1 is intended as an example , and not as an architectural limitation for the present invention . fig2 is a more detailed illustration of a computer system that may be used to implement any of the computer systems of fig1 in accordance with the present invention . data processing system 200 may be a symmetric multiprocessor ( smp ) system including a plurality of processors 202 and 204 connected to system bus 206 . alternatively , a single processor system may be employed . also connected to system bus 206 is memory controller / cache 208 , which provides an interface to local memory 209 . i / o bus bridge 210 is connected to system bus 206 and provides an interface to i / o bus 212 . memory controller / cache 208 and i / o bus bridge 210 may be integrated as depicted . peripheral component interconnect ( pci ) bus bridge 214 connected to i / o bus 212 provides an interface to pci local bus 216 . a number of modems may be connected to pci bus 216 . typical pci bus implementations will support four pci expansion slots or add - in connectors . communications links to network computers 108 - 112 in fig1 may be provided through modem 218 and network adapter 220 connected to pci local bus 216 through add - in boards . additional pci bus bridges 222 and 224 provide interfaces for additional pci buses 226 and 228 , from which additional modems or network adapters may be supported . in this manner , data processing system 200 allows connections to multiple network computers . a memory - mapped graphics adapter 230 and hard disk 232 drive which is connected to a scsi host bus adapter which in turn may also be connected to i / o bus 212 as depicted , either directly or indirectly . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware depicted in fig2 may vary . for example , other peripheral devices , such as optical disk drives and the like , also may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted . the depicted example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present invention . fig3 - 4 together depict a high level flow chart which illustrates a verification , also called certification , process to verify the condition of a storage drive &# 39 ; s media using a single verification command in accordance with the present invention . the process starts as depicted by block 300 and thereafter passes to block 302 which illustrates a disk drive receiving a single command from a host to verify the condition of the media of the disk drive . next , block 304 depicts the disk drive disconnecting itself from the host by causing the disk drive to be offline . thereafter , block 306 illustrates the disk drive creating a sense data field in which to store various verification information that is generated during the verification process . block 308 , then , depicts the disk reading the first customer logical block address ( lba ) from the disk . the process then passes to block 310 which illustrates a determination of whether or not a hard error occurred while attempting to verify the condition of the media of the particular lba . if a determination is made that a hard error did occur , the process passes to block 312 as depicted through connector a . referring again to block 310 , if a determination is made that a hard error did not occur , the process passes to block 326 as illustrated through connector b . block 312 depicts the disk drive including the location of this lba in the list in the sense data of locations where hard errors occurred . next , block 314 illustrates a determination of whether or not this is the last lba location to verify . if a determination is made that this is the last lba location to verify , the process passes to block 316 which depicts the disk reconnecting itself to the host . next , block 350 depicts a determination of whether or not a hard error occurred . if a determination is made that hard errors did not occur during the verify operation , the process passes to block 352 which illustrates returning a good completion status . the process then terminates as depicted by block 354 . referring again to block 350 , if a determination is made that a hard error did occur during the verification process , the process passes to block 356 which illustrates returning a check condition status . next , block 358 depicts a host sending a request sense command . thereafter , block 360 illustrates the disk drive returning the hard error information plus additional sense bytes containing an identification the lba that is in error . the process then terminates as depicted by block 362 . note that the auto sense scsi protocol for handling check condition status could also be used . referring again to block 314 , if a determination is made that this is not the last lba location to verify , the process passes to block 322 which illustrates the disk reading the next lba from the disk . block 324 , then , depicts the disk updating the sense data field to indicate the current completion percentage of the verification process . the process then passes back to block 310 as illustrated through connector c . referring again to block 326 , block 326 depicts a determination of whether or not this lba location &# 39 ; s media is either non - readable or requires error recover procedures ( erp ) to be performed . if a determination is made that this lba location is readable and does not require erp to be performed , the process passes back to block 314 . referring again to block 326 , if a determination is made that this lba is either non - readable or requires error recover procedure or erp to be performed , the process passes to block 328 . block 328 depicts a determination of whether or not this lba address is non - readable . if a determination is made that this lba address is readable , the process passes to block 329 which depicts a determination of whether or not arre is equal to 1 . if a determination is made that arre is not equal to 1 , the process passes to block 314 . referring again to block 329 , if a determination is made that arre is equal to 1 , the process passes to block 334 . block 334 depicts reassigning the lba to another location . thereafter , block 336 illustrates the disk drive adding this lba to the list of reassigned lbas . the process then passes back to block 314 . referring again to block 328 , if a determination is made that this lba is non - readable , the process passes to block 330 which illustrates a determination of whether or not a parameter is set to indicate that reassignments of non - readable lbas are permitted . if a determination is made that the parameter defined in the verify cdb is not set and thus reassignments of non - readable lbas are not permitted , the process passes to block 332 which depicts adding this lba to the list of lbas that are non - readable and that have not been reassigned . the process then passes back to block 314 referring again to block 330 , if a determination is made that the parameter is set to permit reassignment of non - readable blocks , the process passes to block 334 which illustrates reassigning this lba to another location . next , block 336 depicts the disk drive adding this lba to the list of lbas that have been reassigned . the process then passes back to block 314 . fig5 illustrates a high level flow chart which depicts a storage drive responding to a host &# 39 ; s queries while the storage drive is verifying the condition of its media in accordance with the present invention . the process starts as depicted by block 500 and thereafter passes to block 502 which illustrates the disk drive receiving a request for the disk drive &# 39 ; s sense data . next , block 504 depicts the disk drive returning the sense data including the extended sense data if hard errors were encountered to the host . the process then returns as depicted by block 506 . fig6 depicts a high level flow chart which illustrates a disk drive processing a request for verification percentage completion information in accordance with the present invention . the process starts as depicted by block 600 and thereafter passes t block 602 which illustrates the disk drive receiving a request for the current percentage completion of the verification process . thereafter , block 604 depicts the disk drive returning the verification completion percentage to the disk drive . it is important to note that while the present invention has been described in the context of a fully functioning data processing system , those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the processes of the present invention are capable of being distributed in the form of a computer readable medium of instructions and a variety of forms and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media actually used to carry out the distribution . examples of computer readable media include recordable - type media such a floppy disc , a hard disk drive , a ram , and cd - roms and transmission - type media such as digital and analog communications links . the description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention , the practical application , and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated .
| 6 |
the compounds of formula i , and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof , are central nervous system stimulants and are useful for relieving depression ( particularly endogenous depression ) in mammals , in a manner similar to imipramine , when administered in a daily dose of from 0 . 5 mg / kg to 3 mg / kg , preferably 1 mg / kg to 2 mg / kg . the compounds of the present invention can be administered orally in the form of tablets , troches , capsules , elixirs , suspensions , syrups , wafers , chewing gum and the like . such compositions and preparations should contain at least 0 . 1 % of active compound . the percentage of active compound in the compositions and preparation can , of course , be varied and can conveniently be between about 5 % and about 75 % or more of the weight of the unit . preferred compositions according to the present invention are prepared so that an oral dosage unit form contains between about 5 and 200 milligrams of active compounds . the compounds of the present invention can be prepared from pyridinimines having the structure ## spc1 ## the pyridinimines of formula ii and the carbodiimides of formula iii can be reacted in an organic solvent , e . g ., an alkanol such as t - butanol , at a temperature of from about 20 ° c to 100 ° c , preferably at the reflux temperature of the solvent , for a period of from about 3 hours to 4 days . the pyridinimines of formula ii where n is 2 are known ; see for example , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 825 , 549 to yale et al . and yale et al ., journal of heterocyclic chemistry , 11 : 331 ( 1974 ). the pyridinimines of formula ii where n is 1 are novel intermediates , and as such they constitute a part of this invention . they can be prepared by treating a quaternary derivative having the structure ## spc2 ## wherein x is an anion such as a halogen , with a base such as sodium alkoxide , potassium hydroxide , potassium carbonate , etc . in a solvent such as an alkanol or a mixture of an alkanol and water . the quaternary derivatives of formula iv can be prepared by reacting an o - aminopyridine of the structure ## spc3 ## the reaction can be run in an organic solvent , e . g ., toluene or xylene , under reflux conditions for about 4 hours to 2 days . the pyridinylidene quanidines of formula i can be converted to their pharmaceutically acceptable acid - addition salts using procedures well known in the art . illustrative of the salts contemplated for use in this invention are the hydrohalides ( e . g ., the hydrochloride and hydrobromide ), sulfate , nitrate , tartrate , phosphate , maleate , fumarate , citrate , succinate , methanesulfonate , benzenesulfonate , toluenesulfonate and the like . those compounds of formula i wherein r 1 and r 2 are different can exist as a tautomeric mixture wherein the tautomers having the structures ## equ3 ## a solution of 1 -[ 2 -( 2 - bromophenyl ) ethyl ]- 2 - iminopyridine ( 2 . 77 g , 0 . 01 mole ) and diisopropylcarbodiimide ( 1 . 05 g , 0 . 012 mole ) in 30 ml of t - butanol is heated at reflux in a nitrogen atmosphere for 24 hours . the solution is cooled to room temperature and concentrated in vacuo to give a solid . this is recrystallized from 50 ml of hexane to yield a semi - solid , after cooling to - 30 ° c . recrystallization of this material from 70 ml of hexane yields 1 . 83 g of the title compound which sinters at 119 ° c and melts at 125 °- 128 ° c . a solution of 1 -( 2 - phenylethyl )- 2 - iminopyridine ( 5 . 9 g , 0 . 030 mole ) and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 7 . 26 g , 0 . 036 mole ) in 100 ml t - butanol is heated at reflux for 24 hours . the solution is cooled and concentrated in vacuo to give a solid . the solid is recrystallized from 200 ml of hexane to give 5 . 48 g of the title compound which sinters at 132 ° c and melts at 142 . 5 °- 145 ° c . a solution of 1 -[ 2 -( 2 - bromophenyl ) ethyl ]- 2 - iminopyridine ( 2 . 77 g , 0 . 01 mole ) and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 2 . 06 g , 0 . 01 mole ) in 30 ml of t - butanol is heated at reflux for 21 . 5 hours under a nitrogen blanket . the solution is cooled to room temperature and diluted with 60 ml of hexane . the diluted solution is cooled and scratched in a dry ice bath to induce crystallization . the mixture is allowed to warm to room temperature and is filtered to give 0 . 58 g of material which sinters at 121 ° c and melts at 125 °- 129 ° c . the filtrate is concentrated in vacuo and the residual oil is cooled in an ice bath and scratched under 40 ml of hexane to give 1 . 32 g of material which sinters at 100 ° c and melts at 108 °- 110 ° c . the two batches of material are combined and dissolved in a boiling solution of 60 ml of cyclohexane and 60 ml hexane and filtered . the solution is cooled for several hours at - 30 ° c , filtered and washed with cooled hexane to yield 1 . 33 g of the title compound , melting point 127 °- 129 . 5 ° c . following the procedure of example 1 but substituting the compound shown in column i for 1 -[ 2 -( 2 - bromophenyl ) ethyl ]- 2 - iminopyridine , and the compound shown in column ii for diisopropylcarbodiimide , the compound shown in column iii is obtained . ## equ4 ## a solution of α - bromotoluene ( 100 . 0 g ), 2 - aminopyridine ( 82 . 0 g ) and 1000 ml of xylene are heated under reflux for 7 hours to give 99 . 1 g of the title compound , melting point 187 °- 190 ° c . to a solution of 2 - amino - 1 -( phenylmethyl ) pyridinium bromide ( 94 . 5 g ) in 700 ml of methanol is added , portionwise , a total of 38 . 5 g of sodium methoxide . the mixture is stirred and heated under reflux conditions for 2 . 5 hours . workup yields 63 . 4 g of the title compound , melting point 52 °- 54 ° c . a solution of 1 -( phenylmethyl )- 2 ( 1h )- pyridinimine ( 5 . 51 g ) and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 7 . 26 g ) in 100 ml of t - butanol is heated under reflux conditions for 23 hours and concentrated in vacuo . the residual solid is recrystallized from petroleum ether to give 6 . 3 g of the title compound , melting point 111 °- 115 ° c . to a solution of methyl 4 - aminobenzoate ( 151 . 0 g ) in 400 ml of 2 . 5 n hydrochloric acid is added , dropwise , a solution of sodium nitrite ( 79 . 0 g ) in 200 ml of water . the mixture is stirred at 0 ° c for 15 minutes and then treated for 2 hours with a stream of gaseous sulfur dioxide . the oil that separates from the aqueous phase is dissolved in 350 ml of ether and the solution is washed with aqueous saturated sodium chloride , dried and added to 500 ml of 2 . 5 n ethanolic dimethylamine which has been cooled to 0 ° c . the mixture is allowed to warm to 20 ° c and then heated under reflux for 1 hour . concentration of the mixture yields the title compound . to a suspension of lithium aluminum hydride ( 19 . 0 g ) and 500 ml of tetrahydrofuran is added a solution of methyl 4 -( n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) benzoate ( 121 . 5 g ) in 200 ml tetrahydrofuran , dropwise with stirring . the mixture is heated under reflux for 2 hours . workup yields the title compound . c . 4 -( n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) benzyl chloride 4 -( n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) benzyl alcohol ( 54 . 0 g ), anhydrous benzene ( 250 ml ) and phosphorous trichloride ( 40 . 0 g ) are heated under reflux for 2 hours , cooled and poured on crushed ice . ether extraction yields the title compound in the form of an oil which is purified by distillation in vacuo . a mixture of 4 -( n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) benzyl chloride ( 23 . 4 g ), 2 - amino - 6 - methoxypyridine ( 12 . 4 g ) and 100 ml of anhydrous xylene are heated under reflux conditions for 24 hours . workup yields the title compound . to a solution of 2 - amino - 1 -[ 4 -( n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) phenylmethyl ]- 6 - methoxypyridinium chloride ( 13 . 8 g ) and 100 ml of methanol is added a solution of sodium methoxide ( 3 . 3 g ) in 50 ml of methanol , dropwise and with stirring . the mixture is stirred and heated under reflux for 2 . 5 hours and concentrated to dryness in vacuo . the residue is partitioned between 100 ml each of chloroform and water and the chloroform layer is separated , washed , dried and concentrated to yield the title compound . a solution of 1 -[ 4 - n , n - dimethylamidosulfonyl ) phenylmethyl ]- 6 - methoxy - 2 ( 1h )- pyridinimine ( 3 . 1 g ) and phenylcyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 2 . 0 g ) in 50 ml t - butanol is heated under reflux conditions for 24 hours and concentrated to dryness in vacuo to yield the title compound . following the procedure of example 7 , but substituting the compound shown in column i for 2 - aminopyridine , the compound shown in column ii for α - bromotoluene , and the compound shown in column iii for dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , the compound shown in column iv is obtained . ## equ5 ##
| 2 |
it has now been surprisingly found certain compounds , called herein “ potentiators ”, can effectively increase the activity of active substances which inhibit succinate dehydrogenase in the mitochondrial respiration chain . as a result , the combination of the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor with an effective amount of a potentiator has advantages which will be described herein . in conjunction with the present invention , all active substances which inhibit succinate dehydrogenase in the mitochondrial respiration chain can be used . in a particular embodiment of the present invention , the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor is a carboxamide compound . suitable carboxamide compounds include carboxanilides , carboxylic morpholides , benzoic acid amides , and other carboxamides . exemplary carboxanilides include , for example , benalaxyl , benalaxyl - m , benodanil , bixafen , boscalid , carboxin , fenfuram , fenhexamid , flutolanil , fluxapyroxad , furametpyr , isopyrazam , isotianil , kiralaxyl , mepronil , metalaxyl , metalaxyl - m ( mefenoxam ), ofurace , oxadixyl , oxy - carboxin , penflufen , penthiopyrad , sedaxane , tecloftalam , thifluzamide , tiadinil , 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - carboxanilide , n -( 4 ′- trifluoromethylthiobiphenyl - 2 - yl )- 3 - difluoromethyl - 1 - methyl - 1 h - pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and n -( 2 -( 1 , 3 , 3 - trimethyl - butyl )- phenyl )- 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 5 - fluoro - 1 h - pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide . exemplary benzoic acid amides include , for example , flumetover , fluopicolide , fluopyram , and zoxamide . exemplary “ other ” carboxamides include , for example , carpropamid , dicyclomet , mandiproamid , oxytetracyclin , silthiofam , niacinamide , nicotienamide and n -( 6 - methoxy - pyridin - 3 - yl ) cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide . each of the above carboxamides is known in the art . a few of special mention include the following : fluopyram having the chemical name n -{[ 3 - chloro - 5 -( trifluoromethyl )- 2 - pyridinyl ]- ethyl }- 2 , 6 - dichlorobenzamide is a fungicide belonging to the chemical class of pyridylethylbenzamides . fluopyram , and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds , is described in ep - a - 1389614 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . penflufen having the chemical name n -[ 2 -( 1 , 3 - dimethylbutyl ) phenyl ]- 5 - fluoro - 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 1h - pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in wo 03 / 010149 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . bixafen having the chemical name n -( 3 ′, 4 ′- dichloro - 5 - fluoro - 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl - 2 - yl )- 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methyl - 1h - pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in wo 03 / 070705 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . sedaxane is the mixture of 2 cis - isomers 2 ′-[( 1rs , 2rs )- 1 , 1 ′- bicycloprop - 2 - yl ]- 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methylpyrazole - 4 - carboxanilide and 2 trans - isomers 2 ′-[( 1rs , 2 s r )- 1 , 1 ′- bicycloprop - 2 - yl ]- 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methylpyrazole - 4 - carboxanilide . sedaxane and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in wo 03 / 074491 , wo 2006 / 015865 and wo 2006 / 015866 ; each incorporated by reference in their entirety . isopyrazam is the mixture of 2 syn - isomers 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methyl - n -[( 1rs , 4sr , 9rs )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydro - 9 - isopropyl - 1 , 4 - methanonaphthalen - 5 - yl ] pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and 2 anti - isomers 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methyl - n -[( 1rs , 4sr , 9sr )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydro - 9 - isopropyl - 1 , 4 - methanonaphthalen - 5 - yl ] pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide . isopyrazam and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds are described in wo 2004 / 035589 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . penthiopyrad having the chemical name ( rs )— n -[ 2 -( 1 , 3 - dimethylbutyl )- 3 - thienyl ]- 1 - methyl - 3 -( trifluoromethyl ) pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in ep - a - 0737682 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . boscalid having the chemical name 2 - chloro - n -( 4 ′- chlorobiphenyl - 2 - yl ) nicotinamide and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in de - a 19531813 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . fluxapyraxad having the chemical name 3 -( difluoromethyl )- 1 - methyl - n -( 3 ′, 4 ′, 5 ′- trifluorobiphenyl - 2 - yl )- 1h - pyrazole - 4 - carboxamide and its manufacturing process starting from known and commercially available compounds is described in wo 2006 / 087343 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . in addition to the carboxamide compounds , other succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors include compounds such as 3 - nitropropionate and sodium malonate . the carboxamide compounds may be used as a racemate or in enantiomerically pure form or as an enriched mixture of enantiomers . also salts or acid addition compounds may also be used . salts may be sodium , potassium , magnesium , calcium , zinc , aluminum , iron and copper salts of carboxamide . likewise , it should be understood that the acid addition compounds and in particular adducts with hydrogen halide acids , for example , hydrochloric and hydrobromic acid , carboxylic acids , such as formic acid , acetic acid , tartaric acid and oxalic acid , sulfonic acids , such as p - toluenesuifonic acid and sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid and nitric acid may also be used . in one particular embodiment of the present invention , the carboxamide is penflufen . penflufen may be used both as a racemate or in enantiomerically pure form or as an enriched mixture of enantiomers . also salts or acid addition compounds may also be used . salts may be sodium , potassium , magnesium , calcium , zinc , aluminum , iron and copper salts of penflufen . likewise , it should be understood that the acid addition compounds and in particular adducts with hydrogen halide acids , for example , hydrochloric and hydrobromic acid , carboxylic acids , such as formic acid , acetic acid , tartaric acid and oxalic acid , sulfonic acids , such as p - toluenesulfonic acid and sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid and nitric acid may also be used . the potentiators which may be added to the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor are generally compounds which exhibit little , if any , antimicrobial properties by themselves , and are generally inexpensive , and readily available compounds within in certain classes of compounds . classes of potentiators include , chelators , organic acids and esters thereof , amines , amine oxides , ammonium carboxylate salts , aldehydes , efflux pump inhibitors , other enzyme inhibitors , betaines , amides , antioxidants , natural compounds , sulfonamides ( respiration inhibitors ), and other miscellaneous compounds . chelators suitable for use as a potentiator include , for example , iron , calcium , magnesium and other hard metal chelators , as well as chelators for copper or other “ soft ” metals . exemplary iron , calcium , magnesium and other hard metal chelators , include , but are not limited to , glycolic acid , salicylic acid , citric acid , 3 , 4 - dihydroxyphenylacetic acid ( dopac ), 4 , 5 - dihydroxy - 1 , 3 - benzenedisulfonic acid , diethylenetriaminepentacetic acid ( dtpa ), n , n ′- bis ( 2 - hydroxybenzyl )- ethylenediamine - n , n ′ diacetic acid ( hbed ), n , n ′- 1 , 2 - ethanediylbis - aspartic acid ( ethylenediamine disuccinate ( edds )), 3 - hydroxy - 2 - methyl - 4 - pyrone ( maltol ), 1 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 - hydroxy - 4 - pyridinone , 8 - hydroxyquinoline , phytic acid , n , n - bis ( carboxymethyl )- l - glutamic acid ( glda ), salicylaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazine ( sih ), 1 - hydroxyethane 1 , 1 - diphosphonic acid ( hedp ), 2 - hydroxypyridine - n - oxide , dehydroacetic acid and salts ( dha ) and mixtures thereof . other similar iron , calcium or magnesium chelators may also be used . suitable copper or other “ soft ” metal chelators include , but are not limited to , triethylenetetramine , neocuproine , beta - thujaplcin , tropolone , 2 , 6 - pyridinedicarboxlic acid ( dpc ) and mixtures thereof . other similar soft metal chelators may also be used . organic acids suitable for use as a potentiator include , but are not limited to , for example , lactic acid , tartartic acid , octanoic acid , undecanoic acid , benzoic acid , abietic acid and mixtures or salts thereof . other similar organic acids may also be used . esters of organic acids , such as , for example , dodecanoic acid 2 , 3 - diydroxypropyl ester . amines suitable for use as a potentiator include , but are not limited to , for example , myristylamine , tomamine d16 ( c 16 alkyl ether amine ), tomamine d14 ( c 14 alkyl ether amine ), n , n - dimethyldecanamine , n , n - dimethyloctylamine , dimethyloctadecylamine , diisoproanolamine , oleylamine , ethanolamine , ethoxylated amines , such as , n , n ′, n ′- polyoxyethylene ( 15 )- n - tallowalkyl - 1 , 3 - diaminopropane , and mixtures thereof . other similar amines may also be used . amine oxides suitable use as a potentiator include trialiphatic substituted amine oxide , n - alkylated cyclic amine oxide , dialkylpiperazine di - n - oxide , alkyldi ( hydroxy alkyl ) amine oxide , dialkylbenzylamine oxide , fatty amido propyldimethyl amine oxide and diamine oxides or triamine oxides thereof . other similar amine oxides may also be used . ammonium carboxylate salts suitable for use as a potentiator include any ammonium salt of a carboxylic acid . for example , the ammonium cation may be derived from a primary , secondary or tertiary amine precursor used to synthesize any of the above - described carboxamides . likewise , the carboxylate anion may be the carboxylic acid precursor for one of the above - described carboxamides . long chain glycols include , but are not limited to , for example , capyryl glycol , decanediol , and other similar diols . aldehydes suitable for use as potentiators include , but not limited to , for example , cimmamaldehyde , metaldehyde , glutaraldehyde , and mixture thereof . other similar aldehydes may also be used as the potentiator . efflux pump inhibitors ( epi &# 39 ; s ), include , but are not limited to , for example , phenyl - arginine - b - naphthylamide ( pabn ), berberine , reserpine , farnesol , and piperine . other efi &# 39 ; s may also be used , as well as mixtures thereof . other enzyme inhibitors suitable for use as a potentiator , include , but are not limited to , for example , lysozyme . suitable natural compounds , include , but are not limited to , for example , thymol , hydroxytyrosol , hydroxychavicol , flavonoids , carvacol , tea tree oil , terpinen - 4 - ol , allyl isothiocyanate , hexenal , phytoshingosine and other similar compounds . mixtures of these compounds may also be used . suitable sulfonamides ( respiration inhibitors ), include , but are not limited to , for example , sulfanilamide , p - toluenesulfonamide , 4 - carboxbenzenesulfonamide , 4 - amino - 6 - chloro - 1 , 3 - benzenedisulfonamide , 4 -( 2 - aminoethyl ) benzene sulfonamide , and other similar sulfonamides . mixture of these sulfonamides may also be used . other miscellaneous compounds include , but are not limited to , for example , tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate , tributyl tetradecyl phosphonium chloride , and guanidine hydrochloride . other similar compounds may be used as well , as can mixtures of these compounds . generally , the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor is provided with an effective amount of the potentiator in accordance with the invention . an effective amount in this context means any amount of the potentiator that increases the effectiveness of the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor as compared to the inhibitor alone . for example , the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor to potentiator mixture is provided in the range of a ratio of about 100 : 1 to about 1 : 100 on a weight basis . typically , the ratio of succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor to potentiator will be in the range of a ratio 50 : 1 to about 1 : 50 on a weight basis . more typically the ratio of the components will be in the range of about 10 : 1 to about 1 : 10 on a weight basis of the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor to potentiator . the actual ratios will depend on the potentiator and the particular succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor selected . in one particular embodiment of the present invention , the potentiator contains a sulfonamide compound . any of the sulfonamides described above may be used as the potentiator . in an addition embodiment , the sulfonamide is used in conjunction with an additional potentiator . it has been discovered that the composition of the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor and the potentiator is more effective against organisms , than the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor compound alone . exemplary organisms which the composition has of the present invention are effective against , include , but are not limited to , botrytis spp , rhizopus spp , penicillium spp ., cladosporium spp ., aspergillus spp , including , for example , aspergillus niger , and aspergillus flavus , alternaria spp ., fusarium spp ., aerobasidium spp ., and trichoderma spp . in addition to the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor and the potentiator , the composition may further have additional compounds or components which serve as antimicrobial components . these additional compounds or components essentially as co - biocides in the composition . the additional antimicrobial component or composition may be selected based on the activity of the particular component or on the use of the resulting composition . in the case of wood , such as timber , lumber , and other wood products such as plywood , particle board , fiberboard and oriented strand board ( osb ) and wood composites ( plastic - wood ), the additional compounds or components may be compounds or compositions which are known to have fungicidal , bactericidal or insecticidal properties . in the case of other compositions , such as personal care compositions , for example anti - dandruff shampoos , paints and coating compositions , shampoos , additives to plastics , such as polyvinylchloride and the like , wall board , metal working fluids , crop protection , seed protection , and other similar compositions where mold and fungus may need controlling . suitable additional components include , for example benzimidazoles , imidazoles , morpholine derivatives , copper compounds , pyrethroids , triazoles , sulfenamides , boron compounds , pyrithione compounds , tertiary amines , haloalkynyl compounds , quaternary ammonium compounds , phenols , pyrroles , strobilurins , phenylsulfamides , zinc compounds and mixtures thereof . other similar compounds or classes of compounds may be used . selection of a suitable additional component or co - biocide for a given purpose will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . exemplary benzimidazoles include , but are not limited to , for example , carbendazim , benomyl , fuberidazole , thiabendazole or salts thereof . exemplary imidazoles include , but are not limited to , for example , clotrimazole , bifonazole , climbazole , econazole , fenapanil , imazalil , isoconazole , ketoconazole , lombazol , miconazole , pefurazoat , prochloraz , triflumizole and their metal salts and acid adducts . exemplary morpholine derivatives include , but are not limited to , for example , aldimorph , dimethomorph , dodemorph , falimorph , fenpropidin , fenpropimorph , tridemorph , and trimorphamid and arylsulfonic acid salts such as p - toluenesulfonic acid and p - dodecylphenyl - sulfonic acid . exemplary copper compounds include , but are not limited to , for example , bis ( n - cyclohexyldiazeniumdioxy )- copper ( cu - hdo ), copper ( i ) oxide , copper ( ii ) oxide , copper carbonate , copper sulfate , copper chloride , copper borate , copper citrate , copper salt of 8 - hydroxyquinoline , and copper naphthenate . exemplary pyrethroids include , but are not limited to , for example , permethrin , cypermethrin , bifenthrin , cyfluthrin , deltamethrin , prallethrin , fenvalerate , allethrin and etofenprox . exemplary triazoles include , but are not limited to , for example , azaconazole , bitertanol , bromuconazole , cyproconazole , diclobutrazol , difenoconazole , diniconazole , epoxiconazole , etaconazole , fenbuconazole , fluquinconazole , flusitazole , flutriafol , furconazole , hexaconazole , imibenconazole , ipconazole , myclobutanil , metconazole , penconazole , propiconazole , prothioconazole , simeconazole , tebuconazole , tetraconazole , triadimefon , triadimenol , triticonazole and uniconazole and their metal salts and acid adducts . exemplary isothiazolinones include , but are not limited to , for example , n - methylisothiazolin - 3 - one , 5 - chloro - n - methylisothiazolin - 3 - one , 4 , 5 - dichloro - n - octylisothiazolin - 3 - one , 5 - chloro - n - octylisothiazolinone , n - octyl - isothiazolin - 3 - one , 4 , 5 - trimethylene - isothiazolinone , 4 , 5 - benzoisothiazolinones , 2n - butyl - 1 , 2 - benzisothiazolin - 3 - one , and 1 , 2 - benzisothiazolin - 3 - one . exemplary sulfenamides include , but are not limited to , for example , dichlofluanid , tolylfluanid , folpet , fluorfolpet , captan and captofol . exemplary boron compounds include , but are not limited to , for example , boric acid , boric acid esters , and borax . exemplary pyrithione compounds include , but are not limited to , zinc pyrithione , copper pyrithione , sodium pyrithione and mixtures thereof . exemplary tertiary amines include , for example , n -( 3 - aminopropyl )- n - dodecyl propane - 1 , 3 - diamine , n -( 3 - aminopropyl )- n - decyl - 1 , 3 - propanediamine , n -( 3 - aminopropyl )- n - tetradecyl - 1 , 3 - propanediamine as well as their acid addition compounds . other similar tertiary amines may be used . exemplary haloalkynyl compounds include , for example , iodopropynyl carbamates such as 3 - iodo - 2 - propynyl propyl carbamate , 3 - iodo - 2 - propynyl butyl carbamate , 3 - iodo - 2 - propynyl hexyl carbamate , 3 - iodo - 2 - propynyl cyclohexyl carbamate , 3 - iodo - 2 - propynyl phenyl carbamate , and mixtures thereof . other similar haloalkynyl compounds may also be used . phenols which may be used include , for example , tribromophenol , tetrachlorophenol , 3 - methyl - 4 - chlorophenol , 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - chlorophenol , dichlorophen , 2 - benzyl - 4 - chlorophenol , triclosan , diclosan , hexachlorophene , p - hydroxybenzoic acid , o - phenylphenol , m - phe - nonylphenol , p - phenylphenol , 4 -( 2 - tert - butyl - 4 - methyl - phenoxy )- phenol , 4 -( 2 - isopropyl4 - methyl - phenoxy )- phenol , 4 -( 2 , 4 - dimethyl - phenoxy )- phenol and its alkali metal and alkaline earth metal salts . pentachlorophenol and sodium pentachlorophenolate . other similar compounds may also be used . quaternary ammonium compounds include , for example , benzalkoniumchloride , benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride , benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride , dichlorbenzyldimethylalkylammonium chloride , didecyldimethylammmonium chloride , dioctyldimethylammonium chloride , hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride , didecylmethylpoly ( oxyethyl ), didecyldimethylammmonium carbonate , and didecyldimethylammonium hydrogen carbonate and ammonium propionate . polymeric quaternary ammonium compounds , such as polyhexaethylene biguanide may also be used . other quaternary ammonium compounds may also be used . pyrrole fungicides such as fludioxinil ; strobilurin fungicides such as azoxystrobin ; aromatic fungicides such as chlorothalonil ; phenylsulfamide fungicides such as , dichlofluanid or tolylfluanid may also be used . in addition , zinc compounds , such as zinc oxide or zinc borate may also be used . in addition , compounds and compositions known to have insecticidal properties may be added . suitable insecticides , include , for example : abamectin , acephate , acetamiprid , acetoprole , acrinathrin , alanycarb , aldicarb , aldoxycarb , aldrin , allethrin , alpha - cypertnethrin , amidoflumet , amitraz , avermectin , azadirachtin , azinphos a , azinphos m , azocyclotin , bacillus thuringiensis , barthrin , 4 - bromo - 2 - 0 - chloφhenyl )- 1 -( ethoxymethyl )- 5 -( trifluoromethyl )- 1h - pyrrole - 3 - carbonitrile , bendiocarb , benfuracarb , bensultap , betacyfluthrin , bioresmethrin , bioallethrin , bistrifluoron , bromophos a bromophos m , bufencarb , buprofezin , butathiophos , butocarboxin , butoxycarboxim , cadusafos , carbaryl , carbofuran , carbophenothion , carbosulfan , cartap , chinomethionat , clo - ethocarb , 4 - chloro - 2 -( 2 - chloro - 2 - methylpropyl )- 5 -[( 6 - iodo - 3 - pyridinyl ) methoxy ]- 3 ( 2h )- pyridazinone ( cas rn : 120955 - 77 - 3 ), chlordane , chlorethoxyfos , chlorfenapyr , chlorfenvinphos , chlorfluazuron , chlormephos , n -[( 6 - chloro - 3 - pyridinyl ) memyl ]- n ′- cyano - n - methyl - ethanimid amides chlopierin , chlopyrifos a , chlorpyrifos m , cis - resmethrin , clocythrin , clothiazoben , cypophenothrin clofentezine , coumaphos , cyanophos , cycloprothrin , cyfluthrin , cyhalothrin , cyhexatin , cypermethrin , cyromazine , decamethrin , deltamethrin , demeton m , demeton s , demeton - s - methyl , diafenthiuron , dialiphos , diazinon , 1 , 2 - dibenzoyl - 1 -( 1 , 1 - dimethyl )- hydrazine , dnoc , dichlofenthion , dichlorvos , dicliphos , dicrotophos , difethialone , diflubenzuron , dimethoate , 3 , 5 - dimethylphenyl methylcarbamate , dimethyl ( phenyl )- silyl - methyl - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ether , dimethyl -( 4 - ethoxyphenyl )- silylmethyl - 3 - phenoxybenzyl ether , dimethylvinphos , dioxathion , disulfoton , eflusilanate , emamectin , empenthrin , endosulfan , o - ethyl - 0 -( 4 - nitrophenyl )- 1 phenyl phosphonothioat esfenvalerate , ethiofencarb , ethion , etofenprox , etrimphos , etoxazole , etobenzanid , fenamiphos , fenazaquin , - oxide , fenfluthrin , fenitrothion , fenobucarb , fenothiocarb , fenoxycarb , fenpropathrin , fenpyrad , fenpyroximate , fensulfothion , fenthion , fenvalerate , fipronil , flonicamid , fluacrypyrim , fluazuron , flucycloxuron , flucythrinate , flufenerim , flufenoxuron , flupyrazofos , flufenzine , flumethrin flufenprox fluvalinate , fonophos , formethanate , formothion , fosmethilan fosthiazate , fubfenprox , furathiocarb , halofenocid , hch ( cas rn : 58 - 89 - 9 ), heptenophos , hexaflumuron , hexythiazox , hydramethylnon , hydroprene , imidacloprid , imiprothrin , indoxycarb , iodfenfos , iprinomectin , iprobenfos , isazophos , isoamidophos , isofenphos , isoprocarb , isoprothiolane , isoxathion , ivermectin , lama - cyhalothrin , lufenuron , kadedrin , lambda - cyhalothrin , lufenuron , malathion , mecarbam , mervinphos , mesulfenphos , metaldehyde , metacrifos , methamidophos , methidathion , methiocarb , metalcarb , milbemectin , monocrotophos , moxiectin , naled , nicotine , nitenpyram , noviflumuron , omethoate , oxamyl , oxydemethon m , oxydeprofos , parathion a , parathion m , penfluron , permethrin , 2 -( 4 - phenoxyphenoxy )- ethyl - ethylcarbamate , phenthoate , phorate , phosalone , phosmet , phosphamidon , phoxim , pirimicarb , pirimiphos m , pirimiphos a , prallethrin , profenophos , promecarb , propaphos , propoxur , prothiophos , prothoate , pymetrozine , pyrachlophos , pyridaphenthion , pyresmethrin , pyrethrum , pyridaben , pyridalyl , pyrimidifen , pyriproxyfen , quinalphos pyrithiobac sodium , resmethrin , rotenone , salithion , sebufos , silafluofen , spinosad , spirodiclofen , spiromesifen , sulfotep , sulprofos , tau - fluvalinate , taroits , tebufenozide , tebufenpyrad , tebupirimphos , teflubenzuron , tefluthrin , ternephos , terbam , terbufos , tetrachlorvinphos , tetramethrin , tetramethacarb , thiacloprid , thiafenox , thiamethoxam , thiapronil , thiodicarb , thiofanox , thiazophos , thiocyclam , thiomethon , thionazin , thuringiensin , tralomethrin , transfluthrin , triarathen , triazophos , triazamate , triazuron , trichlorfon , triflumuron , trimethacarb , vamidothion , xytylcarb , zetamethrin ; in addition , algaecides and herbicides may also be used . exemplary algaecides and herbicides include , for example : acetochlor , acifluorfen sulfamate , aclonifen , acrolein , alachlor , alloxydim , ametryn , amidosulfuron , amitrole , ammonium , anilofos , asulam , atrazine , azafenidin , aziptrotryne , azimsulfuron , benazolin , benfluralin , benfuresate , bensulfuron , bensulfide , bentazone , benzofencap , benzthiazuron , bifenox , bispyribac , bispyribac - sodium , borax , bromacil , bromobutide , bromofenoxim , bromoxynii , butachlor , butamifos , butralin , butylate , bialaphos , benzoyl - prop , bromobutide , butroxydim , carbetamide , carfentrazone - ethyl , carfenstrole , chlomethoxyfen , chloramben , chlorbromuron , chlorflurenol , chloridazon , chlorimuron , chlornitrofen , chloroacetic acid , chloransulam - methyl , cinidon - ethyl , chlorotoluron , chloroxuron , chlorpropham , chlorsulfuron , chlorthal , chlorthiamid , cinmethylin , cinofulsuron , clefoxydim , clethodim , clornazone , chlomeprop , clopyralid , cyanamide , cyanazine , cybutryne , cycloate , cycloxydim , chloroxynil , clodinafop - propargyl , cumyluron , clometoxyfen , cyhalofop , cyhalofop butyl , clopyrasuluron , cyclosulfamuron , diclosulam , dichlorprop , dichlorprop - p , diclofop , diethatyl , difenoxuron , difenzoquat , diflufenican , diflufenzopyr , dimefuron , dimepiperate , dimethachlor , dimethipin , dinitramine , dinoseb , dinoseb acetate , dinoterb , diphenamid , dipropetryn , diquat , dithiopyr , diuron , dnoc ( 2 - methyl - 4 , 6 - dinitrophenol ), dsma ( disodium methylarsenate ), ( 2 , 4 - dichlorophenoxy ) acetic acid , daimuron , dalapon , dazomet , 2 , 4 - db ( 4 -( 2 , 4 - dichlophenoxy ) butanoic acid ), desmedipham , desmetryn , dicamba , dichlobenil , dimethamid , dithiopyr , dimetharnetryn , eglinazine , endothal , eptc (- ethyldipropylthiocarbamat ) esprocarb , ethalfluralin , ethidimuron , ethofumesate , ethobenzanid , ethoxyfen , ethametsulfuron , ethoxysulfuron , fenoxaprop , fenoxaprop - p , fenuron , flamprop , flamprop - m , flazasulfuron , fluazifop , fluazifop - p , fuenachlor , fluchloralin , flufenacet flumeturon , fluorocglycofen , fluoronitrofen , flupropanate , flurenol , fluridone , flurochloridone , fluroxypyr , fomesafen , fosamine , fosametine , flamprop - isopropyl , flamprop - isopropyl - l , flufenpyr , flumiclorac - pentyl , flumipropyn , flumioxzim , flurtamone , flumioxzim , flupyrsulfuron methyl , fluthiacet - methyl , glyphosate , glufosinate - ammonium , haloxyfop , hexazinone , imazamethabenz , isoproturon , isoxaben , isoxapyrifop , imazapyr , imazaquin , imazethapyr , ioxynil , isopropalin , imazosulfuron , imazomox , isoxaflutole , imazapic , ketospiradox , lactofen , lenacil , linuron , mcpa ( 2 -( 4 - chloro - 2 - methylphenoxy ) acetic acid ), mcpa - hydrazide , mcpa - thioethyl , mcpb ( 4 -( 4 - chloro - 2 - methylphenoxy ) butanoic acid ), mecoprop , mecoprop - p , mefenacet , mefluidide , mesosulfuron , metam , metamifop , metamitron , metazachlor , methabenzthiazuron , methazole , methoroptryne , methyldymron , ethylisothiocyanate , metobromuron , metoxuron , metribuzin , metsulfuron , molinate , monalide , monolinuron , msma ( monosodium methy arsenate ), metolachlor , metosulam , metobenzuron , naproanilide , napropamide , naptalam neburon , nicosulfuron , norflurazon , sodium chlorate , oxadiazon , oxyfluorfen , oxysulfuron , orbencarb , oryzalin , oxadiargyl , propyzamide , prosulfocarb , pyrazolates , pyrazolsulfuran , pyrazoxyfen , pyribenzoxim , pyributicarb , pyridate , paraquat , pebulate , pendimethalin , pentachlorophenol , pentoxazone , pentanochlor , petroleum oils , phenmedipham , picloram , piperophos , pretilachlor , primisulfuron , prodi amines profoxydim , prometryn , propachlor , propanil , propaquizafob , propazine , propham , propisochlor , pyriminobac - methyl , pelargonic pyrithiobac , pyraflufen - ethyl , quinmerac , quinocloamine , quizalofop , quizalofop - p , quinchlorac , rimsulfuron sethoxydim , sifuron , simazine , simetryn , sulfosulfuron , sulfometuron , sulfentrazone , sulcotrione , sulfosate , creosote tca ( trichloroacetic acid ), tca - sodium , tebutam , tebuthiuron , terbacil , terbumeton , terbuthylazine , terbutryn , thiazafluoron , thifensulfuron , thiobencarb , thiocarbazil , tralkoxydim , triallate , triasulfuron , tribenuron , trielopyr , tridiphane , trietazine , trifluralin , tycor , thidiazimin , thiazopyr , triflusulfuron , vernolate . the composition containing the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor of the present invention may be used in the customary formulations , such as solutions , emulsions , suspensions , powders , foams , pastes , granules , aerosols and very fine capsules in polymeric substances . it is also possible to encapsulate the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor and / or additional biocide . in addition , by mixing the active compounds with extenders , such as liquid solvents , liquefied gases under pressure and / or solid carriers , and optionally with the use of surfactants , emulsifiers and / or dispersants , the composition may be applied to a surface or article in need of treatment . suitable solvents include , water , organic solvents such as , for example , xylene , toluene or alkyl naphthalenes , chlorinated aromatics or chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons , such as chlorobenzenes , chloride or methylene chloride , aliphatic hydrocarbons such as cyclohexane or paraffins , for example petroleum fractions , alcohols , such as butanol , glycerol , and ethers and esters , ketones , such as acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone or cyclohexanone , strongly polar solvents such as dimethylformamide and dimethylsulphoxide , as well as water . liquefied gaseous extenders or carriers are meant liquids which are gaseous at normal temperature and under normal pressure , for example aerosol propellants , such as halogenated hydrocarbons as well as butane , propane , nitrogen and carbon dioxide . suitable solid carriers are : for example ground natural minerals , such as kaolins , clays , talc , chalk , quartz , attapulgite , montmorillonite or diatomaceous earth , and ground synthetic minerals , such as highly disperse silica , alumina and silicates . as solid carriers for granules are : for example crushed and fractionated natural rocks such as calcite , marble , pumice , sepiolite and dolomite , and synthetic granules of inorganic and organic meals , and granules of organic material such as sawdust , coconut shells , maize cobs and tobacco stalks . as emulsifying and / or foam formers are : for example nonionic and anionic emulsifiers , such as polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters , polyoxyethylene fatty alcohol ethers , for example alkylaryl , alkyl sulfates , aryl sulphonates as well as albumin . suitable dispersants are : for example ligninsulfite was liquors and methylcellulose . the present invention is further described in detail by means of the following examples . the following examples are meant to show the effects of potentiator with succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor and are not intended to be limiting . sample stock solution of penflufen was prepared in dmso at 20000 ppm ( active ingredient ). serial dilutions of penflufen and the potentiators were made in dmso in a 96 well plate and 10 ul of solution from each well was transferred into a new flat bottom 96 well plate to run a microtiter plate minimum inhibitory concentration ( mic ) test . the potentiators tested are shown in table 1 . microorganisms grown on agar slants were harvested using standard microbiological techniques . the numbers of mold spores were determined by counted using a hemocytometer , and then inoculum was prepared in the media shown in table 2 . then , 190u1 of inoculum was added into each well containing 10 ul of the serially diluted sample solution . the start - up concentration of the sample was 1000 ppm containing 5 % of dmso . the final concentration of mold spores were set up at approx . 10 4 / ml . table 2 shows the details on test organisms , suitable culture broth and incubation conditions . after the incubation , data were collected : the lowest concentrations that visually inhibited the microbial growth were recorded as the mics ( tables 3a , 3b , 3c , 3d and 3e ). as can be seen from the above tables , each of the listed potentiators reduces the amount of the active ingredient penflufen . against certain microbial agents , the combination of the potentiator and the active can achieve a 1 - fold , 2 - fold or more reduction in that amount of the active ingredient needed to inhibit growth of the microbial agent . total 17 samples , including penflufen , 8 penflufen - potentiator blends and 8 potentiators were submitted for evaluation . the concentrations of penflufen and potentiators in the samples are shown in table 4 . the samples were diluted to test at a starting concentration of 1 , 000 ppm active based on the concentration of penflufen in the samples . samples were serially diluted into the molten potato dextrose agar before the agar was solidified . the agar plugs with active fungal hyphae growth were inoculated onto the prepared agar surface . the agar plates were incubated at 28 ° c . for 9 days and following incubation , the minimum concentration of active observed to completely inhibit hyphae growth ( mic ) was determined with stereo microscopic verification . table 5 shows the mic values of penflufen , potentiators and potentiation blends against decay fungi . all concentrations reported are in ppm . “ active ” indicates penflufen present ; “ potentiator ” is the potentiator in each sample . “ act ” and “ pot ” are the concentrations of active and potentiator respectively at the highest dilution to inhibit growth ( mic value ). the initial row highlighted in red with only a value for active is the mic for the active alone ; each row with only a value for potentiator is the mic for that potentiator alone . any combination in which the mic value was reduced by greater than 75 % ( 2 levels of 2 × dilution ) of the mic of the active alone is highlighted in green . there are eight out of nine penflufen - potentiator blends tested for this study showed evidence of potentiation against two decay fungi with significant mic reductions ranging from 75 % up to 94 % compared to the penflufen alone . while the invention has been described above with references to specific embodiments thereof , it is apparent that many changes , modifications and variations can be made without departing from the invention concept disclosed herein . accordingly , it is intended to embrace all such changes , modifications , and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims .
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fig1 shows an electromagnetic friction clutch 1 , which may serve , for example , for controllably driving a coolant pump ( not shown ) of an internal combustion engine . the internal construction of the clutch is represented schematically by a section along a clutch axis of rotation 12 . a bearing connection 5 of a pump housing , for example , and an electromagnet 2 are fixedly arranged concentrically with the clutch axis of rotation 12 . a rotor 3 is connected to the bearing connection 5 by a ball bearing 6 so that it can rotate about the clutch axis of rotation 12 . with the drive element 4 , a drive wheel having guide grooves for a belt drive , formed on the rotor 3 , the rotor 3 is intended as drive side of the clutch 1 . a further ball bearing 6 a is arranged inside the bearing connection 5 . the inner ball bearing 6 a holds a rotary shaft 11 in a rotatable position about the clutch axis of rotation 12 . the rotary shaft 11 is part of the output side of the clutch 1 . an armature disk 8 is rotationally fixed to the rotary shaft 11 by way of a spring element 9 and a flange 10 . the armature disk 8 is drawn against the rotor 3 by permanent magnets 2 a , so that a frictional connection occurs between the armature disk 8 and the rotor 3 . as soon as electrical current of sufficient strength flows through the windings of the electromagnet 2 , neutralizing a magnetic field of the permanent magnets , the frictional connection between the armature disk 8 and the rotor 3 is cancelled . the clutch is thereby switched to a de - energized state . an eddy current clutch acts in the disengaged , energized state as described below . adjoining the drive element 4 in an axial direction is a tubular extension 7 of the rotor 3 of somewhat larger radius . the tubular extension 7 extends so far in an axial direction that it fully encloses both the armature disk 8 and an eddy current element 15 . the rotor 3 , the drive element 4 and the tubular axial extension 7 form , for example , an integral component composed of magnetically conductive metal . magnetic elements 14 are fitted to the inside of this tubular extension 7 . this may be a single magnetic element subdivided along its circumference into a plurality of differently magnetized segments . in this case , for example , adjacent segments are each magnetized in opposite directions to one another . it is equally possible to use multiple individual magnets , which are fitted along the circumference on the inside of the tubular extension 7 , so that magnetic north and south poles are alternately directed towards the circumferential surface of the eddy current element . in both cases it is sufficient to bond the magnetic ring or the magnets to the inside of the tubular extension 7 . in the disengaged , energized state of the clutch 1 , that is to say when the armature disk and the rotor are no longer in frictional contact with one another , the magnetic elements 14 and the eddy current element 15 are able to rotate relative to one another . in so doing the magnetic elements 14 induce eddy currents in the eddy current element 15 , so that through electromagnetic interaction between the magnetic elements 14 and the eddy current element 15 , a torque is transmitted to the rotary shaft 11 . here the magnetic material characteristics of the rotor , for example , also assist the eddy current clutch 13 in that the tubular extension 7 produces a concentration of the magnetic flux in the magnetically conductive material . the eddy current element 15 is fitted to the armature disk 8 . in this embodiment it is particularly advantageous to manufacture the eddy current element 15 from a lightweight metal having a high electrical conductivity , such as aluminum , for example . the high electrical conductivity promotes the transmission of higher torques and rotational speeds . the lighter the eddy current element 15 , the lower the inertial forces occurring on the armature disk 8 . this affords the advantage that the armature disk can engage more rapidly , and length of time taken for rotationally fixed frictional contact with the rotor is therefore determined substantially by the mechanical power take - off on the rotary shaft 11 . because the clutch is designed to transmit only a relatively low torque in the absence of frictional contact between the armature disk and the rotor , a magnetic yoke ring on the eddy current element 15 can be dispensed with . some substantial features of the embodiment of a clutch according to the invention as described above also apply to the exemplary embodiments represented in fig2 , fig3 b and fig4 . in particular , all of the following exemplary embodiments comprise a rotor 3 , integrally embodying the tubular axial extension 7 and the drive element 4 and forming the drive side of the clutch . equally , in all the following exemplary embodiments the rotor 3 and the rotary shaft 7 are correspondingly fitted by ball bearings 6 , 6 a to the fixed bearing connection 5 so that they can rotate in relation to the latter . for this reason the descriptions of the following exemplary embodiments will primarily explore their differences . fig2 represents an embodiment of a friction clutch according to the invention in which the eddy current element 15 is connected to the armature disk 8 by the rotary shaft 11 . the eddy current element 15 therefore also remains in its axial position when the clutch 1 is in the engaged state , whilst the armature disk 8 can move axially between the positions corresponding to the clutch states . compared to the embodiment shown in fig1 , the rigid connection to the axis of rotation 11 allows the eddy current element only very small variations in position perpendicularly to the clutch axis of rotation . in this embodiment , therefore , the pole surfaces of the magnetic elements 14 may be arranged at a smaller distance from the circumferential surface of the eddy current element , thereby increasing the efficiency of the eddy current drive . fig2 also shows that a ring composed of a magnetically conductive material 15 a is , in a radial direction , at least partially enclosed by the eddy current element . fig2 also shows that a ring 15 a composed of magnetically conductive material is , in a radial direction , at least partially enclosed by eddy current element 15 . in the exemplary embodiment shown in fig2 the flange 10 and the spring element 9 form an integral component , which rotationally fixes the armature disk to the rotary shaft 11 whilst allowing it to move axially . the rotary shaft 11 is fixed into the flange 10 by caulking . fig3 a shows an integral armature disk component 16 , which combines the functions of the armature disk 8 , the spring element 9 and the flange 10 . the component is composed of magnetically conductive material , the thickness of which is substantially determined by the functional requirements as an armature disk . fig3 b shows a corresponding clutch arrangement 1 , which uses the armature disk component 16 shown in fig3 a . the embodiment of the clutch 1 according to the invention shown in fig4 reduces the number of single components yet further , in that only one integral component , which combines the functions of the eddy current element 15 , the armature disk 8 , the spring element 9 and the flange 10 in one single component , is fixed to the rotary shaft 11 .
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in the disclosed techniques , the given prefixes are not expanded into a pre - determined set of prefix lengths . on the other hand , the prefix lengths are determined dynamically using the disclosed prefix processing algorithm . sometimes prefixes are collapsed into shorter prefix lengths . the best prefix lengths are determined based on an objective function , which minimizes the number of prefix lengths . given a prefix set sp and an integer c , expand or collapse the prefixes in sp to a new set sp ′ such that the number of prefix lengths in sp ′ is minimized and the number of prefixes in each prefix length is less than c . the exemplary embodiment discussed herein uses a greedy algorithm as outlined below . it produces good solutions in practice . each prefix length that are collapsed or expanded prefixes into is considered a bin with a given capacity . a bin could be a memory . the exemplary embodiment has two parts . the first is prefix collapsing , and the second is prefix expansion . prefix collapsing proceeds as follows ( fig4 ). the largest prefix length ( denoted p from in box 401 in fig4 ) is considered first . if this prefix length is empty ( i . e ., has no prefixes ), p from is decreased until the first populated prefix length if found ( boxes 402 - 404 in fig4 ). this is the “ source ” prefix length from which prefixes will be collapsed . next , a “ destination ” prefix length p to is found into which the collapsed prefixes from p from will be inserted . boxes 405 - 408 in fig4 depicts this . in essence , p to is the largest populated prefix length smaller than p from . then , a “ complete set ” s of 2 pfrom − pto prefixes that have a common sub - prefix of length p to is extracted ( box 409 , fig4 ). for example 0000 → a , 0001 *→ a , 0010 *→ a , 0011 → b comprise a complete set of 4 prefixes of length 4 with a common sub - prefix “ 00 ”. from s , the largest subset of prefixes that have the same destination is extracted ( set ss in box 409 of fig4 ). this subset of prefixes is collapsed into a single prefix of length p to . note that this is possible provided the following two conditions are satisfied , which is ensured by the algorithm in the flowchart of fig4 : ( i ) prefixes of length p to exist ( i . e ., a new prefix length should not be created ) and ( ii ) the common sub - prefix does not already exist in the set of prefixes of length p to ( the “ collapse ” routine in box 411 ensures this ). in the above example consisting of 0000 *→ a , 0001 *→ a , 0010 *→ a , 0011 *→ b , three out of four prefixes have the same destination a . therefore , the three prefixes can be collapsed into a single prefix 00 *−& gt ; a of prefix length 2 , while the fourth prefix 0011 *−& gt ; b is retained in prefix length 4 . such a transformation still provides correct longest prefix match operation . all prefixes from the largest prefix length l 1 are allocated to as many bins as required . if n l1 bins are needed , n l1 - 1 bins will be full , while one bin may be partially filled after this expansion . if a partially filled bin exists , as many prefixes as possible are expanded from the next largest prefix length l 2 and allocated to this bin . if the prefixes in l 2 are exhausted , prefixes are expanded from the next prefix length ; continue until the partially filled bin is full . this is repeated for all prefix lengths . fig5 shows the prefix expansion algorithm . in box 501 , p to is assigned to the largest prefix length . in box 502 - 504 , p to is adjusted to the largest populated prefix length . p to is the destination prefix length into which prefixes will be expanded . next , p from , the source prefix length from which prefixes will be expanded , is found ( box 505 - 508 , fig5 ). in box 509 , the maximum number of prefixes that can be expanded from p from into p to given the capacity constraints of p to is computed . if this number is 0 , the next p from is found ( box 510 ). otherwise , the expansion proceeds until the destination prefix length cannot accommodate any more prefixes ( box 511 ). these two algorithms together comprise the disclosed prefix pre - processing technique . the overall procedure is shown in fig6 . the collapse and expand procedure loop is repeated until no further changes are possible . in network routers , prefix tables are regularly updated . updates include addition of new prefixes , deletion or changing the forwarding information of existing prefixes . prefix pre - processing makes updates a little more complicated since a prefix may have been collapsed or expanded into a different prefix length . assume that the set of prefix lengths after prefix pre - processing is s ={ pl1 , pl2 . . . pll }. all prefixes that existed prior to prefix pre - processing are labeled as “ original ” prefixes . after prefix pre - processing , a tag is appended to every prefix indicating its original prefix length . the tag may be appended in hardware for hardware implementations or within software data structures for software implementations . addition of a prefix : a new prefix of length l is collapsed or expanded using the algorithms in fig4 and fig5 . if a collision occurs with an existing prefix p ′, p ′ is overwritten only if its original length ( determined by examining its prefix length tag ) is less or equal to l . removal of a prefix : in order to remove an original prefix p of length l , all prefix lengths in s are examined since p may have been expanded or collapsed into a different prefix length . prefixes that match p , and whose prefix length tags equal l , are removed . changing the forwarding information of a prefix : in order to change the forwarding information of a prefix p of length l , all prefix lengths in s are examined since p may have been expanded or collapsed into a different prefix length . the forwarding information of prefixes that match p , and whose prefix length tags equal l , is changed accordingly . the above discussed techniques can be implemented in any suitable computing environment . a computer program product including computer readable media that includes instructions to enable a computer or a computer system to implement the disclosed teachings is also an aspect of the invention . other modifications and variations to the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure and teachings . thus , while only certain embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein , it will be apparent that numerous modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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the compounds of the invention may be prepared in a number of ways , including the following : 1 . compounds of the formula ( i ), in which r 3 represents a carboxyl or sulpho group , r 2 is as already defined other than a hydroxy group , and x is as already defined other than an unsubstituted imino group , -- nh --, may be prepared by reacting a 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula : ## str3 ## with a cyclic anhydride of the formula : ## str4 ## respectively , wherein x is defined as above in this method . such a reaction may be accomplished by mixing together the reagents , that of the formula ( ii ) optionally as a salt or necessarily as an internal salt in the case where r 2 represents an n - pyridyl group , in a reaction - inert organic solvent medium , e . g . dimethylformamide , methylene dichloride or acetone , optionally containing a tertiary amine base , e . g . triethylamine or pyridine , or an inorganic base , e . g . sodium bicarbonate . generally , the reaction goes substantially to completion during a period from 1 / 2 to 12 lhours when the mixture is maintained within the temperature range 10 °- 45 ° c ., preferably with stirring . isolation of the product is typically achieved by extracting the reaction mixture with an aqueous medium , e . g . water itself or a basic aqueous medium such as saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution , overlayering the separated aqueous medium with a suitable water - immiscible solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , acidifying the aqueous phase , e . g . by addition of a mineral acid such as hydrochloric acid and shaking the two - phase solution in order to extract the product into the organic phase , and thereafter separating , washing ( e . g . with a saline solution ), drying ( e . g . with anhydrous magnesium or sodium sulphate ), filtering and evaporating to dryness the organic phase . if necessary , the product may be purified by a standard recrystallization technique . in the case of compounds of the formula ( i ) in which the grouping alk 2 - x - alk . sup . 1 represents or embraces a hydrocarbon chain containing 4 or more carbon atoms , the reaction involving a cyclic anhydride of the formula ( iii ) is generally performed using that compound in a polymeric form in view of the frequent difficulty in obtaining it in a monomeric form . an isolation procedure similar to the one described above would frequently afford a product contaminated with a significant quantity of dicarboxylic acid of the formula : and accordingly it is often necessary to perform more than a single acidification - extraction step at different degrees of acidity and investigate the nature of the extracted product at each stage in order to isolate the desired product in an acceptable state of purity . wherein x represents any of the hereinbefore specified atoms or groups with the exception of an unsubstituted imino group , -- nh --, and which itself may be prepared according to conventional procedures involving reacting the appropriate compound of the formula ( iii ) with a lower alkanol , r 4 oh , or with the sodio derivative of a lower alkanol , phenol , substituted phenol , 5 - indanol or naphthol , r 4 oha , followed by acidification , may be reacted ( as such , or after conversion to a reactive derivative thereof , e . g . its acid chloride , an &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester or a mixed anhydride ) with a 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula ( ii ) other than those in which r 2 is a hydroxyl group to produce a compound of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents an ester group , coor 4 as hereinbefore defined , and x is defined as above in this method . if the half - ester is to be reacted as such , this is conveniently effected in the presence of a dehydrating agent , e . g . dicyclohexylcarbodiimide or carbonyldiimidazole . in a typical procedure using carbonyldiimidazole , a solution of the half - ester in a suitable reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . methylene chloride , is added to a cooled solution of the dehydrating agent in the same solvent , and after evolution of carbon dioxide has ceased the mixture is stirred at room temperature for a short time prior to addition of the δ 3 - cephem derivative . reaction may then be allowed to proceed during several hours at room temperature , preferably with continual stirring of the solution . isolation of the product may be effected by evaporation of the reaction solution in vacuo to dryness , dissolution of the residue in water , extraction of the acidified aqueous solution into a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , and evaporation of the optionally washed and dried ( e . g . with anhydrous magnesium sulphate ) organic phase to dryness . the crude product thus produced may be purified , suitably by a standard crystallization technique . the same reaction may alternatively be performed in aqueous solution using a water - soluble diimide as the dehydrating agent , of which a typical example is 1 -( 3 - dimethylamino - n - propyl )- 1 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride . in such a case , a mixture of the two reagents and the water - soluble diimide is added to an aqueous solvent , e . g . water itself or aqueous acetone , and the ph of the solution is adjusted to 5 - 6 , e . g . by addition of hydrochloric acid , and maintained within that acidity range for several hours until stabilization , i . e . when no further quantity of mineral acid is required to maintain the acidity range . the product may then be extracted into a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , after acidifying the aqueous phase further , and isolating by evaporating to dryness the optionally washed and dried organic phase . purification may then be effected by suitable means . if it is desired to react the half - ester of the formula ( vi ) as its acid chloride with the 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative , the initial conversion to the acid chloride may be effected using a well - known standard technique for such a reaction , e . g . by maintaining a solution of the half - ester and a chlorinating agent such as oxalyl chloride or thionyl chloride in a suitable reaction - inert organic solvent such as benzene for several hours , preferably with stirring , at a suitable temperature , and isolating the crude product by evaporation of the reaction solution to dryness . thereafter , the residue is conveniently reacted directly with the appropriate δ 3 - cephem derivative , without purification , in a solvent , e . g . aqueous acetone , containing a base of the sort exemplified in method ( 1 ) above . after sufficient reaction time , e . g . several hours , the product is conveniently isolated and purified by extracting it from an acidified aqueous solution into an organic phase , e . g . ethyl acetate , and then following a similar procedure to that described in method ( 1 ) for the isolation and purification of the product . the half - ester of the formula ( vi ) may be converted into an &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester prior to reaction with the 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative using the preferred reagent n - hydroxysuccinimide in the presence of a dehydrating agent such as dicyclohexylcarbodiimide . the &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester product of the formula : ## str5 ## is conveniently then reacted with the δ 3 - cephem derivative in the reaction solution in which it has been formed , without isolation . in a typical procedure , a solution of the half - ester , n - hydroxysuccinimide and dehydrating agent in a reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . tetrahydrofuran , is stirred for several hours at room temperature , after which the solid n , n &# 39 ;- dicyclohexylurea formed in the reaction may be removed , e . g . by filtration . to the solution containing the &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester is then added a solution of the δ 3 - cephem derivative , and reaction generally goes substantially to completion in the presence of a tertiary amine or inorganic base , as hereinbefore examplified and preferably with stirring during a period from 1 to 12 hours at room temperature . the solvent may then be removed , e . g . by evaporation in vacuo , and the residue dissolved in water , the aqueous solution then being acidified , extracted with a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , and the organic phase subjected to a similar procedure to that described in method ( 1 ) for the isolation and purification of the product . if the half - ester of the formula ( vi ) is to be converted to a mixed anhydride prior to reaction with the 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative , the initial conversion is suitably performed using a lower alkyl chloroformate , e . g . ethyl chloroformate . the reaction may suitably be effected by stirring a mixture of the half - ester , lower alkyl chloroformate and an equivalent quantity of a tertiary amine or inorganic base of the kind hereinbefore exemplified in a suitable solvent , e . g . methylene chloride , at a low temperature , e . g . 0 ° c ., for a short time , e . g . 1 / 2 hour . reaction with the δ 3 - cephem derivative may then be effected , without the necessity to isolate the mixed anhydride , by adding a solution of the former in a suitable solvent , e . g . methylene chloride , containing an equivalent quantity of a base of the kind hereinbefore exemplified , to the reaction solution of the mixed anhydride , of the formula : and stirring the reaction solution at room temperature for several hours . isolation and purification of the product may then be effected by removing the reaction solvent , e . g . by evaporation in vacuo , dissolving the residue in water , acidifying the aqueous solution , extracting it with a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , and subjecting the organic phase to a similar procedure to that described in method ( 1 ) in the final stages . 3 . compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents a carbamoyl group of the formula conr 5 r 6 , as hereinbefore defined , r 2 is as already defined other than a hydroxyl group , and x is as already defined other than an unsubstituted imino group , -- nh --, may be prepared by reacting a half - amide of the formula : optionally after conversion to its acid chloride , an &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester or a mixed anhydride , with a 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula ( ii ) other than those in which r 2 is a hydroxyl group . the half - amide of the formula ( ix ) may itself be prepared by reacting the appropriate amine , nhr 5 r 6 , with a cyclic acid anhydride of the formula ( iii ) according to a conventional procedure . the reaction between the half - amide or aforementioned derivative thereof and the δ 3 - cephem derivative , and conversion of the half - amide into the appropriate derivative , where appropriate , prior to reaction with the δ 3 - cephem derivative , may be achieved according to the analogous procedures given in method ( 2 ), starting from the half - amide instead of the half - ester , and the isolation procedures may also be effected analogously . 4 . compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 2 represents an n - pyridyl or azido group or any of the heterocyclic - thio groups specified hereinbefore may be prepared from the corresponding compounds in which r 2 represents an acetoxy group ( cephalosporanic acid derivatives ) by a displacement reaction with pyridine , sodium azide or the appropriate heterocyclic - thiol . in the case of r 2 representing an azido or a heterocyclic - thio group , such a reaction may generally be performed by adding one of the latter reagents to a solution of the appropriate cephalosporanic acid derivative in an aqueous buffer solution , e . g . phosphate buffer , at a ph between 6 and 7 . 5 , optionally containing a base , e . g . sodium bicarbonate , and heating the mixture within the temperature range 35 °- 70 ° c . for a period from 1 to 12 hours . the product may then be isolated by diluting the reaction mixture with water , overlayering the aqueous medium with a suitable water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , acidifying the aqueous phase , e . g . to ph 2 by addition of sufficient hydrochloric acid , and thereby inducing extraction of the product into the organic phase , especially with shaking in addition , and thereafter separating , washing , e . g . with a saline solution , drying , e . g . with anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtering and evaporating to dryness the organic phase . purification of the crude product , if necessary , may be achieved by a standard recrystallization technique or by washing with a suitable solvent , e . g . diethyl ether . in the case of r 2 representing an n - pyridyl group , the reaction may be performed by adding first pyridine , e . g . in 1 to 3 molar equivalents , and then potassium thiocyanate or iodide , e . g . in 1 to 10 molar equivalents , to a molar equivalent of the cephalosporanic acid derivative dissolved in water containing at least one molar equivalents of a base of the kind hereinbefore exemplified . to the mixture is then added sufficient phosphoric acid until ph 6 is attained , and the whole is suitably heated within the temperature range 25 °- 702 c . for a period from 6 to 48 hours . the product , either as the thiocyanate or iodide salt , may then be isolated by adjusting the ph of the solution to 2 , e . g . by addition of 2n hydrochloric acid , and collecting the resulting precipitate by filtration . the betaine form of the product may be obtained by well - documented standard ion - exchange procedures . 5 . compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents an ester group , coor 4 , or a carbamoyl group , conr 5 r 6 , as hereinbefore defined , and x represents an oxygen or sulphur atom , or an imino group , -- nr 7 -- , as hereinbefore defined , may be prepared by reacting a 7 -( α - aminoarylacetamido )- 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula ( ii ) other than those in which r 2 is a hydroxyl group to produce a compound of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents an ester group , coor 4 , as hereinbefore defined , with a chloroalkanoyl chloride of the formula : and then reacting the product , of the formula : ## str6 ## first with sodium iodide to convert it to the corresponding iodo compound and then with , as appropriate , one of the compounds of formulae : wherein r 3 is as defined as above in this method . the initial reaction may suitably be effected by maintaining the reactants , of which the acid chloride is preferably in slight excess , at a low temperature , e . g . within the range 0 ° c . to room temperature , in a reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . chloroform , in the presence of a tertiary amine or inorganic base , as hereinbefore exemplified , for several hours , preferably with stirring . isolation of the product , of the formula ( xi ), is suitably accomplished by removing the solvent from the reaction mixture , e . g . by evaporation in vacuo , dissolving the residue in an aqueous medium , e . g . water itself or a basic aqueous medium such as saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution , extracting the subsequently acidfied , e . g . to ph 2 , aqueous phase with a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , and thereafter subjecting the organic phase to a similar procedure to that described in method ( 1 ) for the isolation and , if necessary , purification of the product . reaction between the compound of the formula ( xi ) and sodium iodide may conveniently be accomplished by allowing a solution , e . g . acetone , of the two reagents in approximately equimolar proportions to stand in darkness for several hours at room temperature . thereafter , that solvent may be replaced with a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , and the solution washed , e . g . with a saline solution , dried , e . g . over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness . the final stage is typically performed by dissolving the iodo compound in a suitable reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . methylene chloride or dimethylformamide and adding , as appropriate , the sodium alcoholate [ formula ( xii )], sodium thiolate [ formula ( xiii )] or amine [ formula ( xiv )] in a slight excess , e . g . 10 %. after stirring the mixture for several hours within the temperature range 20 °- 80 ° c ., the solvent is removed , e . g . by evaporation in vacuo , and the residue is dissolved in a suitable waterimmiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate . the solution may then be washed , e . g . with a saline solution , dried , e . g . over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , thus furnishing the desired product , which may be purified , if necessary , by a standard recrystallization technique or by washing in a suitable solvent , e . g . diethyl ether . 6 . compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 and x represent any of the hereinbefore specified atoms or groups with the exception of a sulpho group and an unsubstituted imino group , -- nh --, respectively , may be prepared by reacting a trimethylsilyl - protected α - aminoarylacetic acid , r 1 ch ( nh 2 ) co 2 si ( ch 3 ) 3 , with one of the compounds of formulae : ## str7 ## wherein x is defined as above in this method , in each case either as such or having been converted to its acid chloride , an &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester or a mixed anhydride , to produce a compound of the formula : ## str8 ## wherein r 3 &# 39 ; represents , as appropriate , one of the moieties ph 2 chooc , r 4 ooc and r 5 r 6 nco , which is subsequently hydrolyzed to the corresponding α - aminoarylacetic acid derivative , of the formula : ## str9 ## this then being converted to its functional equivalent as an acylating agent and reacted with a 7 - amino - 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula : ## str10 ## wherein r 2 is as defined for formula ( i ) other than hydroxyl to produce a compound of the formula : ## str11 ## the latter , when r 3 &# 39 ; represents the carbobenzhydryloxy group , ph 2 chooc , finally being acidified to a compound of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents a carboxyl group . the starting trimethylsilyl - protected α - amino - arylacetic acid may be prepared from the unprotected compound by reaction with an approximately equivalent quantity of a silylating agent , e . g . trimethylsilyl chloride , in the presence of a tertiary amine base , e . g . triethylamine , in solution in a suitable reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . methylene chloride . for convenience , to this solution is added directly one of the compounds of the formulae ( xv ), ( vi ) and ( ix ), either as such together with a condensing agent , e . g . dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , or as an acid chloride , &# 34 ; activated &# 34 ; ester or mixed anhydride , prepared according to one of the procedures given in method ( 2 ), and optionally in the reaction medium in which each was formed . the reaction to form the compound of the formula ( xvi ) may suitably be performed by stirring the mixture at room temperature for several hours , after which the mixture is filtered to remove any solids present , e . g . the dicyclohexylurea formed from dicyclohexylcarbodiimide present as a dehydrating agent either in this reaction or in the reaction to form an activated ester if used . treatment of the filtrate with mineral acid , e . g . 10 % hydrochloric acid , converts the product to a free acid by removing the trimethylsilyl protecting group , and the organic phase may then be washed , e . g . with saline solution , dried , e . g . with anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered , and evaporated in vacuo thus affording a compound of the formula ( xvii ). conversion of the latter compound to that of formula ( xix ) is preferably achieved by first forming therefrom a mixed anhydride , e . g . with isovaleric or pivalic acid , and then reacting this product with the 7 - amino - 4 - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula ( xviii ). the reactions are typically achieved by adding isovaleroyl or pivaloyl chloride , in slight excess , to a solution of the acid in a suitable reaction - inert organic solvent , e . g . tetrahydrofuran , in the presence of a tertiary amine base , e . g . triethylamine , at a low temperature , e . g . - 10 ° c . the mixture is then stirred , e . g . for 1 / 2 hour , to effect the converion to the mixed anhydride and added to a stirred solution of the 7 - amino - 4 - carboxy - δ 3 - cephem derivative of the formula ( xviii ) in a suitable aqueous solvent , e . g . aqueous tetrahydrofuran . reaction generally proceeds satisfactorily at room temperature during several hours , after which the product is extracted from the acidified reaction solution into a water - immiscible organic solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , the organic phase then being washed , e . g . with saline solution , dried , e . g . over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo . if the product is of the formula ( xix ) wherein r 3 &# 39 ; represents one of the moieties r 4 ooc and r 5 r 6 nco , it may be purified , if necessary , by recrystallization or washing in a suitable solvent , e . g . diethyl ether . otherwise , being a compound of the formula ( xix ) wherein r 3 &# 39 ; represents a carbobenzhydryloxy group , the latter may be removed by acidification , and the product purified as before . the acidification may be achieved , in a typical case , by adding trifluoroacetic acid ( 3 volumes ) to a solution of the carbobenzhydryloxy derivative in anisole ( 1 volume ) and allowing the mixture to stand at room temperature for several minutes . isolation and purification of the product is then effected by removing the solvent by evaporation in vacuo , dissolving the residue in ethyl acetate , adding the solution slowly to a large volume of petroluem ether , and collecting the resulting preceipitate of the desired product by filtration . 7 . all the compounds of the formula ( i ) in which x represents an unsubstituted imino group , -- nh --, may be prepared according to methods ( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ) and ( 6 ) given hereinbefore , starting in each case from one of the reagents of the formulae ( iii ), ( iv ), ( vi ), ( ix ) and ( xv ) wherein the moiety x is replaced by -- nr 7 &# 39 ; --, in which r 7 &# 39 ; represents a suitable protecting group for an imino group , e . g . a tertiary - butyloxycarbonyl group . the procedures are performed similarly , and the final products of such procedures , all of the formula ( i ) wherein x is replaced by -- nr 7 &# 39 ; --, are subjected to a further reaction entailing the removal of the protecting group by conventional means . in a typical case , the tertiary - butyloxycarbonyl group may be removed by stirring the appropriate compound in trifluoroacetic acid at 0 °- 25 ° c ., and the deprotected product may then be isolated and purified by removing the excess acid , e . g . by evaporation in vacuo , and washing the residue in diethyl ether . however , when method ( 6 ) is used to prepare a compound of the formula ( i ) in which r 3 represents a carboxyl group , the final acidification stage may also deprotect the protected amino group simultaneously , thus avoiding the necessity to perform an additional acidification reaction . 8 . salts of the compounds of the invention may be prepared , if desired , by standard techniques . for example , preparation of the sodium or potassium salt of a compound of the invention may be accomplished by dissolving the compound in a lower alkanol , e . g . methanol , cooling the resulting solution and adding a solution of the appropriate alkali metal acetate in the same solvent to the stirred organic solution . the reaction is in many cases effected by maintaining the reaction mixture for several hours at room temperature , and the salt may then be isolated by concentrating the reaction solution by partial evaporation in vacuo and adding the concentrate to a large volume of a suitable organic solvent , e . g . diethyl ether , thereby precipitating the salt . purification may then be achieved by washing the salt in a suitable solvent , e . g . diethyl ether , and thereafter drying it , preferably in vacuo . 9 . the compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 2 is a hydroxy group may be prepared by the hydrolysis of the corresponding cephalosporin in which r 2 is an acetoxy group . typically , the hydrolysis may be carried out in aqueous media at ph of from 5 to 8 , using a wheat germ esterase or acetyl citrus esterase . the enzyme is aqueous solution is typically added to the sodium salt of the acetoxy - containing cephalosporin in water . the ph is rapidly adjusted to the desired value . the hydrolysis may then be effected by keeping the mixture at a suitable temperature , preferably between 20 ° and 45 ° c ., by the addition of aqueous alkali until hydrolysis is complete . completion of the hydrolysis can be determined by titration with alkali , or by chromatographic assay . the hydrolysis products may be recovered by conventional methods . typically , the reaction mixture is overlayered with a water - immiscible solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , the mixture cooled and the ph adjusted to a value of from 1 . 5 to 4 . 5 . the insoluble protein may be removed by filtration . the separated organic layer may then be underlayered with water and the ph adjusted to a value of from 4 . 5 to 8 . 5 . the aqueous extract may then be freeze - dried or concentrated in vacuo and the resultant sodium salt purified by recrystallization from a water - miscible solvent mixture , preferably a mixture of lower alcohols , e . g . methanol and isopropyl alcohol . 10 . the compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r and r 2 taken together represent an oxygen atom , i . e . cephalosporins containing a lactone grouping , may be prepared by treating the corresponding derivative in which r and r 2 are each hydroxy with a mineral acid , e . g . 2n hydrochloric acid . typically , the reaction is carried out in aqueous solution containing a water - miscible solvent , e . g . aqueous dioxan at a temperature of preferably from 5 ° to 50 ° c . for a period of several hours , e . g . 1 / 2 hour to 48 hours . the solution may then be concentrated in vacuo , and the precipitated product removed by filtration or centrifugation . 11 . compounds of the formula ( i ) in which r 2 is a carbamoyloxy group may be prepared by reacting the corresponding cephalosporin in which r 2 is a hydroxy group with a conventional protecting agent so as to protect the carboxyl group in the 4 - position of the cephem nucleus , and , if present , the carboxyl group in the 7 - side chain , and then reacting with an isocyanate and finally removing the protecting group or groups . a suitable protecting agent is diphenyldiazomethane which may be reacted with the unprotected cephalosporin in an inert solvent , e . g . ethyl acetate , typically at 10 ° to 45 ° c . for from 1 / 2 hour to 48 hours . the resultant mono - or di - ester may then be dissolved in an inert organic solvent , e . g . acetone , and then treated with trichloroacetyl isocyanate at preferably from 0 ° to 50 ° c . to give the corresponding 3 - n - trichloro - acetylcarbamoyloxy - methyl derivative . treatment of this derivative with acid , e . g . 0 . 1n hcl , or chromatography on silica gel , gives the mono - or bis - ( depending on whether 7 - side chain of the starting material contained a free carboxyl group ) diphenyl methyl ester of the 3 - carbamoyloxymethyl derivative . the ester group or groups may then be removed in a conventional manner , e . g . by the use of trifluoroacetic acid and aniaole at temperatures of up to 50 ° c . the in vitro evaluation of the compounds of the invention as antibacterial agents was performed by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration ( mic ) of the test compound in a suitable medium at which growth of the particular microorganism failed to occur . in practice , agar ( brain / heart infusion agar ) plates , each having incorporated therein the test compound at a particular concentration , were inoculated with a standard number of cells of the test microorganism and each plate was then incubated for 24 hours at 37 ° c . the plates were then observed for the presence or absence of the growth of bacteria and the appropriate mic value noted . microorganisms used in such tests and against which the compounds were effective included strains of escherichia coli , klebsiella pneumoniae , proteus mirabilis , pseudomonas aeruginosa , staphylococcus aureus , streptococcus pyogenes , proteus vulgaris , haemophilus influenzae and enterobacter aerogenes , and neisseria gonorrhea . a selection of mic values of many of the compounds hereinafter exemplified for activities against the various strains of microorganisms indicated is given in the following table : __________________________________________________________________________ pseudomonas klebsiella enterobacter proteus proteus staphylococcus streptococcusexample no . escherichia aeruginosa pneumoniae aerogenes mirabilis vulgaris aureus pyogenesof compound coli 51a266 52a490 53a009 55a004 57c015 57c060 01a005 02c203__________________________________________________________________________1 3 . 1 6 . 2 1 . 5 3 . 1 1 . 5 1 . 5 6 . 2 1 . 54 25 25 6 . 2 25 3 . 1 3 . 1 12 . 5 3 . 16 50 12 . 5 12 . 5 100 6 . 2 6 . 2 25 3 . 17 50 50 25 50 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 3 . 19 25 25 25 100 25 12 . 5 25 2510 25 12 . 5 50 6 . 2 3 . 1 3 . 1 25 2513 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 1 1 . 5 12 . 5 3 . 114 100 25 25 50 6 . 2 6 . 2 25 12 . 515 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 3 . 1 1 . 5 6 . 2 1 . 516 12 . 5 6 . 2 12 . 5 50 6 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 1 0 . 7817 25 -- 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 25 0 . 7822 1 . 5 6 . 2 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 1 . 5 6 . 2 0 . 823 12 . 5 -- 1 . 5 3 . 1 3 . 1 3 . 1 100 3 . 126 25 25 3 . 1 25 3 . 1 3 . 1 12 . 5 1 . 527 25 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 228 6 . 2 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 3 . 1 3 . 1 12 . 5 3 . 129 25 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 25 3 . 130 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 1 3 . 1 3 . 1 0 . 3931 25 25 12 . 5 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 3 . 1 1 . 532 25 6 . 2 12 . 5 50 12 . 5 12 . 5 3 . 1 0 . 3934 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 5 25 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 235 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 236 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 1 6 . 237 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 100 6 . 2 3 . 138 12 . 5 50 6 . 2 25 3 . 1 3 . 1 6 . 2 3 . 139 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 5 12 . 540 12 . 5 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 3 . 1 25 6 . 241 6 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 2 6 . 2 3 . 1 3 . 1 6 . 2 0 . 442 25 25 12 . 5 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 243 12 . 5 25 6 . 2 12 . 5 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2 6 . 2__________________________________________________________________________ the compounds of the invention can be administered alone but will generally be administered in admixture with a pharmaceutical carrier selected with regard to the intended route of administration and standard pharmaceutical practice . for example , they may be administered orally in the form of tablets containing such excipients as starch or lactose , or in capsules wither alone or in admixture with excipients , or in the form of elixirs or suspensions containing flavoring or coloring agents . they may be injected parenterally , for example , intravenously , intramuscularly or subcutaneously . for parenteral administration , they are best used in the form of a sterile aqueous solution which may contain other solutes , for example , enough salts or glucose to make the solution isotonic . in treatment of bacterial infections in man , the compounds of this invention may be administered orally or parenterally , in accordance with conventional procedures for antibiotic administration , generally in an amount of from about 5 to 200 mg ./ kg ./ day and preferably about 5 to 20 mg ./ kg ./ day in divided dosage , e . g . three to four times a day . they may be administered in dosage units containing , for example , 125 to 500 mg . of the active ingredient with suitable physiologically acceptable carriers or excipients . the dosage units may be in the form of liquid preparations such as solutions or suspensions or as solids in tablets or capsules . thus , according to a yet further aspect , the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of the formula ( i ) as previously defined and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . the compositions may preferably be in a form of a dosage unit containing from 125 to 500 mg . of the active cephalosporin . the invention also provides a method of treating animals to cure them of diseases caused by gram - positive or gram - negative bacteria , which comprises administering to the animal an antibacterially effective amount of a compound of the formula ( i ). a mixture of 7 - d -( α - aminophenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid ( cephaloglycin ) ( 228 g ., 0 . 562 mole ) and diglycolic anhydride ( 62 . 2 g ., 0 . 562 mole ) in acetone ( 3 . 3 1 .) was stirred at room temperature for 11 / 2 hours . after the removal by filtration of insoluble material , the filtrate was evaporated in vacuo at a temperature below 30 ° c ., and the resulting gummy residue was stirred in a mixture of ethyl acetate ( 4 . 4 1 .) and water ( 3 . 2 1 .). the aqueous phase was separated and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 2 . 2 1 . ), and the separated organic phase was combined with the initial ethyl acetate solution , the organic solution then being dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo , at a temperature below 30 ° c ., to dryness . produced was a semi - solid foam ( 284 . 4 g .) which was shown from thin - layer - chromatographic and infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence to comprise substantially pure 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . to a solution of the product of the previous example in isopropanol ( 2 . 8 1 .) was added a solution of anhydrous sodium acetate ( 45 . 9 g ., 0 . 562 mole ) in methanol ( 460 ml . ), whereupon a bulky gelatinous precipitate formed . the suspension was stirred for 5 minutes to induce any further precipitation and then allowed to stand for 1 hour . the solid product was collected by filtration , washed with 1 : 6 methaol : isopropanol solution and then with isopropanol , and finally dried in vacuo at room temperature for several hours . produced was 244 g . of a solid which was shown from thin - layer - chromatographic and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence to comprise substantially pure sodium salt of 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . the following 7 - aminocephalosporanic acid or 7 - amino - 3 - desacetoxycephalosporanic acid derivatives were prepared by a similar procedure to that described in example 1 , starting from the appropriate 7 - d -( α - aminophenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid or corresponding 3 - desacetoxy compound , and the appropriate cyclic anhydride of the formula ( iii ) or ( iv ) herein . all the compounds were characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . __________________________________________________________________________exampler . sup . 2 p q alk . sup . 1 xalk . sup . 2 r . sup . 3__________________________________________________________________________3 h h h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh4 ococh . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh5 h h h ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh6 ococh . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 cooh7 ococh . sub . 3 h h ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 3 cooh8 h h h ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 3 cooh9 ococh . sub . 3 h h ch ( ch . sub . 3 ) och ( ch . sub . 3 ) cooh10 ococh . sub . 3 h h ## str13 ## 11 h h h ## str14 ## 12 2 - methyl - h h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh1 , 3 , 4 - thia - diazol - 5 - yl - thio13 ococh . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 3 ) ch . sub . 2cooh14 ococh . sub . 3 h h ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 so . sub . 3 h15 ococh . sub . 3 h h ## str15 ## 16 ococh . sub . 3 h h ## str16 ## 17 ococh . sub . 3 ho h ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2cooh18 ococh . sub . 3 ho cl ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2cooh__________________________________________________________________________ to a stirred solution of cephaloglycin ( 2 g ., 0 . 005 mole ) in dimethylformamide ( 25 ml .) was added a solution of adipic anhydride polymer ( 6 . 4 g ., 0 . 05 mole ) in dimethylformamide ( 30 ml . ), and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for about 16 hours . the resulting solid was then filtered off , and the filtrate , a yellow solution , was poured into petroleum ether ( 60 °- 80 ° c ., 500 ml .) with vigorous stirring . from the resulting solid lower layer the solvent was decanted , and the residue was then treated with 10 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution with stirring . the remaining solid was removed by filtration , and the filtrate was acidified to ph 4 . 5 by cautious addition to dilute hydrochloric acid , and extracted with ethyl acetate . evaporation of the organic phase in vacuo to dryness afforded a pale yellow oil which was found from nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence to consist principally of adipic acid . the aqueous phase was acidified further to ph 1 and extracted with ethyl acetate , the isolated pale yellow solid ( 2 . 1 g .) from evaporation of the organic phase subsequently being shown to also contain a large proportion of acipic acid . a portion ( 1 . 0 g .) of the yellow solid was dissolved in 10 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution , and the solution was acidified in stages to ph 4 . 5 , 4 . 0 and 3 . 3 by addition of the appropriate amount of n hydrochloric acid and extraction with ethyl acetate after each addition . the organic phases were evaporated to dryness at each stage and their contents investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . it was found that each fraction contained a considerable proportion of adipic acid , and so was discarded . finally , the aqueous solution was acidified to ph 2 . 0 and extracted with a mixture of ethyl acetate and chloroform . the separated organic phase was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , affording a solid ( 250 mg .) containing , from nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence , a trace of adipic acid and a major proportion of 7 - d -( α -[ 5 - carboxyvaleramido ] phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . by a similar procedure to that described in example 19 , 7 - d -( α -[ 5 - carboxyvaleramido ] phenylacetamido )- 3 - desacetoxycephalosporanic acid was prepared from 7 - d -( α - aminophenylacetamido )- 3 - desacetoxycephalosporanic acid and adipic anhydride polymer , and characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . a . to a mixture of iminodiacetic acid ( 13 . 3 g ., 0 . 1 mole ) and tertiarybutyloxycarbonyl azide ( 21 . 5 g ., 0 . 15 mole ) in 1 : 4 water : dioxane ( 125 ml .) at 60 ° c . was added 2n sodium hydroxide solution at the rate required to maintain the solution of ph 10 . 2 . when the ph had stabilized at that value , the reaction mixture was cooled , extracted three times with diethyl ether in order to remove unreacted azide , and cooled to 0 ° c . solid citric acid was added to the aqueous solution to bring it to ph 3 , followed by sufficient sodium chloride to saturate it . the solution was then extracted three times with ethyl acetate and the combined organic phases were washed with water and dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate . the white solid ( 13 . 0 g . ), m . p . 124 °- 125 ° c ., produced on evaporation of the ethyl acetate solution in vacuo to dryness , was characterized from infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence as n -( tertiary - butyloxcarbonyl ) iminodiacetic acid . b . a mixture of the product of ( a ) ( 2 . 0 g ., 0 . 0086 mole ) and acetic anhydride ( 25 ml .) was heated over a steam bath for 20 minutes . the resulting purple solution was evaporated in vacuo to an oil , and the latter was decolorized by dissolving it in ethyl acetate , shaking the solution with a little charcoal , removing the latter by filtration and evaporating the filtrate in vacuo , thereby affording a yellow oil . warming of the latter under high vacuum caused it to crystallize as a pale yellow , hygroscopic solid , m . p . 65 ° c . the product was identified by infra - red spectroscopy as n -( tertiary - butyloxycarbonyl ) iminodiacetic anhydride . c . by a similar procedure to that described in example 1 , starting from the product of ( b ) and cephaloglycin , 7 - d -( α -[ n - carboxymethyl - n -{ tertiary - butyloxycarbonyl } amino ] acetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid was prepared , and characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . d . to the product of ( c ) ( 1 . 5 g .) was added cooled trifluoroacetic acid at 0 ° c ., and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 45 minutes . the excess trifluoroacetic acid was then removed by evaporation in vacuo , and to the resulting solid residue was added diethyl ether . after the residue had been triturated , the clear upper ethereal layer was removed by decantation , and a fresh portion of diethyl ether was added to the suspension and further trituration performed . when the clear upper ethereal layer had been removed , the suspension was evaporated in vacuo to drynness , affording a product which was shown from thin - layer - chromatographic and infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence to comprise substantially pure 7 - d -( α -[ carboxymethylaminoacetamido ] phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid as its trifluoroacetic acid addition salt . to a vigorously stirred suspension of the trifluoroacetic acid addition salt of 7 - d -( α - amino - phenylacetamido )- 3 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthiomethyl )- δ 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 65 g ., 0 . 0029 mole ; prepared as described in british pat . no . 1 , 283 , 811 and u . s . pat . no . 3 , 641 , 021 ) in dry dimethylformamide ( 10 ml .) was added diglycolic anhydride ( 0 . 34 g ., 0 . 0029 mole ). the solid dissolved , affording a light brown solution , and after 30 minutes the solution was added to an equipart aqueous solution comprising saturated sodium chloride and saturated sodium bicarbonate solutions . after the mixed solution had been overlayered with ethyl acetate , sufficient 2n hydrochloric acid was added to bring the aqueous phase to ph 4 , and the ethyl acetate phase ( containing principally unchanged starting 7 - amino - δ 3 - cephem derivative ) was removed from the previously well - shaken two - phase solution . a fresh quantity of ethyl acetate was added to the aqueous solution , and the latter was brought to ph 2 by addition of a further quantity of 2n hydrochloric acid . the two - phase solution was shaken to ensure sufficient extraction , and the ethyl acetate phase was then separated , washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution , dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , affording a gum . trituration of the crude product as a gum in diethyl ether afforded a buff - colored solid , which was collected by filtration and dried for several hours in vacuo . the solid ( 1 . 25 g .) was purified by first washing it with diethyl ether and then dissolving as much of it as possible in methanol , removing insoluble material by filtration , dripping the methanolic filtrate into diethyl ether , collecting the resulting precipitate by filtration and finally drying the solid for several hours in vacuo . produced and characterized as such from infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido )- 3 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthiomethyl )- δ 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid . the following 7 - aminocephalosporanic acid derivatives were prepared by a similar procedure to that described in example 22 , starting from the appropriate 7 - d -( α - amino -[ substituted phenyl ] acetamido )- 3 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthiomethyl )- δ . sup . 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid and diglycolic anhydride : __________________________________________________________________________ ## str17 ## example p q__________________________________________________________________________ 23 ho h 24 ho cl__________________________________________________________________________ by a procedure similar to that described in example 22 , starting from the same cephalosporin starting material as example 22 , and n - methyl iminodiacetic acid anhydride , 7 - d -( α - carboxymethyl [ n - methyl ] aminoacetamidophenylacetamido )- 3 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthiomethyl )- δ 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid was prepared , and characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . a . 5 - indanol ( 73 . 8 g ., 0 . 55 mole ) was added to a solution of sodium methoxide in methanol ( prepared from 11 . 6 g ., 0 . 5 mole of sodium and 400 ml . of dry methanol ), and after the mixture had been allowed to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes the solvent was removed by evaporation in vacuo . the residue was dissolved in dry dimethylformamide ( 200 ml .) and the solution was evaporated in vacuo to dryness , thereby removing some moisture from the residue . to a solution of the residue in dry dimethylformamide ( 400 ml .) was added a solution of diglycolic anhydride ( 58 g ., 0 . 5 ml .) in dry dimethylformamide ( 60 ml . ), after which the mixture , whose temperature had risen to 70 ° c ., was stirred for 3 hours . the solvent was then removed by reduced pressure evaporation to afford a solid , which was distributed between diethyl ether ( 150 ml .) and 2n hydrochloric acid ( 50 ml . ), the separated ethereal phase then being washed with water ( 2 × 100 ml .) and extracted with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution . after the aqueous phase had been washed with diethyl ether ( 100 ml . ), it was acidified with 2n hydrochloric acid and extracted with diethyl ether . the separated ethereal phase was washed with water , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , the resulting solid then being recrystallized from a mixture of chloroform and petroleum ether ( b . p . 60 °- 80 ° c .) to afford 54 g . of mono - 5 - indanyl diglycolate , m . p . 95 °- 98 ° c . analysis : calc &# 39 ; d for c 13 h 14 o 5 : c , 62 . 39 ; h , 5 . 64 %. found : c , 62 . 75 ; h , 5 . 80 % b . to a solution of a portion of the product of ( a ) ( 5 g ., 0 . 02 mole ) in dry benzene ( 50 ml .) was added oxalyl chloride ( 5 ml .) followed by one drop of dimethylformamide . when the ensuing evolution of carbon dioxide had ceased , the solution was left to stand at room temperature for an hour . the solvent was removed by evaporation in vacuo , and a solution of the residue in dry benzene was evaporated in vacuo , thereby effecting removal of some moisture from the acid chloride product . the residue was dissolved in dry acetone ( 50 ml . ), and a portion of this solution ( 13 ml .) was slowly added to a solution of cephaloglycin ( 2 . 0 g ., 0 . 005 mole ) in aqueous acetone ( 45 ml ., containing 5 parts water to 4 parts acetone by volume ) containing sodium bicarbonate ( 0 . 84 g ., 0 . 01 mole ). after the solution had been stirred at room temperature for 11 / 2 hours , further quantities of sodium bicarbonate ( 0 . 42 g .) and aqueous acetone solution of cephaloglycin ( 13 ml .) were added , and stirring was continued for a further 2 hours . the solution was then filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , the resulting gum subsequently being partitioned between aqueous and ethyl acetate phases . to the separated aqueous phase was added sufficient 2n hydrochloric acid to bring it to ph 2 , and the solution was then extracted with ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate phase was washed with water , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , after which the residual solid was washed with dry diethyl ether and dried for several hours in vacuo . infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence was consistent with the product ( 1 . 3 g .) being 7 - d -( α -[ 5 - indanyl ] oxycarbonylmethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . the following 7 - aminocephalosporanic acid derivatives were prepared by similar procedures to that described in example 26 from cephaloglycin , oxalyl chloride , and the appropriate half - ester in place of mono - 5 - indanyl diglycolate . all the compounds were characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . a . a mixture of diglycolic anhydride ( 27 . 9 g .) and methanol ( 6 . 75 ml .) was heated in a steam bath for two hours , and the resulting clear liquid was then submitted to a reduced pressure distillation , the major quantity of distillate collected ( 8 . 5 g .) having a boiling point of 168 °- 172 ° c ./ 12 mms mercury pressure and being monomethyl diglycolate . b . a portion of the product of ( a ) ( 1 . 48 g ., 0 . 01 mole ) was dissolved in methylene chloride ( 5 ml . ), and the solution was added to a solution of carbonyldiimidazole ( 1 . 62 g ., 0 . 01 mole ) in methylene chloride ( 25 ml .) at 10 ° c . evolution of carbon dioxide occurred , after which the solution was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes and then added to a solution of cephaloglycin ( 2 g ., 0 . 005 mole ) and triethylamine ( 1 . 5 g ., 0 . 015 mole ) in methylene chloride ( 100 ml .). the reaction solution was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours and then evaporated in vacuo to dryness , affording a gum . a solution of the gum in water ( 50 ml .) was overlayered with ethyl acetate , sufficient 2n hydrochloric acid added to the aqueous phase to bring ot to ph 2 , and the two - phase solution shaken vigorously for several minutes to effect sufficient extraction . the ethyl acetate phase was then separated , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to afford a gum . the latter was dissolved in methylene chloride ( 20 ml . ), and the solution slowly dripped into dry diethyl ether ( 400 ml .) with vigorous stirring . after decanting the volume of ether above the sediment and replacing it with a fresh quantity of dry diethyl ether , the solid was collected by filtration and dried in vacuo for several hours . thin - layer - chromatographic and infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic evidence was consistent with the product ( 0 . 84 g .) being substantially pure 7 - d -( α - methoxycarbonylmethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . by a similar procedure to that described in example 30 , 7 - d -( α -[ n - butyl ] oxycarbonylmethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid was prepared from cephaloglycin , carbonyldiimidazole , diglycolic anhydride and n - butanol in place of methanol . it was characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . a mixture of cephaloglycin ( 2 g .) and n , n - diethylcarboxymethoxyacetamide ( 3 . 4 g .) was suspended in water ( 50 ml .) and the ph was adjusted to 7 by addition of 2n sodium hydroxide solution . to the suspension was added 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl ) carbodiimide hydrochloride , and the ph of the solution was readjusted to 5 . 8 and kept thereat , by periodic addition of small quantities of 2n hydrochloric acid , for 2 hours , after which time the acidity had stabilized . a sufficient quantity of 2n sodium hydroxide solution was then added to neutralize the solution , and the latter was overlayered with ethyl acetate . extraction into the organic layer was achieved by acidifying the lower aqueous layer to ph 2 and shaking the two - phase solution . the organic phase was subsequently separated , washed with water , dried over anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness , affording a pale yellow solid . this was washed with dry diethyl ether and dried in vacuo for several hours . produced and characterized as such from infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was 2 . 4 g . of 7 - d -( α -[ n , n - diethylcarbamoyl ] methoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid . to a stirred suspension of 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid ( 1 g ., 0 . 0019 mole ; the product of example 1 ), in phosphate buffer at ph 7 . 0 ( 15 ml .) was added anhydrous sodium bicarbonate ( 0 . 35 g .). when all the solid had dissolved , 5 - mercapto - 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazole ( 0 . 38 g ., 0 . 0024 mole ) was added and the mixture was heated in an oil bath at 60 ° c . for 6 hours . the solution was then diluted to a volume of 100 ml . with water , overlayered with ethyl acetate and acidified to ph 2 . 0 with 2n hydrochloric acid . after the two - phase solution had been shaken vigorously for several minutes to effect sufficient extraction , the ethyl acetate phase was separated , washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution , dried with anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness . the resulting off - white gum was dissolved in a small quantity of methanol , the solution was dripped into dry diethyl ether , and the resulting precipitate collected by filtration and dried for several hours in vacuo . produced and characterized as such by infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was 7 - d -( α - carbomethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido )- 3 -( 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthiomethyl )- δ 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid ( 0 . 35 g .). comparsion of its infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra with those of the product of example 22 confirmed its identity with the latter . the following 7 - amino - 3 - substituted - cephalosporanic acid derivatives were prepared by similar procedures to that described in example 33 from 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid and the appropriate mercapto - substituted tetrazole , thiadiazole or other heterocyclic derivative . all the compounds were characterized by means of infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . ______________________________________example r . sup . 2______________________________________34 1 - phenyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthio35 1 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthio36 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthio37 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 - thiadiazol - 5 - ylthio38 4 , 6 - dimethylpyrimidin - 2 - ylthio39 4 , 5 - dimethylthiazol - 2 - ylthio40 1 , 3 , 5 - triazin - 2 - ylthio41 1 - benzyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthio42 pyrimidin - 2 - ylthio______________________________________ to a stirred suspension of 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid ( 1 g ., 0 . 0019 mole ), the product of example 1 ) in phosphate buffer at ph 6 ( 30 ml .) was added anhydrous sodium bicarbonate ( 0 . 4 g .). when all the solid had dissolved , sodium azide ( 0 . 65 g ., 0 . 01 mole ) was added and the mixture was heated in a water bath at 50 ° c . for 16 hours . the solution was then diluted to a volume of 100 ml . with water , overlayered with ethyl acetate , and acidified to ph 2 with 2n hydrochloric acid . after the two - phase solution had been shaken vigorously for several minutes to effect sufficient extraction , the ethyl acetate phase was separated , washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution , dried with anhydrous magnesium sulphate , filtered and evaporated in vacuo to dryness . the resulting foam was triturated in diethyl ether to afford an off - white solid ( 0 . 52 g .) which was characterized by infra - red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as 3 - azidomethyl - 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido )-. delta . 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid . the following compounds are similarly prepared from the appropriate 7 - d -( α - acylaminoarylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid derivatives : __________________________________________________________________________r . sup . 1 alk . sup . 1 - x - alk . sup . 2 - r . sup . 3__________________________________________________________________________4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2con ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 23 - cl - 4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 so . sub . 3 hc . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 2ch . sub . 2coohc . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4coohc . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 3 ) ch . sub . 2 cooh4 - clc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh4 - ch . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 2 ph ) ch . sub . 2cooh4 - cf . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2cooh3 - thienyl ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 3 h__________________________________________________________________________ the following compounds are prepared from the appropriate 7 - d -( α - aminoarylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid , or corresponding 3 - desacetoxy compound , or 3 - heterocyclic thiomethyl compound . __________________________________________________________________________r . sup . 1 r . sup . 2 alk . sup . 1xalk . sup . 2r . sup . 3__________________________________________________________________________2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 cooh2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooh2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2soch . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 3 ) ch . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 2chch . sub . 2 ) ch . sub . 2 cooh2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooch . sub . 32 - thienyl h ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooh2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo5 - indanyl2 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo - naphthyl2 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2con ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 22 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 2 ph ) ch . sub . 2cooh3 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo ( 4clc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ) 3 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh3 - thienyl h ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 3cooh3 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 3 ) ch . sub . 2 cooh3 - thienyl h ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooch . sub . 33 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2so . sub . 2ch . sub . 2cooh3 - thienyl h ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 3 h3 - thienyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2coo ( 2 - ch . sub . 3 oc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ) 2 - furyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 3 h2 - furyl h ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl h ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 2chch . sub . 2 ) ch . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo ( n - c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9 ) 2 - furyl ococh . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooch . sub . 34 - clc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2 coo ( 3 - cf . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ) 3 - clc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh3 - ic . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo ( 4 - t - c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ) 4 - fc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 h ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 so . sub . 3 h3 - brc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2n ( c . sub . 6 h . sub . 13 ) ch . sub . 2 cooh3 , 4 -( ch . sub . 3 o ). sub . 2 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 3 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh4 - ch . sub . 3 oc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooh4 - ch . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2n ( ch . sub . 2 ph ) ch . sub . 2cooh4 - cf . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh4 - fc . sub . 3 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 h ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2coo ( 5 - indanyl ) 3 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 4cooh4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2con ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 23 - cl - 4 - hoc . sub . 6 h . sub . 3 ococh . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 3 h2 - clc . sub . 6 h . sub . 4 h ch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2con ( c . sub . 6 h . sub . 13 ). sub . 2c . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 h ch . sub . 2n ( n - c . sub . 3 h . sub . 7 ) ch . sub . 2cooh__________________________________________________________________________ the following 7 - amino - 3 - substituted cephalosporanic acid derivatives are prepared by similar procedures to that described in example 33 from appropriate reactants . __________________________________________________________________________r . sup . 1 r . sup . 2 alk . sup . 1xalk . sup . 2r . sup . 3__________________________________________________________________________2 - thienyl 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - ch . sub . 2coch . sub . 2cooh tetrazol - 5 - ylthio2 - thienyl 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 - thiadi - ch . sub . 2coch . sub . 2cooh azol - 5 - ylthio2 - thienyl pyrimidin - 2 - ylthio ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2cooh2 - thienyl 4 , 5 - dimethyl - ch . sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 3 ) ch . sub . 2cooh thiazol - 2 - ylthio3 - thienyl 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh tetrazol - 5 - ylthio3 - thienyl 1 - phenyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2 cooh tetrazol - 5 - ylthio3 - thienyl 4 , 6 - dimethylpyrimidin - ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 3cooh 2 - ylthio3 - thienyl 1 , 3 , 5 - triazin - 2 - ylthio ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh2 - furyl 1 - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh tetrazol - 5 - ylthio2 - furyl 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2cooh 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrazol - 5 - ylthio2 - furyl 1 - benzyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - ch . sub . 2sch . sub . 2cooh tetrazol - 5 - ylthio2 - furyl pyrimidin - 2 - ylthio ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2so . sub . 3 hc . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 4 - oxadi - ch . sub . 2 ch . sub . 2 cooh azol - 5 - ylthio__________________________________________________________________________ to 5 g . of 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido ) cephalosporanic acid sodium salt , dissolved in 250 ml . water and adjusted to ph 7 by addition of 2n aqueous hydroxide solution , was added 1 . 5 g . of a wheat germ esterase ( lipase from wheat germ type 1 , sigma chemical co ., st . louis , mo ., u . s . a .) dissolved in 50 ml . water . the ph was continually re - adjusted to 7 by addition of 2n sodium hydroxide and the mixture stirred at room temperature ( 20 ° c .) for 5 hours , by which time hydrolysis was found to be complete , as shown by thin - layer - chromatography . the product was recovered by saturating the solution with sodium chloride , contacting with 250 ml . ethyl acetate , adjusting the ph of the aqueous phase to 2 with 2n aqueous hydrochloric acid solution , cooling to 0 ° c ., filtering the 2 - phase system through &# 34 ; hi - flo &# 34 ;, separating the organic layer , washing the latter with brine and then with water , contacting it with 150 ml . water , adjusting the ph of the aqueous layer to 5 . 5 with 2n sodium hydroxide , separating the aqueous layer and freeze - drying the latter to give 2 . 5 g . of a buff , fluffy solid . the product was recrystallized from methanol / isopropanol and shown to be 7 - d -( α - carboxymethoxyacetamido - phenylacetamido )- 3 - hydroxymethyl -. delta . 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acid sodium salt , identified by nuclear magnetic resonance and infra - red spectrography and by thin - layer - chromatography . the procedure of example 46 is repeated , but using as starting materials the sodium salts of the cephalosporanic acid derivaties of examples 4 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 13 - 19 and 21 , and those compounds of example 44 in which r 2 is ococh 3 and r 3 is cooh or so 3 h , thereby yielding the corresponding 3 - hydroxymethyl - δ 3 - cephem - 4 - carboxylic acids as sodium salts . the procedure of example 46 and 47 is repeated , but using acetyl citrus esterase extracted from orange peel by known methods ( arch . biochem ., 1947 , 15 , 415 ) instead of wheat germ esterase , and the same results are achieved .
| 2 |
the thermal reaction of silver nitrate with vanadium oxide under an air atmosphere is a typical example of the preparation of ε - phase silver vanadium oxide by a decomposition reaction . this reaction is set forth below in equation 1 : 2agno 3 + 2v 2 o 5 → ag 2 v 4 o 11 + 2no x ( 1 ) the physical characteristics of svo material ( i . e . particle morphology , surface area , crystallinity , etc .) produced by this reaction are dependent on the temperature and time of reaction . in addition , the reaction environment has a dramatic effect on the product material . the same reaction of silver nitrate with vanadium oxide conducted under an argon atmosphere produces a γ - phase silver vanadium oxide , as depicted below in equation 2 : 2agno 3 + 2v 2 o 5 → agvo 3 + ag 0 . 8 v 2 o 5 . 4 + 2no x ( 2 ) thus , the synthesis of svo under an inert atmosphere results in the formation of a mixture of silver vanadate ( agvo 3 ) and γ - phase svo ( ag 0 . 8 v 2 o 5 . 4 ) this is described in the above - referenced publication by leising , r . a . ; takeuchi , e . s . chem . mater . 1994 , 6 , 489 - 495 . in contrast , the current invention discloses that reacting a silver - containing material with a vanadium - containing material in a reduced oxygen atmosphere produces a mixed silver vanadium oxide active material . suitable silver - containing starting materials include silver nitrate ( agno 3 ), silver carbonate ( ag 2 co 3 ), silver lactate ( agc 3 h 5 o 3 ), silver triflate ( agcf 3 so 3 ), silver pentafluoropropionate ( agc 3 f 5 o 2 ), silver laurate ( agc 12 h 23 o 2 ), silver myristate ( agcl 4 h 27 o 2 ), silver palmitate ( agc 16 h 31 o 2 ), silver stearate ( agc 18 h 35 o 2 ), silver vanadate ( agvo 5 ), silver oxide ( ag 2 o ) and combinations and mixtures thereof . suitable vanadium - containing compounds include nh 4 vo 3 , agvo 2 , v 2 o 5 , v 2 o 4 , v 6 o 13 , v 2 o 3 , and mixtures thereof . preferably , the silver - containing compound is in a 1 : 2 mole ratio with the vanadium - containing compound . the synthesis is conducted by heating the reactants in a reduced oxygen atmosphere from a temperature of about 200 ° c . to about 550 ° c . a more preferred heating protocol comprises a first heating at a relatively low temperature , followed by a re - mixing then a second heating regime at a series of stepped temperatures , then another grinding step , and a final heating at a temperature above the last heating of the stepped temperatures . for example , after thoroughly mixing silver nitrate and vanadium oxide , they are first heated to about 220 ° c . for about 5 hours . the intermediate product is then ground at ambient prior to re - heating at about 230 ° c . for about 30 minutes , then at about 260 ° c . for about 2 hours , and finally at about 300 ° c . for about 15 hours . the resulting material is again re - ground at ambient prior to a final heating at about 500 ° c . for about 30 hours . the exact heating protocol depends on the specific starting materials . heating times for any of the first , second and final heating steps range from about 30 minutes to about 30 hours . longer heating times are required for lower heating temperatures . also , while the present invention is described as requiring three heating events with intermediate ambient mixing , that is not necessarily imperative . some synthesis protocols according to the present invention may require one heating step with periodic mixing , or multiple heating events with periodic ambient mixing . furthermore , mixing at the heating temperature can be done in addition to the ambient mixing , or in lieu of it . a reduced oxygen atmosphere is defined as one that has a oxygen content ranging from about 1 . 0 % to about 10 . 0 %. a more preferred range is about 1 . 3 % to about 5 . 0 %. the product material possesses a relatively low internal resistance in comparison to svo active material synthesized by a thermal decomposition reaction under an oxidizing atmosphere . [ 0029 ] fig1 shows an exemplary reactor assembly 10 for conducting a synthesis according to the present invention . the reactor assembly includes a stainless steel reaction chamber 12 connected to a hollow stainless steel conduit 14 by a coupling 16 . the reaction chamber 12 is a container of sufficient volume to house a quantity of reactants 18 comprising a silver - containing material and a vanadium - containing material in a 1 : 2 mole ratio needed to produce a sufficient quantity of cathode active material to build a desired number of electochemical cells . the chamber 12 has opposed open ends , one to which the conduit 14 is connected , the other supporting a glass wool plug 20 . the opposite end of the conduit 14 is connected to an electric motor 22 by a coupling 24 . the motor is supported on a base 26 . the conduit 14 is provided with a plurality of openings 28 through its side wall that serve to provide ambient air to the reaction chamber 12 . the chamber 12 and a portion of the conduit 14 are housed inside an oven 30 provided with a vent 32 . the conduit 14 is supported in the side wall of the oven 30 by a bearing 34 so that the motor 22 can impart rotational movement to the conduit and chamber . finally , a plurality of stainless steel ball bearings 36 are provided in the chamber 12 along with the reactants 18 . the purpose of the plug 20 is to prevent the free flow of ambient air through the chamber 12 , and in that manner provide a reduced oxygen atmosphere therein . for example , when the reactants are silver carbonate and vanadium oxide , the former material will give off co 2 as it reacts . this will displace oxygen while the plug 20 prevents the free flow of ambient air into and through the chamber 12 . depending on the reactants , the product cathode active material has about 30 % to about 70 % γ - phase svo , about 30 % to about 70 % ε - phase svo and about 1 % to about 15 % silver metal . the product cathode active material provides an electrochemical cell that possesses sufficient energy density and discharge capacity required to meet the vigorous requirements of implantable medical devices . these types of cells comprise an anode of a metal selected from groups ia , iia and iiib of the periodic table of the elements . such anode active materials include lithium , sodium , potassium , etc ., and their alloys and intermetallic compounds including , for example , li - mg , li - si , li - al , li - b and li - si - b alloys and intermetallic compounds . the preferred anode comprises lithium . an alternate anode comprises a lithium alloy such as a lithium - aluminum alloy . the greater the amount of aluminum present by weight in the alloy , however , the lower the energy density of the cell . the form of the anode may vary , but preferably the anode is a thin metal sheet or foil of the anode metal , pressed or rolled on a metallic anode current collector , i . e ., preferably comprising titanium , titanium alloy or nickel , to form an anode component . copper , tungsten and tantalum are also suitable materials for the anode current collector . in the exemplary cell of the present invention , the anode component has an extended tab or lead of the same material as the anode current collector , i . e ., preferably nickel or titanium , integrally formed therewith such as by welding and contacted by a weld to a cell case of conductive metal in a case - negative electrical configuration . alternatively , the anode may be formed in some other geometry , such as a bobbin shape , cylinder or pellet to allow an alternate low surface cell design . before the previously described cathode active material comprising γ - phase svo , ε - phase svo and silver metal is fabrication into a cathode electrode for incorporation into an electrochemical cell , they are preferably mixed with a binder material , such as a powdered fluoro - polymer , more preferably powdered polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ) or powdered polyvinylidene fluoride , present at about 1 to about 5 weight percent of the cathode mixture . further , up to about 10 weight percent of a conductive diluent is preferably added to the cathode mixture to improve conductivity . suitable materials for this purpose include acetylene black , carbon black and / or graphite or a metallic powder such as of nickel , aluminum , titanium and stainless steel . the preferred cathode active mixture thus includes a powdered fluoro - polymer binder present at about 3 weight percent , a conductive diluent present at about 3 weight percent and about 94 weight percent of the cathode active material . for example , depending on the application of the electrochemical cell , the range of cathode compositions is from about 99 % to about 80 %, by weight , of the present cathode active material comprising γ - phase svo , ε - phase svo and silver metal mixed with carbon graphite and ptfe . cathode components for incorporation into an electrochemical cell according to the present invention may be prepared by rolling , spreading or pressing the cathode active materials onto a suitable current collector selected from the group consisting of stainless steel , titanium , tantalum , platinum , gold , aluminum , cobalt - nickel alloys , nickel - containing alloys , highly alloyed ferritic stainless steel containing molybdenum and chromium , and nickel -, chromium - and molybdenum - containing alloys . the preferred current collector material is titanium and , most preferably , the titanium cathode current collector has a thin layer of graphite / carbon material , iridium , iridium oxide or platinum applied thereto . cathodes prepared as described above may be in the form of one or more plates operatively associated with at least one or more plates of anode material , or in the form of a strip wound with a corresponding strip of anode material in a structure similar to a “ jellyroll ”. in order to prevent internal short circuit conditions , the cathode is separated from the group ia , iia or iiib anode by a suitable separator material . the separator is of electrically insulative material , and the separator material also is chemically unreactive with the anode and cathode active materials and both chemically unreactive with and insoluble in the electrolyte . in addition , the separator material has a degree of porosity sufficient to allow flow there through of the electrolyte during the electrochemical reaction of the cell . illustrative separator materials include fabrics woven from fluoropolymeric fibers including polyvinylidine fluoride , polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene , and polyethylenechlorotrifluoroethylene used either alone or laminated with a fluoropolymeric microporous film , non - woven glass , polypropylene , polyethylene , glass fiber materials , ceramics , a polytetrafluoroethylene membrane commercially available under the designation zitex ( chemplast inc . ), a polypropylene membrane commercially available under the designation celgard ( celanese plastic company , inc .) and a membrane commercially available under the designation dexiglas ( c . h . dexter , div ., dexter corp .). the electrochemical cell of the present invention further includes a nonaqueous , ionically conductive electrolyte which serves as a medium for migration of ions between the anode and the cathode electrodes during the electrochemical reactions of the cell . the electrochemical reaction at the electrodes involves conversion of ions in atomic or molecular forms which migrate from the anode to the cathode . thus , nonaqueous electrolytes suitable for the present invention are substantially inert to the anode and cathode materials , and they exhibit those physical properties necessary for ionic transport , namely , low viscosity , low surface tension and wettability . a suitable electrolyte has an inorganic , ionically conductive salt dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent , and more preferably , the electrolyte includes an ionizable alkali metal salt dissolved in a mixture of aprotic organic solvents comprising a low viscosity solvent and a high permittivity solvent . the inorganic , tonically conductive salt serves as the vehicle for migration of the anode ions to intercalate or react with the cathode active material . preferably , the ion forming alkali metal salt is similar to the alkali metal comprising the anode . in the case of an anode comprising lithium , the alkali metal salt of the electrolyte is a lithium based salt . known lithium salts that are useful as a vehicle for transport of alkali metal ions from the anode to the cathode include lipf 6 , libf 4 , liasf 6 , lisbf 6 , liclo 4 , lio 2 , lialcl 4 , ligacl 4 , lic ( so 2 cf 3 ) 3 , lin ( so 2 cf 3 ) 2 , liscn , lio 3 scf 3 , lic 6 f 5 so 3 , lio 2 ccf 3 , liso 6 f , lib ( c 6 h 5 ) 4 , licf 3 so 3 , and mixtures thereof . low viscosity solvents useful with the present invention include esters , linear and cyclic ethers and dialkyl carbonates such as tetrahydrofuran ( thf ), methyl acetate ( ma ), diglyme , trigylme , tetragylme , dimethyl carbonate ( dmc ), 1 , 2 - dimethoxyethane ( dme ), 1 , 2 - diethoxyethane ( dee ), 1 - ethoxy , 2 - methoxyethane ( eme ), ethyl methyl carbonate , methyl propyl carbonate , ethyl propyl carbonate , diethyl carbonate , dipropyl carbonate , and mixtures thereof . suitable high permittivity solvents include cyclic carbonates , cyclic esters and cyclic amides such as propylene carbonate ( pc ), ethylene carbonate ( ec ), butylene carbonate ( bc ), acetonitrile , dimethyl sulfoxide , dimethyl , formamide , dimethyl acetamide , γ - valerolactone , γ - butyrolactone ( gbl ), n - methyl - pyrrolidinone ( nmp ), and mixtures thereof . in the present invention , the preferred anode is lithium metal and the preferred electrolyte is 0 . 8m to 1 . 5m liasf 6 or lipf 6 dissolved in a 50 : 50 mixture , by volume , of propylene carbonate as the preferred high permittivity solvent and 1 , 2 - dimethoxyethane as the preferred low viscosity solvent . the preferred form of a primary alkali metal / solid cathode electrochemical cell is a case - negative design wherein the anode is in contact with a conductive metal casing and the cathode contacted to a current collector is the positive terminal . the cathode current collector is in contact with a positive terminal pin via a lead of the same material as the current collector . the lead is welded to both the current collector and the positive terminal pin for electrical contact . a preferred material for the casing is titanium although stainless steel , mild steel , nickel - plated mild steel and aluminum are also suitable . the casing header comprises a metallic lid having an opening to accommodate the glass - to - metal seal / terminal pin feedthrough for the cathode electrode . the anode electrode is preferably connected to the case or the lid . an additional opening is provided for electrolyte filling . the casing header comprises elements having compatibility with the other components of the electrochemical cell and is resistant to corrosion . the cell is thereafter filled with the electrolyte solution described hereinabove and hermetically sealed such as by close - welding a titanium plug over the fill hole , but not limited thereto . the cell of the present invention can also be constructed in a case - positive design . the following examples describe the manner and process of an electrochemical cell according to the present invention , and they set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out the invention , but they are not to be construed as limiting . a 1 : 2 molar ratio of silver nitrate ( agno 3 ): vanadium oxide ( v 2 o 5 ) was mixed and heated in ambient air to about 220 ° c . for about 5 hours . the intermediate product was ground with a mortar and pestle prior to re - heating in ambient air at about 230 ° c . for about 30 minutes , then at about 260 ° c . for about 2 hours , and finally at about 300 ° c . for about 15 hours . the product was again re - ground prior to heating in ambient air at about 500 ° c . for about 30 hours . a 1 : 2 molar ratio of silver carbonate ( ag 2 co 3 ): vanadium oxide was milled for about 5 minutes using a spex 8000 mill . the mixture was then placed in a beaker and heated in a muffle furnace under a flow of air . a ramp rate of about 20 ° c ./ minute to about 500 ° c . was used for a total of about 9 hours . a 1 : 2 molar ratio of silver carbonate : vanadium oxide was milled for about 5 minutes using a spex 8000 mill . the mixture was then placed in a 10 cc stainless steel swagelok sample cylinder with three 6 mm stainless steel bearings . this reaction chamber was partially sealed with glass wool plugs and connected to a hollow stainless steel rod containing holes for air flow . the rod / chamber assembly was then rotated inside a muffle furnace at about 210 rpm using an external electric motor for about 20 hours . at the start of rotation , the furnace was heated at about 20 ° c ./ minutes to about 500 ° c . for about 9 hours . the reaction atmosphere was about 94 % co 2 / 6 % air . three electrochemical cells were built , each having a cathode comprising a binder slurry of , by weight , 4 % polyamic acid / 1 % pvdf in nmp prepared at a concentration of about 8 % solids . the slurry was mixed at low shear for about 15 minutes . a powder mixture consisting essentially of , by weight , 91 % svo from the respective examples 1 to 3 and about 5 % carbonaceous diluent was dry milled to a homogeneous mixture . the milled solids were then added to the previously mixed binder slurry with a second low shear mixing step for about 10 minutes . the resulting cathode slurry was coated onto an aluminum current collector foil using a doctor blade . upon drying , the cathode was cured according to the following heating protocol : about 140 ° c . for about 30 minutes , then about 200 ° c . for about 30 minutes , and finally about 350 ° c . for about one hour . test cells 1 , 2 and 3 according to examples 1 to 3 were assembled using a punched cathode of the respective svo materials contacted to an aluminum current collector foil . the cathodes were electrically associated with an lithium metal anode ( nickel current collector screen ) to give an active area of approximately 2 cm 2 for each cell . each test cell was activated with an electrolyte of 1m liasf 6 dissolved in pc / dme = 1 : 1 . test cells 1 , 2 and 3 were discharged using a series of four 1 , 200 ma / cc cathode volume for a duration of 10 seconds , the pulses being separated from each other by 15 seconds . the data from one train of this pulse discharge protocol was used to construct the graph of fig2 . in particular , curves 40 , 42 and 44 were constructed from respective test cells 1 to 3 . as shown , test cell 3 assembled with a cathode having svo synthesized with the rotation treatment had the least amount of dc resistance . test cells 1 to 3 were then discharged using a series of four 300 ma / g svo pulses for a duration of 10 seconds . the cells were rested at open circuit voltage for 30 minutes after each pulse train of four pulses , the pulses being separated from each other by 15 seconds . this pulsing protocol was repeated until cell voltage reached 1 . 0 v . results of the 300 ma / g svo pulse discharge are presented in the graphs of fig3 to 7 . in fig3 , curve 50 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 1 , curve 52 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 4 , curve 54 is the pulse 1 minima voltage and curve 56 is the pulse 4 minima voltage . in fig4 respective curves 60 , 62 , 64 and 66 are those for the discharge of test cell 2 and , in fig5 respective curves 70 , 72 , 74 and 76 are those for the discharge of test cell 3 . [ 0052 ] fig5 overlays the discharge data presented in fig3 and 4 for the svo material of test cells 1 and 2 ( examples 1 and 2 ). similarly , fig6 overlays the discharge data presented in fig3 and 5 for the svo material of test cells 1 and 3 ( examples 1 and 3 ). again , the largest improvement in cell resistance is for that of test cell 3 ( example 3 ), which included the svo synthesized under the rotation treatment . thus , lithium cells made with this svo material display improved performance toward rate capability . additional experiments were performed to further investigate resistance characteristics of svo produced in a reaction chamber having reduced air atmosphere . these include synthesizing svo in a tube furnace under a reduced air atmosphere using a carbon dioxide / air mixture . a test was also done to discharge the svo to measure degree of product crystallinity . a 1 : 1 molar ratio of silver nitrate : vanadium oxide was mixed and heated in ambient air to about 220 ° c . for about 5 hours . the intermediate product was ground with a mortar and pestle prior to re - heating in ambient air at about 230 ° c . for about 30 minutes , then at about 260 ° c . for about 2 hours , and finally at about 300 ° c . for about 15 hours . the product was again re - ground prior to heating in ambient air at about 500 ° c . for about 30 hours . a 1 : 2 molar ratio of silver carbonate : vanadium oxide was milled for about 5 minutes using a spex 8000 mill . the mixture was then placed in an aluminum pan and heated in a tube furnace under a flow of carbon dioxide and air ( about 94 % co 2 / 6 % air ). a ramp rate of about 20 ° c ./ minute to about 500 ° c . was used for a total of about 9 hours . test cells 4 and 5 containing the respective svo materials of examples 4 and 5 were assembled in an identical manner as test cells 1 to 3 described above . test cells 4 and 5 were discharged in a similar manner as the 300 ma / g svo pulse discharge regime described above until cell voltage reached 1 . 0 v . the pulse discharge results are presented in the graphs of fig8 . for test cell 4 , curve 80 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 1 , curve 82 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 4 , curve 84 is the pulse 1 minima voltage and curve 86 is the pulse 4 minima voltage . similarly , curves 90 , 92 , 94 and 96 are those for the discharge of test cell 5 . as shown by the graphs , test cell 5 assembled with a cathode having svo synthesized under the carbon dioxide / air mixture had a lower dc resistance than that of test cell 4 containing svo synthesized in an ambient air atmosphere . an svo material was prepared in an identical manner as set forth in example 4 . an svo material was prepared in an identical manner as set forth in example 5 . example 8 an svo material was prepared in an identical manner as set forth in example 5 except the furnace contained a flow of carbon dioxide and air of about 84 % co 2 / 16 % air . test cells 6 to 8 containing the respective svo materials of examples 6 to 8 were assembled in an identical manner as test cells 1 to 3 described above . test cells 6 to 8 were then discharged using a series of four 400 ma / g svo pulses for a duration of 10 seconds . the cells were rested at open circuit voltage for 30 minutes after each pulse train of four pulses , the pulses being separated from each other by 15 seconds . this pulsing protocol was repeated until cell voltage reached 1 . 0 v . the pulse discharge results are presented in the graph of fig9 . for test cell 6 , curve 100 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 1 , curve 102 is the prepulse voltage before pulse 4 , curve 104 is the pulse 1 minima voltage and curve 106 is the pulse 4 minima voltage . similarly , curves 110 , 112 , 114 and 116 are those for the discharge of test cell 7 , and curves 120 , 122 , 124 and 126 are those for the discharge of test cell 8 . as shown in fig9 test cells 7 and 8 assembled with cathodes having svo synthesized under the respective carbon dioxide / air mixtures again showed a lower dc resistance than that of test cell 6 containing svo synthesized in an ambient air atmosphere . an svo material was prepared in an identical manner as set forth in example 4 . an svo material was prepared in an identical manner as set forth in example 3 . test cells 9 to 11 containing the respective svo materials of examples 9 to 11 were assembled in an identical manner as test cells 1 to 3 described above . test cells 9 to 11 were then discharged at a constant current of 0 . 5 ma ( current density = 30 ma / g of svo ) to a voltage of 1 . 0 v . the discharge results are presented in the graph of fig1 where curves 130 , 140 , and 150 are of respective test cells 9 to 11 . test cells 9 to 11 containing cathodes synthesized using the reaction chamber ( fig1 ) had a slightly lower amount of capacity . this along with cathodes made with svo synthesized under carbon dioxide / air atmosphere suggests a product with higher crystallinity samples of svo prepared by heating a silver - containing compound with a vanadium - containing compound in a co 2 / air - oxygen atmosphere showed larger peak intensity in x - ray diffraction analysis when compared to svo prepared from the same starting materials and synthesized in ambient air . typically , larger peak intensities indicate a higher percentage of crystallinity for powdered active materials this means that the crystals of the present active material are larger and more ordered than those of the prior art techniques . it is appreciated that various modifications to the inventive concepts described herein may be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .
| 7 |
fig1 roughly schematically shows a section through a device for wort boiling according to the disclosure . the device comprises an inlet 5 for lauter wort to which preferably an isomerized hop product , e . g . an extract , and / or a common hop product are supplied . in the housing 2 , which preferably has a hollow cylindrical design , there are located heating surfaces 3 a to 3 n arranged one above another in the manner of a cascade . here , the heating surfaces are embodied as conically tapering conical surfaces the points of which face upwards . to heat the heating surfaces 3 , these can be embodied as double - walled shield through the interior of which e . g . hot steam or a heat transfer medium , e . g . water or high pressure hot water , can be conducted . for this , the heating surface can comprise a corresponding non - depicted inlet and outlet for the heat transfer medium . the different heating surfaces 3 a to 3 n arranged one above the other can be either connected to a common heating circuit or else be heatable to different temperatures or pressures , respectively . then , different phases of wort boiling can be performed in one device , such as heating , boiling with or without stripping . in this embodiment , a buffer region 7 is arranged in the lower region of each heating surface 3 , which is here embodied as surrounding chute . the wort can then be conducted , as represented by the arrows , from this buffer region 7 to the next heating surface 3 b located thereunder via a guide means 4 . for this , for example openings can be embodied in the buffer region 7 . as is represented in particular in fig2 , the buffer region can also be embodied as overflow over which the wort flows towards the guide means 4 when a predetermined level is reached . here , the conducting means 4 is also embodied as surface conically tapering downwards in the center of which , for example , an opening 8 is located via which the wort is conducted directly or via a connecting pipe ( not shown ) to the center m of the housing 2 to the heating surface 3 b located thereunder . it is possible for the guide means 4 to be also heatable to thus additionally heat the wort . in the process , the guide means 4 can be also embodied as a double - walled shield . the angle α of the heating surface 3 with respect to a horizontal is approximately between 4 and 45 degrees . the flatter the course of the heating surface , the longer the residence time of the wort in the device . the heating surfaces 3 as well as the guide means 4 are fixed to the housing 2 by means of non - depicted fixing elements . in fig1 , the points of the conical heating surfaces 3 face upwards , so that the wort flows on the outer surface downwards , e . g . to the buffer 7 . however , as can be taken from fig3 , it is also possible for the heating surfaces 3 to be arranged such that the point faces downwards , i . e . towards the wort drain 6 , the heating surface 3 then comprising an opening in its center via which the wort then flows to the guide means 4 , which is here also embodied as preferably heated conical surface and can also comprise a corresponding surrounding buffer 7 . then , the wort flows to the next heating surface 3 . the heating surface shown in fig3 and the guide means then alternate . preferably , at least two heating surfaces are arranged one above the other to ensure sufficient heat supply . the device 1 can also comprise a non - depicted outlet for vapor . the device furthermore comprises a wort drain 6 via which the boiled wort can be supplied , for example , to hot break separation . the device preferably comprises a pressure tight housing 2 in which the pressure can be adjusted by corresponding non - depicted means , such as a pump , pressure gauge , valves . in this case , the pressure can be brought to a vacuum , normal pressure or overpressure . it is possible for the wort at the heating surfaces to be brought to temperatures of 97 - 100 ° c . at normal pressure in the device , at a vacuum to a temperature of 88 - 92 ° c ., and at overpressure to temperatures of up to 110 ° c . as can be taken in particular from fig4 , several , in this case three , devices 1 a , b , c can be connected in series . in this case , the wort discharged via the outlet 6 a is supplied to the wort inlet 5 b of the subsequent device . thus , the wort in the different devices can be , for example , heated to different temperatures . in a first phase in the device 1 a , the wort is e . g . heated . in a further device 1 b , the wort is boiled in a second phase , and in a third device 1 c , flavors , for example dms , can then evaporate in a third phase . the temperatures to which the wort is heated depend , as described before , on the pressure in the device and are adapted to the certain phase . it is , for example , also possible that in one device 1 , the wort is conducted over the heating surfaces 3 at an elevated pressure , e . g . 2 bar , and then a release at normal pressure or vacuum takes place in a means that is arranged downstream . this means arranged downstream can then be e . g . again a device 1 with heating surfaces arranged one above the other in the manner of a cascade . though it is not shown , several devices can also be arranged in parallel . fig5 shows another embodiment according to the present disclosure . here , the wort boiling system comprises a wort heating 9 which is provided for continuously heating the wort to approximately 72 - 99 ° c . such a means can be realized , for example , by a plate heat exchanger . subsequently , the wort is continuously supplied to a first device 1 for continuous wort boiling which comprises several substantially conically tapering heating surfaces arranged one above the other in the manner of a cascade . heat is still supplied to the wort by the heating surfaces 3 . via the wort drain 6 , the wort is here continuously supplied to a tank 10 which is here realized in the form of a stratified storage . the residence time in this stratified storage is approximately 15 to 30 , preferably 20 minutes . at the bottom end of the stratified storage , the wort is discharged and can be again fed to a device 1 with substantially conically tapering heating surfaces 3 arranged one above the other in the manner of a cascade , so that the wort is set in motion , so that wort ingredients , such as protein and tannin compounds , can precipitate and undesired flavors evaporate . the finished boiled wort can then be conducted to a means for hot break separation . that means , according to the method according to the disclosure , the wort is continuously supplied to the device 1 for wort boiling and continuously conducted over the heating surfaces , where the wort simultaneously exits continuously from the means 1 via the outlet 6 . due to the large heating surfaces , the heating temperature of the heat transfer medium can be reduced to 104 - 120 ° c ., compared to conventional wort boiling . due to the fact that heat is continuously supplied to the means for wort boiling , peaks as they occur in conventional wort coppers can be avoided . moreover , the set - up time is eliminated , so that the process time can be optimized . the use of isomerized hop extract is particularly advantageous , as here the boiling time can be considerably reduced .
| 2 |
the distilled mha obtained from the condenser is almost colorless , partially crystalline at room temperature and surprisingly turns out to be totally free of dimers and higher oligomers . the dark brown bottom product includes hardly any monomeric mha . it consists mainly of dimers and oligomers in a total amount that increases only insignificantly during the course of the distillation . thus , the deterioration of the product that is expected according to the state of the art does not occur during distillation according to the invention . in addition , it was found that commercial mha solutions can also be distilled advantageously in accordance with the invention . aqueous solutions with an 88 - 90 % by weight mha content are advantageously distilled in a two - stage distillation apparatus , having a film evaporator and a short - path evaporator , as shown in fig2 . the water is separated off essentially in the first stage film evaporator the highly - concentrated mha obtained in the bottom runoff of the first evaporator can be distilled as described above so that essentially only the dimer and oligomer component already present remains as bottom product . on the other hand , the mha monomer component present is separated off as an oligomer - free distillate with a very pale clear color . the iodine color indices ( ifz ) of the distillates of 4 to 5 are much more favorable than the iodine color indices of up to 315 measured for the non - distilled commercial products . in addition to the superb color properties and the absence of the undesired dimer components and oligomer components ( dim + oli ) in the primary product , the mha produced in accordance with the invention and the mha mixed products produced from it surprisingly have a distinctly better stability in storage in comparison to the corresponding products described in de - os 19524054 . this can be recognized in that a highly - concentrated mha distilled in accordance with the invention has a distinctly lower equilibrium component after approximately 120 days storage with 40 molar % dim + oli ( fig3 ) than a non - distilled , highly - concentrated mha according to de - os 19524054 analogously stored with an equilibrium component of approximately 53 molar % dim + oli . the adjustment of the equilibrium takes place in a retarded manner in the case of the mha distilled in accordance with the invention . this extends the availability range of a product with a high monomeric component in a favorable manner . a similar favorable effect on the position of equilibrium was surprisingly also able to be determined in a dilution product of distilled mha and water . the distilled mha diluted to the commercial concentration of 88 % by weight had , after approximately 90 days of storage , an oligomer component in the equilibrium mixture of only 20 molar % dim + oli ( fig4 ) in comparison to the commercial product with 26 molar % dim + oli according to de - os 19524054 . a surprisingly even greater reduction of the oligomer content can be observed in the production of a mixed product consisting of mha and methionine ( met ) starting from the distilled mha produced here . a solution produced in this manner and consisting of 78 % mha + 10 % met in water has , with only 13 molar % dim + oli in equilibrium after more than 90 days storage ( see fig5 ), an oligomer component that is again distinctly lower in comparison to commercial mha 88 and in comparison to the mha 78 %+ 10 % met with 20 molar % dim + oli produced according to de - os 19524054 . the mixtures mha 78 %+ 10 % mha - nh 4 ( ammonium salt ) and mha 69 %+ 19 % mha - nh 4 containing mha - nh 4 salt ( see fig6 and 7 ) have , with only 12 and 11 molar % dim + oli after 30 days storage at 40 ° c ., even lower values in equilibrium and a distinct improvement compared to the mha 78 %+ 10 % mha - nh 4 mixture with 20 molar % of non - distilled highly - concentrated mha according to de - os 19524054 . in addition , iodine color indices of only 2 . 5 to 4 are found in mha 88 as well as in mha / met and mha / mha - nh 4 solutions with 88 % by weight active - substance content , which indices are far more favorable than in the previously available commodity . all the products named here remain clear liquids with almost unchanged color values even after more than 230 days of storage . the viscosity properties of mha formulations are as a rule advantageously influenced by the preceding distillation stage ( see fig8 - 11 ). thus , a viscosity value clearly below the viscosity range of the available commercial products of 61 to 122 mm 2 / s was found for mha 88 from distilled mha with 50 mm 2 / s ( fig9 ). mha / met as well as mha / mha - nh 4 mixtures are in the same viscosity range , given otherwise improved properties ( fig1 and 11 ). stored mha distillate has , with 402 mm 2 / s ( fig8 ), a viscosity value below stored non - distilled highly - concentrated mha of 517 mm 2 / s in accordance with de - os 19524054 . the lower oligomer component of stored distilled mha is an extraordinary advantage because the viscosity is reduced and thus the handling properties are improved as well as improving the ability to pump and transport the mha . even more significant is the distinct improvement of the biological quality due to the amount , which is significantly higher in the equilibrium mixture , of monomeric mha in mha 88 and in mha / mha - nh 4 mixtures as well as of monomeric mha + methionine in mha 78 %+ 10 % met , in comparison to the previously available products . the oligomer component can even be held substantially below 10 molar % if the product is used within only a few days , which results in a further increase of the biological quality . further advantages are the greater purity and the distinctly clearer color , which result in greater product acceptance by the producers of high - grade fodder . in addition thereto , the highly - concentrated mha distilled in accordance with the invention is very well suited for the production of d , l - mha pharmaceutical goods and corresponding pharmaceutical formulations such as the initially cited mha calcium salt for the treatment of renal insufficiency . in this instance the previously customary purification process , which included several stages such as oligomer splitting , extraction and purification of the calcium salt by expensive crystallization , can be eliminated . a simple neutralization of the mha distillate in accordance with the invention with a suitable calcium base , such as e . g . calcium hydroxide , and the subsequent drying is sufficient in this instance to achieve the required product quality . the distillation in accordance with the invention in combination with a short residence time in e . g . a short - path evaporator makes it possible to make available a high - purity mha and , at the same time , an improved mha product distinguished by greater purity and greater storage stability as well as by greater biological quality when used as fodder additive . the combination of the distillation of the invention with a method of producing mha described in de - os 19524054 is especially advantageous . the mha formulations which are stable in storage are directly produced thereby in a corresponding total method as is shown in fig1 starting from 3 - methylmercaptopropionaldehyde ( mmp ) and hydrogen cyanide ( hcn ). in addition , the high - purity method found here can also be used with the currently commercially available 88 - 90 % mha solutions and basically also with any other mha - containing solution in order to produce the corresponding improved mha from them . according to the invention the bottom products accumulating during the distillation and consisting primarily of undesired mha dimers and oligomers do not have to be discarded . rather , there is the possibility of converting these mha dimers and oligomers , hydrolytically by a simple dilution with water , to a suitable concentration of 10 to 90 % by weight and optionally , with the addition of suitable amounts of acid , especially of sulfuric acid , and by simply heating them hydrolytically to a temperature of 50 to 140 ° c ., into the mha monomer and then purifying the mea monomer by distillation . such mha regeneration and recycling can be realized in an especially elegant manner in an appropriate re - circulation process in which the bottom product of the distillation is continuously supplied to an appropriate ester hydrolysis stage and the mha ester hydrolyzate , rich in mha monomers , is subsequently returned into the distillation stage . in this instance too the combination with an mha process , such as the one described in de - os 19524054 , is especially advantageous since the bottom product can be returned into the stage of the sulfuric - acid hydrolysis of mha amide which must be carried out ( see path a ) in fig1 ). the mha ester component , which as a rule does not comprise more than 25 molar % and is to be hydrolyzed in addition , can be reduced without problems , as shown by tests 1 and 2 in example 7 , within this stage to the customary dimer and oligomer component of approximately 5 to 15 molar %. it is possible to add the distillation bottom before the beginning of the hydrolysis stage or at any later time desired during the reaction to the mha hydrolyzate already formed up to that point . the amide hydrolysis stage is only insignificantly loaded thereby and an additional hydrolysis stage can be eliminated . the amount of regenerated mha from the distillation bottom is supplied together with the product stream via extraction and evaporation back to the distillation stage . however , it is just as possible to hydrolyze the dimeric and oligomeric mha ester acids in an additional step ( see path b ) in fig1 ). in order to accelerate the reaction , which can also be carried out autocatalytically , it is especially advantageous in this instance to add small amounts of acid , especially mineral acids such as hcl or h 3 po 4 , but preferably h 2 so 4 , as is made clear in example 7 , test 3 . the use of acidic ion exchangers is also possible in this connection , as test 4 in example 7 shows , in which instance the advantage resides in the fact that no additional acid is entrained into the distillation stage . the last - named variant is mainly to be used if a start is to be made from commercial mha product . the mha distillation and the recovery of monomeric mha from the mha bottom product can thus also be a component of the total mha method shown in fig1 for producing high - purity mha formulations which are stable in storage . both an mha distillation method with mha bottom - product regeneration and the previously cited total method operate practically without mha losses even though a highly purified monomeric mha is produced as final product . this represents a special advantage , particularly from the viewpoints of economy and modern ecology . the following preparative examples clarify the subject matter of the invention further : the contents of mha monomer and methionine were quantitatively determined in the process solutions by hplc by means of a comparison with an external standard ( pure substance ). no distinction can be made analytically thereby between the monomer as free acid and the optional monomeric component also present as mha - nh 4 salt . the mha - nh 4 component is calculated in this instance from the nh 4 content . the content of mha total = mha monomer + mha ( dimers + oligomers )+ methionine ( optional )+ mha - nh 4 ( optional ) was determined by titrimetric determination of the thioether function with kbr / kbro 3 standard solution and expressed as the sum of the corresponding mha monomer equivalents in (% by weight ) and ( g ) and ( mol ) and ( molar %). the content of mha dimers + mha oligomers ( dim + oli ) was determined by calculating the difference of mha total and mha monomer (+ optional methionine ) and expressed as a sum of the corresponding mha monomer equivalents in (% by weight ) and ( g ) and ( mol ) and ( molar %). the water content was determined by titration according to karl - fischer , and the sulfate content and ammonium content were determined by ion chromatography according to standard methods . the iodine color index ( ifz ) was determined according to din 6162 . fig1 shows , schematically the apparatus used for example 1 , having the following arrangement : an industrial metallic short - path evaporator 1 with 0 . 35 m 2 exchange surface , heated double jacket and tempered condensation surface is provided with a container 4 for receiving distillation product and a container 5 for receiving bottom product . condenser 2 of vacuum system 3 for producing a high vacuum are also part of the evaporator system . mha concentrate is fed into evaporator 1 through pipe 6 and any vapors are collected from exit pipe 7 . 8 . 9 kg / h highly - concentrated mha was fed from an evaporation system for obtaining highly - concentrated mha from an mibk - mha extract solution ( analogously to de - os 19524054 ) into short - path evaporator 1 through pipe 6 . 7 . 4 kg / h mha distillate was obtained in container 4 and 1 . 4 kg / h bottom product was obtained in container 5 . the test parameters are set forth in the following table : ______________________________________infeed into short - path evaporator 1 : inflow rate of highly - concentrated mha : 8 . 9 kg / h composition of highly - concentrated mha : mha total 99 . 6 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 84 . 6 % by weight 84 . 9 molar % mha dim + oli 15 . 0 % by weight 15 . 1 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 . 2 % by weight so . sub . 4 0 . 2 % by weight . evaporation pressure : 0 . 1 hpa in evaporator 1 temperatures : in the inflow stream 60 ° c . in the heating jacket 125 ° c . in the condenser 45 ° c . in the bottom runoff 108 ° c . product amounts : & lt ; 0 . 1 kg / h in the cooling trap 2 1 . 4 kg / h in the bottom runoff with 99 . 8 % by weight mha total 7 . 4 kg / h mha distillate in product container 4 with the following composition : mha total 99 . 9 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 99 . 9 % by weight 100 molar % mha dim + oli 0 % by weight 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o & lt ; 0 . 1 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 % by weight______________________________________ mha 88 commercial product ( alimet ™ or rhodimet at88 ™) was fed continuously into film evaporator 8 having 0 . 06 m 2 exchange surface , which was provided with a water coated glass condenser 9 . water obtained during the evaporation was collected in container 10 . the bottom runoff product was continuously supplied to short - path evaporator 12 , having 0 . 05 m 2 exchange surface . mha distillate evaporated therein was collected in product container 15 . bottom product containing mha dimers and -- oligomers was collected in bottom product container 16 . ______________________________________test 1 infeed into film evaporator 8 : inflow rate alimet ™ ( novus ): 0 . 196 kg / h composition : mha total 88 . 6 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 67 . 7 % by weight 76 . 4 molar % mha dim + oli 20 . 9 % by weight 23 . 6 molar % h . sub . 2 o 11 . 4 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 . 9 % by weight ifz 24 evaporation pressure : 24 hpa in evaporator 8 temperatures : in the inflow stream 29 ° c . in the heating jacket 140 ° c . vapors 50 ° c . evaporation pressure : 0 . 2 hpa in evaporator 12 temperatures : in the inflow stream ˜ 120 ° c . in the heating jacket 155 ° c . in the condenser 40 ° c . product amounts : 0 . 035 kg / h condensate in container 10 0 kg / h condensate in condenser 13 0 . 113 kg / h mha distillate in product container 15 has the following composition : mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha dim + oli 0 % by weight 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 % by weight ifz 50 . 038 kg / h bottom product in container 16 has the following composition : mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 14 . 0 % by weight 14 . 0 molar % mha dim + oli 86 . 0 % by weight 86 . 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 4 . 6 % by weighttest 2 infeed into film evaporator 8 : inflow rate alimet ™ ( novus ): 0 . 24 kg / h composition : mha total 88 . 6 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 67 . 7 % by weight 76 . 4 molar % mha dim + oli 20 . 9 % by weight 23 . 6 molar % h . sub . 2 o 11 . 4 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 . 9 % by weight ifz 24 evaporation pressure : 24 hpa in evaporator 8 temperatures : in the inflow stream 26 ° c . in the heating jacket 140 ° c . vapors 47 ° c . evaporation pressure : 0 . 2 hpa in evaporator 12 temperatures : in the inflow stream ˜ 120 ° c . in the heating jacket 155 ° c . in the condenser 40 ° c . product amounts : 0 . 042 kg / h condensate in container 10 0 kg / h condensate in condenser 13 0 . 129 kg / h mha distillate in product container 15 with the following composition : mha total 99 . 9 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 99 . 4 % by weight 99 . 5 molar % mha dim + oli 0 . 5 % by weight 0 . 5 molar % h . sub . 2 o & lt ; 0 . 1 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 % by weight ifz 50 . 050 kg / h bottom product in container 16 with the following composition : mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 8 . 0 % by weight 8 . 0 molar % mha dim + oli 92 . 0 % by weight 92 . 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 4 . 3 % by weighttest 3 infeed into film evaporator 8 : inflow rate rhodimet at88 ™ ( rhone poulenc ): 0 . 123 kg / h composition : mha total 89 . 0 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 67 . 5 % by weight 75 . 8 molar % mha dim + oli 21 . 5 % by weight 24 . 2 molar % h . sub . 2 o 10 . 6 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 1 . 39 % by weight ifz 315 evaporation pressure : 24 hpa in evaporator 8 temperatures : in the inflow stream 28 ° c . in the heating jacket 140 ° c . vapors 44 ° c . evaporation pressure : 0 . 4 hpa in evaporator 12 temperatures : in the inflow stream ˜ 120 ° c . in the heating jacket 155 ° c . in the condenser 40 ° c . product amounts : 0 . 013 kg / h condensate in container 10 0 kg / h condensate in cooling trap 13 0 . 057 kg / h mha distillate in product container 15 with the following composition : mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha dim + oli 0 % by weight 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 0 % by weight ifz 3 . 50 . 035 kg / h bottom product in container 16 with the following composition : mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 42 . 0 % by weight 42 . 0 molar % mha dim + oli 58 . 0 % by weight 58 . 0 molar % h . sub . 2 o 0 % by weight so . sub . 4 . sup . 2 - 4 . 8 % by weight______________________________________ 800 g mha hydrolyzate ( 37 . 4 % by weight mha total , with 10 . 7 molar % dim + oli ) produced analogously to the method of de - os 19524054 , example 3 , was extracted in a separating funnel with 480 g methylisobutylketone and the extraction solution was washed with 50 g water . the extraction solution was evaporated on a rotary evaporator in a water - jet vacuum . the oily evaporation residue consisting of 91 . 2 % by weight mha total with 81 . 9 molar % mha monomers and 18 . 1 molar % mha dim - oli was distilled in a fractionating procedure via a distillation bridge in an oil pump vacuum : 0 . 5 g mha distillate in the receiving flask with the following composition : ______________________________________mha total 97 . 9 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 86 . 8 % by weight 88 . 6 molar % mha dim + oli & lt ; 0 . 1 % by weight & lt ; 0 . 1 molar % ______________________________________ 246 g bottom product in the distillation flask with the following composition : ______________________________________mha total 100 % by weight 100 molar % mha monomer 8 . 7 % by weight 8 . 7 molar % mha dim + oli 92 . 3 % by weight 92 . 3 molar % ______________________________________ mha distillate with a content of 99 . 9 % by weight mha total was produced similarly to example 1 . 88 . 0 g ( 0 . 59 mol ) fresh mha distillate from example 1 was diluted in a beaker equipped with a magnetic stirrer under agitation with 12 . 0 g water to a mha total concentration of 88 . 0 % by weight . 78 . 0 g ( 0 . 52 mol ) mha distillate which had been freshly produced according to example 1 was mixed in a beaker , with magnetic stirring under agitation , with 10 . 0 g ( 0 . 067 mol ) & gt ; 99 % d , l - methionine and 12 . 0 g water and a homogeneous solution was produced thereby with the following composition : 88 . 0 % by weight mha total = 78 . 0 % by weight mha monomer + 10 . 0 % by weight methionine 12 . 0 % by weight water . mha distillate with a content of 100 % by weight mra total was produced according to example 2 , test 1 . 44 . 0 g ( 0 . 29 mol ) 100 % mha distillate which had been freshly produced according to example 2 , test 1 was diluted in a beaker equipped with a magnetic stirrer with 6 . 0 g water to a concentration of 88 . 0 % by weight mha total : ifz 4 . 39 . 0 g ( 0 . 26 mol ) 100 % mha distillate which had been freshly produced according to example 2 , test 1 was mixed in a beaker equipped with a magnetic stirrer under agitation with 5 . 0 g ( 0 . 034 mol ) & gt ; 99 % d , l - methionine and 6 . 0 g water and a homogeneous solution was produced thereby , with the following composition : 88 . 0 % by weight mha total = 78 . 0 % by weight mha monomer + 10 . 0 % by weight methionine 12 . 0 % by weight water ifz 2 . 5 60 . 0 g ( 0 . 40 mol ) mha distillate which had been freshly produced according to example 2 , test 1 , was mixed in a beaker equipped with a magnetic stirrer under agitation with 2 . 26 g ( 0 . 040 mol ) 30 . 5 % ammonia solution and 6 . 71 g water and a homogeneous solution was produced thereby , with the following analytic composition : ______________________________________mha total 87 . 0 % by weight nh . sub . 4 . sup .+ 1 . 08 % by weight corresponding to mha monomer 78 . 0 % by weight ( calc .) + mha - nh . sub . 4 10 . 0 % by weight ( calc .) water approximately 12 . 0 % by weight ( calc .) ifz 2 . 5______________________________________ 60 . 0 g ( 0 . 40 mol ) mha distillate which had been freshly produced according to example 2 , test 1 was mixed in a beaker equipped with a magnetic stirrer under agitation with 4 . 58 g ( 0 . 082 mol ) 30 . 5 % ammonia solution and 5 . 19 g water and a homogeneous solution was produced thereby , with the following composition : ______________________________________mha total 86 . 0 % by weight nh . sub . 4 . sup .+ 2 . 0 % by weight corresponding to mha monomer 69 . 26 % by weight ( calc .) + mha - nh . sub . 4 18 . 63 % by weight ( calc .) water 12 . 0 % by weight ( calc .) ifz 2 . 0______________________________________ mha distillate with a content of 100 % by weight mha total was produced analogously with example 2 , test 3 . the products used in fig3 to 7 were each stored in a closed glass container without agitation at the temperatures indicated there for a period of up to over 230 days . specimens were taken at regular intervals and the content of mha total , mha monomers , mha ( dimers + oligomers ) as well as optionally met determined ( see the methods indicated above ). mha distillate which was produced according to example 4 , test 1 , has after approximately 120 days of storage at 25 ° c . an adjusted equilibrium of mha 88 which was produced according to example 4 , test 2 , has after approximately 90 days of storage at 40 ° c . an adjusted equilibrium of mha 78 + 10 met which was produced according to example 4 , test 3 has after approximately 90 days of storage at 25 ° c . an adjusted equilibrium of mha 78 + 10 mha - nh 4 which was produced according to example 4 , test 7 , has after approximately 6 days of storage at 40 ° c . an adjusted equilibrium of mha 69 + 19 mha - nh 4 which was produced according to example 4 , test 8 , has after approximately 6 days of storage at 40 ° c . an adjusted equilibrium of a comparison of fig3 to 7 shows a decrease of the equilibrium components of undesired mha ( dimers + oligomers ) components in the mha formulations in the series mha distillate , mha 88 , mha 78 + 10 met , mha 78 + 10 mha - nh 4 , mha 69 + 19 mha - nh 4 . all mha formulations cited here have more favorable mha ( dimers + oligomers ) components than the corresponding formulations in de - os 19524054 . all 88 % formulations have much more favorable mha ( dimers + oligomers ) components than commercial mha 88 product . the kinematic viscosities were determined , as can be seen in fig8 to 11 , using a viscosimeter of the cannon fenske opaque type according to the iso 3105 - 1976 method as a function of the temperature for the following mha qualities : mha distillate produced according to example 4 , test 1 , and storage at 25 ° c . for & gt ; 230 days according to example 5 corresponding to curve 1 in fig8 viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 402 mm 2 / s mha distillate freshly produced according to example 4 , test 4 , corresponding to curve 2 in fig8 viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 555 mm 2 / s mha distillate freshly produced according to example 4 , test 9 , corresponding to curve 3 in fig8 viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 717 mm 2 / s mha 88 freshly produced according to example 4 , test 5 , corresponding to curve 4 in fig9 viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 50 mm 2 / s mha 88 , commercial product alimet ™ ( novus ), corresponding to curve 5 in fig9 viscosity ( 25 ° c .) : 61 mm 2 / s mha 88 , commercial product rhodimet at 88 ™ ( rhone poulenc ), corresponding to curve 6 in fig9 viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 122 mm 2 / s mha78 + 10 mha - nh 4 freshly produced according to example 4 , test 7 , corresponding to curve 7 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 74 mm 2 / s mha 78 + 10 mha - nh 4 produced according to example 4 , test 7 , and storage at 40 ° c . for 30 days according to example 5 , corresponding to curve 8 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 79 mm 2 / s mha 69 + 19 mha - nh 4 freshly produced according to example 4 , test 8 , corresponding to curve 9 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 96 mm 2 / s mha 69 + 19 mha - nh 4 produced according to example 4 , test 8 , and storage at 40 ° c . for 30 days according to example 5 , corresponding to curve 10 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 100 mm 2 / s mha 78 + 10 met produced according to example 4 , test 3 , and storage at 25 ° c . for & gt ; 230 days according to example 5 , corresponding to curve 11 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 113 mm 2 / s mha 78 + 10 met freshly produced according to example 4 , test 6 , corresponding to curve 12 in fig1 , viscosity ( 25 ° c . ): 122 mm 2 / s as a comparison of the viscosity values at 25 ° c . shows , the viscosities of the highly concentrated mha &# 39 ; s are distinctly greater than those of the other mha formulations . the longer storage induces a drop in the viscosities ( see fig8 to 11 ). mha 88 from freshly distilled high concentrate has by far the most favorable viscosity value of 50 mm 2 / s , which is also below the viscosity range of 61 - 122 mm 2 / s of the commercial product ( see fig9 ). the viscosities of the ( mha + mha - nh 4 ) mixtures are at the lower edge to the middle of the viscosity range ( see fig1 ) and those of the ( mha + met ) mixtures on the upper edge of the viscosity range of the commercial product ( see fig1 ) and are thus comparable in this respect to the commercial products . 14 . 33 g ( 0 . 095 mol ) 65 % by weight h 2 so 4 were placed in a 100 ml three - neck flask with reflux condenser , internal thermometer and magnetic stirrer at 25 ° c . and 13 . 43 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) 97 . 7 % 4 - methylthio - 2 - hydroxybutyric - acid nitrile ( mmp - cyanohydrin ) was added dropwise under agitation within 5 min . the reaction mixture was agitated 60 min further at 50 ° c . and the sulfuric - acid mha - amide solution produced thereby subsequently mixed with 3 . 73 g ( 0 . 025 mol ) bottom product from the mha distillation according to example 2 , test 1 , and with 17 . 59 g water . the homogeneous solution with a content of 38 % by weight mha total was heated within 15 min to 108 ° c . to a boil and agitated another 105 min at this temperature . the analytically determined composition of the solution varied with time as follows : ______________________________________time mha amide mha monomer dim + oli ( min ) ( molar %) ( molar %) ( molar %) ______________________________________15 5 . 2 60 . 0 34 . 8 after heating 30 2 . 0 69 . 7 28 . 3 60 0 . 5 81 . 2 18 . 3 90 0 83 . 9 16 . 1 120 0 88 . 6 11 . 4______________________________________ 60 . 0 g ( 0 . 15 mol ) 37 . 4 % by weight mha hydrolyzate ( with 0 . 15 mol mha total , 0 . 15 mol nh 4 hso 4 ) which had been produced by sulfuric - acid hydrolysis of 4 - methylthio - 2 - butyric - acid nitrile according to de - os 19524054 , example 4 , was mixed in a 100 ml three - neck flask with reflux condenser , internal thermometer and magnetic stirrer with 5 . 6 g ( 0 . 037 mol ) bottom product from the mha distillation according to example 2 , test 1 , and with 8 . 2 g water . the homogeneous solution with a content of 38 % by weight mha total was heated within 20 min to 106 ° c . to a boil and agitated another 70 min at this temperature . the analytically determined composition of the solution varied with time as follows : ______________________________________time ( min ) mha monomer ( molar %) dim + oli ( molar %) ______________________________________ 0 79 . 6 20 . 4 before heating 25 86 . 7 13 . 3 35 88 . 6 11 . 4 60 91 . 3 8 . 7 90 95 . 8 4 . 2______________________________________ 16 . 74 g ( 0 . 111 mol ) bottom product from the mha distillation according to example 2 , test 1 , was mixed in a 250 ml laboratory autoclave with glass tray , magnetic stirrer and internal thermometer with 27 . 32 g water and 0 . 44 g h 2 so 4 ( 4 . 5 mmol ). the mixture was heated in the closed autoclave within 20 min to an internal temperature of 130 ° c . and agitated 90 min longer at this temperature and 3 . 5 bar pressure . after having cooled off rapidly to approximately 25 ° c ., the reaction solution was analyzed . the composition of the solution had changed as follows : ______________________________________time ( min ) mha monomer ( molar %) dim + oli ( molar %) ______________________________________ 0 14 . 0 86 . 0 before heating 110 92 . 8 7 . 2______________________________________ 16 . 74 g ( 0 . 111 mol ) bottom product from the mha distillation according to example 2 , test 1 were mixed in a 250 ml laboratory autoclave with glass insert , magnetic stirrer and internal thermometer with 27 . 32 g water and 0 . 62 ml ion exchanger amberlyst 15 ™ ( rohm & amp ; hass , 1 . 8 eq so 3 h / l ). the mixture was heated in the closed autoclave within 45 min to an internal temperature of 124 ° c . and agitated 120 min further at this temperature and a pressure of 2 bar . after a rapid cooling off to approximately 25 ° c . and depositing from the ion exchanger , the reaction solution was analyzed . the composition of the solution had changed as follows : ______________________________________time ( min ) mha monomer ( molar %) dim + oli ( molar %) ______________________________________ 0 14 . 0 86 . 0 before heating 165 87 . 7 12 . 3______________________________________
| 2 |
in this application , the terms “ distal part ” and “ proximal part ” are used relative to the medical professional , i . e . the “ distal part ” is used to describe the part of the device that is inserted first into the patient . the laryngoscope ( 1 ) of fig1 comprises a handle ( 2 ) for holding and manoeuvring the laryngoscope , a blade holding element ( 3 ) that is pivotally attached to the handle ( 2 ) and a blade ( 4 ) that is attached to the blade holding element ( 3 ). the laryngoscope ( 1 ) further comprises means of visualisation including a display screen ( 5 ) to visualise the area captured , for example , by a camera ( not shown ). this embodiment has a viewing means comprising a fibre optic viewing device but within the context of the invention , the viewing means may include any of a fibre optic device , camera , viewing screen and / or other viewing means . the laryngoscope may be used without a visualisation means such as camera , viewer and / or fibre optics for straightforward cases but the use of a visualisation means is recommended in more complex and difficult intubation situations . the handle ( 2 ) is preferably made of stainless steel for robustness , although other materials such as metals or plastics may be used . in the embodiment of fig1 a detachable display screen ( 5 ) is connected at the proximal end of the handle ( 2 ). at the proximal end , the blade holding element ( 3 ) is pivotally connected to the heel of the handle ( 2 ). the blade ( 4 ) may be hollow so that it can be fitted onto the blade holding element by sliding as can be seen in fig2 and 3 ( described in more detail below ). preferably , the blade holding element ( 3 ) is elongated in shape and its outer contour corresponds substantially to the inner shape of the blade ( 4 ). in a preferred embodiment , the blade ( 4 ) may comprise a pair of wings ( 6 ) that fit the contour of the heel of the handle ( 2 ). as can be seen in fig4 , the proximal end of the blade ( 4 ) is connected to the proximal end of the blade holding element ( 3 ) by means of a snap clip . in this embodiment , the blade holding element ( 3 ) comprises a tooth ( 7 ) that can snap into a corresponding groove ( 8 ) in the blade ( 4 ). it can be envisaged a construction in which the blade ( 4 ) comprises a tooth ( 7 ) and the blade holding element ( 2 ), the corresponding groove ( 8 ). the tooth ( 7 ) is shaped to allow the blade ( 4 ) to slide on easily , but prevent its accidental removal . preferably , the height of the tooth ( 7 ) is less than the depth of the groove ( 8 ) so that there are substantially no protruding parts . the blade ( 4 ) is preferably integrally constructed and is for example produced by injection moulding so that the cost of production is relatively affordable . however , two - part blades may also be used , where the components are joined together by welding , gluing or clipping . the blade is preferably disposable to minimise or eliminate any risk of cross - contamination between patients . preferably the blade ( 4 ) is partially or wholly made of a flexible material , such as a flexible thermoplastic material . most preferably , the blade wings ( 6 ) are made of a flexible material , such as a flexible thermoplastic material . also , the blade or part of the blade may be flexible due to its shape , design or dimension ( e . g . thickness ). the blade ( 4 ) may be straight , e . g . a miller laryngoscope blade . preferably , a curved blade may be used , e . g . a macintosh blade , because a curved blade can be dimensioned to conform to the anatomical curve of the patient &# 39 ; s throat . the laryngoscope ( 1 ) may comprise a light source and / or visualisation means such as fibreoptics , camera , display screen or other technology that enable external indirect visualisation of the laryngeal inlet . a light source may be provided so that the distal tip of the blade is illuminated . this can be achieved for example by providing the handle with electrical power , such as a battery supply , which is electrically connected to a light source preferably located at the distal end of the blade holding element so that light exits through an opening in the distal part of the blade ( 4 ). alternatively , electrical power may be provided by the viewer where a viewer is provided . similarly , visualisation means may be provided to view the distal tip of the blade ( 4 ) and the laryngeal inlet . for example , a fibre optic viewing means may be mounted in the blade holding element and comprise optical fibres . the fibres may be arranged so that their proximal end is attached to a screen ( 5 ). the screen is preferably detachable so that the equipment can be easily cleaned after use . the fibres exit from the distal end of the blade holding element ( 3 ) and through an opening in the distal part of the blade ( 4 ) to view the laryngeal inlet . alternatively , the material of the blade may be wholly or partly transparent so as to allow visualisation instead of using an opening which could be considered to be prone to contamination . in another preferred embodiment , a camera is located at the distal end of the blade holding element . the blade ( 4 ) is attached to the blade holding element ( 3 ) by means of a snap clip ( 7 , 8 ). in this embodiment , and as can be seen on fig2 and 3 , the blade holding element ( 3 ) is placed in the operative position ( i . e . substantially perpendicular to the handle ). the user can slide the hollow blade ( 4 ) onto the blade holding element ( 3 )— in a direction from the distal end to the proximal end of the element ( 4 ). preferably , the outer contour of the blade holding element ( 3 ) corresponds substantially to the inner shape of the blade ( 4 ) to minimise or eliminate any movement of blade ( 4 ) relative to the blade holding element ( 3 ) in use . as can be seen in fig4 to 6 , when the limit of travel is reached , the tooth ( 7 ) of the blade holding element ( 3 ) snaps into the groove ( 8 ) of the blade ( 4 ). a correct fit is indicated by audible feedback of the tooth ( 7 ) snapping into place . the blade ( 4 ) is held in place by a tooth ( 7 ) which is shaped to allow the blade ( 4 ) to slide on easily , but prevent its accidental removal . in this embodiment , the blade ( 4 ) is detached from the blade holding element ( 3 ) by setting the laryngoscope ( 1 ) to its inoperative position by folding up the blade holding element ( 3 ) as shown for example in fig7 . as can be seen in fig8 , the blade ( 4 ) may be removed by applying pressure onto the blade wings ( 6 ). the flexibility of the wings material deforms the area around the tooth catch ( 7 ), sending it away from the blade holding element and allowing the blade to clear the tooth ( 7 ) and slide away from it . the fit between the blade ( 4 ) and the heel of the handle ( 2 ) prevents the blade ( 4 ) from being removed whilst the laryngoscope ( 1 ) is in use since it is difficult to deform the blade ( 4 ) by pinching because of the presence of the handle ( 2 ). in operation , the laryngoscope ( 1 ) is inserted into the mouth of the patient . the blade ( 4 ) will push the tongue of the patient to the side of the oropharynx to create space through which the larynx and the epiglottis can be viewed . the blade ( 4 ) is manipulated to lift the epiglottis thereby exposing the laryngeal inlet . an endotracheal tube can then be introduced and advanced past the vocal cords into the trachea . the user can visualise the distal end of the blade ( 4 ) for example on the display screen and manipulate the laryngoscope ( 1 ) accordingly . once the tube is correctly positioned , the laryngoscope ( 1 ) is removed .
| 0 |
as discussed above , a number of relatively flat or planar objects are suitable for handling during multi - stage processing by utilizing a compliant cassette in accordance with the present invention . for illustrative purposes , a compliant cassette for handling silicon wafers is shown below . referring to fig2 a - 2c , compliant three - bar process cassette 10 includes two &# 34 ; wishbone &# 34 ;- shaped endpieces 12 which secure the ends of parallel rigid side bars or rods 14 and a third parallel rigid center bar or rod 16 . it will be understood that the term &# 34 ; wishbone &# 34 ; as used in this disclosure refers to the fact that the endpieces of the preferred embodiment , in an end view , are similar in shape to the well recognized forked bone found in most birds near the breastbone , and commonly referred to as a &# 34 ; wishbone &# 34 ;. in the normal processing position ( as can be seen in view 2d ) the center bar is at substantially 6 o &# 39 ; clock , and the two side bars are at substantially 3 o &# 39 ; clock and 9 o &# 39 ; clock , respectively . in this position , the center bar carries most of the weight of wafer ( s ) 5 , which are inserted into cassette 10 as shown and are held and spaced apart from one another by a comb - like or teethed structure 18 . the comb structure 18 is desirably fabricated from an integral pfa material , in the conventional manner . since pfa is flexible , a relatively rigid structural rod 20 maintains the alignment of comb 18 as is well known in the art . endpieces 12 are composed of arms 22 and 24 connected to a bar - securing portion 26 which connects the center bar 16 . the distal ends 28 of arms 22 and 24 secure side bars 14 . arms 22 and 24 are flexible so they can move toward and away from wafer ( s ) 5 . this is accomplished in one embodiment by providing a narrowed section or living hinge 30 in each arm 22 and 24 near the bar - securing portion 26 . as shown in fig2 d , when a wafer is inserted into cassette 10 the side bars 14 flex , causing a clamping force on the wafer , as indicated by the arrows . it will be understood that the thickness of the hinge portion can be adjusted to adjust the degree to which the arms flex as a wafer is inserted . it should also be understood that other hinge arrangements which accomplish this same objective ( provided tensioned flexibility between the side rods ), could also be used . an example would be a single hinge point at the base of the two arms around which the arms would rotate . in this arrangement a spring mechanism could be used to tension the hinge point . operation of cassette 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is best understood with reference to fig3 a and 3b simplified force diagrams . cassette 10 is intended to be engaged and transported via robot and supported in a processing tank 32 via side bars 14 . specifically , side bars 14 rest on sides or shelves 34 of tank 32 and support the cassette 10 . the weight w of inserted wafers 5 is borne solely by center bar 16 . weight w upon center bar 16 is translated from bar - securing portion 26 , through living hinges 30 , to arms 22 and 24 , and then to side bars 14 . sides 34 of tank 32 then provide a reaction force f t . the horizontal component of f t is translated by side bars 14 into a clamping force upon on wafers 5 . wafers 5 resist this horizontal clamping force with a resistive force f w . the result of this configuration is that when cassette 10 is placed into tank 32 , side bars 14 are biased toward wafers 5 , exerting a clamping force . inserted wafers 5 are held securely in place by this clamping force , and in response exert a resistive force f w . the flexible and compliant character intentionally designed into cassette structure 10 permits the translation of forces acting upon cassette 10 to create clamping forces upon the wafers 5 as described above . in this manner , cassette 10 takes advantage of flexion in endpieces 12 to utilize the wafers 5 as a structural component . in other words , when the wafers are inserted within the cassette 10 , the wafer / cassette combination becomes structurally stable . because the clamping force is due to weight w of the wafers , the resistive force f w required by each wafer within the cassette will be uniform regardless of the number of wafers in the cassette . thus it is seen that the addition of more wafers into the cassette will not dramatically increase the clamping force on each wafer , as the number of wafers available to bear the clamping force will also increase . the magnitude of f w can be controlled by changing the angle alpha a at which sides 34 of tank 32 contact side bars 14 . a larger angle alpha generates higher clamping forces upon the wafers 5 . precise control of this clamping force is desirable in order to counteract buoyant , viscous , and pressure forces acting upon the cassette and wafers , while ensuring that the clamping force remains less than the allowable stress limits of the wafers . fig4 a - 4c and fig5 show another preferred embodiment 40 of the compliant process cassette of the present invention . cassette 40 is similar to above - described cassette 10 and the same reference numerals are used where the parts are identical . process cassette 40 has endpieces or endplates 42 , each of which includes an inverted v - shaped bridge element 44 additionally connected between arms 22 and 24 . as explained in greater detail below , bridges 44 serve as engagement points for robotic equipment used to transfer cassette 40 to the various processing sites . each of the two bridges 44 is made up of two legs 46 and 48 , and a triangular or v - shaped contact point 50 . contact point 50 interfaces with a robot end effector hook ( fig1 - 11 ). each leg 46 and 48 is made up of small struts 52 and 54 , joined by a supporting rib 56 . small struts 52 and 54 accomplish both tensile and flexural loading . bridges 44 , like arms 22 and 24 , are flexible . the small members 52 and 54 act as living hinges over their entire length . when fully deformed , each leg 46 and 48 of the bridge 44 take on somewhat of an &# 34 ; s &# 34 ;- shape which further illustrates that the small members 52 and 54 are supporting tensile and moment loading , and ultimately acting as two living hinges for each of leg 46 and 48 . one form of the cassette 40 could be accomplished if actual pinned hinges were used . if so , the endplates would be reduced to four truss members and four pinned hinges ( top , bottom , right and left ). while such a structure is within the scope of the invention , it would have disadvantages for some uses . one problem would be cleanliness . it would be difficult to rinse and dry the hinge areas . in the preferred embodiment , the use of living hinges both in the bridge 44 as well as the arms 22 and 24 ( which are fabricated as integral parts of the endpieces ) makes cleaning and rinsing the cassette easier . also , assembly is easier and requires less stringent tolerances during fabrication of the parts . together with remainder of endpieces 42 , the bridges can function to control the amount of compliance or flex of the cassette 40 . the size and shape of the bridges , the location of the bridges , and the angle formed by the legs 46 and 48 , affect the compliance or flexural motion of the cassette . for example , if the bridge is too flat with respect to a horizontal plane , when the cassette is picked up by the robot the compliant motion and clamping force on the wafers is very high . but if the bridge is made too tall , then the compliant motion and the clamping force on the wafers may not be able to overcome thermal expansion when the cassette is processed in hot chemicals . in this latter case , the cassette grows due to thermal expansion more than the compliant nature of the cassette can pull it back . the result is a poor grip upon the wafers by the cassette . another consideration in the design of the compliant cassette 40 is the effect of buoyant forces on the cassette during processing . the cassette weighs approximately 80 % less when submerged in sulfuric acid as compared with air , due to buoyant forces . the compliance of the cassette is greatly reduced when buoyant forces are present . however , the cassette must be sufficiently compliant to maintain a firm grip on wafers at elevated process temperatures ( thermally expanded ) while submerged in sulfuric acid having a specific gravity of 1 . 6 . if , on the other hand , the cassette is too compliant , difficulties would be encountered handling the cassette with robotic equipment , where buoyant forces are non - existent . bridges 44 are flexible but serve to stiffen endplates 42 against movement in response to external forces f t ( fig3 b ). this stiffening function allows further adjustment of the magnitude of resistive force f w that wafers 5 are required to exert against arms 22 and 24 . fig6 and 7 show the cassette 40 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , placed within a processing tank 32 . the cassette rests at surface or shelf 34 of tank 32 . the cassette is supported only by the two side bars 14 . this positions the cassette 40 in the x - y plane . the side bars 14 are located above the center 58 of the wafers 5 . that is , a line connected between the two side bars 14 passes over the center point 58 of wafer 5 . ( fig7 ) this facilitates the clamping action of the compliant cassette of the present invention since a downward vector is created tending to pull the wafer downwardly . as noted , for example in fig4 b and 5 , tabs 60 are formed from pfa as part of the side bar assemblies . these tabs act to locate the cassette in the z - direction . the tabs 60 engage slots 62 located in the tank shelf 34 to position the cassette fore and aft within the tank 32 . since the cassette 40 of this embodiment is more compact than a four - rod cassette , the tank 32 can conform more closely to the wafers / cassette . this is reflected in the shape of inclined tank wall 33 relative to cassette 40 . since tank volume is lessened , the use of process fluids is reduced . fig8 and 9 show cassette 40 situated on slide table 64 . note that the bar - securing portion 26 of endplate 42 is supported by support member 65 on table 64 , to alleviate the clamping force on the wafers , and allow activities such as the insertion and extraction of the wafers from the cassette . the side bars 14 are supported by shelves 66 . fig1 and 11 illustrate the manner in which the cassette 40 is engaged and transported by a robotic machine . each of the thin legs 46 and 48 have openings 70 formed by small members 52 and 54 . the hook - shaped gripping end or hook 72 of robotic arm or end effector 74 is v - shaped to mate with the v - shaped triangular part 50 of bridge 44 . when the robot end effector 74 passes through the opening 70 between small members 52 and 54 , it simply hooks the triangular part 50 of the bridge 44 . only two simple effector / hooks are required to pickup and transport a cassette . since the end effectors need to be rinsed and dried quite often to avoid cross contamination during wafer processing , the simple geometry of triangular part 50 in accordance with the present invention , is very desirable . fig1 illustrates the flow of processing chemicals in a tank containing a prior art four - bar cassette 1 . chemicals enter through tank 75 at the bottom and flow up through and around the wafers 5 as shown by the arrows . fig1 also indicates that tank 75 includes a gap 76 on each side of the wafers 5 , where fluids pass without aiding in the processing of the wafers . this gap 76 is typically about 0 . 5 to 1 inches . the presence of gap 76 in tank 75 thus results in excess processing fluids being consumed , and reduced process performance . fig1 shows the flow of fluids through wafers 5 in the improved cassette 40 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention . processing tank 32 is specifically constructed such that distal ends 78 of arms 22 and 24 of cassette 40 rest on shelves 66 . this purposeful configuration of tank and cassette forms an impediment to the flow of fluids through the processing tank . the presence of distal ends 78 of arms 22 and 24 upon shelves 66 force processing fluids to within and through the wafers 5 . this is indicated by the arrow 82 . this cassette / tank arrangement maximizes the exposure of wafers within the cassette to the circulating processing fluids , ensuring efficient utilization of these processing fluids and thereby reducing consumption . in the case of the four - bar cassette shown in fig1 , any particles generated by the interface between the feet 84 and cassette 1 are swept up and through the wafers , increasing contamination risk . by contrast , as shown in fig1 , because cassette 40 is supported within tank 32 by shelves 66 , there are no feet required to support cassette 40 within tank 32 , eliminating the feet as a source of contamination . the design of the wishbone endplate 42 optimizes the clamping force on the wafers , both in a tank and in the robot . in a tank , the angle of the shelf 66 can be altered to change the horizontal component of the resultant vector ( fig3 b ). likewise , while being supported by the robot , the angle between the bridge sides 46 and 48 and the arms 22 and 24 can be altered in order to change the horizontal component of the resultant vector . obviously , these features must be designed into the cassette and are not adjustable after the cassette is fabricated . fig1 a - 14d give specific dimensions of the endpiece 42 for one actual embodiment of the cassette in accordance with the present invention used for handling 300 mm semiconductor wafers . table 1 summarizes these dimensions : table 1______________________________________ref . # dimension value______________________________________ 84 * width of spacing in arms 22 and 24 , and legs 1 . 0 &# 34 ; 46 and 48 86 width of v - shaped contact point 50 . 5 &# 34 ; 88 length of first spacing in legs 46 and 48 2 . 0 &# 34 ; 90 length of second spacing in legs 46 and 48 1 . 75 &# 34 ; 92 length of first spacing in arms 22 and 24 1 . 438 &# 34 ; 94 * width of arms 22 and 24 , and legs 46 and 48 1 . 375 &# 34 ; 96 * width of struts 52 and 54 , and solid portion . 188 &# 34 ; of arms 22 and 24 98 width of rib in arms 22 and 24 . 188 &# 34 ; 100 width of supporting rib 56 in legs 46 and 48 . 188 &# 34 ; 102 radius of all inside corners 32x r . 125 &# 34 ; 104 * height of struts 52 and 54 . 188 &# 34 ; 106 * length of struts 52 and 54 6 . 313 &# 34 ; 108 lateral distance between center bar 16 and 6 . 218 &# 34 ; distal end 78 110 * angle defined by arms 22 and 24 90 ° 111 * radius between legs 46 and 48 and arms 22 4x r . 500 &# 34 ; and 24 112 width of distal end 78 , and arms 22 and 24 . 875 &# 34 ; 114 vertical distance between bar - securing 6 . 468 &# 34 ; portion 26 and distal end 78 116 distance between bar - securing portion 26 and 8 . 686 &# 34 ; top of v - shaped contact point 50 118 length of third spacing of arms 22 and 24 1 . 250 &# 34 ; ______________________________________ ( figures marked with an * represent dimensions which affect the extent of cassette compliance ) fig1 a - 15c show detailed views of various portions of endpiece 46 , along with dimensions . fig1 a shows a detailed view of the v - shaped contact point 50 of bridge 44 . fig1 b shows a detailed view of distal end 78 of arm 24 . distal end 78 of arm 24 is seen to include a rounded side bar - securing portion 78a , and a shelf - engaging projection 78b having shelf - engaging face 78c and first and second non shelf - engaging faces 78d and 78e . fig1 c shows a detailed view of the bar - securing portion 26 , connected to arms 22 and 24 by living hinges 30 . the dimensions from fig1 a - 15c are summarized in table 2 . table 2______________________________________ref # dimension value______________________________________120 central angle of v - shaped contact point 50 45 ° 122 outside radius of top of bridge 44 r . 750 &# 34 ; 124 * radius between v - shaped contact point 50 2x r . 188 &# 34 ; and leg 48 126 distance between center and tip of v - shaped . 406 &# 34 ; contact point 50 128 radius of tip of contact point 50 r . 094 &# 34 ; 130 lateral distance between center of side . 250 &# 34 ; bar - securing portion 78a and shelf - engaging face 78c 132 vertical distance between center of side 1 . 250 &# 34 ; bar - securing portion 78a and center of 78b tip radius 134 radius of tip of 78b r . 188 &# 34 ; 136 radius between 78b and arm 24 2x r . 250 &# 34 ; 138 angle between shelf - engaging face 78d and 160 ° arm 24 140 angle between non shelf - engaging face 78e 160 ° and arm 24 142 * thickness of living hinge 30 2x . 100 &# 34 ; 144 * radius at living hinge 30 5x r . 250 &# 34 ; 146 * length of living hinge 30 2x . 250 &# 34 ; 148 width of bar - securing portion 26 . 875 &# 34 ; 150 angle between 24 and undercut face 35 ° ______________________________________ ( figures marked with an * representdimensions which affect the extent of cassette compliance ) in examining the above figures , it is important to recognize that the above description focuses exclusively upon preferred embodiments of the present invention . however , a number of variations upon this basic design are also part of the present invention . for example , a cassette in accordance with the present invention may have more than three bars , so long as the bars are configured to form a compliant structure utilizing inserted wafers as structural members . an alternative embodiment would have a four bar structure with bars at three o &# 39 ; clock , fivethirty , six - thirty , and nine o &# 39 ; clock , as viewed from the end . furthermore , it should be understood that the bars of the cassette need not be precisely parallel to each other . the bars may be skewed from each other , so long as wafers may be inserted between them in order to fit within the cassette . in addition , even with the three - bar design described above , the three bars need not be positioned precisely at 3 , 6 , and 9 o &# 39 ; clock as viewed from the end . rather , the bars may occupy a variety of spatial arrangements , so long as the bars are joined in a manner that allows them to securely engage inserted wafers . and while the preferred embodiment of the present invention shows the side bars as being above the center of the inserted wafers , this is not a requirement of the present invention . other characteristics of the cassette / tank configuration , such as adjustment of the shelf angle , the bridge angle , or the rod position , may also be adjusted to ensure secure contact between the cassette and the inserted wafers . and finally , while the preferred embodiment of the present invention has focused upon a compliant cassette for holding silicon wafers , a variety of materials , including but not limited to optical and magnetic recording disks , may also be secured during processing steps by the present invention . therefore , it is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention , and that structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby .
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hereinafter , embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings . in each of the drawings , the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals , and duplicate description thereof is omitted . fig1 is a perspective view schematically showing a supporting structure of a circuit board related to a first embodiment of the invention . fig2 is a schematic sectional view of the supporting structure of the circuit board related to the first embodiment . fig3 is a perspective view of a jig in the supporting structure . further , fig1 is an exemplary schematic sectional view showing an electronic apparatus related to the first embodiment . the supporting structure of this circuit board includes an upper casing 11 , a lower casing 12 , and a jig 17 , for housing and holding a circuit board 13 as interposed between the upper casing 11 and the lower casing 12 from the up - down direction . a boss portion 14 is formed in the upper casing 11 toward the circuit board 13 . in this embodiment , the boss portion 14 is formed in a shape recessed from the upper casing 11 . moreover , a hole is formed in the recessed portion of the boss portion 14 , and a boss screw 16 is inserted through the hole . similarly , a boss portion 15 is formed in the lower casing 12 toward the circuit board 13 . as shown in fig2 , the boss portion 14 of the upper casing 11 and the boss portion 15 of the lower casing 12 face each other . in this embodiment , the boss portion 15 is formed in a shape protruding from the lower casing 12 . moreover , an internal thread into which the boss screw 16 is threadedably inserted from the upper casing 11 is fabricated in the boss portion 15 . in addition , reinforcing ribs 15 a can be suitably formed at a peripheral wall of the boss portion 15 to increase rigidity . the jig 17 assumes a cylindrical shape , and the boss portions 14 and 15 are slidably inserted into an inside 17 c of a cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 . a flange portion 17 b is formed at an intermediate portion of the cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 . a hole 13 a of a larger diameter than the external diameter of the cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 is formed in the circuit board 13 , and the jig 17 is adapted to pass through the hole 13 a . a solder joint 18 is provided around the hole 13 a of the circuit board 13 , and the flange portion 17 b of the jig 17 , and the circuit board 13 are solder - joined , thereby securing electric conduction . further , an electronic component 19 is mounted on the circuit board 13 . in this embodiment , the jig 17 is mounted by a soldering process similarly to other components . for example , when an electronic apparatus on which the circuit board 13 is mounted is used at an environmental temperature of 0 ° c . to 40 ° c ., outer peripheries 14 a and 15 a of the boss portions 14 and 15 , and the inside 17 c of the cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 are slidable in the fastening direction of the boss portions 14 and 15 within a temperature range of the electronic apparatus . in addition , as shown in fig1 , the circuit board 13 is fixed at both ends thereof . fig1 shows an electronic apparatus related to the first embodiment . the electronic apparatus has the circuit board supporting structure 10 . since the supporting structure of the circuit board 13 is configured as described above , the circuit board 13 is not fixed at the boss portions 14 and 15 , but is slidable in the fastening direction of the boss portions 14 and 15 . therefore , for example , even in a case where the upper casing 11 is pushed , the external load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 is not applied to the circuit board 13 . accordingly , since the stress by the external load is not concentrated on the peripheries of the boss portions 14 and 15 in the circuit board 13 , the load to a joint of the electronic component 19 which exists in the vicinity of the boss portions 14 and 15 can be reduced . even in a case where excessive deformation is caused in the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 by the external load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 , an end 17 d of the cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 contacts the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 . therefore , the electronic component 19 mounted on the circuit board 13 can be prevented from contacting the upper casing 11 . further , the inside 17 c of the cylindrical portion 17 a of the jig 17 generally contacts and faces the whole peripheries of outer peripheral surfaces 14 a and 15 a of the boss portions 14 and 15 parallel to the fastening direction of the boss portions 14 and 15 . therefore , the force in the in - plane direction of the circuit board 13 , and the moment around the in - plane axis thereof can be transmitted . accordingly , with respect to loads other than the load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 , a load is transmitted to the circuit board 13 , thereby increasing the rigidity of the whole casing . on the other hand , since the jig 17 is fixed to the solder joint 18 , a flexible structure is obtained as compared with other parts . accordingly , even in a case where temperature fluctuation occurs around or inside an electronic apparatus , since any stress is not concentrated on the peripheries of the boss portions 14 and 15 in the circuit board 13 , the load to a joint of the electronic component 19 which exists in the vicinity of the boss portions 14 and 15 can be reduced . next , a second embodiment of the invention will be described . fig4 is a perspective view schematically showing a supporting structure of a circuit board related to the second embodiment of the invention . fig5 is a schematic sectional view of the supporting structure of the circuit board related to the second embodiment . further , fig6 is a perspective view of a jig 30 in the supporting structure . in this embodiment , configurations other than the jig 30 are the same as those of the first embodiment . as shown in fig4 and fig6 , the jig 30 is formed in such a shape that a portion thereof is cut out in a longitudinal direction , unlike the first embodiment . even if a cylindrical portion 30 a and the flange portion 30 b are cut out partially , the same effect as the first embodiment can be exhibited . further , a sliding surface 30 c inside the cylindrical portion 30 a a portion of which is cut out generally contacts and faces portions of the outer peripheral surfaces of the boss portions 14 and 15 parallel to the fastening direction of the boss portions 14 and 15 . therefore , since the force in the in - plane direction of the circuit board 13 , and the moment around the in - plane axis thereof is transmitted in a direction in which the sliding surface 30 c face the peripheral surfaces 14 a and 15 a of the boss portions , the rigidity of the whole casing is increased . on the other hand , the force in the in - plane direction of the circuit board 13 , and the moment around the in - plane axis thereof is transmitted in a direction in which the sliding surface 30 c does not face the peripheral surfaces 14 a and 15 a of the boss portions 14 and 15 . therefore , when the jig 30 is arranged such that the direction in which the electronic component 19 is mounted become the direction in the direction in which the sliding surface does not face the peripheral surfaces 14 a and 15 a of the boss portions , the load to a joint of the electronic component 19 can be reduced even against loads other than the load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 . next , a third embodiment of the invention will be described . fig7 is a schematic sectional view of a supporting structure of a circuit board related to the third embodiment of the invention . the supporting structure of this circuit board generally includes an upper casing 11 , a lower casing 12 , and a jig 31 , for housing and holding the circuit board 13 as interposed between the upper casing 11 and the lower casing 12 from the up - down direction . a boss portion 14 is formed in the upper casing 11 toward the circuit board 13 . in this embodiment , the boss portion 14 is formed in a shape recessed from the upper casing 11 . moreover , a hole is formed in the recessed portion of the boss portion 14 , and a boss screw 16 is inserted through the hole . similarly , a boss portion 15 is formed on the lower casing 12 so as to protrude toward the circuit board 13 . as shown in fig7 , the boss portion 14 of the upper casing 11 and the boss portion 15 of the lower casing 12 face each other . moreover , an internal thread into which the boss screw 16 is threadedably inserted from the upper casing 11 is fabricated in the boss portion 15 . the jig 31 assumes a cylindrical shape , and the boss screw 16 is slidably inserted into an inside 31 c of a cylindrical portion 31 a of the jig 31 . a flange portion 31 b is formed at an intermediate portion of the jig 31 . a hole 13 a of a larger diameter than the external diameter of the cylindrical portion 31 a of the jig 31 is formed in the circuit board 13 , and the jig 31 is adapted to pass through the hole 13 a . a solder joint 18 is provided around the hole 13 a of the circuit board 13 , and the flange portion 31 b of the jig 31 , and the circuit board 13 are solder - joined , thereby securing electric conduction . further , an electronic component 19 is mounted on the circuit board 13 . since the supporting structure of the circuit board 13 is configured as described above , the circuit board 13 is not fixed at the boss screw 16 , but the boss screw 16 and the jig 31 are slidable . therefore , for example , even in a case where the upper casing 11 is pushed , the external load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 is not applied to the circuit board 13 . accordingly , since the stress by the external load is not concentrated on the peripheries of the boss portions 14 and 15 in the circuit board 13 , the load to a joint of the electronic component 19 which exists in the vicinity of the boss portions 14 and 15 can be reduced . even in a case where excessive deformation is caused in the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 by the external load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 , an end 31 d of the cylindrical portion 31 a of the jig 31 contacts the boss portion 14 or the boss portion 15 . therefore , the electronic component 19 mounted on the circuit board 13 can be prevented from contacting the upper casing 11 . further , the inside 31 c of the cylindrical portion 31 a of the jig 31 generally contacts and faces the whole periphery of an outer peripheral surface of the boss portion 16 . therefore , the force in the in - plane direction of the circuit board 13 , and the moment around the in - plane axis thereof can be transmitted . accordingly , with respect to loads other than the load from right above the boss portions 14 and 15 , a load is transmitted to the circuit board 13 , thereby increasing the rigidity of the whole casing . on the other hand , since the jig 31 is fixed to the solder joint 18 , a flexible structure is obtained as compared with other parts . accordingly , even in a case where temperature fluctuation occurs around or inside an electronic apparatus , since any stress is not concentrated on the peripheries of the boss portions 14 and 15 in the circuit board 13 , the load to a joint of the electronic component 19 which exists in the vicinity of the boss portions 14 and 15 can be reduced . next , a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described . fig8 is a schematic sectional view of a supporting structure of a circuit board related to the fourth embodiment . fig9 is a perspective view showing a circuit board , and wirings on the circuit board . in this embodiment , a solder joint includes a first solder joint 22 and a second solder joint 23 . the first solder joint 22 and the second solder joint 23 are respectively connected to wirings 20 and 21 formed on the circuit board 13 . although this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in this regard , other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment . accordingly , the same effects as those described in the first embodiment can be achieved . for example , metallic conductors , such as aluminum , are suitable for the jig 17 . as shown in fig9 , the wiring 20 , the first solder joint 22 , the jig 37 , the second solder joint 23 , and the wiring 21 are electrically connected in this order on the circuit board 13 , and a circuit network which measures the electric resistance value of this connection path is provided . in addition , it is needless to say that a voltage value or a current value can be measured if necessary . normally , the relative displacement of the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 , and the circuit board 13 resulting from the difference between the coefficients of linear expansion thereof is larger compared with the relative displacement of a semiconductor package 24 and the circuit board 13 resulting from the difference between the coefficients of linear expansion thereof . accordingly , the distortion caused at the boss portions 14 and 15 at which the upper casing 11 and the lower casing 12 are joined to the circuit board 13 is larger than the distortion caused at the joint of the semiconductor package 24 and the circuit board 13 . since the value obtained by dividing the relative displacement by the height of the joint is an average distortion , in a case where the height of the first solder joint 22 and the second solder joint 23 is equal to or slightly greater than the joint of the semiconductor package 24 , a fatigue life slightly shorter than that of the semiconductor package 24 can be set . generally , for example , resin materials , such as abs resin , or magnesium alloys , are used as the material for the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 . the coefficient of linear expansion of the resin casing is 80 ppm /° c ., and the coefficient of linear expansion of the magnesium casing is about 26 ppm /° c . for example , in a case where the upper casing 11 and the lower casing 12 are made of resin , the coefficient of linear expansion thereof is about 80 ppm /° c . further , when the coefficient of linear expansion of the circuit board 13 is set to about 15 ppm /° c ., the coefficient of linear expansion of the semiconductor package 24 is set to about 13 ppm /° c ., the temperature range of fluctuation inside a casing is set to 20 ° c ., the distance between the boss portions in a plane is set to 150 mm , and the size of an electronic component is set to 35 mm × 35 mm , the expansion difference between the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 , and the circuit board 13 becomes about 0 . 2 mm , the expansion difference between the semiconductor package 24 and the circuit board 13 is set to about 0 . 002 mm . as such , it is provided that the relative displacement of the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 , and the circuit board 13 resulting from the difference between the coefficients of linear expansion thereof is larger compared with the relative displacement of the semiconductor package 24 and the circuit board 13 resulting from the difference between the coefficients of linear expansion thereof . accordingly , before the joint of the semiconductor package 24 is ruptured , the first solder joint 22 or the second solder joint 23 is ruptured and an electric resistance value rises . as a result , it can be detected in advance that rupture of the joint of the semiconductor package 24 on the circuit board 13 is approaching . next , a fifth embodiment of the invention will be described . fig1 a is a perspective view of a jig in the supporting structure , and fig1 b is a perspective view of a portion of the jig . in this embodiment , the jig 17 is configured of a resinous portion 25 , and a portion 26 made of , for example , metal , such as aluminum . the other configurations are the same as those of the above - described fourth embodiment . accordingly , the same effects as those described in the fourth embodiment can be achieved . the resinous portion 25 of the jig 17 is outsert - molded so as to be attached and fixed to the metallic portion 26 . similarly to that shown in fig9 , the wiring 20 , the first solder joint 22 , the metallic portion 26 of the jig 17 , the second solder joint 23 , and the wiring 21 are electrically connected in this order on the circuit board 13 , and forms a circuit network which measures the electric resistance value of this connection path . in addition , it is needless to say that a voltage value or a current value can be measured . according to this embodiment , since most of the jig 17 is the resinous portion 25 , light - weight and easy molding can be achieved . next , a sixth embodiment of the invention will be described . fig1 is a schematic sectional view of a supporting structure of a circuit board related to the sixth embodiment . fig1 is a perspective view showing a circuit board , and wirings on the circuit board . as shown in fig1 , the jig 32 has a taper 32 a , and a boss portion 33 of the lower casing also has a taper such that its diameter becomes smaller toward the boss portion 14 of the upper casing . in this embodiment , the shapes of the jig 32 and the boss portion 33 of the lower casing differ from those of the above - described fourth embodiment . the other configurations are the same as those of the fourth embodiment . accordingly , the same effects as those described in the fourth embodiment can be achieved . when the relative displacement of the upper casing 11 or the lower casing 12 and the circuit board 13 resulting from the difference between the coefficients of linear expansion thereof is caused by temperature fluctuation , the jig 32 contacts the boss portion 33 of the lower casing , and the force in the direction in which the flange portion 32 b of the jig 32 is separated from the circuit board 13 act on the jig 32 by the taper . therefore , the force in the direction of tension acts on the first solder joint 22 or the second solder joint 23 . even if the first solder joint 22 or the second solder joint 23 is ruptured , since electrical connection is made when the ruptured surfaces partially contact each other , an electric resistance value may not change . however , in this embodiment , the force in the direction of tension acts on the first solder joint 22 or the second solder joint 23 . therefore , even if the first solder joint 22 or the second solder joint 23 is ruptured , the phenomenon that an electric resistance value does not change can be prevented . it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above and that the present invention can be embodied with the components modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the present invention can be embodied in various forms according to appropriate combinations of the components disclosed in the embodiments described above . for example , some components maybe deleted from the configurations as described as the embodiments . further , the components in different embodiments may be used appropriately in combination .
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the systems and methods described herein may be particularly applicable to microelectromechanical devices , wherein the vias may be required to carry a relatively large amount of current . mems devices are often fabricated on a composite silicon - on - insulator wafer , consisting of a relatively thick ( about 675 μm ) “ handle ” layer of silicon overcoated with a thin ( about 1 μm ) layer of silicon dioxide , and covered with a silicon “ device ” layer . the mems device is made by forming moveable features in the device layer by , for example , deep reactive ion etching ( drie ) with the silicon dioxide layer forming a convenient etch stop . the movable feature is then freed by , for example , wet etching the silicon dioxide layer from beneath the moveable feature . the moveable features may then be hermetically encapsulated in a cap or lid wafer , which is bonded or otherwise adhered to the top of the silicon device layer , to protect the moveable features from damage from handling and / or to seal a particular gas in the device as a preferred environment for operation of the mems device . through - hole vias are particularly convenient for mems devices , because they may allow electrical access to the encapsulated devices . without such through holes , electrical access to the mems device may have to be gained by electrical leads routed under the capping wafer which is then hermetically sealed . it may be problematic , however , to achieve a hermetic seal over terrain that includes the electrical leads unless more complex and expensive processing steps are employed . this approach also makes radio - frequency applications of the device limited , as electromagnetic coupling will occur from the metallic bondline residing over the normally oriented leads . alternatively , the electrical access may be achieved with through - wafer vias formed through the handle wafer , using the systems and methods described here . the through hole vias may be constructed by first forming a blind trench in the substrate , and then forming a partially exposed seed layer in the blind trench . it should be understood that although the word “ trench ” is used , the term should be construed as including any shape of opening , including a circular hole . in addition , the term “ partially exposed seed layer ” should be understood to mean a seed layer which is only exposed or effective over a particular portion , such as its lower extremity , but nonetheless functions as a terminal for the plating process . a “ through hole via ” should be construed to mean an electrical conduit which extends completely through a material , for example , through a wafer or substrate . the partially exposed seed layer may then be plated with a conductive material , for example , copper . the substrate may then be planarized using , for example , chemical mechanical polishing . the handle layer may then be ground to remove the dead - end wall of the blind trench , to create the through hole via . alternatively , the device and insulating layers of a silicon - on - insulator composite wafer may be removed , to reveal the through - hole vias . fig2 is a cross sectional view of an exemplary substrate 100 after a first step in the fabrication of the plated through hole via . the substrate 100 may be , for example , silicon , float zone silicon or any of a number of other common substrate materials , such as glass . the substrate 100 is first coated with photoresist 110 and exposed in regions where the blind trenches , or blind holes 120 are to be formed . the photoresist 110 is exposed and developed , such that areas which have been exposed are dissolved and removed , if using a positive photoresist . if using a negative photoresist , the areas which have not been exposed may be dissolved and removed . the means for forming the blind trenches or holes 120 may be , for example , deep reactive ion etching ( drie ), which is performed on the region of the substrate over which the photoresist has been dissolved and removed . the remaining photoresist 110 is then removed from the substrate 100 . at this point , a thermal oxidation process or other electrically insulating deposition may be performed to further electrically isolate the vias from each other . fig3 is a cross sectional view of the exemplary wafer 100 after a second step of fabrication of the through hole via . in fig2 , a seed layer 130 may be conformally deposited in the blind trenches 120 . the seed layer 130 may be a two part system , for example , a layer of chrome ( cr ) as an adhesion layer and a layer of gold ( au ) as a plating and conducting layer , are deposited on the substrate 100 . while a cr / au seed layer is described here , it should be understood that the seed layer may be composed of any of a number of other materials , which are effective for adhesion and plating of the conductive material into the blind hole , including titanium ( ti ), copper ( cu ), and nickel ( ni ) the cr / au seed layer 130 may be deposited by , for example , chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ), evaporation or sputtering . an initial adhesion layer of cr , ti or other material may be deposited at thicknesses of 50 a up to 500 a , while the conductive plating base layer may be deposited at thicknesses of a few thousand angstroms up to one micron or more , so long as reasonably low resistance conductive path is made to the bottom of the vias . fig4 is a cross section of the exemplary wafer 100 after a third step of fabrication , which includes deposition of the inhibition layer 140 . the deposition technique may be sputter deposition such as ion beam sputter deposition the inhibition layer 140 is deposited by tilting the substrate 100 with respect to the target 150 at an angle with respect to a line normal to the target 150 surface . because the substrate 100 is disposed at the angle , the deposited species will be ejected from the target 150 at an angle α with respect to the substrate 100 . therefore , the walls of the trench may effectively shadow the lower portions of the trenches 120 , so that the sputtered inhibition layer 140 may not be deposited in the lower portion as shown in fig4 . instead , the sputtered inhibition layer 140 only coats an upper portion of the trench . the inhibition layer 140 may be any number of materials , particularly insulating materials . for example , any oxide material such as silicon dioxide sio 2 , alumina al 2 o 3 , tantalum oxide ta 2 o 5 or chromium oxide cr 2 o 3 may be used . in addition , any sputter - deposited polymer may also be used , as long as the sputtered film is insulating and reasonably predictable in terms of its location and thickness . however , any material which inhibits the plating of material from the plating bath may be used for the inhibition layer 140 . conductive materials can also be deposited and then oxidized in a subsequent step . a conductive layer of chrome cr , for example , may be deposited and then rendered a dielectric by oxidizing it in , for example , an oxygen plasma , to produce chromium oxide . the blind trench 120 may be coated uniformily by the inhibition layer 140 by rotating the tilted substrate 360 degrees . in various exemplary embodiments , the substrate 100 may be disposed at an angle α of between about 45 and about 90 degrees , and preferably between about 60 and about 80 degrees with respect to the axis normal to the target 150 , and rotated at a rate of 1 revolution per 1 minute of sputter time . it should be understood that these details are exemplary only , and that any of a number of alternative sputtering configurations and conditions may exist which may be capable of forming the inhibition layer 140 . although the systems and methods described here use a substrate 100 tilted with respect to the sputtering target 150 , it should be appreciated that the same effect may be produced by tilting the substrate target 150 with respect to the substrate 100 , and then rotating the tilted substrate target 150 about an axis normal to the surface of the substrate 100 . in this embodiment , the sputtering target 150 may be disposed at an angle α with respect to a line normal to a surface of the substrate . the means for forming the partially exposed seed layer may therefore be a cvd system for depositing the seed layer or any metal deposition technique , such as metal evaporation , sputtering , etc ., and a tilted sputtering system for depositing the inhibition layer . fig5 is a cross sectional view of the exemplary substrate 100 after the third step in the formation of the through hole vias . fig5 shows the structure of the inhibition layer 140 , before plating of the conductive material into the blind trenches 120 . as shown in fig5 , the inhibition layer may cover only the upper 125 μm of a 150 μm trench , leaving the lower 25 μm of the seed layer 130 exposed this 25 μm portion may constitute the exposed region 126 of the seed layer 130 . more generally , the inhibition layer 140 may come within about 100 μm or less of the end of the blind trench or blind hole 120 . the width of the trench or diameter of the blind hole 120 may be , for example , about 50 μm wide . fig6 is a cross sectional view of the exemplary substrate 100 at the beginning of the deposition of the conductive species 160 into the blind trenches 120 . the means for depositing the conductive material may be a plating system , including a plating bath and a power supply . the deposition may be performed by immersing the substrate into the plating bath , and coupling the seed layer to one terminal of the power supply . the plating species dissolved in the plating solution then may then be deposited as a layer 160 over the seed layer 130 which is only exposed at the bottom of the trenches 120 . the plating of material 160 then proceeds in an upward fashion , beginning from the bottom of the blind trenches 120 , as indicated by the arrows in fig6 . the plating therefore proceeds uniformly , without forming the voids characteristic of the prior art techniques . using the techniques described here , blind trenches may be plated with nearly arbitrarily high aspect ratios . the plated species may be copper , for example , plated by immersing the substrate in a plating solution containing copper sulfate and sulfuric acid . however , it should be understood that this embodiment is exemplary only , and that any other suitably conductive material which can be plated on the substrate , including gold ( au ) or nickel ( ni ), may be used in place of copper . fig7 is a cross sectional view of the exemplary substrate 100 after completion of the plating step . as shown in fig7 , the plating proceeds to a point at which the plating material 160 is deposited in and over the blind trenches 120 . therefore , the plating process results in a non - planar top surface profile , which can be planarized using any known technique , such as chemical mechanical planarization ( cmp ). the cmp process may stop on the original substrate , such as si , or on the inhibition layer described above . if the latter approach is used , the inhibition layer may be thick enough to remain after cmp of the cu . this allows it to be used additionally as a top isolation layer if additional circuitry is later patterned on the wafer surface . finally , the through hole vias need to be formed from the blind trenches , by removing the dead - end walls of the blind trenches . the through vias may be formed by , for example , grinding or polishing the backside 170 of the substrate 100 , to remove material from the backside to a point 170 at which the blind walls have been removed . for example , grinding may be employed to quickly remove about 100 to about 400 μm of silicon from a 500 μm thick substrate , leaving 100 μm of material as substrate 100 . the grinding can be done either before , but typically after the via substrate 100 is bonded to a device substrate . accordingly , using the methods described here , through hole vias of diameter less than about 50 μm and depths of at least about 100 μm may be made . more particularly , the aspect ratio of the via , that is , the ratio of the depth of the via to its width , may be at least one - to - one . alternatively , instead of grinding , the through hole vias may be made using a silicon - on - insulator composite substrate . the blind holes may be etched as described above through the thick handle wafer , and coated with the seed layer and plated as before . however , using the silicon - on - insulator wafer , the device layer and oxide layers may then be removed , to expose the end of a via plated in the handle wafer , to create the through - hole . in yet another embodiment , the through holes may be created in the thinner device layer , and the oxide layer and handle wafer may then be removed . fig8 shows the exemplary substrate 100 upon completion of the fabrication steps for the through hole vias 120 . the through hole vias 120 may be completed by polishing the top surface 180 to a point at which the seed layer 130 and inhibition layer 140 have been removed from the top surface 180 , and the bottom surface 170 has been background to remove material until the blind walls have been removed . at this point , there is no conductive path between the through hole vias , as the plated material 162 within each via 122 is electrically isolated from the plated material 164 within every other via 124 by the inhibition layer 140 . therefore , the techniques described here may be used to make electrically isolated vias 122 , 124 within a conducting substrate 100 , as well as conducting vias 122 , 124 within an insulating substrate 100 . substrate 100 of fig8 may be assembled into a silicon - on - insulator wafer 1000 as shown in fig9 . in fig9 , the substrate 100 has been overcoated with an insulating layer 200 and bonded to a device wafer 300 , in which the features of a mems device will be formed . the insulating layer 200 may be formed as part of the via isolation layer described above . in various exemplary embodiments , the insulating layer 200 is silicon dioxide , and the device layer 300 is silicon . prior to bonding , the silicon dioxide layer may be patterned with an additional set of thin conductive vias 222 and 224 , which correspond to the through hole vias 122 and 124 , that will connect the through hole vias 122 and 124 to the mems device , as will be described further below . the silicon device wafer 300 is then bonded to the insulating layer 200 . the mems device is then formed in the device layer . the through hole vias as described above , may thereby provide electrical access to a mems device , such as that described next and illustrated in fig1 . fig1 shows an exemplary finished mems device 2000 , sealed in a hermetic package . the mems device may be a switch or relay 300 having two portions , 322 and 324 which , when the switch is activated , may touch to close a circuit . since the details of the mems switch 300 are not necessary to the understanding of the systems and methods disclosed here , the mems switch 300 is shown only schematically in fig1 . it should be understood that the mems switch shown in fig1 is exemplary only , and that any other mems device may make use of the systems and methods disclosed here , including mems sensors , actuators , accelerometers , and other devices . similarly , the systems and methods disclosed here may be applied to non - mems devices . electrical contact with the through hole vias 122 and 124 may be made by depositing a layer of a conductive material 222 and 224 , into a pair of holes made in insulating layer 200 . after securing the device layer 300 to the insulating layer 200 , the features 322 and 324 of the mems switch 300 may be formed in the device layer by , for example , deep reactive ion etching through the device layer to the insulating layer 200 . the features 322 and 324 may be formed in locations corresponding to the locations of the through hole vias 122 and 124 and conductive material regions 222 and 224 . the insulating layer 200 may remain under the outboard portions of mems features 322 and 324 , in order to anchor the mems features 322 and 324 to the substrate surface 100 . elsewhere under mems features 322 and 324 , the insulating layer 200 has been etched away to release mems features 322 and 324 , so that mems features 322 and 324 are free to move . a wet etchant such as hydrofluoric acid ( hf ) may be used to remove the insulating layer 200 under the mems features 322 and 324 . mems switch 300 is then encapsulated in a cap or lid wafer 500 , which has been relieved in areas to provide clearance for the movement of mems switch 300 . the hermetic seal may be made by , for example , forming an alloy seal 400 as taught in greater detail in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 211 , 625 and u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 211 , 622 incorporated by reference herein in their entirety . the alloy seal 400 may be an alloy of gold ( au ) layers 410 and 430 and indium ( in ) layer 420 , in the stoichiometry of auin 2 . while various details have been described in conjunction with the exemplary implementations outlined above , various alternatives , modifications , variations , improvements , and / or substantial equivalents , whether known or that are or may be presently unforeseen , may become apparent upon reviewing the foregoing disclosure . for example , while the disclosure describes an embodiment including a mems switch , it should be understood that this embodiment is exemplary only , and that the systems and methods disclosed here may be applied to any number of alternative mems or non - mems devices . accordingly , the exemplary implementations set forth above , are intended to be illustrative , not limiting .
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the accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention , and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification . the drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and , together with the description , serve to explain the principles of the invention . fig2 is a flow chart showing a screening method of a phosphor - based optical film used in a backlight module according to a first embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig2 , the screening method of the phosphor - based optical film comprises following steps : step s 1 : divide the internal surface of the backlight module without a phosphor - based optical film into a plurality of measurement zones , and then gain a transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones . the plurality of measurement zones can be distributed from one side of the backlight module to the farthest side in this step . for example , a first measurement zone a1 , a second measurement zone a2 , . . . , an m measurement zone am are distributed in order from one side of the backlight module to the farthest side . it is notified that division of the measurement zones of the internal surface of the backlight module is not limited to what is shown in fig3 . the transmittance spectrum refers to the transmittance in response to each wavelength in a visible light band in this embodiment . moreover , chromatic values of the plurality of measurement zones shown on the internal surface of the backlight module without the phosphor - based optical film are measured and collected by an optical measurement device ( such as a spectra - radiometer and a color analyzer ). a chromatic matrix is formed on the plurality of measurement zones shown on the internal surface of the backlight module . the chromatic matrix comprises the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones . the difference of the chromatic values can be detected from the chromatic matrix . whether the chromatic values are within the range of standard chroma or not can also be detected from the chromatic matrix . the range of standard chroma will be described in detail . step s 2 : gain a chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones after each of the plurality of measurement zones matches the phosphor - based optical film . step s 3 : check the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones gained in step s 2 to be within the range of standard chroma . according to the present embodiment , the range of standard chroma refers to “ standard chroma ± tolerance of chroma ” where , in reality , the backlight module comprises a variety of sizes so the range of standard chroma differs according to the size of the backlight module . in step s 3 , if the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones after each of the plurality of measurement zones matches the phosphor - based optical film is in the range of standard chroma , screening of the phosphor - based optical film used in the backlight module is successful , and the process of screening is finished . it is notified that , the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones on the internal surface of the backlight module is different from another , so producing parameters ( such as elements , proportion , and density of phosphor ) of the phosphor - based optical film are different for each of the plurality of measurement zones . therefore , a zone with a screened phosphor - based optical film which corresponds to a measurement zone and is produced according to producing parameters comprises producing parameters different from another zone . each zone corresponds to its individual measurement zone . if the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones matching the phosphor - based optical film is not within the range of standard chroma , match at least one measurement zone with a new phosphor - based optical film ( the producing parameters of the new phosphor - based optical film are different from those of the older phosphor - based optical film matching the at least one measurement zone ), and return to step s 2 . step s 21 : gain a transmittance spectrum of the phosphor - based optical film matching each of the measurement zones . step s 22 : multiply the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones by the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of the phosphor - based optical film , and then gain the transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones after each of the plurality of measurement zones matches the phosphor - based optical film . step s 23 : gain the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones after each of the plurality of measurement zones matches the phosphor - based optical film based on the transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones matching the phosphor - based optical film in step s 22 . in step s 22 , the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones matching the phosphor - based optical film is multiplied by a vision function ( i . e ., a photopic vision value which a wavelength responds to in different states ), and tristimulus values are gained by means of integrals in the visible light band . further , the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones matching the phosphor - based optical film is gained according to the gained tristimulus values . the chromatic value in the present embodiment is defined by the cie 1931 color space though the chromatic value is not limited in the present invention . for example , the chromatic value is defined by the cie1976 color space , etc . in addition , quantum dots ( qds ) have characteristics of wide spectra of excitation , successive distribution , narrow and symmetrical spectra of emission , adjustable color , stable chemical reaction of light , and long life of fluorescence . owing to these strengths , the phosphor - based optical film is preferably a qd film . fig4 is a flow chart showing a screening method of a phosphor - based optical film used in a backlight module according to a second embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig4 , the screening method of the phosphor - based optical film comprises following steps : step s 1 : divide the internal surface of the backlight module without a phosphor - based optical film into a plurality of measurement zones , and then gain a transmittance spectrum of each of the plurality of measurement zones . the plurality of measurement zones can be distributed from one side of the backlight module to the farthest side in this step . for example , a first measurement zone a1 , a second measurement zone a2 , . . . , an m measurement zone am are distributed in order from one side of the backlight module to the farthest side . it is notified that division of the measurement zones of the internal surface of the backlight module is not limited to what is shown in fig3 . the transmittance spectrum refers to the transmittance in response to each wavelength in a visible light band in this embodiment . moreover , chromatic values of the plurality of measurement zones shown on the internal surface of the backlight module without a phosphor - based optical film are measured and collected by an optical measurement device ( such as a spectra - radiometer and a color analyzer ). a chromatic matrix is formed on the plurality of measurement zones shown on the internal surface of the backlight module . the chromatic matrix comprises the chromatic value of each of the plurality of measurement zones . the difference of the chromatic values can be detected from the chromatic matrix . whether the chromatic values are within the range of standard chroma or not can also be detected from the chromatic matrix . the range of standard chroma will be described in detail . step s 2 : gain the transmittance spectrum of the n phosphor - based optical film where n is a positive integer . step s 3 : multiply the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of the m measurement zone by the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of the n phosphor - based optical film , and then gain the transmittance spectrum of the m measurement zone after the m measurement zone matches the n phosphor - based optical film where m is a positive integer . s 4 : gain the chromatic value of the m measurement zone after the m measurement zone matches the n phosphor - based optical film based on the transmittance spectrum of the m measurement zone matching the n phosphor - based optical film in step s 3 . in step s 3 , the transmittance in response to each wavelength of the transmittance spectrum of the m measurement zone matching the n phosphor - based optical film is multiplied by a vision function ( i . e ., a photopic vision value which a wavelength responds to in different states ), and tristimulus values are gained by means of integrals in the visible light band . further , the chromatic value of the m measurement zone matching the n phosphor - based optical film is gained according to the gained tristimulus values . the chromatic value in the present embodiment is defined by the cie 1931 color space though the chromatic value is not limited in the present invention . for example , the chromatic value is defined by the cie1976 color space , etc . step s 5 : check each of the chromatic values gained in step s 4 to be within the range of standard chroma . according to the present embodiment , the range of standard chroma refers to “ standard chroma ± tolerance of chroma ” where , in reality , the backlight module comprises a variety of sizes so the range of standard chroma differs according to the size of the backlight module . in step s 5 , if the chromatic value of the m measurement zone after the m measurement zone matches the n phosphor - based optical film is not in the range of standard chroma , return to step s 2 where n is set as n + 1 ( n = n + 1 ). it is notified that , the chromatic value of every measurement zone on the internal surface of the backlight module is different from another , so producing parameters ( such as elements , proportion , and density of phosphor ) of the phosphor - based optical film are different for every measurement zone . therefore , a zone which corresponds to a screened phosphor - based optical film and is produced according to producing parameters comprises producing parameters different from another zone . each zone corresponds to its individual measurement zone . if the chromatic value of the m measurement zone after the m measurement zone matches the n phosphor - based optical film is within the range of standard chroma , return to step s 3 where m is set as m + 1 ( m = m + 1 ). in addition , qds have characteristics of wide spectra of excitation , successive distribution , narrow and symmetrical spectra of emission , adjustable color , stable chemical reaction of light , and long life of fluorescence . owing to these strengths , the phosphor - based optical film is preferably a qd film . a backlight module 100 comprising a phosphor - based optical film 400 is provided in the present invention . the backlight module 100 is produced according to the screening method as described in the first or second embodiment . the detail of the backlight module 100 is shown in fig5 . the backlight module 100 comprises a light source ( such as a blue light - emitting diode ) 200 and a light guide plate ( lgp ) 300 as shown in fig5 . the lgp 300 comprises a light input surface 301 and a light output surface 302 . the light source 200 is disposed near the light input surface 301 . the phosphor - based optical film 400 is screened according to the screening method as described in the first or second embodiment and disposed on the light output surface 302 by means of printing or spray coating . in addition , qds have characteristics of wide spectra of excitation , successive distribution , narrow spectra and symmetrical of emission , adjustable color , stable chemical reaction of light , and long life of fluorescence . owing to these strengths , the phosphor - based optical film 400 is preferably a qd film . the phosphor - based optical film 400 can be used as backlight of the backlight module 100 , for the phosphor - based optical film 400 eventually converts the light produced by the light source 200 into white light . as described in the first or second embodiment , producing parameters of the phosphor - based optical film 400 vary with which part of the measurement zone ( display zone ) of the backlight module 100 matching the phosphor - based optical film 400 . different phosphor - based optical films 400 have different producing parameters . so the phosphor - based optical film 400 highly matches the backlight module 100 . the backlight module 100 has higher saturation and penetration and better color uniformity . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention . accordingly , the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims .
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the invention as shown in the attached figures is a method for the virtual donning of wearable goods , generally described in the flow chart of fig1 at 10 . the method first comprises acquiring data 10 , including both image data and contour data from a subject . image data is acquired as described above . the next step is image analysis 20 of the data acquired . this step will perform the contour analysis formulating the 3 - d point cloud data and preparing the 2 - d photo imagery . after the data is analyzed and prepared , the model construction 30 begins . this process entails the point cloud data triangulation for the polygonal 3 - d model construction . this is a generic process that applies equally as well to other body parts , such as hands for glove selection , or other items of the appropriate size for imaging . the next step in the process flow is the 2 - d photorealistic imagery 50 . this is the , camera imagery that will be used for the hybrid ( 2 - d / 3 - d ) composition of the 3 - d occulted frame data and the discrete view imagery . the 3 - d textured model is assembled 60 with the photo imagery and the polygonal model . this phototextured model will be stored at the centralized server database in a conventional open standard 3 - d viewing format ( e . g ., vrml ). the customer data 40 , such as point of sale , store and vendors , customer &# 39 ; s name , address , access pin / password , rx , pd , etc ., will be transmitted to the server database via secure wan ( wide area network ), which is preferably the internet . the remainder of the process flow is preferably outside , though not excluding kiosk access , the doctor &# 39 ; s office . the database 70 will maintain all customer data , the 2 - dimensional photoimagery , and the 3 - dimensional model with associated texture . the server 90 will be a centralized computer system on the wan . a pc , such as a dell dimension 411 series with a pentium iii at 866 mhz using a network card such as the 3c905c txm 10 / 100 remote wake up nic developed by 3com , would operate as this server . in addition , the hard drive for the pc would preferably be a 20 gb ultra ata ( 7200 rpm ), and the pc would have minimum 256 mb of 133 mhz sdram . the monitor that would be used for the network system is preferably a 19 ″ ( 17 . 9 ″, 0 . 26 dpi ) m990 monitor . equivalent hardware is also contemplated . complete kiosk data along with frame manufacturer data will be resident within the secure server database . software for both the 2 - d discrete photo frame composition and the 3 - d phototextured frame / head composite model production will reside on the server . although a 3 - d composite model will be produced , the frame model will be articulated so as not to preclude fine frame adjustments at the customer viewing browser . server access via the internet will preferably use industry standard encryption for all necessary secure transactions . account authority / access will use cgi ( common gateway interface ) scripting software for account / password authentication and / or identification . customers 100 , the ophthalmologist or optometrist 110 , and frame manufacturers can access this server through a secure wan to allow for confidentiality of customer data and the ability to make purchases of the wearable good after viewing and / or selection . an example of wearable goods selection might proceed as follows . after the modeling visit , a customer will go home with pin / password for immediate account access . an internet - ready computer / appliance with standard browser capability is all that is necessary to proceed . no specific software / hardware requirements are necessary above and beyond this minimum . the wearable goods website is called up and displayed . through the browser gui ( graphical user interface ), the process begins . examples / instructions may begin before and / or after account access . when account verification is accomplished , the customer proceeds . the following will detail a glasses frame selection , but in concept would apply to any wearable goods item . the user will choose between the 3 - d phototextured head model and the 2 - d photoimagery for frame composition and viewing . if the 3 - d model is selected , the server composition software will formulate a composite phototextured model of the head and the currently selected frame of choice . once produced , this articulated model is downloaded to the browser via secure transmission . once downloaded , the viewer can rotate and pan / zoom the model using the conventional 3 - d browser plug - in of choice . the process repeats itself for all frames of interest . if the 2 - d selection is made , a similar process occurs . the currently selected frame request is sent to the server for production . once received , the server will use the 3 - d model momentarily to “ wear ” the frames in each discrete view . the occulted frame phototextured data is then merged with the corresponding photoimagery representing the same distance / orientation . the resultant 2 - d imagery ( e . g ., gif ) data is then sent via the secure wan to the customer for display in an imager placeholder within the browser gui . the user can then select between discrete views of already cached image data , through forward / back indicators on the gui . if frame selection is made , a secure electronic commerce transaction will take place . purchase means along with database records will be forwarded to the server for further routing to frame manufacturer , lens manufacturer ( if not the same ), ophthalmologist or optometrist , and for invoice verification back to the customer . in the present invention , the subject &# 39 ; s 3 - d data ( such as full body , or portions of the body like head , hands , and feet ) are acquired and databased at a kiosk . the functional elements of the kiosk may include imaging equipment , sensors , internet communications hardware and software , and a data acquisition terminal . the preferred internet communications hardware and software is the hardware and software described above . in one embodiment , data such as payment method , address , and prescription data for eyeglasses is entered manually or electronically at the data acquisition terminal . the internet serves as a data path between the kiosk , the vendor or manufacturer and the subject nodes . the scope of the present invention is illustrated in fig2 . as shown , several specialized databases for wearable goods 200 are contemplated . a subject would obtain the 2 - d photoimagery and the 3 - d phototextured model at a kiosk at a store 204 such as an optometrist &# 39 ; s office . although the term optometrist is used throughout the disclosure of this invention , the term as used is intended to apply equally to an ophthalmologist or other professional properly licensed to fit prescription eyeglasses . the subject then virtually wears the wearable goods via a pc 202 , such as the subject &# 39 ; s own pc . thus , the subject may virtually wear the goods in the privacy of the subject &# 39 ; s home or at times convenient to the subject . the subject then could even decide to order the wearable goods . at the same time the subject orders goods , such as glasses from the optometrist 204 , the order is also given to the retail vendor of goods such as eyeglass frames 206 and the supplier of the goods , i . e ., the eyeglass frames 208 . the supplier 208 can then ship the necessary ; supply to the appropriate retail vendor . furthermore , suppliers of accessories to the goods sold by the retail vendors may be included in the system . for example , a supplier of blanks 210 could receive the order from a jewelry customer 212 for a retail jewelry store 214 . as shown in fig2 this invention would be useful in the sale and distribution of goods such as glasses , dresses , jewelry and shoes . clearly , this model is contemplated for all wearable goods . fig3 and 4 illustrate the preferred method 300 for obtaining image data for one or more 2 - d photorealistic images and for one or more 3 - d phototextured models via a kiosk 800 . the first step for data acquisition is the positioning of the subject 805 in the appropriate position 310 . the data acquisition will then be accomplished by four camera passes , 320 , 330 , 340 , 350 . the placement of cameras , illumination and the subject are generally illustrated in one embodiment of the invention in fig4 . three cameras , a left camera 810 , a center camera 820 , and a right camera 830 are used in the preferred embodiment . however , more cameras may be used , a single camera may be moved around the subject , or the subject 805 may rotate while one or more cameras either remain in position or rotate in the opposite direction as the subject 805 . as shown in fig4 general illumination sources 840 , 850 , 860 are strategically placed within the kiosk 800 around the subject 805 to provide optimal lighting for imaging . although three general illumination sources 840 , 850 , 860 are illustrated , more or less lights may be used , so long as light is optimized for the imaging process . in addition , in the preferred embodiment , two pattern projectors , a left projector 870 and a right projector 880 , are placed around the subject 805 . however , one pattern projector may be used , and three or more pattern projectors may also be used . for the first camera pass 320 , the subject 805 first faces straight ahead . the left camera 810 and the center camera 820 take images of the subject 805 simultaneously with illumination from the left pattern projector 870 . the left camera 810 and the center camera 820 take images of the subject 805 simultaneously with general illumination . the center camera 820 and the right camera 830 take images of the subject 805 simultaneously with illumination from the right pattern projector 880 . the center camera 820 and the right camera 830 take images of the subject 805 simultaneously with general illumination . these images may be taken in any order . a second camera pass 330 is made . in the illustrated embodiment , the subject 805 looks to the left side 890 , approximately half way between the left camera 810 and the center camera 820 . however , the subject may look to the right side . the same exposures are taken as for the first pass 320 . from the data obtained , the operator of the system 100 determines the pupillary data of the subject 805 in step 360 . the operator then places a generic frame on the customer 370 . the generic frame is of the appropriate bridge width for the subject 805 , and the operator records the bridge width and temple length and determines the vertical positioning of the lens centers in the generic frame . a third pass is completed 340 with the customer wearing the generic frame . the images taken for the first pass 320 are repeated . a fourth pass 350 is taken with the subject 805 still wearing the generic frames . in the fourth pass 350 , the subject &# 39 ; s head is turned as it was in the second pass 330 , and the steps for taking images in the second pass 330 are repeated . from the data obtained above , a 3 - d model is created 360 . a database is then generated 370 . the database may include information such as the customer name , address and related contact information . the database will also have the head model to be used in creating the images of the subject 805 and the photoimagery and texture information obtained from the subject 805 . this database is expanded 380 with information from the kiosk 800 , including information such as pupillary distance , temple distance , and bridge distance . this expanded database is communicated to the server 390 . in addition , the database for the frames is also communicated to the server 400 . the subject , using server frame composition software , may perform 2 - d and / or 3 - d viewing of the frames with the obtained imagery and select frames for purchase 410 . the subject then may place an order with the server 420 . the order , using business to business e - commerce applications known in the art , may be placed with the appropriate manufacturers and suppliers 430 . after the order is placed and filled , the optician then can fit the eyeglasses on the subject 440 . this invention also comprises a unique method of selling glasses described in fig5 and generally referred to as 1000 . as shown , the subject 1010 , the optometrist 1020 , the lens manufacturer 1030 and the frame manufacturer 1040 are all interconnected through the kiosk system 1050 . as shown , part of the interconnection comes directly through the pcs 1060 , 1070 , 1080 , 1090 , 1100 of the interconnected parties . in one embodiment , the kiosk system 1050 is owned by an assembling entity 1110 and is physically located within the optometrist &# 39 ; s office 1120 . as shown , the subject &# 39 ; s eyeglass prescription is relayed between the subject 1010 , the optometrist 1020 and the lens manufacturer 1030 through the kiosk system 1050 . the kiosk system 1050 provides the subject with the 2 - d photoimagery and / or textured 3 - d model which can be loaded onto the subject &# 39 ; s pc 1060 . in the context of eyeglasses , the subject 1010 searches for frames in accordance with frame data provided by the frame manufacturer 1040 . the subject accesses the frame data through the kiosk system 1050 . money for the optometrist &# 39 ; s services and the finished eyeglasses is paid directly to the optometrist 1020 . the money is then distributed to the assembling entity 1110 . money may be paid by cash , debit card , credit card or other electronic means . money corresponding to the subject &# 39 ; s order is then distributed to the lens manufacturer 1030 and the frame manufacturer 1040 . alternatively , the subject may pay directly into the kiosk 1050 , which would distribute funds to the optometrist 1020 , lens manufacturer 1030 and the frame manufacturer 1040 . as shown in fig5 when the lens manufacturer 1030 receives the subject &# 39 ; s order for eyeglasses on its pc 1080 , the manufacturer 1030 may then provide the lens to the assembling entity 1110 , properly polished and edged for the frames that the subject selected . simultaneously with the lens manufacturer 1030 , the frames manufacturer may receive the subject &# 39 ; s order on its pc 1090 . the frames manufacturer may then provide the frames to the assembling entity 1110 . the assembling entity 1110 then provides the assembled eyeglasses to the optometrist 1020 , who fits the eyeglasses for the subject 1010 . an important consideration in fitting prescription eyeglasses is to deal with variable lenses that include different degrees of optical differences , such as bifocals , and more particularly , varilux lenses , which blend different optical strengths and have a very specific , precise distance upon which the lenses must relate to the pupil . using special texture for frames and frame shape database information , an important distance of 18 mm can be discerned by looking at the shape of the frame and the texture of the frame to figure out the proper pupil location , so that when the eyeglasses are fitted properly , the 18 mm distance will be properly aligned , so that a variable lens , such as a varilux lens , will be accurately fitted for the wearer . this can be provided in the initial image recognition and 3 - d texture mapping that includes selection of a particularly shaped frame and the dimensions of the frame relative to the pupil eye points created while the glasses are being fitted . as shown in fig6 the system 2000 may easily be adapted for the virtual putting on of other wearable goods , such as a shirt . for example , a subject 2010 may obtain 2 - d photoimagery / 3 - d textured model of his or her head and torso in the manner described above through a kiosk system 2020 operated by a service provider 2040 . the 2 - d / 3 - d data may be accessed by the subject &# 39 ; s pc 2050 . the subject 2010 then uses the kiosk system 2020 to virtually wear a 3 - d model of a shirt that has been input into the kiosk system 2020 . the information for the 3 - d model of the shirt may come from a specific shirt retailer 2030 . the subject 2010 , through his or her pc 2050 , may order a selected shirt through the kiosk system 2020 through its pc 2060 to the shirt retailer 2030 to its pc 2070 . the 2 - d photoimagery / 3 - d textured model of the subject &# 39 ; s head and torso would be so precise to permit uniquely accurate tailoring of the shirt by the shirt retailer 2030 . the subject 2010 then pays the shirt retailer 2030 directly for the shirt . the shirt is directly shipped to the subject 2010 . in the preferred embodiment , the shirt retailer 2030 pays the service provider 2040 that provides the kiosk system 2020 a service fee for use of the kiosk system 2020 . the system described is also suitable for the virtual wearing and purchase of shoes , jewelry , hats and other wearable goods . the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment . it is recognized , however , that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art .
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referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a rotationally symmetrical container 10 of a pyrotechnic source of compressed gas . the container 10 serves to receive a propellant charge which is ignited by a conventional ignitor ( not shown ) arranged outside of the container burning through one wall of the container 10 the container 10 consists of a container body 12 and a container lid 14 , both made of aluminum and contacting each other at annular contact surface areas 16 and 18 where they are ultrasonically welded gas - tight . one such rotationally symmetrical container may be arranged upstream of a piston in a cylinder of a belt tensioner , for instance . a bowden cable necessary for tensioning the belt then extends through the middle of the toroidal container 10 . the container lid 14 comprises at its outer rim a cranked portion supporting the face surface area of the outer peripheral wall 20 of the container body 12 . the inner rim of the container lid 14 locates a raised face 22 configured on the inner peripheral wall 24 of the container body . in this arrangement the container body 12 and container lid 14 thus circumscribe an annular inner space provided to receive the propellant 26 . to weld the container body 12 and container lid 14 to each other , after the propellant has been filled , the container body 12 is supported by its underside and a pressure oriented downwards as shown in fig1 is exerted on the container lid 14 in the region of its outer and inner rim so that an even surface area pressure is produced at the peripheral contact surface areas 16 and 18 . at the same time the container body 12 and container lid 14 are caused to vibrate at least in the region of the contact surface areas 16 and 18 so that they are moved relative to each other horizontally as shown in fig1 . the vibration frequency in this region is in the ultrasonic range and the amplitude is of the order of 30 μm . due to the surface area pressure and the relative movement in the region of the contact surface areas 16 , 18 this region is heated up strongly , resulting in a weld joint . in this arrangement the heating up is restricted substantially to the region of the contact surface areas 16 and 18 so that the remaining regions of the container body 12 and container lid 14 remain more or less cold . as regards gas - tightness the weld features substantially the same properties as the base material of the container body 12 and of the container lid 14 so that excellent properties are achieved without the need for any additional sealing measures . the wall thickness of the peripheral wall 20 of the container body 12 is less than that of the remaining walls and than that of the container lid 14 so that , for one thing , a fast burn - through of the peripheral wall 20 can ; be achieved by the ignitor being arranged outside of the container and , for another , the peripheral wall 20 is the first to burst following ignition of the propellant 26 within the container 10 . referring now to fig2 there is illustrated a section view of a container 30 of a second embodiment of the invention . like the embodiment as shown in fig1 a container body 32 and a container lid 34 define an annular interior space for receiving the propellant . the container lid 34 comprises a bursting diaphragm 36 which is offset meaning positioned on a different plane , relative to the surface of the container lid 34 , as shown in fig2 and is surrounded by a notch 38 . the wall thickness of the container lid 34 is greatly reduced in the region of the bursting diaphragm 36 so that the bursting diaphragm 36 is the first to burst on ignition of the propellant in the container 32 . in producing the container lid 34 , for instance by cold extrusion , the region of the burst diaphragm 36 is strain - hardened to thus burst in a more defined response than would be in the case of a softer material . referring now to fig3 there is illustrated a section view of the outer rim portion of a container 40 which in turn consists of a container body 42 and a container lid 44 . the container body 42 comprises a peripheral flange 46 supporting the rim portion of the container lid 44 . for welding the flange 46 and the rim portion of the container lid 44 to each other , they are pressed together and caused to vibrate horizontally to each other in the ultrasonic range as indicated by the arrows in fig3 . a bursting diaphragm 47 configured in the peripheral wall of the container body 42 is burnt through by a conventional ignitor arranged outside , and a peripheral notch 48 in the container lid 44 ensures a controlled bursting response of the container 40 following ignition of the propellant in the container 40 . the bursting diaphragm 47 formed in the container body 12 is surrounded by a notch . referring now to fig4 there is illustrated a container 50 , wherein for the ultrasonic welding between container body 52 and container lid 54 the face surface area of an outer peripheral wall 56 of the container body 52 is provided . referring now to fig5 there is illustrated a further container 60 comprising a container body 62 and a container lid 64 . the container lid 64 is cranked at right angles in its outer rim portion to thus be reliably supported by the container body 62 . referring now to fig6 there is illustrated section wise a container 70 , the container body of which comprises an outer peripheral wall 72 supporting a container lid 74 . the face surface area 76 of the peripheral wall 72 is chamfered in the direction of the container opening , as a result of which a chamfer 78 is formed . complying with the angle of inclination of the chamfer 78 the container lid 74 is cranked so that it rests against both the face surface area 76 and the chamfer 78 . a uniform ultrasonic weld is achieved in the region of the face surface area 76 and of the chamfer 78 by pressure being exerted on the container body 72 and the container lid 74 in the direction of the arrows as evident in fig6 . as a result , more particularly , mere localized welding at the points of contact is avoided , i . e . instead a full surface area gas - tight weld being achieved . referring now to fig7 and 8 there is illustrated a further embodiment of a pyrotechnic source of compressed gas in accordance with the invention . the pyrotechnic means as shown in fig7 and 8 is configured as an ignitor 80 provided for igniting a conventional propellant charge for a conventional belt tensioner ( not shown ). the ignitor 80 is arranged on a tubular inflator 82 in which a propellant charge ( not shown ) is located and which is held in contact with the inflator 82 by a clamping ring 84 . the ignitor 80 comprises a container comprising a container body 86 and a container lid 88 , both made of aluminum and produced as deep drawn or cold extruded parts . arranged within the container is a squib 90 comprising a filament 92 connecting two electric leads 94 to each other . the electric leads 94 are embedded in a plastic body 96 which together with ferromagnetic components 98 is inserted in the container body 86 . in the region of the squib 90 the container body 86 comprises a projection 100 including a booster charge 102 inserted in an opening of the inflator 82 and the thin wall of which can be penetrated on ignition . container body 86 and container lid 88 are secured and sealed to each other by an ultrasonic weld joint . referring now to fig9 and 10 there is illustrated the situation in which the ignitor can be integrated in an gas generator 110 . in this arrangement the container consisting of the container body 112 and container lid 114 represents not only the housing of the ignitor but also that of the inflator 110 . provided within the container in the region of the squib 116 is space for accommodating a propellant charge 118 . the container body 112 comprises in the region surrounding the squib 116 , i . e . the combustion chamber , a greater wall thickness . container lid 114 and container body 112 are welded to each other by an ultrasonic weld , whilst the contact pins 120 extending through the container lid 114 , as continuations of the leads 122 , are sealed off conventionally , for example , with the aid of a sealing compound . referring now to fig1 there is illustrated a further possibility of sealing off the leads and container lid . the container body 130 and container lid 132 are connected to each other by an ultrasonic weld . formed protruding from the container lid 132 is a tubular sleeve 134 which is sealed off by pressing it for sealing engagement with a sleeve 136 of the electric leads 138 . referring now to fig1 there is illustrated sectionwise a container 140 which has been ultrasonic welded in the region of its peripheral flange as evident from fig1 a . in this arrangement the peripheral flange permits simple and reliable ultrasonic welding whilst causing problems in installing the container in a tube . if the container 140 is thus installed , for example , in the tube of a belt tensioner , the peripheral flange , as shown in fig1 b , is bent up . the container 140 can then be inserted into a tube without problems .
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with reference to the cited figures , the method according to the invention substantially consists in producing , in a wall system 1 that contains voids or cavities 2 , injection holes 3 which are spaced and whose number varies according to the requirements and the conditions of deterioration of the wall system 1 . the injection holes 3 preferably run along directions that are substantially perpendicular to the surface of maximum extension of the cavities 2 inside the wall system 1 . if , as occurs more frequently , the wall system 1 is extended vertically , the injection holes 3 are preferably produced with a direction that is vertical or slightly inclined with respect to the vertical , since , as it has been assessed , the larger cavities 2 inside the wall system 1 are generally arranged horizontally ( for example a wall of bricks ), so as to be able to pass through the largest possible number thereof with every single injection hole 3 . said injection holes 3 can be provided directly in the wall system 1 , selectively , with different lengths according to the specific requirements established on the basis of previous study of the structure and preferably with a distance between two contiguous injection holes that can vary between 0 . 20 and 2 . 00 m . the injection holes 3 can have variable dimensions according to the specific requirements , in any case with a diameter preferably comprised between 4 mm and 40 mm . in some cases it may be necessary to provide the injection holes 3 in a direction other than vertical but in any case between the planes of arrangement of the two larger opposite faces of the wall system 1 . the depth of the injection holes 3 also can vary according to the specific requirements , as will become better apparent hereinafter . injection tubes 4 are then inserted or driven into the injection holes 3 ; said tubes are made of copper , pvc , steel or other material , and are suitably constituted by and / or treated with lubricating material in order to facilitate their sliding along the corresponding injection hole 3 . then a selected substance 5 , called hereinafter “ substance ” that expands after injection by chemical reaction is injected through the injection tubes 4 into the wall system 1 . preferably , during the injection the injection tubes 4 are gradually retracted along the corresponding injection hole 3 in the opposite direction with respect to the direction of insertion , so that the substance 5 distributes in the plurality of cavities 2 that the injection hole 3 passes through or are connected thereto , with the purpose of involving , with a single operation , a vast volume of wall system 1 and of filling with the substance 5 a plurality of voids , interstices and cavities . in the most frequent case of a wall system 1 that is extended vertically and therefore has injection holes 3 that run vertically or are slightly inclined with respect to the vertical , the injection tubes 3 are gradually retracted upward , during the injection of the substance 5 , at a rate that is preferably variable , as will become better apparent hereinafter . the selected substance 5 , once injected , as a consequence of a chemical reaction among its components , expands with a potential volume increase comprised between 2 and 5 times the volume of the substance before expansion and generates a maximum expansion pressure in conditions of complete confinement that is normally comprised between 20 kpa and 200 kpa , and is in any case selected to be always lower than the bursting limit pressure of the wall system 1 being treated . the maximum expansion pressure of said substance 5 , as it has been established by way of studies carried out while devising the present method , greatly decreases for a minimal increase in volume of said substance as a consequence of the chemical reaction , and so as to ensure , if completely confined within a saturated wall cavity , a considerable reduction of the expansion pressure after minimal expansion and therefore after any minimal and tolerable deformations of the surrounding wall elements . in particular , it has been established that said substance has a strong reduction in maximum expansion pressure following an expansion thereof of even less than 5 % of its initial volume . the term “ dissipable ” used in the present document , in this connection , is intended to express the mentioned concept . the used , selected substance 5 , before expansion , has a permeability coefficient preferably equal to 10 - 9 m / s . the substance 5 has , before the beginning of the chemical expansion reaction , an average viscosity comprised between 200 mpa · s and 300 mpa · s at 20 ° c . and in any case suitable to ensure the easy permeation of the cavities that can be reached by it as its exits from the injection tube 4 in the wall system 1 . the substance 5 has a reaction time , i . e ., the time interval between its introduction in the injection tube 4 and the beginning of the expansion process , that is normally comprised between 3 seconds and 60 seconds so as to avoid , depending on the thickness and characteristics of the wall system 1 to be subjected to the intervention , both an excessive escape of the substance 5 from the treated masonry and a partial permeation of the voids that are present inside the wall system 1 . directly after the beginning of the expansion process , the substance 5 rapidly increases its viscosity until it becomes solid , i . e ., with a viscosity that tends to infinity , once the reaction has ended ; this time period is preferably comprised between 20 and 150 seconds . this characteristic is very important , also because it allows to inject the substance 5 even into wall systems in direct contact with moving water without the risk of washing it away and therefore conveying it out of the wall system . moreover , said substance 5 is capable of performing regular expansion regardless of the presence of surrounding water . once it has expanded and consolidated , the substance 5 cannot be altered by the presence of water , even if said water contains acids and / or rich in sulfates and / or carbonates and / or salts in general . once consolidation has occurred , the substance 5 has good mechanical characteristics , at least equal to those of the disaggregated material that the substance 5 has replaced . these mechanical characteristics can be defined beforehand , within a certain margin , since they depend on the density of said substance 5 after expansion , which is directly a function of the density of the substance 5 expanded in free air and of the amount of substance introduced during the injection step . in particular , said substance 5 , once it has consolidated , preferably , is selected so as to have a tensile strength substantially between an average of 180 n / cm 2 at a density of 200 kg / m 3 and 800 n / cm 2 at a density of 500 kg / m 3 , and a compression strength substantially between an average of 200 n / cm 2 at a density of 200 kg / m 3 and 1300 n / cm 2 at a density of 500 kg / m 3 , a property whereby it improves the mechanical characteristics of the treated wall system 1 even with respect to its original conditions , especially if one considers that usually the density of the injected and consolidated substance 5 is higher than 500 kg / m 3 and therefore its tensile strength and compression strength are even higher than indicated above , while the tensile strength of conventional binders is practically zero . the substance 5 , once it has expanded and consolidated , has a lower relative density than water . the selected substance 5 is conveniently constituted by a mixture of expanding polyurethane foam , preferably a closed - cell polyurethane foam . said substance 5 can be constituted , for example , by a two - part ( component ) foam that is mixed inside a mixing unit of a known type , not shown for the sake of simplicity , which is connected to the injection tubes 4 and is served by a pump that ensures the pressure required to inject the substance through the injection tubes 4 . the first component can be a mixture of polyols comprising a polyether polyol , a catalyst and water , such as that available under the name uretek hydro cp 200 a manufactured by the dutch company resina chemie . the second component can be an mdi isocyanate , such as that available under the name uretek hydro cp 200 b manufactured by the same company . the mixing of these two components produces an expanding polyurethane foam whose density , at the end of expansion in free air ( i . e ., without confinement ), is at least equal to 200 kg / m 3 and varies according to the volume of the cavities 2 that are present in the wall system 1 and to the resistance opposed by the walls that delimit said cavities 2 . clearly , it is also possible to use other expanding substances that have similar properties without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the present invention . according to the requirements , the substance 5 can be injected , through the injection tubes 4 inserted in the injection holes 3 , formed beforehand in the wall system 1 , in a single injection step or , selectively , with partial interruptions , as shown in fig1 and 4 , starting from below , while the injection tube 4 is gradually retracted upward at a rate that is preferably adjusted according to the pressure and / or flow - rate of injection of the substance 5 . if necessary , the substance 5 can also be introduced selectively by performing localized injections in specific points of the wall system 1 selected by appropriate engineering criteria , for example , where there is a greater presence of voids or where there are water infiltrations , or where there is a structural discontinuity or other condition . in this last case , the injection tubes 4 are not necessarily retracted but can be left inside the wall system 1 , as shown in fig3 . in this case also , it can be useful to measure the pressure and / or flow - rate of injection of the substance 5 in order to check that the cavities 2 are filled completely and therefore decide to interrupt the injection . the pressure and flow - rate of injection can be measured constantly by means of a monitoring system that comprises a pressure gauge and / or a flow - rate measurement device 6 of a known type , which are shown schematically for the sake of simplicity and are arranged upstream of the inlet of the injection tube 4 between said inlet and the mixer , for example on an injection nozzle 7 , of a known type , of an injection device 8 , that connects the mixer to the corresponding injection tube 4 , so as to achieve complete filling of the cavities 2 before starting the retraction of the injection tube 4 or interrupting the injection of the substance 5 . in particular , an example is given of the importance of the use of injection monitoring by means of the instruments 6 cited above arranged on the injection nozzle 7 . this example is given merely by way of non - limitative indication : assuming that the characteristics of the intact wall system are already measured and known , so that the maximum pressure that can be withstood by the masonry , i . e ., the limit bursting pressure ( 20 bar ) divided by the safety coefficient ( 10 ), is 2 bar , the injection process is selectively performed by limiting the injection pressures in the steady state between 0 and 2 bar . as the injection pressures measured by the pressure gauge 6 vary , the retraction rate of the injection tube 4 varies proportionally . when the pressure measured by the pressure gauge located on the injection nozzle is 0 bar , the injection tube 4 is retracted at the rate of 0 meters per minute ; when the pressure measured by the pressure gauge located on the injection nozzle tends to , but is in any case lower than , 2 bar , the injection tube 4 is retracted at the rate of 3 meters per minute ; when the pressures measured by the pressure gauge located on the injection nozzle are between 0 and 2 bar , the retraction rate of the injection tube 4 varies proportionally between 0 and 3 meters per minute . the parameters described above , by way of example , can be varied even considerably as a function of the characteristics of the wall system 1 that vary . if a prolonged induction of overpressure occurs suddenly and instantaneously and is measured by the pressure gauge 6 located on the injection nozzle up to 10 bar ( a value that is in any case lower than the bursting limit pressure of the masonry ) and / or if a substantial decrease or stoppage in delivery measured by the flow - rate measurement device occurs , a safety valve 12 or the like stops the injection stream through the feeding tube 14 that exits from the injection nozzle , deactivating the system and therefore the injection of the substance 5 . the induction of overpressure must be prolonged and must last generally between 2 and 10 seconds , depending on the type of masonry . for very rapid overpressure peaks ( generally shorter than 2 - 10 seconds ), it has been observed that the masonry is in any case capable of tolerating certain pressures , which are in any case lower than the bursting limit pressure , without necessarily undergoing deformation . in some cases , moreover , the occurrence of overpressure peaks helps to achieve more complete permeation of the voids on the part of the substance 5 in the wall system . it has been established that for substances whose viscosity is higher than the preferred viscosity cited above , the induction of overpressure produces very small benefits of higher permeation , offset by high risks of bursting the wall system . in the manner described , maximum safety is ensured and risks of collapse of the wall system are avoided , ensuring complete permeation thereof . the flow - rate measurement device and the pressure gauge furthermore allow to manage the injection , avoiding excessive outflows of the substance 5 from the wall system 1 ; if the dispensed flow - rate is excessively high , the injection can in fact be interrupted , checking the wall system visually or with destructive or non - destructive tests in order to determine whether there are excessive dispersions of the substance 5 outside the wall system 1 . this selectable system to be used to control continuously the injection and retraction rate of the injection tubes 4 can be of the programmable type , so that it can be applied to wall systems that have different characteristics . the injection tubes 4 have , at one of their axial ends , an inlet that is designed to be connected to the injection nozzle 7 and , at or proximate to their opposite axial end , one or preferably a plurality of outlets 9 for the substance 5 . in the case of multiple outlets , the sum of the individual passage sections of said outlets is preferably larger than the passage section of the inlet to which the injection nozzle is applied . this characteristic produces , among other effects , a greater uniformity of distribution of the substance 5 in the wall system 1 , a lower risk of sudden increases in pressure caused by obstruction of the injection duct , constituted by the injection tube 4 and / or by the injection hole 3 , or by the filling of sealed cavities present in said wall system and a reduction in the outflow rate of the substance 5 from the injection duct , with a consequent reduction of the risk of escape from the wall system 1 . once injected , solely with the pressure induced by the pump , the substance 5 , owing to its low viscosity ( whose preferred values are cited above ) tends to enter , before expansion , all the cavities 2 that are more easily accessible in the wall system and expansion starts . this behavior causes the controlled filling of the occupied cavities 2 and propels the substance 5 further into the less accessible cavities , consequently filling them . the controlled and dissipable expansion pressure of the substance 5 avoids significant and dangerous breakages and deformations in the wall system 1 . all the solid elements that constitute the wall system 1 that surrounds the injection hole are surrounded by a film of expanded substance whose dimensions are substantially equal to those of the preceding empty interstices , assuredly placed under tension again . any fluids that are present in cavities of the wall system are expelled by the expansion pressure of the substance 5 , and all the stone or brick blocks that constitute the solid skeleton of the wall system are reaggregated without being subjected to excessive tensions . if the wall system is immersed in water or in the ground below the water table level , an expanding substance is used which reacts independently of the presence of water and is not altered by it during the expansion process or after consolidation has occurred . for example , the mentioned uretek hydro cp 200 a expands solely by virtue of the water contained therein , since it is a halogen and totally devoid of propellant compounds such as cfcs , hfcs , hcfcs and cfs . in other words , the chemical reaction of expansion occurs without absorbing water from the surrounding environment and therefore without being damaged by said water or most importantly boosted uncontrollably in its expansion force . moreover , said element derives from renewable and non - polluting material . it should be noted , according to the present invention , that the substance 5 injected into the wall system according to an appropriately designed geometric grid automatically seeks the cavities 2 that are easier to reach during expansion . in this manner , the substance continues to occupy the cavities until they are saturated , consequently causing an overpressure and a reduction in flow - rate , which can be verified at all times by the monitoring system located at the injection nozzle as described above . another monitoring operation that can be performed during use is the monitoring of any movements , along directions that are substantially perpendicular to the planes of arrangement of the two larger opposite faces of the wall system and therefore horizontally , if the wall system is vertical , undergone by the wall system or by the entire outer surface of the wall system during the injection of the substance 5 . this monitoring is optionally performed by using laser levels or similar instruments that are commercially available and are suitable to detect in real time and continuously any minimum movement of the surfaces of said wall system . in the presence of large or in any case appreciable cavities in the wall system that rise to the surface , it is possible to perform interventions prior to the injection of the substance 5 into the wall system . these interventions differ depending on whether the surface of the wall system is in contact with the ground or is exposed , i . e ., its surface is free or immersed in water . in the first case it is possible to act beforehand , according to a known type of technique , with injections of expanding substances 10 that have a high degree of expansion and a great expansion pressure along the surface of the wall system directly in contact with the ground , or in the ground at a distance that can vary from 0 . 20 m to 1 . 00 m from the surface , as shown in fig5 and 6 , in order to push the soil or the injected expanding system toward the cavities of the wall system in order to close and block the openings that are present therein and rise to the surface . in the second case , it is possible to act along the surface of the wall system affected by the surfacing of the cavities , for example by applying a sheet of geotextile material 11 or other material and by “ spray ” covering it by using expanding substances with a high degree of expansion and rapid hardening , as shown in fig7 . all this can be removed rapidly immediately after the operation for injection into the wall system . to achieve the goal of confinement of the wall system , it is optionally possible to use other methods , so long as they are capable of confining any escape of the substance 5 from the cavities that reach the surface of the wall system . in order to define precisely the center distance for performing the injections in the masonry , it is possible to use the system shown in fig8 , i . e ., the method of monitoring the injection performed by introducing closed - end flexible and deformable piezometer pipes 13 into measurement holes 15 made in the wall system 1 in the vicinity of the injection tube 4 . said piezometer pipes 13 are filled with water , and the level of the water is visible in the portion of the piezometer pipes 13 that protrudes upward from the wall system 1 . the substance 5 , during the filling of the cavities 2 that contain the piezometer pipes 13 , by way of its expansion pressure , presses the walls of the piezometer pipes 13 , causing the rise of the level of the water contained therein . this non - destructive monitoring allows to identify the space covered by the expanding substance inside the wall system and to design accordingly the center distance of intervention required to consolidate said wall system . this non - destructive monitoring system can be used systematically during the injection operations where it is important to check that the wall system has been permeated by the substance 5 in every cavity . at the end of the treatment , it is possible to apply to the wall system conventional integrity testing methods , either destructive ones such as coring or others or non - destructive ones such as ultrasound testing or others . in practice it has been found that the method according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim , since it allows , in a simple , rapid , effective , permanent , non - destructive and low - cost manner , to restore the structural integrity of deteriorated wall systems , even in the presence of water , in order to increase their mechanical characteristics , reduce their permeability to water flows , reduce their thermal conductivity , and other effects . the method thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations , all of which are within the scope of the appended claims ; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements . the disclosures in italian patent application no . mi2002a001995 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference .
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this invention relates to a sulky for powered devices . the invention will be described in its preferred embodiment of a sulky for a self powered commercial lawn mower . the lawn mower disclosed is a cub cadet mower . this device includes a frame 10 which supports an engine ( not shown ) and a forwardly extending mower deck ( not shown ). the frame itself is supported on two pairs of fore and aft displaced wheels so as to provide a constant support for the mower frame 10 ( wheels not shown ). the rear wheels are power driven by a hydrostatic transmission to the engine . the direction and speed of the lawn mower is under the control of the operator by the manipulation of the handlebars 11 together with the controls thereon . in this mower , the speed and direction are controlled by two clutches , one for the left rear wheel and the other for the right rear wheel . this allows for turns to be accomplished without physically moving the mower via the handlebars . this particular mower is given as an example . other self powered devices could be substituted . the invention of this application relates to the sulky 20 . this sulky 20 includes a pivot frame 30 , a sulky frame 40 , and a sulky stand 50 . the pivot frame 30 is for interconnecting the front section 41 of the sulky frame 40 to the back 12 of the mower frame while simultaneously providing a horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot that allows the sulky frame 40 to move angularly upwards and downwards in respect to the mower frame 10 . the pivot frame 30 in addition spaces the front section 41 of the sulky frame by the appropriate distance from the back 12 of the mower frame 10 . the appropriate distance is determined by operator comfort in respect to the distance 13 that the handlebars extend rearwardly of the back 12 of the mower frame . this provides for operator comfort when the operator is on the sulky stand 50 . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot is at the front end 31 of the pivot frame 30 . the particular pivot disclosed are ball ends 32 on the front end of the pivot frame 30 , which ball ends pivot about removable pins 33 to two brackets 34 which are interconnected to the back 12 of the mower frame 10 . the pins 33 allow the pivot frame 30 to pivot about the brackets 34 , thus allowing the sulky stand 50 to float upwards and downwards in respect to the mower frame 10 . the ball ends 32 allow for compensation for any angular misalignment between the holes in the brackets 34 and the holes in the ball ends 32 , thus facilitating assembly . the removable pins 33 allow for easy removal of the sulky for use of the mower without the sulky , transport , storage , etc . to increase the side to side stability of the horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot , it is preferred that the brackets 34 be at least two in number and widely spaced as shown . this maximizes the side to side stability between the mower frame 10 and the sulky stand 50 . due to the preferred locating the horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot on the back 12 of the mower frame 10 , the longitudinal angular pivoting of the sulky stand 50 is minimized for a sulky 20 having a given length ( for example in contrast to locating the horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot at the back end 35 of the pivot frame 30 with the front end 31 fixedly interconnected to the back 12 of the mower frame 10 ). this minimization of the longitudinal angular pivoting is preferred for operator convenience and comfort . in the preferred embodiment disclosed , the front section 41 of the sulky frame is interconnected to the back end 35 of the pivot frame 30 by an optional horizontal &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; axis pivot . this horizontal &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; axis pivot allows the sulky stand 50 to float angularly sideways of the mower frame 10 , thus reducing the torsion on the pivot frame 30 and sulky frame 40 . this increases the service life of the sulky 20 for components of the given size . the preferred &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; axis pivot disclosed is a pin 36 extending longitudinally backwards off of the back end 35 of the pivot frame in combination with a bearing 42 in a hole on the front section 41 of the sulky frame 40 . the combination of this pin 36 and bearing 42 allow the sulky frame 40 to laterally rotate in respect to the pivot frame 30 . the pin 36 and bearing 42 in addition interconnects the sulky frame 40 to the pivot frame 30 so that the sulky frame 40 is interconnected to the mower frame 10 for travel over the ground . note that this pin 36 and bearing 42 in addition interconnect the sulky frame 40 to the pivot frame 30 during turning of the mower . the pin 36 and bearing 42 combination should be sized in recognition of these high angular forces . the sulky frame 40 supports the sulky stand 50 for travel over the ground , in addition to interconnecting the sulky stand 50 to the pivot frame 30 and thence the mower frame 10 . the particular sulky frame 40 disclosed accomplishes this by two widely spaced wheels 60 on either side of the sulky stand 50 . the significant lateral spacing of these wheels provides for a solid support of the sulky stand 50 over uneven ground . since the sulky frame 40 does not longitudinally angularly shift in respect to the mower frame 10 , the wheels 60 are interconnected to the sulky frame 40 by a vertical &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; axis pivot . this vertical &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; axis pivot allows the wheels to rotate in respect to the sulky frame 40 , thus aligning themselves to the direction of movement of the sulky frame 40 over the ground . the particular &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; axis pivot disclosed is accomplished by two off center pins 61 on the wheels in combination with bearings 45 at either lateral side of the sulky frame 40 . by offsetting the pin 61 forward in respect to the axis of rotation of the wheels 60 , a measure of stability is provided for the wheels . this is preferred . note that if the horizontal &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; axis pivot was omitted , it would be possible to use a single wheel 60 ; two wheels would not be needed to provide any lateral stability for the sulky stand 50 . a single wheel could also be successfully utilized with a stand 51 below the wheel rotational axis . the sulky stand 50 provides the physical support for the operator . in the particular embodiment disclosed , this is provided by a single flat foot stand surface 51 which is fixedly interconnected to the sulky frame 40 by certain side pieces 52 . the surface 51 is preferably sufficiently wide and long such that the largest sized operator could be accommodated . other operator supports could also be utilized , such as an operator seat . this seat would further provide operator comfort . in use , the operator locates the mower on a flat surface and interconnects the sulky 20 to the back 12 of the mower frame 10 by the pins 33 . any slight angular misalignment is compensated for by the ball ends 32 of the pivot frame 30 . the operator then starts the mower and stands on the surface 51 of the sulky . when thus positioned , the operator is located directly behind all of the mower controls which are located on the handlebars 11 . the operator then engages the controls to operate the mower with the power driven mower pulling the operator on the sulky 20 across the ground . whether the operator is going straight or turning the mower , the operator maintains his same relative position in respect to the handlebars 11 . this is true whether the operator is going straight , reverse , or turning . this constant location facilitates operator control of the lawn mower as well as operator comfort . in that in the preferred embodiment disclosed , the horizontal &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; axis pivot is located far forward , any longitudinal angular shifting of the sulky stand 50 is minimized . this further assists the operator in control of the mower . if the operator wants to remove the sulky 20 for unfettered manual operation , transportation , etc ., a quick pull on the removable pins 33 drops the sulky until next time . although the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment with a certain degree of particularity , it is to be understood that numerous changes can be made without deviating from the invention as hereinafter claimed .
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fig1 is a schematic diagram of a 4 - bit dual flash adc of the present invention . the necessary storing of a momentary value of the adc input signal can be accomplished by any tha coupled in series with the adc input . the tha 1 consisting of a pair of voltage followers , switch and a capacitor connected to ground is shown as an example . by closing the switch the adc input voltage is applied to the capacitor and stored therein when the switch opens . the output voltage of the tha 1 is applied to the comparator input of the comparator / multiplexer section 10 via the switch 2 . this initiates the first conversion phase . the resistor network 9 consists of resistors coupled in series between a pair of reference signal sources , one of which is ground . the network 9 divides down the voltage of the reference source v for providing a plurality of reference signals . the resistors are equally valued for obtaining all quantization levels . also a current source can be used as the source v . the comparator / multiplexer section 10 includes a plurality of comparators each having a noninverting input coupled to the comparator input of the section 10 , and an inverting input receiving a specific reference voltage deriving from the resistor network 9 . the tha output voltage , which is a first comparison signal , is applied to the comparator input of the section 10 . by these means the tha output voltage is compared against the reference signals , whereby a first code is produced in response thereto . similarly , the section 10 includes a plurality of switches for selecting one of the reference voltages in response to the first code . the switches constitute a multiplexer as each switch is coupled for applying a specific reference voltage deriving from the network 9 to the multiplexer output of the section 10 . only one pair of adjacent comparators , i . e . having inputs coupled to the same resistor of the network 9 , outputs &# 34 ; zero - one &# 34 ;. all comparators receiving higher and lower reference voltages output &# 34 ; zero &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; one &# 34 ; respectively . the code produced by the comparators , referred to as the &# 34 ; thermometer &# 34 ; code , is converted in the first code . this code has only a single &# 34 ; one &# 34 ; indicating the &# 34 ; zero - one &# 34 ; break and is thus well suited for controlling the switches of the multiplexer . for that purpose a plurality of and gates is used , each having an inverting and noninverting inputs and coupled to the outputs of adjacent comparators which are 4 , 5 and 5 , 6 . this also significantly simplifies the multiplexer structure as in place of its decoder the and gates , each controlling a single switch , are used . moreover , the output code of the section 10 is the first code deriving from the gates , as shown in fig1 . generally , the &# 34 ; thermometer &# 34 ; code would result in a more complex structure of an encoder processing the code . in the following the term 1lsb refers to the resolution of the section 10 and thus corresponds to a 2 - bit resolution . the full scale range ( fsr ) of the adc is equal to the voltage of the reference source v plus 1lsb , whereby the voltage drop across each resistor of the network 9 is 1lsb . the multiplexer includes four switches . for instance , for the tha output voltage below 1lsb , the reference voltage at the multiplexer output is zero as the switch controlled by the comparator 4 is on . for the voltages equal or higher than 1lsb one of the remaining switches is on . for example , if the tha output voltage is equal or higher than fsr - 1lsb , the switch controlled by the comparator 6 is on , thus applying the voltage of the reference source v to the multiplexer output . by these means the difference between the tha and multiplexer output voltage , i . e . a residue signal , is zero or positive and smaller than 1lsb . abnormal operating conditions of the adc can be detected by a pair of additional comparators sensing adc input signals below zero and equal or higher than the fsr . during the second conversion phase the residue signal is amplified in the differential amplifier 3 . the amplified signal , which is a second comparison signal , is applied to the comparator input of the section 10 via the switch 2 for comparing against the reference signals and producing the second code . as mentioned , the residue signal is smaller than 1lsb . the on - resistance of the individual switches employed in the multiplexer is insignificant for a high inverting input impedance of the amplifier 3 . the gain of the amplifier 3 is chosen in such a manner that for the residue signal equal 1lsb its output signal is equal to the fsr . in the present embodiment of the 4 - bit adc , the gain is equal 4 . when the second code is received by the digital section , the switch 2 is switched to its initial position and the adc is ready for a new conversion . the tha 1 , switch 2 and differential amplifier 3 are parts of an amplifying means operative to successively provide the first and second comparison signals to the comparator input of the section 10 . during the first and second conversion phases the signals are equal to the output signals of the tha 1 and differential amplifier 3 respectively . the signals are successively applied via the switch 2 to the section 10 . the operation of the adc will become even more clear by further analyzing the above example of the 4 - bit adc by the end of the first conversion phase . for the voltage of the reference source v equal 3v , 1lsb corresponds to 1v and the fsr is 4v . ______________________________________tha output mux output thermometer firstvoltage voltage code code______________________________________0 to 0 . 99 v 0 v 000 0001 to 1 . 99 v 1 v 001 0012 to 2 . 99 v 2 v 011 0103 to 3 . 99 v 3 v 111 100______________________________________ fig2 is a block diagram of the fig1 embodiment including a digital section . a tha , not shown for simplicity , is coupled in series with the adc input and provides an output signal to the comparator input of the comparator / multiplexer section 10 . the section 10 also receives the reference voltages from the resistor network 9 which divides down the voltage of the reference source v . furthermore , a selected reference voltage appears at the multiplexer output in response to the first code . on the beginning of the second conversion phase the switch 2 is switched so that the output signal of the differential amplifier 3 is applied to the comparator input for producing the second code . the amplifier 3 amplifies the difference between the tha and multiplexer output signals . when the second code is received by the digital section , the switch 2 is switched to its initial position and the adc is ready for a new conversion . the digital section is coupled to receive the first and second codes by the end of the first and second conversion phases respectively . it includes the encoder 7 for sampling the codes , correcting faulty code sequences and obtaining a respective first and second binary output codes . the binary codes are added / subtracted in the adder / accumulator 8 for providing the output code of the adc . an encoder of an ordinary flash adc can be employed . the encoder described in the patent application entitled &# 34 ; encoder for flash adcs &# 34 ; having serial number 946 , 598 and filed on 12 / 24 / 86 by the same inventor is recommended for a significantly higher performance . the first and second binary codes represent the output signals of the tha and differential amplifier 3 respectively . therefore , the first binary code has a higher weight proportional to the gain of the differential amplifier 3 . the higher weight can be attained simply by applying the first binary code to input terminals of the adder / accumulator 8 having higher weight . ideally , the first and second binary codes are respectively msbs and lsbs of the adc output code , whereby no adder is necessary . fig3 is another embodiment with a capacitor pair providing a residue signal . the adc input signal is applied to an amplifying means which includes a sampling means for sensing the adc input signal and storing a momentary value thereof , and a means for storing a multiplexer output signal , serial coupling the capacitors and amplifying the residue signal appearing thereacross . the adc also includes the reference voltage source v , resistor network 19 and comparator / multiplexer section 20 , such as shown in fig1 . these components are coupled and operate as the respective components of fig1 and 2 . specifically , the adc input voltage is applied to the capacitor 14 via a voltage follower and the switch 11 coupled in series , whereby a momentary value of the voltage is stored in the capacitor 14 when the switch 11 opens . the multiplexer output signal is applied to and stored in the capacitor 15 . the capacitor voltages are amplified in an amplifier having predetermined gains . for that purpose the operational amplifier ( oa ) 13 , switch 12 and a resistor divider coupled for providing a portion of the oa 13 output voltage are employed . the switch 12 is coupled in series with the inverting input of the oa 13 for selecting a unity gain or a higher gain set by the resistor divider . thus , an ordinary noninverting amplifier configuration is constituted . during the first conversion phase the noninverting input of the oa 13 receives the first comparison voltage . this voltage is stored in the capacitor 14 which is coupled to ground via the closed switch 16 . the first comparison voltage is also applied to the comparator input of the section 20 as the gain selected by the switch 12 is one . the section 20 provides a first code representing the voltage . in response to the first code a nearest reference voltage smaller or equal to the voltage across the capacitor 14 appears at the multiplexer output of the section 20 . on the beginning of the second conversion phase the switches 12 , 16 and 17 are switched . specifically , the multiplexer output voltage is applied via the switch 17 to the capacitor 15 and stored therein when the switch 17 is switched . the switch 16 opens simultaneously so that the capacitors 14 and 15 are coupled in series and also to ground via the switch 17 . the adc input sample and the multiplexer output voltage stored in the capacitors respectively 14 and 15 are subtracted , whereby the difference is the residue signal . the oa 13 amplifies the difference for providing the second comparison voltage to the section 20 . as a result , the section 20 provides a second code representing the voltage . the gain selected by the switch 12 is such that for the difference equal 1lsb the voltage is equal to the fsr . a digital section , e . g . as shown in fig2 and described hereinabove , is coupled to receive the first and second codes by the end of the first and second conversion phases respectively , for obtaining the output code of the adc . when the second code is received by the digital section , the switches 11 , 12 and 16 are switched to their initial positions and the adc is ready for a new conversion . fig4 is an embodiment for a very high speed . the tha 21 , e . g . as 1 shown in fig1 is coupled in series with the adc input . the adc also includes the resistor network 29 and comparator / multiplexer section 30 , such as shown in fig1 which are coupled and operate as in the embodiments of fig1 thru 3 . however , the reference voltage source v and ground connection are replaced by the reference current source j and switch 22 respectively . furthermore , the input polarity of the comparators 4 thru 6 is reversed . the comparator input of the section 30 is coupled to ground . specifically , the output voltage of the tha 21 is applied via the switch 22 to one terminal of the network 29 . the other terminal thereof is coupled to the reference current source j . therefore , the voltage appearing between these terminals is divided for providing first comparison voltages to the section 30 . however , these voltages are now referenced to the altering tha output voltages , rather than a fixed voltage , and thus vary in response thereto . the comparator input of the section 30 is coupled to ground . therefore , the comparators of the section 30 are comparing the first comparison signals against ground for determining polarity thereof and producing the first code . moreover , the comparison voltage selected in response thereto and appearing at the multiplexer output is below 1lsb with reference to ground and thus can be directly amplified by an ordinary amplifier . on the beginning of the second conversion phase the switch 24 is switched . the conversion speed is significantly increased as the multiplexer output voltage is applied to and stored in the capacitor 25 when the switch 24 opens . the switch 22 is also switched . the capacitor voltage is amplified and then applied to the network 29 via the switch 22 . the tha output voltage is no longer required and the tha 21 can be used for providing a new sample of the adc input voltage . the conversion speed is thus influenced by the acquisition time of the tha 21 or the second phase conversion time , whichever is longer . the components 21 thru 25 are parts of an amplifying means operative to provide a pair of reference signals to the network 29 . during the first conversion phase , the adc input signal sample stored in the tha 21 is provided as the first reference signal . during the second conversion phase , the amplified multiplexer signal is the second reference signal . the network 29 receives the first and second reference signals for providing respectively a plurality of first and a plurality of second comparison signals in response thereto . the comparators of the section 30 compare the first and second comparison signals against ground , wherein respectively the first and second codes are produced in response thereto . the switch 22 is employed for successively applying the first and second reference signals to the resistor network 29 , whereby its on - resistance is coupled in series therewith . however , the constant current of the reference current source flows thru the switch 22 . for higher accuracy , the switch 22 can be replaced by two single switches , one included in a feedback of the tha 21 and the other in the feedback of the oa 23 , therefore coupled in series with the respective outputs thereof . the current of the reference current source j is chosen in such a manner that for the tha output signal equal to the fsr , the smallest comparison voltage is 1lsb . similarly , the gain of the amplifier is chosen in such a manner that its output signal is equal to the fsr for the multiplexer output signal equal 1lsb . the voltage drop across each resistor of the network 29 is 1lsb for equally valued resistors coupled in series . the amplifier consists of the oa 23 having noninverting input coupled to the capacitor 25 for amplifying the voltage appearing thereacross , and inverting input receiving a portion of the oa 23 output signal from a resistor divider , which also determines the gain . a digital section , e . g . as shown in fig2 and described hereinabove , is coupled to receive the first and second codes by the end of the first and second conversion phases respectively , for obtaining the output code of the adc . when the second code is received by the digital section , the switch 22 is switched to its initial position and the adc is ready for a new conversion . the operation of the adc will become even more clear by further analyzing the above example of the 4 - bit adc by the end of the first conversion . for clarity and by way of example , three tha output voltages are specified . the order of the outputs of the section 30 can be reversed for obtaining ascent first codes . for the fsr equal 4v , 1lsb corresponds to 1v . ______________________________________tha output mux output thermometer firstvoltage voltage code code______________________________________1 . 89 v 0 . 89 v 100 1002 . 00 v 0 . 00 v 110 0102 . 34 v 0 . 34 v 110 010______________________________________ fig5 is the preferred embodiment for a very high speed . the adc input signal is applied to an amplifying means which includes a sampling means for sensing the adc input signal and storing a momentary value thereof , and an amplifier means for storing and amplifying a multiplexer output signal . the adc also includes the resistor network 29 and comparator / multiplexer section 30 , such as shown in fig1 and the reference current source j . these components are coupled and operate as in the fig4 embodiment , whereas the network 29 is coupled directly to the oa 33 . specifically , the adc input voltage is applied to the capacitor 34 via a voltage follower and the switch 31 coupled in series , whereby a momentary value of the voltage is stored in the capacitor 34 when the switch 31 opens . the multiplexer output signal is applied to and stored in the capacitor 35 . the capacitor voltage is amplified in an amplifier having a predetermined gain . for that purpose the oa 33 , switch 32 and a resistor divider coupled for providing a portion of the oa 33 output voltage are employed . the switch 32 is coupled in series with the inverting input of the oa 33 for selecting a unity gain or a higher gain set by the resistor divider . thus , an ordinary noninverting amplifier configuration is constituted . during the first conversion phase the noninverting input of the oa 33 receives a first reference voltage . this voltage is stored in the capacitor 34 and is also applied to the network 29 as the gain selected by the switch 32 is one . the section 30 provides a first code representing the voltage . in response to the first code a comparison voltage below 1lsb , with reference to ground , appears at the multiplexer output of the section 30 . on the beginning of the second conversion phase the switch 36 is switched . thereby , the multiplexer output voltage is applied to the capacitor 35 and stored therein when the switch 36 opens . the switches 32 and 37 are also switched so that the oa 33 amplifies the capacitor voltage for providing the second reference voltage to the network 29 . as a result , the section 30 provides a second code representing the voltage . the gain selected by the switch 32 is such that for the capacitor voltage equal 1lsb the second reference voltage is equal to the fsr . concurrently , a new sample of the adc input voltage can be applied to and stored in the capacitor 34 . the embodiment of fig5 can be further simplified by combining the capacitors 34 and 35 into one , as indicated by the dashed line , whereby the switch 38 is superfluous . however , the adc conversion time will be increased as the adc input sample and multiplexer output signal may be stored in the capacitor one at a time . the on - resistance of the switches 32 , 36 , 37 and also the individual switches employed in the multiplexer is insignificant as the capacitor 35 is charged from a low impedance voltage source and the input bias currents of the oa 33 are very small . a digital section , e . g . as shown in fig2 and described hereinabove , is coupled to receive the first and second codes by the end of the first and second conversion phases respectively , for obtaining the output code of the adc . when the second code is received by the digital section , the switches 32 and 37 are switched to their initial positions and the adc is ready for a new conversion . in the above embodiments , the reference and comparison signals are used to perform functions indicated by the signal names . in the embodiments of fig1 thru 3 , the resistor network provides a plurality of reference signals to the comparator / multiplexer section . the comparator input thereof successively receives the first and second comparison signals . in the embodiments of fig4 and 5 , the first and second reference signals are successively applied to the resistor network 29 which , in response thereto , provides a plurality of first and a plurality of second comparison signals to the section 30 . the comparator input thereof is coupled to ground . a dual flash conversion of the adc input signal into the output code has been described with reference to specific embodiments . a triple flash conversion will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . generally , the third conversion can be accomplished by amplifying and converting a signal difference between the amplifying means and multiplexer output signals after the first and second conversion phases respectively , for the embodiments of fig1 thru 3 . it can be accomplished by amplifying and converting the multiplexer output signal after the second conversion phase , for the embodiments of fig4 and 5 , whereby the amplification will be performed at yet a higher gain . however , the dual flash conversion will be sufficient in most cases as the final resolution of the comparator / multiplexer section can be effectively doubled . for that purpose , a slightly higher number of resistors , comparators and switches , etc . can be used in order to cover the signal difference or multiplexer output signal , of the respective embodiments , which can be negative or exceed 1lsb . this is caused by inaccuracies of the resistor network , comparator offset voltages , nonlinearity of the amplifying means , etc . in the embodiments of fig1 thru 3 , the resistor network can be coupled between two reference voltage sources of opposite polarities . in the embodiments of fig4 and 5 , the tha can exhibit an output offset voltage or the comparator input of the section 30 can be coupled to a fixed voltage source rather than ground . for instance , a 16 - bit adc can employ 300 rather than 255 comparators and a corresponding number of other necessary components . the embodiments of the present invention described herein are intended to be taken in an illustrative and not a limiting sense . various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims .
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fig1 schematically shows a well installation comprising downhole metallic tubing 1 comprising casing 11 and within this , production tubing 12 . a sub surface safety valve 2 is provided downhole in the well within the production tubing 12 . this sub surface safety valve 2 is provided for permitting the flow of product , that is oil and / or gas , towards the surface during normal circumstances but obstructing such flow when circumstances necessitate this . a sub surface safety valve control unit 3 is provided downhole in the region of the sub surface safety valve 2 . a power signal transmitter 4 is provided at the surface and is connected to the downhole metallic tubing 1 . in practical terms it makes little difference whether the transmitter 4 is connected to the casing 11 or production tubing 12 , or even the well head , because in general terms the casing 11 and production tubing 12 will be in contact with one and other at many locations within the well and thus they tend to act as a single conduction path . another terminal of the transmitter 4 is connected to ground and thus valve controlling signals may be applied to the metallic tubing 1 for transmission downhole towards the valve control module 3 . in some implementations the connections to ground might be via another , nearby , well . the valve control module 3 has a spaced pair of contacts 31 which contact with the downhole metallic tubing 1 , in particular , with the production tubing 12 in this embodiment . although not shown in detail in the drawings , in a set up of the type shown in fig1 , the valve control unit 3 may be completion conveyed with the production tubing 12 for example as a mandrel tool which fits around the production tubing 12 . as such very good electrical connection can be easily achieved between the valve control module 3 and the production tubing 12 . in operation as the transmitter 4 transmits signals into the metallic tubing 1 , a resulting current i will flow in the tubing 11 , 12 . where this current i meets the contacts 31 a proportion of the current . delta . i will flow through the valve control module 3 . this proportion of the current . delta . i can be used to control operation of the valve 2 . in the present embodiment no power source is provided downhole for control of the valve 2 . rather power is extracted directly from the signals i applied to the metallic tubing 11 , 12 by the transmitter 4 . thus there is direct power supply from the surface for controlling the valve 2 . the valve control module 3 is arranged so that provided signals having an appropriate frequency are received from the metallic structure 11 , 12 , the valve 2 will be held open . on the other hand if such signals cease , the valve will be allowed to close . of course such ceasing of the signals i may be as the result of a deliberate act of stopping transmission from the surface transmitter 4 or may be due to more unexpected circumstances such as a failure of the transmitter 4 or some larger scale failure of the well installation as a whole . the valve control module 3 includes some capability to discriminate between signals having the correct characteristic showing them to be from the transmitter 4 and other signals which might be in the metallic structure of the well e . g . noise . to put this another way , the valve control module 3 has filtering capabilities . thus if signals are picked up having the incorrect frequency these will not be sufficient to hold the valve 2 open in the absence of signals i from the surface transmitter 4 . fig2 shows more detail of the valve control module 3 of the well installation shown in fig1 . in this embodiment the valve control module 3 comprises impedance generation means 32 disposed in the region of the valve 2 . the impedance generation means 32 is arranged for generating a local electrical impedance in the production tubing 12 in the region of the valve 2 . the impedance generation means comprises a generally toroidal piece of magnetic material 32 a around which is wound a winding 32 b which is connected in series with a capacitor 32 c . the winding 32 b , magnetic material 32 a and the production tubing 12 passing through the toroid of magnetic material 32 a act as a transformer with the production tubing 12 acting as a single turn winding . the magnetic material 32 a , winding 32 b and capacitor 32 c are chosen so that a significant electrical impedance is seen by electrical signals flowing in the production tubing as it passes through the toroid 32 a . more particularly the value of the capacitor and number of turns of the winding 32 b are chosen so that , in effect , the impedance generation means 32 is tuned to the frequency of the signals i transmitted by the transmitter 4 . that is to say , the impedance generation means 32 is arranged so that there is resonance at the signal frequency of the transmitter 4 generating a high electrical impedance in the tubing 12 at that location to signals having the signal frequency . in order to get good transmission characteristics through the metallic structure 11 , 12 of the well , the transmitter 4 will be arranged to transmit at very low frequencies for example at 10 hz or below . thus the capacitor must be chosen to have a value which is appropriate for generating the high impedance in the tubing 12 at such very low frequencies . the provision of a multi - turn winding around the toroidal core 32 a whilst the production tubing 12 is a single turn winding helps to decrease the capacitance value required to produce a usefully increased impedance in the production tubing in the region of the impedance generation means 32 . it has been found by the applicant that it is possible to generate an impedance of in the order of 50 m . omega . and , whilst in absolute terms this is not a high electrical impedance , compared with the impedance of a section of production tubing without the presence of such impedance generation means there is vast difference . thus such an arrangement helps to drive more current . delta . i through the valve control module 3 so that this current i is available for control of the valve 2 . of course if circumstances were to allow , an insulation joint might be provided in the tubing 12 in the region of the control module 3 , but in many circumstances the provision of such an insulation joint is impossible or highly undesirable . the control module 3 also comprises a solenoid 33 which is connected in series between the spaced contacts 31 and receives the current . delta . i which is caused to flow through the valve control module 3 . this solenoid 33 is used to directly control the operation of the valve 2 , in particular to hold the valve to open whilst there is sufficient current . delta . i flowing through the solenoid 33 . it will be appreciated that the impedance generation means 32 provides a filtering function in that the impendance generated in the production tubing 12 , is tuned to a particular frequency and thus it is this frequency which will be driven through the valve control module 3 . other frequencies which are substantially unaffected by the impedance generation means 32 will continue to flow almost entirely through the production tubing 12 and thus in normal circumstances would be insufficient to provide sufficient current in the solenoid 3 to hold the valve 2 to open . of course in alternatives further filtering means may be provided in the valve control module 3 to block out frequencies outside of a desired range . insulation 34 may be provided on the outer surface of the production tubing 12 between the spaced contacts 31 to insulate against electrical contact between the production tubing 12 and casing 11 in that region . fig3 shows in schematic form an alternative form of valve control module 3 . this form of valve control module 3 is one which is more suited to a retro fitting operation where the provision of an insulation joint or impedance generation means 32 to affect the production string 12 is not possible . such a control module 3 can be used as part of a replacement valve arrangement comprising a valve 2 along with the control module 3 . the valve arrangement can be introduced into the production tubing of the well in place of a tubing retrievable valve unit that has ceased to function and been removed . thus , in this case the valve control module 3 is provided in a tool which is housed within the production tubing 12 . it again has a spaced pair of contacts 31 which in the embodiment shown in fig5 will take the form of a spaced pair setting devices each of which comprises a plurality of teeth which are arranged to bite into the metal of the production tubing 12 in order to make good mechanical and electrical contact . here again the objective is to try to encourage as much current . delta . i from the signaling current i in the metallic structure 11 , 12 to flow through the valve control module 3 . here a solenoid winding 33 is connected in parallel with a capacitor 35 and these two components are connected in series between the spaced contacts 31 . the solenoid winding 33 is provided with a magnetic core 36 and arranged to control the valve 2 . that is to say , the solenoid 33 , 36 is arranged to hold the valve to open whilst sufficient current . delta . i flows through the solenoid 33 . again here the capacitor 35 is chosen in combination with the characteristics of the solenoid winding 33 in order to promote maximum current flow through the solenoid 33 at the signalling frequency of the applied signals i . in an alternative implementation a substantially non - varying dc signal may be applied at the surface by a transmitter corresponding to that 4 shown in fig1 . in such a case a resulting dc current will flow in the metallic structure 11 , 12 which can be “ scavenged ” for use in holding open the valve 2 . with a dc implementation the valve control module 3 will be similar to that shown in fig3 but with the capacitor 35 omitted as ‘ tuning ’ will not be relevant . the scavenged current will flow in the solenoid winding 33 to hold open the valve 2 . using dc gives good signal transmission characteristics but has the disadvantage of not being as helpful in applying differentiation between bona fide and fault / random signals . fig4 a to 4c show more detail of one type of valve 2 which may be used in the arrangements such as those shown in fig1 to 3 . this is a latching poppet valve which can be moved from the closed state to the open state by the application of pressure from the surface . the valve 2 is shown in the closed state in fig4 a , in a transition state in fig4 b and in the open state in fig4 c . in the open state product p can flow through an opening 21 and into the main body 22 of the valve 2 and through and out of the valve 2 for onwards transmission towards the surface . the valve comprises a main piston 23 which is arranged for axial movement within the main body 22 to selectively obscure the opening 22 and thus block the path of product through the valve 2 . the main piston 23 is shown in the obstructing position in fig4 a . the main piston 23 is biased towards this obstructing position by a spring 24 but is held open against the action of this spring 24 by a latch 25 when the valve is in the open position as shown in fig4 c . thus in the open position as shown in fig4 c the latch 25 is holding the piston 23 against the action of the spring 24 . this means that to hold the valve in the open position shown in fig4 c no great amount of energy is required . thus it will be seen how a relatively low energy solenoid 33 in the arrangement shown in fig2 and 3 can be used to hold this latch 25 in the latching position and thus hold the valve 2 open during normal use . it will also be appreciated that the valve control modules 3 are arranged so that when power to the solenoid 33 is ceased the latch 25 can move out of engagement with the main piston 23 such that the main piston 23 may be forced by the spring 24 into the closed position shown in fig4 a . the valve 2 also comprises an auxiliary piston 26 which is shown in a rest position in fig4 a and 4c . it is held in this rest position by a spring 27 . however if the valve 2 is overpressured from the surface then , as shown in fig4 b , this pressure acts on the auxiliary piston 26 driving it downwards against the main piston 23 . together , the auxiliary piston 26 and main piston 23 move downwards from the position shown in fig4 a to the position shown in fig4 b . this means that the main piston 23 may be relatched with the latch 25 to return it to the open position as shown in fig4 c . once the overpressure from the surface is removed , the auxiliary piston 26 can be driven back to its rest position by the spring 27 so that the valve returns so its open state as shown in fig4 c . the details of this valve 2 as shown in fig4 a to 4c are included just by way of example to illustrate the type of valve which might be used with the direct surface powered control systems as shown in fig1 to 3 . useful aspects of this valve 2 are that very low power is required to hold the valve 2 in the open position and no downhole power is required to reopen the valve from a closed position as this may be achieved by applying overpressure from the surface . the present control systems may be used with other similar type valves 2 which are commercially available for use in the oil and gas industry .
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disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for detecting subsurface anomalies . in general , the techniques provided are directed to detection of tunnels and the like . however , the techniques are useful in the detection of other subsurface conditions , such as the presence of hydrocarbons . in order to provide some context , reference may be had to fig1 , where an embodiment of a detection system is shown . referring now to fig1 , there is shown a tunnel 1 . the tunnel 1 traverses a section of earth 2 . an embodiment of a detection system 10 is shown and provides for detection of the tunnel 1 . in this example , the detection system 10 include a plurality of transmitters 8 , in this case , each transmitter 8 is a horizontal electric dipole ( hed ) transmitter . the detection system 10 further includes at least one receiver 9 . in this example , the receiver 9 includes a five electrode quadrupole receiver . each of the transmitters 8 and the at least one receiver 9 is in electrical communication with a controller 6 by a respective connection 5 . generally , the controller 6 includes apparatus as appropriate for processing data from the at least one receiver 9 and controlling generation of at least one signal 4 by the transmitters 8 . generally , the transmitters 8 transmit the signal 4 into the earth 2 , and the at least one receiver 9 receives a return signal 4 . the signal 4 may be within a time range of , for example , 8 - 32 micro - seconds for shallow targets and between about 30 to 250 milliseconds for deep hydrocarbon targets , while also varying current , i and the like . generally , the detection system 10 uses electric dipole - dipole and dipole - quadrupole measurements for detection and assessment of subsurface anomalies as well as for determination of soil properties . a physical appearance of the transmitters 8 and the receiver 9 may be as similar ( or identical ) electrodes . as a matter of convention , as used herein , the transmitters 8 transmit the electrical signal 4 , while the receiver 9 receives the electrical signal 4 . it should be recognized that any one or more of the electrodes may be reconfigured with minimal effort to modify the detection system 10 . for example , any one or more of the electrodes may be reconfigured within the controller 6 to provide for fulfillment of an opposing function ( e . g ., a transmitter 8 is switched to a receiver 9 , or vice - versa ). more specifically , the controller 6 may include ( and / or be coupled to as appropriate ), for example , at least one processor , memory , data storage , machine executable instructions stored on machine readable media ( i . e ., software ), a power source , a receiver , a transmitter , a switch , a transformer , a converter , at least one communications channel , a sub - system for providing a user - interface ( ui ) and various other components as are known in the art in support of making electromagnetic measurements , providing computer controls , or as appropriate for otherwise enabling the controller 6 to perform tasks or exhibit functionality as provided herein . as shown in fig1 , and only for purposes of convention and the description herein , the detection system 10 may be disposed on a surface ( i . e ., in a plane defined by an x - axis and a y - axis , referred to as an “ x - y plane ”). also for purposes of convention and the description herein , a depth into the earth 2 is measured along a z - axis . referring now to fig2 , a survey area 21 is generally defined by a placement of the plurality of transmitters 8 and the at least one receiver 9 . as a matter of convenience , and for referencing herein , each of the plurality of transmitters 8 and the at least one receiver 9 are labeled numerically (( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ), ( 4 ), ( 5 )). such notation is merely for explanation and is not intended to denote an order of arrangement or otherwise be limiting of the teachings herein . aspects of system setup are shown within the survey area 21 . in this example , the detection system 10 includes four grounded horizontal electric dipole ( hed ) transmitters 8 (( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ), ( 4 )) and a five - electrode quadrupole receiver . if the potential of the electric field is denoted as u , then a measurement of voltage taken at the receiver 9 measures may be calculated according to eq . ( 1 ): v = d 2 u =( u 1 − 2 u 5 + u 3 + u 2 − 2 u 5 + u 4 )/ 4 ( 1 ); which represents a sum of two second differences of the electric potential between electrodes 1 , 5 , 3 , and 2 , 5 , 4 , respectively , divided by four ( or , a circular second difference of the electric potential ). thus , as depicted , the receiver 9 is in effect a combination of two quadrupoles having negative ( internal ) co - located poles . horizontal components of the electric field , or the first differences of the electric potential u 1 - u 3 , and u 2 - u 4 , are also measured using a standard dipole measurement ( accordingly , receiving heds may also be embedded in the receiver 9 ; but , are not shown in fig1 ). in the setup shown in fig3 , the four horizontal electric dipole transmitters 8 and a five - electrode grounded quadrupole receiver 9 are oriented in the x - y plane . the x - coordinates and the y - coordinates of the receiver 9 are ( x r , y r )=( 0 , 0 ); the coordinates of the transmitters 8 are ( x 1 , y 1 ); (− x 1 , y 1 ); (− x 1 , − y 1 ), and (− x 1 , y 1 ). this setup provides , among other things , complete elimination of axial horizontal current at the grounded electric quadrupole receiver 9 . each transmitter 8 excites the earth 2 ( also referred to as a “ geological formation ” and by other similar terms ) by repeating low - frequency square pulses of an electromagnetic field . when current , i , is on , the geometrical dc sounding is performed in a wide range of the setup offsets , which provides preliminary data on the resistivity of the geological formation . this may reflect the presence of hydrocarbon - bearing rocks , which are often more resistive than surrounding rocks , or another anomaly . the transient response of the geological formation is measured between the pulses ( in what may be referred to as an “ off - time ”). the signal 4 may include square pulses of alternating polarity to remove static , industrial , magnetotelluric , and other types of noise . taking a particular linear combination of these four measurements at the receiver 9 provides a complete vertical focusing of the electric current , i , and elimination of the influence of both x - directed and y - directed axial currents at the receiver 9 . weighting factors are obtained from the condition of equal potentials in the electrodes 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 , if all transmitters 8 would be excited simultaneously . this solution is equivalent to creating an equal - potential surface around the electrodes 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 by means of an automatic feedback loop . in a homogeneous half - space or in a horizontally - layered one - dimensional medium , this technique results in equal weights of all four measurements . that is , the response from a single transmitter 8 in a one - dimensional medium would be equivalent to response from each combination of the transmitters 8 with the receiver 9 . in an arbitrary three - dimensional media , all four resulting weighting factors ( or “ coefficients ”) may differ somewhat , for example , as a result of the distorting effects of various shallow lateral heterogeneities . this makes the method significantly less sensitive to unwanted lateral effects while remaining sensitive to a relatively narrow column of rocks situated directly below the receiver . in practice , the detection system 10 of the four transmitters 8 and one receiver 9 may be deployed as a mobile unit , such as by being deployed in a motor vehicle and moving along a predetermined path ( profile ), over a grid ( number of profiles ), above a possible tunnel or other possible subsurface anomaly location . the mobile unit ( not shown ) may configured in a variety of ways ( for example , the mobile unit may be manned or un - manned ). this is discussed in greater detail with regards to fig1 and 13 . in practice , the transient electromagnetic ( em ) data is recorded at a given sampling rate . interpretation and comparison to a baseline ( i . e ., background data ) is done in real time ( e . g ., at a rate that is adequate to satisfy the tolerance of acceptability defined by a user ). anomalous sites that are potential tunnels or other anomalies can be immediately identified , and follow up actions may be immediately initiated . generally , the receiving and transmitting electrodes are grounded . however , perfect grounding is not necessary . more specifically , analysis has shown that for implementations having imperfect equal grounding , the impedance of each electrode may result in different weights of the four measurements , but the final result , after applying the automatic focusing post - processing , is practically undisturbed . refer now to fig3 and 4 for more detail . when using a simplified axial ( a two - dimensional , or linear ) setup as shown in fig4 , two ratios of dipole and quadrupole measurements from each transmitter 8 are analyzed ( i . e ., ratios of the first and the second differences of the electric potential , u ). taking a particular linear combination of these two measurements at the receiver 9 provides vertical focusing of the electric current and elimination of influence of x - directed axial current at the receiver 9 . refer to equation ( 2 ): where u j i is the electric potential in j - th electrode of the receiver excited by i - th transmitter , the weight w 1 = 1 , and the weight w 2 is adjusted from the condition of equal potentials in the electrodes 1 and 3 , when the both transmitters are excited ( as described by equation ( 3 )): by neglecting y - directed current on the setup axis , the effect of the horizontal x - directed current is fully cancelled and the effect of the vertical current is duplicated . therefore , this provides for reducing sensitivity to the lateral variations of the resistivity in the near - surface layer and increasing the sensitivity to deeper structures situated below the receiver 9 . y - directed current is accounted for when using an advanced three - dimensional setup shown in fig3 ( i . e ., a rectangular array of four transmitters 8 ). thus , the four ratios of dipole and quadrupole measurements for each transmitter 8 may be derived . taking a linear combination of these four measurements at the receiver 9 provides for vertical focusing of the electric current and elimination of the influence of both x - directed and y - directed axial current at the receiver 9 . that is , the influence of current in the horizontal direction ( or x - y plane , and therefore may be referred to as “ planar current ” or “ horizontal current ” herein ) is substantially reduced . refer to equation ( 4 ): where w 1 = 1 , and the weights w 2 , w 3 and w 4 are obtained from the condition of equal potentials in the electrodes 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 , which is observed when all of the transmitters 8 are excited . thus , to obtain the weighting factors for each measurement , the linear system of equation ( 5 ) is solved with respect to the weights w 2 , w 3 , and w 4 : u 1 1 − u 2 1 + w 2 ( u 1 2 − u 2 2 )+ w 3 ( u 1 3 − u 2 3 )+ w 4 ( u 1 4 − u 2 4 )= 0 , u 1 1 − u 4 1 + w 2 ( u 1 2 − u 4 2 )+ w 3 ( u 1 3 − u 4 3 )+ w 4 ( u 1 4 − u 4 4 )= 0 , u 1 1 − u 3 1 + w 2 ( u 1 2 − u 3 2 )+ w 3 ( u 1 3 − u 3 3 )+ w 4 ( u 1 4 − u 3 4 )= 0 . ( 5 ). this solution is equivalent to creating an equal - potential surface around the electrodes 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 by use of the automatic feedback loop . one may prove that it does not matter what to put in the denominator ( 4 ), u 1 1 − u 3 1 or u 2 1 − u 4 1 . that is , the results are identical and so the denominator ( 4 ) is generally inconsequential . in homogeneous space or in a horizontally - layered one - dimensional medium , this technique results in equal weights of all four measurements . that is , the response from a single transmitter 8 in the one - dimensional medium is identical to the response from the combination of the transmitters 8 shown in fig3 and 4 . in an arbitrary three - dimensional media , all four resulting coefficients or weighting factors w i may differ , for example , as a result of distorting effects of various shallow lateral heterogeneities . this makes the method insensitive to unwanted lateral effects and sensitive to a relatively narrow anomaly situated directly below the receiver 9 . the techniques disclosed herein were validated by modeling of the methods , and comparison to the prior art techniques using ground penetrating radar ( gpr ). reference may be had to fig5 . a wide scope of three - dimensional modeling tests was performed . the models were for a 2 m × 2 m ( cross - section size ) long ( two - dimensional ) tunnel located at several depths below the surface ranging from 3 m to 16 m . the background resistivity ρ bg was set to two relatively low - resistivity values of 2 ωm and 20 ωm . the three - dimensional time - domain forward modeling problem with respect to the em field excited by a grounded electric dipole was discretized on a finite - difference ( fd ) grid and solved iteratively . the gpr method was tested for the shallow targets located at 3 and 5 m below the surface and for the same values of ρ bg = 2 and 20 ωm . in the gpr case , the three - dimensional frequency - domain forward problem for an array of two vertical magnetic dipoles is solved by a similar finite - difference scheme . refer to fig6 , which show results for the disclosed methods . in fig6 , normalized values of the electromagnetic ( em ) signal ( y - axis ) measured at the receiver locations are presented . normalization was done using the background em signal recorded above the homogeneous half - space model without a tunnel . in this example , the survey conditions were 3 m deep , ρ bg = 2 ωm : em anomaly is & gt ; 150 % for times t & gt ; 3 mks . refer now to fig7 for comparative performance of the ground - penetrating radar ( gpr ). in this simulation , τ bg = 2 ωm , and ( fig7 a ) and ( fig7 b )— offset 7 m , f = 200 and 800 khz ; ( fig7 c ) and ( fig7 d )— offset 10 m , f = 200 and 800 khz ; ( fig7 e ) and ( fig7 f )— offset 14 m , f = 200 and 800 khz . in all the cases , the gpr anomaly is & lt ; 2 %. in fig6 , simulation of performance of the detection system 10 is provided for a relatively shallow tunnel located 3 m below the earth &# 39 ; s surface ( for ρ bg = 2 ωm ). in this case , the em anomaly is strong , higher than 150 % for times t & gt ; 3 mks and exceeds 200 % at t & gt ; 4 mks . as may be interpreted from fig6 , detecting this kind of shallow anomaly would be an easy task for the methods disclosed . the data provided in fig7 shows performance to be substantially poor in comparison . fig7 a - 7f show the normalized vertical magnetic ( h z ) component for 200 and 800 khz and for the transmitter - receiver offsets of 7 , 10 , and 14 m . in all the cases , the gpr anomaly is below 2 %, which is insufficient to reliably identify a potential tunnel . fig8 depicts gpr results where resistivity has been substantially increased . fig8 presents gpr simulation results for the same shallow tunnel of fig6 - 7 , but the background resistivity is increased to ρ bg = 20 ωm . as in fig7 , the normalized magnetic h z component for 200 and 800 khz and for the transmitter - receiver offsets of 7 , 10 , and 14 m is displayed . in all the cases , the gpr anomaly is below 4 %. the results of modeling presented in fig7 and 8 indicate that even in the case of a shallow tunnel located 3 m below the surface and the background resistivity ρ bg ≦ 20 ωm , a modeled gpr system does not have enough sensitivity to detect 2 × 2 m air - filled tunnels . accordingly , further tests of the method were restricted to these two background resistivity cases ( ρ bg = 2 and 20 ωm ) and responses from deeper tunnels located from 5 to 16 m below the surface were evaluated ( see fig9 - 11 ). in fig9 , simulation results are presented for a tunnel that is 2 × 2 m , 5 m deep , ρ bg = 2 ωm , offsets ( fig9 a ) 3 . 5 , ( fig9 b ) 5 , and ( fig9 c ) 7 m : em anomaly is up to 50 %. in fig1 , simulation results are presented for a tunnel that is 2 × 2 m , 5 m deep , ρ bg = 20 ωm , offset 5 m : em anomaly is & gt ; 40 %. in fig1 , simulation results are presented for a tunnel that is 2 × 2 m , ( fig1 a ) 8 m , ( fig1 b ) 10 m , ( fig1 c ) 12 m , and ( fig1 d ) 16 m deep ; ρ bg = 2 ωm , offset = 5 m : em anomaly levels are 38 , 21 , 10 , and 2 %, respectively . as a further proof of concept , modeling was performed for a 2 m × 2 m tunnel that was 8 meters deep , with a small obstruction 1 meter deep . in this model , the r bg was set to 2 . 0 ωm and the obstruction resistivity , r o , was set in the first test to r o = 0 . 02 ωm and in the second test to r o = 100 ωm . in summary , the modeling tests showed that gpr was relatively insensitive to the tunnel , however , exhibited sensitivity to the shallow obstruction . in contrast , the detection system 10 was sensitive to both structures . making use of time - differentiation modeling in this example , permitted the shallow obstruction to be fully resolved and removed from the data . simulation results for a 2 × 2 m air - filled tunnel are summarized in table 1 . the levels of anomalous signals for all the simulated cases , except , perhaps , for the case when the tunnel is located at 16 m depth , are sufficient for detecting and fast inversion imaging . a simulated gpr system has been shown to be ineffective for detecting these tunnels embedded in media of background resistivity ρ bg ≦ 20 ωm . in summary , a new method for detecting and imaging small underground tunnels is disclosed . in various embodiments , the tunnel detection focused - source em ( td - fsem ) technology uses four horizontal electric dipole transmitters and a five - electrode grounded quadrupole receiver unit to measure the transient em field . such a setup directs the exciting current under the receiver vertically downward , increasing the sensitivity to a relatively narrow column of rocks directly below the receiver . referring now to fig1 and 13 , an embodiment of the detection system 10 is shown deployed on a mobile unit 100 . in this example , the detection system 10 include a measurement system 16 ( that , in turn , includes a plurality of transmitters 8 and at least one receiver 9 , and other components as appropriate ), a data processing unit 20 , an alert system 26 , a database 18 , a communication system 24 and a navigation system 22 . the detection system 10 may be in communication with a remote center 14 , which , in turn , may include appropriate components such as a remote database 28 , a remote data processing center 30 and a remote alert system 32 . the mobile unit 100 may be operated in a manned or unmanned fashion . during operation , the mobile unit 100 will generally progress to a survey point , ground the electrodes ( i . e ., the plurality of transmitters 8 and the receiver 9 ), turn on a source to commence transmission of the signal 4 , collect data , and then withdraw . the measurement process ( data collection ) may involve varying the signal in the time domain , as well as the frequency domain , as appropriate . multiple measurements at the same point or a number of points during a survey can also be performed to improve a signal - to - noise ratio ( snr ). when using the detection system 10 along a routine route , for example , additional benefits may be realized . for example , specific survey points may be routinely surveyed , thus providing users with data that is statistically more reliable . accordingly , the database 18 may include historic data to provide enhanced information to a user based , for example , on time - lapse ( 4d ) data analysis . such techniques are not limited to tunnel detection , but may be useful in a variety of other settings . for example , when characterizing soil properties , the effect of weathering and other such variables may be better understood . numerical tests have shown that the method disclosed provides data sufficient for reliable real - time detection of deep tunnels embedded in relatively low - resistivity environments ( ρ bg ≦ 20 ωm ), which has not been achievable using prior art ground penetrating radar . advantageously , the disclosed method provides for , among other things , deep depth of investigation and high spatial resolution , a high signal - to - noise ratio , automatic removal of unwanted shallow effects , real - time visual interpretation , and applicability of a fast one - dimensional inversion - based subsurface imaging . the technology may be used in a variety of settings . for example , users are now provided with technology for border security , such as for detection and mapping of subsurface clandestine tunnels / ways ; in agriculture , such as for evaluation of soil properties ; in environmental studies , such as for assessment of waste sites , hydrocarbon spills , new construction sides in civil engineering , such as for construction and monitoring of power stations ( including nuclear ), roads , tunnels , waterways , buildings , underground storage , pipelines ; in the mining industry , such as for exploration for ore and other mineral deposits ; in the petroleum industry , such as for exploration and monitoring of onshore hydrocarbon fields ( in the presence of arbitrary terrain environments ); and in just about any situation where assessment of subsurface resistivity anomalies or cavities or other objects / targets is desired . in the foregoing implementations , and others not listed herein , the detection system 10 may be configured for a particular task . for example , measurement routines and components ( i . e ., signal strength , measurement duration , pulse length , frequency , a number of transmitters and / or receivers , and the like ) may be varied or configured for a particular need . it should be recognized that relative terms such as “ substantially ,” “ reduce ” and the like do not imply any particular limitations . while the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications will be appreciated by those skilled in the art to adapt a particular instrument , 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 embodiments disclosed herein , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims .
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referring to fig1 the document feed system forming part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a slotted feed tray 11 having a bottom plate 12 along which a plurality of running belts 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 extend , each belt moving in the direction shown by the arrow &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;. documents such as envelopes , checks , or the like , ( not shown ) are each arranged transversely in a horizontally extending stack . each document stands vertically in tray 11 with its bottom edge resting on bottom plate 12 and belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 , and is urged toward the left hand end 13 of plate 12 by a back plate 28 which is resiliently or otherwise driven forward as documents are sequentially removed at end 13 from feed tray 11 . as illustrated schematically in fig1 back plate 28 is connected to a bracket 30 which slides along a rod - like member 32 , and which plate moves forward to the left as viewed in fig1 to advance the documents towards end 13 of plate 12 under the influence of a constant force mechanism 10 and which will be discussed in further detail below . back plate 28 and its associated drive mechanism are adapted to provide a continual force to the stack of documents as the documents advance in feed tray 11 . in the preferred embodiment , if the stack of documents is relatively long , the force applied by back plate 28 is initially high , and then decreases as the stack of documents 24 becomes shorter . also , back plate 28 advances along feed tray 11 at the same speed as belts 14 - 20 , thus providing a continual and uniform feed of documents to the forward end 13 of feed tray 11 , where a document removal assembly generally designated by the numeral is disposed at the forward end 13 of feed tray 11 . fig1 - 5 illustrate the construction of document feed tray 11 which includes a constant force spring assembly 10 connected to back plate 28 to maintain a continual force upon the rear of a stack of documents to thereby prevent gap from forming between individual documents , which gaps would prevent the steady flow of documents from feed tray 11 . a continual horizontally applied force must be applied to the stack of documents ( fig1 ) to consistently press the lead document into engagement with the document removal system . if a continual force is not applied , and gaps in the stack are allowed to occur , ultimately the lead document will not be pressed against the removal system , thereby disabling the feed mechanism and preventing the proper feeding of the lead document from feed tray 11 . the preferred embodiment of the present invention , as illustrated in fig1 - 5 , provides a back plate 28 pressing against a stack of documents ( not shown for clarity in illustration ) in feed tray 11 to which a continual and progressively decreasing force is applied through back plate 28 , and also provides a conveyor belt system to move the documents toward document removal assembly ( not shown ) at a consistent rate of speed . referring to fig1 wherein like numbers are used to designate like elements in other figures , feed tray 11 comprises a smooth surfaced , relatively thin bottom plate 12 , which is made of stainless steel or other suitable material which offers a low coefficient of friction to the bottom edge of each document 22 moving across the bottom plate . bottom plate 12 is supported by a thicker plate 84 , made of aluminum or other suitable material , which provides strength and rigidity to the feed tray 11 . a rectangular tubular extrusion 86 is connected to the underside of plate 84 along a central axis to add further support to the feed tray , and to support the document advancing mechanisms associated with the feed tray . plate 84 of feed tray 11 includes a pair of longitudinally extending relatively wide slots 88 , 90 . the portions of bottom plate 12 directly above slots 88 and 90 comprise narrower longitudinally extending slots 92 , 94 and 96 , 98 . the mechanism of feed tray 11 which advances documents 22 towards document removal assembly 34 ( fig1 ) includes four belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 mounted on spaced pairs of pulleys 100 , 102 , 104 and 106 ( fig1 and 2 ). the front pulley of each pulley pair is mounted on a drive shaft 108 which is suitably mounted for rotation through tubular extrusion 86 of feed tray 11 by means of bushings or bearings 110 as seen in fig2 . in the preferred embodiment , all pulleys 100 , 102 , 104 and 106 are the same diameter . the upper rims of belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 extend through slots 88 and 90 in plate 84 , and through slots 92 , 94 , 96 and 98 in bottom plate 12 , as seen in fig2 . belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 are thick enough to extend slightly higher than the plane of bottom plate 12 , so that the bottom edges of each document in a stack of documents 22 standing on edge in feed tray 11 will rest on the upper runs of the belts . as the belts are driven in the direction of the arrows a in fig1 as will be explained , the stack of documents 24 is advanced toward document removal assembly . the power for driving belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 is supplied by constant force spring assembly 10 ( fig1 - 3 ), which is connected to , and simultaneously controls the movement of back plate 28 as it moves along rod 32 and advances towards front end 13 of plate 12 ( fig1 ). to this end , a power spool 112 is attached by means of a one way clutch to the free end of drive shaft 108 . power spool 112 comprises a constant diameter portion 114 and a conical - shaped variable diameter portion 116 . a wire or other suitable linkage element 118 is wrapped at one end around constant diameter portion 114 of spool 112 , while the other end of wire 118 is attached to bracket 30 forming part of back plate 28 . a constant force spring motor 122 is supported in a fixed position on the structure that is supporting feed tray 11 . spring motor 122 is a standard mechanism available today which comprises a spring element 124 extending from the spring motor housing , which spring element provides a constant force to a mechanism it is connected to regardless of the change in length of the spring in the motor 122 as the spring is wound on or unwound from a central core ( not shown ). one end of spring element 124 is fastened to a point 126 on the surface of the variable diameter portion 116 of power spool 112 , as shown in fig1 . in operation of the embodiment of feed tray 11 illustrated in fig1 - 3 , back plate 28 is manually moved to its initial position at the rear of feed tray 11 , which is at the opposite end of the feed tray from end 13 of plate 12 . as back plate 28 is moved rearward , wire 118 unwinds from power spool 112 , causing the spool to rotate . simultaneously , constant spring motor 122 is wound , or loaded , as spring element 124 is withdrawn from spring motor 122 and wound around variable diameter portion 116 of spool 112 as spool 112 rotates under the influence of wire 118 . a one - way clutch provided between power spool 112 and drive shaft 108 allows spool 112 to rotate during this &# 34 ; loading &# 34 ; operation without rotating shaft 108 . after back plate 28 has been moved to its rearward position , and power spool 112 and constant force spring motor 112 has been &# 34 ; loaded &# 34 ; as described above , a stack of documents ( not shown ) is placed in feed tray 11 with the bottom edge of each document resting on the upper runs of belts 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 . the lead document is placed against a face plate , and back plate 28 is allowed to move forward until it is in abutment with the last document in the stack . as back plate 28 moves forward , and power spool 112 rotates under the influence of spring motor 122 , the one way clutch between drive shaft 108 and spool 112 causes shaft 108 to rotate and advance belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 slightly in the direction of arrow &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; ( fig1 ). however , during this loading operation , the bottoms of the documents are manually held so that the bottoms of the documents slide along the top of the belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 . after feed tray 11 has been properly loaded with documents , the document processing apparatus with which feed tray 11 is associated is actuated . as the documents are removed from the stack one at a time by the document processing apparatus , back plate 28 moves forward under the influence of constant force spring motor 122 and wire 118 . simultaneously , drive shaft 108 rotates and drives belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 in the direction indicated by arrows g in fig3 . the continual pressure on the stack of documents by back plate 28 maintains the advance of documents in the feed tray , along with belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 , and prevents the formation of gaps between the documents 22 . thus , a continual document feed progression to a document removal assembly is ensured . when feed tray 11 is adapted to hold and feed lengthy stacks of documents , approximately two to three feet in length in certain instances , it is desireable to provide a larger force to back plate 28 when the feeding operation commences , since more documents have to be moved and the inertia of the documents is greater . in this situation , it is desireable that back plate 28 initially provide a substantial force to the stack of documents , and that this force is then progressively reduced as the stack becomes shorter as documents are removed from the stack . this variable force is supplied by spring element 124 applying its motive force to back plate 28 by means of the variable diameter portion 116 of power spool 112 . when spring element 124 winds around variable diameter portion 116 of spool 112 during the &# 34 ; loading &# 34 ; operation described above , spring element 124 winds from the smallest diameter end of the variable diameter portion 116 to the largest diameter end of the spool . thus , during feeding operations of feed tray 11 , spring element 124 unwinds from the larger diameter end to the smaller diameter end of spool 112 . therefore , the force applied to wire 118 is maximum when back up plate 28 is in its rear most position , and stack of documents 24 is largest . as the stack decreases in size , spring element 124 progressively moves to the smaller diameter end of portion 116 , whereby the force on wire 118 decreases the force on wire 118 proportional to the radial distance between the central axis of spool 112 and the point where spring element 124 contacts variable portion 116 of spool 112 . constant force spring motor 122 rotates spool 112 and drive shaft 108 at a constant speed throughout the document feeding operation described above , even though a variable force is applied to back up plate 28 . this is important in maintaining uniformity of operation of the entire document feed system , document removal assembly , and document transport system with which it is associated . the preferred embodiment of the feed tray 11 illustrated in fig1 - 3 provides for horizontal transport of documents by means of the same constant force spring motor 122 which , through power spool 112 , provides a variable force - constant speed drive for back plate 28 and for the horizontal transport belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 . a feature of the present invention is that the speed of belts 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 and the degree of force applied to back up plate 28 can be variably controlled by changing the diameters of the various portions of power spool 112 , or the diameters of pulley pairs 100 , 102 , 104 and 106 . the combined movement of belts 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 and back plate 28 apply a continual compressive force to the stack of documents to eliminate the possibility of gaps forming between the documents . fig4 is a modification to the device shown in fig1 wherein similar parts are designated by similar numerals plus the addition of suffix &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; in this modification the constant spring tension means 122 which was found in assembly 10 is replaced by a constant speed motor 150 having substantially greater strength than the spring mechanism 122 and a one - way clutch carrying pulley 140 whereby when the plate 28a is moved to the back of the feed tray bottom plate 12a ( i . e . to the right in fig4 ) the cable 118a causes the pulley 140 to rotate in a clockwise direction , as seen in fig4 and with the clutch mechanism 142 permitting the movement of plate 28a without affecting the continued rotation of the axle 108a and the pulleys 100a - 106a carried thereon to move the belts 14a - 20a . when pressure is released from the plate 28a after being moved to the back of tray 12a it too is then moved forward ( i . e . to the left in fig4 ) by the clutch 142 acting on the pulley 140 to rewind the cable 118a and move plate 28a along the rod support 32a . while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein , various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims .
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in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of the present disclosure . however , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present disclosure . some portions of the detailed description that follows are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits or binary digital signals within a computer memory . these algorithmic descriptions and representations can be the techniques used by those skilled in the data processing arts to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . an algorithm is here , and generally , considered to be a self - consistent sequence of acts or operations leading to a desired result . these include physical manipulations of physical quantities . usually , though not necessarily , these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , compared , and otherwise manipulated . it has proven convenient at times , principally for reasons of common usage , to refer to these signals as bits , values , elements , symbols , characters , terms , numbers or the like . it should be understood , however , that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities . unless specifically stated otherwise , as apparent from the following discussions , it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions utilizing terms such as “ processing ,” “ computing ,” “ calculating ,” “ determining ,” or the like , refer to the action and / or processes of a computer or computing system , or similar electronic computing device , that manipulate and / or transform data represented as physical , such as electronic , quantities within the computing system &# 39 ; s registers and / or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system &# 39 ; s memories , registers or other such information storage , transmission or display devices . embodiments of the present disclosure can include apparatuses for performing the operations herein . an apparatus can be specially constructed for the desired purposes , or it can comprise a general purpose computing device selectively activated or reconfigured by a program stored in the device . such a program can be stored on a storage medium , such as , but not limited to , any type of disk including floppy disks , optical disks , compact disc read only memories ( cd - roms ), magnetic - optical disks , read - only memories ( roms ), random access memories ( rams ), electrically programmable read - only memories ( eproms ), electrically erasable and programmable read only memories ( eeproms ), magnetic or optical cards , or any other type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions , and capable of being coupled to a system bus for a computing device ( e . g ., non - volatile programmable read - writeable memories such as flash memories ). the processes and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computing device or other apparatus . various general purpose systems can be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein , or it can prove convenient to construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the desired method . the desired structure for a variety of these systems will appear from the description below . in addition , embodiments of the present disclosure are not described with reference to any particular programming language . it will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages can be used to implement the teachings of the present disclosure as described herein . in addition , it should be understood that operations , capabilities , and features described herein can be implemented with any combination of hardware ( discrete or integrated circuits ) and software . use of the terms “ coupled ” and “ connected ”, along with their derivatives , can be used . it should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other . rather , in particular embodiments , “ connected ” can be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other . “ coupled ” can be used to indicate that two or more elements are in either direct or indirect ( with other intervening elements between them ) physical or electrical contact with each other , and / or that the two or more elements co - operate or interact with each other ( e . g ., as in a cause an effect relationship ). embodiments of the present disclosure can provide several feedback control system concepts for potential use in an adaptive impedance matching module ( aimm ). these concepts can vary in rf system complexity , and hence cost . in an embodiment of the present disclosure , a basic technical objective can be to minimize the magnitude of the input reflection coefficient seen at an rf in port under the boundary condition of a variable load impedance zl . looking at fig1 , generally as 100 , is a first embodiment using simultaneous measurement of magnitude and phase for both forward and reflected waves using identical backward - wave couplers a 115 and b 110 which sample incident and reflected waves respectively at the input side of a tuner 120 . coupled and attenuated rf signals can be fed into a single integrated circuit ( ic ) which can contain dual channel log amplifiers 127 and 129 followed by gain and phase detectors ( such as built into the ad8302 as shown as 125 ). the dual outputs of the ad8302 125 can generate a first voltage , v mag 135 which is proportional to the ratio in db of the input powers ( forward and reversed ), and a second voltage , vphs 140 , which is proportional to the phase difference between the two input signals . these two voltages can be digitally sampled in a closed loop control system . the reference plane 145 for the measurement can be approximated as midway between the two directional couplers 110 and 115 , which should be located as close together as possible . the finite directivity d of the couplers 110 and 115 sets the minimum detectable reflection coefficient . the two rf paths between the couplers 110 and 115 and the ad8302 125 should be as well matched as possible since any differences create measurement errors . also , the frequency response of the couplers 110 and 115 should be as close as possible or the differences can be compensated in software . the phase detector inside the ad8302 125 can uniquely distinguish instantaneous phase over a range of only 180 °. thus , the phase can be identified to within a plus or minus sign . so either γ or its complex conjugate is known . the tuning algorithm will have to account for this degree of uncertainty . in an embodiment of the present disclosure , a microcontroller or dsp chip 105 can sample the complex reflection coefficient information from adc 1 150 and adc 2 155 . since the reflection coefficient phase angle is known , a look - up table can be used to immediately perform a coarse tune function that feeds approximate bias voltages to the three dacs 160 , 165 and 170 that in turn control high voltage buffers driving the ptcs 175 , 180 , 185 . ptcs are a type of variable reactance network denoted as parascan ™ tunable capacitors , and they implement a variable capacitor function . if the magnitude of the reflection coefficient is not below a desired level , then fine tuning can be accomplished using small and iterative adjustments in bias voltage . fine tuning can be necessary to compensate for variations in manufacturing tolerances of tuner component values , or to compensate for temperature variations of the ptcs under high power . in an exemplary embodiment , three ptcs with independent control voltages are used in the tuner 120 . however , it is understood that in general , any finite number of variable reactance networks with independent bias voltages or bias currents could be included . also , the exemplary embodiments herein , a ladder network with series inductors and shunt caps is described . however , other tuner circuit topologies can also be used , and are thus intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure . as an example to help understand the tuning process , consider the smith chart shown in fig2 at 200 . assume the initial input reflection coefficient at a desired frequency is shown at 215 in this example . coarse tuning moves the reflection coefficient γ from point [ 1 ] 215 to point [ 2 ] 205 where the magnitude is now | γ 2 |. application of a fine tuning algorithm moves the reflection coefficient from point [ 2 ] 205 to point [ 3 ] 210 where the magnitude is | γ 3 |. repeated application of the fine tuning algorithm decreases | γ | further until a specified tolerance is achieved . the fine tuning algorithm can be a scalar multi - variable minimization algorithm where the independent variables are the set of tuning voltages and the scalar cost function can be the magnitude of the reflection coefficient in db . many choices exist for this minimization algorithm including , but not limited to : 1 . downhill simplex method in multidimensions ( section 10 . 4 of numerical recipes ); 2 . conjugate gradient method in multidimensions ( section 10 . 6 of numerical recipes ); a digital processor can drive digital - to - analog converters ( dacs ) whose output voltage is scaled with high voltage buffers to yield ptc bias voltages of zero to about 30 volts . a charge pump 190 can be used to multiply a typically available supply voltage of 3 . 3 volts to more than 30 volts to power the voltage buffers , although the present disclosure is not limited in this respect . the charge pump 335 can be generalized to include any dc - to - dc converter capable of converting the available supply voltage to a desired higher or lower voltage , and this desired voltage can be positive or negative polarity , or dual positive and negative polarity . furthermore , the 30 volt maximum ptc voltage used in the above example can be higher or lower depending on the design of the variable capacitors . the voltage buffers in fig1 and 3 located between the dacs and ptcs can be replaced with transconductance amplifiers if the ptcs are replaced with variable reactance networks requiring a bias current rather than a bias voltage . depending on the processor implementation , the adcs 150 and 155 and dacs 160 , 165 and 170 can be integrated into the processor ic 105 . the merits of this first embodiment of the present disclosure include that the digital control system can react very quickly to changes in load impedance since coarse tuning can be achieved with only one rf measurement . this is possible since both magnitude and phase of the reflection coefficient are simultaneously available . a second embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated in fig3 at 300 and provides the simultaneous measurement of magnitude for both forward and reflected waves . in an embodiment of the present disclosure , a single backward - wave coupler 310 can sample incident and reflected power at the input side of the tuner 315 . coupled and attenuated rf signals 305 can be fed into a detector , such as a max2016 dual logarithmic detector 317 . the video output voltages ( in db ) can be subtracted internally to create a difference signal at the output outd 325 which is proportional to the return loss in db . measured return loss is given by the simple formula where v center is the output voltage under the condition of equal voltages at each input channel . the slope is about 25 mv / db . this return loss can then be digitally sampled in a closed loop control system . as with the previous embodiment , the finite directivity d of the coupler sets the minimum detectable reflection coefficient . a microcontroller or dsp chip 320 samples the return loss information using adc 1 330 . since the reflection coefficient phase angle is unknown , an iterative tuning algorithm can be required to minimize return loss . the tuning algorithm can be a scalar multi - variable minimization routine where the independent variables are the set of tuning voltages and the scalar cost function is the magnitude of the reflection coefficient in db . many choices exist for this minimization algorithm including : 1 . downhill simplex method in multidimensions ( section 10 . 4 of numerical recipes ) 2 . conjugate gradient method in multidimensions ( section 10 . 6 of numerical recipes ) the digital processor drives digital - to - analog converters ( dacs ) 335 , 340 and 345 whose output voltage is scaled with high voltage buffers to yield ptc bias voltages of zero to about 30 volts . a charge pump 350 can be used to multiply a typically available supply voltage of 3 . 3 volts to more than 30 volts to power the voltage buffers . depending on the processor implementation , the adc 330 and dacs 335 , 340 and 345 can be integrated into the processor ic 317 . the merit of this second embodiment is that return loss can be immediately measured in one digital sample . turning now to fig4 , is a third embodiment of the present disclosure and provides sequential measurement of magnitude for both forward and reflected waves . in this third embodiment of the present disclosure , a closed loop control system is built around a low cost max4003 log amplifier 425 , although the present disclosure is not limited to any specific amplifier . a single backward - wave coupler 410 samples incident and reflected power at the input side of the tuner 415 . the incident and reflected power levels are switched at sw 1 430 such that they can be measured in sequence , as controlled by the processor . the max4003 426 output voltage , which is proportional to coupled power in db , can be digitized and the return loss can then be calculated by the processor using sequential measurements . as with previous embodiments , the finite directivity d of the coupler sets the minimum detectable return loss . the max4003 425 log amp was selected because it has a shutdown mode where it draws only 13 ua of current . furthermore , when powered , it consumes only 6 ma from a 3 . 0 volt supply ( 18 mw ). again , the present disclosure is not limited to using any particular log amp . since the microcontroller or dsp chip 420 computes only the return loss ( no phase information is available ), then an iterative tuning algorithm is required to minimize return loss . the tuning algorithm is a scalar multi - variable minimization routine where the independent variables are the set of tuning voltages and the scalar cost function is the magnitude of the reflection coefficient in db . many choices exist for this minimization algorithm including : as with the previous embodiments , the digital processor drives digital - to - analog converters ( dacs ) 435 , 440 and 445 whose output voltage is scaled with high voltage buffers to yield ptc bias voltages of zero to about 30 volts . depending on the processor implementation , the adc 450 and dacs 435 , 440 and 445 can be integrated into the processor ic . the merits of the present third embodiment include , but are not limited to : a relatively low cost log amp is employed . at the time of the present disclosure , the max4003 sells for ˜$ 1 . 09 in qty of 100 . the max4003 log amp consumes only 18 mw of power during normal operation at 3 . 0 volts . the log amp can be powered down when power measurements are not required . turning now to fig5 , is a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure and provides direct measurement of the ratio of the first two nodal voltages . this embodiment is designed to offer an “ indirect ” measurement of input impedance or input reflection coefficient for the tuner 510 . in contrast , a direct measurement would involve directional couplers as in previous embodiments . by eliminating the directional couplers one saves bill of material ( bom ) cost and board real estate and eliminates a bandwidth restriction caused by miniature narrowband couplers . the input impedance sensing circuit consists of two additional known reactive components on the input side of the tuner , namely y m1 535 and z m2 = 1 / y m2 540 . rf voltages v 1 and v 2 are measured using high impedance ( relative to zo = 50 w ) resistive voltage dividers . the input impedance can be expressed as since the input reflection coefficient γ can be expressed in terms of input admittance , then hence the complex value of γ is known with one digital sample of the complex ratio of nodal voltages . it should be noted that components y m1 535 and z m2 540 are not restricted , but they must be known . their values are chosen by the system designer , and y m1 535 can be set to zero ( omitted ) if desired . only a series component is required for this approach to work . the accuracy of the indirectly measured γ is defined largely by the component tolerances of y m1 535 and z m2 540 . one could design the tuner 510 such that y m1 535 is the first shunt voltage tunable capacitor ( ptc ) and z m2 540 is the first series inductor , or a short series transmission line . however , this would require that the ptc capacitance be known very accurately for all bias voltages and temperatures . while it is conceivable to obtain such detailed information , it cannot be practical in high volume production depending on the tolerance required . a microcontroller or dsp chip 530 samples the complex node voltage ratio from adc 1 545 and adc 2 550 and calculates the complex input reflection coefficient directly from the equation above . a look - up table can be used to immediately perform a coarse tune function that feeds approximate bias voltages to the three dacs 555 , 560 and 565 that in turn control high voltage buffers for the ptcs 515 , 520 , 525 . if the magnitude of the reflection coefficient is not below a desired level , then fine tuning can be accomplished using small and iterative adjustments in bias voltage . fine tuning can be necessary to compensate for variations in manufacturing tolerances of tuner component values , or to compensate for temperature variations of the ptcs under high power . the fine tuning algorithm can be a scalar multi - variable minimization algorithm where the independent variables are the set of tuning voltages and the scalar cost function can be the magnitude of the reflection coefficient in db . many choices exist for this minimization algorithm including the digital processor 530 drives digital - to - analog converters ( dacs ) 555 , 560 and 565 whose output voltage is scaled with high voltage buffers to yield ptc bias voltages of zero to about 30 volts . a charge pump 570 can be used to multiply a typically available supply voltage of 3 . 3 volts to more than 30 volts to power the voltage buffers . depending on the processor implementation , the adcs 545 and 550 and dacs 555 , 560 and 565 can be integrated into the processor ic . the merits of the present embodiment shown in fig5 include : board real estate can be reduced significantly because directional couplers are not needed , and the resistive dividers occupy a very small footprint . the cost of directional couplers is eliminated . the bandwidth of the reflection coefficient sensing circuit is significantly increased relative to using miniature ceramic hybrid couplers . the digital control system can react very quickly to changes in load impedance since course tuning can be achieved with only one rf measurement . this is possible since both magnitude and phase of the first two nodal voltages are simultaneously available . turning now to fig6 , is a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure and provides direct measurement of the ratio of the first two nodal voltages . in this embodiment is a modification of embodiment 4 where three node voltages are measured instead of two , and only their magnitudes are measured using a single channel log amp or temperature compensated diode detector . ratios of node voltages are calculated by the microcontroller / dsp 640 . any ambiguity of v 1 and v 2 used to calculate z 1 based on magnitude measurements can be resolved by calculating z 2 from a measurement of a second pair of voltages , v 2 and v 3 . then z 2 is mapped into z 1 given the known values of shunt and series measurement impedances . in this manner , three measurements of node voltage magnitude permit a unique determination of the input impedance z 1 for the tuner . the first through third embodiments described above can use directional couplers to measure forward and reflected power . so for these embodiments , the minimum dynamic range needed by the detector is the magnitude of the best case return loss that is desired to be resolved , plus the dynamic range of the input rf signal . so if it is desired to resolve a return loss down to − 20 db and operate the aimm over a 30 db dynamic range of input powers , then a 50 db ( 20 db + 30 db ) log amplifier can be needed . in contrast , the fourth and fifth embodiments measure the total rf voltage at the nodes . these voltages are expected to be fairly similar in magnitude , especially for a well matched tuner . so the detector &# 39 ; s required dynamic range is expected to be less for embodiments 4 and 5 . current consumption will also be less for the max2205 - 2208 family of detectors relative to a log amp . they typically consume only 3 . 5 ma or less at 3 volts , and 0 . 5 ua at shutdown . the ability to create a successful aimm depends on two critical technical achievements . the first requirement is to create a highly - linear , series network of low loss , tunable capacitors . but the second requirement is for a monolithic , low cost , logarithmic amplifier with a broad dynamic range . dynamic range is very important for many cell phone applications where transmit power control over multiple decades is required , although the present disclosure is not limited in this respect . the advent of a log amp with an integrated phase detector provides a dramatic advantage in closed loop settling time compared to conventional log amps with only envelope detection . the reason for the advantage is that phase and magnitude information are used together to achieve coarse tuning with only one sample of reflection coefficient or node voltage . the only commercially available log amp with a phase detector is analog devices part number ad8302 . however , the cost of the ad8302 is expected to be an order of magnitude higher than a conventional single channel log amp . one of the major drawbacks of the ad8302 is its relatively high current consumption at 20 ma and a shutdown feature is needed on a future version of this part . as with fig5 , switch sw 1 is shown at 645 and tuner 610 can include voltage tunable capacitors , such as voltage tunable dielectric varactors , which can be referred to as parascan ® tunable capacitors ( ptcs ). charge pump 630 can also be included such as with the charge pump of fig5 . in some embodiments of the present disclosure described above , the impedances added to the tuner for measurements of f in the fourth embodiment can be any reactance . however , an obvious option is to use a shunt capacitor followed by a series inductor . this will preserve the ladder circuit topology that was employed in each of the previous embodiments . looking now at fig7 is an embodiment of the present disclosure that illustrates a method to compute the terminating impedance of a cascade of 2 - port devices 700 which are characterized through transmission ( or abcd ) parameters and to which a signal from a source with a known impedance is applied by measuring the magnitude of the voltages at the input and output of the cascade and between the devices . depicted in fig7 is : source voltage u s 705 ; reference impedance r w 710 ; network elements z m 725 and 740 and y m 720 and 735 ; terminating impedance z t 745 ; input voltage u i 715 ; voltage u c 730 ; and output voltage u o 750 , given this information we can compute the input voltage u i as we divide the transmission parameters and the termination into real and imaginary components we also solve ( 4 ) for us 2 and substitute in ( 5 ), resulting in the 2 circles must intersect in 2 points , one of which represents the terminating impedance . the following functions are useful to plot the impedance plane circles and to find the intersections of 2 circles . this can be verified by direct computation from the net work elements as the variable reactive elements referred to above can be variable capacitances , variable inductances , or both . the variable capacitors can be semiconductor varactors , microelectromechanical system ( mems ) varactors , mems switched capacitors , and / or voltage tunable dielectric capacitors — although the present invention is not limited in this respect . some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented , for example , using a machine - readable medium or article which can store an instruction or a set of instructions that , if executed by a machine , for example , by a system of the present disclosure which includes above referenced controllers and dsps , or by other suitable machines , cause the machine to perform a method and / or operations in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure . such machine can include , for example , any suitable processing platform , computing platform , computing device , processing device , computing system , processing system , computer , processor , or the like , and can be implemented using any suitable combination of hardware and / or software . the machine - readable medium or article can include , for example , any suitable type of memory unit , memory device , memory article , memory medium , storage device , storage article , storage medium and / or storage unit , for example , memory , removable or non - removable media , erasable or non - erasable media , writeable or re - writeable media , digital or analog media , hard disk , floppy disk , compact disk read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk recordable ( cd - r ), compact disk re - writeable ( cd - rw ), optical disk , magnetic media , various types of digital versatile disks ( dvds ), a tape , a cassette , or the like . the instructions can include any suitable type of code , for example , source code , compiled code , interpreted code , executable code , static code , dynamic code , or the like , and can be implemented using any suitable high - level , low - level , object - oriented , visual , compiled and / or interpreted programming language , e . g ., c , c ++, java , basic , pascal , fortran , cobol , assembly language , machine code , or the like . an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a machine - accessible medium that provides instructions , which when accessed , cause a machine to perform operations comprising minimizing the magnitude of an input reflection coefficient seen at an rfin port under boundary conditions of a variable load impedance zl by an adaptive antenna impedance matching module ( aimm ) by using a tuner connected to said aimm and including a plurality of voltage tunable capacitors with independent control voltages within said tuner , wherein backward - wave couplers sample incident and reflected waves respectively at the input side of said tuner ; and using a microcontroller or digital signal process ( dsp ) chip to sample complex reflection coefficient information from said incident and reflected waves and providing by said microcontroller or dsp a coarse tune function that feeds approximate bias voltages to control said voltage tunable capacitors . the machine - accessible medium can further comprise the instructions causing the machine to perform operations further comprising sampling the complex reflection coefficient information from at least one analog to digital converter ( adc ) by said microcontroller or dsp chip . some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by software , by hardware , or by any combination of software and / or hardware as can be suitable for specific applications or in accordance with specific design requirements . embodiments of the present disclosure can include units and / or sub - units , which can be separate of each other or combined together , in whole or in part , and can be implemented using specific , multi - purpose or general processors or controllers , or devices as are known in the art . some embodiments of the present disclosure can include buffers , registers , stacks , storage units and / or memory units , for temporary or long - term storage of data or in order to facilitate the operation of a specific embodiment . while the present disclosure has been described in terms of what are at present believed to be its preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications to the disclose embodiments can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following claims .
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referring now to the drawings , a panel board is indicated generally at 10 and comprises a base 12 upon which is supported suitable insulation 14 . a bus bar support assembly is indicated generally at 16 and is disposed as shown directly atop the insulation 14 on base 12 to overlie the former . the assembly 16 is made from any suitable electrical insulative material in the nature of a readily moldable plastic , and is fixedly secured to base 12 by prongs 18 and 20 which extend from the latter into complementary shaped notches 22 and 24 which are formed as shown in the left - most edge of support assembly 16 as best seen in fig1 . locating 26 screws and 28 extend as shown through spaced bores provided therefore adjacent the right - most edge of support assembly 16 into non - illustrated locating holes provided in base 12 to fixedly locate the support assembly 16 atop the base by forcing the former firmly against the prongs 18 and 20 . notches 34 and 36 are formed in wall 30 to extend downwardly from the upper edge thereof . in like manner , notches 38 and 40 are formed in wall 32 to extend downwardly from the upper edge thereof . as best seen in fig3 notches 44 and 46 are formed to extend upwardly from the lower edges of walls 30 and and 32 , respectively . cut - outs 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , and 56 are provided as shown in the bus bar assembly base 57 as shown by fig1 . the generally longitudinally extending bus bar mounting space formed between spaced walls 30 and 32 is indicated at 58 , and the same is divided into upper and lower vertically aligned bus bar receiving recesses by generally longitudinally extending support assembly dividing wall 60 which is best seen in fig2 and 3 , said recesses are perpendicular to base 12 . a lower bus bar is indicated at 62 , and an upper bus bar is indicated at 64 , and each of said bus bars comprises a central or major portion which is preferably of generally rectangular cross section , the opposite sides of said bus bars being perpendicular to base 12 . said bus bars include terminal connectors 66 and 68 for connection to a source of electricity . lower bus bar 62 comprises a plurality of spaced generally parallel terminal blade contacts 72 which extend laterally from the bus bar at opposite sides thereof , respectively . the upper bus bar has similar laterally extending terminal blade contacts 74 which extend laterally thereof , passing through notches 34 , 36 and 38 , 40 in side walls 30 and 32 , respectively . lower bus bar 62 is mounted in the bus bar support assembly 16 prior to the attachment of the latter to the panel board 10 , and this mounting is effected by the insertion of the bus bar from the bottom of the assembly into the recess between the lower parts of side walls 30 and 32 of the generally longitudinally extending space 58 , with the blade contacts 72 being respectively free to pass into the relevant notches formed in walls 30 and 32 and through the cut - outs 48 , 50 , 54 , 56 and 52 which are formed in the base portion 76 of the bus bar support assembly 16 to bring the lower bus bar to the position thereof depicted in the drawings . following such insertion , the lower bus bar 62 is secured to the bus bar mounting assembly 16 by means of attachment screws 78 and 80 which extend therethrough . upper bus bar 64 is mounted in bus bar assembly 16 by simply inserting the bus bar from the top into the upper portion of space 58 with the bus bar blade contacts being free to pass into the relevant notches in walls 30 and 32 and with the lower edge of the bus bar coming to rest against the upper edge of support assembly dividing wall 60 ; and such insertion may be effected before or after the support assembly 16 is secured to the panel board . upper bus bar 64 is then secured to the assembly 16 by attachment screws 82 and 84 which extend therethrough . with the respective bus bars 62 and 64 inserted as described in the bus bar support assembly 16 , it is believed clear that each of said bus bars will be perpendicular to base 12 . by the above description is believed made clear that the novel teaching of the generally aligned , vertical edge - to - edge bus bar mounting features of the invention , the bus bars being perpendicular to the base 10 and positioned in the space between the terminal contact members provide for an extremely compact bus bar arrangement , while maintaining and in some respects increasing the requisite electrical insulation between the respective upper and lower bus bars . in this connection , it is to be noted that the major portions of the bus bars are separated from the other , and , in each instance , from the blade contacts of the other , by the separating wall 60 and the walls 30 and 32 respectively rather than just by an air space as is prevalent in the prior art . further , the extension as described of blade contacts to both sides of each of the bus bars , and the interleaving of said contacts also contributes to the overall compactness of the mounting panel . too , it is believed clear that the substantial measure of support provided for the bus bars by the bus bar support assembly 16 of the invention will result in a mounting panel which is substantially stronger than many of those of the prior art . in addition , it may be understood that assembly of the mounting panel of the invention is relatively easy task in that the same requires only the insertion of the lower and upper bus bars into the support assembly and the tightening of the four attachment screws . it is , of course , to be clearly understood that the terms &# 34 ; vertical &# 34 ; and / or &# 34 ; upstanding &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; upwardly extending &# 34 ; or the like as used in this specification presume the generally horizontal and upward facing disposition of the panel board 10 and have been used for purposes of convenience and clarity of description in accordance with the respective panel board and support assembly orientation as depicted in the drawings ; it being presumed to be clearly understood by those skilled in this art that the panel board and bus bar support assembly may , of course , be disposed and faced other than horizontally and upwardly , respectively . for operational use of the new and improved panel of the invention , it may be understood that one circuit breaker of the plug - in type is operatively mounted thereon in electrical connection with each of the blade contacts , and two such breakers are depicted in phantom at 86 and 88 , respectively , in fig1 and 3 . each of said breakers may , for example , take the form of that disclosed in my u . s . pat . no . 3 , 818 , 168 . a mounting prong for mechanical support of the lower rear surface of the breaker in conventional manner is provided in the panel board base 12 opposite each blade contact , and such prongs are identified , as for example , at 90 . mounting and de - mounting of the respective breakers on the panel is accomplished in conventional manner . panels of the prior art over which the panel of the invention is believed to represent a significant improvement , primarily because of the compactness referred to above , are examplified by those disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 287 , 607 and 3 , 808 , 507 , and 3 , 611 , 048 . various changes may , of course , be made in the disclosed embodiment of my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims . as panels for plug - in circuit breakers and such breakers are both well known and since the panel of the present invention may be used with such breakers of various types and constructions , only the panel is claimed herein .
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